#manes men

[accal1a]

Jesse Manes: "There are no more Manes Men left."

Clay Manes, off doing Spec-Ops somewhere: "EXCUSE ME WHAT?!"

[packdontendwithblood]

Things I will never be over:

Gregory Manes not even blinking before stepping between his psychotic father’s gun and Michael Guerin because “I know what he means to Alex.”

[gra-sonas]

From one Manes Man to another 💕

[myhumbleself]

Bonding time. Gregory is in town for the weekend and stays at Alex’s place. Flint comes over for breakfast. He ends up staying until dinner. They have a lot to talk about.

[capmanes]

Look, can we all agree that it was Greg who taught Alex to play the guitar? Helping him place his little fingers on the strings, laughing along with Alex’s giggle when the strike the totally wrong chord Greg! Smacking Flint upside the head when he complained about the noise when Alex started practicing on his own. 

It’s those memories that made him want to be a teacher after leaving the Navy. 

[pastelwitchling]

hey if you're still taking prompts, how about alex being nervous about introducting forrest to his brothers, and greg at first being surprised because he thought he and michael were a thing but after alex tells him more of their history and how much michael and maria hurt him, he’s fully supportive of alex dating forrest and is glad that alex has someone who makes him happy? love your writing btw.

***

               “Don’t be nervous.”

               “I’m not nervous.”

               “You’ve fixed that collar three times already,” Alex said, trying very hard not to laugh as Forrest blushed in the passenger’s seat. “You’re nervous.”

               Forrest dropped his hands, fidgeting nervously with his rings instead. “Maybe we should go back. I need to change. I just realized I’m wearing way too much black. How could you not tell me I’m wearing this much black?”

               “I think you look sexy in black,” Alex said.

               “I’m meeting your family, Alex,” Forrest said. “Sexy is not the way to go when you meet your boyfriend’s family.”

               “You’ll have to forgive my lack of boyfriend etiquette then – I’ve never given a crap to what I look like around Wyatt Long.”

               “And that’s why I love you,” Forrest said. “But your family’s different.”

               “How come?”

               “Because I’ve met your friends, and they always give me a look like they can’t believe I’m still around,” he said dryly, and Alex’s smile dimmed. “I really don’t want to get that look from the other Manes men.”

               “And you won’t, okay?” Alex promised him. “I’ve already told my brothers all about you. I’m pretty sure the only thing that’ll startle them is if I show up with someone else. Now,” he covered Forrest’s hand with his own. “Are you ready?”

               Forrest was looking out the window, scanning Gregory’s home and the closed door, but his hand turned under Alex’s and gripped his fingers. “Uh…”

               “You know I’ll date you either way, right?” Alex teased. “If you don’t want to do this –”

               “What, so Alien Guy can say he’s met your brothers and I haven’t?” Forrest scoffed. “No. Nice try, Manes. I’m meetin’ ‘em.”

               This time Alex did laugh. “Well, you’ll see. They’ll love you as much as I do.”

               “And how much do you love me?” Forrest asked, brow raised.

               “Enough not to kiss you in front of my brother’s house,” Alex said as he leaned in to hover his lips above Forrest’s. And despite what he said, he did peck Forrest’s lips before moving back.

               “Okay,” Alex said. “Come on, let’s get through this together.”

               Alex saw Forrest visibly swallow and follow him out of the car. It was heartwarming, to see the guy who never feared anyone, who never seemed concerned about anything, actually look nervous to meet his boyfriend’s brothers. Alex tried not to read too much into it, but his heart couldn’t help but do a flip as he thought about being so precious to someone.

               Alex knocked on the front door, and instead of Gregory, Flint was the one who answered. He pressed his lips together in an awkward sort of smile at the sight of Alex, but when his eyes turned to Forrest, his lips pursed.

               “This him?” he asked, gesturing at Forrest with his chin.

               Alex’s shoulders fell. “I told you his name, Flint.”

               “I thought you were joking,” Flint confessed and turned his back on them as he went back inside. Alex and Forrest followed, and Alex closed the door behind them.

               “Greg!” Flint called. “Alex and his boyfriend are here!”

               “Was – uh – was that a good start?” Forrest said quietly when they were out of earshot.

               “From Flint?” Alex scoffed. “That was basically the red carpet.”

