I still do not own this series. Nor anything else that isn't mine.
TapTap
Eventually, we both need to break off for air. I am a little worried for Alex as he breathes very heavily, but he seems alright. Maybe he is in some residual shock still? There's no way to know how long ago it was that he was locked into that thing; I shudder, just thinking about it, and he looks at me with some concern, but I shake my head. I am fine, I would just rather not remember that part.
I sit up as he gets up from the couch and starts to walk through the plane. We're at the very far back, I think, and the cabin looks to be rather large. I didn't want to move around too much, when I was first awake; preferring to stay near him, but Alex doesn't seem to be in the least intimidated by the surroundings. He really is rather posh, even more so than Scottie. And he is rather posh to start with.
Alex seems to effortlessly find a fridge, which I wouldn't have even thought to look for, and pulls out some very neat little boxes with baked potatoes and Ceasar salad. He finds somewhere to heat the potatoes and brings it all over, yawning slightly and trying not to chuckle at my expression.
"What will happen now?" I ask at last, and stab my fork into the salad. "Well, I will probably be told that fairly soon. We will live in isolation somewhere, I would guess". I nod, but then I have to ask "What about your work? Whatever irked them so much?" "I don't even know where it is right now, and I certainly won't look for it without their permission. No doubt they won't allow us to go back until they're satisfied it is destroyed" he has started eating too, sitting next to me on one of the couches, so that we can still touch, the food on the table before us.
"For now" he gives me his somewhat hesitant, but soul-searing signature smile, a mischievous twinkle just in the depth of his eyes, but still that slight hesitancy born of so much loneliness "we are all alone and together". There's an invitation there somewhere, though it isn't spoken.
For someone so confident in some matters, Alex is so shy when it comes to love. Though judging by his mother, or the woman that's obviously his mother, maybe he got about as much warmth from his parents as I got from mine. I have always tried to take him out of his shell, and I will continue to do that, more than ever.
"What about your name?" He freezes, but I wait. "Alistair, is that really your name?" "No! I mean, yes, or..." the rarity of Alex getting flustered just makes it better. Maybe that's mean of me, after everything, but I think he owes me that much; and he definitely owes me an explanation.
I take the opportunity to wink at him, before taking another bite, letting him know I am not as mad as he thinks. He draws a long breath, relaxing just a fraction. "My mother, or, who I thought was my mother, growing up, Frances, she named me Alistair. My biological mother - she was the cook in our kitchen, I only found out a few years ago - she named me Alex, and she always called me that. I prefer it" he looks at me, his eyes a raw plea for understanding, begging me to forgive him.
"I am so sorry, Danny. About everything. That's why I started with that proof, you know" his words comes out in a rush now "to prove to you that I love you, and that I was telling the truth, after all the lies, I am so, so sorry!"
Instinctively, I reach out a hand and touch his arm "shhh, Alex, it's alright. It is alright. I understand. We will work it out. It is alright". And I mean it. We will get through this. I saw him locked up in a trunk, suffocating, and he still lied when he said he'd give me up. I trust that he loves me.