Michael groaned the second the curtains swung open.
“Rise and shine!” Alex called as late morning light filled the room.
Michael turned away from the window where his husband stood, leaning against the frame with his hands in his sweats’ pockets. “Piss off.”
“Good morning to you, too, my love.”
He heard the smile in Alex’s voice, and he downright refused to give in to the fluttery feelings in his chest that threatened to turn him into a Hallmark sap the second his husband smiled. “Since when are you so cheery in the morning?”
“Since you brought so much light into my life.”
“This isn’t working, Manes.”
“This,” he said groggily into his pillow, refusing to look at him and lose this battle on their one morning off together. “This whole ‘being cute to make me forget that you signed us up for breakfast with Valenti’ thing. I won’t forgive and I will never forget, Private.”
“She’s marrying the enemy,” he said, unrepentant. “She’s dead to me.”
Alex’s laughter burst out then, the melodic sound warming Michael’s insides despite his hard insistence on sulking. He would not turn around, damn it, this was just a strategic ploy by the brilliant airman to weaken his defenses and strike when he was most vulnerable. He loved Alex to death and beyond, he did, but the bitch was not above playing dirty.
“You know you can’t avoid them forever,” Alex said, giggles still coloring his voice and making Michael squirm. “Isobel would skin you first.”
“I’m not talking to you, traitor,” Michael grumbled. “Is Isobel the one marrying him or you? I’m surprised he hasn’t come out of the closet with how much he touches you.”
Michael turned to glare at him. “I’m your best friend! How many times have we been over this?”
Alex held his hands up in apology, even as his eyes danced with mirth. Now that Michael was looking at him, he saw that he had recently washed, the tips of his hair dark and damp, sticking to his forehead, cheeks, and neck. Michael swallowed and tried to remember why he’d stopped looking in the first place.
“Sorry, baby,” Alex consoled, still smiling, “I just wanted you to look at me.” Kneeling on the bed, he leaned forward and cupped Michael’s jaw, sliding that same hand into his curls and gripping hard. “You know my heart breaks when you avoid my eyes.”
“You’re such a dick,” Michael snapped, letting his head fall back onto the pillow, though this time he stayed facing Alex.
Alex’s smile widened and he nuzzled Michael’s cheek, humming. “You’re so considerate, aren’t you? You’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you?”
“I hate you,” Michael grumbled.
Alex laughed under his breath. “No, you don’t.”
His voice was so low and gravelly, sending shockwaves down Michael’s spine. He swallowed. “No, I don’t.” Alex tugged harder on his curls, and Michael bit back a growl. “Screw you, Manes, I told you this isn’t working.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex said with innocent eyes that weren’t fooling anybody. “I’m just cherishing my kind, caring, considerate husband.”
“Not kind and considerate enough to humor Valenti!” Michael snapped.
Alex studied him a moment, much like an expert hacker studying a particularly tricky code, then just when Michael thought he’d won, his husband heaved a sigh, and slowly… his smile disappeared. He looked down.
Michael’s eye twitched. “What’re you doing?”
Alex only turned away in response. Then his lower lip trembled, and Michael started to sit up, panicked. “Stop that!”
When Alex’s hand slid out of his hair, Michael’s spine went straight, officially worried.
“I just,” Alex’s voice broke, “I just want you to fit in with every part of my life. I want you there, for everything. I can’t imagine doing anything without you anymore.” His eyes turned glassy, and to Michael’s horror, a tear rolled down his cheek. Wiping it away with the back of his hand, Alex shook his head, “Forget it, I-I don’t want to bother you. It’s fine, I’ll just… do this alone—”
“Like hell you will!” Michael growled, throwing back the blanket. “You’re not doing anything alone ever again, not with me here! We’re tied together forever, baby, and – and you know what? Valenti could use the reminder that you already have the love of your life, the bastard—”
“Oh good!” Alex smiled then, eyes dry and voice bright like there’d never been anything wrong at all. The sudden change gave Michael whiplash, and he could only sit there, dumbfounded, as Alex kissed his cheek and stood, grinning. “They should be here in about ten minutes. I made your coffee and the table is set. I’ll see you there in a bit?”
Alex stopped at the doorway and his smile softened to something so adoring that whatever objection managed to make it up Michael’s throat grinded to a halt on his tongue.
“Thank you, baby,” he said, and his smile turned just a little bit smug as he added, “I just knew I could count on you.”
With that, Alex left the room, humming to himself, and Michael gaped.
“That manipulative little bitch,” he murmured, and hung his head back. He sighed at the ceiling, bracing himself, and pushed out of bed. “It’s a good thing he’s pretty.”
