Title: Blush Wine and Blushes

Summary: Alexis and Ryan have a slightly awkward conversation over wine. Takes place a few days before Ryan gets his stitches out.

Genre: Humor/Romance

Characters: Ryan, Alexis

It was the type on conversation that only happened when you've had one too many glasses of wine, when your defenses were almost gone and you felt you could speak about anything and everything. Both were lounging on the couch underneath a blanket while rain spattered against the windows on this stormy Tuesday afternoon. "Sixteen, really?" Alexis asked. "I figured later since the whole Catholic school thing."

Ryan shook his head, "I don't care how mean nuns are they are no match for horny teenage boys. Her name was Alicia, I was sixteen she was seventeen. We were at her parents house and it was…"

"Amazing?"

"Horrible," he laughed. "Neither one of us knew what the hell we were doing, didn't use protection. It was so awkward and when I started laughing afterwards she slapped me and cried. I wanted to feel bad and I kind of did but the situation was just so funny. There's me thinking that for an absolute failure it went pretty damn well and she's in the bathroom screaming about how much she hates me."

Alexis giggled and accepted a refill of her glass from Kevin who also topped off his. "Who instigated it?"

"Her, she liked my motorcycle. It was nice to be cool for a while and not a dork like always. Chicks dig motorcycles." She shook her head and nudged his leg with her foot at his cocky expression.

The room fell silent and Ryan kept his gaze on Alexis the entire time, his eyebrows rising expectantly. "Well…"

She frowned, "Well what?"

"Oh my God you're killing me. I shared now you have to," he said in exasperation.

Alexis bit the inside of her cheek and glanced around the room uncomfortably. "Tell me about Dominic."

He arched a single brow, "Nice deflection. I met Dom on my twenty-first birthday. I'd never even thought about being with a guy but he was different. We had our fun but I'm straight so it didn't last that long."

She held up her finger and waved it back and forth, "No, no, no. That answer was way too safe for how much wine we've had. Come on, give me something juicy."

Ryan laughed at her boldness and pointed to her glass, "You have had way too much."

"As have you so share!"

A wicked grin covered his face, "Dom was hot as hell. Tall with olive skin and light green eyes, a few years older than me. Like I said I had never even thought of being with a guy but Dom could change anybody's mind about any thing. The two weeks we were together, wow. I wouldn't change it for the world but I'm pretty damn straight and my time with him just confirmed that. No sense living a lie so when the shine wore off we ended it. Not going to lie and say I didn't think about him for a few months after that though."

Alexis envied how easily he could talk about sex and past relationships and wondered if it was because of the wine or just because he was that secure with himself. Or maybe it was just because he was a guy and guys never seemed to mind talking about sex. Probably a little bit of all three.

"Earth to Alexis."

She jumped a little, "Yes?"

"Don't be coy, tell me."

Alexis shrugged a little and mumbled something under her breath before tying to get off the couch only to roll onto the floor which caused Ryan to burst out laughing and Alexis to join him a second later. "There's nothing to tell."

"Why not…" he started before his eyebrows shot to his hairline. "No way. No way in hell. Are you a virgin?"

"What? No I…" she started as she sat up and tried to get her tongue to untie. "I've had… sex before."

Ryan was looking beyond smug at her flustered appearance and bright blush. "You sure about that?"

"Yes!" she argued. "My first time was when I was eighteen."

"With…" he began and laughed when she just stood and made her way to the kitchen. He jumped up and ran after her still giggling, "Lex come on tell me. Why don't you want to talk about it?"

She crossed her arms and tried to ignore the heat radiating off her cheeks, "It was just so embarrassing. It was prom which is a cliché in itself and it was so uncomfortable and quick." It was silent for a few seconds and she looked up at Ryan who snorted in laughter before descending into hysterical giggles.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. How quick?"

"Like literally a minute."

Tears slid down Ryan's cheeks as he continued to laugh, "You're killing me. Who was it? Was he a virgin?"

She began to laugh too, "Ashley and yes he was." Both stood there laughing until Ryan finally got himself under control.

"That's enough wine for me, wow. So how many people have you been with? What's your number?" It was a dangerous question but Ryan had faith the answer wouldn't bother him; if she couldn't even talk about sex she most likely wasn't having much. Her cheeks were still as bright as he hair.

"Two," she answered as her blush somehow managed to deepen. "God this is so awkward to talk about."

Ryan smiled, pleased with the answer and pulled her into a loose embrace and kissed her firmly. He lifted her onto the edge of the counter and ground his hips into hers, hands sliding up her sides as Alexis gently tugged on his hair with a moan. It was getting harder and harder to not go all the way but because of his stitches they both needed to be more patient than they wanted.

"What's your number?"

The tables were turned and Ryan flushed at the question as he tried to pull away. Alexis wrapped her legs around him and shook her head, "Answer me."

"That's not fair. I'm older. And a guy."

She poked his side, "Number."

"Tell me about the other guy," he insisted as he tried to divert attention away from himself.

Alexis looked uncomfortable, "He was... different."

"Different how?" he wondered out loud knowing the answer was going to be good.

She groaned, "He was really emotional. He cried all the time and wanted me to cry too, to see the beauty in things that he did but I just couldn't. I honestly think he was on some sort of drug or estrogen or something."

Ryan chuckled, "You want to talk about different I went out with a girl named Lacramioara who was into the whole vampire thing. The weirdness was a turn on at first but I have a line and she crossed it, we broke up when she told me she wanted to sleep together in a coffin. Like a real coffin. Hot turned to heebie jeebies pretty quick."

Alexis laughed into his shoulder trying to picture straight and narrow Kevin with some goth woman who thought she was a vampire. "That's pretty good. Now stop changing the subject and give me your number. Please."

He mumbled his response and grimaced when she told him to repeat it louder. "Sixteen." To Alexis's credit she didn't look disgusted or bothered so he cautiously continued. "I didn't really have a lot of actual long-term relationships and when I was undercover in narcotics I met a lot of girls."

"So you've had a lot of experience," she said neutrally. He licked his lips and gingerly nodded and waited with baited breath to hear what her response would be. "Well then, when your stitches come out I expect you to blow my mind Kevin Ryan," she whispered breathlessly into his ear before sliding off the counter and walking out of the room.

Ryan could only stand there in shock and he quickly counted how many days until his stitches came out. Five days. He could handle this, hopefully. He was a patient man.

"Kevin! Come in here and rub my back, and bring more wine."

Ryan sighed and looked up to the heavens, "God help me."