#gregory manes deserves good things

[burntotears]

Just your reminder that Gregory Manes deserves good things and deserved way better than what he got in season 4. And Alex deserved to have his brother in his life and certainly at his wedding.

Greg is a fucking star.

#gregory manes #greg manes #roswell new mexico #alex manes #gregory manes deserves good things #my sweet boy i love you #i'm still so bitter i can't deal #the man killed a huge villain in the series and got shat on #manes brothers

[pastelwitchling]

Could write something about Greg visiting Alex and Michael? Thank you!

***

                Had Michael known that he would be seeing his brother-in-law first thing in the morning, he would’ve put a shirt on before answering the door.

                “Uhhh . . .”

                Gregory Manes raised a brow at him. “Hi. Is my brother here?”

                “H-He went to the Crashdown to get breakfast,” Michael said, then explained, “Uh, we have lazy Sundays.”

                He smirked, amused. “Cute. Very married couple.” He tilted his head. “I don’t mean to impose or anything—”

                “No!” Michael said at once, and realized he was still blocking the doorway. He stepped aside. “Please come in! I just wasn’t expecting anyone.”

                Greg nodded in thanks and stepped in past him. “Sorry, I didn’t want to bother you guys, but Alex is always so wrapped up with his Deep Sky stuff that this is really the only time I have to see him.” He smiled over his shoulder at him. “And we all thought being an Air Force captain kept him busy.”

                Michael snickered, unable to help but see the similarities between Greg and Alex, even now; the way they held themselves, the way their eyes scanned even a familiar room for exits the second they entered it, the way they smiled with a hint of caution like they were constantly out of practice at being social. It eased some of the awkwardness Michael felt at being alone with Gregory for the first time since he and Alex had gotten together.

                “I know what you mean,” he said, grabbing his shirt off the piano bench and pulling it on. “He’s my husband and I still barely get to see him.”

                “Yeah,” Greg sighed. “That’s the life. You guys are doing okay though, right?”

                “Better than ever,” Michael said instinctively, the words pouring from his heart before he could think to be embarrassed by them.

                Greg’s expression softened and he scratched the back of his head. “Good, that’s good. I’m glad, Alex deserves to be happy after everything he’s been through.”

                Michael’s smile dimmed and he looked down, not knowing what to say. What would Alex say? “You—uh—want some coffee or something?”

                Gregory hummed, checking his watch. Then he said, “Sure. Alex will be back soon, right?”

                “Yep.” I hope.

                “Great.”

                Ten minutes later found Michael and Gregory sitting across from each other in the living room, Michael rubbing his palm as he cast glance after glance at the older man, who seemed content with letting Michael lead the conversation, something Michael was notoriously bad about.

                “So,” he tried anyway, “how’s work?”

                “Fine.”

                Michael pressed his lips together in an awkward attempt at a smile, nodding and scrambling for something else to say. “Is your mom doing okay?”

                Gregory raised a brow. “Didn’t you and Alex have dinner with her, like, two nights ago?”

                He looked down at his coffee cup. “Right.”

Silence. Terrible, awkward, excruciating silence.

                “S-So how’s the Navy?”

                His brows pinched. “Um. I wouldn’t really know, my enlistment ended years ago.”

                “And I knew that,” Michael shut his eyes. “Of course I knew that. I—I guess I just meant to ask if you still see anyone from your old unit.”

“Of course,” he shrugged. “Just like Alex keeps in touch with his men. Speaking of keeping in touch, do you still talk to DeLuca a lot?”

Michael’s heart climbed into his throat, panic rising in his chest at Gregory’s blank look. Why’s he asking about that? “Um . . . I . . . I just—” he cut off as the front door opened, and he breathed, “Oh thank God. Alex! Look who’s here!”

                “Huh?” Alex peeked his head in, and he smiled when his eyes landed on his brother. “Hey.”

                “Hey,” Gregory stood and hugged him. “Let me see.”

                Alex didn’t need an explanation as he held up his hand and Gregory’s smile widened at the sight of the ring.

                “Very cool, brother.”

                “Right?” he smiled and kissed Michael’s cheek. “You okay?”

                “Great,” he said, wrapping an arm around Alex’s waist and pulling him in against him. Now that you’re here.

                “He’s freaking out about being alone with the in-laws,” Gregory said, putting his hands in his pockets.

                Michael’s shoulders fell. “You noticed.”

                He scoffed. “Oh, I was totally trying to scare you on purpose.”

                Alex laughed, shaking his head as he pulled away from a gaping Michael to take off his jacket. “Greg, you said you wouldn’t mess with him.”

                “Come on, I’m the older brother, this is what I do. Besides,” he winked at Michael, “I wanted to see how long you’d last. You want to survive our family, you’ll need to toughen up, cowboy. I’m the nice one, remember?”

                Michael shook his head, tongue in his cheek as he tried and failed not to smile. “Just so I’m prepared, are all of your brothers planning to mess with me?”

                Alex and Gregory shared a look that promised nothing good, but Gregory only smiled and said, “Nah. Clay will just point-blank interrogate you.”

                Michael scoffed and looked to Alex, expecting to see him laughing along, but his expression was dead serious. “Yeah, no, he’s not kidding, Clay has no sense of humor whatsoever. Hungry?” and he held up the Crashdown to-go bags, beckoning them into the kitchen.

                Gregory patted his arm as he passed and Michael swallowed his anxiety down. “Well, then. That’s just great.”

***

Turns out I really had already posted that fic that I posted yesterday, but not in the one-shot collections, so it was no wonder I couldn't find it there. Thank you to the reader that let me know, I was going crazy about that. But as promised, here's a new fic for the week ❤

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex fic #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis

[nellie-elizabeth]

Roswell, New Mexico: Two Sparrows in a Hurricane (4x12)

The blue filter is defeated! Huzzah! This was a really good episode.

Cons:

I feel like I have a decent list of little nitpicks, things I didn't love, but the overall pacing of the episode worked so much in its favor that I don't weigh these negatives very heavily against the overall successes... but let's go over them really quickly.

Tezca's death was the biggest negative for me in this episode. It was played up in a super dramatic fashion and I feel really bad but it just did absolutely nothing for me. Isobel and Tezca didn't get the time to really develop much of a relationship; her redemption felt half-baked to me. I think part of what made it less impactful was that she didn't really do anything in the pocket dimension, so what was the point of her sacrifice? In the end, it was Michael creating the fuel, Max able to hold off the storm, and Dallas using his water powers, that got the portal back open when Clyde closed it. So Tezca just came along in time to... die? I also wish, considering that's the last of Tezca, that she could have explained why she shoved Alex in the quicksand to begin with. Was it really just to get him out of the way? Or did she know that Michael would end up following him, and that since he has Jones's DNA, he'd thus destroy the pocket world, and that's what she wanted? I don't know, I'm super unclear on this, and I also don't really care, which isn't the best sign.

Eduardo's daughter appearing again felt like a waste of time, I'm sorry to say. A lot of watching this last season has been seeing things I wish they could have trimmed away to tighten the story, and this character is definitely one of those things.

While I'm really happy about the Isobel and Kyle development, I do want to say that their scene highlights once again the bonkers ridiculousness of this season's timeline... when Isobel said "it's been a long time coming" all I could think was... she and Anatsa broke up like five days ago or something. Lol.

I'm totally on board for the Dallas/Maria potential, although I do wish Maria would mention my boy Gregory Manes. And it did kind of annoy me that Maria considers herself closer to Dallas than to anyone else on the other side. Not just Alex, her childhood best friend, or Michael, a man she was in love with just a couple years ago and still considers a close friend, but Isobel too... all three of them are people she has longer and more complex relationships with. I wish the episode had complicated this a bit. Instead of "who are you closest to" make it more ambiguous, like Maria needed to reach out to the person who's been her recent touchstone, the person helping her the most with her powers and her current journey. Then, it would make sense that it would be Dallas! This is probably a nitpick, though. It's fine. Dallas/Maria is fine.

Seeing a banner that said "Malex" on it, and hearing Dallas actually say the word out loud... gave me so much psychic damage. Can we not, y'all? Please spare me. So glad Michael shut that shit down, Malex deserves a better and less fourth-wall-breaking wedding!

Pros:

So as I said, the above section looks long, but the overall pacing and strength of this episode means that my qualms were way, way, outweighed by the positives.

To start with, I was incredibly moved by Liz's arc in this episode! She realizes that her actions might have lasting consequences, and that she might have to reckon with brain damage when her intellect is something she prizes so deeply. I think that works so well as a conflict for Liz to face, something where she can't be at fault for becoming addicted to the alien mist, of course, but she still needs to reckon with the choices she's made that have led her on this path.

And we had so much good theming about individual accomplishment vs. working together. Liz is distraught over her failing memory, but she has Rosa and Kyle by her side. I loved the detail about Rosa locking up the mist. Liz says that this means her sister knew she was weak and would fail, but Rosa says no, it's okay to need help. In the end, Liz gets help from Michael, from Maria, from Kyle, from all sorts, in order to create the fuel that opens the portal. Liz is capable of great things, but she needs the love of those around her!

I could be annoyed at all the flip-flopping and unnecessary drama in Max and Liz's relationship this season, but ultimately I'm just happy to watch them be happy and cute together... I loved Max getting his powers back, and Liz's concern for him as he went into the pocket dimension after his brother and their friends. Echo has such good energy together when they're not failing at basic communication, so it was nice to see a bit of that here in the penultimate episode of the show.

Kyle and Isobel's awkward interrupted conversation, and then their kiss just before Isobel marches into danger, were both really cute. Cuter still were Liz and Max's reactions, where Liz drops her mouth open in astonished delight, and Max cringes away from the sight of his sister making out with Kyle Valenti. I loved it so much, and I'm happy these two get to exit the show with some measure of happiness, hopefully with the finale next week solidifying that they're going to give their relationship a real chance.

Maria played a more utilitarian role in this one, there wasn't a ton of time for her to have character moments, but I did like how this episode was really an all-hands-on-deck situation. She gets the info that Liz needs in order to open the portal from their end, and she also helps with the bait and switch, keeping the real console away from Shivani and thus having it in place and ready when Michael and the others are ready to use it.

So, aside from the accursed blue filter, what did I think of our last episode spent in the pocket dimension? Well... this was some premium Malex content, y'all, what can I say? Alex wants to marry Michael before he dies, and Dallas is there to help make that happen... but Michael backs out, saying that his vow is to make sure Alex doesn't die at all. This is more or less exactly what I was hoping would happen. I like how the bulk of the episode is Alex despairing, because he really does feel that his own life is forfeit, and Michael gently and at times insistently cajoling him to keep going.

The scenes at the Crashdown (or I suppose it was the Atomic Café back then) were particularly moving. One of my favorite line deliveries from Vlamis ever is when he says that being in this world is like being in a microwave for Alex. He says it with such gentle tenderness, his hand cradling the side of Alex's face and neck. Later, we get the moment where Alex encourages Michael to go on without him, and Michael's reaction was another real highlight for me. I feel like usually in similar situations the person who is being asked to leave someone behind will react with emphatic indignance, like "No! Never!" But this was a lot softer. Michael basically just gives him an indulgent head-tilt and is like "don't be ridiculous." Which I loved so, so much. Also, the line "my heart is about to explode"... like, Michael is keeping his cool, seemingly keeping it together for Alex's sake, but everything is on the line for him here. If he loses Alex, it will destroy him, and Michael makes that very clear. Alex seems more or less resigned to the fact that Michael won't abandon him. He wants Michael and the others to escape, he think his life is already lost, and yet he knows there's no arguing with Michael on this one.

One of the through lines in the Michael and Alex scenes is that Alex tells Michael to stop thinking with his heart, and making emotion-based decisions that aren't based in reality. At the wedding, Alex is basically like: "I'm a dead man walking, here, and it's literally my dying wish to marry you, please don't be delusional about our chances." And then later, he tries to get Michael to see that sometimes the best way to cope with reality is to meet it head-on, instead of living in the fantasy of how things might have been different. And what I love so much about this, is that Alex is... wrong. It all comes to a head in the excellent final scene between them in the episode, when Michael, the one who has been carrying the torch for the both of them, finally loses his hope, and Alex tells him he was right to keep fighting, and to not give up now.

I love everything about this, what it says about how the two of them work as partners, the ways in which they hold each other in check and also push each other to be better. The not-so-subtle truth of the matter is that Alex chastising Michael to stop being so emotional is a patently empty and false criticism, since Alex is the one who has given in to his despair. And yet of course you can't blame him, Michael can't blame him, he'll just keep going, holding him, doing everything in his power to bring him back home. Excellent performances from Vlamis and Blackburn as always... I'm going to be thinking about the way Michael's voice breaks when he says he wanted to build a home with Alex for a long, long time..... let them build that home, Roswell! We're so close!

Some cute moments I want to mention before I finish this up: Michael and Alex flirting about Michael's horticultural interests, and taking long showers together... I was giggling so much at the fact that Bonnie and Dallas have just had to put up with all their couple-y energy together. I've had an agenda for a long time that was "let Alex and Michael be a couple around other people", because we don't get to see much of that at all, and finally, this episode hit the spot! In a similar vein, Isobel coming in and holding Alex's hands, saying it's so good to see him... theirs is a friendship that I firmly believe in, even though it's happened entirely offscreen. I just got so many warm and fuzzies to see a little hint of it here. I also loved the sibling feels of Max and Isobel holding hands and going into the quicksand in order to rescue Michael, Dallas, Alex, and Bonnie. We got an Isobel and Michael hug, too!

I can't believe next week is the finale, I am already getting a little emotional about it although it also doesn't feel quite real? Six months ago I was just starting this show for the first time, and since then I've written well over 100,000 words of fanfiction about it, along with tracking my general thoughts per episode on season four... it's been a wild ride, everyone.

