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“Great. Now I have another reason to fight with Edgar. Perfect,” Base Mike grumbled.
Mike raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean another reason?”
“Well Edgar didn’t tell me that you guys actually returned that Mikey to the compound, meaning it was quite the surprise when he tried to fucking kill you since I thought he was dead. That kicked off a whole fight about him holding back information from me so it sounds like you’ve just handed me more fuel for the fire.”
Mike grimaced. “Sorry about that. I assumed he’d have told you.”
“Yup. Me too. Hence the reason I’m pissed,” Base Mike groused. “How you doing by the way? When I found you, you looked pretty messed up.”
Mike’s brow furrowed, “Were you there?”
“Uh, yeah the first couple times. We didn’t realize we were being redirected and Michael kept shooting at me. It was a whole thing.”
Mike squinted at him. “How many corrections did you do?”
Base Mike shrugged. “Not sure. I don’t remember all of them and I assume I don’t remember all of them because sometimes Michael successfully shot me. I didn’t ask Edgar for the details of those particular attempts.”
Mike shifted, “Oh. Well… thanks. I didn’t even know you were part of the rescue.”
Base Mike gave an embarrassed little shrug, “I mean you’d have done the same.”
Mike nodded, self conscious. He would have.
He was currently squirreled away in one of the guest rooms at Base, Base Mike having performed the surreptitious transport to get him there. At the moment no one other than Base Mike knew where he was and he was hoping to keep it that way until he figured out what to do. For now they were both sitting cross legged on the bed trying to come up with a plan.
Mike had still been furious when he arrived and had just blurted everything out to Base Mike. To his credit Base Mike managed to keep his laughter to a minimum and make the appropriate sounds of outrage.
“You think if I tried to use a sex strike on Edgar he’d cave?” Base Mike asked.
Mike and Base Mike scoffed at the same time, coming to the same conclusion.
“You’d never be able to hold out that long,” Mike laughed.
Base Mike nodded, “Yeah, Edgar would have us sucking him off before the end of the first day.”
“I don’t understand how Michael’s lasted this long,” Mike groused. “The other day he was getting ready to go run some errands and I literally knelt down in front of him and tied his shoes for him. While naked. And talking about how much I wanted to suck him off.”
Base Mike snorted. “Any chance he’s using the calculators to, you know, go back and fuck you? Or… shit, fucking you and then just doing a correction?”
Mike laughed but shook his head, “We made him promise not to use time travel without telling us remember? And… I dunno, I think he’s kept to that. Don’t get me wrong I’m not stupid, he can be devious when he wants to. But… I think he knows what a huge breach of trust that would be.”
They were silent for a bit while Mike attempted to stretch his neck.
“I think he’s probably just jerking off several times a day and frankly I think he’s just got better coping strategies for dealing with stress,” Mike said finally.
Base Mike grinned and held out his hands in a halting motion, “Wait. I bet he’s journaling about it!”
Mike really laughed at that.
“Dear diary, today at dinner my sweet boy handed me the salt and offered to let me throat fuck him until I came. I thanked him and asked for a rain check,” Base Mike recited in a terrible Michael impression, as he tried not to laugh.
Mike threw a pillow at Base Mike, “Shut up.”
“Dear Diary, today Mike came out of the bedroom wearing only his collar. He handed me his leash and told me I was shirking his training.”
“Okay but that’s just true,” Mike wheezed, trying to catch his breath through the laughter.
“Dear Diary, last night Mike jerked off while he detailed all the ways in which he wanted me to abuse him. It was nice. I excused myself to the bathroom to wank to memories of his extremely detailed descriptions.”
Mike ran his hand under his throat, “Nope, we need to stop, I’m literally getting hard at this point. I’ve been playing with fire all week, my tolerance is too low.”
Base Mike chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “My apologies, not my intention to double down on the torture.”
Mike rubbed his temples, his entire body tense, “I’m gonna have to tell him. I just… I don’t know what he’ll do, you know? And I’m… scared.”
