Chapter Text
Alex sips his drink and does one more visual sweep of the room before caving and pulling out his phone. “Where are you?” he asks as soon as Liz picks up.
“Alex? Oh my god, is the reunion today?” Liz sounds surprised to hear from him.
“Liz,” Alex groans.
“I am so sorry. I meant to come, I really did,” Liz apologizes frantically. “It’s just the samples came in and the preliminary report is due next week. I haven’t even left the lab in like three days. I completely forgot.”
“I hate you,” Alex tells her, but there’s no heat behind it. It's his fault for not insisting the drive back together. He knows how easily Liz gets caught up in her work.
“You love me and you know it,” Liz laughs. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“You better,” Alex threatens before hanging up.
Now what? Alex only agreed to come to the reunion because Liz begged him to go with her. The drinks are watered down, and the next person who thanks him for his service might not make it out alive. Alex decides to cut his losses and leave, but he stops on his way out when he notices an open room off the main hallway. Something is off with his prosthetic, and he should fix it before he starts the drive back to the cabin.
The room is bathed in blue light from a projector rotating through a slide show of high school pictures. Alex ignores them, and props his foot up on an empty chair and rolls up his pant leg. It doesn’t take time to find the problem and make an adjustment. Alex pushes his foot against the chair and sighs in relief when nothing pinches or rubs uncomfortably. He’s about to roll his pant leg back down when he hears footsteps behind him.
“Nostalgia’s a bitch.”
Alex turns and sees Michael Guerin standing in the doorway. He knows him as well as he knew anyone in high school, maybe a little better since their social circles occasionally overlapped. Michael was friends with Max Evans who has an obvious crush on Liz. They hung out a few times, but weren’t close. “I don’t know. Other than a fully functional leg,” Alex taps his prosthetic because he refuses to be ashamed of it, “there’s nothing I miss about high school.”
Michael gives his leg a quick glance, but doesn’t linger on it. “So why are you here? It can’t be for the free drinks because they suck.”
Alex laughs, “I was supposed to meet Liz Ortecho here, but she bailed. You?”
“Isobel organized the whole thing and threatened me with pain of death if I didn’t show up.”
Neither of them say anything for a minute, and Alex straightens up, ready to leave before things get awkward when Michael speaks again.
“I used to steal your guitar in high school,” he tells Alex.
“I know.” Michael raises his brow but doesn’t say anything so Alex continues. “You always returned it and tuned it better than I could so I didn’t see a reason to make a big deal out of it.”
Michael laughs and shakes his head, “I was trying to get your attention.”
“Really?” Alex asks. It never occurred to him that Michael could have an ulterior motive for taking the guitar.
Michael shrugs, and Alex looks him over. He’s grown into his features since high school - long legs and broad shoulders. His tight jeans and light cream colored sweater look good on him. It might be too warm for the sweater, but Alex can’t really justify his own leather jacket so he decides not to judge. It’s Michael’s hair he can’t look away from - curly and wild, brushing the back of his neck - Alex wants to get his hands into it. Alex hasn’t been with anyone since things with Forrest fizzled out and for the first time in a while, he wants . “You have my attention now.”
“Do I?” Michael smirks and rocks back on his heels. “You want to get out of here?”
“Desperately,” Alex laughs. They walk out to the parking lot together, pausing when it becomes time to go to their own vehicles. “Do you still live in Roswell?” he asks Michael.
“Fuck, no,” Michael says, his face falling. “I’m staying with Max Evans.”
Alex thinks quickly and realizes there is no reason he can’t take Michael to the cabin. “I’ve got a place if you don’t mind a bit of a drive. You can follow me.”
Michael’s headlights remain steady behind Alex’s the whole time so he knows Michael hasn’t changed his mind. He lets him in the cabin and watches the face Michael makes when he takes in the decor - all heavy furniture and dark would. “Doesn’t seem like your kind of place,” he finally remarks.
“It’s not,” Alex agrees. “It’s Jim Valenti’s old cabin. He left it to me when he died. I’m only here for a short term assignment so I haven’t bothered redecorating.”
Michael nods, “Just tell me there won’t be any dead animals staring at us in the bedroom.”
