Early Days

Prompted by 'Guest', this one-shot covers some missing moments between Chris and Nate's first meeting and Nate revealing his military secret.

18th August (following Chris and Nate introducing themselves)

Nate knew that he should be grieving for Pony, his old friend who had recently died in combat. Instead, he was thinking about the young man that he had met earlier, and glanced down at his mobile to check whether the guy had called or texted him yet, which he hadn't. Nate sighed as he checked his previous texts, one of which was from a close friend of his, clarifying the time that they were due to meet for Pony's funeral. Nate sighed as he returned his mobile to his pocket and made his way back to number 28.

He was reluctant to go back in there; it was an unfamiliar house in an unfamiliar street owned by people who he was distantly related to yet had only just met. Hesitantly, he reached into his pocket and fished for the key. Nate was surprised that they gave him a key immediately, though they had explained that they had jobs with long - and often unpredictable - working hours which meant that they wouldn't always be around, and Nate was quite grateful that he would have the opportunity to be alone. Not that he didn't like Karl or Susan: they had done everything that they could to make him feel welcome, but they were practically strangers despite being part of his family and in some respects, Nate wanted to leave as soon as he possibly could.

xxx

Nate glanced around his room: it was quite a neutral one to say the least, but it was better furnished than anything he had stayed in during his time in combat and he felt secure and comfortable. He decided not to unpack – not that he had much to unpack anyway – because he wasn't sure how long he would be staying for. Long enough to have a drink with Chris, obviously, but beyond that he wasn't sure. As if on cue, Nate's mobile began to ring and showed an unknown number. Although he assumed that it was Chris, Nate was still hesitant to answer it.

"Hello?" he greeted quietly and uncertainly

"Hey Nate" Chris' bright voice greeted in return, "Wait, this is Nate, right?"

Nate chuckled, immediately feeling more relaxed, "Yeah, it's me. I didn't give you a fake number if that's what you're worried about"

"Well it was either that or I typed it in wrong" Chris replied

"Oh yeah, I hate it when that happens" Nate agreed, "So, what's up?"

"Look, I hope I don't sound too eager or anything but I wanted to arrange our date" Chris began, then realised what he had said and tried to rephrase, "Drinks, I mean, not 'date'"

Nate laughed, inwardly pleased that Chris was using the term 'date', "You can call it a date if you want" he told him, "And no, you don't sound too eager. Besides, I think that eager is ten times better than hard-to-get"

Chris let out a breath, "Good, because I am terrible at playing hard-to-get" he responded, "Anyway, when are you available?"

Nate frowned, "Uh, I can't do tomorrow afternoon unfortunately" he replied regretfully, hoping that Chris wouldn't ask why.

Chris didn't, and instead hesitated before asking, "Oh, well are you free tomorrow morning?"

"'Morning'?" Nate repeated, "Should we really be drinking in the morning?"

"No, it doesn't involve alcohol" Chris explained, and Nate was confused, "I know this idea's gonna sound a bit 'out there', but how do you feel about a breakfast-picnic-date type thing?"

Nate considered this, "Well I've never been on a 'breakfast-picnic-date type thing' before" he teased, "But it sounds great"

"Cool" Chris replied, "Well since you're new to the area, do you want me to pick you up?"

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea" Nate told him, "I'd hate to get lost on my way and make you think that I've stood you up. I'm staying at 28 Ramsay Street"

There was a pause, "Where?" Chris asked

Nate assumed that he hadn't spoken clearly enough, "28 Ramsay Street" he repeated slowly

There was another pause, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, why?" Nate replied, wondering whether he had got the address wrong himself, though he had it written down and had read it on the door several times, "Do you know where that is?"

"Hold on" Chris commanded hastily.

Nate was confused but waited for the young man to return to the conversation. After a few moments there was a knock at the front door and Nate jumped off his bed in shock. Instinct caused him to creep cautiously down the hallway towards the living room.

