6
Paul wakes up first. Alex’s face in sleep is lovely; younger than it looks when he’s awake, relaxed and at ease except for the way his brow furrows when Paul disentangles their limbs. As much as he would love to stay in bed with him, Paul remembers his brief flight the night before and wants to give him whatever space he’ll need when he wakes up.
He leaves the bedroom door cracked open and goes downstairs to tackle the last of the cleanup from the party. Todd is sprawled blissfully in a puddle of midmorning sunshine, and Paul stops on his way to the dishwasher to rub his belly with a foot.
Most of the mess left in the kitchen is dealt with by the time he hears movement from the bedroom. He takes a last private moment to smile to himself before the footsteps start down the stairs.
He
