(no subject)

[littleorphanalien]

Alex's name is all over posters for this music festival, something that Michael had seen once or twice. When Alex had arranged it, Michael just figured that it was some casual thing, like a gig at the bar. Then, real flyers came out, posters, and Alex had a spot on a stage at a festival. He'd seen them on the way back from dropping Luke off at school, needing to do a double-take before he was overwhelmed with the sight of them.

To say that he's proud is a wild understatement.

He's grabbed about three of them, taking off for the Ocean View apartment, grateful that they're still in the process of moving so it won't take too long, hurrying inside. "Alex!" he calls, bouncing with excitement. "Alex, you're never gonna believe what I..."

He trails off, because when he glances up from the flyers, he gets his first good look at Alex.

"...uhhhh..."

Alex still has the coffee cup in hand, wearing a pair of sweatpants tied on the one end, and he's shirtless. Michael's seen him shirtless a thousand times before, but the tanned skin against these particular sweatpants, the way his hair is falling over his forehead, and his sleepy mussed just woke up look is...well, it's doing a lot to him.

"I found your music flyers," he manages, babbling out nonsense.

Comments

[unendurable]

Alex had signed up for the festival, excited for it. Sure he's had gigs in Darrow, and he's even released an album, but there's something about performing at a festival, and he's not said a word though because while he submitted for it, he's worried he wouldn't be chosen.

He only learned that morning that he was going to be on one of the stages, and he's been considering how to surprise Michael with it. He couldn't have gotten anything better than him bringing home the posters.

Beaming as Michael stands there with them, and he can only guess what they say. He hasn't even seen them and he loves Michael is the first one to have found them.

He blinks when Michael stops, looking down at himself and back up. Smiling when he finishes, stepping in close to Michael with his coffee cup held between his hands. "I was going to tell you when you got home. I woke up to an email this morning I'd been accepted." He pauses, before adding softly. "Is something wrong?"

It's not hit him that's a good look, that Michael finds him that attractive in that moment.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael's still gaping, but he steps forward and gently removes the crutch from Alex's hand as he leans it up against the new keyboard they'd bought (and hasn't been packed away), sliding his fingers over Alex's stomach and chest, over the hair, and then around to his back.

He breathes out shakily, exhaling with a hitch the way Alex always gets him to do, and god, he loves it so much.

"What the hell do you mean, is something wrong? Have you seen yourself?" he accuses. "Fuck, you're so hot," he mutters, putting the posters down on the table so he can bury his face in Alex's neck to start kissing.

[unendurable]

Alex easily gives up the crutch, glad for Michael's rule. He's starting to get used to spending time in the house without his prosthetic. More than that, he's getting used to asking for help, to letting others help him instead of insisting in doing it all for himself.

Leaning into him, smiling at that delicate touch, the tenderness of Michael's touch as he shifts to rest his weight against Michael.

"Oh that. Yeah, I am kinda hot, huh?" Smirking at him as he wraps his arms around Michael, clinging to him both for his weight but more for how good Michael's touch feels, moaning as he shifts and writhes against Michael. "Mmmm, if it gets this reaction, I'll wear it all the time. Though... standing isn't going to last long if you keep doing that."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael settles the posters down and gets a hand on the small of Alex's back to lift him up onto the counter, stepping in between his legs, playing with the waistband of the white sweatpants as he bites his lip. "You're so hot and sometimes it catches me off guard," he admits.

He eases back, gesturing to him. "This? The coffee, the lack of shirt, the pants..."

"And you're gonna be on a stage at a festival, Alex," he praises, still bouncing with the excitement.

[unendurable]

Smiling as Michael lifts him, helping him get up on the counter. Wrapping his leg around his hips, pulling him in close. He smiles, leaning in to kiss Michael, snuggling into him.

"That look on your face? It makes me feels so good. So good looking," he admits, beaming at what Michael's telling him. "Isn't it amazing? I'm doing a festival," he says, almost squeeing because it's so exciting for him.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael grins as he leans in, unable to stop being so damn proud and content, because that's his Alex, his handsome rock star, on the cusp of becoming big. "You're so fucking hot," he reiterates, fingers winding around his abs to tease at them, to the hair on his chest, brushing his thumb through it as he grins. "Trying to be like me, huh?"

He follows it up with a steady kiss to the corner of his lips.

