Yeah, and doesn't think about the people who love him either. A real dumb hero type. [He leans into Max's touch, his soft laughter and gentle touch of lips sends shivers down his spine. I can't lose you again, Max. I can't...but I know you can't really make that promise. You're the most stubborn, selfless person I know. I'm pretty sure it's in your DNA.
[They can joke about it now, but the memory still twists Michael's insides even with Max pressed close, warm, and very much alive. The nightmares still haunt him some nights, but Max doesn't need to know that. Instead, he turns into the kiss, fighting back the tears that sting behind his eyes.
When Max pulls away to set up for dinner he takes a moment to clear his throat before heading to the kitchen to serve the food. With more time he probably could have made something a little more impressive but Max was a steak and potatoes kind of guy, most of the time anyway.
Once dinner is served, he pours them each a small glass of bourbon and settles next to Max on the couch, close enough for their legs to touch, and he can feel the heat of Max's body through the fabric of his t-shirt. His body just gravitated towards his lover's naturally, always wanting to be close, to be touching. They didn't often get nights like this; Michael hadn't realized how much he wanted one until now.] I'm not sure this is quite up to candlelit dinner caliber but I don't hate it.
You know that he's gonna only start thinking about the person he loves from now on. [He nuzzles against Michael.] I'm only gonna start thinking about you from here on out, baby. It may not be the easiest thing all the time, but at least you'll be with me, making the decisions right next to me.
[It's hard to think about what almost happened for Max as well. He could have died and lost out on this. He had done things to save people at the risk of himself, because he was sure that was his course. He'd done things without embracing who he was because he didn't want to let go of the idea that he was a normal person.
He didn't want to be different, but fuck he was different. He was so different and now that he finally knew that and actually loved that about himself, he couldn't look back and think about all he might have lost by his death. He could have lost what he had in his arms. He could have lost this chance to have his soulmate. He can feel the burn of Michael's pain through the link they always share now, and he kisses Michael harder, his grip tightens a little more, knowing that the other alien needs it.
Hey, there is nothing wrong with steak and potatoes, and it is 100% a candlelight dinner thing. Max grins at what's served and moves in closer to Michael, needing the touch every bit as much as the other.]
What are you talking about. Fancy restaurants serve this all the time by candlelight. You made me my favorite meal, and did it without being asked. How could this get any better. I love you.
[before he even thinks about taking a bite, he leans over and kisses Michael simply on the lips. It's better than an evening prayer for him, and makes far more sense.] I think we should keep that as a ritual before any meal.
You don’t ever have to ask me to do something nice for you. You deserve to be taken care of too. [He always thought that having someone so in tune to his emotions would be horrible. Michael was a mess sometimes. He felt things so strongly. He carried around a lot of pain and he could be quick to anger, he was impulsive, when he loved he loved with every part of himself. None of that was news to Max though and he wasn’t running for the hills. He knew exactly what Michael needed without him saying a word. It helped loosen a knot in his chest and he’s smiling when Max pulls away.]
A ritual? I like that. A lot. It’ll be our first one. [The thought of a ritual between them, even just a simple act like a kiss before a meal was something for just the two of them, something sacred. At least it was as close to something sacred as Michael would ever get.
Looking into Max’s eyes there was that magnetic pull again, it thrummed through his veins, made his pulse jump and his heartbeat quicken in his chest.]
Ugh. You are like stupidly attractive in candlelight. [Laughing softly, he manages to tear his eyes away from Max to take a bite of food.
I appreciate it though, and I'm allowed to say thank you. You're special, and I am so fucking lucky. [So maybe both their feelings could be a mess when they were really in love like this. Max knew that he was all over the board lately with how he was feeling. He knew he had highs and lows, and had been terrified as much as he'd been sure about things. He felt unworthy as often as Michael did. It was funny how alike they were -- so much more than they ever really thought they were.
There were a lot of differences on the outside, and on the sides that they showed to the world, but the sides they kept hidden and the things they felt on the inside, there were so many similarities. There was the pain, the anger, the insecurities, the deep passion, the love, the intensity and need to take care of someone and be taken care of, and the wild, wild electric, desperate need for one another.
It was wonderful, and there was no way that Max would run from a second of it. He was here for every single minute of it. It radiated from him, and laid bare in his eyes as they sat there studying Michael. He too could feel that beat that connected them, the low voltage tie that wove them together like nothing else. ]
Yes, a small ritual. We can set up time for our larger one if you want. We can talk about what we want to do too... [It took max a while to turn back to his dinner as well. Michael was utterly stunning by candlelight, the way the light would flicker and wave against his skin, offering highlights and lowlights. It made Max unable to speak, even after he was complimented. He only smiled and bit at his lip.]
... Mn. Michael... You... fuck. You take my words and my breath away. I don't know if I can even eat watching you like this.
[He leaned over and ran a hand down the other's face, and then with a shuttered breath turned and tried to take a few bites of the food that was so excellently prepared for him. What were they talking about again? Oh, right, their ritual.]
So, we need candles, knives, I want something nice for it, something we can save, and then, I need to practice healing myself. I want to try the piercings then too. If We will need something for stitching, because we don't want me to heal our marks. We could brand them, that would use fire, but... no, that wouldn't work cause you're immune, and I might be too. Hmmm...
Right. We still have to test the theory that you might also be immune to fire. Hmm... [He chews his food thoughtfully. It was kind of disappointing, at least this one time, being immune to fire. If he wasn't he would definitely have let Max brand him but they have other options that are just as exciting. The thought alone that Max was going to be the only one to ever mark him and he was going to carry his mark forever made it difficult to concentrate on anything else. Max was going to let him take a knife to that beautiful skin and they were going to bleed for each other. It made his throat go dry and he has to take a sip of bourbon before he can speak.]
If you want to do the piercings then too we can do those first maybe? That way you can hopefully heal those before we take the knives to each other. We need to test if you can heal yourself first. When you're ready to try I can give you some marks and see what you can do. We might as well have fun with it. [He laughs softly and leans into Max a little bit more, arm pressed into his side and legs touching. The more they talked about this ritual and planned, the more excited he got. He might have been engaged before but this was a commitment on another level entirely. It was not only a promise and reminder to each other of their love and devotion, it was a sign to the world of who they belonged to.]
[There had been a place in Duplicity where he'd been put into a room with an alter and been told to preform a ritual with someone, and then fuck them until exhausted. He had never been with a man before that point and so he didn't touch the ritual part. It had to do with knives and candlewax. The most he did was find out about how to be with a man. It was frightening for him, and he felt disgusted with himself afterward, ashamed with what he did for days.
