Moment

That tranquil beach... Alex couldn't get it out of his head. This was getting nostalgic for him, that one defining moment feeling like it was ages ago. He felt old just thinking about it.

"You really should smile more often. It's a good look for you." Bryce encouraged. Alex turned his head to face him.

"When I have something to smile about, Bryce. So, what did you want to talk about?" Alex asked.

"A few things. But for now, let's just hang out and relax. It's been a long week for all of us."

"Who all is here?"

"You'll see soon enough. Though, I think you already know one person pretty well."

"Would that be me?" Maverick's gravelly tones suddenly came from behind them. Bryce jumped a little, while Alex barely even flinched.

"And the former most handsome boy in the room arrives. Thanks for getting the groceries, by the way. You didn't have to." Bryce traced the ground with a claw. Alex couldn't help but take a mental note.

"Former, huh? I see that your sense of humor remains intact. Have you heard anything from Sebastian?" Maverick questioned.

"Yes. He got out of the hospital today. I'm glad about it. Seems like Alex's black magic worked."

"Didn't know he was a wizard."

"Oh yeah. He performed some sort of voodoo mumbo-jumbo ritual and healed us right up. I still have to wear this dumb cast, though." Bryce flashed his cast. It had a few signatures on it from some of the police, excluding Maverick and Sebastian.

"You're in that, and Emera still has you guarding her? What a cunt." Maverick jabbed.

"Maverick!"

"What? It's true. It's like she singled-"

"Hey! Are you guys coming or not?!" Zhong's voice cut them off. "Any longer, and we'll have to eat one of you guys! Preferably Bryce!"

"Ha-ha. Very funny, Zhong! You'll find out real quick that my ass isn't that tasty!" Bryce called back as he disappeared through the bushes. The other two followed suit. In front of the 'grill' sat Zhong and Sebastian, looking no worse for wear.

"I don't know. Roast it with some lemon and garlic, and it may be a good treat." The olive dragon chuckled.

"That's funny, Zhong. I think you'd make a better meal You look nice and tender already." Alex commented cheekily.

"Oh, I already know I'd be delicious. Plenty fat to melt away." Zhong slaps a section of his belly, which jiggles for a second. Generous was the word that came to Alex's mind.

"Okay, okay. Let's put away the cannibal jokes away and introduce everyone. We have a new guest. Alex, I take it you've gotten familiar with my tormentor." Bryce said. Alex confirmed it with a handshake.

"Charmed." Was all Zhong said.

"Likewise. Hope you're giving him hell at the bar." Alex joked. They both shared a chuckle at Bryce's expense. And then Sebastian came up. Wordlessly, Alex hugged him.

"Whoa... Alex. I didn't think you'd be so happy to see me." The runner awkwardly patted him back.

"I'm just glad you're okay. I feared the worst when I saw your state."

"What do you mean? How bad truly was it?"

"I'll tell you later. Let's just celebrate for now." Alex calmed him before turning to Maverick. He dipped his head in greeting, the human doing the same.

"Alex."

"Maverick."

"Things are going well, I hope."

"Well enough. You?"

"Let's talk later. There's some things I want to ask."

"Fair." Bryce stepped behind the grill just as they finished, setting it ablaze with his breath.

"Alright everyone, let's get this party started!" He said with jubilance.

The few people who were there cheered at the display, going to grab a plate after a few seconds. Bryce came up to Alex right as he was deciding on... what meat to get. He was deciding on... beef? Or... chicken? It probably tasted the same, right?

"Hey. How'd you like the display?" Bryce asked while grabbing a slab of the... beef.

"It was great, Bryce. I'm sure Sebastian appreciates it too." Alex laid a hand on the other's arm. "That was very sweet of you."

"Aw shucks. It was nothing. I wasn't feeling very up to it, but I figured just this once for him."

"You..."

"Me what?"

"Just you. Like I said, that was very sweet, Bryce." Alex went in for a peck on the cheek. Bryce was stunned, his face set ablaze as quickly as he started that fire. What a complete surprise from a supposed friend. All he could do after was sit there with his jaw on the ground.

