Stronger Than Pride - Chapter 1
Tonight was Thursday and Thursday nights in the Morgan household were reserved for date night. This was mostly at Alexis's request. She decided that although she and Jason both admitted they were in love, which terrified her, they needed to get to know each other better.
In her head, she practiced all the arguments for reserving a night for themselves, without the kids. Although they had known each other for more than 10 years, they had been at odds for large chunks of that time. Even during their friendly spells, they were never intimate friends, not friends who discussed hopes and dreams, not friends like she and Sonny. She shook her last thought from her mind.
When she approached Jason initially about scheduling a date night, she expected him to object. But he simply looked at her with his baby blues and asked, "Would that you make you happy?"
She nodded, to which he replied, "Okay. Kristina has piano on Tuesdays and Molly has swimming on Wednesdays; how do Thursdays work for you?"
"F, Fine." She stammered, a bit in shock at the ease with which he agreed. Who would have ever thought being married to Jason Morgan would be as easy as being married to Jax, except now she had the additional perks of love and sex. "Do you know how much I enjoy being married to you?" She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, enjoying the feel of his muscular back.
He turned to face her, seriousness etched on his brow. "Whatever happens, I love you."
Before long, date night became a regular event in their home. The rules were simple: Each person took turns planning the special evening and the other went along without any complaints. She nearly broke the rules when he took her to see the NY Giants game when the temperature was a "balmy" 38 degrees. She could tell he wanted to complain when she got them third row seating for the ballet.
Six months into their marriage, date night was still going strong. Tonight had been Jason's night to plan their date. To her surprise and dismay, they'd landed at Port Charles's new ice skating rink. Having grown up in Greece, she spent more time on the beach than the ice. Even as a teenager in New England, she'd been a bit of a loner and she hadn't skated then either.
Within seconds on the ice, her feet separated into different directions. Jason offered to help her, but something inside her really wanted to impress him with how capable she was. So, she pulled away, nearly stumbling. "I can do this on my own, Jason." She continued to stumble across the rink.
She became even more determined when she thought she heard him chuckle. Her confidence increased as she felt herself steady on her feet. Just as she turned to smile at him, something went terribly awry. Her feet developed their own minds and she began to careen out of control.
Soon, she could feel him behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt his lips at the soft part of her neck, just below her ear. "See, its okay to let someone help you sometimes."
She chuckled. "It even feels pretty good sometimes. Too bad, I've never been able to trust it." She immediately regretted dragging old baggage into their evening out.
"Until now." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
After a couple of hours, they found themselves at a cozy little coffee shop; one not previously owned by Jason and a certain Sonny Corinthos. Near the center there was a fireplace with a glowing fire, surrounded by two comfortable sofas.
Alexis plopped herself on one of the sofas as she waited for Jason to bring the hot cider she'd requested. In her mind, she replayed the last four months. Though initially for convenience, their marriage had been steady, an equal balance of passion and caring.
Jason was so different than the other men she had been with. He was quiet, not generally from anger or moodiness, but typically from introspection. Never had he made a promise he hadn't kept; for if he thought he couldn't keep a promise, he simply wouldn't make it. If he had a shortcoming, it was his bluntness. He never spoke in flowery terms. And if she should happen to ask him if something made her look fat, he might actually tell her, "yes." But it was his honesty that had allowed her to begin to trust him and men in general again.
"Hey, what are you thinking about?" He handed her a cup of cider before he slid on the sofa beside her.
"You." Her hand teased a lock of his dirty blonde hair and she placed a kiss at his temple.
His arm slipped behind her waist as she snuggled into his shoulder. She wondered why she felt safest with Jason and the other dangerous men she loved. One thing was certain: it had nothing to do with her ability to see Max nearby. If anything, Max made her more uncomfortable because his presence brought her face to face with the reality that Jason had increased security since his hospital stay. No, she suspected it had to do with knowing Jason was willing to give his life for her, a trait possessed by only one other person: Sonny. As a Cassadine she was much more familiar with the exhibited willingness to sacrifice a life than the demonstrated desire to save one. It was this character trait that had drawn her to both Sonny and Jason. And though these two men represented many things she was once determined to despise, she loved them in ways she never thought possible, both differently and somehow the same.
"I was thinking." He began with his soft rasp of a voice she now adored. "We should go on a honeymoon."
"Feels like everyday is a honeymoon, Tiger." She loved teasing him with her private nickname for him.
"Then why don't I get to see you in a bikini?" He chuckled at the knowledge that he was only-half joking. "Seriously, Lex, I want to take you away somewhere. I want us to go away: you, me and the girls without sharing them with their fathers every other weekend." His brow creased as it did whenever he became serious.
"Where would you like to go?" She was terrified he would suggest Sonny's villa or one of his casinos in Puerto Rico.
"How about the Amalfi Coast?"
"Italy?" Once again, he'd managed to surprise her.
"Yeah, I've been reading a book about Italy to Molly when she can't sleep. It sounds beautiful."
For this answer, he was rewarded with a tender kiss. "Right now, you could take me to Siberia. When do you want to leave?"
"Soon. I don't want to keep you away from your new job too long."
She pushed herself up on her elbows to face him. "What are you talking about?"
He shot a deep breath from his mouth in a way that made him seem uncharacteristically uncertain about what he was going to say. "If you still want to, I think you should go work for Sonny. What do you think?"
Without a pause she responded, "I think you've lost your mind."