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meggie-jolly · 4 months

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Best Friend's Boyfriend's Cousin - A RNM Malex Fanfic

Happy Holidays @bloggingbisexually! Here is your @rnm-secret-santa gift, I hope you enjoy it. It's a canon divergent AU where Michael never went back to Roswell and didn't meet Max and Isobel again until after High School. So Michael and Alex never met and when Alex plans to move to New York to pursue his music, Liz and Max think it would be a great idea to move in with Michael, who is in New York to go to NYU. As far as Alex knows, Michael is a cousin of Max and Isobel who they found through one of those DNA test kits and databank. I hope this fluffy roommate AU is to your liking, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Read it on AO3 (The formatting doesn't really translate onto Tumblr, so I recommend reading it on AO3)

“This is a terrible idea. I don’t even know this guy.”

“You don’t know anyone in New York. At least you know someone who knows him.”

“To be honest I barely know Max and Isobel, so it's more that I know someone who knows someone who knows him." Alex argued. "And what if I don’t get along with him? Then that will be much more awkward than if he was a random stranger with no connection to me or anyone I know.”

Liz rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, give him a chance. Where else are you going to find a roommate that already has an apartment lined up?”

Alex sighed, he didn’t like the idea of living with some relative of Liz’ boyfriend. It seemed too complicated and there was just something off about the whole situation. This Michael guy Liz wanted him to live with was supposedly a long lost cousin that Max and his sister had found through one of those online DNA test kits a few months ago and that they were just getting to know each other now. Michael was about to move to NewYork because he had a scholarship for an engineering program and was looking for a roommate. Alex was planning to move to New York as well to pursue his music and Liz, Isobel and Max had gotten it in their heads that that was the perfect coincidence and meant Alex and Michael should be roommates. Alex was not convinced and he had no idea what Michael thought about the whole idea.

“What if he turns out to be a homophobic dick?” Alex asked in an attempt to convince Liz that this wasn’t the perfect idea she thought it was.

“Iz and Max know you’re gay. They wouldn’t recommend him as your roommate if he’s gonna have a problem with your sexuality.”

"Do they even know him well enough to know how he feels about queer people?"

Liz looked a little uncomfortable, "I think so."

Alex just raised an eyebrow at her in response and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, as if you would know if a complete stranger you found on the internet was homophobic or not."

Alex was about to reply, but Maria, who had been silently following their conversation for a while interrupted him. "Stop arguing you two. You both have good points, but honestly Alex, Liz is right, your chances in finding a good roommate in New York from a distance aren't any better than taking a chance on Max' cousin. Just ask for his contact info and set up a meeting or a call or something before you agree to live with him."

With a sigh Alex agreed, “I guess, but I’m blaming you two if this goes wrong. You four, actually.”

Liz grinned and pulled out her phone to get the contact details from Max. “I have a good feeling about this, so I’ll take that risk.”

“Nope, stop. One of you with psychic feelings is enough,” Alex said with a groan which Liz and Maria only laughed at.

Max replied with Michael’s contact information soon after and even though it took Alex a few days, he eventually reached out to Michael. They didn’t end up meeting, but they texted back and forth for a bit and had a short conversation over the phone. The convenience of it all won out in the end and Alex agreed to share the small two bedroom apartment that Michael had lined up in New York.

A little less than a month later Alex arrived in New York. He'd been there only once before when Mimi had agreed to take him, Liz and Maria after they had saved up for it for months when they had been 15. They had gone to an open mic thing at a small coffee shop/bar place that Alex still wasn't sure three 15 year olds should have been allowed in, but Mimi had known someone there and gotten them in. It was that night that Alex' dream to someday be a musician in New York had been born and now it would finally become a reality. Hopefully.

He pulled out the key that Max had given him on behalf of Michael and opened the door to the apartment building. Michael had texted earlier that he was out and that Alex should just make himself at home, he would be back later and bring pizza.

Alex was actually pretty relieved that he had the first few hours to himself. He walked up the multiple flights of stairs to the apartment, glad that he only had a backpack, a duffel bag and a suitcase. Apparently there were perks to having so little stuff to call his own.

He unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside of his new home.

After exploring the apartment and unpacking his things, Alex ended up sitting on the couch, aimlessly scrolling through his phone and feeling awkward. He didn't have the wifi password yet, so he couldn't get any of his work for the remote programming course he was taking done, he didn't feel up to working on his music and he didn't want to miss Michael coming back, so exploring the neighborhood was out as well.