“The only eyes on you will be mine,” Alex promises, holding out his hand. Michael reaches back out and Alex leads him to the bedroom.
He immediately pulls Michael in for a kiss. It’s heated from the start, Michael instantly opening his mouth for Alex. When he gets his hands in Michel’s hair, it’s just as soft as he imagined - curling perfectly around his fingers. Michael moans and tilts his head back when Alex tugs at his curls, and Alex turns his attention to Michael’s neck, sucking a mark just above his collarbone.
“I want to get my mouth all over you,” Alex tells him.
“Yeah?” Michael looks at him, eyes already heavy with desire, lips slick and shining.
Alex nods and nudges Michael onto the bed. He strips Michael’s sweater off him quickly, and is moving toward his belt buckle when Michael laughs and starts to help him.
“All you had to do was ask,” Michael teases. “Alex, please take your clothes off. See how easy that was.”
Alex takes off everything but his underwear, Michael’s already seen his prosthetic so there’s no reason to hesitate. Once Michael is naked, Alex lays down next to him. He kisses him again, letting his hands roam over Michael’s body, learning the feel of him. Michael’s more muscular than Alex expected, skim smooth and taut over his body. It doesn’t take long before his mouth follows the path his hands had taken.
Michael is beautifully responsive - moaning when Alex sucks on his nipples and grasping at Alex’s hair and shoulders when he licks and bites at the skin near Michael’s hips. Alex licks his lips when he finally gets to Michael’s cock. Michael is already hard and leaking, and Alex can’t wait to taste him. He nudges Michael’s cock with his nose, breathing in his scent, but he stops at the last second, barely remembering to ask, “Do I need a condom?”
“No, I’m clean, tested and everything.” Michael assures him.
“Good,” Alex hates the taste of latex. With nothing to delay him, he takes Michael’s cock into his mouth. Michael hips twitch, not enough to choke Alex, but enough to push his cock in deeper. Alex moans around him and licks at the shaft, pulling back until just the head is in his mouth. He sucks at it then traces around it with his tongue. When Michael gets restless, shifting on the bed and asking for more, Alex works his way back down.
As much as he wants to take his time, he’s hard himself and wants to get Michael off before he comes in his own underwear like a teenager. He slides his hands under Michael’s ass and encourages him to move. Michael takes the hint, thrusting carefully into Alex’s mouth. It’s not long before Michael taps his shoulder, “Close,” he moans.
Alex nods but doesn’t pull back. Instead he sucks harder, swallowing happily when Michael’s come floods his mouth. He waits until Michael is still to release him from his mouth, resting his head on Michael’s thigh.
“Jesus,” Michael pants. “You’re good at that.”
“Lots of practice,” Alex laughs. He stretches out and moves high enough up the bed to kiss Michael. He winces when his cock brushes against Michael’s hip.
Michael must notice, because he pulls back. “Let me,” he gestures, reaching for Alex’s cock. He waits for Alex to nod before pulling his underwear off, maneuvering it carefully around Alex’s prosthetic.
“Lube?” Michael asks, moving away briefly when Alex points to the nightstand.
Alex sighs in relief when Michael wraps his hand around him. He closes his eyes and moves to the rhythm Michael sets, thrusting up when Michael pulls back.
Michael’s other hand drifts to Alex’s ass, and Alex opens his eyes to see Michael biting his lip.
“Can I?” Michael asks.
“Yeah,” Alex grants permission, spreading his legs to make it easier. He shudders at the first brush of Michael’s finger over his hole. He doesn’t do much more than that, stroking around his rim without pushing more than the tip of his finger inside. Another time Alex would ask him to finger him, stretch him open while he jerks him off, but Alex is already on edge, and he just wants to come. All it takes is the press of a second finger, and Alex is spilling over Michael’s hand.
By the time he catches his breath and opens his eyes, Michael is standing next to the bed, awkwardly gathering his clothes. “I’m just gonna go.”
“Sure,” Alex shrugs. He’s a little disappointed, but they both got what they came for. “Bathrooms off to the left if you want to get cleaned up.”
“Thanks,” Michael gives him a quick wave and leaves the room.
Alex waits until he hears the front door close to get up himself. He’s still tired from his orgasm, and all he wants to do is get his prosthetic off and take a shower.
