"I ... Uh... Sure.. if you don't mind." He swallwoed a bit, he really was quite hungry. It'd been some time since he'd eaten anything now. He was contemplating fleeing himself, he hadn't expected Alex to try and get along with him, he thought he'd just keep giving him the cold shoulder and kick him out as soon as he'd woken up.

He thought for a moment and glanced at Alex again. "I.. I'll help. I mean.. if you.. can stand me long enough to let me." He breathed, sighing, he wanted to be helpful but he had a feeling Alex didn't want any of it.

Alex stood up when Ash had consented for a meal. He'd turned to the fridge briefly glancing through the contents with a frown, there was little left but just enough for any regular breakfast. "What would you like?"

Alex glanced over when Ash offered to help and visibly hesitated before giving a small shrug. "If you wish... are you able to with the crutches and all..?"

"I'm not very picky." He replied and after a moment, he slowly got up to follow after Alex, only taking one crutch with him this time to lean on as he got in there. "What do you have?" He asked, using a counter for balance now that he was in the kitchen, leaning the cruch out of the way on a wall.

"Eggs, the ingredients for pancakes or french toast," Alex told him shifting slightly. The kitchen nook was small and Alex had surprised himself by consenting to being in such a close space with Ash.

Alex pulled out the eggs, no matter which Ash chose they were the main ingredient to all of them. He waited then though he moved to check the quantity of milk he had, also would be a main ingredient to all three if the man liked his eggs scrambled.

"How bout just some.. eggs and regular toast?" He smiled at Alex for probably the first time since they'd met. He kept leaned against the counter, looking for the bread and the toaster, he could probably make his toast on his own, that didn't require too much from his broken body.

"How do you like them?" Alex asked shifting around Ash to get the pan from in the drawer under they oven part of the stove making sure to not bump into Ash.

He also pulled the toaster from the lower cupboard and set it down for Ash's use.

"Just scrambled is fine." He replied with a smile, watching Alex a bit and then smiling again as he was given a toaster to use. He got to the bread and pulled out a single slice, popping it into the toaster and waiting. He wasn't a bit eater in the morning, usually not ever, in fact, Jacob had just caught him on a day he'd missed every meal until they'd ordered Chinese.

Alex nodded and set about grabbing the last two eggs left in the carton and cracked them and dropped the innards into the pan. Setting the temperature he set the pan on the element and gabbed a spattula breaking the yolks and mixing the two eggs together before he grabbed the milk and poured a decent amount within them and mixed the mass of egg and milk together as it began to take form into what looked like scrambled eggs.

It was smelling so good, he'd forgotten how hungry he really was. "Mm Smells good, thanks." He cooed out, taking the toast as he popped and buttering it up to place on a plate, waiting for the eggs next, shifting to take his crutch again for support for when he'd carry the plate somewhere to eat.

He was still surprised Alex had cooked for him, made him want to hug the man for trying to be a good sport, but he knew Alex might take that the wrong way--he didn't want to freak him out again. He knew what it was like after being raped, and he was sure it was so much worse for him since it seemed to have happened many times. Maybe he'd ask Jacob not to let people stick around when he went to bed-maybe it would make Alex safer in his own home anyway.

Alex gave the merest of smiles as he poured the eggs on the plate that Ash had set the toast on. He took the Plate from the man though to help him, he didn't have any more eggs if the plate spilled. He set it on the table without a word though.

"Milk or juice?"

"Mm?" Ashley was surprised to have his plate taken but he didn't argue, knowing it was probably for the best if he didn't try to carry it himself. "Ah.. Thanks." He sat down at the table after it was set down and glanced over at Alex at the question. "Hmm, just a little milk, please." He smiled at him, his cheeks a little coloured.

"Welcome." Alex murmured pouring the last of the milk in a glass and set it next to the plate.

With something to occupy his mind other than the other man he functioned better then keeping still and worrying.when he was done however he was back to sitting and fidgeting worrying about what should or shouldn't be said.

Ashley wasn't sure what more to say either, eating after scooping some of his eggs onto his toast and eating it like that, taking a few sips of milk now and then. His hair was still a mess from sleeping with it all bunched up into the pillow, the curls a bit wild.

"So.. What.. do you usually do during the day?" He asked after moment, picking at a few last bites fo his food before he finished them off and tried to get up to take the plate over to the sink to rinse it off.

Alex let the man eat in silence. He was slowly becoming less watchful of Ash. Though he didn't trust him he had. Stopped suspecting the man would jump him while he wasn't looking, the man had plenty of opportunities already.

Looking back up as the other spoke his shoulers shrugged a bit. "Just hang around here as much as I can... I don't go out much.. Other than for groceries.."

"Ah.. I.. Know you probably don't want to hear this, but ... that's probably.. not the best way to cope..y'know?" He said as he set the dish down carefully in the sink and ran some water over it. He swallowed thickly, knowing it must have been a very touchy subject, he probably shouldn't have been bringing it up, but he felt bad for Alex.

