A SNEAK PREVIEW
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The plan had been to finish Educating Alex at the end of Chapter 6, but it didn't go quite as I intended it, so there is a very real need for Chapters 7 and 8 now, if only to see what Alex had planned for Ryan's birthday. After that I'll eventually write a Chapter 9 dealing with the whole Thanksgiving / Christmas thing and the introduction to Alex's family and then well, we'll see. I have it in mind to maybe send Ryan to study in Europe for a year, once in a lifetime opportunity sort of thing, and see how Alex copes. But that's in the future, I'm not going past Chapter 8 for now as I really, really, really want to write some more of Crux and I'm just not finding time for it.
Anyway, check out the site (http://www.ardveche.com), read the stories, have your say, get in touch, I love hearing from you and I answer them all!! This one took longer than it should have because I stopped to watch 'How to Make an American Quilt Again' and ended up in tears! Thank the stars for Huggable Aussies(TM). Anyway, on with the games, 'Ave, Caesar, morituri te salutant'.
DISCLAIMER
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This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. The author asserts all legal and moral rights (copyright (c) 2001 - www.ardveche.com) to this work and you may not copy it or transmit it in any way except in its entirety and with this disclaimer. This story features descriptions of sex between adult males:
- if such material is prohibited in your jurisdiction, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you're under the legal age to read such material, please DO NOT READ ON, - if you don't like, or are offended by such material, please DO NOT READ ON.
Now, if everyone who is still here is meant to be here or at least aware they shouldn't be, let's get on with it. All comments are welcome and gratefully received (email them to ardveche@ardveche.com).
EDUCATING ALEX VII
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Thursday morning, Alex was a bag of nerves, hopping agitatedly from one foot to the other as I helped him to get ready for his meeting with his scholarship trustees. He had been up before his alarm went off and spent a more than usually long time in the shower, barely even grinning at me as he returned to the bedroom to choose what to wear, a towel wrapped loosely about his waist his beautiful body glistening with tiny diamond droplets of water. I propped myself up on my elbows and watched him poking disconsolately through his shirts, and admired his graceful form for the millionth time. He emerged from this sweeping operation with a checked affair that I had told him several times he ought to throw away. He tossed it onto a chair and resumed rummaging, presumably seeking suitable pants to go with it, some chance!
"Alex?"
"What?" He asked without turning round.
"Want some help?"
"Would you?" He turned, a pleading look in his eyes. "You're much better at this sort of thing than me. And I still have to shave." He put a hand on his chin and rubbed it distractedly, a rueful grin on his face.
"Well for God's sake, try not to cut yourself. I don't want you going in there with bathroom tissue stuck to your face!"
"Okay, Ryan." He turned to head back to the bathroom. "Thanks, buddy."
"No problem, can't have my best guy going looking like a bum." I had slid from the bed and now lifted the checked shirt disdainfully from the chair, lobbing it in his direction. He caught it easily and scowled at me. I knew it was one of his favorite shirts, but it could not have been more wrong for the occasion.
"I like this shirt." He said a touch defensively.
"I know." I frowned at him. "That's why I haven't burnt it yet. You know what? I'm going to have to teach you how to shop, and how to coordinate."
"Maybe next week."
"Ha." I threw open the wardrobe doors and took a step back, so I was standing one foot forward of the other. I crossed one arms across my chest and raised the index finger of the other hand to my lips as I contemplated his shirts. A pose I thought of as my 'great artist considering his subject' stance, and I adopted a French accent to go with it. "Hmm, let me theenk."
"You are too weird." Alex shook his head and left the room.
"No soul." I muttered as he did. I heard the sound of water running and knew he had started his shave, so I started pulling out clothes and arranging them on the bed, not because I was unfamiliar with Alex's wardrobe but so I could return them in a more sensible order than they were currently. It took hardly any time at all to put together the outfit I thought would be most appropriate for him, as I had pretty much had it in mind from the start. I picked out a really nice light blue cotton button-down shirt, some khaki pants with cuffs and his navy-blue blazer. This I complemented with the college tie and a pair of Argyle socks in the same colors. A tad preppy perhaps, but I thought it would be the right look for the venerable gentlemen of the Board.