The next morning, Alex begins reviewing the files for his assignment. Reunion aside, he’s not in Roswell to socialize. Since Deep Sky recruited him after his injury, his primary assignment has been decoding the alien artifacts and devices Deep Sky has acquitted over the years. He’s only been told the bare bones of his family’s involvement with aliens and his own personal investigations have been stonewalled. Director Ramos insisting on not allowing him to work on an assignment with personal ties.
But all that had changed with the discovery of an alien serial killer in Roswell. Deep Sky needed to find the killer and neutralize the threat before Jesse Manes did. Roswell is a tight knit community, and a stranger coming into town would draw too much attention. With the reunion as the perfect excuse to bring Alex back, he was assigned the case. Alex intends to leverage it for information on exactly what his father is up to. No matter what Director Ramos plans, Alex will be the one to bring his father down.
Alex spends the day meticulously studying the files on each of the ten murder victims. He needs to find something to establish a pattern, but so far he hasn’t found anything. Due to how the alien kills the victims, establishing an exact time of death is impossible, and since the victims are vagrants, prostitutes and drug addicts with little or no family ties, there is no reliable information on when they were last seen alive.
Alex has given up for the day and is putting away his laundry when he spots the hat. Michael’s cowboy hat is sitting in the corner of the bedroom where it must have landed when Alex pushed it off his head. The hat is black, and the bedroom doesn’t have the best lighting so he’s not surprised neither of them noticed it before Michael left. He snaps a quick picture and looks for Michael’s name in his contacts, grateful they had exchanged numbers before leaving the reunion as a precaution in case they got separated on the way to the cabin.
“Forget something,” he tests Michael along with the picture.
There’s no response, but about an hour later, someone knocks on the cabin door. Alex isn't surprised to find Michael on the other side. It’s not like anyone else knows where he is. “Hey,” he greets Michael, waving him inside.
“Sorry for just showing up, but I was out driving when I got your text and the signal’s not the best out here.” Michael explains.
“No problem,” Alex shrugs. The hat is clearly visible on the coffee table, but neither of them move toward it. “Are you hungry? I could heat something up.”
Michael shakes his head. “No, I’m good.”
“Is there something you do want?” Alex moves closer to Michael, not quite touching him.
“You could fuck me,” Michael says boldly, closing the remaining distance between them.
Alex kisses him roughly, grabbing his shirt and pulling Michael along as he walks backward toward the bedroom, only stopping when he backs into the wall, startling a laugh out of Michael.
“Sorry,” Alex apologizes. “Still getting used to the layout.”
“It’s fine,” Michael kisses him again, quick and bruising before taking Alex’s hand and leading this time. “Just come on.”
Alex sits on the edge of the bed and pulls Michael into his lap. They keep kissing, rough and eager, pulling back occasionally to catch their breath. Alex works Michael’s shirt out of his pants, sliding his hands underneath and urging him out of it.
“I want to get you hard,” Michael pants while Alex thumbs at his nipples.
“Yeah,” Alex agrees breathlessly. Michael gets up and strips out of his pants while Alex works on getting his own clothes off. He won’t need much help getting hard, cock twitching as soon Michael gets down on his knees.
Michael strokes Alex’s thighs, pushing his legs apart and settling between them. Michael takes him in his mouth, sucking gently, hands still rubbing his thighs, just brushing against his balls. Alex braces himself with one hand, dropping the other on Michael’s head. He finds himself playing with Michael’s hair again, combing his fingers through it and wrapping the curls around his fingers.
When he’s had enough of Michael’s teasing, he gives his hair a sharp tug, and Michael releases him with a drawn out moan. “You like that,” Alex teases.
“Not hard to figure out,” Michael counters. Michael takes the lube and a condom from the drawer while Alex settles against the headboard. He pulls at Michael until he’s straddling his lap, grabbing the lube before Michel can open it.
“Let me,” he tells Michael, coating his fingers with the lube. Michael starts to move away, but Alex shakes his head. “Want to ride me?”
“Hell, yeah,” Michael rises up on his knees and leans forward, bracing himself on Alex’s chest.
