Alex scrubbed the baking sheet with more force than was strictly speaking necessary, but he had a lot of aggression to work out and right now scrubbing off every bit of burnt, baked-on batter was the best outlet he had. He had a lot of things to be angry about in his life. For example, how, when he was thirteen, his parents had moved them from their lovely house and neighborhood in England all the way across the globe to the dead ass middle of nowhere American so that his father could take a job in the oil fields that promised to be far more lucrative than it had actually turned out to be. There was also having to spend his years of secondary school being made fun of for his accent (Americans apparently had no idea that the stereotypical British accent they heard in their media wasn't real, even though he'd eventually adopted a fake accent just to get by) and his parents fighting all the time over money and a million other things (not that they didn't fight back home, but they fought even more now.) And then at twenty, two years into university at a school he'd actually finally been happy at, his parents had up and moved back to England without telling him that they were even going until they were already gone, leaving him floundering to somehow keep himself afloat without the help they'd promised him.

He'd managed to finish his culinary degree (it had practically been a miracle that he had) and from there jumped from job to job, taking work anywhere that was bearable (and sometimes even where it wasn't) and living wherever he could afford. He'd finally managed to find a more permanent flatmate, Yogar Lyste, at one of his most recent jobs. And then he'd had the luck of winning the bid to redesign a little tea room in the back of an antique mall. He'd decorated it to look like one of the shops he'd went to all the time growing up, and while he'd had to include some touristy things to attract the Americans (like all of the Doctor Who collectibles) the shop gave him a bit of a feeling of home, and he was happier than he'd been in a long time. Or at least he had been until that damnable game.

Lyste had been the one to find the advertisement looking for volunteers for the game testing. As much as Alex detested many forms of American media, Star Wars was one of the few things they'd gotten right. He'd been looking for a way to celebrate the success of his new shop-what could be better than this?

He should have known that something strange was going on from the debriefing. He'd chosen to play an Imperial character in the game, partly on a whim but also partly because he'd felt like stepping out of his comfort zone-felt like not having to be the responsible one or do the "right" thing all the time. It was just a game, right? Why not take the path less traveled? Dr. Tano, the woman in charge of the game, had asked him if he wanted to cognizant during the game-had explained that most players went fully under so as to be completely immersed in the role of their characters but that for those playing villain character sometimes players wanted to still have an awareness of their real memories and life so that they'd have more control over their actions and also so when they woke up they wouldn't be left with the feeling that they'd really done whatever not exactly moral things their character had done in the game.

Alex had doubted that was possible-no one would really confuse a game with reality!-but he'd agreed to go along with Dr. Tano's suggestion.

The game had started out well enough-a quick montage of cutscenes showing his character's backstory and then he found himself dropped on a desert planet called Lothal. It was amazing just how real everything felt-he could feel the sun on his skin, smell the spices coming from vendors' booths, and everything looked as crystal clear as in real life. It was an astounding feat of engineering to be sure. And having an Imperial ranking with a uniform and armor and stormtroopers at his command fulfilled some sort of childhood dream of his to play "real" Star Wars, for lack of a better way to describe it. And even though facing off against the rebels had turned out to be somewhat physically painful and he'd soundly lost the battle (he hadn't really expected to win, it wouldn't be Star Wars if the Imperials won) he was enjoying playing his character and getting to experience this world-he wasn't sure exactly how long this game would feel like it lasted, but probably only a few days or weeks at the most, and he'd play his part to the best of his ability for as long as it lasted.

