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Nash swears on his life that he did not mean to end up in this situation. He intended to check up on the Van Dynes (well, mainly the twins truth be told, but the day he admits that out loud is the day he dies), and then to head straight to the office and try to get through the day. He still had files to handle on the Janitor case, and more searching to do after Evan.
But instead, Doug, sweet excitable Doug, had somehow coerced him and now he’s in a car with him, Joey and Levi to get coffee. He swears on his life he didn’t mean for this to be how his day went, but somehow he’s not exactly complaining. Maybe that’s just because Doug and Joey have been nerding out over comic books too long for him to get a word in.
God, Corvallis was right, he really doesn’t have a back bone. He got heckled by a bunch of people he barely knew from 25 years ago in his hometown.
“Y’know, why’d you ever invite me anyway?” Nash asks, turning to Levi, who’s driving, from the passenger’s seat.
“I didn’t,” the man says with a shrug, “Dog- Doug, did.”
Nash notices the stutter. Alice had mentioned loosely something about a shitty nickname that Levi used to bully Doug with back in highschool, seems he’s struggling to not lean into habit. At least he’s trying though.
When Nash only gives him a confused look, he sighs, “I’m also pretty sure he’s high, so. Answers there.”
That seems to catch Doug’s attention and pull him out of his conversation with Joey. “HEY!” he scowls, or tries to anyway, it looks more like a pout. “I’M NOT HIGH ASSHOLE!”
“Aren’t you always high?!” Levi asks, and Doug looks almost offended.
“That is a harmful stereotype actually, I'M SOBER THANK YOU.”
Levi huffs, “Then why did you make me drive when it’s your fucking car?!”
Doug looks surprised for a second, only to just flip the other off in reply. Joey chuckles, lip sinking ‘he’s high’ at Nash, and Levi rolls his eyes.
“Oh don’t give me that,” Doug scoffs, “You're the one who called me dogshit, not the other way around.”
“Oh my fucking- for the love of god I said I was sorry for that already!”
They continue at it, and surprisingly, the interaction doesn’t read as hostile to Nash. Merely playful, almost brotherly. It’s strangely sweet.
He smiles. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“-Nash, dude, do I look like I'm high to you?”
Nevermind, actually. This isn’t fun. He likes watching over talking in the mornings, he did not wanna be involved.
He looks into Doug’s dark-brown eyes, staring at his scruffy curly hair and outfit that makes him look like a drug dealer. Nash doesn’t want to entertain the conversation, if nothing but out of pure exhaustion in the morning, but maybe he should lighten up more. Make friends. Friends would be nice. “...I think, if Corvallis pulled you over, with no clue who you were, she’d take you in for suspicion of having a drug ring. And that’s all I'm gonna say about this.”
Levi cheers at the validation, while Doug whines, and Joey merely laughs like he has been this entire conversation. “TAKE THAT DOGSHIT!”
The car is eerily silent, for a second. Nash regrets ever having mild distaste for the noise during it.
“...Too far.” Doug mumbles, not sounding the least bit sad, and Joey starts wheezing again. The man sniffles like a kicked puppy, and Nash can’t help but laugh too.
Levi looks like he’s going to burst a blood vessel, “You're so lucky I love Alice, Doug.”
“I love her too,” he says, sounding sarcastically pitiful, and he and Joey just start laughing more. No scratch ever regretting his choices, this is fun. Maybe hanging around these guys isn’t so bad after all. “Just wish you didn’t think I was her affair partner.”
Levi merely sighs as they finally pull into the drive-through. “I hate you people…”