Chapter Text
It started as an average morning. Maybe even slightly above average; Alex was on the phone with Rosa Ortecho and he had a feeling he had her on the ropes. He should have known it was too good to last; the other shoe had never waited long to drop in his experience.
“Look. My sister is having a baby and I just-”
Alex cut her off. “Perfect! Your art will inspire generations, your niece or nephew included, it’s great timing.”
“...That’s a load of crap Manes, you know that? Does that ever work?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
Rosa snorted and he knew he had a chance.
“Just a sit down. That’s all I’m asking, a quick lunch with the artist. Jenna Cameron, she’s an up-and-coming country rock star. She’s a fan of your work, you know. Requested you specifically.”
Rosa paused on the other end of the line and Alex held his breath.
“Alright Manes. I’ll meet with a fan.”
Alex closed his eyes and resisted the urge to punch the air.
“But I’m not promising anything!”
“Of course not, Rosa. I’ll put you down for just lunch.”
“Fine. I have to go, email me the details.”
“Sure thing.”
The call went dead and Alex slowly put his phone down on the desk, allowing himself to bask in the moment. He had been trying to get Rosa Ortecho to consider meeting with this artist to do her album cover for weeks. Well. He hadn’t actually been the one doing the trying, which lead to the next piece of business on his to-do list.
He poked his head into Wyatt Long’s office to find him leaned back in his chair with his feet up on the desk.
Alex knocked. “‘Morning Wyatt.”
Wyatt looked up and gave a small smirk. “‘Morning Lexie.”
Alex thinned his lips. Wyatt liked to call him ‘Lexie’ because he thought it was clever to give a gay man a feminine nickname. If he was honest, he might take more enjoyment out of crossing this off his list than he did with Rosa’s call.
Alex straightened in the doorway. “Wyatt, I’m letting you go.”
Wyatt’s feet dropped with a thud.
“...Excuse me?”
Alex raised his chin. “I asked you a dozen times to call Rosa Ortecho about doing the cover art for the Cameron album and you didn’t do it. You’re fired.”
Wyatt spread his arms, smiling apologetically in what he probably thought was a friendly way. “I have told you that’s impossible, she only does cover art for books.”
“Well that’s interesting, because i just got off the phone with her and she’s in.” Alex was stretching the truth, but that wasn’t the point here. The point was...
“You didn't even call her did you.” It wasn’t a question.
Wyatt’s smile disappeared. “But-”
“I know, I know,” Alex sighed. “Rosa can be a little scary to deal with. But I asked you to handle it and you didn’t. I will give you two months to find another job and then you can tell everyone you resigned, ok?”
It was more than he deserved. Wyatt Long had been a thorn in Alex’s side since he’d started at Colden Records two years ago, and he doubted Wyatt would have lasted this long if his father hadn’t been an influential investor. Wyatt didn’t look like he knew how good a deal he’d just been offered though, and Alex hoped Wyatt wasn’t about to do what Alex thought he was going to.
“You can't fire me!”
So much for wishful thinking.
Wyatt stood up angrily from behind his desk, his face an ugly red. “You don’t think I see what you’re doing here? You're trying to smear my name.” He nodded to himself like he thought he actually had a convincing argument, advancing on Alex as he gained confidence. “Yeah. You’re pissed that I wouldn't sleep with you so you’re gonna try to make everyone think I’m racist by saying I wouldn't talk to that Ortecho woman.” Wyatt finished with a flourish and a smug look, stopping about a foot from where Alex stood in the doorway.
Alex closed his eyes and willed himself to be calm. He set his jaw and met Wyatt’s gaze head-on. “I didn’t fire you because you wouldn’t sleep with me. Which, by the way, I never asked you to do.” Wyatt’s eyes narrowed and Alex plowed on. “I fired you because you’re lazy, entitled, incompetant, and you are, in fact, racist. And if you say another word, I will personally escort you out right now and you forfeit the chance to leave with dignity.”
Wyatt opened his mouth.
Alex held up his hand and Wyatt’s teeth clicked together.
“Another. Word. And I get to put my time in the service to practical use. Is that what you want?” Alex leveled a look at Wyatt and waited. Even down half a leg Alex could take him easily and they both knew it.
Wyatt glared sullenly, but he backed down.
“Didn’t think so,” Alex checked his watch. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” He turned on his heel and headed down the hallway, mentally crossing another item off his to-do list.
When he got back to his office Michael was there, shuffling paperwork.
Michael looked up in mild surprise. “You’re here early.”
