[FIC] Nate/Jenny "A Matter Of..."
Title: A Matter Of...
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny
Rating: FRT
Author: glitterisblue
Spoilers: Up to Season 2, 02x01
A/N: This was going to be a series, but I lost interest, so just leaving it as a oneshot.
Summary: Why didnt Nate and Jenny say hi to each other at the White Party?
"You were always so worried about me changing. About what this world does to people. But maybe you should worry about yourself Nate"
Jenny's voice echoes inside his head. Holding his phone, his thumb brushing over the call button, the screen is fixed on "Jenny Humphrey" and her smiling face, Nate keeps flashing back to their last conversation. His eyes flicker over Catherine's sleeping form, her breathing calm and even. Hitting cancel on his phone and walking to the window Nate closes his eyes and lets the warm afternoon sun wash over him.
"What do you mean you can’t tell me who you're seeing? I thought we told each other everything? No secrets remember?" Jenny's voice barrels through the phones speaker,
"How’s Eleanor's going?" Nate asks changing the subject,
"Ugh, don't ask, seriously, but being an intern sucks, and don't think I didn't notice you totally changing the subject"
"Whatever do you mean Jenny Humphrey?" Nate asks innocently, "But seriously, I can talk to Eleanor for you if you'd like? Put in a good word?"
"Thanks, but no thanks; I'd rather die before using who I know to suck up to the boss" Jenny sighs and Nate smiles into his phone,
"See I knew there was a reason I liked you, You're different from all those other girls who would claw each other to get a glowing reference from an Archibald" and even though he is on the phone Nate puffs out his chest and sits up a little straighter, until he can hear peels of laughter coming out of his phone and then a beep telling him that Catherine is calling him. "Look Jen I've gotta go, but hang in there okay? Talk to you later"
Sitting on her bed, her look book laid out in front of her Jenny Humphrey sighs into the phone, "Yeah... Miss you too Nate" she said to no-one, hanging up the phone.
Nate glances back at Catherine before slipping out the hotel door, closing it with a soft 'click' behind him. Letting his head fall back against the door he glanced at his phone once more before walking down the hallway.
***
He had supposed that there was always going to be an element of guilt attached to his behaviour, because he knows that what he is doing is wrong. Only in the beginning it didn't feel wrong and he didn't feel guilty at all, he felt... liberated. But now he feels guilty. He feels guilty every time he looks at his phone, hoping that its Jenny calling, but it never is, she never calls anymore.
"Why didn't you just tell me?”
"Would you have understood? Would you have judged me like you are now?"
"Who says I'm judging you?" Jenny's tone dropped to a hurt whisper, "Why would you think any of that mattered to me?"
"Jenny..."
"I've gotta go" Jenny cut him off and Nate was left staring at his phone with only his thoughts about what he'd just done.
Nate stands inside surrounded by party guests; from his post by the wall he looks out at the pool. He finds himself watching as the last rays of sunlight hit the water and bounce off, he imagines them as alive and trying to desperately cling to life, to shine a bit longer before the darkness takes over.
He looks away and then closes his eyes. He keeps hearing her in his head, the last conversation they had had and how hurt she had sounded. He never meant to hurt her and knowing that he had was eating him up inside.
She was at the party.
When he spots her, he feels his heart skip a beat and he begins to work up the courage to say hello. Nate would never say that had been sulking this summer, but he admits that if he had learnt anything over the last few weeks, it is that Jenny’s friendship is important to him, more important than he was aware of. His gaze flicks over to Catherine and his expression furrows.
The thought dances around in his head; teasing him as he wonders what this summer might have been like if he had never taken up with Catherine.
Nate watches as Jenny breezes past him without even glancing is his direction. Frowning he grabs Serena and heads outside following the path Jenny and Eric had taken. Brushing by Catherine he glances at her before his gaze settles over the garden trying to place Jenny Humphrey in the sea of white. His thoughts on Jenny, Nate fails to notice Catherine moving over until she hisses in his ear, feeling a little confused and then annoyed Nate turns to Serena, "Get me drunk?"
