#samuel drake mentioned tee-hee
Description: Nathan Drake is not the exact definition of an unhappy man. His job is steady, his friends still see him from time to time, he plays football, but his marriage is his main problem. Many things will change when a special person comes to his life.
A/N:To be fucking fair with y’all, even I myself am curious about how tf did I manage to get from a cutesy giggly girly story about a crush into… This.
I mean, it was coming sooner or later, but holy crap, this is wild… Even for me.
Also, the line at the end of the chapter is a refernce to Saturn by Sleeping at last, which was an inspiration for a headcanon I wrote for Nate baaack in the day.
Part Summary: The dinner’s aftermath was not going to be pretty and all of you knew that. But any of you actually expected how much shit will go down that night.
Warnings: Physical abuse, verbal abuse, yelling, argument, angst and emotions. Also a ton of typos, I’ll be going over it tomorrow.
Word counter: 4.5 K
Tagging:@missdictatorme,@flavorishy
Series master list: H E R E
property of: nathan drake (a Spotify playlist): H E R E
Boy oh boy, it was even worse than what you imagined it would be like. First, Mike was only walking a few feet in front of you with angry huffs and puffs as he lit up a cigarette while you asked him what’s gotten into him all of a sudden. Not that you’d have to ask; the tension between you and Nathan wasn’t exactly easy to hide… Especially with those puppy eyes that the man was giving you practically all the time.
The real fun started as soon as you entered your apartment and Michael slammed the door behind you with pure anger passing through his veins. The man was shaking as the amok took over his body, his pupils were dilated when he turned around to look you in the face, pointing at you with one of his fingers. - “We need to fucking talk, Y/N, you hear me?!” - He yelled angrily, watching every move you made. At first, you froze in motion entirely because of fear, watching the man, waiting for what he’s about to do next. Truth be told, you’ve never seen Mike more furious.
It certainly wasn’t your first loud fight, but it sure as hell was the first violent one. At first, you were both pacing around the apartment, spitting snarky arguments and curses at one another - Mike was, of course, most concerned about Nathan clearly being all over you while you tried to protect the man, telling Mike to first clean up his fucking mistakes before denouncing someone else’s. It didn’t take him long before he picked up the first glass out of your cabinet, throwing it in your direction.
As you heard the glass shattering under the force of the blow, you reflexively jumped away and put your hands in front of your body to be sure that you were safe. As you caught your breath, looking at Mike with confusion, you picked up one of the books laying on the coffee table and pointed your finger in his direction before slamming it into the ground. This only provoked Mike further since he didn’t expect such strong resistance.
Usually, it was you who backed off first, trying to cut the yelling and crying short since you hated everything about arguments. That evening was different though - you were infuriated beyond even thinking about trying to stop. That night, you were going all out, yelling at Michael at the top of your lungs, going over every small, shitty thing that bothered you about him in a fashion you never did before. The man was confused since he was sure about knowing everything there was to know about you; and yet, he never bumped into this Y/N in front of him.
As he got more and more outraged, a terrifying thought had crossed his mind. What if it was too late already? What if there was no point in trying to tear you and Nathan apart? What if you’ve already fallen for him, what if something already happened between the two of you? What if you were in love with Nate? And this alone sent him into a spiral beyond the point of no return. Since there were no more glasses or plates to throw in your direction, as you were already standing between thousands of shards, Mike walked closer to you, pushing you so hard that you almost fell onto the ground. This action made your eyes widen. He had never gotten physical with you in his life. He wasn’t a violent type - sure, he was an idiot, a liar, and a cheater, but he wasn’t an abuser. In the heat of the moment, you pushed him back with more force, yelling another bunch of stuff right into his idiotic face.
It took him a second to shut you up - a second to terrify you to death, to make you cry and sob as you caught his palm in yours, listening to all the shit he was yelling at you. He was squeezing your throat like a bouncy ball, sucking the air out of your lungs while doing so. You only had a second to take in a deep breath - it was when Mike slammed you onto the wall, choking you once more. His face was just inches from yours as you fought for each breath, trying to punch his palm off your neck. The man could vividly see your face swelling and reddening, your eyes popping out widely while your punches got weaker.
