Mateo Santiago (whiskeychaser) wrote in brightstar, @ 2019-05-28 10:02:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !thread, character: freddy adler, character: mateo santiago |
Who Mateo Santiago & Freddy Adler
What Mateo needs to let Freddy in on a secret.
When Saturday, May 25th (backdated)
Where The Crimson Kestral
Rating Fairly tame.
Status Complete
Mateo was seated at the bar in the Kestrel early (unusual), a drink already in his hand (his second). This was a conversation that needed to happen, he knew, but he was not looking forward to it. Freddy was his best bro, and it was frowned upon for a bro to date another bro's sister (let alone drunkenly marry her on a weekend trip to Vegas) - yet here they were.
He feelings for Nora had been present for years, though he'd been too much of a coward to act on it (not counting the first time they drunkenly slept together) until now. Maybe it was all the alcohol. Maybe it was like the papers said, and it was pushed along by that veela woman. He didn't really care the reasons behind it - Mateo Santiago was happy that the feelings were now out in the open (ish), and were apparently reciprocated. That had been his biggest fear, really - telling her how he really felt, and having her reject those feelings. He didn't want to lose one of his very best friends.
Now came the hard part: breaking the news to Freddy. Well, part of the news, anyway. They were keeping the marriage bit quiet. With the exception of Cate, and Kent, the only people who knew were the ones who worked in HR at the reserve. They planned on keeping it that way, at least until they'd taken time to really explore what was between them.
Looking up as the door to the bar opened, Mateo put on a smile at the sight of his best friend. It was going to be fine. Everything was going to be completely fine. If he kept telling himself that, eventually he'd believe it, right? That's how this worked, wasn't it?
Freddy was well used to Mateo and... well, pretty much everyone trying to get him to have some semblance of a social life. Though the way his best mate had asked him this evening seemed not exactly off but that something was definitely up. Not that he had a clue as to what though. Frankly, he was just hoping there wasn't going to end up being another drunken rant later on as a result. He had of course completely agreed with everything he'd said about Karl but he honestly could've done without learning that his best mate had hooked up with Nora. There were just some things you really weren't meant to know about your little sister, and that definitely ranked up there.
Not that he ever brought it up again because even though they were both adults and all he'd just rather not think about either of his little sisters, or any family for that matter, and sex. It was just to weird a path of thought to go down.
"Hey," he greeted with a smile, as he slid into the seat across from Mateo. "So do I need to be concerned that you're gonna leave me here because you've set me up for some blind date, or what?"
The question earned a laugh from Mateo, and a shake of his head. “I promise, that’s not what this is about.” Though it was very possible (at least in Mateo’s slightly paranoid mind) that he would be wishing that were the case, by the time this conversation was over.
Taking a moment, he swirled the whiskey and ice around in his glass. “I, uh, there’s actually something that I wanted to talk to you about.” He figured that it was probably a good idea to just go ahead and get it over with. The longer he drew it all out, the worse he was making it on himself. This was Freddy. His best friend. One of only a couple of people that Mateo felt he really could tell anything to. “Something, uh, something happened a few weeks ago - in Vegas, actually. It wasn’t something I planned, or expected, but … but it happened.”
This was not going as smoothly as he would’ve liked.
"Good. Cause I keep telling you I don't need help in getting a date." Not that that argument ever actually stopped Teo, or his sisters, in trying to set him up with someone. The only thing that ever stopped him from actually getting full on upset about it was that he knew they meant well.
Freddy raised an eyebrow as Mateo started to explain why he'd called him here. It must be serious whatever it was since it was pretty unusual for his best mate to stumble over his words. Something told him though that he'd probably be wanting a drink for whatever Mateo was going to tell him. So once he spotted his sister over at the bar he waved her down hoping she'd just bring him his usual beer rather than come to take his order. "So something other than the fact that I hardly saw you in your hotel room?"
He wasn't going to argue the point with him, at least right now. It wasn't Freddy's dating life that he was here to talk about, after all. That could come later. Far later. He did have a few things he wanted to say on that matter, after all.
Taking a deep breath, Mateo nodded. "Something like that - at least, a little." Merlin, how was he going to say this? Should he just spit it out? Find a way to ease into the conversation? God, why was he so bad at this? "It's about Nora - and me. Me and Nora. So, in Vegas - there was a moment. A good moment. Maybe several good moments."
Freddy's eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn't the fact that his best was hooking up with his sister—they were both adults after all— it was the fact he was suddenly flashing back to the last time Mateo had drunkenly rambled at him about not only what a colossal dick Karl was but that he'd gone ahead and told him, and apologised for, about having slept with and taken his little sister's virginity. All of which made him suspect that something other than just them hooking up had happened... maybe. He honestly wasn't sure, and honestly wasn't even sure he wanted to know. "You mean other than the fact that it wasn't the first time the two of you have hooked up?" he asked, looking at Teo with a raised brow. Clearly his best mate had been that drunk he couldn't remember having told him about that, or if he did remember he was doing some mighty good acting.
His eyes snapped to Freddy, eyebrows raising high on his forehead. "Wait, you know about that?" How the hell had he found out? Mateo certainly didn't remember telling him (there was a reason the wizard didn't drink tequila anymore), and he highly doubted that Nora had mentioned it. It was puzzling to the man, really.
"That isn't - look, this wasn't just some meaningless hookup, Freddy. It wasn't back then, either." Of course, he hadn't fully realized that, back then. Thinking back on it now, it was pretty obvious. "I have feelings for Nora, man. Genuine feelings. Apparently, she feels the same way about me." Alright. He was getting there. "I wanted you to know - to hear it from me - that we're … seeing where this goes."
