What if… there are second chances
Alex was leaned with his elbow on the small table and was listening to Klemen, nodding at all the right times.
This last month he had been on more dates than he had in the last five years. He hated dates, at least the let's-get-to-know-each-other dates, they were always such stressful events. First you had to find something to wear, then you had to think of something you could talk about, hoping that you had enough in common so there were none of those unpleasant moments of silence. He hated those.
Well, from all of his dates, Klemen was the only one he clicked with and the only one he had more than two dates with. This was actually their fifth one.
"So what do you think, are you ready to go to my place tonight?" Klemen's blue eyes were gazing at Alex.
"Uhhh. I don't think so." Even though when he left his home that evening, he thought he was, he had a small tube of self-warming lube and condoms in his pocket proving that. Alex put his hands in his lap. It was a good thing that he had told Klemen that he was getting over somebody and that Klemen was very understanding about it. Klemen could respect his no unlike that jerk he had to use one of James's moves on when Alex wasn't in the mood for a make out session in the bar's toilet (no wonder he never felt comfortable going to gay bars. But he was on the mission so he had to sacrifice himself to reach his goal of meeting somebody and forgetting Kato.). But a good thing had come out of all that; he met Klemen after that, at the bar where he ordered a drink to calm his shaking hands. Klemen was a blonde with gentle blue eyes and with a kind, friendly attitude who offered him a drink and a talk.
"I'm sorry."
"No, don't be. There's nothing wrong with us going slow as long as we are going somewhere."
There was something red that caught Alex's eye. He stared over Klemen's shoulder, his heart thumped in his chest. There was a red head with the same haircut as Kato's standing at the door to the cafe. "Kato?"
"What?"
It couldn't be Kato, Kato was in Japan doing God knows what. And maybe he would know what, if he didn't asked Siva not to call him again, at least not for a while and ignored every one of Kato's call. Alex blinked and focused his gaze on Klemen. "I though I saw Kato."
"The ex?"
"Sort of." Alex nodded. "It's so stupid. He couldn't be here, he couldn't. But…" He ran his fingers through his now jawline length hair. He cut it before he went on the first date, as if in getting rid of his hair he would get rid of his love for Kato. Pretty absurd. But he liked his new hairstyle, even though it was nothing like it should be. Besides it was pretty simple to manage.
"Are you still hooked on him?"
"I wish I wasn't." Alex fidgeted with his hands. He really wished he wasn't and he hated the fact that every time he awoke in the middle of the night, with his hair damp and with heart thumping in his chest because of images of that dark room and Shoji with a gun, he in his semi-sleep state still reached out for Kato and almost sobbed when his hands couldn't find him.
"I like you Alex, a lot." Klemen grabbed Alex's hand under the table. "I'm not in love with you, but I could be..."
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to mislead you. I like you a lot, too, but it seems that I'm still not over him." Alex sighed. Maybe he never would be. "I mean if I see him in every red head- I though I was ready to move on, to date."
"It's okay." Klemen patted Alex's hand. "I wouldn't mind having you as a friend. I have fun with you, but I would mind getting my hopes up for something that would never happen."
"You are so nice. I wish we had met before… "
"Me too." Klemen released Alex's hand.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Do you want to go?"
Alex nodded and called the waiter, and after some arguing who is going to pay, Klemen paid the bill.
They went together toward Klemen's car, parked by Zvezda Park.
"Are you sure you don't need a ride home?" Klemen unlocked his car and slipped behind the wheel.
"No," Alex said. "It's a lovely evening and I intend to use it for a walk. To clear my mind."
Klemen nodded like he understood and he probably did. "So let's end this date like we should and then we can begin with our friendship." He pulled on Alex's hand, forcing him to squat down and then he took Alex's face between his hands. After he glimpsed around for any might be observers and saw that there was none, he pressed a kiss on Alex's lips.
Alex opened up to Klemen's caress. It was a nice, delightful kiss, so similar to those they had already shared. Comfortable and gentle, but without that spark that was always present with Kato's kisses. He ended the kiss with a small peck on Klemen's mouth and straightened up. "I do hope that you were serious when you said that we can be friends."
"Yes, I am. Now go before it gets too dark. I don't want you to wander around in the dark."
