Beau - Chapter Four
#8 of Beau
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
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The day rolled by and I remained dead to the world until around mid-afternoon. I spilled out of bed, slipped on some pyjama bottoms and staggered upstairs, still half-conscious. I stepped into the kitchen and found the one tiger I would have rather avoided. Nathaniel was sat at the dining table, he was broad-shouldered, an all round athlete in his hay-day, and even when he became a high-flying lawyer that athletic build never slackened, never dulled. Dark brown eyes looked up from where he was slumped at the table. An awkward, almost pained smile graced his face. He was dressed in the remnants of his suit. The jacket was missing. His tie loose around his throat, his shirt loose at his waist and unbuttoned, beer stains graced the stomach and chest. I could smell the booze on him from across the kitchen.
"So you made it back here alright then?" he asked, in a deep voice, full of a hangover.
"Yeah. Made it back yesterday afternoon."
"Sorry I wasn't here. I was...busy with work."
"Funny. Lian and Nathan seemed to think you were drunk in some bar?" I crossed the kitchen and opened the refridgerator door.
Nathaniel took a deep breath and sighed. "Y-Yeah, I suppose so."
I scanned the produce in the refridgerator and called over my shoulder, "Where are mom and Lian at?"
"Lian and Dakota went to go visit a friend of theirs, and your mom's doing her best to avoid me."
"Avoid you? Now why would she want to do a thing like that?" I sniped as I stood and opened a bottle of milk. I walked to the counter, took a glass from the cupboard overhead and poured myself some.
"In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not what I used to be...Beau."
I turned and looked across the room at him.
He looked back at me, his eyes saddened and pathetic. "What?" he roughly asked.
"Lian has this idea that you and mom are arguing nowadays?" I asked, "Is that true?"
"Lian should know to keep his nose out of his parents business!" Nathaniel growled.
"So its true then? You have been arguing?"
He leaned back in his seat and said, "Like I said, none of your business."
I smiled and replied, "But it is my business, because Lian believes I'm one of the reasons you two are falling apart!"
He grinned, an unpleasant baring of teeth. "You think your that important!"
"You and I both know you don't like me, because of what I am. And mom's always accepted it. Its bound to make you confront one another," I replied as I leaned against the kitchen counter.
"You chose to be a freak, not me, and not your mother. So yeah, if you want the truth, yeah, I do blame you!" Nathaniel growled.
A deep laugh escaped my throat as I looked across at the male I'd once called dad. "Nathaniel, your pathetic!" I grinned.
He stood in a swell of importance, chest stuck out and his hands flexed into fists. "I am your Father, not a friend!" he snarled.
"Funny word that one, "Father"? You have to act like one to be called it, Nathaniel. And you've done everything a father shouldn't!" I snapped back.
"I knew coming back here was a bad idea!"
"Your more than welcome to leave again," I replied.
"I was talking about you! This place has been awkward, but I've been able to live in my own house. Now your back I can't even do that!"
"Where do you expect me to go, Nathaniel!" I demanded.
"Anywhere but here!"
"Your a fucking joke!"
"And your a disgusting freak of nature!" Nathaniel snarled back as he slammed his hands down on the dining room table.
"Enough!" a third voice growled from across the kitchen. I looked and found mom and Nathan standing there. Nathan looked pale, and a little nervous about the whole situation. Mom was focused on Nathaniel.
"Minerva.."
"No. No, I've had enough of this ridiculous hatred you have toward your own son!" she scowled back.
"I can't accept it, Minerva, its fucking sick!"
"No one is asking you to accept, Nathaniel. Just keep your foul opinions to yourself!" she snapped.
"And how am I supposed to live under the same roof as him?"
"You don't."
"M-Mom?" Nathan and I stammered.
She stared across at Nathaniel and nodded. "I want you out of this house by the end of the week!" she sneered.
"M-Minerva, you don't mean that?" Nathaniel stammered, tears burned in his eyes.
"I love you, Nathaniel. I always will. But your behaving like a bigot and a monster toward your own son!" she snarled.