It was like he'd betrayed who he was, and the feelings he had for Liz. Everything at that place was so different and new. Now he was about to embark on the real thing with the love of his life and he was so excited that he hadn't done it back then, and that his skin was free of marks and that this would be a new type of tattoo on his skin. He wanted to cut through Michael's skin, to mark it over and over if he could. To lick through his blood. It was a strange desire, a need to take and taste all of him. A dark desire that he didn't know the origin of, but he knew that Michael would accept it of him.
He smiled at his partner, chills running down his skin as he thought about what they were going to embark on. Running his hand down Michael's arm, he took his hand and brought it to his lips.
Then he grinned and laughed a little. Without warning, he grabbed a candle and ran his hand through the fire, at first it was quick, but then after he realized it wasn't burning him, he did it a few more times. ]
I guess that theory proves out true. You know, I wonder if you might end up developing some more of my powers, since you are his son. We will have to practice more. I think our link through my bond might help us both grow, feeling what the other does when we use our powers.
[It was a thought he had the other night before going to sleep. It was true that Michael had a set of genes from both his parents and who knew what was recessive or not, but still, they each used different parts of themselves to activate their powers. It would help to feel what the other felt while using. ]
I was already planning on giving you some extra marks that I was going to heal. I swear you were reading my mind... [Max licked his lips and smiled, then leaned across and kissed Michael fully. This was pretty exciting and it took away from the dinner that was sitting there. Okay, so he sat up and took another few bites. he didn't want to seem ungrateful. He was hungry enough, but this talk and finding out things together was bigger than food. Love filled his heart and his stomach.]
[Maybe it was a strange desire, to need to cut open and take and taste every part of the other but it didn't matter. Not only would Michael accept it, he wanted it. He felt the same dark desire stirring in his veins. It was born from that same damaged part of himself that sought out fighting, and pain, and punishment.
Sitting here talking about it with Max, the man he loves above all else, his soulmate, makes him think that this part of himself isn't something wrong because Max feels it too and nothing about Max was wrong or should be hidden away.
It was thrilling to watch Max take his hand away from the candle flame completely unscathed. Another thing they shared just between the two of them. They may not be part of a triad together but they were linked in ways that went way deeper than his triad.]
You know, I was thinking about that too--how your link might help us with figuring out what else we can do. As you know I've inherited some abilities I would rather not have so I wasn't really ready to do more poking around to find out what other terrifying powers I got from a genocidal maniac...but with you I feel ready to start figuring this out.
[He smiles at Max, watching him when he pulls away from the kiss.] Let's just say I like the way you think. You can mark me and heal me as many times as you want...
[In the same vein, Max thought there was nothing broken about Micheal. This was his lover and the person he would spend an eternity loving. He only wished that they were granted longer lives to love one another. Maybe on their own planet they would be. There was so much that he wished to do with the other and they'd barely started on their journey and had so little time left already.
Already, Max was ready to make life so permanent with Michael. He could think of nothing more than this ceremony as the first step in making that dedication to one another. It was an even greater symbol than any ring that they might wear. He wondered what his emotions felt like right now to michael, as he dreamed of their future.
Max and Michael didn't truly need their own triad, they had something far greater between them, a bond of blood that was different. It didn't make them brothers, and yet in a twisted way it might have-- both born of the same distant man, one a clone and one birthed from a mother. They shared genetic makeup, but it didn't matter. It's a bond that made them soulmates, because only they could understand the coding of disaster and life that made them both up. ]
You are never terrifying Michael, only beautiful and wonderful. I think that what you find, might be powerful and amazing.
[Max runs his hand over Michael's thigh with one hand and takes the last bite of his potato with another.] You can do the same, even if I can't heal myself. I want you to feel free to cut me however you want. We can do our marks last, after we are done playing. I don't mind bleeding for you. It will only be pleasure, when you touch me as well.
[As he gazed at Max he could feel the other man's hope for the future, the yearning, and desire, and devotion. The emotions emanating off of him are so strong, Michael feels reckless, and foolish; love drunk.
It's no secret that Michael self-sabotages at the first sign of commitment and anything resembling stability but feeling what Max is feeling now as they sit here in the dim flickering light of the candles as they talk about the future...all of those familiar doubts and fears seem to crumble under the weight of Max's certainty. Max is certain and unwavering in his love for Michael. If he has any concerns or fears about this relationship or taking such a permanent step, they're not coming through now.
This ceremony they are planning isn't just a way to explore their darker desires, it is marking a dedication to one another, a sacred oath spelled out in blood and pleasure and pain. It meant giving each other absolute trust.]
Nothing can be as powerful and amazing as what I've already found. [The hand on his thigh is warm and grounding and he shifts closer, pressing into the touch.] I promise I'll make you feel so good. I'll bring you right to the edge; that sharp feeling right on the edge of pain where it bleeds into pleasure.
[One of the greatest benefits of their link is the fact that Max can also feel all of Michael's emotions, the twists and turns that fly around in his heart and the beats that tear upwards and down. Max is already familiar with his lover's patterns and before he feels it inwardly, he can tell if and when he's got to head Michael off at the pass. There's a narrow road that they've got to travel together, and Max's got the dealer's hand of cards and he's making sure to stack the deck in his favor this time around.
There's no way in hell he's gonna let Michael slip out of this one. They have their place here in this world, and they've fought their own wars to get here. Everything about them fits and max knows that even space and time itself has fucking blessed this union. So, he's going to keep his hand on Michael's thigh, and pull it in closer to his own as they talk.
Leaning back against the couch, he gives up on the rest of dinner and winds his arms around Michael as they talk, wanting to hold the man of his life up against his body. It was always so hard to go too long without this feeling. ]
I know that you will always make me feel good. I'm looking forward to a good edge. No one has done that for me before. It will be infuriating pleasure I'm sure. The pain will be nice. I'm looking forward to that a lot. I want to spell out our marks. What do you think we should use. There's a lot of different iconology out there. I mean we could use something alien, or something related to love, or personal marks. Did you have thoughts?
[Like always, his body gravitates towards the other's and he leans into him, slipping an arm behind his back to slide his fingers under the hem of his shirt to get his fingers on bare skin. Even this close, he still missed the feeling of Max's skin under his hands.]
Mm...no one has done that for me before either. Unless you count all the times I sought out pain by picking fights just so I could get my ass kicked. [He laughs softly, fingers dragging lightly along Max's lower back just above the waistband of his jeans. It felt good to be sitting here like this, not rushed and making plans for the future, their future. Max has already given Michael so many firsts and there were still so many to go.]
I think I want us to do something alien or personal. It makes it more us, you know? I mean we don't really have an idea what most of the symbols from Oasis mean and I got that tattoo for you already so something more personal probably. You and I have never really had anything just between us until recently...
