#moving together

Alex looked at the box in his hand. It took up half of his palm, little more and didn't seem important, but it made him smile and at the same time made him nervous.

It was clear to him, it was the day, he was going to do it, he was going to take the plunge with Michael and he was sure it would go well. It had to turn out well because they had already been through too many horrible things in too short a time. It was their time to be happy.

"I'm coming." Michael told her in a text and a second later, Alex heard the engine of her boyfriend's truck.

That was about to end, no texting to let him know, no opening the door.

As usual, Michael arrived with a backpack and some clothes to change into. Alex still hadn't been able to get Michael to leave things at his place, even though he had emptied half the drawers and half the closets, but there was no way he could get Michael to start seeing his place as his own.

Alex opened the door, Michael came in, gave him a kiss and started telling him about the project he was working on in his workshop. He looked happy, but Alex knew him well, too well, there was no way Michael could hide from him how he really felt.

"And I think if I make a couple more alloys, we could use the metal from our planet to..."

Alex grabbed his arm, pulled him in and gave him a long, intense kiss to stop him talking.

"Have you missed me that much in the three hours since we've seen each other?" "Guerin..."

Michael set his bag down and shrugged because he didn't understand what was wrong with his boyfriend.

"What have I done?" "Are you always going to think you've done something wrong?" "It's the story of my life, I guess. Tell me what I've done." "You haven't done anything, Michael. Stop that."

Alex took Michael by the hand, made him leave his bag there by the door and led him over to the couch. She made him sit down and sat next to him. She held his hands and looked into his eyes. Michael was nervous, he hated direct contact, even when it came to Alex.

He was a pro at hiding his feelings and although he succeeded with everyone, Alex could read perfectly in his eyes.

"What exactly are you afraid of, Michael?" "I'm not afraid." Alex raised his eyebrows. "It's not fear, I mean it." "What is it then? You've never been this nervous around me, not even when you thought you were putting my life in danger." "Ouch. I'd almost started to forget the worst days of my life." "Shit, Michael, I'm sorry. I didn't think... I guess I'm nervous too, because you're acting all out of this world strange lately and I'm starting to think you're comfortable here with me."

MIchael knelt down on the couch and kissed Alex several times.

"Baby, Alex, I'm sorry. It has nothing to do with you I promise." He kissed him again and stroked his cheek to kiss him once more. "If I'm being honest with you, what I'm feeling right now just has to do with myself and the idea that suddenly I don't have to think that tomorrow I might be dead. Suddenly..." "Suddenly?"

Alex reached into his jacket pocket where he had kept the little box and touched it with his fingertips. Maybe Michael wasn't ready for such a big step, maybe he should wait.

"Suddenly," Michale let out a bitter, nervous laugh. "suddenly I have the chance to have my own life, to love without fear of someone trying to kill you, I have the right to have a life of my own and..."

Again he was silent, the nerves were getting the better of him and Michael was a real expert at controlling them.

"Michael, baby, what's wrong? You're starting to scare me. If there's something wrong.... "No, just the opposite, everything is perfect, except that I've been trying for days to find a way for you and I to live together, I want to offer you everything and I don't even have a bedroom to share with you."

Then everything seemed easy and simple, it all made sense and taking the box out of his pocket was simply the logical thing to do.

She put it in front of Michael and waited, but her boyfriend simply looked at it and back at him.

"Aren't you going to open it?" "Yes, sorry."

Michael took the little box and when he opened it he found a key.

He didn't need to ask any more questions. He understood without further ado and also, without further ado, felt completely stupid.

"I've been nervously trying for days to find a way to ask you to live with me in a horrible old trailer and you're asking me to move in here with you." "And only because you hadn't asked me directly. I was hoping at some point you'd ask me if you could come live here with me." Alex wrapped both hands around Michael's neck and pulled him close as he leaned back on the couch. "But instead of asking to move in with me you were trying to get us both to live in your trailer." "I'm not the one making the best decisions." "No," ALex kissed him again. "But I hope you'll tell me now what you've decided about living here, with me. If you've already thought about it."

Michael took the key and put it in a pocket. As he did so, he looked at Alex and winked in response.

After kissing him, it was easier than ever and different too, as stupid as it might sound, because suddenly, that wasn't Alex's house, it wasn't just Alex's house, but it was the safe space they shared from now on.