The silence does not bother Alex, because he knows Neil's mouth is busy. Because Alex has continued kissing the other man, his hands moving down from Neil's shoulders to trail his chest and diaphragm. To trace the lines of muscle and tendon. Alex kisses him, his own hands and body the opposite of Neil's stillness.

Eventually, he breaks slightly, breathing harder than he had been. "...Is this hurting you? Should I stop?"