Dorian sighed, shooting back the rest of his drink. He'd been dreading this day. He'd owled Alec the night after his date with Tess, informing him that he would be visiting in a couple days. It wasn't a request. He wasn't quite sure what kind of state he would be in, but he'd track the bastard down if he ran.

He smiled as he heard his doorbell ring. Fishing out money, he greeted the pizza guy, giving him a good tip. He'd figured Alec would be a little more open if he brought a peace offering. After all, he was in the dog house a bit, for going away at the worst possible time.

Holding on tightly to the pizza box, he stepped into the fireplace and apparated to Alec's flat.

Alec rolled his eyes at the pop from Dorian's apparition. He really didn't want to deal with it, or anyone really, but then again people failed to listen to him. He was so fucking tired of people trying to push him to talk about shit he didn't want to talk about. With the yapping that Victoria did, her constant screaming, about him being heartless, to Tess being so soft and sympathetic, he just wanted to be left alone.

"Get your ass out of here and take the pizza with you" he mumbled.

Dorian sneared at the sourpuss that was his best mate. At least he looked better than Dorian had when he'd barged in on his drunken slump. As much as he hated seeing Alec like this, knowing what had put him in this state, a part of him was glad he got to repay him for pulling him out of his own darkness. Though he wasn't going to say that to the prat.

"Fuck you, Black. Eat." He plopped the box down on the table, grabbing a slice of the pepperoni pizza for himself. Waiting for Alec to deal with him being here, he moved to his minibar to pour them each glasses of his strongest stuff. If Alec wanted to drink, they would drink.

He walked back to the sitting area, putting the second glass down on the table, taking a drink of his. He knew better than to push him at first. Alec was the biggest tightass he knew. Nothing was going to crack him if he didn't want to be cracked.

Alec glared as Dorian was still here and apparently making him eat. He had no real appetite, nor really cared about eating really. He ate when he remembered and that in itself was hard enough. Still, the fact that the pizza smelled good, was what enticed him to eat. So he picked up a grease piece of pizza slice and took a bite.

"I'm eating" he grumbled with a mouthful, not really caring.

He let the silence loom over them, he had no need to talk really. Dorian was the one acting like a girl.

Dorian was glad to see him eating. He knew from his own slump that food was the last thing guys like them worried about. When they had women problems to eat away at them, appetites were usually the first thing to go.

He sighed. Alec was going to hate him for this, but it had to be done. He didn't like the idea of him getting Tess drunk because he needed someone around. Especially when it affected her performance at work. Dorian had some time off after his long stint in America, so he was taking advantage of it.

"Look, Alec. I know you don't want to talk about it. But I told you." he leveled his gaze at Alec, reminding him of his confession about Rose. "You're my partner and my best mate. I'm hear to listen, and then get shitfaced drunk." At the last part, he lifted his glass in a cheering motion, and took another long drink.

Alec rolled his eyes at his friend's comment. Honestly this bastard thought that was all it took for him to be back to normal? He was tired of getting shitfaced drunk, to eat, to even dress finely like he used to. Time was fucking him over, and he wanted it to just pass by so the pain would lessen.

"I don't like talking about shit that bothers me. I've done enough talking! That..." he didn't want to insult her anymore, "she..she keeps pushing and pushing, as if she has a right to ask to talk to me. She doesn't! And she calls me heartless, saying I feel nothing, but hell maybe if she'd shut up I'd talk for once. Then I'm forced to talk to my delicate sister who tries hard not to be biased, but honestly I'm sick. And you mate? I hate heart to hearts you know that."

He ripped a piece off of the pizza slice angrily.

Dorian's eyes widen at Alec almost calling Victoria something, most likely, very unpleasant. It was unlike him. Alec had always attracted more women than Dorian, but he'd never heard him badmouth one like this. He never let anyone, especially a woman, get under his skin.

"I know you do. But if you expect me to just sit back and let you piss yourself away, you've got another thing coming." He didn't bother smirking or smiling. This wasn't the time for jokes. He was dead serious.

He leaned back in his chair, but didn't let down his guard. Alec was angry. And an angry Alec was nothing any person with two cents to their name would mess with. "As far as Tess, she's only trying to help. And Victoria...you knew who you were dating, Alec. You honestly expect her to act any different?"

Alec sighed and threw the pizza slice back to the slice and picked up the napkin wiping his fingers from the grease. Getting up, he walked over to the fridge and took out two cold beers. He popped open the top and took a sip before kicking the fridge door closed. He slid one towards Dorian on the countertop.

