A New Song [mxm]

21. Falling Up

Alex was the first to wake up with the early morning light pouring into the window. He was still in Jaxon's arms.

He couldn't remember the last time he woke up next to someone.  Not even Remy stayed by his side at night.  But with Jaxon, it was comfortable, and he felt a sense of safety. 

He carefully moved to a seated position so he would not disturb the slumbering man. Alex watched him sleep a little and reached to move some of the hair that had fallen on his face. His fingers were delicate, and the move was subtle, but the action startled him. He became increasingly more affectionate with Jaxon, but he felt that he restrained himself at the same time.  He pulled away reluctantly, and the warmth in his smile turned sad.

He slipped out of bed and walked into the living room but paused while looking at the notebook on the table.  He grabbed it real quick and sat down on the bench in front of the digital piano.  

He sang quietly, trying not to wake up Jaxon in the process.  He would pause, write in his notebook and play with a few keys before trying again.

As the light started to brighten, Jaxon finally woke up. The first thing he noticed was the emptiness in his arms. His eyes shot open but then heard the piano and Alex quietly singing in the other room. 

Jaxon walked to the doorway and leaned against it as he watched Alex create another song.  He found that he could never tire of the process. It took a while before Alex was able to sing the song through. His piano was quiet, and the song seemed to echo their sentiment from their conversation from last night. But within the pain, there was a tiny sliver of hope of not giving up.

Jaxon smiled. He had always thought about his first love and how she left him because he was too focused on his career. He thought he was doing it for her, but she never wanted it, so she left while he was shooting a small movie on site. He came home to an empty house. Everything that represented her was gone. A year later, he heard from a friend that she was pregnant and getting married to an actor who was more successful than him at the time. They would still see each other at events but treated each other like strangers. He was left with bitter memories of how everything he did failed.

He threw himself into his career, building his prestige, and became successful. But it didn't matter, so he focused on climbing higher alone.

And then he met Alex, a broken man like him, and suddenly he didn't feel as alone anymore. His songs seemed to speak to him, and he couldn't help but feel drawn to them. Or perhaps he was simply drawn to Alex.

After playing his last note, Alex sighed a little and stretched his waist. He lifted his eyes, and he let out a small gasp when he saw Jaxon leaning against the door frame.  He had only worn a muscle shirt, which showed the results of his hard physical training.  Alex's eyes wandered over his body for a moment before he looked back at his piano.

"Did I wake you?" He asked with concern.

Jaxon shook his head. "Not at all. But even if you did, this isn't a bad way to start the day. Care to sing it again?"

Alex laughed a little and nodded. This time he didn't suppress his voice and sang for Jaxon.  Two lonely souls were connecting like notes on a musical score.

Alex and Jaxon spent the early morning together with music and tea. Jaxon was a coffee person but knew Alex's preferences. He wanted to be conscious that Alex was starting officially at the agency next week and needed to protect his voice.

They both showered, and Alex let Jaxon borrow some joggers from him but joked with him once he saw how tight they were on him. Jaxon didn't mind and walked around topless with his tight pants.