"Wow. What did you do to earn that?" Zhong asked, just as surprised. Bryce only brought a paw to his cheek in disbelief. He only spoke again after he properly collected himself.

"I started the fire..."

"Well, that was very cool of you. Nice timing, by the way. There might've been a whole spiel about who should do it if you didn't."

"I mean... I guess that was pretty good." Bryce tittered stupidly.

"So, you gonna cook that? Or are you on raw meat now?" Zhong pointed to his still half-filled plate. He awkwardly shuffled over to the fire and dumped the plate's contents on. Returning to the group, he listened to the banter that was going on.

"So get this. A few years ago, a sandstone managed to hide between to slabs of meat Maverick got. He didn't even notice and kept on munching." Zhong recalled the story of when Bryce last cooked.

"I honestly couldn't even tell the difference." Maverick said matter-of-factually. Alex and Sebastian both started laughing at his attitude about the whole thing.

"Oh, why you-!" Bryce playfully swiped at them from his seat.

Everyone continued chatting as they found their seats alongside him. The banter died down, of course, and so did everyone's excitement. It steered back onto the road of small talk until one topic came up.

"So Bryce, how's that stint with Emera going for you?" Zhong asked casually.

"Bryce has a stint with Emera? What the heck did I miss?" Sebastian chimed in.

"I do, and don't get me started. It's not so bad when she's at work, but when she gets off, she's dragging me to dinner and such. It's like she's not even trying to hide the reason she did this!" Bryce complained audibly.

"Oh? Do enlighten us." Zhong leaned forward, his head resting on his knuckles.

"You sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes, now say it."

"Fine, your funeral. The reason she appointed me as her bodyguard is because she has the hots for me."

Silence. Everyone remained silent for a whole five seconds. Alex and Maverick shared dark, knowing looks. Zhong and Sebastian gawped at Bryce before one of them broke the tension.

"Seriously?" And that person was Zhong. His dumbfounded look twisted into a straight deadpan. Of course he didn't believe it. Neither did he the last two times.

"Don't you 'seriously' me. You all know what she's like in public, right? Well as soon as it's just us anywhere, she goes completely batty. Starts finding little reasons to play up her game." Bryce argued. Of course Emera would be blatant in her conquest.

"I mean, I get the whole public/private persona thing. Still though." Sebastian shook his head in disbelief.

"Of course, Bryce. Just going out with a high-ranking politician isn't enough when you make up a story. She also isn't allowed to resist your manly allure." Zhong rolled his eyes at his poor friend's plight.

"But it's true, I tell you! I don't even want her anyway. She's not my type, for one, and for two, her personality is the worst. She sucks, straight up." Bryce fired back.

"What was that about sucking?" Sebastian snarked.

"Oh, shut up. If no one wants to believe me, I'll just stop before it gets to the bad part." Bryce crossed his arms. He couldn't believe those two right now.

"I'll vouch, Emera is nuts. When we were in her office yesterday, she went off on this crazed rant. Told me she 'remembered' a bunch of things." Alex finally chimed in. The others glanced to him, prompting him to continue. "She said she remembered doing all this before. The case, the comet, even going through the portal and ending up right back where she started. Hell, she even announced that she was pursuing Bryce." Maverick perked up at that statement.

"Interesting... Well, Bryce, why don't you tell us-"

"Hold that thought, Sebastian. I've got a couple cents to toss in." Maverick cut him off. "He's right. I saw them during my evening walk yesterday. He looked borderline miserable with her yapping away." Everyone stared dumbfounded at him. He stared back.

"You know, I thought I saw you passing by last night." Bryce said.

"We made eye contact, yes. I could read you like a book." Maverick replied.

Wait, why is Maverick in on this?" Zhong shot his hands out toward his target.

"He's not. come on, guys, help me out. How do I get her off my ass."

"You don't because you made the whole thing up. And shame on you for getting them involved!"