8.5/10

#review #roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico review #rnm

[fromkenari]

Cool Whip For Alex Manes, 10k

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes Characters: Michael Guerin, Alex Manes, Max Evans, Gregory Manes Additional Tags: Dog Tags, Military, Air Force, Mechanic Michael Guerin, Alex Manes Deserves Nice Things, Good Brother Gregory Manes, Good Brother Max Evans, Feel-good, Some angst, Lost Decade (Roswell New Mexico), Michael Guerin Loves Alex Manes, Alex Manes Loves Michael Guerin, POV Michael Guerin, Malex Secret Santa 2021, 12 Days of Malex 2021, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Vomiting, The Toolshed (Roswell New Mexico), Minor Noah Bracken/Isabel Evans | Isobel Evans, Kyle Valenti's Hubcaps, Mention of Wyatt Long, Therapy, Happy Ending, Pie, Christmas Dinner Summary:

Max takes drunk and battered Michael to work on a vehicle in the desert. The vehicle belongs to the military and Alex Manes is driving it. It's been 4 years since the last time Michael saw Alex. Michael cannot keep it together around Alex and Alex gifts him the dog tags from around his neck, citing that he's a non-combatant and doesn't need them. Years later, Gregory Manes knocks some facts about dog tags into Michael when he finds Alex's tags on Michael's rearview mirror. Michael learns to cherish Alex even more. Also, someone forgot to bring Alex's favorite pie topping to the Christmas party and Michael isn't having it. (And Alex reacts to Michael and the dog tags after dinner for a touching moment that's an angst/fluff frenzy.)

For @bloodspeckledraphael

Michael loudly swore when he felt the collision between the back of his head and the molding of the bench seat in the back of Max’s patrol car. He lifted a hand to cool metal before him to brace himself from getting the same punishment for his sweaty face. Then, closing his eyes, Michael told the spins to go away as the Deputy’s vehicle bumped along the desert road in the hours between midnight and dawn. At least, that’s where Michael put the time. He wasn’t entirely sure where or when he was, but he knew who was responsible for jarring him awake from his drunken stupor.

“Welcome back, Michael,” Deputy Max Evans said in his slow drawl. The beefed-up communications radio beside Max crackled with tidbits of typical late-night chatter as he navigated them out into the middle of nowhere. There were no tell-tale sights that Michael could surmise into a specific location. The moonlit hills of dirt and rock that plunged into darkness at their hardscrabble valleys in the distance.

“Are you finding your accommodations to be sufficient?” Max asked in a lofty tone as he surely meant to mock Michael. “May I get you a mint for your pillow?”

Snorting, Michael had a leering yet exhausted smile on his face when he leaned toward the steel links that made up the screen between him and the back of Max’s head. “You know Iz doesn’t fall for the mints and cologne anymore, and not with the amount I drank tonight.”

“She’s never fallen for them, Michael. It was more for Noah’s benefit than yours,” Max pointed out as the vehicle smoothly swung around a curve. The turn took them toward more darkness, more desert, and more dirt roads that were no good for the hangover sprouting up through Michael’s throat to dry his tongue and thump his head with a dull ache.

The eye-roll Michael gave behind Max was more a flutter of his lashes as he pushed away from Max and dropped back against the rigid polymer seat. The top rail of the mold, where it met the additional steel screen behind Michael, was particularly irritating. The rhythmic pain from hitting the piece with each bump made this long trip into the desert seem more like torture than a test of patience.

“Noah would fall for mints.”

Michael’s words came out as an afterthought before he realized why they might be out in the desert at this hour. But then, his sentences came in a rush.

“Shit, Max, are you bringing me out here because Isobel blacked out, again? Is that why you dragged me out of the drunk tank? Can you feel her?! Is she conscious?!”

Pushed up against the screen again, Michael was almost spitting on the back of Max’s seat. By contrast, Max was relaxed and had been the entire time, which confused and infuriated Michael’s addled brain.

“Isobel is fine,” Max replied with the hint of a chuckle. “And honestly, I’d rather not think about her consciousness because she’s staying at Noah’s tonight.”

“They’re having lots of premarital sex, and she’s making that boy into a man,” Michael said cooly without missing a beat. However, his dirty fingernails still surreptitiously pulled at the crosses of metal on the screen.

Max nodded, slow and stiff, at Michael’s words. Moments later, a large jeep covered in desert camouflage sprung up on the edge of the headlight beams.

“So, you do want me to fix a disabled vehicle?” Michael asked with light surprise.

Max nodded.

“Because it’s now Sunday, and there are no sober or working mechanics at this hour that you could bring out here?”

Max nodded again as Michael repeated what he initially believed was Max’s excuse to drag him out of jail. There was always time for another “lesson” about not making waves when you were an alien hiding among humans. The patrol car slowed as they got closer to the jeep, which was huge, and it didn’t take a clear mind to know this was a military-issue vehicle.

“They could’ve easily gotten a tow back to Base, Max. So what’s going on?”

Having already put the car in neutral, Max pushed a button on the dash that kept the engine running and grabbed the keys and his white Stetson. He then opened the door and stepped out with a sigh, and something mumbled under his breath that Michael didn’t catch.

“Hey! I’m not going to be a mechanic for Chaves County and the Air Force unless I know why!”

When Michael started shouting, Max shut the driver’s side door and walked into the headlight beams with his bow-legged Deputy stance. Michael was equal parts annoyed and tired at the white knight stereotype.

Scooting back, Michael focused on the door handle outside of the polymer and steel prison of the patrol car. Michael refused to be distracted when the driver’s door on the military jeep opened, and someone of average height and slim build hit the ground boots-first. Max went toward the airman with an outstretched hand. There was a brief pause before the airman met Max’s hand with his own for a shake and stepped into the headlight beams as well.

Michael’s head jerked, and the steel screens gave agitated rattles in their frames. He could recognize Alex Manes in those disgusting desert fatigues without a hint of the beautiful man’s face in the light to confirm his presence. The way he stood and carried himself, and the way Michael was suddenly a caged animal in the Deputy’s car. That damn uniform, though! The one that Alex had sworn to Michael he wasn’t going to wear. That he would pursue his music career and not do this to himself, Alex had never wanted to be a Manes Man. How quickly those plans had changed with Michael’s presence in Jesse Manes’ toolshed.

But Michael couldn’t bear to look away.

Not wanting to close his eyes or even blink and miss the sight of Alex Manes before him, Michael stared ahead. He watched as Alex flashed a brilliant and oh-so-rare smile at Max as they undoubtedly made greetings like the old friends they were. How wonderful for them. They could be seen in public together. No one would question Alex’s motivations when he was with someone like Max Evans.

Then, Alex walked toward the car.

Michael’s chest tightened and began to ache with each new breath as he tried to catch them. Pining for love lost was going to kill him one day. Michael knew it. He also knew Alex probably couldn’t see him in the dark in the back of the cruiser, but he still felt like they were meeting gazes, and Michael was on high alert for Alex’s sake.

Michael hadn’t told a single person that he’d been with Alex Manes nor that it had been a romantic, sexual, and emotional relationship. An abuse survivor relationship. His healthy or unhealthy relationship with a lover wasn’t anyone’s business, not even Max and Isobel. Michael was also confident that Alex didn’t want his friends, coworkers, and ranking officers to know he was gay. Nor would Alex like to acknowledge that this thing between him and Michael was never going away. Michael refused to become a memory. He didn’t care how many times Alex left and broke him again. Maybe, someday Michael would get a handle on how Alex made him feel physical pain with a mere glance or word. After Michael’s years in abusive foster homes and being around neglectful guardians, he figured he should have no problem numbing himself to this pain, too. If only that were how this pain worked.

Continue Reading on AO3

#malex #malexsanta #bloodspeckledraphael #roswell new mexico #alex manes #michael guerin #max evans #gregory manes #out of curls

[bloodspeckledraphael]

Candy Cane Lane, 16K

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category: M/M

Fandom: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)

Relationship: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Character: Michael Guerin, Isabel Evans | Isobel Evans, Max Evans, Alex Manes, Gregory Manes, Flint Manes, Clay Manes, Maria DeLuca, Liz Ortecho, Arturo Ortecho, Rosa Ortecho, Kyle Valenti, Mindy Manes

Additional Tags: Michael Guerin Loves Alex Manes, Alex Manes Loves Michael Guerin, Alex Manes Deserves Nice Things, Alex Manes Needs a Hug, Michael Guerin Deserves Nice Things, Past Forrest Long/Alex Manes, Past Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin, Sad Michael Guerin, Thirsty Michael Guerin, First Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Presents, Christmas Smut, Lost Decade (Roswell New Mexico), Baking, Stress Baking, Cooking, Jesse Manes is His Own Warning, Good Brother Gregory Manes, Episode Related, Pre-Canon, Michael Guerin's Airstream, Minor Isabel Evans | Isobel Evans/Kyle Valenti, Minor Max Evans/Liz Ortecho, Lovers to Friends, Friends to Lovers, BAMF Isabel Evans | Isobel Evans

Summary: Five times Michael and/or Alex baked or cooked around Christmas.

For @bean-me-up I do apologize for the massive wait but this seemed to turn into a massive monster the likes of which I have never wrote for a new fandom before. I hope you like it :)

Read on Ao3 here

#malexsanta2021 #Malex #roswell new mexico #Fei writes #Alex manes #michael guerin #alex x michael #fanfiction #First christmas #christmas

[alex-guerin]

Diego...you're pushing this grant for a place that is "above the red tape"...I don't like the sounds of this. This...sounds military. It sounds...like it has something to do with the Manes men....I trust TWO (2) Manes men (...okay, potentially three (3)...Tripp is still an unknown in my opinion so far, though).

Yes! Good! Get 'im, Michael! Flint needs to have the snot beat out of him!

Oh Rosa...sweetie...you deserved so much better than what life has handed you. I hope you get better and nothing bad happens to you and that you and Isobel can be friends....

Kyle Valenti and Max Evans trying to be sneaky and searching Flint Manes' house for info not regarding the missing Sneaky Sneaky Codebreaker Alex Manes is just hilarious. Boys, hiding in a closet? Really? No kissing in there, okay? Kyle, last time you hid in a closet you and Liz ended up kissing....you don’t have a great track record for hiding in closets, Valenti.

"Dude. Anyone ever tell you you smell like rain?" Kyle...really? I just can’t with your dumbass. Really!!

Michael, beat the snot out of that smarmy no good rotten bigoted racist asshole that doesn't even deserve to be the slime under his brother's boots.

Okay. No. NO!! YOU BITCH! YOU DO NOT GET TO LIMIT MICHAEL'S TELEKINESIS AND BLACKMAIL HIM INTO BUILDING YOU A FUCKING BOMB! YOU BITCH!! YOU HELPED TO KIDNAP ALEX! LIZ! ROSA! KILL YOUR MOTHER! SHE'S BAD AND WICKED!!

Maxwell. You are becoming a junkie on Liz's antidote...this is not good. Not good at all...

Kyle Valenti. How did you go from high school jackass to such an adorable, sweet dork?

And omg I am legit terrified for my precious Michael. Like, he's being forced to help build a bomb that will ultimately kill him, Liz, and Max. And probably Rosa. And potentially even Mimi Deluca and Maria Deluca. Depending on how much alien DNA is still present in them? Remains to be seen on their front...

I love the love-hate relationship between Isobel and Maria. It's fantastic.

"If disaster doesn't strike, justice can't be served" there's something wrong with that sentence...Michael, figure it out for me. And then beat the snot out of Helena Ortecho. And Flint and Jesse Manes just for good measure.

Nope. I change my mind about Diego. I don't trust him.

And that had better not be my Alex chained to a fucking radiator!

It is! It's my baby! And Michael found him! And they're hugging!! And Michael was worried about him!

"Your leg..." "Yeah, they took my prosthetic. I tried to bludgeon my brother with it" omg Alex Manes how are you so fucking perfect??

MY BABIES!

"She's avenging her murdered lover," "Oh my God, I love a good Tela Novela" Isobel, seriously? Alex is still in trouble, dammit! That thing will target Manes blood! ...my only hope is that it takes Flint along with it....

"He wants the parades, he wants the medals..." all I hear in my head is Tony Stark, "He's a full-tilt diva. He wants flowers, he wants parades. He wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered...son-of-a-bitch..." which oddly seemed to fit with Liz's line of thought there...

Have I mentioned that I love Sanders, lately? May nothing bad ever happen to the man who tried so hard to adopt Michael but was refused every time...

Also, definitely definitely no longer trust Diego. He is NOT good peoples. Screw him! I hope he gets his!

Noooo! No good can come from this!

Max Evans, how many times are you going to die? Is this going to become a running season ending? You dying somehow? Did you at least take out Flint, first?

"You know what he is, son." "I know what he means to Alex." Bless you Gregory Manes! Bless you! May the sun forever shine on your beautiful soul.

Omg Maria got a dose of the alien destroying bomb...not good. Not good at all...I may not like her being with Michael, but I do like her and want her to be okay!

GREGORY MANES! YOU BEAUTIFUL PRECIOUS THING!!! YOU SAVED ALEX AND MICHAEL!!! ...I just hope you don't get sent away for killing your father. Self-defense plea?

...people are calling Jesse Manes a...savior? WHAT. THE. FUCK???

Diego, you need to leave. Go away. Leave now. Be gone.

Michael and Alex destroying the shed is *chef kiss*

Weirdly enough, I ship Liz/Max more in the reboot than I did in the original series. That's weird, right? Like, original series I was totally Michael/Maria and was eh over Liz and Max. Reboot I am all for Liz and Max and much of the no for Maria and Michael. It's weird. I know it's weird. Shuddup.

Yes. Good. Break up. Because Michael belongs with Alex. How many times must I scream this? THEY’RE COSMIC!!!

"It's as if we were built from the same star. Brought together by something cosmic..." uhhhh sooooo...Alex's great uncle Tripp had a cosmic connection to Michael's mom? I have so many questions but none of them matter because THEY'RE COSMIC!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

I love the awkward look between Michael and Alex after Alex read that line and Isobel is just sitting there all dreamy thinking how romantic it is. While those two are like, "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....."

Jenna Cameron you are perfection. That is all.

"I am vaguely uncomfortable with this description of my mom tasting ice cream for the first time..." lmao! That or are you vaguely uncomfortable with the fact your mom and Alex's great(great?) Uncle were uh...rather close?

Yuuup. They were definitely close! O.o so weird seeing og Max Evans as a human falling for an alien! My brain is getting so screwed lol!

Max...I'm not sure if Liz is going to forgive you for blowing up her lab, even if it was for her (and yours, Michael, and Izzy's) best interest because Diego is scuuuuuuuum!

Waaaait...waaaaait...no. Is Max....Tripp and Nora's son?? To the Google I go! Tell me your secrets Google....

