(no subject)

[littleorphanalien]

The wedding is starting to kind of close in on him.

He has the venue booked, which is big, and they have rings. Other than that, Michael kind of figured that David would do the rest of it for them. Then, he remembered that he probably needed to actually have David ask Alex what he wanted, which is why he'd extended an invitation for David to come out to the beach and see the new bungalow, now that he'd put the finishing touches on the bathroom.

"Anyone else want a drink?" he calls over his shoulder, pouring himself an acetone-laced whiskey as he tends the bar, not caring that it's only the middle of the afternoon.

They're wedding planning. They're lucky that he isn't drinking straight out of the bottle. If Isobel were planning this for them, that's what he'd be doing. As it is, he's making the best of it, and trying to keep everyone else happy too.

He'll do it for Alex -- for the groom.

Comments

[unendurable]

It's exciting and terrifying and so close. Closer than Alex realized and then there's Pride and he is thinking about how close that had been to them being teenagers and it hits them both about then. It had been closer last year, with issues in the city, but it still feels like it's practically tomorrow.

So he's glad when David comes out to talk about things. He trusts David to see to things, and to make sure it all goes well. Okay as well as things might go in Darrow, even if he's afraid to think those things and have something like merfolk attack.

Glancing at Michael, he shakes his head, starting to say something but then he doesn't want to hear if he's drinking because of nerves. If he doesn't ask, then Michael can't back out, right?

"I'm good, but thanks. David?"

[very_uninterested]

"Um, no, not unless you want your wedding to be an actual hot mess, rather than just knowing I helped you avoid the hot mess it would have been if Drinking McAlien over here was in charge," he answers, flapping his hand at Michael. Besides, David is all business right now, to the point where he thinks Alexis would have been proud of him if she hadn't been hitting on both grooms or trying to take over the job for herself.

Honestly, she would have been great at it, too.

"Okay, so literally the only thing Michael told me is that you like plants," David says to Alex. "That's it. Plants. He hasn't exactly been a huge help."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael salutes them both with the glass, smirking as he sips at it and perches on the back of the couch. "Drinking McAlien hired you, so he's still a genius," he praises himself, and pressing a hand to Alex's shoulder to squeeze, reassuring him.

"Look, I want Alex to have the most amazing day, because what he likes, I'm gonna like," he says, knowing that much. "He loves music and those ridiculous bands with the people with dyed hair?" He forgets their names. "And sci-fi movies and television, and he adores Luke, and he loves the beach. It's why we got the venue."

He finishes with a smug, 'see, I don't completely suck' smirk.

[unendurable]

"I am definitely voting for less hot mess and more just hot because it's on the beach," he says, trying not to worry about Michael's drinking. He knows he would feel if he was in a bad place, or thinks he would from what lingers from the connection they made at Pride, so he focuses on here and now, and not fearing Michael's drinking from nerves and second thoughts.

"I want to wear a kilt or a skirt," he says, because that one is something he's thought about. "Besides it's kind of becoming a thing anyway," he says, looking up at Michael and smiling. "But he didn't give me part of his ship for me not to let it show during our ceremony," he says, reaching down and rubbing his leg. "As for the plants, it was Luke's idea. To use succulents and such as centerpieces because..."

He gestures to the plant wall. "Michael gives them to me on our dates, and all my concerts. So it's really a thing for us." He pauses and then. "We're not helping much, are we? What do you need to know?"

[very_uninterested]

"Okay, a kilt or a skirt?" David asks first. "Because those are two very different things usually worn for very different reasons."

He loves wearing skirts, usually over pants, but he wouldn't think to ever wear a kilt. Mostly because he's not Scottish. Or Irish. Or whichever one it is that wears kilts.

"And we can do plants. Plants are definitely an easy way to do centrepieces. Are you also wanting floral arrangements? Or just greenery?"

