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[littleorphanalien]

It turns out that moving into an actual house is a lot more work than he'd expected, not to mention the money worries. He's been making the drones and they've got enough for the down payment, but it's still really tight. Each completed drone seems to sit there and laugh in his face, another piece of proof of something he hasn't sold and isn't earning them money.

The boxes need to be packed, though. Their things have to move.

Alex has been on the phone for the last while and Michael's going through their drawer to shove things into boxes, glad that most of his alien shit is going to stay with Caleb in the city on the webcam, but even then, he's just got too much stuff. He ducks out into the main room when Alex is still on the phone, raising his brow to ask if that's a good sign or not. Then, when Alex still seems busy negotiating something, he heads back to the bedroom to start packing up the not-every day items, things they could take out to the beach house without causing disruption with their lives.

Ten minutes later, he's bored of packing and Alex is still on the phone. He wanders back into the main room, gives Bopp one of her toys, and then drapes his arms around Alex's neck from behind, kissing down his neck as he curls in, rubbing his long curls against the back of Alex's head, like he's trying to snuggle in with him from this angle.

It's his mature way of stating that he's bored of packing and he's hoping Alex will get bored of that phone call soon.

Comments

[unendurable]

It should have been obvious it was a stunt, and maybe then he had realizes that is what it was. Maybe he had been upset for years that Michael hadn't been there that day. They spent all summer together, and it had been amazing between them, and then that one talk in the truck, him not showing up, and every time he'd come back, it had been harder.

But now they're here, and they made it despite it all.

"Maybe, but we're here now. So maybe it took us a while, Michael, but we're together. Look at everything we have now. Bopp, our family, our wedding coming up. Whatever it took, we're here now."

[littleorphanalien]

It's ten years ago, but Michael feels like a different man. He's not that guy anymore, and he's better than that, even if he feels like he's going to be proving that to Alex for the rest of their lives, but he's okay with that. Honestly, he is.

He'd spend eternity proving it, even though he feels guilty about robbing them of a proper goodbye.

"I know. I know!" he rushes to insist. "It's just, it was a big shitty thing I did."

[unendurable]

Alex smiles then, leaning in until his brow rests against Michael's. "We both did shitty things. We can accept that now. I mean..." He takes a breath. "That night, at the drive in? I didn't care what you did... No, I did. I knew you deserved better but..."

His arms slide around Michael, tightening around him. "Jesse was watching, looking over at us and I panicked. I just saw... I saw that afternoon, and I was scared what he would do to you now, so..." So he made it clear he wasn't interested in Michael. "I wanted him not to think I still cared because I thought he'd hurt you. Maybe... maybe kill you."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael drifts in, rubbing their foreheads together for a moment, thinking about that night at the drive-in and how upset he'd been when Alex had walked away. He remembers sitting in the truck, his stomach falling when he thought of losing Alex for good.

He leans in, trying to take what he can because he doesn't want to forget that. "Yeah, well, I'd like to see him try. I'd use my alien powers and take out his eye," he whispers, "maybe I wouldn't even stop there, take out the brain too."

They definitely, really have to get a restraining order.

[unendurable]

"He won't come here. Not ever, Michael. We'll never have to see him again," he says in a low, rumbling voice. "But I trust you, Michael. I know I'm safe with you and I know you're safe with me. Nothing will get between us. Not him. Not this place. I know that, Michael."

He kisses him then, slow and deep, cupping his face as he gives over to that kiss, to the promise, to knowing they would be safe. No matter how bad this place got, they would be safe here.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael's absently playing with Alex's back, splaying his fingers there, stroking and holding him close. "We're still getting a restraining order," he demands, because he doesn't want to leave any of that to chance at this point, seeing as he's just terrified what this place could do.

He cups Alex's face, softening the kiss slightly, and easing back to hand Alex one of the drones, giving him a sweet little innocent smile, resting his chin on it. "Will you please add your very sexy and capable software to my invention?"

[unendurable]

Alex nods. "We can do that. We already have the cameras, and I can see if I have a picture of him on my laptop. If I do, I can use it to set up facial recognition software for anyone that comes to the house. Won't protect us out, but since we'll be working from home, it might help."

Whatever they need for peace of mind. That's what matters.

Laughing at that request as he takes the drone, turning toward the table to get it plugged into his laptop. "I would be glad to download into your drone," he says with a grin.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael's nodding, a touch more frantic and a little uneasy, given that he's still not sure about...well, Jesse Manes in any way. "Yeah. Yeah, I know it's paranoid, I know he might not hurt us, or might not even hurt us, but I'd feel safer knowing."

He breathes in raggedly, and grins as he kisses Alex's forehead hard, enough that he pushes him back a little. "Sexy," he teases. "You talk dirty to all your investors like that?"

[unendurable]

"Michael, after all he's done to us, it's not being paranoid. It's being careful. I'm with you on this. I promise," he says, turning to face Michael and taking his hand, giving it a squeeze. "I want us to be safe from him as well, so we'll do what we need to and we'll be okay. Promise."

Whatever it takes.

"You want me to start telling you about how much I like having my hands on your hardware?"

[littleorphanalien]

"Cool, then I'll take you out to dinner and then end the night with a romantic walk right to the police station to report your monster father as a potential threat," he says, letting that squeeze of his hand be the reason he drifts in again to kiss Alex chastely.

He laughs, a breath of soft air, as he eases back.

"By all means, tell me what my hardware feels like to you," he encourages.

[unendurable]

He smirks about that, loving Michael's tenacity about this. "I think that would be a beautiful way to spend our night," he says with a smile. "I would love that."

