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The look like something out of Grease. That was the thought running through Nate’s head as he saw Gary and Constantine at the Time Bureau. They were at the other end of the hallway; Gary’s back against the wall clutching his fi;e to his chest like some school girl and smiling widely with Constantine leaning toward him, one hand propped on the wall above Gary’s shoulder and seemingly looming despite Gary probably having an inch or two on him. There was no mistaking the tension in the air. Nate was about to leave them to it when he saw Constantine push off of the wall and spring away from Gary. As Constantine started to walk toward him, Nate saw Gary slump against the wall, head bowed down before he turned the corner and disappeared.
It was disheartening. Sure, Nate was still getting used to being in such close proximity to Gary but he still liked the guy. And nobody deserves their ex just showing up at their workplace, flirting with them and leaving. Nate steeled himself up (metaphorically, not- he didn’t literally steel up) and started walking towards Constantine.
Maybe he was being a little petty but there was more than a little satisfaction when their shoulders met and Constantine stumbled.
“Watch it, mate.”
“Oops.” Nate deadpanned, not halting in his steps.
“Oi, got a problem with me?”
Nate stopped and turned and stepped closer to the warlock. “You know, Constantine, yes. I do have a problem with you.”
Constantine rummaged around in his jacket. “Look, it was your choice to leave the Waverider, right? Don’t go blaming that on me.” He fished out a cigarette and popped it in his mouth.
Nate grabbed it. “There’s no smoking in this building, you know that. And it’s not about the Waverider, I’m actually liking this job.”
“Really? Though for sure this place was getting to you.” Constantine snatched the cigarette back from nate. “Seems to make all you stiff and humorless.”
“Not Gary.”
Realization dawned on his face as he shoved his hands in his trenchcoat’s pockets. “So, you saw that.”
“Yeah, I did.” Nate’s voice sounded bitter even to him. “Look, if you’re not going to just date the guy already, at least have the decency to stay away from him. You’re just getting his hopes up.”
Constantine’s face screwed up into a sneer. “Right and it was so easy for you to just let go of that Vixen lass.”
Nate has been doing a lot of self-reflection: trying to figure some stuff out. You only meet a woman like Amaya Jiwe once and it definitely leave a hole. So when Constantine said that, it really pushed a button. He reached out and shoved the warlock hard on the shoulder, knocking him back a pace. “Don’t you dare bring that up. That’s different, I was in love with Amaya.”
Constantine opened his mouth, an argument on the tip of his tongue. He hesitated and his mouth snapped shut. Something that did not go unnoticed.
“Wait. Wait.” Nate paused. “Are you- are you in love with him?”
“No. No” There’s something in how automatic his response is that doesn’t ring true in Nate’s ears. Constantine takes a breath. “I could. Easily. He’s damn lovable.’
Okay, this was not how Nate expected this encounter to go. “Um-”
“You know that, though. Right, mate?” Constantine put on this affected smirk. “Been here, what, two weeks and you’re giving me the “big-brother-shovel-talk”?”
“I guess, but-”
“Trust me, I want him to stay away from the likes of me as much as you do.” He clapped Nate on the shoulder. “Back there, that was a lapse in judgement; won’t happen again. Be seeing you.”
Nate stood there, a little dumbfounded as Constantine moved passed him and quickly exited. It was another moment that he noticed Gary had returned to the end of the hallway. He approached Nate, smiling bashfully. “I, uh, went the wrong way before.”
Nate asked. “How much of that did you hear?”
“Everything.” Gary admitted, his voice small. He raised his hand for a high five. “Thanks.”
Nate returned it and shook his hand. “Anytime.”