Author's note: I began writing this right before Uncharted 2 came out. After I played the sequel and returned here, I had to rewind my mind to pre-Uncharted 2 timeline which was interesting to do. It was like ignoring all the new things I learned about these awesome people I'm writing about.
Women and Men
It was hot and stifling. The world felt like it was squeezing down on Elena from all sides like a tightening shroud. She couldn't bear it any longer. If she stayed, she would not survive. She needed herself and all the good things that encompassed her. The moments were good while they lasted. Forcing herself to breathe in and out slowly, she made the plunge. She could do this.
Pushing open the squeaking oak swinging door to the bar's entrance, she traded in the luxuriously warm and gorgeous outdoors of Lima for the darkened interior of a homey bar. Curls of smoke puffed in the air by drinkers, causing a haze which created soft halos to the golden lights dangling from the ceiling.
All right, so the smoke was an eye-irritant than an atmosphere enhancer, but Elena tried to be optimistic.
People laughed and brooded as Elena threaded her way past them to the front counter. She had been outside for hours and she could use a drink right about now. She felt a little moody herself.
Tiredly sliding onto a padded stool, Elena perused the overhead chalkboard where scribblings comprised the menu. Assigned a new and admittedly unlarge scoop about the wonderment of jellyfish in one of the coves, Elena knew this was her company's way of giving her "downtime". Don't take her completely off the job, just give her a topic of less epic proportions compared to the Drake story. It had been nearly a month since the voyage to crack open the mystery of Sir Francis Drake and the experiences still stayed fresh in Elena's memory. She wasn't forgetting that adventure anytime soon!
"What can I do for ya, hon?" a snappy female voice questioned, breaking into her semi-moping.
Elena tapped her fingers on the countertop. The barmaid was a pretty thing; brunette, thick eyelashes and pouty lips to devour any man's soul with a kiss. Ready in hand with a pen and pad of paper, she was perfect for the job.
"Do you have brownies?" Elena randomly asked, picking the first desired snack that popped into her mind.
The woman frowned in sudden sympathy. "Are you depressed, hon? I know the feelin'."
"You do?" Elena responded more out of humoring her than actual curiosity.
Enthusiastic nodding. "Oh, yeah. My baby is out there in that dangerous world right now. I worry about him tons and I dunno if he understands me."
Nate had left this morning in a flurry of excitement and apologies, forgoing a breakfast bigger than the slice of toast and glass of juice he conveniently snagged from Elena when she had sat for her own breakfast. A hot potential lead for bountiful treasure fell in his scurrying radar which he absolutely couldn't pass up. A certain older treasure extraordinaire with just as much enthusiasm tagged along. He couldn't pass up a chance for even more gold than he already pocketed.
"Dumb Sully, how much cash do you need?" Elena mumbled in annoyance. Nate she grudgingly understood was the type to take off on her at the prospect of another excavation, but Sully had to abandon her too? What great company they were.
A surprised gasp came from the barmaid. "Did you say Sully? Do you know Sullykins?" Excitement tremored her voice.
The wash of laughter which nearly drowned Elena in a fit of roaring hysteria hid discreetly behind her hand as her reporter instincts had taught her. She got away with a cough. "U-um, 'Sullykins'?"
"He's a mature, sophisticated man. Has a moustache that'll make your knees weak. I love the look." A dreamy sigh had the woman.
"The moustache thing is right... I mean, the Sullivan I know has one," Elena amended when she saw a flash of happiness pass on the other's face.
"Then we do know him! I'm Izzy."
Elena introduced herself.
Izzy tapped her pen on her notepad in musing. "Sully likes to hang out with that cutie, the one with the dark hair. Uh..."
"Nate," Elena supplied. "They're joined at the hip when it comes to fortune." She sighed at remembering Nate was traipsing around in search for paydirt.
Izzy quirked a mischievous brow. "Uh huh, Nate's the name. You two are something, am I right?"
Before Elena could stop herself, a chuckle bubbled from her, one of those deep gut kinds. Mr. Running-halfway-around-the-world-for-loot together with her? She couldn't imagine it; Nate was such a go-getter.
Well, so was she, which was all the further reason a relationship complete with pretty roses, hand-holding candlelight dinners and meaningful moonlight walks on the beach were out of her orbit of comprehension. When Izzy stared at Elena with an expression bordering on assumption of insanity, Elena remedied, "We're friends."
Strangely, Izzy seemed... disappointed? "It's too bad."
"About the brownies..." Elena preempted. Her mouth was beginning to water now that she thought about warm fudgsy goodness.
"Oh right! We do have them. They're a big hit. You're gonna love 'em. Anything else?"
Elena shook her head. As Izzy scurried away to fetch her dessert, she scanned the overly packed tavern. Casual drinkers, non-drinkers, and many diners chattered endlessly. In the corner nearest the doorway, a parrot perched in its cage, crooning to passersby who paid it no heed. Its wings erratically flapped as it settled itself straight. The motion reminded the woman of Nate's gesticulating hands when he grew excited. Dodging his beefy appendages was an unlikely tactic when Elena stood less than two feet away and the word "treasure" latched itself into a conversation.
A plate of pleasantly warm brownie slid in front of Elena, along with a fork. Izzy gestured a hand. "The inside melts sinfully in your mouth. It's delectable."
"No kidding," Elena pierced herself a chocolaty chunk. A dessert not home-baked that tasted wonderful? This, she couldn't resist. Content, Elena sighed distantly. Eating would bring her spirits up.
