Alex and I - Alex Turner

A game to play.

"I thought you didn't particularly like my music." 

Alex walked into the apartment, smirking; smug, even. In his white shirt and black leather pants and jacket in his hand; the very outfit you'd lovingly begun to call his 'standard', he looked stunning as ever. You realized you should have used your headphones this time. It was stupid not to. But how were you to know he'd be home half an hour early today? And now, he'd caught you.

"Hard not to, when you're the muse." You smirked right back; there's no way you were gonna let him gloat. This clever remark was greeted with a kiss; slow and passionate. You felt his hands slowly cup your face and then travel down and around your neck, into your hair. He smelt faintly of cigarettes and aftershave. It immediately reminded you of how much you'd missed him, how much you'd missed this today. Mm, maybe you'd let him gloat this time.

"Who says you are?" he asks as you finally pull away, a bit out of breath. You roll your eyes at him and give him a gentle shove. Then you walk over to the coffee table, smiling, to pick up your phone and pause the music. The screen reads 'Love is a LaserQuest' and you hesitate a bit before pausing it. You've always hated pausing songs in the middle, it felt like cutting the artist off and you definitely did not want to do it to Alex.

"So, what do you like about it?" Alex asks, eager to hear what you think of it. It was a thing you and Alex did for fun; you would listen to some of his songs and tell him which parts you 'liked' and which parts you 'loved' and he would read some of your poetry and do the same. A 'like' would earn the reward of a small peck on the cheek and a 'love' was deserving of a proper kiss. Or a kiss with an item of clothing removed, depending on the circumstances. It was a stupid game you played to kill time or sometimes, before you headed off to bed, sometimes, after. There was a habit of it escalating into something else. You realized you hadn't actually done this song before, and this was the perfect opportunity.

"It's alright."  You turn around to face him, allowing a smile. His jacket lies on the ground beside him, and you wonder if he dropped it before the kiss to hold you. He looks carefree, jacket on the ground, one hand in his pocket, leaning against the sofa. Perfect. You find your hand reaching for the phone to capture this moment as if by instinct. He's been the subject of many of your shots and a big chunk of your poetry. There was something so captivating about him, it extended much beyond his talent, his words or body. It was a part of his being and he emanated that energy whenever you'd catch him in his element. He shakes his head, smiling, aware you meant to tease as the phone clicks.

"Oh, c'mon give me more than that."  he says as he sits down on the sofa, patting on the cushion next to him, indicating that you join him. And you do. As you spin around to lie down, he wraps his arms around you, and you give him a little kiss on his cheek. You can tell he's exhausted by the look in his eyes and wonder if he's had a tiresome day at the studio, much like you today.

"How about we play afterwards?", you ask, staring at the ceiling. He raises an eyebrow, wondering if you'd meant what he was thinking. You can't help but blush at the thought.

"Not that. After dinner. Don't tell me you forgot." 

"Of course not, love. Why else do you think I came early?" 

You snuggle in, breathing in his scent, getting a bit too comfortable in the sofa. You can feel him shifting too, holding you closer. His breaths are slow, relaxed and you unconsciously begin to count them in the silence. It is a comfortable silence, one that's forged by familiarity and understanding of each other. You didn't feel the need to fill it with words or sounds. Neither did he. As you count, you begin wonder if he'd ever admit to being tired. It was all but a date, they could cancel anytime. He should know you'd understand. 

"You..uh..finished early? Productive day, perhaps?" 

For a second, he does not respond, and you feel him trying to remember what the conversation was about. You wonder, briefly, what he must have been thinking of, in the silence to forget.

"Of sorts, yeah. But that's not why I'm here now."  He was here for you, you knew that, of course. You knew it from the moment he walked through the door, smirking. He wouldn't forget, not your Alex. He's never forgotten a date with you, not ever in the three years you've been together.

"Oooh, maybe you broke a string?"  You decide to play around, to lighten the mood. Dinner is the last thing on your mind, now that you were in Alex's arms. There's no hurry, you've got all the time in the world for dinner.

 "Oh really, did I now?" he chuckles and plays along.

"No, wait, wait. I got it, got it."

"What is it?"

"Matt broke one of his drumsticks."

"What, the plant?" his chuckles have evolved into full blown laughter now and you could feel it echoing throughout the apartment. Such a beautiful sound, you could record it and hit play, put it on loop for eternity.

"No, not the- ... the thing with the boom boom, you know what I mean."  You're gesturing with your hands now, wilding swinging it about to emphasize the booms. He laughs harder, shaking his head at you and you join in. When he's done, he looks down at you with a smile.

"I know what you mean, love."

"Of course, you know what I mean. They ARE called drumsticks."  You sigh and roll your eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you, you're beautiful when you're annoyed?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." You squint your eyes at him, accusatory.

"Sounds about right." 

"I'm a bit tired, Alex", you allow. If he was not going to admit it, you were. You rest your head on his chest and feel his fingers run through your hair.

"I see you're not dressed for dinner. Don't tell me you are standing me up."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe." he pauses for a moment. "Hm, whatever the lady wants."

You chuckle at the mention of 'lady'. You both know you were anything but. But you decide to play along.

"The lady would like to stay in tonight. Maybe order takeout."

"Any other requests?"

"Wine afterwards. Lots of it."  He raises an eyebrow at that. He knew you didn't drink, not really, not unless you had a bad day. You could see concern in his eyes at the mention of wine. You smile at him as if to say "We'll talk afterwards". He understands.

"Will that be all?"

You pause a moment to think. A small smile plays on your lips.

"Cuddles and a game."