"Can I ask you something?" Since we sat at the table, we ate in silence. Apart from a 'bon appétit', it remained quiet between us. I'm curious to hear what Alec has to say.

"Of course", I say, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Am I bothering you? Well I mean..." Alec sighs and strokes his hair again. It's a sign of nervousness, I'm pretty sure. And his tense neck muscles also give me an idea of how hard this is for him.

"...I don't want to be a burden to you", he blurts out far too quickly.

"You're not. I'll get used to the new situation all right." Alec smiles slightly and reaches for my hand. Gently, it rests on mine. I let him have it. Even though it feels strange.

"Please don't feel obligated to play house. You don't have to make me breakfast. It's sweet of you. But I can do it on my own. And you didn't have to fix the mess in the office either", I say. He looks at me silently and his facial expressions betray him once again. It makes him uncomfortable to be rebuked by me. My words are not meant to seem accusatory in any way. But my tone of voice and body language say otherwise. As much as I try to sound neutral, I don't succeed. It just drives me crazy. His manner, his charisma. A storm of thoughts and emotions rages inside me. Never before have I felt such confusion. With me.

"Alec, let's try to get along on a neutral level. No one owes anything to the other. You're free to move around here. Think of it as a temporary flat-sharing arrangement. We'll find a solution to the sleeping problem too." I pull away from his hand and reach for my glass. The sudden resistance to his touch unsettles him. Alec frowns and stares at his hand.

"Sorry Magnus. I feel like an intruder. And then last night. It just made me hope you wouldn't be quite so averse to me. Oh, just forget it. You're right. It was horny and nothing more." Alec gives me a tired smile. His eyes are still red and his skin is pale.

"You're a really attractive man Alec. And I understand why my drunken self chose you. But there are no feelings on my part that make me want to intensify that between us."

"Rough day?" Changing the subject, I signal to him that I don't want to talk about it any further. I fervently hope he will leave it at that.

"Yeah", he says exhaustedly, wiping his hands over his face.

"We've got a big job. A whole house. The built-in wardrobe in the bedroom is robbing me of the last of my sanity. I don't know how to make the client's wishes come true." Alec closes his eyes and puts his head back. The vertebrae crack and he contorts his face painfully.

"The bedroom is very nice. There are big windows with bay windows. A dreamlike view of the garden. In summer, the rose bushes on the right are in full bloom and even if the bench in the middle of this fragrant oasis is long past its best days, it is still a wonderful place for two lovers. On the opposite side is a spacious terrace. Flooded with sun and protected from the wind by a hedge of rhododendrons in red and white. There used to be a sandpit and a swing. Today there is an apple tree in its place."

I listen intently to Alec's words. How he raves about the house and the garden. I imagine it, smell the flowery scent of the roses, feel the sun on my skin. A light tickling of the warm rays and a man lovingly holding out a freshly picked blossom to me. My nose takes in the lovely scent and children's laughter which comes from the apple tree with its stately size.

"There are also these wonderful bay windows in the living area. A bench is to be built in one of them. The lady of the house has already procured the cushions and pillows. Every day she raves that when the sun shines through the window in the evening, she will enjoy the last warm rays of the day with a book in her hands and leave the stress behind." I imagine that too and smile. It is a beautiful image. So peaceful.

"You'd like it", says Alec softly.

"I'm sure I would."

"But that doesn't solve my wardrobe problem", he replies with a laugh and I join in. He has a beautiful laugh. It is deep like his voice and melodic. I hear it for the first time and I realise that this is also the first time we are having a normal conversation together.

"My neck is killing me", says Alec with a groan, massaging the aching area with both hands.

"Take your shirt off and lie down", I say and start putting the plates and cutlery together. On the way to the kitchen I realise the implications of my words. Alec must think I want to continue our adventure from last night. A glance over my shoulder shows me that I am not entirely wrong in my assumption.

Alec is sitting in his seat, eyes twinkling. He licks his lips, his cheeks a soft pink. I can feel his arousal all the way here.

"I didn't mean sex Alec." I immediately take the wind out of his sails and his reaction doesn't fail. Realisation settles on his face and he looks at me apologetically.