“Look me in the eyes, you fucking slut. Look at me and tell me you didn’t fuck him, hm? Are you fucking proud of yourself? Was that dick worth it? Did you enjoy the way he fucked you, huh? Come on, you whore, say something!” - The man yelled at you in the amok, tightening the grip. When he saw you opening up your mouth as you tried to speak, he loosened the grip for a moment, hearing what you wanted to tell him in your defense.
“What would Amy say you insane fucker?” - You asked teasingly, knowing well that the question might as well cost you your life. But as soon as Michael heard the woman’s name, his expression filled with confusion. How in the fuck did you get to know about Ames? She was someone he… Was seeing. He was spending time with her (in her apartment while you thought he was at work) and he went with her to Seattle for a short getaway… But there was no way in hell you could know about his newest mistress. - “Did you hear me or do you want me to ask again? That’s right. I know all about your precious Amy you lunatic, you fucking perverted swine. And you’re the one to talk about cheating? I fucked him, I fucking did. And you know what? He fucked me better than you ever would, you pathetic loser.” - You laughed with tears in your eyes, feeling the grip tightening once more just before he slammed you onto the ground on all of the shards of glass and porcelain. Before pulling yourself on your elbows, you already felt the first droplets of blood running down your forearms.
While you were laying on the ground, coughing and gasping for air while massaging your throat, Mike stood there frozen still, feeling all the anger and amok slowly fading away. The man looked at his shaky palms, at you laying on the ground with fear all over your face, watching him with pure hatred in your eyes.
“Oh my God.” - Mike mumbled and tried to take a step forward so he could help you pick yourself up, but you pushed yourself further from him, into more shards, picking up the biggest one you could reach, aiming it at him. - “Don’t you fucking dare to touch me.” - You mumbled, seeing the blood dropping out of your palm since you held it really tight.
“I… I’m so sorry, Y/N, baby girl, I don’t know what’s gotten into me…”
“Get out of here. Now.”
“We can solve this if we just talk…”
“Or I’ll call the fucking cops, alright?” - At that, Mike realized he had lost you completely. Where there was once will make it work and pure love, now there was hatred and fear. He was lucky the cops weren’t already there with how much you both screamed… And with all the shattering and thuds coming out of your apartment in the middle of the night. - “Don’t do anything stupid and just get the fuck out of here. GO!” - You screamed, crying again, throwing the piece of porcelain in his direction.
You only dared to fully break down once you heard the click of the door lock - you squeezed into a tight ball as you tried to breathe it all out. He had never been like this around you… Never. Seeing this petrified side of Mike made you stop in your tracks, it made your heart ache and stomach turn upside down. He almost killed you, for fuck’s sake. Mike almost choked you out.
It was hard to tell how long you’ve been just laying there with a swollen neck, cut forearms, torn dress, and absolute fear ruling over you, but you managed to calm a bit after a few hours. Michael was not coming back, which was a great sign - this shit had to terrify him too. Now, he finally saw what a piece of actual shit he was. With the last remnants of your strength, you searched for your phone, dialing another man’s number - and thanks to God, Nathan responded almost immediately.
As you arrived home, the situation on the other side of the town was going on entirely else. Nathan and Elena were standing next to each other on the moonlit beach, letting the cold ocean waves soak their toes. The air carried a hint of salt, the sounds were repeating, almost hypnotic. That place felt safe enough for her to finally talk to Nate. She was leaning her head into his shoulder with a small smile, watching the horizon while Nate didn’t move an inch. That was when the words left her mouth, silently and softly.
“We need to talk, Nate.” - Elena mumbled into the quiet, peaceful night. Nathan, without sparing her a single look, already knew that this will be a long, complicated and serious conversion. Acknowledging all of that, he hummed to make her sure he was listening to her. - “That girl… I like her a lot.”
“I noticed.” - The man answered with a hint of confusion. He was expecting some scolding, maybe Elena wanting to talk about their emotions and feelings, about their marriage apart - and instead of that, she stated something so simple and innocent. - “You’ll be great friends, just like I thought you would be.”
“… And I know you like her a lot too. More than that, actually.”
Hearing Elena saying those words made Nate’s heart ache as he cursed under his breath, stepping away from Elena to look her in the eyes. She didn’t appear to be distressed nor angry, far from it actually. Smiling at him, she walked a bit further into the cold water, letting her ankles sink into the cold sand. Doing so, she sighed, scoffing at the end.
