Unexpected - Ellery

He smiled slightly as the banshee agreed with him on the fact that stray souls needed a place to go. It was very clear, from the way he presented himself, that he had been betrayed. Not by default, but by actions. The poor guy seemed so terrified of letting anyone in, that it was better to keep a distance and hope that no one understood the signs of loneliness. It all sounded to painfully familiar to him, that he sighed slightly. ''I'm not so sure about that,'' he then admitted, as Spencer said their brothers were different. ''But one thing I know for sure is that ellery wouldn't dream of harming Kenna. On that accord, our brothers are nothing alike.''.
The subject turned to Kenna, and all of a sudden he understood something terribly frustration; Spencer didn't know that Kenna could feel emotions of another person. Of course, Nathaniel wasn't so sure of how it worked, so maybe he had misunderstood it. None the less, she had sensed the overwhelming feeling of love he felt for her thanks to his brother, confusing all of this mess even more. ''Well, she did actually suspect me of being in love with her fairly recently, so... Maybe she changed a bit?'' Nathaniel suggested, as they walked. ''My parents didn't force me to do wrong... They did nothing wrong, but loving their son and forgetting about the other... It's.. It's been so long that I can't really blame them anymore..'' he said, inhaling a puff of smoke once again. ''I'm sorry about the price you've paid for others infidelity..'' he then said, looking shortly at the banshee.

Now, the silence took over. Only a few moments later, Nathaniel spoke once again, admitting their brotherly connection went deeper than just genetics. Crazy shit was one very fitting way of putting it, making Nathaniel laugh slightly. ''I'm glad,'' he said, when Spencer stated that it took more to freak him out. ''I would like to know what goes on in that pretty head of yours, but... That's none of my business, right?'' he chuckled with a crooked smile. The smile, however, faded into something almost heartbroken, as Spencer admitted what had happened to him. Nathaniel was a caring person in general - and had Spencer been a closer friend, he would have pulled him in for a long and tight embrace. He settled for a hand of the kid's arm, looking at his face while still avoiding eyecontact, as Spencer didn't seem to like that. He smiled slightly. ''Hey... How do you know no one cared, if no one knew? Listen here,'' he said, his voice growing soft for a moment. ''Kenna loves you, and for that, you've got a massive sticker in my book. You're not more of a burden than you are a blessing to her. Without you, who was to say if she even would have gotten away in the first place, huh?'' he said, giving the banshee's arm a little squeeze. He then removed his hand with a warm smile. ''I have the feeling that you came here because of her... Am I right?'' he asked, calmly.

Spencer couldn’t say for sure, of course, but if Kenna was with Ellery, she at least thought he didn’t share many traits with Nate. ”He better not. She doesn’t need more of that,” he said. It was not a threat as such, more a way of telling he wanted Kenna to be save. She deserved to be loved and cherished much more than she had been previously.
”Or maybe she just can’t read you as well. It’s a blessing, believe me.” He couldn’t say he didn’t appreciate everything Kenna had done for him, but she was not very good at respecting when people wanted to keep something private. Spencer wanted so much to be private, it was not easy when she was picking at him, hoping he would open up. ”I for one think that is bad enough.” What kind of person would just forget their child. It was negligent. He shrugged with one shoulder. ”It is what it is.” He couldn’t change it now, he could just promise himself to never go back.

Spencer wanted to let people in, to let someone see all of him, all those little ugly and tragic and sometimes beautiful things he was hiding inside. ”It’s nobodies business. Not yet. Someday I’ll be ready to tell someone everything. I just need somebody I know will understand.” Maybe it was to much to expect, but it was a great way to keep people at a distance. So far it seemed both Kenna, Nathaniel and his friend Grecia could relate to some of the things he had been through, but none of them could to everything. His gaze moved to the hand that was placed on his arm. He shortly moved his gaze to establish an eye contact with Nathaniel, before breaking it by looking forward again. ”It is much easier to believe the negative than the positive for me.” He took in a sharp breath between his bitten down teeth. ”Maybe not,” he said rubbing his eyes. ”Yes you are. There was nothing left for me there. I’m sure I would’ve died if I stayed there.” He swallowed by the thought. Shortly after, he cleared his throat. ”Anyway… Anymore things I need to know before moving in?” He was trying to change the topic. It was hitting too close at home now. He wasn’t prepared to deal with the emotions.

