#Alex incoherent out of his mind like.... this woman makes me Feel Weird oh well I'll just ki- OH SHE'S BETTER THAN ME AT THIS

[silverspleen]

Winter Solider/Brainwashing AU quick scribbles art for @your-royal-highness-of-trash who has been enabling my quality ship escapism with the most excellent of OTP AUs and takes.

I do in fact think brainwashed Alex would try to knife fight Farah and immediately realize he is outclassed and proceed to fight dirty.

[spaceskam]

our fainted thrill carries on (4/13)

another part of my season 2 fix it! warnings: referenced child abuse

ao3

“What does a girl have to do to get a drink around here?”

Alex and Kyle both gave their attention to the girl who strolled in with unmatched confidence, catching the sight of every woman in Planet 7 with ease. But how could you blame them? Jenna Cameron was a force to be reckoned with and it was impossible to hide. She sat between them.

“Looks like you don’t have to do anything,” Alex said as she sat beside them, handing her his drink with ease. She nodded his way in thanks. “What are you doing back here?”

Cameron let out a long sigh and looked at him like he already knew. Which, he guessed he did, because what bullshit didn’t lead right back to his fucking asshole of a father?

After a shitty night, Alex had woken up early to Michael still in his bed and sound asleep. He felt more hungover than tired which he knew was a result of him panicking the night before, but he’d pushed through and got ready for the day. He covered Michael up, left him a pot of coffee, and headed to the hospital. It took two long hours to get Jesse to wake up and, when he finally did, he was too incoherent to even question. It ended up being a total waste of time and it meant Alex had to get up the next morning on his only other day off and go through that shit again. 

“I drove all the way up to where Chief told me my sister was and guess what? Not there,” she said. Alex rolled his eyes.

“Figures.”

“I’m sorry,” Kyle told her. She shrugged. 

“I’m still looking for her though. Came down to talk to him, maybe get my job back. If he’s going to lie, might as well fuck him over with you two in the meantime,” she said, shooting them a wink as she tilted back Alex’s drink. He shook his head.

“And how’d you know we were gonna be here, exactly?” Alex asked. Cameron raised an eyebrow and gave a little smirk. 

“Well, Cap, your little sidekick,” she paused, taking a moment to kick Kyle’s leg beneath the table hard enough for him to jump, “Doesn’t know how to shut off his location.”

“What?” Alex demanded, glaring his way, “Have you lost your damn mind? Give me your phone.”

“Ow, why am I getting tortured?” Kyle asked, but he forked over his phone. Alex unlocked it far too easy which just earned him another disapproving headshake. He got to work at making sure it wasn’t trackable.

“But catch me up. What’ve I missed in the two weeks of the Max and Liz show?” Cameron asked, taking a longer swig.

Alex zoned in and out as Kyle filled her in. Max’s death, their plans to try and revive him, the strange resurrection of Rosa, and the wall they’d hit with much discovery from Project Shepard. They had files upon files, but that’s where it stopped. Their funding and their crew were damn near untraceable, all of them having aliases and scattered across the state in redacted locations. It was making it impossible to stop anything and that meant they had to wait until Jesse was coherent. 

“Well, fuck,” Cameron sighed as Alex slid Kyle’s phone back to him.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, “You still want in?”

“I only want to help kick his ass more,” Cameron said, flagging one of the bartenders down. She ordered another round of drinks for them. He shook his head at how shamelessly she flirted with her. Alex envied her confidence sometimes even though he knew he had his own. Hers was just… palpable.

“That is something I can get behind,” Kyle said, tapping their beers together in solidarity before downing the rest of their bottles. Alex’s phone buzzed in his pocket before he could feel left out and their cheers to his father’s demise.

Michael: you good? You’re not home

Alex: went out for drinks with kyle

Michael: got it

Alex: take a shower before you get in my bed 

Michael: washing your sheets before i do

Alex: thanks

Michael: i can’t find finger guns emoji

Alex: i hate you

Michael: never

“Oh, that’s Alex thinking he’s subtle,” Kyle said, breaking Alex’s attention away from his phone. Their new set of beers had already arrived. “He’s texting a boy.”

