#donaheck

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: The Middle Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sean Donahue/Axl Heck, donaheck - Relationship Additional Tags: Valentine's Day Fluff, Asexual Character, Ace Sean, Ace Lives, Fluffy fluff with fluff, Coming Out, Bisexual, Asexual Summary:

Self prompt:

A Heck of a Speech

Christmas 2020. Hecks and Donahues and two new guys here as dates for Sue and Shelly. Sean helped Nancy set the table. Axl watched from the kitchen where he nibbled from the edges of platters and bothered Sue about The Boyfriend, while his very own arranged a candlestick, stepped back and squared his hands like a movie director.

Axl's heart did the thing.

It was time.

"Listen up everyone."

Axl moved to the front of the Donahue's large livingroom, pinging his glass to get everyone's attention. Drifitng in from the dining room, Sean had the same curious expression as the rest of them.

Nerves suddenly overtook Axl. His belly fluttered and his throat tightened. He cleared it and stopped looking straight into faces. "This is public love speech number 1.... I'm not too comfortable showing this kind of emotion so don't expect any more than, like, 3 of these for as long as I live. But, uh. I have a question to ask Sean and I'm doing it now in front of you all because I want to make a point."

Light gasps from Hecks. Donahue's were politely intrigued. Sean sank slowly into a chair. Axl focused on him to better hold the nerves at bay.

"The last time I asked someone this, I was bored with my life and I was mad at my folks and none of it was for the right reasons. Not this time."

What was he doing? Something thick and hot pushed up between his lungs, and behind his face, blurring his vision.

For Sean.

He paused to collect himself. Nancy and a few others tittered with encouragment. It was so obvious what he was doing. He had to nail it. Sean's eyes were wet.

Speak from the heart.

"Sean. I'm so. In love with you. It's been a year and I'm still falling." Axl's voice strained and went breathy. He sighed and regained control a second time. "Nights like this, it's pretty clear to me that there is no bottom to it."

Actual awes from the crowd made Axl push his hair back. Sean rubbed his smiling cheeks and clasped his hands before his lips like prayer. The happy twinkle in his eye made Axl feel less stupid.

He laughed. "So I'm up here embarrassing myself in front of my whole family because I want to do it right this time. And I want them to share in this because THEY are the ones who taught me. Love. Like this. How it goes on forever--through thick and thin."

Frankie buried her face in Mike's chest.

Axl had to gulp some air.

This was so fucking huge.

Everyone held their breath and looked at Sean. He visibly shook as he rubbed his face again. Axl had to rush to get the rest of it out before emotions breeched his cool exterior. His lips wobbled.

"So what'd'ya say, Sean, wanna get married?"

Sean vaulted from the chair so fast it skidded back. "You know I do! YES!"

Applause and cordial congratulations rained upon them. They held onto each other tightly. Axl could feel Sean's plush, soft lips on the hot skin of his neck as he repeated yes a few more times before adding,

"That was so romantic. This is the most romantic thing ever. I love you so much."

Choked by the swell of love for Sean, Axl rested their foreheads together. He managed a grunt. Sean rubbed their noses, then sang "and I get two more! How lucky am I?"

"Nooooo," Axl bemoaned. Sean stuck a lip out, his cool hands rested on Axl's burning cheeks.

"You're so red."

"Everyone is looking."

Since I am such a die hard Sean/Axl shipper, I've been kind of worried about the Sean/Sue scenes "ruining" my love for the show. Afraid the relationship will be done too predictably, too corny, etc and I will be left rolling my eyes and wishing it was Axl instead.

But so far? I LOVE WHAT THE WRITERS ARE DOING

Very few shows these days leave me with Multi Shipping feels like The Middle.

• I continue to ship Sean and Axl because they have yet to give any hardcore proof that some sort of subtle romance DIDNT happen between them over the ages. Add in that Sean is now falling for Axl's sister and it is just a glorious nest for angst fics to grow. A handsome, sweet man like Sean torn between brother and sister? Bickering brother and sister fighting over the same stud? This is heroin to me.