Only it wasn't just a few days, or even a few weeks. Weeks stretched into months, which stretched into years. The fun of the game quickly faded. Being an Imperial and forced to do horrific things that felt very, very real even though he kept telling himself that they were just part of the game day in and day out was quickly wearing on him. And the fact that he was the only who knew this was a game made him feel like an outsider-he knew that there were other players in the game with him, but no matter how many hints he dropped he couldn't seem to find any of them, or at least none of them knew they were in a game if he had. He felt like he was losing his mind, and the longer he stayed in the game the more he began to wonder if this was the real world and if the world he'd thought was real was some sick fantasy his brain had come up with to justify the horrific things he was doing. He'd been about at his breaking point on that Geonosian moon where he'd crashed. And maybe he had snapped. How else could he explain what he'd done? Joining the Rebellion, trying to atone his deeds with the Empire, that made sense. But what had transpired between him and Zeb… He had no idea how it had happened. He wasn't attracted to men, let alone ones that were purple alien cats!

And yet he couldn't deny what had happened, even once he'd finally woken up. He'd tried to explain it away a million ways-he'd been out of his mind; Dr. Tano done something weird with the programming of his avatar; that, if Zeb was a real person, the person playing him must have been a woman-until he'd finally forced it out of his mind entirely, determined to forget that the whole nightmare had ever happened. But he could never fully forget. The fact that his eyes, once brown, had somehow turned the same golden color of his avatar's, was a constant reminder every time he looked in the mirror. He could wear brown contacts most of the time, but the true color never actually went away. And then there were the dreams that would leave him waking up gasping and red-faced in the middle of the night, necessitating long, cold showers afterwards…

When Zeb had walked right into his work today he'd been half convinced it was another dream, although he'd never dreamed of Zeb as being human before. As it turned out, though, he was real, and Alex had admittedly panicked a bit-there was no denying that Zeb was a man, and, despite Alex not wanting to admit it to himself, he was very, very handsome in a rugged sort of way. And somehow he'd managed to talk him into having dinner with him-of course he had, the persistent bastard. He always managed to get his own way. This did not bode well for Alex's "absolutely under no circumstances gay" stance. But it's not like he had a choice in the matter. As shitty as his family was, aside from Lyste they were all he had. And he knew very well exactly what his family would do to him if it turned out he was gay. He'd been grounded for a month in late primary school when his mum had caught him holding hands with another boy, and he'd only been a child and too young to understand what holding hands meant outside of friendship! If he started outright dating another man…

No, he couldn't think like that! He was only going to this dinner to fulfill his end of the deal so that after this Zeb would leave him alone. And yet after work, when he was getting changed at his flat, he found himself picking out his clothes with extra care, and as he slicks his slightly-disheveled-from-work hair back into place he couldn't help but remember how Zeb would always playfully rake his claws through his hair until it was loose and falling down around his face, which Alex had always protested made him look like a mess but Zed had said made him look even more attractive than usual until he'd finally started wearing it loose all the time just to see that smile that Zeb saved just for him…

Cheeks burning, Alex hastily turns away from the mirror. He had to stop thinking like this!

"I'm going out," he says shortly as he hurries past Lyste in the living room to grab his jacket.

"You? Going out on a Saturday night?" Lyste looks up from his phone in surprise. "That's a first-you're usually holed away in the kitchen with one of your boring cooking shows. Have you got a hot date with a girl or something?"

"Of course I haven't!" Alex protests. "I'm just- going out."

"You have got a date!" Lyste cries, his eyes lighting up, much to Alex's horror. "You're blushing, don't even try to deny it! Who's the lucky girl!?"

"I'm not going to see a girl!" Alex cries, hoping to defuse the situation. Instead, he made it worse.

"You're going to see a bloke?" Lyste was practically beaming now. "I always knew you swung my way but were too stubborn to say it!"

"It's not like that!" Alex was about to melt into the floor from embarrassment.

"Mm hm!" Lyste hums knowingly. "Whatever you say. Should I bother leaving the light on for you?"

"Piss off," Alex mutters, snatching his jacket off of its hook and storming down the stairs. He realized a little too late that he hadn't given Lyste Zeb's contact information so that someone would know where he had gone if things went south, but he didn't dare do it now. Lyste would consider it proof that he was going on a date. At least he was fairly certain Zeb wasn't the sort of man, and if he was it would be on Lyste's conscience for teasing Alex and making him forget to take safety precautions.

