Story Title: 5 and 1 -5 times Alex knew he loved Chris and 1 time he told him
Story Type: Slash, AU
Characters: Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley
Pairings: MMG
Rating: PG-13/NC-17
Series: Neko: Just Them, Don't Touch, I Agree and You
Disclaimer: Not mine. It's too bad 'cause I could've used the pick me up. They belong to TNA and themselves.
Warnings: Slash, AU, language
A/N: So, this past week has fucken blown. Seriously. I had to move, I'm having huge problems getting my internet back and my phone fucken died. Grrr. The only good thing is that I've been writing like crazy; I'm gonna try and post this as soon as possible. Hopefully, I'll get the new phone soon and I'll at least be able to check my comments and stuff. Otherwise, I'll have to do all that when I visit my mom's on the weekend. Anyway, enjoy, peeps. Hope you like.
A/N2: I'm almost positive that this is going to be the last of the prequels; I don't have any other prequels planned besides this one, so we'll see. As long as neko!Shelley doesn't wreck havoc in my brain, I have a couple more planned for this series.
5. When Chris and Alex were on their way to the show in Michigan, Alex was still trying to figure out why he felt inclined to trust Chris; people had shown him, over and over again, that trusting anyone was a mistake.
They got to a hotel and Alex was too tired to really think about anything, but when Chris asked for a single room, he tensed up. Berating himself for thinking that Chris would be different from anyone else, he escaped into the bathroom as soon as Chris opened the door.
After he calmed himself down enough to accept what was going to happen, Alex left the bathroom; his tail was whipping back and forth in agitation but otherwise he appeared calm. When he saw Chris passed out on the small couch in the corner of the room, Alex admitted that, maybe Chris was different. It was the first time he could ever remember thinking that he might care for someone who wasn't him.
4. It was almost six months before Alex could relax around Chris and another three months after that before he could sleep without waking up every ten minutes to make sure he was still alone in bed. Chris had started making enough that they could get a double once in a while but even when it was a single, Chris always took the couch so Alex wouldn't have to.
One night he woke up from a nightmare and crawled into Chris's bed, shaking uncontrollably and crying. Chris pulled him closer, until he was laying against his chest, and just rubbed his back until Alex was calm again. Chris seemed to know Alex didn't want to talk about it; once he was sure Alex was OK, he draped his arm around Alex's waist and said he was going to go back to bed. Alex hesitated before admitting to himself that he didn't want to move.
Closing his eyes, he let his tail curl around Chris's waist and he was sleeping in minutes. After that, he slept almost every night next to Chris.
3. After the first two years, Alex started leaving his collar on; even when they were inside. When Chris asked him about it, he just shrugged and said he liked it. Chris hadn't said anything, he just smirked and raised an eyebrow at the answer.
The truth was Alex had always associated his collar with being a slave; it was how he had been treated for the first twenty years of his life. But now he always thought of Chris when he put his collar on; and while he knew that in everyone else's eyes he already belonged to Chris, this was the first time in his life he actually wanted it to happen.
It was the first time he wasn't constantly wishing for it to end -whether it meant dying or his owner to getting tired of him. It was the first time he wanted to call someone 'master' -and it scared the shit out of him.
2. Alex knew Chris wanted him; if there was one survival skill he had picked up, it was how to read people and situations. Every time they went to bed and woke up, he could tell how much Chris wanted him even though he never did anything besides sleep next to him.
He also knew that Chris would never try to start anything; he cared too much for Alex and he was content with doing what he thought would make Alex happy. But once Alex realized what he wanted, he knew he would have to be the one to cross that line.
Alex waited until Chris was sleeping and then went to lay down next to him and started kissing and nuzzling Chris's chest. "'Lex," Chris murmured, sighing a little before he woke up and realized what was happening. "'Lex," Chris repeated, sounding surprised. When Alex moved and kissed him, he froze and then jerked away, closing his eyes. "Don't. You don't have to do this." "I want to," Alex told him before taking a deep breath and adding: "Master."
Chris's eyes shot back open and there was a gleam in them that made Alex shudder in anticipation. "Be sure," Chris rasped, already pulling Alex closer to him and moving so he was pinned under him. "Please, 'Lex. Be sure that this is want you want and not something you think you have to do."
"I'm sure," Alex reassured him, baring his neck in a sign of submission he had never shown to anyone else before. "Please."
After that, there was no question of who he belonged to -and for once Alex went to sleep completely happy.
1. The biggest surprise for Alex was that nothing really changed outside of bed. Chris treated him the same way he had from day one -except that he was more affectionate now then he had been before. He was quicker to put a hand on Alex's back, to sling an arm around his shoulders when they were outside.
And once he figured out that Alex liked it, he was forever petting his tail and playing with the edges of his ears.
But he never started ordering Alex around or expecting him to do whatever he said; didn't think he could do whatever he wanted to him now that Alex had given in. Once Alex realized that Chris would never do that, he knew he loved him.
And...
1. "Do you know what day it is?" Alex asked quietly, his hand absently kneading Chris's chest. Chris opened his eyes and looked up at his neko, smiling.
"Yes," Chris answered, turning so they were laying face to face. He leaned over and gave Alex a quick kiss before pulling back. "You're mine. And everyday for the last three years, I've been glad for it. You're always going to be mine and nothing is ever going to make me give you up. Understand?"
Chris gave him a rough kiss before moving to mark his neko's neck above his collar where everyone could see it and understand what it meant.
"Yes," Alex answered, whimpering a little. "Love you, master," he blurted out before he could stop himself. He tensed a little, afraid of Chris's reaction.
"I know," Chris told him, smiling softly and running his fingers along Alex's collar before he moved them to stroke Alex's tail. "You show me all the time. And I love you, too."