Before he could answer Mateo his sister Cate came round with a beer for him. He smiled and thanked his sister, and gave her a shrug when she sent him a questioning look, before turning back to Mateo. "Yeah, I know. I wish I didn't know but unfortunately I do," he finally replied, making a 'eugh' face. "Seriously there are some things I'm not meant to know about my little sister, dude. Though it didn't stop you from drunkenly ramble on about it or about what a dick Karl was."
Freddy certainly hoped for his best mate's sake that it wasn't a meaningless hookup. Because he'd hate to have words with Mateo about that—then again he knew Nora was well able to take care of herself and would likely deal with it in her own unique way if need be. "Better not be, dude," he said, pointing at him with the beer in his hand. "Nora'd try to kill you before I'd get a chance to." Popping the cap off the bottle he took a quick drink as he considering what Mateo had said. "Is that all? I mean, ok a little weird from my perspective but that's cause Nora's my little sister. If the two of you want to be a thing that's up to her y'know. Though appreciate you letting me know but... like let's leave it at that because I really do not want to know what my sister gets up to, okay?"
Blinking a few times, Mateo attempted to remember telling Freddy about that. It wasn’t coming to him, but obviously it had happened, since Freddy knew. “Sorry, man, but you have to agree - that guy was a dick.” That opinion definitely hadn’t changed over the years, and likely wouldn’t any time soon. “I have no intention of hurting her, Freddy. I want you to know that. Honestly, if things had worked out a little differently - if dad hadn’t passed when he did - this probably would’ve happened a lot sooner.”
Now that he’d gotten at least part of that off of his chest, Mateo felt better. Well, a little better. This was his best friend. The person that he knew he could go to for anything, and Mateo hated keeping secrets from him. It was probably why he’d spilled about sleeping with Nora the first time. He knew, though, that Nora wanted to keep things quiet for the time being - to see just how well they worked, without anyone else butting their heads in. As much as he wanted to respect that, this was Freddy. “There’s, um, something else, too. When we were, uh - when we were in Vegas, Friday night … NoraandImayhavegottendrunkenlymarried?”
Freddy snorted. "Like you're actually going to get any argument from me on that score, dude." Even knowing that Nora was fully capable of taking care of herself if he'd been around at the time he would've been sorely tempted to have taken matters into his own hands concerning Karl. "Good - because I'd be second or third in line, behind Nora and or Cate, to kick your sorry arse if you did. Well, they say better late than never? Also let me reiterate my last point - at no point do I want to hear about you two except in vague and possibly edited terms for my ears only."
Taking a moment in the lull of conversation he was happily drinking his beer when he caught Mateo's next words. As such immediately after registering what his friend had said the beer that had been in his mouth was suddenly and inelegantly spluttered across the table. Immediately reaching for a napkin he wiped at his mouth before wiping what he could off the table. "I'm sorry... you what?!"
Mateo had no doubt that the girls would beat the ever loving shit out of him, if he ever did anything to hurt Nora, before Freddy ever had a chance to get his hands on him. Freddy would be lucky if there was anything left of Mateo for him to beat up. “I promise, any conversations regarding your sister will be strictly PG-13. I don’t have any intention of scaring you for life, my dude.” Mateo wasn’t that horrible of a person.
That hadn’t exactly been the reaction Mateo had been expecting, but then again, he had caught Freddy mid drink. Grabbing a napkin of his own, he wiped away a little bit of the beer spray that had managed to hit him in the face, and sighed. “Yeah, it kinda shocked the hell out of me, too. I don’t really have a whole lot of memory of Friday night, beyond there was something about free lava cake? I think we may have partially gotten caught up in that veela business that was in the papers - I don’t really know. Still, it happened, and I wanted you to hear it from me.”
"Sorry 'bout that," he said, apologising for the sudden spray of beer. Freddy sat back for a moment or two taking stock of what his best mate... well, he supposed brother-in-law applied too now even though he'd long been considered an honorary part of the family. "Huh. Y'know this just goes to show you make some really choice decisions when you're drunk," he said with a slight chuckle. Freddy still wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't upset, and admittedly he certainly couldn't complain that his sister had, albeit drunkenly, ended up married to a pretty decent guy. "Does also explain why when I rocked up you weren't in your room at all," he added. "I don't know what to say, Teo. I mean, I'm not upset or anything, and I'll probably think of something once the shock wears off but... hey, I appreciate you letting me know though instead of y'know finding out later or well after everyone else."
Mateo opened his mouth, holding up a finger like he was going to attempt to argue Freddy’s point, but he couldn’t. Shutting his gaping mouth, he pursed his lips into a bit of an annoyed frown. “You’re not wrong.” When Mateo let himself get that drunk, apparently things got interesting.
There was no masking the look of relief that washed over his face as Freddy said he wasn’t upset. “I know Nora wants to keep it quiet for now, which is why we haven’t said anything before, but … I didn’t feel right keeping it from you.” Even though he had a feeling that Nora was going to absolutely murder him for telling Freddy. Still, it felt right, telling him. He felt like the huge weight that had been on his chest was lifted.
As Freddy took a sip of his beer he couldn't help but smirk as he pulled the bottle away from his lips. "Don't worry, I'll try and protect you from your wife if she decides to go on the warpath cause you blabbed," he jokingly said, with perhaps almost too much snickering at the mental imagery it had conjured up.
"Which, knowing Nora, she probably will." She was not going to be happy with him, but Mateo felt like it was going to be worth it, in the long run. "I hope you'll at least say something nice about your fallen brother-in-law at my funeral?"