WHO: Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin WHERE: A large park WHEN: Today WARNINGS: UST? SPOILERS? For Roswell: New Mexico, 1x13
Maria knew before she opened her eyes that she wasn’t in Roswell anymore. There was nowhere in the arid New Mexico town where she’d spent her entire life that had grass this soft, or this wet. She sat up quickly, getting to her feet. She was still dressed in her pink silk nightgown, but at least she was wearing something. Finding yourself in a completely new place naked would have that much more awkwardness about it.
Looking around her, she noticed a letter folded in the grass beside her. That was strange. Picking it up, she unfolded it, reading it once, then again, pretty sure that she was more confused after reading it than she had been beforehand. “Goodland”? Where the hell was that? . Trying to concentrate on the what and where instead of the how and why in order not to start totally freaking out, she made her way to the paved pathway nearby. That, at least, was reassuring. If there was pavement nearby there had to be people, right?
She passed a few random people as she walked who proved to her that she must look like a disaster with the way they just turned their heads and tried to ignore her. She didn’t care. If they were like that, she didn’t want to talk to them anyway. So what if her hair was crazy from being slept on, she wasn’t wearing shoes, and she was in a particularly wet and grass-stained pink nightgown? It wasn’t like it was her choice to arrive here like this. Whoever this ‘jubilant entity’ was had a lot to answer for.
***
Despite his concerns about what was happening in Roswell, Michael was doing his best to settle in since he obviously had no choice about being here and hadn’t figured out a way to leave. He wished he had access to his bunker and research materials. Not that they would likely be useful in this type of situation.
He was on his way to the library to pick up some new reference books, hopeful that maybe he could figure out something that would provide answers about this place, when he caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye that made him stop dead in his tracks. Was he seeing things?
“DeLuca,” he called, waiting to see if she responded before jogging across the street to her. If it wasn’t her, he did not want to make a fool of himself.
*** Maria started when she heard her name, turning in the direction of the sound. She hadn’t decided yet whether somebody knowing her here would be a good thing or a bad thing, so her reaction was somewhat guarded.
It didn’t take long for her to recognize Michael Guerin, though. He wasn’t the sort of person you could really mistake for someone else. She sighed. Of course he would be here, because finding herself in a situation like this wasn’t nearly difficult enough. No, she had to be confronted with pesky feelings that she really didn’t want to have.
When he caught up with her, she gave him a bit of a sad smirk.
“So I’m guessing saying ‘fix the thing, Guerin,’ isn’t going to work this time?”
***
Michael couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face when he realized it actually was her and he wasn’t imagining it. Things were complicated between them, but he was still happy to see her. Even though he would have been happy to see just about anyone he knew, having Maria here made him feel a bit lighter than it probably should have.
“Sadly, no,” he said. “I’ve been here a few days and haven’t figured out how to fix the thing.” Yet. Should he admit he was on his way to do research or would that make him sound like too much of a nerd? Did he care if it did? Why was everything confusing with her?
He did notice the state of undress she was in and stripped off his flannel shirt, holding it out to her without saying anything.
***
She blinked as he handed her his shirt, but took it, regardless. She was cold and while not indecent she was wearing less than she wanted to be. Especially around Michael Guerin. Even though the best time she’d had with him had been without clothes all together. But she wasn’t going to think about that right now.
“Well, look at that,” she said with a disbelieving shake of her head. “Who would have thought that Michael Guerin could be a gentleman.” She wrapped it around her, enjoying the soft warmth of it (and maybe the smell of him that hung on it) more than she wanted to admit.
For a moment, she just stared at him, trying to decide how she felt about him being there. Part of her was happy. Part of her thought being happy was a terrible idea. And part of her couldn’t help but think about Alex and how it was wrong to even be considering being happy to see him when her dear friend loved him.
“Well, if you can’t fix the thing, then I doubt anyone can,” she sighed. She’d never known anyone better at fixing things than he was. His talent at that, in addition to what Liz had always told her about him beating her in all their AP tests led her to wonder what exactly it was about him that she was missing. Because she was sure there was something. Maybe many somethings.
