Hold Me

Here's the next chapter for you! Thanks to everyone who has been reading this, I hope to continue updating as frequently as I can. Especially since the chapters aren't particularly long... :P Anyway, this chapter includes more fluff, so enjoy!

Anon: Thank you for the review and I'm glad you like it!
Tristam: Thank you very much for the compliment. I've actually been writing for a while, but this is the first story I've been confident enough in to post it on the internet...
Jono: I'm glad you like! And don't worry, history will keep filtering in as the story progresses.
madlodger: Thank you very much for the welcome and the critique. I'm glad that my writing style is good enough to be posted. Also, thank you for pointing out the lack of description. I left it vague so that the reader could decide what Evan looked like on their own, but I guess it was too vague. I'll remember that in the future.
epica: Thank you for the review, and the ages of the character are in this chapter ^^
unknown: Here's the update! Please enjoy! *bows*

Alex had finished the dishes a while ago, and now sat curled up in a recliner in the living room. He wore a pair of frameless glasses that made Evan think that he fit the part of a doctor. In his lap was a packet of papers which he had told Evan were notes and worksheets from his classes. He was currently chewing on the end of his pencil as he contemplated the papers in his lap. Evan had been trying to fall back asleep, but gave up and settled himself in a position where he could watch Alex. Either the other hadn’t noticed, or didn’t mind, because he made no move that indicated anything. “So, you’re trying to become a doctor?” Evan asked, wanting to break the silence.

Alex looked up, startled, and then smiled, “Yes, it’s been my dream since I was a child.”

“Why?” Evan asked curiously, flipping over so that he could lie on his stomach and could look at Alex with greater ease.

“My mother had a chronic illness. I guess as a child I naively thought that I could cure her. Now I only study so as not to upset my sister,” Alex explained. He sighed, “She needs to find herself a boyfriend and stop worrying about me.”

“How old is your sister?” Evan asked curiously.

“She’s twenty-six, six years older than I am,” Alex stated, flipping over a page in his packet.

“So, that makes you three years older than I am,” Evan muttered. Alex looked up and regarded Evan in silence. “What?” Evan demanded, unnerved at being stared at so blatantly.

“Where are your parents?” Alex asked. Evan stiffened, and turned away.

“That’s none of your business!” he growled.

“Fair enough,” Alex replied easily, before returning to his studies. Evan scowled, his sister was right, Alex was definitely too gentle and trusting. Most people would press for answers if they received that.

“Where’s your sister?” Evan asked when the silence became too heavy again.

“She’s at work. She won’t be home until dinner, don’t worry,” Alex said, smiling.

“Who said I was worried?” Evan growled back.

“Forgive me, I misunderstood,” Alex replied, unsuccessfully trying to smother his laughter.

“Just what do you find so amusing?” Evan demanded, annoyed.

“You,” Alex stated.

“Why you...!” Evan growled, trying to get up, only to find himself tangled in the sheets and falling ungraceful off of the couch and onto the floor. Before he had even recovered, from the impact Alex was at his side, helping to get him untangled from the blankets.

“Are you all right?” Alex asked, his worry clear in his voice. Evan marveled at Alex, and took comfort in the gentle arm that encircled him.

“I suppose so... Only my pride was hurt,” Evan mumbled.

“That’s a relief,” Alex sighed. Finally freeing Evan from the blankets, Alex swept him up into his arms and lay him back onto the couch.

“I could have gotten back up on my own!” Evan growled indignantly.

“Perhaps, but I simply thought that this would be easier,” Alex replied.

“I’m not going to thank you,” Evan grumbled, feeling stubborn.

“That’s all right, I don’t require thanks. I’m just glad that you weren’t hurt,” Alex said.

“It wasn’t that much of a fall!”

“You’re right, again. I’m just being over-protective I guess,” Alex replied. Evan didn’t reply, not sure how to feel, burdened by Alex’s concern. When he didn’t receive a response, Alex returned to his chair and picked up his notes, which had been carelessly discarded in his haste to reach Evan. A silence once again fell over the house as the two were enveloped in their own thoughts. This silenced continued, even after Alex set aside his notes and returned to the kitchen to begin dinner preparations. Evan studied Alex as he worked. The apron suited him as much as the glasses and in Evan’s mind he would be the perfect father. Whatever girl managed to catch Alex’s fancy would be very lucky indeed. This brought another question to Evan’s mind which, after a few minutes of internal debate, he finally managed to work up the courage to ask.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Alex nearly dropped the pan he was holding due to shock.

“What makes you ask that?” Alex asked, keeping himself turned away so that Evan couldn’t see the fact that he was blushing.

“I was just thinking... There’s not much else to do, lying here,” Evan replied.

“Ah... that’s true. I’m sorry,” Alex said.

“Must you always apologize for everything?” Evan demanded.

“Does it really bother you that much?”

“Yes, it does!”

“I’m sorry...”

“Argh! There you go again!”

“I’m sorry...”

“You still haven’t answered my question!” Evan shouted, before he could be further distracted.

“Oh... That...” Alex said, nervous that the topic he’d been trying to avoid had returned. “No, I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said truthfully.

“Why not? I would think a guy like you would be really popular,” Evan said, studying Alex’s back.

“Well... That is... I’ve never had any particular interest in girls,” Alex said hurriedly.

“Oh? Is that so? Too bad... You’d make a good father. I suppose there’s still time later in life, though. They say some guys never develop an interest in dating until their college days,” Evan said, relaxing.

“Oh... M... Maybe that’s it,” Alex replied with a nervous laughter, and hurriedly returned to preparing the meal. Evan didn’t disturb Alex anymore, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander. Alex’s responses didn’t really bother him and he was feeling exhausted once again. He vaguely recalled hearing Alex asking if he wanted dinner, before he slipped back into oblivion.