It’s not the best angle, but Alex doesn’t mind. He likes that he can still kiss Michael like this. Alex reaches behind him and circles his hole with his finger. He waits for Michael to push back against him before he presses inside. Michael opens beautifully, meeting every thrust of his fingers, it doesn’t take long before he adds a second then a third finger.
Michael’s movements become more frantic and his cock drags along Alex’s, causing both of them to shudder. Michael pulls away from Alex’s mouth, “Come on, you said you’d fuck me.”
Alex nods, pulling his fingers free. He barely gets the condom on before Michael is sinking onto his cock. As soon as he settles, Alex holds his hips steady and thrusts up as far as he can.
“Yeah,” Michael moans, throwing his head back. “Just like that.”
Michael’s tight and warm around him, and Alex wants it to last forever, but he’s already close. He tries to slow things down, but Michael pinches his nipple and whines, “Come on, harder,” when Alex relaxes the pace.
Alex gives in, fucking Michael as hard as he can from this angle. It’s all he can do to keep his eyes open and watch as Michael starts to stroke his own cock. He tightens around Alex, and Alex holds on as long as he can, but finds his own release as soon as Michael’s come hits his chest.
“Thanks,” Michael says breathlessly as he slides off Alex, both of them wincing slightly at the separation.
“Any time,” Alex laughs, meaning it more than he should.
Michael stands up, “I’m just gonna,” he gestures toward the bathroom.
Alex waits until he leaves and takes care of the condom. After a few minutes, he makes his own way to the bathroom, passing Michael in the hallway. “Hey,” he stops Michael with a hand on his arm. “You can stay if you want.”
Michael doesn’t say anything, just nods and keeps walking, but he’s in the bed when Alex comes back to the bedroom. He’s on his phone, but he sets it aside when he notices Alex. “Just letting Max know I won’t be back tonight.”
“It’s not a problem is it?” Alex isn’t sure why he’s asking. He knows Michael isn’t involved with Max, but he feels like he should check.
“Nah, he doesn’t care, just likes to know I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth,” Michael says easily.
“Ok,” Alex sits on the bed and taps his prosthetic, “I’m going to take this off now.” He doesn’t ask, it’s not like leaving it on is an option, but he wants Michael to know what he’s doing. Michael watches, eyes curious but not judgemental, as Alex removes it and takes care of the liner.
Alex turns out the light and gets into bed. It’s awkward, and he remembers why he never spent the night with Forrest. Then Michael sighs dramatically and moves closer, still not quite touching, but closing the distance between them. Alex rolls onto his side, throwing his arm around Michael’s waist, and slowly relaxes until he falls asleep.
When Alex wakes up he’s alone, he’s not surprised, but he is disappointed. He waits a few minutes for the feeling to fade before he gets out of bed. Alex grabs his crutches, shorts and Tshirt and heads to the bathroom. He takes a quick shower, letting the hot water wake him the rest of the way up. Once he’s dressed, he heads to the living room to start on the files again, but detours to the kitchen when he smells coffee.
Michael’s standing at the stove, jeans on but barefoot and shirtless. “Hey,” Michael turns and smiles when he hears Alex come in. “I was just about to wake you. Omelettes will be ready in a minute. Coffee’s done, but I didn’t know how you liked it.”
“Hot,” Alex jokes as he fixes his coffee. He sets it on the table, and gets some forks and napkins before sitting down. Michael already has plates waiting, and he fills them, setting them on the table before getting his own coffee and joining Alex.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Michael points to the omelettes. “I couldn’t fall back to sleep and thought I’d make myself useful.”
“You didn’t have to,” Alex reassures him, “but I appreciate it. I’m not much of a cook.”
“I noticed you didn’t have much stocked, but I thought maybe you were just settling in?”
“Not sure how long I’ll be here,” Alex admits with a shrug. “I’m only here for a job, and the faster it’s done the better, but it might be more complicated than I hoped.”
“What do you do?” Michael asks. “I assume you’re out the service.”
“Yeah, I took a medical discharge after this,” Alex taps his prosthetic. “I’ve been in cyber security ever since. I have a local client who’s experiencing some pretty serious breaches so I need to figure out what’s going on,” Alex lies easily, following the cover story Deep Sky gave him. “What about you? How long are you staying in Roswell?”