Base Mike laughed. “Well, as someone who has been shot at by him at least five times, likely more, I get it. But he’s not heartless, he’s… you know, he’s Michael. He loves us.”
Mike fell back onto the bed covering his face with his hands. “Yeah I know, exactly, this is Michael. He’s done horrific things for love and I’m genuinely afraid of what it would mean for you if he knew about you.”
Base Mike sobered. “Yeah. Well… but it’s more than that, right? Cause if he undoes the iteration, he’s basically rejecting us- you I mean. He’s saying he doesn’t want you to stay, even when given the option.”
Mike stared at Base Mike for a long moment, “You’re not worried about him essentially erasing you from existence?”
Base Mike laughed, “Oh I’m terrified of that- for sure. But if he does that and we’re essentially consolidated back into one and he rejects us- I mean… think about what we’d have lost. And even worse: if he does that we likely wouldn’t even know what we’ve lost.”
For a moment they were both silent as this sunk in.
Base Mike clapped his hands, startling Mike, “Okay, we can’t go down that path. We need to focus on two things. First, we need to figure out how to break the news to Michael in a way that gets him to really hear us. We can’t control him, but we can control how he finds out and that may make all the difference. I’m gonna be honest we probably want to bring Edgar in on figuring that bit out. I know we’re both pissed at him but…”
Mike waved that away, still staring up at the ceiling. “No I know, I figured we’d include him at some point. He’s got a unique perspective and he knows as much as both of us about Operation You Only Live Twice.”
“The second thing we need to figure out is what the loves of our lives are fucking hiding from us, those devious bastards,” Base Mike grumbled. “What do you remember from the argument you walked in on?”
Mike shook his head as he tried to remember. “I’d literally just woken up and was recovering from being gutted and having weird Flinchite medical consolidation. It’s kind of a blur. But I do remember Edgar saying something about how he had to find out whatever it is himself? Like Michael already knew or lived through it and Edgar had to go digging?”
Base Mike considered this for a while then said, “You think it’s about us?”
Mike shook his head, pushed off the bed, and started to pace. “It can't be. He suspects something definitely but he doesn't know about you- about us, I mean.”
Base Mike chewed his lip and eyed Mike. “Okay. Well I can try to needle Edgar. It’s not like he’ll be surprised, he knows you and I talk and he knows I’m already pissed.”
“Edgar is probably our best bet, Michael… he’s not going to bend.”
Base Mike watched Mike pace for a while.
“What?” Mike finally asked.
“Did you at least jerk off before you got here?”
“Oh come on, don’t be a child, of course I did,” Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“I’m serious! Look at you, you’re all-” Base Mike made a twirling gesture with his pointer finger which Mike took to mean he was tightly wound.
“You try living with a man who suddenly cuts you off and see how you feel.” Mike grumbled.
Base Mike nodded and made soothing noises.
Mike couldn’t stop himself from griping though. “And he’s so fucking CALM about it. Acts like nothing I do gets under his skin. Fucking stone cold.”
Mike paced some more, stretching his neck and rolling her shoulders. His entire upper back felt locked up.
“May I remind you,” Mike continued, “he fucked me until he came and then literally left me tied up for almost an hour.”
Base Mike chewed his lip then raised an eyebrow, “You wanna fuck around for a bit?”
“What? Ew, no,” Mike blurted automatically.
Base Mike’s eyebrow raised further. “I’m just saying you seem… uhh, tense.”
“I mean, it’d be weird. Right?” Mike spluttered, his cheeks reddening. “Are you not getting laid or something?” It was a cheap attempt at turning the tables on Base Mike and they both knew it.
Base Mike shrugged, “I mean it’s not quite the same as an intentional sex strike, buuuut you know, we’re peeved with each other so…”
“I mean- we can’t, Michael and Edgar would be pissed.”
Base Mike snorted, “Oh come on you know that’s not true for Edgar.”
Mike flushed.
For a moment they just considered one another.
