Blame the Night (2/9)
Title: Blame the Night
Author: silver_etoile
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
POV: Third
Disclaimer: These characters are mine and any similarities are pure coincidence.
Summary: Nathan doesn't expect being stranded on an island to be any kind of fun, especially when he meets Alex, the kid who talks too much and is surprisingly shady about where he comes from. Removed from his spoiled existence, Nathan is left to figure out what to do, and it doesn't really help that Alex has a few secrets of his own.
A/N: uhm nothing to say today.
Reread: 1
*
The sound of a screeching bird startled Nathan awake the next morning. Before even opening his eyes, he knew it hadn’t been a dream. He was stuck on an island where the only company was a nosy teenager and irritating birds. His only hope was that Alex did not return.
He struggled to sit up in the dark cabin of the plane and promptly hit himself on the head. Cursing, he pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around him. The plane was leaning sideways but he’d managed to sleep well enough on the floor in the back.
His stomach grumbled loudly and he frowned. He didn’t know how much food he had, or water for that matter. Crawling to the back where his mother always managed to hide extra necessities in case of an emergency, Nathan popped open the compartment. Inside were several bottles of water and some protein bars, low-calorie of course. He was also surprised to find a change of clothes. Nestled amongst the shirts he found his Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses which he immediately plucked out and set on his face.
He slipped on a new tee-shirt and the pair of shorts he found. He wasn’t completely satisfied with the outfit but what choice did he really have? Climbing out of the plane, he stretched and glanced around him. Nothing had changed from the day before. Already the sun was climbing to its position above him, beating down with nothing but heat.
He thought for a second about exploring more around his area but in the end, decided it would be much easier to sit on the beach all day instead, contemplating what his parents were doing, if they were missing him, looking for him. Somehow, he doubted it.
In the end, Nathan grabbed another bottle of water and headed for his same spot on the beach. He sat down in the white sand, glad for his sunglasses that shielded his eyes from the blaring sun.
Stretching under the warm lull of the sun and sand, Nathan breathed in the cool ocean air. It was relaxing, he had to admit, even if he had no idea where he was.
He sat there for a second before pulling his shirt off and throwing it to the side. There was no one there and he was quite proud of his body anyway. If he was going to be marooned, he might as well get a good tan in the process.
He’d just settled down on his back, ready to wile away the day while waiting for his rescue, when the bushes behind him rustled and a shadow fell over his face. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up into the now-familiar face of Alex.
Groaning, he pushed himself into a sitting position and glared at Alex, though his sunglasses shielded it.
“What are you doing back here?” he asked, annoyed. He shifted to stare at the ocean, ignoring when Alex sat down beside him, stretching his bare legs out in front of him.
“Thought you might be lonely,” Alex said brightly. “And it’s pretty boring being here all by yourself.”
He wondered how he managed to come up with these lies so quickly, although the part about being bored definitely wasn’t a lie.
“Well, you’ve managed to survive just fine,” Nathan drawled sarcastically. He remained turned toward the ocean, watching a bird swoop down to capture a fish between its talons.
“Haven’t been here that long,” Alex replied, shrugging. “I’m sure it will get worse.”
Nathan said nothing. He wasn’t interested in making friends with the wreckee.
“So,” Alex said after a few moments of silent. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. “If you’re the third Blackwater, that means your dad has the same name, right?”
“Your intelligence is astounding,” Nathan bit out dryly. “Not bad for a … fourteen-year old?”
“Seventeen,” Alex corrected, losing some of his good-humor. He knew Nathan was doing it to annoy him, but people were always getting his age wrong, and it pissed him off.
“Hm,” Nathan said, still not looking at him. “Well, puberty will hit soon enough.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Alex snapped. He was silent for a while, silently fuming. He hated when people joked about how young he looked. He had more experience than half the people his age.
It took him a while to calm down and think straight, remember why he’d come back to see Nathan.
“Where are you from?” he asked finally, his voice pretending nothing had happened.
Nathan wondered vaguely if Alex would ever leave him alone. Seemingly not, so he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “California. Sacramento.”
“How’d you get down here?” Alex asked, genuinely interested, and also looking for a way to keep Nathan talking, relax him to get what he wanted.
“Moved to Hawaii for a while. Hell if I know why.” Nathan scowled at the thought. He just wanted to be back in California with his friends and the night clubs where he could forget his problems.
“What do your parents do?” Alex was getting closer to what he wanted.
“Dad’s a corporate lawyer and my mom is his trophy.”
“Only child?”
“Yeah.”
“Ahh,” Alex said, thinking it explained a lot.
Nathan just frowned. “What?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” Alex said, fixing a smile on his face. “So your dad’s a lawyer?”
Nathan shrugged in agreement. He really didn’t want to talk about his parents. “He takes pleasure in bringing down people.”
Alex sent him a sideways glance but didn’t respond. Instead, he took the opportunity to let his eyes glide over Nathan’s bare chest. He had a swimmer’s build, with his meekly defined muscles tapering down to his waist. The skin was tanned a golden brown, almost too dark for his hair, but it worked.
