Alex had not realized how hard traveling without Chris would be as Chris stayed home rehabbing his injured knee. It had only been two months and Alex was already lonely and exhausted. He was also pissed at Storm and Roode for calling and complaining to Chris about what a complete and utter dick he was being on the road and how the whole locker room was ready to kill him because of his moodiness.
As far as Alex was concerned this was a great exaggeration. Sure Joe almost gave him a swirly in the toilet and he had even managed to make JB mad at him. Alex still didn't see how this was anybody else's business and he didn't like being ratted out to Chris. Storm and Roode had been disappointed, though, when Chris had shrugged off the complaints, simply replying that's the way Alex was and there was nothing he could do about it.
Alex had assumed, wrongfully, that would be the end of it. As soon as Alex got to their home after a ten day stretch on the road wrestling for both TNA and PWG, Chris started up with the questions.
"Why are you being such a dick to everyone?"
"How did you get JB mad at you?"
"How could you get so much locker room heat in only two months?"
Alex simply answered every question the same.
"Because I'm an ass."
Hoping this would amuse Chris and get him to move on to a new topic and stop the interrogation. Eventually, Chris tired of Alex's response and temporarily dropped the subject as they settled into playing video games.
Then at eight pm Alex inadvertently started a new line of questioning from Chris when he suggested they go to bed.
"Since when do we have to go to bed for sex?"
"No, I mean to sleep."
"Uh-huh, sure." Chris clearly didn't believe him.
"No, I'm serious. I'm really tired." Alex said it more forcefully this time.
"It's only eight o'clock at night," Chris exclaimed "Are you sick?"
Losing all his patience Alex demanded "No, I've wrestled six out of the past ten days and I'm fucken tired. Now are you coming or what?"
"Why do I need to come and watch you sleep? I'm not tired."
All the fight left Alex as he dropped his head and muttered "Never mind."
Then as if a light bulb had turned on in his brain Chris' expression and tone changed from one of annoyance and confusion to one of deep concern.
"Alex, haven't you been sleeping?"
"Well, kind of yeah. I mean not really that much," Alex's voice was low as he continued to stare at the floor.
"What does that mean?" Chris prodded.
"Oh, two or three hours a night."
"Jesus, Alex! No wonder you're so bitchy to everyone. What have you been doing?"
"Nothing." Alex frowned, not liking where these questions were leading to.
"Then why haven't you been sleeping?"
"Um, well you see . ." Alex just shrugged instead of finishing his sentence.
"Alex what is it?" worry and concern laced Chris' voice.
Not wanting to cause Chris any anxiety over something so trivial and knowing Chris would soon figure it out on his own anyway Alex continued.
"Because I can't sleep without you," Alex's cheeks and ears turned pink with embarrassment as he said his confession out loud.
The pink soon turned to a deep red as Chris smirked and began to chuckle.
"Shut up Chris! I'm an ass to everyone because I can't sleep and I can't sleep because you're not with me. There I told you. Now shut up. I'm going to bed." With that Alex turned and stomped down the hall toward the bedroom.
Alex had been laying in their bed for only a few minutes when he heard the door open and Chris softly step inside stripping down to his underwear.
"I'm sorry Alex. You know you would've laughed at me too." Chris apologized as he approached the bed.
Ignoring him Alex turned to his side, away from Chris.
Undeterred, Chris got under the covers spooning Alex and placing a soft kiss to his temple. Alex didn't acknowledge it. Chris wasn't surprised by this knowing how hard it was earlier for Alex to admit any type of weakness. Carrying on Chris whispered his own confession into Alex's ear.
Chris paused waiting for Alex to respond, not knowing whether Alex was going to push him off the bed or turn around and laugh in his face. Instead Alex just sighed, wrapped Chris' arm around him tighter and pushed his body further back into Chris. Seconds later Chris felt Alex's body go limp beside him as Alex began to snore. Smirking, Chris nuzzled the back of Alex's neck and fell asleep.
Three nights later Alex found himself back on the road, alone in a dumpy motel room, unable to sleep. Alex contemplated Chris' confession and his subsequent plan to help him sleep. Truthfully, Alex found the whole idea to be sappy and even a bit childish and not in the fun amusing way. There was no way he was going to take part in something so girly.
As he laid there wide awake Alex kept remembering what Chris had whispered in his ear- "You know I love you and I miss you when you're gone too. Sometimes when you're away and I can't sleep I hold on to your pillow or even get your shirt from the hamper because it smells like you and then I sleep better."
"Oh, fuck this," Alex yelled to himself climbing out of bed and plodding over to his suitcase.
There he pulled out a slightly wrinkled white t-shirt with the name of some random Detroit bar printed on it in faded lettering. It wasn't much unlike something Alex himself would wear, but this wasn't Alex's shirt. This was Chris' shirt. His favorite shirt to be exact. Chris had worn it around the house the day before.
As Alex stared at the shirt and rubbed the material between his fingers and thumb he noticed it had been washed and worn so many times the cotton was thinner and softer than Chris' other shirts and the material had an almost satin like patina to it. A picture of Chris wearing the shirt flashed through Alex's mind and he instinctively brought the shirt up to his face and took a deep breath, in turn the aroma of Chris flooded his senses.
The shirt embodied the perfect blend of scents of Chris' body wash, cologne and natural pheromones. A mixture of a clean fresh citrus fragrance with a slight hint of patchouli and a strong warm woodsy musk scent. The scent was undeniably sexy and undeniably Chris.
Alex's cock began to harden in response to the familiar aroma, but upon remembering Chris was thousands of mile away the lust Alex felt was replaced briefly with longing and sadness.
Laying back down on the bed, Alex draped the shirt over his pillow and buried his face in it. The scent of Chris and the softness of the cottony fabric against his cheek caused all the tension and stress to leave Alex's body and he was left with a deep feeling of contentment and warmth.
As his dark brown eyes drifted shut peacefully for the first time on the road in weeks Alex was still mumbling to himself about what a stupid idea this was and how he was definitely going to let Chris know just that the next time he saw him, right after he gave him a big kiss.