#malex prompt

[bekkachaos]

45, 51 for buddie or malex

Have both! Same vibes anyway x

51. “I’m your husband. It’s my job.” Buddie

Eddie had been ever so slightly crabby with Buck since they got home from their shift.

Buck knew why of course. He had almost been hit by a van on one of their last calls. In his defence, it was going to clip the back of the ambulance and cause a lot more damage than was already on scene, so he stepped out into the road and waved it down.

It wasn't his fault that the driver was staring at the incident and not the road ahead where Buck stood, finally slamming on the breaks a little too late and causing Chimney to need to yank Buck out of the way just moments before he would have been given a hard bump. Even if it had hit him, he would have been fine, by that point it had slowed down enough that at worst he would have had the wind knocked out of him.

But it all worked out, Buck was uninjured, the ambulance wasn't involved in a vehicular collision, and Chim could now go home and tell Maddie that he heroically saved her brother on the job (at least that was how he was putting it).

Even still, Eddie was crabby, and Buck knew there was a lecture coming. Because Eddie had been stood right there watching with his heart in his throat as the van inched closer to Buck as if in slow motion, while he just stood there in front of it.

"Like an idiot," he said after Buck had hit him with the 'can we please just get the argument over with so we can kiss and make up', knowing it would make Eddie snap and spill his feelings.

"We had a patient in the ambulance," Buck reasoned, and Eddie scoffed.

"With minor injuries," Eddie said, staring him down with his hands folded across his chest. "Who, if the ambulance had been hit, would have been fine. Can't say the same about you if you had been pinned between the ambulance and another vehicle."

"I mean at least emergency services were already on scene," Buck said, trying to lighten the mood, obviously in the wrong way as Eddie's nostrils flared back at him. "Eds I'm fine, everything was fine."

Eddie sighed and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and nodded.

"I know," he looked back up at him with troubled eyes. "I know. Doesn't mean I don't get a little worked up when I see you in a situation like that."

Buck just smiled, knowing exactly how Eddie felt, because he was exactly the same. Though where Eddie responded by working himself up into knots of frustration, Buck usually just became overly affectionate and wanted to stay in Eddie's arms until the fear in his chest subsided, irrational as that was.

"You don't need to be so worried all the time," Buck said. "Occasionally, I know what I'm doing."

Eddie looked back at him with one hand rested on the counter and the other on his hip as he took in a deep breath.

"Yeah well," he smiled warmly. "I'm your husband. It's my job."

He didn't miss the way Buck's eyes got brighter and his chest swelled. His mouth curved in a goofy smile and Eddie just narrowed his eyes at him.

"What's that look?" he asked, making Buck shrug.

"Just that I'll never get tired of hearing that," Buck stared back at him adoringly, as if that would stop Eddie's

"What? Me being worried about you doing something dumb?" Eddie gave him a grin, eyebrows shooting up as Buck lunged in and grabbed him by the hips.

"Your husband," he said, cutting off Eddie's reply with his lips, sliding his hands around to Eddie's lower back and holding his body tightly against him.

Eddie hummed out what was supposed to be a laugh, stifled by Buck's lips and then swallowed down as his tongue parted them so sweetly. His firm hands reached up to cup Buck's face between them, fingertips caressing gently through the soft curls at the nape of his neck.

"Nice try," he said as he pulled away just a few inches, thumb grazing Buck's chin with a narrowing of his eyes, but the softest of smiles on his mouth. "I'm still mad at you."

The way he melted into their kiss seemed to negate that point.

45. “You look pretty hot in plaid.” Malex

Alex checked his reflection in the tiny mirror in the hall as he waited for Michael to finish getting ready. He had a dark line of eyeliner under each eye, a fake nose piercing not unlike the one he had when he was a teenager, and he'd even styled his hair (as opposed to brushing it and letting it fall where it chose to).

It was Max's birthday party and the theme was 'seventeen again'. Michael kept complaining that he didn't know why they had to have a theme, to which Alex would say he didn't know why he cared seeing as he never fully committed to party themes anyway. He also didn't know what was taking him so long to get ready given that fact.

"Michael come on," he said, giving himself one last look in the mirror and wishing the eyeliner had come out more even on the left side as he turned to look towards the open door to the bedroom. "We were supposed to leave ten minutes ago."

"It's not that far, we'll be fine," he scuffed his feet on the floor as he walked out in his blue jeans, grey shirt and long sleeved plaid button up, left open with the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows.

Alex looked him up and down a moment as he got closer. He would have scolded him for his lack of effort, but in Michael's defence, he looked exactly like he did in high school. He would have to fight him to keep the cowboy hat off his head (as much as Alex loved it, Michael didn't start favouring it until after they left high school). Still, he looked good. He always did.

"What?" Michael put his hands out questioningly as he got closer to him.

"Is this as close as you get to nineties chic?" Alex asked as the corner of his mouth quirked in a smile and his fingers toyed with the collar of Michael's shirt.

"This is what I had in my closet," Michael shrugged, his eyes raking over Alex's face as his hands reached for his waist. "Surprised you never saw it in there, it's been there for years."

"You're such a comedian," Alex shook his head.

"Something wrong with what I'm wearing?" Michael cocked an eyebrow, head tilting back as if he was goading Alex into

"I never said that," Alex smiled, looking him up and down before shooting him a smirk. "You look pretty hot in plaid."

"You should see how I look out of it," Michael grinned.

He started to pull Alex closer but his hand pressed firmly against Michael's shoulder.

"Oh, I have," he said, unable to hide his smile at the pout on Michael's lips. "But we're going to be late if we don't leave now."

"It's Max's birthday, he'll have another one," Michael snorted.

"And you can get naked in a few hours," Alex said with a chuckle.

This time he was unprepared for the way Michael tugged at his hips, stumbling into him before rolling his eyes.

"That a promise?" he said, a seductive lilt to his voice that although had been heard many, many times before still turned Alex's insides to jelly.

He pulled a face like he was thinking about it, contemplating it. Then he reached out and took hold of each side of the plaid button up in tight fists, his tongue running over his lip as his eyes lingered a moment too long on Michael's.

"I don't know," he said. "Wouldn't mind if you kept this on."

Michael chuckled, leaning in to kiss him softly. Even if he did have the urge to drag him back to bed right then and there, he knew they really did have somewhere to be.

"If you don't wash off that black eyeliner then I can maybe make that work," he mumbled against Alex's lips, feeling the rush of air against his cheeks as he let out a laugh.

He hummed appreciatively as he gave Michael another lingering kiss, moaning slightly irritably as he pulled away from him.

"Let's go," he said. "Before I let you convince me to make an un-fashionably late arrival."

"And here I was thinking you had steel resolve," Michael grinned.