Nathan noticed Alex’s eyes on his body but said nothing. He knew what he looked like and as Alex had already revealed his preferences, he had no doubt what he was thinking. He took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders, falling back onto his elbows and staring out over the ocean.
“How do you plan on surviving out here?” Alex asked after several minutes had passed.
“As soon as you leave, in peace,” Nathan drawled, rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.
“You don’t have any food.”
“I can manage.”
“Have you ever cooked a meal?”
Nathan turned to Alex, the dislike evident on his face. “I can manage,” he repeated.
Alex shrugged. “I can get you food if you want.”
“How? Pull it out of your ass like some magician?”
“The ship I was on was cargo,” Alex lied easily. “I’ve got everything.”
Nathan looked like he was contemplating the idea for a second, but then shook his head sharply. “I suppose you’d want some sort of payment for this?”
Alex smirked. “A thank you would be nice.”
Nathan scowled and glanced away. He didn’t want to be in some sort of debt to Alex for food and water, but then he didn’t really have much other choice and his father always said that when opportunity came along, exploitation was the best avenue.
“Fine, if you want to keep me alive, it’s your own decision.”
Alex laughed. “Well, I guess if it turns out I don’t like you, I can always let you starve.”
Nathan didn’t find that quite as amusing as Alex and just frowned. He glanced out over the ocean and sighed. This was going to get old, real fast. Normally, he would find some way to entertain himself but his form of entertainment usually involved another willing body. Since Alex appeared to be the only other body on this island, he wondered if he would be able to last.
“So…” Nathan said after a while, feeling the impending boredom creeping up on him. “What do you do for fun around here?”
“Swim, tramp around the jungle, sleep,” Alex replied honestly. “It’s a very exciting existence.”
“I can see that,” Nathan said, bored. He glanced up as a bird of paradise chose that moment to let out a particularly loud squawk. “What the hell is with these birds?!”
“It’s their natural habitat,” Alex said.
“Thank you, Steve Irwin,” Nathan replied, frustrated.
“I used to like that show,” Alex commented off-handedly.
Nathan rolled his eyes. Could things get any worse? Oh, of course.
Alex turned to him, brushing a few pieces of his dark hair from his eyes. “Nice sunglasses.”
Nathan barely glanced at him. Instead of answering, he lay back down on the sand, his hands behind his head.
“Dolce?”
Still Nathan said nothing.
Alex glanced down Nathan’s body, pausing at the plastic sandals on his feet. “Old Navy flip-flops?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I like Old Navy,” Nathan said simply. He didn’t need to justify his wardrobe to someone wearing last year’s styles. Some things were just timeless, like his black flip-flops.
“I just thought you’d be wearing $5,000 Versace sandals,” Alex said calmly. “You seem the type.”
Nathan rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Is that the pot calling the kettle black?”
Alex just shrugged. “I’m okay with it.”
Nathan didn’t reply. He wondered if accepting help from Alex had been like signing away his soul to the devil. He wondered how many more hours of mind-numbing conversation he would be put through until someone rescued him and took him out of his misery.
“Hey, I have to get back,” Alex said suddenly, jerking his thumb in a vague direction once more. Nathan glanced at him.
“What, are your parents going to be mad?” he joked, scoffing.
Alex’s mouth quirked into a smile. “Sure,” he replied. “Well, I’ll see you later.”
“Uh huh,” Nathan muttered, turning his head back to stare at the sky and waiting until Alex had disappeared into the brush. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, Nathan prayed to whoever was listening that Alex wasn’t some crazed psycho-killer intent on killing him with bad conversation.
**
“You’ve been sneaking off a lot lately.”
Alex looked up from the morning paper to where Natalie sat opposite him. His parents were long gone, since their children always slept well past ten.
Natalie was watching Alex through her dark green eyes. Her dark hair had been pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and she was waiting on his answer.
“And you’ve been over-tanning,” Alex said, nodding at her dark tan.
Natalie rolled her eyes. Only a year younger than Alex, she was practically his equal. “Where have you been going, Alex?” she asked, arching a perfectly defined eyebrow.
“It’s a big island, Nat.”
“It is not. It’s not even as big as home.”
“What do you care where I’m going? It’s not like there’s anything to do.”
Natalie shrugged. “Mom and dad just keep asking where you disappear to.”
“I’m doing my homework. Shouldn’t they just be happy for that?”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “You know them. Unless they have complete control over you, they won’t be happy.”
Alex sighed and poked at his toast. “Just tell them I’m taking some alone time next time they ask.”
Natalie watched him suspiciously for a second. “So you’re not going to tell me where you keep disappearing off to?”
“Nope,” Alex replied, taking a bite of his toast and hearing the satisfying crunch.
Natalie just sighed and sat back in her chair. “At least you get to have some fun.”
“Fun is in the eye of the beholder,” Alex said. “Sometimes you just have to make it.”
*
The fourth morning after his arrival, Nathan heard the unmistakable sounds of Alex trampling through the foliage.