"I genuinely didn't! Heck, I was with Alex when she called him in to talk. Heard part of that nut exchange." Bryce shot back.

"If only that were true, at least your story would be credible." Zhong dismissed him.

"Look. Like it or not, Emera's lusting after Bryce. He doesn't feel the same way. I saw it, he experienced it, and she's targeting Alex for some reason. It's clear that she's gone off the rails. Why don't we all be friends and help figure things out before she does something rash?" Maverick butted in before anyone else could say anything.

"Fine. In this ridiculous hypothetical, I'd say play along until you're no longer required to be her bodyguard." Zhong said. Everyone remained silent for another five seconds...

"Zhong, that is the single dumbest thing I've heard you say all night." Alex deadpanned.

"Don't blame me. Blame him for starting this."

"Look, Bryce=" Alex faced his dragon. "My best advice is just to be blunt. Sometimes, people need to be clubbed over the head with the truth until it finally gets through."

"You sure that'll work? What if she lashes out?" Bryce asked timidly.

"Then leave." Maverick added. "People like her shouldn't be enabled. If she bitches at you for it, just send another officer."

"And if she does something worse, like try to assault me?"

"If that's the case, I may have to make a deal with the devil." Alex chimed in.

"And who's the devil?" Maverick narrowed his eyes. Alex remained silent for his own sake. He wasn't about to spill the beans just yet. He wasn't sure if he wanted to either.

"Alex... you're not doing this because you want me, are you?" Bryce asked under his breath. His friend brought him in close, maybe a little too close for comfort.

"I won't lie, I do like you." Alex muttered. Some silent conversation started between Sebastian and Zhong. Perhaps they were making comments on the unfolding events. Alex didn't care. He just wanted this moment to go uninterrupted.

"But... why? What about me attracts you like that?" Bryce asked the all-important question. There was a long pause as Alex drifted into thought.

"I don't know. I just know that there's something about you that's had me feeling this way since day one. And I don't want that feeling to end."

"Are you even sure that isn't something else?"

"Bryce. I've only ever felt this way about one other, and I lost her long ago. I know exactly what this is." Alex glanced up to his dragon. His eyes held nothing but the purest honesty he could muster, and that reflected onto the other.

"I... need to think about this." Bryce muttered.

"That's okay. No need to rush into it. Let's just get back to the party." Alex gave his dragon a gentle pat and turned back to their company. They'd been observing them the whole time they were talking, that much he knew. Sebastian was the first to open his mouth.

"Glad to see you guys are back. Looks like I won, Zhong." The runner flashed his friend a cheeky smile.

"Damn, I can't believe that. I'll pay up tomorrow. You know I don't have my wallet on me."

"Wait, what did we miss out on?" Alex asked.

"Nothing-"

"Zhong bet me you and Bryce were gonna kiss." Sebastian interjected.

"Why you-!" Zhong lunged for Sebastian, tackling him to the ground. They both laughed as they rough-housed in the sand.

"Wow. Did they really think things were that tense between us?" Bryce asked.

"I guess we were pretty close back there." Alex muttered.

"I suppose so." Bryce chuckled. Sebastian bellowed out a triumphant laugh as he stood victorious. His foot rested on Zhong's back. The other lay panting below him. What a sight for the little officer.

"So, Alex." He returned to his seat. "I thought you'd be more interested in that librarian I saw you hanging out with."

"Who, the klutzy one?" Bryce immediately butted in.

'Yep." Sebastian replied. Zhong finally got back into his seat, brushing sand off his muzzle. Bryce visibly grimaced at that fact.

"Bryce, come on. Don't be like that." Zhong scolded.

"I just didn't know he was your type." Bryce waggled his eyebrows at Alex.

"Oh come on, Bryce. He's just a friend. Besides, you should know my type by now." Alex shot back.

"Damn. You got me there."

"Oh, just kiss already!" Zhong called out, to which Maverick threw a piece of cheese he stole at him.

"Hey Bryce, you going for a plate?" He called, going for seconds already.

"Food's ready already?" Bryce called back.

