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Michael headed for home the next morning after the UFO Emporium opening. They had spent all night questioning Noah only to come to no agreement on what to do with him. Max wanted to have him killed since he'd murdered all those innocent victims. Michael wanted more answers on where they came from and Isobel didn't know what she wanted. Part of her wanted to agree with Max, but it was still her husband and she was so upset she wasn't able to make a decision.
Michael pulled up in front of his trailer and swore when he saw Maria's car parked outside. She sat on the hood of her car waiting.
He was too tired to have to deal with this now. He was going to go talk to her later, or the next day, after a good sleep, but here she was.
After watching Isobel have to decide what to do with Noah since they'd found out, and still seeing she couldn't decide, made Michael realize how much she must still love her husband and what would he do in the same situation.
And he knew right then and there that he was still and always would be, in love with Alex Manes. For when Max was explaining to Isobel that Noah had killed people and he needed to die and she had said she couldn't decide, Michael had known that if it had been Alex, he would have said no.
He would never have been able to have Alex killed no matter what. And he would have gladly taken Alex off the planet and lived with him else where, even knowing he was a killer, than have Alex killed for any reason.
He cursed himself for loving Alex that much and not now or ever being able to get over him. But here was Maria, in front of his trailer, and he had to stop her from thinking they had a chance at all, even if Alex never came back to him. He couldn't do it for several reasons.
One, Alex would always own his heart and it wasn't fair to Maria. Two, he just couldn't think of Maria like that after realizing he was still desperately in love with Alex. Maria was at most a friend, and he would have been using her to get over Alex. And if she had been willing to be there for him knowing what she was getting into, he might have taken her up on it, but not because he could ever love her. And three, last night it seemed Maria was feeling a little bit more for Michael than he was ever going to be able to give her.
Sure he thought of her as a friend after talking with her and sparring with her lately, and after their night in the desert, he'd even felt protective of her, but more like a good friend than a lover. So he had planned on talking to her, but not after the night they'd all just had.
Maria held up a hand as he neared her. "Before you say anything, let me say what I came here for." she smiled softly.
Michael swallowed.
"Michael Guerin, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to lead you on if that's what I did. I was hung over and coming off of being drugged and felt very vulnerable. So that's why I sounded as if I wanted more with you. Now that I'm clear headed and me again, I wanted to let you know Alex is still my best friend..." Maria didn't get to finish because Michael finished the sentence for her.
"And the love of my life. The only love of my life, and neither of us can change how we feel." Michael smiled. Relieved they were on the same page here about something so important. He wouldn't have to lose a new friend over this and Alex and Maria wouldn't have to lose old friends.
After giving Michael a hug, Maria left. Michael blew out his breath in relief and went into the trailer to crash. And then he would have round two with Noah and his siblings.
Alex had tried calling Michael but when he hadn't responded all day today, he decided to just stop by on his way home from his training exercises. He wouldn't have been so worried about calling Michael if he hadn't walked away again the other day and had said he would call the next day. It'd been important that he did. He had cursed when he was assigned to help train the new recruits out in the desert with no cell service.
As soon as he'd gotten cell phone service back he had tried to call Michael and couldn't get though. He just kept getting voice mail. He bit his lip hoping that Michael wasn't just avoiding his calls.
He pulled up in front of Michael's quiet trailer but saw the truck was there. Michael was either sleeping or under the bunker. There was only one way to find out.
As he started to knock on the door, Michael came out, just putting on his shirt, fresh from a shower.
Alex swallowed. That was the other thing he wanted to talk to Michael about. He did not want to be just friends. And seeing Michael come out of his trailer all clean and well, fuckable, made Alex want to jump him. But he wanted to make sure they were on the same page. After all, he'd told Michael he wanted to be friends. At this rate he was going to give Michael whiplash with his decision making.
"Alex. Where were you last night?" Michael asked surprised to see him here. He hadn't heard him pull up. "The whole town was at the reopening of the UFO Emporium last night." he told him.
"Opening? Oh! That was last night? I was sent out at the last minute on a training activity the other night. No cell phone service and it was over night. I just got in. Thought I'd stop here first. I said I would call yesterday and didn't want you to think I was bailing again." Alex blushed. Maybe Michael hasn't cared if he was bailing or hadn't even noticed Alex not around. After all, Alex had run in the past so many times Michael was probably just expecting it and wasn't surprised. He bit his lip again.
