#background belmanes because i love them

[ravens-words]

Malex Week 2020

Day 1: Meet Ugly

Of Roses and Bad Dates

Maria answered on the second ring. "How did the date go?!"

"I'm going to kill you."

Warnings: My poor attempt at humor and my even poorer attempt at a good story title.

Happy reading!

........................................

Alex never thought he would ever agree to be set up on a blind date, but Maria Deluca was a force to be reckoned with when she was hell bent on something and she had decided Michael Guerin was the perfect guy for him. 

Alex doubted such a person existed, but he went along with it, mainly because she'd sent him a picture of the man and he was attractive as hell. That was not to say he was thrilled about it; he'd contemplated not showing up to the date at least three times today, but had ultimately forced himself to put on his fanciest shirt and his newest pair of jeans, actually used some of the hair products Maria had dumped on him and drove to the restaurant they were supposed to meet up at. 

When he did show up, Micheal was twenty minutes late, and though Alex was annoyed by it, he let it go. He spotted him by the door and felt his lips begin to stretch in a smile when he saw the other man's head swivel from side to side, clearly in search of him as he waited for the waiter to come back and show him to the table. The smile fell off his face however as he saw him sway in place Michael rested his head on a closed fist and closed his eyes.

Alex took a deep, calming breath and convinced himself that there was no way his best friend would ever set him up with a guy who would show up drunk to a date.

Then Michael took a step forward and stumbled towards their table and- yep, he was drunk.

And Alex was going to kill Maria.

He took another breath and plastered on the biggest fake smile he could muster and stood up. Michael managed a small smile and then they stood there and stared at each other like a couple of awkward teenagers until Alex hesitantly sat down and Michael did the same. 

"Hey," Michael broke the silence, voice friendly, if a little quiet. Alex relaxed a little and returned the small smile. 

Maybe this could work.

The conversation started out tentative, and a little stilted, but Alex didn't mind. It was almost a relief when the waitress came and took their order. Once that was done,  Michael, for the first time in the thirty minutes they'd spent together, asked him a question. "Maria told me you're a computer genius? What do you do?"

Alex grinned. "I wouldn't say a genius, and I work freelance-" he trailed off. Now, Alex was a patient person. And he was masterful at ignoring things to keep the peace. He'd ignored Michael zoning out and trailing off mid sentence multiple times. He'd ignored the thinly veiled insult he'd blurted out when Alex had mentioned his service. Hell, he'd even managed  ignore the fact that Michael reeked of alcohol. 

But he drew the line at this. 

Jaw clenched, he watched as, honest to god, Michael fell asleep while he was mid-sentence. He stared, wondering if knocking his fist out from under his chin would be too rude. Just as the idea was starting to get more appealing, their server came with their food. 

"Here you go," she said, flashing him a sympathetic smile. 

He was going to kill Maria. 

A minute or two later, Michael's hand slipped from under his head and he jerked awake, looking around wildly. It would have been funny if Alex didn't want to throttle him. 

His brown eyes widened. "I-"

Alex glared at him as he sipped from the water glass in front of him, and he enjoyed the way the other man squirmed under his gaze. "Good nap?"

Michael laughed nervously, hand going to his shirt collar and tugging uncomfortably. "Hey, I'm-"

A cake was suddenly put in the center of the table and the lights in the restaurant dimmed as slow jazz music filled the chilly silence that descended upon them. Alex's left eye twitched as they stared at each other. "Did you do this?" He asked icily. 

Michael stared at him, mouth open and oh, he was staring to get pissed off, too. "Of course not, why would I-" 

Flower petals were thrown over their heads and Michael's mouth clicked shut. 

Alex raised an eyebrow, covered in flower petals and more than a little angry. "Is this a fucking joke?" He hissed.

Michael scoffed and stood up, only to have the waitress knock into him from behind. They both went down, hard, and Alex blinked down at the two bodies sprawled out at his feet. 