"Out, now."

send me a prompt and a ship and I'll write you a drabble x

[justlightlysedated]

9 for Malex

9…in public

They've only been back in Roswell for about four hours, and Alex is already wondering what would be the best way to convince his husband to go on a second extended honeymoon.

It's not that he didn't miss his house, and his friends. He's just not ready to share Michael's attention with anyone after nearly a year of it being focused entirely on him.

Alex is sitting in one of the back booths in the Pony, holding his half-empty, lukewarm bottle of beer to his cheek as he stares at Michael, leaning against the bar talking animatedly to Bonnie. Their friends are scattered all over the bar, and Alex could be talking to someone else, busy catching up himself, but instead he'd declined Kyle's offer to play pool and had just stayed sitting in the booth, surrounded by empty glasses, waiting for Michael to come back.

Which doesn't take much longer, even though Alex feels like it's been forever. Bonnie gets distracted with a customer, and Michael's eyes sweep across the room, looking for him, and finding him exactly where he left him.

Alex doesn't bother to hide the fact that he's been staring at him the entire time.

Michael smiles and then hits the bar twice, a code for see you later, before he pushes away from the bar and makes his way back to Alex. 

Alex watches his approach with interest, eyes never straying away as he gets closer. He puts the bottle down on top of the table and turns to Michael who slides into the booth right next to him, mouth open like he's about to say something, but Alex is sliding into his space, touching his fingers to Michael's cheek, and pressing a kiss to Michael's bottom lip.

Michael makes an aborted sound at the back of his throat, but lifts his hands to frame Alex's jaw, kissing him back immediately.

Alex smiles which separates their mouths momentarily. Michael makes a protesting sound and slides his hands to the back of Alex's neck, kissing him again. 

Alex melts into the kiss, wrapping one arm around Michael's shoulders to pull him in even closer and sliding his other hand through Michael's hair.

Michael kisses him, deep and wet, licking into his mouth in a way that is not suited for public consumption, not that Alex actually cares about what's suitable to do in public.

Michael pulls away slowly, a satisfied curl to his mouth, and Alex just tugs him back into another kiss, just as deep and all consuming as Michael's.

When he pulls away, Michael's eyes are glazed, and his lips are parted.

Alex smiles, moving his hand to rub his fingers down Michael's throat.

"What was that for?" Michael asks, voice low as he drops his forehead to Alex and slides his hands down to wrap his arms around Alex's back.

"I missed you," Alex says.

"That's disgusting," Isobel pronounces as she drops down to sit across from them.

Alex ignores her, "Wanna get out of here?"

Michael smiles widely, opening his mouth, but Isobel cuts in once again.

"Um, no," she answers for Michael. "You've had him all to yourself for a year Manes. It's time to share."

"Guerin," both Michael and Alex correct her, giving her the same exasperated look before turning back to each other.

"Two more hours," Michael responds. "I promised Valenti I'd kick his ass all over the pool table."

"No way," Isobel cuts in again. "We made plans for the whole night."

Michael is giving Alex a pleading expression, and Alex hums, displeased.

"What are the chances that I can convince you to take a second extended honeymoon?" Alex asks.

Michael's eyes scrunch up with glee as he smiles while Isobel starts to protest. "We've only been back for four hours."

Alex nods his head, "Yes, and I think that's enough family time."

Michael laughs and kisses him again before he slides out of Alex's hold, grabbing Isobel's hand and tugging her away towards the pool tables.

Alex sighs as he watches him go.

[closetfascination]

🖕😎💅💀▶️🏳️⛺

make a story/outline based on these emojis. (The messier/more nonsense the better)

"Fuck you, Alex," taunted Monty, eyes wild like a hungry dog. There was something attractive about Standall, even though he was so fucking annoying.

Alex raised his eyebrows, blue eyes hard and cold like ice.

"Okay, Montgomery," he said flatly, putting on the dark sunglasses he'd been wearing on top of his head. Not that it made a difference, given how unreadable his eyes were.

"Okay?" Monty choked on the word, wondering if Alex was fucking with him. He had to be fucking with him. A twist of suppressed desire tightened in his chest. Would he fuck Alex if he asked? Monty swallowed the question without answering.

Alex leaned in, voice low and even, breath hot on Monty's neck, and whispered, "Unless you aren't man—"

Loud rhythmic beeping sounded in Monty's ears. He slapped the snooze button with his palm and rolled over. Hugging the blankets tight against his body, he hoped to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep.

Read the rest of Part 1 of Devil Like Me on AO3

Part 1 covers the first three emojis, Part 2 covers the next two emojis, Part 3 covers the next emoji and the epilogue covers the last one.

This is also a fill for AU-gust 2023: Day 31, any two (Day 20: Reconnections, Day 23: Plumbers)

Hope you like it and that is unhinged enough for you - this was super fun to write!

[alexguerinappreciation]

MARCH PROMPTS

Theme: Power Dynamics Inspiration: "Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." - T.S. Eliot Words: Passenger, Murky Spotlight: Alex's Canon Relationships (Forlex, Malex) Musicspiration: Truth of My Youth - New Found Glory (Original Version from 2004)

To participate, all you need to do is:

Create fanworks based on one or more of our prompts ➔ fanart, fanvids, fanfiction, fanmixes, gifs, edits, rec lists, meta, etc.

Post them during the current month

Tag your posts with #alexguerinmonthly or #alexmanesmonthly

Add your works to our collection on AO3

﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎﹎

Truth of My Youth lyrics below

there was a time and place where I never thought I'd leave my own hometown but those days finally are dead and gone it was never my intention to stay there, oh no

there was a conscious effort played by me to disown anything I see there was a girl I knew way back when who says she doesn't know me anymore

these are the lies the things you never mention these are my past mistakes I'll stay away from these are my thoughts written down on paper it's my only savior from not saying what I want to say

these are the thoughts that are on my mind moments that haven't yet been defined and I don't know if you could ever understand these are the things I can't say when we're alone

there were countless hours on the telephone my ears were ringing from the dial tone there were flashing lights, people staring there was nothing I could ever do

these are the lies the things you never mention these are my past mistakes I'll stay away from this is the truth, the only time you'll hear it I'll write it down because it seems so hard to say it

these are my thoughts written down on paper it's my only savior from not saying what I want to say

these are the thoughts that are on my mind moments that haven't yet been defined and I don't know if you could ever understand these are the things I can't say when we're alone

[burntotears]

Title: Just for the Thought of You Tags: The Holiday AU, Inspired by The Holiday (2006), AU - Human, Texting, Phone Calls & Telephones, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Angst, Slow Burn, Inconsistent Burn From A Faulty Oven, Single Parents, Family Dynamics, Family Drama, Singing, First Kiss, First Time, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Good Brother Gregory Manes W/C: 35,242 Summary: When Isobel Evans decided to look into her birth parents, she met Alex Manes and they easily became best friends despite the physical distance. Now they just want to spend a little time away from their normal lives, so they decide to swap houses for two weeks during the holiday season. But unforeseen complications make it far from the secluded getaways that they had in mind. Playlist: Listen Here

@rnmnewyear2023 Day 3, 4, & 5: Movie Adaptation, Vacation Getaway, & AU (w/side rare-pair)

Thank you so much to my betas @im-the-punk-who & @bloggingbisexually for your invaluable help taming this wild beast. 🧡

“Are you sure that we can trust this woman with our place?” Greg asked for what was probably the hundredth time as they loaded Alex’s bags into the back of the Explorer. Alex loved his brother, really he did, but he was kind of looking forward to the two weeks away from him. They’d grown close in the years since he’d moved back to Roswell, but becoming roommates last year had reminded Alex of how much he liked having his own damn space.

