the broken butterfly

chapter 14

Nathaniel's POV

They ate a little early for his routine, around 6.30 PM. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, had Joris's parents not continually been talking about and apologising for the meal being so late.

They finished at 7 PM, and left quickly afterwards, going by bike to the Sint-Stevenskerk. Parking the bikes underneath square '44 they arrived at 7.20, and waited a few minutes before Marc and Rutger arrived.

'So, what do you want to see?' Asked Joris.

'I don't know, you two know the city.' Said Nathaniel.

'I think they'll like the Waalkade.' Said Rutger.

'Then let's go there.' Said Nathaniel. 'Lead ahead.' Rutger and Joris went on ahead, and Marc and Nathaniel followed them. Looking at the city around them. The church was impressive, its tower much higher than what stood around it. At the river's embankment, they walked across the nearly empty streets. Having arrived at the Waalkade, they strolled over it, all the way to the Valkhof. Where Marc proposed to walk in there. They acquiesced and entered into the park. It was lit only by the lanterns that were sporadically placed throughout the park.

At the waterfront, next to the Sint Nikolaaskapel, were a few benches, where they sat in their respective duos. Nathaniel looked out at the river flowing, as it always did. It eased him, relaxed him. He squeezed Marc's upper arm a little, trying to get a reaction out of him.

'Nath, you know you could just talk.' Mumbled Marc, his head resting on Nath's shoulder.

'But striking up conversation out of nowhere is a little bit awkward.' Replied he softly, looking at the bench where Rutger and Joris were sat. 'They seem to like each other's presence, don't you think?'

'If Marinette saw them so, she'd probably make a plot to get them into a relationship.' Said Marc fondly.

'Probably, yeah.' Spoke Nathaniel with a smile. 'They are cute, though.'

'Don't tell me you're going to make it a quest.' Said Marc sitting up straight. 'What if they're just friends?'

'Oh come on, look at them.' Said Nathaniel a little too loudly, because the people in question heard, and Rutger even blushed.

'Not so loud, Nath, dear. They're going to hear what mad schemes you're preparing.' Said Marc circling Nathaniel's chest with his finger.

'My schemes aren't mad, I don't even have a scheme yet!'

'By first light tomorrow you'll have a scheme, I'm willing to bet on it.'

'I see I can't convince you otherwise. What are your plans for tomorrow?' Said Nathaniel to change subject, and thus they talked for a little while more, though sometimes a comfortable silence settled between them as well. At 9.30 PM Marc was the first to make a move, which sparked the others to stand up as well. They walked away with a gentle spirit. Walking over the Waalkade, Marc walked next to Joris, and Nathaniel to Rutger. They talked of little things, like hobbies and interests. Nathaniel's mind was directed to what Marc had hinted at, and, had it not been for Marc's comment, Nathaniel wouldn't have started shipping Joris and Rutger. There was just something about the two of them together, as they had been this evening, that made Nathaniel think of it with great delight. He felt comfortable in the knowledge that he was not solely responsible for his shipping them.

They sat down again, this time at the maze in the ground of the Waalkade. Split up in the groups of housemates, Nathaniel was sat next to Joris, and talked a little while with him about small things, when, one way or another, he had managed to direct the conversation to Marc and Rutger.

'You know, Joris, I did see you two today, and the way you are together. It strikes me-'

'I don't think you should speak your thoughts, they might stray a bit into fancy.' Said he shily. Strange, Nathaniel hadn't seen him shy before. Granted, it was only half a day that he'd had the privilege of being with him, but still. If his character were shy, he would've noticed by then.

'If you say so, I'll take your word for it.' Though he spoke the words, his thoughts were racing to how to get the two together again. Perhaps he should get Marinette in on it, or Marc, though Marc would probably think it a step outside of his comfort-zone. And yet, he could not help but think that no life worth living had been lived without at least a little stepping out of one's comfort-zone.

A silence had followed the words, which Joris picked up by talking about what Nathaniel need know for when he was in the lessons tomorrow. At about ten Joris rose, saying. 'I think we ought to go home now, before we're late and you two have to pay your teachers.' So they set off; they could cycle together a little of the way, though not much, and were thus forced to separate.

Nathaniel and Joris arrived at said person's home at about 10.30, and were thus on time. They sat in the sitting room a while and talked of silly matters. After about an hour Joris's parents sent them off to bed (though it wasn't because they thought the children should sleep yet, but because they had been tasked with keeping an eye on them and thus could not sleep before they were in their beds). Nathaniel felt the pull of sleep, yet wanted to know that Marc was safely home. With that intent he picked up his phone, finding that Marc had texted him an hour gone that he'd safely returned home and that he wished to know whether Nathaniel had safely arrived. Nathaniel answered him and was immediately replied to with a 'sleep tight'. Nathaniel obviously answered with that as well and laid his phone away, ready to sleep. As soon as his eyelids closed, he fell asleep.

(A/n: 991 words)