Picking Up The Pieces -- St. Louis OOM

[loyaltyinmotion]

Jason picked up Nathaniel before heading to the Circus. He'd barely been in St. Louis an hour before he was knocking at the door to the Circus with Nathaniel at his back. He'd wondered about whether or not Nathaniel would know what he was talking about when he stopped in to ask for back up, but Nathaniel dropped everything and hopped in the car

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[one_of_her_boys]

Nathaniel slipped his hand into Jason's, smiling down at the wolf.

It had been several months for him since he'd first walked into Milliways and fell into the mess of a life Jason had carved out for himself. At the end of it, his past self had made Jason a promise.

And his present self knew to fulfill it.

"It'll be all right, Jason," he says with his usual optimism. "He'll take you back."

[loyaltyinmotion]

Jason's nervous energy is palpable, and he licks his lips as they near the bottom of the stair.

"I hope so, I just..."

He's almost afraid of being welcomed back so easily. It still hurts to think he was so easily disposable.

[one_of_her_boys]

"He did what he thought was best."

Very much like a father, Nathaniel thinks.

"You weren't listening to anyone, Jason. He had... to do what he thought would make the most impact."

He'd talked for a long time with Asher -- both then and now -- about Jean-Claude's decision.

[loyaltyinmotion]

"Yeah, just not the one he was hoping for."

Well, thinking about it wasn't going to do much more good to him: they were outside Jean Claude's door.

Jason swallows and tightens his grip on Nathaniel's hand, letting out a sharp breath.

"Well, here goes." He knocks on the door.

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude knew they were at the door, of course. No one came into the lower areas of the Circus without him knowing.

"Enter," he said without looking up from the ledger books he was reviewing.

[one_of_her_boys]

Nathaniel reaches out and opens the door, giving Jason a nudge.

"Trust him," he whispers, subtly tugging Jason into the office with him before turning to shut the door behind them.

[loyaltyinmotion]

Jason tries to heed Nathaniel's advice, but he freezes at the casual tone from Jean Claude. His throat feels like it's closing on itself and he almost resists Nathaniel's gentle tug.

He stands there, feeling more nervous and uncomfortable than that first day Raina had brought him to the Circus.

All the carefully planned speeches fly out of his head, and he's left standing there silently, leaking nervous energy all over the room.

[masterofstlouis]

"Thirty days exactly," Jean-Claude says as he looks Jason over. A quick glance and nod of greeting to Nathaniel, and the vampire turns his attention back to the wolf. "You're looking better."

[one_of_her_boys]

A squeeze to Jason's hand, and Nathaniel smiles at Jean-Claude, his pride in Jason's sobriety clear to be read in his lilac eyes.

[loyaltyinmotion]

Jason swallows and nods, some of that hurt coming back.

"I'm not using anymore," he answers evenly. He leans back until his body comes in contact with Nathaniel, letting that touch take off some of that nervous edge.

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude nods. "For how many days so far?"

[loyaltyinmotion]

"Couple weeks," he answers quietly.

It had been. Granted, he'd had some time in Milliways, but even there it has only been a few weeks since his overdose. He's not out of the woods yet, but he needed to be able to come back home.

[masterofstlouis]

"Good. I'll expect you tomorrow evening as usual, then."

And for Jean-Claude, that was it. He turns his attention back to the books.

[loyaltyinmotion]

There's a fine tremor through Jason's body when Jean Claude goes back to his books.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?"

It's an effort to keep that controlled: his response would be much more colorful if he didn't know where he stood with the master vampire.

But then, he still doesn't really know that...not anymore.

[one_of_her_boys]

Nathaniel is very still behind Jason for a long while, and then his arms slide around Jason's waist. His own pride -- what little of it Asher has managed to help flourish -- aching for the wolf.

"Jean-Claude," he murmurs.

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude looks up again, brow knitting questioningly.

"You were angry that I dismissed you due to your drug problem, and now you are angry that I am accepting you back into my service due to your recovery. Is there something I'm missing here?"