Title: One Second to Go
Rating: T, warnings for mild language and adult themes.
Summary: Max likes Alec. Naturally, this pisses her off.
Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel!
A/N: Just a bit of fun! Nothing too angsty for a change. Lyrics from Imogen Heap's The Walk.
"I feel a weakness coming on…"
OC knew it was bad the second she walked into the change room. All of the other female employees were huddled together, casting nervous glances over their bare shoulders as a loud, repetitive thunk sounded from the other side of the room. The girls threw on their clothes and exited quickly, leaving just OC and the bizarre, angry pounding.
"Boo?" OC said cautiously, rounding the set of lockers that kept her best friend out of view. Finally she could see Max, and OC had to resist the urge to take a step back. Max's face was flushed and the transgenic's eyes flashed furiously as she slammed her fist into the metal lockers. Each time her knuckles brushed the metal, they left a sizable dent. There were already so many depressions in the lockers that OC couldn't even count all of them.
Max made no move to answer, just continued pounding away at the poor, hapless metal.
"Boo," OC said again, more sternly this time.
Suddenly Max collapsed and buried her head in her hands, releasing a grotesque groan that should never, ever come from such a petite, gorgeous girl. For the first time, OC felt truly worried.
"What is it, Max?" OC asked, crouching down next to the distraught transgenic.
"It's—It's just—I can't even say it," Max said, her strangled voice echoing from low in her throat.
"Is it Logan?" OC asked, all sorts of scenarios rushing through her head at Max's inadequate explanation. "Is it that guy you got on yo' back—White? Is it Dog-boy? Max, what happened?"
"I…" Max began ineloquently, and then she swallowed audibly. "I saw Alec," she gasped, as if it were the most terrible sentence in the whole history of the English language.
OC frowned. Lord knew she had no interest in men, but seeing Alec wasn't exactly difficult on anybody's eyes. Or nose, for that matter—boy smelled good. Come to think of it, if there was any man OC would ever give up women for, it would probably be somebody like Alec. And if you slapped a long wig on him and put him in a dress, he'd probably—
"What he do, boo?" OC asked hurriedly.
"Nothing," Max moaned, and OC was getting more confused by the minute. "It's just—when I saw him, I got this feeling."
"Feeling?" OC repeated, eyebrows furrowing together. "You mean anger? Blinding hatred? Raw, animalistic rage?"
"No!" Max exclaimed, covering her face again. Her words were muffled as she said, "It was… I don't know. Warm, I guess. Happy. Oh, God, I felt happy. And this isn't the first time, either! I tried not to notice it—I worked so hard to pretend it didn't happen, but then he touched me—"
"Touched you?" OC asked, a smile starting at her lips. She thought she had an idea of what was bothering Max.
"Not anything—you know," Max corrected immediately, face still covered. "Just on the shoulder. It was simple. Nice. And my stomach, it did this thing. There was the warmth and the happiness, and then there was this… jittery feeling. Exciting."
"You got butterflies for yo' boy?" OC asked, breaking out into a grin now. Good thing Max's face was still covered.
"No!" Max denied vehemently, looking up at last. OC tried to hide her smile, but she wasn't quick enough. Max's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"You like him, Boo?" OC asked, cutting to the chase.
"Not even!" Max refused again, looking absolutely horrified by the idea. "Why would you think that?"
"Well, you in here raising Cain, freakin' everybody out, and then you tell me it's all 'cause you saw Alec and you got happy and he touched you and you got butterflies." A thought came to OC, one that hadn't occurred to her before. She sobered up and asked, "You're not in heat again, are you, boo?"
Max looked momentarily alarmed, but then she glanced around as if testing the waters. Although there were no men in sight, her test must have been conclusive. "No. That's a compulsion—an urge. This is just… just…."
"A crush?" OC filled in, the grin cracking her lips again. "Face it, you like him."
Max gave another pitiful moan and placed her face back in her hands. "My life is over."
"I don't see why," OC contradicted sagely. "Boo, ain't nothing wrong wit' Alec. Sure, he's arrogant and cocky and he tomcats all up and down Seattle—" OC ignored Max's yowl of protest—"But he's a good guy. He got yo' back, and you got things in common. And besides, he's damn pretty."
"What on earth do we have in common?" Max demanded, looking affronted.