As much as Nathan hated to admit it, he needed Alex. He had officially run out of food the day before, his protein bars disappearing faster than he’d thought. He didn’t actually want Alex to come and interrupt his peace everyday but he admitted that maybe he needed a little help, just a little.
So the sound of Alex’s dirty flip flops breaking limbs and pushing past leaves was a welcome sound that afternoon. Nathan had noticed that Alex rarely came before ten in the morning. Nathan was always up at the crack of dawn, no thanks to the sun that made it its business to blind him each morning.
Nathan glanced up when he saw a hand shove a small loaf of bread and can of tangerines. He grabbed the bread and took a huge bite as Alex sat down beside him.
“Fucking Christ, finally,” he said around his mouthful.
“What happened to that thank you you owe me?” Alex asked, amused.
Nathan eyed him. “If you’re good, you’ll get it later.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “And what is good in your books?”
“When you disappear through that patch of trees,” Nathan replied dryly, pulling off the top of the can.
Alex just watched him. “Am I really that disturbing?”
“Have you seen yourself?”
Alex glanced down. Today he was wearing a red wife beater and a pair of khaki shorts. His hair was messy since he hadn’t bothered to fix it before leaving that morning. He knew he looked good and if it had been anyone else, they’d be begging him to fuck them.
“Have you seen yourself?” Alex countered, the amusement prevalent in his voice.
Nathan scowled. He was wearing the same clothes over, something he’d tried never to do in his life. He knew his hair looked bad. He didn’t need Alex telling him.
“Well, it’s not exactly like there’s a shower out here,” Nathan replied scathingly, finishing off the bread.
“There’s an ocean,” Alex said, gesturing obviously at the blue expanse in front of them. “And there’s a fresh water pond, like, twenty feet that way.” He pointed to their right.
Nathan followed his finger and frowned. “How do you know?”
“I explore,” Alex said, shrugging and smirking. “I’m just a curious person, I suppose.”
“So that’s why you won’t leave me alone?” Nathan asked bluntly.
Alex didn’t seem offended. Instead, he chuckled softly. “Not the only reason.”
Nathan saw Alex’s eyes linger on his body before he turned back to look at the ocean. Nathan’s eyes narrowed for a second but then he relaxed and sat back on his elbows.
“If you want to fuck, just say so. I don’t like games.”
Alex glanced over at him and smirked. “But it’s half the fun.”
Nathan caught his eyes and watched him for a good minute after he’d turned away. He was sure there’d been something more behind that statement. He wasn’t stupid.
Nathan was still dwelling on Alex’s statement when Alex turned to him again. “So, are you interested in getting clean?” He reached out and pushed a piece of Nathan’s hair back. “You’re getting kind of dirty.”
Nathan pulled back from Alex’s touch. He glared at him. “Hands to yourself, Summers.”
“Touchy,” Alex teased, but pushed himself onto his feet. Turning and looking down at Nathan, he said, “I was serious. You’ve got dirt on your face. Not that it isn’t hot, but if anyone ever rescues you, you might want to be clean. Come on, I’ll take you to the pond.”
Nathan remained defiantly sitting for a few moments before getting up and brushing the sand off his pants. “Is there even a chance of rescue here? How long have you been here?”
Alex shrugged as he began to lead the way to the secluded pond he had found the first time he’d disobeyed his parents’ boundaries, when he had been eight. “A week maybe. I haven’t really been keeping track.”
Nathan looked at Alex suspiciously but he didn’t notice. They trudged through the jungle for a few minutes until Alex pushed aside a tangle of leaves to reveal a beautiful blue pool of water. Palm trees hung over the edge, some of their leaves barely brushing the surface. A frog croaked from somewhere around the bank and Nathan had to admit he was mildly impressed.
He was staring at the pool so intently that he barely noticed Alex pulling off his shirt and shorts, tossing them to the side in a pile. “Coming in?” he asked Nathan before diving in.
For a second, Nathan thought, or rather hoped, that Alex had drowned, but his head broke the surface moments later. His dark hair was plastered to his head and he grinned at Nathan. “What, are you scared? There aren’t any leeches in here.”
Nathan just glared at him. There may not be any leeches but that didn’t ease him at all. If it wasn’t chlorinated, he didn’t go in. That was his rule. It didn’t seem like Alex would accept this answer, though. Of what Nathan knew of him, he was very persistent.
To his disbelief, Nathan found himself stripping off his shirt and shorts, leaving him in only his boxers, and stepping into the pond.
He grimaced as the silt slid through his toes. Shuddering, he forced himself in further. “I’m only here to get clean, although I don’t see how that is remotely possible in this filth,” Nathan said, disgusted.
Alex just rolled his eyes and watched with amusement as Nathan inched slowly into the water. It was hardly dirty. He’d been sneaking off to this pond for years and he’d never encountered more than a few small fish.
His eyes were on Nathan as he swam lazily in the deep, cool water. In the middle it had to be at least 6 feet deep, but no more. He watched Nathan slip on the silt floor and fall several inches into the water, cursing and shivering, his skin sprouting goose-bumps.
Alex watched Nathan’s stomach twitch as the water seeped up another inch.