“I mean, come on, what’s a little mutual masturbation between close iterations, am I right?” Base Mike urged.
Mike thought of Michael’s self satisfied grin as he left the room while Mike tugged against his ropes.
Mike started to pull off his shirt and Base Mike grinned, “Hell yeah.”
“Just this once,” Mike warned and he was grinning too. Michael thought he was so fucking clever.
********
“Out of the way, that whiny little bastard doesn’t get to leave in the middle of the night and not leave a note and not fucking answer for it.”
Mike and Base Mike startled awake at the booming voice coming from downstairs. They locked eyes with one another in the dim light and then immediately both jumped up and started searching for their clothes.
“Fuck,” Mike muttered.
They could hear Edgar and Michael having words downstairs but it sounded like they were making their way to the stairway.
“Shit, where the fuck are my pants?” Base Mike hissed. Mike threw a pair at him, honestly not sure if they were Base Mike’s or his own.
“As far as I know he’s not here, Michael,” Edgar was saying a little blearily. They were definitely coming up the stairs now.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck, I’m having flashbacks to junior year of high school,” Mike whispered.
Mike still hadn’t found his pants. Or maybe Base Mike’s pants. It was just too dark to tell and anyway he couldn’t remember what pants he was wearing when he arrived. It’d been a long day. He managed to scramble into a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt.
They heard the sound of a nearby bedroom door open.
“Michael, I really don’t think he’s here,” Edgar sighed.
“Yeah? Why don’t you wake up the future version of him and get him to tell us where he is,” Michael boomed.
“Wait, future version?” Mike whispered to Base Mike. He could just make out Base Mike give him a desperate sort of shrug.
“Michael I’ve told you, I’m not going to discuss-”
And then the bedroom door swung open and the lights burst on, nearly blinding Mike. Base Mike was on his hands and knees, presumably looking for his shirt given he wasn’t wearing one. Michael stood in the doorway looking livid, Edgar behind him looking surprised but also just a little bit amused at the sight before him. Mike stood there awkwardly in his boxers and t-shirt and waved a little wave at Michael. It was only then he realized he was holding Base Mike’s t-shirt and tossed it to him. Where were his pants?
“You disappeared in the middle of the night, no note, no text, nothing,” Michael growled, somehow managing to throw his accusations at the correct Mike.
Edgar shook his head in an attempt to look disappointed but he was also pressing his lips together in a way that meant he was trying really hard not to laugh.
“You should have at least left a note, Mikey,” Edgar chided, his lips twitching, and he winked at Mike.
“Excuse you, as your Mike I’d ask that you direct your flirtations this way, please,” Base Mike snapped at Edgar.
At that all eyes turned to Base Mike, who was still on his hands and knees.
Base Mike started at the sudden attention directed at him and then seemed to realize what he’d said.
Michael turned back to Mike, his expression stony.
Mike swallowed, holding his hands up in a placating gesture, “Look I can explain.”
Michael's hand came to his mouth as he stared at Mike then gestured at the room at large. “Which part, Mike? Which part do you care to explain right now?”
Mike blushed, “We just… you know we were just messing around-”
Michael snorted, “Well you ain’t gotta lie, for fucks sake. If you wanted that to be believable you two should have at least cleaned up afterwards. Why don’t you just start by telling me what the fuck you did during your last unscheduled home visit? Hmm? Cause at this point I’m pretty sure I figured it out and I gotta say, I’m a little stunned the guy who insisted that we ‘don’t make big decisions without talking to each other first’, went off and FUCKING ITERATED HIMSELF.”
Mike stood there unable to speak for a moment then asked, “So… do you still want me to tell you or- it’s just you figured it out and I can’t tell if you’re in the right headspace for details or-”
Michael turned to Edgar whom he caught smirking at the Mikes. “And you fucking knew. You knew and you let him do this.”
Edgar’s face turned hard. “Of course I knew. I helped them plan it and execute it. Think about it Michael, really think about it. Why would I try to stop them?”