"Yes, dad." Alex closed the car's door and said goodbye to Klemen before he was off toward Tivoli. He went under the rail track and the road that divided Tivoli Park and the city, then up the stairs. He stopped at an avenue planted with trees on both sides that leaded toward the National Art Gallery, and looked up at the sky. He still had an hour or two of light and he only needed a half hour for his walk home so he had enough time to make a little stop.
He went up the avenue and then chose the path left of the Gallery that led toward the clearing where he first saw Kato in person. He stopped there, his gaze lost in the past. It was snow again and he was wearing his coat, cap, shawl, and clodhopper instead of knee long cargo pants, a T-shirt, sleeveless hoodie and flip-flops. And there wrapped in a large, thick coat was Kato, the read head whose music he adored.
"Alex."
Alex wrapped his arms around himself. He could even hear Kato's voice.
"Alex." A hand dropped down on Alex's shoulder.
Alex turned and there was Kato. Beautiful Kato, a sight for sore eyes even with shadows under them and even when Kato looked tired and sort of … defeated. Alex stared at him. Was Kato real? Alex wanted to reach out to touch him, to see if he wasn't a fragment of Alex's imagination. "Kato? What… what are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." Kato stepped back and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "How are you?"
"Fine," most of the time. Was it just him or did this feel a little unreal? Alex wanted to wrap his arms around Kato like an octopus and to glue himself on Kato's chest, not stand there like they were two strangers. "You?"
"Alright, I guess." Kato wrinkled his forehead, and then smoothed it again. "You are dating?"
"Yes," he was, in an effort to get over Kato and it wasn't working at all. God, seeing him like this made him realise that he had missed Kato even more than he thought. "How do you know?"
"I…I had people watching over you and I saw you kissing that blonde guy in the parking lot."
"You have been following me?"
"No, I mean, sort of. I had people watching over you. Just in case."
"Just in case!" Alex wanted to turn away, to run from the feeling of entrapment that Kato's words awoke, but he found himself rooted to the spot. Kato made such a long trip to see him, he should at least find out what was the purpose. And damn, he couldn't unglue his eyes from Kato. He rubbed his forehead. "Kato, what do you want?"
"I just want to know if you are happy. That's all." Kato pushed his hands deeper into his pockets. "You didn't come back and you didn't want to receive my calls and you are seeing somebody now… I need to know that you are better off without me before I give up on us. So are you happy Alex? Are you better off without me?" A pause. "Is that blonde guy treating you well?"
"What if I say yes?"
"Then I will say goodbye." Kato's eyes were glistering in the setting sun. "I will turn away and never bother you again."
Alex glanced down to the ground. He thought that whatever they had was finished, done, and that the only thing he has to do was to get over Kato. But now that Kato was here, and there was this opportunity that maybe, maybe they could have something together, he couldn't let Kato walk away like that. "Kato! Why didn't you want me there when you were sick?"
"Because I wanted you to come because you wanted to, not because I needed you." Kato's gaze was holding Alex's eyes in an intense embrace. "And you don't seem to want me anymore. You already found yourself a boyfriend." He sighed, his shoulders sagging. "I guess this is goodbye then. Take care, Alex." He turned on his heel and walked away.
Alex stared at Kato back. Was this what he was waiting for, doubting that it would ever happen? Had Kato just put aside his wants for Alex's happiness? He rushed after Kato. "He's not my boyfriend and I'm not happy. I can't be, not without you.
Kato stopped and slowly turned around.
"But I can't go back to the way we were before." Alex stopped a few steps away from Kato.
"I know." Kato pulled his hands out from his pockets and reduced the distance between them to one step. "I made you miserable."
"Well, not exactly…"
"But pretty close." Kato reached out and took hold of Alex's hands. "I was so focused on my problems, on my feelings for you and on how to make you love me… and later on how to get rid of my guilt that I forgot about you and your feelings." His fingers slipped between Alex's. "And you loved me, didn't you? When you were talking about love, how if you love somebody, you do everything to make that person happy, you were talking about yourself, weren't you?" Kato pulled him closer.
Alex nodded.
"You were always the strong one, the one that was always there for me, to comfort me, to cheer me up and I was never there for you. But I want to. Can we start over? Will you let me show you that I can be more than a selfish jerk? That I can be there for you when you need me?" The pleading tone in Kato's voice sounded foreign coming out of Kato's mouth. "Please, let me show you that I can be more than a self-absorbed moron."
Alex titled his head and he spoke over the lump in his throat: "Are you sure you can do that?"