Nathan looked up and caught Alex’s hazel eyes on his body. He scowled and braced himself for a horrific feeling, ducking down and wetting himself up to his shoulders. He forced himself to stay in the water, if not at least to keep Alex from staring at his body.
“This is disgusting,” he complained, shivering even though the water wasn’t that cold. In fact, it was pleasantly warm and he would never admit it, but it felt good after not having showered for four days.
Alex drifted over to him lazily, preferring to swim even though it was shallow enough to stand. “It’s not all bad, is it?” He swam closer, circling around Nathan’s back.
Nathan gave a long-suffering sigh. He knew Alex could tell what he was thinking. They were similar after all.
“I think I’ll need another shower after being in here.”
“Hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a shower here. This is the closest you’ll get.” Alex smirked and swam back around to Nathan’s front to find the ugly expression there. He grinned. “Cheer up, you’re on a beautiful island and you have me for company.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Nathan asked dryly.
Alex gave a half-shrug. He was treading water and there was little more he could do.
Nathan’s lip curled and he sighed, annoyed. He felt disgusting, even dirtier than he’d started out. The slippery mud slid through his toes and he grimaced. He nearly jumped out of the pond when he felt something slippery flash against his legs.
“What the hell?!” he exclaimed, moving away from the spot quickly.
Alex just laughed. “It was probably just a fish, relax.”
Nathan glared. “Don’t tell me to fucking relax.” He glanced around him and shuddered again. “I hate islands.”
Alex was merely amused. “Why? They’re beautiful and you can be alone.”
“Sadly, I can’t, no thanks to you,” Nathan muttered, still searching the water for any sign of the “fish” that had brushed him earlier. If he saw it, he would kill it, he swore.
“You’d be bored to death without me, trust me,” Alex said, speaking from experience.
Nathan just rolled his eyes. He knew what it was like to be alone for long periods of time with no one to talk to. At least then he could go out and find someone to mess around with. Here, it seemed the only person was… Alex.
Nathan glanced slowly at Alex, who was still swimming in lazy circles, gazing up at the canopy of trees that hid the sun from the pool. He frowned and glanced away, angry at the thought that had sprung into his mind. He tried to shake it away, muttering to himself that he was going crazy.
In his mutterings, he failed to notice Alex moving closer with each stroke until he was right near him. When he finally noticed, Alex was standing, barely an inch shorter than him and he was reaching out.
“What the he-“ Nathan never finished his sentence as he was pushed down under the water. He came up spluttering seconds later, dripping wet, his hair plastered to his face and water droplets drizzling from it.
He coughed and whipped around the glare murderously at Alex. “What the fuck was that for?!” he demanded. He attempted to wipe the water off his arms but it was hopeless. There was just too much.
Alex shrugged, a smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. “You needed to loosen up.”
Nathan’s eyes shot fire as he glared at Alex. “I fucking hate you,” he hissed, turning and sloping back toward the bank.
“No, you don’t.” Alex’s smug voice followed him as he climbed out of the water.
“Fuck you, I do.”
“You won’t.”
“I will!”
**
Nathaniel Blackwater II (1955-present)
Founder and CEO of Blackwater and associates law firm, based in Sacramento, California. The firm deals mainly with high-profile, wealthy clients. Though cases are rarely publicized, the firm has gained a reputation of ruthlessness.
Mr. Blackwater is very involved in all his firm’s cases and takes it as a personal mission to see every case is won. Mr. Blackwater was born in-
Alex’s head shot up as he heard a door creak open. Hastily closing the window on the computer, he swung around to see his mother standing in the doorway to his bedroom. She was leaning against the frame, her expression barely visible in the blue glow of Alex’s computer screen.
He stared at her for several minutes, the silence creeping between them. She was simply watching him, her long blue robe tied around her waist and puddling at her feet. She was very thin and the silky material hugged her tall frame.
Finally, Alex broke the silence that had wrapped around them in the small room. “What are you doing up?”
His mother simply raised a slim eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing?”
Alex shrugged, glancing at his screen; the screensaver flashing across it read, “Life is what you make it.”
His mother didn’t move from where she was leaning against the door. “Honey, is anything wrong?”
“No,” Alex replied quickly. “Why? Does it seem wrong?”
She shook her head. “You just haven’t been all here lately,” she said, and though Alex knew she meant mentally there, he also got the feeling she was referring to those blocks of time in which he would disappear into the island.
“I just… miss home,” Alex said evasively. “Why did we have to come here in October this year?”
His mother glanced away as he looked at her. “It’s late, dear,” she said instead of answering his question. “You need to sleep.”
Alex stared at her, his eyebrows coming together but she seemed unwilling to discuss. Sighing, he shut his laptop and set it on his bedside table.
Sliding down under his covers, he could see his mother’s outline in the doorway.
“Goodnight, Alex,” she said softly.
“’Night,” he replied and saw her slip away and heard the click of the door. Staring at the ceiling, he wondered just what was going on that he didn’t see.
Previous Chapter Next Chapter
Author: silver_etoile
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
POV: Third
Disclaimer: These characters are mine and any similarities are pure coincidence.
