Well Max looks a little calmer, and that's...good. He's not yelling at Michael for lying to him for months, and that is also good.
He nods slowly and watches Max's finger trace the design on his arm. "It's something that connects us. The three of us who survived the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell." Where Michael is from. "Because we were protected by alien pods." He looks up, finally, to look at Max's face. His expression.
Michael shrugs. "I don't remember anything from before coming out of the pod in 1997. I didn't grow up knowing this, the others and I...we just pieced it together. What we could do, where we were found." He looks at Max's face until he's sure he's not mad, and he sighs.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone except Raleigh, I didn't know who was safe." And Raleigh found out pretty similarly to how Max did, whoops. "Daniel's got his thing with his invasion..."
After finding out one of his partners is a werewolf, finding out another one is an alien seems... less difficult to process. Lucky for Michael. And Max has no stones to throw about lying, not when he hasn't told a soul about how Jackie is his Master.
"Only three of you?" Max's expression is sympathetic now. "And you had to find it all out like that? Michael, I'm so sorry."
He stops stroking the tattoo so he can take the man's hand. "I'm not mad. I know how it is to be unsure how people might react. That's why I didn't tell anyone about my situation for a long time too. And, when you hide something for so long it just... seems safer to keep doing it. I get it.
"But I'm glad I know now. And this isn't going to change anything between us. I promise." If Michael will let him, he'll lean in to kiss the man on his forehead.
"Hey, it's kind of cool. I can say I've made out with an alien now. And he's a pretty good kisser." He bumps his shoulder against Michael playfully. "That's a joke. I'm not going to tell anyone. I swear."
Michael does feel pretty lucky. He's thinking about how many people he's made friends with, and how many people at home know, and is it really worth pretending here? The danger (dissection) isn't present.
"We had each other," Michael shrugs it off like it's no big deal. But it was. "..Someone protected us for those fifty years, as long as she could." Until she couldn't anymore. "That's when we came out. We looked after each other. Covered up each other's..." he coughs a little. "Mistakes." And it turned out Isobel hadn't been a murderer after all!
He smiles crookedly at the hand hold, at the kiss on his forehead. He lets it happen--it's kind of nice, and doesn't feel patronizing. "I mean I saw, what's his name--Vax, with wings? But people get weird about space." He didn't want to risk it.
"Y'know..." Michael shakes his head and gently shoulders Max in the chest. "You can say it, just don't let on who it is." he gives max a slightly exhausted, cautious smile. "Thanks. Between you and Raleigh, I'm wondering if I shouldn't just come clean."
"I'm glad you did." Michael can shrug all he likes, Max is starting to get better at reading him. He suspects it's actually a very big deal.
"Okay, now that whole covering it up thing makes a whole lot more sense." They had to hide what they were, right? Makes perfect sense that way.
"Mm-Hm. Vax has wings. He took my flying once. And, you know, tons of other people have wizard powers or other interesting things about them. You'd be among good company."
He laughs softly at the returned shoulder bump and Michael's joking, but under it all there's a soft sympathetic tone to his own smile. He can understand how exhausting it really is to keep back a part of yourself like this.
"Can't say I'm surprised you let Raleigh in first. You two seem like you've been really good for each other. But, you know, the choice is still yours. You could keep going one at a time like this, or you can rip the bandaid off and do it all at once. However you wanna do it, when you're ready, I'll be here to support you.
"You never can tell for sure but... I don't think anyone's going to react badly. Maybe Daniel, yeah, you might need to take it gently. But he knows you. He knows the kind of man you are. Like I do. Like Raleigh does. I think it will be okay."
They had to hide what they were, they had to protect Isobel, and anyway it turned out that she hadn't been guilty anyway. It had been her body doing it though, nevermind it wasn't her in control, and who would have listened to that?
"I know," Michael rubs his hands through his hair. "There's a difference between looking at like, an 'elf'," and if Max listens carefully he can hear the quotation marks, "who came through a portal, and someone who crashed a spaceship onto your planet. I mean, I'm pretty sure we're all basically aliens through different dimensions, but it feels...different. I spent so long hiding it, it's basically habit."
He ducks his head to hide his awkward shy smile at the mention of Raleigh. "It's--new? I don't know if it's going to work out. He found out by accident too." And the same way so maybe Michael should be more careful.
Or just come clean.
He leans into Max. "Has Daniel talked to you about his world?"
"I mean... I guess the fact that you don't look outwardly different is a little bit of a blessing and a curse. But, obviously some things are different if you can survive drinking this stuff," He finally offers the flask back to Michael. Now that he's reasonably sure it's not going to actually kill him.
Oh, but he almost wants to tease Michael for being sweet on Raleigh. He won't, sensing that might still be a fragile new development. "I hope the two of you keep working. And, I mean... you know what his backstory is too, I assume. If he can see you as you, I'm sure a lot of people will." The Kaiju were sort of like big space invaders too, weren't they? as Max understands it.
Max wraps an arm around Michael as he leans in. "Yeah, Daniel has told me a little. He doesn't like talking about it much. Can't say I really blame him. I know why you're nervous, but I think he can see you'd never hurt him. And if you need me to vouch for you, I will. And so will Raleigh, I know."
"It's like..." Michael waves a hand. "Kind of like being bi. I'm passing, which is safer, but sometimes I fucking hate it." Oh hey his flask. He takes a quick swig.
Ughhhhh yeah tease him if you want him to curl up tighter than a porcupine, jerkface. "I mean yeah, but that's...different. That's giant creatures stomping buildings, not a systemic takeover and destruction of your government and freedoms." The Kaiju Raleigh faced were nothing like the Legislators that Daniel described.
