Alex left the library rubbing his temples. He couldn't study in there in the afternoon. He thought for a while about where Dean could be, and decided to try the studio, opening the door and slipping in quietly, planning to just lie and watch him work.

Dean is leaned over his small desk, sketching across a piece of parchment carefully. He smudges the charcoal gently with his thumb, smoothing out the lines.

Alex puts his bag down lightly and lays down on the sofa, stretching out, watching you work and smiling softly. "Hey love." voice soft, not really wanting to stop you.

Dean looks up from his work slowly, totally engrossed in what he's doing. "Hey, angel." he says with a soft smile.

His smile widens and he relaxes into the sofa on his side. "Don't let me bother you. I just wanted... wanted to spend some time with you. Go back to your work..."

"No, it's fine, love. I need a break anyway." Dean wipes his hands off on his trousers and makes his way over to the sofa.

Alex smiles and scoots against the back of the couch, giving you room to lay down in front of him. "Aw... I was enjoying watching you work..." He opens his arms for you to cuddle into him.

Dean slowly leans down into your arms, kissing your nose lightly. "Want me to sketch you then?"

Alex blushes slightly and leans in to kiss your lips gently. "You're not sick of that, yet?"

"Well...I haven't done a nude of you yet." he snickers softly and caresses your cheek.

Alex blushes again and turns to kiss your hand quickly. "Well.. if you want to..."

"Of course I want to...it'll be magnificent." he smiles at you reassuringly, reaching over to brush a stray lock of hair out of your face.

Alex chuckles and pulls his jumper off, stripping quickly and efficiently, blushing further, and then laying back against the couch, clothes in a heap by the foot of the sofa.

"Well..." Dean chuckles as you shed your clothes. "...eager are we?"

"Trying not to be embarrassed, actually. " He smiles. "Besides, I told you..." He leans up and kisses your nose. "I Can't deny you anything."

Dean laughs softly and stands back up, making his way back to the table. "Just lay like that and try not to move much, then." he grabs a new parchment, and gathers up his pencils.

Alex chuckles, and settles back into the sofa, smiling over at you. "What ever you say." He smirks. "Can I talk, or would that mess you up?"

"Sure, hun. Talk all you want to...just don't move anything else." Dean begins to work quickly, his face deep in concentration.

Alex smiles softly as you begin, trying not to move although his nose itches now since he can't scratch it. "Well, how was your day, love?"

"Hmm...busy again." he says absently, rubbing at the drawing with his finger.

"Oh yeah?" He smiles softly but bites his lip after. "Dunstan again?"

"Mmm...a bit." Dean furrows his brows and concentrates on the parchment again.

Alex bites his lip again. "I'm sorry, baby." Voice softer.

"Don't worry about it, love. You're here, and that's all that matters." Dean smiles at you sweetly and brushes his hand over the sketch.

Alex smiles softly again, watching you draw, trying not to move. "Yeah, I'm here..." He pauses. "Whenever you need me, you know that, right?"

"I know, love." Dean looks up again and smiles at you shyly. "You know how much I love you, don't you?"

Alex smiles at you and meets your eyes. "I know. I love you too."

"Can we stop for a while? I just want to lay with you." he sighs and rests his chin on his hand. "I can't concentrate."

Alex smirks and teases. "I'm just too sexy, yeah?" He chuckles again and holds out his arms. "Come 'ere."

"You're awful." he wrinkles his nose and laughs softly before making his way to the sofa and sinking down next to you.

"Want me to get dressed again?"

"No...that's okay. You're warm." Dean snuggles against you, wrapping his arms around your waist securely.

Alex smiles, running a hand thru your hair. "I love you, baby." He snuggles you against him. "Something else on your mind?"

"No...I've been worried about you though, hun." he mumbles against your chest. "Are my clothes scratching your skin?"

Alex shrugs. "Just a little..." He smiles and kisses your forehead. "Worried about me? Why?"

Dean sheds his clothing quickly, smiling over at you and snuggling back in. "Well...I know we talked the other night, but we didn't talk about everything...I can just, tell."

Alex watches appreciatively as you strip, smiling shyly at you, and then pulls you close into him again. "Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well...we were talking about you. Your...problems." he looks up at you apprehensively.

He smiles, almost happily, and pulls you close against him. "I'm comfortable talking to you, baby. You don't have to worry about asking me things."

"I love you, hun." he squeezes you tightly.

He smiles against your hair and drops a kiss there. "I love you too." He caresses your cheek. "So, ask me whatever you want." He bites his lip again. "I want to tell you, love, but it's hard to start."

