In the wake of GH's continuous Sexislessness, I decided to write a series of one-shots, each centering on some kind of Sexis kiss. Hence, the title.

Basically, it's just a bunch of random what-ifs in my pining away for Sexis.

Set in real-time. Some one-shots will also feature SamLexis.

Hope you like it.

No SamLexis in this one.


Tears Dry On Their Own pt.1

The midday sunlight seeped through the newly installed blinds of the D.A.'s office. The sprinkled rays created an unfamiliar pattern of shade and light on the carpeting, but Alexis hadn't noticed. Seated at her desk, she was absentmindedly eating her take-out chicken salad, consumed by the stacks of paperwork requiring her attention before the weekend began.

Seven down, Alexis noted mentally as she placed a folder onto the stack of papers to her right. She sighed at the sight of the towering pile to her left. And still ten more to go.

Alexis' thoughts of work were interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. Looking at the caller ID, Alexis sighed again. Please don't be a pain in the ass today, she implored silently as she pressed the answer button.

"Yes, Sonny?" She knew the weariness in her voice was evident.

"Hi, Alexis," Sonny replied sweetly. Too sweetly.

There was a brief pause.

"I'm busy. What do you want?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" She made no effort to hide her impatience; she didn't have time for games.

"Could you meet me at the south end of the Metro Court parking lot in an hour?"

Alexis didn't respond.

"Please?"

"Sonny, it's Friday; I'm tired; I just want to go home. Can't this wait until tomorrow or next week?"

"No, Alexis, it can't. I just need you for fifteen minutes. This is important; I promise."

Alexis sensed the urgency in his voice.

"Fine, but fifteen minutes–-that's it!" Alexis warned.

"You have my word. I have a meeting afterwards, anyway."

"Metro Court parking lot in an hour?"

"Right," Sonny confirmed as the line went dead.


An hour later, Sonny was patiently waiting at the parking lot dressed in his trademark black suit. Alexis was running late, but he didn't mind. Juggling two full-time jobs as the town's district attorney and a single mother of two young children had to be hard—even for a woman like Alexis.

Sonny's mind wandered back to that morning. After waking up, he'd taken a quick shower and gulped down some breakfast. Then he'd gone to see his girl.

Kristina. His lips curled into a smile as he thought about his daughter. She was such an adorable little girl—so innocent and trusting, so unaware of his flaws. She didn't care who or what he was: she just loved her daddy.

As a swiftly-moving figure approached, Sonny's mind refocused to the present.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Alexis managed to say through heavy irregular breaths as her stiletto-clad feet finally reached their destination.

"That's okay," Sonny replied good-naturedly.

A moment of silence followed as Sonny waited for Alexis to catch her breath.

"Okay, what's up?" Alexis met his eyes readily.

"I just needed to give you this." He handed her a large manila envelope.

Opening it, she pulled out a stack of papers. "What is it?"

"It's a legal contract—a power of attorney. It gives you the right to make any decisions concerning Kristina by yourself."

"Okay …" Alexis responded cautiously.

Sonny took a deep breath. The words to follow had been well thought out and carefully rehearsed—he couldn't risk a misinterpretation.

"Despite our differences—and whatever you may think that I think of our situation—I trust you, Alexis, and I know that you will always have Kristina's best interests at heart. That's why I had this power of attorney drawn up."

"Why don't you just terminate your parental rights?"

Sonny sighed. He knew hoping for gracious acceptance would be too much to ask from Alexis. But then again, he hardly valued Alexis for her graciousness.

"Because I think that it's hard enough for Kristina not growing up with a full-time father. I can't be there to take her to baseball games, watch her school plays, or tuck her in every night. She's also had to witness our tug of war, being friends one minute and then hating—"

"I always made sure that she was as minimally impacted by our issues as possible! You know that."

"I know, Alexis, and I'm not blaming you. It's both our faults," he said calmly. "My point is that kids are not stupid. Kristina can sense things, and one thing she will never be able to do as an adult is look back on her childhood and remember her mom and dad, and her sister, and a house with a picket fence. She will never have that because we never gave it to her. Yes, she will remember having two loving parents—we've both tried to outdo each other in that department."