***
It's petty, childish, silly and immature.
Jenny knows all this, and yet it still gives her great satisfaction as she walks past Nate without a hint of recognition. She can feel his gaze on her body as she moves by and she tells herself the shiver which runs up her spine is caused by the cool breeze as she walks outside with Eric.
It would be easy for Jenny to admit that Nate is the reason why she is here; she can almost fool herself into thinking that it is about her internship, that it is about Laurel, that it about her friendship with Eric. But when she sees him she knows that she wants to hurt him, its a cold throwback to who she had wanted to become, it makes her think of Blair, but Jenny tells herself that she doesn’t care.
She can see him; she is watching him watching her. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye and meets his glare before darting her eyes away.
He watches her walk up to the bar, watches as Laurel spots, stalks and then pounces on Jenny. He is about to move in to save her from the onslaught he knows is coming when Eric appears, a white knight with Tinsley Mortimer in toe. Its irrational, the streak of jealousy which flashes through him, the surprise at his heart appearing to expand in his chest as she smiles and her smile lights up the garden.
***
Nate can hear Catherine laughing in the distance and he shakes his head and turns to Serena, "I don't know what I was thinking" he mutters his gaze moving from Catherine to Jenny.
"I just wish I could make her feel as bad as I feel now" He doesn’t mean it. Nate is annoyed with Jenny for ignoring him; he watches her chat happily to Tinsley. He is angry with Catherine, he watches her with guarded eyes and he wonders what he's been doing, is annoyed that Catherine thinks that everything is about her. He is drawn to Catherine and at the same time he blames her for what has happened with Jenny.
Nate isn’t paying attention to Serena until she pulls him into a kiss. He is shocked but when his lips meet hers he acts on instinct and kisses her back. It isn’t about love and it isn’t about revenge, it’s drunken fun which is fleeting and when they part Nate spies Dan, standing there staring at them looking slightly out of place and Serena brushes past him and after Dan before he fully grasps what just happened.
***
Jenny is glued to the spot, her mind, screaming to her body to move, to look away, but it doesn’t. She doesn’t.
She watches as Serena pulls away from Nate and spots Dan. She watches as Dan walks away followed by Serena and she watches Nate turn back towards her. She doesn’t move, she doesn’t think she's breathing when Nate spots her. It's visible, the shock and realisation washing over him. He takes a step towards her, but Jenny is able to move now.
He catches up to her easily. Jenny is walking along the garden path at the outermost part of the garden. Away from the party guests, its quieter, sounds muffled by the thick hedge and she can clearly hear Nate running up to her. His hand reaches out and grabs her arm pulling her back and spinning her around to face him, only her eyes won’t meet his.
"It wasn’t what it looked like" Nate blurts out, the guilt he felt earlier in the summer is nothing compared to now. He watches her searching for a reaction, some sign, he wonders if it is forgiveness he is looking for.
Jenny looks up at him, a slight smile gracing her lips, "It doesn’t matter" she says softly and the words slice through Nate leaving him wounded, "You don’t have anything to explain to me, who am I to judge right?"
"Jenny..."
"No" she looks up and him cutting him off, "I don’t know when you started to think that you needed to justify yourself to me, or that you think I would ever judge you so superficially. Is that what you think of me?" Jenny's gaze pierces his, her expression wide and innocent, tinged with sadness and all Nate wants to do is to make it go away, he looks away. "Figures" Jenny laughs slightly and breathing deeply she makes to move away he stops her.
"That’s not... its not..." he trails off frustrated.
He's standing close, too close. He leans towards her and his forehead presses against hers, she can feel his body pressed up against her and it sends a shiver down her spine. His breathing changes, slow and shallow she can feel a tightening in her heart and desire start to swell in her body.
A laugh from the party brings them back to reality and Jenny steps back and moves away from Nate. "Maybe we should just give each other some space" she says although space is all they have been giving each other for weeks. "You're drunk... and I'm..." Jenny pauses, "I've got my internship to worry about" She takes another step back and smiles at him, this time he can see a tenderness in her eyes, "I'll see you at school".
end.