"Well, you never really told me how he hurt you...and...I want to know. Because I never want to repeat anything he's done." Dean caresses your side lightly, pulling you closer to him.

Alex sighs softly and kisses your hair again. "It was more... mental... than anything. The actual pain was all sexual... except when he really hit me, but then I hit him back." He snorts softly. "He liked that..."

"Mentally...I understand now. What did he do...if you're okay with telling me."

Alex shrugs again. "I thought you understood before, baby. I'm sorry..." He kisses your hair again. "He... tore me down... psychologically. Maggie can explain it better I guess but... I just felt... still feel sometimes... worthless."

"I...I understood it. But I'm afraid that I might say something that he has, and I'll hurt you inadvertantly. I would never hurt you, love."

"Oh love, I know. I don't... I don't link you with him. Ever."

Dean lifts up and kisses you lightly. "I'm so glad I have you in my life."

Alex smiles against your lips and kissed back lightly, then leans away. "Come on. Keep asking. I'm on a roll now." He chuckles.

"Oh...umm...well, he was your first, right?" he asks curiously.

Alex chuckles and blushes again. "Um... well... first guy. Yeah."

"First guy?" he teases and tickles your side. "Something you're not telling me there, Stebbins."

Alex shivers at the tickling and writhes a bit, chuckling. "Well... There was a girl." He shrugs and tries to trap your hand.

"I have no room to tease, actually. I've been with a girl as well." he smiles up at you shyly.

"Oh yeah?" He smiles and leans down to hiss you gently. "Anyone I know?"

"Perhaps." he teases, tickling your side again.

Alex squirms and grabs your hands with his, drawing them above his head and holding them in one hand, running his other down your side to your hip. "Oh yeah?" He winks. "Come on... you can tell me."

"It was an older woman." he giggles shyly. "She thought I needed to know a few...things."

"Oh?" He pulls your arms and so pulls you higher against him, hand squeezing your hip, leaning in to kiss you playfully. "What sort of things?"

"Things that don't have anything to do with either of our anatomies." he laughs against your lips, pulling you in tightly.

Alex laughs aloud against your lips and then kisses you again, sliding his tongue against your lips, tightening the hand around your wrists.

"Love you, angel." he nuzzles his face against your neck and sighs happily.

Alex chuckles again and runs his free hand up to run thru your hair. "Love you too, babe." He releases your hands and runs his fingers up and down your side gently. "Anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Well...is there anything you'd like to volunteer? My brain is running out of steam." he smiles again and rests his cheek on your arm.

Alex thinks for a moment, and then grins sheepishly. "Well, something did happen yesterday...It's sort of silly, really."

Dean looks up at you curiously. "What?"

He shrugs and drops a kiss to your forehead again. "Sean Fawcett and I had a long talk... and he sort of kissed me at the end of it. Really quick."

Deans brows furrow for a moment before he remembers something you said once. "Do you want him?" he asks quietly.

Alex smiles down softly at you. "Of course not, love."

"I'm not worried, love. In fact, I can understand why he did it." he tightens his arm around you possessively.

Alex kisses your forehead again, running his fingers tighter in your hair. "He did it because he was hurting, and he wanted me to make it better..."

"I know, love. I'm....not sure what happened to him, but...we connect somehow that way." he kisses your nose lightly and squeezes you tightly.

"Yeah... you..." He pauses. "It's not my place to say what happened, but he... you two have a lot in common. You should talk sometime." He leans into to kiss you gently, sighing into your mouth.

"We started to talk in the library the other day...but he started talking about Pucey right off, and I kind of...lost it." he slumps against you with a sigh.

"Oh..." He cuddles you closer and sighs into your hair. "I'm sorry, love. But... he didn't know, I'm sure."

"No...it wasn't his fault at all. He was just curious about why I didn't want to talk about it anymore." Dean smiles up at you again, kissing your nose.

Alex pulls you closer, kissing your forehead gently, and sighs. "I have to go to the pitch for a while and practice with Josh. Will you come up to my room later?"

"Of course I will, love. It'll give me time to finish up the sketch I was working on."

He smiles and presses you up sliding his legs around and standing up, pulling his clothes on slowly. "You know... A few months ago I would never have been this comfortable just being naked..."

"I like being naked." Dean smiles at you coyly as he picks up his trousers.

Alex smiles and pulls you up to him, wrapping arms around your hips. "I like you naked too." He smirks softly and kisses you, smiling as he does so.

[fin.]