Nathaniel chuckled slightly at the banshee, as he stated that Kenna needed no more of that behavior. ‘’Trust me, she has Ellery around her pinky. He would do anything for her…’’ He said, and for a moment he was taken back to the time he had forbidden Nathaniel from even talking to her since she didn’t need any more pricks in her life. He sighed by the memory. ‘’And the she-wolf reads me far too well. Let’s leave it at that,’’ he said as they walked. He knew that some day the truth would be out - all of them. both the paternity of the child, Kenna’s powers and his true feelings towards the she-wolf. For now, he needed to keep those things to himself. It was a pain.
‘’I won’t snoop, I promise. As long as you don’t intrude on my privacy, I won’t intrude on yours.’’ He promised with a little smile, knowing that it was harder done than said to keep to oneself. He breathed in another puff of smoke, closing his eyes for a moment. ‘’Negativity is certain - positivity a fools hunt for fortune.’’ He said, slightly melancholic. It felt like Spencer did share his melancholy a bit, even though he was so young. It was sad to see someone this early in their life lose any sense of joy in just being alive.
Things hit too close to comfort. He could sense it the moment the banshee rubbed his eyes. The miniscule amount of eye contact assured Nathaniel that the banshee did seek some sort of intimacy - just not physical. He didn’t swing that way, Nathaniel reminded himself, as he smiled gently to the banshee. The question sought to lead them away from all these feelings, which made Nathaniel shake his head. ‘’I don’t think so,’’ he said, with a crooked smile. ‘’Just ask when in doubt,’’ he said. He continued their walk, only to have the beach house appear a few hundred feet from them after a short moment.
‘’Home, sweet home!’’ he said with a crooked smile, breathing the slightly salty air deep down in his lungs. ‘’It’s not much, but it’s mine,’’ he chuckled, as he walked closer to the house. His skin started showing its lilac hue as soon as he came near to the water. He really needed to go for a swim soon. ‘’So.. Spencer, what do you like to do besides getting high?’’ he asked, quite calmly, but with a slight undertone of teasing.

Spencer chuckled by Nathaniel’s description of Kenna’s new relationship. ”She always had that ability. She doesn’t even have to try,” he stated, knowing he too was wrapped around her little finger. ”She hasn’t lost her touch then,” he said, leaving the topic as he wished. He didn’t mind speaking of Kenna. She had been a rock for him for so long, he had no idea how he stayed alive before she came into his life. From another perspective, it might seem like he harbored some feelings for him, but he of course knew he didn’t. He couldn’t. She was not his type.
”Deal,” he said with a slight smile as well. He breath in the last he could from the smoke. ”You’re telling me,” he said with a smoky voice from the smoke in his lungs. He blew out the smoke. He was not a very positive person. He just had trouble seeing how he would end up anything more than he was. It was highly likely he would end up dead in a ditch someday. He was okay with it, Kenna, not so much. She wanted to help him. Spencer would let her, if his addiction was just that. It was the only thing keeping him sane.

Spencer would never admit he needed anything. He had become used to be the only one he could count on. Before he met Kenna when he was 14, nobody had given him reason to trust them, to count on them. He had been alone so long he didn’t know how to be with people. ”I will,” he agreed. They continued walking, and he ended up standing in front of a house. He wasn’t sure what he had expected. He liked the setting. Had he not been born a banshee he would definitely be a siren. He absolutely loved the water. Spencer didn’t have high standards when it came to places to live. As long he had a bed and roof over his head, he would manage. ”Compared to what I’m used to, this is a palace.” He watched the house with a smile. He had already thanked Nathaniel for letting him stay, but he had expected him to take it back, that he would find a reason to not have him stay. Now it was all so real. ”Not much actually. I usually just watch tv or read or whatever entertainment I can get my hands on. I’m not that picky. I do like to swim. Or I used to.” He hadn’t been for a swim in a while. It wasn’t easy when you lived far from the nearest beach and a lake just wasn’t the same. ”You?”

