AB drabble

[mhalachai]

A Nathaniel drabble I posted to abvh100 this morning blah boring Saturday.

Title: Old Habits
Characters: Nathaniel, Richard
Challenge: #68 -- Nathaniel
Note: Set right after Narcissus in Chains
Word Count: 200

~~~

Nathaniel hadn't survived so long by pissing off alpha lycanthropes. With Gabriel and Raina, Nathaniel knew his place. Do as you're told. Don't scream until I say.

But they were dead now. Anita killed them and saved Nathaniel and took him home and hadn't made him leave.

He fed the ardeur for her, but they weren't having sex. Not yet, Nathaniel reminded himself. One day, he'd figure out how to give her what she needed, and they'd have their happy ever after.

One thing Anita wanted was for him to be more assertive, and he tried. Like yesterday. Richard had looked at Nathaniel with such loathing. The Ulfric thought Nathaniel was in Anita's life and her bed, and that he had her body as well.

The old Nathaniel would have told Richard the truth: that Anita hadn't taken him like that, not yet. The old Nathaniel would have tried everything to keep safe from those stronger than himself.

But then, the old Nathaniel never had Anita smile trustingly at him in the morning. No one had ever depended on the old Nathaniel for anything, let alone companionship.

Nathaniel let Richard believe what he wanted. The Ulfric couldn't hurt him now.

-fin

Comments

[goldenrat84.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I never thought that maybe Nathaniel deliberately avoided telling Richard he had the wrong idea. I always figured that he just didn't talk to Richard irregardless, but thinking about it Nathaniel's more than smart enough to realize that you can't avoid that kind of raging jealously.
I kind of rambled, does this even make sense?
You write the best Nathaniel character studies.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Well, on the one hand, if Nathaniel avoided telling Richard, it did avoid that confrontation. But on the other... Nathaniel did have most of what Richard wanted -- Anita in his life and his bed, and if they weren't having sex... well, he could get Anita over that.

There has to be something in that, in knowing that not only do you have the girl, but the girl chooses to be with you over him. Nathaniel is only human, after all.

[thekams.livejournal.com]

Love, so much love. Oh, the Nathaniel-y goodness. I swear, you must be in these chars mind's. ♥

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Some days I feel as if I'm in their heads. Other days, it's like they're in mine.

(oh man, I need a new hobby :P)

[shadow-in-eden.livejournal.com]

Yay! Nathaniel's growing. *huggles* I liked thing. *grin*

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Yes, Nathaniel's growing... not into the person Anita wanted, but into himself, which is even better :)

[page-r.livejournal.com]

mwahahahahaha!

Take THAT, Richard, you big JERK!

(*cackles with glee and runs away*)

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, that was sort of the point :D I don't think it's any secret that Nathaniel does *not* like Richard.

[ranlynn.livejournal.com]

Go Nathaniel!

Ya know, despite Laurelle's seeming obesession with Anite bedding almost every male she meets one of the things I like about her newer books is that Nathaniel character keeps 'growing'.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

I am a huge Nathaniel fan as well :) He's facinating to write, as getting into his head is very hard. Seen through Anita's eyes, he's quite a conundrum, but then we know Anita doesn't always see what's in front of her.

[tanpopomofo.livejournal.com]

I heart Nathaniel!! He is so much deeper than when we first met him!!

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

He's more stable now, having Anita as his safe place. That lets us see him more fully, which is really cool, imo.

[quicksilvereyes.livejournal.com]

Yeah Nate! Richard was way too pigheaded and it serves him right if he wants to make those assumptions.

[mhalachaiswords.livejournal.com]

Well yeah ;) Then again, you almost need to feel sorry for Richard, as he totally lost all that he ever seemed to want in life to someone like Nathaniel (I'm sure losing to Jean-Claude, an equal, would be hard enough, but to Nathaniel who is not in any way an alpha? Ouch)

[ansku]

Great drabble :)

[(Anonymous)]

*nods*

*Wonders what exactly I meant by ' I liked thing'*

*Shrug* Mustn't have been important.

Unless I meant 'I liked this thing.' Which I might have meant.

*le sigh* Anyway, Go Team Nathaniel! Its a shame Richard got all retarded, though. I use to like him.

[shadow-in-eden.livejournal.com]

*poins up* Was me. Weird, I logged on... o.O