Fandom: Gossip Girl
Pairing: Nate/Jenny
Rating: FRT
Author: glitterisblue
Spoilers: Up to Season 2, 02x01
A/N: This was going to be a series, but I lost interest, so just leaving it as a oneshot.
Summary: Why didnt Nate and Jenny say hi to each other at the White Party?
"You were always so worried about me changing. About what this world does to people. But maybe you should worry about yourself Nate"
Jenny's voice echoes inside his head. Holding his phone, his thumb brushing over the call button, the screen is fixed on "Jenny Humphrey" and her smiling face, Nate keeps flashing back to their last conversation. His eyes flicker over Catherine's sleeping form, her breathing calm and even. Hitting cancel on his phone and walking to the window Nate closes his eyes and lets the warm afternoon sun wash over him.
"What do you mean you can’t tell me who you're seeing? I thought we told each other everything? No secrets remember?" Jenny's voice barrels through the phones speaker,
"How’s Eleanor's going?" Nate asks changing the subject,
"Ugh, don't ask, seriously, but being an intern sucks, and don't think I didn't notice you totally changing the subject"
"Whatever do you mean Jenny Humphrey?" Nate asks innocently, "But seriously, I can talk to Eleanor for you if you'd like? Put in a good word?"
"Thanks, but no thanks; I'd rather die before using who I know to suck up to the boss" Jenny sighs and Nate smiles into his phone,
"See I knew there was a reason I liked you, You're different from all those other girls who would claw each other to get a glowing reference from an Archibald" and even though he is on the phone Nate puffs out his chest and sits up a little straighter, until he can hear peels of laughter coming out of his phone and then a beep telling him that Catherine is calling him. "Look Jen I've gotta go, but hang in there okay? Talk to you later"
Sitting on her bed, her look book laid out in front of her Jenny Humphrey sighs into the phone, "Yeah... Miss you too Nate" she said to no-one, hanging up the phone.
Nate glances back at Catherine before slipping out the hotel door, closing it with a soft 'click' behind him. Letting his head fall back against the door he glanced at his phone once more before walking down the hallway.
***
He had supposed that there was always going to be an element of guilt attached to his behaviour, because he knows that what he is doing is wrong. Only in the beginning it didn't feel wrong and he didn't feel guilty at all, he felt... liberated. But now he feels guilty. He feels guilty every time he looks at his phone, hoping that its Jenny calling, but it never is, she never calls anymore.
"Why didn't you just tell me?”
"Would you have understood? Would you have judged me like you are now?"
"Who says I'm judging you?" Jenny's tone dropped to a hurt whisper, "Why would you think any of that mattered to me?"
"Jenny..."
"I've gotta go" Jenny cut him off and Nate was left staring at his phone with only his thoughts about what he'd just done.
Nate stands inside surrounded by party guests; from his post by the wall he looks out at the pool. He finds himself watching as the last rays of sunlight hit the water and bounce off, he imagines them as alive and trying to desperately cling to life, to shine a bit longer before the darkness takes over.
He looks away and then closes his eyes. He keeps hearing her in his head, the last conversation they had had and how hurt she had sounded. He never meant to hurt her and knowing that he had was eating him up inside.
She was at the party.
When he spots her, he feels his heart skip a beat and he begins to work up the courage to say hello. Nate would never say that had been sulking this summer, but he admits that if he had learnt anything over the last few weeks, it is that Jenny’s friendship is important to him, more important than he was aware of. His gaze flicks over to Catherine and his expression furrows.
The thought dances around in his head; teasing him as he wonders what this summer might have been like if he had never taken up with Catherine.
Nate watches as Jenny breezes past him without even glancing is his direction. Frowning he grabs Serena and heads outside following the path Jenny and Eric had taken. Brushing by Catherine he glances at her before his gaze settles over the garden trying to place Jenny Humphrey in the sea of white. His thoughts on Jenny, Nate fails to notice Catherine moving over until she hisses in his ear, feeling a little confused and then annoyed Nate turns to Serena, "Get me drunk?"
***
It's petty, childish, silly and immature.