"Hey, what'm I wearing?" He asked coming up behind me as I admired my handiwork spread out on the foot of the bed. A strong hand closed on my left shoulder and a smooth chin came to rest on the right. A chin, I could not help but notice, which had attached to it a tiny little piece of paper with a red spot in its center tending to pink as it spread. I shook my head and sighed, no matter I had a styptic pencil somewhere that would fix him up in no time, and I never used it, I prefer an electric razor. He smelled strongly of cologne, but it would fade in time for the meeting.
"Ta da!" I said, indicating the clothing I had laid out on the bed. "And I thought your brown loafers'd be just right with it?"
"Hey, you're in charge of the wardrobe." He said amiably as he let me go and walked round me to examine the clothes. "And I'd say you did a pretty good job."
"Best get dressed then." I said with a wicked grin, yanking the towel from his waist as I did and leaving him stark naked in front of me.
"Pervert." He muttered and grinned. "Hey, am I going commando to this thing?" He asked, noticing that I hadn't laid out any underwear for him.
"You know where your shorts are, smart ass." He plonked down onto the bed and lifted his left leg, crossing it over his right knee, to put on a sock. I shook my head at him and despite what I had just said crossed the room and fished a pair of his shorts from the drawer, tossing them to him as he finished putting on his other sock. Again, a deft catch as he stood up, sliding them up his long legs in a graceful, fluid motion, smiling easily at me as he did so. It was like a reverse striptease, I don't think I have ever watched anyone dress as closely as I was watching Alex, and it had ever seemed as erotic before, either! Alex reached for the blue shirt and as he did so, I remembered something I had intended to give him.
"Wait!" I said, dashing out to the living room to retrieve the gift from my coat pocket, I had picked it up on the way back from my Wednesday classes. It was a teardrop of polished turquoise in a silver setting on a short brown leather cord, it hadn't been expensive, but when I saw it while I was casually browsing (all right, I admit it, casually browsing for a gift) it had just called out to me. 'Alex!' It had said. 'I was designed for Alex.' So I bought it. Alex was standing exactly as I left him when I returned a few moments later, shirt still in hand, but he had made no move to put it on.
"What am I waiting for?"
"Close your eyes, babe." I said, moving closer to him.
"Ryan, I don't have time..." He smiled a regretful little smile at me.
"Shh." I placed my finger on his lips and looked him steadily in the eye. "This won't take a second. Now close your eyes." This time he did. "Good boy." I murmured, bringing the hand with the necklace out from behind my back and reaching out to fasten it round his gorgeous neck. "Okay, you can open your eyes."
"Ryan..." His hand flew up to his neck at once as he tried to see what I had given him, but the cord was too short for him to see it properly. It took a few seconds of trying to see down past his own chin before it dawned on him to look in the mirror. All the time, I fiddled self-consciously with the friendship bracelet he had given me, fearful that he'd hate it. "Ryan, this is beautiful." He turned toward me, his entire face lighting up with his most radiant smile, and I grinned back at him like a love-struck schoolboy. "I love it!"
"I thought, you know, you could wear it for luck." I explained, scuffing one foot back and forth on the carpet.
"Luck is good." He nodded sagely and continued to beam at me. "How 'bout I wear it for love as well?"
"Works for me. Gimme a hug, you big lug." I said stepping forward to hug him before I started crying, again! After a second, I stepped away, slapping his shoulder as I did and wiping my face with my other hand. "Now get dressed, you don't want to be late."
"Okay." He pulled the shirt on, and I must say that little teardrop looked fine against his smooth skin, his shirt hanging open. I only had the briefest view of it though as he began to do up the buttons, leaving the top one undone. I handed him the pants, rising to get him a brown belt to wear with them, he accepted them from me as I passed. "Thanks, Ryan, I really mean it."
"My pleasure."
"Oh, thanks." He muttered as I handed him the belt on my way back past him. He slid the belt through the loops and buckled it tightly. "Hey, Ryan?"
"Hmm?" I looked up into his eyes, tearing my gaze from studying how good he looked.
"Could you do the tie for me? I can never get the length right."
"No problem, kiddo." I did as I was bade, picking up the soft silky fabric and stepping toward him I fastened his top button and knotted the tie expertly for him, folding down the collar and buttoning it in place. He kicked his feet into his shoes as I was straightening the knot to my satisfaction, and when I was done he accepted the blazer from me with a wordless grin. I took a step back as he held out his arms and treated me to a little twirl. Standing before me was a real vision of masculine beauty, the clean-cut, all-American boy next door. His broad chest and narrow waist made any jacket look good, his long legs allowed the pants to hang perfectly and his newly short, dirty-blond hair was just on that fine line between rumpled and neat to make him look both handsome and wholesome, and maybe just a little roguish. Add to that his easy smile, strong jaw, outgoing personality and charm, oh, and those wonderful eyes, how could anyone refuse this man anything he ever wanted?