Half an eternity of boredom later - or at least it felt like that -, Alex was just about to go out after all, when he heard keys in the lock and quickly sat up straighter to make a good first impression.

The door opened and Alex' mouth went dry because, damn Michael Guerin was hot.

He had expected someone who looked like Max or Isobel, who were, in Alex' opinion, good looking but not his type at all. Their cousin on the other hand... Alex took in the grease stained jeans that looked well-worn and hung low on Michael's hips. He was wearing a slightly frayed but soft looking button up shirt that had more buttons undone than strictly appropriate for just coming back from work. To round out the look he was wearing a cowboy hat. In New York. And it didn't look pretentious at all, he just looked like a cowboy, which Alex supposed, he was. He was from New Mexico after all.

Michael set down the pizza box he was carrying, took off his hat and revealed messy, slightly sweaty curls that made Alex consider sitting on his hands to keep himself from reaching out to run them through Michael's hair. Fuck that guy was hot. This had been a spectacularly bad idea. He was in New York to become a musician, not to develop a crush on his roommate who also happened to be related to his best friend's boyfriend.

Michael smiled at Alex and pushed his curls back before extending a hand to Alex. "Hi, you must be Alex. I hope you found everything ok."

Alex stood up quickly and shook Michael's hand. "Yeah, it was no problem. Thanks for setting everything up."

"No problem, it wasn't much. Just some cleaning and a few general repairs. The previous tenant was a bit… optimistic in his assessment of the furniture they left behind."

"Don't worry about it, we'll figure it out," Alex said with a shrug and realized he was still holding Michael's hand.

He quickly pulled his hand back and cleared his throat. "Uhm, I brought some beer to go with the pizza. I'll go get it."

"Oh sure, thanks. Let me just go wash up, I'll be right back."

Alex grabbed some napkins and a beer for each of them and then pulled out his phone to text Maria and Liz.

05:43 pm

This was a terrible idea

Why did no one tell me he's hot?

Michael came out of his room a few moments later and sat next to Alex on the couch and Alex handed him a beer.

"Thanks, I went with plain cheese pizza, I hope that's ok. I wasn't sure what you like."

"Cheese is always good, thanks for getting it."

"No problem, Isobel probably would have had my head if she found out I didn't do anything to welcome you."

Alex laughed, he didn't know Isobel Evans that well, but that sounded like her.

"Sounds like you three have gotten pretty close in a short time."

Michael shifted slightly uncomfortably and Alex regretted bringing it up instantly. It was way too personal a question for someone you met less than half an hour ago. He was about to take it back when Michale answered.

"Yeah well, they're the only family I've ever met, so…"

Alex took a swig of his beer to get a second to come up with an answer. "Well, it's really good you guys found each other through that DNA thing then."

"Yeah…" Michael nodded and took a swig as well, "What about you, are you close to your family?"

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "No. Not at all. That's part of the reason why I'm here. But let's not get into that tonight, ok?"

"Yeah, of course. Sorry to bring it up."

Alex just shrugged and they both ate their pizza in silence for a moment. Alex felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, probably with answers from Liz and Maria, but he chose to ignore them for now.

The silence was starting to become awkward and Alex was racking his brain to come up with a good topic, when Michael spoke again:

"So, Max said you're here to make music? What kind of music?"

That proved to be a shared interest as Michael played guitar as well and they fell into an easy conversation of their favorite music and bands. Alex told Michael about his plans for getting into the New York music scene and soon the pizza and beer was gone.

Once they both went to their respective rooms, Alex had a chance to check his phone.

Liz Ortecho

05:57 pm

Is he? I haven’t met him yet.

Maria DeLuca

05:59 pm

Send us a picture!

07:19 pm

I can’t just take a picture of him, that’s weird. Ask Max or Isobel if they have one.

Liz Ortecho

07:21 pm

Hold on, I’ll text Max.

Marie DeLuca

07:22 pm

How’s the apartment besides the hot roommate?

07:22 pm

Pretty good It’s nothing fancy obviously. I definitely need a new mattress but it has everything I need.

Michael and I just had pizza and beer and talked for a while. I think we’ll get along fine.

As soon as I get over how hot he is.

Liz Ortecho

07:24 pm

Max sent me this picture of the three of them. He’s cute

07:25 pm

Okay, now picture him in grease stained work clothes and a cowboy hat.

Marie DeLuca

07:27 pm

I can see that I just didn’t know that was your type. I thought you were more into the brooding musician guy

07:28 pm

Yeah well I didn’t either. Maybe it’s just really early homesickness or something

Also he does play guitar.