Summary: Nathan doesn't expect being stranded on an island to be any kind of fun, especially when he meets Alex, the kid who talks too much and is surprisingly shady about where he comes from. Removed from his spoiled existence, Nathan is left to figure out what to do, and it doesn't really help that Alex has a few secrets of his own.
A/N: uhm nothing to say today.
Reread: 1
*
The sound of a screeching bird startled Nathan awake the next morning. Before even opening his eyes, he knew it hadn’t been a dream. He was stuck on an island where the only company was a nosy teenager and irritating birds. His only hope was that Alex did not return.
He struggled to sit up in the dark cabin of the plane and promptly hit himself on the head. Cursing, he pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around him. The plane was leaning sideways but he’d managed to sleep well enough on the floor in the back.
His stomach grumbled loudly and he frowned. He didn’t know how much food he had, or water for that matter. Crawling to the back where his mother always managed to hide extra necessities in case of an emergency, Nathan popped open the compartment. Inside were several bottles of water and some protein bars, low-calorie of course. He was also surprised to find a change of clothes. Nestled amongst the shirts he found his Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses which he immediately plucked out and set on his face.
He slipped on a new tee-shirt and the pair of shorts he found. He wasn’t completely satisfied with the outfit but what choice did he really have? Climbing out of the plane, he stretched and glanced around him. Nothing had changed from the day before. Already the sun was climbing to its position above him, beating down with nothing but heat.
He thought for a second about exploring more around his area but in the end, decided it would be much easier to sit on the beach all day instead, contemplating what his parents were doing, if they were missing him, looking for him. Somehow, he doubted it.
In the end, Nathan grabbed another bottle of water and headed for his same spot on the beach. He sat down in the white sand, glad for his sunglasses that shielded his eyes from the blaring sun.
Stretching under the warm lull of the sun and sand, Nathan breathed in the cool ocean air. It was relaxing, he had to admit, even if he had no idea where he was.
He sat there for a second before pulling his shirt off and throwing it to the side. There was no one there and he was quite proud of his body anyway. If he was going to be marooned, he might as well get a good tan in the process.
He’d just settled down on his back, ready to wile away the day while waiting for his rescue, when the bushes behind him rustled and a shadow fell over his face. He opened his eyes and found himself looking up into the now-familiar face of Alex.
Groaning, he pushed himself into a sitting position and glared at Alex, though his sunglasses shielded it.
“What are you doing back here?” he asked, annoyed. He shifted to stare at the ocean, ignoring when Alex sat down beside him, stretching his bare legs out in front of him.
“Thought you might be lonely,” Alex said brightly. “And it’s pretty boring being here all by yourself.”
He wondered how he managed to come up with these lies so quickly, although the part about being bored definitely wasn’t a lie.
“Well, you’ve managed to survive just fine,” Nathan drawled sarcastically. He remained turned toward the ocean, watching a bird swoop down to capture a fish between its talons.
“Haven’t been here that long,” Alex replied, shrugging. “I’m sure it will get worse.”
Nathan said nothing. He wasn’t interested in making friends with the wreckee.
“So,” Alex said after a few moments of silent. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. “If you’re the third Blackwater, that means your dad has the same name, right?”
“Your intelligence is astounding,” Nathan bit out dryly. “Not bad for a … fourteen-year old?”
“Seventeen,” Alex corrected, losing some of his good-humor. He knew Nathan was doing it to annoy him, but people were always getting his age wrong, and it pissed him off.
“Hm,” Nathan said, still not looking at him. “Well, puberty will hit soon enough.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Alex snapped. He was silent for a while, silently fuming. He hated when people joked about how young he looked. He had more experience than half the people his age.
It took him a while to calm down and think straight, remember why he’d come back to see Nathan.
“Where are you from?” he asked finally, his voice pretending nothing had happened.
Nathan wondered vaguely if Alex would ever leave him alone. Seemingly not, so he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “California. Sacramento.”
“How’d you get down here?” Alex asked, genuinely interested, and also looking for a way to keep Nathan talking, relax him to get what he wanted.
“Moved to Hawaii for a while. Hell if I know why.” Nathan scowled at the thought. He just wanted to be back in California with his friends and the night clubs where he could forget his problems.
“What do your parents do?” Alex was getting closer to what he wanted.
“Dad’s a corporate lawyer and my mom is his trophy.”
“Only child?”
“Yeah.”
“Ahh,” Alex said, thinking it explained a lot.
Nathan just frowned. “What?” he demanded.
“Nothing,” Alex said, fixing a smile on his face. “So your dad’s a lawyer?”
Nathan shrugged in agreement. He really didn’t want to talk about his parents. “He takes pleasure in bringing down people.”
Alex sent him a sideways glance but didn’t respond. Instead, he took the opportunity to let his eyes glide over Nathan’s bare chest. He had a swimmer’s build, with his meekly defined muscles tapering down to his waist. The skin was tanned a golden brown, almost too dark for his hair, but it worked.