"Okay?"
"Stunning." I replied, then I noticed the little paper square again. "Get your wallet and your keys, I'll be right back." Alex had a habit of changing jackets and neglecting to transfer anything from the pockets of one to the other, and so, locking himself out. More than once I had come back from class to find him sitting on the steps with a sheepish grin on his face. I went to the bathroom and searched through the cabinet for that styptic pencil, finally locating it. That little cut dealt with, Alex was ready to go and dazzle the trustees, and anyone he passed along the way!
"Nervous?" I asked as I brushed off his jacket and generally straightened him up.
"Very."
"Well you certainly tossed and turned last night." I grinned at him. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Not much."
"Not like you, log boy." I laughed, making a joke of his ability to sleep through anything short of nuclear war, and maybe even through that!
"I have sleepless nights." He replied defensively.
"Sure you do."
"Yeah, I do. I used to lie in bed thinking about you on the other side of that wall, that kept me awake." He answered softly. "Knowing you were that close and I couldn't have you."
"Sorry." I muttered, embarrassed to have been making a joke when he was so serious, but I quickly pulled myself together and leaned over to kiss him on the lips. "Well, good luck. Knock 'em dead, handsome."
"I will. Thanks for helping me." He kissed me back and mussed up my hair. "I'll see you later on, make sure you're packed and ready to roll, okay?"
"Okay." I nodded. Alex had finally revealed to me that my birthday surprise featured a trip, and that I should pack for about four days and take something warm, further than that he would not be drawn. I had suggested we wait until we found out what was going to happen with his scholarship money; but he had insisted that if they took it from him the weekend would help to cheer him up and if they let him keep it, it would be a chance to celebrate. Besides, as he pointed out, all the plans were made already.
"Cheer up." He mock punched my jaw as he opened the front door and trotted off down the stairs.
"Alex?" I called as he neared the bottom.
"Yeah?"
"For the record? You could have had me any time, if you'd just moved your sorry ass!"
"Go get dressed!" He called back to me with a shake of his head, but I saw the little smile playing on his lips as he turned away.
I watched him go and slide into the car and stood, in my PJs watching until the car was out of sight. Finally, I closed the door with a sigh and retreated to the kitchen to fret and worry some more over a cup of tea and a piece of toast. It was as well I had decided to skip my Thursday classes and to stay home to prepare for Alex's magical, mystery tour as I wouldn't have been able to concentrate properly anyway. I think I may have been more worried than he was, even though his entire college and sporting career were pretty much resting on the outcome of the meeting. Without his scholarship he might have to drop out of college and if he couldn't get a job around here, maybe even go back home. So as well as his college career, the future of our relationship was hanging in the balance too.
I killed time by tidying the apartment, vacuuming the carpets, rearranging and dusting stuff. I keep the place neat, but I don't think it was ever as clean and tidy as it was by noon that day, I had even re-alphabetized all the CDs! I stood in the middle of the living room, hands on hips and surveyed my handiwork, it sparkled. I was still dressed as I had been when Alex left, so I decided to take a shower and get dressed properly before I packed for the trip. After a sorry looking sandwich for lunch (where the hell was he?), I packed two bags of clothes for me and Alex and made sure I had toothbrushes and razors and the million other little things Alex would be sure to forget if he had been left to handle things himself. A couple of thick sweaters went into a third bag and then, with a defeated shrug, I returned to the living room to wait.
After I had watched awful talk shows on the TV for what felt like a year, but was in fact little more than three-quarters of an hour in a state of increasing agitation, I heard a car pulling up outside and leapt to my feet. I had flung open the front door before Alex's foot was on the first step, he grinned up at me as he took the rest two at a time.
"Where have you been!" I demanded as he reached the top.
"Oh, shut up, Ryan!" He said, grabbing me round the waist and forcing me back into the living room where he picked me up and spun me round and round. "They're letting me stay!"
"They are?" I had so expected bad news I could now scarcely process what he was telling me. I was dumbfounded, and pretty dizzy.
"Yes!" He hefted me off my feet again. "They're letting me stay, Ryan!"
