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Alex straightens his jacket as he walks into the Wild Pony. He catches Maria’s eye easily. It’s early enough that there are only a few regulars sitting at the bar.
Maria sets down the glass she was cleaning and turns toward the kitchen. “Robert, I’m taking a break, you’ve got the bar.”
Robert comes out of the kitchen and rolls his eyes when he looks around. “It’s just Sam and Gary. They can serve themselves.”
“Robert,” Maria says sternly.
“Fine, I got the bar,” he huffs.
Maria grabs two bottles of beer and leads Alex to a table in the back. “What’s wrong,” she asks as soon as they sit down.
“Nothing's wrong. Maybe I just wanted to see you,” Alex says, sweetly.
Maria gives him an unimpressed look, “You wanted to see me three hours before you normally leave Deep Sky. If nothing’s wrong, you want something. So spill.”
Alex sighs, caught sooner than he wanted to be. “I’m going to ask Michael to move in with me,” he tells her, deciding to just get to the point, but it comes out sounding more like a question then he wants it to.
“Are you asking my permission,” Maria frowns in concern, probably picking up on his nerves.
“God, no,” Alex leans back in his chair and laughs.
“Good,” Maria laughs with him. “Because that would be really weird.”
“You just know us both better than most people,” Alex begins, some of his nerves returning. “I wanted to see what you thought.”
“I think it’s great,” Maria tells him sincerely.
“But?” Alex asks. He knows Maria well enough to sense her hesitation, no matter how slight it might be.
“I don’t want you to be disappointed if Michael’s first reaction is to say no,” she tells him gently.
“Why would he say no?” Alex twists the ring on his right hand. “Do you think he’s not ready?”
“It’s not about being ready. Michael loves you - any idiot can see that. And he’s been really happy since you two have been together. But it’s not about what he wants. Michael’s a lot like me, too much like me, which is one of the reasons we didn’t work out. His independence is so important to him. He’ll fight against losing any part of that.”
Alex frowns because that isn’t something Maria mentioned before. “I thought Michael wanted a more serious relationship than you did, not that he was too independent.”
“It wasn’t just one thing,” Maria reminds him. “Michael loves to take care of people, but he hates the idea of being taken care of.”
When she puts it that way, Alex can see how that’s a trait he and Maria share. “I don’t want to take care of him. I want to share a life with him.”
“Then tell him that,” Maria encourages him. “This is a good thing, it really is. But if Michael thinks you’re trying to swoop in and rescue him or take over his life, he’ll say no.”
“Is that what you think I’m trying to do?” Alex asks, hurt that Maria would think that of him.
“Of course not,” Maria reassures him. “But if we were dating and you asked me to move in with you that’s how it would feel. When you struggle financially like Michael and I have, you hold on tightly to whatever you can build for yourself. Giving up that security is a huge deal. If Michael moves in with you and things don’t work out, he has to start from scratch. He’s given up his home and financially he might not be able to replace it. Then he might have to turn to his family for help which would be another blow to his independence. I’m not saying any of that would happen, but it’s what I would be afraid of in his position. You aren’t taking the same risk.”
Alex bites back his first defensive reaction - he’s taking a lot of risk here, mostly with his heart - and thinks about what Maria is trying to tell him. “I get what you are saying, but I don’t have another option. If it were you and I, we could move into your place instead. But that’s not possible with Michael. Not only is the Airstream too small, it doesn’t work for me with my leg.” Alex hates to admit that, but it’s true.
“I’m sure Michael knows that, and it might be another reason he hesitates. He can’t offer you what you can offer him which puts you on unequal footing.”
“So what am I supposed to do?” Alex asks, frustrated. He can’t change Michael’s financial situation. “Do I let it go so I don’t hurt Michael’s pride?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Maria reaches across the table and takes his hand. “This is a good thing for both of you. But you don’t have the best track record with communication. I’m trying to give you some insight so if Michael doesn’t react the way you want him to you don’t shut down.”