Michael was shocked. Alex was going to come back. He was going to call the next day. It hadn't been a blow off remark. Alex wanted to try. He really wanted to try. Michael wanted to grab Alex and drag him into the trailer and fuck him silly. They hadn't been together since that morning they'd woken up together. But Alex wanted to just be friends. Well, friends but to start over as friends. That was different. That meant a do over. So that they could be friends and then both. Michael could do that.
"Could we talk? Or are you going somewhere?" Alex bit his lip. He was nervous. What if Michael just wanted to tell him he agreed to them just being friends. And that was all he wanted now. Maybe Michael realized Maria was more stable and...
"Of course we can talk. I don't need to be at Max's until 5 tonight. Oh shit! You don't know what's going on! Have you talked to Liz today?"
"No. I didn't try. Why what happened?" Alex asked anxiously, knowing what they were all facing.
"Wait, first, I'll let you talk. Because what I have to say will be said on the way to Max's." Michael said.
"Why?"
"You talk first." Michael smiled.
Alex bit his lip again. "Okay. Well, remember when I said I wanted to be friends?" Alex swallowed.
"You don't?" Michael looked devastated.
Alex had his hope. "No! I mean yes, I want to be friends, but does it have to be only friends?" Alex asked blushing. He felt like a fool changing his mind all the time.
"You tell me." Michael laughed in relief now. He knew where this was going and he was beyond ecstatic.
"Well, I'd like to be both. Together. Like at the same time." Alex tried to get out the words logically but wasn't doing well.
Michael gave him a break and kissed him hungrily, lifting him off his feet and swung him around and leaned him against the trailer.
Alex started to unbuckle Michael's belt and get his hands inside Michael's pants when Michael stopped him by placing his hand over Alex's.
"What? What is it?" Alex panicked when Michael swore.
"We need to take this inside or we'll be giving someone quite the show if they come for their car to be repaired." Michael laughed.
Alex grabbed Michael's hand. Michael turned around questioningly. Alex pulled Michael toward him and kissed him tenderly.
"I'm so glad I didn't lose you." Alex whispered when he released Michael's mouth.
"I'm glad we didn't lose each other." Michael smiled and took Alex's hand and led him inside.
Alex stopped Michael before he could give him another hungry kiss. He looked Michael in the eyes and said seriously.
"I'm so sorry for pushing you away all the time, Michael. It won't happen again. I've made changes and I'll tell you about them tomorrow when we'll talk more, but right now I just want to make love with you. Because I love you, Michael. I'm in love with you. Always have and will never stop." Alex finally admitted.
Michael sucked in his breath and his eyes lit up. There were tears in his and he saw they matched ones in Alex's as well.
Michael and Alex came together and kissed hungrily. "I need you, Alex." Michael whispered hoarsely in Alex's ear.
"Then take me, Michael." Alex groaned as Michael released him and pushed him onto the bed."
Alex laughed. "You're getting good at that."
"I hope to become an expert." Michael growled and whipped the shirt over his head, not bothering with the buttons, Michael climbed onto the bed with Alex.
They had a hard time maneuvering on the small bed as they started to take each other's clothes off.
Alex laughed, his laugh so carefree and young it reminded Michael of 17 year old Alex. "Tomorrow night we try out my bed."
"Hmmm tomorrow night. I like the sound of that." Michael said as he finally managed to get Alex's prosthetic off of him and then pull his jeans down.
He looked down into Alex's eyes and then down to his shiny, swollen lips from their kisses, and sighed. "You are so beautiful, Alex Manes."
Alex just smiled and touched his hand to Michael's scruffy beard and ran his fingers though Michael's soft curls. "You're sexy, Michael Guerin." Alex whispered and pulled Michael down for another kiss, gently, by his hair.
"Thank you for waiting for me." Alex whispered in Michael's ear.
"Thank you for making me feel like I have a home." Michael responded hoarsely, tears in his eyes.
"I love you, Michael." Alex wiped a tear from Michael's cheek, finally glad he could make Michael feel loved, and home and safe.