OC rolled her eyes and held up her fingers, exaggeratedly counting off the traits. "You got secrets, he got secrets; you was made in a lab, he was made in a lab; you got stamina, he got stamina—"
"OC!" Max protested, her tanned cheeks flushing.
OC couldn't help it. She shook her head and laughed, sending her voluminous curls dancing. Max glared at her through the entire fit, but OC just couldn't stem the chuckles.
"Sorry, boo," OC apologized once she was done. She had never seen Max so worked up over something, well… normal. "It's just, a crush ain't the end of the world. You can act on it or you can keep quiet, but it don't mean the sky's gonna cave in."
"I just—I don't get it," Max confessed, looking so genuinely confused that OC really felt bad for her. Transgenics could disable enemies in little under a second and probably knew ten different types of martial arts, but they were just hopeless when it came to things like this. "It's… I mean, it's Alec. I never liked him before. I hated him."
"Sure 'bout that?" OC asked, her eyes narrowed. She had always had a feeling that Max wasn't as disgusted with Alec as she pretended. It all seemed a little too forced and staged to Cindy. "Listen, honey, it's not a bad thing."
Max gave her a look of absolute, total disbelief.
"I mean it," OC reiterated firmly. "You got Logan, and I know you feel tied to him. But boo, he can't even touch you, and you don't know when that'll change. And if it did, you don't even know where you stand."
"What are you trying to say?" Max asked, sounding almost teary.
"I'm sayin', don't be so completely blind that you miss something that could be good for you," OC explained patiently. "Logan's had your back, but that don't mean you got to go on repaying him for the rest of yo' life."
Max looked dubious. "Okay, fine, but Alec?"
"Touché," OC said after a moment of consideration. "Maybe you ain't lookin' fo' love right now, though. Maybe you just need somebody to scratch that itch. You loyal to Logan, so I'm guessin' you ain't been touched in a while?"
Max's flush deepened, if that was even possible. She didn't respond, but OC didn't really need her to. "Alec could be what you need, Max."
A few more girls walked in, and Max scrambled to her feet. She looked supremely embarrassed as she hurried to the exit.
"Whatever," the transgenic said, trying and failing to achieve an airy tone. "I'll see you later."
OC nodded thoughtfully, watching Max flee like hell hounds were nipping at her heels. That girl had more problems than OC could count, and not all of them revolved around her perfect genes. The more OC thought about it, the more she knew she was right. Alec could be good for Max, if only to show her there was someone else as royally screwed up as herself.
"And if you are lookin' fo' love," OC pondered under her breath. "You might find that too."
"It's not meant to be like this,
Not what I planned at all,
I don't want to feel like this,
So that makes it all your fault."
"Maxie!"
Max tensed and whirled around, glaring at Alec as he loped toward her. Even now her heart picked up its pace and her palms started to tingle, and she wondered with horror if they would sweat. Her palms, that was, not her heart.
"I told you not to call me that!" Max snapped, more harshly than necessary. He shrugged and slung an arm over her shoulders, and Max went rigid.
"Max, tell my buddy Sketchy that motorcycles would be a better way to deliver packages than regular old bikes."
Max's tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth, so she didn't say anything. After an awkward moment, Sketchy spoke up.
"Don't care what you guys say, dude. I wrecked one of those a few years ago, and it laid me up for a month. Some guys just weren't meant to ride a motorcycle."
"You agree with me though, don't you, Max?" he looked toward her, and she realized that he was frighteningly close. She watched his mouth as he absently licked his lips, and her blood surged hot and thick through her veins. She shook his arm off and glared.
"I don't have time for stupid shit like this," Max groused, pulling her helmet onto her head and latching it with unnecessary force. The clasp broke in her palm, and she tossed the plastic to the ground in disgust.
"Whoa," Alec said, sounding a little surprised. "Who put extra attitude in your coffee this morning?"
"I don't drink coffee," Max retorted, and then flushed when she realized how stupid that sounded. Alec grinned at her, one of those long, slow grins, and her heart turned over in her chest.
"Why do you always have to bother me?" she demanded, praying she didn't sound strangled. "God, can't you find something better to do with your life?"
She saw something flash in his eyes, and his expression shifted minutely. If she had to put a name on the look, she'd call it concealed bafflement. "Just trying to have a conversation, Max."