The waitress, Meagan, scrambled up, horrified and began to apologize to Michael, hands fluttering over his back. 

"Ow," Michael moaned.

Alex got up and left.

"How did the date go?!"

"I'm going to kill you."

"Yikes," his bestfriend muttered. "What'd he do?" She sounded disappointed.  "Lay it on me."

"He showed up drunk. He said maybe ten words to me, and five of which were to imply that I'm a brainless, violent jarhead because, oh yeah, he hates the military, Maria." 

He could just imagine her wincing. He carried on. "He fell asleep two seconds after he asked me about my job. Then for some stupid reason he had a cake brought to us and- I kid you not- rose petals were thrown over our heads."

He heard a snort and growled at her. "He tried to deny that it was him, but why the fuck would that happen if he didn't ask for it?"

She let out a strangled sound and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, you can laugh."

And she did. Loudly. For thirty-two seconds. "You done?"

"I'm sorry, honey. I really am," she offered sincerely. "For what it's worth, that's not like Guerin at all. Maybe if you give him-"

"Oh, hell no," he cut her off vehemently. "If I never see the guy again, it would be too soon."

.....

"Alex!"

Alex turned around and grinned as he watched his brother cross the street. He was pulled into a bear hug the second he was within touching distance and he found himself sinking into the embrace. He hadn't seen his brother much in the year or so since he'd left the air force, too busy with his job and the traveling he'd been doing. 

"Thanks for coming, buddy."

Alex pulled away, and squeezed his brother's neck. "Like I'd miss your engagement party?" 

Gregory put an arm around his shoulders and led him down the street. Two minutes later, they were entering the Crashdown.

"I wanted you to meet Isobel before the party," his brother explained when Alex asked why they were in the diner. "One of her brothers just moved here, so he's with her. I hope that's okay?"

"Of course it is! You've only been trying to get us in a room together since-" he froze when he spotted Isobel, who he'd seen in pictures his brother either sent him or posted on Instagram, and who exactly was sitting beside her. He turned around, giving them his back and closed his eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"What?" Gregory muttered, confused. 

"You know what? On second thought, I think I'm gonna-" 

"Greg!" 

"Damnit," Alex cursed softly, turning around. 

"Alex-"

"It's fine, Greg."

"Wait-" his brother called out, but he ignored him and walked ahead, head held high. The way he was marching towards the table, you'd think he was walking into battle, not lunch with his brother's fiance and- well, the less was said about Michael the better. 

Gregory caught up to him and Alex allowed two seconds of eye contact between him and Michael, just enough to enjoy the comicial widening of his eyes, before he turned his attention back to his brother and his fiance. Greg leaned down and placed a peck on her cheek. The grin on her face lit up her whole face and he found himself smiling softly. 

"Alex," his brother started, smiling wide and giddy. "This is Isobel, my fiance. Honey, this is my brother, Alex."

"Hi, Isobel," Alex greeted, extending a hand. 

"It's great to finally put a face to the name," She took his hand in hers and smirked. "And what a face it is."

Alex barked out a surprised laugh and watched his brother shake his head, looking at her fondly.

"Alex, this is my brother-"

And there went the good, happy thoughts. "Michael," he finished for her, words icy. "Yeah, we've met."

Isobel's eyebrows shot up, and his brother mirrored her shock perfectly. They wanted clarification, but Alex wasn't sure this would end well for any of them if he got started about that date from hell.

Gregory and Isobel slowly slid in beside each other on one side of the table, eyes never leaving him, and he was left with no other choice but to sit beside Michael, who still hadn't said a word. Alex resisted the urge to look at him, and did his best to ignore him. 

"So, Alex, Greg tells me you're a freelance cybersecurity expert? How's that going for you?"

"I'd love to answer, but I might put Michael here right to sleep."

There was a chocked out cough beside him and Alex paid him no mind as he slowly sipped from the water placed in front of him. 