“I’m here for the summer,” Michael tells him. “I teach science at a high school outside Albuquerque. Since I was coming for the reunion, I decided to stay awhile.”
“You do that every summer?”
“No,” Michael laughs. “This will be the first time I’ve been back for more than a weekend.”
“Well, this is the first time I’ve been back at all,” Alex admits. “But I’m based out of Albuquerque so maybe we would have crossed paths eventually.”
“Maybe.” Before he can say anything else, Michael’s phone alerts. His eyes go wide when he reads what’s on the screen. “I’ve got to go. Shit, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to leave.”
He stands up and immediately heads to the door. “Wait,” Alex yells to stop him. “Michael, you need to get dressed.”
“Jesus, sorry,” Michael apologizes again.
Alex follows him to the living room, where he throws on the clothes he’d left folded neatly on the back of the couch. “Keys,” Alex reminds him.
Michael pats his jean’s pocket and pulls them out. “Sorry about leaving you with a mess, but I can’t stay.”
“It’s alright, just be safe,” Alex tells him. Michael leans forward, and for a moment Alex thinks he’s going to kiss him, but then he turns and leaves. Alex stands in the doorway while he drives away, wondering just what has Michael panicking, and if it’s something he needs to know about.
Michael calls Max as soon as he gets on the road. “What do you mean Isobel’s missing?” he demands.
“Noah called this morning looking for her. I guess she never came home last night. I covered the best I could, but I don’t know where she is,” Max sounds as stressed as Michael feels.
“We have to find her.” Michael didn’t tell Max where he spent the night, and he’d rather not get into it, but he can’t exactly hide that he’s not in town. “I’ll head out to the caves and check the pods. I’m not that far from there. You check around town.”
Isobel isn’t in the caves or anywhere Michael can see her. He’s not sure where to go next when Max calls him. “I found her,” he tells Michael.
“Where? Is she ok?” Michael demands.
“She’s fine, just confused. I found her in a clearing past the junkyard you worked at in high school.”
“What was she doing there?” Michael can’t think of any reason for Isobel to be there.
“No idea. I’m taking her back to my house if you want to meet us.”
Max meets Michael on the porch, dressed in his Sheriff’s uniform. “I have to get to work. Can you stay with her?” he asks.
“Of course,” Michael agrees. “How is she?”
“Upset. She doesn’t remember anything about last night. She was just sitting in the grass in the same clothes she wore yesterday. I made her take a shower, and she’s sleeping now. I just don't want to leave her alone.”
“I got her,” Michael reassures him. “I’ll call if we need anything.”
“Thanks,” Max hugs him gratefully before leaving.
Michael enters the house quietly. Isobel is asleep on the couch, she’s frowning even in her sleep, and Michael just wants to fix everything for her. He settles for adjusting her blanket and settling in the armchair across from the couch. He plays on his phone for a bit, opens an email from his principal about curriculum updates, but he can’t concentrate - too busy looking at Isobel every few minutes to see if she’s awake. Michael ends up flipping through the books on Max’s coffee table, desperate for a distraction.
“I didn’t think ‘War and Peace’ was your thing,” Isobel says, startling Michael.
“It’s not,” Michael makes a face and sets the book down. “You’re awake,” he adds as if it wasn’t obvious.
“Unfortunately,” Isobel sits up, pushing off the blanket and rubbing her face with her hands. “Michael, what’s wrong with me?”
“I don’t know,” he admits, joining her on the couch and wrapping his arm around her. “But we’ll figure it out, and it will be ok.”
“Will it?” Isobel asks, sadly. “Because last time this happened, I killed three people. I can’t let that happen again.”
“It won’t,” Michael says, horrified at her distress. “Max and I won’t let that happen again. I promise.”
“How? Are you going to follow me around every minute of the day?”
“We will if we have to,” Michael promises.
“You don’t even know where I was last night. I don’t know where I was. I could already have killed someone, and how would I even know?” Isobel asks, her eyes filled with tears.
“Iz, I don’t know, but will figure it out,” Michael hates feeling helpless, but all he can do is hold her while she cries.
