He felt the warmth of Rick's lips even through his glove; it scorched him beautifully.
"It's ok." Alex said softly, lacing his fingers with Rick's. "I'm just...edgy. My parents flutter a lot, you know?" He grinned. "You're not nearly so bad."
"Me too," he said quietly, and he automatically responded to his boyfriend's thought, reaching out and lacing their fingers together, hands held palm-to-palm. "I missed you."
He hesitated a second, used to people - doctors, his brother, friends, even his father, involuntarily flinching away when he came too close, now. It would be like a knife in the chest if Rick responded that way, too.
But he did it anyway - getting to his feet and masking the spark of pain at the movement, he fit himself into what had been his space; under Rick's arm, snug against his side, the elder's hand still held tight in his. Fragile bird bones entwined with slim, smooth healthy ones. Strong ones.
He felt vulnerable, exposed. But sometimes that's what being in love meant.