Michael shook his head looking horrified. “This isn’t a solution. You of all people should realize that.”
Edgar shook his head, “I know why you say that but it’s not the same. They have each other. They have YOU.”
Michael shook his head and turned back to Mike, “You have to undo this. Mike I know you don’t understand but you have to undo this.”
Mike instinctively moved to stand in front of Base Mike and Michael didn’t miss that. Michael rubbed at his brow “Jesus fucking Christ,” Michael grumbled to himself and then said, “I assumed this here-” Michael gestured toward Base Mike, who was still on the floor, “-was just you acting out tonight. But uh, should I be asking after the nature of your relationship?”
Mike rolled his eyes, “Don’t be dramatic, this was just- look I was pissed and horny and apparently so was he. That’s it.”
“But you had fun, right? That’s what’s important,” Edgar chimed in innocently, eyeing his Mike.
Base Mike peered around Mike to look at Edgar and shook his head. “You are not helping,” he hissed. “He wants to fucking erase me.”
Edgar rolled his eyes, “Even if he does, which I’m not convinced he actually does, he can’t.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” Michael asked.
Edgar gestured for Mike to speak up.
Mike scratched the back of his head and shrugged. There was no point hiding it now. “Well, you know that bargain I made with Ty?”
Michael shook his head in disbelief. “You did an entire mission behind my back to set this up. Did you even actually handle the compound Mikey or was that just an act to throw me off the scent?”
“Hey, fuck you, that shit wrecked him,” Base Mike shouted around Mike, his hands coming to rest on Mike’s hips, an instinctive and protective movement. Mike made a reassuring gesture to get him to back off.
Edgar gestured at Base Mike and Mike, looking at Michael with an expression that said You see?
Michael threw Edgar a scathing glance.
“What are you two talking about?” Mike demanded.
“Nothing,” Edgar and Michael snapped in unison.
Mike and Base Mike exchanged a look. Base Mike gave a little nod in Michael and Edgar’s direction and Mike nodded.
“Hey- uh uh, none of that,” Michael barked when he caught it. He shot a concerned glance at Edgar who was observing the Mikes’ silent exchange, a crease between his brows.
“Maybe it’s a good time to wrap this up? It’s almost 4am and I think we could all use some sleep,” Edgar suggested and reached a hand around Michael for Base Mike.
“Uhhh, so, am I gonna still exist in the morning, or…” Base Mike asked as he slowly stood up and made his way to Edgar, skirting around Michael and not meeting his eye. Michael raised an eyebrow at that. Edgar just shrugged and then mouthed, I think he still misses you to Michael who just faintly shook his head, clearly unprepared to deal with that.
Michael stared at Mike for a long moment then sighed, resigned. “I will keep you all involved in the decision making. I made a promise not to just make unilateral decisions and unlike these two I plan to keep it.”
Mike ducked his head, shame heating his face. Base Mike cowered behind Edgar, still not looking at Michael.
Michael shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, Mike in his sights. “You staying here or coming with me?”
Mike blinked. Michael raised his eyebrows impatiently. “Home, of course,” Mike mumbled, surprised Michael would even question it.
“You’re going to have to be more specific, Mike,” Michael told him tiredly. It was then Mike noticed the bags under his eyes. Another twinge of guilt.
Mike frowned. “With you, cowboy.”
Michael quickly smothered the look of relief that passed over his face and nodded. He turned to Edgar, “Send us home?”
**********
When they arrived back Michael pulled Mike into a tight hug, taking him by surprise. He’d fully expected Michael to tear into him as soon as they were alone. Between leaving without telling Michael, Michael finding out about Operation You Only Live Twice, and getting caught messing around with Base Mike there was plenty of perfectly legitimate fuel for Michael’s rage. Instead Mike was met with a desperate embrace.
“I don’t care how angry you are with me. You don’t leave without leaving coordinates. That’s your goddamn rule Mike. You tell me you need time? That’s fine. I can give you time. You can be as mad at me as you want. But you don’t leave without telling me. You understand?”