Once Isobel finishes crying, Michael makes her a cup of tea. They sit in silence for a while - Michael unwilling to offer more empty promises and reassurances. They don’t know what’s happening to her, and they don’t know how to fix it. Eventually Isobel sets her cup down, and looks at Michael, determination on her face, “Alright, talk to me about something else. Anything else.”
“I hooked up with Alex Manes,” he tells her without meaning to.
“Ohh, your high school crush, nice,” Isobel high fives him.
“I think it was a mistake,” Michael shakes his head.
“Why? Is he bad in bed?” Isobel asks, making a face.
“No, that is definitely not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
“I think I like him,” Michael admits. “And it can’t mean anything, but I think I want it to.”
“Then let it,” Isobel tells him, taking his hand. “You don’t have to be alone.”
“I can’t do it, Iz. I don’t know how you stand it - loving someone and lying to them all the time.” Both Michael and Max thought marrying Noah was a mistake. But he made Isobel happy, and that’s all they ever wanted for her. Michael knew he wasn’t meant for that kind of happiness.
“I’m not lying to him. I’m not!” Isobel insists when Michael makes a face at her. “He’s never actually asked me if I was an alien. I know I’m keeping something from him, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about him.”
“You don’t think he’s going to figure it out?” Michael asks, not convinced she can hide this forever.
“I don’t use my powers like you do,” she reminds him. “He’ll never know.”
“What about kids? It would be hard to hide a baby with powers,” Michael reminds her.
“I told Noah I couldn’t have children. Don’t,” she stops Michael before he can protest. “We don’t know if I can, if we can have babies with humans, and I don’t want to be an experiment. We were just starting to talk about adoption when this happened,” Isobel gestures to her head.
“It seems like a big risk to me,” Michael tells her.
“He’s worth it,” Isobel shrugs and smiles. “But enough about me. When are you going to see Alex again?”
“I don’t know that I am. I shouldn’t,” Michael admits.
“Yes, you should. Look, it doesn’t have to be serious. You’re only here for the summer so have a fling. Enjoy yourself. Alex is hot, you said he’s good in bed so spend a few months getting laid.”
“Ok, that is officially too much talking about my sex life. I’m going to make you some lunch,” Michael stands up and puts an end to the conversation.
Isobel leaves a few hours later, insisting she needs to be home before Noah gets back from work. Michael doesn’t want to let her go, but they can’t keep her prisoner. Max calls after work and tells Michael he’s going to hang around Isobel’s for a while to make sure she doesn’t wander off. At loose ends and with Isobel’s voice still in his head, he decides to reach out to Alex.
“ Sorry for running out on you this morning. Buy you a drink to make it up to you? ” he texts.
It’s almost ten minutes before Alex replies, “ Love to but not up to the drive tonight. Rain check? ”
Michael’s disappointed, but he understands. Alex’s cabin isn’t that close to town, and it’s a bit of a drive just for a drink with a guy you slept with a few times. He could still hit up the Wild Pony or Saturn’s Rings, but he’s not in the mood to be surrounded by strangers. And Michael doesn’t want to spend the night sitting around Max’s house, worrying about Isobel. So he sends another text, “ Have you had dinner yet? ”
This time Alex answers right away, “ No. ”
Michael smiles, “ Go to Crashdown order. ”
His phone alerts right away with another text.
Alex is happy to hear from Michael, but sighs when he reads the offer for a drink. After Michael left, he’d spent the day researching, not bothering to put his prosthetic on. As much as he wants to see Michael, the thought of putting on now and driving into Roswell is not appealing. He debates with himself for a while, but eventually declines the offer - hoping Michael will read his interest in a rain check as genuine.
Michael’s offer of dinner is even more of a surprise, and one Alex eagerly accepts. He straightens up while waiting for Michael - making sure everything related to Deep Sky is securely locked up. He’s just finished wiping down the counter, when Michael knocks.
“Come in,” he yells. He takes the bag from Michael when he enters the kitchen, kissing him softly. “Thanks for this.”
“We should probably eat soon,” Michael tells him. “I put the milkshakes in a cooler, and the food is still warm, but it won’t stay that way for mich longer.”
“Is that your way of letting me know you won’t put out before dinner?” Alex teases. “I’m kidding,” Alex holds up his hands and laughs at the expression on Michael’s face.
