A/N: Slash.
"Sorry I'm late"
"No problem, you had a rough day?"
"No Sir" Tim tenderly put his thumb over his wristand turned his hands over. He had been busy. He put the teenager's hand up to his nose and sniffed. "Tinkering with cars again" He asked. The teen let his hand go limp in Tim's grasp. "Yeah, need the money" Tim looked at him with a fake pout that put his son to shame. "Sam making you work extra hours?" "No" He said dully. "Don't put yourself out for him Nate" Tim told him with a grunt. "He doesn't like you. Not as much as me" He cupped his hand and patted it on Nate's shoulder quickly. "I don't wanna keep you, have you got the file?" "mmmm" Nate replied. Near the car window he lifted up his shirt and took the paper file out. "How the fuck did you keep it..." Tim trailed off, but took the file from him. He took his little torch out and scanned the numbers. "It's all there" Nate said. "It's not you I doubt" Tim said reaching out and wrapping his hand around Nate's whole thumb. "Promise, I turn this into cheques and give you the cash" Nate snorted and shook his head. "You think I'm stupid?" "What?" Tim asked reigning in his anger. Like it or not, he did need Nate. "I can't take dirty money" Nate said, leaning against the chair and rolling his eyes. "Dirty money is the only money there is" Tim said, putting the file in his briefcase. "You can buy all the boys you want" "I don't like boys" Nate answered with a grating edge to his voice.
"You think I'm stupid?" Tim asked. "Yeah" Nate said, leaning over on his seat to stroke Tim's pelvic bone and the toned crease inbetween his thigh. Tim grabbed his wrist and clamped Nate's hand so roughly to his face that Nate was choking himself with his own arm. "Don't make me lose my patience Nathan" He said twisting Nate's arm so it had to be bruised. He let go of him and Nate leaned against the glass window for weird comfort. "I'll see you next week" He got out the car with his briefcase and shut the door quietly. Nate slammed his hand into the stirring wheel, unable to handle the guilt of going home. "Trick, let you down again huh?" Laffyette said offering him a cigar given to him by one of his latest "visitors" "Laf I just need a place to crash" "One night bitch, OK?" Laffyette said, flicking on the true movies channel for more drama. Nate couldn't sleep that night, but forced himself to close his eyes. The monsters weren't under the bed but they were real.
Work was a nightmare. Sookie hanging around him a like a bad smell, itching to find out what his problem was but he kept nursery rhymes in his head until she finally got the message. After the last drink had been served, he saw the boss swapping tall tales with Tara before he sneaked into the office. He put the tray down on the table and looked in the drawer. No files. He'd have to wait till next week. He turned around to find Tara looking at him with a frown. "Problem?" She asked folding her arms. Nate shook his he picked up his tray and washed it. He went out to the front to be met with a friendly grin from Sam. "Nate you've been busy" "Too busy" Said Tara wondering out from the office. Nate gritted his teeth but carried on looking at his boss.
"Nate sit down and have a drink with us, Tara make him something" Sam said, moving a chair out. Nate watched her make the drink, just in case. Tara placed the juice in front of him and she sat on the other side so close to Sam she was almost in his lap. "Don't give me that stare boy, you know ya can't drink any licker, that's for grown ups" Sam nodded. "She's right, Cheers" Said Sam as Tara and Nate half heartedly raised their glasses and clinked them as one. "Ya stayed round Laffy's" Tara stated looking Nate dead in the eye. "Why?" "Tara..." Sam said, shaking his head. "Sorry Nate" "Ya don't need to apologise for me" Tara told Sam downing her whole drink. "One night" Nate said repeating Laffyette's words. "But you live alone right?" Said Sam. "That ain't right" Tara began "A child like you, by yaself...are you really rich?"
"Come on Nate be honest" Said Sam with a grin. "On the run with a bank sack of cash?"
"Taking money outta mama's purse for lunch money" Tara asked pulling Sam shirt. Nate took his hand away from his glass stood up and watched them laugh at him.
"Fuck you" He said, turning his eyes away from Tara's needy glances at Sam. "I haven't seen your mama around Tara, or your dad. Die of aids from fucking too many whores, or did he just disappear the second you popped out? Can't say I blame him"
"Wait a minute" Said Sam, putting his hand up while trying to pull Tara back down on her seat.
"What? Neither of you know shit about me. But I know about you"
"What the fuck?" Tara asked.
"Not everyone can have your picture perfect life Sam" Nate continued, having no idea what he was saying, but in his head it made sense. "How'd ya get this bar? Rich daddy's money? You've probably never really worked for shit. Spent summers playing baseball following ya dad like a hound-dog while ya mom baked cookies every night. Spoiled son of a bitch"
"Get out" Tara said attempting to climb over Sam to get at him, but Nate was already running past the tables. As the door shut, Sam put the closed sign up and looked at Tara with a stern look. "Your lucky you were here" Tara told him. "Police would have had to drag me off of his ass" "Tara give him a break" Sam told her picking up their glasses. "I'll give him a "break" in more than one place after you fire him" Sam shook his head. "I can't do that" Tara nodded, but still didn't get it.
"So tomorrow, ya gonna let him traspse back in like nothing's happened?" Tara asked.
"Kids say alot of shit they don't mean, you of all people know that Tara"
"Sam do me a favour?" Tara asked taking her glass away from him and pouring herself another drink of cheap tonic.
"What?" Sam asked while Tara watched curiously as he scratched his back. She smiled. Wanting to punch some toughness into him.
"Change ya name to Mary fucking Poppins"