“Shut the fuck up, no, I’m not,” Alex laughed, putting his phone away, “Well, it is a guy, but not that kind of guy. He’s just a friend.”

“I too stare at my friend’s texts like they’re the secrets to the universe,” Cameron said casually, that smirk never leaving her face as she took a sip of her drink. Alex just shook his head. “No worries. Your love life is not my priority.”

“Okay, well it is mine,” Kyle said, leaning forward, “Please be careful. I know you’re a little too willing to sacrifice yourself for Guerin, but this is bigger than him.”

“Oh, Guerin still? Fuck him,” Cameron butted in, “Literally and figuratively.”

“No,” Kyle jumped back in, “Not literally.” 

Alex shook his head and let out a little helpless laugh. It was funny that they thought either of those were options. While he wasn’t 100% sure of Michael’s feelings, he did know that neither of them had the time to work at a relationship. It was friendship and that was it.

“Relax,” Alex said, “He’s not going to distract me from what needs to be done. Besides, he wants this shit taken care of as much as we do. I promise.”

“Moving on from the topic of that side of the aliens, let’s move onto something worth talking about,” Cameron said and Alex wanted to thank her for it,  “Do we have a list of shit to ask Chief Manes about?”

They strategized for a few more hours until they came up with a solid plan for the next morning and how they were going to approach everything. That and it gave them a bit of time to sober up before driving. Alex took the time on the drive home to focus on unwinding, trying to make sure his mind would be clear enough to actually get a good night’s sleep for once. He wasn’t sure it actually worked, but he tried.

The inside of his cabin was dark already by the time he pulled up beside Michael’s truck, only the porch light being left on to illuminate the fact he was coming home to someone. A giddy feeling pulsed in his stomach, demolishing any lasting regret from the night before, and he walked inside. It looked the same, but it felt different. He locked the door behind him.

Alex went to his bedroom like always, but the door was already opened and a quick peek inside showed a shirtless Michael under the covers in bed already and scrolling through his phone. It was something so average, but it had Alex feeling like his mind was going to explode. In the years and years they’d been orbiting each other, never had he come home to someone waiting for him in his bed. Go figure that the only thing that got him that was fear and paranoia.

“Hey,” Michael said, dropping his phone once he saw him. Something stirred in Alex and he had to just walk in further and pretend he was fine. Because Kyle was right. This was bigger than him.

“Hey,” Alex said nonetheless, sitting on his side of the bed to take his shoes off. Michael didn’t come closer though part of Alex wished he had.

“How’d it go with your dad this morning?” he asked. Alex took a deep breath in and let out a heavy sigh. “That bad?”

“He wasn’t really coherent when we woke him up. He was too disoriented to actually get anything out of him, so we have to go back tomorrow and do that shit again,” Alex told him, pushing off the bed carefully.

“That sucks,” Michael said simply. Alex huffed a laugh.

“Yeah, it does.”

Alex grabbed a pair of boxers and t-shirt to change into before heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. He tried not to think too much about anything as he got ready for bed quickly. He brushed his teeth and changed, deciding to take a shower in the morning. 

Michael was still staring his way when he came back out. Alex sat on the edge of the bed again and started to remove his prosthetic, ignoring the eyes on his back. They were friends who were dealing with some fucked up shit. That’s the only reason this wasn’t weird and it was the main reason it wouldn’t turn into anything else. Sleeping in the same bed helped everyone’s brains.

“How were you feeling today? Better?” Alex asked as he laid down. Michael shrugged, moving his hand beneath the pillow. It didn’t move fast enough and Alex saw that he still had the bandana tied around it. He decided not to comment. 

“I’m okay,” Michael answered, “How are you?” Alex gave him a small smile.

“I’m okay,” Alex repeated, taking a deep breath. He stared at him for a few more seconds before his eyes scanned the darkroom, making sure no one was there that shouldn’t be. Michael didn’t judge him for that either.

“Goodnight, Alex.”