Maria DeLuca

07:29 pm

😂

Liz Ortecho

07:29 pm

😂

Good luck with that! Do you want me to find out if Max knows if he’s into guys?

07:31 pm

No! Don’t you dare!

He’s just hot, I’m not starting anything with him. He’s my roommate and related to your boyfriend. That’s just way too much drama.

I’m sure I’ll find other hot guys to hook up with in New York

Liz Ortecho

07:34 pm

Oh sure Still… the convenience… ;)

07:35 pm

LIZ!

Maria DeLuca

07:36 pm

😂

07:38 pm

I miss you already.

Liz Ortecho

07:39 pm

❤️

Maria DeLuca

07:40 pm

We miss you too! ❤️

07:42 pm

I should get some work done though so I can explore tomorrow. Talk to you soon!

Alex put away his phone and pulled his laptop out. Michael had given him the Wifi password, so he could get started on his programming homework.

Their life as roommates went pretty smoothly. Michael wen't to class and to his job, and Alex did his remote course work, worked on his music (so far none of the neighbors had complained), and he had also found a part time job at a little record shop. In his spare time he checked out as many bars, coffee shops and clubs that were known for letting newcomers play there as he could find. So far he hadn’t been brave enough to sign up for any open mics or anything similar, but he was starting to make some connections. The networking was his least favorite part about the entire thing, but it was necessary.

Since they were both busy and their schedules didn’t always line up, they didn’t actually see each other that much, but when they did, they got along great. From time to time they played music together, Alex had been able to organize Michael a cheap guitar from the record shop, and that really helped when Alex was hit with music block. It was also just a lot of fun, he hadn’t had many people to just jam with back in Roswell.

Sometimes they tried to cook together. Neither of them had really had the chance to learn growing up, so now they were trying to teach each other. The kitchen usually looked a mess after they finished, but so far they had only managed one truly inedible thing, to both their surprises.

Tonight they were attempting to make soup and since lots of sources on the internet had said they could basically just throw in vegetables and broth, cook it and then puree it, they weren’t using a recipe for the first time.

“Okay, we have potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, peas, tomatoes and broccoli. Do you think it matters what we start with?” Alex asked, looking over all the produce that was spread out in their kitchen, which was too small to hold it all.

Michael shrugged, “I don’t think so, I mean we’re cooking and pureeing it all together, so we don’t have to keep the different cook times in mind, right?”

“Probably not. Okay, I’ll start peeling the potatoes.”

“Good, I’ll tackle the broccoli.”

They both got to work, luckily they had invested in some decent knives but even with those they were both cursing. Who knew it was so hard to peel sweet potatoes and cut broccoli?

“How do these little green bits get everywhere? I’m pretty sure we’ll still be finding them by the time we move out.”

“Eh, I’m sure ants or something will get them. Maybe mice.”

“Don’t even joke about that.”

Alex laughed and then somehow launched the sweet potato he was battling across the room. That stopped him short until both he and Michael doubled over laughing.

“How the hell did you manage that?”, wheezed Michael.

“I have no idea. That thing is surprisingly slippery.” Alex went to retrieve the sweet potato, rinsed it off and removed the last bit of skin before starting to cut it.

“How can something that turns to basically mush when you cook it, be so hard when it’s raw?”, he grunted as he leaned his weight onto the knife to cut the thing.

Michael chuckled, “We could probably find some pretentious life lesson in that, if we wanted.” He had finished with the broccoli and deposited the pieces into the big pot. “What next?”

“You could do the bell peppers.”

“On it. How is your sweet potato battle going?”

Alex dumped a batch of orange cubes into the pot. “I think I’m winning.”

After the sweet potatoes, the regular potatoes were a piece of cake and Alex had them peeled and diced in no time.

When they were finished with all the vegetables, the pot was much fuller than expected.

"Uhh… how are we going to puree this when it’s done cooking?”

“I don’t know, it might shrink some during cooking?”

“Yeah… maybe.”

Michael got the broth they had bought from the fridge and dumped it into the pot with a little too much force and some of it spilled. “Oops…”

Alex laughed and got a cloth to wipe it up, before peering in the pot. I don’t think that’s enough liquid. Maybe we should add some water?”

“You’re probably right”, Michael got the water and poured it in more carefully. Then he lit the stove and stepped back.

“I think we earned a beer.”

“Good plan, but we should use the cooking time to clean up some of this mess”, Alex gestured at all the peels and vegetal bits on every kitchen surface and even the floor.

Michael sighed, “I guess… But beer first.”

