Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Here's a New Chapter.
Meanwhile back at Natalia and Adrien's
Adrien's POV
"Who agreed that you guys should keep all the shit here again?" I ask Leon who just dropped off a shit load of decorations he had picked up earlier that afternoon for the girls baby shower.
"Well I can't keep them at my house or at Dom's. Mia is there all the time. She'd find them and know what we have planned."
"And the garage never came to mind?" I asked eyebrow raised.
Leon scratches the back of his head looking around at what he bought. "Ughh, no. Uh it didn't."
Taking a deep breath, I agree to keep the stuff here, knowing it would be a bigger hassle to load it all back into the car.
"Thanks brother. I appreciate it."
"No problem. Want a beer?"
"Sure."
We get a couple beers and make our way out to the backyard, where I had been barbequing since we had taken the day off.
"So, where's Nat?" Le asks, taking a seat at the patio table.
"Beer run. She should be back any minute."
"Cool, so how are you handling everything." he asks watching me closely.
"I'm good. But Nat you know, I'm just worried she'll slip back into old habits."
"You think she'll run again?"
"Nah. I think were passed that but… you know how she is. She'll pick up dangerous jobs, get into police chases, anything to avoid her problems."
"That's our Natty." he says raising his bottle "You know I gotta ask. How are you and Dom getting along?"
I give him a knowing look.
"Come on. He's not that bad. He's a good guy. A little over protective. But he and Letty practically raised that girl in the garage. He just needs time to realize she's not a kid anymore."
"I don't understand how you leave someone you raised." My temper is starting to heat up and I try to relax my shoulders to ease some of the tension.
"We didn't have a choice man. Believe me, we all wish we could go back. But we all make mistakes. Feel him out a little longer. You'll be straight."
"Not if he keeps pushing her. They got lucky the other night." I tell him remembering the almost altercation between Natalia and Letty.
"I know dawg, but that would've been a hell of a fight." he exclaims clapping his hands.
"What would've been?" Nat asks coming around back holding a case of coronas.
Leon looks at me in shear panic and I lean back trying not to laugh at the expression on his face.
I give him a few more seconds, before I tell her a fictional story about two customers that were going to fight outside the garage the other day, not wanting to bring it up the other night for her sake.
"Damn sounds like I missed out. I'm gonna put these away. I'll be right back." she tells us making her way inside. But stopping to give Leon a kiss on the head on her way.
"Thanks you saved my ass." he says wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Uhhh. Whose shit is covering my entire living room?" Nat asks walking back to join us.
Downing his beer Leon gets up. "That's my cue. I gotta go. I'll see you guys later."
"Coward." I mutter after he disappears on the side of the house.
"Care to explain?" She asks arms crossed. Something about her when she gets mad is incredibly sexy.
"Look Leon needed to keep a few things hidden until the shower. Come on, It's only for a couple weeks. You mad?"
"No. But I am starving. Is it done?" she asks making her way to peek over my shoulder too check out the food. When she does this I turn to place my hands on her waist and forget my surroundings and lean too far back, touching the grill.
"Yea just…argh." I hiss burning my forearm.
"You okay?" she asks concerned reaching for my arm. But I pull it away.
"Fine." I grunt through gritted teeth.
Nat's POV
"Let me look at it." I tell Adrien reaching for his arm again and once again he pulls away this time stalking off to the work shed.
"I said I'm fine." he snaps over his shoulder.
At that point maybe other girls would've walked away and let him be. But I know him and his temper. He hates being vulnerable and he can get defensive. I guess were kind of alike in that way.
I take the food off the grill and turn it off before walking over to the shed. I find Adrien trying to mend his burn.
I watch him for a second or two leaning against the door frame "Need a hand?"
Without even looking at me he answers. "No. I've got it."
I can see him struggling. I can see how bad it looks from the doorway. Knowing he'll never admit it, I can see he needs some assistants. I walk up to him and place one hand on his back and the other grabs the cloth from his hand. He sighs and gives in. I continue to clean his wound and start wrapping it.
"There you're good." I tell him. When I'm finished he leans forward and puts his forehead to mine and takes a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"Shhh… I know." I reassure him, stroking his cheek as he kisses me.
"Let's go eat." He whispers.
"Finally." I exaggerate and we both laugh heading back over to the table.
After dinner Adrien and I are in our room talking while getting ready for bed.
"So are we gonna actually show up to the garage tomorrow?" I roll my eyes at his question pulling my sweatshirt over my head.
"Yea, we're already behind as it is." Just thinking about it is making me stressed.
"Don't sweat it. We've got two extra sets of hands and I already talked to Leon. He said Dom and Let were really getting a lot done over there".
"I know. They showed up just in time. But, I thought the money we had saved before New York would have stretched further than it has. Keeping the shop open… maybe we should call Rafael." I say hesitant, guessing his reaction.
He gives me a serious look "Nat, stop. We talked about this. The man's too dangerous. We don't need another job right now anyways. We just got back."
"No. You're right." I tell him rubbing my lotion into my legs
"So, what is it?" he asks walking over to stand in front of me.
"What's, what?" I ask shrugging my shoulders
"Natalia." He kneels down to look my in the eyes "I know you. I know how you think. Something's bothering you and you're trying to run from it"
"Nothing's bothering me. I'm fine." I can tell he doesn't believe me.
"Nat?" it feels like everything is rushing to the surface so fast. all of these things I've been trying to keep bottled up and before I can stop myself I'm spilling my guts.
"It's just…ugh… it's just seeing them again… I mean, I love them. I do. And I'm so glad they're back in my life. but just sometimes when I'm in that house seeing them laughing with their new friends, who all seem like great people, but still to see them there and think about all the shit we've all gone through. And to think about Vince and Jesse…it…it just brings up everything. And then I think about how many times they told me how I was too young to go, and that they hoped I would understand. Well I grew up. Why didn't they call me in Rio or London? I mean, that was my sister for God sake. And they didn't even bother to call and tell me they thought she was alive. I had to find out for myself by running smack into her in the middle of London. But it's not like they called or wrote a letter when we all thought she died either. So I guess it's just me, right? They called in complete strangers to help them. Where the fuck was I? Why didn't I matter? Huh? Why? That's why I can't be here anymore. I can't cope with it. I don't want to be pissed anymore. I thought I was over it. But obviously I'm not and I don't want to do something I regret."
"Nat, you were 16 when Dom hit Rio. "
"Yea and we were already running these streets, and pulling our own jobs."
"I'm not saying you don't have a reason to be mad, baby .But do me a favor. Talk to them about it. I don't want you to run off to Rafael and do something reckless. We're finally in a spot where we're not running. We're not wanted. Where we can be normal everyday civilians working in a garage, without the fear were being hunted down and found at any moment. It feels nice to take a break." he's absolutely right. We're finally in a good spot. We've lived a pretty crazy life in our short existence. So it is nice to have time to breath and feel comfortable for a second.
"I know and your right. I just need more time to adjust, I guess. " I give in knowing how bad things got between him and Raf on our last job. When he sent two different teams in for one job, and they weren't exactly ready to share the profit. That's when things took a dangerous, almost deadly turn. We haven't ran a job for him ever since, and I guess we weren't gonna start now.
-Thanks so much for reading. I hope you liked it. Leave me a review or send me a PM to let me know what your thinking so far and if there's something you want to read next.
