Playing For The Other Team [REMAKE]

Chapter 8

It isn't Nathan's day, that much is clear.

Going back home to an empty house isn't the most appealing idea, and going to any of his usual places isn't very tempting at all.

He's gotten a nasty headache, and the lack of dinner has made him hungry. The idea of stopping somewhere to eat crosses his mind, and getting something to go doesn't sound too bad.

It feels like a stroke of luck - or maybe even more than luck - when he steps into his favorite coffee shop to grab something before they close and spots a familiar face in the corner near the window. Jonathan sits leaned over a book.

"What can I get you?" The barista asks, and Nahan turns and blinks at her. She arches an eyebrow and waits not-so-patiently for him to reply.

Nathan orders something to eat and drink, glancing at the clock and noting that there's still time before the shop closes. "Can I sit here?" he asks, and he pays.

"Sure," the barista says. "I'll have your order at the end of the bar in just a minute."

It's closer to five minutes, and Nathan stands with his back turned against Jonathan's table. He wonders if he should head over and ask for a seat, but from the way things have been going all day, he doesn't want to risk it. Once he's gotten his almost-stale bagel and his cup of coffee, he makes his way over to a table on the other side of the shop.

The coffee is too hot, so he quietly eats his food. The view out the window isn't great, leading out to face a clothing shop that's closed for the day. But the quiet music that plays and the murmur from the few other café guests is comforting, and exactly what Nathan needs to wind down.

He sifts through a week-old magazine, looking at the pictures and reading the ridiculous headlines - who wore what where? He closes it and tosses it aside on the table with a sigh.

"You shouldn't read stuff like that. Bad for your brain and your confidence."

Nathan looks up to see Jonathan standing by the table. "Hey," Nathan says, forcing a smile and trying to straighten up. "Hi, Jonathan."

"Don't act like you didn't see me sitting over there," Jonathan says, jutting his thumb towards the table he'd sat by. "And before you ask, yes, I saw you when you walked in. Hi, by the way."

The conversation is backward and silly, but it does make it easier to offer a real smile rather than a forced one. "You looked busy, and I didn't want to disturb," Nathan explains. He reaches for his cup of coffee only to find that there's nothing but sludge at the bottom of the cup.

"You need a refill?" Jonathan asks.

"It's getting late for coffee," Nathan says, downing the last sip with a grimace.

Jonathan wrinkles his nose. "Ew, okay," he says. He pauses and watches Nathan for a moment. He hesitates before he sits down at the empty seat next to Nathan. "Hey, um... I wanted to apologize for... you know. Before. I overreacted."

"Yes," Nathan agrees, pushing the cup and his empty plate further away.

"I'm not very good with compliments."

"Oh, I noticed," Nathan says.

They sit in companionable silence for a bit. "How's that book you got?" Jonathan asks suddenly. "I didn't get to see which one you picked."

"Some fantasy thing. I've gotten through a few chapters. Haven't seen the movie though... or maybe it was a series, I can't remember." Nathan struggles to remember, and he quiets down when he doesn't have anything interesting to say about the book. "Sorry. I'm just having a really bad day."