The Avalon Institute For Supernatural Beings (AISB)

Chapter 9: His First Compromise

"How do you manage to get past security and sneak into the girl's dorm?" I asked, as he pulled me up and we walked out of the room, hands swinging between us.

He threw me a sideways glance.

"I bribe the guy." he said, flashing his teeth.

I gasped.

"You bribed him!? Oh, God, with what?" I asked.

"Mostly money and sometimes even...Beer." he said turning to look at me to see if it upset me.

I worried my lip.

"Nathan..." I said. He didn't need to waste money like this on me.

He shook his head at me.

"Don't worry about it, Indigo. It's nothing. It's a small price."

"It's a price nonetheless." I said, looking at him with pursed lips.

"No, it's not." he said, placing his hands on on my cheek.

"Nathan, really, it's such a waste-" I started.

He dropped his hands from my face and his eyes started to brighten.

"Don't." he said, cutting me off "Don't tell me it's a waste."

"I didn't mean-" I started, but he just shook his head at me and continued to walk.

Ah, crap man.

I walked silently behind him, knowing that nothing I say now would be heard by him. He'd closed off.

I was swearing in my mind. God, I was such an idiot.

I didn't mean that him coming to see me was a waste... or that I didn't want it or appreciate it.

I just meant that I didn't want him to have to burden himself by having to pay all by himself to see me.

I was just feeling guilty... I just couldn't explain it right to him.

I kept thinking through how to explain this to him. We'd reached my room and he scratched the back of his neck and looked away, while I leaned against the door and looked at him.

Ah, screw this.

I grabbed his arm and pulled, but he was too strong for me to be able to budge him, so in the end I ended up pulling myself to him.

"Will you let me explain, or are you going to shut me out like this?"

He raised his eyebrows at my angry tone. I just met his stare head-on.

"I love that you're going crazy lengths just to be with me, Nate. I love that you adore me enough to come to me wherever I need you. And trust me, I need you a lot. More than you know and more than I let on. But really, paying your way through is not necessary. I can wait and see you the next day. It's got to be a burden. I can't imagine how you feel everytime you pay, and it's making me feel so guilty-"

At this point, Nathan realized I was rambling and placed a finger to my lips, making me stop.

"Don't feel that way. I love coming to you every night. I don't care about the booze or the money, Indy. They don't mean anything to me. I told you, it's something small." he said, his eyes serious.

"Then share the cost with me." I said, steeling myself for a fight.

"What the fu-"

"I will hurt you if you finish that sentence." I warned.

He threw me a fierce grin.

"Money doesn't mean anything to me." he said again slowly, like he was talking to a five year old.