               “Alex? You here?” Clay emerged, his dark hair tousled as if he’d spent hours running his hand through it. A habit both he and Alex had picked up from their mom. “Hey, bro,” he said, engulfing Alex in a one-armed hug with a beer bottle in his other hand.

               “Clay,” Alex said and stood beside his boyfriend. “This is Forrest Long.”

               “Clay Manes,” Clay shook Forrest’s hand, brows furrowed as he took in the historian’s entire appearance. “You’re not what I expected a Long to look like.”

               “Yeah, well,” Forrest chuckled, and Alex was glad to hear a genuine relief in his voice when he spoke, “none of you are really what I expected Manes men to look like.”

               “Manes men,” Clay sighed. “There’s a phrase.” He patted Alex’s arm and gestured to the large open window at the back of the room. “Greg’s out back with the grill. Come on.”

               As they followed Clay, Alex nudged Forrest’s arm, raising a brow at him, silently asking how he was holding up. Forrest nodded as if he wasn’t at all worried, though Alex couldn’t miss the way he pressed their shoulders together as they stepped out into the backyard.

               “Oh hey,” Gregory said, smiling over his shoulder at Alex and Forrest, then doing a doubletake. “Oh… hey.”

               “You heard that, right?” Forrest muttered low enough for only Alex to hear as Gregory assigned the grill to Flint, and wiped his hands with a rag as he came up to them. “You heard that?”

               “Hey,” Gregory said and wrapped his arms around Alex for a tight hug before Alex could reassure his boyfriend of anything. When Gregory looked to Forrest, Alex was relieved to see his expression nothing short of kind and welcoming. “Hi, I’m Gregory, nice to meet you.”

               “Nice to meet you, too,” Forrest said, glancing at Alex. “Uh – if you need help with the grill, I’m pretty handy.”

               “Yeah?” Gregory clapped his shoulder. “Cool. Then can you – uh – take over from Flint? I love the guy, but he burns whatever he touches.”

               “I heard that!” Flint called.

               “Kind of the point!” Gregory called back and began to lead Alex back into the house. “We’ll be right back with some drinks.”

               The others waved them off, but Alex caught Forrest’s eyes before he was pulled inside. There was concern there, a jealous kind of concern that Forrest usually wore whenever the topic of conversation was about to turn into someone else. Alex wished he could promise him that he was going to come right back to him, but the door had already shut and Gregory was already talking.

               “He seems nice,” he said as he opened the fridge.

               Alex placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head. “Go ahead,” he said. “Whatever you want to say, better get it out now.”

               Gregory shrugged. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

               Alex considered this. “Good.”

               “Except –”

               “There it is,” Alex chuckled, and Gregory huffed a smile.

               “It’s just that… I thought you and that cowboy guy – what’s his name? – Michael were a thing,” Gregory said. Alex couldn’t detect any judgement or critique in his voice; only concern for his brother’s happiness. “Is that over already?”

               Alex sighed and crossed his arms. “It was never really a thing to begin with. Not after he started dating Maria.”

               “Maria,” Gregory’s brows furrowed. “Like… Maria DeLuca? Your best friend Maria – that Maria? Wait, I…” he shook his head. “Your friends didn’t know you liked him?”

               “They knew,” Alex nodded slowly, considering how to best approach this conversation. He remembered a time when it used to kill him to talk about Michael and the way he’d chosen someone else because it was easier; the way he and everyone else had turned their backs on him because… well, he still didn’t really understand why. He guessed it was better not knowing than to just assume that he didn’t matter to these people that were meant to love him.

               But now, things were different. Now, Alex could tell Gregory how Michael had told him to come back only to go to Maria instead, and how Maria had promised him it had meant nothing (a blatant lie), then of Michael’s rejection of him because he was associated with too many painful memories – and the most it did was leave a sting in his chest.

               “What about the song?” Gregory asked at the end of it all. “The one you sang at Open Mic Night, I mean… that was about Guerin, wasn’t it? What’d he say to that?”

               “Nothing,” Alex shrugged, and oddly enough, he felt like he wanted to laugh. “He never stuck around to hear the rest of it.”

               Gregory shook his head. “Alex –”

               “It’s okay.”

               “He’s an asshole,” Gregory said. “I can’t believe I…” He pointed his beer bottle at the open window where Forrest was showing Clay and Flint how he grills the steaks, and asked, “What about him?”