Nathan noticed Alex’s eyes on his body but said nothing. He knew what he looked like and as Alex had already revealed his preferences, he had no doubt what he was thinking. He took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders, falling back onto his elbows and staring out over the ocean.
“How do you plan on surviving out here?” Alex asked after several minutes had passed.
“As soon as you leave, in peace,” Nathan drawled, rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.
“You don’t have any food.”
“I can manage.”
“Have you ever cooked a meal?”
Nathan turned to Alex, the dislike evident on his face. “I can manage,” he repeated.
Alex shrugged. “I can get you food if you want.”
“How? Pull it out of your ass like some magician?”
“The ship I was on was cargo,” Alex lied easily. “I’ve got everything.”
Nathan looked like he was contemplating the idea for a second, but then shook his head sharply. “I suppose you’d want some sort of payment for this?”
Alex smirked. “A thank you would be nice.”
Nathan scowled and glanced away. He didn’t want to be in some sort of debt to Alex for food and water, but then he didn’t really have much other choice and his father always said that when opportunity came along, exploitation was the best avenue.
“Fine, if you want to keep me alive, it’s your own decision.”
Alex laughed. “Well, I guess if it turns out I don’t like you, I can always let you starve.”
Nathan didn’t find that quite as amusing as Alex and just frowned. He glanced out over the ocean and sighed. This was going to get old, real fast. Normally, he would find some way to entertain himself but his form of entertainment usually involved another willing body. Since Alex appeared to be the only other body on this island, he wondered if he would be able to last.
“So…” Nathan said after a while, feeling the impending boredom creeping up on him. “What do you do for fun around here?”
“Swim, tramp around the jungle, sleep,” Alex replied honestly. “It’s a very exciting existence.”
“I can see that,” Nathan said, bored. He glanced up as a bird of paradise chose that moment to let out a particularly loud squawk. “What the hell is with these birds?!”
“It’s their natural habitat,” Alex said.
“Thank you, Steve Irwin,” Nathan replied, frustrated.
“I used to like that show,” Alex commented off-handedly.
Nathan rolled his eyes. Could things get any worse? Oh, of course.
Alex turned to him, brushing a few pieces of his dark hair from his eyes. “Nice sunglasses.”
Nathan barely glanced at him. Instead of answering, he lay back down on the sand, his hands behind his head.
“Dolce?”
Still Nathan said nothing.
Alex glanced down Nathan’s body, pausing at the plastic sandals on his feet. “Old Navy flip-flops?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I like Old Navy,” Nathan said simply. He didn’t need to justify his wardrobe to someone wearing last year’s styles. Some things were just timeless, like his black flip-flops.
“I just thought you’d be wearing $5,000 Versace sandals,” Alex said calmly. “You seem the type.”
Nathan rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Is that the pot calling the kettle black?”
Alex just shrugged. “I’m okay with it.”
Nathan didn’t reply. He wondered if accepting help from Alex had been like signing away his soul to the devil. He wondered how many more hours of mind-numbing conversation he would be put through until someone rescued him and took him out of his misery.
“Hey, I have to get back,” Alex said suddenly, jerking his thumb in a vague direction once more. Nathan glanced at him.
“What, are your parents going to be mad?” he joked, scoffing.
Alex’s mouth quirked into a smile. “Sure,” he replied. “Well, I’ll see you later.”
“Uh huh,” Nathan muttered, turning his head back to stare at the sky and waiting until Alex had disappeared into the brush. Sighing and running a hand through his hair, Nathan prayed to whoever was listening that Alex wasn’t some crazed psycho-killer intent on killing him with bad conversation.
**
“You’ve been sneaking off a lot lately.”
Alex looked up from the morning paper to where Natalie sat opposite him. His parents were long gone, since their children always slept well past ten.
Natalie was watching Alex through her dark green eyes. Her dark hair had been pulled into a messy bun on top of her head and she was waiting on his answer.
“And you’ve been over-tanning,” Alex said, nodding at her dark tan.
Natalie rolled her eyes. Only a year younger than Alex, she was practically his equal. “Where have you been going, Alex?” she asked, arching a perfectly defined eyebrow.
“It’s a big island, Nat.”
“It is not. It’s not even as big as home.”
“What do you care where I’m going? It’s not like there’s anything to do.”
Natalie shrugged. “Mom and dad just keep asking where you disappear to.”
“I’m doing my homework. Shouldn’t they just be happy for that?”
Natalie rolled her eyes. “You know them. Unless they have complete control over you, they won’t be happy.”
Alex sighed and poked at his toast. “Just tell them I’m taking some alone time next time they ask.”
Natalie watched him suspiciously for a second. “So you’re not going to tell me where you keep disappearing off to?”
“Nope,” Alex replied, taking a bite of his toast and hearing the satisfying crunch.
Natalie just sighed and sat back in her chair. “At least you get to have some fun.”
“Fun is in the eye of the beholder,” Alex said. “Sometimes you just have to make it.”
*
The fourth morning after his arrival, Nathan heard the unmistakable sounds of Alex trampling through the foliage.
