79 for Malex pretty please 🙌 they've finally figured out thier shit & have been keeping it a secret, but then there's some kinda party at the pony for the Airmen and Alex just kisses Michael and doesn't give a shit that everyone on base is talking about it for weeks because of how happy it makes Michael
79. I don’t care what anyone else thinks.
Alex is on his third beer when Michael walks through the door of the Wild Pony. He’s there for Jameson’s birthday with a handful of his fellow Airmen, but the moment that his boyfriend walks in with all of his his devil-may-care cowboy swagger, he’s all that Alex can see. They’ve been keeping their renewed relationship a secret to avoid his dad’s interference, but now all Alex wants to do is go over to greet him. Michael’s eyes lock with his as he makes his way to the bar, and Alex wants to roll his eyes at how Michael tips his black cowboy hat at him, but instead he blushes and suddenly finds the label on his beer bottle interesting.
He’s pulled into conversation with a few of his co-workers after that, but his eyes keep drifting to the bar where Michael is bantering with Maria. He turns back to the group when Wells’ wife - Asha or Ava or something like that - asks him where his girlfriend is.
“Manes won’t let us meet his girl.” Wells cracks. “We’re not good enough for her.”
“Nah, man. He’s just private, that’s all.” Jameson replies, slapping a hand on Alex’s shoulder.
“He’s just afraid she’ll get one look at us and dump him flat.” Collins joins in, and Alex rolls his eyes.
“Trust me, that’s not a fear of mine.”
“Whoever she is, he’s crazy about her, though.” Wells says, taking a sip of his beer. “You should see his face when he gets a text at work. You could power Roswell on that smile.”
Alex smiled and looked over at Michael, who was now watching him from across the room. Despite his attempt at subtlety, Alex could see the affection and love in his eyes from where he was standing. He hated keeping them a secret, especially from his friends. Despite not having come out to them, he knew that if he did they’d be cool. The truth was, he didn’t want his dad interfering in his relationship, and he didn’t like the idea of the base talking about him any more than they already did. When you were the crippled son of the Master Sergeant, there were enough rumors about you. Still, as he watched his friends with their wives and girlfriends, so openly affectionate, he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to have the same with Michael that he found himself setting his beer down on the table and taking a deep breath.
“I’m gay.” He said simply, and the conversation at the table stopped abruptly.
“Really?” Jameson asks after a moment, and Alex nodded.
“Yep, totally gay.”
“So, the girl you’re dating…” Wells asks.
“Is a man.” Alex finished. He glanced around the table at his friends, until Collins shrugged and took another drink.
“Cool. Bring him around sometime.”
Alex let out a huge breath and leaned back in his chair, smiling at all of them as they nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, alright.” Alex says, standing up from the table. “Give me a sec.” The guys waved him off and he moved toward the bar, coming up beside Michael as he finished talking to Maria.
“Hey.” Michael greeted, turning to face Alex. “How’s your birthday party going?”
“Do you trust me?” Alex asks, and Michael didn’t hesitate before saying “Of course.”
“Good.” Alex replies before he grabbed the back of Michael’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Michael reacted almost instantly, wrapping an arm around Alex’s waist and pulling him in closer. Alex faintly heard his friends hollering for him and he pulled away, noting the confused look on Michael’s face.
“Uh…not that I’m complaining, but I thought you wanted to keep us…”
“You’re my boyfriend, and I want people to know that. I don’t care what anyone else thinks. Come over to our table?” Michael nodded, keeping his arm around Alex’s waist as they walked back to his friends, one of the biggest smiles on his face that Alex had ever seen.
Alex hears the rumors and whispers on the base for weeks afterward, and the three lectures his father gave him about ‘making the uniform proud.’ Through it all, he thought of the smile that had stayed on Michael’s face the entire night they had been with his friends, the relaxed arm that he had kept around Alex’s shoulders, and how happy he had been simply because Alex was proud to be with him.
And it was worth it all.