Alex waved a hand. “I had a phone call I needed to make.”
Micheal nodded. It was common knowledge around the company that Alex kept odd hours; no one really questioned it anymore since he’d proved to be extremely good at his job.
“Ok.” Michael settled his hip on the desk, apparently ready to be briefed for the day. “What’d I miss?”
Alex busied himself with checking his calendar, making sure his new lunch appointment was down correctly. “Oh nothing, I just had to fire Wyatt.”
Michael straightened in shock. “What?!”
Alex ignored him. “And I need you this weekend.”
“But I had-”
Alex cut him off with a sharp look. “Cancel it. I need you. Now that Wyatt’s gone I have to go through all the artists he was handling, badly, and make sure they don’t get lost in the shuffle.”
Michael deflated and Alex forced a twinge of sympathy down. The thought of facing the pile of paperwork Wyatt was leaving behind by himself removed any guilt he might have had for ruining his assistant’s plans.
Michael picked up the pile he had been organising and slumped out of the office towards his desk. Alex sat down and started clicking through his emails, but he couldn’t help hearing Michael’s voice on the phone.
“Max? Hey man-yeah I know it’s really early but I can only call now. About this weekend-”
A new email pinged in his inbox and Alex skimmed it. He stood and walked to the door, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms. Michael’s back was to him and he was still on the phone.
“Look Max I know. I know! It’s your first kid, I wanted to be there for the shower too. Tell Liz I’m really sorry-”
Alex cleared his throat.
Michael turned and Alex raised his eyebrows.
“...Gotta go.” Michael hung up and stared at the phone for a second. He abruptly looked at Alex, challenging. “Did you listen to that demo I gave you?”
Alex’s gut twisted. He should have expected this sooner rather than later. “A few minutes. I wasn’t that impressed.” He waved his hand dismissively, hoping Michael would drop the subject.
Michael narrowed his eyes, not backing down. “I’ve listened to thousands of demos, I know what quality sounds like. That’s it.”
“I disagree,” Alex said shortly. “Kyle said he needs me upstairs, come get me in 10 minutes. I have a busy day.” He turned for the elevator before Michael could say another word, heart pounding.
He and Michael worked well together, even if there was no illusion of friendship. Alex trusted more to Michael than he ever would have to Wyatt, and Michael met every expectation. In fact he usually exceeded it. But, Michael had only started in the A&R office as a coffee-fetching intern to get a foot in the door. What he actually wanted was to be a sound engineer and work in the recording booth with the artists. The problem was, Michael was very good at his current job. And Alex was loath to lose him.
Alex brushed the thought away as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out, ready for whatever Kyle might want.
“Alex, hey! Thanks for getting up here so quickly.” Kyle greeted him as he walked through the door. He gestured to a chair but Alex declined with a shake of his head. He wanted to keep this meeting as short as possible, already thinking about what he needed to do when he got back to his office.
Kyle shrugged and leaned his elbows on his desk, folding his hands together and tucking them under his chin, “Do you remember when we agreed you wouldn’t go to Glastonbury because you weren’t allowed out of the country while your visa application was being processed?”
Alex thought for a moment. “Yes, I do.”
Kyle pursed his lips. “And yet you...went to Glastonbury.”
“I did.” Alex straightened his shoulders, viciously shoving down a surge of anxiety. He didn’t like where this was going. “No one else was available and Glastonbury is one of the most important festivals of the year to find new talent.”
Kyle nodded. “Unfortunately, it seems the US government doesn't care as much as you do about new talent.” He gestured at the phone on his desk. “I just spoke to your immigration attorney; your visa application has been denied and you’re being deported.”
Alex’s brain shorted out. “But I’m barely an immigrant, I’m from Canada!” he blurted without thinking.
Kyle snorted, and Alex flushed.
“There’s gotta be something we can do.” Alex’s mind raced. He was woefully uninformed on the minutiae of immigration law, which was quickly becoming deeply ironic.
“We can reapply, but unfortunately you have to leave the country for at least a year.”
Alex nodded slowly, cautiously forming a plan. “Ok, well that's not ideal. But I can manage everything from Toronto with video conferencing and-”
Kyle shook his head, cutting him off. “If you're deported you cannot work for an American company. Until this is resolved I'm going to turn operations over to Wyatt Long.”
Alex stared at him in disbelief. “Wyatt Long. The guy I just fired.”
Kyle winced. “He’s the only person in the building with enough experience to fill your position.” He had the decency to look apologetic, Kyle himself had been the butt of several of Wyatt’s tamer racist comments.
