Leaving for the elevator to go back up to the dining area, Sean leaned back against the bar at his lower back. The others climbed in, but only Nate slid up beside him. Sean lowered his eyes to the carpet with a small blush. Just having Nate so close right now was making his heart skip. His adrenaline hadn't settled yet after the Dino match and he was feeling... exposed. His mind was recalling the details of the match but was wondering what could have happened... if it had been just them playing. LadyKiller and Tigger were excitedly chatting amongst themselves over how Troy would react. While Nate raised a hand to brush his knuckles across Sean's neck, asking warmly. "You ok?" Sean nodded, staring at his feet as he told him. "Ya. It's just... I don't want to stop... I wanna stay... with you." Nate smiled, scooting in closer to rest his head on Sean's shoulder. Sean moved his hand to rest on Nate's lower back, when the elevator dinged. Forcing himself to follow the others out, Sean dragged his feet. He didn't want the day to end... Yet, he could feel it approaching.

The girls were done for the day and as much as Nate wanted to stay. There was Pax to consider. Reluctantly turning in their gear, Sean followed Nate out to the car. Slipping into the passenger side, Sean pulled the Dino pin from his pocket. Staring at the snarling Raptor head with an egg in its mouth, Sean smirked to himself. Nate slipped into the driver side, starting up the car. Pocketing the pin again, Sean told Nate curiously. "Nate? Do you think I should go to Pax?" Nate kept his eyes on the rush of traffic, answering softly. "It depends. Is there a reason you want to avoid it?" Sean scoffed, slumping down in the seat as he mumbled out. "I can think of two in particular." Nate took a calm deep breath, then told him gently. "You can't be afraid to do things, because you fear running into them. If you want to go. Go. Nothing says you have to talk to them. Just remind yourself why you are really there. Don't let them keep you from living your life." Sean glanced out the window, replying softly. "I know... but they just have a way of getting to me. They know how weak I am."

Nate's hand reached out to rest on Sean's thigh, before he told him seriously. "You're a lot of things, Sean. Weak isn't one of them." Sean chuckled sarcastically, muttering out. "You saw what happened when I came back from walking Rylo... Mark didn't even have to try to get into my head. He broke me... What else would you call it?" Nate squeezed his thigh, telling him confidently. "The only one that can break you... is yourself. Everyone else just spouts what they believe are hurtful words at you. You choose the words they say to affect you. If you doubt something about yourself, then their words have advantage in the subject. You let those words in and you use them to beat yourself down." Sean gave a small shrug in response. Nate slid his hand off his leg to take ahold of the wheel, adding out sweetly. "Besides, If we were all perfect than we'd be robots. It's the mistakes and emotional agony that makes us human. Every person has a weakness. People will always seek to hit it in the hopes of covering up their own flaws. The trick to surviving is to know your weakness. Know it. Accept it. Fortify it."

Sean huffed, asking defensively. "How?" Nate straightened up in his seat, answering seriously. "I know who I am. Even if no one else sees it. I'm not going to let anyone change me. They can say whatever they want about me... I refuse to let it. Because if I let it in, then I start to believe them. I won't let them drown me for their own pleasure. I'm not perfect and I don't pretend to be. I'm just the best me. They can't hurt you with things you already know about yourself. By that point, they are just stating the obvious." Nate chuckled a little and Sean smiled. Turning his head to look at Nate, Sean softly uttered out. "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Nate laughed whole heartily, before telling him sweetly. "Well, the verbal ones anyway. I'm sure hitting someone with a book is a loophole." Sean laughed loudly, before chuckling out. "Leave it to our generation to destroy an age old saying with a loophole." Nate chuckled, snarking back playfully. "We are just sarcastic enough to point out obvious solutions."

Sean covered his face to laugh harder into his hands. Pulling into the driveway, Nate parked the car with a few softer chuckles. Sean finally lowered his hands, adjusting in the seat to stop Nate's door from opening. Grabbing the door, Sean pulled it closed and locked eyes with Nate. Nate stared at him for a few seconds, before telling him in a soft loving voice. "Now you're making me feel weak..." Sean leaned in to brush his lips over Nate's teasingly, whispering just as lovingly. "Then defend yourself against me." Nate smirked, giving Sean a tiny kiss before stating breathlessly. "I don't want too... My heart is at your mercy." Sean shook his head slightly, whispering bluntly. "That is a good way to get hurt." Nate raised a hand to touch Sean's cheek, stating over his lips longingly. "I'm not afraid to get hurt by you. Every battle scar on my heart is a memory and I'd rather remember you." Sean pressed his lips to Nate's in a passionate kiss. Nate's fingers stroked the back of Sean's neck, encouraging Sean to keep going.

When Sean had to pry his lips away to breathe, he breathlessly told Nate sweetly. "Careful, Lad... I could destroy whatever's left of you with that kind of attitude." Nate's hand moved down Sean's neck to hold his chin, before he told him playfully. "Some things are worth the risk. And for you, Sean... I'd risk it all for you." Nate opened his door with his free hand, then pulled Sean down over his lap. Sean squealed thinking that he might topple out of the car, but Nate's legs adjusted more than enough to keep him in. Sean shifted onto his side over Nate's lap, his hand braced on the bottom frame of the car as he purred up to Nate. "Really? There are nicer ways to get me out of your car, you know." Nate chuckled, his fingers lightly tracing over the exposed skin of Sean's waist, when he answered. "True... but this way is more fun." Sean tensed, trying to push his shirt down past his waist as Nate's fingers tickled his flesh. Nate snapped the elastic of Sean's underwear, causing Sean to yelp loudly and squirm. Nate laughed, adjusting in the seat to help Sean crawl out. Sean crawled out, staggering out across the grassy front lawn as Nate climbed out.