Alex laughed and handed Michael a beer who took a healthy swig before starting to get rid of the mess.

The vegetables did not shrink significantly and they had nothing they could put over the pot and still have space for the stick blender they had borrowed from one of their neighbors. They looked at each other at a loss.

“I guess we’ll just have to be really careful and clean up everything that spills after”, Michael said with a shrug and handed Alex the blender.

“Why me? Admit it, you just don’t want to be responsible for the mess”, Alex complained but took the blender anyways. Michael just winked at him, which was severely unfair. Alex had managed to build up some defenses against the way Michael looked, but not against winks and smirks. He sighed silently and carefully put the blender in the pot. For some reason Michael hovered right behind him and watched the pot in concentration as Alex started to blend. It made him nervous.

“Are you trying to telepathically keep the soup from splashing out?”

For some reason that question startled Michael, which in turn startled Alex and made soup splash out of the pot and all over their shirts.

“Fuck!”, they cursed at the same time, thats stuff was hot. Alex quickly turned off the blender.

“You ok?”, they asked, again in unison and then laughed.

“Yeah, I think so.” Michael pulled open his shirt to check for burns and Alex’ mouth went a little dry.

“Doesn’t look like an actual burn. You?” Michael looked up at Alex who quickly averted his eyes and pulled up his own shirt. There was a slight red spot, but nothing serious.

“I’m good too.” He looked up just in time to see Michael quickly look away just as he had done. Huh. Was he maybe not the only one appreciating the view? Sometimes it seemed like Michael was flirting with him. He still didn’t know if Michael was into guys. The few times he had brought someone over, it had been women, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be into guys too, right? He definitely didn’t seem to mind that Alex was gay. Alex had come out to him a couple of days after he had moved in, to avoid any ugly homophobic scenes later and Michael had been cool with it. He also hadn’t seemed to mind the one time Alex had brought someone home.

“Good,” Michael’s voice pulled Alex out of his thoughts “let’s try again. Maybe without talking this time.”

Alex nodded and they got back in position. For some reason again with Michael hovering behind Alex and focusing on the pot. Alex did his best to ignore it and carefully blended the soup. Surprisingly, nothing more splashed out. It looked like it would a couple of times, but then somehow it didn’t. Alex decided not to question it.

When they were done blending, they added in a little heavy cream, since Alex had read somewhere that it made the soup creamier. Then they started with the seasoning. Very carefully, because they had added too much or too little to their first few attempts at cooking. They took turns trying the soup, asking what was missing, adding a little and repeating the process over and over. Eventually they were happy with the result and looked at the finished soup.

“Okay… that’s much more than expected. I think we might be eating soup for the next week straight”, Michael said.

“Yeah… Maybe we can bring Mrs. Welly some when we return her stick blender?”

“Good idea. Let’s eat some first, though. Who knows if it’s actually good if you have a full bowl.”

It was surprisingly good and once they cleaned up, they went over to Mrs. Welly who was very grateful for the soup. She told them they could borrow her kitchen appliances any time, made them take two huge pieces of a delicious cake she had apparently baked earlier and promised she would have them over for dinner soon. All in all a successful evening.

Michael was a good roommate, but there were some things that were… a little strange about him.

For one thing, he always kind of smelled like rain. Even when it hadn’t rained in a few days. Alex was pretty sure it wasn’t some sort of aftershave or lotion or something, they shared a bathroom after all.

And somehow, it was a specific rain smell, one that kind of reminded him of going to the Reservation with his mom when he was a child. He couldn’t quite put his finger on why, he didn’t have a clear memory of it smelling like rain there, but sometimes, when Michael was standing close to him, he breathed in a whiff of that smell and it was like being back at the Res. Memories linked to smell were weird like that.

Besides the rain smell, Michael sometimes smelled like nail polish remover, which was even stranger. Alex had never seen him wear any nail polish. Alex did sometimes, and he had bought a bottle of remover when he’d first moved in. The bottle was still standing in the little cabinet over the sink in the bathroom, but Alex could swear that the fluid level changed constantly. It was never empty, but sometimes it was fuller than other times. And he had seen an empty bottle of nail polish remover in the trash a couple of times. What was Michael doing with it? Did he need it for school, or for work? Alex had no idea why though, there had to be better solvents at a fancy science lab and a mechanics shop than regular nail polish remover.

In the end he mostly chose not to question it. Michael was already distracting enough without analyzing strange smells.

It felt like Michael became more distracting every day. The more comfortable they became with each other, the worse it got. Michael would tease Alex in an almost flirtatious way, which was a little unfair, if you asked Alex.