The Google tells me no, Max is not Nora and Tripp's son. I guess that's kind of a relief...

Awwwww! Charlie and Jenna!!!

"I apologized. I STOPPED." Did you tho, Liz? Did you? Because I don't think you did.

Max, you did kinda have that coming...

Omg...omg...omg...Alex singing. Alex. Is. Singing. I...think I'm totally in love!!!

My baby! MY BABY!! SINGING A SONG FOR MICHAEL! I CAN'T! OH GADS!!

*shrill screaming that breaks the windows of every house on the block*

TYLER BLACKBURN WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND MAKE ME FEEL THINGS?!?!?

OH GODS! THE LOOK BETWEEN ALEX AND MICHAEL!

🎶🎵You never looked away, now I can't look away...🎵🎶

Oh my God...I am legit crying over Alex's song. Someone please tell me Tyler has the full thing released somewhere? I'm running to Youtube to check...

OMG IT'S ON YOUTUBE!! I AM SCREAMING AND SOBBING!!!

IT'S ON PANDORA,TOO??? AHHHHHHHH!!!! *screams in sobbing mess*

I know how this episode ends...I don't think I can bring myself to watch Michael leave the bar and see the heartbreak on Alex's face...I just...y'know what...gonna skip the rest of this scene. Can't see my baby's heart shattering knowing Michael left before the end of the song. I'm just gonna download this song and listen to it on repeat for the rest of my life. Goodnight all...

#roswell nm #roswell new mexico #alex manes #michael guerin #max evans #isobel evans #kyle valenti

[gra-sonas]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes Characters: Alex Manes, Michael Guerin, Isobel Evans Additional Tags: Minor Isabel Evans/Gregory Manes, Canon Disabled Character, Soulmates, Handprint Summary:

"Listen, darlin’. I don’t think because I say darlin’ that’s gonna bring you your soulmate. But, maybe I’m wrong, maybe I don’t fully understand and they’re gonna find you, darlin’." - recorded by Cowboy for Airmanes

Michael used to work for an anonymous, queer-friendly sex hotline (going by the nickname Cowboy) while he was in college, and Alex commissioned him to record a message for him while he was deployed. One day, their paths cross.

Alriiiiight, happy Malex Monday! I meant to write a short ficlet, inspired by Vlamis recording a message for a fan, saying darlin’ three times. For reasons unknown, this turned into a 5.5K fic I wrote this afternoon/evening. 

This is a soulmate AU, and there’s some handprint stuff going on. And while this is mostly fluff, the fic is rated Mature (I know, *gasp*). Uhm, enjoy?

~*~

"Listen, darlin’. I don’t think because I say darlin’ that’s gonna bring you your soulmate. But, maybe I’m wrong, maybe I don’t fully understand and they’re gonna find you, darlin’." - recorded by Cowboy for Airmanes

When Alex listens to the message Cowboy has recorded for him, he has a hard time (pun intended) keeping quiet and not scream into his pillow. It's a close call. Even though the need to get off is overwhelming, he's careful to move his body into a more comfortable position without jostling the bunk bed too much. He hears Ogden in the bottom bed grumble in his sleep once, but he doesn't wake up. Small mercies.

Alex feels like an hour passes before he can finally wrap his hand around his hard cock and take care of his needs with the tiniest movements. He keeps listening to Cowboys recording over and over again, and he manages to time his orgasm with the final darlin' of the message.

Wow, Alex doesn't want to exaggerate, but he thinks he's never come harder in his life. Cowboy's voice's just doing it for Alex, always, has. But the darlin'? Surefire way to get him off in no time. It's the first night in a long time that Alex sleeps so deep, that not a single nightmare haunts his dreams.

The recording continues to bring Alex comfort and orgasms in the middle of an ongoing war, and he can't help but dream up scenarios where he meets Cowboy one day, and they realize that they are indeed soulmates. A soldier can dream, right?

Months go by and after one fateful and utterly horrible day, the war is over for Alex. He returns home to Roswell via a short stint in Landshut, Germany. Half of his right leg is missing, but they give him a purple heart as a consolation price and a thank you for his service. Not that anyone actually thanks him.

It takes Alex another couple of months until he can walk again without the help of a crutch. He celebrates this newfound mobility freedom at a local bar, the Wild Pony. He's sitting at one of the tables, nursing a beer, when two people occupy the table next to his. A tall blonde woman, and a handsome man with curly hair that spills out under the brim of a black cowboy hat. A cowboy hat. Alex tries not to be too obvious, but he keeps looking at the man every now and then.

He can't hear what they're talking about, their voices a soft murmur, but then someone feeds the jukebox with a dollar, and suddenly the couple has to raise their voices.

"Come on, Michael. Don't be such a sourpuss. I want to celebrate that you're back home. It's been a dull year without you. I've talked to Max, he's promised to be on his best behavior," the woman says.

Michael. "Nice name," Alex thinks. He's just reaching for his bottle to take another sip when Michael answers.

"Ugh, Iz, do I have to come? I'd love to spend an evening with just you, but you know Max, he won't stop nagging me." 

Alex freezes. He knows that voice. Intimately (well, in a way). But the man can't be Cowboy, can he? In Roswell of all places? Alex tries to be subtle by moving his chair a fraction of an inch to get a better view at the neighboring table.

He keeps staring and  almost jumps up when the woman (Iz)'s phone starts buzzing. She checks the display. "That's Greg, I have to take this call outside. Please don't leave, I'll be back in a minute."

Michael demonstratively takes his hat off and puts it on the chair next to him. He smiles at her. "No worries, I'll still be here. Say hi to your beau and tell him I hope to meet him soon." She grins. "Not sure I should introduce him to you. He's your type, brother dearest."

Alex can't see Michael's face properly, but his voice sounds annoyed. His voice, that Alex is fairly certain, is that of Cowboy, the man of his (sex) dreams. "As if I'd ever make a move at someone who's involved with someone else, let alone someone who's dating my sister, who also happens to be my best friend."

Iz laughs. "Good boy. Now give me a minute, I have to talk to my boyfriend." She leaves. 

Alex's hands are sweaty because now would be a good moment to approach the man, but what would he even say. "Hi, you're that guy from the queer-friendly sex hotline, and months ago you recorded a message for me I like to get off to. Nice to finally meet you in person."

Not awkward at all. But he also needs to know what the man looks like. So far, he's only seen part of his face (there seems to be stubble, which Alex approves of) and lots and lots of unruly honey-golden curls. In an unplanned move, he accidentally knocks his beer bottle over and the remaining beer spills all over his table.

"Damn," he mumbles under his breath, patting down the pockets of his jacket in search of tissues to mop up the mess.

Suddenly, there's movement at the table next to him and Michael turns around, a squarely folded piece of cloth (a bandana?) in his hand. "Here, take this."

Alex feels dizzy looking at the man. Not in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Cowboy would look like that, but now? Even if this man turns out to be not Cowboy, Alex will forever have this visual when he plays the darlin' message.

Not the moment to think about that, though. He collects himself enough to say something. "Uhm, are you sure? That looks very nice and clean, I'm sure they have paper towels at the bar."

Michael's smile is almost blinding. "Don't worry about it, it's one of my oldest bandanas, it deserves to die in the most heroic way – drowning in alcohol."

Alex snorts. "Okay, thank you." He reaches for the bandana, and for a second, their fingertips touch. Alex's vision goes blurry and he tries his best to inhale, but there doesn't seem to be enough air to fill his lungs. He gasps.

When he feels a strong, warm hand clapping down on his shoulder, he can suddenly see clear again, his lungs expand without pain, and warmth is flooding his body.

He goes almost pliant under Michael's touch (because of course it's his hand).

"Wow," Michael says, and if that isn't the perfect word to describe the situation.

Alex tries to remember how words are formed. "Do you feel it, too?" Michael just nods. "In Roswell of all places," Alex says dryly.

Michael snorts. "You wouldn't believe how apt that actually is. All things considered."

"I don't know what that means, but I'm sure I'll find out eventually. I mean, I don't want to assume, but I will find out eventually, right?"

"Yes, beautiful stranger, you will. I never expected this to happen to me, but now that it did happen, I want to know everything about you. What's your name, handsome?"

Alex can't believe that this beautiful man is his soulmate, let alone that he found him in this godforsaken town he'd never expected to return to before he lost his leg.

"Well, handsome does have a name. It's Alex. And you are—."

Alex takes a calculated breath before he says "Cowboy," at the same time Michael says "Michael."

They stare at each other. Michael's eyes are wide. "How do you—?"

Alex blushes, and he considers not answering the question for a second, but this is his soulmate asking. "I'm—I'm not just Alex, I'm also darlin'."

Michael's eyes grow impossibly wider, then he bursts out laughing. "Oh my god, that was you? I couldn't stop listening to your message either. It's been very – how can I put this – inspiring?"

"Well, in true Pavlovian fashion, I can promise you that calling me darlin' will get me hard and off in no time," Alex says, keeping his voice low. He should be beet-read, but he's beyond feeling ashamed. In fact, he feels emboldened, and if the glint in Michael's eyes is anything to go by, he's certain there's one hell of an orgasm in his near future.

Before he can put more thought into that possible scenario, Iz returns to the table. She looks at both men and raises an eyebrow.

"Michael, why are you holding hands with this man?"

Michael looks down at their clasped hands, apparently, he doesn't know either when they started holding hands. For a moment, Alex considers letting go of Michael to greet Michael's sister properly, but he can't bear the thought of losing the physical contact right now.

Michael kisses the back of Alex's hand, then he looks up at Iz. "Isobel, this is my soulmate. His name's Alex."

"He's your—Michael! I leave the table for five minutes, and I come back to you having found your soulmate? I didn't even know that we could until recently." She seems exasperated, but then her smile goes soft. 

She sits down across from them and looks at Alex. "I'm sorry, Alex, I didn't mean to be rude. This is just a lot to take in. Uhm, I've met with Michael tonight to convince him to come and visit me, and spend time with our brother Max tomorrow. And I haven't been quite honest with Michael."

She squeezes her eyes shut and takes a deep breath. "Michael, Max and I were going to tell you, that we met our soulmates this week. Max bumped into Liz who's in town to visit her dad, and I happened to meet Greg at an event I organized for his school."

Alex perks up. "Greg isn't Gregory Manes, though, right? Teacher at the elementary school up at the reservation?"

Isobel blinks. "How do you even know about him? Oh my god, you're his brother! You're Alex Manes!" Alex nods. Isobel looks at him more closely. "Now that I know, it's obvious, you look so much alike. This is wild. I think I need a drink. You in? Shots are on me."

Alex and Michael look at each other and nod. There are only so many earth- and life-shattering revelations one can handle without being at least a little bit drunk.

Isobel stands up and walks over to the bar to order. The bartender reaches for one of the top-shelf bottles. Well, they have something huge to celebrate, this definitely calls for the good tequila.

Michael nudges him. "So, I know this has already been a lot, but there's something else you need to know about me, but I'd rather tell you about it when it's just the two of us. It's nothing bad, don't worry, I'd just prefer to tell – and show – you in private."

Alex smiles. "Whatever it is, I can handle it. Just real quick before your sister comes back. Does she know about the hotline job?"

Michael shakes his head. "No, she doesn't, actually. I got my engineering degree at UNM, and I picked up the job to make a little extra money for all the things my scholarship didn't pay for, and those requested messages were paid really well. It's been a great job, I was actually quite good at it, too, but now that I have my degree, it's a thing of the past. I don't really mind anyone knowing, but I'd rather this stays our naughty little secret."

"Oh, believe me, I'm not overly eager to tell anyone that your voice has provided me with some of the best orgasms. No need to look so smug, Michael," Alex grouses, but he smiles.

Michael turns his head, his face is very close all of a sudden, and his lips look plush and moist and oh-so-kissable. They look at each other.

"Alex," Michael whispers.

Alex closes the distance between them and then they kiss. Stars align, the universe expands, and Alex knows he's finally home. Not in Roswell, they could be anywhere right now, on this planet, or in another galaxy. No, home is in Michael's arms, in the sweetness of his breath, the sound of his low moans, and the soft touch of his fingers caressing the hair at the nape of Alex's neck.

"Ah, first soulmate kiss. I remember. So intense," Isobel says, and places three shot glasses and a bottle of tequila on the table.

They don't want to stop kissing, but they do. It's the polite thing to do. But it's hard. Alex would rather be alone with Michael. As if he's been reading his mind, Michael leans closer and whispers "One shot, then we leave. She'll understand. But I need to be alone with you."

Alex closes his eyes and inhales deeply in an attempt to calm his nerves. Michael's scent is intoxicating, he smells like leather and rain. Alex wants to drown in the smell. When a cold shot glass is shoved into his hand, he blinks his eyes open again.

"Earth to Alex, are you back with us?" Isobel smirks, but her eyes are kind and understanding.

"Yeah, sorry, it's just a lot to take in, and Michael smells so good. I'm sorry, but can we get this over with? I really need to be alone with him."

Isobel nods. "You know what, why don't you take the bottle home with you, and some time this week, we all meet and celebrate."

Michael nods and picks his hat up from the chair. "Excellent idea. I knew you'd understand." He kisses Isobel on the cheek. "You told Greg though, right?"

Isobel nods. "Yes, he knows. Liz, too. And—," she whispers something into Michael's ear.

Alex thinks he hears Isobel mention a "handprint" (whatever that means) but he assumes they're referring to the thing Michael will tell him when they are alone, so he doesn't ask what they're talking about. It's comforting to know that his favorite brother knows, though. It'll be good to have someone to talk to he trusts implicitly.

They hug Isobel (who also smells like rain, Alex notices), then they head out to the parking lot. Since Michael's currently living at a motel, the decision's easy where to go. They leave Michael's old truck ("don't ask, we've been through a lot together, and I'd never give up on her") at the Pony, and take Alex's SUV instead.

He doesn't live too far from the bar, and they enter his house not ten minutes later.

There's just enough time for Alex to put down the tequila bottle on the dining table before Michael pulls him into his arms. They're still wearing their jackets, and Michael his hat. Before Michael gets close enough to kiss him, Alex nods in the direction of his bedroom.