“You can’t reheat fries, Alex. It would be a crime to let these get cold,” Michael says, barely keeping a straight face.
“You have a point,” Alex concedes “Come on.”
It doesn’t take long to get everything set up so they can eat. Alex moans after taking his first few bites, “Nobody makes enchiladas like Arturo.”
“I’ve always stuck with the classic,” Michael tells him, indicating his plate with a bacon jalapeno burger and what must be a double order of fries.
“Here,” Alex cuts off a chunk of enchiladas and slides it onto Michael’s plate. “I’ll trade you for some fries.”
“Help yourself,” Michael turns the side of his plate with the fires toward Alex. “You’re right,” he says after trying the enchiladas. “These are amazing.”
“Told you,” Alex says smugly.
They both go back to eating, not saying much until they are cleaning up. “Oh, I almost forgot. Arturo said to tell you hello, and you’d better come by in person before leaving.”
“You told him you were coming here?” Alex asks, surprised because he knows Michael didn’t tell Max where he was staying last night.
“No, he figured it out. Told me he took the Banana Foster’s Ranch milkshake off the menu years ago because you were the only one who ever ordered it. Said you were lucky he had the ingredients for other menu items and could still make it for you,” Michael tells him with a smile.
Alex freezes. “And it’s ok that he knows?” Alex isn’t sure what it was about him that had people questioning his sexuality long before he got his first piercing or even thought about wearing eyeliner to school, but it’s not like that for everyone. He wouldn’t want to be responsible for accidentally outing Michael.
“Sure, why wouldn’t it be?” Michael asks, clearly confused.
“If he knows you're with me, he’ll assume,” Alex gestures between them. “I don’t know if you're out or if it could be a problem with your job.”
“Oh, not it’s fine.” Michael waits while Alex puts the last dish away then walks into the living room. He sits down on the couch and motions for Alex to join him. “It’s sweet that you’re concerned, but Roswell’s not my home anymore. Max and Isobel already know, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. As far as my job, I work in a fairly liberal district. I’ve never made any big announcement, but I don’t hide the fact that I’m bisexual.”
“I’m glad,” Alex says relieved. Deciding a change of subject is in order, he asks Michael about his career. “So teaching? As smart you are, I thought you’d end up like Liz Ortecho - multiple doctorates in some fields no one else ever heard of.”
“That was the plan,” Michael admits with a laugh.
“What happened?”
“I was on track with my engineering degree, and I started doing some tutoring on the side. Fell in love with it and realized I liked teaching science more than I liked being a scientist.”
“And you don’t regret it?” Alex asks.
Michael shakes his head, “Best decision I ever made. What about you? I know your family is all about the military, but I was pretty surprised when you enlisted.”
“So was I,” Alex admits with a laugh. “That was never the plan. I was going to be the one to break tradition, to get out.”
“So why didn’t you?”
“I never had a real plan. I wanted to make music, but I was realistic enough to know that was a long shot. Things got real intense with my dad senior year. I felt like I couldn’t win with him. As much as I wanted to get away from him, I also wanted to prove him wrong. I thought that if I joined the Air Force and did better than him, he would have to admit he was wrong about me, that I wasn’t weak or useless. Stupid,” Alex shakes his head.
“I don’t think it was stupid,” Michael puts his hand on Alex’s knee. “Families can fuck you up as much as not having one does. You did the best you could.”
“Maybe,” Alex places his hand over Michaels, interlocking their fingers.
“Did it help?” Michael asks, “with your dad?”
“Fuck, no,” Alex laughs harshly. “We haven’t spoken since I was hurt, and he reminded me of what a disappointment I am. I think he would have preferred I was killed so he could have pretended I was a hero.”
Michael studies him for a moment, and Alex regrets being so honest. But then Michael stands up with letting go of Alex’s hand. “I for one am very glad you are still alive.”
“Yeah?” Alex asks, not really a question, as he stands up as well.
“Yeah,” Michael repeats. “And since dinner is over, you should let me show you just how happy.”
Even though it’s Alex’s house, Michael is the one to lead the way to the bedroom. Alex is more than happy to follow.