Sonny gave her a small smile, remembering the many times he and Alexis had competed for their daughter's affection. As if her love could be bought. But Kristina had certainly enjoyed being spoiled.

Alexis' reluctant smile told him she knew what he meant.

Sonny continued, "What I'm trying to say is that Kristina can sense the animosity between us when it's there. I still remember the tense atmosphere that I grew up in, that existed even before Deke started hitting me and my mother."

Sonny hesitated. Even now, thinking about Deke caused him pain. Sonny may have faced the memories of his childhood, but the scars still hurt.

He felt a hand squeeze his arm. He blinked, and his eyes locked with Alexis'. She understood.

"I know that you know, Alexis. And that is why I trust you. Trusting you has nothing to do with me not wanting to give up Kristina. Not only do I trust you with our daughter, but I trust you implicitly."

He let the words sink in.

Surprisingly, Alexis accepted his statement at face-value. Although her countenance had registered surprise at his revelation, there was no verbal response.

Sonny continued, "I just think that the circumstances of Kristina's life are hard enough without the additional trauma of an addendum on her birth certificate saying that her father gave her up at the age of eight."

"I would never let her think that. What happened to you trusting me?"

"I know you wouldn't, but if I sign her away for good, I will always be the father who abandoned her. On paper it's all black and white; there's no room for grey."

Alexis sighed. "And we're all about grey."

"Even when we try not to be."

A brief pause followed, but it was a comforting one.

"So basically, you're giving me a free hand in Kristina's upbringing?"

Sonny knew the lawyer in Alexis was still hesitant.

"Like I said, I trust you, Alexis. There's no catch. I trust you because when it really matters, you let your heart win."

Alexis opened her mouth to protest, but before a torrent of accusations could leave her throat, Sonny gently placed his index finger on her lips to quiet her.

"There is nothing you can say to make me believe otherwise, because I know you. And I will say it again: when it really matters, you let your heart win. If you didn't, Kristina would not exist."

Sonny knew his example was full proof, and Alexis' silence only confirmed what he already knew: Kristina had been conceived in love. It was debatable when that love had begun, and when—or if—it had ended. It was unknown to what extent and for how long that love had affected the choices they had made. But one thing was certain: it was love that had joined them that night, and whatever they said or did afterwards could never alter that fact.

"Anyway, as a token of my trust, I petitioned for Kristina's passport and signed the request without dating it—in case you ever need to get one."

"Oh." Alexis was speechless. Another point for Sonny.

"Well, I know you're busy, so I better get going."

"Oh. Okay." She seemed a little flustered. "Thank you, Sonny—for this." She indicated to the envelope, as she put it in her briefcase.

"Always put Kristina first—that's what we agreed." Sonny was reluctant to take credit for making sure his daughter didn't meet the fate of her older brother; his guilt did not allow him to feel worthy of her gratitude. His eyes misted at the thought of Michael bound to a hospital bed; it was an image that he knew would haunt him for a long time to come.

"We did, but still—thank you." Alexis gave him a genuine smile.

"It was time," was all Sonny managed to say, as water continued to fill his eyes.

Alexis extended her hand out to him. He took her hand, clutching it tightly between his own. Holding his gaze, her other hand gently brushed the back of his before her palm enveloped his pronounced knuckles. Only then, in the refuge of Alexis' compassion, did a tear trickle down Sonny's cheek. Unwilling to let go of her, he made no effort to wipe it away. Another tear dropped.

Alexis leaned towards him and placed two soft, almost imperceptible, kisses on the trails of his tears. Her eyes locked with his once again, and she smiled.

The edges of Sonny's mouth curled in return. With just a look of warmth and a gentle touch, she had relieved some of his burden. His grip on her hand softened, and her left hand tenderly traced the bones of his strong hands.

When the unshed tears had dried, Sonny squeezed Alexis' hand once again. She squeezed back. Their hands slowly released each other: it was time to let go.

She cleared her throat. "I guess I should be getting back to the office."

"Don't work too hard." He smiled and winked. "After all, tomorrow is another day."