Zeb's place fortunately wasn't too far from Alex's flat. Alex felt a bit nervous when the directions started taking him out of town into the woods, but his fears eased when he found himself in a nice neighborhood with what appeared to be big family homes. True, it didn't guarantee his safety, but it was more reassuring than a cabin all by itself in the woods. Just as he was pulling up in front of the house that according to the gps was Zeb's, another vehicle was pulling out of the driveway. He only glanced it briefly as it drove by, but he felt his heart pounding as he slowly gets out of his own car because he was pretty sure he'd seen Kanan driving it with Ezra in the back seat. Was it possible? Could it really be them?

He shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts. One existential crisis at a time. Taking a deep breath for courage, he walks up to the front door and rings the doorbell.

For a minute he stood there, half afraid and half hoping that he'd gotten the wrong house or that Zeb had left with the others so he could say he'd held up his end of the bargain by trying and it was Zeb's fault for not being there. But then he hears the sound of running steps and the door swings open and Zeb was standing there, looking slightly out of breath but beaming.

"You came!" Zeb cries.

"I promised that I would, and I'm a man of my word," Alex answers stiffly, but he was trying to suppress a smile-there was something about Zeb being so excited to see him that made it hard not to smile.

"Come on in!" Zeb swings the door open. "You just missed the others-they went out for the night so it wouldn't get too overwhelming with so many people here. It tends to get a bit hectic with all of us living under one roof."

"A lot like the Ghost," Alex observes before he could think about what he was saying.

"Exactly," Zeb agrees. "But at least we've got a bit more room to spread out-no sharing cabins or anything."

"I'm sure Ezra appreciates not sharing a cabin with you, and vice versa." Alex was surprised how easily the words were coming, like he was talking to someone he knew well and not a stranger.

"I love the kid like he's one of my own, but yes, we're both glad of the privacy," Zeb chuckles. "Also I'd rather not share a room with that scrappy little alley cat of his. It's bad enough when Chopper wanders into my room and coughs up a hairball on my bed-I swear that furry devil has it out for me."

"Chopper?" Alex repeats in surprise.

"Hera's cat," Zeb explains. "I'm still not entirely sure how he got brought in-none of us are-but he's just as feisty in the real world as in the game, so be careful if you see him. He's hard to miss, he's a big orange tomcat."

"But you forget that Chopper liked me," Alex points out.

"True-maybe he'll like you better in real life than he does me."

"I do seem to have a way with cats," Alex admits with a wry smile.

"Yeah, you could definitely say that," Zeb agrees, and Alex feels himself blushing as he realizes what he'd said.

"So, I believe you said something about dinner?" Alex asks, desperate to change the subject.

"Oh, right!" Zeb gestures towards the back of the house. "Right this way!"

Alex follows after him, a mouthwatering smell soon reaching his nose.

"I wasn't quite sure what to make," Zeb tells him as they reach the kitchen. "Wasn't sure what you'd like. Only British food I really knew was fish and chips, and I would have caught some fresh fish for that but I know not everyone likes fish. I ended up googling and found out that a Sunday roast is traditional so I thought I'd give it a try."

"...You made a Sunday roast?"

"Might not be exactly what you're used to, but I got a pot roast and made rosemary potatoes since it said meat and potatoes were the main thing, and then I also sauteed some green beans as a side dish. That alright with you?"

"I… I didn't know you could cook," Alex admits, a bit stunned.

"Yeah, I statted out everything else in the game, didn't see how cooking would be important in there-ended up regretting it later." Zeb lets out a small laugh. "But my grandparents raised me right, made sure I knew how to cook for myself and others."

"Your grandparents?" Alex asks before realizing how rude of a question that was. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-!"

"Nah, it's alright," Zeb reassures him. "Most people get curious. Why don't we talk over dinner, get to know each other a bit out here without letting the food get cold?"

"Alright," Alex agrees-any reservations that he had were being quickly melted away by just how tempting Zeb's food smelled.