"Has been for a while."

"Good catch." Sebastian muttered.

The fire, in fact, had been extinguished for a while. Everything that had been thrown in was appetizingly charred. Everyone who followed in Maverick's footsteps were going for seconds. The grill was still lined with goodies for everyone, and was mostly empty by the time Alex and Bryce got there. Alex used his knife to grab his portion to Bryce's amusement.

"Too hot for you?" He teased.

"Yep. You must be so sad I didn't ask you to get it." Alex shot back.

"What a shame. I could've stole some while I was at it. Like so." Bryce plucked a piece of meat from the other's plate.

"Hey! You ass!" Alex yelled. Bryce pranced away, beaming with his prize still visible. He got cheese thrown at him much like Zhong. A piece stuck right where he wouldn't notice.

"Thanks Alex!" Bryce called before effortlessly swallowing the main course whole. "Yep, that's a nice char. My compliments to the chef." Alex gaped at the display. Of all the things he could've been simultaneously stunned and turned on by, why was it that?

"Could use a bit of salt." Zhong, however, wasn't as impressed. "At least the cheese is crisp." He took a crisp and popped it into his mouth. It produced a nice crunch as he chewed.

"I still don't get how you can eat that cheese stuff, Zhong." Bryce said.

"Hey Bryce, can I see your plate? I want to treat you like a king." Alex asked.

"And how's that?"

" Hand feeding."

"Oh, now you're talking." Bryce lay back with his eyes closed and mouth open. "Lay it on me, babe!" Alex's mouth spread into a wide grin. He cut a piece of steak and dropped it on his tongue. Everyone gawked at the display in front of them. They genuinely couldn't believe what was happening. And so, they whispered among themselves about the sight.

Bryce hummed in delight as Alex placed another piece on his tongue. He could certainly get used to this. If having Alex as a boyfriend meant getting this treatment every day, he'd be first in line to sign up. This was heaven to him!

Alex's smile twisted in on itself as he went for another piece. A mischievous grin replaced it as he took all the cheese from his plate into a closed fist. Everything he grabbed was wadded into a ball that was hovered over Bryce's open mouth.

But as he contemplated, he realized that getting sweet revenge for his lost poultry could hurt what he has. He just confessed, and now he was thinking about force feeding the one he confessed to something he hated.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Bryce opened his eyes to a piece of food bouncing off his teeth. His eyes widened as they followed it. It bounced off the sand and rolled to a stop a few feet from them.

"Real smooth, Bryce." Sebastian teased.

"Really? You're gonna do this now when I've suffered a loss?" Bryce shot back.

"To be fair, we do it to everyone and every thing here."

"Even you." Maverick picked up the meat cube and brushed all the sand off, popping it into his mouth. "It's not even that far gone."

Bryce grunted. "You wouldn't mind eating the whole bed of stones and everything on it as well."

"At least I try to have some variety in my diet." Maverick huffed.

"Hey, I do too! I think there are at least five different kinds of meat this time!" Bryce shot back. "And none of them are sandy."

"Case in point." Maverick popped some broccoli to go with his ground snack. He goes for another plate, but finds that the rest of the food disappeared. It seemed that everyone had their fill during their little gossip session.

"Hey, I think it's time I go." Zhong said.

"Already?" Bryce cocked a brow at him.

"The babysitter can only stay so long."

"Oh well."

"Yeah, I'd best be off as well. you know I start early tomorrow." Sebastian stood up with the bartender.

"I guess we all got what we came for at least. Thanks for saving me and Alex seconds." Bryce bid everyone farewell. Everyone leaving silently nodded as they disappeared through the brush leading back into town.

And then there were two. Bryce and Alex stood silently in each other's presence. Neither wanted to say a word to each other, but they knew. They knew what was going to be done eventually. The short, sharp inhale that Bryce took was so loud compared to the deathly silence, that Alex jumped.

"Alex, do you remember this morning? When I said I wanted to talk?"

"Yes. What did you want to talk about?"

"This whole thing. You and me, to start."