Michael stays the night and the next, on the third day he brings over his duffel bag from Max’s. They don’t talk about it. The closest they come is a brief discussion of past relationships.
“Nothing to report,” Michael says cheerfully. “No one’s ever stuck around for more than a night or two. Until now, I guess.”
Alex isn’t surprised, but he pretends to be. “Seriously? I’m not sure if I should be flattered or concerned you’ve become desperate.”
“Good question. I’ll let you know when I decide. What about you Manes?”
Alex stiffens without meaning to. No one’s called him that since he left the Air Force, and he hoped he would never hear it again. He shakes his head, “Alex please.”
“Sorry,” Michael doesn’t push for more of an explanation. “So Alex , have you left a string of broken hearts in your wake?”
“Hardly,” Alex laughs. “You know what it was like here. I never said I was gay, but everyone seemed to know. But it was not like there was anything I could do about it.” Michael starts to protest, but Alex cuts him off. “I didn’t know you were an option. When I joined the Air Force, I just wanted to fit it so I put anything personal aside. I did date someone at work for a while last year.”
“Was it serious,” Michael asks.
“Not really, but I wanted it to be,” Alex admits. “I met Forrest at a work function, and he was ex military like me, but he’s very comfortable in his sexuality, in who he is. I envied that and also found it very attractive. He hit on me right away, and I was so flattered, it was easy to go along. It felt good, going on dates with a cute guy who liked me, I’d never had that before.” Alex smiles at the memories.
“What happened?”
Michael rubs his leg. It’s a gesture of comfort Alex doesn’t need, but he likes it when Michael touches him so he leans into it. “I think I liked the idea of Forrest more than I liked Forrest. It fizzled out when we realized we wanted different things. Forrest likes to push, to challenge people, to force a different world than the one we grew up in. I admire that about him. But I didn’t want to make a statement. The more comfortable I got with my sexuality, the more I realized I wanted the things that always seemed out of reach - marriage, a family.”
“I want that too, the whole picket fence. A dad band,” Michael confesses.
“A dad band?” Alex laughs.
“It didn’t steal your guitar just to get your attention. Music has always been the best way to quiet my head,” Michael tells him.
“We should play together sometime.” Alex can picture it, making music with Michael. He can picture a lot with Michael he’s not ready to admit to. He leans back and pulls Michael on top of him. “But not tonight.”
“No,” Michael agrees before he kisses Alex. “Not tonight.”
“Tell me what you like about teaching,” Alex asks Michael one night after dinner. Michael had shown up with groceries and made lasagna. They’d fucked on the couch while it cooked. It was perfect and natural like everything with Michael is.
Alex has spent his whole life alone, but Michael fits with him in ways he never imagined. They aren’t together all the time - Michael leaves during the day so Alex can work in peace. He spends time with Max and Isobel or visits some of the communities outside Roswell, but he comes back every night. Michael accepts his disability in a way Alex hadn’t expected. He doesn’t ignore, just treats it like every other part of their lives. He hands Alex his crutches as easily as he hands him a cup of coffee. Michael took one look at Alex’s shower chair, shook his head, and reinforced it so it could hold both their weight when they showered together. Michael is brilliant and funny and kind, and even though he knows it’s destined to end in disaster, Alex is falling in love.
“How long do you have?” Michael jokes.
“All night,” Alex is completely serious. He’ll listen to Michael talk all night if that’s what he wants.
“Science is one of those love it or hate subjects you know. Or that’s how people talk about it so kids are convinced they are good at it or have no hope of passing. The kids who come in excited are a blast. They are ready for every experiment and new theory. But I really love showing the kids who come in afraid or already defeated how accessible science can be. You just have to find a way in that works for them, and when they start to get it or at least stop fighting it, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
“I wish I had more teachers like you,” Alex says, smiling at Michael’s enthusiasm. “What do you normally teach?”
“I’ve taught a little bit of everything. I like chemistry better than biology.”
“You just like blowing things up,” Alex interrupts.
“Who doesn’t like blowing things up?” Michael agrees. “This past year I had freshman for Earth science which is pretty cool and intro to biology. Then I had seniors for advanced chemistry and physics. Weird mix, but it was a fun year.”
Michael tells him more about his classes, and Alex listens, falling even more in love.