Jenny knows all this, and yet it still gives her great satisfaction as she walks past Nate without a hint of recognition. She can feel his gaze on her body as she moves by and she tells herself the shiver which runs up her spine is caused by the cool breeze as she walks outside with Eric.
It would be easy for Jenny to admit that Nate is the reason why she is here; she can almost fool herself into thinking that it is about her internship, that it is about Laurel, that it about her friendship with Eric. But when she sees him she knows that she wants to hurt him, its a cold throwback to who she had wanted to become, it makes her think of Blair, but Jenny tells herself that she doesn’t care.
She can see him; she is watching him watching her. She glances at him out of the corner of her eye and meets his glare before darting her eyes away.
He watches her walk up to the bar, watches as Laurel spots, stalks and then pounces on Jenny. He is about to move in to save her from the onslaught he knows is coming when Eric appears, a white knight with Tinsley Mortimer in toe. Its irrational, the streak of jealousy which flashes through him, the surprise at his heart appearing to expand in his chest as she smiles and her smile lights up the garden.
***
Nate can hear Catherine laughing in the distance and he shakes his head and turns to Serena, "I don't know what I was thinking" he mutters his gaze moving from Catherine to Jenny.
"I just wish I could make her feel as bad as I feel now" He doesn’t mean it. Nate is annoyed with Jenny for ignoring him; he watches her chat happily to Tinsley. He is angry with Catherine, he watches her with guarded eyes and he wonders what he's been doing, is annoyed that Catherine thinks that everything is about her. He is drawn to Catherine and at the same time he blames her for what has happened with Jenny.
Nate isn’t paying attention to Serena until she pulls him into a kiss. He is shocked but when his lips meet hers he acts on instinct and kisses her back. It isn’t about love and it isn’t about revenge, it’s drunken fun which is fleeting and when they part Nate spies Dan, standing there staring at them looking slightly out of place and Serena brushes past him and after Dan before he fully grasps what just happened.
***
Jenny is glued to the spot, her mind, screaming to her body to move, to look away, but it doesn’t. She doesn’t.
She watches as Serena pulls away from Nate and spots Dan. She watches as Dan walks away followed by Serena and she watches Nate turn back towards her. She doesn’t move, she doesn’t think she's breathing when Nate spots her. It's visible, the shock and realisation washing over him. He takes a step towards her, but Jenny is able to move now.
He catches up to her easily. Jenny is walking along the garden path at the outermost part of the garden. Away from the party guests, its quieter, sounds muffled by the thick hedge and she can clearly hear Nate running up to her. His hand reaches out and grabs her arm pulling her back and spinning her around to face him, only her eyes won’t meet his.
"It wasn’t what it looked like" Nate blurts out, the guilt he felt earlier in the summer is nothing compared to now. He watches her searching for a reaction, some sign, he wonders if it is forgiveness he is looking for.
Jenny looks up at him, a slight smile gracing her lips, "It doesn’t matter" she says softly and the words slice through Nate leaving him wounded, "You don’t have anything to explain to me, who am I to judge right?"
"Jenny..."
"No" she looks up and him cutting him off, "I don’t know when you started to think that you needed to justify yourself to me, or that you think I would ever judge you so superficially. Is that what you think of me?" Jenny's gaze pierces his, her expression wide and innocent, tinged with sadness and all Nate wants to do is to make it go away, he looks away. "Figures" Jenny laughs slightly and breathing deeply she makes to move away he stops her.
"That’s not... its not..." he trails off frustrated.
He's standing close, too close. He leans towards her and his forehead presses against hers, she can feel his body pressed up against her and it sends a shiver down her spine. His breathing changes, slow and shallow she can feel a tightening in her heart and desire start to swell in her body.
A laugh from the party brings them back to reality and Jenny steps back and moves away from Nate. "Maybe we should just give each other some space" she says although space is all they have been giving each other for weeks. "You're drunk... and I'm..." Jenny pauses, "I've got my internship to worry about" She takes another step back and smiles at him, this time he can see a tenderness in her eyes, "I'll see you at school".
end.