“Fair,” Alex admits. No matter what reason Michael might give for not wanting to move in, Alex would take it as a rejection. And he’s self aware enough to know that instead of talking to Michael about it, he would nurse his hurt until it came between them in some other way.
“Just talk to him, make sure he knows how you feel, and you’ll get there. I promise,” Maria reassures him.
“Are you giving me some psychic insight?” Alex teases. “If you are, could you give me a script so I say the right thing the first time.”
“No physic powers being used here. Just someone who loves you both and wants you to be happy,” Maria squeezes his hand.
“Thank you,” Alex stands up and gives Maria a hug. “Love you, too.”
“I know it’s not what you wanted to hear,” Maria begins.
“If I wanted blind enthusiasm, I would have gone to Kyle,” Alex waves away her concern. It’s the truth. Alex came to Maria because he needed someone to help him look at his plan from a different perspective.
“Keep me updated,” Maria requests.
“Promise,” Alex kisses her on the cheek before he leaves.
Alex spends the next few days thinking about his conversation with Maria. He needs to figure out the best way to approach Michael about moving in - he needs to be honest without making Michael feel pressured. Alex abandons his original plan to offer Michael a key after a nice dinner. That feels like too much of a grand gesture, something more lowkey will hopefully make Michael more comfortable.
In the end, Alex isn’t sure he’s proud of what he does. He waits until Michael comes back to bed, freshly showered and thoroughly fucked. Michael flops down on the bed, and Alex pulls him close, nuzzling into his neck. “I think you should move in,” he whispers between kisses. He very deliberately leaves off “with me.”
“What?” Michael mutters, more focused on groping Alex’s ass than listening to him.
“I want you to move in,” Alex says more plainly.
“Here?”
Alex very carefully does not roll his eyes. “Yes,” he says patiently, waiting for Michael to catch up.
Michael pulls away and sits crosslegged on the bed. Alex sighs and joins him. Maybe this wasn’t the right time to bring it up.
“You want me to move in with you,” Michael clarifies.
“I don’t want you to move in with me.”
“You’re giving me some mixed signals here, Alex,” Michael frowns.
“I want to live with you. I want us to live together,” Alex tries to make Michael hear the distinction.
“What’s wrong with how things are now?” Michael asks. “We’re finally in a good place. Why change that?”
“Everything is good,” Alex assures him, taking his hand. “I just think it could be better.”
“By my moving in with you. I don’t know,” Michael shakes his head.
Alex holds back his frustration. “It wouldn’t be that much of a change. You’re here three or four nights a week, you fixed the bathroom door when it was sticking, there’s a garden in the back I have nothing to do with.” Alex tries to make Michael see all the ways he’s already part of Alex’s home. He doesn’t bring up the ways Michael resists deepening that connection - his refusal to take a key or come into the house when Alex isn’t there.
“It’s not a big change for you,” Michael points up. “I’m the one uprooting their life.”
“I’d move in with you if that was something you wanted and it was an option, but. . .”
Michael cuts him off before he can finish. “Why live in a shitty trailer when you have a big house all to yourself,” Michael scoffs.
“That’s not what I was going to say,” Alex bites his lip. God, he hates being vulnerable. “I love the Airstream. We have some good memories there, but I can’t live there. The bathroom can’t be made accessible, there isn’t enough room for me to do my PT. I can’t ignore that as much as I want to.”
Michael flushes and looks away for a moment. “I get that, but I don’t know that I’m ready to give that up.”
“You don’t need to decide right now, just promise me you’ll think about it.” Michael nods, and Alex continues, “I’m not trying to take anything away from you or trying to take over your life. I just want to share my life with you, as equals.”
“I want that too,” Michael admits, tracing patterns gently on Alex’s leg. “I’m just not sure it’s that easy for me. If we do this, I’d want to pay half the mortgage.”
Alex winces. “I don’t have a mortgage.”