“The woman’s name is Isobel, and yes, everything will be fine. Stop worrying and go have fun on your cruise with Zoe already. You’re annoying the shit out of me.” He shoved at Greg’s shoulder when he gave him an unimpressed look, but Alex could tell he was excited about the trip too.

“Yeah, whatever. It’ll be nice to be out of Roswell for the holidays for once. Just seems kinda weird that you wanna go out there by yourself.” Greg pulled Alex into a hug when they rounded the vehicle to the driver’s side.

“It’s gonna be fun! Iz has a ridiculously big house and there’s way more to do in the Dallas–Fort Worth area than there is around here.” He smiled when they pulled back from one another. “I’ll be fine, Greg, seriously. Now fuck off to your boat and try not to sink. Love you.”

“Love you too, asshole.” He waved Alex away and went back into the house as Alex headed to the airport.

[ Read on AO3 ]

[pastelwitchling]

I'm so happy you're still taking malex prompts! Could you do something where Michael's abandonment issues rise to the surface? Thank you! Love your work.

@joaneteporis

***

“How long’ll you be gone?”

Alex looked over his shoulder at Michael from where he was packing the last of his sweaters into his black suitcase. Michael hated that suitcase. They were in their bedroom, Michael sitting on the edge of their bed, still naked from when he’d woken up a few hours ago, partly hoping that if he never got out of bed, never showered or dressed, then Alex would change his mind and climb back into the sheets and Michael’s arms. He’d been hoping this stupid trip would be canceled.

Yet Alex sat before him, the tips of his hair still damp from the late shower he’d managed despite Michael’s attempts to delay him with trails of kisses down his body. He’d been giggling breathlessly then, and he smiled just as easily now at the false indifference.

He put his last sweater in before gripping Michael’s knee and kissing it, his hand stroking Michael’s thigh soothingly.

“Just three days,” he promised. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Michael held out a hand. “I want collateral.”

Alex burst into laughter, and Michael tried hard not to smile at the sound. “What could I possibly give you?”

“Your phone.”

“And how would I get in touch with Ramos without my phone?” he said, squishing his cheek against Michael’s knee. “Or you?”

He dropped his hand. “Damn it.”

Alex’s smile widened. “You actually think I’d come back for my phone and not you?”

“I know you’d come back for me,” Michael said defensively, and could hear the threat in his voice himself. I know you will come back for me. Or else I’d come after you and never let you out of my sight. “I just need a little insurance.”

“So you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust our life, Alex,” he corrected. “I don’t trust that something else won’t happen when I’m not there.”

“I’m keeping my location on,” he said, more softly. “I told you I’d tell you when I got there. Besides, I’m not heading anywhere alone, this is another branch of agents, Guerin.” He pressed one more gentle kiss to Michael’s calf and turned back to his suitcase. “No evil aliens are taking me away this time.”

Alex shut his suitcase and zipped it up, the sounds like nails in a coffin, and Michael’s heart sank into his stomach. It was really happening. Alex was really going to leave again, and there was nothing Michael could do about it. He was going to be sick, he couldn’t breathe.

Alex picked up his suitcase, Michael’s hand outstretched halfway between them, wanting to pull Alex back by his sleeve and keep him there and to call his name and show him how scared he was so that he never walked out that door. Alex had talked to him when Eduardo had asked him to train a bunch of recruits outside of Roswell, had told him that he wouldn’t go if it really bothered his husband, and Michael – the absolute dumbass – had said that he would be fine, it would be okay, that Michael might get a little nervous about it, but that Alex should go if that was what he needed to do. If he promised to return.

He'd been regretting every word since. He should’ve said no. He knew that there was no way Alex would begrudge him for it; Alex loved him, he would’ve done anything to keep Michael happy, and Michael was only happy when he had Alex in his line of sight –

Alex was suddenly in his space, crawling into Michael’s lap and straddling him on the edge of the bed, Michael’s legs the only thing keeping him from falling. He hugged Michael’s shoulders and buried his face in the crook of Michael’s neck, slipping a hand into his curls and holding on.

“Shhh, baby,” Alex whispered, completely calm. The darkness around Michael’s vision slowly cleared, and he saw Alex’s suitcase leaning against the wall. He had clearly noticed Michael’s impending panic and had wanted to shut the suitcase and put it aside so that he could focus his attention on his husband instead. “I’m here. I’m right here.”

Michael’s hands were still trembling when he reached up to hug Alex back, gripping fistfuls of his shirt and squeezing him to his chest.

“Breathe,” Alex murmured over and over, his breath warm on Michael’s ear. “Breathe, beautiful.”

“I’m – I’m trying,” he gritted out, shoving his face hard into Alex’s shoulder and trying to breathe in his scent, to remind himself that Alex was right here, in his arms. That they were husbands now, and had beaten the monsters that had come for them together, and they were free. That Alex was his, and no one was ever taking him away again.

After a long few minutes, Michael’s shuddering had ceased, but Alex was still rubbing his back and breathing softly against his neck.

“Just breathe,” he said softly, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled his phone out. “I’m right here.”

Michael didn’t want to let go of him. “W-What’re you doing?”

“Calling Eduardo,” he said, dialing. “I’m canceling.”

Michael frowned. He knew what he wanted to say; he wanted to say that he was sorry, but that he really couldn’t do this; he couldn’t be away from Alex, he couldn’t let him go, he couldn’t send him off and act like it wasn’t killing him.

But he caught Alex’s hand anyway.

“No,” he said, even as he felt someone else say the word, even as his brows furrowed and he squeezed Alex’s fingers. “N-No, I’m – I’m okay, I’m fine.”

“Michael,” Alex pulled back enough to see his face, cupping his cheek, “it’s okay. I care more about you than some stupid job, I don’t mind staying right here, okay?”

Michael could see that. There was no resentment or disappointment in Alex’s dark eyes or his soft, loving smile. He would stay on Michael’s lap all day if Michael wanted him to, and he’d be happy to do it.

How long would that last? How long would their relationship survive if Michael couldn’t give him a few days’ worth of space? How long until Michael’s love for Alex turned into an incessant need that was never satisfied, until neither of them could go off to work without Michael descending into a panic attack?

