He remained mute once more. Froze, staring straight into her eyes… The mood was good, the place was nice, even the scents felt right… But he wasn't. She also stopped moving, self-astonished, not totally understanding what's going on…. She blinked quickly.

"Gordon…?"

"That's my name." He replied with some kind of cautiousness.

Alyx sighted. "Get out of this suit right now!" Her voice wouldn't accept any resistance. She grabbed and pulled the upper part of HEV, with completely useless effort. Gordon just blinked.

"Come on! What's wrong with you?" Alyx kept on jerking the front panel of the suit, like she was able to remove it. But she wasn't.

"What the hell are you doing, Alyx? Please…stop it!"

"Aaghh!" She couldn't recognize herself. Maybe the incense sticks essences were really influencing her…hormones? She stood up off Gordon's lap. „I… I'm sor…No, wait! I'm totally not sorry! Are you gay or something?"

Gordon opened his mouth with a complete disgust mixed with anger. "Me?" He rocketed up from the armchair. "Are you fucking shitting me? I wouldn't be able to stay gay even if I was one!"

Alyx wrinkled her forehead and shook her head after a second. And stared in his eyes. "I wouldn't believe you are like that if I hadn't met you personally… Walking modesty! The savior!"

"No… I don't care what all these people think about me! But I'm sick of it all. I hope what they keep on saying is true… " Gordon decided to sit down, but this time on the old table. Suit was starting to get kinda uncomfortable . Hi tech design but maybe it was safe to take it off finally. And he was tired, really tired of killing. He must had killed thousands of creatures up to that point. Blood, flying body parts, flying bullets, he got used to it so much more than he wanted. Just another day with blood on his face and alien juices smelling everywhere…"

"Gordy?"

"What?"

"You fell asleep. It's been half an hour now… Maybe you should go to bed?"

"Shit…" He straightened his back. Neck was hurting pretty bad. Hard wooden tables are bad to nap, especially if you are sleeping with your head down. "You see… I'm not gay…"Random words from dry mouth. He started massaging his sore neck and then found Alyx in his eyesight. She looked pretty sad. And a bit anxious. "Okay… I might behave like an asshole to you… But I really respect you Alyx. I'm not going to use this situation. I doesn't feel right… None of my old friends would believe in what I'm saying right now…" He chuckled a bit, still holding hand on his nape. "But they're probably dead now. Well okay, I didn't have many friends."

Rain was banging on the windows. Steamy surfaces covered Gordon's skillful sketches of himself playing with headcrabs. Actually it was raining pretty hard. At last.

He just felt full and soft lips on his. Astounded, he kept his eyes closed, not to disturb this weird sensation. And suddenly he wanted more. Hot kiss, freakin hot, the hottest one since always. Alyx seemed to be cautious, even in this situation, but Gordon went with the flow and grabbed her butt. And sucked into her lips. They were juicy, hot and soft as pillows… Pillows, he must had been really sleepy. But he wanted even more. A chill went through his body as he enjoyed the vibrant firmness of her perfect butt. So he squeezed it harder.

And suddenly she stepped back. Gordon almost fell on the ground.

"Alright! That's enough!" Her voice didn't sound happy.

Gordon's certain body parts had already started feeling happy…

He was dazed. "I… I told you I felt wrong. What the hell? Alyx?" He fixed his glasses that almost fell to the dirty floor. "I… I'm alright with that. Whatever you feel…"

She looked pretty nervous. Like she was holding something inside.

"Let me guess… It didn't feel as you expected? As you imagined so many times before?"

"Bastard!"

And slap!

She ran away from the room.

Gordon just rubbed his left chick. He'd never expect to get a slap in the face from her.

He looked at the windows. Rain was pouring like crazy. He gently slid from the table's edge and opened the wooden door. The wet and fresh smell of rain hit his senses. Finally… Cleansing, purifying, fucking rain!

Nothing else mattered now. He felt it wasn't end with Alyx, they were just tensed, at the very edge of a nervous breakdown. Maybe end of war is not good for an affair like that. But the war is ending… He could feel that in his bones.

Gordon closed his eyes and gave up to the rain, let it overflow him completely, like he wanted to stop existing for a while, melt with it.

And then, completely wet, go back and take off the HEV suit…