“Seriously,” Michael pulls back. “You just bought this place with cash?”
“I was in the Air Force for a long time. I didn’t have anything to spend my money on, and the VA has programs to help with down payments. It’s not as big of a deal as it sounds like.” Alex ignores the look Michael gives him when he says that. “We can figure out a budget for you to take over some of the bills if that’s what you need.”
“I need to feel like I’m not dependent on you, like we really can be equals like you said you wanted,” Michael tells him.
“I don’t want this to be about money,” Alex is trying so hard not to get frustrated, but he feels like they are caught in a loop they can’t get out of. Neither of them can change their financial situation instantly. It’s not something he can fix.
“That’s easy to say when you’re the one with money,” Michael states flatly.
Alex sighs. They could go back and forth about this all night. He needs to change the focus back to what he wants. “I miss you,” he tells Michael.
“What? Alex, I’m right here,” Michael says, clearly not following.
“I miss you when you aren’t here,” Alex admits. “I’ve spent most of my life - really since my mom left - being alone. And I thought that was just how it had to be. Love. companionship, those were things I thought happened to other people, not to me. I wasn’t sure I even deserved them.”
“Alex,” Michael breathes out his name. “Of course you deserve them.”
“The only person I’ve ever wanted that with is you. So I want you to move in. Not to take care of you or fix you, but for me. Because I am tired of being alone, and I think you are too. Don’t answer me now, but think about it. Think about what you want and what would make you happy,” Alex almost pleads.
“I will,” Michael nods.
It’s not what Alex wants, but it has to be enough for now. “Come on,” he stretches back out and pulls Michael down with him. “Let’s go to bed.”
A few nights later, Michael shows up at Isobel’s house, fingers crossed that she’s alone. When she answers the door, she’s in sweatpants and an oversized sweater with her hair piled up on her head so he thinks he’s in luck.
“Michael,” she exclaims, clearly surprised to see him. “Did we have plans?”
“Nope, just wanted to see my favorite sister,” Michael follows her into the living and sprawls out in an armchair when she curls up on the couch.
“I’m your only sister,” Isobel rolls her eyes. “You only show up unannounced when you screwed up or because you’re pissed at Max, so what did you do?”
“I didn’t screw up,” Michael protests because he didn’t even if he’s haunted by the hurt Alex tried to hide at Michael’s reaction to his proposal.
“So what did Max do?”
“Nothing, this has nothing to do with Max.” Isobel stares at him for a moment, and he caves. “I need some advice.”
“Is it sexual?” Isobel sits up and crosses her legs, resting her elbows on her knees. “I mean you and Alex should really have it figured out by now, but I am happy to offer critiques. And I have a few suggestions that could really spice things up.”
“Alex asked me to move in with him,” he blurts out just to get her to stop.
“That’s wonderful,” Isobel claps her hands together. “I’ve never seen Alex’s house. Are you looking for a subtle way to tell him his decorating sucks? Is it all camo or something?”
“Alex’s house is fine,” Michael waves away her theory.
“So what’s the issue?” Isobel frowns. “If you need help moving, that’s Max’s department.”
“I haven’t said yes,” Michael admits.
“Why? What’s wrong with you? Are you brain damaged from all the acetone? I know it’s supposed to be good for us, but maybe you’re a special case.” When Michael doesn’t rise to the bait, Isobel studies him. “So what is the problem? You’ve been in love with Alex for years, he asks you to move in, and you didn’t jump at the chance? What am I missing?”
“Did you know Alex owns his house? No mortgage, no loan. He just bought the damn thing,” Michael complains as if that is an explanation.
“Oh, so Alex wants to be your sugar Daddy,” Isobel laughs.
“I don’t want a sugar Daddy,” Michael grumbles. “I don’t need him to take care of me. I can pay my own way.”