"You spoke to my sister?! Did the twerp tell you to come talk to me?!" he asked angrily.

Oh hell, now Tess was gossiping asking people to help her poor, pathetic, older brother. It was sickening and he was furious. When he got his hands on her, he would curse her.

"I expected her to not open her legs!" he hissed back.

Dorian was grateful that Alec had moved into the kitchen when he did. He felt the color leave his face. Thinking back, he relaxed a little, safe in the fact that he hadn't said anything too obvious. He knew Tess and him would have to tell Alec someday. But today was not that day.

He followed him into the kitchen. "No, I didn't. But I can imagine anything she does is because she loves you. If she didn't, she could just go to Victoria and not have to deal with your punkass." He rolled his eyes and took the beer offered. It wasn't his favorite, but in times like these, the taste didn't matter as much.

"Bullshit." He took a long drink, admitting to himself that it wasn't half bad. "That's bullshit and you know it. You and I, we know sex. And you wouldn't be acting this way over just sex." Dorian had only ever been vulnerable to this kind of pain once in his life. Twice, his subconsious added. He ignored it, not wanting to think about her right now.

Alec glared at him; he didn't want to dwell over the fact that his sister was talking to his best mate and all. It annoyed him, but that was just at the bottom of a hell of a lot of other shit that was much more important.

"Look mate, sex is one thing. She gave me crap about commitment, but she had sex! I mean hell if I took a sample of all that was offered she would have had reacted the same way. That's one of the things"

Taking a long sip of his beer he knew that he needed to let it out, to an impartial person that was Dorian. He needed someone who didn't know Victoria, and to hear him out, to hear his side.

"But the fact that it was this guy mate, that's what pissed me off more than anything. The fact that she told me, saying that now she knew the 'truth' about some asshole as if you could possibly justify anything. Then soothing it all better with her attempts at I love you?! That makes my blood boil"

Dorian looked away from Alec, away from his glare. He knew he had to tell him. Soon. But not now. He nodded along with what he was saying. Alec had never done the commitment thing. And it had been a big change for him to be monogamous. Especially since they weren't even actually sleeping together.

Dorian bit his tongue, not wanting to talk about his own personal issues with that kind of situation. He steeled himself when he saw Alec shift. It had only happened a few times over the years, but he could tell Alec was going to open up. And he was damned uncomfortable about it.

He grimaced at Alec's confession. "I'll admit, it's fucked up that she slept with someone. But would you be this mad if it was just some random bloke?" He didn't think so, but he wanted Alec to say it. "And why do you think she talked about finding out the truth? What do you think that meant to her?"

Dorian really didn't want to take sides. Because, to him, this wasn't a battle between Alec and Victoria. It was a fight for them to stay together, against everything that was pulling them apart. He took a long swig of beer, mentally slapping himself for being such a sap.

Alec forced himself not to throw something at Dorian. He didn't like him being logical; why couldn't be just be like those other people and agree with him and make him feel better. The only good thing that came with Dorian at the moment was the fucking pizza.

"Fucking anyone that's not me would piss me off. That's the first thing you fucking idiot. What if you were with a woman and you found out she's shagging another bloke"

He chugged his beer and walked over to grab another one. Leaning against the fridge he popped the glass bottle open and sighed.

"But mate...this asshole she fucked was her first everything apparently. That makes me mad, the fact that I feel like some stupid rebound, useless and that she made me just open up for her to fuck someone else. It's just unfair"

He sounded a bit childish, but he didn't care. It's how he felt and he trusted a small amount of people, Dorian being his ultimate confidant and he was comforted at the fact he'd try to understand.

Dorian felt a chill run down his spine at Alec's words. Tess. He didn't want to think about it. It honestly bugged him that she talked about keeping it casual, and never persued anything, but never pushed him away physically. It was something he'd lost too much sleep over.

Whether it was that comment, hitting a little too close to home, or just not wanting to fight with his best mate, he sighed, and plopped down at the dining table. "There wouldn't be enough liqour in the world."

He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated beyond belief. He understood how mad Alec was at the situation he described. Whether Victoria saw it like he did, that didn't really matter. No one could fault him on his feelings about it all. Just what he was going to do with them. But the stupid romantic in him wouldn't give up hope.

"What do you want me to say, mate? That you should never speak to her again? That you should forget she ever existed?" He looked up at Alec, not sure how he was going to react. "I can't say that."

Alec growled and took a long sip of his drink. He looked at his friend and then back at his drink. He sighed in relief and ran his fingers through his hair, forgetting the damned food on the side.

