The Navigator

10. Old Tricks

Author's Note: TRIGGER WARNING!!! Minor harassment

Song Credit: Something I Can Never Have, Nine Inch Nails

Disclaimer: This Chapter contains some mature language and sexual themes. This story is rated mature so discretion is advised.

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Jax made his way along the back side of the festival, he had tried to just stay at Dade's place, knowing where Addy would be and trying to respect her 'after the festival' boundary. Dade had asked him for a favor though and try as he might he owed too much to the man to turn him down. The warehouse where he was needed to do a manifest check was on the other side of town right on pier 3 and a minefield in the shape of a carnival now stood between him and his target.

So he was skirting the edge, trying to keep his head down, not knowing for sure what he would do if he caught sight of the three of them, Addy, Gemma and Darren (ugh) casually enjoying their day together. His family, that through his own choices he couldn't ever be truly part of. He had no doubt he and Addy could carve out a place for him, but the opportunity to be lover and father had passed. He would just have to live with that.

A call from Billy blinked onto his HUD and he opened it in the corner of his vision so he could still see where he was going.

"Billy, I'm already doing your boyfriend a favor, what could you possibly need?" He asked, a little impatiently, he was in a weird mood that flowed from proud papa to self loathing moment to moment.

Billy didn't answer and seemed...he paused briefly, changing the image to full screen, and confirmed that his awkward friend was surrounded by people. He was out enjoying the Festival Jax himself was trying so hard to avoid. He blinked in surprise and annoyance before minimizing the screen again so he could keep heading to his destination, no time to run a debugging program on his friend.

"Did you know it was customary for people to wander around wearing nothing but paint at this godforsaken aggregation?"Billy asked, finally speaking.

He was hunched, and from what Jax could gather in a glance, weaving his way to freedom.

"Aw, you found your way to the artist block did you?"

Jax chuckled remembering the first time he had wandered into the temporary tent city, where it was possible to pay for the privilege of becoming the canvas for body art. It was pretty popular, and by the afternoon when the paint began to fleck the practice made for quite the scene.

"Yeah, it was awful. An elephant hit on me."

Jax thought for a moment? An elephant huh? How would that be done? Realization had him sniggering at his friend's misery.

"How long was his 'trunk'?"

"That is hardly the point!"

A full laugh rolled off of Jax, imagining bumbling Billy trying to escape the advances of a man with enough pride in his endowment to pay someone to turn him into a giant pachyderm.

"Stop it! It was terrible! What will Dade say?"

"I imagine he will say the gentleman has excellent taste, now calm down or did you only call me to confess your lustful sins?"

Billy pulled into a relatively quiet corner and stopped walking for a moment.

"No, I wanted to show you something. I...well...I'll just show you."

Jax wondered briefly what else had Billy so worked up. Outside of direct sexual aggression from a naked man and people in general he was pretty cool headed. Even when he was not in the ideal situation he performed his tasks admirably. It was interesting how a person could almost choose when to let their weaknesses get the better of them and when to push them down and conquer a presented challenge.