Gregory and Isobel shared a look of bewilderment. "I have so many questions," Isobel muttered, gaze swinging from him to Michael, who was still coughing a little. 

"Can I talk to you?" Michael whispered, closer than Alex expected. He shivered as the other man's breath tickled his neck and gripped his glass tightly. "No," he answered without sparing him a glance. 

And that was it. They spent the lunch either trading passive aggressive insults disguised as attempts at conversation or ignoring each other's existence and fuming in silence.

Today was going to be a long one, Alex could just tell. 

...

Michael Guerin, clean shaven, hair actually combed and in a suit was a sight to behold.

Alex truly hated how attractive the man was. 

They'd been ignoring each other for the better part of two hours, save for the one time Michael had approached and Alex had literally hid in the bathroom for ten minutes. Alex, three drinks in and pleasantly buzzed, was just now starting to relax, thinking that he might have escaped what could have been a disastrous confrontation with Michael. 

So, of course that was when Michael pounced. 

Alex, standing close to the exit of Maria's bar, sipping on his whiskey, was yanked outside by the arm. His surprise gave the other man the advantage for all of a few seconds, and by the time they were outside, Alex had regained his balance and slammed him against the brick wall, hands bunched in his suit jacket.

They were both breathing hard, and standing way too close than they should have been for two people who barely tolerated each other. 

Alex wasn't sure who made the first move, but seconds later, they were kissing. Hard, filthy and all teeth. Alex pulled away, breathing erratic, and stared at the man; his lips, red and swollen, were drawn in a smug smile and Alex felt his hackles rising at the sight.

He pulled him in again, one hand in his hair and the other making its way down his back. Michael's back arched at his touch, and then they were flush against each other. He moaned and Michael's hands tightened around Alex's waist, enough to leave bruises. Alex gasped into the kiss when Michael's tongue darted out and licked the seam of his lips. He deepened the kiss and when his hands found their way under the other man's suit jacket,  Michael made a sound of protest and pulled away. "If I ruin this suit, Isobel will kill me," he informed him. 

When Alex moved to pull away, he didn't let him, pulled him in closer instead. "Why don't we move this back to my place?" He mumbled against his lips. 

"Yes."

...

*One Week Later*

"So, let me get this straight," Maria began, looking between the two of them. "You," she pointed at Michael, "had been operating on no sleep and extra shots of espresso for about a week and still thought it would be a good idea to show up to a blind date. And you," she pointed at Alex, "thought he was drunk, ignored that he was late and the fact that he insulted you, then watched him fall asleep while you were talking but the deal breaker was a cake and romantic music?"

They both shared a look, grinning like fools, and shrugged at her in perfect synchronization. She rolled her eyes and swatted at them both with the towel she was wiping down the bar with. "You idiots deserve each other." She rested her elbows on the bar and turned to Michael, an amused smile on her lips. "But seriously, why did you think that was a good idea?" Maria asked Michael.

He shook his head and shot Alex a glare. "It wasn't me," he protested. "I can't believe you actually thought I would do something like that on a first date," he chided Alex.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "So, it's okay for you to insult me and to fall asleep while I'm talking to you, but that wasn't?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're never gonna let it go, are you?"

"Nope. Not ever."

Maria wandered off with a shake of her head and Alex turned his attention to Michael. "You know," he began, sitting on the edge of his barstool to be as close as possible to the other man. "You still haven't told me why you still showed up when you were so exhausted. Why not just cancel the date?"

Michael scoffed. "Are you kidding me? From what Maria told me about you,  I could barely believe you said yes in the first place, I wasn't gonna miss that chance."

Alex smiled, soft and sweet and leaned close. "Yeah?"

Michael met him halfway. The kiss was chaste, but it still sent his heart into a frenzy. "Oh, yeah."

When he pulled away, he didn't move far. He mirrored Alex's position and scooted until he was on the edge of his stool, too, until his knee was wedged in between Alex's. "Speaking of dates, will you go on one with me tomorrow? I promise not to fall asleep this time."