As much as Nathan hated to admit it, he needed Alex. He had officially run out of food the day before, his protein bars disappearing faster than he’d thought. He didn’t actually want Alex to come and interrupt his peace everyday but he admitted that maybe he needed a little help, just a little.
So the sound of Alex’s dirty flip flops breaking limbs and pushing past leaves was a welcome sound that afternoon. Nathan had noticed that Alex rarely came before ten in the morning. Nathan was always up at the crack of dawn, no thanks to the sun that made it its business to blind him each morning.
Nathan glanced up when he saw a hand shove a small loaf of bread and can of tangerines. He grabbed the bread and took a huge bite as Alex sat down beside him.
“Fucking Christ, finally,” he said around his mouthful.
“What happened to that thank you you owe me?” Alex asked, amused.
Nathan eyed him. “If you’re good, you’ll get it later.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “And what is good in your books?”
“When you disappear through that patch of trees,” Nathan replied dryly, pulling off the top of the can.
Alex just watched him. “Am I really that disturbing?”
“Have you seen yourself?”
Alex glanced down. Today he was wearing a red wife beater and a pair of khaki shorts. His hair was messy since he hadn’t bothered to fix it before leaving that morning. He knew he looked good and if it had been anyone else, they’d be begging him to fuck them.
“Have you seen yourself?” Alex countered, the amusement prevalent in his voice.
Nathan scowled. He was wearing the same clothes over, something he’d tried never to do in his life. He knew his hair looked bad. He didn’t need Alex telling him.
“Well, it’s not exactly like there’s a shower out here,” Nathan replied scathingly, finishing off the bread.
“There’s an ocean,” Alex said, gesturing obviously at the blue expanse in front of them. “And there’s a fresh water pond, like, twenty feet that way.” He pointed to their right.
Nathan followed his finger and frowned. “How do you know?”
“I explore,” Alex said, shrugging and smirking. “I’m just a curious person, I suppose.”
“So that’s why you won’t leave me alone?” Nathan asked bluntly.
Alex didn’t seem offended. Instead, he chuckled softly. “Not the only reason.”
Nathan saw Alex’s eyes linger on his body before he turned back to look at the ocean. Nathan’s eyes narrowed for a second but then he relaxed and sat back on his elbows.
“If you want to fuck, just say so. I don’t like games.”
Alex glanced over at him and smirked. “But it’s half the fun.”
Nathan caught his eyes and watched him for a good minute after he’d turned away. He was sure there’d been something more behind that statement. He wasn’t stupid.
Nathan was still dwelling on Alex’s statement when Alex turned to him again. “So, are you interested in getting clean?” He reached out and pushed a piece of Nathan’s hair back. “You’re getting kind of dirty.”
Nathan pulled back from Alex’s touch. He glared at him. “Hands to yourself, Summers.”
“Touchy,” Alex teased, but pushed himself onto his feet. Turning and looking down at Nathan, he said, “I was serious. You’ve got dirt on your face. Not that it isn’t hot, but if anyone ever rescues you, you might want to be clean. Come on, I’ll take you to the pond.”
Nathan remained defiantly sitting for a few moments before getting up and brushing the sand off his pants. “Is there even a chance of rescue here? How long have you been here?”
Alex shrugged as he began to lead the way to the secluded pond he had found the first time he’d disobeyed his parents’ boundaries, when he had been eight. “A week maybe. I haven’t really been keeping track.”
Nathan looked at Alex suspiciously but he didn’t notice. They trudged through the jungle for a few minutes until Alex pushed aside a tangle of leaves to reveal a beautiful blue pool of water. Palm trees hung over the edge, some of their leaves barely brushing the surface. A frog croaked from somewhere around the bank and Nathan had to admit he was mildly impressed.
He was staring at the pool so intently that he barely noticed Alex pulling off his shirt and shorts, tossing them to the side in a pile. “Coming in?” he asked Nathan before diving in.
For a second, Nathan thought, or rather hoped, that Alex had drowned, but his head broke the surface moments later. His dark hair was plastered to his head and he grinned at Nathan. “What, are you scared? There aren’t any leeches in here.”
Nathan just glared at him. There may not be any leeches but that didn’t ease him at all. If it wasn’t chlorinated, he didn’t go in. That was his rule. It didn’t seem like Alex would accept this answer, though. Of what Nathan knew of him, he was very persistent.
To his disbelief, Nathan found himself stripping off his shirt and shorts, leaving him in only his boxers, and stepping into the pond.
He grimaced as the silt slid through his toes. Shuddering, he forced himself in further. “I’m only here to get clean, although I don’t see how that is remotely possible in this filth,” Nathan said, disgusted.
Alex just rolled his eyes and watched with amusement as Nathan inched slowly into the water. It was hardly dirty. He’d been sneaking off to this pond for years and he’d never encountered more than a few small fish.
His eyes were on Nathan as he swam lazily in the deep, cool water. In the middle it had to be at least 6 feet deep, but no more. He watched Nathan slip on the silt floor and fall several inches into the water, cursing and shivering, his skin sprouting goose-bumps.
Alex watched Nathan’s stomach twitch as the water seeped up another inch.