[It hits Max just then like a bolt of lightning out of the sky. He's not sure what Michael wants to put on him, but he knows exactly what he wants on Michael. It's gonna hurt like a bitch, because he did a tiny bit of research into what it takes to do this kind of thing in the real world, and it's not easy, but they're going to be together and this is what they both want.
Running his hands down and over Michael's shirt, he pushes it up and over his lover's head, because there's no real reason for him to be so formally dressed when they're together. Not when Max needs his skin so close. After the shirt/s is/are gone, he leans over and kisses one of the marks he's left behind, sucking at it a little to brighten the bruise. ]
I know exactly what I want to put on you. I want my handprint on you permanently, and my name along with the date. I'm gonna make this completely official. This... Michael...
[Max takes Michael's hand, and it's not at all what he had planned for this, but it feels so real, and right and there's nothing standing beyond this and he knows it. Sliding to the ground, Max goes to both his knees and kisses Michael's knuckles one by one.]
I already know that you're mine, but I want this ritual, this ceremony to be complete. I want nothing to part us after, Michael. I want you to be my partner for real, for life after this, my husband, my life-partner, my everything. So, marry me. I don't care if there's no one there to see or know it, just be my forever. I'll put this mark on you as our symbol of love. It'll be our date. Please say yes.
[You would think after getting proposed to once before you would know what to expect but this takes him completely by surprise now for the second time in his life. To think he almost lost Max forever and even if it was a couple years ago now, to him it still feels like yesterday, the pain sharp in his mind and now that same man was on his knees asking to marry him. His head was spinning, it was hard to breathe but maybe that's because his heart feels like it's going to beat out of his chest.]
Max...[He doesn't know what to say. There are a million things running through his head but gods, he doesn't want to fuck this up. Was this too fast? Yes, they have known each other all their lives but not like this. It was still so new and fragile. The last time he was engaged everything went to shit and Max was certainly healing those wounds but wounds they still were. I mean hell, he hasn't even moved all his shit in yet. Liz did a number on Max, did he really want to risk it all again on a mess like him? That panic, that itch to run before he destroys Max the same way Liz did was there just under the surface he tries to block the connection and save Max from his spiral of emotions but it's a moot point when the plates rattle on the table in front of them.
He grips Max's hands in his own like they're lifelines and tries to take a steadying breath. They're not the same people they were a year, even six months ago. Hell, he's not the same person he was two months ago Max came crashing into his orbit and changing everything. Looking into those warm brown eyes, everything is right there clear as day. This, Max, is his future. He knew that the moment Max's lips found his that night. If he's being honest with himself, he knew it the moment they climbed out of those pods and saw each other. It's why since the day he was placed with a family back in Roswell, he never left again. He would and endure all kinds of abuse just to stay close.
Now everything he feels is reflected in those brown eyes. He can see Max's hope for the future, how even if this wasn't planned, he means it with every fiber of his being. His heart, the same heart Michael helped put back together and kept it beating, it beats for him.
He lets go of one of Max's hands and reaches out, pressing his palm against Max's chest, over his heart, fingers spread wide to feel his heartbeat over the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Suddenly, it's as clear as day. This is it. There is nothing he wants more than to spend the rest of his life with this man right here no matter where it takes them. This is his purpose . It was Max. Everything always came back to Max.]
Yes. [He smiles breathlessly but his voice is steady, there is no doubt or hesitation.] Yes, I'll marry you, Max. You're my forever. You always were. I love you. I'm so fucking in love with you. There's nothing I want more than to call you my husband. You make me the happiest man in the world.
[It was so funny how easily the leap came to Max. They were already performing a binding ritual between them, and saying vows. They were cutting marks into one another's bodies that would be there forever. They had already admitted that it was better than rings. It was already so close to a wedding, a private ceremony of their own that Max couldn't see why it wasn't the one that made them husbands. He only wanted Michael to understand how Max thought of him.
They were doing this early, but yes, it had been something they'd been preparing for their entire lives. Ever since the day they came out of those pods, and Michael began protecting max, to the day Max worked to protect Michael. They fought endlessly trying to take care of one another, and because they knew that they were bound already in some inexplicable way. It was far more than the DNA in their system. There was a love there that was even picked up on by other people.
Max and Michael had both been asked if they were dating, and while denying their souls had felt wrong for Max, he knew secretly that he'd wanted to be that person for Michael. They'd both already spent years dreaming of this day, and now that they were together, there was nothing that could pull them apart. Max knew that Michael was making himself a home. It didn't matter if the tiny place he was at still existed, Michael had been sleeping at Max's since that day they'd agreed never to part, and their souls had been stuck together since then.
The handprint was never allowed to fade, and they were always bound by so much more. It was getting to the point that even when the hand print was beginning to fade, Max could still feel Michael as loudly as the day he placed it. Even their telepathy was increasing. He knew that his mind was closer now to Michael than it was to Isobel. It was merely practice and the need to be closer.
They are the past, present and future for one another, and Max knows it as he sits there on the ground holding Michael's hand, and his breath until Michael gives his answer.
Tears immediately spring to Max's eyes as he climbs back onto the couch and wraps himself around his love, his future husband, his fiancee. ]
Thank god. I thought for a second I misguessed, but this was already all those things, and I thought why the hell can't it make us husbands, I love you and need you forever. I want to call you mine, and my husband. You've made me the happiest man as well, and I promise to love you and cherish you for all my days. I do.
[Max leaned in and kissed Michael with a passion like he'd never had before. It said all the unspoken poetry he'd left out of his proposal, the things that would come in his vows that he'd been working on for weeks now. He knew that he'd love Michael and be with him, and as his tongue scored across and dipped along his fiancee's he pushed the knowledge of that into their kiss, aching to show him every mountaintop life had to show.]
[Michael took that unspoken poetry, the promise of vows, the knowledge that this was forever and poured his own right back, kissing Max with an intensity he had never known before. It's a heady slide of lips and tongue and he's holding onto Max so tightly, practically pulling him into his lap in his need to be closer. Max had already shown him so many highs, taken him to so many peaks, it was hard to imagine there could be more yet here they were.]
You didn't misguess. Not at all. You just took me by surprise. After everything you went through and the other day you said this ritual would be like our own kind of vows better than a marriage so I didn't think you were interested or ready for that...
[He trails his lips across Max's jaw, down his neck, over his pulse point as he slips a hand under the hem of his t-shirt, fingertips marking a path over the smooth planes of his abdomen, reverently tracing the scar that runs the length of his chest, a reminder of what it took to get to this moment. His lips part on a soft sigh and he lifts his head to look into those warm brown eyes that show such sincerity, his future reflected back to him.
