My tears dried, but the ache in my chest remained. I had cried for what felt like an hour yet Alex held me close to him the entire time. The cool fall breeze cut through me, chilling me to the bone and I trembled.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said as he loosened his grip on me.

As I pulled back from his embrace I noticed the mud that splattered his uniform. We were both covered in it from wrestling in the damp grass. I had made a complete mess of us both.

Nodding in agreement I staggered to my feet. Alex kept a firm grip on my arm as he helped me up. He wasn't going to give me the opportunity to run again, not that I could anyway. My entire body ached with exhaustion. Every muscle burned when I moved. I shouldn't have exerted so much energy so soon after an infusion.

Taking a step back towards the tents my leg gave out. It crumbled beneath me, unable to support my weight and I fell. Alex caught me in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His warm breath danced across my neck as his dark eyes stared into mine.

"Everything hurts," I replied, leaning into him for support.

"Can you walk?" he asked, but the look in his eyes told me he already knew the answer.

Before I could shake my head to confirm, he slipped his arm under my legs and lifted me up. Cradling me in his arms he headed back towards the tents. His embrace was firm and warm. I was thankful he hadn't thrown me over his shoulder again, as my hips still ached from the last time. Giving in completely, I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.

As Alex carried me through the camp I closed my eyes. Focusing on the sound of his breath, I distracted myself from my dark thoughts. I had gotten so used to my routine with Oskar that my chest ached from all the change. Fear crept in, but it was a new fear. Before I feared the pain. I knew exactly what to expect, but now I feared the unknown, the many possibilities. It was easier to focus on Alex. On how his breathing steadily increased the longer he carried my. How his flexed muscles pressed into mine.

Alex spoke to several different soldiers in English. I didn't even bother to try to figure out what he was saying. My body and mind were equally exhausted. I only opened my eyes once we stopped. Alex let my legs down and I realized we were in a washroom.

On one side of the room the walls and floors were covered with white tiles. Shower heads lined the perimeter of the area and drains were scattered about the floor. Dozens of men could've showered at the same time. It was much larger than the washroom I was used to.

The other side of the room had benches, and storage shelving with hooks for hanging clothes. Alex sat me down on one of the wooden benches and began to disrobe. I thought it odd how he neatly folded and stacked his dirty clothes on one of the shelves. Maybe it was an American thing?

Unsure of what to do, I followed his lead. I peeled off my mud covered underwear and folded it before placing it on the shelf next to Alex's. Once he was completely naked, he led me over to the showers and turned two of them on. There was tons of space in the room, but he chose two right next to each other. I didn't mind though. I was used to having a shower companion.

The hot water soothed my aching muscles and staved off the bitter cold I had become accustomed to. Alex handed me a sponge so that I could clean myself. I stared at him for a moment before taking it. I couldn't remember the last time I washed myself. Thoughts of Oskar plagued me. He had always scrubbed me down. In fact he did everything for me. My stomach clenched and my chest tightened. I missed him. Why did he have to leave me alone?

"Do you need help?" Alex asked. His dark brown hair had flattened from the water, but it was so short that it hardly looked any different.

"Yes," I replied, realizing I had been holding the sponge to my chest in one spot for several minutes.

"Turn around," he said.

I turned my back to him and he pressed the soap filled sponge against me. It caught in my metal framework, pulling me to the side as Alex tried to wash my back. He cursed under his breath in English. After a minute of fighting with the sponge he freed it from my back.

The familiar sensation of cool liquid dripping down my back startled me. For a moment I thought I was back in the facility, but Alex's hands were not rough like Oskar's. His hands were soft and warm on my skin as he rubbed the soap into my spine. He had a gentle yet firm touch that eased the ache of my muscles.

My body relaxed as I let myself take comfort in his touch. I knew he was only trying to clean me, but his hands massaged the tension from my body. It was careless for me to allow myself to enjoy his touch and by the time I realized I was enjoying it too much, it was too late. My cock was fully erect and there was no way to hide it.