No. Something had to give.

“I can’t . . .” he started, and Alex was nodding.

“I understand,” he said, “it’s okay.”

“No,” he held Alex’s hand to his lips. “I can’t be this scared all the time, Alex. I can’t worry that you won’t come back every time you walk out the door. I have to . . .�� the words didn’t want to leave, but Michael forced them out, “I have to let you go. Just for a little while. Just so I know that you’ll always come back to me.”

“Always,” Alex promised at once, and something in Michael rested a little easier. He believed him, he did . . . he was just terrified. Alex was too important to him to risk.

Sliding a hand into Alex’s hair, he pulled him in to slot their mouths together, his other arm around Alex’s waist. Alex arched into his body like he was just as starved for him, cupping his face and tilting his head to deepen the kiss.

They ended up tangled in each other a few minutes more before Michael had to put a stop to it and walk Alex to the door. If he held him close now, he really wouldn’t ever let him leave again. Alex walked backwards to his car, eyes on Michael until the last possible second. Michael didn’t dare go inside until long after Alex’s car was out of sight. Then he closed the door and collapsed against it, exhaling shakily, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“He’ll come back,” he told himself, the silence of the now empty house heavier than it had ever been. “He’ll come back.”

Alex checked in when he got to the top-secret base that night, and Michael had checked his location just to make sure he’d been safe and sound the entire ride there, where Alex finally turned off the feature until his inevitable drive back. He called that night, and Michael kept him on the phone to fall asleep to his voice, and then again in the morning to make sure Michael had eaten. Michael had done the same, and protested when Alex had insisted that a granola bar was enough.

“I mean, there’s a breakfast buffet, but . . .”

“But what?”

Alex’s voice dropped to a murmur like it did in those rare moments when he was shy. “I don’t know anyone. I’m supposed to be their superior, what if they just stare at me?”

Michael had been having coffee by himself at the kitchen isle, his tech and schematics spread out before him in an effort to distract him from the lack of his warm, rosy-cheeked husband at his side, and now at Alex’s embarrassment, he found himself smiling genuinely for the first time all morning.

“Aww, baby . . .”

“Shut up,” Alex grumbled, and Michael’s shoulders shook with quiet laughter. “Stop laughing at me!”

Michael’s laugh burst out then, and he curled around the phone in the hope that he could pull Alex through it and hold him like he was dying to do.

“God, I miss you,” he sighed, still smiling.

“It’s been a few hours,” Alex said. “You haven’t had the time.”

“I can miss you if I want to.”

“I miss you, too, then.”

Michael hummed. “How much do you miss me?”

“So much.”

“Enough for a FaceTime call?”

Alex couldn’t have missed the suggestion in Michael’s voice, and this time, it was him who laughed. Michael rested his chin on his palm and closed his eyes, his schematics forgotten.

“You’re such a freak,” he said fondly. “Fine, I’ll go into the damn dining hall.”

“Tell me you miss me again first.”

“I miss you,” he giggled.

“One more time?”

“I miss you I miss you I miss you, you absolute dork. I’ll call you tonight.” Then, softer, “I love you.”

“I love you more,” Michael promised, his smile already dimming at the end of the call that was coming. When Alex finally hung up, Michael continued to sit there for a long time, staring through his notes. Alex had already left, but Michael couldn’t help but whisper into the phone, “Come back to me soon.”

Over the next two days, Michael did a lot of pacing. He lounged on an exasperated Max’s couch (“It’s three days, stop being pathetic!”), hung out with Isobel and Kyle at Kyle’s insistence (who Michael was sure Alex had talked to), and worked endless hours at the junkyard to Walt’s eternal chagrin (“Lord help us if his car breaks down and he has to stay away another damn day”).

Alex did not call him on the fourth morning because he’d left the base early, making the drive back to Roswell instead, so Michael spent the hours since before dawn pacing outside. His heart thrashed when Alex’s car finally came into view, shifted restlessly from foot to foot as it pulled into the driveway, and ran at his husband before he’d even closed the car door.

Alex dropped his suitcase just as Michael swept him into his arms, his legs wrapping around Michael’s waist and his face buried in the crook of Michael’s neck. Michael groaned, long and low, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest now as he touched every inch of Alex he could reach, breathing him in and pulling him closer, closer, closer.

“I’m so tired,” Alex murmured wearily, hugging Michael’s shoulders tighter and cuddling into him like he was planning to fall asleep right there.

Michael couldn’t speak for a moment, running a hand between Alex’s shoulder blades, up and down his waist, clawing over his ass. Anything to keep him close, to feel him for hours after he eventually put him down. At least, Michael hoped he would put him down. Right now, he couldn’t imagine it.

Alex seemed to recognize that, and made no request to be released. He slid a hand into Michael’s curls and tugged. “You were so brave for me, baby,” he said. “I’m so proud of you.”

Michael shut his eyes tighter, holding onto Alex like his life depended on it. Sometimes, he thought it did. He wondered how brave Alex would think he was if he told him that.

“No big deal,” he finally said, releasing his first deep breath in days. “Barely noticed you were gone.”

***

Happy Malex Monday ❤️

[wisteriagoesvroom]

for the 5 sentence fic game - malex (Max/Alex), forgiveness? if it's not too out of ur depth :3

ok this was such a good prompt that i bust past 5 sentences and just kept going. so…here we go:

————

Forgiveness

a max/alex drabble, rated g

When Max meets Alex again, it’s a crisp autumn day — the kind where the leaves curl in on themselves, as if holding a secret. What secret, Max doesn’t know, but he has never really been in the habit of keeping many secrets.

The park is not where he expects to see Alex. But that’s the thing about parks. They’re a central nervous system for cities. City planners used to design with this in mind, before cars took over. Max remembers this fact from an encyclopaedia that he used to read, under blanket with a torchlight, when he still had the time to, during karting.

And now, Alex is in the park. Alex is older. Hair the same, if longer than it used to be in their F1 days. Face clean-shaven, but sharper in the cut of his jaw. Eyes, still creasing upwards when he sees a thing he likes.

As it turns out, Alex smiled a lot more when he left Red Bull. His smile practically a quantum force of its own when he finally won a GP.

And as it turns out, to his surprise, Max may be one of the things Alex also likes.

“Is that really you?” Alex exclaims, hands tucked in his pockets, wool scarf loose on his neck. Max feels somehow underdressed in his nondescript hoodie. Being a five time world champion, even over a decade later, meant people would stop you for photos.

“It’s me, mate.”

Alex makes a noise that seems like delight. They do the bro hug, and he animatedly explains that Lily is in Shanghai for a project involving augmented reality home golfing that is run through a mobile phone holoprojector. He rambles a little bit about weather — which for some reason the English still are obsessed with — and Alex asks whether Monaco has changed much (Max tells him it hasn’t).