Alex laughed. "Yes."

....

Their second first date was markedly better than the first one. 

That was until Michael, with a shit-eating grin on his face, signaled the waiters and a minute later, there was a cake in front of him and they were both covered in rose petals.

This time, Alex only managed to glare at him halfheartedly for a second, before he was laughing right along with him.

That wasn't the only difference about the date, though; this time, Alex didn't walk out on him and, Instead, when the waiters dispersed and he was left with a Michael who was poorly suppressing a laugh, Alex reached across the table and yanked him closer by the shirt. "You're lucky I like you," he muttered right before he kissed the smile right off of Michael's lips.

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here and I've been holding back on this song for a Pod Squad centric episode (Dallas makes it all the better), so I'm excited for us to talk about Mars. While any song about going to war makes me think of Alex (and "there is goodness in the heart of every broken man" is such a good Malex line after this season), I really think this song captures past Pod Squad's (Nora, Theo, Louise) war leading into present Pod Squad struggles both with their own identities and with Jones in general.

So, first things first! I got some early sneak peek news about something amazing that’s coming inspired by our little chats I can’t wait to flail with you all about it so stay tuned!! Now, on to the song!

 I was hoping we would get more on Alex’s military background this season and we could talk about this song then because it’s very Alex, but this is such an interesting concept and I’m very excited to talk about this one! 

we laid our names to rest along the dotted line. we left our date of birth and our history behind.

we were full of life, we could barely hold it in. we were amateurs at war, strangers to suffering.

Oooooh, this is giving me thinky thoughts about all the alien kids and how they basically had their memories and histories wiped out and were tossed into a hostile world in the middle of wars and conflicts they knew nothing about. I’m especially thinking of the “strangers to suffering” line and how that doesn’t apply so much to teen Alex, Michael, and Dallas, but very much so to Isobel and Max and how that moment in the desert as kids changed them.

we made our families proud but scared at the same time. we promised we’d be safe, another lie from the front lines.

our backs against the wall, we’re surrounded and afraid. our lives now in the hands of the soldiers taking aim.

Now this one for sure gives me vibes for everyone! Liz, Rosa, and Kyle all lying to their parents who have NO idea what’s going on, Isobel and Max lying to Ann when Isobel was sick and dying and when Max DID die and was in the pod, and Michael and Alex lying to each other about how they each tried to keep the other safe by pushing them away 😭😭😭😭 I’m also thinking about how often so many of them have had their lives in the hands of the enemy and barely escaped. It’s too much!!😭

our questions ricochet like broken satellites: how our bodies, born to heal, become so prone to die?

Well this is just Max vibes all over the place! But I’m also thinking about Liz dying and being brought back and wanting answers to all those questions, and also Alex and how he survived three tours and a catastrophic injury and still has been consistently in danger of death since he got back home and how much more worried he and Michael will be about each other now that they know how good things can be, and how much worse it will be now to loose the other.

though time is ruthless, it showed us kindness in the end, by slowing down enough, a second chance to make amends. as life replayed, we heard a voice proclaim:

“lay your weapons down! they’re calling off the war on account of losing track of what we’re fighting for.”

so we found our way back home, let our cuts and bruises heal. while a brand-new war began, one that no one else could feel.

This is a show about second chances (especially with young love which is why I’m so sad we didn’t get the “Noah suppressed Isobel’s connection to a possible high school sweetheart” storyline but that’s another post entirely *cries in Belmanes*), and making amends for long old wounds (NOT YOU Wyatt!) and how that can help bring healing. And “calling off the war” is something I HOPE we get to see in the future because I’ve been waiting for a “warring forces team up to defeat bigger evil” (where is Flint? This would be a great way to work in a redemption arc for him!), but I do like that no matter what any of the groups parents were fighting, our present day team is forging a new path forward. And I love the nod to PTSD here, and how each person struggles with the mental and emotional scars of the past.

our nights have grown so long. now we beg for sound advice. “let the brokenness be felt ’til you reach the other side. there is goodness in the heart of every broken man who comes right up to the edge of losing everything he has.”

we were young enough to sign along the dotted line.

now we’re young enough to try to build a better life. to build a better life.

