A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Strong Language. Adult scenes. Miller's mother's name and Miller's past is made up.
Early in the morning Nate crept out of the shadows. Annoyed and bitterly hung-over. Cath hadn't answered his calls, texts or emails. He'd have to give her some space-for now. He set the kettle on when he heard taps on the door. He opened it to see Nolan with Miller's phone in one of his company boxes. "Had to be up at the crack of dawn" Nolan said handing him the box. "Or up your room-mate's crack" Nate teased reaching for the box. "Nate be nice, it took me a while to change this message" Nolan said. "Yeah, yeah" Nate said snatching the box. He closed the door as he heard people walking around upstairs.
He shut the door and poured out a mug of coffee. After he'd made the coffee he tiptoed up stairs to Miller's room. The curtain's were closed but Nate could see Miller's figure asleep in bed. "Mill, got your coffee" Nate said. He raised the cup above Miller's bed and poured the coffee over him. "Fuck!" Miller yelled, feeling sharp pain making his skin ache. Nate took his phone out of the box and put it on the drawer. "Enjoy the coffee, fag" Nate said going down to the kitchen to make Nick breakfast. He put the tray of toast and cereal on the table for his brother but Nick wanted to go out.
"Thanks, but, I'm gonna run" Nick said putting the tray on his bed. "See you in a bit" Nick said. He walked to a binbag to get his clothes changed and knocked on Miller's door. "Go away" Miller said thinking it was Nate. Nick opened the door a creak. "Going running. You wanna go?" Nick asked. "No" Miller said. Nick opened the door wider. Miller's sheets were up to his waist and he was lying down. Nick shut the door and went back downstairs. "I'll pick you up for training" Nick said to his little brother as he was about to go out the door. "I'll meet you there. I mean I gotta get out of here. Don't wanna catch anything from that thing upstairs" Nate said pointing to the ceiling. Nick nodded and left.
As soon as Nick was out of sight, Nate went upstairs to tell Miller to get lost. "Your faggy ass has gotta go. I'm getting Cath here" Nate told him. "Really? After the slutty CPR with Mercedes Cath's gonna take you back?" Miller chuckled. "Just get out" Nate ordered as he shut the door. Miller got changed and went to Mark's training camp. "Hey Jase you're looking good" Mark said as he got the ropes ready. "Ahh Mark not the ropes you know they kill me" Miller said. "Let's try that knee out" Mark said. Miller was able to get up and down the ropes twice before his knee started playing up.
"You're doing great Jase, take a break" Mark said. Miller took a rest, and watched the other guys train then went to the locker room. He got his phone out and checked his messages.
"Hi Jase, I know I'm the last person you want to hear from. But I'm still your mom. I was hoping that we could meet up at mine, tomorrow at nine in the evening. I'm being the bigger person here Jase. After the way you spoke to me, I deserve an apology. We have to talk. See you soon"
Miller nodded before putting his phone in his pocket. "interesting" he said. "What is?" Mark asked going to his locker, which was next to Miller's. "Mom meeting" Miller said. "Do you want me to come?" Mark asked. Miller shook his head. "Thanks Marky, but I can handle her" Miller said as Mark got out his boxing gloves. When training was over Mark drove Miller back to Nick's place. Mark stayed with him for half an hour and Mark told him that he'd meet him tomorrow. When Mark got back home, a smug arrogant surprise was waiting for him on his doorstep.
Addison?" Mark asked. "I've got nothing to say to you" Mark said trying to get to his door. "Well well well, wait Mark. How are you by the way?" Addison asked turning on the reporter charm, but Mark wasn't falling for it. The last time Addison had talked to him it was on the MMA tour. He refused to back out of the "deal" with Miller and had threatened to make Mark's life hell. Mark couldn't even pretend to have time for this reporter. "Mark I've come to make you an offer" Addison said. "Addison move out of the way before I call the police" Mark said. "What? Your going to call the police because I'm trying to discuss a topic with you?" Addison asked. "Mark stop being completely ridiculous and let me in" Addison asked.
With Cath unwilling to come over, Nate decided to go to his training camp, only to find that one of his "little mistakes" were already causing a stir. Mercedes McQueen was getting tossed on mats and strangled with rear naked chokes, but with muscular guys on top of her, she didn't seem to mind. "Nate this one's a keeper" Matt Serra said admiring the view of Mercedes' legs. "Please sign her up here. She can't fight for shit, but she looks damn good in lycra" Andy Ogle said. "Oi" Mercedes said playfully nudging Andy. She got up to meet Nate and said she wanted time alone with him. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Nate asked. "You're no fighter" Nate said.
"I'm here to see you, ya prick" Mercedes said. "Your friends seem nice" Mercedes said as they walked into the break-room. "Look Melanie" Nate said. "It's Mercedes" Mercedes said. "Whatever, what happened last night was fucked up. I drank to much and I fucked up. It never should have happened" Nate said. "Ahh...Nate don't be like that" Mercedes said kissing him on the cheek. "I'll see you around" Mercedes said taking her towel and saying goodbye to the guys who were teasing Nate for letting her go. "Nate drag her back!" Gabriel Gonzaga begged.
After training Nate was going to meet his brother at the gym, when Carlos came up to him. "How's it going?" Carlos asked. Nate shrugged. "When the fuck is Miller staying at yours?" Nate asked him. "It's complicated" Carlos said. "My family come over a lot. I've got Owen to think about" Carlos said sitting on the bus stop bench away from Nate. Nate sat down as well. "Why is my brother taking care of your fuck buddy?" Nate asked. Carlos looked around. "Nate keep your voice down. Anyway it's not like that with Jase. It's like you and Cath, or well, how you and Cath used to be" Carlos said with a smile.