Alex smiled in response, trying to relax into bed to get some form of rest before the morning came and reared its ugly fucking head.

-

Michael woke up the next morning to an empty bed and literally nothing to do.

Okay, perhaps not nothing, but he didn’t have to be at the lab for a few more hours. He was struggling to be there or anywhere near Max by himself still, the guilt was too high and he would start spiraling. He was doing good. Good as he could be.

He rolled over Alex’s side of the bed, the sheets gone cold which left him feeling a little more empty than it should’ve. Michael got to his feet nonetheless. He dragged himself to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee, drinking it despite the fact that it was lukewarm at best. Alex didn’t have a microwave for some reason so he settled for mediocre coffee.

There was something very relaxing about being so welcome in Alex’s home. The front door was locked, including the complicated ones, as if Alex had made a point to lock them all-knowing Michael was still inside. He was allowed to be there, wanted there, kept safe there. That was something he wasn’t quite sure how to process. It was easier not to process and simply exist, take up the space and enjoy it.

He started wandering, looking at all the old pictures and books that had been there since before Jim Valenti had died. There was a picture on the mantle of little Alex and Kyle holding up dead deer, both of them smiling despite leaning as far away from it as possible. When he walked down the hall, there was another picture of the two of them, couldn’t be any older than seven, decked out in camo and holding rifles that were too big for them and grinning. Alex looked adorable, all happy and unburdened and missing a couple of teeth. Michael couldn’t help but smile.

There was another picture though, that felt weird and out of place. It was across from the hall closet and it was wallet-sized, but a closer look at it made it clear that it was indeed a young Jesse Manes and Jim Valenti. Both were smiling, showing off the wedding bands on their fingers. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve assumed they were a newlywed couple. Seeing Jesse Manes look so happy and free felt jarring, but here it was. They were grinning and proud and happy to be married to women they loved. Michael sipped his coffee as he tried to make sense of a world like that.

After he finished his coffee and got lost in an idealistic world where Alex’s father actually supported him, Michael decided that he should probably get dressed for the day. He bypassed the stack of his own clothing on the couch and instead went to Alex’s closet, far more eager to find something that was ill-fitting but distinctly Alex than his own clothing.

Alex’s closet (and entire cabin, honestly) was to a military-degree of organization. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it always made Michael laugh a little when he looked at it. Everything was hung in a precise order and all his shoes were on a pristine rack and his underwear was folded and color-coded. How cute was that?

At the top of the closet, there was a backpack, a duffle bag, and a box. Curiosity got the better of him and he reached for the box, secretly hoping for more pictures of young Alex. As he was pulling it down, his arm brushed the backpack and it was unexpectedly hard. He furrowed his eyebrows as he stared at it, noticing the weird shape whatever was inside caused the bag to be. He knew that he shouldn’t look in it, it was Alex’s things, but… 

Before he could convince himself otherwise, he moved his attention to the bag and pulled it down. It wasn’t as heavy as he was anticipating, but it was still solid. He brought it over to the bed and debated on whether he should open it or not. It was Alex’s. However, if he hadn’t shown him, it probably wasn’t anything important. They’d agreed to share everything, right? And, if it was important, there was no way it’d just be at the top of his closet.

Surely, it was nothing. And yet, no matter how successful he was at convincing himself it was nothing, he couldn’t seem to convince himself not to look. Just… unzip and look.

So he did. Unzipped it and looked.

He wasn’t sure what he expected, but when he saw that shiny glass in a large piece that he’d ever seen, he forgot how to breathe. The bag dropped to the floor as he pulled it out, flipping it over in his hands as he tried to make sense of it. Alex had this and didn’t tell him? How long had he had it? How long had it been up there? Maybe he didn’t know. But that was bullshit because this was his bag. Why didn’t he tell him?

Michael stared at it for a few more seconds, marveling at the piece before he scrambled over to get his phone. He pulled up Alex’s contact and started typing out a message, started to ask him what the fuck this was doing in his closet. But he stopped himself. If Alex hadn’t told him, there had to be a reason. He just had to trust that it was a good one. And he trusted Alex.

