Proposal

The water was getting cold or the air was cooling against my skin. Alex was lounging beneath me. I shifted and Alex groaned, “Don’t tell me you want another round?”

I kissed his neck and shook my head, “No, I’m good. Just getting cold.”

Alex shifted underneath me and sat up, “We should get out and get dinner going.” Alex fell back, “Actually, I don’t want to do that if it means you aren’t going to be here in the morning.” Alex grabbed my chin and kissed me hard. “I don’t want you to go. Hunter keeps running to you don’t you think that means anything? Like maybe you belong here with us.”

“I can’t be him Alex. I love you but I can’t be him.” I climbed out of the tub and found a white fluffy towel and held it up to my face and kept the tears from falling to my cheeks.

The water splashed on to the floor. Alex’s arms wrapped around me from behind, his face pressed into the crock of my neck and shoulder. “I don’t want you to be him, Nox. I just want you here with me. With us. I fucking love you.”

“You love the idea of him being me.”

Alex turned me around and took my chin in his hand, “I like the idea yes, but I can’t get you out of my head. You feel like home Nox.” He took my hands and placed them on the counter. “Stay right here.”

I didn’t move a muscle, my body went rigid with desire and obedience and Alex left the bathroom. I heard him rummaging around in the room adjacent to us. He swore a little and then he sounded triumphant and came back in still naked as when he left. His fingers wrapped around something. 

He chuckled to himself as he put his hands on the counter next to mine and looked at me. It didn’t bother him at all that we were both standing their naked. He smiled, “In my head it sounds a lot better. So I’m not going to play games here” Alex got down on one knee and he held a ring in the palm of his hand. “Marry me.”

I blinked at him and he smiled at me, “I know it’s his ring, but it wasn’t a proposal. He made it to match the one he made me.”

“So you are married.”

Alex shook his head, “No. I’m just being honest, Nox. We never got married in the traditional sense. I didn’t even say yes exactly. He was declaring his love in the only way he knew how. Something I’d understand.”

“Because you were human. And now you are doing the same to me?” I was getting annoyed.

“No. I want you. I want you here with me. I want to love you, make you my husband. Walk down the fucking aisle in white dress if I have to.”

I laughed, but I clamped my lips shut again and tried to be serious. “I guess I should do better than you then?”

Alex laughed, “If you want to leave me naked and literally hanging, I could survive it.”

I knelt down next to Alex and kissed him softly, “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

Alex grinned against my lips, “So move in.”

“What before we tie the knot?” I giggled softly.

Alex pulled me close and kissed me harder, “I can get a priest here in minutes if that’s what you want.”

I grinned. “How about I make dinner for the family, spend the night and see how it goes? Then we can discuss it more tomorrow?”

Alex nodded, “Deal.” He stood up and helped me up. “Let’s get dressed. I’ll get your clothes washed you can wear some of my clothes.”

I let Alex lead me away into the bedroom still naked as the day we were born. “Help yourself.” He waved to the chest of drawers and walked into the closet whistling to himself.

I pulled the first drawer out and I felt a slight tightness in my chest. Panic, overwhelming memories. I grabbed a pair of boxers and a tank top and closed it quickly.

Alex was staring at me from just outside the closet door. “You okay?”

I shrugged, “Why did that bother me?”

Alex pulled the drawer open and blushed, “It’s a mess.” He grinned at me, “You keep them all in a tidy little row.” He pulled open the drawer next to it and sure enough they were all in a row. “I snooped.”

I nodded absently as I sat down and got dressed. He watched me as I pulled on his clothes. It was hardly anything to wear out of the bedroom. Alex pulled open another drawer and pulled out some cargo shorts. “That will keep you decent.”

I smiled, “You know me so well.”

Alex laughed, “I like to think I do, and I’m learning more and more each day.”

Alex pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that said “I make cute babies.”

“Is that a hint?” I nodded towards the shirt he was pulling over his head.

“We’ll have to find a surrogate, since neither of us can be baby mama.” Alex laughed “Iz says she won’t do it again.”

“Again?”

“They aren’t hers.”

“Yours?” I asked.

“Sorta.”

“Sorta?”

Alex sighed, “Both of ours – it’s complicated and well you aren’t him and I don’t want you to be expected to be him. This is our life, Nox. You are not replacing him. You are you and I love you.”

I sighed and flopped back on the bed, “And you love him.”

“Are you having second thoughts?” Alex asked.

“I don’t know Alex. Dinner. That’s my next step.” I sat up with a happy smile, “I’ll deal with it as it goes, I can’t do more than that right now.”

Alex nodded, “Sounds good. Let’s go cook.”

“You mean,” I grinned at him, and then with my best impression of Alex, “You go cook. I’ll watch.”

“Yep.” He smirked.