He digs the heel of his hand against his eye, letting Max hug him. It's....good to have friends. "Mnngyeah." Maybe.
"You know," Max says of the bi analogy, "that's a pretty decent comparison."
He keeps Michael wrapped up tight in his arms. He wants the man to feel protected and loved. He wants him to know whatever happens, he's not going to be alone in this.
"It's going to be okay. Michael, you are who you are. Nothing about that will change. It's what you've always been. You deserve to be accepted. He'll see that. I know it."
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(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 01:51 am (UTC)He nods slowly and watches Max's finger trace the design on his arm. "It's something that connects us. The three of us who survived the 1947 UFO crash in Roswell." Where Michael is from. "Because we were protected by alien pods." He looks up, finally, to look at Max's face. His expression.
Michael shrugs. "I don't remember anything from before coming out of the pod in 1997. I didn't grow up knowing this, the others and I...we just pieced it together. What we could do, where we were found." He looks at Max's face until he's sure he's not mad, and he sighs.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone except Raleigh, I didn't know who was safe." And Raleigh found out pretty similarly to how Max did, whoops. "Daniel's got his thing with his invasion..."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 10:04 pm (UTC)"Only three of you?" Max's expression is sympathetic now. "And you had to find it all out like that? Michael, I'm so sorry."
He stops stroking the tattoo so he can take the man's hand. "I'm not mad. I know how it is to be unsure how people might react. That's why I didn't tell anyone about my situation for a long time too. And, when you hide something for so long it just... seems safer to keep doing it. I get it.
"But I'm glad I know now. And this isn't going to change anything between us. I promise." If Michael will let him, he'll lean in to kiss the man on his forehead.
"Hey, it's kind of cool. I can say I've made out with an alien now. And he's a pretty good kisser." He bumps his shoulder against Michael playfully. "That's a joke. I'm not going to tell anyone. I swear."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 11:06 pm (UTC)"We had each other," Michael shrugs it off like it's no big deal. But it was. "..Someone protected us for those fifty years, as long as she could." Until she couldn't anymore. "That's when we came out. We looked after each other. Covered up each other's..." he coughs a little. "Mistakes." And it turned out Isobel hadn't been a murderer after all!
He smiles crookedly at the hand hold, at the kiss on his forehead. He lets it happen--it's kind of nice, and doesn't feel patronizing. "I mean I saw, what's his name--Vax, with wings? But people get weird about space." He didn't want to risk it.
"Y'know..." Michael shakes his head and gently shoulders Max in the chest. "You can say it, just don't let on who it is." he gives max a slightly exhausted, cautious smile. "Thanks. Between you and Raleigh, I'm wondering if I shouldn't just come clean."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-11 11:02 pm (UTC)"Okay, now that whole covering it up thing makes a whole lot more sense." They had to hide what they were, right? Makes perfect sense that way.
"Mm-Hm. Vax has wings. He took my flying once. And, you know, tons of other people have wizard powers or other interesting things about them. You'd be among good company."
He laughs softly at the returned shoulder bump and Michael's joking, but under it all there's a soft sympathetic tone to his own smile. He can understand how exhausting it really is to keep back a part of yourself like this.
"Can't say I'm surprised you let Raleigh in first. You two seem like you've been really good for each other. But, you know, the choice is still yours. You could keep going one at a time like this, or you can rip the bandaid off and do it all at once. However you wanna do it, when you're ready, I'll be here to support you.
"You never can tell for sure but... I don't think anyone's going to react badly. Maybe Daniel, yeah, you might need to take it gently. But he knows you. He knows the kind of man you are. Like I do. Like Raleigh does. I think it will be okay."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-11 11:57 pm (UTC)"I know," Michael rubs his hands through his hair. "There's a difference between looking at like, an 'elf'," and if Max listens carefully he can hear the quotation marks, "who came through a portal, and someone who crashed a spaceship onto your planet. I mean, I'm pretty sure we're all basically aliens through different dimensions, but it feels...different. I spent so long hiding it, it's basically habit."
He ducks his head to hide his awkward shy smile at the mention of Raleigh. "It's--new? I don't know if it's going to work out. He found out by accident too." And the same way so maybe Michael should be more careful.
Or just come clean.
He leans into Max. "Has Daniel talked to you about his world?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-15 03:49 pm (UTC)Oh, but he almost wants to tease Michael for being sweet on Raleigh. He won't, sensing that might still be a fragile new development. "I hope the two of you keep working. And, I mean... you know what his backstory is too, I assume. If he can see you as you, I'm sure a lot of people will." The Kaiju were sort of like big space invaders too, weren't they? as Max understands it.
Max wraps an arm around Michael as he leans in. "Yeah, Daniel has told me a little. He doesn't like talking about it much. Can't say I really blame him. I know why you're nervous, but I think he can see you'd never hurt him. And if you need me to vouch for you, I will. And so will Raleigh, I know."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-15 10:28 pm (UTC)Ughhhhh yeah tease him if you want him to curl up tighter than a porcupine, jerkface. "I mean yeah, but that's...different. That's giant creatures stomping buildings, not a systemic takeover and destruction of your government and freedoms." The Kaiju Raleigh faced were nothing like the Legislators that Daniel described.
He digs the heel of his hand against his eye, letting Max hug him. It's....good to have friends. "Mnngyeah." Maybe.
DW never sent me this notif! So rude!
Date: 2021-01-04 08:15 pm (UTC)He keeps Michael wrapped up tight in his arms. He wants the man to feel protected and loved. He wants him to know whatever happens, he's not going to be alone in this.
"It's going to be okay. Michael, you are who you are. Nothing about that will change. It's what you've always been. You deserve to be accepted. He'll see that. I know it."