“Are you heading up to Milton Keynes?” Alex says.

There is no loadedness behind the question. Max has only been back to Milton Keynes for Redline work since he retired.

One thing about Alex is that he was always carefully guarded when he needed to be. But Max never found him truly capable of ill intent.

“No,” Mad says. “I’m actually here because Pen has a thing about horses now. I have a break from touring stables and such.”

“Horses! Ah! There’s this great place down by Richmond, the owner’s an old classmate of mine. Let me pass it to you.”

Classic Alex. Always trying to help out, be nice, create a connection. So Max grabs his phone from his pocket, and lets Alex fuss around with it.

So the task is done, and there isn’t much to do now but move on. That is what Max has done well. Move on, in a way that he knows how, eking out a place for himself in Sim driver development and helping others learn the ropes. Much like Alex clearly has too, remaining as advisor to his last team.

Max finds himself reflecting on the younger men they were so long ago. Max was a lot more impulsive then. Quick to anger, a hunger inside him with so much to prove. But every person who did what they did always had the hunger. It just manifested in a lot of different ways.

And the interaction is nearing its end. But Max still can’t quite find a way to make his legs move. Around them, someone occasionally jogs past, and there are some ducks quacking happily at a nearby pond. It is peaceful.

Alex’s phone buzzes. He glances down at it, brows creasing in concern.

“Sorry, there’s some emergency at home involving my five year old and…” Alex squints at his phone. “A muffin tray of glitter. George is always far too lenient with his godson.”

Max smiles. “I heard about that. George, I mean. Not the glitter. I am not psychic.”

“That would explain your super-powered abilities, wouldn’t it?”

“Ha!” Max says, and he means it. “Anyway, I remember exactly how it is. That age.”

Alex smiles back knowingly.

The leaves rustle in the trees. The ducks are still quacking. The sun peeks out from behind a cloud, warming them both.

It is comfortable, in the way Alex always makes people feel, since the Williams years.

Max stops his leg from twitching.

“Listen, Alex. I never got a chance to say it before.”

“Say what?”

“That I…”

And Max finds himself pondering it. What does he mean? That he’s sorry? Sorry that a formula one team only truly ever has enough room for one person? That he should have asked how Alex was, like how he makes a point to do so now, with all his Redline youngsters? That he wishes he had called or texted him in the intervening years to see how he was, that he wishes they had stayed in touch? That he misses his old cars more than anything in the world, even if he’s happy with what he’s done and the way the puzzle pieces of his life have landed, and he always wonders if other drivers did too?

Max swallows a lump in his throat that he didn’t know was there. In the end, he says exactly what is on his mind.

“I’m really glad that you seem well.”

If that’s not the answer Alex was expecting, he doesn’t show it. He always seems borderline spiritual these days. As if he’s discovered a secret and invites you to understand it. A little bit like a monk, but one who definitely drives over the speed limit. (Max saw that video: a special karting one Alex did for family content, and he still carves a magnificent line.)

The monk in question smiles. It’s warm, like the sun. How lucky for those who grow close enough to Alex, to feel it.

And in that sage, still boyish way of his— surrounded by ducks, subjected to the inclement weather, in the artery of the place where worlds meet — Alex tells Max, back:

“I’m glad for us, too.”

————

from prompt thing here except i will actually try to stick to 5 sentences for the next one(s)

[eusuntgratie]

2024 Writing Round Up

tagged by the wonderful @cha-melodius <3 thank you i love this!

i published 33 fics in 2024 🥳 101k words across 9 fandoms! i MIGHT get one more up by the end of the year but we'll see!

FEBRUARY

dance with me so we don't cry (rwrb, firstprince, T, 1500 words) a songfic au inspired by lonely dancers by conan gray. henry and alex have a meet cute in a club after having their hearts broken.

APRIL

ya girl was BUSY in april why did i publish so much fic this month?!?

thirst trap (911 rpf, ryliver, M, 500 words) baby's first ryliver! oliver takes a slutty gym selfie with a special surprise.

this could be a disaster (rwrb rpf, taynick, E, 44k) my slutty magnum opus finished posting in april! an au of sorts where covid didn't happen and we got a press tour for rwrb...and sluttery and shenanigans ensued.

you could've texted (911 rpf, ryliver, E, 1400 words) oliver reacts to ryan's insta story

chapter 1 of disaster (taylor's version) (rwrb rpf, taynick, M, 1500 words) taylor's pov of chapter 3 of this could be a disaster

MAY

hungry (hockey rpf, tknp, M, 800 words) Nolan's a succubus, TK is down bad as always

chili (the falcon & the winter soldier, sarahbucky, G, 150 words) sarah and bucky share a quiet moment in the kitchen

JUNE

quiet (911 rpf, ryliver, E, 800 words) the inevitable result of me learning that oliver shared a villa with ryan and his wife at aisha's wedding i don't know how to say it (hockey rpf, sidgeno & sidgenotanger, E, 3k) an omegaverse au where geno reacts to kris getting called up, kris falls in immediate lust with sid, and sid plays everybody like a fiddle to get what he wants. my 2024 sidgeno exchange fic!

after hours (rwrb, firstprince, E, 5k, at least one chapter left to post) alex is a (very hot) mechanic, henry is a visiting professor at UT Austin.

montana (hockey rpf, sid/anna, E, 1200 words) anna shows up to sid's place in montana and pegs him. that's it that's the fic.

JULY

couldn't help it (rwrb, firstprince, M, 400 words) the first of many kiss prompts. canon compliant reunion kiss at lake lbj.

then don't (chambers & kissing booth, kissingchambers, G, 600 words) a soft and sweet marco/elliott meet cute

fearless and fierce (teen wolf, stisaac, M, 600 words) a desperate post-battle kiss

already over (rwrb, alex/raf, E, 7k) hands down one of my favorite fics i wrote this year. a canon-compliant alex/raf fic.

your turn (hockey rpf, tknp, M, 300 words) it's not gay if you don't kiss on the lips, right?