With Max, there was never any doubt. This man knew him so completely, mind, body, and soul and still wanted every part of him.]
This ritual can be the date. We can go to City Hall, do the paperwork and this can make us husbands but... if we're getting married, like the real deal, if you're going to be my husband I want to celebrate that with the people in our lives. It doesn't have to be a wedding, it could just be a small thing. I know it's stupid. You can laugh. It's just I want people to know, I want to shout it to the world. I know before you were looking forward to a wedding and you deserve at least a part of that.
[With the little tug, it doesn't actually take much to actually pull Max into Michael's lap this time. He moves over to straddle the other alien, legs bent and squeezing each side of Michael's body so that his arms are free to roam the chest and sides of the man he loves. He's never felt so free before, never had the ability that he does now to touch everything he's always dreamed of, and now that he can, there's never any stopping him.
Max lifts his chin, giving Michael his neck and even reaches down to shed his shirt as well so that they have the warm touch of skin to skin while they speak so intimately of the lives their going to build together.
It takes max a little bit by surprise that michael really wants to do all things completely legal and spread out into telling the world, but then it makes complete sense. He had to stand in alex's closet for so long. Why should he have to hide anything, this is all that he's ever wanted and Max would love for their family and friends to see them both happy and in love, and to know that they've both taken the final step in loving one another.
He thinks about it for a second and then with a short kiss to Michael's lips nods.]
We can do city hall the morning before the ritual, so that the day is legal. I really would like that to work out. Then we can throw a reception when we've got the time and have things settled so we can send out formal invites to a few people that we want, and find a good place to have it and all that. So, we'll have this for you and me, and then a reception for everyone else to see and know. How's that?
[Max slings his arms around Michael's neck and leans back to stare into his fiancee's eyes biting at his lips in a hopeful manner, wanting this so badly to work. He doesn't want to wait to get married, and getting all the things ready for everyone else would take time. he's got most the things set for the ritual already, and city hall is easy to set up with him being former sheriff and all.]
That sounds perfect. I don't want a wedding. I want this ritual just between us. I want the ritual to be the day you become my husband. I don't want to wait. [This feels like a dream. None of this was in the plan for this evening but now that it was happening he can't think of anything he wants more. Maybe it's stupid, they were aliens for fuck's sake but even still, Michael can't help but want Max in every single way. He wants to be his husband. Leaning in, he capture's Max's lips with his own, pulling him back in to kiss him deeply. Max's body was warm and solid and he runs his hands up those strong thighs straddling his waist. He still can't believe he gets this, gets to touch him whenever he wants.]
I'm so madly in love with you, Max Evans. [He sighs against his lips. They are so in tune with one another after being connected for so long, keeping the bond from fading between them has allowed it to become stronger. They were more connected than ever before and he knows his request took Max by surprise.] We don't need to do a reception if you want to keep it just between us. What matters is our ritual, you hearing my vows. You're all I need. I didn't mean to make it complicated.
That's all I will ever need is you and me. No matter where we are in this world or any other. As long as you are with me, I'll be complete. [Maybe those were a part of his vows, but it didn't matter. He'd say them over and over. A promise repeated only sears it upon the heart, mind and soul of the person it's given to. It's like the words I love you. They can never be said enough. Repetition doesn't make them mean any less, it only shows the depth of devotion and a need to hear the value of a heart daily, and often several times a day.
Every single day that they are together is always like a dream. Sitting here in michael's lap with his full weight supported, is so powerful. No one else has ever held him like this. He can feel the strength course through the other's arms as they stretch around him, and Max doesn't have to be the one who always makes the other person feel safe, because right now, he's the one that feels safe and secure in his lover's arms. Michael does that for him, and he hopes that he will always be able to do that for Michael as well, because it's such an important feeling. Being embraced, held. loved and cherished above all else is the most complete feeling ever.
The only thing that makes it any better is the way their mouths meet in the middle and slide against one another, opening and sharing all the thoughts and feelings that will forever flow in circles as their hearts and minds pour from hand print to kiss and back through their emotional cycle. It's the perfect balance. It's the homeostasis of their lives together. ]
I love you too, baby and I will do a reception because people do need to know, and because you want it too. We need to share it with Isobel and Maria, and a few others who are close to us. We can even invite Liz and Alex so they can see exactly what they missed, but if I give you a hand job under the table, you can only assumed it's because alex stared at you too long.
[Max laughs, because he may always be a little jealous, but he knows who belongs to him wholly and completely now.]
[Those words, "I love you" really can't be said enough. He knows it's something he could be better at. Expressing his feelings has always been something he's struggled with his entire life. When you're a kid who grew up like he did, you learn pretty quickly that it's not safe to be vulnerable and open but losing Max once already made him realize a lot of things and he didn't say it nearly enough to Max before he died; he didn't tell him how he felt or what Max meant to him. It's a mistake he'll never make again and he wants to take every opportunity to make sure he knows.
Max's words startle a laugh out of him. He can imagine inviting Alex and Liz would be a shitshow but hey, he'll never pass up an opportunity to get Max's hands on him.] Oh please, the second I see Liz giving you one of those sad longing looks you two used to always give each other. I'm going to have to do a lot more than give you a hand job under the table.
[In all honesty, Michael isn't sure he's ready to see Max and Liz together and it has nothing to do with not trusting Max. He trusts Max completely. He knows Max's feelings, his heart and soul intimately. A part of him will probably always be a little jealous and possessive and maybe even a little afraid of abandonment. He knows it's something he needs to work on.]
You know it's only a matter of time before they both come back, right?
[Right now the world is theirs. There's nothing standing in their way. Liz is gone on a research grant, and Alex, well, Deep Sky has him busy doing work that kept him away from Michael after the marriage proposal fell through somehow. Max still can't figure out any of that for the life of him, but he's more grateful than there are stars in the sky. If it had worked out, the two would be married now and he'd be completely out of luck.
Thinking about it twists up his gut more often than he'd ever like to admit. It seems both of them have jealousy and insecurity issues to deal with. He knows that Michael loves him, and that his heart and soul belongs to Max. It's just something bred of time, and seeing how they went back and forth always pining for one another as well.
It's the same with Max and Liz. They didn't work together. There wasn't passion or fire the way there is with Michael, because it was always supposed to be this. He laughs a little nervously and grips Michael a little more tightly, knowing that they both feel the same. ]
You know that she can look all she wants, but you belong to me, and I belong to you. Maybe we won't invite them.
[Max finds michael's lips and consoles him with a kiss, stroking his lover's cheek and brushing up into the curls that drive him absolutely nuts every time he looks at the other. ]
Yeah, I know. I don't want them to. I don't want to see either of them again. Ever. Maybe we'll go to Oasis then...