Hurt trickled through the stone in his expression. His green eyes looked reproachful, his soft mouth tilted down ever-so-slightly, and his jaw—
Max whirled away from him and marched toward the bikes. "I don't want to talk to you," Max said over her shoulder, and then couldn't resist glancing back.
The bewilderment was close up on his face now, and he shook his head helplessly at Sketchy. Sketchy shook his head in response, and Max forced herself to stop paying attention.
She grabbed her bicycle and walked toward the exit, realizing as she went that OC was standing near the door.
"Boo," OC said, half sympathetic and half reproachful.
"Not a word," Max snapped, and then she hopped on her bike and peddled swiftly out of the warehouse.
"Stop that now, you're as close as it gets without touching me.
Oh, don't make it harder than it already is,
I feel a weakness coming on."
Max glared sourly at the blonde who had herself plastered all over Alec. The girl was commonly beautiful, with wide blue eyes overdone in black mascara and boobs that could have doubled for flotation devices. Alec lapped up the attention, his green eyes dancing and his body language laidback and carefree.
Max downed the rest of her beer, grimacing at the bitter, flat taste. She hated the images that she and Alec were both presenting at the moment. Him mooning over vapid attention and her skulking in the corner like a jealous beast.
God, but she was jealous. It oozed through her veins and filled her insides until all she wanted to do was rip the pretty little blonde's hair out of her scalp. Her fingers itched to surround the peroxide-stained locks. Instead, Max forced herself to grab the pitcher and refill her cup. The beer fizzed unappealingly.
Distraction appeared in the form of OC, who walked up to Max's table.
"I'm 'bout to go," OC said, gesturing to an attractive woman over her shoulder. "You a'ight, girl?"
Max nodded grudgingly. Not for the first time, Max wished she were a lesbian. Things would be so much easier that way. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Mhm," OC said, following Max's gaze to Alec. "You could just go talk to him, y'know. Yo' boy's been desperate for a shot at you since he met you."
"What?!" Max asked disbelievingly, though the jealous part of her rejoiced at the idea. "Has not."
"Whatever, boo," OC said, shaking her head as if Max was a hopeless case. "Just ask yo'self something before you ruin his night. Is it really going to make you happier if he hates you?"
Then OC left, leaving Max to ponder her question in silence. Would it make her happier? Part of her thought so, because at least she would be… safe. As long as he hated her and thought she hated him, nothing could happen. Her little "crush" could evaporate into thin air like it had never existed in the first place.
Blondie placed a smacking kiss on Alec's cheek, and Max saw red. She started marching over to the pair before she even had a clue what she was doing. Her body and her mind had been working on two separate levels all day. Her mind screamed, "Shut the hell up and walk away," but her body wasn't having any part of it.
Her gaze was furious and her walk purposeful, at least until Alec unexpectedly looked up at her. She halted in her tracks and returned his stare, watching how his eyes switched from amused to uncertain to wary.
She realized what she was doing and whipped around, hurrying toward the exit with blood filling her cheeks. She felt stupid and foolish—and worse than that, she felt out of control.
"Max!" she heard behind her, but she only picked up her pace. He didn't catch her until she had made it outside. He grabbed her arm, and she whirled around and pulled out of his reach.
"What?" she demanded, hot and furious. She met his gaze fiercely.
"What's the matter with you?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Nothing, alright?" she snapped, turning again. "Just leave me alone."
He didn't pull her back this time, but he did dog her heels. "In case you didn't notice, I haven't bothered you all night. I haven't talked to you since you bit my head off at work."
He must have gotten frustrated with talking to her retreating back, because his hand circled her arm and pulled her to face him again. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, and for a moment she couldn't say anything.
"What have I done?" he asked, sounding both angry and resigned. "You used to be a bitch to me, and I know I deserved it. But I've been doing everything you asked for weeks! Watching out for Joshua, going on Eyes Only missions—what the hell could I possibly have done to piss you off this time? Please tell me, Max."
His voice had risen throughout his speech, his chest rising and falling harshly with each breath. His eyes sparked dangerously, and his mouth and jaw were both tense and set. She could feel the heat from his body as it chased away the cold surrounding her.