Without too much more questioning, Michael erased the message and put the piece back in the bag and the bag back where he’d found it. His hands were shaky and his heart was thudding, but Alex must’ve had a reason. He had to. Because Alex said honesty.

He stole a pair of Alex’s jeans and grabbed a bottle of whiskey on his way out.

-

“Good morning, Dad.”

Alex managed a smile as he stood at the foot at his father’s hospital bed. Despite the fact that it was his day off, he wore his uniform and stood tall. It made things a bit easier. The uniform came with respect that even his father had to uphold.

Jesse Manes said nothing, gazing up in the direction of his son. Kyle stood in the doorway and played guardian angel, waiting to swoop in and save the day. Somewhere else, Jenna Cameron was sweet-talking Michelle Valenti in hopes that she’d have a reason to both stay and access to even more files. 

A cop, an Airman, and a doctor walk into a bar‒is there anything they can’t do?

“I think it’s time we have a little chat,” Alex said. Jesse’s eyes followed him as he went to stand by the side of his bed. Alex considered sitting at the foot of it, but decided it against it at the last minute. He could play that card a little later. “You see, I’ve been doing a lot of research.”

“You always have.”

“True,” Alex nodded, smiling, “But I do think I understand things a bit better now. That being said, it should be known that I’m no longer speaking to Michael Guerin. You were right about him.”

“I don’t want to hear about that.” Jesse eyed him, clutching the trigger of his morphine drip and yet never pushing it. Alex smiled and tilted his head back.

“I just thought you’d want to know. I may have gotten a little carried away, but his kind have shown their true colors.”

“Your manipulation isn’t going to work on me,” Jesse said, shifting just a little. His thumb grazed the trigger, but never quite pushed. Alex nodded.

“I know. Sadly, I wish it was manipulation. It took me far too many years to realize that my weakness was an embarrassment,” Alex sighed. That was honest enough that he didn’t even have to force a lie. Jesse clocked that which he seemed to find even more sketchy. Alex shook the statement off and rolled his shoulders back. “That being said, I’ve been trying to see what I can do to help the, well, the family business.”

“Good luck with that.”

“Yeah, I’m not having much luck which is why I came to you. I’m not trying to hide that, Dad,” Alex told him, “I’m on your side. As much as I can be, anyway.”

“And you really expect me to believe that?”

“You don’t have to, but it’s the truth. Honestly, I feel a little left out. I understand why I was left out, but the feeling still stands. You never even tried to recruit me and now that I want to help, I can’t,” Alex said. He stepped closer, sitting on the bed now. Jesse watched him in a whole new level of confusion. Alex felt successful. “I even tried to talk to Flint and he told me not to even bother. I re-enlisted after losing my leg, finally learned my place, and I’m still not good enough, Dad? Really?”

Alex stared at him and he stared back. It was a long stare and Alex truly didn’t mean for it to happen, but there was a moment where it started getting under his skin. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be less. He felt like a kid again, twelve and trying to figure out why his dad didn’t like him. He was no longer looking down at a weak man in a hospital bed, but looking up from the kitchen floor after being backhanded so hard he couldn’t stand, kneeling on rice with his nose to the wall after asking to have a male friend spend the night, crying into his pillows as quiet as he could so he wouldn’t hear, pleading to this man he looked up to why don’t you like me, and he had to look away.

“M.V.C.”

“Sir?” Alex said, risking it all to turn his attention back to his father. He looked hesitant to speak, but maybe he was dulled by the morphine or maybe he bought into Alex’s truth-infused lies.

“M.V.C.”

“What does that mean?” Alex asked. Jesse sighed, shaking his head.

“You expect me to be proud of you? You expect me to believe you’ve never been caught with your little hacking if you haven’t come across something so simple? Find your priorities, son,” he lectured. Alex blinked and nodded easily.

“Yes, sir.”

“I need to sleep.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alex got to his feet and made his way to the door, schooling his features as best he could as he walked past Kyle. He needed to go look through everything again, needed to find out what he was talking about, needed to not feel like he was fucking chosen to be wrong. 