"There's a very comfortable and very big bed behind that door. We both know where we're headed anyway, and I'd like to take the prothesis off," he says, holding his breath after the revelation. He knows that his soulmate won't reject him because of it, but it's still a very personal thing to disclose.

Michael doesn't even blink, he just smiles and leads Alex to the bedroom. He makes Alex sit on the edge of the bed and kneels down in front of him. Alex's breath catches. Michael takes off his hat and jacket and drops them on the floor to his left, then he turns back to Alex and unlaces Alex's boots. 

Alex opens the button and zipper of his jeans, and cants his hips to wriggle them down without having to stand up. He doesn't quite succeed. "Damn, I'm stuck, sorry. I have to stand up again."

Michael shakes his head. "No, you don't. Do you trust me?"

Alex stops and thinks about it for a moment. Does he trust Michael? The simple answer is, yes. He just knows that he can trust Michael. He nods. "I do."

Michael looks at him and holds his gaze, when Alex's butt slowly lifts off the mattress. He gasps, but he keeps looking at Michael. Michael smiles softly. Then he reaches for Alex's jeans and pulls them down, while Alex is floating a few inches above his bed.

Alex's thoughts are racing. He should be scared, his soldier instincts should kick in, and maybe he should fight, but he does none of that. Because he doesn't feel threatened. He feels safe. Michael won't hurt him, that he knows with absolute certainty.

As if by magic, he slowly descends, until he sits on the edge of the bed again. Michael kisses Alex's left knee, then he turns his attention to the prosthetic on his right leg. Alex is about to tell him what to do, when he feels the prosthetic coming off. He groans in relief. He'll have to pace himself and not go entire days without the crutch too often for a couple more weeks.

Michael removes the leg and pulls the liner down to reveal Alex's stump. Alex scrunches his face. Not in disgust of how the stump looks, but he knows how it probably smells. But Michael is unfazed, though. He leans forward and kisses the tender skin of Alex's stump. Alex is close to bursting into tears because of the tenderness of the gesture.

His voice sounds a little wet when he speaks. "I need to take some meds. Would you mind getting them for me from the bathroom cabinet? They are labeled 'evening'."

Michael nods and gets up from the floor. Before he leaves, he presses a soft kiss to Alex's lips. "Thanks for trusting me."

Alex wants to reach for him and tumble backwards with Michael in his arms, but he knows he'll regret not taking his medication, so he doesn't. Thankfully, Michael's back with the pill bottles in a heartbeat, and Alex uncaps the bottle of water on his nightstand and takes his pills. 

Meanwhile, Michael toes off his boots, pulls his shirt over his head, takes off his socks, and drops his pants in a heap on the floor. When he looks around the room wearing nothing more than his briefs, Alex pats the free space next to him. "Come here, sit down. I'm ready to listen to whatever you're going to tell me in a minute, I just need you close for a moment."

Michael almost trips over his jeans in his haste to sit down next to Alex. Alex immediately realizes how anxious he is, and somehow that soothes his own nerves. He reaches for Michael's hand and laces their fingers together. Michael's hand trembles, and Alex squeezes it.

"You don't have to worry, Michael. I know you're going to tell me something extraordinary, but I can handle it. I won't reject you. Relax."

Michael snickers. "Well, you could say extraordinary, extraterrestrial would be more accurate, though."

Alex swallows hard, but deep down he knows that Michael's not joking. He squeezes Michael's hand again. "The 1947 crash was real?" Michael can't do much more than nod.

"So, you're a descendent of a group of people not from this earth who crashed here some 70 odd years ago?"

Michael looks at him. "I guess you could say that, although I have to add that I was actually on board of the spaceship." 

Alex can't believe what he just heard. "Uhm, okay. You don't look like someone who's well over 70 years old, though. Does your species age at a slower rate? I this a Superman thing? Are you from Krypton? How old are you really?"

Michael laughs. "You're taking this surprisingly well. Uhm, so, depending on how you look at it, I'm either 30 years old, or I'm about 80. I don't think we're aging slower than humans, though. We were actually in stasis in our pods for half a century, and only hatched in 1997."

"You did what now?"

"Oh, sorry, uhm, our stasis pods look like glowing eggs, and we always joked that we hatched. I don't think that's how our people actually procreate, though," Michael explains.

Alex is trying his best to take it all in, but it's a lot. He takes a deep breath. "So, by 'us', you're referring to yourself, Isobel, and your other brother, Max, right? Don't you have parents? What happened to them?"

Michael's face falls, and Alex feels awful for being responsible for it. "We don't know, actually. We don't even know whether we're actual siblings. We were found together after we hatched, mute, wandering the desert. Max and Iz got lucky, they were adopted by a local family. I wasn't quite so lucky. I grew up in the system. But I've always been a bright student, so I was able to get a good education. I had to postpone my plans to go to college after high school because of Isobel for a few years, that's why I only graduated recently. But I have a good job lined up, I'll start next month. So, I'm not a complete failure."

Alex wraps an arm around Michael's shoulder and pulls him into a hug. "You could never be a failure. I don't know much about you, but you're not a failure. You hear me?" He feels Michael nod against his chest.

"Good. Now that the big secret is revealed. What did Isobel mean when she talked about a handprint earlier?"

Michael pulls back and looks at Alex. "You heard that? Well, as I demonstrated earlier, my power is telekinesis. Isobel can influence people with her brain, and Max can heal. What the three of us have in common, is that we can share memories with someone else by putting our hands on them. Skin on skin. It opens some kind of mental connection, don't ask me how it works exactly, but it leaves an iridescent glowing handprint on the other person's skin. It fades after a few days, and the connection shared during the handprint also breaks."

Alex squeezes Michael's hand. "So, you can share memories and emotions, but you won't mind-whammy me?"

"God, no, I won't. I swear. I wouldn't even know how to," Michael says.

Alex turns to Michael and they look at each other. "Okay. I'll sit down on the bed against the headboard. I don't have any medical exams scheduled in the next couple of days. Does the handprint have to be placed somewhere specific?"

Michael looks at Alex with wonder in his eyes. "How are you so fucking calm and cool about this? My entire life – well, since we hatched – I've been worried sick about revealing this secret to anyone and sicking military special forces on us. You are the first person I've ever told, and you're taking it like I told you I have a mole on my left butt cheek."

Alex raises an eyebrow. "You have a mole on your left butt cheek?"

Michael giggles. "Oh my god, I know it's probably too soon to say it not even two hours after we've met, but I love you. You're ridiculous, and hilarious, and brilliant. And I love you." He wipes at his eyes. "And no, I don't have a mole on my left butt cheek. Wanna find out where I have one?" He waggles his eyebrows at Alex. 

"You casually mention that you love me, and I'm supposed to play 'search the mole' with you? You are unbelievable. For the record, I love you, too. And I don't care that we only met two hours ago. You're about to put a spooky handprint on me that will tell me everything I need to know."

Alex lets go of Michael's hand and scrambles back on the bed until he sits comfortably, propped up by at least three cushions. He looks down at himself and pulls his shirt over his head and flings it in the general direction of the hamper. He winks at Michael. "Come here, alien boy, tell me your story."

Michael laughs and crawls across the bed until he's next to Alex. He likes what he sees. A smattering of dark chest hair, strong arms, a sculpted torso. Alex is gorgeous, head to toe.

"Is it okay when I put my hand on your chest? Low enough that the handprint won't be visible even if you open the top two buttons?"

Alex nods. "That sounds reasonable. Go ahead."

Michael places his right hand on Alex's chest. Michael takes a deep breath, and suddenly his hand starts glowing red. The palm of his hand is heating up against Alex's skin, but the heat doesn't hurt. They look at each other, and suddenly it's like a gate to another dimension opens.

Alex looks at everything Michael sends his way, he laughs, he sheds tears, he looks in horror at what some of the foster parents did to Michael. He sees Isobel, and another man, Max, most likely, he sees an old man with an eyepatch at a place that looks like a junkyard.

It's not just images Michael shares, though. There are also emotions. Alex can barely handle the loneliness radiating through the connection, the fear of someone finding out, Michael worrying about Isobel, and a million other things.

When they later look at the alarm clock on Alex's night stand, they realize the whole thing didn't take longer than maybe ten minutes, and yet Alex feels like he knows everything about Michael. Not every detail or secret, but he knows Michael now. 

It's overwhelming, and terrifyingly wonderful. Alex doesn't know how else to describe it. They lie down next to each other, knees knocking, hands exploring, their mouths almost touching.

"Wow," Alex breathes out.

Michael kisses him. "Yeah," he whispers.

Alex does what he's been dying to do since he met Michael. He runs his fingers through Michael's hair and enjoys how soft the curls feel. Like the finest silk.

"You are incredible, Michael. Thank you for sharing this with me. I'll have a million questions for you in the coming days, and I'm sure you'll also want know more about me, but I need to not talk for a while. Can we do that?"

Michael nods. Alex barely blinks an eye, when they both float up, comforter and duvet getting pulled out from under them, and soon they sink back down into the soft mattress again. "This ability of yours sure comes in handy," Alex praises.

Michael pulls the duvet over them, and Alex is grateful for the heat inside of their little cocoon. "It does. You have no idea what it means to me to being able to use it in front of you."

Alex notices the emotion in Michael's voice and sees tears glistening in his eyes. He wraps his arms around Michael as good as he can and pulls him close. Michael hugs back, and then they just hold each other for a long time. Breathing each other in and trading lazy kisses.

Once their bodies and minds relax, their kisses get heated. They are both hard, their cocks brushing against each other through the thin fabric of their underwear. Alex wriggles his hand between them to wrap it around the tips of their cocks peeking out. There's no time (or room) for finesse. Heat and friction are doing the job for them. Their kisses get more and more wet and sloppy, they pant into each other's mouths, and just moments before Alex is ready to come, Michael looks at him, his pupils blown wide. He presses his hand on the glowing mark in the middle of Alex's chest.

"I love you," he says. A short break, then he adds, "Darlin'."

Alex lets out a guttural sound, something between a scream and a moan, and he comes in hot and almost painful pulses between them. Michael follows only moments later, adding to the mess. But they don't care. 

The connection between them is blown wide open, and Michael gasps, when he's receiving memories and emotions from Alex suddenly. An abusive home, his mom leaving, loneliness, gruesome years in the military, the immeasurable pain of losing a limb, Michael feels like he's about to pass out from it, but he holds steady.

Alex took in everything he shared with him earlier, now he wants to take in everything Alex is sharing. It's a lot, though, and when the flood of impressions subsides to a mere trickle, he realizes he's panting and sweating like he just ran a marathon.

Their foreheads are touching, and they cling to each other like they're afraid to let go of the other.

Later, they won't recall exactly for how long they stay like that. At some point, Alex musters enough energy to tell Michael where he keeps a bottle of nail polish remover in his bathroom.

"How do you—,?" Michael starts, and Alex just places his hand on Michael's chest. Michael blinks. "Wow, I think this experience has fried some of my brain cells, of course you know."

Michael closes his eyes and concentrates, but he's not strong enough to make the bottle come to him with his telekinesis. Reluctantly, he lets go of Alex, who grumbles and makes grabby hands at Michael.

"Just a second, sweetheart, I'll be back in no time. Don't go anywhere."

"Har, har," Alex makes. He's slowly feeling like he's fully conscious again. He's about to call for Michael's attention, when the man in question returns from his quest in the bathroom. He's sipping from a plastic bottle he's holding with one hand, and there's a wet towel in his other hand. Bless him.

He hands the towel to Alex (who notices that Michael soaked it in warm water, bless him more!), and he quickly wipes himself down. When he's finished, Michael takes the towel and returns to the bathroom.

When he comes back, he smiles at Alex. "Pajamas, or shirts and sweatpants?" he asks, pointing at the walk-in closet.

"Door on the far left, there's both, pajamas and other comfy clothes. I'll take what you take." He only feels silly for saying something so sappy for a second, because Michael beams like the sun. "Partner look, I like it."

Michael vanishes for half a minute and returns with two pairs of blue sweat pants and plain white shirts. He dresses himself first, while Alex puts on the shirt, then Michael's there to help him put on the sweats. Without being prompted, Michael asks "Your crutches, where are they?"

Alex smiles at him softly. "In the living room, leaning against the wall next to the dining table."

Michael goes to fetch the crutches and leans them against the wall next to Alex's side of the bed when he returns. "Anything else I can get you before we sleep?"

Alex shakes his head. "Nothing I can think of right now. Come to bed, Michael."

Michael smiles, his grin almost devilish. "It'll be my pleasure, darlin'."

Alex is tempted to throw a pillow at Michael. "You're not playing fair, Michael. I'm exhausted, and you know what you saying it does to me. I don't think all the darlin's in the world will be able to make me hard again right now, though."

Michael crawls into bed and under the covers. He pulls Alex close and kisses the tip of his nose. "Don't be sad, sweetheart, there's more than enough time for that in the morning. Unless you have to be somewhere tomorrow?"

Alex shakes his head. "No, there's nothing on my schedule tomorrow. Plenty of time for us to get to know each other with more words. Don't get me wrong, what happened tonight has been the most incredible experience of my life, and I'm grateful that we already know so many things about each other, especially the bad things that are much harder to talk about. But I still want to talk to you."

Michael nods. "We'll do that. Tomorrow. But now, let's sleep. The acetone helped, but I still feel a bit like I was hit by a truck. Big spoon or little spoon?"

Alex thinks about it for a moment. "If you don't mind, little spoon. You're just so warm, and I'm freezing. I'm always up for big spoon duty, though. I want to hold you, too, you know."

Michael's smile is the sweetest, and Alex's heart almost bursts with how much he loves him. "I know," Michael says. "And now, turn around and get comfy."

Alex does, and as soon as Michael's inhuman warmth engulfs him, his eyes start to droop. A moment later the room goes dark, and Alex feels Michael's lips peppering the his neck with little kisses. He pulls Michael's arm closer around himself.

"I love you," he whispers into the dark.

"And I love you. So much, Alex. So, so much. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Michael."

And then, they sleep.

#malex #alex manes #michael guerin #rnm fic #malex fic #my fic #michael vlamis

[eg515]

RNM for the last fandom thing that you posted a screenshot of? 😌💕

look at us being on the same page 😌

Which characters I would...