Susan opened the door to find Chris standing on the other side, looking curious.

"Hi Chris" she greeted, "What can I do for you?"

"Hey Susan" he replied, glancing inside, "is Nate here?"

Confused as to how Chris knew the introverted man, Susan nodded and turned around to spot Nate, who was just emerging from the hallway, "Ah Nate, your ears must be burning"

Puzzled, Nate approached the door and his eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Chris standing opposite him.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Nate cried

Chris grinned and pointed to his left, "I live next door, at number 26" he replied into the phone that he was holding to his ear before hanging up.

Nate laughed, "No way!"

Susan looked between them, "Wait, what's going on here?"

"We met earlier on" Chris explained, "Nate gave me his number and told me that this is where he lives. I can't believe we're neighbours"

Nate shook his head, "Me neither" he agreed, inwardly thrilled by the idea of being next door to the young man.

Chris glanced between Susan and Nate, "So how do you guys know each other?" he asked

"Nate's my step-nephew" Susan informed him

Chris pulled a face, "Strange connection but I'm not one to judge. I mean, I live in a house where I'm the only person not related to anyone else"

Susan laughed, "True" she replied, "Anyway, I'll leave you guys alone"

Susan turned away from them, leaving Chris and Nate to sort out the details of their date. She was pleased that Nate had found someone that he had a connection with, though Chris was the last person that she expected to befriend him. However, Chris was an amiable, likable person who was easy to be friends with so she shouldn't have been surprised. She sniggered to herself as she remembered Karl assuming that Zeke was gay about four months earlier, and it turned out that it was his cousin who was instead. Susan was quickly concerned, however, that there had been no mention of it up until now, though she knew that it wasn't really important. Her main concern was Nate's mysterious background and personality: this was a young man who was part of her family, yet she knew almost nothing about him, and she was determined to dig deeper to find out the full story.

19th August (the first date)

Nate attempted to stifle a yawn as he checked himself in the mirror. He had never been this nervous (or tired) about a date before, if he could even call it a 'date'. He had been disappointed when Chris had suggested that some of his friends tagged along, though Nate had tried not to show it. He supposed that it might be a good opportunity: if he was going to be staying for a while, it would be beneficial to integrate himself with other people his age.

Karl and Susan had left earlier, but their whisperings had roused Nate's suspicions, and he assumed that they had been talking about him, particularly the fact that he had standing in the living room early in the morning, struggling with his nightmares. Nate knew that he couldn't tell anyone about his problems; they would never understand and he would feel more isolated than ever before. Shaking his head to dismiss his thoughts, Nate let himself yawn and dreaded the day ahead. Although he was looking forward to his date, he knew that he couldn't fully enjoy it with his lack of sleep and anxiety towards the funeral later on. Nate took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down and gather his thoughts before he had to face the real world.

xxx

Chris was staring at number 28 expectantly as he waited for Nate to emerge, which amused Kyle and Georgia.

"You'd make a really good stalker, you know that?" Kyle pointed out

Chris glanced at them quizzically, "What?"

Georgia sniggered, "Staring at the door won't make him walk out of it any quicker, you know"

Chris sighed and turned to face them, "Sorry. I'm just nervous, that's all" he admitted

Kyle's eyes widened dramatically, "Really? We never would have guessed!" he replied sarcastically

Chris pulled a face at them, then glanced down at himself, "How do I look?" he asked worriedly

"The same as you did the last time you asked, about two minutes ago" Georgia replied

"Geez, anyone would think you've never been on a date before with the way you're acting" Kyle remarked

Chris shook his head, "Not with my next-door neighbour" he replied

"Why does that matter?" Georgia asked

"Because we'll have to see each other every day" Chris responded, "So this has to go well otherwise things will be insanely awkward between us until one of us leaves"

Georgia considered this, "Yeah, good point" she muttered

Unbeknownst to Chris, Nate had emerged from number 28 and was approaching him from behind. Kyle and Georgia had spotted him but decided not to warn Chris as Nate came up behind him.