               Alex laughed. “What about him?”

               “Is he good to you?” Gregory asked, and Alex smiled despite his red cheeks. “Because if he’s saying some of the crap Guerin’s said to you, then –”

               “Greg, look at me,” Alex said gently. “What do you think?”

               Gregory inhaled slowly as he took Alex in, and – slowly – the tension in his shoulders and the hard lines of his frown softened. “I think… I’m just relieved to know you’re done with macho cowboys.”

Alex scoffed. “As long as he doesn’t date any of my friends, he’s perfect.”

“Bar’s pretty low then.”

               “He’s also a poet.”

Gregory whistled appreciatively. “Nice touch.” He tilted his head at Forrest outside his window. “Well, hey, I like him.”

               Alex turned to look at Forrest as Gregory handed him two bottles, and as he watched his boyfriend laugh with his brothers, his heart expanded in his chest.

               “Yeah,” he said, his voice softer than he could help it being. “Me, too.”

***

A bit out of character, I know, but still fun.

[ober-affen-geil]

I did a post, by request, about forgiveness earlier based on two different character relationships we have seen with Alex. This is sort of related to that, but also about the small window into the Manes family dynamic that we are getting to see glimpses of. There will be spoilers for season 2 through 2x10 so heads up for that. (Also, you know, this is based ONLY on everything through 2x10 so I’m calling it like I see it now, no liability for future nonsense that may or may not joss me.)

We met Gregory in 2x10, another Manes brother, and an interesting parallel to Flint in 1x12 jumped out at me so I’d like to talk about it here. CW for discussion of child abuse, homophobia, victim blaming, and gaslighting.

What I want to highlight is than in both episodes, 1x12 with Flint and 2x10 with Greg, both brothers acknowledge the abuse Alex suffered under Jesse. But the way each of them does so and the way Alex receives the sentiment is wildly different, and I think it tells us a lot about the family dynamic of the Manes brothers that we are not otherwise able to see.

*A small disclaimer about my headcanons, we know in canon that Flint is older than Alex. Personally, the way I interpreted the body language in the scene with Alex and Gregory is that Gregory is younger than Alex so that’s where I’m coming from analytically. Also, given that we know Flint is being blackmailed by Jesse, it’s very likely that all the Manes boys were raised in an abusive environment. It does also appear, from remarks that both Flint and Gregory make, that Alex had it “worse”, so my headcanon is that Alex bore the brunt of the physical abuse.*

I’ll start with Flint, because we meet him first. Significantly, we meet him in a military setting. This is Jesse’s world. Also, as is implied later, Jesse’s sphere of influence. Flint has clearly bought into Jesse’s worldview in at least part (the aliens), and feels powerless enough against him to accept the rest as unchangeable.

We see this also in the way he talks to Alex, “Do you ever get tired being the black sheep of the family?” The phrasing of this is distinctly victim blaming in nature. As if Alex could stop being the “black sheep” if he wanted to. It’s not necessarily implying that Alex could choose not to be gay, we actually see nothing about Flint in canon that indicates he’s homophobic in the way Jesse is, but it is implying that if Alex stopped making trouble he could be accepted. Like the responsibility lies with Alex, not with Jesse.

In fact that seems to be Flint’s strategy of dealing with his father if Alex’s rebuttal (Do you ever get tired of following the flock?) is any indication. So Flint’s relationship with Alex falls along the lines of Jesse’s. Again, Flint seems to have swallowed part of it whole (Alex could prevent his abuse if he wanted to) and accepted some of it as something he can do nothing about (”I know it wasn’t easy for you, growing up with Dad” aka, Alex was, in fact, abused). 

There’s an interesting dynamic physically too. Discounting the moment in the corridor with the gun, since neither of them knew who the other person was at the time, there is a moment in the research room where Alex turns to leave and Flint grabs him

[ID: Inside the research and development room at the prison, season 1 episode 12. Alex is standing next to Flint (who is in uniform), arms folded close clutching the straps of his backpack. He turns to go and Flint grabs the top of his bag, yanking him back towards himself. Alex’s arms fling out slightly as he looses his balance.]