"I just needed time to cool off you know? I rarely let out temper, but she keeps pushing and pushing me. Calling me heartless and a robot and you know what? I wish I was" he mumbled. "I wish that she'd just understand that her fucking pushing wanting a rise out of me wouldn't be beneficial considering that I wanted to Avada her at one point"

He sat down on his seat and groaned wanting to know what to do.

Dorian froze. He'd known Alec for what seemed like his whole life. He'd known him before all the women started taking notice. Before he'd become the man Dorian saw now. And through it all, he'd never thought him capable of something like an unforgivable curse. That was a line they just never crossed.

He groaned, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "Alec, you fucking idiot. You act like a fucking robot most of the damn time!" This wasn't the first time Dorian had thought about it. But until now, it really never mattered if he opened up to anyone. But now was different. Now, there was a woman that wanted more from Alec than just a simple fuck.

Standing, he walked over to Alec, fighting the impulse to deck his mate for being an ass. "If you honestly thought that, then you don't deserve her. A person doesn't keep pushing like that if they don't care. They don't fight if there's nothing to fight for."

Alec immediately turned to glare at his friend. It hurt him; it really hurt him that the only person that he trusted more than anything thought of him like that. Hell Tess never called him a robot, merely told him that logic isn't always the best way to deal with things. He got up and walked away forcing not to deck him. That asshole obviously understood nothing.

"Thanks Mate, thanks for the loyalty you fucking prick"

He forced himself to calm down, this rage wasn't the wisest thing to get out, but he was mad, really mad at the fact that he just thought that he was a robot. An unfeeling person, those bastards, all of them.

"So you really think I don't feel? If I didn't feel anything, why the fuck did I waste my time on her. Why do I waste my time with you, trying to cheer you up from your fucking depressing if I don't feel. But I see how it is, caring just screws you over. You just did you prick."

He began to shake in anger, as Dorian got too close, and after hearing his words, he punched him, letting out all the anger he was feeling.

"BUT CAN SHE THINK OF ME FOR ONCE! CAN YOU THINK OF ME FOR ONCE?! DID SHE NOT UNDERSTAND I WANTED TO COOL OFF?! DID SHE NOT GET THAT I WANTED TO NOT BE MAD ANYMORE, TO BE CIVIL?!"

He took a few steps back from Dorian after punching him. It wasn't the first time that either of them got into a physical altercation. Every time a form of 'intervention' happened one of them would end up punching the other. He mumbled a sorry and walked away to the kitchen needing some space from him.

"Maybe I don't deserve someone so emotional, you're right, now if only she thinks the same, the world will go back to normal."

Dorian rubbed his jaw. It wasn't the first time Alec had decked him, and it wouldn't be the last. Sometimes they just needed to punch someone, and they never took it seriously. But it still hurt like hell.

Watching Alec walk away, Dorian leaned on archway leading into the kitchen. "I know you're not a robot, mate. But it doesn't mean you don't act like you are sometimes. You're control is crazy. I've been trying to get as good as you for years, but I can only have control when it isn't something that matters to me." It was true. With most women, he could control everything about himself. But with Tess? It was like she saw through it all and he was lain open at her feet. It was scary as shit.

He looked at his friend. It was hard for people to see through it all, but Dorian felt like he knew Alec well enough to read him. "Alec, if you need space, take it. If you need to never see her again, then don't." He hated saying it, but maybe it's what Alec really did need.

"And I didn't mean you don't deserve someone so emotional. Hell...if anything, I think you need someone that emotional. But that's a whole other topic. I just meant that no one deserves someone they could do that much harm to."

Alec waved him off just wanting him to back off. He had heard enough from Dorian; his position was loud and clear and he didn't need to hear it. He made it sound like control was a bad thing, if only he knew it was just the way to be in his house.

"Control stopped me from throwing her out from my apartment the moment that she admitted to cheating you idiot. It stopped me from hexing her, when she got to close, from yelling more than I already did. You don't understand how that has kept me sane."

He walked back to his living room and groaned softly just tired of arguing. he was hurt damn it and he was tired and he didn't want to just keep beating Dorian.

"I tried mate...I do but he ends up finding me, she tries her little mind games and when it doesn't work she starts crying. It's as if I'M the bad guy, that I should just open my arms and say it's all right that she fooled around."

He shook his head at Dorian.

"Despite the fact she cheated, you're right, I don't deserve her." he said sighing. "I was unprepared to love...and I want to forget it."