#mrotherfocus

millie’s long list of malex fics | She's listening through the air shaft, to see how long our swan song can last by soberqueerinthewild / @soberqueerinthewild​

Forrest wasn’t sure what to expect dating Alex Manes.

The 180 degree turnaround on PDA between their first date and open mic night felt too good to be true. He half expected regression on their second date, for Alex to pull his hand away when Forrest reached for him in public, or to scoot his chair farther away when one of his Air Force buddies approached them in the bar, but so far that fear has been unrealized. It’s like a switch flipped, probably due to a combination of his own internal work, the death of his father, and full support of his brother. Alex is lighter and happier than when they first met, and seems at ease being out in public with Forrest no matter where they go. Tonight, they’ve settled on a casual night out at the Pony, with the intention of Forrest getting a chance to know Maria better.

Three Times Forrest Ignores Isobel When She Tries to Meddle, and Two Times He Doesn’t. Forrest knows he and Alex could be so good together, if only Isobel would stop crashing their dates and bringing up Alex's ex.

comment: you know i love the 5+1 format, or any variation (in this case 3+2). this is a delightful, and kind, telling of forrest and alex’s relationship through forrest’s pov. isobel is terribly in character, meddling in the affairs of others and teasing alex about how she wants to see his brother naked (and how he wants to see her brother naked). i really loved forrest in this but it is, at heart, a malex fic. and poor forrest is up against a lot.

millie’s long list of malex fics | The Lost Decade by irolltwenties (Shenanigans) / @irolltwenties​

Late August in New Mexico sat like a wet wool blanket over the mesa, weighted and uncomfortable heat leeching the color from the world. It was narrowing down to the points of contact, the bright notes of near pain where his bare skin touched the metal of the truck bed. The blanket was thick, rumpled, and necessary under them. The sun had set an hour ago, taking the lancing white rage of the desert with it, leaving the heat like an afterthought, like a kiss after a kiss. It lingered and pressed against him where he lay, panting and slick with sweat.

Alex Manes had grown up in Roswell. He knew the heat. He knew the way it would burnish him in the summers, crisping him golden with the paler tan lines around his hips. It was an old friend.

They weren’t going to talk. They weren’t going to talk about this. There wasn’t time. 

Alex and Michael had a decade to fill in. [Meagn] took some liberties.

comment: the lost decade haunts me, and meagn’s take on this in-between time is seared into my brain. with a range of soft, angsty, devastating malex chapters, alongside the exploration of alex’s various (non-canon but i wouldn’t mind if they were) love interests throughout the decade. and even those chapters are interspersed with devastating malex crumbs. meagn’s fic fills the holes in my heart that the idea of the lost decade left in it. i must have read this a thousand times. this is sort of hopeful, and it fits into the greater narrative of Til the Night, but be aware that it’s not a fluffy malex fic!

millie’s long list of malex fics | ‘Til it leads you to the one you love’ by Bellakitse / @bellakitse

Isobel Evans -ex Bracken- is putting the finishing touches on the movie trailer for the latest Michael Bay movie, trying to make it seem like it actually has a plot and isn’t just three hours of ad placements and explosions. She does this in the hope she can ignore two things. One, the engagement announcement in the L.A. Times. Which is currently on her work desk with a four by six picture of her ex-husband and the 22-year-old he found to replace her, and two, the laser-focus stare her assistant Rosa has been giving her ever since she opened the paper.

“You can’t just ignore me you know,” Rosa complains, nudging her with her foot, a notepad on her lap as she writes down any edits Isobel makes.

Alex and Isobel are not looking forward to the holidays. When their respective friends, Maria and Rosa, recommend they get away for Christmas and suggest they swap houses with a stranger the idea seems like a good one. Isobel goes to his cabin in Roswell, and Alex goes to her house in L.A.All they both want is some peace and quiet. Instead, they end up finding friendship, love and themselves. ‘The Holiday’ AU.

comment: holy hell, you guys. what a holiday feat! this fic is so delicious, truly a perfect rom-com-to-fic. the quick build-up of the relationships, the first kisses, the dynamics between isobel/alex and the people they meet, THE ENDING!! it’s all so good. if you haven’t read this yet, do yourself a holiday favour and carve out some time to do so.

millie’s long list of malex fics | Victory's Contagious by ViolettaValery

The alien cocks his head, taking in Alex’s drenched figure, the challenge in his stance.

“Don’t you bow to your gods?” he asks, his voice carrying miraculously above the roar of the wind and the pounding rain.

“You are no god,” Alex tells him.

