Chapter Text
Michael runs.
Even though everything inside him wants to stay and fight alongside Alex. He runs as fast as he can while holding that bomb in his hands.
The bomb.
That's why he is running because he knows that in his hands is something that could kill Alex.
Alex, the love of his life.
The emo, goth boy with eyeliner, septum piercing, and black clothes.
The beautiful man with marks of a lifetime of war.
Both of them always making Michael's heart beat wildly.
Both for which Michael would do anything to protect.
So he keeps running, and a smile appears on his lips when a few feet away from Alex he can feel the tingling of his powers returning to his body. He uses everything he can get from his core and pushes the bomb as far as possible. When it disappears from his sight, far enough away to do no more damage, Michael breathes a sigh of relief because Alex is safe.
And now he can go back to him.
"No!"
The voice echoes almost as loudly as the gunshot. Michael turns around in alarm and then his heart skips a beat with what he sees a few feet ahead of him.
Alex has his back to him for just a few seconds until he slowly falls to the ground, right at the feet of Jesse Manes who still has the gun in his hands.
Another gunshot and Michael awakens. His feet move automatically faster than ever as he runs towards Alex until he reaches him and takes him in his arms. On the floor now is Jesse Manes, next to Michael is Greg who shot his own father.
"It's okay, you'll be okay"
Michael murmurs to Alex, holding his face gently, he keeps repeating trying to convince himself more than Alex. But his clothes are already completely soaked with dark red, his eyes are barely open.
Michael feels a fear he has never felt in his life.
His mind screams for his siblings repeatedly since he saw the man he loves falling to the ground and he prays for them to arrive soon.
Max would heal Alex. Everything would be fine.
"Michael!" the voice is weak, but Michael smiles through tears, looking at Alex with affection.
"Shii, don't talk, everything's going to be okay, love, Max is going to heal you. You just need to hold on a little longer"
"Guerin, we have to call an ambulance, take him to the hospital. Anything"
Greg kneels beside them while he takes off his own jacket and presses against the wound making Alex howl in pain, Michael just cradles him more lovingly in his arms and kisses his forehead.
"No, we don't have time for this. Max will be here soon and everything will be fine"
"Max! What can Max do to ...."
"Michael!"
The cowboy breathes a sigh of relief and feels a sob escape from his lips. Because Max is here at last. So is everyone else.
"What the hell happened here ?!" Valenti asks as he takes Greg's place and pulls the jacket away to look at the wound. "He's losing a lot of blood, there's no exit wound and it seems to be very close to the heart."
"Max ... Please ... heal him" Michael sobs looking at his brother who just shakes his head, devastated.
"I can't" he mumbles and Michael barely hears, Maria and Liz are hugging each other sobbing. "I don't have enough energy, Michael. I ... used it on Flint ... I can't ... Michael I can't"
"I never asked for anything, please Max, please I beg you. Please. Don't make me lose him. Max ... please ... please ...."
Max shakes his head again feeling like the worst brother in the world. He kneels beside Alex and places his hand on the wound. He ignores Michael's hopeful look. He knows that the strength he has in him will do nothing. He prays to be wrong.
He pushes everything he has. But seconds pass and his hand doesn't even light up.
He hears Michael sobbing.
He asks for forgiveness.
Max knows he doesn't deserve it.
He let his anger control him and attacked Flint.
If he hadn’t done that he could heal Alex.
And Michael wouldn't lose the love of his life.
"Call the fucking ambulance" Isobel practically shouts already reaching for the phone, but Kyle interrupts her, he explains that with all the occurrences of injuries at the fair, the ambulance would take a long time, and even driving Alex by car, even so. They would not arrive in time. Isobel ignores him and calls anyway.
Michael hears all the muffled voices, but he ignores them. All he can do is hold Alex in his arms and bring their faces as close as possible.
"It's okay," Alex whispers, trying to calm Michael down and it just makes him sob even more.
"Why did you do that? That bullet was for me. Why Alex?" He murmurs desperately, too tired, too devastated to control his sobs and tears.
"Why did you build the bomb?" He smiles, even in pain he still smiles at Michael and with all the effort he still has on his body he slowly raises his hand until his fingers plunge into the tangles of curls he has always loved.
"I couldn't let anything happen to you. I would rather die than let something happen to you" he replies as he touches his forehead to Alex's, mixing their breaths, he needs to feel Alex breathe.
"So you know why I did what I did."
"I can't lose you again. Not again Alex.!"
"Michael ..."
"I love you, Alex I love you. Please. You are the love of my life, please don't leave me ... please ..."
"I love you too" his voice almost disappears, but his smile remains beautiful. "I always loved Michael, you were always the best of me!"
Michael kisses his lips and presses his hand against Alex's heart. Desperate to feel it beating.
One of the things Michael loved most was lying against Alex's chest, pressing his ear against his heart. Feel the movement of his breath, hear the heartbeat that sounded like the most beautiful music in Michael's ears. Alex's beating heart was the most beautiful sound in the world. Along with his voice, his laughter ...
It always quieted the chaos that was Michael's mind. Even the mere memory of the sound helped to calm all the storm he had inside him.
And then he can't feel that beautiful, peaceful movement against his palm anymore
The fingers curled in his curls slip until they hit the concrete on the floor. The eyes close and the smile almost disappears.
Maria and Liz sob even more loudly at that moment.
Kyle too.
For Michael, the world stops.
"No"
The pain in his voice echoes and Isobel clings to Max, she cries silently. Michael's pain is so deep that for the first time she and Max can feel it.
"No" he repeats and then hugs Alex even more against his chest, his hand touches every inch of his face, removes the hair from his forehead, and kisses every piece of skin he can reach.
Forehead. Eyes. Cheek. Neck. Lips.
"Alex ... please ... love ... please don't. Come back ... Lex ... come back to me, please. I love you ... I love you ... I love you .. .. "
His body sways back and forth cradling Alex in his arms, his face sinks against his neck, and his hand is lost again against Alex's heart. Hopefully waiting for him to beat again.
Heartbeats.
It's all he can concentrate on, the feeling of Alex's heart beating against his fingers, the sound against his ear. Every memory, every time he fell asleep wrapped in that sound ... that beautiful sound.
But he doesn't feel it anymore.
He doesn't hear anymore.
It's just .... gone.
"No ... no ... no ..." he continues to repeat as if he can believe it. Alex couldn't die. He said he wouldn't look away. Alex couldn't leave him again.
He feels, slowly growing inside him, a wave of power like he has never felt before. His hand, pressing against Alex's chest began to light.
"Michael ...!"
He heard Isobel's startled voice seeming miles away. But he just ignored it.
He no longer felt the heartbeat.
He had nothing left to calm his stormy mind.
So Michael let the chaos out.
And everything just turned to darkness