He wondered once in a while if the banshee even thought about the fact that he was about to go live with a complete stranger? It seemed rather fast, all of it, and yet so easy. Ellery had done it with Kenna, and they worked out alright. Why shouldn’t Nathaniel be able to do the same with Spencer? - or, maybe not the part with the whole romance-thing. Spencer didn’t swing that way. Besides, Nathaniel was seeing Tidus. It wouldn’t be alright to go have a fling with someone else! ‘’No… No, she hasn’t,’’ he said, with a calm smile, even though his thoughts were miles away. She had definitely not lost her touch when it came to men. Nope.
‘’I am several centuries old… I’m telling you, positivity can be a blessing, but it is more often than not a hunt for fool’s gold.’’ He said, breathing in slowly. He felt them nearing their now shared home, making it itch in him to jump in the cold waters.
‘’Good,’’ he said, as Spencer agreed to ask when he was in doubt. No stupid questions, ‘cause they didn’t exist in Nathaniel’s mind. ‘’I’m glad I didn’t show you the estate first then!’’ he chuckled, as Spencer compared the beach house to a palace. He smiled a warm smile, as he knew that to some, a home was a godsend. ‘’Well, Spencer,’’ he said, turning to the banshee for a moment. ‘’I can offer movies, books, music, workouts and a lot of swimming. Just… Don’t get too upset when I’m a better swimmer than you!’’ he chuckled teasingly, before he went up the stairs that lead them to the front door. He opened the door quite easily but turned around for a moment. In the horizon, two women could be seen - both rather agitated. He waved to them for a moment, before they disappeared, only to not be seen again. ‘’My brother had to send out sentinels to warn us if unwanted company decided to arrive,’’ he explained. He didn’t care much for saying that they only kept an eye out for American men, as they had been ordered to keep an eye out for Nate. ‘’Oh, and I swim. A lot. I do sing and sketch too, but not as often as I once did.’’ He admitted, as he entered the house, leaving the door open so that Spencer could enter.

Spencer was used to sharing living quarters. It was rarer to him having his own room than having to share with someone. He didn’t think much about it. The only thing that might throw him off a little was the fact that Kenna knew Nathaniel. And of course, that Nathaniel looked the way he did. Spencer was trying to tell himself he didn’t feel attraction to him. It was a fight he was losing.
”I agree,” he simply said, not wanting to bring the mood down with his pessimistic ways. They had already have a round of sharing their dark secrets and thoughts, that was enough darkness for now. ”Probably would have had a heart attack,” he expressed, chuckling at the thought. ”Sounds good,” he said but shook his head at the last part. ”No way dude. I could have been a school swimming champ at my high school. If my drug test had been negative.” He had been one of the fastest swimmers at the school, but because he wasn’t interested in dropping the drugs, he couldn’t be on the team. Spencer looked towards the women in the distance. They were acting strange, and that was saying something coming from him. ”Your brother is very protective, huh?” He walked up to the door, sticking his head in through the door, having a quick look around. ”We should do karaoke at some point.” He put a hand into his pocket. ”I should get rid of this before coming in,” he said referring to the drugs. He didn’t know what to do. He could either try to sell it again, hide it somewhere or do it now. None of the options were very safe. ”Know anyone that might want to buy it?” He was grasping at straws, hoping Nathaniel could help him.

It was random, inviting stray souls to live with him. Although, he would have wished someone did the same for him when he was going through some rough patches in his life. No one ever spared him a thought, back when he was mortal… He didn’t miss it one bit, to be honest.
‘’Oh, a heart attack? Well, I guess that would have been a proper reaction, if you expected any less. Maybe I’ll show it to ya’ one day,’’ he said, smiling slightly at the banshee, before chuckled warmly at the swimming-champ-remark. ‘’Well, Spencer, the thing is… I’m sure you’ve lost your touch!’’ he said, teasingly at the fellow, as he seemed rather certain that he could beat Nathaniel in swimming. ‘’But I guess we might have to settle that sometime,’’ he said.
‘’I’ll explain the reason for the security when we get inside,’’ he said with a warm smile, although Spencer might already have guessed it by that point.
As Spencer popped his head inside, Nathaniel chuckled to himself. Then the karaoke-remark appeared, making Nathaniel look down a bit. ‘’I… I don’t sing.’’ He then said, before biting the inside of his cheek slightly. ‘’It’s complicated,’’ he just said, closing the subject off for now. The drugs… Of course, he had forgotten about those! ‘’I’ll strike you a deal, okay? But don’t tell the she-wolf, or she’ll have me locked up for good!’’ he said, smiling ironically at the banshee. ‘’Keep ‘em. I know how terrible it is not to be able to get a fix in the comfort of your own home. All those nights, fearing for being attacked or worse..’’ He said, nodding at the entrance to the house. ‘’But, if possible, could you keep it to when I’m around? I don’t mind you being high, if that’s your way of coping with whatever you have to face. I just don’t want to come home, finding you dead…’’ he said. It was a soft spot for him, mainly because he had once found his best friend after an OD… He still had night terrors about it.
He then entered the house, waiting for Spencer to follow. As soon as they both had gotten inside, he closed the door - although, he didn’t lock it. He didn’t want Spencer to feel trapped. He then proceeded to explain the reason for the sentinels. ‘’Nate assaulted Kenna, just about when she was asked to stay here. Ellery and I agreed to maintain some sort of security-system while she lived here, to ensure that she at least could sleep at night without fearing for her own safety.’’ He said, shrugging on his shoulders. Yes, they were protective - both of them. when they cared for someone, they did it fully. No one should ever try to harm someone under the protection of the Circle. Nathaniel moved into the living-room, where he walked over to the open kitchen that joined the rest of the living space. He opened the fridge, picking out two beers. ‘’Want one?’’ he asked, before opening the can and placing it in front of the banshee, on the kitchen counter.

