Heart in a Cage

Heart in a Cage

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Alex had that awful habit of putting his heart into his pocket without even a string on it.

It ended up everywhere. There was this one time in their early days when Miles stayed in Alex's home. He was about to go to the train station and get back to Liverpool while Alex declared that he could not find his heart.

Miles missed that train, helping Alex look for it. Eventually Miles found it jammed under the side handle of his suitcase. "Jesus fuck, how did it get here?" Miles held it in his hands cautiously. It was his best mate's heart he was holding. Even if he acted all so protective and caring like it was the most precious thing in the world, Alex wouldn't be able to tell Miles' secret hopeless love for him.

"Oh, thanks mate!" Alex took it back and put his heart back into his pocket carelessly, blushing a bit out of embarrassment. "Come on, Miles. Let's get out of here."

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It happened even more often when they were recording the first record in Paris. Miles found Alex's heart in every corner of the hotel room they shared.

One morning he somehow woke up early and decided to make them tea. Miles was a blink away from pouring the boiling water into his tea cup when he spotted something red and moving inside.

"Damn it, Al!" He threw away the kettle in horror. Alex moved a little in bed and his heart jumped out of the cup to nest in Miles' palms.

"Why can't you put it on a leash or something?" Miles hissed, still recovering from what could have happened if he hadn't casted a glance at his cup.

Alex grabbed it and put his heart under the pillow. Miles immediately missed the warmth.

"Couldn't write shit if I do." He murmured in an adorable low voice, not giving a fuck about the almost happened accident. "What about you, Miles? I've never seen yours."

Miles nearly choked on his tea. "I don't carry it with me. Left it at home with me mum." He lied.

He felt relieved but also disappointed when Alex believed it.

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In one of the afterparties after their gig, Miles was chatting with someone at the bar while Alex sat with the rest of the band. They had only three more shows left. He didn't want to be at the same table with Alex all the time. It was already hard enough for him to leave Alex's side without being with him for so long.

He didn't even remember the girl's name. She was just walking pass him and tripped a little on her heels. Miles quickly offered his hands to help her, his mind too tangled with the little prince sitting behind him to start a proper conversation.

She smiled at him and was about to turned away and ordered her drinks, when something hit Miles heavily right in the stomach. "Ouch! What the fu—" Miles doubled over. People around him all gasped in surprise.

It was Alex's wandering heart.

He came back to their table and Alex was drunk. He gave Miles an almost smugly smile when he put the heart back into Alex's shaky fingers. "Sit next to me, Mi." Alex patted on the way too small empty space beside himself.

Miles sighed. He sat down and Alex's thigh was pressed up tightly against his. Miles drank with him. Quickly, he forgot about his lonely heart hiding in the corner of his suitcase. There was no need for Alex to know.

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To be fair, they still saw each other quite often even when they were doing their own things.