Like Minds - To my beloved Maraclea

Chapter 26 - You're not replaceable

Nigel:

He frowned, not really knowing what to say at first when Alex said it sounded like he was obsessed by him. Probably because he was, he just didn't realize it himself.

"... I'm not obsessed, Jack. I'm mesmerized. As should everyone else be. You don't know what you're capable of, but I do. And I will help you realize it, no matter the costs."

He stared at Alex' face and surprise took over his expression when he saw the tears in Alex' eyes.

"You're crying.." he said almost matter-of-factly. "Why?"

He didn't get an answer of course, which was not that surprising at all, it did annoy him slightly. But the annoyance vaporized the second Alex buried his face in his neck and placed a kiss against his skin. Nigel frowned thoughtfully, and for some reason, he had a hunch of why Nigel was crying after all.

"Yes.." he said, surprisingly soft, and he moved his arms around Alex in a rare moment of affection.

"We will."

Alex:

'...I can't do anything,' I mumbled sulking against the skin of his neck. I couldn't really press my lips fully on his skin - because his collar was practically hiding it - but I still did my best to do that.

'I even used your brain several times for those essays.'

I swallowed when he mentioned that he saw me crying - which I wasn't, not yet though. I pursed my lips and inhaled lightly - almost like a gasp because I got pretty shocked that he noticed my eyes became wet. He wasn't allowed to know the truth after all.

'No,' I whispered almost nagging. 'I'm not crying. My eyes just hurt. I probably have something like hay fever - or I got irritated by too much light. I don't know, it's nothing.'

I wrapped my arms around him as soon as he did the same. I lightly narrowed my eyes, trying to get my eyes less wet - or something near that. It didn't really helped, though.

'I'm going to be fine,' I sighed. 'Both of us.'

Nigel:

"You can do everything.." he mumbled, seeming entirely convinced of it. "And anything you can't do yet now, you will be able to, as soon as we're one.. My brain will be your brain then."

He pursed his lips annoyed when Alex came with such a tedious excuse. He didn't mind because Alex was lying to him, but that he was lying so badly, Nigel expected more than that from his Jack, even without them united yet.

"Of course it's nothing," he said, absolutely not convinced. He pulled back to look at Alex and nodded, actually agreeing with him for once.

"You're right. We're going to be fine. More than that even. We'll be brilliant."

Alex:

I should almost believe him right now, that I could everything. Of course, I did not. I licked my lips and sighed softly when he continued talking. I still wondered how we would be united, but I wasn't about to ask it. I was tired, exhausted. Probably from all the brooding and such.

I pressed my teeth as I heard how he responded on my excuse. It was obvious that he didn't believe me, but I still wasn't going to say the truth of course.

'Well,' I mumbled while staring him in the eyes. 'I'm looking forward to that.'

I didn't really know if I meant it with sarcasm, or like I really meant what I said. Right now, it didn't really matter me.