Well here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. No, Numbuh 4 and
Numbuh 3 are not going steady, the OTHER thing you've been waiting for. I
tried to make it as convincing as possible while keeping both Numbuh 1 and
Lizzie in character. Have fun reading this. And now for the formalities; I
do not own any of the KND characters, but I do love saying Nigel. Say it
with me now, NIGEL!
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Although the sun was shining warm and bright, there was a light chill in the air. It reminded Nigel of the pervious night when he and Lizzie were on the beach. Only this time he wasn't in the mood for romance. He looked to her cherub face, his frowning with a mix of emotions. She was smiling at him, all lovey-dovey, completely unaware of the pain ripping at his heart.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked sweetly.
He inhaled deeply, his breath shuttering. How could he put this best? He could barely comprehend what he was thinking, never mind putting it into words.
"I told you I was going on a mission today Lizzie." He spoke, trying to steady his voice. "Why did you show up?"
"Weren't you happy to see me?" she pouted her lips.
"Not really." He whispered mostly to himself. Her eyes widened, shocked and sad. "I mean--- I wasn't expecting to see you. What you did was very dangerous."
"I wanted to see you again." She whined.
Although he kept his eyes hidden behind his shades, the movement of his eyebrows displayed his emotions.
"You could have called me, let me know that. You don't just drop in uninvited, especially during a mission."
"I just thought I'd surprise you." She looked to the ground with a guilty look. He moved closer to her, his voice remaining soft, gentle and calm.
"You surprised me alright. But you were taking a huge risk. You're not a trained member of the Kids Next Door. You could have endangered yourself, me, or my friends."
She stuck out her lower lip, slightly annoyed. She hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
"Oh, who cares about your stupid friends?"
He gripped her shoulders and pushed her away, keeping her at arms length. He looked her directly in the eyes, sternly.
"*I* care about my stupid friends." Ignoring the pain in his chest he continued, though he loosened his ridged stance slightly. "And that's another thing. Why don't you ever try to get along with my friends? You're always insulting them."
She looked up at him, anger shimmering in her magnified orbs.
"They're getting in the way of *US* Nigel."
"I don't go around insulting your friends." He continued, suddenly his face washed over with confusion. "Do--- you have any friends besides me?"
"Silly," she giggled, managing to hug him again, "You're the only one I need. And you should feel the same about me."
Again he had to push her from him. He had to make her realize the importance of what he was trying to tell her. But it was hard; he knew this was going to hurt her. This had to be worded perfectly, to dampen the pain for the both of them. He had to be a gentle as possible; he knew how fragile she was.
"That's the problem Lizzie." His eyes glistened as he struggled to speak. "I *DON'T* feel the same way. I have--- other responsibilities in my life."
She looked away from him crossing her arms. She knew immediately what he was talking about. She sat herself on the curb staring across the street.
"You mean--- them." She spat viciously.
Nigel sat down next to her. He watched her pouting face, failing to hide the guilt he was feeling. He meditated on putting his arm around her. But instead settled on taking her hands in his own and reestablishing eye contact. Trying to explain himself, his voice smooth with the charm that allowed him to be both a leader and a lover.
"My teammates are important to me. So is my work, I've told you this. There are certain boundaries between that part of my life and what we have together that you don't seem to take seriously. I care about you very much and I don't want to see you getting hurt."
She smiled at him as his eyebrows shifted to a more concerned look. The unsteadiness returned to his words.
"But considering what happened earlier, I see now that I can't separate my personal life from my work with the Kids Next Door as easily as I thought I could." His hands started shaking, he averted his gaze from her as his lower lip trembled. "I know now what I have to do."
Lizzie watched her pale beau dreamily. What ever he was trying to say, it was coming out with much difficulty. She noticed his eyes quivering with uncertainty behind his glasses. The dark lenses hiding the source of the stream of tears running down his cheeks. He lowered his head, biting his lip to get his quaking under control. Breathing deeply, slowly, squeezing his eyes shut. Trying his hardest to let his heart become cold, frozen, uncaring. But the ice crystals only stabbed, tormenting further. 'Decision time Nigel' he told himself in his mind, 'you're doing this for her.' He took one last look at those worshipping eyes, knowing all too well they'd never be the same.
"Lizzie, I--- I can't date you anymore---."
Her sweet angelic expression suddenly melted away to a frightening look of outrage.