AUGUST

close calls (rwrb, firstprince, T, 2k) alex is a musician and henry is his long-suffering bodyguard

laundry room light (911 rpf, ryliver, E, 800 words) oliver comes over to help ryan fix a light, and also rail him while his wife is upstairs

we've got time (rwrb, firstprince, T, 500 words) a soft and slow early morning firstprince kiss

SEPTEMBER

drink me up (roswell new mexico, malex, E, 3k) michael walks into the wild pony while alex is working the bar and has to blow him about it (a different first meeting au)

i wanna be in your bloodstream (rwrb, firstprince, E, 1700 words) alex is a vampire and henry is very, very into it

OCTOBER

Batman, Wolfman, Frankenstein or Dracula (chambers & kissing booth, kissingchambers, T, 600 words) Marco finds a welcome distraction from Elle at the Halloween dance

boys will be boys (rnm rpf, vlamburn, E, 800 words) things get a little spicy after tyler and vlamis take pics for the Burn the World Down vlambase merch drop

voice note (rwrb rpf, taynick + a bonus mystery character, E, 4k) disaster-verse; taylor's partner gets involved. just fun and smutty, not angsty!

it's a bad idea, right? (rnm rpf, vlamburn, E, 2k) what if vlamis had a ronen rubinstein-esque reaction to shooting with tyler and sucked his dick about it?

come find me in the crowd, love (teen wolf, sterica, T, 600 words) Stiles and Erica kiss at a party to make Derek jealous, but end up having too much fun to worry about him.

tell 'em i'm a good kisser (rwrb rpf, taynick, T, 400 words) Taylor finds Nick a little tipsy at the Oscars After Party

baby, it's alright (roswell new mexico, malex and michael & nora, T, 900 words) Nora's POV of the Caulfield scene. I'm sorry.

NOVEMBER

chaos theory (rwrb, firstprince, T, 800 words) henry watching alex and nora dance, but at a halloween party where nobody's famous

mississppi (roswell new mexico, malex, M, 2k) alex calls michael before his second deployment

not like this (rwrb rpf, taynick, T, 400 words) older taynick. they're still hot.

DECEMBER

conformation (roswell new mexico, malexa, E, 6k) a sex club bdsm au bc we deserve nice things (like michael in a harness with a collar and leather leash)

make you feel safe (rnm rpf, vlamburn, T, 1400 words) posted today! a little hurt/comfort set during 3x09 filming

no pressure tagging some folks bc this was fun to look at!

@onward--upward @captainjunglegym @stnichols @faketrex @taste-thewaste

@cuprun @matriayawrites @jdeanmorgan

@insecuregodcomplex @firstprincehornyramblings @onthewaytosomewhere @thighzp @rewritetheending

[jm-chrome]

Spanish Colonial Era AU

Heres a little Malex prompt and doodle I did a while ago about an AU where Trese takes place during the Spanish era in the Philippines:

“Hand-kissing is a common courtesy and a normal way of greeting a lady back then. Since Maliksi is of higher social status than most of the people he encounters (being a prince and the wealthy heir to the Armanaz company), it’s customary that he initiates this courtesy. Whenever he does, he’s always met with a fit of shy giggles from the ladies… until he met Binibining Alexandra. Alex, stern and guarded as usual, would always just ignore his extended hand and get straight to business. Despite this, Maliksi never fails to extend his hand to her whenever they meet in hopes that one day she might offer her hand back to him.”

[mischas]

What are your favourite Marissa comebacks/sassy moments? (She deserved to be wayyy snarkier than she was but I find her humor very underrated)

Ooh fun

1x02 in the car with Seth about liking punk music

1x02 calling out Seth for him being stuck up (cries, future besties)

1x04 getting Anna to be Ryan's cotillion date over Summer (she thought she was being so slick)

1x05 "So how'd it go with the dancer?"

1x05 "Can I have one of your tanktops so I can be as cool as you?"

1x07 vending machine "Actually, I think she was a woman" line of all time

1x10 outing Caleb/Julie on the yacht

1x11 the moment at Theresa's door when she nods at Ryan before going inside

1x12 "I didn't tell anyone"

1x14 "Like I said, yep. Happy New Year"

1x21 "Why? Because we go to the same school or because I live here?" (this is so cold but she's not only not wrong but also finally has some bite again)

1x23 threatening Julie that she'll spill the beans about Luke to Jimmy/Caleb/her therapist/the cops/etc we love a princess with leverage

1x25 inviting Aunt Cindy to the engagement party

2x07 "Of course I'm screwed up! I'm the daughter of a thief and a slut" (I find this scene very unserious but I... love this line)

2x12 "I did some real soul searching" "I hope you didn't hurt yourself"

2x14 "You have my cell if Caleb kicks and you need help counting your cash"

2x16 this whole Julie exchange "You enjoy living in squalor?" "Well you and Caleb don't live here so it can't be that disgusting" "Maybe I'll just steal, you know I'm really good at that"

2x17 "You remember what happened the last time you came to Chino?" "Yeah, I saved your ass"

2x24 "Paychecks are handed out on Mondays"

3x02 "You're getting good at this, aren't you?" this doesn't really fit the prompt but I love how amused she is saying this

3x10 "I love Chrismukkah" "So we've heard"

3x17 my memory is funny on this one but "I'm seeing Dr. Roberts" "You don't look like you've had anything done"

3x19 (i think) that scene with Summer comparing her to Veronica Mars "solving this week's mystery"

3x22 "If I was in your circle of friends I might accidentally let it slip that you used to do musicals"

3x25 "I'm really gonna miss you bossing me around"

I'm sure there are some more that I'm forgetting! And I'm sure they don't all fit but 🤷‍♀️ Also the Malex era probably has more but my memory isn't great there either unfortunately.

[bekkachaos]

For the writing prompt - #5 for Malex please ☺️☺️

5. “Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

Deep Sky didn't get many new recruits, but when they did, they were obviously brilliant in one way or another.

The newest team member, a twenty-something classical physicist named Ash, had been labelled somewhat of a prodigy and after a rocky initiation, fit right in.

Not only was he somewhat of a human calculator but he had a quick witted nature about him that everyone seemed to love.

He and Alex got along very well. They bounced ideas off one another and were usually on a very similar wavelength when it came to their thoughts, so when the two of them came together on a project they usually got a lot further than others had in half the time.

Alex sat on the couch at home, the dregs of a glass of wine sat on the coffee table as Michael walked over with a glass of whiskey and the last of the bottle to top up Alex's glass. He had been regaling a story from earlier in the day about some piece of technology they had been tinkering on together, his mouth drawn up in a smile as he explained the way he watched Ash work and how Eduardo had started to joke that they were sounding like an old married couple.

"Honestly, I was never that smart at his age," Alex said as Michael put down the empty bottle and slotted in beside him so that he could put his arm around his shoulders. "I think it should probably be illegal. He just gets this crazed look on his face when he's onto something, although today that led to him nearly electrocuting himself."

He chuckled as he looked back at Michael who just nodded, smiling with just his lips and eyebrows before he took a drink from his own glass.

"Sounds like fun," he said dryly, making Alex narrow his eyes at him curiously.

"Okay, what's with the mood?" he said, making Michael shrug in that infuriating way he did when he was about to make Alex guess what was going on in his brain.

"No mood," he said.

"There's a mood, or, you know, thoughts happening in there," he smirked, making Michael roll his eyes.

"No thoughts," he shrugged again, and Alex chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I mean I've just been sitting here listening to you talk about spending all day with some guy, but no, no real thoughts."