[littleorphanalien]

Michael knows that he likes the kilts (at least, he thinks that's what it is that Alex was wearing at the concert). He's still smiling proudly at Alex because he really didn't ever expect him to get to that level of comfort, but maybe without Jesse, it's a lot easier.

He knows it's a lot easier to exist, knowing that monster isn't around to haunt them.

"I was thinking more greens or desert flowers," he admits. "I'm not really a roses and orchids kind of guy," he deadpans, which probably shouldn't surprise anyone. "There's also..." He heads to the drawer to dig out a piece of his ship, bringing it back to the table and setting it down, glimmering colors and gold symbols. "This. This kind of color scheme. You think you could work it in a little?"

[unendurable]

"They're called utilikilts back home. Did you go to the concert? I wore one there, and had one for pride with the rainbow. They're kilt styled with the pleats, canvas like fabric, I think. But honestly? I trust you, David. Put me in what you think works, but I don't want pants. If that's enough? I can work it out more," he admits, shrugging.

The prosthetic is important to him, and it's important it be part of this as well. Maybe others won't know the commitment it means, but he knows what Michael gave up making it for him.

"I'm good with just greenery. Especially if they're planted and won't die. Flowers are cut to die. I don't get the point of it."

Alex reaches down without thinking about it, brushing his fingers over his leg, almost believing he could feel the hum of it under his fingers.

[very_uninterested]

"All of this is very doable," David says and even if he won't say it, he actually kind of loves it all. It gives him ideas for his own wedding, which okay, isn't happening immediately, especially since he still has to actually ask Patrick to marry him first, but still. It's kind of starting. At least in his head.

"Oh damn, I was planning on putting orchids in your braided updo," he says to Michael, rolling his eyes expansively.

"And this... what the hell is this?" he asks, looking at what Michael has brought out. "It's freaking gorgeous."

[littleorphanalien]

The relief that they're not being difficult assholes is a lot for Michael, so much so that his shoulders sort of slope forward and he nods, like something just fell into place. "I mean, my hair is getting pretty long," he points out, ruffling his fingers through the curls that now dip past his chin (since he hasn't cut it since he arrived). "Orchids in my braids could look damn good," he deadpans.

Then, David has to go and compliment his ship, and Michael's practically puffing out his chest with pride.

"It's my ship," he says. "This is the outside of the ship, it responds," he says, and presses his hand over it to show David the way it glimmers, like an energy pulse. He nods to Alex, giving him a nod to encourage him to show. "It's the same as the handprint we can put on people."

[unendurable]

Alex laughs, looking up at Michael's hair, and knowing that if his wasn't done up it would be hanging all emo in his face. "I guess one of these days we need to find a hairdresser and not just go with nature as a hairstyle," Alex teases, smiling at Michael and loving those long, wild curls.

Watching Michael still, knowing how he'd like that compliment.

So when Michael gives him that look, he moves to pull his shirt to the side, showing the hand print on his chest. "It connects us. Just as this connects me to him," he says, letting the shirt fall into place as he works up the leg of his pants to show the bottom of the prosthetic made from the same material as the ship. "Kind of why I don't want pants," he admits.

[very_uninterested]

"Okay, ugh, are you two trying to be obnoxiously cute and in love or is that just your thing?" he asks, making a face at them. The expression doesn't really reach his eyes, however, nor does his tone suggest he actually finds their love annoying. It's almost just a default response.

"I can work with this," he says again. "All of this. If I take a picture of this thing, is it going to register on my phone as... this?" he asks, gesturing. He wants to make sure to take something with him so he gets the colour scheme right. The plants are the easy part, but the ship might be something he needs to really work on.

[littleorphanalien]

"Therapy," Michael says bluntly, which isn't a joke. Yeah, he and Alex have always been stupid for each other (cosmic), but usually bickering tends to take over. Therapy's the reason why it doesn't, now.

He gestures to the ship piece, giving an encouraging nod. "Nah, it'll show up." He squeezes Alex's shoulder and heads to one of the storage bins, digging out a stray small piece. "And you can take this." Now that he's decided he's not going anywhere, pieces of the ship carry less weight, less importance, and he can give them up this freely.