Alex scoffed and Kyle put his hands up defensively.
“Look, I’m desperate to have you stay. If there was any way, any way at all we could make this work, we’d be doing it.”
Alex’s heart sank. He had come to the US to get away from his past; New Mexico specifically because it seemed the polar opposite of everything he was leaving behind in every way. Being deported, being sent back to Canada and losing his place here, would destroy everything he’d worked for, undercut every sacrifice he’d made.
Alex was distracted from his spiraling thoughts by a knock on the door. He turned to find Michael in the doorway looking strained, and Alex sighed impatiently.
“Yes? What?”
Michael’s eyes flashed in annoyance at his tone, but he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “There’s a call for you in your office. I told them you were engaged but they were pretty insistent.”
Alex’s mind latched onto exactly one word and he sucked in a breath. Engaged. Michael stopped short at the sound and gave him a funny look. Alex widened his eyes and jerked his chin at him, trying to get him to come closer, but Michael just looked confused. Alex tried to gesture him closer subtly with his hand and Michael inched cautiously into the room, gaze jumping between Alex and Kyle.
Alex cleared his throat and looked back at Kyle who was eying him warily. “I understand the predicament that we are in, and there's something you should know.” Alex reached back and tugged Michael the last few steps over to him, awkwardly tucking their arms together. “Michael and I are getting married.”
Alex felt Michael’s arm tense under his, his whole body going rigid next to him. Alex stared fixedly at Kyle and willed Michael to stay silent.
“Oh.” Kyle looked surprised and he paused. “I didn’t know you were…” He trailed off awkwardly with a vague gesture in Michael’s direction.
Alex saw a muscle twitch in Michael’s jaw out of the corner of his eye and his stomach clenched in response. Michael had never said anything about Alex being gay but, as he knew from experience, not expressing homophobia openly and not being homophobic were two different things.
“I’m bisexual.” Michael said shortly, and Alex nearly slumped in relief.
“Ah.” Kyle tapped his pen distractedly against his desk, something clearly still bothering him. “Isn’t he your secretary?” He squinted at Alex.
Alex could practically feel Michael seething next to him and he squeezed his arm in warning. “Wouldn’t be the first time,” he said with a rueful air. “We’re just two people who weren’t meant to fall in love, but did. Late nights, long weekends, you know how it goes.” He forced a laugh and hoped Kyle would drop the subject.
“Ok fine. Just ah. Make it legal.” Kyle tapped his left ring finger and looked back down at his paperwork, dismissing them.
“Of course,” Alex said, relieved. He backed towards the door before Kyle could change his mind, pulling Michael with him. “We’ll get ourselves to the immigration office this afternoon.”
They made it to the hallway and Alex set off for his office, hearing Michael behind him. Michael was uncharacteristically quiet on the ride down the elevator, and Alex wasn’t surprised when he followed Alex into his office and shut the door. Alex ignored the tension as long as he could, sitting calmly at his desk and opening his email again. Finally, the silent weight of Michael’s eyes on him became too much and he looked up.
“What.”
“I don't understand what’s happening.” Michael had the dazed air of someone who had been hit over the head with a dictionary, and Alex bristled at a swirl of guilt.
“This is for you, too,” he said curtly.
Michael gave a disbelieving laugh. “Do explain.”
“They were going to put Wyatt in my office.”Alex huffed, as if that made everything clear. It should have, if Michael was reading between the lines like he normally could. But the sheer unexpectedness of the turn of events seemed to have rattled him enough that he didn’t get it.
“So naturally I would have to marry you.” Michael snapped, starting to get over his shock and get angry instead.
Alex tipped him a sarcastic look. “Were you saving yourself for someone special?”
“At least someone I'd had the ‘kids talk’ with.” Michael pressed his palms to his eyes and breathed for a moment, which was convenient as it meant he missed Alex recoiling as though he’d been slapped.
He hadn’t considered what Michael might want from a real relationship. Guilt prickled at him again, and he shoved it down. He needed this, he couldn’t get wrapped up in Michael’s problems.
Michael dropped his hands abruptly and looked back at Alex. “Besides, it’s illegal!”
Alex tsked and focused back on his emails. “They're looking for terrorists, not A&R guys like me.”
“Alex.”
Alex looked up to find Michael staring at him, determined.
“Yes,” he asked, voice more calm than he felt.
“I’m not going to marry you.”
Michael was matter-of-fact in a way that booked no argument, and Alex took a moment to gather his thoughts. He needed to make this count.