• Sean and Sue are quickly gaining ground with me. I want to explore their dynamic, which is very rare for hetero pairs. (usually canon het couples are bland to me because they've been written together in an very obvious way or something. Like, being in the couple is the most interesting thing about each half? Hard to explain...) But for Sue and Sean, they are both interesting individually and then together they make an even more head-tilt-frown-nod-Interesting couple that make me giggle and sigh so I DONT KNOW WHAT THE WRITERS ARE DOING BUT KEEP DOING IT THANKS

• I now ship Axl and Brad Okay, I've resisted this in the past and I don't know why... I guess because a younger Axl would have never give someone like Brad the time of day? And younger Brad would certainly steer clear of boys like Axl.

But older Axl, who has had his heart broken and traveled the world and questioned God's existence, obviously sees things more clearly. He is no longer afraid to explore interests he was born with, even if such interests don't fit neatly into any one box.

Older Brad, who lived in New York for a spell (and let's face it, probably learned a few lessons the hard fast way) has a better handle on how to deal with "straight" guys, how to recognize when someone needs a little nudge in the right direction and when to leave that someone alone.

They see each other now for who they truly are. That being said, Axl would, of course, still resist the attraction because of his rule about dating a siblings' best friend. And Brad would be worried about dating a best friend's sibling. These fics are rich in the Forbidden trope, because once Axl breaks through the wall of simply dating a boy in Orson, he has to break through his personal wall of dating Sue's bff after making such a huge deal over sue/darrin.

• Axl and Lexie I rooted for them back in the day. There isn't anything I hate about them as a legit couple. On paper it is cute as hell. Very hot when he showed up and kissed her. Cool that her family is rich and thus Axl will "marry up" so to speak. But in all honesty, I expect it to fizzle out? Why isn't she in more episodes? Are they even still together? Here is a bit of that canon het couple trouble I mentioned earlier. They were cute getting together but they've become bland. Perhaps it is because the show isn't about their relationship specifically and so we only get the surface? Perhaps there is depth we don't see, a casual comfort with each other that makes it true love. Idk. I would like more screen time for this just so I know my bb boi Axl is truly happy.

• Brick and Cindy are cute, as is Brick and (I Can't Remember Her Name But the One Cindy Threatened) lol Brick is the main reason I wouldn't mind if the show had a few more seasons. I want to see a grown up Brick.

• Frankie and Mike remain the best example of true love and strong marriage and it is my favorite thing about the whole show. Sue had no idea you SHOULDNT discuss black toenails with a boy because her whole life she has seen Frankie showing things like that to Mike.

The Heck kids understand what true love is because of their parents.

I am willing to bet %100 one of the main reasons Sean has taken so long to come clean about his feelings is because Sue has confused him by not behaving like a flirty girl. Just like he confuses her by being So Nice He Would Kiss Her Back Just to Be Nice.

- ten years later and Axl is the best agent in town. Sean Donahue returns to Orson to open a private practice and needs a house. Sean pretends to be indecisive in order to get more "house dates" together

- busy med student Sean looks up from a text book just long enough to finally notice whose face he has been sitting on at the bus stop. He is instantly so proud he calls the number just to congratulate him and they start catching up and whoops it's sunrise did we talk all night? Next time let's have dinner

• We didn't see Sean's reaction to the new Axl in this episode. What does he think about that hair? Those clothes? Speaking Italian? The stories about nude beaches? Etc.

• Axl brought a gift home for Sean, too. What is it?

• That kissing both cheeks thing; when Axl tries to kiss Sean in happy greeting, Sean misreads the movement and WHOOPS THEY KISS AGAIN

• there is more to the story about the train station manager with a Yankee's cap. Fanfic gap between Axl arriving in the village and returning to Kenny. Maybe days passed in that quaint countryside. Maybe Yankee's cap guy was handsome and charming ¯\_(ツ)_/¯