The Beau & the Beast

47 - Friends

-Belmont-

"Three days?" Masson sighed exhausted.

"Looks like you need it."  I grinned.

Alex threw himself back in the grass and rubbed his face, "I need three fucking weeks!"

"Pft, jump down from the high horse boy," I laughed and punched him playfully.

He let his arms fall over his head and I sighed at the wide smug grin that spread across his face.
"I'm worth more, Gaston wouldn't have managed without me."

"We know."

He shook his head and sat up with his arms resting on his knees and stared intensely at me. "So explain to me why he gets all the glory and I get three fucking days off ?!"

I took a deep breath and sat down next to him.
"It's a game, everything's part of Lumiere's plan."

"So we're just pawns in his game," he muttered, "as usual then."

"Do you have any better suggestions?"

"You and Clocksworth then? Are you also just pieces in his little puzzle?"

"Be careful Alex."  I warned in a low voice, "Don't say things you will regret."

He muttered something inaudible and rubbed his forehead, "I just want to know that I made the right decision when I moved here. Otherwise I could just as easily have stayed with the other idiot."

I put a soothing hand on his knee. "You did the right thing."

"I hope so."  He sighed and leaned his head against my shoulder, "I'm just so bloody tired, so completely worn out."

"We know, that's why you got a vacation."

"Thanks."  He muttered sarcastically.

"Do you regret coming here?"

He fiddled to get a mushed pack of cigarettes out of his jeans pocket.  "Not yet."

"You know we like you."

"We?"  He laughed and gave me a questioning smile.

"Me and Clock."

"I knew you two were close but wow."  He teased me but I didn't mind.

"It happens when you have been through a lot together."

He lit a cig and shrugged, "I know nothing about that."

"You and Dominic seem to be pretty close, aren't you?"

He nodded slowly and once again I saw a glimpse of the little boy who was trapped inside him.  "We are more like brothers than friends."

I snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and took a puff.  "We're friends."

He frowned and snatched the cigarette back, "You and I?"

"I have your back."

He nodded slowly as he lowered his gaze to the grass, "Why?"

"Because I've been where you are," I laughed and ruffled his hair, "and I've always wanted a little brother."

He was silent for a long time and I noticed that he was unsure of how he should react to my words.
With great effort he finally mumbled a dull, "Thank you."  It was not much but it made me smile because I knew it came from the heart.

  "Don't ponder too much on Lumiere and his plans, just do as they say and wait."

"On?"

"On Clocksworth's order."