...push off a cliff: Jesse Manes 😌 and also those racist fucks 😌

...set on fire: see above. they go off the cliff and land in a pit of fire 😌

...have a relationship with: I wanted to say Isobel but I found this gif and you know what? I'll go with both of them (also I'm still so weak for this scene 👀)

...marry: I'm trying very hard not to add the above gif to each answer... I agree with you, bestie: Gregory Manes my beloved ❤

...wrap a blanket around: as you said, Kyle for sure deserves it 💕 also Alex. he's the type to take care of people, he deserves to be taken care of. and Max had a rough couple of weeks 😂 also Maria and Rosa 💖 and Michael bc I don't think anyone has ever wrapped a blanket around him? 🥺💕

...be roommates with: so are we talking roommates or roommates? for the first, Liz, Max or Kyle. Liz is quite similar to me, I think we would be equally messy. Max is reliable, he would be a good roommate. you could send him to the grocery store and trust that he gets the right stuff and he would probably pay his bills on time. Kyle is meticulous which would probably annoy me sometimes, but he would also force me to be less messy, and he would put up with my pet peeves bc he has his own. for the second, also Liz or Kyle bc reasons 😌

#thank you!! #ask game #eg answers #roswell new mexico

[planetsam]

Hmm I’d be interested in your take on how they process all this mess and work it out. I’d love some Gregory manes wingman assistance to help them get back together

“My brakes are acting funny.”

Micheal bites back his grumpy sigh. He can blame it on sleep depravation. Greg saved his life, the least he can do is make sure his breaks are working properly. Even though the truth is he’d rather have an entire break from the Manes clan. Life saving brothers included.

“Sure I can take a look,” he says.

“I appreciate it,” Greg says.

Michael nods and gets his stuff together. Greg stands there, doing the thing Alex does where he’s perfectly still and completely unrelaxed. Alex does it. Now Michael knows for sure where he got it from. Michael sighs and drops his tools and turns.

“You can just tell me I was a dick,” Michael says, “leaving during Alex’s song? It was a dick move.”

Something like respect shines in Greg’s eyes and it surprises him how much he likes seeing it there.

“I was actually coming to see if you were alright,” Greg says, “I know what it feels like to walk away from Alex.”

“Yeah, it’s not the first time I’ve done that,” Michael mutters.

Greg nods. Again it’s really like seeing an older version of Alex. Michael always wondered how Alex managed to appear like a warped version of his father, especially when he was in his military uniform. Looking at Greg, he doesn’t have to. It’s not a warped version of Jesse, it’s the older Manes Alex has been emulating all these years.

“Is it the last?” Greg asks. Michael swallows and wishes that he had an answer. Greg doesn’t look disappointed, but Michael almost wishes he would. A faint smile that is not very comforting comes to Greg’s lips, “if it was, I’d tell you that the ‘dick move’ wasn’t just leaving during the song.”

“I’m not good for him,” Michael says, “not right now.”

“Who decided that?” Greg asks. Michael fumbles with whether or not the question is rhetorical, “I’m guessing it wasn’t Alex. All things considered.”

“Alex doesn’t always know what’s good for him.”

Even Greg can’t fully deny that one and the smile he gives is bitter but genuine, something Michael can’t help but reciprocate. Anyone whose loved Alex understands that. It’s part of loving him, even though it never gets any easier. Loving Alex usually means trying to keep him safe and happy—take the occasional breather, maybe eat every once in a while. But trusting that Alex knows what’s good for him is a whole other thing.

“So what would make you good for him?” Greg asks.

“Huh?” Michael looks at him, waiting for a sign he’s joking but Greg’s smile is gone and he’s really fucking serious.

“I asked what would make you good for him,” he says, “if you know you’re not, do you know how you would be? And what you would do to be there?”

Michael opens his mouth and then closes it. Saying he should be successful and stable, with a job and a college degree all seems insufficient. Saying he wants to have a house so Alex can come home and a name so Alex doesn’t have to grimace when he signs his seems so far off he guesses they’ll be old and grey by the time he accomplishes any of it. He opens and closes his mouth again and then has to shake his head. Greg gives away nothing as he nods. Michael has every reason to trust him but some part of him is still perversely glad that he doesn’t have a tool in his hand when he does.

“We both know my brother doesn’t love lightly,” Greg says, “none of us are wired that way. Now I don’t know what your plan is. I think you want to be with my brother and I think you’re willing to work to get there—“

“I am,” Michael cuts in. Greg gives him a look that has him locking his lips.

“But you’ve set Alex up to have his heart broken. Again.”

Michael winces.

That’s the thing, saying if Alex dates someone else they can be even—that’s bullshit. And they both know it too. Alex doesn’t date in half measures. Hell he and Michael haven’t dated properly and he hasn’t done half measures there either. He loves Alex and he knows Alex feels the same way. He also knows there have been times when the passion between them has been so toxic he’s stunned any of the love has made it through. Michael isn’t much better at the half measures thing. Which makes the realization all the worse.

“Shit,” he swears loudly, barely resisting the urge to throw the nearest tool. Greg looks relieved he caught on and less than thrilled at him swearing. Michael doesn’t care, “we needed a clean break,” Michael explains.

“Did you talk about that?” Greg asks. Michael looks away. Greg shakes his head, “it’s a little ironic how you know all our dark family secrets and can’t talk about your relationship.”

“It’s hysterical,” Michael snaps back, “shit,” he repeats, “I didn’t want to do this again,” he looks at Greg, “you gotta know I didn’t want to hurt him again.”

Greg gives him a hard look that is two thousand percent protective older brother. If Michael wasn’t so in love with Alex, he’s pretty sure he’d cave to it. The real irony is that of the Manes men who have threatened him to stay away from Alex, Greg is far more terrifying. Jesse may have done monstrous things but everyone still came out of it alive. Greg killed him to keep Alex safe. Michael’s seen it with his own eyes. Thankfully Greg is only looking mildly annoyed and frustrated, not murderous. Still Michael doesn’t relax.

“I know,” Greg says.

“Seriously I—“ he stops, “you do?”

“Yes,” Greg says, “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t,” he sighs, “Alex has a date with Forrest tonight.”

Michael swallows the panic in his throat. Alex has a date. That’s a good thing, or it was before his big brother came and dropped some serious truth bombs on him. Now it’s not. If Alex is going on a date then he’s got feelings. Or the start of feelings. He refuses to fully name the feeling jealousy. It’s definitely mixed with his own worry about everything that Greg has just told him.

“I don’t want to ruin it,” Michael says.

“I don’t want you to ruin it either,” Greg agrees, “I also don’t want you to put my brother through another heartbreak,” he glances at his watch, “it’s 2pm. If you’re going to say something the sooner the better. His date’s picking him up at 8.”

Michael nods.

“Let me look at your car—“ he begins. Greg rolls his eyes, “your car’s fine,” Michael realizes, “got it,” he says, “I’m gonna—“ he motions towards his truck.

He manages to not get any speeding tickets as he gets to Alex’s house. Michael has no doubt that’s where he is. He hopes that Alex isn’t in the shower but that’s a bridge he knows he’s going to have to cross when he gets to it. He rings the doorbell quickly and when the door doesn’t open instantaneously, he finds himself pacing. He’s never been the best when it comes to talking about his feelings, especially where Alex is concerned. And Alex is embracing the fact that he’s some kind of wordsmith genius. Michael has no idea how much he’s about to be dressed down, but again that is a problem that belongs squarely in the later bucket.

“Guerin?”

Michael turns. Alex looks confused to see him standing there. Michael doesn’t know why he suddenly whips his hat off his head, maybe he needs something to hold. Or kill himself with if this blows up in his face. Concern is written all over Alex’s features. Michael gives himself one last moment to cling to the dream that he’ll be a good and whole man when he tells Alex his feelings. That he’ll tell him he fought his way back and beyond. Not just for Alex but because Alex has always made him believe in the good of people. The good of himself. He’s got nothing to back those words up with. It’s a hard fucking dream to let go of.

“I know you have a date,” Michael says. Alex clenches his jaw, “and I, uh, I was trying to get better. Swear to god I was,” he fumbles, “and I was gonna come back when I was,” he adds, “when I had proved I was,” he grips his hat tighter, “but I don’t want you to get your heart broken or have to break someone’s heart—“ he braces himself for Alex to laugh but he doesn’t.

“He’s nice,” Alex says, “I like being around him,” Michael nods, “there could be something there. We could be happy together,” he glares at him, “maybe you’re not the only one who wants to be good for someone, Guerin.”

“I deserved that,” Michael mutters.Alex’s glare turns venomous, “you are good for someone—you’re good for everyone,” Michael argues. 
“I don’t need a pep talk from you,” Alex says.

Fuck, Michael’s forgotten how hot quiet, confident and angry Alex is. Now is not the time to give into how attractive he is. Michael really thought he would be better at this. Even just the whole not focusing on how hot Alex is thing. But he’s failing pretty spectacularly at that as well.

“He’s nice,” Michael says, “and maybe you two are gonna be good together. But you don’t love him.” 
“I don’t know him that well,” Alex argues, “I could.”

“Yeah,” Michael agrees, though the possibility hurts, “you could,” he looks at him, “but it’s not going to be the same.”

Alex looks away. Michael reminds himself that the conversation was going to come back to this. It had to come back to this. Because Michael’s been at the crossroads where Alex is. But Michael’s a coward, he always has been. Especially when it comes to Alex.

“I wanted you to have a chance to be with someone else,” Michael says.

“Why?” Alex questions.

“You deserved it,” Michael says, “I know you don’t need me to tell you that,” he adds quickly.

“You think I deserve it because you dated Maria?” Michael nods. Alex sighs, “I can’t help you make us even for your decisions,” he says, “and I can’t do this,” he adds, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“I know,” Michael says as Alex turns, “look, I know. You’re not me, I know being even like that isn’t the same thing to you, it’s not to me either,” he tells him, “not when it comes to you.” Alex rests his hand on the doorframe but he’s not slamming the door in Michael’s face, “I thought about you dating him,” Michael continues, “and I thought about you breaking someone’s heart and—“ he swallows, “I don’t want that. I thought if I got better first it would be the right thing to do. But I don’t want to get better first if it’s gonna me you’re hurt in the process.”

Alex stays frozen and Michael is both glad and furious that he can’t see his face. He wants to know what Alex is thinking and he also wants to never see him again so he doesn’t have to feel rejected. He knows Alex could tell him to fuck off and if he does, Michael knows he’s going to have to figure out what to do next. If there is a next. He presses his lips together as Alex just stays there. It’s better than him walking away but it’s not exactly how Michael saw this going.

“Are you trying to say that you’re ready to be with me?” Alex asks finally.

“I’m saying I want us to both make that call,” Michael says, “I want us to meet in the middle.”

Alex whips around as Michael tries not to choke on his own pounding heart. He hadn’t meant to throw the lyrics out there. Alex’s cheeks go pink and Michael feels his own face turn red. Alex holds his gaze for a moment before he seems to come to some kind of decision.

“I’m not cancelling my date,” he says, “it’s in a few hours. That’s not fair to Forrest,” Michael nods around his breaking heart, “I’ll call you afterwards.”

“You don’t have to,” Michael mumbles.

“I’m not going to date him,” Alex says, suddenly a lot closer, “but I’m not going to stand him up or cancel with hours to spare after he asked me out and I said yes.”

Michael feels like he has whiplash.

“You’re not going to date him?” He repeats.

“I’m not going to promise anything,” Alex says, “we’ve talked about doing this before. It’s too soon to say if this is going to be different,” Michael nods, “but I’d like it to be.”

‘Me too.”

Alex holds his gaze and nods.

“Then I’ll call you later,” he says.

To his credit, Michael makes it until 8:30 before he parks himself outside of Alex’s house. He knows Alex doesn’t believe that they have to be even, but he doesn’t agree. Not on everything. Not on this. So he sits there. It’s hours before Alex’s car pulls up and when Michael sees that he’s alone, his heart jumps. Or maybe that’s also because Alex looks really good as he gets out of his car. When he walks up and sees Michael there he stops and shakes his head, though the smile on his lips is what catches Michael’s eyes.

“I was wondering why you weren’t home,” Alex says.

Michael swallows as he stands up. Alex went to his trailer. That’s the thing that turns over in his head as they close the distance.

“I was trying to surprise you,” he admits.

“I thought we could talk,” Alex says. Michael nods, “really talk. We need to talk about a lot.”

“Yeah,” Michael agrees.

“Should we—“ Alex’s lips press together and then part as he nods towards the door.

“Yeah, we should.”

Neither of them move.

“Guerin,” Alex starts.

“Yeah, uh—“

“What?”

Michael knows they’re supposed to be working on their communication and he doesn’t even get to say he’s human as an excuse. Which is good because excuses aren’t really something he’s interested in as he closes the distance between them. Alex inhales sharply as their lips touch, but after a moment he sighs into the kiss, his lips parting as Michael remembers what home feels like. It’s not a long kiss, he doesn’t expect it to lead anywhere, but they still wind up standing with their foreheads pressed together and the world fading away.

“Did I completely misread that?” Michael rasps and Alex shakes his head.

“No,” he says.

“Oh thank god,” Michael breathes. Alex gives him an amused but slightly dazed smile and Michael feels something unravel in his chest, “we should talk,” he finishes.

Alex nods and takes his hand and together they go inside.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex fic #roswell new mexico #micheal x alex #roswell nm #roswell nm fanfic #greg manes

[andrea-lyn]

gregory manes gets a drinking buddy (and a friend)

“Come on, Evans, I need a drink.” The liquor store is closed, and it’s too long of a drive to get to Planet 7 or Saturn’s Ring. The Pony is his only option, but the door is locked and Max Evans keeps standing there like a bouncer and not a bartender. Doesn’t he understand? Can’t he see that Greg needs a whiskey or three? Maybe if he drowns his guilt and his regrets and worries below the weight of the liquor, he won’t have to think about it. God knows he’s not sleeping, so what else is he supposed to do? “C’mon, man,” Greg pleads, more desperately. “It’s past two, no liquor store’s open and I need a drink.” His voice breaks and he knows how desperate he sounds, but he’s sober. Him falling apart has nothing to do with alcohol and everything to do with the nightmares he sees behind his eyes when he closes them. The scuffle on the ground, the desperation in Alex’s voice, the sound of a gunshot echoing, his father’s blood on the ground. His father. When he closes his eyes, he sees Jesse’s blood flowing out of a bullet hole. The residue of gunpowder on Gregory’s hands, physical evidence that he finally protected Alex. The relief, from both Alex and Michael’s faces helps most nights, but not all of them. Tonight, it’s not doing the trick.