As it turned out, it tasted just as good if not even better than it smelled. Was it possible to swoon over someone just because of their cooking? Not that he was swooning! ...Probably. But in spite of his best efforts, he found himself hanging on to every one of Zeb's words and opening up to tell him things that not even Lyste, his closest friend, knew.

The conversation continued on after dinner as Alex helped Zeb with the dishes, and then they ended up out on the back porch swing because Zeb said the stars coming out over the lake was something he "had to see". Alex had to admit that, without as much light pollution, he could see many more stars in the sky than he could at home, and it was a beautiful view. And when Zeb not-so-casually stretched so that his arm was practically around Alex's shoulders, Alex found that he didn't mind it. He was actually rather enjoying it, and he found himself slowly inching closer to Zeb until he was lightly pressed up against his side. Being here with Zeb… It was so easy and it felt so right. He could easily stay here forever, could see himself being happy with Zeb. If only…

If only what? Really, what was holding him back? His family disowning him? They'd made it clear from the day he was born that he was just an "accident" they were obligated to keep alive until he was eighteen, what had they ever really done for him? Lyste was the only other person in his life, and he had a boyfriend (probably soon to be fiance) himself. And he was his own boss, so it wasn't like he had to worry about getting fired if word got out. So what was stopping him?

Nothing. Nothing was stopping him. It was almost like he'd had this argument with himself before because he didn't even put up a fight. It had been one thing when he'd only had vague memories of a digital relationship, but now, having Zeb here with him-seeing him, feeling him, breathing in his scent-he wanted him.

"I just can't stay away from you, can I?" he hears himself whispering.

"What?" Zeb looks down at him, and god it was like his green eyes were glowing, and Alex found himself reaching up and cupping Zeb's cheek in his hand.

"Alex?" Zeb whispers, and Alex could see the hope in his eyes, but he wasn't rushing him-wasn't even moving, letting him take his time.

Alex takes a moment to steady himself-he had to think this through for both his and Zeb's sakes. Was this what he wanted? Maybe a small kiss couldn't hurt, just to see how it felt…

He leans forward, brushing his lips against Zeb's.

Oh, Ashla. This was heaven. Small kiss be damned, he leans into Zeb, pressing his lips against his, fire burning through his veins, memories of every kiss and time they'd done much more than kiss flooding into his brain. How? How had he forgotten just how wonderful this was?

...How had he forgotten? He'd been so in love with Zeb, how had things changed so drastically out here?

Zeb seemed to be very much enjoying the kissing, moaning softly into it, but Alex pulls away, shame filling him.

"Zeb," he whispers. "I'm so, so sorry. I-"

"Don't apologize," Zeb gently cuts him off, tenderly cupping his cheek in his hand. "Leaving the game did weird things to all of us. I'm just glad that I have you back. I-I do have you back, don't I?"

"You have however much of me that you want," Alex breathes. He felt like he should apologize more-for never looking for Zeb, for the things he'd said to him earlier-but he'd learned long ago that there was a much better way to make an apology that they would both enjoy. He leans into Zeb again, pulling him into another kiss, a jolt of excitement ripping through him as Zeb's large hands encircle his waist and pull his hips closer to his own. Yes. It was like, even with them technically never having been physically together out here, his body still remembered everything from the game, and he felt a very familiar need filling him, a heat blazing to life in his lower regions.

"Garazeb," he breathes in Zeb's ear when he breaks for air, his hands clenching in Zeb's shirt, hoping that Zeb would understand what his body not just wanted but was demanding right now.

"My full name, huh?" Zeb chuckles, and Alex could pleasantly feel the laugh rumbling in his chest. "I know what that usually means. Do you…?"

"Yes," Alex whispers-fuck, he was so horny right now. "I-If you're okay with it… I-I know we've only just met out here…"

"I count everything in the game as real," Zeb answers tenderly, his fingers trailing down Alex's cheek, and Alex felt himself shivering-even without claws Zeb's nails were still long enough to more than do it for him. "Do you?"