“Wyatt’s gonna fire you the second I'm gone, guaranteed.” Alex met Michael’s gaze levelly and pushed on, folding his hands in front of him on the desk. “He’s always resented both of us for the fact that I poached you from him when I started here. That means you’re out on the street, alone, looking for a job. And that means all the time we’ve spent together, all the coffees, late nights, and canceled weekend plans; all of them were for nothing and your dreams of being a sound engineer are gone.”
Michael rocked back on his heels and blinked. He pushed out a breath and looked away, the fight draining from him. Alex’s gut twisted and he relented a little.
“I know it’s not the best arrangement.” Alex turned back to his computer to give Michael some space. “Don't worry, after the required allotment of time we’ll get a quickie divorce and you’ll be done with me. But until then, like it or not, your wagon is hitched to mine.”
Michael pushed a hand through his short curls and stood for a moment, motionless as he absorbed everything.
“That was a good cover by the way.” Alex said, filling the awkward silence. Michael was always moving, it made Alex uneasy to see him so still.
“What was?” Michael asked absently, apparently still lost in thought.
“Bisexual.” Alex saw Michael tense and drop his hand into a fist at his side, and he hurried on. “I mean, everyone knows you’ve had at least one girlfriend before so -”
“It wasn’t a cover.” Michael cut him off impatiently
Alex paused, his fingers stilling on the keyboard. “What?”
“It wasn’t a cover. I’m actually bisexual.”
Alex gaped at him. “You’re-” he didn’t have the words for what he wanted to ask. ‘How did I not know that’ was what was coming to mind, but something in his hindbrain told him that wasn’t a question he should expect Michael to answer so all he managed was “...how?”
Michael gave him a flat look. “I like both women AND men, it’s not that complicated.”
Alex dismissed the sarcasm with a wave of his hand, doing his best to pretend the flush he could feel creeping up his neck wasn’t there. “I mean when did you...how long have you been…”
Michael raised his eyebrows. “Out? Since always, I don’t hide it. Which you would know if you paid an iota of attention to literally any other human being.” Michael flung an arm out to where his desk sat on the other side of the door. “I have a bi pride flag my brother gave me sitting in my pencil holder next to my computer. I came into work covered in glitter after my sister dragged me to a gay bar over the weekend at Pride this year.” He shot Alex a disbelieving glance. “Did you seriously not notice?”
Alex swallowed guiltily. He had noticed the glitter but…”I thought that was from, uh -” He didn’t want to finish the sentence but he didn’t have to; Michael read “strip club” in his expression and rolled his eyes.
“Nice to know you think so highly of me.”
Alex bristled. “Excuse me, Mr. Out And Proud, next time I will naturally assume the man who greets coworkers with “‘sup bro” and never makes any reference to a male partner is definitely not straight, and any glitter he may have on him is certainly from a gay bar and not from a strip club.”
Michael tilted his head as if he hadn’t heard Alex. “I think you assuming I’m straight is the most insulting thing you’ve ever done, and that’s saying something.”
Alex was saved from trying to respond by the phone ringing. He pointed meaningfully and Michael went, smirking at him on the way out.
Fuck.
What had he done?
---
When they got to the immigration office, they were shown to a small room in the back with a man wearing a bad toupee folded behind a desk that was too small for him. He stood as they came in and Alex offered his hand.
“We can’t tell you how much we appreciate you meeting with us on such short notice Mr.-?”
“Green. Graham Green.” The man shook his hand briefly and gestured for them to sit in two worn-looking chairs opposite his desk.
When they had, Green opened the folder he’d been handed by the clerical worker and made a satisfied noise. “So. I have one question for you.” He looked up and pointed at Alex. “Are you both committing fraud to avoid his deportation so he can keep his position in A&R at Colden Records?”
Alex’s stomach dropped, and he very deliberately did not turn to look at Michael.
“That's ridiculous.”
“Where did you hear that?”
He and Michael spoke at the same time, and Alex watched as Green glanced back at the folder.
“We got a phone tip from a man named-”
Alex’s unease lifted so quickly he felt giddy, and he interrupted Green. “Would that be ‘Wyatt Long’?”
Green jerked back to Alex in surprise.
“-Wyatt Long,” he finished suspiciously.
Alex waved a hand dismissively with a casualness he didn’t feel. “Nothing but a disgruntled former employee, I am so sorry he’s bothered you with this. I know you’re incredibly busy. If you just give us our next step we’ll be out of your hair and on our way.” He smiled in what he hoped was an ingratiating way.