“let the brokenness be felt/’til you reach the other side” makes me think of what Arizona told Michael about reopening the wound in his mind in order to fully heal and how (almost) everyone is working to better themselves, and own up to and apologize for mistakes they’ve made that have hurt other people, which helps that person in their healing journey. I also love the very end which is, of course, very Malex, but it’s also what Dallas and Heath are working on, what Liz is trying to do with her science, what Kyle hopes to achieve, and what Isobel is feeling called to do, and what Sanders tried to provide for Michael as best he could, and what Max wants to make sure happens even at the expense of himself, and all Rosa ever wanted a chance to do: build a better life. 

[cosmiceverafter]

Game, Set & Match

Chapter 4 of the Legend series. 

Read on AO3

Summary: The group hangs out together at the Wild Pony.

I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I returned to work, and life has been crazy. But I'm excited to continue the Belmanes' story, as well as have background Malex flirting. Because why not?

Enjoy!

Isobel hadn't felt this excited for a Saturday night, in what felt like years.

A few of them were going to have a casual night at the Wild Pony, and to her utmost delight, Gregory agreed to join in.

She couldn't figure out what to wear, which wasn't the norm for her. Isobel had already gone through several outfits. The evidence was the volcanic pile on her bedroom floor.

Was she going for a chic widow? Or a sultry alien?

Isobel shook her head as she stared at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, "You need to get a grip here."

Truthfully, she was nervous—it had been a long time since she had been around someone she had liked. And the last time didn't go so well. She had to keep reminding herself that Gregory was nothing like Noah.

Finally, she just decided to keep it casual with a dark blue v-neck shirt and her jeans with the knee holes. They made her ass look good. Her hair was down in loose curls, with light makeup.

The final touch was her brown boots.

That'll have to do, she thought, as she put on her nude lipstick.  

When she felt confident enough, she was on her way.

As she entered the Wild Pony, her body was tingling with a thrill of anticipation.

Isobel needed to tell herself it was just a guy, an old "friend," but her heart knew better.

Her boots stuck to the floor as she stepped foot into the dive bar. Yet, instead of disgusting her, it grounded her. She desperately needed it as she saw the boys standing up against the bar with their drinks.

Including Gregory.

Her heart began pounding, and she took a deep breath.

She could hear Michael narrating a story, and Alex and Gregory joined in with laughter. Isobel couldn't spot Forrest anywhere. She couldn't help but wonder if there was trouble in paradise.

"Hi, boys," she called out.

They all turned to look at her, and Gregory's face broke out into a slow grin. It was breathtaking.

Michael and Alex said hi, Alex even greeted her with a hug, which she loved.

Gregory hung back slightly. Was there a chance he was as nervous as she was?  "Hey there, Evans."

"Well, hello to you, too." Their eyes lingered on each other, and the background noise began to fade away. She shook her head and asked them, "So what are we all drinking?"

They held their drinks up, and Michael went on another tangent she wasn't tracking. Something about the service being slow and that he could do a better job...yada, yada, yada. She was too busy staring at how damn good Gregory looked tonight.

He had a black shirt on with a jean jacket and dark, tight jeans. Gregory also wore a long silver necklace with a turquoise pendant that she assumed he got from the reservation. She wanted to grab it to pull him towards her, just to make sure he smelled as good as he looked. His hair was messy, and Isobel couldn't help her mind from wandering at the thought of her fingers running through it. Tugging. Pulling.

The man was gorgeous. The Manes family had issues, but their style wasn't one of them.

Alex was wearing his black leather jacket and a white tee, and she couldn't help but smirk at the way Michael's eyes kept lingering on his former love.

Some things never change.