“Why don’t you show me where these apartments are so I can get dressed, and then I’ll buy you a beer.” It was weird that she couldn’t comp it, but that was the least of the weird things about this place.
***
“You carry a wallet in that nightgown?” he asked, his tone full of bemusement. Michael had no problem reversing course to escort her to the apartments, but he realized he was going to have to tell her that the ‘jubilant entity’ who brought them here wasn’t kind enough to provide anything more than the apartment.
Not that he’d let her suffer. He managed to find a job as a mechanic and even secured an advance from his new boss, so he had a little bit of cash on him. “I’ll show you the apartments and I can run out and pick up some clothes for you. And then I’ll even buy you dinner.”
Michael was a very nice guy, when he felt like it. For reasons he didn’t care to explore too closely, Maria made him feel like it. Though, to be fair, he would have probably done the same for anyone from home that showed up here. Well, not Noah. Probably. Though it might have been an opportunity to get answers.
He shook off that thought. Right now, it was easier to focus on the situation in front of him. That meant the details of getting Maria settled, not trying to sort out his feelings about her presence.
***
A very unhappy frown crossed her face at that. With her mother’s illness and the expenses she had back home she was far from rich, but realizing that she’d been cut off from her money all together was a hard blow. She liked to be independent, she liked to be in charge of her own life. She liked to be the one who was owed, not the one who owed others.
“No,” she said, simply yet firmly. If there was anyone whose debt she didn’t want to be in, it was Guerin. “You can just show me the apartments and I’ll...figure it out from there.”
She was hungry, sure, but she’d figure something out. Something that didn’t involve owing someone her heart was inexplicably drawn to, who she couldn’t stop thinking about. Someone who annoyingly always seemed to be there when she needed him.
***
The objection to accepting his help did not surprise Michael in the slightest. He knew firsthand just how stubborn Maria DeLuca was. It was actually one of the things he liked about her, though he’d never admit it.
“I’m not going to let you starve, DeLuca,” he said. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll start a tab for you.” He smirked as he said the words, clearly mocking her a little for all the times she claimed he owed her money.
***
She gave him a look that was half scowl, half-laughter. “Well, you should be glad that your brother was nice enough to pay off your tab, or you’d be owing me not just food but a whole new wardrobe.” She sighed heavily, as if conceding to something terrible .
“Alright. One meal. But then I’m getting a job and paying off my tab immediately.”
Why couldn’t she have fallen for a guy who was a little less impossible? Because that would have been boring, that was why.
***
If she was paying attention, she might notice the way Michael’s eyes clouded over briefly at the mention of Max. He was trying his best not to dwell on the fact that his brother was dead, had sacrificed himself to bring back Rosa Ortecho, and he had no clue how they were going to explain any of it. In the grand scheme of things, his healed hand was barely a blip on the radar of weirdness.
“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” he said. “Can suggest a bar you can try.” The place he’d gone with Klaus had the same vague sort of vibe as the Wild Pony, so he thought she might actually be comfortable working there. And for some reason, he wanted her to be comfortable.
He pushed his curls back away from his eyes. “What apartment you in?” he asked.
***
She noticed. She noticed everything. But at the moment, she decided that it wasn’t her place to pry. She knew his relationship with Max was...complicated, and she didn’t really want to get in the middle of that just now. She had other things on her mind, and she had to like Max because he was so good to Liz.
“Why does it not surprise me that you know where the bars are already? Tried your cowboy angst and bar fights to get out of your bill like you do in Roswell?”
Lifting the note she’d found beside her, she looked at it carefully.
“Looks like I’m in 7-C. Whatever that means.”
***
Michael grinned. “Didn’t have to. Had someone offer to buy me a drink.” He wouldn’t say anymore than that. If she wanted to ask questions, she would. Didn’t mean he’d answer.
“Means we’re neighbors,” he said. “I’m in 7-B.” Having her so close was going to make this a lot more complicated. He’d already been thinking about telling her the truth. Alex knew and it didn’t seem right that Maria was still in the dark. It might be even riskier to tell her here though, when she was his only connection to home. If she didn’t handle it well, it could put him in a lot more danger and would damage their relationship, such as it was.