Tonight, he needs the help of whiskey. “Look, I gotta clean up and do the tills with Maria out of town,” Max says apologetically, “which means I can’t serve you anything. If you’re really desperate, though, I know a place you can go.” Greg’s desperate enough to try anything. “Hit me.” That’s how Gregory Manes ends up at Sanders’ Junkyard, standing outside an Airstream, not sure why Max sent him here. His car is a couple feet back, but Max said specifically to come to the Airstream if he wanted to get a drink, so here he is. “You should really know better than to try to stay at the Pony beyond closing. Even I couldn’t manage with the owner, and she and I were dating.” Greg whirls to find Michael Guerin sitting in a beaten-up folding chair beside a fire pit a few yards away. He’s not really sure where to start with any of this. Did Max send him here on purpose? Maria and Guerin were dating? Besides all that, he’s still struggling to understand what Guerin's doing in a junkyard. His confusion must make Guerin feel sorry for him, because he hooks a lawn chair with his ankle and drags it over. “Here,” Guerin says, leaning down into a cooler to hand him a beer. “You’ve got these for life from me, in my gratitude.”  Greg wanders closer and takes the beer, not sure where to start, so he figures he’ll go with the low-hanging fruit that Guerin already offered. “You said you and DeLuca broke up?” “Yeah,” Guerin admits, pressing his lips together as he looks away. “It’s complicated.” “It didn’t have anything to do with CrashCon, did it?” Greg feels the guilt creeping back in to sit on him like a weight, but Guerin scoffs and shakes his head. “You mean, does it have anything to do with what you did for me and Alex? No,” he says firmly. “No, I think we both realized that as much as we made each other happy, we didn’t make each other happiest. I wanted her to want the same things I did and she wanted the same, we just never met in the middle.” The breath Greg lets out feels like it untangles a knot in his stomach. “Good, cuz I’m not sure I was ready to deal with a broken relationship on top of the…” He can’t even say it. It dies in his throat. “I’m the reason my mother died.” Greg’s attention snaps up. “Uh,” he echoes, “From the files I read, I am 99% sure that my father’s torture of aliens is that reason.” After he’d shot Jesse, Alex had handed him boxes of files, probably to try and make him feel better about what he’d done. The thing is, it had, to a degree. “I’m the one who cracked the glass, set off the failsafe,” Michael says darkly. “You were protecting Alex. I was trying to get to my mother, and I got nothing out of it. What you did, Greg, it wasn’t a bad thing. He was an asshole and Alex isn’t sitting at home crying tears about this. I think,” he amends. “I guess Forrest knows better these days, huh,” is his quietly bitter remark. “Alex likes him.” “I know. It’s why I spend my nights drinking here and not at the Pony,” Guerin insists. “It’s his turn to have something and if we get another shot, I’m gonna take it, but I’m not ruining this one. Alex deserves happiness.” “He does,” Greg agrees, glad they’re aligned on that. “The things my father did to Alex when we were kids…” Guerin’s gone tight,  like he’s not sure he wants to hear what Greg has to say. He swallows, and then says, “What kind of things?” “There’s only a few years between all four of us. We all went to the same schools, knew the same people, and we all knew what Dad was doing to Alex after Mom left. We should have done more, we should have said something, we should have stood in the way. I told Alex that it’s time to let go of it, let other people carry it for him, and I meant it,” he insists, impassioned, “but....” But, what? But Greg hadn’t expected to become a murderer to do it? He hadn’t thought he’d have to kill his father to protect his baby brother? “You wondering how you’re gonna carry this?” Mute, Greg nods. “I don’t regret it,” he says firmly. “I think maybe that’s worse. I should feel bad. I should regret what I did, but I don’t. My father was a monster, and maybe Alex was the one who saw his worst face, but I only knew a fraction of what he did and I wanted to get away. I killed him to protect Alex.” “And me?” Guerin quips. “Alex,” Greg reiterates. “You dying at Jesse’s hand would’ve broken him, new boyfriend or not.” Guerin goes quiet, no witty retort ready for that. “Look, man, you’re probably one of the best people outside of Alex I know. I can tell you what not to do,” he admits. “I’m pretty much the best evidence of that. Don’t spiral into beer and whiskey. Don’t fuck your way through town. Don’t instigate every bar fight you can to end up locked in jail.” Those aren’t exactly things that had been on Greg’s to-do list, so he thinks he can handle it. “I don’t want to put this on Alex,” Greg admits. “You, me, and him. We’re the only ones who know what happened that night and he doesn’t need to hear about how I hate that I became a murderer to do the right thing.” “So don’t.” “What?” “Don’t put it on Alex,” Guerin says. “You said it. You, him, and me.” Greg stares at him in confusion past the flickering firelight. “What are you saying?” “I’m saying that I know what it’s like to have a burden on your shoulders that feels so heavy that you think it might break you. Like I said, I am the poster child for fucking it up, but I’m trying to put that behind me and maybe this is part of it.” Suddenly, Greg gets it. His laugh feels hollow, but only because he really didn’t expect this, of all things. “Drinking buddies,” he says, “where I can talk about how heavy the weight of killing my father feels.” “So long as you’re not complaining about the beer selection, I think I can give you an ear and advice based on years of doing the wrong thing.” Greg closes his eyes and there’s his father’s body on the ground, same as it always is his nightmares. Okay, then. Drinking and sharing buddies with his brother’s ex. There are weirder things in the world -- hell, there are weirder things in Roswell. Why not? “Start at the beginning?” Guerin gestures to him. “Start wherever you want, man. It’s your story.” Greg nods and when he finds his words, he starts by telling Guerin about the gun, the weight of it, and the relief when the smoke cleared. He talks about the blood, about all of it, and about seeing Alex’s face and the relief there that made it okay. He talks a lot, that night, until Guerin finds him a blanket and a lounger to crash on. It’s not all of it. It’s not going to instantly make it better, but it feels good to talk to someone else who’d been there. Maybe he doesn’t have to do this alone. Maybe he just needs to figure out how to carry this load. Here, in the junkyard, that’s where he’s going to start. 

#roswell new mexico #gregory manes #michael guerin #coping bros #fic #post-s2

[burntotears]

15 and 20 for the fic ask meme!

Fic Ask Game

15. A Hollywood producer tells you that they want to film just one of your fics. Which fic would you want it to be?

Oh, that's hard. I guess it would probably be days, months, years

It's so silly and fun and made my day back when I wrote it. Modern Magical AUs were always my favorite in the Merlin verse.

20. What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

Gregory Manes, hands down. I dunno what it is about him, but he's got a hand on my heart that won't let go. I want him in every story ever and I want him to have every great thing in the universe.

#portraitofemmy #(asks) #ask game #writing #fanfic #merlin #merthur #gregory manes deserves good things

[pastelwitchling]

I should be writing a novel, but this is the last season I’ll get to write my thoughts after each episode, and I’m depressed so I can do what I want. I have no idea how long this’ll be, but here they are; my thoughts on Roswell, New Mexico 4x01.

This actually might end up being a super short (and bitter) post (edit from future rin; it’s not) because it’s a wonder how much I don’t care about anyone but Alex, malex, and Kyle. I seriously don’t care what Liz is up to, I don’t care about Max and Jenna reuniting (actually, where’s the collaboration between Jenna, Kyle, and Alex? Where’s that team that we never got?), and I especially - especially - couldn’t care less about Maria losing her powers.

While we’re on that, actually, let me just get this out of the way; I don’t care who Maria sleeps with, just stay away from the Manes men. I don’t know how much clearer we as fans could’ve been about that woman and the Manes men, I don’t know how much more we could’ve argued against it, how much louder we had to be about how badly she needs redemption and not another boyfriend who worships the ground she walks on and who she will undoubtedly dump (especially after this thing with Dallas, who’s also too good for her) because strong female characters don’t get broken up with, right? They’re too perfect for that. I hope at least Gregory’s the one that ends things. He deserves that much. And I don’t care about her losing her powers. She used them in season 1 to identify what Alex was feeling, you know, one of her best friends who she knows was usually unhappy and without hope, and that hardly seemed to make a difference. Season 3 used her powers to give her more screen time than almost anyone, so what good are her powers exactly?

I can’t with Isobel and Anatsa, they don’t have a scrap of chemistry, it’s just so awkward to watch. They feel like actors playing a part, and I just don’t ship them. Also, I really dislike that Isobel had given up her event planning business. I loved that as a female character in the first season, she was allowed to be arrogant, caught up with herself sometimes, fashionable, stylistic, and still be such a kind person with a good heart who protected the people she loved. It was such a great contrast to her character which is usually written as stereotypically selfish, but it showed that female characters can be fashionable and a little self-centered and care about aesthetic but also be kind and loveable. I just think that as a female character, she was a lot cooler and more groundbreaking in the first season.

I hope Kyle and Isobel get together quickly. They have actual chemistry, and they just look good together.

I loved Alex, Kyle, and Eduardo all working together, planning. I love that it’s kylex together on this serious stuff, doing the real work behind the scenes. I just hope that, unlike in the last season, this time Alex isn’t left out of the climax with the excuse that he was working on some important stuff in the background. Not this time, please.

I can already see where this plot is going. They’ve already mentioned Michael feeling a connection to Bonnie and Clyde (God willing, please no more threesomes in this show, final season or not, let’s just put that out into the world, no more of them), and undercover work. Before the episode aired, I thought it would be Alex going undercover with an evil version of Deep Sky or something, but now I can see that it’ll be Michael going undercover to find out what Bonnie and Clyde are planning, and then that challenges him and Alex (hopefully while they stay together). I’m hoping, and I’ll love to write it at some point, that the triad ends up taking Alex because he was the only one that ever figured out the Lockhart Machine that had called them in the first place, and they threaten him, and that’s what gets Michael to fight back and expose himself. Or they take Alex after they expose Michael, to get Michael to do what they want, or they threaten Michael to get Alex to do what they want. I think Bonnie and Clyde are going to be good people who do the right thing in the end, and I just hope that what changes their view of humanity is Alex and Michael’s love for each other. I hope that’s where the show goes, but we’ll see. As long as Alex and Michael face whatever comes as a couple, and stay together.

Dallas is a freaking breath of fresh air. Michael needs a friend like him, and I’m glad he has one, someone who’ll just tell him he’s afraid and reassure him. I just love that man. Finally someone other than Max who can talk to Michael about Alex, who makes Michael confront his obvious feelings for Alex. Not much more to say on that other than; I love Dallas, and Michael should just go to him and Max from now on when he has trouble with his feelings as oppose to . . . anyone else.

Michael is gorgeous, of course, I just really wish we got more of Alex and Michael together amongst their friends, you know? I wish we got to see the dynamic of them as a couple and Michael’s siblings, Alex’s siblings, their friends. Not just them together in private when a scene allows it. I want to see them as a couple around people.

Alex is my precious captain, he’s the reason I watch, the reason I continue to watch, and the very idea of losing him brings me to tears even now as I write this, but that’s for later, I know.

I feel weird saying it was a great episode considering how much I really don’t care about anyone but Alex, malex, and Kyle, but it was a great episode where they’re concerned.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #roswell new mexico #rnm thoughts #rnm 4x01 #rnm spoilers #anti maria deluca #anti isobel x anatsa #I guess? Just in case #kyle valenti

[nellie-elizabeth]

Roswell, New Mexico: Steal My Sunshine (4x01)

Y'all I'm so happy to have new content of this show! Over the past couple of months my brain has been completely overtaken by this crazy world and delightful characters. I hopped on board just in time to experience the final season week to week. Let's jump in!

Cons:

I thought this was a very strong premiere and set up a lot of the various dynamics that I want to see more of moving forward. I will say that the actual alien-related plots on this show are never all that gripping to me when they stray away from direct connections to our leads... so, I'm interested in Nora and Jones because of the pod squad, I'm interested in Project Shepherd because of Alex... but when you have these new characters and the Alighting and all that stuff, my brain does tend to wander a bit. It's not bad, it's just par for the course with a genre show like this. I guess what I'm saying is that none of this stuff is why I tune in, so it'll never be my favorite!

I was really excited about the Hatch Day group scenes, and then it ended up being so brief, our characters splintering off into different directions right away. I liked what we got, but it was too little. And no Alex, no Kyle at the party... one of my big hopes for this season is that we'll get at least a couple times of the gang hanging out and vibing together. We virtually never get to see that. For a lot of the show, and especially last season, Alex was especially banished from group scenes. I suspect actor availability was a factor there, but in any case, I wanted Alex to be at Hatch Day! Jeez.

I don't hate the idea of Maria and Dallas, but I'd like to lodge a formal complaint on behalf of Gregory Manes, who deserves the whole world! I don't want him to get his heart broken here. Adorable that he's off at grad school, though, good for him!

Pros:

When I really love a show I have a hard time keeping myself organized, and end up just listing every little thing that happens in the whole episode, so I'm going to try real hard to avoid that and take it subplot by sublot.

To start with, as much as I'm not as interested in the bank robbing aliens and the Alighting and all that, it was a super nice treat to see Cam again! I love her so much. It was so cute to see her and Max on the case together, and her encouragement of Max and Liz's relationship was wonderful. I love that this show doesn't go in for cheap characters who are only there to stir up the drama. Cam says "I love you" to Max in this episode, but it's the warm love of friendship, of someone who wants to be there for the wedding and cheer you on.

Maria's subplot in this episode is setting up some potentially interesting drama for later on. The good news is, her brain degeneration seems to be cured! The moment where Liz, Kyle, and Maria all shared a group hug was honestly so sweet. Would love to see more friendship energy this season. But Maria may be losing her psychic gift entirely, as the consequence for no longer being sick. I thought the Maria drama this year would be centered around her illness, the way her powers were killing her, so I'm pleasantly surprised to see this plot twist. Maria has tied a lot of her identity into her psychic abilities, so seeing her try to deal with that loss is bound to be fascinating.

Dallas played a bit of a supporting role this week, giving advice to various characters, but I did think his vibes with Maria were sweet. They're playing a game of virtual chess, he's bringing her an umbrella, he's working on his water powers... all very sweet and quaint and lovely. I'm happy to see more of Dallas!