Sonny slowly leaned in to give her a peck on the cheek. As she inhaled, his eyes caught her lips parting. Drawn to her inviting mouth, his lips gently landed onto hers. He leisurely trailed small kisses along the contours of her mouth. She didn't pull away, and her lack of rejection encouraged him. Unhurriedly, he teased her lower lip with his tongue. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin and sucked on it tenderly.

She traced his upper lip with the tip of her tongue, playfully reciprocating the kiss. Sonny's hand instantly found its way to the back of her head—he had to feel her mouth if only once more. She responded with equal passion; his mouth welcomed her tongue as her arms snaked around his torso, pulling his body closer. Her hands eagerly roamed his body, while his fingers got lost in her made-up hair.

After she retreated into her own mouth, he followed. Bodies flush against each other, their tongues played hide and seek for a seemingly endless moment. It was a moment that knew no past, present, or future; it was merely two individuals desiring to become one.

. . .

Suddenly, Sonny felt his body respond to her. As unexpectedly as he had initiated the kiss, he pulled away from her.

"I have to go," he muttered as he turned and hurried to his car.

He silently scolded himself for getting so wrapped up in her, yet he couldn't help but smile, as he brought his fingers to his lips: she had felt exactly as he had remembered. He wished with all his might that he could have just stayed at that parking lot, kissing Alexis forever.

As he opened the door of his car, he heard her yell after him, "You can't just kiss me and walk away, Sonny Corinthos!"

He couldn't turn around for fear that she might follow. He sat in the driver's seat, checking the rearview mirror: Alexis stood exactly where he'd left her.

Sonny smiled to himself. He loved Alexis Davis. Then he slammed the car door shut.

BOOM!!

Alexis' eyes suddenly registered fire, as loud explosive sounds deafened her ears. Her arms instinctively shielded her face, and adrenalin caused her legs to run for cover.

More blasts ensued, accompanied with thuds and clatter. The ground beneath Alexis' crouched body vibrated with the explosions.

It wasn't until the clangs of metal had ceased that she dared to open her eyes. Bracing herself, she leaned on the car she had hidden behind and took a deep breath. Her palms moved along the side of the olive-green vehicle, as she cautiously retraced her last steps.

Engulfed in fire, a mass of random automobile fragments was in the place where Sonny's car had been only moments earlier. Grayish-brown smoke billowed from the pile, as the smell of singed flesh reached Alexis' nose.

Had Sonny's car just exploded?

It couldn't be.

"No," she said, as she shook her head. "It's not possible." Her head moved violently from side to side; she kept repeating, "No. No. No."

She felt her breathing becoming shallow, and she gasped for air, steadying herself against another car.

Alexis brushed her fingertips over her lips.

Yes, it had been real.

All of it.

Sonny was dead.

. . .

Once the thought registered, Alexis switched to survival mode. Locating her briefcase, she quickly fumbled through it until she found her cell phone. She dialed 911 and gave the operator the necessary information.

After hanging up, Alexis looked down at herself. Her visually intact body only confirmed what her other senses had told her: she was fine. Her suit was soiled with dust and random particles, and her once-transparent pantyhose were a dark shade of grey, adorned with a few tiny fragments of metal. But she was fine.

A commotion of voices in the distance made Alexis look up, but her eyes were again drawn to the destruction before her.

She carefully approached the fuming rubble of what had once been a black Mercedes Benz. The car seemed to have exploded into a million different bits. The mounting smoke made her cough and obscured her line of sight. She couldn't make out the hood, the car doors, or the trunk, but she saw the blood. Lots and lots of blood. Painted on seemingly every piece of debris. Sonny's blood.

It couldn't be. Sonny couldn't be dead. Sonny was the man with nine lives. He never died.

He'd just gotten out of the mob. He'd just given her the power of attorney. He was trying to change. Things were supposed to be getting better, not worse.

Oblivious to the large group of people that had gathered, Alexis' legs gave out from under her as she fell to her knees, crumbling to the floor like a paper doll. Sonny had been the tin soldier. He couldn't die. He just couldn't.

Slumped in front of the wreckage of Sonny's life, the fire blazed before her eyes. Alexis didn't have the strength to stand up. Her smoke-stung eyes stared coldly into the flames, her breathing shallow and faint. Silent and motionless she remained until the ambulance arrived.