[Nothing is standing in their way and he'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way. They haven't actually talked much about what happened between either of them. In the beginning everything felt so fresh, still a bit raw and he didn't want to ruin a good thing by bringing up the past too much and they've both kind of avoided it ever since.
Max's grip tightens and Michael can feel the nervous energy between them. As much as he loves the possessiveness, and has tested those waters a little bit, he doesn't want Max to be nervous. He strokes the thighs under his hands with his thumbs, massaging the firm muscles in what he hopes is a soothing gesture.]
You're damn right you belong to me. I don't even want her looking at you. [The kiss doesn't console him completely but it does help ease the twisting, uneasy feeling in his gut and parts his lips to deepen it, tongue darting out to taste Max's lips, sighing softly at the fingers tangled in his hair. He can always get lost in Max's kisses. The world could be ending and it wouldn't matter as long as Max is kissing him just like this.]
I'm not ready to see them either but we'll have to eventually. Liz always comes back for you. [It's not something he likes or wants to think about. Another wave a possessiveness washes over him and his hands slide to Max's ass, gripping and dragging him closer still.]
I can't wait to make you my husband. None of that other shit matters. Whenever I'm with you it's like no one else even exists.
[Anything that happens will always be a past memory because Max knows he's got his future right here. This is his white picket fence, the happy endings to all his stories. The boy in the story doesn't have to live with half a heart, because he found the person that completes him and fills in the other half. Max's novel is finally complete and something that can be published and dedicated to this man right here. After all those years of distraction he has what he's wanted and needed all along.
Nothing will make it better. Even if Max finds Alex upsetting at times, it's merely because he knows what's his, and he doesn't want another human even thinking about trying to steal it away, or daring to try and take his eyes for a moment. They never looked away for too long, and now it's time for Max to hold Michael's looks for all eternity. ]
Even if she does look, my eyes will stay on you. You are the one that I will forever have and hold. I can feel her stare and ignore it Michael. I don't care about puppy dog eyes, or tails or anything else. Your eyes are the only ones that matter. You are the only one who will carry my mark and both of my handprints.
[Sliding up against Michael, Max slides his hands over his beloved's chest and then up and over strong shoulders into the carved muscles of Michael's back. He slowly works his hands into the tight knots found there, easing his fingers against them to work out the strain and pressure brought on by jealousy. It's not that Max doesn't feel it. He does. He feels it all too much at times, but he figures they only have time for one of them to fall apart at a time, and if michael needs this-- then max will be strong for him.]
[A white picket fence, getting married, a happy ending, that all used to be a pipe dream to Michael. It was everything he secretly wanted his entire life but it was something that other people got and deserved but it wasn't meant for him. Max changed all that. Now he was going to get it all.
He understands Max's jealousy when it comes to Alex. There was over a decade of history between them, a constant back and forth, a push and pull that often left Michael feeling used, hopeless, and heartbroken. That was all in the past. Even if Alex did show up, it didn't matter. Michael did look away and knew he would never look back. Max was all Michael could see, the only person he wants for the rest of his life and after.]
I can't wait for you to give me your mark and for you to carry mine. I belong to you. Liz, Alex I don't care. How can I see anyone else when you're in the room? It's you. It's only you forever, Max.
[The tension and uneasiness seems to melt away under his lover's, his fiance's hands and he groans softly at the firm press of fingers into tight muscles. He knows Max feels it too, that jealousy just under the surface, he can feel it radiating from the handprint and humming under his skin. His hands travel across bare skin, fingers ghosting along his lower back and up, mapping every dip and curve, the smooth planes of muscle that he's come to know so well but never enough.]
Max...I love you so much. Like an embarrassing amount. I didn't even know it was possible to love someone this much. You make me feel crazy and at the same time the most at peace I've ever felt. You are my soulmate. I don't know another word to explain it yet it's somehow not enough.
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[They can joke about it now, but the memory still twists Michael's insides even with Max pressed close, warm, and very much alive. The nightmares still haunt him some nights, but Max doesn't need to know that. Instead, he turns into the kiss, fighting back the tears that sting behind his eyes.
When Max pulls away to set up for dinner he takes a moment to clear his throat before heading to the kitchen to serve the food. With more time he probably could have made something a little more impressive but Max was a steak and potatoes kind of guy, most of the time anyway.
Once dinner is served, he pours them each a small glass of bourbon and settles next to Max on the couch, close enough for their legs to touch, and he can feel the heat of Max's body through the fabric of his t-shirt. His body just gravitated towards his lover's naturally, always wanting to be close, to be touching. They didn't often get nights like this; Michael hadn't realized how much he wanted one until now.] I'm not sure this is quite up to candlelit dinner caliber but I don't hate it.
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[It's hard to think about what almost happened for Max as well. He could have died and lost out on this. He had done things to save people at the risk of himself, because he was sure that was his course. He'd done things without embracing who he was because he didn't want to let go of the idea that he was a normal person.
He didn't want to be different, but fuck he was different. He was so different and now that he finally knew that and actually loved that about himself, he couldn't look back and think about all he might have lost by his death. He could have lost what he had in his arms. He could have lost this chance to have his soulmate. He can feel the burn of Michael's pain through the link they always share now, and he kisses Michael harder, his grip tightens a little more, knowing that the other alien needs it.
Hey, there is nothing wrong with steak and potatoes, and it is 100% a candlelight dinner thing. Max grins at what's served and moves in closer to Michael, needing the touch every bit as much as the other.]
What are you talking about. Fancy restaurants serve this all the time by candlelight. You made me my favorite meal, and did it without being asked. How could this get any better. I love you.
[before he even thinks about taking a bite, he leans over and kisses Michael simply on the lips. It's better than an evening prayer for him, and makes far more sense.] I think we should keep that as a ritual before any meal.
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A ritual? I like that. A lot. It’ll be our first one. [The thought of a ritual between them, even just a simple act like a kiss before a meal was something for just the two of them, something sacred. At least it was as close to something sacred as Michael would ever get.
Looking into Max’s eyes there was that magnetic pull again, it thrummed through his veins, made his pulse jump and his heartbeat quicken in his chest.]
Ugh. You are like stupidly attractive in candlelight. [Laughing softly, he manages to tear his eyes away from Max to take a bite of food.
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There were a lot of differences on the outside, and on the sides that they showed to the world, but the sides they kept hidden and the things they felt on the inside, there were so many similarities. There was the pain, the anger, the insecurities, the deep passion, the love, the intensity and need to take care of someone and be taken care of, and the wild, wild electric, desperate need for one another.
