"I'm don't attend nonessential gatherings anymore." is what I'm sending to people when I get invited to holiday stuff. If it's in person I emphasize the "anymore" because I need them to know that *if* we get to a place where we don't need to stand x amount of feet apart, I'm still avoiding the people who kept us here this long.
I'm not attending nonessential gatherings anymore.
Back to my antics. January was a rough month for me, but now it’s about evened out so it’s time to get back into podfic mode :) let’s finish some things!
Now presenting “Ineffable Holiday Day 13: Avoiding Family”, wherein Aziraphale and Crowley receive unexpected (and unwanted) visitors. Written by IneffableToreshi on AO3 and narrated by me. I know it’s not the holidays anymore, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.
title: avoiding family together
fandom: roswell new mexico (2019)
genre: fluff, i guess
pairings: michael guerin/alex manes
rating: general
links: ao3
warnings/triggers: Post Season 1, past Michael Guerin/Maria DeLuca , Unspecified Christmas Time, getting together again, Forgiveness
word count: 1,153 words
summary: “I wanted to tell you that I’m ready.” Alex whispers and Michael shuts his mouth immediately, his words dying before he can even get them out there. He wonders if Alex can hear his heart beating, because he can certainly feel it racing inside his chest, but Alex doesn’t look any different, and Michael --
“What --” He begins to ask before shaking his head in disbelief."When you broke up with Maria, you came to me, and begged me --”
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Or: Michael's at the bar avoiding his family when Alex sits down next to him.
notes: i hope y'all enjoy this. ♥ written for @roswellprompts advent event.
read here on ao3 or under the read more.
He’s sitting in the bar with a glass of Whiskey in front of him when he feels Alex sit down on the empty stool that’s beside him. Part of him absolutely slumps in acknowledgement over the fact that Alex is here and another part of him becomes tense, mainly because they haven’t done a whole lot of talking since everything with Maria and Forest. Arguing, definitely. Throwing harsh words at one another - obviously. But actually talking?
Michael would tell you it wasn’t possible right now.
Which is why he’s more than surprised when he hears Alex sigh and notices the man turn towards him with his own drink, something that smells suspiciously like a spiked eggnog. He wants to question Alex about his choice of drink, but before he can, he hears Alex clears his throat, and looks up at him, eyes widening a little bit when he sees Alex looking right back at him.
“What are you doing here?” Alex questions, and while there’s nothing wrong with Alex, or why Michael’s there, and there’s no implication in the question, Michael can’t help but bristle at what he’s being asked. He has no reason to, of course, but it’s still --
He’s still finding himself backed into a corner, metaphorically. He knows he’s not. But he feels like he is, which is bullshit.
“Avoiding Iz and Max. We’ve spent the past three days together, celebrating Christmas cheer and the fact that Max is around to even celebrate it in the first place. Needed a break,” Michael finds himself admitting, growling at himself, and at Alex, for never being able to lie to the man, no matter how hard he tries to do so. “Yourself?” Michael adds before he can really think more deeply about why he can’t lie to Alex. He turns towards Alex fully, ignoring the way his stomach does this thing when he takes in the man and instead, focuses on what Alex is saying.
“My brother’s. They keep asking me about my Dad and I’m just -- not interested,” Alex responds, taking a drink from his glass while Michael nods in response. Alex’s dad is a topic that neither like bringing up and while Michael understands why he knows Alex’s brother’s would never stop pushing about where Jesse Manes is.
“So what are you doing here?” Michael asks and he finds himself taken by surprise when Alex looks at him, his eyes sparkling with some sort of emotion that Michael hasn’t seen since they were teenagers.
“I knew you would be here. And I wanted to talk to you.” Alex responds and Michael finds himself blinking, looking at Alex with confusion.
“What --”
“I wanted to tell you that I’m ready.” Alex whispers and Michael shuts his mouth immediately, his words dying before he can even get them out there. He wonders if Alex can hear his heart beating, because he can certainly feel it racing inside his chest, but Alex doesn’t look any different, and Michael --
“What --” He begins to ask before shaking his head in disbelief.
“When you broke up with Maria, you came to me, and begged me --”
“Can we not talk about --” Michael tries to interrupt but Alex takes a hold of his hand and Michael shuts up, his eyes becoming wide as he looks around the room. No one is looking at them, but it feels like everyone is looking at them and --
“Alex, what--”
“Michael, shut up and let me finish what I want to say,” Alex interrupts him and Michael snaps his mouth shut once more before nodding, taking a gulp, wondering what Alex is going to say to break his heart again.
(Though, Michael knows, his heart isn’t broken, and Alex hasn’t said anything lately that broke it).
“You broke up with Maria, and came to me, asking me if we could try again. And I told you that I love you, and I will always love you, but I wasn’t ready. And I wasn’t, Michael. I hadn’t forgiven you or Maria for hurting me so much, and I needed to do that first because I didn’t want to go into a relationship with you and end up resenting you.” Alex says and Michael finds himself fascinated at how Alex bites his lower lip and sucks, wanting to do that himself but not being able to. But he focuses on Alex’s words, his heart pounding inside his chest as he realizes that Alex had said he was ready earlier.
“And you’re --- you’re ready now?” Michael whispers, biting his own lip in response as Alex nods with a small smile on his face.
“What changed?” Michael asks, even though he’s worried that asking is going to provide an answer Michael doesn’t like. And almost like Alex can read him, Alex is squeezing his hand and moving their knees closer, and Michael almost forgets they’re in public with that move, his heart lodging inside his throat.
“I’ve been waking up the past few mornings, wanting you next to me. Or I’ve done something and turned to tell someone, expecting you next to me and being saddened when you weren’t. But the most obvious tell?” Alex whispers, his lip quirking upwards while Michael tilts his head and waits.
“I’ve looked at you without you knowing, and I’ve wanted to go to you and wrap my arms around you and kiss you and just ask you out. I didn’t feel angry, or hurt, or resentful. Just wanted to hold you and kiss you. And then I looked at Maria and I felt no anger or hurt. And I knew.” Alex finishes and Michael looks towards him with a small smile.
“So I guess you’re real happy I’m here tonight then,” Michael teases, ignoring the way his heart slows down as Alex huffs out a snort and grins at him.
“I actually stopped by Iz’s house first. When she said you weren’t there and had ran away a while ago, I came here,” Alex chuckles while Michael lets out a soft groan, leaning forward to rest his head against Alex’s chest, feeling something akin to comfort run through him before he lifts his eyes up from where he’s resting, a smile forming on his face.
“You want to get out of here? Avoid our families together?” Michael asks and even though he’s an alien, he swears that the grin Alex gives him absolutely blinds him.
“I was hoping you would ask that,” Alex responds back, lifting Michaels head and kissing him. The kiss starts out soft and Michael knows it would become something more, like it always does, but he breaks away and hums softly, resting his forehead against Alex’s.
“C’mon Captain. Let me take you home,” Michael whispers, his heart soaring when Alex nods and the two stand up, fingers lacing together as they exit the bar.
Avoiding family together sounds nice, he thinks, the door shutting behind him.
Lets learn about ten signs you need to break up now. let’s begin.
1. The yo-yo relationship.
All relationship have rough patches you and your partner may not see eye to eye. you may wonder if they’re a good fit for you on days like these, you may analyze the relationships you may think about breaking up but these ups and downs are normal. Even for the strongest couples. healthy relationships…