The sexual tension surrounding the air of the bar was thick enough to slice a knife through.

Isobel moved in closer to Gregory, and he momentarily looked startled as he bit his lip, which caused her to forget how to breathe.

What was air anyway? She felt like she was in high school again.

"So," Gregory cleared his throat with an alluring yet soft smile. "I owe you that drink. What'll it be?"

"Hm...How about we all take a shot?"

Alex laughed, looking at Gregory, "Only one, though, my brother here would be under a table if he has more than that."

"He's not kidding," Gregory agreed, looking slightly embarrassed. "But, I think I can handle one."

"Good to know, then we won't have to carry you out of here," she said with a wink.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind that, Iz," Michael replied, wiggling his eyebrows and giving her a soft nudge.

Gregory flushed, and Isobel glared at Michael. Of course, he would do that. That was usually her role. Usually, she wouldn't mind the exposure, but being around Gregory was so different.

Before things got too awkward, she saw Max walk in. She had convinced her brother to come out for one drink. The poor alien had been down-and-out since Liz had skipped town. She knew they were having a hard time, and there were problems to be solved, but sometimes you just needed to let loose and not worry so much about the future. And her brother was long overdue in that department.

Max walked up to them and waved.

"Surprised you showed up," Michael smirked.

"Be nice," Alex muttered as he pushed his shoulder into Michael's. Michael froze and stared at Alex's face. The two of them and their feelings were so apparent that Isobel wanted to tell them to just go in the back room already.

Isobel hugged her brother, "Shot?"

"Yea, what the hell. Why not?" Max said solemnly. He looked over at Gregory, "Hey man, how are you?"

Gregory was polite as ever as they exchanged pleasantries, and Isobel felt happiness spread throughout her body. Gregory fitted right in with the group.

As the bartender poured their tequila, Isobel turned to Alex, "So where's Forrest tonight?"

Michael stiffened and faced the bar. Alex's eyes glanced over Michael's back, "He is out of town for business."

Max looked at Michael, failing at not being overly obvious. She had a thing or two to teach her brother about being discrete.

She nodded and played it cool, "Nice, well, we're glad you could join us!"

Alex smiled, "Of course. Wouldn't miss it. You're my crew."

Isobel took note of Michael's lips, which were now forming into a small smile, and she felt suddenly felt at ease. She liked Forrest, she did. He was a superb guy, a diamond in the rough desert even. But she wanted Michael and Alex to find their way back to each other. You could feel their love; it was palpable.

She truly believed they were meant to be together. Forrest would understand that. How could he not?

Besides, Alex didn't look too upset that his significant other wasn't there. Maybe there was hope for these two cosmic fools yet.

"That or the fact there's absolutely nothing else to do in this hellhole town," Michael retorted with a shake of his curls.

Count on her other brother to say the wrong thing at the perfect moment.

"Amen to that," Max murmured in agreement as he reached for the shot glass.

She moaned internally.

Was she the only alien with game?

Alex just shrugged, pulling his gaze away from Michael as he took a sip of his drink.

"He speaks the truth," Gregory replied as Michael turned to hit their glasses together. "This town is somethin' else."

"That it certainly is," Michael sneered, shaking his head. "Something vile and disturbed."

"Okay, okay, enough of that," Isobel exclaimed as she pointed towards the tequila. She was going to have to be the ringleader of what fun meant. "Let's move on to bigger and more delicious things."  

As they held out their shot glasses together, Alex suggested, "What do we cheers to?"

"How about new chapters?" Isobel responded as her eyes flickered to Gregory, who was already staring at her.

That sentiment would apply to all of them. "To new chapters!" they collectively said.

Isobel was eager to see what that meant for them all.

***

As the night went on, Gregory felt himself relax more. He had been so damn uptight when he had first arrived at the Wild Pony. It hadn't helped when Isobel had walked in looking the way she had.

The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, and he had to remind himself to stop staring. He didn't want to be creepy, but damn, it was hard to look away.

