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Alex finds him, because of course he does.
He’s the only person who has all the necessary information to make an educated guess. Michael knew since the moment that he decided he needed a breather that if anyone had asked Alex to help look for him, they’d find him immediately.
Alex comes alone, because of course he does.
He probably didn’t tell anyone anything and went to look for him himself. Probably guessing that if Michael hadn’t told the others anything then it wasn’t his job to tell them either.
Michael doesn’t move from where he’s sitting on the open tailgate, leaning back against the side, looking out where the sun had just been setting when Alex’s SUV had appeared almost like a mirage.
He tips his head back and looks up at the sky as the stars blink to life one by one, and listens as Alex parks his car, and gets out, the door slamming with a strong blast of wind.
He feels the truck move with Alex’s weight as he climbs up on the tailgate and walks to Michael’s side, before dropping down to sit on Michael’s side, stretching his legs out in front of him with a groan and then leans back, his arm just barely brushing against Michael’s as he leans back and sighs.
The sky gets even darker and the stars get brighter. There is no bright moon shining bright, and no artificial lights, just miles of sands surrounding them, and the sound of the wind as it rushes around them.
It makes Michael feel like he’s on another planet.
Michael closes his eyes and enjoys the peace and quiet in the place where he doesn’t have to be anything for anyone with the one person who doesn’t expect him to be anything but himself.
He feels Alex’s fingers, cold against the back of his left hand, and he twitches as Alex gently lifts it from his lap and brings it to his, raising his other hand and gently starts to massage at the tightness and tension he can feel, easing the pain that he can still feel coming from muscles that have been atrophied beyond repair, even after Max had superficially healed him.
Michael feels something loosen deep inside of him, and he exhales, slowly, blinking his eyes open and looking up at the sky.
Alex doesn’t say anything, doesn’t ask or demand an explanation, and Michael knows that it’s not because he doesn’t care, it’s because he already knows the reason why Michael disappeared two days ago without letting anyone know.
Michael’s hand feels tingly and warm when Alex weaves their fingers together and rests their joined hands on his lap, leaning a little bit heavier against him.
“Do you remember the last time that we were here?” Alex asks, voice soft and slow as though he doesn’t want to break the silence.
Michael swallows hard, and looks at Alex who is staring right at him and gives him a small smile when Michael’s eyes catches his.
“Yeah,” Michael says equally slow, raising an eyebrow. “Didn’t we have to go searching for your shirt because the wind had made away with it?”
Alex rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile on his face. “Remember what you told me?”
Michael raises both eyebrows, and Alex rolls his eyes even harder.
“Not that,” he says, and gives Michael a sharp look when he opens his mouth. “And not that either, I’m talking about after.”
He very pointedly drags the fingers of Michael’s hand against the raised edges of the tiny star he has tattooed on the inside of his right wrist.
Michael furrows his brow slightly.
He remembers saying a lot of things while Alex had his right hand captive, pressing an inked needle against his skin over and over, until he’d given Michael the same homemade tattoo that Michael had seen him do to himself right before.
Michael looks at his right wrist, and he can see the raised scar in the shape of a star, the ink long gone with the time, but Michael had spent years tracing the mark over and over with his own inked needle.
He still remembers the first time that Alex came back from overseas, the homemade tattoo replaced by a real one that wouldn’t fade with time.
Michael swallows hard and turns back to look at Alex who is staring at him with a soft look on his face, eyes shining bright.
Michael shakes his head slightly.
Alex gives him a small smile and turns his gaze to their joined hands.
“You told me all about the stars, and how we’re all made up of stardust, and how we feel a pull towards the people who are made from the same stars that we are, and that means that we’ll never be apart, no matter the distance because we have pieces of each other inside of the other, and that means that we’ll never be alone or forgotten.”
He inhales deeply, and then looks up at Michael with wide wet eyes, and Michael just stares at him unable to look away.
“I figure,” he continues, squeezing Michael’s hand tighter in his grasp. “That if there is any truth to that, then there are pieces of her in you, that have always been there and always will be, and one day, when you’re ready, I compiled a folder of video files that go a long way to prove that you really are your mother’s son.”
Michael blinks, and feels the tears falling down his face. The hollow feeling he’d woken up with days ago doesn’t feel quite as hollow as Alex weaves their fingers together and raises his right hand to Michael’s face, wiping at the tears, before he’s cupping Michael’s cheek in his hand and giving him a sad smile.
“I know that it’s not nearly enough, but I-”
Michael closes his eyes and turns his face into Alex’s touch, pressing a kiss to his wrist, right against the tattoo.
Alex’s breathing shudders, and when Michael opens his eyes to look at him, Alex’s eyes are still wide and dark and completely intent.
“I miss her,” he admits. “It’s weird because I barely knew her and was missing her my whole life, but it feels different, more somehow. Like we forged an instant connection and I don’t know how to live without it.”
Alex gives him another sad smile and brings Michael’s captive hand up to his face, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “I know what you mean.”
Michael exhales in relief and presses another kiss to the star on Alex’s wrist, before wrapping the fingers of his right hand around his wrist and dragging it down to rest against his thigh as he moves closer to Alex.
Alex lets Michael get comfortable before he wraps his arm around his shoulders instead, tightening his fingers around Michael’s left hand and leaning his head next to Michael’s as they both turn to look up at the stars.
The silence falls between them, comfortable and warm, and Michael thinks that he could fall asleep for the first time in days.
A shooting star shoots across the sky, and Alex inhales sharply. “Make a wish,” he says voice low as he turns his face to look at Michael.
Michael closes his eyes and wishes for more nights like this one, tangled up in Alex and feeling safe and warm.
Alex presses a kiss to his cheek, and rests his forehead against the side of Michael’s face.