It was wonderful, and there was no way that Max would run from a second of it. He was here for every single minute of it. It radiated from him, and laid bare in his eyes as they sat there studying Michael. He too could feel that beat that connected them, the low voltage tie that wove them together like nothing else. ]
Yes, a small ritual. We can set up time for our larger one if you want. We can talk about what we want to do too... [It took max a while to turn back to his dinner as well. Michael was utterly stunning by candlelight, the way the light would flicker and wave against his skin, offering highlights and lowlights. It made Max unable to speak, even after he was complimented. He only smiled and bit at his lip.]
... Mn. Michael... You... fuck. You take my words and my breath away. I don't know if I can even eat watching you like this.
[He leaned over and ran a hand down the other's face, and then with a shuttered breath turned and tried to take a few bites of the food that was so excellently prepared for him. What were they talking about again? Oh, right, their ritual.]
So, we need candles, knives, I want something nice for it, something we can save, and then, I need to practice healing myself. I want to try the piercings then too. If We will need something for stitching, because we don't want me to heal our marks. We could brand them, that would use fire, but... no, that wouldn't work cause you're immune, and I might be too. Hmmm...
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If you want to do the piercings then too we can do those first maybe? That way you can hopefully heal those before we take the knives to each other. We need to test if you can heal yourself first. When you're ready to try I can give you some marks and see what you can do. We might as well have fun with it. [He laughs softly and leans into Max a little bit more, arm pressed into his side and legs touching. The more they talked about this ritual and planned, the more excited he got. He might have been engaged before but this was a commitment on another level entirely. It was not only a promise and reminder to each other of their love and devotion, it was a sign to the world of who they belonged to.]
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It was like he'd betrayed who he was, and the feelings he had for Liz. Everything at that place was so different and new. Now he was about to embark on the real thing with the love of his life and he was so excited that he hadn't done it back then, and that his skin was free of marks and that this would be a new type of tattoo on his skin. He wanted to cut through Michael's skin, to mark it over and over if he could. To lick through his blood. It was a strange desire, a need to take and taste all of him. A dark desire that he didn't know the origin of, but he knew that Michael would accept it of him.
He smiled at his partner, chills running down his skin as he thought about what they were going to embark on. Running his hand down Michael's arm, he took his hand and brought it to his lips.
Then he grinned and laughed a little. Without warning, he grabbed a candle and ran his hand through the fire, at first it was quick, but then after he realized it wasn't burning him, he did it a few more times. ]
I guess that theory proves out true. You know, I wonder if you might end up developing some more of my powers, since you are his son. We will have to practice more. I think our link through my bond might help us both grow, feeling what the other does when we use our powers.
[It was a thought he had the other night before going to sleep. It was true that Michael had a set of genes from both his parents and who knew what was recessive or not, but still, they each used different parts of themselves to activate their powers. It would help to feel what the other felt while using. ]
I was already planning on giving you some extra marks that I was going to heal. I swear you were reading my mind... [Max licked his lips and smiled, then leaned across and kissed Michael fully. This was pretty exciting and it took away from the dinner that was sitting there. Okay, so he sat up and took another few bites. he didn't want to seem ungrateful. He was hungry enough, but this talk and finding out things together was bigger than food. Love filled his heart and his stomach.]
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Sitting here talking about it with Max, the man he loves above all else, his soulmate, makes him think that this part of himself isn't something wrong because Max feels it too and nothing about Max was wrong or should be hidden away.
It was thrilling to watch Max take his hand away from the candle flame completely unscathed. Another thing they shared just between the two of them. They may not be part of a triad together but they were linked in ways that went way deeper than his triad.]
You know, I was thinking about that too--how your link might help us with figuring out what else we can do. As you know I've inherited some abilities I would rather not have so I wasn't really ready to do more poking around to find out what other terrifying powers I got from a genocidal maniac...but with you I feel ready to start figuring this out.
[He smiles at Max, watching him when he pulls away from the kiss.] Let's just say I like the way you think. You can mark me and heal me as many times as you want...
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Already, Max was ready to make life so permanent with Michael. He could think of nothing more than this ceremony as the first step in making that dedication to one another. It was an even greater symbol than any ring that they might wear. He wondered what his emotions felt like right now to michael, as he dreamed of their future.
Max and Michael didn't truly need their own triad, they had something far greater between them, a bond of blood that was different. It didn't make them brothers, and yet in a twisted way it might have-- both born of the same distant man, one a clone and one birthed from a mother. They shared genetic makeup, but it didn't matter. It's a bond that made them soulmates, because only they could understand the coding of disaster and life that made them both up. ]
You are never terrifying Michael, only beautiful and wonderful. I think that what you find, might be powerful and amazing.
[Max runs his hand over Michael's thigh with one hand and takes the last bite of his potato with another.] You can do the same, even if I can't heal myself. I want you to feel free to cut me however you want. We can do our marks last, after we are done playing. I don't mind bleeding for you. It will only be pleasure, when you touch me as well.
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It's no secret that Michael self-sabotages at the first sign of commitment and anything resembling stability but feeling what Max is feeling now as they sit here in the dim flickering light of the candles as they talk about the future...all of those familiar doubts and fears seem to crumble under the weight of Max's certainty. Max is certain and unwavering in his love for Michael. If he has any concerns or fears about this relationship or taking such a permanent step, they're not coming through now.
This ceremony they are planning isn't just a way to explore their darker desires, it is marking a dedication to one another, a sacred oath spelled out in blood and pleasure and pain. It meant giving each other absolute trust.]
Nothing can be as powerful and amazing as what I've already found. [The hand on his thigh is warm and grounding and he shifts closer, pressing into the touch.] I promise I'll make you feel so good. I'll bring you right to the edge; that sharp feeling right on the edge of pain where it bleeds into pleasure.
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There's no way in hell he's gonna let Michael slip out of this one. They have their place here in this world, and they've fought their own wars to get here. Everything about them fits and max knows that even space and time itself has fucking blessed this union. So, he's going to keep his hand on Michael's thigh, and pull it in closer to his own as they talk.
Leaning back against the couch, he gives up on the rest of dinner and winds his arms around Michael as they talk, wanting to hold the man of his life up against his body. It was always so hard to go too long without this feeling. ]
I know that you will always make me feel good. I'm looking forward to a good edge. No one has done that for me before. It will be infuriating pleasure I'm sure. The pain will be nice. I'm looking forward to that a lot. I want to spell out our marks. What do you think we should use. There's a lot of different iconology out there. I mean we could use something alien, or something related to love, or personal marks. Did you have thoughts?
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Mm...no one has done that for me before either. Unless you count all the times I sought out pain by picking fights just so I could get my ass kicked. [He laughs softly, fingers dragging lightly along Max's lower back just above the waistband of his jeans. It felt good to be sitting here like this, not rushed and making plans for the future, their future. Max has already given Michael so many firsts and there were still so many to go.]