”Are you trying to kill me?” Spencer chuckled. He wouldn’t mind seeing the estate, but it was likely he would be in awe over it - a heart attack was maybe a slight exaggeration. ”Hell nah,” he said, grinning. He was not sure if he could out-swim Nathaniel. It looked like he had quite the swimmer body. ”We have to,” he said. Spencer nodded when Nathaniel wanted to explain inside. He already had a pretty good idea why, but maybe he was wrong. If Ellery really was wrapped around Kenna’s finger, he would do anything to protect her. It had been the same with Nate, he was just to screwed up to protect her from himself. He did however protect her from everyone else.

”Then I’ll sing and you sit and cringe over how bad it sounds,” he suggested. ”You don’t have to explain.” he said with a nod to emphasize his words. He was surprised when Nathaniel said he could keep the drugs. ”Former addict?” He asked. He didn’t mean to cross a line. If Nathaniel didn’t want to speak of it, he wouldn’t push him. ”Yeah, sure. It’s probably best.” He had sometimes thought what could have happened if he had been alone when taking drugs, if he OD’ed and nobody was around to help him. ”But I want to know you’re sure. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable in your own home.” He was just a visitor, he was fine with following some rules.

Spencer followed him into the house. He looked around, taking everything in. His gaze returned to Nathaniel when he explained. ”I’m sure she appreciates it. But if I know her right, she is still scared every night. He ruined her.” Spencer should have done something, he wish he had done something. He wished he had gotten her out of that situation before it went as far as it did. Nathaniel went to the kitchen to get something. ”Would be great,” he said with a slight smile, grabbing the can. He took a sip, putting it bad on the counter. ”This place has a long history, doesn’t it?” If even the drugs kept the spirits at bay, he could still feel them, not the individually one, but he could feel if many spirits were gathered in one place. Their energy was not something he would notice from a single ghost, but from many it was to intense for him to not sense.

Nathaniel shrugged a bit as Spencer chuckled while asking if he tried to kill him. ‘’Obviously not, or you would have been deaf by now.’’ He said, smiling calmly at him. This close to the water, Nathaniel had a clear advantage. ‘’I’m sure it doesn’t sound too bad,’’ he then said, winking at the banshee. Wait - did he flirt with the poor guy? He needed to rethink how he appeared… Not all found it pleasant to be hit on like this, after all. Even if there was no immediate attraction between them. ‘’Thanks, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later,’’ he said, with a calm smile on his lips.
The subject turned to Spencer’s use of drugs. As Nathaniel had accepted to let the banshee do his thing in the house - as long as Nathaniel could be there to ensure no overdose was done - Spencer seemed to have caught on to the reason why Nathaniel was strict. He sighed slightly. ‘’Yeah… Whatever I could get my hands on at the time… My way of coping with being locked up in someone’s body,’’ he admitted. ‘’Kenna knows, but only because I wanted her to understand the main reason I was offering you a place to stay. One person less to find dead in a ditch - especially when that person means something to someone I care about.’’ He then said. They then entered the house, leaving the waters behind them for a while.
The subject then returned to Kenna. He nodded as Spencer confirmed Nathaniel’s suspicion. ‘’I’m not asking for her not to fear Nate. I just hope that she one day grows confident enough to face him without backing down. Alpha-to-be or not… The waters here are traitorous for those stupid enough to displease the creatures below the surface,’’ he said. He looked at Spencer for a moment, before taking a sip of his own beer. ‘’I guess the ghosts of our past follows us,’’ he said, as Spencer guessed on a long history. ‘’The house itself is not much more than a year or two old… Most of the wood are from sunken ships, though. I tried to stay as close to the waters as possible, for when I want to just escape for a while.’’ He said, taking his beer with him as he moved over to the couch. The cups of leftover coffee still stood of the coffee table from when Kenna had taken her tests and panicked earlier that day.
‘’So, Spencer from the States,’’ he said, nodding at the couch opposite of him - not forcing the banshee to share his personal space with Nathaniel. ‘’I think some transparency would suit me-‘’ he said, smiling slightly. ‘’After all, I know who you are.’’.
‘’My name is Nathaniel D’Combe. I was born in 1150 in Combe, France, together with my baby brother Ellery. As I explained on our way here, my brother was the golden child, and I was trash. I was the one getting punished whenever something happened, while my brother could do nothing wrong. When my father passed away, he left everything to my brother. I was shunned from the family, basically. My mother couldn’t deal with my father’s passing, and moved back to England, leaving my brother and I in France.’’ He said, before he took another sip of his beer.
‘’My brother fell in love. I harbored so much hatred for the man, that I betrayed him and his love, and although I didn’t force his hand, I made him kill her. Her mother was a crone, and soon after, both me and Ellery were cursed to share the same bloody body in all of eternity. One can’t live without the other, and one can’t die without the other,’’ he said, sighing before he pulled out his cigarettes and lit up one rather quickly.
‘’If disease didn’t kill off our friends and loved ones, old age did,’’ he said, looking shortly at the banshee. ‘’I can’t count how many loved ones I’ve send to the grave, only to wish that I could join them.’’. It all seemed morbid, really. He longed for death, and yet… The one time he had been offered it, he had decided to claw on to dear life. ‘’I started using substances to dull everything. Alcohol, drugs… Pain. I wanted to feel something, but… I didn’t want to face a world I wasn’t a part of, ya’ know? I didn’t belong. I was born a mortal - I should have been dead centuries ago…’’ he sighed, taking another sip of his beer before inhaling another puff of smoke. He sounded so terribly somber - only because he needed someone to share this with. If Spencer ever wanted to betray Nathaniel’s trust and be a snitch, Nathaniel would just have to accept that trusting others wasn’t a safe bet at all.

