Note: I had an idea and just threw it down. Hope it's enjoyable enough!

I don't own Haven or the characters, sadly. Ha!

Nathan sat in the Gull, working on his second Jack and coke.

Anyone would be upset if their personalities completely changed when simply looking at someone, right?

Chris Brody had some sort of ability to make people adore him, before they could make a judgement for themselves.

Nathan hadn't seperated thought from feeling until Audrey had said something about his...infatuation. He winced, bringing the glass to his lips. Without Chris around, he could see the actual man underneath the glamour. With what he could remember, it all left him feeling embarrassed and a bit confused. How could anyone possess a power like that? The man was dangerous. Audrey, being the only who wasn't influenced, had to do something about this. He needed to mention it to her.

Sure, Nathan was suspicious, but why wouldn't he be? If that guy walked into a car dealership, he could very well talk himself into owning his very own key to a new Porche. Papers and money not included. Was he the only one thinking about this?

Only a day ago, Chris Brody had been let off the hook for the murder of his father. That didn't mean he was completely innocent.

He'd noticed the way Audrey managed to jab an insult here and there, coming to the conclusion that: Audrey had feelings for Chris.

Nathan had managed staying quiet, but as soon as he mentioned to Audrey that Chris was under her skin, she'd adverted her eyes, mentioning how he was obnoxious and a suspect. Still, he'd caught the way her cheeks had grown into a deeper shade of pink.

Possessiveness wrapped around him and held on. "Or just a person of interest," he had forced himself to say. He walked off before she could see the tension in his jaw, or the way he stretched his neck, suddenly feeling as though he were being strangled.

He supposed this to be his own turning point. He wasn't aware of the exact moment he could have fallen in love with her, but he had an idea of a time and place. It could have been why he'd been so hesitant in starting a relationship with Jess. Sure, he couldn't feel, but putting the blame solely on that fact didn't feel right. Right there outside of his beloved Bronco, Audrey had told him he was a friend. She'd kissed his cheek to offer support and Nathan had filled with an overpowering sense of discovery. Like a whole world had just been found by him and him alone. To him, Audrey Parker was another world.

Now all that was left was what to do with his self-given information. Would he tell her? Could he tell her? Why would he tell her?

In regards to them being partners, it would mess things up greatly. She could either reject him completely and move on like nothing was ever said. Another scenerio led to him imagining Audrey throwing herself into his arms, which was by far his favorite. He even smiled to himself, looking around to make sure no one was watching him.

On the other hand, she could reject him, leave Haven which meant she'd leave him, and then where would he be? Without a partner, without a friend and without... Without what? Who was Audrey to him? What was she to him?

Putting his glass down as it was finished, Nathan reached for the phone in his pocket. He had a bit of a battle with trying to free it, since his jeans were tight and he was sitting and well, he was a little buzzed. This didn't make having another drink sound any less appealing.

Audrey wasn't upstairs, he knew this from checking when he first walked in the doors, so where could she be? With Brody? The very thought made Nathan's stomach curl. Her phone went straight to voicemail. Hesitating, he decided to leave one anyway.

"Parker, come home-" He paused, realizing that sounded very close to a boyfriend-girlfriend thing to say. It also gave him an image of having their own place together, which caused him to shut his eyes tight, wincing at himself. He cleared his throat. The burning he felt could have been from the whiskey in his drink, or holding back an emotion that he felt was eating at him. "I've got information about Chris Brody that I need to relay to you." Nathan paused and ended up snapping his phone shut, ending both the voicemail message and the call.

He needed another drink. He was pleased it was brought at the perfect time. Who brought it was a disapointment.

Duke set it down infront of Nathan, smiling happily as he pulled out his own seat with a beer in hand.

"I would hope by now that look on your face would change, given that we've been getting along quite nicely. And I went out of my way to ask what you ordered and brought it to you."

Nathan didn't make any attempt to ease Duke's "hurt feelings".

"What do you want?" Duke bringing the alcohol or sitting across the table didn't stop him from grabbing the drink and giving it a taste. It was stronger than the last. He wasn't sure what to think about that. "You didn't poison this, did you?"

"Of course I did." Duke's comment was backhanded and glancing at him, Nathan could tell he wasn't done with his little one-man comedy show. "Because I wouldn't be caught. This being my place, you and I having an obvious disliking for one another, and you being a cop." Duke grinned at him, acting like he'd won some little battle that Nathan wasn't even playing.

"Why're you alone?" Duke asked, breaking the silence. Nathan sighed, not in the mood to have some sort of heart-to-heart with a man he nearly loathed.

"I'm waiting for Audrey, if you must know."

"She's not here," Duke instantly said, glancing around the place. Nathan narrowed his eyes at him.

"I know she's not," he said through his teeth. "Hence my being here...waiting."

Duke ignored him."She with that guy?" Nathan looked over the rim of the glass to Duke. He was trying to see if he might have been lying, but it was a failed attempt. Duke had perfected the "poker face" when it came to every or any emotion regarding secrets or lies.

"What guy?" Nathan asked him, suspecting exactly what guy it was, from the cheery look Duke was giving now.

"Pretty great guy, actually." That confirmed it for Nathan. Chris Brody had been in there. "Why was he in here?" Nathan asked.

"Looking for Audrey. They left a little while ago."

Where? To the beach where he'd pick up every sort of seaweed and announce exactly what kind it was? Or maybe to pick up seashells so that Nathan could walk into her place one day, see a pile of them, and know exactly where they came from? He was fully aware his thoughts were becoming manic.