“Oh, I am well aware of your aversion to help,” Isobel tells him. “So Alex wants you to quit your job and stay home. He wants dinner ready and you waiting for him in nothing but an apron. He can’t really knock you up, but he’s going to make an effort and if you do have kids, that’s on you, right? You’ll do the feeding and the changing and the running around to practices while Alex smokes cigars and sips whiskey?”
“Jesus, Iz, where to get this stuff? Alex asked me to move in, not to become some fifties housewife,” Michael rolls his eyes.
“But that’s what you’re afraid of isn’t it? That Alex will try to change you or take over your life, and you won’t be able to say no?” Isobel asks, her expression serious.
“Alex wouldn’t do that.” And Michael knows that’s true. Alex doesn’t want Michael to be something he’s not, but it doesn’t stop Michael from feeling uneasy about the whole thing. How can he feel like he’s independent if Alex is supporting him? “Alex wouldn’t do that, but he could. How can we make decisions together when he is contributing more?”
“Alex makes more money than you,” Isobel states.
“No shit.”
“Alex makes more money than you, he probably has more money saved than you. Those are facts, but that doesn’t make him a better person than you. It doesn’t mean his opinion matters more than yours does,” Isobel tells him gently.
“I know that,” Michael tells her. He’s finally at a place in his life where he can say that honestly. He doesn’t feel inferior because he works in a junkyard or struggles with his bills or shops at thrift stores. Most of the time. “But feeling it is different. Alex says he wants a partner, but I don’t know if I can be that.”
“Do you want to live with Alex?”
“Yeah,” Michael admits. “I love him, of course I want to live with him.”
“Then you have to learn to accept the fact that Alex has more financial security than you do. I mean you could quit your job and go work for Deep Sky. I’m sure Eduardo would love to have you.” Isobel laughs at the face Michael makes. “You could ask Alex to quit his job and be poor with you.”
“You’re not helping,” Michael complains even though she is. “Why can’t we just leave things like they are?”
“You can do that, but you don’t want to,” Isobel says knowingly. “You want to live with Alex and sleep with every night and drink coffee with him every morning. I know you, Michael. This is what you’ve always wanted. Don’t let your pride get in the way.”
“It’s not that easy,” Michael protests.
“Maybe not, but you don’t know how lucky you are.” Isobel's expression turns contemplative and melancholy. “Obviously my marriage was a disaster, but I don’t regret being married.”
Michael watches Isobel, not sure where she’s going with this. As much as he dreams of being Alex’s husband, they aren’t there yet.
“I regret being married to him, but it taught me a lot about myself, and what I want,” Isobel continues.
“Like what?” Michael asks.
“There is something really special about living with someone, with sharing your day to day life. It’s intimate and messy, but that’s what makes it real. You can’t fake it all the time.”
“Unless you’re a mild altering murdering alien,” Michael interjects.
“Even then, there were moments,” Isobel smiles sadly. “I miss it. Having someone to come home to, someone who knows just by looking if you’ve had a bad day. I miss sharing a glass of wine with someone who will also pick up my dirty socks. Even the stupid petty fights - who left the toilet seat up, who forgot to close the garage door - are special because they mean you care enough to stop being polite about the stuff that annoys you. Building a life with someone, day by day, figuring out who you are together, is special.”
“Did it really feel like that?” It sounds too good to be true. Maybe that’s what it was like for Isobel, but Michael doesn’t think he’s meant for that kind of happiness. He’s never had a real home, will he even know how to make one with Alex?
“It did. I know it wasn’t real, how I felt about him, but how I felt about our life was. I want that again, with someone I really love.”
“You’ll find it,” Michael promises. If he could make it happen for her, he would.
“I hope so. Anatsa and I aren’t there yet, but I think we could be,” Isobel shrugs, smiling hopefully. “But if not with her, I think there is someone I can find that with. But, Michael, do you see how lucky you are?” Isobel leans forward and takes his hands. “You can have that right now, with someone you love who loves you just as much. Don’t let that slip through your fingers.”