"Yes," Alex breathes. "I do."

He finds himself pushing Zeb down onto the porch swing, lying down on top of him and pressing in between his legs.

"You really are eager aren't you?" Zeb chuckles, a grin spreading across his face.

"Apparently," Alex replies, shivering with anticipation.

"You sure you're okay with doing it out here?"

"We've done it in stranger places, haven't we?"

"True. All right, if you're sure…"

"Of course I am."

"You might be a little sore afterwards, fair warning."

Alex was about to say that he could handle that when suddenly something very important occurs to him. Yes, his body might remember having sex with Zeb, but the truth was he'd never actually had sex. Not with Zeb. Not with anyone. And if this was anything like his first time with Zeb…

"Alex, if you're not sure about this-" Zeb starts to say.

"No!" Alex cries, feeling himself blushing. "I want to! It's just… I-I've never…" His voice drops down to a whisper. "You know. Had these sorts of relations before."

"Pretty sure I remember you being absolutely wonderful in bed, unless I made that all up," Zeb answers with a playful smile.

"No. I mean, yes, I remember it happening in the game. I've just never actually done it out here…"

"Oh." Zeb's eyes suddenly go wide. "Oh, Alex, you've never…? This would be your first time?"

"Yes," Alex mumbles, feeling awkward. "Look, if that's a problem for you, I understand-"

"What? No!" Zeb reaches up and strokes his cheek with his thumb. "Alex, of course I still want you! But are you sure? Sure that you want to do this with me, now?"

"Can't think of anyone else I'd ever want to do it with," Alex answers. "And if I'm a little sore in the morning, well… I've dealt with worse, and I happen to know you give amazing massages."

"True." Alex feels excitement fill him as Zeb grabs his waist again, only for that feeling to be replaced by horror as Zeb suddenly pushes him back and sits up.

"W-What's wrong?" Alex stammers out-had Zeb changed his mind?

"If we're going to do this, I'm not going to let your first time be on a porch swing." Zeb stands up and then, to Alex's great surprise, scoops him up into his arms. "We're going to do this right. I'm going to treat you exactly like the treasure you are."

Alex felt a moment of hesitation. Was he really ready for this?

Then he looks up into Zeb's eyes and feels confidence and, even more strongly, desire flooding through him, washing away any hesitation he was feeling.

Yes. Yes he was. Zeb was amazing, and he loved him, and he wanted this so badly it hurt. As Zeb carries him into the house, he starts pressing kisses to his neck, needing some sort of release for the heat that was burning in his lower regions. Zeb seemed to enjoy that, grinning down at him and-

"Wait, Zeb are you… Purring?" Alex asks, suddenly realizing that, while it made sense for a Lasat to purr, he wasn't sure if humans were physically capable of that.

"Yeah, about that…" It was Zeb's turn to look embarrassed. "We don't know why, but some of us have found things from the game have somehow transferred over to real life. Don't know how, but they have, so I've got a few Lasat… Features, I guess you could call them?"

"Wait, you as well?" Alex gasps.

"Wait, have you-?"

"My eyes," Alex explains. "They used to be brown, but after the game they turned golden. I wear brown contacts to hide it, but..."

"Karabast," Zeb breathes. "Y-Your eyes are really gold?"

"Yes."

"...Any chance I could see that sometime?"

Well, Alex used disposables, and it wasn't like he needed them to be able to see-actually he could see a bit better without them…

"Can you hold still for a moment?"

"Sure."

Zeb stands perfectly still, and Alex carefully removes the contacts. He looks tentatively up at Zeb, whose purring returned full force.

"Ashla, you're gorgeous," Zeb breathes before quickly amending, "N-Not that you don't look good with brown, you do! But I guess I'm more used to them this way…"

"Funny that you're the opposite of most people," Alex weakly chuckles. "You don't find this strange?"