"Oh, God, Alex I am so happy!" I laughed and kissed him repeatedly on the cheeks, lips, forehead, anywhere I could aim a kiss between him bouncing me around.
"Woo hoo!" He yelled to the ceiling, finally setting me back on my feet. His tie was hanging out his shirt pocket, and I could see the pendant I had given him in the V of his shirt, he threw the blazer onto the couch and sighed heavily, he looked even better like that than he had when he left that morning. "Guess it worked." He said, fingering the little stone bauble. "Guess it did bring me luck."
"Their decision had nothing to do with luck, Alex, it was about you, and your abilities."
"And a little luck..." He smiled.
"No." I interrupted.
"A little luck that I met a man who just wouldn't let me give up." He finished and continued just to stand and smile at me, I had to hug him again and press my lips to his neck and laugh and cry all at once. He thought I was the lucky one? I felt like a great weight had been lifted off my chest, a weight that had been crushing and asphyxiating me and now I could move and breathe freely again. I couldn't begin to imagine the relief Alex must be feeling as he flopped onto the couch with a whoosh of expelled air, passing both hands back through his hair.
"So tell me all about it?" I demanded, throwing myself down beside him.
"As we drive." He replied, grinning mischievously. "We have a long journey ahead, want to get there before dark and I have to change, shower and pack still."
"I packed your stuff." I answered, but couldn't resist another little jab. "As well as I could without knowing where we were going."
"You'll find out, sweet cheeks." He leapt to his feet and bounded from the room before I could hurt him for using such a dumb nickname. I was going to chase him, but decided not to bother, I had a better idea. I waited until I heard the water running and sauntered through to the kitchen, gave it a few more seconds then turned the hot water on full in the sink. Moments later I was rewarded with a howl from the bathroom. Mission accomplished, I turned the faucet off again, a smug, satisfied little grin on my face.
"Asshole!" I heard a faint yell from the bathroom as the water returned to its accustomed temperature. Another of the many things I love about Alex, he and I shower at the same temperature, used to drive me mad having to keep changing it every time John took a shower. Looking back on things, that was probably one of the least annoying things John did, Meg was right, what had I ever seen in that Ken doll? I took the liberty of emptying the pockets of Alex's blazer and hanging it up again while I waited for him and he rejoined me eventually in the living room looking more casual in jeans and T-shirt and that checked shirt from earlier. I decided to let him off with it for the time being. "That was not funny."
"Sure it was."
"You could have damaged me for life." He grinned at me.
"That would have been a shame." I said winking and casting my gaze crotch-wards. "Sorry, Alex."
"So are you ready to go?" He asked ignoring me completely.
"Are you going to put shoes on?" I nodded at his feet.
"Yes, mom, I'm going to put shoes on." He replied sarcastically, shaking his head at me. "Of course, I can't actually find my boots. They were in here yesterday."
"Oh. I tidied up a bit." I looked suitably contrite. "They're in the bedroom." He gave me a dazzling grin.
"Do you know you're doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Saying 'the' bedroom instead of 'my' bedroom." He cocked his head on one side and I looked at him blankly, I hadn't been aware of doing it at all. "And when Meg was here you called it the 'spare' room and not 'Alex's' room."
"You over-analyze." I muttered, embarrassed by this observation, and in self-defense I accused him of the very thing I was most guilty of myself. But he was right, I had, and internally I was proud of myself for doing it, even if it wasn't intentional. Especially if it wasn't intentional!
"Yeah right." He snorted and then clapping his hands together he started barking commands at me like some sort of drill instructor. "C'mon, Thomson, let's hustle. Move your lazy butt." I was followed around until I was dressed to leave, then a bag was thrust into my arms and we were heading for the car, leaving the cozy apartment behind for a long drive to only Alex knew where. We chatted sporadically on the drive, he seemed to be studying the road pretty intently, and I got the story of what had happened that day. Seemed it hadn't been an ordeal at all, he'd met with the trustees and they had been impressed with the testimonials he had provided and with his seeming commitment to digging himself out of trouble. He had even been praised for acting so quickly to rectify the situation. Then they had just sat around chatting about the old days and about our chances in various sports this year, as though they'd known him his whole life.
"Look out for a turn-off on the right would you?" Alex asked me after we had been driving for around four hours and the roads had taken on a distinctly rural look. The one we were on now snaked through the trees climbing gently into the hills, undeniably pretty but where were the people, the buildings; damn it where was Starbucks? There were, like, animals and stuff out here, and not cute furry ones either, big scary ones.