“I’ll try not to,” Michael squeezes her hand, wishing he could share her certainty.
Michael walks into the Crashdown and quickly spots Dallas in the back corner. He stops at the counter and tells Javier to bring him his usual before sitting down across from Dallas, who barely looks up from the copy of the Roswell Daily Record he has spread out over the table.
“Is this a religious thing?” Michael asks. “Because I didn’t think anyone under seventy read the paper.”
“Arturo loaned me his copy,” Dallas answers, still focused on the newspaper. “I need to find a place to live, and Craig’s List is a scary place, man.”
“I didn’t know you were moving.”
“The parish has been great about letting me stay at the house after I resigned, but the new pastor starts next month, so I’m out,” Dallas sighs and rubs his face with his hands.
Michael frowns. He didn’t realize the house Dallas lived in belonged to the church. Either way, he knows how much it sucks to lose the place you're living in. “What are you looking for?”
“At this point anything. I’m about ready to pitch a tent in the desert and call it a day. I’ve picked up a few part time jobs, but without a steady income, I’m not anyone’s ideal renter. Researching your alien’s family history doesn’t really pay the bills, but I’m not ready to let it go,” Dallas admits.
Michael doesn’t believe in God or fate, but he can’t help feeling like this is at least a nudge in the right direction. Since he talked with Isobel, he’s been trying to tell Alex he’s ready to move in, but he loses his nerve every time. Maybe he can solve both their problems. “It’s not a tent in the desert, but how do you feel about a worn but well loved Airstream?”
“I know we’ve got a good thing going here,” Dallas gestures between the two of them, “but I don’t think I want to be that close to you. No offense.”
“I won’t be there. I’m moving in with Alex.” Michael tries to say it confidently, like it’s a sure thing as opposed to a dilemma that’s been haunting him since Alex brought it up. “It’s just going to sit empty, so if you’re interested,” Michael shrugs.
“That would really save my ass. I do have one condition though.”
“What?” Michael asks, not sure what Dallas could need.
“You have to let me marry you and Alex first. I can’t profit from you living in sin,” Dallas says, expression completely serious.
“Um, I’m not sure Alex will go for that,” Michael tries to deflect. Sure he’s dreamed of marrying Alex for years, but not like that.
“But you would?” Dallas calls him out before dissolving into hysterical laughter. “Your face! I can’t believe you fell for that.”
Michael kicks Dallas under the table. “Fuck off,” he grumbles, but there’s no real heat behind it.
“Seriously,” Dallas wipes his eyes once he calms down. “That would really help me out. When are you moving?”
Good question, and something Michael should really discuss with Alex. He could have changed his mind after Michael dragged his feet. But he knows that’s not true. Alex might struggle to express himself, but when he does, he always means it. Alex wouldn’t have asked Michael to move in unless he was sure it was what he wanted.
“Two weeks,” Michael says firmly. “That work for you?”
“Perfect,” Dallas agrees. “And we can work something out for rent. I can’t afford much right now, but once I get settled.. .”
“Don’t worry about it,” Michael waves Dallas off. “Just keep the firepit going and check in on Sanders every now and again. Maybe have him over for a game of poker a few times a month.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. You’ll be doing me a favor too. I don’t want the place to sit empty. It’s still got a few good years left in it.” The real favor he’s doing Michael is giving him the push he needs to move in with Alex, but he’s not going to tell Dallas that.
“I’ll owe you, Michael. Really, thanks.” Dallas gathers up the paper just as Javier comes by with their food.
“Don’t mention it,” Michael tells him. “We gotta look out for each other.”
Alex knocks on Michael’s door, irritated with himself for being nervous. He shouldn’t be worried about how Michael will react, but he’s postponed his move in date twice, and Alex needs to give him a little incentive. He just doesn’t want Michael to feel backed into a corner.
Michael answers the door in his typical jeans and tank top, the button of his jeans undone, and a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. “Alex?” Michael mumbles around the toothbrush. He steps aside and gestures for Alex to come in.