"If you just give me a chance." Kato pulled their hands between them. He lifted them, he kissed first the fingers of Alex's right hand and then the left ones. "I know that I have to work on my possessiveness and that there's a lot of stuff I have to make up for, but… I'm willing to do anything as long as you are willing to let me try. I can change, I want to change and I know I can, for you. I love you."
Alex felt the warmth overflowing his body. Awww. That was so, so, so… He wiggled his hand out of Kato's hold and pinched him.
"Ouch. Why did you pinch me?"
"Just checking if you are for real. And now that I know that you are, who are you and where is Kato?" Alex smiled up at Kato.
"I wasn't that horrible."
"Worse. It was a wonder that you didn't put me on a leash."
"Well, that's an idea- Ouch. I was joking." Kato rubbed the red spot on his arm and then leaned toward Alex, like he was about to kiss him.
"Yeah, right." Alex slipped out of Kato's arms. They were in a public place and you never knew what kind of idiot could run into you. Even though, he looked at those plump, pink lips, he would love to be kissed by Kato.
Kato reached out for him. "Don't. Please, I just want-"
"Kato. We are in a public place."
"Yeah, yeah, you are right." Kato looked around. "And it's getting dark. Um…I have a room in Slon, we can go there."
The Slon hotel was a lot closer than Alex's apartment and after Alex nodded they went toward the hotel.
"So, how much begging will be needed for you to let me kiss you?" Kato grabbed Alex's hand while they walked.
"A lot," Alex lied and glanced down at their hands.
"Why?"
"You have to make some effort?"
"I guess it's only fair."
"Of course." Alex chuckled and decided to change the subject. "Umm, Kato." He was also interested in how things were progressing with his parents and his brother. Maybe he should just ask directly. "How are your parents?" He wanted to add, now that Shoji in the asylum. But how do you ask a thing like that, especially when Siva had told him (in one of their chats when the band was still on tour) that Shoji had became a taboo subject for Kato and his parents, something that you didn't talk about. He knew that Kato was glad that Shoji was dispatched into a private padded room for the rest of his life, but the reason why must have hurt. To have a brother that as soon as he laid his eyes on you went berserk was really not a thing one would wish for.
"As expected. They asked about you, they would like to see you again."
"Oh."
"They think you are good for me. And I think that too. And I hope we have a future together. Do we?"
"Can't you wait until we get inside?"
"So do we have a future together?" Kato asked again after they passed the door of his room.
"I don't know. I mean… I can't work as your assistant any more." Alex went through the small anteroom, where there was also the bathroom door, into the large room. He expected a big apartment with a living room and the whole shebang like the last time, not a single bedroom. It was a nice, luxurious room, large and bright, with a big bed and everything that a four-star hotel's most luxurious room had to offer, but it was still just a single bedroom.
"I expected that." Kato with a little nudge pushed Alex forward. "What did you have in mind?"
"I don't know, but I know that I need to be independent." Alex went toward the bed and sat down.
"I can give you a small rent-" Kato dropped down beside Alex.
"No. I need to be independent. From you. I have to have something that's not related to you." Alex put his hands into his lap. "The last time when you were the source of my income, I allowed you to become the focus of my world and I put you before everything else. I mean, it was like you said jump and I asked how high. If I stayed, I would be nothing more than your puppet."
"I'm sorry, I never realise that I was doing that to you."
"I was letting you." Alex smiled. "But now I know if you love somebody, you give them your heart, not your free will."
"Oh," A soft smile bloomed on Kato's face and he pulled Alex into the circle of his arms. "Do I have your heart?"
Alex leaned on Kato's chest and wrapped his arms around Kato's waist. "When did you turn into such a sap?"
"Right now." Kato slid his hand up and down Alex's back. "So, do I have your heart?"
"Kato. I'm in your room, I'm lying on your chest. What do you think?" Alex splayed his fingers on Kato's belly and rubbed it.
"That you are a tease." Kato burrowed his nose in Alex's hair. "That you intend to torture me."
"Me? Never." Alex's hand snuck down and his fingers started to play with the thin line of hair that led to Kato's groin.
"Alex, Kukki…" Kato put his hands over Alex's. "I don't know if we…"
Alex rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you are still troubled by that incident. I hadn't said no and if I had, you would have stopped and if you wouldn't, I would have punched you. Is that ok, would that quiet down your guilt?"