“El, it’s not like you think it is…” - Drake said after a moment, knowing he was lying. It was exactly like Elena thought it was. It might’ve been even worse than Elena thought. - “I can explain, I can explain everything. Just don’t get upset and talk to me.”
“I’m not upset Nathan.” - Elena cut him off with a smile, looking right into his eyes. - “To be fair, I was upset when I found her earring in our bed. I was scared and it hit me like a truck, finally witnessing what I made you do because I was selfish and scared to…” - “You weren’t selfish. Traveling is your life, El, it was your dream ever since we met, and…”
“Can you let me talk, Nate? Please?” - The woman begged him, letting her high heels fall onto the ground as she caught both of his palms in hers. She could feel the tears running down her face - and as usual, the sight of her crying made Nate cry too. Biting her lower lip, her palm searched for Nate’s cheek, smoothing the tears off his face.
“I wasn’t happy here and it wasn’t a short-term occasion. And before you start blaming yourself, Nathan, it wasn’t your fault in the slightest. You are not boring or unworthy or whatever your brain tried to suggest to you.” - The sound of her voice was making Nate’s heart shatter into a million pieces since he knew Elena was internally suffering more and more with each passing second. - “Fuck, you are one of the best people I’ve ever bumped into. You have the power to calm me down and to make me happy when the world is falling apart, you listen to every word I say, you remember all the things I love and you cherish all of our memories and Nathan… I couldn’t be more grateful for what I’ve found within you. Do you hear me? I couldn’t be happier. But we don’t work as a couple.”
Elena knew she had to be careful with Nathan, simply because he deserved it. The fault was within neither of them and she intended to make him aware of the fact. Both of them still cared deeply for each other, but to be honest, ever since laying her eyes on you, Elena knew you’ll make him happier than she ever could.
“Are you breaking up with me?” - Nathan whispered before he sobbed a bit, making Elena’s eyes to look him in the face, searching for any kind of emotion. But instead, she saw one of the corners of his lips turn upward, realizing it was a joke. This was so Nate that she had to chuckle unhappily.
“I thought I was protecting you by distancing myself, by not talking to you, by keeping you in the dark. But it was actually the worst thing I could’ve done and I’ll be apologizing for that for eternity.”
“How long?” - Nathan asked as he started to regain some sort of self-esteem, sitting on dry sand, looking onto the ocean. Elena sighed and repeated after him - both of them put their elbows on their shoulders, listening to the ocean lazily moving back and forth. Honestly, this conversation needed to happen. All of it needed to be discussed and talked about, they both had to let their feelings out. And a calm, intimate conversation between two friends was honestly so much better than aimlessly crying and yelling shit at each other. - “Since you’ve met him?”
“Fuck, am I that obvious? Not long, I swear. Two months at maximum… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself for that fucking long. Even this had taken a toll on me, but I’m the one who brought it upon me… It’s all my fault.”
“Same.” - Nathan answered with the smile of a small boy, not answering Elena’s attempt to make the villain out of herself once more, reminiscing about how you first knocked on the restaurant door. He recalled that moment crystal clear - the moment when he fell in love as easily as if he just took a deep breath. - “I met her around two, three months back.” - Nathan said with a small smile, looking over to Elena. The woman smiled back, nodding at him to let him know she was listening to him. - “There was a hurricane outside and she was knocking on the restaurant door, trying to get in, smiling like crazy. At first, I thought I was looking at an angel.”
“I met him when I arrived in Thailand. We bumped into each other at the airport, he was excited to see me again.”
“Someone I know?” - The man asked with confusion, toying around with the cufflink on his sleeve. This was the hardest part so far - Elena gulped as she felt her stomach turn upside down. She heard the thumping of her heart if her ears while trying to find some solid, stable ground. Nathan will hate her. She was sure of that. But he needed and deserved to know. The process Elena was going through was enough to catch his attention. As Elena tried to push the words past her lips, she almost started crying again. - “Just tell me it’s not Sullivan, huh?” - Nate joked, trying to lighten up the atmosphere a bit.
“It’s worse than that.” - The woman mumbled, letting the smile disappear from his lips. - “It’s Samuel, Nate.”
