Chapter Text
“C’mon, Alex. One beer, then we’ll go,” Michael pleaded. The puppy dog eyes he gave his husband were wasted when Alex didn’t look up from his phone.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Alex replied distractedly. “According to the radar, there’s a storm moving in.”
“Okay, so if it starts raining before we’re ready to head back, we can sit in the cab instead of on the tailgate. But we’re already in the truck, ready to head out,” Michael argued.
He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. He liked living in town with Alex–really, he did–but sometimes, he missed the space and privacy he’d had when he’d been parking his Airstream at Foster Homestead and then the junkyard. So, once or twice a week, he and Alex would head out into the desert with a sixer of beer and burgers from the Crashdown, and it was enough to soothe the part of him that craved the wide, open spaces.
Alex’s hand on his thigh startled Michael out of his thoughts. He gave Michael an assessing look and then nodded once. “Okay, one beer, or until the rain starts, whichever comes first,” he agreed. “But I don’t think we should waste time stopping for takeout on our way.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” Michael said as he turned the key in the ignition. “We can swing by the Crashdown for dinner on our way home.”
Half an hour or so later, Michael threw the truck in park and cut the engine. Surreptitiously, he eyed the bank of dark clouds on the horizon. Maybe Alex was right, and this was a bad idea.
“We came all the way out here, don’t you think we should get out of the cab?” Alex teased.
“I’m sorry I dragged us out here,” Michael said dejectedly. “It’s going to storm soon, and we shouldn’t have come. We can just go back to town before the rain–”
“Hey, no, stop,” Alex interjected. “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you. You might already know this, but I kind of really like spending time out in the desert with you.”
“Yeah?” Michael asked uncertainly.
“Yes,” Alex responded firmly. “So get your ass out of the truck and get me a beer.”
Michael laughed and hurried to comply, and soon they were settled shoulder-to-shoulder on the tailgate watching the approaching storm. He clinked his bottle against Alex’s, took a long pull of the cold beer, and took what felt like his first deep breath since before they’d left the house. Impulsively, Michael leaned in for a kiss. He intended it to be a quick press of lips, but the combination of Alex and hops was too good to pass up, and he chased the taste with his tongue.
Alex opened to him with a happy sigh, sliding his hand up Michael’s back to thread through his curls. They kissed like that for a while, long past the first fall of raindrops, long past when it would have been prudent to take shelter in the cab of the truck. It wasn’t until the sky let loose that they broke apart, cheeks flushed and breathless.
“Oh my god! It’s pouring!” Alex laughed, turning his face up to the sky.
“Come on!” Michael urged, jumping off the tailgate and holding his hands out to his husband. Alex interlaced their fingers and gave a sharp tug that had Michael stumbling to stand between his legs. He didn’t have time for more than a questioning look before Alex captured his mouth, kissing him hard.
Almost regretfully, Alex pulled away with a small smile on his face. “I’ve always wanted to do that,” he admitted.
“Do what? And can we please finish this conversation in the truck? You’re soaked,” Michael asked as he hauled Alex to his feet.
Once they were settled in the cab watching the downpour through the windshield, Alex hitched his knee up on the seat so he could face Michael. “I know it’s a sappy romance movie trope, but I’ve always wanted to kiss you in the rain,” he said, blushing.
Michael reached out to cup Alex’s cheek. “You know you can kiss me anywhere, anytime,” he responded. “But if there are any more movie scenes you want us to recreate, maybe give me a heads-up so I can be prepared?”
“I don’t know,” Alex mused, a wicked glint in his eye. “How do you feel about pottery?”
“Pottery?” Michael asked blankly.
“Mmhmm,” Alex agreed. “Most definitely. I think you’ll like it.”
Michael rolled his eyes and turned the key in the ignition. “I’ll take your word for it. But right now, what I’d like is to take you home for a hot shower and some dry clothes.”
Alex licked his bottom lip and raised his eyebrows. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Michael didn’t waste any time throwing the truck in gear and peeling out of the desert, rainwater spraying in his wake.