“Alex,” Kyle said as he followed him closely, “Are you gonna be okay?”

Alex kept walking, his mind focused on everything he’d ever read before. M.C.V. 

“Yes, sir.”

-

“So, the theory is, if I insert this into the pod, it could start regenerating his cells at a faster pace and then he’ll actually be making progress and we’ll have something to work with.”

“Will that age him?”

“Uh… I have no idea, guess we’ll find out.”

Michael put the goggles over his eyes again and Isobel and Liz stepped back, giving him space. He’d made more progress in that one day than he’d made in weeks. Turns out getting fucked up and trying to forget what Alex might be hiding meant he could do a lot of shit he hadn’t done otherwise.

“Okay, well, I hope not. Not really looking forward to having an elderly boyfriend,” Liz said.

“Oh, c’mon, I bet it has some perks,” Isobel chimed in.

“Not without money,” Michael told her, flashing a grin their way, “I would know.”

They both made disgusted looking faces and he snorted a laugh. His smile faded as he flicked on the torch, melding the last little piece together so he could hook it to the car battery. Try as he might, focusing on happiness was difficult to do. How long had Alex had that piece?

“Thank you, Michael, for helping. Seriously, we couldn’t have done this without you,” Liz told him as he checked over his work. He shrugged.

“No big deal,” he said, “It’s about time I actually help out for once.”

“Damn right,” Isobel scoffed, “Do you know how hard it’s been with you sulking?”

Michael didn’t answer, focusing back on the battery. He hooked the wires to it that’d be going into the pod and then started the motor, giving it one last check to make sure it would actually work. And it did, things started moving and he smiled at his work. Would Alex be proud of him?

They cheered a bit, clearly proud of him, and he tried to soak that up. He promised he would go by Max’s pod and set everything up and one of them could go check on him in the morning before work to make sure it was still working right. It felt like a solid agreement and it was a step forward. 

Isobel kissed him goodbye and headed to go practice more on her powers. That left Michael alone with Liz. Which usually wasn’t a problem, but she had that look in her eye that told him she was about to project all of her negative feelings straight onto him.

“So,” Liz said as they started loading it into his truck so he could bring it there, “You and Maria.”

“What about me and Maria?” he asked. She gave him a knowing look which was genuinely batshit because she didn’t know anything. There was no way she knew anything. If she got her information from Maria, then it was probably false because apparently everyone thought he was gay.

“Well, she told me you guys talked the other day and it didn’t go too well,” Liz said. Michael rolled his eyes. “I know you like her and I know she really likes you. I’m not sure what’s going on with you and Alex, but I think you should be honest with everyone about those feelings, okay? If you keep them inside, my friends are going to get hurt.”

Michael let out a deep breath, turning to face her. Alex preached honesty, right? 

“What exactly do you think is going on?” he asked. She looked at him pitifully. “No, honestly, I’m confused. What do you and Maria think about me? Genuinely.”

Liz crossed her arms over her chest and gave him that distinct adult look that he honestly didn’t think she should be able to give considering the batshit science she’d been doing the last couple weeks. And, yes, it was groundbreaking, but it was also insane.

“Well, we think you’re leading both of them on because you’re confused. And I think it might have something to do about losing Max and what happened at that prison,” Liz said. He stared at her for a moment and started trying to think of who he could call to get weed on a short notice. “You need to talk to someone.”

“I am talking to someone. Alex.”

Liz pursed her lips. “So you’re just okay with him thinking he has a chance by being there all the time?”

“You know I don’t technically owe you an explanation about my love life, right?” 

“I know, but I’m just saying. I think you’re hurting more than you’re helping,” Liz told him. He swallowed hard.

“Tell Maria that if she’s confused about something that she can talk to me in a way that isn’t just accusing me of being a piece of shit,” he told her, “Because if there’s one thing on this entire fucking planet that I’m not confused about, it’s my really pointless love life.”

“So you don’t want either of them?”

“Yes, Liz,” he said, opening the driver’s side door, “Right now, I don’t want either of them.”