"You're not even the first one, you're performing, Alex," he says. "You better believe I'm gonna get a folding chair, and Luke and I are gonna be right there."

[unendurable]

Alex all but preens under Michael's touch, the way he's looking at him. It makes him feel so utterly beautiful and sexy. Absolutely loved, and it leaves him aching as his muscles contract under Michael's touch.

Cupping Michael's neck as he leans in, kissing him slow and deep. Loving how it feels, how perfect this is to just have this between them. Some days it still feels positively unrealistic, like a dream. Now though it feels like the best thing ever, his life, his future, everything.

"I know. I'm... I just... It feels amazing. I just can't believe everything I'm getting to do here, because of you."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael keeps glancing back to the flyers, loving the fact that Alex's name is on them. "We really need to make sure that we keep one of these in good condition," he murmurs, and kisses him slower, because they don't have to rush. They can just enjoy this.

"We need to frame it, put it up in the third bedroom at the new house, with your guitar and keyboard," he whispers, wanting very much to be able to have a room in the house that's dedicated for Alex's career. He'll build a garage for himself out of a shipping container.

Michael scoffs. "Please. You're the one who's making the music. I just get all excited," he guarantees. "So, is this what you do when I take Luke to school? Lounge around the apartment shirtless like you're about to go star in a romance novel?"

[unendurable]

"Oh at least one in the third room. Maybe one in the living room," he says with a smirk and a wink at Michael. Hey, he's dreamt of this and never thought it would be real, so he's excited about the upcoming festival. "Oh! You'll have to help me work out the playlist. I want to try and do a lot of my original stuff."

He'll have a good audience for it, so why not put his music out there.

"Michael, you encouraged me. You pushed me to become the musician I am now. I couldn't have done this without you," he vows, smiling at him. Laughing though at that question. "Maybe I'm planning my next album cover," he teases.

[littleorphanalien]

"I'm definitely gonna want one and your album cover in the garage," he vows, and that's not teasing. Whenever he gets that lab up and running, he knows for a fact that he's going to want pictures of Alex's musical career adorning the walls.

He grins as he slides his palms over Alex's chest, fingers pushing over the shoulders as he presses tightly.

"Shirtless, holding a coffee cup," he teases right back. "And what's the next album called?"

[unendurable]

"Oh? Is that so?" God but he beams at that, just loving that Michael wants that in his work space. "You want any posters, I'm all for having pictures blown up into posters for you," he says, considering which pictures he could blow up for him.

"Sure, why not? I'll call it Morning Interludes, and all the songs will have a sexy sound," he suggests, taking that to mind and thinking it would be perfect.

[littleorphanalien]

"I want all the sexy pinup posters you're willing to give me," is Michael's flirtatious reply, sliding his palms up and down Alex's thighs, still bouncing with excitement and pride as he leans in to kiss him hard. "You're gonna be on a stage and you're gonna fuck them all up, Alex, you're gonna show them how much you deserve to be center stage next year."

He's dazed and dreamy and so fucking proud. "You're on a poster, Alex," he says, and he knows he's emotional, but fuck. "This is it, this is your dream. The album, the release, the performances, and now real concerts at real festivals. I'm so proud of you."

[unendurable]

"Oh well, guess I need to find a good photographer and printing service. Any poses you want in particular? I'm willing to get some costumes," he teases, smirking but now he knows he's going to do this.

He looks so fucking proud and excited. "I am, and I have it all and I have you and..." His eyes get bright with tears. "Sometimes I can't believe this is real, Michael. How is this real?"

He's just almost shaking. "I'm on a stage at a festival and one day? One day maybe I'll headline one of those stages," he says softly. Because he's got to keep having goals. Wedding. Another album. Headline.

[littleorphanalien]

"By all means, surprise me."

Michael is still in disbelief and shock, laughing brighter than he has in a long time. It's like this weight on his chest has evaporated, where he carried all his anger and pain, a piece of him he hadn't wanted to give up, and now it's gone, replaced by this ease.

He's laughing brightly, thinking about Alex headlining stages and becoming a rock star. "I don't care how it's real," he says, cupping Alex's cheek to kiss him fiercely. "So long as we get to keep living it."

[unendurable]

The laughter is the most beautiful thing that Alex had heard. He can almost feel the joy that is radiating from Michael, matching his own.