"I've been talking about the project, Guerin," Alex shook his head. "Ash is helping me with that so he's probably going to come up. What have you got against him? You didn't mind him when you came in to drop me some food last week."

"Never said I had anything against him," he said, smirking back at Alex and nudging his shoulder with his chest. "Have you? Had anything against him?"

He was teasing, in tone, but Alex knew Michael well, enough to know the way he was tensing his body up, deflecting with jokes and an arrogant curl of his mouth. It was the same posturing he did when he became defensive, protective, and one other thing.

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

Michael squirmed a little, scoffing with a roll of his eyes.

"Of that scrawny kid?" he said, snorting derisively and making Alex bite his lip to stop from laughing.

"You're the same build as he is."

"You noticed that huh?"

"Michael," he said with an exasperated sigh, putting his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "If you find him attractive well that's on you, don't bring me into it."

"So you don't then?" Michael asked, that antagonistic smirk still glued to his mouth.

"Honestly? I haven't noticed," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I don't notice those things anymore. If you asked then yeah, objectively I could say he's an attractive guy. But I'm not attracted to him."

Michael let out a sigh through his nose, his lips faltering a moment as he gave away the facade, putting his glass down on the table and letting his hand rest on Alex's knee.

"So you don't need to be jealous, of him, or anyone else," he said, reaching out to press his palm to Michael's chest, sliding it up and over the crook between his shoulder and neck.

And then the smirk was back, a shrug of his shoulders as he slid his hand further up Alex's thigh, over his hip and slipping his fingers under the fabric of his shirt.

"Don't worry, I'm not," he said, leaning in until he could place a soft kiss under Alex's jaw, his head tilting up willingly to give him the space to crowd him closer. "I mean, can that guy do this?"

He mumbled the words into his skin, chasing them down with his tongue, then his lips, his hand rising higher under Alex's shirt until he was slowly pulling back so that Alex could raise his arms and be stripped out of it.

Michael's arrogant smirk was replaced by parted lips and hungry eyes, making Alex roll his eyes as he let Michael shift him so that he had one leg on the couch and the other on the floor, a perfect fit between them for Michael to settle.

"Nah, he just gets the science and that little wrinkle you get when you think too hard," he grinned, making Alex chuckle and drop his head back a moment.

"You're an idiot," Alex said as Michael leant in over him.

"You're in love with an idiot," he smiled, leaving a soft kiss against Alex's lips. "What does that say about you?"

send me a pairing and a prompt from this list 💕

[dr-lizortecho]

RNM fic masterlist

(Art credit to @infjreaper597) As always not all my wip’s will be on here, but I wanted to create something easier to navigate. So it’s now better organized by relationship category. And for prompts you can find what I write for here <3

Romantic/Sexual

Echo (Liz Ortecho/Max Evans)

Kaliz (Liz Ortecho/Max Evans/Kyle Valenti)

Kyliz (Liz Ortecho/Kyle Valenti)

Valevans (Max Evans/Kyle Valenti)

Lizobel (Liz Ortecho/Isobel Evans)

Rosallas (Rosa Ortecho/Dallas Haines)

Malexa (Michael Guerin/Maria DeLuca/Alex Manes)

Kybel (Isobel Evans/Kyle Valenti)

Malex (Michael Guerin/Alex Manes)

Miscellaneous Liz ships

Miscellaneous Max ships

Familial (General)

Ortechos

Podsquad

Valentis

Alien Squad & Team Human

[andrea-lyn]

wip wednesday, where I ramble about my current list (and all have been worked on within the last ten days, so go me):

outlander old guard time traveller's kaysanova - 22k and the first scene is close to being done, but it's also over 40 pages and idk how to actually like, post this? because the first chapter alone is a fic, so ... ideas welcome

zukka big bang - goal is to finish a scene a month, and I finished scene 1 last week. so scene 2 is may, scene 3 is june, and I finish it up in july with time to spare!

zukka prince & the turtleduck, which is a take on the disney movie, and will get occasional love, but not focus until ...

the time travel zukka is done. this is getting the most love with the goal to be done soon, but there's a raven cycle piece that'll get finished first bc it's a short one

said piece is basically sarchengsy antics told through adam's pov with ronan contribution. if it gets past 2k, I'll be shocked, and will prob get done in a few weeks if I work on it, lol

then there's a come dine with me roy/jamie celebrity au thing that will also be short and sweet once I get to it

annnnd hey, there's a malex fic! it's 1500 words so far! it's a prompt I wrote in my tumblr fills and decided to make into a full fledged thing

then in terms of things I want to start:

something for zukka week - tbd?

there's a genie fic idea I have that has no attached fandom. might end up zukka, might end up something else? idk

and there's the ever-present hanahaki idea that needs a fandom, but nothing fits and I want to write it so bad, but nothing has made sense

and then, idk, but there's two cherik WIPs I abandoned and I'm just like '....but what if I come back to them'. One is probably a non-starter (princess diaries-esque au) but the other (which includes alex/darwin as secondary pairing) might have some legs

(wip word count = 66,081 ... at least I know I'm still verbose)

[alexguerinappreciation]

FEBRUARY PROMPTS

Theme: Fluff (it is February) Inspiration: Stealing a moment Word: Possession Feeling: Fondness Memespiration:

To participate, all you need to do is:

Create fanworks based on one or more of our prompts ➔ fanart, fanvids, fanfiction, fanmixes, gifs, edits, rec lists, meta, etc.

Post them during the current month

Tag your posts with #alexguerinmonthly or #alexmanesmonthly

[burntotears]

Please consider fake dating Malex 🙏💛

I would love to write a fake dating fic; I've always wanted to do one. I just have never come up with a good premise/reason for it.

If you or anyone else has an idea for one, I'll gladly take it!

[pastelwitchling]

Hi

Thanks for all the amazing Malex stories.

Could you possibly write about Michael and Kyle being worried about that Alex is taking too many painkillers? Thanks.

This prompt actually inspired me to do a two-parter, so that's what I'm going to do 🫣

Part 1/2

***

“I don’t how comfortable I am with this,” Michael said, arms crossed and shoulder leaning against the archway into the kitchen.

Alex had his back to him as he fixed up the plate of snacks for movie night, but Michael could hear the amusement in his voice when he said, “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

His shoulders fell. “I’m serious, Alex. This is our movie night, why does Valenti have to be here?”

“Uh, technically,” Kyle called from the living room, “Alex and I were doing movie night way before you guys got together, so you’re the only trespasser here, Guerin!”

Michael pointed into the hallway, eyes narrowed at Alex. “In my own home.”

“Oh, brother,” Alex chuckled, glancing at Michael over his shoulder. “Baby, why don’t you go pick the movie, okay? It could be whatever you want.”

“You’re just trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?”

“Never,” he said easily with a shrug. “You’re my heart and soul. My lifeline.”

“Okay –”

“My never-ending fairytale.”

