I'm always here (NovaHD)

Look at me

'Ah, that's great! I'll definitely be there, yeah. Thanks a lot guys, see you in a little while!' Aleks hung up the phone and gave a small 'woop' of delight. 

'What's up?' questioned Dan, looking up from his computer.

'That was the tattoo place, someone cancelled so they called me up to say they could fit me in today instead of next week!' 

'Oh that's pretty lucky, huh!' Dan gave Aleks a thumbs up and then returned to looking at his screen. Aleks hung around by the phone, playing with his hands.

'Uh, Dan?' 

'Mhmm?'

'I uh, don't suppose you wanna come with?'

'Ahh sorry Aleks, tattoo places freak me out. I hate needles, with a passion.' Dan shrugged. 'Why don't you ask James?'

Aleks hesitated before giving a nonchalant nod of the head. 'Okay.'

He walked out of the room, but paused by the stairs. Truth be told, he and James had been acting a little different towards each other since the events of the previous week. Not in an awkward way, just a little more polite and refined. The guys hadn't really noticed it, at least he hoped they hadn't. He could do without the questions seeing as he himself didn't really know what, (if anything) had occured between him and James. 

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he sighed and began to climb the stairs. He stopped by James' door and knocked quietly. 

'Yeah?' came a voice from the inside. Aleks stepped inside, but stayed hovering by the door. James was knelt on the floor, packing an assortment of cables into a cardboard box. He turned his head to see who it was. 'You don't usually knock, asshole.'

Aleks shrugged. 'Well, you're up here alone, I dunno, you could've been doing anything.'

James smirked and got up, looking at Aleks with raised eyebrows. 'What do you want?'

'Uh..the tattoo parlour just called and they said they could fit me in today.'

'And..?'

'I, well they'll be doing the inner part of my arm..'

James tilted his head, prompting Aleks to continue.

'Damn dude, it's like one of the most painful places to get a tattoo!'

'Sooo?'

'So I need you to come with me, you fuck!' 

James grinned. 'Was that so hard?' 

Aleks glared at him. 'Are you coming or not.'

'Don't worry Aleksandr, I'll be there.' James patted him on the shoulder, chuckling at the Russians defiant expression. 

A couple of hours later, the two pulled up to the tattoo parlour. As Aleks unplugged his iPod from the car stereo, James noticed that his hands were trembling a little. Unusually, he decided not to say anything, he understood that tattoos were painful, and he didn't want to make Aleks any more nervous. As they entered the building, the guy working at the reception desk greeted Aleks with a high five. 

'What's up man?! Mark'll be with you in a few minutes, he's just finishing his break. You nervous?'

Aleks laughed quietly. 'Nah..'

The guy just raised his eyebrows and pointed to a couple of chairs in the corner of the room.

Aleks and James walked over and sat down, Aleks was wringing his hands unconsciously, and jiggling his leg up and down. He was visually nervous, so God knows, thought James, what he's thinking on the inside.