"Well, yes, actually, but I wasn't thinking about that." Kato gave Alex a little turn of his mouth. "I was going to tell you that we don't have lube and well…"
"Kato," Alex pushed Kato's back down on the bed, "one would think that after making such a long trip, you could at least come prepared." He giggled. "Well, we could use a lot of other things instead of lube We could improvise, not that we have to." With a swing of his legs he got rid of his flip-flops and straddled Kato, whose feet was still on the floor, pulling the tube of lube out from the side pocket of his pants.
Kato stared at the object in Alex's hand and his eyes darkened. He pulled himself up on his elbows.
"What?"
"That blonde? Did you two…" Kato was stiff beneath Alex and not stiff in a good way. "I mean, do you two? Are you two? I know that you said that he's not your boyfriend- does he know that?"
Oh, how sweet, Alex suppressed his smile, Kato was jealous. He laid down on Kato chest, half-squatting, half-laying on Kato, and he had one hand on his chest holding the tube, while the other one started to play with the edge of Kato's olive shirt. He slipped his hand under Kato's shirt. "No."
"No to what?"
"Are you jealous?" Alex tugged Kato's shirt up. His palms slid over Kato's former six packs, which were now only four pack. "You are so thin."
"Of course I'm jealous." Kato, with his fingers on Alex's chin, forced him to face him. "You two kissed and you have a lube in your pocket."
"Yeah, so?"
"Alex, please," Kato almost whined, so uncharacteristic for him, and then he noticed Alex's waggish smile. He rolled them around so that they were on their sides. "You are enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Oh, yes I am. I mean, you care and you are jealous and you are not yelling at me, that I'm yours or giving me a hard time. You are just sulking and it's so adorable." Alex grinned and hid his face in the niche between Kato's shoulder and neck, his spot, the spot he was going to mark as soon as he got the chance. "And this is the first time that I really feel like you love me and I think that everything is going to be just …great, well, better than great, and that we are going to work out."
"Yeah?" Kato took Alex's face between his palms and pulled him up. He smiled and there was so much affection shining down at Alex in the simple curve of his lips that Alex's breath hitched and his entire body shivered in sweet delight.
"Yeah." Alex put his palm over Kato's heart and he felt that fragile thump thump and he knew that in this moment Kato's heart was beating just for him. "I love you."
"Say that again, please." Kato slid his hand down Alex's arm and then hooked it around Alex's waist.
"You should really get rid of your shoes." And when Kato kicked his sandals off his feet and pushed them higher on the bed, complaining that it was not what he wanted to hear, Alex continued: "And your pants and your shirt."
"I didn't want to hear that either." Kato got up on his knees and with a little wiggling he quickly managed to toss his shirt, pants and underwear on the floor. He put his hands on either side of Alex's head and leaned close, their noses almost touched. "Now tell me again."
"What about my pants and shirt?"
Kato moved on his calves, first he took off Alex's glasses, folded it together and put it on the nightstand. Then he tugged up Alex's shirt, his palms warm on Alex's skin. "Tell me."
Alex pulled the shirt over his head and then he pushed himself up onto his elbow. "I love you."
Kato smiled, a twin of the smile that took Alex's breath away, and he pressed his lips against Alex's. He entangled them into a blissful kiss, one that felt like it was their first: full of sweet anticipation and the fragile sweep of tongues.
Alex wrapped his arms around Kato's shoulders and pulled him down. A hard erection pressed against Alex's belly and caused pleasure to shoot up his spine and a surge of blood to rush down in his groin. With the way Kato's tongue was slowly exploring him and how Kato's palms were dawdled over his torso and side, one would think that lust was the last thing on Kato's mind. He deepened the kiss and intertwined his fingers in the short, red hair at Kato's nape.
Kato ended the kiss and with a little peck, he travelled over Alex's neck, collarbone…he stooped at the nipple. He took it into his mouth and captured it between his teeth, nibbled on it, then sucked while he fingered the other one, twirling it between his fingertips. He looked at Alex for a second. "Say it again, please."
"I love you." Alex arched into the touch. His hands skimmed over Kato's shoulders, upper back.
With his free hand, Kato opened Alex's pants and after Alex kicked them off together with his underwear, Kato nudged Alex's legs apart and settled between them. "Again please."
"I love you," Alex more gasped out then said it and closed his eyes. He loved the feel of Kato's weight on him, loved the warmth that radiated from Kato's body and it was such a long time since they were like this. Oh god, how much he missed this. He slid his splayed fingers over Kato's back.