Because it does matter and it really is important. It's better to be safe, especially with their family now.

"It's so strong and powerful in my hands. I just love opening things up and seeing how sexy i is," he says, winking at Michael, and enjoying himself with this teasing against the heavy conversation they're having.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael leans in for a fierce kiss, because Jesse is not getting anywhere near Luke, as far as he's concerned. He is fierce about that, and he will not let Jesse touch Alex, either. No one gets hurt, not on his watch.

He laughs, roughly, and gives Alex a filthy smirk. "Ooh, it's a sexy and strong and powerful piece of hardware?" he teases. "Does it get you going? Or is it the software that'll do that trick?"

[unendurable]

Never going to let that bastard near their boy. If Alex has to, he'll kill him. Absolutely no hesitation in that. He'll kill him if he has to.

Kissing Michael back, enjoying the taste of it to ease the fears that hold him.

That look though makes him sigh, loving it. "It's all of it, Michael. It's putting that software in and watching how they come together."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael grins as he leans in on his tiptoes, like he's swaying into the kiss one more time, loving that he can steal them like this, so easy and so light, so perfect. "They work in harmony. The pieces wanna be together, the hardware and the software," he says, and moves away to start pulling apart the control panel of the other one.

"We should name 'em one of your..." he waves his fingers, gesturing to Alex. "What's one of those geek things you talk about?"

[unendurable]

"Made to be together," he says in a low, loving how they're playing, the things they're sharing between them. Their business, their home, their family, and their love.

"My what geeks things? Come on, Michael. Do explain that more," he says with a grin, arching a brow. "What geeks things?"

He suspects he means superheroes but now he's curious.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael's breath is shaky and it flutters when Alex talks about being made to be together, because a part of him feels it. It's like he imprinted on Alex at the first sign of kindness and his heart aches, wanting it so badly that he could scream.

And he has it now, so no shouting required.

"You know," he says, even if Alex doesn't. "The Star Wars, ships things, something round. Death Star?"

[unendurable]

Alex turns from the drone to Michael, smiling up at him with wide eyes. He loves that they are meant to be together, but he honestly can't help himself. Not right now. Not when he's gone there with this.

"You ... Are you doing this to hurt me," he teases. "Yes, Death Star. "It's smart though. I can match the codes to the names so we'll always be sure what codes go with which drones."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael knows Alex has shown him the videos. He knows he's seen them. The thing is, he's also just used to making out with Alex while they watch the movie, and so the plot sort of escapes him, which is why he doesn't know what names they have.

"I mean, they're flying little balls," he quips. "I dunno, you let me name the dog, I think you should get to name our creations."

[unendurable]

"No, I love it," he says with a smile. "I'm going to name them all after ships in Star Wars, and then we'll have them organized and linked," he says, looking excited by it. "I wish we could watch them here," he says with a sigh. "I wonder what versions we would find here."

They've found close to it art, and he has his Baby Yoda, and the art he got for Luke's room but he wants to find the movies, if he can.

[littleorphanalien]

It's so nerdy, and he loves it. He's so eager to let Alex have this, and he leans in to nuzzle at his mouth, laughing softly. "You really think I'd pay any more attention this time than I did ten years ago?" he teases, grasping at Alex's waist like he's reminding him of exactly what kept him so distracted.

He deserves a hand in this, though.

Michael did get to name Bopp, with no questions asked. Alex gets a chance too. He turns to fiddle with the second, opening it up for Alex and trading it out. "I didn't even finish with the instruction manual," he grumbles, poking Alex and gesturing to the laptop. "I wrote it on yours, I don't know, I think I rambled."

Seeing as he just kept typing for about thirty pages with instructions, that's an understatement.

[unendurable]

He makes a sound, a low groan with a whine. "You're hurting me, Michael. You really are." And hr loves it as well. That they can have these talks like they are. It feels like a million years ago that he'd never thought any of this might ever be a possibility, and now it's true and they're together, and he's so happy.

Shifting in a bit closer to Michael, just enjoying being near him. "Oh, you might want to do that," he teases, stealing a kiss.

"Well, do you want me to look over it, or do you want me to transfer it to your laptop?"

[littleorphanalien]

"Hey, I can't help it if you're way sexier than those movies," Michael protests, and leans in to press a kiss to the corner of his lips. He grins as he settles on the table beside Alex, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip, and pries the drone from his hand to nod at the laptop.

He gives an agreeing nod. "You're the tech brains. Make sure I didn't do your software dirty, please," is his request, fiddling as he starts to put the first drone back together.

[unendurable]

"You're right. I can't argue that," he says with a grin, preening. "I do look amazing, don't I?"

He winks at Michael, amusing himself as he settles in there next to Michael, loving how this feels. It's perfect, and he wants their life like this always.

"I will keep it all safe, promise," he says, setting things up that it's all designed right. "I can look over the manual, but you know I don't technically understand it all, right?"

[littleorphanalien]

Michael grins as he leans over and bumps Alex with his shoulder, able to take in his profile and loving the way it looks. "You're hot," he agrees, leaning in to kiss his jaw, and pointing to where Alex needs to go on the laptop.

Though, Alex's words bring a flush of new panic. "If it's too hard to understand, then I wrote it wrong. They need to know how to use it."

[unendurable]

He groans softly, closing his eyes as he leans into Michael for a minute. "You're biased," he murmurs softly. "You're just biased," he teases, but he's glad he is. So glad he's biased about them together.

"Michael, hey. I haven't even looked yet. I'm sure it's perfect. Let me take a look." And so he pulls up the file, staring to look over.