Sean straightened up onto his feet, adjusting his shirt and pants. Only to blush a bright red. Across the street an old woman stood frozen on her sidewalk with a little dog. Sean could only image what she thought of his strange exit from the vehicle. Nate locked up the car, noticing the woman and giving her a cheerful wave as he addressed her sweetly. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Clara. Lovely day, isn't it?" The woman gave him an uncertain nod, replying coyly. "Yes. It was. Mr. Smith... You do recall that this is a family neighborhood, don't you?" Nate gave her a nod, answer sweetly. "Yes, I do. How's your grandaughter's piano lessons coming along?" Nate broke eye contact with her for a bit to show Sean his keys, then tossed them to him. Sean snatched them from the air, then jogged up to the door. Listening to the woman tell Nate with a weird defensive undertone. "She is doing just fine. Although, her taste in music has changed since learning from you..." Nate gave her a playful shrug, retorting innocently. "She can't stay seven forever."

Sean bit his lips to keep from smiling as he opened the door. Nate took notice and started to creep his way toward the door as politely as he could. Inside the house, Sean chuckled and greeted Rylo. Leading Rylo out to the backyard, he soon heard the front door close. Nate let out a heavy sigh and Sean couldn't resist. Resting his hands on the back of Nate's couch, he playfully teased out in Mrs. Clara's mocking tone. "Been polluting the young minds of tomorrow with your horrible rock band music? For shame on you, Nate! Have you no heart? Think of the children!" Nate tried to suppress a smirk, starting to remove his shoes. Sean leaned over the couch to see how far he could push him, by teasing out. "Poor girl probably went blind from the look of ya... or deaf. I mean, I heard the sound of those broken strings this morning... So awful..." Nate removed his shirt over his head, stating out in a rush. "Oh, you're gonna take that back!" Sean blew a raspberry at him, then bolted away from the couch as Nate dashed for it. Sean ran around the dining table just as Nate jumped over the couch after him.

Sean giggled trying to stay on the other side of the table, watching Nate pace back and forth like a predator with cornered prey. Sean gave him a smug shrug, until Nate started to push the table to pin him. Sean screamed, leaping away toward the kitchen. Nate shot after him. Sean dashed around the kitchen island, then screamed louder as Nate jumped to slid over the island counter. Sean bolted for the bedrooms but didn't make it. On purpose. Staggering against the wall, he flinched when Nate's hands slammed into the wall around him. Sean pressed his back to the wall, looking Nate in the eyes as he lovingly told him. "You win." Nate eyed him for a minute, waiting for him to pull something. Instead, Sean put his hands on Nate's bare chest. Nate stepped in closer, letting Sean wrap his arms around his neck. Sean buried his head in Nate's warm neck, telling him sweetly. "I love you, Nathan." Nate kissed Sean's shoulder, whispering back to him. "Can I give you something?" Sean tilted his head back against the wall, giddily chuckling out. "What exactly are you going to give me?"

Nate didn't answer, he just bent down to wrap his arms around Sean's legs. When Sean bent over his shoulder, Nate hefted him up and carried him away to his bedroom. Sean shook his head, mumbling out. "I think I know where this is going..." Nate dropped Sean onto the bed, telling him with a straight face. "I don't think you do." Sean huffed, removing his shoes and clothes. Once he was naked, he scooted up to lay across the bed. Nate wasn't paying any attention to him as he pulled something down from the closet shelf. It looked like an old shoe box. Sean rose up onto his elbows, making small conversation as he waited, suggestively telling him. "You know... If we hadn't been so distracted with running for our lives in the Dino quest... I think I would have kissed you in there. Somewhere cozy. Like those nests." Nate flipped open the shoe box, pulling out something that Sean couldn't see. What was he doing? Spicing up their sex life with a new toy? Flashing Nate a grin, he asked him curiously. "What are you doing over there?"

Nate put the shoe box back carefully, slowly walking over to the side of the bed. Sean raised an eyebrow, seeing Nate's strange nervous expression. Nate crawled onto the bed, laying beside him on his side. Sean turned to face him, propping his head up on his hand as he asked a little worried. "What's on your mind?" Nate avoided his gaze, uttering out under his breath. "You proposed to Mark... and he rejected you. You wanted Felix to propose to you and instead he proposed to someone else..." Sean's body tensed as he mumbled out cautiously. "Nate... Where are you going with this?" Nate still didn't look at him, when he told him openly. "Sean, just listen for minute." Sean stayed still and quiet, feeling anxious. Nate took a deep breath, then looked him in the eyes to say tenderly. "I believe that life gives us very few chances in life to take risks. After that, we live with the regret of letting it pass us by. I made the choice to stand aside when Mark pursued you. I tried to give you space and watched Felix pull you away... I'm afraid that if I don't say what I feel... That I will lose you again."

Sean reached out to brush Nate's long bangs away from one of his eyes, saying sweetly. "You're not going to lose me. We're dating, aren't we?" Nate nodded, pulling his clenched fist up between them like he was still debating about something. Sean put his hand on his, asking in a softer voice. "Nate... What's going on?" Nate leaned in to kiss him. Sean laid back on his back, waiting for Nate to break the kiss so that he could smile up at him. Nate clenched his jaw, swallowing hard before he laid his fist on Sean's chest and told him with deep emotional eyes. "Before Pax ends and you leave... I want you to destroy me." Sean blinked completely confused, when Nate continued. "I have to tell you want I want... I can't bare it otherwise. I know it's too early... but I don't know how many chances the world will give me. This could be my last chance and I don't want to regret it..." Nate opened his hand, adding much softer. "Don't say anything until after Pax... But, Sean William McLoughlin... Will you marry me?" Sean's eyes locked on the silver ring nestled on Nate's palm. He was speechless, but his heart was fluttering away. To Be Continued...