[unendurable]

"It's helped a lot," he admits, smoothing down his pant leg, smiling at Michael. "And yeah, it's kind of our thing now," he says, shrugging. "Obnoxiously cute and in love looks good on us," he points out.

But then Michael goes for the piece of the ship and his jaw drops and he just stares Michael as he brings over the piece of the ship and hands it to David. He looks away, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat.

"Or then Michael goes and does really sweet things and I am so going to end up crying at the ceremony," he murmurs, biting at his lower lip. "Right, so... Luke has to be in the ceremony. I don't think we've discussed if we're having best men or not? Just that it needs to be at the beach and plants. Yeah, we're bad at this."

[very_uninterested]

David doesn't know what to do with a piece of a freaking alien spaceship, so he just holds it in his hands for a moment before very carefully putting it into one of his pockets. That's going to be a weird thing to show Patrick later.

"You're not bad at it," he answers. "You've given me a lot to work with and a lot of freedom, too, which is exactly what I need."

It means he gets to make sure nothing looks cheap, like he's sure it might if someone else less qualified were helping them out with this. There is no way in hell he's going to let his friends have a shitty and cheap looking wedding.

[littleorphanalien]

The thing is, Michael's less occupied with what it looks like so long as all the right people are there. "You're gonna make us look pretty, aren't you?" Which also begs the question. "I got my own ideas about what I wanna wear, but," he admits, glancing to Alex, "I want them to be a surprise."

"You willing to show up at a clothes store?" he asks David, kind of hopeful that he's got fashion taste in spades too (cuz Michael knows he's got opinions).

[unendurable]

Left to their own devices it would look like a backyard wedding. At best. Luckily they're smart enough to know that and to go to the experts. Or singular expert here, because there's no one Alex would have asked but David.

"I do vote for the orchids in Michael's hair though," he admits. "I can live with those cut flowers," he notes with a grin. "But honestly, we owe you, David. I can't even imagine how this would have turned out if we were doing it ourselves. And I don't think anyone wants to know."

[very_uninterested]

"Let's just not consider it, shall we?" he asks Alex. And it's not that he doesn't think they're both capable in their own ways, it's just that he doesn't think they're capable with this. He doesn't want to dwell on what might have been if they hadn't asked him for help.

"You know I'm willing to show up at a clothing store," he says to Michael in a tone that very much says obviously.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael smirks at the thought of a wedding run by him. It would involve a lot of running to city hall and a license, and not much else. That had been the thought until he got Alex back, and then it got real.

Real enough that he knew he needed help.

"Cool, cuz I'm gonna need a suit and some opinions, and seeing as I've worn a suit exactly once in my life, mine don't really work." He slides his gaze to Alex, amused. "And I don't want him sneaking a peek."

[unendurable]

Alex lights up when Michael mentions the one suit he's worn. He knows he shouldn't do this but he can't help himself. He really can't.

"I loved that suit," he says softly, smiling fondly despite how horrible that night had been. Because in that moment he's just thinking about Michael in that suit. "It was kind of this dark teal color and he had a peach corsage. It matched his sister's dress and I thought they might have been there as a date. I didn't know she was his sister. I wore silver, with a wide black lapel."

He pauses, glancing at Michael with a smirk. "Wonder if I could find that here. And this is me ignoring you insinuating that I would peek. No faith."

[very_uninterested]

"You're not wearing a silver suit unless I thoroughly vet it first," David says to Alex in a tone that suggests there is absolutely no room to argue. A silver suit could work and while he thinks Alex is a perfectly lovely man and actually considers him a friend, which he's had trouble doing with people prior to Stevie, he still doesn't trust him to choose a properly silver suit.

"You can both keep your clothes at my place if you want," he offers. "So no one peeks. Well, Patrick might peek, but I expect you don't really care about that."

