If he had an option, he wouldn’t make any decision now. However, they both knew he’d use it as an excuse to extend living by himself longer. A classic eye roll, allowed the other’s touch as he groaned. Neither of those options sounded appealing to him. Figured why start small when he knew they’d get there eventually, “—Ugh, fine.” Muttered before he answered, “—A. fucking. drawer.”
Rested his eyes when their foreheads met each other, gently leaned into his boyfriend’s touch as their fingers went through his hair. Found himself yearning for more, a feeling that doesn’t often come for moments like these, “Nothing fucking gets by you, huh?” Mused.
Locked his gaze with his boyfriend’s, “God, you’re so fucking stubborn.” Lightheartedly responded. He’d supposed this was the best kind of match, someone stubborn enough to never leave him. It had it’s ups and downs but what relationship didn’t — especially when someone dated him.
Squinted his eyes, he had his boyfriend pegged for someone with that description of family and kids. It was more so how the other was, in a way, more sensitive than he was to say the least, and much more obvious about his romantic intentions. Sigh of relief left him before a chuckle escaped, “Care with kids? Fucking help me.” Hard to tell if he was serious or not, likely a mix of both at that nightmare thought.
Never occurred to him how much he didn’t know about what his partner wanted, and the irritating fact that if he got something wrong about his boyfriend, the other wouldn’t correct him. “…What else do you want?” Collected, serious, despite the shocking moment since he’s probably never asked anyone that before. Usually too involved in himself but it hit just a little bit that it was between them. A two-way street. It seemed to revolve around him but he figured the other had to want something else besides him and a dog.
His grin is immediate and unstoppable. Even if he wanted to try and keep his expression neutral for Zayden’s sake, it would be impossible. Alex grins, and he tugs his boyfriend in for a quick kiss. ❝ A fucking drawer. ❞ He repeats. He’s nowhere near winning the war, but he’s definitely won a very important, very specific battle. ❝ Not when it comes to you, ❞ If he sounds a bit smug, it’s only because he knows he’s right. He notices everything about Zayden. He wouldn’t have devoted so much of his time to trying to get the two of them together if he wasn’t going to go all in, all the time.
Alex laughs at Zayden’s obvious turmoil over the thought of Caroline with kids. He doesn’t care one way or the other, but anything that’s liable to stress Zayden out that much, he tends to be a fan of. Luckily for him, that list includes most things.
As he pulls back slightly, Alex can see clear as day the thoughts racing through Zayden’s head. It’s always been like that between them, he thinks. He spends so much time trying not to build everything up, trying not to idealize this relationship or his partner because he knows that if he goes left, Zayden will go right --- but as certain as he is in the fact that Zayden will always throw him for a loop, he knows that his boyfriend has an entirely different idea of him. Which is fine.
Alex has spent most of his life trying to appear one way. Ladies man, womanizer, flirty, cocky, brilliant --- both his parents effortlessly rolled into one. The truth always goes a bit further deep. Fear of abandonment, sleepless nights, those stints of time when he can’t seem to stop and the others when he can’t seem to go. ❝ Honestly? ❞ It’s how he prefaces any and all answers that he knows Zayden won’t be happy with. ❝ You. ❞ It’s as simple and as complicated as that. But he knows that he needs to take the rare opportunity to actually communicate those intricacies when it’s presented to him. ❝ If you decided you wanted to settle down, adopt some terrors, do the whole house and fence and shit --- I’d be happy. If you wanted to spend the rest of our lives exploring every corner of the earth and fucking in every continent, I’d be happy. If you decided you want to spend the rest of our lives running from me at every turn, I’d be a little less happy but I’d still be following you around, pissing you off. Point is: I just want you. Anything else, I can work with. ❞