Lance was gorgeous even when he slept.

Long strands of hair framed his face and covered his left ear. His eyes shifted behind closed lids; probably because of a strange or eventful dream. Delicate rays of sun kissed pale skin. It gave his features a soft highlight composed of warm yellow.

He barely moved with each even breath.

Both arms were buried beneath a pillow, so a majority of his tattoos were hidden. The position made his ribs more pronounced. It shed light on the natural curves where toned muscle met hard bone.

Black kanji symbols ran down the length of his spine. They were partially hidden by a thin blanket hanging low on his hips.

One leg was kicked straight out with the other being bent at the knee.

His inner thighs were littered with vibrant hickeys.

He wore the territorial marks beautifully.

Alessandro was quiet as he walked to the bathroom. He closed the door behind him. Chilly air against his exposed skin made him shiver. A comfortable set of loungewear was set onto the closed lid of the toilet. A soft towel joined them as well. The shower was turned on while he took the time to brush his teeth.

He almost didn't recognize himself in the mirror. The only true giveaway that it actually was Alessandro in the reflection came from his green eyes.

They didn't look as tired as they usually did.

Brunet strands of hair were flying in multiple directions, being more bunched together on the right side of his head. Faint scratch marks could be seen on his shoulders and waist. They disappeared with the natural curve of his body, most likely to be continued on his back. Based on the hardly noticeable yet invigorating sting he felt, he guessed that the marks were plentiful.

Hickeys were scattered all over his chest. The largest one sat triumphantly on the left side of his neck. It was a mixture of purple and red. Small indentations in the shapes of teeth littered the surrounding skin.

The marking would probably take some time to heal.

He didn't mind it in the slightest.

In the shower, Alessandro traced over multiple sections of his body. He could still feel phantom touches and grazes against his skin. For once, it didn't bring him any discomfort. Because those sweet touches came from someone he cared about.

It almost felt degrading to wash away any remnants of last night, but doing so was necessary. Multiple sections of skin were itchy because of a dried, peeling substance that wasn't properly cleaned up the night before.

While standing beneath the hot water, Alessandro allowed his mind to wander.

Last night was one of the most intense experiences of his life— it was just as impactful as the night he lost his virginity. Hours upon hours of time were lost on him. They were full of gentle caresses. They were full of wandering hands. They were full of hard, deep thrusts into an enveloping cavern which greedily sheathed him up to the base.

He remembered the strong grip of smaller hands as they fisted the blankets for stability. He remembered how bluish gray eyes filled with tears because of blissful overstimulation. He remembered those gorgeous, throaty begs and pleas that desperately called for more, more, more. He remembered strong legs that clung around his waist for dear life. He remembered those long, addicting, passionate kisses that left them both gasping for air.

They hadn't slept together in over a decade, but their bodies still molded together perfectly. Just like they used to.

With his thoughts racing, Alessandro's remaining shower was quick.

He pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and some dark gray sweats. He also put on his moccasins to ensure that his footfalls were quiet against the floor when he re-entered the bedroom.

Upon doing so, he saw that Lance was still sleeping. He was starfishing a little bit, but it didn't really matter since he was the sole occupant in the bed.

The thin sheet was carefully hiked up to his shoulders. He snuggled further into his pillow. An unconscious smile befell his features when a featherlight kiss was placed against the crown of his head.

Some articles of clothing were left on the side of the bed, along with a spare toothbrush. Chalky tasting capsules were taken like clockwork, and Alessandro left the room with a few of his belongings.

He greeted Rain, the senior kitty stuffing her face with a generous helping of food.

A pink mesh bag was dropped onto the couch as Alessandro settled in. He took a moment to pop in a set of wireless earphones. A random indie playlist was set to shuffle. The mesh bag was opened to reveal the familiar plethora of yarn balls. Some newer ones had been added to the collection recently.

A wool ball of yarn was pulled out, consisting of a range of colors that shifted between black, gray, white, and red. A small portion of it was weaved into a tightly knit scarf on the end of the wooden loom. Alessandro continued his hobby of crocheting while listening to music.

At one point, Rain hopped on her cat bed to join him. Other than that though, the atmosphere was undisturbed. It remained peaceful and quiet.

He was about halfway done with the desired length of the scarf when a pair of arms wrapped around his neck. Light breaths tickled his skin before more pleasant warmth settled against his back. The gesture was reciprocated by Alessandro leaning into the touch.

He paused the music, took out his earphones, and set the crochet tools back in their rightful place. "Morning, sleepy head."

"How long have you been up?"

"Not too sure. An hour maybe. I wanted to let you sleep," he replied while looking back. "How are you feeling?"

"Body's a little sore, but I can't really tell if it's from walking in the rain, or us messing around." Lance smirked. "By the way, I don't know what you were going on about when you said you were a little nervous. You still know what you're doing even if it's been awhile."

"Oh?" A chuckle was given in response. "Well, I'm glad to hear that."

"We should do it again sometime."

Alessandro didn't mean to tense. He even tried to control the small twitch in his smile. Even if he was able to though, it wouldn't have mattered.

Lance would've seen through it either way.

He sat down on a free section of the couch, looking curiously between both green eyes. "You don't regret last night, do you..?"

"No, no," Alessandro assured. "I had more than a great time. And it would be nice to do it again. It's just- and this isn't because of you- I get a little... anxious... when it comes to intimacy. I tend to overthink some things and have a bit of a hard time being close to people in that way. It's why I haven't had sex in awhile."