When Alex comes in, he notices immediately that everything looks exactly like it did the last time he was here. Nothing has been packed in preparation for a move. Alex sighs as he watches Michael walk back to the bathroom. He sets his bag down and starts getting ready.
Alex hears Michael turn on the water and spit a few times before he speaks. “Wasn’t expecting you tonight,” he yells.
“Thought I’d spend one more night here. Relieve some memories,” Alex calls back to him.
“What memories,” Michael begins as he walks back to the living area. He freezes and stops talking, mouth hanging open, once he spots Alex on the bed.
“Figure it out?” Alex teases, stroking his cock while Michael watches.
“Jesus,” Michael breathes.
Alex ignores the obvious joke. “Come here,” he beckons Michael, planting his legs on the bed, lifting his ass as he thrusts into his hand.
Michael sits on the edge of the bed and reaches for Alex’s cock. But Alex shakes his head and directs his hands lower. Michael takes the hint easily, bringing his hand to Alex’s entrance. He smiles when he finds Alex’s hole slick and open.
“Keep going,” Alex smirks. “I have a surprise for you.”
Michael presses a finger inside, eyes flying to Alex’s face when he feels the edge of the plug Alex inserted before he came over.
Michael pushes gently, raising a brow when Alex moans. “That’a a hell of a surprise.”
“You going to take it out and fuck me?” Alex encourages.
“Not yet,” Michael drops to his knees next to the bed. “I want to enjoy my surprise for a little first. Gonna make you come with it still inside.”
Alex shivers in anticipation, moaning again when Michael presses on the plug. Michael pulls back and traces around Alex’s rim with one finger, teasing then stretching it slightly. When Alex’s hand falls away from his cock, Michael leans forward and licks the tip.
“Were you hard on the drive over,” he asks before sucking softly on the head.
“Yeah,” Alex admits.
“Good,” Michael lets Alex’s cock slip from his mouth. “This won’t take long,” he teases.
Michael licks around the head of Alex’s cock, mimicking the way he strokes Alex’s hole. When he swallows Alex down, he presses on the plug at the same time. Alex moans, hips twitching, pushing his cock deeper into Michael’s mouth. But Michael doesn’t startle, just relaxes into it, taking Alex even deeper.
As Michael sucks his cock, he continues to play with Alex’s hole. Circling it, then pressing in to put pressure on the plug, never enough to hurt, just enough to keep Alex on the edge. Alex has never been fucked and sucked off at the same time, but he wonders id it feels something like this, pleasure coming from both directions, almost overwhelming him. Alex is torn between thrusting into Michael’s mouth and pushing back against his hand. He tries unsuccessfully to both until Michael holds his hips down with his free arm.
Michael laughs when Alex struggles against his hold, and the vibrations around his cock have Alex right at the edge. “Michael, come one,” Alex begs, not even sure what he is asking for.
Michael swallows around him, pressing two fingers gently against the plug. Alex arches his back and comes. He clenches around the plug, and the fullness makes his orgasm more intense, continuing after his cock is spent.
After Alex catches his breath, he looks up to see Michael still kneeling by the bed, fully clothed. Instead of the bone deep exhaustion he usually feels after sex with Michael, Alex’s body is still filled with tension. He wants more, god, he wants. “Michael,” he calls, “fuck me.”
“I will,” Michael promises with a smirk. “But I want to get you hard again first.”
“Don’t care,” Alex protests. He doesn’t care if he’s hard, doesn’t care if he comes again, he just wants Michael needs him.
“I care,” Michael counters, ducking his head and licking at Alex’s hole.
Alex sighs and lets his legs fall even more open. Michael’s gentle, but thorough, licking the crease of Alex’s ass before slipping his tongue under the rim of his hole. It feels so good, Alex thinks about touching himself, but he doesn’t. Instead he just gives into the sensation, letting the pleasure wash over him.