"Hey guys" Nate greeted, causing Chris to practically jump out of his skin, much to Kyle and Georgia's amusement, "Sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright"

Chris shook his head, "No, it-it-it's fine" he stammered, "Oh, you guys haven't met properly, have you? Nate, this is Kyle and Georgia, they're my housemates"

Nate smiled and shook their hands politely, "Good to meet you"

"You too" Georgia agreed

"Didn't you say that there'd be six of us?" Nate asked Chris

Chris nodded, "Yeah, we're meeting Paige and Brenno at Harold's" he replied

Kyle rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, Paige" he grumbled

"Don't be like that" Chris insisted, "She's not that bad, Brenno likes her and this will be a good opportunity to get to know her - and Nate - better"

Nate smiled sheepishly, "So what are we doing about food?"

Chris pointed to the picnic baskets in the driveway, "We've got some of it, but Paige and Mark are sorting out the rest"

Nate looked puzzled, "Wait, who's Mark?"

Chris narrowed his eyes at him, then realised that he had called him 'Brenno' before, "Oh, sorry. We call our friend Mark 'Brenno' or 'Brennan', which is his last name" he explained, "But I'm not actually sure why we do it"

Nate shook his head dismissively, "It's ok, I've got friends who I address by their surnames or some kind of nickname" he assured him, "I used to call my old friend Thomas 'Pony'"

Nate broke off suddenly as he was reminded of the funeral and was overcome with anxiety that he had revealed too much to these strangers, "It's a long story" he muttered, "Should we get going?"

The other three nodded in agreement, but were bemused by Nate's sudden change of mood. Despite this, he seemed like a nice guy so Kyle and Georgia inwardly gave him their stamp of approval, though they were going to keep an eye on him just to make sure he was the right guy for Chris. Chris excitedly led the group to Harold's where he introduced Nate to Paige and Mark. Nate already felt overwhelmed by the day's events, although the day had only just begun. He knew that he had struggles ahead, but Nate was determined to enjoy the date and not to let other concerns get in the way of enjoying the picnic.

27th August (Chris and Nate's first kiss)

Nate felt the tension drain from his body as Chris' lips met his in a gentle but assured manner. In all honesty, he had wanted to kiss him long before their moonlit walk - probably from the moment they shook hands - but he knew it would sound clichéd and slightly creepy if he was to admit it aloud. Nate was disappointed when Chris pulled away from him, but he was met with sparkling blue eyes and a shy smile which quelled his displeasure somewhat.

After a few moments Chris looked worried, "Wait, was that ok?" he asked quietly

Nate shook his head, "No" he breathed, causing Chris to panic, "It was better than ok"

Chris exhaled in relief and glanced to the floor coyly, "I was just worried that I'd overstepped the mark or something"

Nate shook his head, "Nope, the mark needed stepping over"

Chris let out a laugh, "I'm glad" he replied, then glanced around, "though we should probably move out of the doorway before we get whacked by the door when people come in"

"Or before we give them a fright" Nate interjected

"Exactly" Chris agreed, then grasped his hand and led him towards the bar, "Are you up for a drink?"

Nate nodded and Chris pointed over to the sofa area, "In that case, could you bagsie that sofa for us?" he babbled, then paused before tentatively adding, "And don't take off again please"

Nate sniggered, "I won't" he assured Chris gently, and he really meant it.

xxx

"I'd love to hear all about it. I mean, if you feel comfortable"

As Nate held Chris' gaze, he knew that he could trust him: there was something about the young man that drew Nate towards him. Whether it was his optimism, calm disposition or empathetic nature, Nate wasn't sure, but he did feel comfortable telling him about his past.

"I used to be a soldier" he admitted after a lengthy pause

Chris blinked at him in surprise, "Really?"