Michael’s voice was choked and watery and Mike hated himself for that. “I didn’t- I wasn’t trying to make you worry. I just… I left without thinking.”
Michael pressed a kiss into Mike’s cheek, still squeezing him tight. “I need to hear you say it, Mike.”
Mike swallowed, the gravity of what he’d done to Michael hitting him. “I promise, Michael I swear, in future I won’t leave without telling you where and when.”
Michael stood back and took Mike’s face in his shaking hands, and Mike saw tears running down Michael’s face. “I already came home to you dying once Mike. Don’t make me lose you and not know how to find you. I can’t- I won’t lose you that way.”
But you’d give me up. You’d push me away.
Michael must’ve seen the hurt on Mike’s face because he pulled him close again, kissed the top of his head and said, “Come on, let’s get you washed up and back to bed.”
Michael pulled Mike into the bathroom for his third shower in less than twenty-four hours. This time however Michael stepped in with him and grabbed the body wash Mike favored and started lathering up his hands. Mike stood there feeling a little unsure as Michael started running his soapy hands over Mike’s body. He closed his eyes and leaned into Michael, resting his head on Michael’s shoulder. Michael continued to work the body wash into Mike’s skin, wrapping his arms around Mike to rub his back.
“Now, why don’t you tell me what you got up to with Edgar’s Mike,” Michael grumbled teasingly.
Mike started to pull back in embarrassment but Michael held him firm. “Michael-”
“Come on now, don’t be coy with me,” Michael purred, his hands slipping down to Mike’s waist and then down Mike’s hips to the front of his thighs. Mike moaned, his hips giving a small involuntary thrust. “Feeling shy, hmm? How about this. I’ll guess, you tell me if I’m right. Sound good?”
Mike nodded, his forehead still on Michael’s shoulder.
One of Michael’s hands slid between Mike’s legs and started to stroke his dick. Mike gasped and grabbed at Michael’s shoulders, desperate to hold on to him.
“He do this for you?” Michael murmured.
Mike shook his head and moaned, knees trembling.
Michael pulled Mike forward a bit, so he wasn’t directly under the spray of the water. “Did you do this for him?”
Mike nodded and his hips started thrusting but Michael used his free hand to hold him still. “Uh uh, not yet.”
Mike pressed his face harder into Michael’s neck, his fingers gripping Michael’s shoulders. Embarrassment and shame warred with the thrill of exposure.
“Which one of you came on to the other? Was it you? I work you up that much?” Michael asked, nipping along Mike’s neck, his hand slowing its strokes.
“I never would’ve suggested it,” Mike whined as his leg rose in an attempt to hitch around Michael’s hip in an instinctive attempt to increase pressure. Michael shoved his leg back down with his free hand. “I knew you’d be pissed.”
Mike felt the rumble of silent laughter.
“Mmm you’re right there. And I will be punishing you for that later. But it sounds like Base Mike has realized Edgar ain’t all that tore up by the idea of us fucking our iterations.”
Mike gasped as Michael’s hand released him and started trailing back up, along Mike’s hip, across his stomach, up to his chest where he flicked at Mike’s nipple.
“He only suggested messing around,” Mike clarified breathlessly, feeling strangely compelled to come to Base Mike’s defense. “It’s my fault things got out of hand. Once we got started, I just- fuck,” Mike hissed this last part as Michael bit Mike’s other nipple.
Michael chuckled. “So you were gagging for it. He just gave you permission to take it.”
“Fuck you,” Mike breathed, but there was no fire in his words. In fact there was pleading.
And then Michael was getting to his knees and just the sight of it made Mike’s own knees weak. “Let’s move on, huh? How bout this, he do this for you?” Michael asked and took Mike into his mouth, pulling on Mike’s hips now, encouraging him to thrust.
“Fuck, Michael-” Mike sent his hands down to hold Michael’s jaw, his fingers sinking into Michael’s beard.