Sometimes he brought whatever he was tinkering on into the living room and worked on it while Alex did his course work, or messed with his music. Alex loved watching Michael tinker, he was so focused and he would mumble things under his breath that Alex couldn’t make out, but enjoyed hearing anyways. It wasn’t like he would understand a word Michael said, even if he could hear it properly. Michael was a lot smarter than him and really talented with his hands. Sometimes it seemed like the parts Michael was putting together slotted perfectly into place without him even touching them.

Alex had to be careful that he didn’t watch too long, because eventually he would start to wonder what else those hands could do…

And, if he stopped playing music, or clack away on his computer, Michael would eventually look up with a questioning look and a smile and ask him if he was stuck on something. If it was music, he’d offer to help and if it was programming, he would suggest that they take a break and go out for a bit, or watch an episode of whatever show they were watching currently. Because yeah, they had become the kind of roommates that always had a TV show project they were slowly watching together and one person was not allowed to watch a single minute of the show without the other one there. Alex had never thought he could ever be someone who did that, but it was nice. It was time they spent together and a great way to wind down after a long day.

Had they fallen asleep on the couch once or twice and woken up leaning against each other with a crick in their necks? Maybe. Did Alex secretly wish that would happen more often. Yeah, well… He was only human after all.

A few times he had dosed of on Michael's shoulder and had woken up to Michael watching him with a look on his face that made Alex wonder if maybe starting something with Michael was worth the risk after all. Alex' slight oh-fuck-my-roommate-is-hot-crush had certainly grown into something more serious lately.

There were moments when Alex thought Michael might feel the same way. When they were watching TV together, when they played music together, when they vented to each other after long days, when they stayed up too late because neither really wanted to go into their respective bedroom alone and leave the comfortable togetherness of the living room. Neither of them ever made a move though and so their lives just went on.

Alex' music was coming along pretty well actually, with Michael cheering him on. He had enough original songs for a small set now. Not that he was ready to perform an entire set of original songs yet, but he was considering signing up for his first open night. It was at a little coffee shop called Sip & Sing that he and Michael hung out at sometimes. He knew most of the regulars there and had become friends with one of the baristas. They had open mics once a month and the next one was coming up in two weeks.

“You should do it Alex. Come on, you know you’re good enough. And you’ll know almost everyone there, it’s low risk”, Michael encouraged him one night when Alex had opened and closed the sign up page on their website for the fourth time that day.

“Yeah but what if I tank and then I can never go there again?”

“First of all, you won’t. And second of all, Lucy forgot the text twice last month and everyone still welcomed her back there the next day. Everyone there will be supportive no matter how you do.”

“Isn’t that cheating then?”

Michale snorted. “Now you’re making excuses. Finding a friendly audience for your first live performance is not cheating.”

Alex sighed, Michael was probably right. “Okay, I guess… But only if you promise to come.”

Michael put an arm around him. “Of course I’m coming! You couldn’t keep me away.”

Alex smiled and leaned into him just a little. “Okay, I’ll sign up. And then you’re helping me pick out which song to perform.”

“Which you will then change fifteen times until the actual night.”

“Yeah well, everyone needs a system”, Alex said with a huff and pulled up the sign up for the fifth time. This time he actually filled it out though and even submitted it. Even though Michael had to threaten to do it for him before he finally hit enter.

“Oh fuck, I’m gonna regret this, aren’t I?”, he said with a groan and buried his face in Michael’s shoulder, who was still sitting next to him.

Michael laughed softly. “Yeah, multiple times probably. But you’ll be glad you did it in the end.”

Alex regretted it that night in bed and even more the next day when he stopped at the Sip & Sing to get a coffee before heading to work and Rema, the owner, spotted him.

“Alex! I saw you signed up for the next open mic! That’s great, I can’t wait to hear your song!”

They insisted on giving him a coffee on the house and gushed about how great it was that he’d be performing. Alex kind of wanted to sink into the ground in shame. Especially when Lucy, one of the regulars, came in and heard Rema. She started to reassure him that he’d be great and that he definitely wouldn’t forget any lines.

Alex was very glad when he managed to get his coffee and escape with the excuse that he was running late.

Alex had decided not to tell Maria and Liz about the open mic. He knew they would try to come and honestly, that was too much for him for the first time. Maybe the second or third. He would text them the day of and risk their wrath. Michael would be there and a few friends from the coffee shop. That would be nerve-racking enough.