Every single feeling she had been suppressing since her realization that morning leapt from her, and suddenly her arms were around his neck and her lips crashed down on his.
If she had been in her right mind, she may have expected shock or uncertainty from Alec. Instead, he reacted without a moment's hesitation. His arms wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against him, and then his hand slid up her back to land at the base of her neck. He kissed her passionately, fiercely, and suddenly she had no control over the exchange despite starting it.
It felt wonderful, better than she could have imagined—and so nice to let go. For a moment she just reacted, allowing herself to return his kisses with equal fervor and abandon.
Then reality crashed back in, and she gasped and pulled away from him. He stared at her through hooded eyes, his green eyes nearly dilated black. His hair was mussed—she must have run her fingers through it—and his lips were red and wet. He deliberately reached for her again, and she backed away.
Covering her mouth with her hand, Max took off at a run, leaving Alec staring after her.
"Big trouble, losing control,
Primary resistance at a critical low,
On the double, got to get a hold,
Point of no return, one second to go."
She returned to her blissfully empty apartment and collapsed on the sofa with a groan. She buried her face in her hands, but she resisted the urge to cry. She wouldn't give this situation so much power over.
She looked up after awhile and stared out of the window, thinking about what she was going to do now. She hadn't been keeping her feelings all that secret in the first place, but now she had as good as handed them to Alec on a platter. He knew exactly what was bothering her—she cringed at the thought—and she imagined he was congratulating himself even as she sat here, agonizing over her actions.
But that kiss… she shivered as she imagined the feel of his hands, his lips, his—
A knock on the door interrupted her dangerous thoughts, and Max jumped in surprise. She stood and walked cautiously to the door, as if she expected a bomb to be ticking on the other side. She opened it, somehow unsurprised to find Alec at her doorstep.
She slammed the door shut again. There was a moment of silence, and then he laid his shoulder into it—she heard the horrifying sound of wood cracking under pressure.
"Fine!" She shrieked, opening the door before he could do more damage to it. "What now?"
His face was dark and shadowed, his eyes impossible to read. "'What now'?" he repeated, stepping into her apartment despite the fact that she had never invited him inside. "This is the part where I tell you you're a psycho, Max."
Her hands moved to her hips and her face adopted an offended expression. "You came all the way down here to insult me?"
"I chased you down here because you ran off like you always do," Alec corrected, his voice harsh. "What are you so damn afraid of, Max?"
"Who said I was afraid of anything?" Max asked defiantly, but she took a step back when he took one forward.
"You want me," Alec said clearly, and heat flooded Max's face. Her heart stuttered, and she looked anywhere but at him. "That's why you've been acting so weird, right? You want me, and you can't handle it."
"I…" she began, but the words stuck in her throat. She turned away from him, and then jumped when she felt a surprising touch on her back.
"Why is it such a bad thing?" he asked quietly, standing too close to her. She leapt away from him.
"Why's it bad?" Max repeated incredulously, knowing she couldn't deny it. "Because… because it's not supposed to be like this! I'm not supposed to want you! And God, if I let myself—it wouldn't even matter to you. Just another notch, right?"
His eyes darkened even further if it was possible, and he took a slow step toward her. There was something predatory in the way he moved, and her body reacted instinctively. She swallowed hard.
"I never said it wouldn't matter," Alec denied.
"Oh, what then?" Max scoffed, real scorn toughening her voice. "I'm special? A 'beautiful creature unlike any other'?"
"I wouldn't—" he stopped and his expression flattened, tension thrumming through him. "You're forgetting that I'm not the one with the problem. You started all of this. I was fine with everything the way it was."
Yo' boy's been desperate for a shot at you since he met you. OC's words echoed back into her mind, and they gave her the confidence to say, "Were you really, Alec? Or are you just better at hiding it than I am?"
Surprise blanketed his face for a moment, and then the tension left him in a long, slow exhale. "What do you want from me?"
She was shocked by his sudden, inexplicable question. She had expected him to be pushy or assertive--possibly even aggressive--but not confused and weary. She stared at him without answering.
"I mean it, Max," he said when she didn't speak. "Do you want a friend? A punching bag? A lover? Some combination of the three? What exactly do you want me to be?"
She felt the honesty in his questions, so she answered with truth of her own. "I don't know."