I think I want us to do something alien or personal. It makes it more us, you know? I mean we don't really have an idea what most of the symbols from Oasis mean and I got that tattoo for you already so something more personal probably. You and I have never really had anything just between us until recently...
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Running his hands down and over Michael's shirt, he pushes it up and over his lover's head, because there's no real reason for him to be so formally dressed when they're together. Not when Max needs his skin so close. After the shirt/s is/are gone, he leans over and kisses one of the marks he's left behind, sucking at it a little to brighten the bruise. ]
I know exactly what I want to put on you. I want my handprint on you permanently, and my name along with the date. I'm gonna make this completely official. This... Michael...
[Max takes Michael's hand, and it's not at all what he had planned for this, but it feels so real, and right and there's nothing standing beyond this and he knows it. Sliding to the ground, Max goes to both his knees and kisses Michael's knuckles one by one.]
I already know that you're mine, but I want this ritual, this ceremony to be complete. I want nothing to part us after, Michael. I want you to be my partner for real, for life after this, my husband, my life-partner, my everything. So, marry me. I don't care if there's no one there to see or know it, just be my forever. I'll put this mark on you as our symbol of love. It'll be our date. Please say yes.
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Max...[He doesn't know what to say. There are a million things running through his head but gods, he doesn't want to fuck this up. Was this too fast? Yes, they have known each other all their lives but not like this. It was still so new and fragile. The last time he was engaged everything went to shit and Max was certainly healing those wounds but wounds they still were. I mean hell, he hasn't even moved all his shit in yet. Liz did a number on Max, did he really want to risk it all again on a mess like him? That panic, that itch to run before he destroys Max the same way Liz did was there just under the surface he tries to block the connection and save Max from his spiral of emotions but it's a moot point when the plates rattle on the table in front of them.
He grips Max's hands in his own like they're lifelines and tries to take a steadying breath. They're not the same people they were a year, even six months ago. Hell, he's not the same person he was two months ago Max came crashing into his orbit and changing everything. Looking into those warm brown eyes, everything is right there clear as day. This, Max, is his future. He knew that the moment Max's lips found his that night. If he's being honest with himself, he knew it the moment they climbed out of those pods and saw each other. It's why since the day he was placed with a family back in Roswell, he never left again. He would and endure all kinds of abuse just to stay close.
Now everything he feels is reflected in those brown eyes. He can see Max's hope for the future, how even if this wasn't planned, he means it with every fiber of his being. His heart, the same heart Michael helped put back together and kept it beating, it beats for him.
He lets go of one of Max's hands and reaches out, pressing his palm against Max's chest, over his heart, fingers spread wide to feel his heartbeat over the thin fabric of his t-shirt. Suddenly, it's as clear as day. This is it. There is nothing he wants more than to spend the rest of his life with this man right here no matter where it takes them. This is his purpose . It was Max. Everything always came back to Max.]
Yes. [He smiles breathlessly but his voice is steady, there is no doubt or hesitation.] Yes, I'll marry you, Max. You're my forever. You always were. I love you. I'm so fucking in love with you. There's nothing I want more than to call you my husband. You make me the happiest man in the world.
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They were doing this early, but yes, it had been something they'd been preparing for their entire lives. Ever since the day they came out of those pods, and Michael began protecting max, to the day Max worked to protect Michael. They fought endlessly trying to take care of one another, and because they knew that they were bound already in some inexplicable way. It was far more than the DNA in their system. There was a love there that was even picked up on by other people.
Max and Michael had both been asked if they were dating, and while denying their souls had felt wrong for Max, he knew secretly that he'd wanted to be that person for Michael. They'd both already spent years dreaming of this day, and now that they were together, there was nothing that could pull them apart. Max knew that Michael was making himself a home. It didn't matter if the tiny place he was at still existed, Michael had been sleeping at Max's since that day they'd agreed never to part, and their souls had been stuck together since then.
The handprint was never allowed to fade, and they were always bound by so much more. It was getting to the point that even when the hand print was beginning to fade, Max could still feel Michael as loudly as the day he placed it. Even their telepathy was increasing. He knew that his mind was closer now to Michael than it was to Isobel. It was merely practice and the need to be closer.
They are the past, present and future for one another, and Max knows it as he sits there on the ground holding Michael's hand, and his breath until Michael gives his answer.
Tears immediately spring to Max's eyes as he climbs back onto the couch and wraps himself around his love, his future husband, his fiancee. ]
Thank god. I thought for a second I misguessed, but this was already all those things, and I thought why the hell can't it make us husbands, I love you and need you forever. I want to call you mine, and my husband. You've made me the happiest man as well, and I promise to love you and cherish you for all my days. I do.
[Max leaned in and kissed Michael with a passion like he'd never had before. It said all the unspoken poetry he'd left out of his proposal, the things that would come in his vows that he'd been working on for weeks now. He knew that he'd love Michael and be with him, and as his tongue scored across and dipped along his fiancee's he pushed the knowledge of that into their kiss, aching to show him every mountaintop life had to show.]
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You didn't misguess. Not at all. You just took me by surprise. After everything you went through and the other day you said this ritual would be like our own kind of vows better than a marriage so I didn't think you were interested or ready for that...
[He trails his lips across Max's jaw, down his neck, over his pulse point as he slips a hand under the hem of his t-shirt, fingertips marking a path over the smooth planes of his abdomen, reverently tracing the scar that runs the length of his chest, a reminder of what it took to get to this moment. His lips part on a soft sigh and he lifts his head to look into those warm brown eyes that show such sincerity, his future reflected back to him.
With Max, there was never any doubt. This man knew him so completely, mind, body, and soul and still wanted every part of him.]
This ritual can be the date. We can go to City Hall, do the paperwork and this can make us husbands but... if we're getting married, like the real deal, if you're going to be my husband I want to celebrate that with the people in our lives. It doesn't have to be a wedding, it could just be a small thing. I know it's stupid. You can laugh. It's just I want people to know, I want to shout it to the world. I know before you were looking forward to a wedding and you deserve at least a part of that.
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Max lifts his chin, giving Michael his neck and even reaches down to shed his shirt as well so that they have the warm touch of skin to skin while they speak so intimately of the lives their going to build together.
It takes max a little bit by surprise that michael really wants to do all things completely legal and spread out into telling the world, but then it makes complete sense. He had to stand in alex's closet for so long. Why should he have to hide anything, this is all that he's ever wanted and Max would love for their family and friends to see them both happy and in love, and to know that they've both taken the final step in loving one another.