“I get it,” he said, trying not to smile.

“My hunky alien hubby.”

“I’m going!”

Alex was still calling adoring nicknames after him as he entered the living room, shaking his head and fighting his own laugh, when he saw Kyle sorting through the DVDs, and he sighed, all joy in the world gone.

“Alex said I can pick what movie we’re watching.”

“Oh?” Kyle said without turning around. “Is that what it took to get you to stop moping?”

Michael mimicked him with a much whinier voice, and Kyle slowly looked over his shoulder at him. “Real mature there, cowboy.”

Michael mimicked that too, and snatched the DVDs out of Kyle’s hands.

“We should watch A New Hope,” Kyle said.

“Should we?” Michael said innocently. “Too bad I’m picking then, huh?”

Kyle shook his head, eyes shut like he was making a gallant effort not to throttle his best friend’s husband. “You know Alex’s leg has been killing him lately, and Star Wars makes him feel better.”

Michael softened. He hated when Kyle was right, he hated when Alex was in pain, but most of all, he hated that Kyle had brought it up at all when it should’ve been Michael who’d suggested it first.

“I was going to choose Star Wars anyway,” he sulked, and Kyle looked like he was counting to ten. Now that he was thinking of Alex’s leg though . . . “I’m going to give him his medication. It’s around that time anyway.”

“I can grab ‘em,” Kyle offered, “you get the movie started. Where are his painkillers?”

“How ‘bout I get my husband his painkillers, and you start the movie?”

“Just tell me where they are, Michael!”

Michael took his time setting the DVD player down and waltzing over to the little drawer beside the couch. He heard Kyle stand behind him, heard him sigh as he stretched, and then –

“What the hell are those?”

Michael raised a brow. “Alex’s painkillers?”

Kyle nudged Michael aside, picking up orange bottle after orange bottle. To Michael’s surprise, he was frowning.

“Why are there so many?”

Michael’s brows furrowed. “Because he’s in pain a lot?” When Kyle didn’t respond, instead checking every bottle and its expiration date, he faltered. “What’s wrong?”

“There shouldn’t be this many,” he murmured. “He doesn’t need more than one or two, I’m counting six here.” He shook his head, and Michael had the feeling he was talking to himself when he said, “What the hell’s he doing, taking all of these?”

“C’mon,” Michael chuckled, uncertain. “They’re probably all for different things –”

“Michael, I’m a doctor,” he reminded him. The fact that he was using Michael’s first name was a little more than concerning. “These are all the same prescriptions. He shouldn’t have this many.” He bit his lower lip as he examined the bottles again. “And we have a bigger problem.”

“Which is what?” Michael scanned the bottles again, trying to see what Kyle was seeing.

“They’ve all been opened,” he said grimly. “So –”

“He’s been taking all this medication at once,” Michael finished, and slumped to the ground. He picked up a bottle, examining it. He’d handed Alex these pills himself, and often. He’d never given the number of bottles a second thought. “What the hell?”

“Okay,” a voice sounded inside, and Alex came walking out with a tray of popcorn, pretzels, sandwiches, and chips. “What’re we watching?”

Michael had half a mind to hold up Alex’s bottle and demand an explanation, but Kyle was already shutting the drawer and pushing himself to his feet.

“A New Hope,” he cleared his throat, and smiled. “Your husband knows you better than I thought he did.”

“Really?” Alex smiled, excited. “Not gonna lie, I was hoping for Star Wars. Thanks, baby,” he kissed the top of Michael’s head. “I’m so lucky to have you.” He faltered at the look on Michael’s face. “Michael? What’s wrong?”

Michael opened his mouth to tell Alex what was wrong, to beg to know why he hadn’t told him how many pills he’d been taking, to look him up and down for injuries and make sure that medication hadn’t been leaving a permanent mark on him. But Kyle was standing right behind Alex, subtly shaking his head, and damn it all, he knew more about this stuff than Michael did. Something was clearly wrong with Alex, how could he not listen?

“I get to sit between you guys,” he finally said. “You’re not cuddling up to anybody else.”

Alex chuckled, relieved. “You got it, baby, I’ll cuddle up to you all night. Let me just get the drinks, and we can start the movie.”

He set the tray down on the coffee table and went inside. The second he was out of earshot, Michael demanded, “Why’d you stop me?”

“I’ve seen this before, okay?” Kyle said in a rushed whisper. “The second you confront someone about abusing their medication, they get defensive and start to lie. We have to know what’s really going on here, Guerin, we can’t risk Alex shutting us out, not on this.”

Michael swallowed, starting to get nervous. If Alex had a problem with pills, and he hadn’t noticed this whole time . . . if Alex had been slowly killing himself, and Michael had willingly put the damn things in his hands . . .

“Hey, hey,” Kyle put a hand on his shoulder, eyes intent. “It’s going to be okay, okay? Alex is the strongest person I know, I’m sure there’s more to this story. But whatever it is, we have to approach it carefully. For Alex.”

“For Alex,” he repeated, hands balled into fists and trying not to panic. Not until Alex was back in the living room with three bottles of beer, not until he was in Michael’s line of sight and smiling and seemingly fine did the knot of tension in Michael’s stomach loosen. He sat on the couch while Kyle took the armchair, and held out his arms.

“C’mere,” he said, and Alex complied easily, taking off his prosthetic and wincing despite himself.

Michael shouldn’t have said it, but he wanted to see how Alex would react. “You need your pills?”

Alex looked like he was going to say he did, but he glanced at Kyle and plastered a smile and shook his head. “N-No, I’m okay, I already had them,” and he curled up on Michael’s chest, hugging his waist tightly.

Michael looked to Kyle who met his eyes. See? Alex had known Kyle would spot the number of bottles and start asking questions, and he’d decided to hide the truth. Michael’s arms tightened around him.

“Baby?” Alex looked up with concern, his breath warm against Michael’s collarbone. “You’re shaking.”

Michael forced a chuckle. “I’m a little cold.”

“Oh, well just tell me,” Alex smiled and unfolded the blanket they usually kept on the couch, covering them both. He tucked Michael in and snuggled in close to keep him as warm as possible. “Is that better?”

He nodded, kissing Alex’s brow. “Better. Thanks, baby.”

Satisfied, Alex settled and went back to watching the movie. As the opening credits rolled in, Michael shared another look with Kyle. Kyle seemed to think it was a good thing that Alex wasn’t looking for excuses to take more pills, and made a calming gesture with his hand to Michael.

Relax, he seemed to tell him. He has us here, I’m not going anywhere, just relax.

Michael swallowed and nodded, settling into the couch, his grip on Alex tight. He would relax for now, he would take it calmly, he would stay strong because Alex needed him. For Alex, he thought over and over, whenever dark thoughts threatened to take him away. For Alex.

***

Happy Malex Monday ❤️