Anticipation [open]

Alex chuckled lightly, "If you swallowed the key you'd have to put up with me until it came back out," he chuckled more at the thought. "More money for you to spend on me," he joked pressing his lips against Nicks. He wrapped his arms around the boy and kissed his neck. "Don't worry, I'm not capable of sending hate mail...yet," he smirked pulling Nick closer to him.

"I don't think I'd put you in the position where you'd need to resort to that. However, one girl did stalk me for months after I ended things with her - she's partly the reason I dislike conventional relationships. She used to send me photos she'd taken of me in public places with various girls and boys, and the occasional death threat, too. She was particularly strange. That was a time when I quite liked girls who were a little odd; she was older than me, and quite a goth - she used to powder her face white and dye her hair black and wear fake fangs and white contact lenses. I used to have very strange tastes, before I realised that anyone and everyone is the same on the outside, no matter how they dress. All girls have breasts, all guys have cocks." He shrugged and let Alex continue to kiss his neck, burying his fingers in the boy's soft hair.

Alex laughed, nuzzling his nose into the nape of Nicks neck. "Sounds like so much fun," he chuckled, "See, I usually make a point of not having relationships. Would it surprise you to know I have never once had a boyfriend or a girlfriend? Actually, I don't suppose it would." He shrugged, as best he could and continues to trace his lips over Nick's revealed skin.

Nick nodded - it didn't surprise him in the slightest, mostly because he always saw Alex as being very young, despite the fact that they were the same age - and wrapped his arms around his waist, holding him both loosely and tightly at the same time. "I'm thinking of getting a new tattoo - any ideas? If I ever end up doing anything with Jace again, it may become one in honour of him, although it will most likely be for my own selfish desires. What do you think? Often, when I get money sent through from the agency I will get myself a new tattoo as a reward, but I'm running out of ideas for where and what."

Alex's heart sunk a little at the mention of Jace. Obviously Nick was free to do what, or who, he pleased. But Alex would always think of Nick as his, no one else was living with him after all. "I dunno," he said curling up a little into Nicks chest. "What agency?" he asked, partially dreading the answer, but if Nick was getting money, maybe it would help Alex. He was caught up a little on thinking about tattoos when he suddenly had an idea, "This may sound odd. But you could get stitches that are ripped to reveal the muscle underneath. Round your ankle or something," he said, his voice drifting off a little at the end.

"Modelling agency," he said, quite disinterestedly. "Occasionally I do the odd photo for magazines, nothing big. I was in Cheekbone last month - that's my pay cheque for it." He paused and listened carefully to Alex's idea. It seemed good, perhaps it could show bone as well? Or maybe flesh ripped to reveal a circuit board, or clockwork cogs? All were plausible, and would look effective. He'd been thinking about moving on to his legs for a while now, it just needed the right idea to set it off. "Possibly, possibly," he said, nodding. Maybe he'd have some of the ones on his chest taken off, and then he could have a huge hole in the flesh there, showing his heart. That might be good, too...

"Oh, cool," Alex said, smiling slightly. Glad that Nick may have taken on his idea. Of course it would be improved, Alex didn't have an elaborate imagination, not like Nick. He smirked to himself as he thought of Nick being a model. If only he had bought the magazine to see the photo. He sighed quietly, not a job he would ever be able to do. He'd just stick with the one he had.

"It pays well, and it's not at all strenuous. I'll recommend you to them, if you'd like. I think they'd be quite keen for a youthful face like yours." He ran his hands up Alex's back, then down again, following his spine exactly with his long, precise fingers. "You'd be good at it, all those funny little poses you do without even realising it."

Alex blushed, "I do?" he asked, smiling slightly, "I don't think I'd be very good at it. I'd be too embarrassed." he chucked imagining himself in clothes that were not his style posing to someone he didn't know, and then to see his face on all those magazines. Alex wouldn't be able to do that, even if it did pay well.