"Not a bit," Zeb reassures him. "And you don't mind that I've still got a few Lasat quirks?"

"...Would it be odd to say that might actually be a bit of a turn on for me depending on what they are?"

"Oh, it is, is it?" Zeb grins playfully down at him.

"Y-Yes?"

"Like this?" Zeb lets out a soft growl which sent every nerve in Alex's body on end, but in a way that was absolutely doing things to him.

"I love that," Alex breathes.

"Good." Zeb starts carrying Alex up the stairs, sending his heart thundering in his chest. Zeb rubs their cheeks together as he climbs, giving him what he knew were Lasat kisses. Fuck, he'd forgotten how wonderful Zeb was...

Soon Zeb turns into a room, kicking the door shut behind them and carrying Alex over to the bed.

"I promise to make you feel amazing," Zeb purrs in his ear. "But I also want you to feel safe, so is there anything I should know about, anything I can do to keep you feeling safe and comfortable?"

Alex was touched that Zeb cared so much. "Maybe, just… Be more gentle with me than the last time we did it?"

"That I can do, love," Zeb answers softly before tossing him down onto the mattress.

Love. Zeb still called him "love". Alex felt warm butterflies bursting to life in his stomach as Zeb climbs on top of him.

"How far are you comfortable with us going?" Zeb asks. "Do you want to just start with some kissing and see how it goes?"

"Garazeb, I appreciate you being so concerned for me." Alex leans up to peck his cheek. "But you don't have to be this careful. I'm not in practice, but you won't break me. Think of it… Think of it like our first time in the game."

"Fair enough." Zeb smiles. "I just want you to feel special and loved, 'Lex. You deserve that."

"Well you deserve that too," Alex answers, sure he was falling more in love with Zeb by the second. "But the truth is, if you're willing, I have a very pressing need that only you can fulfill."

"I see." Zeb lets out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Well, let's see what I can do to help you with that." He reaches down to unbutton and then unzip Alex's pants. "This a good start?"

"A very good start," Alex answers, the pressure that had been building up relieved a bit. "But these pants need to come all the way off."

"All in good time," Zeb chuckles. "First I'd like to get that shirt off of you and see those gorgeous abs of yours."

"O-Oh…" Alex feels himself flushing. "I… I supposed I should tell you that, even though I do work out when I can, my avatar's body was a bit… Idealized."

"I'm sure you look perfect," Zeb says reassuringly. "I mean, of the two of us I'm the one with the most physical differences from our avatars."

"Fair." Alex cracks a smile at that. "And, for the record, while you were a very attractive Lasat, you're just as if not even more handsome as a human."

"Thanks." Zeb grins and pecks his cheek before starting to unbutton Alex's shirt.

The feeling of Zeb's fingers brushing against his skin, slowly exposing his chest, felt wonderful, and the appreciative look in Zeb's eyes as he stares down at him felt even more wonderful.

"Handsome as hell," Zeb breathes. "Told you that you would be."

"Thanks." Alex gives him a shy smile.

"So, fair's fair-my turn?"

Alex didn't want to seem too eager, but he pulled off Zeb's hoodie and tank top with perhaps a bit more enthusiasm than was necessary.

"Fuck," he whispers. Zeb looked like a Greek god-how could someone be this handsome?

"Like what you see?" Zeb teases, but he sounded just a bit self conscious.

"H-How are you so gorgeous?" Alex whispers, starting to feel very insignificant by comparison.

"Partly effects from the game, partly because I guess I've been working out a little harder, always hoping in the back of my mind that I'd find you again and be able to impress you," Zeb admits.

"That's sweet," Alex says softly. "And you certainly have impressed me. It's just…"

"Just what, love?" Zeb gently tilts his chin up. "What's wrong?"

