Work Text:
Michael clenched his fists as he watched Isabel's car tear away in a cloud of dust. He thumped the rough wood of the workbench in front of him, his telekinesis rattling the junk yard trash surrounding him. He would've really liked to let it fly, get all the frustration out, but he reeled himself in.
Alex was still in the trailer. Hiding from Isobel. Too afraid to be seen with the town delinquent and local disaster, Michael Guerin. He couldn't let loose with a human around, even if it was someone who he would desperately love to share every aspect of himself with. Having Alex know him like Liz now knew about Max, that would be amazing. But Alex didn't even want to be seen with him under normal circumstances. Michael could only imagine how badly revealing that he was an alien would go.
The tools rattled on the walls and Michael took a deep breath, skulling the last of his warm beer before tossing the bottle into the trash can with the other empties. The crash of breaking glass was gratifying, the sound of Alex exiting the trailer was not.
Walking into Michael's life and then walking right back out again. As always. Michael was not ready to deal with him yet. He needed a minute. He needed to calm down. The last thing he wanted was redirect all of his anger on to Alex. If he was going to convince Alex that he was worth more than a convenient fuck he needed to calm down and not scare him off by having an angry alien tantrum.
He picked up the bagel Isobel had left, ripped it in half, and shoved it in his mouth. He forced himself to chew it properly, taking the time to gather his composure before turning to face Alex.
Alex approached him with caution, leaning heavily on his crutch and glancing at Michael briefly before choosing to focus on the ground instead.
Michael hated it when he looked like that. Like he was afraid of Michael. Like Michael was going to go off on him like his father did. Michael shoved another chunk of bagel in his mouth, directing all his anger into chewing. At least if his mouth was occupied he couldn't immediately say anything.
"Guerin..."
Michael waved him off. He wanted Alex's apology, but they'd rehashed this so many times that it just felt like an excuse, not an explanation. Michael knew he was a loser. He didn't feel like he was wasting his life, but Alex had told him multiple times that he viewed him that way. Hearing it again now was just going to rile Michael up.
He offered the other half of the bagel to Alex. "You want some?"
Alex shook his head.
"It's an Isobel special, it's pretty good." He stepped closer to Alex waving it under his nose. He could see the twitch in Alex's brow, the one that indicated he was annoyed with Michael's behaviour. Maybe if Alex yelled at him Michael could yell right back and they could implode and have make up sex later. That would be the quickest way out of this.
There was always the fear though, the fear that this time Alex would never come back, that this was the last time. That Alex would finally get jacked of this horrible, tense, and over emotional experience and leave Michael behind for good.
He just wanted Alex to stay.
Reigning himself in again Michael shrugged off the thought of rejection, he tore off another bite of the bagel and manoeuvred himself into Alex's space. He wanted to comfort him, but Alex was far too tense for that and just the smell of him was enough to send Michael wild. He immediately regretted getting in close, but he couldn't step away again without Alex interpreting it badly.
"It's ok, you know." Michael was unable to make it sound like anything but a lie. His heart jolted when he saw Alex flinch. They were poking at sensitive wounds, ones that had been opened and reopened and were never fully closed. "I get it, Alex. It's ok."
But it wasn't, and Alex was trapped too deep in himself to have this conversation.
"I have to go and-" He gestured vaguely in the direction of town. "I have to go." He made a weird aborted move towards Michael before turning abruptly and walking back to his car.
Michael watched Alex tear out of his life in a cloud of dust as well.
When he slammed the work bench this time the walls shook and his tools clattered to the floor.