A couple things here. One, Flint is showing no regard for Alex’s personal space. He exerts control over Alex without hesitation; he doesn’t want Alex to leave and his first instinct is to prevent him from doing so physically. He puts his hands on him like they have a right to be there. Two, Flint yanks him in a way that puts Alex off balance. I don’t think it was necessarily deliberate, just the first thing he thought to do, but Flint knows Alex is missing part of his leg. Earlier in the scene Alex made reference to the fact that Flint is “able-bodied”, jerking Alex like that (towards his prosthetic side no less) shows complete disregard for the fact that Alex would have more trouble than most with keeping his feet. (He doesn’t fall but that’s not the point.)

The most telling thing though is Alex’s reaction to Flint. When he offers an, apparently genuine from his standpoint, expression of regret for Alex’s abuse (I tried my best to protect you from him) Alex rejects him out of hand (oh, spare me). To Alex, Flint’s olive branch has no meaning. Either because he feels it’s an empty gesture or because he believes it’s a false one. 

Gregory offers an opposing viewpoint. Like Flint, the setting in which we meet him is significant. Not only is it civilian, it’s on a Diné reservation where he apparently lives. We haven’t met Alex’s mother yet and we know almost nothing about her in canon so I can’t speak to exactly what it means that Gregory is choosing to center his life with his mother’s side of the family. But symbolically, from an overarching analysis standpoint (which is my playground), there are a few things.

Alex’s mother represents Jesse’s opposite in almost every way. In the physical, female versus male and Native versus White, but also ideologically. We know at some point that she left the Manes family, which represents a rejection of Jesse’s influence and beliefs. Gregory not only leaving the Navy when it was his time but also choosing to live in a place where the US Government has extremely limited legal jurisdiction represents a similar rejection. Something Alex acknowledges when he congratulates Gregory for “getting out”.

Gregory’s language also sets him apart from Flint, he repeatedly aligns himself with Alex’s standpoint over Jesse’s. “I don’t think I get to be free until you are, Alex” indicates that he feels it is his responsibility to carry the burden of abuse as long as Alex does. In fact, carry the burden of Alex’s abuse specifically, “Let me hate him for you” tells me he is not hating Jesse for his own reasons.

“I wish that I would have stood up for you more” and “I owe you that much” also places the responsibility for Alex’s abuse on Jesse (and himself, he feels guilty) and NOT on Alex. Flint seems to imply that it was something Alex could have avoided, or made less worse, if he had kept his head down and fallen in line. Gregory is placing the blame on the abuser, not the abused.

Physically, unlike Flint, Gregory respects Alex’s physical boundaries. They greet each other with a handshake, and when Gregory goes to say goodbye he offers his hand again. 

[ID: Alex and Gregory stand facing each other, their torsos and waists visible but their faces out of frame. Gregory takes his right hand out of his pocket and offers it towards Alex for a handshake. He makes no other move forward.]

Importantly, this is the only move he makes. He doesn’t move into Alex’s space and he doesn’t grab Alex’s hand. He’s following the lines set down by their previous interaction; he’s not asking or expecting anything more from Alex. He does not believe himself to have a right to Alex’s personal bubble. Alex is the one to initiate the hug, not Gregory. And again, Alex’s reaction is the most telling part in all of this. 

Aside from granting Gregory access to him physically (the hug), he also explicitly invites him to visit him in Roswell, granting access to his home and personal sphere. Alex is giving permission to Gregory to involve himself in Alex’s life, which is something we don’t see with Flint.

This kind of comes back to the forgiveness part I mentioned at the very beginning, it’s clear that Flint does not have Alex’s forgiveness or trust and that Gregory does. The thing is, neither one of them asked him for it, but the reason why dictates which one he grants it to. 

Flint didn’t ask for forgiveness because he doesn’t think he needs it from Alex. Flint is the one putting blame on Alex for how he was treated, in no way does he hold himself responsible for what happened growing up. In his own mind he did what he could and that was enough. Gregory isn’t asking for forgiveness because he doesn’t think he deserves it. It’s obvious that he is blaming himself as much as Jesse for what Alex went through, and he on some level expects Alex to do the same.

It’s a great dichotomy, and it’s a wonderful way of gaining a lot of insight into something that has only every really been off screen. I’m looking forward to finding out more of the Manes family dynamic as we go along, but picking scenes like this apart is honestly a little more fun for now.

[lixiemagic]

i miss malex