He spend every free second working on the song (and just as predicted by Michael, changing his mind which song to perform almost every other day), which was finally too much for their very patient neighbors and they got a noise complaint. Alex was forced to not play between 11pm and 6am and to avoid playing around noon, which was probably for the best, he was starting to be a bit obsessive. Michael threatened to hide his guitar and music sheets regularly.

When the day of the open mic finally came, Alex was a nervous wreck.

6:36pm

Don’t be mad at me, but I’m performing at my first open mic tonight at 8.

Liz Ortecho

6:38 pm

And you didn’t tell us?!?! Rude!

6:39 pm

I’m sorry! I’m nervous enough as it is, I promise I’ll tell you next time so you can come.

MariaAwww DeLuca

6:40 pm

It’s ok Alex, we understand. Good luck tonight! You’ll kill it!

Liz Ortecho

6:41 pm

Of course we understand. But I will ask Max for Michael’s number and pester him into recording it of us.

He is coming right?

6:42 pm

He is, I wouldn’t have made it without him.

Marie DeLuca

6:43

Aww, aren’t you glad we forced you into moving in with him?

6:44

Shut up!

… Yes, thank you.

The alarm that Alex had set to get ready went off and Alex nervously rushed to the bathroom. He was already dressed and his nails were painted, he just needed to do his hair and put on his eyeliner.

When he was done, way too early of course, he stepped out of the bathroom to find Michael waiting for him. He gave him once over and let out a low whistle.

“Damn, you clean up nice Manes.”

Alex hoped his blush wasn’t too noticeable. “Shut up Guerin.”

Michael laughed and slung his arm around Alex’ shoulder. “You’ll do great. Come on, I know it’s early, but if you sit around here, you’ll just drive yourself crazy. We’ll take the long way there and maybe get a milkshake on the way or something.”

Alex was really glad to have Michael to support him today. Something about him was very calming and maybe his crush on him distracted him a bit from his nerves.

They got their milkshakes and an order of fries to dip in them. Michael always complained that it was weird, but he did dip his fries as well, so Alex had stopped listening months ago.

By the time they arrived at the Sip & Sing, Alex was much more relaxed. Michael had kept him distracted the entire way there by telling him funny things that happened in class or at work, or quoting things from the group chat with Isobel and Max.

Alex' phone dinged with good luck messages from Liz, Maria, Arturo, Mimi and surprisingly even from Max and Isobel. He smiled at his phone and put it back into his pocket. It was nice to know they were all thinking of him.

“Hey, did Liz convince you to record my performance?”

Michael laughed, "She wanted me to livestream it for what felt like half of Roswell. You're popular."

Alex groaned, "Please tell me you won't."

"No, don't worry. I'll record it and send it to her and then she can distribute it to whomever she wants."

"That's only slightly better", Alex said with a sigh and went over to greet Rema and find out when his turn was. He was number three of six performers tonight, which suited him fine.

Rema told him where to put his guitar and to give any needed details to Luke, who handled the technical side of the performances.

When he got back to Michael he had gotten them drinks and found a table. Alex sat down and took a sip from his drink, his nerves were starting to come back. Michael seemed to notice and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Alex smiled at him thankfully.

Rema came onto the little stage area and introduced the first performer. She was good, Alex had heard her here a few times before and two months ago there had been a flyer on the pin board advertising that she was part of the lineup for a mini pop-up concert in a nearby park.

He didn't catch much of the second performance, it was a duo, but that was about all that stuck. When they were done, Michael squeezed his shoulder and whispered a quick "Good Luck!" to him as Alex stood up and made his way to the stage.

"Our first first-timer for tonight is Alex Manes, who most of you know, I think. He's performing an original song. Give him a hand!", Rema introduced him and Alex nervously sat on the little stool and adjusted the mic and his guitar.

He focused on Michael for the entire song, who was smiling widely and encouragingly while holding his phone up that represented all the other people in his life that loved and supported him through this. Suddenly he almost regretted not inviting Liz and Maria and swore to himself he would invite them next time.

He got through the song without any problem and got a satisfying amount of applause and cheering from the audience, topped by Michael's best, earsplitting cowboy whistle. Alex couldn't help but grin from ear to ear on his way back to the table and when Michael greeted him with an equally wide grin and a hug, something in him clicked and he pulled Michael in for a kiss instead. Which was met by an enthusiastic response both by Michael kissing him back and the audience cheering.

They were interrupted by Rema "Okay you two, there's time for that after the show. Now let's move on to our next performer…"

Alex blushed and sat back down, a little closer to Michael than before. Michael smiled at him in a way that gave him butterflies and he couldn't wait for after the show.

