#devon isn't the mountains but we move!

[rosyjuly]

Re: your recent frivolities, I’m chewing on non-driver galex on a little drunk friend party weekend in the mountains warm from drinking almost too much, fumbling around in the starry dark trying not to get caught for some inscrutable reason idk i just think it’s COMPELLING and would like your scholarly opinion!!!

The longhouse in Devon has been George’s idea; something he could plan sprawled on the couch after a long day, something to hold onto when he got yet another pls fix email for the contract he drafted, now annotated with question marks and no-s. It was a small miracle that they even found a time that worked for all of them, even if it was a bit awkward timing, the first weekend of December that Lando and Alex both marked with if need be in the Doodle, something about marketing being overwhelmed with the Christmas fuckery, or whatever Lando was trying to say in the dozen texts he sent into the groupchat. 

‘You can really tell he’s doing the socials, always on his phone’, Alex texted him in private, followed by a screenshot of trading his Sunday shift with one of his buddies. 

It’s been a few years since they last managed to get the whole gang together for a getaway. The last time, George was doing his CPQ, begging off in the early afternoons to cram for his exams, locking the door to their room with Alex and ignoring the ruckus outside. He picked Alex up at the vet clinic, let him sleep off the overnight shift on the drive there, the roads first slow in the London traffic, then clearing up as they finally left the city. 

It’s easy to tell the lads that he’s missed them after everyone is loose-limbed with mulled wine, especially with Alex’s hand big and familiar on his waist, warmth seeping through his t-shirt. When Alex’s thumb begins to stroke the line of his ribcage, slow and soft, George takes a look at him; but Alex is listening to Charles intently, nodding along the story that George has lost track of five minutes and two sub-stories ago. 

So George can be normal. He knocks back a shot with Daniel and then carefully puts the glass down on the counter; just behind Alex so he can press his arm along the strong line of his back. Alex leans back, his other hand coming to rest on George’s waist as well, and he can feel himself flush as he tries to imagine how it must look, Alex’s clever hands framing his torso like that, the hands that can soothe a wounded animal or hold down a desperate creature all the same. 

“Cold?” Alex asks, as quiet as he can manage over the music, when a shiver rakes through George’s body at the thought. George risks another glance; this time, Alex is looking at him, lashes fanning his dark eyes, like he’s considering his hands on George, too, and some long-buried hope flickers alive again in him. 

“Not at all, mate,” George tells him. He drags the vape out of his pocket and shows it to Alex – the bar is a pretty, deep purple, one of the less ridiculous ones Pierre has brought. “Wanna go out for a smoke?” 

“God, I wish it was a smoke instead of that kid flavoured abomination,” Alex sighs, but his hands tighten on George’s waist quite agreeable. They fetch their coat in silence, stepping outside without much fanfare. When George inclines his head, Alex raises a half-mocking eyebrow, but follows him behind the corner all the same, crowding into his space when George leans against the wall. 

“If you knew just half the shit these can cause, you’d be a lot less eager,” Alex says, nodding at the vape. George doesn’t give a shit about the vape; has taken it in hopes for exactly this, Alex lecturing him a little, his attention finally on George and only George. 

“You know I can be plenty eager,” he tells Alex, and the second Alex’s eyes go dark and wanton, he feels drunker than the whole night. 

“I do know that,” Alex says, now pressing impossibly closer, strong and warm and perfect all over. “You wanna remind me?” 

“Always,” George says, and then he barely notices when he drops the stupid vape, too busy rediscovering how Alex tastes and how his now thicker thigh still fits so nicely between his legs, firm and tantalizing.

[stagefoureddiediaz]

So please help me understand. This Natalia woman will be a person Buck actually dates or she will help him out professionally? Your meta confused me because you say both things. I don’t want him dating this woman. It makes no sense

Hey Nonnie

I said both things in part because at this point we don't know what the exact nature of their relationship is going to be.

My current thoughts on the matter are that Buck tries to date her but it fizzles out into nothing because they'll realise that actually she is more interested in his connection with death and he'll be more interested in understanding how having a good relationship with death can help him live now he's evaded deaths clutches.

I think it makes perfect sense for him to try and pursue her as a potential romantic prospect. It fits in perfectly with past Buck behaviours - whenever Eddie goes dating, Buck starts dating again too - its a manifestation of his jealousy. It's also in keeping with his trauma response more generally - Buck loses his first victim (Devon) and very soon after starts dating Abby, Eddie gets shot and he starts dating Taylor. So Buck dating Natalia at this point in time is exactly what we'd expect from him.

We know it won't work out - there is a mountain of evidence to prove that - and not just on the costume front - she is a death doula and is being introduced in an episode about death, her name means birthday and is connected with Christmas day specifically - the birth of christ - so that tells us her purpose is in relation to Buck as a saviour baby and his 'resurrection'.

I don't really understand why everyone it getting up in arms about Buck potentially dating her for a couple of episodes before he learns/understands what he needs to and moves on - at this point it screams of misogyny (this isn't aimed at you speciffically Nonnie - your questions were reasonable. But it is at the many other anons I've had in my inbox about Natalia sice we found out about her!)

Hope this makes things a bit clearer for you 💜💜💜