He thinks about it for a second and then with a short kiss to Michael's lips nods.]
We can do city hall the morning before the ritual, so that the day is legal. I really would like that to work out. Then we can throw a reception when we've got the time and have things settled so we can send out formal invites to a few people that we want, and find a good place to have it and all that. So, we'll have this for you and me, and then a reception for everyone else to see and know. How's that?
[Max slings his arms around Michael's neck and leans back to stare into his fiancee's eyes biting at his lips in a hopeful manner, wanting this so badly to work. He doesn't want to wait to get married, and getting all the things ready for everyone else would take time. he's got most the things set for the ritual already, and city hall is easy to set up with him being former sheriff and all.]
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I'm so madly in love with you, Max Evans. [He sighs against his lips. They are so in tune with one another after being connected for so long, keeping the bond from fading between them has allowed it to become stronger. They were more connected than ever before and he knows his request took Max by surprise.] We don't need to do a reception if you want to keep it just between us. What matters is our ritual, you hearing my vows. You're all I need. I didn't mean to make it complicated.
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Every single day that they are together is always like a dream. Sitting here in michael's lap with his full weight supported, is so powerful. No one else has ever held him like this. He can feel the strength course through the other's arms as they stretch around him, and Max doesn't have to be the one who always makes the other person feel safe, because right now, he's the one that feels safe and secure in his lover's arms. Michael does that for him, and he hopes that he will always be able to do that for Michael as well, because it's such an important feeling. Being embraced, held. loved and cherished above all else is the most complete feeling ever.
The only thing that makes it any better is the way their mouths meet in the middle and slide against one another, opening and sharing all the thoughts and feelings that will forever flow in circles as their hearts and minds pour from hand print to kiss and back through their emotional cycle. It's the perfect balance. It's the homeostasis of their lives together. ]
I love you too, baby and I will do a reception because people do need to know, and because you want it too. We need to share it with Isobel and Maria, and a few others who are close to us. We can even invite Liz and Alex so they can see exactly what they missed, but if I give you a hand job under the table, you can only assumed it's because alex stared at you too long.
[Max laughs, because he may always be a little jealous, but he knows who belongs to him wholly and completely now.]
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Max's words startle a laugh out of him. He can imagine inviting Alex and Liz would be a shitshow but hey, he'll never pass up an opportunity to get Max's hands on him.] Oh please, the second I see Liz giving you one of those sad longing looks you two used to always give each other. I'm going to have to do a lot more than give you a hand job under the table.
[In all honesty, Michael isn't sure he's ready to see Max and Liz together and it has nothing to do with not trusting Max. He trusts Max completely. He knows Max's feelings, his heart and soul intimately. A part of him will probably always be a little jealous and possessive and maybe even a little afraid of abandonment. He knows it's something he needs to work on.]
You know it's only a matter of time before they both come back, right?
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Thinking about it twists up his gut more often than he'd ever like to admit. It seems both of them have jealousy and insecurity issues to deal with. He knows that Michael loves him, and that his heart and soul belongs to Max. It's just something bred of time, and seeing how they went back and forth always pining for one another as well.
It's the same with Max and Liz. They didn't work together. There wasn't passion or fire the way there is with Michael, because it was always supposed to be this. He laughs a little nervously and grips Michael a little more tightly, knowing that they both feel the same. ]
You know that she can look all she wants, but you belong to me, and I belong to you. Maybe we won't invite them.
[Max finds michael's lips and consoles him with a kiss, stroking his lover's cheek and brushing up into the curls that drive him absolutely nuts every time he looks at the other. ]
Yeah, I know. I don't want them to. I don't want to see either of them again. Ever. Maybe we'll go to Oasis then...
[He says, only half joking. ]
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Max's grip tightens and Michael can feel the nervous energy between them. As much as he loves the possessiveness, and has tested those waters a little bit, he doesn't want Max to be nervous. He strokes the thighs under his hands with his thumbs, massaging the firm muscles in what he hopes is a soothing gesture.]
You're damn right you belong to me. I don't even want her looking at you. [The kiss doesn't console him completely but it does help ease the twisting, uneasy feeling in his gut and parts his lips to deepen it, tongue darting out to taste Max's lips, sighing softly at the fingers tangled in his hair. He can always get lost in Max's kisses. The world could be ending and it wouldn't matter as long as Max is kissing him just like this.]
I'm not ready to see them either but we'll have to eventually. Liz always comes back for you. [It's not something he likes or wants to think about. Another wave a possessiveness washes over him and his hands slide to Max's ass, gripping and dragging him closer still.]
I can't wait to make you my husband. None of that other shit matters. Whenever I'm with you it's like no one else even exists.
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Nothing will make it better. Even if Max finds Alex upsetting at times, it's merely because he knows what's his, and he doesn't want another human even thinking about trying to steal it away, or daring to try and take his eyes for a moment. They never looked away for too long, and now it's time for Max to hold Michael's looks for all eternity. ]
Even if she does look, my eyes will stay on you. You are the one that I will forever have and hold. I can feel her stare and ignore it Michael. I don't care about puppy dog eyes, or tails or anything else. Your eyes are the only ones that matter. You are the only one who will carry my mark and both of my handprints.
[Sliding up against Michael, Max slides his hands over his beloved's chest and then up and over strong shoulders into the carved muscles of Michael's back. He slowly works his hands into the tight knots found there, easing his fingers against them to work out the strain and pressure brought on by jealousy. It's not that Max doesn't feel it. He does. He feels it all too much at times, but he figures they only have time for one of them to fall apart at a time, and if michael needs this-- then max will be strong for him.]
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He understands Max's jealousy when it comes to Alex. There was over a decade of history between them, a constant back and forth, a push and pull that often left Michael feeling used, hopeless, and heartbroken. That was all in the past. Even if Alex did show up, it didn't matter. Michael did look away and knew he would never look back. Max was all Michael could see, the only person he wants for the rest of his life and after.]
I can't wait for you to give me your mark and for you to carry mine. I belong to you. Liz, Alex I don't care. How can I see anyone else when you're in the room? It's you. It's only you forever, Max.
[The tension and uneasiness seems to melt away under his lover's, his fiance's hands and he groans softly at the firm press of fingers into tight muscles. He knows Max feels it too, that jealousy just under the surface, he can feel it radiating from the handprint and humming under his skin. His hands travel across bare skin, fingers ghosting along his lower back and up, mapping every dip and curve, the smooth planes of muscle that he's come to know so well but never enough.]
Max...I love you so much. Like an embarrassing amount. I didn't even know it was possible to love someone this much. You make me feel crazy and at the same time the most at peace I've ever felt. You are my soulmate. I don't know another word to explain it yet it's somehow not enough.