Mermaids and Men [mlm]

17. Trouble's Brewing

The rest of the group of Mermaids and Men definitely weren't going to like Nicki giving Elijah a hint, but... Well, what they don't know won't hurt them. Nicki was having a bit of difficulty even coming up with a hint. There's just so much to this whole Siren thing that it's hard to even figure out where to begin-- what to even hint to. Any hint Nicki gives Elijah could give away everything, or at least part of it if he's not careful with choosing his words wisely. He knows giving a hint will just make Elijah want to know more, and that's probably not a good thing, but... Well, Elijah said he wouldn't press for more answers, no matter how curious he is, so Nicki will just have to take his word for it.

"Okay... Okay, so I think I've figured out a hint I can give you," Nicki began, nodding his head in approval at what he had come up with. Elijah moved so that he was sitting crisscross on the bed, right in front of Nicki, ready to listen. "Eli... Do you believe in reincarnation?" Nicki went on, earning a confused look from the other man. "You mean... Uhh... Like, you die and--"

"Are reborn as something else, or someone else," Nicki finished for him. Elijah furrowed his brows, a bit confused. "I can't say I do. I don't really believe in there being anything else after you die. I think you die and that's it-- nothing else after that. Just... An empty void," he answered, which had Nicki chuckling a bit awkwardly, tilting his head. "Yeah, well... I used to think that too, honestly, but... Then I learned something that kinda changed everything for me."

"Okay..? I don't really--"

"I know this is going to be weird to hear, but... I've been reincarnated," Nicki cut him off. Elijah stayed silent for a moment only to then let out a small laugh; it definitely was a bit weird to hear. "Really? You've been... Reincarnated?" he questioned, almost a bit jokingly. Nicki sighed and hung his head low, "Yes, I know how it sounds--"

"I don't see how this has anything to do with why you used to me to go through my dad's things, or why you cut me off because it was 'for the best'-- I don't see how it even relates to any of that at all," Elijah interrupted with a raised brow. "It relates-- it's just... Like I told you, it's complicated. All of it is. There's way more to it than just what I'm telling you now. Believe me or not, that's the hint you're getting," Nicki stated, looking back up at the other man with a serious expression on his face. Elijah glanced away, then back at Nicki, eyeing him curiously. "Am I allowed to... Ask you to elaborate on this hint? Not like... Tell me everything, but just, uh... I mean, you said you've been reincarnated. Were you anything specific in a previous life? An animal, or..?"

Nicki averted his gaze for a split second, then averted them back, looking at Elijah with furrowed brows. "I was a person," he answered, watching as Elijah slowly nodded. "Okayyy," he drawled out, scratching at his temple. "I don't really get how you knowing that would bother you, and I also don't see how it has anything to do with me. I mean... This whole secret of yours does have something to do with me, right? Or at least my family-- But then there was your nightmare, which I can only assume was about me because of how you acted when you woke up. Or... Maybe I'm just too full of myself and think everything is about me when it isn't. It's hard not to, though, when you're the one who used me to get to--"

"You're rambling--"

"I know! S-Sorry... You're right, though-- it does raise more questions than answers. But, I said I'd be satisfied with just a hint, and I got it. I just... Well, I was hoping my hint would be something that'd at least give me a clue as to what's got you so bothered... I don't like seeing you lose sleep, or looking so drained and exhausted. The way you act most of the time annoys the hell out of me, but... It also makes me happy. It bothers me that there's nothing I can do to make you feel better," Elijah grumbled, earning a small smile from the Siren, who reached his hand out and placed it on Elijah's leg. "Just having you around makes me feel better," he expressed, causing Elijah's cheeks to burn a bright red. Nicki's smile faded, though, and he glanced away, slowly removing his hand from Elijah's leg, and then leaning back away from him. "I can tell you why this part of the secret bothers me, but it might just make you more worried... Is it something you really want to hear?" he inquired, giving Elijah a serious look. Elijah couldn't help but tense up a bit, already feeling worried just by hearing the tone of Nicki's voice. "I... I told you I don't really believe in reincarnation, so I doubt it'll worry me too much," he paused, then froze after hearing what he just said, quickly waving his hands at Nicki with slightly wide eyes. "N-Not that I'm saying I don't believe you-- I just--"