Nathan looked up and caught Alex’s hazel eyes on his body. He scowled and braced himself for a horrific feeling, ducking down and wetting himself up to his shoulders. He forced himself to stay in the water, if not at least to keep Alex from staring at his body.
“This is disgusting,” he complained, shivering even though the water wasn’t that cold. In fact, it was pleasantly warm and he would never admit it, but it felt good after not having showered for four days.
Alex drifted over to him lazily, preferring to swim even though it was shallow enough to stand. “It’s not all bad, is it?” He swam closer, circling around Nathan’s back.
Nathan gave a long-suffering sigh. He knew Alex could tell what he was thinking. They were similar after all.
“I think I’ll need another shower after being in here.”
“Hate to break it to you, but there is no such thing as a shower here. This is the closest you’ll get.” Alex smirked and swam back around to Nathan’s front to find the ugly expression there. He grinned. “Cheer up, you’re on a beautiful island and you have me for company.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Nathan asked dryly.
Alex gave a half-shrug. He was treading water and there was little more he could do.
Nathan’s lip curled and he sighed, annoyed. He felt disgusting, even dirtier than he’d started out. The slippery mud slid through his toes and he grimaced. He nearly jumped out of the pond when he felt something slippery flash against his legs.
“What the hell?!” he exclaimed, moving away from the spot quickly.
Alex just laughed. “It was probably just a fish, relax.”
Nathan glared. “Don’t tell me to fucking relax.” He glanced around him and shuddered again. “I hate islands.”
Alex was merely amused. “Why? They’re beautiful and you can be alone.”
“Sadly, I can’t, no thanks to you,” Nathan muttered, still searching the water for any sign of the “fish” that had brushed him earlier. If he saw it, he would kill it, he swore.
“You’d be bored to death without me, trust me,” Alex said, speaking from experience.
Nathan just rolled his eyes. He knew what it was like to be alone for long periods of time with no one to talk to. At least then he could go out and find someone to mess around with. Here, it seemed the only person was… Alex.
Nathan glanced slowly at Alex, who was still swimming in lazy circles, gazing up at the canopy of trees that hid the sun from the pool. He frowned and glanced away, angry at the thought that had sprung into his mind. He tried to shake it away, muttering to himself that he was going crazy.
In his mutterings, he failed to notice Alex moving closer with each stroke until he was right near him. When he finally noticed, Alex was standing, barely an inch shorter than him and he was reaching out.
“What the he-“ Nathan never finished his sentence as he was pushed down under the water. He came up spluttering seconds later, dripping wet, his hair plastered to his face and water droplets drizzling from it.
He coughed and whipped around the glare murderously at Alex. “What the fuck was that for?!” he demanded. He attempted to wipe the water off his arms but it was hopeless. There was just too much.
Alex shrugged, a smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. “You needed to loosen up.”
Nathan’s eyes shot fire as he glared at Alex. “I fucking hate you,” he hissed, turning and sloping back toward the bank.
“No, you don’t.” Alex’s smug voice followed him as he climbed out of the water.
“Fuck you, I do.”
“You won’t.”
“I will!”
**
Nathaniel Blackwater II (1955-present)
Founder and CEO of Blackwater and associates law firm, based in Sacramento, California. The firm deals mainly with high-profile, wealthy clients. Though cases are rarely publicized, the firm has gained a reputation of ruthlessness.
Mr. Blackwater is very involved in all his firm’s cases and takes it as a personal mission to see every case is won. Mr. Blackwater was born in-
Alex’s head shot up as he heard a door creak open. Hastily closing the window on the computer, he swung around to see his mother standing in the doorway to his bedroom. She was leaning against the frame, her expression barely visible in the blue glow of Alex’s computer screen.
He stared at her for several minutes, the silence creeping between them. She was simply watching him, her long blue robe tied around her waist and puddling at her feet. She was very thin and the silky material hugged her tall frame.
Finally, Alex broke the silence that had wrapped around them in the small room. “What are you doing up?”
His mother simply raised a slim eyebrow. “Shouldn’t I be asking you the same thing?”
Alex shrugged, glancing at his screen; the screensaver flashing across it read, “Life is what you make it.”
His mother didn’t move from where she was leaning against the door. “Honey, is anything wrong?”
“No,” Alex replied quickly. “Why? Does it seem wrong?”
She shook her head. “You just haven’t been all here lately,” she said, and though Alex knew she meant mentally there, he also got the feeling she was referring to those blocks of time in which he would disappear into the island.
“I just… miss home,” Alex said evasively. “Why did we have to come here in October this year?”
His mother glanced away as he looked at her. “It’s late, dear,” she said instead of answering his question. “You need to sleep.”
Alex stared at her, his eyebrows coming together but she seemed unwilling to discuss. Sighing, he shut his laptop and set it on his bedside table.
Sliding down under his covers, he could see his mother’s outline in the doorway.
“Goodnight, Alex,” she said softly.
“’Night,” he replied and saw her slip away and heard the click of the door. Staring at the ceiling, he wondered just what was going on that he didn’t see.
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