Propping himself up on his elbows on either side of Alex's chest, Kato began to rub himself against Alex. "Again."
"I…I love you." Alex opened his eyes wide and shivered at the touch of Kato's cock sliding against his. He wrapped his legs around Kato's waist and protruded out with his pelvis. He reached out with his hands, his fingers searching for the small tube that should be somewhere. Ah, there it was, he grabbed it, opened it and offered it to Kato.
Kato shifted all of his weigh on his left arm and with Alex's help they squeezed the contents of the lube on the fingers of Kato's right hand. Kato then slid his hand between their bodies. He wrapped his fingers around Alex's erection, gave it a light tug and then tiptoed over the tight sack, over the sensitive strip of flesh and then his fingers slid over the tight ring of muscles. He lifted his head, his brown eyes holding Alex's half lidded ones in an intense embrace as he pushed his fingertip into Alex. "Again."
"I love you." Alex pushed down on Kato's finger. A soft moan escaped from his lips. He hooked his arms around Kato's neck and still holding the tube he clumsily, because of that magical finger that was swirling inside him and the second one that was added, greased his palms. Damn, he frowned and bit down on his lips to stop gasping and moaning, it was so hard to concentrate. What was he about to do? Oh yeah, he reached down with his hands and took hold of Kato's leaking cock. He smeared the lube all over it.
Kato added a third finger, he pushed them in and out of Alex, twirling them around, he leaned over Alex, moving his left arm so that it now framed Alex's head. "Again please."
"I love you." Alex put his palms on Kato's shoulder and flexed his lower body. Damn, that felt good but not as good as Kato being in him. He squeezed his muscles around Kato's fingers. "I want you. Please."
"Whatever my Kukki wants." Kato pulled his fingers out of Alex and positioned himself. He pushed his head in, earning a gasp from Alex. He stretched the tight passage, pushing in until he was sheltered to the root. He brushed the hair away from Alex's face, his brown eyes intense. "I'm going to make love to you, show you how much I love you." He caressed Alex's cheek. "So sweet that you will think that you can't take it anymore, and then I'm going to prove you wrong."
Alex pulled Kato down on his chest. He was so full, his chest felt tight and he couldn't explain but he felt like he was finally complete, whole. He experimentally squeezed his muscles and flexed his hips.
Kato hissed, he pinched Alex's nipple, making Alex hiss too. And then he started to rock his hips, slowly, only partly pushing in. It was like a roll of the waves on a lovely, sunny day. The tension gradually rising, tender caress by tender caress, shallow thrust by shallow thrust, so slowly that it seemed to Alex that he was going to die from the sweet torture.
"Kato, please." Alex pouted, droplets of sweat on his temples. He wanted more, more than this teasing. "Please. Please. I love you."
Kato deepened his thrusts and added a twist of his hips. "I love you too."
White sparks appeared before Alex's eyes, he arched his body and pushed his nails in Kato's shoulders. "Right there. Harder."
Kato increased the speed and the strength of his strokes, hitting Alex's special spot every time.
"Harder, please." Alex gasped and arched his body. The tension was building, it was like elastic that stretched and stretched, and he was so close to its snap. He reached down between them to wrap his hand around his erection when Kato swatted his hand away.
"No… Please." Alex dug his nails in Kato's upper arm.
"I'll give you what you need." Kato pulled Alex's legs wider, higher. His cock barely left the tight passage in rapid thrusts, bumping against Alex's gland. He snuck down with his hand and fisted Alex's erection, he tugged on it.
Oh, God. Alex's toes curled and suddenly it was so hard to breathe. Shiver after shiver shook him, his body convulsed and then it went limp.
Kato gave a deep thrust and then he withdrew. He lifted himself up on his knees, turned Alex around and pulled him up.
"Kato?" Alex was like clay in Kato's hands, his lungs were still fighting for breath.
"Hmmm." Kato leaned Alex against his chest, then with his hands on Alex's hips, he lifted Alex up and he slowly impaled Alex on his still hard cook.
Alex's breath hitched and his still not slowed down heartbeat accelerated. He blinked the haze of the afterglow away and leaned his head back on Kato's shoulder. "Kato, I don't know-"
"Until you will think that you can't take it anymore and then I'm going to prove you wrong." Kato reached down with his fingers and with small touches in the right places, the desire was floating in Alex's veins again.