Nate nodded, "Yeah, I served in Afghanistan for a while"

"Until Australia had to withdraw, right?" Chris realised quietly, and Nate nodded again, "I remember reading about that last year"

"Yeah, I knew there was a lot of opposition but I honestly loved it there" Nate told him wistfully

Chris was concerned by Nate's melancholy expression, "Really?"

Nate nodded, "To be honest, I was a bit of a dunce in high school-"

Chris snorted, "I highly doubt that"

"Well I got through it, but I'm no Einstein" Nate clarified, "I didn't want to be stuck doing menial jobs like my mates. You know, I wanted to actually do something and make a difference. That's why I enrolled in the army. It gave me a vocation, a life and a purpose that I guess I was lacking before"

Chris was taken aback by Nate's heartfelt confession, but swallowed his feelings.

"So what brought you to Erinsborough?" he asked

"One of the soldiers that I served with died recently, and his funeral was being held nearby" Nate told him

"I'm really sorry" Chris whispered

Nate shook his head, "It's ok" he reassured him, "Unfortunately it's a common thing that I've had to deal with over the years"

Chris nodded in understanding and glanced away uncomfortably.

Nate sensed his uneasiness and sat up, "Sorry if that was too full-on" he apologised

Chris shook his head, "No, it's ok" he assured the worried man, "it's just a lot to get my head around"

There was an awkward silence as both Chris and Nate were inwardly concerned that this situation had already caused problems for their budding romance.

After a few moments Chris cleared his throat, "So what was the issue with Karl and Susan?"

Nate shifted uncomfortably and took out the knife from his backpack, "Susan found this" he told him, passing the knife to Chris, "A friend gave me it after we left the army"

Chris stared at the knife in his hand which had started to tremble. He looked confused, "Why didn't you just tell them the truth then?"

Nate looked away and shrugged, "You've just heard the truth, now you get that it's pretty difficult to tell people you barely know"

Chris shook his head, "You managed to tell me, a virtual stranger" Chris pointed out, inwardly cursing himself at the carelessness of his responses, "Surely you can tell Karl and Susan, they're your family"

Nate considered this, "I'm not sure that I can" he murmured

Chris nodded, "You can" he reassured him, "They're the most understanding people I know, and I'm sure they'll be ok with it"

Nate glanced at him, seeming unconvinced. Chris avoided his eyes and returned the knife to him.

"You should do it sooner rather than later" he told Nate quietly, feeling overwhelmed by the situation and secretly wanting to be left alone for a while.

Nate nodded in understanding - realising that Chris was struggling - and he stood up.

"Yeah, you're right" he murmured, then looked down at him, "Thank you for all of this. Wish me luck"

Chris shook his head, "You don't need luck, you'll be fine" he replied shakily.

Nate smiled gratefully before heading out. Mark and Kyle passed him on their way in and gave him a brief wave, but were surprised by Nate's grim facial expression. Chris sighed and stood up as the other men approached.

"Hey dude" Kyle greeted, "Whoa, you and Nate are wearing the same expression, what happened?"

Chris was conflicted as to whether or not he should tell Kyle and Mark what Nate had confided in him. On the one hand, Nate had told him in confidence and he probably wouldn't appreciate him gossiping. However, Chris knew that he could trust his friends and this was a situation where he needed to discuss the information in order to make sense of it and deal with it properly.

"Are you alright?" Mark asked worriedly

Chris shrugged, "I don't know" he admitted softly, "Nate's just told me something pretty intense and I'm not sure how I feel or what I should do"

Mark and Kyle smiled sympathetically at him and led him over to the bar to buy him a drink and provide whatever support they could offer their friend who was clearly struggling with whatever had happened.

Thanks for reading, and thanks again 'Guest' for the prompt. I was immediately inspired and enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoyed this too. As usual, if anyone has any ideas for Chris related stories then feel free to let me know.