Alex

Alex Davies is a potential love interest of Mark in Coming Out On Top.

Character Summary
Alex is a professor at Orlin University, working in the Division of Biological Sciences. One of the classes he teaches is anatomy. Alex loves to teach but finds academic politics to be a distasteful aspect of the job.

He has had academic research published in respected journals that were well-received and is in the running for tenure in the university but despite his intellectual achievements, he feels the need to prove to others that he is more than just a handsome face.

Alex frequents the campus gym on weekends and is an a ball player. He is a very competitive individual when it comes to sports.

Alex is respectful and honest, as he will let Mark know he's attracted to him but does not want to jeopardize his job, Mark's education, nor does he want to string the young man along. Alex prides himself on his self-control, but his unwavering attraction to Mark was the first time he second-guessed this strength in himself.

Appearance
Alex has short, parted blonde hair with a well-toned muscular build. During class, he wears glasses and a blue shirt and gray vest with a teal tie. On some occasions he wears a beige shirt with an orange tie. At the gym, he wears a gray sleeveless tee. In the bar or on casual outings, he often wears a black shirt leaving one button undone.

Route
Penny convinces Mark to celebrate his coming out of the closet to her and Ian by going to Charlie's, the only gay bar in Orlin.

Mark
Alex and Mark first meet at the gay bar in Orlin named Charlie's, and later in Mark's anatomy class. Both men felt mutual attraction towards the other, and are later shocked by the revelation of their student-teacher status. Alex tries to maintain a professional distance from Mark, both out of respect for Mark's education as well as his own profession. However, the two continuously bump into one another at the gym and their sexual tension only intensifies until they kiss in the locker room.

Alex and Mark's relationship is used as fuel to try and get Alex fired from the University by Graham, a bitter colleague in the Biology department who felt threatened by the new professor. Alex is left devastated by the blackmailing and invasion of his privacy, and his teaching suffers as he succumbs to the pressure.

To fulfill Alex's romance route, Mark and Penny help behind the scenes to get Graham to retract his attempt at getting Alex fired. After Mark graduates, Alex finds out Mark was the one who helped him, and the two begin a relationship and move in together after two years.

Graham
Graham is a fellow professor in Orlin University. He feels threatened by Alex's arrival on campus, and he sees him as a direct rival due to his achievements and publications. This causes Graham to try and keep tabs on the new professor, and eventually try to get him fired.

Trivia

 * Alex was the first romance route created during Coming Out on Top's prototype, and has undergone a number of character redesigns.
 * His middle name is Monroe.
 * Alex's age is not mentioned in the story, but is described to be quite a number of years older than Mark. Mark even thought that he must "have at least 2.5 children." He is, however, mentioned as being at the "beginning" of his career and being somewhat young to have a tenure-track position at a major university. This suggests that he is in his late 20s or early 30s.
 * His attractiveness is frequently mentioned, as Penny refers him as a Norse God who stooped down to the mortals to teach and Edwina mentioned that he looks like he could be an underwear model.
 * Alex mentions that aside from coming out, the most difficult and rewarding thing he has ever done is attempting to bathe his cat while shirtless.
 * Alex's alcoholic beverage of choice is Scotch, and Lagavulin's is his favorite.
 * Alex is the main love interest with the least amount of CGs, he only has eight.