A/N: Thanks to Lea (Alone in the Desert) and Rosie (Rosie Tasikhe) for their wonderful editing and highly useful input! This is, in fact slash. What a surprise.
Disclaimer: Not mine. At least, not yet…
Quiet
By Seereth
Could you do it?
When asked, by a very quiet voice under silk sheets and inside velvet curtains, could you say no? Could you say no to someone you've never been able refuse anything, anything? Even when asked to betray not only your king and your queen, but your prince? Your prince, who you'd grown up with and whom you used to love? Oh, no, not as much as you love the man with the honey and gold voice, but you did love him. Still do, maybe?
Could you say no? Alex couldn't.
Could you say yes?
That…that, Alex could do.
Which is, really, his problem.
He was quiet for a moment though, before answering Roger, his eyes were closed for a moment before he turned to look at the Duke, whose head was propped up on one arm whose piercing blue eyes were focused on him with a dangerous expression.
An expression dangerous not for its threat but for something…other. Something dangerous to them both, but Alex has only ever seen it here.
"Yes," he said, thinking, Goodbye, Alan.
Yes.
Goodbye, Raoul.
Yes.
Goodbye, Gary.
"Ah," said Roger mildly, perhaps a little wryly.
Alex frowned up at him, not understanding.
"I can't make you, Alex," Roger said gently. "I can't make you do anything. You can say no, and leave."
"Leave," Alex echoed.
It was the best way to get him to mean that "yes".
And Roger knew it.
Even so, he was quiet. They were both, for a few moments, very quiet.
"Yes," he said, once more.
Into the silk and velvet quiet of the bed. Into the quiet of Roger's arms which was not, really, a haven, but which was not entirely dangerous. Hoping he would never hear the quiet reserved for traitors to the crown.
Goodbye, Jon.
When you make a promise like that, you have to succeed. It doesn't bear thinking about if you fail. Alex promised himself he wouldn't.
Ever.
But sometimes, in the quiet moments…