Alex looked away chewing his lip and giving another uncomfortable shrug. It was his way of coping, his way of keeping from it happening again.. as best as he could when it wasn't within his own place. He shifted a bit in his seat and mumbled "It's a bit safer in here.. when I'm alone I'm safest. Out there..."

"It's better in here." Alex was speaking in short bursts of sentences now as his mind thought about it. He didn't want to think about it but he pulled his knees up his heels resting on the edge of the chair and hugged them to them. Almost inaudible were the words "You wouldn't understand.."

He'd barely caught the murmured words, his brow raising a bit and he came over to Alex and he gently rested a hand on his shoulder. "...I know better than you might think." He said, the touch brief and he let go quickly, backing off a bit once again.

"I should probably go do a few things--do you want to come with me? It's safer out there.. when you're with another person, you know? If anyone tries anything. I'll gladly beat them down with one of my crutches." He smirked a bit, though he didn't know if that would ease the idea of going outside any more or not.

Alex flinched away from the brief touch his eyes widening slightly as he looked up at him, fear apparent on his face and again began to shift slightly away. He bit his lip wondering about the man's response a little confused now but again he was focusing on the other warily at the same time.

"What do you.." Alex started but stopped himself short uncertain if he should ask. Chewing his lip he looked back at the table as he listened to Ash's suggestion a small snort of a laugh escaping him at the image of Ash beating down one of his common attackers. He gave a small shrug though, he needed some groceries perhaps the man was right..

"I... I guess.."

"Good, then we'll go to a store, I need to get a few things for my office fridge, all that's in there now is lefover chinese!" He laughed a bit, hobbling out of the kitchen to go and get his shoe on and fix his hair a bit. "Is there anywhere you want to go? I'll call a cab and we can go anywhere." He smiled at Alex a bit.

"I.. just need to stock up on groceries again.." Alex murmured standing up after a bit to slip on shoes and grabbed his wallet making sure enough money was within it and his keys. He stood by the door waiting for the other man to get ready shifting uneasily, he still didn't quite know or understand Ash and it wasn't a comforting thought for Alex.

"Good then hmm.. Where do you like to shop?" He asked as he paused to get on his phone to call the cab and get them one there in front of the property. He just hoped he didn't run into anyone on his way down. Neither of them needed to run into anyone 'familiar'.

"C'mon. It takes me a bit to get down the stairs, the cab should be here soon." He said, moving to head out of the apartment.

"Anywhere really..." Alex kept shifting shops from place to place each time keeping it random when he chose where to go. Always within busing distance at the least if he had to leave in a hurry, something that he disliked doing entirely however.

He followed Ash outside of his apartment looking around hesitantly before locking the door and followed the other man slowly. He hoped no one was in the bar downstairs. It was open for only non-alcoholic drinks this early and rarely had more than the odd customer but some of those customers enjoyed approaching him.

He followed Ash down the steps letting the other man go first and was careful not to bump into him, for the obvious reason not to knock him off balance. Idly Alex wondered how slow the man took to get up stairs when he had to pull his weight upward?

Carefully, though quicker than before, Ashley got himself down the stairs, careful with each stepp, he didn't want to fall down all of them and windup back in the hospital for Jacob to find him there.

Once at the bottom, he gave a relieved breath, a little sweaty, it took a lot of effort to get anywhere now. Only a few minutes passed before the taxi was waiting outside and he walked out to get into it first, knowing he had to set the crutches on the floor before getting in, waiting for Alex to follow, telling the man to drive them to a cheap little market he liked to go to because it was near his work and in a nice, lighted area.

Getting out after paying, he handed Alex a crutch first so he hand a free hand to grab the door and pull himself up, huffing out a little at the effort, asking the man to come back in about 30 mins for them to return back to Alex's place--or at least to take Alex back, though he doubted he'd want to go back alone since he'd dragged him down to his 'home' area.

Alex was silent the entire time and stared out the window. When they got there he held onto the second crutch willingly as the other got out of the cab and handed it back to him. Unlike Jacob who would lead the way, Alex held back allowing Ash to go ahead of him. His eyes looked leerily around the new area as he followed Ash inside, and if it weren't for being out there he wouldn't have stuck so close.

When they got to the doors, he shifted, trying to open the door for Alex, but he couldn't quite get it, frowning at himself as he had to stand aside and let Alex open it for him instead. The little market wasn't the nicest place, but it had just about anything you'd need food wise and he grabbed a basket to link around his wrist while he made his way carefully through the isles for some food and drink items for his office.

"You doing okay?" He asked, glancing at Alex curiously as he got some bread, lunch meat, mayo and the like, getting a box of tea, cocoa and cider as well. Once he had a few varieties of soup, a quart of milk and a few cereal singles, he found it harder to hold the basket--it was getting quite heavy now.