#no.40

“You’re just saying that to get me nake—“ he cuts off with a hiss as Alex begins to work the muscles on his neck.

It hurts too much at first but Alex is carefully and Michael battles through the pain. He focuses on the sound of Alex breathing because that’s easy and Alex is taking almost comical breaths so he can do it. As he does and Alex presses into his muscles and Michael can feel the tension start to relax. Right up until Alex finds some spot that makes him yelp and curl his toes.

“You’ve got a knot here—“

“A what?!”

“A knot,” Alex says. Michael succeeds in turning and Alex keeps his fingers on his neck, “its a hyperirritable spot in your muscles,” he says, “I can get it out,” Michael continues to stare, “just relax,” he says, “I’ll be gentle,” Michael keeps staring at him, “do you trust me?”

He turns around.

Alex finds the spot again and begins to work it. Michael tries to hold himself still as Alex keeps going until finally it eases. He’s surprised at the sensation but Alex’s fingers do that thing where the go higher up his neck and then drag into his scalp. Michael may never have had a massage, but he loves the feeling of Alex’s fingers in his hair. Even without the guitar, Alex’s fingers are rough and calloused and when he digs into Michael’s curls it feels fucking amazing. The knot made him hiss but this makes him groan as Alex gets to the best spots. When his fingers drag back down, Michael makes yet another sound. This one of protest and it draws a chuckle from Alex.

“It’s like dealing with a cat,” he murmurs, “turn your head,” he instructs and pushes up the side of Michael’s scalp, making him turn into it instinctively and expose his neck. Alex cradles his head with his free hand, “good,” he murmurs as his fingers dig into the muscles again.

“Fuck,” Michael swears as he works, “how are you so good at this?”

“I took a class,” Alex says.

“A what?”

“Mmhmm,” Alex says, “I figured it was the best way to get over my intimacy issues,” he curls his thumb and Michael swears he sees stars, though he’s not sure if they’re good or bad. He chokes on whatever sarcastic thing he was going to say as Alex pushes up his scalp and he automatically exposes the other side of his neck, “you’ve been holding your neck funny for the past few days.”

“I tweaked it,” he says as Alex kneads something and Michael swears he feels it being un-tweaked, “fuck,” he actually swears, “did you just kill me?”

“No but I think I un-tweaked it,” Alex says. He rubs one of his hands against his outer thigh and presses it to the spot.

He’s warming his hands up, Michael realizes. The consideration catches him off guard. He’s never had someone aware of his physiology like this. People always forgot about his hand, though he knows he did a good job at hiding it. He always had to remind them. Alex remembers his warmer body temperature and the fact that his hands are always going to be cold without a word from him. Michael feels like even more of a dick when he thinks about how he tried to walk away from this, though then Alex rubs under his ear and it’s hard to think about anything.

“So do I feel different?” He asks.

“What do you mean?”

“From your class,” he says, “anything weird because of the—“ he raises a finger and makes a woo sound.

“Oh. No,” Alex says, “you’re tense but no surprise there.”

“Ha ha,” Michael says.

“Seriously you feel perfectly human,” he says, “you don’t have anything out of place that I can feel around this area,” he assures him, “you could have been getting massages this whole time.”
 Michael snorts to cover the panic at the thought. People touching his neck isn’t exactly something he’s a fan of. Or an really vulnerable spots. Not like this. He’s human enough that he knows he can be choked out. That’s enough for him. Even before Noah shoved something in his neck and left him pleading out on the floor. There’s no scar that he can see but most of the knots seem to be at that place. Even months later. He dips his head as Alex comes back up to his scalp. Alex is probably the only person who knows how to finger comb through his hair like this. His own hair is thick and coarse but it’s got nothing on the riot of Michael’s curls.

“I’d give you an A if I was your teacher,” Michael says.

“Everyone would question it,” Alex returns evenly. For obvious reasons.

Michael makes a wordless noise as Alex’s fingers go from the back of his neck practically to the crown of his head. When he pulls his fingers free, Michael leans back and settles his head against his thigh. Alex looks down at him with a smile that’s equal parts affection and smugness. Affection for obvious reasons and smugness because Michael is boneless in his lap. Even if they are fully clothed. 
“You really are like a cat,” Alex says.

“I thought you were a dog person,” Michael points out.

“I already have a dog,” he says.

“Mmm, you interested in getting a cat?” Michael asks, “or a cat like alien?”

He feels Alex tense slightly and glance away before he blows out a breath and looks down at him. It’s hard to tell if he’s ready from this angle and Michael wants the buffer. He also really doesn’t want to move. You’re supposed to alternate heat and cold, right? Really he’s just doing something science has proven you’re supposed to do. Alex searches his face and Michael tries to do the same before sighing and pushing himself up. Or going to. Alex puts a hand on him and keeps him there.

“W-what are you asking?” He says.

“Go out with me?” Michael says. Alex quirks an eyebrow up, “would you like to go out with me?” Michael amends, “on a date.”
 They said they would wait until they were ready. Michael thinks this is it, but he knows being on the same page matters. More than he originally gave it credit for. Alex winds a finger around one of Michael’s curls and then lets it pull free with a gentle tug. He does it again. And a third time until he proves himself to be a better person and nods.