Michael pulled back just long enough to ask, “Well? Did he?” and then went right back to letting Mike throat fuck him.
“Yes, fuck, yes,” Mike groaned.
Michael pulled back again to ask, “And what about you, sweet boy. Did you do this to him in return?”
“No,” Mike whimpered. “No. He got me close and then I jerked him off while I fucked him.”
Michael hummed around Mike’s dick and then shoved Mike against the shower wall, pinning him with one hand pressed firmly against his lower abdomen. Mike wriggled a bit but then Michael’s pace was speeding up and Mike’s hands grasped at Michael’s beard and his hips bucked. He felt Michael gag and shudder and that was all it took.
“Fuck I’m real close, Michael.”
Michael hummed again and then Mike was crying out, his dick slamming against the back of Michael’s throat. He felt Michael’s shoulders falling back as he gave himself over to Mike’s brutal pace.
And then it was like a puppet who’d had their strings snipped, Mike’s entire body going boneless all at once. Michael moved swiftly, standing, his hands catching under Mike’s armpits and propping him against the shower wall.
Mike reached out a hand to stroke Michael but his hand was batted away and Mike whined. “What about you?”
Michael chuckled against Mike’s throat, “Don’t worry, I took care of me.”
Mike smiled at this, “Oh so I get to just be a pillow princess tonight.”
Michael really laughed at that. “I had some makin’ up to do.”
“I should mess around with Base Mike more often,” Mike teased.
That was a mistake. Michael growled and nipped at Mike’s neck. “You get a pass today but if he doesn’t keep his hands to himself from here on out, I will personally cut them the fuck off.”
Mike raised his eyebrows at this and shook his head, laughing nervously, “I will be sure to pass along the warning.”
“A promise, not a warning,” Michael snarled, and he gave Mike a light smack for emphasis.
“Uh, great. Handshakes and awkward one armed hugs in future only.”
Michael snorted and Mike snuggled against him, partly to divert Michael’s thoughts but also because he was starting to feel warm and cared for. Michael’s possessiveness, on the heels of a mind melting orgasm, was oddly comforting given Mike’s constant fear of Michael sending him away.
Michael got them both rinsed off and wrapped in towels before guiding a very sleepy Mike to bed.
The next morning Mike woke to Michael bringing him breakfast in bed. When he looked at his phone it said it was only a quarter past seven. He eyed Michael over his coffee as Michael sat down on the bed.
“What time did you wake up to make all this?” Mike asked, gesturing to the omelet, toast, and home fried potatoes in front of him. “Please tell me you didn’t use the calculator to make this.”
Michael laughed and shook his head. “Nah I was just up on the early side.”
Fork halfway to his mouth, Mike paused and eyed Michael a little closer. He still looked exhausted. “You didn’t sleep,” Mike accused.
Michael offered Mike a smile and shrugged, “I’m alright.”
Mike frowned as he chewed. “I really scared you.”
Michael reached out a hand and rested it on Mike’s thigh. “Hey, I’m okay, it was just a bad night. Gimme a couple nights with you by my side and I’ll be sleeping like a baby.”
Mike couldn’t look Michael in the eye, shame heating his face. “I’m really sorry Michael.”
Adjusting his cowboy hat, Michael cleared his throat. “I still can’t get over the fact that there are two of you.”
A clear change of subject. Mike could go along with that.
“Hey, how’d you and Edgar know I was your Mike? Neither of you seemed remotely confused.”
Michael shot him a sardonic look.
“What?” Mike asked, genuinely confused.
Michael scratched his forehead, looking at Mike skeptically, “You cannot be serious.”
Mike shook his head and shrugged his shoulder, his mouth full of omelet and toast.
“You two fucked and you didn’t notice a difference at all?”
Mike’s cheeks heated and he pointedly focused on his food, “Well for one thing it was dark and for another I was pretending he was you, so, no, not really.”