[littleorphanalien]

"Yeah, but he looked real good in it," is Michael's stupid praise, grinning at him as he stares at Alex, knowing that they can't relive prom (and shouldn't, given that it was ruined by Valenti), but he still looked damn good.

He nods appreciatively at David, grateful for that. "He can peek all he likes, he's not my groom." Michael sprawls back, knowing he's about to poke the bear, but he's curious. "You're both invited, obviously. Maybe you can even use our wedding for test run ideas."

[unendurable]

"Oh it was very Panic at the Disco nineties," he admits. Hey, he can be honest about who he was emulating and why he'd worn it. That and catching someone's eye but he'd gotten attention from the wrong person. "And no, probably not. I spent that night being bullied and punched my former best friend and because of us his girlfriend broke up with him and I never even got to dance with Michael so... No."

"Michael!" He rolls his eyes with a sigh. "Ignore him."

[very_uninterested]

"I frequently do," David answers and he has every intention of continuing to do so here. It isn't that he doesn't want to think about marrying Patrick or what their wedding will be like, but he already has very specific ideas about what he wants and he's pretty sure none of them will look like Alex and Michael's wedding.

"I'm not recreating your prom," he says. "We're not seventeen years old anymore, thank god, and no one involved in your wedding is going to look like they are. I have standards and so, by extension, so do the both of you."

He looks at Michael, though, very pointedly.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael is all about the innocent face. "Hey, I asked you to come vet the wedding wear, I'm the one who asked for your help," is his protest. "I'm invested in making this a very responsible day."

Says the man who's also told Magnus that as part of his invitation to the wedding, he can do whatever he likes, but Magnus also said he'd talk to David, so it's not like Michael's chaos habits are going to ruin it.

"And I'm perfect for ignoring," he says with a charming smirk. "It's one of my best assets."

[unendurable]

"In fairness we're only together now because we spent a week here being seventeen," he admits, definitely teasing but in a much more subtle way than Michael does.

"Seriously though, I trust you to do this right, David," he says with a smile. He truly does have faith in him.

Alex rolls his eyes, reaching over and tweaking one of his long curls. "I thought that was your hair and your telekinesis," he points out with a grin. "What else do you need to know though? Any other details?"

[very_uninterested]

"Plants, kilt, colour scheme, beach, little boy," David says, ticking the items off on his fingers as he lists them. "I think we're good."

He really hopes he doesn't have to talk to the little boy, though. David doesn't really know what to do with kids and he figures he'll just work it all out, then pass it off to Michael and Alex to go over with the child and that way he can avoid dealing with it. And also he can avoid sticky fingers on his nice clothes. Kids are always sticky, it's disgusting.

"I mean, I'll need the guest list, obviously," he adds. "And a budget."

[littleorphanalien]

"Money will come from me, I'll pay anything, so don't worry about expenses." He knows that they're tight for cash, but he figures if he sells another few drones before the wedding, he can easily finance the big day that Alex wants to have.

He wants him to have every last possible thing he could dream of, because it's a day that Michael never really thought they'd get.

"I can put my names down, but Alex can probably email the list? We uh, kind of haven't sent save the dates, but it's July 31st. This year."

[unendurable]

Alex rolls his eyes, giving Michael a look. "I offered but this is his thing," he says, smiling fondly despite the rolling of his eyes. He can live with it and then do something for them after.

"And I know it's kind of last minute but it's Darrow." He knows that sounds lame but given how their proposal went... and the things they've seen happen, he's not sure he wants to take the chance. "But I'll get the list right to you."

[very_uninterested]

"Oh my god, you two are a nightmare," David says in a voice that says he is absolutely delighted to be proving how he can do something fantastic last minute. And he will. He may not be the sort who's very good at telling people what that mean to him and he's absolute shit at expressing his emotions, this is something he can do. He can give his friends the best fucking wedding this place has ever seen.

Within their parameters, of course. And with some additions.

"It's going to be fucking fantastic."