Nathaniel looked gobsmacked, but then rounded on me, hatred burned in those eyes. "You did this!" he growled.
Mom stepped up and glared across at Nathaniel. "Enough. Leave. I'll pack your things and have them sent to you."
He glared back and then the tension in his shoulders eased as he padded out without another word. He glanced at me, a look of loathing burned so deep and intense that I almost flinched. Almost.
Mom sighed and followed Nathaniel out. I heard the front door slam shut behind him.
"How did that come about?" Nathan asked, looking down at me with a confused expression.
"It was a matter of time, nothing more."
"He's really not comfortable around you is he?" he asked as he padded across the kitchen and sat at the dining table.
Nathan stood at six foot, he was slender, sleak but still broad enough through the shoulder to be recognised as a powerful male in the eyes of Nathaniel, the male he'd been named after. He had the same dark brown eyes that his father had. His fur colour the same as the rest of the family. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled back passed the elbows, he wore black trousers and walked barefoot. I took my milk and sat down at the table as mom walked back into the kitchen. She never spoke and simply busied herself around the kitchen, wiping down the counters and doing the dishes in a quiet anger. It was best to leave her to it.
"I heard there was some trouble down on campus the day you left?" Nathan asked with a pleasant change of conversation.
"What do you mean?"
"Those murders. Six students from what the news said."
"Yeah, I know. None of us even knew there had been a murder committed."
"From what I heard a blade was used, a kitchen knife," he replied.
"Kitchen knife?" I replied. I'd dreamed about using a kitchen knife last night.
"More details have been released. He broke in through the back and took a knife from the kitchen, the first one he killed by crushing her throat, and then everyone else was stabbed and butchered."
"Your awful calm about those minor details?" a deep voice said from the kitchen door. Lian padded in and grinned as he walked.
"I work for a law firm, things like these are brought up daily. Tends to make you less nauseous around gruseome details." Nathan smiled as he spoke.
"No sign of dad?" Lian asked.
"Ah, about that," Nathan said.
"What? What happened?" Lian demanded, he looked at me and asked, "What did he say?"
I shrugged and mom called, "Your father won't be living with us from now on."
Lian looked gobsmacked and looked at me with a curious expression. "He said some things that mom didn't like," I explained.
"Well, I can't say he'll be missed." Lian slumped into his seat at the table.
"Where's Dakota?" Nathan changed the topic of conversation again.
"She met a girlfriend in town and they wanna catch up over coffee. I know when a man's perspective isn't needed," he smirked.
"Too much girl talk?" I grinned.
"Too much girl talk." He smirked as he agreed with me. He added, "So what you doing later tonight?"
"Nothing. Why?"
"You wanna come out with me and Dakota. We're going to see a band play."
"What's the band?" I asked.
"Whiplash! Awesome indie rock tunes, and the lead vocalist has a great voice. You'll love it." Lian stood up and looked over at mom before looking worried.
"She'll be fine. It had to be done," Nathan assured his brother.
Lian nodded and then looked down to me and asked, "You up for it?"
I nodded and said, "Sounds fun."
"You might even like the lead vocalist. He's gay apparently," Lian grinned as he padded out of the kitchen.
"Nice one," I chuckled as I looked across at Nathan. I asked, "Are you coming?"
"Nah, I've got late nights booked at the firm all week. Its gonna be a rough week. Triple murder charge and a rape claim too. Not like dad's going to be much help either," Nathan explained.
"Fair enough," I replied.
I felt bad for Nathan. He had to work with Nathaniel. Surely the fact dad had been kicked out, would effect his work further. It was bound to be landed on Nathan's shoulders, but its like he'd said, it had to be done. I didn't want my parents to break up and argue, but I didn't feel I had to face a constant wall of hatred just because of who I slept with. In all honesty, dad was the last thing on my mind as I headed downstairs to shower and get dressed. Those murders. I'd not heard details until this morning, so why had I dreamt about them spot on? It was eerie and downright wierd. I shook the feelings from me and concentrated on tonight. Whiplash's lead singer was gay like me. That alone made tonight well worth the possible hangover.