"Where in the hell are you taking me, Meriwether?" I asked him as I kept my eyes open for this alleged turn off. "To Alaska?"
"Not quite." He flashed me a grin and returned his concentration to the road.
"I give up." I told the car generally, it didn't answer. Then I caught sight of a break in the trees up ahead. "Is that your turn-off?" I asked pointing to it, praying this journey was almost over and I could take a leak.
"Must be. Well spotted, Lieutenant Clark." I was impressed, I had thought when he ignored my 'Lewis' crack it was because he hadn't understood it. We turned off what I will, laughingly, call the main road and onto one that was little more than a dirt track which soon disappeared among the trees ahead. I began to worry, it was a little too 'Blair Witch Project' out here for my liking, where in the hell were we going? We had brought nothing with us for camping out, I thought as we bounced along, it would be pretty typical of Alex to set off on a camping trip and forget his tent.
"This is it!" Alex suddenly said, excitement in his voice as we entered a clearing, I yanked my attention from the trees and looked straight ahead. It was a fair size clearing and at one side of it, perched near the edge of a cliff was, well, a log cabin. Trees surrounded us on three sides, on the fourth the ground dropped away dramatically affording an absolutely spectacular view. This was the last thing I had been expecting and I simply sat and gaped at the scene before me. "What do you think, handsome?" He said bringing the car to a stop near the steps of the cabin.
"Wow." I said, turning to look at him. "Wow. It's amazing Alex. How did you find this place?"
"It's Blair's uncle's place." He said, beaming at my expression. "He said I could borrow it for a few days, look, keys and everything!" He held up a set of keys and jangled them in front of my face
"I'm impressed."
"C'mon let's get the stuff inside and go sit on the porch for the sunset. The view down the valley will blow your mind." He clambered out of the car, stretching his legs and swinging his arms about to relieve the stiffness in his shoulders. I made a mental not to look into that for him later as he popped open the trunk and handed me a box full of groceries.
"When did you get this?"
"After the trustee thing." He flashed me a grin. "I'm not as disorganized as you think. Blair said the place'd be stocked with basic stuff, but I didn't want us to starve."
"Again, I'm impressed." I felt a tiny pang of guilt at my earlier uncharitable thought about his organizational skills. I accepted the box with a little shake of my head and waited patiently as he hooked one of the bags in my fingers hefting the other two himself in one hand. He slammed the trunk shut hurriedly and trotted lightly up the steps to unlock the door. On closer inspection this place was no basic log cabin, it was solidly built with stone foundations and looked really well maintained. The key turned in the lock and Alex motioned me ahead of him pulling the door closed as he followed me in. I heard him put down the bags and then there was a click and the room was flooded with light, so we had electricity at least. We were standing in a large room that apparently occupied most of the first floor, serving as living room, dining room and kitchen all in one and dominated by a huge stone fireplace and chimney. To the rear were two doors, one of which I assumed led to the bathroom, and a set of stairs leading up into the rafters where I guessed we'd find the bed. Opposite us was another door which presumably led out onto the porch I could now see through the picture window and the spectacular view beyond.
"Well?"
"You did good, buddy." I grinned at him, dropping my bag and moving to put the box in the kitchen before my arms were pulled off. It was cold in there. "Why don't you see about a fire while I put this stuff away?"
"Okay." He replied, placing his bags beside mine and heading away from me to the fire place. I found a well laid out kitchen, all modern equipment and an ample supply of canned food. Swinging open the fridge I was astonished to see a bottle of champagne chilling in there and a box on the top shelf held shut with a rubber band. A note had been slipped under the rubber band, so I slipped it free and read it. 'Happy birthday, Ryan, I told you he was one of the good ones, didn't I? Welcome to paradise, have fun! Blair. PS Don't do anything I wouldn't do. PPS Actually, strike that, do lots I wouldn't do, and often!!' I burst out laughing, startling Alex who was rooting around looking for matches.
"What?" He asked, looking at me quizzically.
"Blair's been up here. He left us champagne, a note, and..." I paused to pull the box from the fridge and examine the contents. "And, would you believe, sushi?"
"Really?"
"Really." I tipped the box a little so he could see from where he was standing. "What a great guy. Listen to this..." I read Alex the note and he laughed hysterically at it.
"He's a good friend." Alex said with a fond expression when he had stopped laughing.