"Oh."
Kato nibbled Alex nape, his hands wandered over Alex's torso and he gave Alex shallow thrusts upwards.
Alex turned his head aside; he grabbed Kato's hair and entangled them into a sinful, deep kiss. His gasps and groans were devoured by Kato's hot mouth and his flesh was so sensitive that he felt every single little move and caress that Kato made. And the pleasure that tightened his insides was rising so quickly. He put his hands over Kato's. "I don't… I can't… "
"Shhh, my little Kukki." Kato still deep inside Alex lifted them up and pushed them forward. "Let me give you pleasure."
Alex ended up with his cheek and shoulders on the soft mattress, with his hands by his head, fingers digging in the fabric, and with his ass in the air.
Kato draped himself over Alex's back, his fingers found their space between Alex's and he started to fuck him with deep, quick strokes.
Alex moaned into the pillow. He was almost there, almost there. A few strong thrusts against his prostrate and he was there, falling into a pit of pleasure again and this time Kato joined him. And it seemed to him that this time the shivers that shook his body and the silver rain that was falling before his eyes would never stop.
Kato pulled out from Alex and fell on the pillow beside him.
Alex turned on his side and inched closer to Kato, he pressed his cheek against Kato's shoulder. He was still gulping for air and his heart was throbbing in his ear.
"My Kukki." Kato slid his arm under Alex and pulled him on his still rapidly raising and falling chest. He ran his fingers through Alex's hair. "Your hair is so short now."
"Hmmm." Alex snuggled closer, he put his palm on Kato's chest and slid his fingers up and down. He took a couple of big breaths. "And you are so skinny."
"Will fill out real quick with your cooking." Kato pressed a soft kiss to Alex's temple.
"Hmmm." Alex yawned. They should probably have made plans for the future or at least for this month before they ended up in bed together and he should probably be upset that he had surrendered so quickly. Well, not really surrendered, but let the desire for Kato to best him. Right now he felt so wonderful relaxed and spent, that he didn't regret a thing. And besides, everything would work out. People said that sometimes love wasn't enough, but in their case, it would just have to do. "We should probably get clean."
Kato reached out his hand and rummaged through the nightstand's drawer. He pulled out the toilette handkerchiefs and started to use them on Alex and himself. After that he got them under the blanket in the same position that they were in before, the only difference was that Alex's eyes were closed now.
"You should know." Kato stroked Alex's cheek. "I bought a house."
"Yeah?" Alex pulled himself higher, his head finding his favourite spot.
"Yeah. In Slovenia."
"Hmmm?"
"It's that big copper-brown house at the beginning of Tivoli, the one with the sign for sale. I noticed it when I was here in the winter and, well, when I came here to see how you were, I decided to buy it," Kato said. "You should also know that I took one year leave and I intend to spend it in Slovenia with you." He ruffled Alex's hair. "And I hope that until the house is ready I can stay at your place?"
Alex forced his eyes open. House in Slovenia. One year leave. For him? But wait a minute. "When did you decide that?"
"Before I came."
"Kato." Alex turned and lifted himself up on his elbow. He narrowed his eyes at Kato. "What if I hadn't wanted to be with you?"
"I don't know." Kato frowned. "When I was walking away from you, when I thought that you didn't want me I felt like a part of me died and all I could think about was that if you are happy, I should be happy, too, for you." Kato took hold of Alex's arms and pulled him back to his chest. "But I'm glad that at the end we walked away together."
Alex's heart melted and he wrapped his arms around Kato's neck. He pressed their cheeks together. "I'm glad too."
"I'm afraid that if we didn't, I would have turned into a stalker." Kato wove his fingers into Alex's hair. "The one that looks from afar and drools."
"A drooling stalker. You?" Alex smiled and put his head on the pillow beside Kato's.
"Yeah, I know. So unbecoming." Kato tucked him between his arm and the side of his body.
"A stalker." Alex giggled and then yawned again, his eyes fluttered closed for a moment before he opened them again. "So we have a year?"
"Yeah, a year to figure out the rest of our lives." A smile bloomed on Kato's face. "How does that sound to you?"
"Like a happy ending." Alex fought for his eyes to stay open and lost.
"Ending?" Kato pressed a kiss to Alex's nose. "No, this is just a beginning."
The end (sort of ;))