“Tell them that, Michael,” Liz told him, “Because the last thing I need is a shitty fucking love triangle making you all useless.”

He slammed the door closed. He didn’t know how to tell her he thought he already had. Clearly, he wasn’t making any sense anymore.

“I’m going to go rig this up to Max,” Michael said, “I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Alex wants us to have a get together soon,” she said, grabbing ahold of the door, “To talk about his dad. So I’ll see you there and I would like it if you made it clear that you aren’t interested in either of them before then.”

“You say that like Maria will even be there.”

“Alex will be.”

How exactly did he tell her that Alex would also be right beside him in bed in a few hours' time, too?

“Right. See you then.”

He drove a little recklessly towards the cave where Max was, waiting until he was on the road alone before he dug under the seat to find the bottle of whiskey he’d stashed there before he got to the lab. He kept an eye on the road as he downed the rest of it. He threw the empty bottle in the back, shaking his head as he tried to make it settle in his bloodstream faster. Of course, that didn’t work, but a man could dream.

Michael walked into the cave with his mindset to get in and out as fast as he could. Staring at Max made him feel like he was going to fucking lose it all over again. Did that make him a bad person? He couldn’t even look at his brother without wanting to get the fuck out of there?

“You know what, you’re a lucky bastard,” Michael scoffed, starting to put the battery rig up, “If I could check out for a few weeks or months, I’d do that shit in a heartbeat.”

He turned to Max with the silver end in hand, sighing slowly. This was okay. This was fine.

“You know Alex has a piece of the ship and he didn’t tell me about it. Why do you think he’d do that? Because I can’t think of a reason why.”

Slowly, he pushed the end into the pod and made sure it was secure before turning back to the battery. He double-checked that everything was on right before he turned it on. A quick look to Max showed that it wasn’t doing anything bad on sight, so it felt like a win.

“I thought, uh, I thought maybe he was hiding it from me on purpose. Maybe he knows more about it than I do and it’ll make me, like, power-hungry and he’s protecting me. But that’s bullshit, huh?”

He put his hand on the pod, feeling that normal low vibration hum a bit stronger. He nodded and refused to let himself feel too prideful. 

“He’s not gonna protect me like that,” Michael said, “Right?”

It wasn’t long before Michael was sure it would hold and he decided to get back home. Alex was probably already there and then he could feel him out, see if he could decipher why on earth he’d be keeping that from him when he promised honesty. Was it selective honesty? Still, he told Max goodnight and got back to his truck.

He drained the rest of his acetone stash before he got to the cabin.

Michael let himself into the cabin, the strange mix of confusion and comfort filling him to the brim as he did so. He wanted Alex more than anything and the agreement to make that happen was unbridled honesty. So why was he hiding that piece?

He stumbled over his feet a little bit as he reached the bedroom, bracing himself in the doorway. Alex sat up in surprise, the bedroom light already on. It was a cold night, apparently, and Alex was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that was a little baggy on him and looked so comfy it hurt. Despite the secret-keeping, Michael smiled at him.

“You look cozy.”

“You look fucked,” Alex said, shaking his head in disappointment. Michael shrugged his shoulders and moved further into the room, trying his best not to stumble as he kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt at the same time. “How much have you had to drink?”

“Hmm, a fifth of whiskey, a couple of bottles of acetone, it’s all good,” he promised. Alex pressed his lips in a thin line.

“Why? What happened?”

“Oh, nothing,” Michael said, unbuckling his jeans. Alex really did look comfy, but that didn’t mean he could say anything. If Alex was keeping a secret, there was a reason for it. Liar, liar, world on fire. Or something. “Oh! Your dad. How’d that go?”

“Good,” Alex said hesitantly. He held out his hand out to Michael, ushering him closer. Michael couldn’t help but smile at that invitation, crawling onto the bed and straight on top of him. Alex wrapped his arm around his neck, pulling him down and keeping in the safe space against his bicep. So this was heaven. “Why’d you get so drunk?”

“People are annoying,” Michael grumbled, breathing in the scent of him as he nuzzled his nose in the crook of his armpit. Alex squirmed a bit, but didn’t push him away. 