As soon as Alex’s cock starts to thicken again, Michael stands and strips. And god, he’s gorgeous - hard and glistening with sweat. His lips pink and swollen from all the attention he lavished on Alex’s ass. He reaches down and carefully pulls out the plug, but Alex still whines at the sudden feeling of emptiness.
“Don’t worry, baby, I got you,” Michael promises.
Alex scrambles to get into a better position for Michael to fuck him, ending up almost sitting in the corner where the bed meets the wall. Michael quickly moves between his spread legs and fills him with one smooth thrust.
“Just remember,” Alex tells him, clenching around his cock. “That every night you spend here is a night you don’t get to do this.”
Michael presses his hands against the wall, using the leverage to push even deeper into Alex. “Right there,” Alex tells him when he brushes against his already sensitive prostate.
Alex reaches for his own cock, but the dryness of his hand and the stickiness make it too uncomfortable, and he drops his hand with a frustrated growl. A bottle of lube flies toward the bed, landing next to him, and Alex has never been more grateful for Michael’s powers.
He starts stroking his cock in time with Michael’s thrusts and it’s fast and dirty in the best way. Alex is almost surprised when he comes again, Michael following right after him. Michael lets go of the wall, collapsing onto Alex, pressing their mouths together in a semblance of a kiss.
“Hell of an incentive” he pants against Alex’s lips.
Alex just smiles and kisses him harder.
Later, when they’re cleaned up and back in bed, Alex’s prosthetic leaning against the wall nearby, he pulls Michael close so Michael’s chest rests against his back. He wants this so much, Michael in his bed every night, in his life completely. He can’t believe he might get to have it. “I’m scared too,” he whispers into Michael’s neck.
Michael doesn’t say anything, but his breathing changes, and Alex knows he’s listening.
“I’m afraid I’ll fuck it all up or show you sides of myself you don’t want,” Alex admits.
“So why do it?” Michael asks.
Alex knows it’s a real question so he thinks before answering, owing Michael honesty if he wants Michael to take this step with him. “When I think about us, about all the times I’ve already fucked up, what I regret are the times I held back, pulled away. When I didn’t make sure you knew how much you meant to me and that I wanted you in my life in any way you wanted to be. When I reached out to you, I never regretted it even if it didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to.” Ales takes a breath and continues.
“I’d rather be scared with you than alone.”
Michael doesn’t respond right away, but eventually he nods, “Ok.”
Alex holds back a sigh of relief. It’s as much of a promise as he’ll get from Michael. “Ok,” he echoes, kissing Michael’s shoulder.
It’s too early when Alex’s phone chimes to wake him up. Michael just groans and rolls over, but Alex needs to get up. It’s hard to leave Michael behind in the bed, physically as well since Alex made the mistake of falling asleep on the inside and he has to crawl over Michael to get out of the bed.
Alex gets ready as quickly as he can. He wasn’t lying when he said he would miss the Airstream, but struggling with a too small and unmodified bathroom quashes any regrets he has about spending his last night here. When he packs his clothes from last night, he thinks about taking the plug with him, but decides to leave it where it sits on the sink as an reminder.
Before he leaves, Alex stops to press a kiss to Michael’s curls, the only part of him sticking out of the bedding. “I have to go,” he whispers. “Love you.”
“Love you, too,” Michael mumbles before turning toward Alex. He doesn’t open his eyes, but he pushes the sheet down to his hips, making it clear he’s still naked. “Stay, you can fuck me this time.”
“I can’t,” Alex groans, tempted. “Kyle’s probably already been at Deep Sky for hours.”
“Fuck Valenti,” Michael bitches.
“Not allowed,” Alex teases, laughing at the disgusted look on Michael’s face.
“I have to go,” he says again. “You need to pack or start packing,” he amends. “Do whatever else you need to do, and then,” Alex leans down and kisses Michael softly, no heat this time, just a promise of what’s to come. “And then, I’ll see you at home.”