"You get past the weirdness of it, and the clothes are usually pretty good. Odd, but they always are in magazines. Seriously, I think you'd be really good. They like people with their own style, and it's not like you'd have to wear preppy clothes or anything like that. I think you should consider it more, at least. Maybe come with me to the next shoot they ask me to do, to see what it's like?" he suggested, kissing Alex's forehead and grabbing a remote control on the counter behind him to switch on some music. Embarrassingly, it was a classical waltz - his father, although unconventional, had old-fashioned tastes - but he covered it up by taking Alex in his arms and beginning to dance with him, dipping him back and twirling him round in his arms.

Alex laughed and held onto Nick as they danced, "Maybe I will," he smiled as he stepped closer to Nick, "You know, you really need to stop being nice to me, anyone would think you actually liked me." He smirked and rested his chin against Nicks shoulder and slipped his arms around the boys waist. He was so surprised that he had spelt so long with Nick, and that he had been invited to live - and now work - with him. It was all happening very quickly.

"I do like you," he said, quite genuinely. "We have very similar aims, you and I. We get along well, don't we?" Nick held Alex expertly, as any gentleman would hold a lady whilst dancing in a posh ballroom. Except, this was not a posh ballroom. This was Nick's penthouse, with the wide window to one side of them and the modern kitchen to the other, and Nick was still topless, not a graceful gentleman in a tuxedo or any other sort of suit. His games often struck him as childish, and yet he played them anyway. What else was there for him to do here, on his own? He was, although he could get whatever company he wanted, just like a little prince, locked in a tower and guarded by dragons. It was ironic, really; everyone thought he was so free because he didn't live with his parents, but all he did was spend his days playing toy soldiers, so to speak.

Alex smiled gently and snaked his arm up and supported his hand on Nick's neck, pulling him closer and gently pressing his lips against the other boy's. The kiss was slow and yet still passionate, still loving. "I would hope so," he whispered against the other boys lips, "Otherwise this would be very awkward."

"I would hope so too," he murmured, enjoying this new, slower pace and making no attempt to change it. Even the music had become more subdued; some might say romantic. Nick almost laughed at this thought but managed to control it and remain in keeping with the scene they were playing out. The ripped open heart made a good picture in his mind - if it weren't for the ones that would need removing for it he'd gave it done in an instant.

Alex smiled and rested his head against Nicks chest as they reduced their dancing to a light sway. He closed his eyes and just listened to the world around him, the boy's heartbeat, the cars outside on the street, the people running around doing their daily work. The world was so alive, so busy. No one had time to just stop and see the beauty of it. Alex sighed quietly and pulled away from Nick. His mood deflated somewhat since that morning. But that couldn't be helped. "I'll be right back," he said, quietly to keep with the mood, as he gathered up his clothes from the night before, stepped into the bathroom and got washed and dressed.

Nick nodded and threw himself onto one of his chaise longues, stretching out his long limbs and cracking his joints. "When Nicholas was in Egypt land, let my people go," he chanted in a low voice, smiling at his own little joke. After a few moments he stood up and went to the window, leaning against it with his forehead on the cool glass. Everyone looked so small in the city streets, milling about like ants.

Alex stepped back out, fully clothed in what he came in and sopping wet hair. Seeing Nick standing by the window he grinned and wrapped his arms around his waist burying his wet hair into the nape of his neck. "See anyone you like?" he chuckled, referring to the people outside the window.

He frowned and shook his head, turning so his back was against the glass instead of his forehead, slipping his arms around Alex's waist. "You know we're not a couple, don't you?" he asked, running his hands all over Alex's young body. "We can both go and see Mr Gray when we like, you can run along and have a make-out session with your little friend - Destin? - and we're both allowed to go to clubs and get with whoever we want, yes?"

"Yeah," Alex smiled, though not especially convincingly, "Of course." He turned and picked up a towel from the floor and rubbed his hair dry with it, before turning back to Nick, "Why d'you ask?" Alex supposed they were probably as close to not being a couple as you could get before you were actually a couple. He understood why Nick was being nice to him, but that didn't stop it from hurting just a little, "Just, don't..." he paused and sighed, looking back at Nick he smiled, genuinely this time, "Don't boast about how many people you've pulled."