"Do you know the best part about all of it, Michael?" He asks it intently, watching him and smiling. "That you're here with me. That's the best part. That you and I are together, and getting married. I love that. It's the very best part," he says, looking at Michael with so much love in his eyes.

[littleorphanalien]

When Alex laughs with him, it's like they're seventeen again and his heart beats the way it always does when he's with Alex, skipping a beat here and there, in disbelief and joy. "Really? And here I thought the best part was that you got your name on a festival lineup," he says, leaning over to tap the poster and lift it up.

"See this?" he says. "This is the real deal, Alex. And you're the brains behind my business," he praises, flushing under that look of Alex's, like he can't take it without looking away because it's so bright. "I think the best part of this, the most miraculous, is that you and I got therapy and managed to work this out."

[unendurable]

Alex shakes his head. "That's amazing, but it's not the same as having you," he says, because having Michael in his life is the best. The other things would be hollow without him.

"It is the real deal. So is July 31st," he says, because he is focusing on that date as much as anything. "Okay then. I'll agree with that. We got help, and worked things out and now we're here," he says. "And here is me on that poster, and our wedding, and the new house. Also, I mean.... I'm on a festival poster," he says with so much glee.

[littleorphanalien]

Michael is close to preening, and he stares at him, knowing that their wedding date is going to be the most important date to him, but hearing it from Alex makes him practically melt, because it's July 31st. It's their wedding.

It's them.

"You're on a festival poster, Alex!" he shares, laughing brightly, acting loose and carefree, like he really is seventeen again and Jesse Manes never happened. He doesn't look the same though, what with his hair down to his chin in long curls, and the scruff on his face. "I'm so proud of you," he whispers.

[unendurable]

Laughing with him, leaning in and kissing him hard. Brushing back those curls with both hands so he can kiss him, hard, loving how good he feels. Kissing him hard, moaning into his mouth as he uses that hooked leg around Michael to pull him close.

"Thank you. I feel so good about this. I'm so excited. I can't wait. I need new clothes!"

[littleorphanalien]

He knows they're happy here. It's there in every day, in their breakfasts and their lives, but these moments where he and Alex are buoyant and giddy feel like they aren't as common. Worse, when Alex moans like that, Michael forgets how to think or what he's doing.

The only thing that matters is drifting in to kiss the corner of Alex's lips, heart pounding. Luke is at school and Alex should rehearse. Michael should keep preparing more drones, but he can't.

"You wanna go shopping?" Michael offers, eyes bright, because this is the only thing he wants to do.

[unendurable]

"You'd go with me and listen go me be picky about clothes?" He grins at that, stroking his fingers through Michael's hair. Just combing his fingers through those long locks, stroking his fingers over Michael's temples.

"Can I lure you into a dressing room? I mean, just to help make sure they fit right," he teases.

[littleorphanalien]

"I'd go with you anywhere," Michael vows, and gives Alex a preening look, leaning heavily into the touch Alex is giving him, like he's being patted like a good dog. All it'll take is Alex adding some praise about how he's a 'good boy' and he'll be a goner.

Biting his lip, he pinches the sweatpants. "You willing to put on real clothes and go out? Get yourself a rock star look?"

[unendurable]

"You're so good to me," he whispers, kissing him tenderly. "Come on. Let's get changed and go and see what I should wear for the concert," he says, grinning and excited about the idea of it.

"I never thought about this. About what I would actually wear, or play. I just signed up for it."

[littleorphanalien]

Michael leans over to get the crutch, holding it out for Alex to hold again, backing away from the counter and carefully taking the posters to put them on top of the fridge where food, dogs, and other disasters won't be able to affect them.

Once done, he helps pull at Alex's hips to get him on his feet, yanking at him until their hips are flush together, which maybe isn't the best thing, because the look really did get him going.

"Your teen self probably had ideas," he mumbles, a little flushed in the cheeks and embarrassed.

[unendurable]

Taking the crutch, Alex waits for Michael. It says a lot that he doesn't try and jump down on his own, willing to have Michael's hands there, helping him, guiding him. Glad for it as he gets him on his feet.

Smiling at Michael as he loops his free arm around his neck, holding him close. Smiling at that though, positively excited about the concert. He laughs at that though.

"We're not listening to him. Have you see the people he thinks about and what he would pick?"