His expression hardened. "Yeah, well. Call me when you find out."
Then he walked out the door.
"No response on any level, red alert, this vessel's under siege,
Total overload, all system's down, they've got control,
There's no way out, we are surrounded,
Give in, give in and relish every minute of it."
Max hadn't seen Alec in a week. They had avoided each other at work, and she had made an effort to stay away from his usual haunts. The tension thrummed through her as she marched to his apartment, a powerful sense of purpose in her gait. She breathed in the cool air and broke into a run, enjoying the pace and feel of it.
She wasn't even sweating by the time she reached Alec's apartment, and the jog had only excited her further, sending her nerves jittering and shaking. She bound up the stairway and made it to his door, knocking lightly. She waited a moment and then knocked again impatiently.
"What?" Alec asked automatically as he opened the door, and then he stilled when he saw her on his doorstep. His smile slipped off his face as he stared at her. "Oh, hey, Max."
She grinned at him, using the same easy smile he always used to get to her heart, whether he knew it or not. He stared at her, looking cautious but intrigued.
"Can I come in?" she asked politely, gesturing to the apartment behind him.
"Alright," Alec said after a moment, walking through the door and leaving it open for her. She walked into the living room, looking idly around.
"Max?"
"Yeah?"
"What the hell are you doing here?"
She smiled again at his blunt tone, turning toward him. "There's something I have to do."
He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?"
She nodded and walked toward him, and his eyes tracked her every movement. Slowly, intently, Max stood on her tip-toes and leaned up against him. He breathed in sharply, still watching her like he thought she might disappear. She kissed him, twining her hands around his neck and slipping her fingers through his hair. His arms swallowed her again and his hands crept under her shirt, his fingernails lightly raking against the small of her back.
She gasped and held tighter, and he released her mouth to shower kisses along her jaw, down her neck and to her collarbone. He pulled off her jacket and slipped the sleeve of her tank-top off of her shoulders, baring more skin.
Then he broke off suddenly, and she mourned the loss of his attentions.
"Are you in heat?"
"No." She answered shortly, nipping at his jaw and sliding her hands under the hem of his t-shirt. She ran her fingers over his firm, ridged stomach, moving up to circle his nipple and relishing in the way his breath hitched. He let her pull the shirt up over his head, and she took in the sight of him appreciatively.
"Are you Sam?"
She blinked and looked up at him, glaring. "No."
"Sorry," he said immediately, letting go of her and raising his hands in a surrendering gesture. She playfully kissed his fingers. "I wouldn't want her anyway—Sam, I mean. She's hot, but she's not—"
Max finally started paying attention, since this seemed important. "She's not what? Me?"
Unbelievably, Alec flushed. "Well—I mean—"
"You want me," Max said seductively, leaning up to bite his lower lip. He groaned in response. "What's the matter, Alec, can't handle it?"
He growled and wrapped his arm around her again, pulling her flush against him. Her body reacted, and her eyes fluttered closed.
"Can't handle it my ass," Alec groused against her shoulder, where he alternatively kissed and nipped her skin. He pulled her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her hands were sure and confident as he skimmed them over her body.
"S—orry," Max murmured, a gasp interrupting her speech. "God, Alec…"
He pulled back again and let her slid to her feet, and she glared fiercely in response. "You've got 10 seconds," he warned severely, his voice darker and deeper than she'd heard before. His eyes were black. "And then I won't give a damn what's causing this—I'm not stopping it."
She grinned. "I bet I can make it less."
10…
She slid her hands up his back, raking her nails over the sensitive spots as she went.
9…
She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling lightly on the soft strands and tilting his head back to expose his neck. She trailed her tongue along the the line of his jaw and then down to the sensitive spot on his neck.
8…
She leaned back to pull her shirt over her head, revealing smooth, tan skin and not trace of a bra.
7…
She reached up and wrapped herself around him again, whimpering at the contact of their bare chests.
"One," Alec growled, his fingers digging into the skin of her back as he pulled her hard into him. She arched her back in response, and his eyes rolled back into his head.
"Do you want to know what I decided?" she asked just to tease him.
He looked at her through hazy eyes. "What's that?"
She leaned down and kissed him slowly. "I decided I want all three."
"It's definitely all your fault."
A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are lovely.