Michael smirked at this, clearly pleased at Mike’s admission, before clearing his throat and adopting a more neutral expression.”I imagine that normally it’d take us each a few minutes to clock which of you is which. But at the moment it’s easy to tell you apart on sight because you still haven’t regained all the weight you lost after- Jesus-”
Michael broke off and a pain flitted across his face as something struck him.
“Christ, no wonder you were so- You’d just left him then, hadn’t you?”
It took Mike a second to catch up to Michael’s shift in thoughts. When he did, Mike winced.
Clearing his throat Mike hesitated. “Leaving him was hard,” Mike admitted, “But… the compound Mikey… carrying that alone…”
Mike shook his head. Michael reached out and took Mike’s free hand.
“Telling you about it made all the difference. I’ll admit that wasn’t my goal when I came clean about it. I was just trying to give you a reason for why I’d been so…” Mike made a vague gesture at himself. “But turns out it was more true than I realized. Letting go of Edgar… I’m not going to say it was easy cause it wasn’t but… I have you. I wanted you. So.”
Mike shook his head. “I didn’t know how much my grief was about Mikey. About what I did to him. Not until I let you share it with me.”
For a few minutes they sat in silence while Mike ate.
“I’m sorry I suggested you may have been faking how upset you were, Mike. Of course I know you weren’t, I had a front row seat to it.”
Mike shrugged.
“I hate that you are giving him up for me,” Michael blurted.
Mike froze, his fork stilling on his plate, his eyes snapping up to look at Michael his only movement. Micheal looked ashamed and desperate. Mike waited.
Finally, “You know- I’m sure you’ve guessed, my Edgar died.”
Mike swallowed and nodded. He had assumed as much. They never talked about it but it was pretty obvious to Mike given Michael never went away for home visits and the way he was so protective of both his and Mikey’s Edgars. He always assumed that was a huge part of why he’d come back here, to make sure that whatever happened to his Edgar didn’t happen to theirs.
“Losing him… it almost killed me. It’s a miracle I’m here,” Michael told him. Mike swallowed. “I… I worry about what it will do to you.”
Mike blinked and shook his head, “Michael, the circumstances are different. I’ve chosen this. I’ve chosen you. And he’s alive. It hurts but I’m okay with it. Really.”
Michael nodded, tears running down his face now and Mike didn’t understand. Was it guilt? Was it relief?
“You know I love you, right? You make me happy. I wouldn’t have done - well, all of that if I didn’t want this. You haven’t- I dunno, tricked me into this or whatever it is you tell yourself.”
Michael nodded but the tears were coming harder now. “Yeah I know,” he croaked.
Mike moved his breakfast tray aside and pulled Michael to him, rubbing his back. Michael sobbed and Mike couldn’t understand.
“I’m so sorry, Mike,” Michael gasped. “I wish I knew how to protect you better. I wish I wasn’t so fucking selfish.”
This felt like some sort of breakthrough though Mike wasn’t entirely sure exactly how they’d arrived here. Mike kissed the top of Michael’s head and crooned, “If it means you aren’t going to try to send me away, I like you selfish.”
This got a laugh out of Michael. The tears didn’t stop, but they did slow. Michael rolled and shifted so that he was lying next to Mike, an arm wrapped around him. Finally he said, “I ain’t gonna try to undo the iteration.”
Mike’s heart stuttered and he pulled back a bit to look Michael in the face. “You mean that?”
Michael nodded, “But if at any point you decide you want me to undo it for you, say the word. I’ll figure out how.”
Mike shook his head. “I’ll never want that.”
Michael just shrugged.
Unable to sit with the seriousness of what he’d said, Mike chirped, “So is your sex strike officially over? Last night wasn’t a brief pause in hostilities?”
Michael snorted and chucked Mike under the chin. “Definitely over. I did consider extending it a bit to punish you for Base Mike but I’ve got other ways.”
Mike clapped his hands together and grinned. “Excellent. I can start my sex strike today. All you have to do is tell me what you and Edgar are hiding to break it.”
Michael guffawed, “Oh sweet boy I wish you luck. I’ll have you broken by dinner time.”