“That’s it?”

“Went to talk to Liz and Isobel about what I could do to help. Isobel’s already getting really good at telekinesis,” Michael told him, “Is it bad if I’m kind of annoyed about it? Like, I’m happy for her, but I just feel like… I don’t know, I feel like I need to show her up or something. It’s stupid.”

“No, not stupid. That was your thing for so long and now someone else is good at it too. It’s normal to feel like that,” Alex assured him, voice soft as he went along with the subject change, “Just don’t act like a dick about it.”

“I’m trying. She broke a vase today and my first reaction was ‘oh yeah, I bet I could throw your car across the desert,” he grumbled. Alex huffed a laugh.

“Please tell me you didn’t.”

“No, but now I want to.” Alex shook his head. Michael nudged his nose deeper into his armpit which caused Alex to jump and laugh a little bit. Michael smiled and tried to navigate his arms to wrap around him.  “And… speaking of things I want…”

Things fell silent for a moment as Michael tried to articulate himself. It was a bit hard when his mind was still stuck on what aren’t you telling me. But, there was more than that.

“I want to learn more about my mom,” Michael said, keeping his face buried in his armpit. Not like he could get up if he wanted to. Alex’s bicep was a force to be reckoned with. “I know we talked about it and stuff, but I am feeling a little better now and so… If you wanna keep digging, I’d appreciate it a lot.”

“I never stopped digging. I have a file of the information I found on her and I’m still going through some of the other stuff, but I want to try to find out what happened to her in that year between the crash and her being captured,” Alex explained softly, “Maybe we should talk about this when you’re sober.”

“Maybe, um… Maybe I can look her up or something? At the library,” Micahel said instead of stopping. Alex nodded slowly, his fingers combing through his hair. It was the best thing he’d ever felt. Honestly, he could handle all the lies in the world if he got this. Drinking was good.

But then Alex went still.

“Holy shit, I just realized I never told you her name.”

Michael fought against his hold enough to lift his head, eyes wide. “They documented her name?”

“Yes,” Alex breathed, his hand smacking against his forehead, “I’m so fucking sorry, I just got so caught up in all the other bullshit that I totally forgot.”

“Well, what is it?” Michael asked, smiling slightly as that eagerness bubbled up to the surface. Drinking was definitely good.

“Nora Truman,” Alex said.

“Nora Truman,” he repeated. Alex grinned helplessly at the way the words fit in his mouth and it made his heart feel so full. “That’s so… normal.”

“I know. I don’t know if it was a human alias or… But that’s what she went by at least,” Alex told him, “But that’s your mom.”

Michael swallowed hard and stared at him, his eyes drifting to his lips in all of that excitement. They were right there. In perfect reach. Gravity pulled him down a little bit, hovering over him and wondering if he could. If he should. Before he could make a decision, though, Alex’s nose nudged his cheek to move him and efficiently knocked the thought out of his mind. He dropped his head back against his bicep and got comfortable.

“Nora Truman.”

“Yeah,” Alex said, “Nora Truman.”

It was easy to forget the lie when he had this and that one little truth.

-

“Excuse me?”

“Alex’s brothers are in town!”

“Where are you at? What are you doing? What the fuck, it’s three in the morning.”

Kyle ducked further behind the bush he’d found himself in. He was driving home from work when he’d spotted a car that just looked too familiar and he couldn’t help himself but follow. He was glad he did too.

Now, he was in the bush outside Alex’s childhood home and trying not to feel like a total creep as he looked through the window.

“We need to talk,” Kyle whispered to Cam, watching as Flint took his shirt off. He really was a creep. “Where are you staying?”

“Uh, I’ll text you the address,” she said hesitantly, “Please tell me you’re not doing anything illegal.”

“Text me the address and I’ll see you soon,” Kyle said, hanging up quickly and continuing to watch. He had a theory and he just needed it to be proved. 

And sure enough, when Flint removed his pants, that same symbol was tattooed on his hip.

Kyle was outside Cam’s motel in 10 minutes flat.