"And you couldn't have told me that when you realized I was looking for her?"

Again, Duke shrugged.

"You should probably know something." Or maybe not? Nathan wondered briefly if he should even say anything. Maybe he'd just keep the private joke to himself. He leaned forward, unable to keep himself from satisfaction he'd receive when Duke realized the truth. So, Nathan told him. It was a quick description that gave enough for Nathan to earn his much needed laugh for the night. Duke now knew of Brody's special little talent.

Duke sat with his eyebrows furrowed, his mouth gaping open, his palms flat on the table. "Are you serious?" Now that he was able to think clearly about it, Duke seemed repulsed by his reactions to Brody.

"Audrey likes him," Nathan mentioned, swallowing the last gulp of his drink. It left him feeling warm.

Lifting a hand to his neck, he scratched his nails along the flesh there, unable to feel anything. God, sometimes it wasn't as sad as it was frusterating. Here, he felt warm everywhere inside, and yet all he felt on the outside was a numbing so intense that he almost ached with it, he couldn't get rid of. Ever.

Until Audrey.

"Of course she does! Shit, I liked him, too!" Duke exclaimed. Nathan stared at him, wondering what the hell the certain look was for. Duke seemed, disapointed? He wouldn't blame Duke for maybe feeling a little something for Audrey. Even if he had a supposed "wife".

"Audrey's not influenced by him. She's the only one who can't be affected."

"Wait," Duke held up a hand, pausing the whole conversation while he gathered his thoughts together. "What? Audrey doesn't like him?"

Nathan made a gruffed sound, pushing his glass aside. "She likes him, but she's not under his..." Nathan waved a hand in the air, looking for the right word. "Spell," he finally finished. Duke gave a long look, his expression changing a few times.

"How about another drink, buddy? Mine's gone." Duke was already up by the time Nathan even responded to that.

"Don't call me buddy."

Coming back with two shots, a drink that he set down infront of Nathan and a beer for himself, he sat back down.

Nathan eyed the shots glasses filled with a dark golden liquid he knew must have been whiskey."I can't have any shots, I'm gonna need a ride home after this last drink, as it is.

Duke frowned at him. "Who said this was for you? One of the drinks and the two shots are for myself." Apparently, Nathan wouldn't be alone in his drunken state. "Don't worry about the tab, I got you."

"Gee, thanks." Nathan replied curtly. Duke didn't seem bothered.

He had to admit not being alone was neat. His night being spent with Duke was something else. Speaking of night, it was dark. Where the hell was Audrey?

He checked his phone, sighing as he had no voicemails, no texts, nothing.

"What if she's hurt?" He suddenly asked out loud. He figured Duke would realize he was more talking aloud than actually asking him.

"I'm here, worried and she's out playing pattycake with the Haven's own Superman." Nathan took a quick swig.

"More like a super villian. Who is this guy?" He folded his arms, resting his elbows on the desk as he leaned closer to Nathan, keeping his voice low.

"He's the mayor's son whom I've only seen around and never actually talked to. Yet, I was ready to give him the shirt off my back, had he asked for it. I didn't even think of him a week ago!" Taking a moment, Duke took down his first shot. "For all we know, he could have created this whole mess of trouble and is getting away with it!" Nathan didn't know about all of the troubles being caused by the one guy, but he wouldn't write it off.

As the pause between them prolonged, Nathan could tell he was about to be asked the lingering question he knew would inevitably come.

"So, exactly how long have you had feelings for her?" Duke kept his dark eyes focused on Nathan's face.

Could he lie? "She's a close friend and my partner. I don't want her hurt. That includes her feelings." It wasn't a lie so much as he'd left something out.

Which was a form of lying. He sighed.

Duke smiled all-knowingly. His back became straighter as he regarded Nathan's expression.

After a few moments, Duke finally decided to speak again. "The contrast between you and Audrey's pretty heavy."

"What do you mean?" Nathan glanced up at him with nothing but suspicion in his eyes.

Duke smacked his lips after sipping more of the beer he was nursing. "Well," he started. "Audrey's got her serious points, but overall, she's all rainbow's and butterflies while you're..." He snapped his fingers to himself, trying to come up with the right wording for what Nathan was.

Nathan waited patiently knowing whatever would be said wouldn't be something positive.

"Well, I think of hurricane's and flies, but that's just me."

Nathan scoffed, swirling the liquid inside the glass around the edges, making a tornado-type effect. "I hardly think I'm a hurricane."

"Oh, really? Might I mention the time you came onto my boat and attcked me?"

"That wasn't my fault," Nathan defended quickly. "Anytime Ray played-" Duke cut him off. "You say all that, but I think you were just waiting for the perfect excuse to unleash your inner demons."

Inner demons? Nathan shrugged. Duke could be right, then again, he'd had a lot to drink.

"Against me."

"Against you?" Nathan stared at him, then shook his head. "Why would I have anything against you, Duke? You've been nothing but a saint."

Duke caught onto the dry tone in Nathan's voice. "Yeah, I guess you've got your reasons. I'll have you know though, I've been my very own version of a saint in these past few weeks."

In the weeks Audrey had been in Haven? She was able to change most people she was around. A force of nature, Nathan gathered.

"How so?" He finally asked Duke.

After a few moments of regarding the question, Duke gave back an answer. "I don't get as many threats. I must be doing something right."

Both of them grinned. The awkwardness was still there between them, as many years of complete disdain for eachother wasn't going to go away easily.

Though Nathan had to admit, taking baby steps in getting over the past felt good.