"...Are you sure you want me? Me, of all people?" Alex starts curling in on himself. "I-I'm not nearly as handsome as you remember me. A-And I abandoned you for six months… I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to-"

"No. Don't even go there." Zeb tangles his fingers in Alex's hair, gently loosening it and making it fall down in soft locks. "I've spent all this time missing you, and I'm just really happy to have you back, to hell with whatever was keeping us apart. And you are amazing just the way you are-you are so, so handsome, I don't know how you can't see that!"

"...You really think that?"

"I do."

"...Thank you." Alex wasn't sure he deserved that, but it seemed like him being happy made Zeb happy, so maybe he could try to accept this for the both of them. Wanting to thank Zeb for his support and trying to get the mood back on track, he starts kissing his neck again.

"A-Ah!" Zeb gasps. "Yes… Yes, just like that."

"I'm going to make you feel amazing tonight too," Alex purrs.

"Oh really?" Zeb asks playfully.

"Yes. Get these pants off of me and I can show you just how good I can make you feel," Alex answers, starting to play with the waistband of Zeb's pants.

"Well then." Zeb grins down at him. "Your wish is my command."

Alex wasn't sure how much later it was, but he was lying in bed, curled up against Zeb's chest, Zeb's strong arms wrapped around him and a steady purr rumbling in his chest. That had been incredible. Even better than any of their other times together. Yes, he could tell he would be sore in the morning, but it didn't matter. He had Zeb back, and he was his in mind, spirit, and, now, body, officially.

"You doing alright?" Zeb asks, pressing lazy kisses to his forehead. "Hopefully I wasn't too rough on yeh."

"Not at all." Alex nuzzles against Zeb's chest. "It was perfect. You were perfect, as always."

"You were just as amazing," Zeb answers, pulling Alex closer. "We've still got it."

"Yes we do," Alex chuckles.

"We should probably go get cleaned up. While we're still awake…"

"Yeah…" Alex agrees, making no effort whatsoever to get up. He thought Zeb wasn't going to get up either, but Zeb finally stands up and then picks him up as well, startling him further awake.

"What are you doing?" Alex yelps.

"I figured you're a little sore, as careful as I tried to be," Zeb answers with a tender smile. "So thought I'd take you to get you cleaned up since you might not be up to walking right now. It's the least I can do since I'm the reason you're so sore."

Alex grumbles slightly but he had to admit Zeb had a point-there was one part of Zeb that somehow hadn't been exaggerated on his avatar, as unbelievable as that seemed, and walking after having it inside of him was probably going to be a bit unpleasant.

"C'mon-we'll get you cleaned up and then we can go back to cuddling," Zeb promises.

"Fine…" Alex huffs. "But I'm walking myself back to bed, understand?"

"I'll accept that."

"Good."

Admittedly Alex was experiencing a bit of soreness standing on his own in the shower, but Zeb washes him so gently and lovingly it made it worth it, and afterwards he managed to hobble back over to and then gratefully collapse onto the bed.

"Sorry about that, but I promise you'll feel much better tomorrow morning not having dried cum still in and on you," Zeb says, standing over him.

"I'll take our word for it," Alex answers, sighing blissfully as Zeb proceeds to dig his fingers and nails deeply into his back, giving him an absolutely wonderful massage.

"That feel good?" Zeb asks, and Alex could hear the smile in his voice even though he couldn't see it.

"So good. Please don't stop."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Zeb continues to massage him for quite some time, until Alex had almost drifted off, at which point he finally stops, and Alex could feel him lying down next to him before curling up around him, pulling him close to his chest. Alex had the faint notion that he was supposed to be doing… something. Something involving driving. But he was too comfortable to move at this point, and he just melts into Zeb's embrace.

"Good night, love," Zeb whispers.

Alex suddenly stiffens. What if this was all a dream? What if he woke up all alone tomorrow? What if he forgot again how much he loved Zeb?

"Zeb," he starts to weakly protest.

"It's okay," Zeb says soothingly. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. And I'll be right here when you wake up."

"...Okay." Alex finally gives in, letting his eyes slide shut, drifting off completely surrounded by Zeb's warmth and love.