For now he settled in to listen to the rest of the performers, but not until he pulled out his phone.

8:23 pm

I kissed him.

He kissed me back

8: 25 pm

The open mic thing went great, btw.

He was met by a ton of celebratory emojis from Liz and Maria and put his phone back into his pocket with a grin.

#rnmsecretsanta23 #fanfiction #secret santa #malex #malex fic #roswell new mexico #rnm #rnm fic #michael guerin #alex manes #Michael Guerin/Alex Manes #liz Alex Maria friendship #liz ortecho #maria deluca #my writing

19 notes · View notes

lire-casander · 2 years

Note

omg could I please prompt "passing out from the pain" with Malex (RNM)??? Michael passing out would be cool, but Alex would be cool too! I trust whatever your wonderful heart desires!!!

[seeping in through every crack] [1,653 words] [teen and up audiences] [beta’ed by @alilypea] [michael guerin/alex manes] [michael guerin, alex manes, original male characters] [title from hurricane by parachute] [angst, mentions of blood, mentions of injuries, kidnapping, mentions of torture, mentions of passing out] [written for anon who asked for passing out from the pain from my Bad Things Happen Bingo Card]

[they have been trapped in these cells for longer than michael can recount]

seeping through every crack | on ao3before in the series

They have been trapped in these cells for longer than Michael can recount. Heʼs lost track of time inside these four walls that were slowly but surely closing in on him. There’s a darkness surrounding him that prevents him from knowing what is happening around him — he canʼt even see his own hands when he lifts them up in front of his face. He knows where they are, but he canʼt see them.

It's unnerving.

From somewhere outside his cell, he can hear Alex’s ragged breathing. That's what he hates the most about being locked up in complete darkness — his other senses are heightened, and he can hear everything around him. He can feel the prickling on his skin whenever there are footsteps approaching, and he surely can taste the bile rising up his throat whenever the lock on Alex’s cell is rattled, and Alex is taken out — always against his will, always with such a fight that their captors have to reduce him — leaving Michael alone in there, wherever there is.

It’s been a pattern ever since they brought Alex in, soon after Michael first woke up in the darkness. His last memory is wanting to confront a man who had been stalking him, and ever since, his whole world has been dark — except for the scarce moments when their captors open the door and allow some rays of daylight seep through the cracks. Michael doesn’t like those moments, though, because they mean Alex is taken out of his cell across Michael’s, and he’s dragged away to somewhere Michael can’t follow.

Somewhere Michael can’t save Alex from.

“Michael,” comes Alex’s voice in a hurried whisper. “Michael, can you hear me?”

“I can, I hear you,” he replies hastily. He sneaks his way forward until his fingers connect with the bars keeping the cell closed. “Iʼm so sorry, Alex. This is all my fault.”

“It isn’t,” Alex reassures him. “How are you? Have they hurt you?”

Michael shakes his head before realizing Alex can't see him. He gulps, almost choking on thin air, and he speaks aloud, “Iʼm fine, Alex. They haven't touched me. But you—”

“Iʼm good,” Alex cuts him off. “And I will keep being good as long as they don’t land a finger on you. I don't know what they want exactly, but they don’t seem the type to be really alien friendly.” A dry laugh comes out of his lips that has Michael cringing.

“What have they done to you?” he barely manages to whisper before there’s a loud noise coming from somewhere at his left — a door opening.

“Today, weʼre changing up our game a bit,” says a voice that Michael can't recognize. “Light it up.”

Suddenly the room erupts in light, forcing Michael to cover his eyes and blinding him momentarily. He canʼt prevent his cell from being unlocked and two men entering it, shoving him down on his knees and keeping his head lowered. Michael can feel the pinpricks booming on his skin. There’s a prickle in the back of his neck, and his head hurts from the awkward angle they're holding him to.

“Leave him alone!” he hears Alex exclaiming from his cell. Michael shivers against his will — whatever they're going to do to him, they're going to make Alex watch.

Michael can take anything they throw his way, but he won't survive having made Alex go through more pain than he’s already inflicted on him.

“What use would this loser have, if we don't get to have some fun with him?” one of the men jokes, jostling Michael's belt until Michael is squirming under the pressure of having a set of hands touching him. “Now, Captain Manes,” he continues, “maybe you will be keener on giving us what we want.”

Michael realizes several things while heʼs on his knees on the cold floor of a cell somewhere unknown to him.

First, that these men don't know anything about aliens or the powers that they are able to hone.

Second, that it's all about some kind of information Alex has, making this some sort of assault on the military and not some attempt at overthrowing Project Shepherdʼs line of command.