"Oh." Lance's expression became serious. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"You didn't, don't worry. I was comfortable with you because I trust you."

"The feeling's mutual."

That was... surprising to hear.

"It is?" Alessandro asked.

He was met with an easygoing smile and a nod.

"Like- like, legitimately? For real?"

"Yes, Andro."

That statement opened up an entirely different can of worms. A can that also needed to be spilled for things to continue going as they were.

"But- but I thought-"

"I didn't trust you in terms of our last relationship," Lance answered with a shrug. "But this is something new and different for both of us. And so far, you've done everything except give me a reason to not trust you. You've... done a lot for me these past couple of months. When you didn't need to. I just- I want you to know that it hasn't gone unnoticed."

"I appreciate that, Lance."

"...I've been meaning to apologize too. For being so nasty to you in the beginning."

"You were still angry. And I deserved it. I'm not mad at you for that."

There were other things that needed to be said. They both knew that. There were still things that needed to be explained. To be brought to the surface and given a chance to see the light. But at that moment, everything just felt simple.

A still confusing relationship, hidden feelings, honesty about certain issues—all of that could wait.

They had a more pressing matter to attend to anyway.

"You hungry?" Alessandro asked. "We could make something. Or we could order in. I don't mind either way."

"Ordering in sounds nice. Could really go for some pancakes." Lance reached for his phone. "While we do that, I should probably text Donovan. See if he's cooled down enough to let me come back."

"You don't have to do that, y'know. You're too good for a douchebag like him. Whether or not he was angry, he shouldn't have kicked you out in the first place."

"I agree with you. It's just- I don't have any other option."

Alessandro gently grabbed Lance's wrist to get his full attention. "You could stay here."

Bluish gray eyes widened. "I- are you being for real?"

"I wouldn't mind. Rain likes having you around too. And you'd finally be able to have a space where he isn't. You could start doing things that you love again without having someone there to say you shouldn't."

Lance blinked. He was certainly caught off guard and clearly wasn't expecting such an offer. 

Alessandro understood that. He knew it was a bit much to ask just as it was a bit much to immediately accept.

"You don't have to give me a straight answer right now. If you just want to stay here while you figure everything out for yourself, that's fine too. Either way, my door's always open."

Surprise morphed into hopeful excitement. "I guess I wouldn't mind staying here for awhile. Y'know, get my bearings and all that."

Lance smiled so brightly, his irises almost looked like they were glowing. Pronounced dimples sat in the moldable flesh of his cheeks. The corners of his eyes lightly scrunched up, and it showed that his happiness was completely sincere.

He attempted to hold back a laugh by shielding his lips, but the maneuver only worked to soften the noise.

It brought an equally delighted grin onto Alessandro's face. "So pancakes?"

"Yeah, sure. Mind if I put on some music while we're ordering?"

"No need to ask- this is your house now too."

His shoulder was playfully bumped as Lance walked over to the television. Alessandro chuckled in response.

He moved to grab his phone off of the cushion next to Rain's bed. A chaste kiss was planted onto the feline's head.

Instead of sitting on the couch again, he planted himself on the floor by the glass coffee table. His moccasins were kicked off to the side. The soft fibers from the carpet felt fuzzy, and they tickled the bottoms of his feet.

A long menu for a local pancake shop was pulled up.

The restaurant itself was an all day breakfast spot with pancakes as their main specialty. Their house-made French toast was one of Alessandro's favorite things to eat. He frequented a strawberry shortcake platter consisting of delicious custard-filled French toast topped off with powdered sugar, strawberries, and a generous helping of whipped cream. The platter came with multiple sides as well, but Alessandro usually stuck with fried eggs, a few strips of bacon, and some hash browns. It was a specific set of foods that made him feel giddy.

He ordered that for himself, along with a cup of strawberry lemonade, before passing the phone over.

Lance had started sorting through the cramped interior of his duffel bag, but breakfast was deemed more important.

Alessandro noticed a few art supplies peeking out of the bag. They weren't very plentiful; just a few half empty tubes of paint, stained brushes of varying sizes, a collapsible water cup, masking tape, and canvases that were small enough to be portable.

It was nice to see that art was still such an important hobby. At the same time though, those supplies took up a majority of the bag. Lance didn't have many outfits or other belongings.

If he was going to be staying at the Bale residence, he'd need more stuff. Not only clothes, but also personal items that Lance just wanted. Art supplies, movies, video games, plants—he deserved to have possessions that were just his.

He probably wasn't given such a luxury when living in the prison cell that was Donovan's apartment. And with a roommate that acted more like a warden, Lance probably wasn't comfortable having them anyway.

"Something on your mind?" he asked while passing the phone back, his legs crossing as he sat on the sofa.

"Just how you should have more things," Alessandro answered, completing the order. "I don't mind making more space for you. I have a room that's meant for storage that I could clean out- but we should do that another day to give you some time to settle in. I want to give you a little bubble of your own. Doesn't necessarily have to be another bedroom- I have a guest room for that if you want to use it though. And I have more than enough closet space in my room if you need it too. Just want to make sure you're comfortable while you're staying with me."

"That's... an awful lot to do for one person."

Alessandro shrugged while trying to hold back a more emotionally driven statement. He settled on something tamer instead.

"You're worth it."