"What?!" She screamed, causing him to cringe.
If it was he who was dumping her, why did it feel like some invisible force had reached into his chest and had begun crushing his heart?
"I, I'm terribly sorry." He couldn't make it better. "It's me, not you."
She sniffled, tears filling her eyes. The look on her face was salt on his gaping wound.
"You're dumping me?"
He nodded, she began bawling.
"But Nigie, why!?"
He had to be truthful, he owed her that much.
"It's my commitment to the Kids Next Door---"
"Can't you dump them instead?" She looked to him with a pleading gaze. When he hesitated to answer her glare became more intense, more angry.
"It doesn't work that way." He finally said. She tugged his arm and sobbed on his shoulder. Slowly he embraced her, every tear dripping from her face made the hold on his heart tighter, the guilt in his mind more overpowering, the pain in his soul more hellish.
"You can't do this!" She demanded between sniffles. "What we have is special!"
"I know," he said, "neither of us wants this, but this is how it has to be."
"I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!" She shook his shoulders, gripping them tightly, hurting him. Snarling with each breath she waited for his response.
"I'm doing this for you." He insisted, "So you don't get hurt." She stopped shaking him.
"For me?" her softness returned. He smiled at her; glad his demeanor was changing back to normal.
"Yes, believe me, if I weren't with the Kids Next Door things would be different. I can't be a good boyfriend if I'm too busy with missions. It wouldn't be fair to you." Her tears ebbed to a trickle. "This just means we can't date. I'm hoping---that we can be friends."
His composure was regained watching her start to smile again. Neither of them were crying anymore. It seemed they had reached a mutual ground.
"You mean it?" She asked.
"Of course I do!" He grinned. "I mean, we won't be able to see each other as much as before and you can't drop by the tree house, but if we respect each other's boundaries this could actually work!" He was so exited. This was playing out better then he had planned. His anguish lessened, he shook Lizzie's hand. "Well then, here's to our new plutonic relationship. I'm so glad this worked out." He got up and began walking away. "We'll keep in touch. I'm so happy you understand Lizzie. I really am."
"I understand Nigel, I understand completely." She called to him as he headed down the street and towards the tree house in the distance. She smiled to herself as he vanished over the horizon and finished her statement.
"If I want you back, all I have to do is--- DESTROY THE KIDS NEXT DOOR!"
[To Be Continued]
^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^_
Although the sun was shining warm and bright, there was a light chill in the air. It reminded Nigel of the pervious night when he and Lizzie were on the beach. Only this time he wasn't in the mood for romance. He looked to her cherub face, his frowning with a mix of emotions. She was smiling at him, all lovey-dovey, completely unaware of the pain ripping at his heart.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked sweetly.
He inhaled deeply, his breath shuttering. How could he put this best? He could barely comprehend what he was thinking, never mind putting it into words.
"I told you I was going on a mission today Lizzie." He spoke, trying to steady his voice. "Why did you show up?"
"Weren't you happy to see me?" she pouted her lips.
"Not really." He whispered mostly to himself. Her eyes widened, shocked and sad. "I mean--- I wasn't expecting to see you. What you did was very dangerous."
"I wanted to see you again." She whined.
Although he kept his eyes hidden behind his shades, the movement of his eyebrows displayed his emotions.
"You could have called me, let me know that. You don't just drop in uninvited, especially during a mission."
"I just thought I'd surprise you." She looked to the ground with a guilty look. He moved closer to her, his voice remaining soft, gentle and calm.
"You surprised me alright. But you were taking a huge risk. You're not a trained member of the Kids Next Door. You could have endangered yourself, me, or my friends."
She stuck out her lower lip, slightly annoyed. She hugged him, burying her face in his chest.
"Oh, who cares about your stupid friends?"
He gripped her shoulders and pushed her away, keeping her at arms length. He looked her directly in the eyes, sternly.
"*I* care about my stupid friends." Ignoring the pain in his chest he continued, though he loosened his ridged stance slightly. "And that's another thing. Why don't you ever try to get along with my friends? You're always insulting them."
She looked up at him, anger shimmering in her magnified orbs.
"They're getting in the way of *US* Nigel."
"I don't go around insulting your friends." He continued, suddenly his face washed over with confusion. "Do--- you have any friends besides me?"
"Silly," she giggled, managing to hug him again, "You're the only one I need. And you should feel the same about me."