They were all having so much fun, even Isobel's brother Max. Something was going on with the guy because he had looked miserable. Now he just looked drunk.

"I mean, we all make mistakes," Max said as he weaved slightly. "I mean, that's what it means to be human, right?"

"Absolutely," Gregory replied, "especially people like my father."

"Oh yea, that man was full of mistakes, wasn't he?" Max froze and grimaced, "Sorry...um, may he rest in peace."

Gregory laughed without humor, "No, you don't need to add on that tagline, Max. He doesn't deserve it."

"Okay, good," Max sighed as he patted Gregory's back, "Just an observation, but Jesse was an absolute dick."

Now Gregory laughed for real, "You'd be correct with that observation, my friend."

He couldn't help but only halfway listen to Max Evans. Gregory didn't want to talk about his father; he was much too busy watching Isobel leaning over the pool table.

The way her ass looked in those jeans of hers.

Damn...

She was a freaking goddess, and the alcohol was lowering his control. His innermost desires were rising to the surface.

Finally, Isobel made her way over, and he couldn't ignore how he felt at watching her hips sway in that way.

She leaned in closely, really close to the point they were touching. Her gaze was a look of pure lust, "You're up." Gregory couldn't help but take a glance down at his pants. When she giggled slightly, he was nonplussed as he breathed in the smell of her. Gregory knew it was weird to think, but she smelled like fresh rain and lavender.

Billiards. She meant the game.  

He had to get a handle on himself before he did something foolish, like kiss her in front of everyone on top off the pool table—something he desperately wanted to do. All night it had been on his mind...her soft lips upon his.  

Gregory's mind started spinning, and it wasn't because of the tequila. "I'll be back. It's my turn," he told Max, who was now drinking the water that Isobel handed him.

Michael laughed, "What a lightweight."

"I think I'm about there as well," Alex replied as he sat in the tall chair, his cue stick falling into him.

"I'm disappointed, Manes. We have a game to win!" Michael teased as he watched Alex. "And besides, I thought it was your brother who couldn't handle the alcohol, not you."

"Well, I can handle a few shots, but I definitely cannot keep up with you," Alex exclaimed as he took a large sip of his water.

Michael grinned slowly, his eyes slowly moving up and down Alex's body, "We both know that's not true."

Gregory's eyebrows shot up in surprise even though he knew he shouldn't be. Of course, Michael would flirt with his little brother. After all, this was Michael Guerin, the man who was still madly in love with Alex.

Alex hesitated before returning the smile, "Okay, well, as far as liquor goes."

"Mmhmm. Okay, then," Michael responded as he licked his lips, humor slowly morphing into something else entirely. Gregory felt a bit embarrassed as if he were invading their private moment. Thank goodness for Isobel.

"Alright, alright, you two...we get it, now Greg, let's win this game so Michael can finally get off of that high horse of his." He nodded and tried to focus on the game. But that focus evaporated as soon as Isobel walked around the table. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, "If you win this for us, I'll cook you dinner."

Oh my—she was flirting with him. Isobel wanted a real date with him, and God, did he want one with her.

No pressure.

Now it was his turn to attempt flirting, "Oh really? Is that so?"

Isobel nodded and gazed into his eyes. She licked her full lips, and Gregory couldn't help but weave into the table like a spellbound idiot. "And I'll have you know that I don't cook for just anybody either."

Shakily, he breathed out as he moved closer, "Message received, Evans." And since he was probably making a fool of himself already, he decided to add, "This won't be the same kind of date that was promised to Jake Mulligan though, right?"

Now it was Isobel's turn to be affected; her hand went onto the table to steady herself. But then she regained her perfect composure, "Greg, this will be nothing like that. I can promise you that."

Score.

"Thank you, Evans. That's the confirmation I needed to hear." Gregory turned to take the shot with confidence, sinking the ball instantly into the pocket.

Game, set, and match.