Green nodded, considering, then let the folder fall closed and clasped his hands in front of him on the desk.
“Let me explain to you the process that’s about to unfold.” He glanced between them as he spoke, eyes narrowed and counting on his fingers as he hit each point. “Step one will be a scheduled interview. I’ll put you each in a room and ask you questions a real couple would know. Step two, I dig deeper. I look at your phone records, talk to your neighbors, interview your coworkers. If your answers don’t match up at any point,” he looked at Alex, “you will be deported indefinitely and you, young man,” he turned his gaze on Michael, “will have committed a felony punishable by a fine of $250,000 and a stay of five years in a federal prison.”
Alex was numb, and Michael looked pale when Alex snuck a glance at him. Alex stared fixedly at Green’s thumbs, trying to ignore his pulse pounding in his ears.
“So.” Green leaned back in his chair. “Michael. You wanna talk to me?” He raised his eyebrows with the air of a man holding all the cards, and Alex felt sick at the realisation that he actually was.
Michael was silent for an eternal moment, then he cleared his throat.
“The truth is…”
Alex held his breath as discreetly as possible.
Michael’s voice wavered, but grew stronger as he went on. “The truth is, Alex and I are two people who weren’t supposed to fall in love, but did.”
Alex wasn't sure if the spots dancing in front of his eyes were because of lack of oxygen or sheer relief, but Michael wasn’t done.
“We didn’t want to tell anyone because I’m changing positions soon.”
Alex froze and narrowed his eyes at Michael. Michael, infuriatingly, blithely ignored him.
“Oh?” Green asked. “How so.”
“I’m moving to a different department, I’m going to be a sound engineer. We didn’t want to tell people in case they thought it was favoritism; we wanted to wait until I was no longer,” Michael coughed delicately, “under Alex.”
Alex was going to muder him. He could do it too, he had the training.
Green appeared unruffled. “I see. And have the two of you told your parents about your secret love?”
“Not in the picture.” Alex said curtly. He hadn’t spoken to anyone in his family after his father had disowned him at 16. He had busked on the streets for two years until he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force out of desperation and found himself a new family. Which had ended when he’d lost his unit and his leg in the span of 5 minutes. Alex had no one and nothing besides himself; it was not a subject he dwelled on often and he resented it being brought up now.
“Are they dead?” Mr. Green asked dispassionately, a clipboard now in front of him with a checklist he was marking on.
Alex clenched his jaw. “No. But they might as well be. I’m dead to them, anyway. My mother made that clear when she walked out when I was 5, and my father made that very clear when he threw me out for being gay before I could legally vote.”
Michael shot him a glance that might have been sympathy but Alex focused intently at Green, daring a challenge. None came. He simply ticked another box on his list and pointed at Michael with his pen, meeting Alex’s gaze evenly.
“And are his parents dead?”
“Yes, actually.”
Alex looked up sharply and took in Michael’s small, satisfied smile. He risked a glance at Green to see he too had been taken aback.
Michael wiped the smile off his face like it hadn’t ever been there. “I was adopted when I was about 7. Don’t know what happened to my biological family, but my adoptive parents died 10 years ago.”
Alex digested that information. He hadn’t known. He was beginning to wonder exactly how much there was about his assistant he didn’t know, and he wasn’t pleased with all the blanks that were turning up. It wasn’t that he made it a priority to know details about Michael’s life, they weren’t friends, but he had been in the RCAF for a decade and he liked to think he was more observant than this.
Michael continued, heedless of the bomb he’d just dropped. “There’s my adoptive brother and sister though, they’re still around.”
Alex jumped in, relieved he finally knew something. “That’s right. His brother’s wife is pregnant with their first child. In fact, we’re going to visit this weekend for the baby shower, aren’t we Michael?”
Michael was glaring daggers at him, but Alex needed him to play along so he kicked him under his chair. With his prosthetic, because he wasn’t feeling all that charitable. Michael winced, and Alex felt a savage surge of satisfaction before he could question if that had been the best idea.
Michael tried to discreetly rub his ankle and directed a half-grimace, half-forced smile at Green. “Yes, the baby shower is this weekend.”
Alex smiled. “We were going to tell them then. We thought it would be a nice surprise.”
Green made a note on his clipboard. “I see. And where is this supposed baby shower taking place?” He looked expectantly at Alex.
Shit.
“Uh, at Michael’s brother’s place.” Alex grasped desperately for any hint of a memory where Michael had mentioned where he was from and came up empty.