Michael lands on Earth to conquer it and is smitten with Alex. (a.k.a. an indulgent darkfic that is mostly porn) .

comment: i’ve never really read dark!fic before so this was a first for me. it makes so much sense as a “what if” though; the premise being that antarians are conquerors and michael has come to conquer earth. this one’s actually a series, and goes on to take glimpses at michael and alex’s future (no spoilers, just in case you haven’t read it already!) it is, like the description claims, mostly porn, and there’s also some really interesting ideas in here as well, plot-wise and alien-lore-wise. if you’re in the mood for some sultry, dark, indulgent stuff that’s written like a dream; look no further! though, do check out those tags before you dive in. as can be expected of dark!fic; some aspects might not be for everyone. also, points for great titles.

millie’s long list of malex fics | Bowl of Stars by islndgurl777

“Liz,” Max Evans says, face stunned.

“Max,” she replies, equally as stunned.

“Oooh, you’re in it now, Elizabeth,” Rosa sing-songs from the seat next to her.

Rosa’s been dead almost ten years now. While dead, she’s spent more time with her sister and father and secret family than she ever did while she was living. It’s funny, people say you don’t truly appreciate someone until they’re gone. Well, Rosa can attest to the fact that the opposite is true as well: you don’t truly appreciate your family until you’re dead and they can’t hear you teasing them about what a dumbass they’re acting like in front of their high school crush.

comment: ooh i’ve been waiting a while to rec this one, y’all. the rnm fandom has turned me around on several tropes that i’ve never super been into, and the season retelling is one of them. this fic stems from an AMAZING concept; that while rosa’s body was in the pod, she was haunting the living as a ghost. well, not haunting so much, as she can’t do anything but watch events unfold. it’s a retelling of season one from a fascinating point of view, and the reason it goes on this list in particular is because it provides a view of michael + alex from someone who has more of the facts than everyone else (not all the facts, of course, but waaaay more of them). rosa is like a conduit for the reader as she walks us through the events of season one. a seriously banging concept! any warnings that would apply to the show should apply here, just in case.

millie’s long list of malex fics | Til The Night is Over by Shenanigans

Liz could pinpoint the moment her brain physically shut down her panic, packed it away into a tight little box and started parsing out the possibilities. Max was still warm under her hands, she could still feel him just under her skin, like a whisper, like a secret. The cave was cold, air crisp and dry with the smell of metal and dust.

Rosa was alive. Rosa was alive and Max Evans was dead under her fingertips. If Rosa was alive then Max could be alive again.

Ipso facto.

A season two fix-it fic that starts off right where season one ended. Multiple POVs.

comment: so this one’s a little broader than just a malex fic (it alternates pov between a fair number of characters) but it deserves to be on the list because of the amazing malex content it is providing, whilst not falling short for the other characters. honestly, this could be the actual plot of season two and i would not be mad. i’d be fucking delighted. the author is dealing with each separate character and plot in such an amazing, intertwining way that it gives me a headache just to think about trying to do something like this. the characterisation of everyone is flawless and it has some of my favourite exchanges of dialogue (seriously, this could be a god damn script for episodes). the final chapter is fast approaching so if you’re not already up to date, get reading so you can go nuts with the rest of us when it updates!!

millie’s long list of malex fics | i could not name the things i was afraid of by couldaughter

The first time Alex thought about family, his mom was out driving. She didn’t give him a hug before she left; dad said he was too old for that kind of sissy bullshit.

Alex sat on the porch every day for a week, letting himself pretend it was the dust making his eyes sting, and waited for her. He couldn’t remember when she said she was getting back, but he knew she was going to..

Alex’s family throughout the years. Canon compliant.

comment: what can i say? i love those found family dynamics and the fics that explore them. this one is very alex-focused, giving us snapshots of alex’s family throughout the years (the majority of which do not include the manes family, you’ll be happy to know). they’re such delightful moments of maria, liz, mimi, kyle, michael. it has other really wonderful moments that i don’t want to spoil for you but this fic is overwhelmingly warm and does include a malex get-back-together, which is why it’s on this rec list. if you love these family dynamics even half as much as i do; you will adore this fic.

millie’s long list of malex fics | We are the three best friends. by caitlesshea

“You invited him?” Alex turns a betrayed look onto Kyle. Kyle shrugs as Michael sits down.

“Yes. Because I for one could use a beer or five. And I can’t talk about this shit with anyone else. And I know Guerin here likes to drown his sorrows in beer and sex, and since he’s not allowed at the Pony I figured he could do at least one of those things here...” Kyle trails off at Michael’s snort and Alex’s noise of surprise.

5 times Michael and Alex need Kyle’s help to move forward + 1 time they didn’t. And Kyle finds his own love along the way.

comment: ugggh i just want them all to be friends right now, and this fic delivers. kyle gets them talking again, finds his own boyfriend, and everything’s just nice and happy. i love kyle in this; still an asshole but sweet and kind and taking care of his friends. it’s a really good dynamic, and ends in happy malex. what more can we ask for?