"Yes, he is." I replied nodding firmly and then, with a shake of my head, returned to putting away Alex's groceries. He had brought good practical things like bread and milk, enough vegetables to make a pretty impressive salad, pasta, cans of soup, a bag of coffee and a few bottles of wine as well as various other odds and ends, including a box of candles. With what was already there, and the meat I discovered in the freezer, we would be eating pretty well during our stay. By the time I was done putting stuff away Alex had got the fire started, it wasn't roaring, but it was well on it's way. I found a corkscrew in a drawer and opened one of Alex's bottles, pouring us each a glass and wandered towards him.
"I think that's lit." He announced straightening up and accepting a glass from me.
"So what about this sunset you promised me?"
"Of course." He smiled broadly and took my hand leading me out onto the porch where we sat in the dwindling light on a swing and looked down over the valley as the sky turned a brilliant peachy-orange, dwindling through red and pink to violet and finally black. It was quite a sight, and I relaxed against Alex as he slipped an arm round my shoulders and enjoyed the utter silence there with him. In the far distance I could see the twinkling lights of a small town, reminding me how far we really were from other people, the strongest light was from the moon and its hazy reflection on the lake at the valley floor. Every so often there was a small rustling from the trees and once I heard an owl, I don't think I have ever been as far from civilization, or as happy to be so.
"Thanks Alex, this is the best present ever."
"I haven't given you your present yet." He murmured looking down at me with a wink. "Let's go inside before it gets too cold." We returned on stiff legs to the interior of the cabin which was now pleasantly warm from the fire which Alex proceeded to build up with logs from a basket. "Don't want this going out. They'd find our frozen bodies up here in Spring."
"What?"
"I'm kidding, city boy."
"It wasn't funny."
"Shall we eat?" He grinned at me. "All this wilderness living has made me hungry." He winked at me, he found it amusing that I could consider this well appointed little cabin as the wilderness, but cut me some slack I was born and raised in a city.
"Sure. What?"
"Let's leave the sushi, just now, Blair said there'd be steaks in the freezer?"
"There are."
"Okay, well defrost them in the microwave and I'll put the bags upstairs?"
"Fair enough." I left him to deal with the unpacking (almost certainly a mistake) and shucked my jacket to make a start on dinner. I decided on baked potatoes and quickly got the oven on while I defrosted the meat. A light salad to accompany was the order of the day, and the rest of the bottle of wine I had opened. I figured I could have a pretty hearty meal for two ready in under an hour. Alex came down from unpacking and sat sipping his wine and chatting to me as I cooked and in no time at all we were tucking into the steaks with a second bottle.
"Remember that night?" He asked, gesturing at the wine. "When I cooked and we both got so drunk?"
"Vividly."
"Well, to that night, the beginning of all that's right in my life." He raised his glass in a toast.
"And mine too." I added, clinking my glass against his.
When we finished, Alex instructed me to go and sit by the fire while he took care of the dishes. I wanted to leave them until the morning but he said he was damned if he was going to have me washing dishes on my birthday. I decided to acquiesce this one time and settled myself comfortably on the rub, my back against the couch, kicking off my shoes and wriggling my toes contentedly in front of the flames. I was pleasantly drunk, sleepy and thoroughly relaxed and I barely noticed the passage of time until Alex was beside me, poking the fire and adding another log. Finally he too kicked off his boots and sat beside me.
"This is wonderful." I murmured, allowing myself to slide sideways and rest my head on his shoulder.
"I could get used to it." He whispered back. We stayed like that until we finished the wine, then he took my hand and stroked it gently as I began to doze. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but I was brought back to the present by the sound of Alex's soft voice speaking to me. "C'mon, sleepy head, let's get y'all into bed." The fire had died down a little, but there was a fresh log on it and he had placed a screen in front of it.
"'kay." I murmured, still half asleep I allowed him to pull me to my feet and lead me up the stairs to the bed. It was a huge pine affair with crisp white sheets and a multicolored and obviously hand-made patchwork quilt. We changed in silence and slid, gratefully under the cool sheet and the blissful weight of the blankets and the quilt. I remember nothing after Alex snuggled up against my back, wrapping his arms around me, and kissed me on the cheek. I wriggled a little to make myself more comfortable, allowing him to all but cover me with his body.
"Night, Ryan."
"Ng." I replied intelligently and was asleep almost immediately thereafter.
To Be Continued