”Damn. Should I fear for my safety?” He chuckled, as he wasn’t scared. If he was supposed to fear Nathaniel, Kenna never would have let him stay with him. He cleared his throat, feeling mildly uncomfortable that Nathaniel was flirting. Not because he was into men, but because Spencer was afraid of showing he was as well. ”Sometimes it is better to wait for the later,” he said.
”So how do cope now?” He was curious if maybe it was something he could use. It was not the same exact reason they had for abusing drugs, but both were to cope with something out of their control. ”It is probably better too. She would just worry excessively if she didn’t know I had a safe place.”
He knew Kenna would someday come out on top. Nate was not going to be the death of her - it might be the other way around to be honest. Especially now she was pregnant. It was bound to make her fiercer and more protective. ”Nate might be an asshole, but he’s not dumb. He would never go in on somebody else’s territory. Not without knowing he could come out alive, at least.” Spencer had to strangle a laugh by his choice of words. He for one was followed by ghosts. ”Yeah, I get that. The water can be both freeing or damaging. It’s in my opinion the strongest force of nature.”  Spencer looked after Nathaniel, wondering if he should go with him. He ended up doing so, sitting with a respectable distance between them.

Spencer sat silently and listened, occasionally looked over at Nathaniel. He was not going to intervene until he was done. He had a long history as well, it would seem.
”I can relate to most of that. I have never lost anyone like that, but death still hits home with me.” He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he could see all the ghosts in the place. It was probably not all the people Nathaniel had lost, but everyone that had some unfished business, something they needed to say or do before finding peace. ”I have never told anyone this but I…” He sighed, not sure if he should actually tell him. ”I don’t use drugs because I want to escape my past or relive myself of the trauma. I do it because if I don’t I will constantly be surrounded the dead. I can see and communicate with ghosts. The drugs allows me to block them out.” He took a look around again. ”Somebody might want to talk with you,” he explained. He narrowed his eyes when a spirit came closer to him. He was still not comfortable with them. They had known to haunt him rather than the opposite. The spirit put a hand on his shoulder. ”What are you doing?” Spencer sounded scared. Of course Nathaniel wouldn’t be able to see anything other than Spencer talking to someone invisible to him.

Spencer put a hand on his chest, his breathing growing unstable. He was in pain, feeling like someone had grabbed hold of his heart and was squeezing it tight. ”No, don’t,” he begged. All color disappeared from his face. He was having a stare down with the ghost. He was losing. Spencer fell back in the couch, laying all to still. He was pale, but not only his skin, his eyes too. They were blank, like all life had been taken out from them. In a way it had been. Spencer had been pushed back so far into his own mind he could make place for the spirit. His heart had stopped beating. It would stay like that until he retook his own body. Nothing happened. The spirit was trying to figure out how to be in a live body again. Spencer was dead. For now.

//out