"Shoot." Alex shifted his weight, his boots sinking into the sand.

"Like I said before, I heard your conversation with Emera. Is that why you decided to not only confess, but come out to me?"

"I... have to admit that I felt a little freaked out. But that's not the main reason. I like you, Bryce, and I wanted to say that for a while."

"Seems you've grown a little more than just that. I thought you'd hate me after the bar." Bryce glanced to the ground, a paw tracing circles.

"You know what? I'm just glad you wanted to make up."

"So... now what? You've said all this stuff. Where do you want it to lead?"

"Honestly? A nice, comfortable bed. I'm exhausted." Alex sheepishly grimaced. Between this and Remy's 'outing', he had enough social stuff for one day.

"Oh ho. I see how it is." Bryce beamed a toothy grin. Alex slapped his foreleg softly.

"Heel, boy. You know I'm tired."

"I'm just fucking with you, Alex. Come on. Let's get this cleaned up before we go." Bryce gestured to the trash around them.

"Figures. Bryce, your friends are shit at cleaning up after themselves."

"Yeah. They really are." After a mutual laugh at the people in question, the two proceeded to clean everything up. They continued talking about this and that during the process. Bryce reiterated the story of how he got his scar, and Alex told him the story behind his previous relationship.

They agreed to stay over at Bryce's place in spite of Alex adding his bed to the argument. Bryce shut the door as soon as they got in, preparing their 'bed' for the night. Alex glanced to the sofa for a second.

"Hey, where do you want me? I can take the floor if you want."

"Nah, go ahead and take the couch. I can just sleep on the floor or something." Bryce sat down and began to curl into a ball. "Plus, with all this armor, I'll barely feel a thing."

Alex stared at his form from his position. He felt awful sleeping up there while his dragon took the hard wooden floor. He reached out with his free hand.

"Bryce, get up here." He said.

"Are you sure? I don't know if you..." Bryce trailed off. "Well, if you say so." He stood back up to get the lights, but Alex beat him to it. "Hey. That's my job." He said.

"Too bad. I've gotta get these clothes off anyway, so I won't be laying down just yet. Go lay down and relax. You've done so much tonight already." Alex shooed him back onto their 'bed' and hit the lights.

"You tease." Bryce joked in the dark.

"Perv." Alex shot right back.

"Hey, it's only natural." Bryce's wink went unseen...

"I literally just confessed and already you're wanting to see me naked?"

"Nothing wrong with wanting to check prospective partners out."

"Have fun doing that, then. Now, are we going to hit the sack?"

"Sure thing, your highness. Come here and let me be your blanket." Bryce lifted himself so Alex could climb under. Once he shuffled into place, he lay back down. Both seemed rather comfortable with their arrangement.

"You know, it's been a while since I did this with anyone." Alex mused.

"Slept over?" Bryce asked.

"And been naked in front of anyone. Try not to stay up checking me out, okay?"

"Don't worry. I'll be a good boy." Bryce let out a quiet chuckle. "Good night, Alex."

"Good night, Bryce. Thanks for everything tonight. For not treating me like some disgusting person."

"You're welcome. Thank you for not being pushy about the relationship thing."

"I wouldn't dare. Emera's been hard enough on you."

"Yeah... she has." Bryce nuzzled the couch cushion. "You know, your confession could save me." He muttered.

"Huh. I guess it could. I hope she doesn't ask you to prove it, though." Alex mumbled back.

"If she does that, I'll just tell her all about the drop-dead amazing sex we totally had." Alex stifled a laugh. There was no way his dragon just said such a thing! He gaped at him for a solid two seconds.

"Bryce, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, I am. She wants the juicy shit, I'll give her the juicy shit."

"But you don't even know what it's like!"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I can make it sound like it was the absolute best in my entire life. 'Night Alex."

Alex lay there dumbfounded. Even after Bryce had drifted off, he lay there thinking. He can't be serious, can he? What if Emera started asking questions he couldn't answer? Oh, he could be in a world of trouble come tomorrow...