"Ooh, that does look divine!" exclaimed a voice over her shoulder. Elena jolted, her legs instinctively kicking up. The stool legs tipped back and the fork clattered on the hardwood floor as her arms flailed. Elena dropped midway out of her stool before a steady set of hands caught her at the hips and she bumped against a body. She would've punched the guy if she didn't know who it was already.
Hell, maybe she'd punch him because she did.
"Jumpy, are we, hmm?" Nate teased, awkwardly balancing her while her thighs dangled precariously on the surface. Her butt had nearly cleared the seat.
Elena fumed, her face tingling red with embarrassment. He wasn't supposed to be back until many hours later. Wee morning hours, even, since his adrenaline-fueled leads typically led to much scrutiny late into the night. She uprighted herself, then turned right around and glared at him.
Nate visibly winced. The wrath of Elena was coming! "S-sorry! But hey, I caught ya. I get brownie points for that." His toothy grin was accompanied by a slide of hopeful vision past her shoulder onto the plate in front of her.
"No way, bub." Elena nodded thanks to Izzy as she slid the reporter a replacement fork. Then there were two. Elena raised a brow, but Izzy had already moved away to serve another customer. "So where's Sully?"
"He's coming around. Fell asleep in the car on the way here. Late night, I guess."
Elena had a late night too: dry research on one of the rarer forms of jellyfish for her article.
"You all right?" Nate glided fully into Elena's field of vision as he pulled up a stool.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You almost fell off your chair because of your deep thoughts."
"I almost fell off because a certain doofus interrupted me right when I starting to enjoy my treat," Elena corrected.
With debonair flair, Nate's elbow propped on the counter edge, right next to the dessert.
"Y'know," he drawled low and slow, the deep notes stirring something inside Elena, "I haven't eaten yet. If you shared that delightfully life-sustaining yummy with me I'll make your dreams come true."
Dubious, Elena was. "Oh, yeah? Name one."
Nate's green eyes shifted around the patrons in their proximity. "Mmm, I can't do that one right here. We need to be alone for it. It takes stamina and I must also use the whipped cream. I couldn't use it last time." He stated the last part a bit louder than necessary.
Elena flamed. They never did such lewd things and he knew it. Nate grinned wickedly at her despite the faint pink in his face. Naturally, everyone else within earshot thought otherwise.
Silently cursing and wishing some form of leprosy upon Nate at the curious eyes riveting their way, Elena pinned him with a frown. She pushed the extra fork his way. "Dine. One bite. Carefully."
"Demanding, you are, Ms. Fisher." Nate's chiding tone didn't wipe the satisfied smirk off his face at his victory as he picked up the utensil.
As the fork descended, Elena suddenly realized she should've defined what "one bite" meant. He was a guy, after all.
Nate split off a wedge that had to be over half the brownie.
"Geez, that's not a bite!"
"It is! Watch." Nate made as if to honestly shovel the whole confection off the ceramic into his greedy mouth. His eyes then focused on something behind them. "Hey, Sull!"
Sully moseyed up, half-saluting as a greeting. "Goin' straight to dessert?" He pretended to be talking about the brownie as he angled his head towards Elena. She pretended not to get the joke. They were always doing that, poking at her like she and Nate were already a couple.
Nate stabbed at his share of the real dessert. "Is this a bite to you?"
Sully gave the plate a once-over. "Hell, yeah."
Elena rolled her eyes at Nate's smug expression as he proceeded to devour. Men.
"Sullykins!" crowed the barmaid's happy call to the older man.
Now it was Elena's turn to be smug when Nate gulped a rather large portion of brownie too quickly and began coughing. Izzy rushed over to them, completely bypassing Nate and waved emphatically at Sully...kins. Elena shuddered at the cutesy name. She'd smack Nate if he ever called her a nickname like that.
The gamine on Sully's face lit up like a fire and he eyed her. "Darlin', you're as lovely as ever." He gracefully took her hand and kissed the top of it. All jokes aside, Elena thought the smooth-talker did have a charm to him. If she were searching for a guy and if Sully were her type --and that was a substantial "if"-- she could see why falling for him was a possibility.
"Aren't they cute?" Elena mused rhetorically to Nate.
Nate cringingly watched their friend coo with his lady. "This is highly disturbing for me to see, you know that? Sully acting cute? An hour ago I saw the guy negotiate with the power of that 'stache."
"Oh yes," Elena responded with zest. "Disturb away!"
"You're cruel." Nate continued to study Sully longer before he asked in a forced casualness that came off as awkward as tightrope-walking, "So... are you into cute acts like that?"
"Maybe." This subject amused Elena to keep following.
"What?" Swiveling his head to the woman, Nate added incredulously, "How can this be? Aren't issues yes and no with you?"
Elena shrugged. "I have moods. And sometimes I- wait, why is this so important to you?"
"Statistics." Nate replied this simply.
And Elena laughed at the odd answer. "Doing a survey, eh?"
There was a pause as Nate picked his next words. "Well, statistically it's common for the ladies to like the adorable compared to men."
"If a lady like me doesn't like cute, then I'm deemed a man?"
Nate's face swooped in revulsion. "God, no! You're all woman!" Hearing the keen delivery of his words and how strange they sounded, Nate glanced away. "I mean, y'know, biologically speaking."
"It's a good thing you're 'all man', then." Elena tossed some fuel to the conversational fire.
"Yeah?" Nate seemed curious, the emotion reducing his onset of shyness.
"Yeah. No confusion on my end whether I'm 'all woman' or not."
Both of them shared quirky grins. Their forks tinged lightly as they simultaneously went for the brownie.
-- THE END --