Isobel and Anatsa... okay, I'm definitely on board the Kyle/Isobel train, but I'm not going to lie, these two are a pretty cute couple. They have that giddy energy to them, where they've been together long enough to start to really know one another, but there's still a lot of newness to it. The "I love you" moment, and Isobel's shocked, pleased reaction, was really cute, as was her running to the Hatch Day party and hiding the alien theme. She's trying to work up the nerve to tell the big secret. I hope we get to know Anatsa a little more on her own terms. There's a cute energy here, but she hasn't really been developed much in her own right.

Kyle, the poor thing, spends this episode working too hard. His uncle actually has to shoo him out of Deep Sky and tell him to go to the party. Things don't exactly go well for him once he's there, though, as Isobel ends up asking him for advice about Anatsa. Poor thing! I enjoy a good old fashioned pining every now and then, and Kyle's love for Isobel is really sweet. Isobel even tells him she loves him, although she clearly means it platonically.

Now let's turn to our actual leading lady and gentleman! Honestly, Max and Liz are too cute for words in this episode. There were so many moments to talk about, I don't even know where to start. Liz is so good as a teacher, it's a beautiful progression of her love of science and knowledge. The couch thing was funny, redecorating the house together was great... Max getting Abuela's ring from Arturo punched me right in the feels!

I also just like that this story had a bit of drama and stress but that Liz and Max are honestly in a good place with one another. It would have felt exhausting and unnecessary to have them immediately fall apart, after all the work we've seen them do to get to such a healthy place. So yeah, Max's proposal attempts are thwarted, and then Liz cuts him off before he can actually do it. They talk about how maybe it's not quite the right time, that Liz is still nervous about what catastrophe might strike them next. Max admits he's been trying to compartmentalize because he wanted them to just be happy and normal together. So it's agreed that Liz will say yes when Max decides to ask again. That's honestly perfect! I know in fiction it's often a big surprise when someone proposes, but I always think for a real relationship, you should absolutely have already talked about getting married before the actual asking occurs.

Meanwhile Michael and Alex are having their own relationship stresses, and let me tell you I kind of died of happiness when I saw Alex giving Michael his very own key with a little alien on the keychain... stahp it, so cute. Great acting in that scene, there was a lot of vulnerability and nerves and a bit of awkwardness between them as they make this next step. You could just see that Michael was pretty overwhelmed with the prospect of Alex clearing out the closet for him, and saying "everything here is yours." Meanwhile Alex is clearly very excited about it but I think he's also trying a little too hard to make it special and good and right. When Michael inadvertently breaks the model Gazebo that Alex had built with his mom, he spirals pretty hard.

Not to go on a total tangent about Malex here, but this show really does do such an excellent job of making the drama and tensions in its romantic couples feel grounded and real. Michael's nerves and insecurities haven't popped up out of nowhere to cause problems. We know about Michael's past, we know his insecurities around being abandoned. We've seen time and again how he'll do anything for the people he loves, and how he feels he needs to earn his keep, earn his place in people's lives. When he tells Max that he always felt "feral and undomesticated" when he stayed at the Evans's house, that's a stark reminder that Michael has literally never had a house of his own. That letting go of the Airstream, joining his life with Alex's, it's a huge, big, scary step. They love each other, but that's not enough on its own.

Props to Alex for handling the situation really well. He understood Michael's insecurities for what they were, and managed to reassure him and tell him he's wanted and appreciated. I love how all-in Alex is for Michael. Honestly just super proud of both of them for working out their issues in words and not letting things fester. I just want them to be happy!

A few other things I want to tease out: I noticed just a lot of really great "men being open about their emotions" content in this episode. You've got Michael and Dallas, with their shared connection of growing up in the system. Dallas giving Michael advice about Alex was so lovely! Then there's Max and Michael, openly talking about the next steps they'll be taking with their partners. The cutest moment was Max getting all nervous and asking Michael "think she'll say no?" and Michael just immediately saying "oh, buddy, she'll say yes." They had such a sweet brotherly energy together, it's like they've really gotten back to a good place with one another at last! You've got Arturo giving Max a sort of joking shovel talk as he hands over the ring and his blessing... you've got Max talking about Liz with Cam, Arturo talking to Liz about her feelings and her choices... I loved every minute of it!

So there you have it. Obviously I'm hugely obsessed with the Michael/Alex stuff already, and can only hope we get some cute domestic moments between the two of them before disaster inevitably strikes. We've got magic alien rain falling from the sky, bank robbers causing problems, and lots of potential relationship drama to come! I'm hyped!

8/10

#review #roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico review #rnm review

[litwitlady]

Michael and Alex have been back together for two weeks. Two weeks of long conversations late into the night, entire days spent naked in bed, and not once returning a single phone call from any of their friends or family.

In fact, no one even knows they are in town much less reunited. Alex claimed a recruiting trip. Michael told Isobel he was going camping out-of-state to chart the stars for some such very important calculation. Total bullshit. But she didn’t suspect a thing.

For the record, Isobel absolutely suspected a thing.

But tonight, they are both due home. Alex has plans to meet up with Liz and Kyle at the Pony. And Isobel has called an emergency family meeting – also at the Pony. Michael knows the ‘emergency’ is nothing more than her need to wax poetic about Gregory Manes. And to cheer Max up because he and Liz can’t seem to work their shit out. Michael is the ‘moral support’.

So, Michael and Alex face a predicament. To tell or not to tell. The intimate little bubble they’ve shielded themselves behind for the past two weeks has been pure bliss. But that can’t last much longer.

There’s risk stepping outside – a one horse town that can’t seem to mind its own business, the possibility of ex-lovers around every corner, and the pressures of expectation and scrutiny from everyone they love. Bed sounds so much better.

But reality beckons and won’t be denied.

They spend too much time getting dressed. Or, well, they spend too much time getting dressed and then undressed. Isobel has already left several pointed text messages on Michael’s abandoned phone. Not that he can be bothered what with Alex’s pretty pink mouth sliding up and down his cock. Isobel can wait. Liz and Kyle can wait. The whole fucking planet can wait.

After Michael has thoroughly returned the favor, they begrudgingly climb into Alex’s Explorer. ‘So, are we telling or not?’

Michael considers. ‘I like having you all to myself.’

‘Me too.’ They smile at each other like idiots and Alex almost runs off the road.

The Pony’s sign blinks in the distance. ‘Isobel’s gonna know as soon as she sees me, though. Five bucks she’ll use the word glowing.’

Alex pulls into the dusty parking lot. ‘Well, she wouldn’t be wrong. I do have that effect on you.’

Michael snorts. ‘You’re getting awfully cocky, these days.’

‘Play your cards right and I’ll show you just how cocky later tonight.’ He leans across the console and tugs Michael to him. They aren’t the first and they won’t be the last couple to make out in the Pony’s lot before the night ends. But they are the first to draw an audience.

Several hands pound against the Explorer’s windows and Michael nearly bites Alex’s tongue off. He checks for blood while Michael takes in his surroundings. Isobel, Max, Kyle, Liz, and Maria are all circled around the car. Each of them with hands on hips.

‘Huh. Guess that’s that then.’ Michael opens his door and climbs out. Alex follows.

Isobel welcomes Michael with a whap over the head. His curls are too thick to feel it much. ‘You’re an hour and a half late, Michael! I called an emergency meeting. What if someone had died?’

‘Um, well if they were already dead then what was I supposed to do? Other than move the body, of course.’ He smirks. ‘Besides, I had a good reason.’

‘Fucking your boyfriend isn’t a good reason, Michael.’ She crosses her arms over her chest. ‘Especially when that’s all you’ve been doing the past two weeks, anyway.’

Michael’s mouth drops. He cuts his eyes towards Alex who shrugs his shoulders sheepishly. Looks back at his sister. ‘I was in the desert star-gazing, Isobel.’

If looks could kill, as the saying goes.

Liz interrupts, hugging Alex. ‘What Isobel means to say is that we’re so happy for you two. You deserved some time to reconnect.’ She hugs Michael next. Whispers in his ear. ‘You be good to each other, Mikey.’

Maria claps her hands. ‘Drinks are on the house. Tonight, we celebrate friends, family, and love. Tonight, we celebrate each other.’ They all shuffle back inside. Isobel links her arm through Michael’s, an apology. Kyle claps Alex on the back. Max and Liz tentatively wrap their arms around each other.

Alex reaches back for Michael’s hand. They are happy. They are surrounded by their family. And finally, they are home.

#malex #malex fic #fluff and stuff #let them be happy

[pendragonsandbuckleys]

statues of saints in somebody else's religion

Summary: It had been two months since his father’s death and all Alex wanted was just one day where he didn’t have to think about him, but somehow it had been quite hard to block the man from his memory once the town so graciously erected a statue of his likeness.

Word Count: 1,620

[Also on AO3]

It had been two months since his father’s death and all Alex wanted was just one day where he didn’t have to think about him, but somehow it had been quite hard to block the man from his memory once the town so graciously erected a statue of his likeness.

It stood tall and proud in the park across the street from the Crashdown Cafe, the dignified military uniform and harsh lines of his face forever carved into the stone. It even had it’s own little plaque to ensure that the world knew of Master Sergeant Jesse Manes’ noble sacrifice at the night of the carnival tragedy.

Alex had read the words more times than he cared to admit over the past few months, in fact he had definitely stopped in front of the effigy far more than his father deserved. He didn’t know why he kept being drawn to it but he was starting to think that maybe he would never fully be free of the man.

As he traced his father’s features with his eyes, he felt the presence of someone standing close by. They didn’t say anything for a few moments, but Alex didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

“You know I could destroy it, if you want? Wouldn’t even have to lift a finger, just oops, looks like the statue fell over.”

“Let’s not have you reveal your powers by breaking the statue of the one person who wanted to out your species in the first place.” Alex said disapprovingly, unable to hide the glint of amusement in his eyes as he glanced over to his right.

Michael couldn’t help the playful smirk that graced his face but it quickly fell as Alex turned back to continue his scrutiny.

“You okay? Just, you’ve been standing here staring at it for like twenty minutes.”

He took a small step closer to Alex, sighing under his breath as he noticed the black marks forming under his eyes.

Since Jesse’s death, Alex had been thriving. He was happier and lighter and his newly formed relationship with Forrest was doing wonders for his confidence. Even just having his brother around more seemed to lift his spirits, but it was clear that the events of CrashCon, and even the kidnapping prior to that, still affected him sometimes. He’d show up to group lunches at the Crashdown or nights out at the Wild Pony looking like he hadn’t slept properly in days.

And Michael knew that as strong as Alex was, it was going to be tough on him. It had been tough on all of them, but witnessing your own father’s murder - no matter how deserved it was - wasn't something you move past easily.

“They could have put it somewhere better.” Alex replied after a moment, his eyes not leaving the statue. “You know, like the middle of the desert where I don’t have to walk past it almost every day.”

Michael’s huff of laughter did not go unnoticed as Alex cracked a small smile of his own in return.

Their relationship over the years may have been a winding rollercoaster of ups and downs, fast turns and false starts, but little moments like these still made Michael’s heart flutter. How at home it felt to be in each other’s presence and how that warm feeling still bubbled up in his chest every time he got to witness that smile.

It’s why he had been so tempted to obliterate the statue each time he saw it. Anything to help put the smile back on Alex’s face.

“He doesn’t deserve this.” Alex shook his head gently. “He doesn’t deserve having people come and stand in front of it or tourists stopping to read all about the town’s precious ‘fallen hero’.”

Alex’s brow furrowed as he thought yet again about the type of man that his father was, of all the pain that he had caused, of the legacy that he had left behind. The legacy that even now, Alex still felt connected to, still felt like he had to work hard to fully rid himself of.

“He hurt so many people and no one will ever know. They’ll never know the truth about the homophobic, abusive, malicious asshole they’ve decided to commemorate.”

“I know,” Michael replied gently, saying no more. As infrequently as it happened, he could always tell when Alex needed to unload. He had quickly learnt years ago that it was best to let him get everything off his chest all in one go or he would easily change his mind and bottle it all up again.

“And yet, recently when I walk past it, I miss him. I mean, I don’t miss-, it’s not-, I don’t-” Alex took a slow breath and tried to find the right words, “I don’t know what it is.”

“It’s grief, Alex.” Michael replied easily, almost jumping when Alex whipped his head round to stare in disbelief.

“It’s not-, I’m not-. He wasn’t a good man Guerin.” Alex stated firmly, though it was unclear if he was reminding Michael or himself of that fact.

“Hey, I don’t disagree with you.” Michael held his hands up in mock surrender. “But he was still your dad and even if you’re not grieving the man he was, you’re probably still grieving the man he could have been, whether you realise it or not.”

The crease between Alex’s eyebrows formed again as the confusion filled his face once more. “What are you talking about?”

Michael wanted nothing more than to reach up and gently smooth out the wrinkle and rid Alex of all the uncertainty he was feeling. He’d rid him of all the pain entirely if he could. But nothing was ever that simple. And not even death could stop Jesse Manes from hurting his son.

“He was never a good father to you, but he could have been. Some little part of your brain is clinging onto what might have been, how he might have changed and become the man you’d always hoped he would become.”

“He was never going to change.” Alex muttered bitterly, his eyes boring holes into Jesse’s own.

“No. But that doesn’t stop you from still searching for the good in him, even now.”

Alex couldn’t hold back his self deprecating huff of laughter, “It’s dumb.”

“No, it’s what I love about you.” Michael replied without thinking, only realising what he’d just said as he noticed the blush rapidly making its way up Alex’s cheeks.

He turned his head away as he ran his fingers through his mess of curls, feeling strangely embarrassed all of a sudden.

As comfortable as they were with each other, it was still hard sometimes to know what their boundaries were. To know how far they were allowed to go with their sweetness and sentimentality considering one of them is in a relationship and the other is trying to give them the space they deserve.

It also felt somewhat exposing, yet oddly defiant to be having this conversation standing in front of Jesse’s statue.

“That’s who you are, Alex.” Michael shrugged with a smile, “I think we both learnt the hard way that that’s not gonna change.”

Alex rolled his eyes but it was clear that he understood how true Michael’s statement was. He didn’t really want to think about the most recent trouble he had gotten into because of his belief in humanity but he couldn’t deny that it was a part of him.