Again he had to push her from him. He had to make her realize the importance of what he was trying to tell her. But it was hard; he knew this was going to hurt her. This had to be worded perfectly, to dampen the pain for the both of them. He had to be a gentle as possible; he knew how fragile she was.
"That's the problem Lizzie." His eyes glistened as he struggled to speak. "I *DON'T* feel the same way. I have--- other responsibilities in my life."
She looked away from him crossing her arms. She knew immediately what he was talking about. She sat herself on the curb staring across the street.
"You mean--- them." She spat viciously.
Nigel sat down next to her. He watched her pouting face, failing to hide the guilt he was feeling. He meditated on putting his arm around her. But instead settled on taking her hands in his own and reestablishing eye contact. Trying to explain himself, his voice smooth with the charm that allowed him to be both a leader and a lover.
"My teammates are important to me. So is my work, I've told you this. There are certain boundaries between that part of my life and what we have together that you don't seem to take seriously. I care about you very much and I don't want to see you getting hurt."
She smiled at him as his eyebrows shifted to a more concerned look. The unsteadiness returned to his words.
"But considering what happened earlier, I see now that I can't separate my personal life from my work with the Kids Next Door as easily as I thought I could." His hands started shaking, he averted his gaze from her as his lower lip trembled. "I know now what I have to do."
Lizzie watched her pale beau dreamily. What ever he was trying to say, it was coming out with much difficulty. She noticed his eyes quivering with uncertainty behind his glasses. The dark lenses hiding the source of the stream of tears running down his cheeks. He lowered his head, biting his lip to get his quaking under control. Breathing deeply, slowly, squeezing his eyes shut. Trying his hardest to let his heart become cold, frozen, uncaring. But the ice crystals only stabbed, tormenting further. 'Decision time Nigel' he told himself in his mind, 'you're doing this for her.' He took one last look at those worshipping eyes, knowing all too well they'd never be the same.
"Lizzie, I--- I can't date you anymore---."
Her sweet angelic expression suddenly melted away to a frightening look of outrage.
"What?!" She screamed, causing him to cringe.
If it was he who was dumping her, why did it feel like some invisible force had reached into his chest and had begun crushing his heart?
"I, I'm terribly sorry." He couldn't make it better. "It's me, not you."
She sniffled, tears filling her eyes. The look on her face was salt on his gaping wound.
"You're dumping me?"
He nodded, she began bawling.
"But Nigie, why!?"
He had to be truthful, he owed her that much.
"It's my commitment to the Kids Next Door---"
"Can't you dump them instead?" She looked to him with a pleading gaze. When he hesitated to answer her glare became more intense, more angry.
"It doesn't work that way." He finally said. She tugged his arm and sobbed on his shoulder. Slowly he embraced her, every tear dripping from her face made the hold on his heart tighter, the guilt in his mind more overpowering, the pain in his soul more hellish.
"You can't do this!" She demanded between sniffles. "What we have is special!"
"I know," he said, "neither of us wants this, but this is how it has to be."
"I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!" She shook his shoulders, gripping them tightly, hurting him. Snarling with each breath she waited for his response.
"I'm doing this for you." He insisted, "So you don't get hurt." She stopped shaking him.
"For me?" her softness returned. He smiled at her; glad his demeanor was changing back to normal.
"Yes, believe me, if I weren't with the Kids Next Door things would be different. I can't be a good boyfriend if I'm too busy with missions. It wouldn't be fair to you." Her tears ebbed to a trickle. "This just means we can't date. I'm hoping---that we can be friends."
His composure was regained watching her start to smile again. Neither of them were crying anymore. It seemed they had reached a mutual ground.
"You mean it?" She asked.
"Of course I do!" He grinned. "I mean, we won't be able to see each other as much as before and you can't drop by the tree house, but if we respect each other's boundaries this could actually work!" He was so exited. This was playing out better then he had planned. His anguish lessened, he shook Lizzie's hand. "Well then, here's to our new plutonic relationship. I'm so glad this worked out." He got up and began walking away. "We'll keep in touch. I'm so happy you understand Lizzie. I really am."
"I understand Nigel, I understand completely." She called to him as he headed down the street and towards the tree house in the distance. She smiled to herself as he vanished over the horizon and finished her statement.
"If I want you back, all I have to do is--- DESTROY THE KIDS NEXT DOOR!"
[To Be Continued]