That hit Nathan like a fucking truck at the speed of light. He had to support himself by pushing his palm into the cold sand as he gasped for air, putting his fingers over his mouth. For a long time, Elena was sobbing and mumbling apologies to Nate, tugging on his forearm gently, terrified, while he was just staring at the ocean. Until, suddenly, he started laughing.
Chuckles grew into a roaring, historical laughter as tears of amusement rolled down Nate’s cheeks. This shit was funny as fuck. He is in shock, Elena thought as she watched Nathan slowly calming himself down, he doesn’t know what he’s doing. But she was wrong. Drake just seriously thought the shit couldn’t get funnier, but it suddenly did. Wow. So the guy charming his wife was none other than Samuel.
When he thought about everything for a moment, it kinda made sense. He was everything Nate wasn’t - that guy didn’t want to settle down, he didn’t have a place to call home, he was adventurous, continuously traveling the world… Which was perfectly aligned with Elena’s idea of a life worth living. Their marriage was dead for long enough for Nathan not to throw a fit. Sure, it was a surprise, it was a shock, but he did the same exact thing to Elena. You might’ve not been her sister, but your situation perfectly mirrored the one Elena found herself in. In a funny, sick was, they were even.
“Tell him…” - Nate took in a deep breath, calming himself down for a bit. - “Tell him that if he ever hurts you, I’ll beat the ever-living fuck out of him. Tell him you’re one of the most wonderful people I got to know, that I love you as my best friend and that I hope you’ll be happy together.” - With a small smile, he smoothed Elena’s cheek, drying the tears off her face. The woman gave him a broken smile, crying even more. Nathan was way more amazing than she ever realized.
He wasn’t okay with any of it, of course, he was hurt and confused - but so was Elena. And there honestly was no point in throwing away a good, deep friendship just to throw a childish tantrum. They truly were even in everything - both of them fucked up, both of them failed, both of them were to blame. And Elena was the greatest friend he ever had; when he didn’t count Sully. She was right; they weren’t suited for married life… Not for one another, at least.
“Wanna see some pictures we took on our trips?” - The man asked when Elena calmed enough to stop crying, leaning her temple into his shoulder while watching the ocean once more. With a grateful smile, she looked at her best friend and nodded. - “I’d love to… Only if I can show you mine, tho.” - She grinned, slowly getting playful as she calmed down. This was the Elena adored, and he wished she’d never disappear.
They sat on the beach for hours while the air got a bit colder - it was still very warm when they started to pick themselves up, ready to walk back into the apartment. This was only one conversation they had to have to solve the entire issue and there was more and more to go through, but for that evening, it was just enough. The main points were said and disclosed and now, they were free to work around their mutual trust and honesty.
Frankly, Elena loved the way Nathan talked about you. There was also one video, in particular, she absolutely fell in love with - it was shot by Nate and you were trying out a kite you’ve bought in nearby stationery. It was a windy summer day, an ideal one for a hike. For the entirety of the video, you’ve been giving Nate a step-by-step manual about how to make a kite fly, and just when you were about to let it go, your feet tangled between the lace. As you threw the kite in front of you, you were soon to follow with many curses following. Her favorite part was how quickly Nate threw the phone away, running off to help you… And all the sweet, quiet questions he whispered to your hair.
When they finally opened their apartment door, they were both exhausted - Elena put her palms above her head, yawning loudly as she opened up the fridge, searching for anything she’d be able to eat. At the same moment, Nathan’s phone started to ring - with a smile, he showed Elena your picture before picking the call up.
“Hey, Y/N!” - The man greeted you happily, happy to hear your voice. As soon as he heard the first sob, he stopped himself in his tracks, his expression growing worried with each passing second. Elena watched his whole body tense up, eyes opening wider. - “Yes, of course. Of course, I’ll be there. We’ll come to get you, just hold on for a bit longer, baby.” - Nate whispered, grabbing his keys before walking over to the door furiously. Elena didn’t wait for too long either, she just slipped her feet into slippers, ready to follow Nathan. - “You can stay at home.”
“What happened, Nate?” - The woman asked, being concerned about how fast Nate’s emotions shifted in a mere second. Something bad must’ve happened. Shit went down for sure.
