Alex wasn't there.

Thoughts of being ditched, of this being some one night stand flew threw Isabel's head. But her sleep-baffled brain took over. *Alex can't leave, this is his house. Besides, he would never do that.* Reassured, Isabel decided that Alex had probably just gotten up to have a shower, or get breakfast.

At the thought of breakfast, Isabel's stomach growled. She hadn't had anything to eat since, well, lunch yesterday, she remembered. They didn't really get around to ordering the pizza last night. Isabel decided to get up and find Alex, and hopefully, some food.

Isabel looked around for something to wear. Her clothes had been thrown into various corners of the room, all too far away. But she saw a T-shirt lying on the floor next to the bed, and it looked big enough to fit her. Wrapping the sheet around her, Isabel threw her legs over the side of the bed, and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Alex came racing in, carrying the tray he'd been preparing. He'd woken up about an hour earlier, surprised by the figure sleeping in bed with him. But then the events of last night had come back to him, and he'd just lay there, watching Isabel sleep. She looked like an angel when she slept, making little snoring noises. His stomach had started growling, and so Alex had gotten up to get food, realising that when Isabel woke up, she'd be starving too. He'd been making his way back to his room with the food when he heard Isabel groan.

Isabel looked up at him. "Nothing," she said, shaking her head. Alex set the tray down carefully - *I am not spilling any thing else!* - and sat down next to on the bed. "I don't believe you," he said.

Isabel looked away, embarrassed. "I'm just..sore, that's all."

Alex's eyes widened in shock. He'd hurt her. He'd tried to be so careful, but he'd hurt her. He cradled her face in his hands. "I am so sorry, Isabel, I didn't mean - "

"Alex," she interrupted him, placing a finger on his lips, "it's okay. It's just what happens. I'll be fine." She smiled reassuringly. "It's kind of like a little reminder of what happened last night."

For the first time that morning, Alex smiled, and Isabel could see the love in his eyes. His love for her. She patted the bed behind her. "Lay down with me."

"But breakfast - "

" - can wait. C'mon." Pulling gently, Isabel lay back down on the bed. Alex lay down next to her, and Isabel curled herself up so that she was resting her head on Alex's chest, his arms wrapping around her gently.

"Alex, I want to say something." Isabel said softly.

Alex stroked some stray hairs away from her face, and nodded, waiting.

She took a deep breath. "I love you." And she did. She'd realised it when he was dancing with her, realised it when she kissed him all those weeks ago. Maybe even realised it when she'd seen him dancing with her in his dream. Isabel had heard Alex tell her that he loved her when he gave her her first orgasm, and Isabel wanted him to know that she felt the same way.

Without looking at him, Isabel knew that Alex was smiling.

"You don't have to say that."

"Yes, I do. Because it's true. I think I've known it for a long time, but I was just too scared to admit it. To myself. To you." Isabel tilted her head up so she was looking at Alex. "And I'm sorry for that."

Alex shook his head. "Don't be. We don't need to be like Max and Liz, declaring our love out loud. I know that you love me when you smile at me, when you touch me. And that's enough for me."

Isabel snuggled back into his embrace. For what felt like the hundredth time, she marvelled at how wonderful Alex was, and wondered what on Earth she'd done to deserve him. *What on Earth. Funny.*

And it was funny. Ever since Isabel could remember, she'd wanted to fit in, to be accepted, to be normal. And now that she had opened herself to someone, let them see who she really was, Isabel felt accepted, felt normal. As she listened to Alex's heart beat, and feel his hands stroking her arms, two words floated in her mind. At last.