Green waited a beat, then raised his eyebrows when it became apparent Alex was done answering. “Which is where, exactly?”
Alex turned helplessly to Michael, who was looking entirely too smug for his liking. “He’s your brother Michael, why don’t you take this one?” Alex said through partially gritted teeth.
Michael paused, then relented. He looked at Green. “Sitka.”
Alex nodded as though he’d known that.
“...Alaska.”
Alex nearly choked.
Green gave them a disbelieving look. “You’re going to Alaska this weekend.”
“Yes.” Alex managed, still mentally reeling.
“Ok. I see how this is gonna go. Alright, I will see you both at 11:00 on Monday morning. And your answers better match up on all counts.” He made a note on a sticky note and handed it to Michael, clicking his pen closed with bureaucratic finiality. “I’m looking forward to this one. Gonna be fun.”
Alex stood up and opened the door, hearing Michael following behind him.
“I’ll be checking up on you.” Green called after them, and Alex stomach twisted.
Of course he would.
---
Alex busied himself with his phone, checking flights and doing travel calculations in his head as they walked out of the immigration office and into the New Mexico sunlight.
“So, what’s gonna happen is we’re gonna go up there, tell everyone we’re dating, tell your siblings we’re engaged.” Michael was tense beside him but Alex barreled on, ignoring him. “Uh, use the miles for tickets. I can bump you to first class, but use the miles-”
Michael stepped in front of him and Alex had to stop short to avoid walking into him.
“Were you not in that room?”
Michael’s eyes were alight with a barely controlled anger and Alex swallowed, stomach dropping. “What?” he feigned ignorance, but he’d heard the penalty for Michael getting caught loud and clear.
Michael gave him a look like he saw through him and took an irritated breath. “I’m looking at a $250,000 fine and five years in jail, that changes things.”
Alex dropped pretense, he knew what Michael was after. “Push you to sound engineer? No way. I need you.”
“Then I quit and you’re screwed. Enjoy Canada!” Michael gave him a bright, fake smile and turned on his heel, starting jauntily down the street away from Alex.
“Michael!” Alex hissed after him, but Michael showed no sign he’d heard him.
Alex groaned. “Fine. Fine!” Michael stopped but didn’t look at him.
“I’ll pass along your demo and put you in for a sound engineer position. If you do the Alaska weekend and the interview I will do that. Happy?” He clenched his fingers around his phone, frustrated to be called on his bluff.
Michael turned. “Not in two years, right away.”
Alex nodded tightly.
Michael started slowly pacing back towards him, confident now in his leverage. “And we’ll tell my family about our engagement when I want and how I want. Because this is a partnership now, you’re not my boss. Not about this. You ask me my opinion, you ask me what I want, before you go off and make an insane decision that affects me.”
Michael stopped when he was less than a foot from Alex, and Alex was forced to tilt his neck back slightly to look him in the eyes. He’d never noticed that Michael was taller than he was, and he swallowed hard at the intensity in Michael’s gaze. He nodded jerkily, accepting Michael’s terms.
“Good. Now ask me nicely.”
Alex furrowed his brow in confusion. “Ask you nicely what you want?”
Michael didn’t flinch. “Ask me nicely to marry you, Alex.”
“But-” Alex was at a loss as to what this was supposed to accomplish.
“You heard me, Manes. On your-” Michael cut himself off and Alex glared, very aware of what he’d been about to say.
“...sitting down.” Michael finished, refusing to look abashed.
Alex huffed and looked around, spotting a bench nearby. He walked over and sat, making a show of arranging himself primly before looking up to where Michael had followed him over.
“Does this work for you?” He asked, biting back his irritation.
Michael looked smug. “Perfectly.”
“Good.” Alex swallowed his annoyance and addressed Michael the same way he would a potential client. “Will you marry me?”
“No.” Michael spoke almost before Alex had finished the question. “Say it like you mean it.”
Alex gritted his teeth. “Michael Evans.”
“Yes, Alex?” Michael blinked innocently down at him.
Alex deliberately unclenched his jaw and tried to look as demure as possible. “Would you pretty pretty please, with cherries on top, marry me?” He nearly fluttered his eyelashes for good measure but decided not to push his luck.
Michael tilted his head and tapped a finger to his chin, pretending to consider. “Ok. I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, but I’ll do it.” He nodded once. “See you at the airport tomorrow.” With that Michael wheeled and started briskly away, clearly dismissing Alex.
Alex watched Michael’s retreating form and sighed, putting his head in his hands.
Apparently, he was going to Alaska for the weekend. With Michael.
Great.