“I’m not sure.” - Drake answered, cutting the explanation sure as he always did when he got furious. - “She sounded… Horrible. If that son a bitch laid one finger on her, I swear to God…”
The entire ride to your house was completely silent - Nathan was holding the steering wheel with so much force that his knuckles got completely white while Elena stared out of the window, nervously biting the skin around her nails. She had to come with just in case Nathan’s suspicion was right.
Honestly, she didn’t see Nate furious very often, so it was hard to predict how Nate would act. Something awfully serious and fucked up had to happen in order to get him this enraged and railed up. In a state like this, he’d be able to start a fight, that was for sure an option. So you and she had to do your best to prevent that.
Still hoping the shit won’t be as serious as they were afraid it is, Elena followed Nathan down the street full of various musicians, open bars, and loud music, smiling to herself - this was exactly what she liked. This part of the town was one of most favorite… In any time she had visited over the past few years. She loved the energy, the will to live, the engine behind all this. And she was positive Sam would’ve loved it too.
Soon enough, both of them were ringing on your doorbells. Nathan was anxiously shifting his weight from one foot to another while Elena stood under the stairs, hugging herself - while dressed in compy, fuzzy slippers, and an elegant cocktail dress. She must’ve looked real fucking funny. The way up the stairs was making both of them more and more anxious - especially when they overheard you talking to your neighbor.
“I should’ve called the police.”
“It’s okay, my friends will pick me up and make sure I’m okay. Don’t blame yourself.”
“Man, it’s not okay. I thought… I thought you just drank a bit too much or something, yannow? A typical argument. I feel shit now, I’m so sorry.” - The young woman answered and that was the first time the Drakes saw you in the light. Nathan stopped himself, halting so rapidly that Elena bumped flat into his back. His breath got even more shallow, he had to press his palms into tight firsts upon seeing you, which made Elena sure that whatever happened inside of that flat… It wasn’t a pretty sight. And holy fuck, she wished she was wrong.
You’ve clearly cried a lot, which could be based on your puffy, red eyes - but that wasn’t even that bad. Your hair was a fucking mess, your neck was swollen and bruises were slowly appearing there inch by inch, your dress was torn at places due to signs of a physical fight, your forearms were full of scratches and small glass shards were sticking out of them at places… Let alone your bleeding palm.
Anxiously, you looked at both of them, crying again. This time, it was a relief - both Elena and Nathan didn’t waste a single second. As soon as you asked him for help, he just jumped into his car and came to pick you up.
While Nathan was on the verge of losing his shit, shaking and barely breathing in and out in a steady rhythm, Elena snuck past him, walking closer to smooth your cheek. - “Thank you for keeping her company, we’ll take her somewhere far away from her.” - And with that, she led you inside of your flat, mumbling sweet shit right to your ear. You were safe. Michael won’t be coming back, Elena will take care of you, making sure you’re safe. - “I’ll fucking kill him.” - Nathan mumbled, following you both into the apartment.
There were small puddles of blood on the wooden floors, all of your kitchen equipment was either shattered in the living room or thrown around the apartment, the schoolbook he chose with you were laying everywhere. Nathan could name each spot where something was thrown - the brute force was so big that it left behind small spots of chipped plasterboard. Honestly, you were fucking lucky to be in the state you were in… Or even alive.
As Elena walked around your flat, packing all your necessities into a sports bag, Drake approached you slowly, kneeling right in front of you. Your bloodied up palm caught his knee as his fingers slowly caressed your cheek. Honestly, you didn’t even know what happened between the married couple and you couldn’t be bothered by his very own wife packing all of your stuff - you bent forward, bumping your forehead into his as you let out a long breath. Finally, you felt safe.
Nathan’s presence calmed you down. His smell filled up your nose, his warmth felt known and welcoming, inviting. With your voice broken, you whispered one line from a song Nathan loved a lot, making him smile bitterly. - “How rare and beautiful it is, to even exist?” - Hearing that line made Elena stop herself from frantically running around as well. She knew that song well, Nate listened to it every time he got melancholic. And it was truly beautiful. Just like the sight of you two… But you had to get moving if you didn’t want to see your, clearly ex, boyfriend being beaten to shit.
Just when you entered their apartment complex, as all of you got exhausted and sleepy, another blow hit all of you sitting in the car. As they always said, the bad things always come in a trifecta, one being worse than another.
It was Florence standing at the back entrance, hugging herself, crying as well.
Whatever was going on that night, everything was going to shit.
