Falling (SAMPLE)

Happy Valentines Day

February 14, 2005

Dex sat in second period, staring at the clock and waiting. The school had sold chocolate and roses that year for students to send to each other, and he'd had the idea to anonymously send seven rose's and a box of chocolate to Alex, who was currently sitting on the other side of the room staring at a text book. Not the AP English textbook that the rest of the class was staring at, though. Alex was currently working on an essay for Introduction to Psychology at the University of Utah. He'd finished the assignment for the class they were in about ten minutes after the teacher was done talking.

Finally, after an agonizing fifteen minutes of waiting, the door to the classroom finally opened and one of the student body officers said, "Excuse me, Mr. Thueson?" The teacher looked up from the papers he was grading and the girl continued, "I have the roses and chocolate for the class."

"Alright," Mr. Thueson said. The girl came into the classroom with a basket full of roses and began to call out names in alphabetical order.

Dex was shocked when they didn't say Alex's name, until the girl said, "Um, Alex?" He looked up, confused, and she smiled. "Somebody really likes you." She held out the small bouquet with the box attached, and Alex blushed crimson. Dex couldn't resist slipping into best friend mode and wolf whistling.

"Hey, Al," he said with a smirk. "How come I haven't met your girlfriend?"

He didn't miss the twinkle in Alex's eyes before he answered, "Because the second you did, she wouldn't be mine anymore." The entire class laughed and the SBO left to deliver more roses, and when second period was over Alex headed to earth science, while Dex made his way to the gym without saying anything about the bouquet. Third and fourth period trudged by and finally it was lunch. Dex was walking back inside from a portable, when the hood of his jacket was suddenly yanked back, and he found himself behind one of the large bushes that lined the school, with Alex in front of him. Before he could say a word, Alex's lips were on his and after a few rather heated passes Alex pulled away and fixed Dex with that mesmerizing stare that always left him breathless.

"Hi," Dex chuckled.

"Hey," Alex stepped closer so that they were chest to chest and laid their foreheads together before giving Dex another, sweeter peck. "Thank you," he said. "You're amazing."

"Anything for my Teddy Bear." Alex blushed and Dex smirked, flipping them around so that Alex's back was the one against the wall. "You're so cute like this."

"Shut up," Alex rumbled, but Dex didn't miss the smile that his boyfriend tried to hide. "I got you something." Alex reached into his backpack and pulled out a wrapped box the size of his palm, which he handed to Dex, who took it and began to untie the bow that had been haphazardly tied around it. Inside was a leather, braided bracelet that Dex knew Alex had made by hand with the leather working kit he'd gotten for Christmas.

"Al," Dex breathed, looking up to see Alex smiling softly back at him.

"Just because you're not my girlfriend, doesn't mean I'm not gonna give you jewelry," he teased. Then, his voice took on a more serious tone and he said, "I love you, Dex, and I want this to be a reminder of that."

"I'll wear it every day."

"Just like I wear mine," Alex pulled the collar of his shirt to the side to show the silver chain of the necklace that Dex had gotten him for Christmas. A bear's head discreetly shaped like a heart. Dex couldn't help but smile at the site of the chain and pulled Alex in for another sweet kiss that was interrupted by a yell from the other side of the bush.

"Would you two hurry the fuck up?" Mo boomed. "There isn't going to be anything good left." Dex made a growling sound in the back of his throat, but pulled away, snapped the bracelet around his wrist and stalked out from behind the bush. He saw Mo recoil at the look he gave him, and Dex let out a sharp breath through his nose.