"Fuck" Nate muttered under his breath. Break up news traveled fast. "Fine, look after your boyfriend or whatever he is. I'm sick of looking at him" Nate said. "Just keep doing what you're doing" Carlos said. "What? Addison's told you?" Nate said. "Jase should be back in his own place" Carlos said. "It's easier for people to keep an eye on him" Nate looked at Carlos. "What people?" Nate asked. "It doesn't matter" Carlos said. "When he's back home, things can go back to normal. But he's gotta hate your place. You've got to smoke him out Nate" Carlos said. It would take longer than Nate planned. But since Nate blamed Miller for his break-up with Cath, dealing with Miller Carlos' way would be much more fun.
At Eight O' clock in the evening Miller's mom Carol was waiting. Waiting for her adult son to walk through the door, give her a hug and say that he was ready to start again. MMA wasn't the obvious career choice. Neither Carol or Miller's father Mike gave Miller the thumbs up for MMA, but Miller being Miller did it anyway. Sometimes Miller's Alternative lifestyle came in handy, most of the time, the family resented Miller for being so different. All of their kids were smart. Miller could have been a doctor, a lawyer, anything that could have earned him a big pay-cheque and respect. But no. Miller had to choose a profession that left his flat covered in hospital bills and his body bloody with unhealed broken bones.
Carol had never been to one of Miller's fights. His father had been once. Mike came back and said their son had lost so it had been a waste of time. They had asked him to quit so many times, but they knew Miller had refused quitting to get back at them. It caused arguments, Miller's dad Mike was talking about cutting ties with Miller for good at one point. Carol was ready to give up and ignore her son for a while at this very moment when she heard a knock on the door at 9:10. "Hey mom" Miller said. "Sorry I'm a little late. "A little?" Jase I asked you to be here at Eight" Carol said. "No you didn't. You wanted me at Nine, so here I'am at ten past" Miller said. "Are you gonna let me in?" He asked.
"Jase you leave me waiting for an hour. You're not taking this seriously" Carol said. "Mom you said Nine" Miller said. "Lie all you want Jase you should go now" That was easy do to seeing as his Mom hadn't let him in. "Look, it's a misunderstanding. How about, I cook you something, to make it up to you" Miller asked. "Jase you're a terrible cook" Carol said. "Umm...I've improved since living with Nick, you know Nick Diaz. He's an awesome cook" Miller lied. "What are you doing living with the Diaz brothers? Why can't you be independent?" Carol asked.
"So Mom are you gonna be my dinner guest or what?" Miller asked his Mom.
When Miller got back, Nick was at Jacqui's and Nate was watching TV sulking. "No luck with Cath?" Miller asked. "No fags allowed" Nate said staring at the TV. Miller picked Nate's tray with an empty glass and plates on it. He was trying to be helpful, but Nate didn't want Miller touching anything. "Get your dirty hands off the tray" Nate said pulling the tray away from him. "You know I can't blame Cath for running as fast as she could away from you, you're like the king of all assholes" Miller said, leaning foward to put the tray down.
"Yeah? Try and run away from this!" Nate yelled as he chucked the glass at Miller's face. It fell to the floor underneath the sofa and cracked. Miller thought it had only bruised him until blood was dripping down his cheek. Nate went upstairs without a word. Moment's later Miller heard Nick's key in the door and went in the kitchen to think of an excuse. Nick went to the living room and then went upstairs. Miller got some kitchen roll and walked up stairs to go to the bathroom. He pushed the door open and Nick was brushing his teeth over the sink. He washed his mouth out and turned around.
"What the fuck happened?" Nick asked looking at Miller's bloody tissue.
"Never try to get glass on the top shelf with a spatula" Miller said.
"Idiot" Nick said drying himself with a towel. Miller went in the bathroom soon after and cleaned himself up. The cut wasn't that bad, it would save him a trip to the hospital, the last thing he needed was another thing stopping him from training. He went downstairs to talk to Nick. "Ummm...Nick...I need your advice" Miller asked. Nick sat on the blanket he'd put on the sofa and Miller sat on the chair. "Make it quick" Nick said. "It's just I'm cooking dinner here for someone and..." Miller began. "Carlos?" Nick asked. He wasn't interested in Miller's dinner party for Carlos, unless Miller was going to dump Carlos before dessert was served.
"No...umm...my mom's gonna come over, but I can't cook for shit" Miller told him.
"I can't either you know" Nick said. He was okay in the kitchen, but not great.
"Nick, you don't know my mom, she's so critical. I mean if I cook her a great vegan dish, she'll be so impressed" Miller said.
"You compete in MMA. That's impressive" Nick said watching TV.
"Uhh..yeah gold-digging groupies love that, but as for a vegan dinner, tell me that you'll think about it" Miller asked. "Please, please...please..please...please"
"You're bleeding" Nick said pointing to Miller's face. "Right, but while I'm upstairs you'll think about it? Please? It's not like I'm begging" Nick nodded and laid down on the sofa. He got up to get a glass of water and came back and sat on the sofa. As soon as his feet touched the floor, they were prickled with glass. "Shit" Nick whispered as he lifted his feet and saw glass on his socks.
Glass? That didn't make any sense. Unless Nate had cracked a glass on the same day Miller did and didn't tell him.
Miller made it sound like he cracked a glass in the kitchen, but glass had obviously been broken out here as well. Nick pushed the sofa back and saw the broken glass under the sofa. He picked it up and put it in the trash. Nick wasn't going to go into a rage over one broken glass. So why was Miller lying? Nick wondered.