“I thought I’d gotten over it. When he died this huge weight was lifted from me. A weight I didn’t even fully realise was there until it was gone. It felt so good, but now I just feel like he’s haunting me.”

“Look, everything that happened with your father that night was a mess. A big old complicated mess that you - and Gregory - were stuck in the middle of. That man will never deserve the faith that you put in him, but it’s still gonna take you a minute to sort out all your feelings about it.”

Alex looked at him with a wide grin and a disbelieving twinkle in his eye, “When did you get so wise?”

“Oh you haven’t heard? It’s my most recently developed alien power.”

Alex’s eyes crinkled as he laughed and for the first time since stopping at the statue that day he turned his back on it and faced Michael completely.

It was such an innocent sight and if Jesse hadn’t have been intruding in the background, it would have been perfect. The slight breeze that had picked up was gently ruffling his hair and the way the sun hit his skin gave it a golden tone that only seemed to make his smile glow brighter.

It was angelic.

And as selfish as it was, Michael wanted to make the moment last a little while longer.

“Do you wanna maybe grab some lunch at the Crashdown? I’ve probably got some more wisdom rolling around in my brain if you still need it.” Michael gestured with a tilt of his head to the cafe behind them.

“Oh, I can’t,” Alex replied guiltily, brushing away the strands of hair that had fallen in front of his eyes, “I’m meeting Forrest in a bit.”

Michael chose to ignore the pang of jealousy the statement caused, instead giving Alex a gentle smile and an encouraging nod.

“Thank you though, for offering.” Alex continued, his gratitude sincere.

“Anytime. That also goes for my other offer. If you ever want that thing gone, just let me know.”

Alex smiled again, the blush still sitting prettily on his cheeks, “I may take you up on that one day.”

#roswell new mexico #alex manes #michael guerin #malex #alex manes fic #michael guerin fic #malex fic #my fic

[jule1122]

Malex Fic - There is Beauty in a Failure

@prouvaireafterdark asked for headcanons about how Greg found out about Alex and Michael.  I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and since I am obsessed with Michael talking about his feelings for Alex, we ended up with this.

Post Season 2, but diverges after 2x12 since I haven’t seen the finale.  Assume everyone makes it out of CrashCon alive.

Title from “Black Sun” by Death Cab for Cutie

There is Beauty in a Failure on AO3

Summary: “Why are you here, Greg,” Michael repeats his question from earlier because it’s clear Greg is here to see him as much as he is to see Alex.  “You’re ten years too late for a shovel talk.”

“Two of whatever he’s drinking.”

Michael looks up from the beer bottle he’d been toying with.  He can’t think of anyone who would be buying him a drink without an ulterior motive.  Seeing Gregory Manes sitting next to him doesn’t make him any less suspicious.  He’d seen Greg twice in the last ten years, and neither of those had been social occasions.  Random visits from Manes other than Alex rarely end well.

“What are you doing here, Greg?”

“Same as you.”

“Awfully long way to drive for a drink.”

“Alex is singing tonight, isn’t he?”

Michael makes a noncommittal noise and looks away.  Alex has been to open mic night every week since CrashCon, but Michael’s at the Pony a lot more often than that.  The silence stretches between them, and there’s no way Michael can do this for another hour so he figures he might as well get some answers.  “Why did you do it?  Step in front of the gun?” He adds as though Greg might not know what he means.

“You did the same for Alex once.  Got between him and Dad, tried to protect him.”

“A lot of good that did,” Michael snorts.

“It’s more than I ever did,” Greg’s expression is carefully blank.  “Took the chance to return the favor.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Alex told me.”

“Alex?”  Michael shakes his head.  “Alex told you about the shed, about me?  I didn’t think he ever talked about me; I was always his big secret.”

“Alex has a lot of secrets. He learned young to hide anything that mattered to him, or Dad would destroy it.  I don’t think what happened to you did anything to change his mind.”

Michael sucks in a breath, but doesn’t say anything.  It’s not like he doesn’t know Jesse was abusive long before he met Alex, but Alex never talked about it, and Michael never wanted to think about it.

“He called me before he enlisted,” Greg continues.  “He wanted my opinion.  I told him to get away from Dad and this town any way he could. That’s when he told me he had someone here.  Someone he loved.”

Greg waits, but Michael remains silent, slowing tearing the label off his beer bottle in careful strips.

“He said you were supposed to go away together, but he’d ruined it.  That’s when he told me what Dad did to you.  He said you changed after that, and he couldn’t watch you ruin your life knowing it was his fault.”

“It wasn’t him.  Alex was the one good thing in my life.”

“I only know what he told me.  He thought leaving would be best for both of you.”

“He wanted to learn to win battles,” Michael says, sharing what Alex told him.

Greg signals for another drink.  “He didn’t tell me your name then.”

“You figure that out on your own?”  Michael can’t think of any way Greg would have made that leap.

“No,” Greg laughs.  “Alex never gave me enough information to even guess.  It wasn’t until after he was hurt.  I went to see him as soon as I could, and one of the nurses asked me if I knew who Michael was.  She said Alex was asking for him.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” Michael is holding his temper by a thread.  If Alex wanted him there, he would have found a way.  Instead, Alex was left thinking he didn’t care. He wants to break every glass in the bar, but he doesn’t.

“Alex told me not to.  He said you’d be long gone, and you didn’t deserve to have your life disrupted.”

“I would have come,” Michael leans forward into Greg’s space.

“Maybe,” Greg holds his gaze calmly until Michael backs down.  “Roswell is a small town.  Didn’t take long to find out you were still here and in no position to be of any use to Alex.”

“Hey,” Michael starts to protest.

“Alex had just lost his leg and watched most of his unit die in front of him.  He was in a bad place, and nothing like the boy you remembered.  I’ve seen good marriages end, and families destroyed after things like that happen.  I wasn’t risking Alex’s recovery on some guy who spent more nights in the drunk tank then his own bed.  And I wasn’t telling him that his leaving did nothing to help you get his life together.”

“Remind me again why you stepped between me and a loaded gun,” Michael laughs bitterly.

“We talked a lot while I was there.  Maybe it was the pain meds or maybe Alex just didn’t feel like he had a reason to hide, but it was the closest I ever got to him.  Just because I didn’t think you were good for him then, doesn’t mean it wasn’t clear that you loved each other and that you made him happy.”

Michael sighs.  He always hated hiding his relationship with Alex.  But now that he has a chance to talk about it, he doesn’t know what to say.  Using his feelings as a weapon against Jesse and Flint was one thing, but no one has ever told him that what he had with Alex was good or right.  He doesn't know what to do with that.

“We lost touch again after that.  But when I heard he was coming back to Roswell, I hoped”

“What?” Michael cuts him off.  “We’d see each other across a crowded room, fall into each other’s arms and live happily ever after?  Michael doesn’t even try to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

“Something like that,” Greg smiles, but his smile fades quickly.  “Then he told me he was bringing you to the rez, and I was really curious to see you together.  He told me you weren’t a couple, but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting to see Maria DeLuca hanging off your arm.”

“Don’t,” Michael immediately comes to Maria’s defense.  “Maria didn’t do anything wrong.  Alex and I haven’t been together in a long time.  She loves Alex; she would never do anything to hurt him.”

“Never said she did,” Greg says mildly.  “Alex made all of that very clear, and he’s never had a single bad word to say about Maria. He loves her too, but that doesn’t mean seeing the two of you together doesn’t hurt.  I know what Alex looks like when he’s bleeding on the inside.”

“Jesus,” Michael rubs his eyes.  “You don’t pull any punches, do you.”

Greg shrugs.  “Alex is the best of us.  I think Dad always saw that too.  He knew Alex couldn’t be twisted into his version of a Manes Man, so he turned on him instead.  He made Alex’s life a living hell, and I stood by and watched it happen.  Alex deserved better from me.”

“Why are you here, Greg,” Michael repeats his question from earlier because it’s clear Greg is here to see him as much as he is to see Alex.  “You’re ten years too late for a shovel talk.”

“I’m too late for a lot of things where Alex is concerned,” Greg says with regret before continuing.  “The Air Force offered Alex a transfer with a promotion.  It’s a good opportunity.”

Michael tries not to panic.  “Alex didn’t reenlist for his career.  He has things to do here.”

“Might be easier to destroy into Project Sheppard where no one else is looking.”

Michael looks over at Greg sharply.  “Guess you know more about the family business than I thought you did.  So what, is this your way of telling me to let him go?”

“I don’t know, maybe.  You and Maria seemed happy at the rez. You deserve a chance to see where that goes.  And Alex deserves a chance to find happiness without the past staring him in the face.”

“But?”

“But, you built a bomb for him.  No questions, no back up plan, you built a bomb to keep him safe.  And I saw his face when you were in danger.  I don’t know what any of that means, but you both deserve a chance to find out.  Maybe this time it’s your opinion he needs before he makes a decision.”

Michael waves the bartender over.  “Another one for my friend here.  Nice seeing you, Greg.  Never thought I’d say that to one of Alex’s brothers.”  He pushes his hat back and stands up.

“You’re not staying for the show?” Greg nods toward the stage.

“Not tonight, but you enjoy.  Alex always kills it,” he turns and leaves before Greg can respond.

Michael spends a restless night trying to process what Greg told him.  He goes to Maria the next morning.  It’s both easier and harder than he expects to end their relationship.  Harder because he really likes the person he is with her, and she brings so much light into his life.  It’s easier, though, because they both know it’s been slowly ending since CrashCon.  In the aftermath, it’s become clear that they have priorities that will always outrank each other, and they are more invested in their friendship than their romantic relationship.  He’s more relieved than he can say that he won’t lose Maria as a friend.  

It takes him another two weeks to figure out what he wants to say to Alex.  He forgets half of it when Alex opens the door.  He’s wearing a faded T-shirt from some band Michael’s never heard of and sweatpants knotted where his prosthetic usually is.  He must have just showered because his hair is still damp, and Michael swears he can smell his shampoo.  He wants to pull him into his arms and never let go.

“Everything ok, Guerin,” Alex asks when he just stands there, staring at him.

“Yeah, you got a minute?”

“Sure,” Alex waves him in.  “You want a beer?”

“I’ll get it,”  Michael heads to the kitchen and grabs a few beers.  When he comes into the living room, he sits next to Alex on the couch ignoring the raised brow Alex gives him for bypassing the chair.

“So.” Now that he's here, Michael doesn’t know where to start.  “Greg came to hear you sing.”

“Yeah, but how did you know that?  You weren’t there,” Alex looks puzzled.  “You haven’t been there the last few weeks.”

“You noticed,” Michael smiles, pleased despite the unimpressed look Alex gives him.  “Just giving Maria some space.  She tell you we broke up?”

Alex nods, “Are you ok?”

“I’m good, we’re both good.  Still friends which is what matters.  But Maria has her eye on someone new so I’m trying not to cramp her style.”

Alex rolls his eyes, “I think we’re past the point where either of them would even notice you were there.”

“Good to know,” Michael laughs.  “I guess I’ll be back for open mic night.  At least as long as you’ll be there.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Michael knows this is his chance.  “Greg told me about the transfer.”

“Michael,” Alex looks away.  “I haven’t”

“I know you haven’t given them an answer yet,” Michael interrupts.  “I need you to know something before you decide.” “What?”

“Ask me again,” Michael knows he doesn’t need to be more specific.  Alex understands.

“You said no.”

“That’s why you need to ask me again.”

Alex closes his eyes, and Michael can see this is hurting him.  He hates it, but he also knows it’s the only way Alex will believe him so he waits.

“If I leave Roswell, will you come with me?”  Alex opens his eyes again, and Michael aches at the pain he sees there.

“Yes.”

“Just like that?” Alex asks in disbelief.  “You’ll leave Max and Isobel, your job, your life to come with me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you.  I know we’ve both been afraid to say it, but I still love you Alex.  And I know you love me too,” he takes Alex's hand because he can’t not touch him any longer.  “I don’t want to lose you again.”

“And in two months, when we’re halfway across the country going to work and paying bills and doing laundry, are you still going to want me?”

“Hell yes.  Alex that’s all I want, to make you dinner and fall asleep watching Netflix with you.  Maybe get a dog.”

“It can’t be that easy.”

“It is that easy.  That’s where we fucked up.  We got so caught up in the drama and the big gestures you know.  Alien conspiracies, dramatic confessions with alarms blaring, alien ships, you reenlisting, all our families tangled up history, the bomb.  We forgot what it was like to just be together, how we felt playing music for each other, making out in the back of my truck, even those couple of days in the airstream.  We are good together Alex; we make each other happy.  The rest of it isn’t us.  Odds are some one will be pointing a gun at us next week or we’ll find out some new horrifying secret from the past, but we can’t let that matter more than how we feel about each other.”

“And what if I decide to stay here?”

“Pretty sure they have dogs and Netflix in Roswell,” Michael teases now that he can see Alex is starting to believe him.  “I’ll be in the front row of every open mic night bragging about my hot, talented boyfriend.  And we’ll have dinner at the Crashdown and piss everybody off with how happy we are.  I don’t care about the where, Alex, I just want to be with you.”

“I do love you,” Alex says, eyes shining with tears.

“I know, that’s why I built you a bomb.”

“Next time try flowers,” Alex laughs.

“So we’re doing this?”  Michael wants to be sure.

Alex’s smile is all the answer he needs, but he still lets out a relieved breath when Alex says, “Yes.”

“Can I kiss you now?”  Michael inches closer to Alex in anticipation.

“Please,” Alex sounds as eager as he feels.

Alex is the one to lean forward and bring the lips together.  Michael moans into the kiss, opening his mouth and sucking on Alex’s bottom lip.  Alex’s hands are in his hair, and Michael can’t get close enough.  He lays back on the couch, pulling Alex with him, his weight a reminder that this is real.  He gentles the kiss, stroking his hands down Alex’s back.  He doesn’t want to rush now, not when they finally have time.

Minutes or hours later, he holds Alex in his arms, tracing random patterns on his skin as they both start to fall asleep.  

“Tell me about our dog,” Alex mumbles into his chest.

Michael tightens his arms around Alex and kisses the top of his head.  “I heard you like beagles.”

#malex fic #rnm malex #my #rnm fic #My fic