Not telling her meant lying though and Michael suspected Maria wasn’t going to take kindly to that. Would it make him a hypocrite to tell her though after the shit he gave Max about telling Liz?
***
Maria was less than surprised by that, and just rolled her eyes. She might have felt that there was something between them, and she was pretty sure that he did too, but that didn’t mean that she expected fidelity or something. She wasn’t an idiot. And she wasn’t even sure she wanted that sort of relationship...if she even wanted any sort of relationship at all. It was complicated and confusing and she didn’t want to think about it right now.
“Oh, lovely.” She said, sounding anything but thrilled about that. It was going to make keeping her hands to herself a lot more difficult.
She pulled the flannel closer around her, trying to cover herself a little, but it was completely in vain. Michael’s shirt was big on her, but it still stopped mid-thigh, when right now being completely covered would have been the best idea.
“Guess you know right where that is, then.”
***
“Matter of fact, I do. Must be your lucky day.”
The building was just ahead and Michael was glad they were almost there because her bare legs were incredibly distracting and she’d made it clear they weren’t going to have a repeat of their night in Texas.
He wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince him or herself though.
“Up here on the right,” he said, pointing to the building as soon as it came into view. “Don’t know if you have a roommate or not. I’m with some guy named Angel.”
***
Oh, she wanted a repeat. She wanted a repeat bad. But it wasn’t going to happen because of a thousand reasons including Alex and she was going to convince herself of that no matter what it took, thank you very much. She was not desperate to have sex with Michael Guerin again. She didn’t dream about it. She didn’t even think about it. Ever. Nope.
Dammit.
“I don’t know either,” she frowned. It didn’t say on the sheet of paper she’d been given. “I don’t do real well with roommates.”
***
Living with a roommate wasn’t terribly appealing to Michael either, but they didn’t have a choice in the matter any more than they had a choice about being here.
He shoved his hands in his pockets as soon as they stepped onto the elevator and he pushed the button for the 7th floor. There were beds upstairs and the urge to grab her and throw her in one was overwhelming, so putting his hands in his pockets seemed like the safest bet.
“That’s you,” he said, jerking his head in the direction of the door that said 7-C. “Take a few minutes to put together a list of necessities and I’ll run out to the store for you.” She might cause a riot if she tried to go shopping in that nightgown.
***
“Right,” she said, clearing her throat. She didn’t even need a bed to want to throw him to the dirt and have her way with him, so actually knowing there were beds here made it that much harder. She somewhat awkwardly stepped off the elevator, and into the room, where she quickly made out a list for a pair of jeans and a shirt or two, with her sizes, and a few other necessities. She was glad she’d worn underwear, but she wasn’t wearing a bra, so she was going to have to trust Michael with that. She’d written “no lace” on there and underlined it five times so she hoped he’d get the idea. Some lace, of course, was great if it was the soft kind. But guys rarely knew the difference between the soft kind and the scratchy kind.
Having buttoned his shirt, she came out a few minutes later and handed the list to him.
“Bring me the receipts. I’m paying you back for all of this.”
***
She looked damn good in his shirt. Too good.
“Yup,” Michael said absently, looking over the list and trying to ignore the fact that his throat went dry when he realized he was going to need to buy her a bra. This was fine. Totally fine. He could handle this.
“There should at least be towels and stuff,” he said. “If you want to get a shower or whatever.” And there was a mental image he didn’t need. “I’ll be back within the hour.”
He hoped she didn’t have any objections to WalMart clothes.
***
“Right,” she said, trying not to think of showers in the context of Michael Guerin. Instead, she went back inside and shut the door, locking it as if somehow she could lock him out of her mind. Even though she knew pretty much with certainty that it wasn’t going to work.
After a few minutes, when she figured he was gone, she did strip down and take a long, very cold shower. She generally hated cold showers, but she definitely needed one just now. When she was finished, she dried herself off and put on her underwear and Michael’s shirt, leaving the nightgown off for now. The shirt covered her up more, anyway.
Then she sat on her bed and looked out the window for a few moments, allowing herself just a few moments to panic about being here at all before Guerin returned.