And third, that despite them being all talk Michael is feeling already dizzy from the strength pressed against his neck.

He’s going to need all the extent of his powers to outwin this situation.

“Michael,” Alex says. “Please let him go. He doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

“Well, he happened to be in your car, so now heʼs our problem. If anything,” the taller man chuckles, “itʼs your fault, Captain.”

His words are accompanied by fingers digging into Michael’s skin, and something that feels awfully like a blade pressing to his side.

“I don’t have what you're looking for,” Alex says desperately. “I’ve already told you, you've caught the wrong guy!”

The laugh that reaches Michael's ears is a wretched sound that cuts deep inside of him.

“Well, then I guess we at least get to have fun with this one, Captain,” one of the men points out. “Maybe it will jostle your memory or even put some of the knowledge you say you don't have in your brain.”

“That didn't make any sense,” Michael hisses. That earns him a blow below his right ear that makes his head hang down at an even more awkward angle.

“It seems that we have two smartass sons of a bitch.”

Michael thinks that their only chance at leaving — mostly — unscathed is that he manages to free his powers somehow and get them out, but he can’t do that without having had a look at whatever weapons their captors are holding or even getting a grip on their surroundings. Having spent the past days — maybe even weeks — in almost complete darkness hasn’t helped his case here; he needs visuals in his mind of the things he’s tossing around in the air, and he has none.

He also doesn’t have the slightest cue as to how to make them turn him around without making the situation worse.

The pain he’s feeling from the angle his head is being held is starting to extend to the rest of his body. Michael knows that soon his limbs will slowly become numb, and then it will be very difficult for him to help Alex escape. He needs to think of a course of action right now if he wants them to have a chance.

Michael’s eyes focus on the lock of the cell he’s been staying in. He can see it in plain light, gnawed and corroded. It’s small enough that he can move it without much effort, now that his head is starting to feel like exploding, but big enough that it moving would take their captors’ attention away from him long enough. He concentrates, his mind set on shaking the lock and creating enough havoc.

The lock rattles and startles the men. The one holding Michael in place loosens his grip a bit, and that’s enough for Michael to seize the opportunity. Without heeding his pain — a blooming and sharp ache sneaking up from his neck to the upper part of his head — Michael rolls on the floor. Their captors try — and fail — to catch him as he sneaks out of their grasp. He kicks out his legs for good measure, thinking that if he manages to hit some of their captors then it would be worth it, and then he focuses on their heads, smashing them together. When they’re collapsed on the floor, he crawls towards Alex’s cell among the wails of the men.

“Alex!” he hisses, trying to stand up when he reaches his destination. “C’mon, let’s go!”

“Michael, you’re bleeding!” There’s a panicked tint in Alex as he speaks, but Michael’s too busy trying to get up. He doesn’t even register Alex’s words.

“Let’s go!” he repeats, this time weaker, barely above a whisper. He’s feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

But Alex doesn’t move in the direction Michael is expecting him to. Instead, Alex steps around Michael as though he is an obstacle, and he promptly leans down to grab one of the weapons their captors have let fall onto the ground. Alex kicks the rest of the weapons away for good measure, and he jabs his foot against the men’s sides while they’re still down on the floor, making sure they won’t be a threat. Only when he checks that they’re unconscious does Alex turn around to Michael briefly.

“That was sexy,” Michael smirks, his grin met with a frown.

“You’re bleeding,” Alex states.

“No, I’m not,” Michael replies petulantly, one hand lifted to his head as if to prove his point. When he places it in front of his eyes he finds his fingers covered in blood. “I don’t know how—”

“They’ve hit your head,” Alex explains. “You shouldn’t be moving. You could be concussed.”

“And there could be more of those,” Michael insists gesturing toward the men. “Let’s go! Unless you’re sore, are you sore? I can lift you, but we need to get out—” His gaze wavers, and Michael feels again that surge of dizziness that this time comes along with a new whiplash of pain that has him doubled over himself. “I—I may need a moment.”

“Michael,” Alex’s words sound alarmed, but also so, so far away. Michael is beginning to think that maybe he’s in some sort of nightmare because suddenly he feels he’s underwater. “Michael!”

The last thing he listens is Alex’s voice surrounding him as he leans against the nearest wall, trying to tame a new wave of pain pulsing through his head. He closes his eyes — just for a moment, he promises himself — and tips over the edge of consciousness.

He never feels his body collapsing against the cold concrete floor, next to the men who had kidnapped them, as Alex screams his name.

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