Disclaimer: I don't own Dark Angel or any part of it.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: M/A
What a night!
So, you ready to hear this?
Okay so I know I really didn't have to go and save that ordinary, smelly as he was, he was still in the wrong place at the wrong time. I felt obligated, no that's not it, it felt like it was the right thing to do, you know? I think Max is making me into a better man, not without it's "perks" though.
So here I am lying out in an alley, where God knows what has gone through. Looking up into a rare Seattle clear night. Every star clear and in sight such a stark contrast of the blackness around them.
Yes, lying here shot in the ass gazing at the stars. At least I was in the right state of consciousness to roll over and get my face out of this crud-infested ground.
I grab the phone trying not to antagonize the pulsing pain from my rear end, at least they shot the left cheek, had it been the right itty-bitty pieces of cell phone would be lodged in my ass.
I press one for speed dial, she answers sounding irritated again with a "Yes?"
"Hey Maxie could you help a guy out?" I said
"What did you do now?" She sounds worried but indifferent. That doesn't make any sense; I think it's the blood loss.
"Got shot the usual" I deadpan
"WHAT? Where? You all right? Anyone see you? Why can't you do anything right?" I think she mumbles screw up but I couldn't make it out. She asks to many questions, for some reason she really does sound worried, at least she wont rip me a new one soon.
I tell her where I am and that I am going to try to meet her half way. She says no, I hear a slam of a door.
" I am headed out, hold on" with that I hear her ninja rev up and she hangs up
I am back to staring at the Seattle sky.
Earlier that day, late afternoon
I finally got all my packages delivered; ten all in all delivered under an hour just enough to head back home. (One reason I am happy for Manticore's special gifts), I just wanted to head back to my apartment and catch a few hours sleep. Max really needs to let up on the emergency Eyes Only missions she drags me along with. A genetically engineered soldier like me needs his beauty sleep, not that I needed to get any more attractive.
Maxie, Maxie the things you do to me.
So last night, we did the usual for Loggie boy, surveillance, catch the bad guy and kick some ass. Fun. No not really, because we had to wait about a gazillion hours in a closet waiting for a guard change. Yes, just like before. I really need to plan these things it saves more time. So I try to make small talk, didn't work, so I tried complaining to get her to say something, she tells me to shut it. Then when she finally talks she is complaining about why I complain too much. This girl seriously has some issues. So I just sit there.
Five seconds later
You know me though cant stay still or keep silent, so I start back up again, I get punched in the arm. Then she turns around pulls something out of her pocket. Now she's ignoring me. Then next thing I know.
"ARRRGH" she says, throwing something in the corner, a little white tube dances in the air and violently crashes into a pile of newspapers a foot next to her. It didn't go very far because there obviously wasn't any room in here to begin with.
I stifle a laugh. She turns around glaring at me.
"What?" She says.
" Maxie, I didn't realize they put pirate in your DNA." That's it I get punched in the gut. I do my own impression "ARRGH" or is it "ARRRRGH" got to have more R's in it.
Well after I had enough bruises for the night, the guards finally changed. She says let's go. I follow, but not before picking something up from the ground.
By the time I got home it was already morning. Then my phone rings, Normal wants me in early. Something about, I am the only reliable person left in the planet and he needs me. So I turn back around and head out the door. I changed first of course I got to look presentable.
Max of course a no show, till late that morning and guess who picked up the slack.
Well at least my shift is over and I didn't even run into her, my bruises still need time to heal, and I still needed my sleep!
One of theses days she is going to realize the world does not revolve around that pretty little head of hers. Yeah she does have a pretty face, nice lips, hair, nose, ears, and eyes generally everything is just nice. I would try and make a move but she will never let me. She had cyber man The" Great" Eyes Only to occupy her time.
Roller boy really needs a life, all that computer work you wonder if he has weathered away his fingers to stubs by now. Maybe all that sitting in front of the computer flattened his already pancake ass. Not that I was looking, it was just a thought. Well if only Max would notice my ass once in awhile, because God sure knows I notice hers.
With that thought I smiled the rest of my way home.
I am about three blocks away, my phone rings.
Damn, there go my plans.
"Go for Alec"
"Hey Alec, It's Mitch, I got the things ready for pick up"
"Took you long enough" I said.
"You know how it is nowadays" seeming irritated he replies." You still want it or not, wasting my time with shit like this?"
"Yeah, Meet you in a hour"
Well Mitch was in the other side of town, you know where the usual thugs, drug dealers and hustlers are. I do all my business there. I guess that was "bad" part of town. Whatever, nowadays there no distinction.
It will be dark by the time I get home, that's just great.
Okay got my business done with Mitch and it took longer than I expected, who would have known that there was so many versions of what I needed. So there I was staring at the smorgasbord of goodies in front of me and I couldn't pick one for my life, well I couldn't buy all of them because that was too obvious. I didn't want Mitch to get suspicious of me you know? Here I was happy with being able to pick one with out taking me the rest of my night, headed back home.
With my luck nothing ever goes my way.
I hear someone yelling, saying something about leave me alone and such, I couldn't really hear having the engine roaring in my ear. So I do a "smart" thing and stash my bike behind a dumpster to go check out what's going on. Curiosity killed the cat.
Well in my case curiosity got the cat shot in the ass.
So it turns out there is this smelly homeless guy with a bottle of whisky in his hand and some good for nothing thugs have the nerve to mess with the man for a damn half bottle of whisky. It is sad to see what this world has come too.
I did what anyone would do… right?
So you know I do my thing, being all cocky and all knowing giving my smart ass comments about them having nothing better to do and how my grandmother is scarier than them, (funny I never had a grandmother, nice thought though) pissing them off just to get the smelly guy out of harms way. So he got away, lucky for him, getting away no harm done and he got the bonus of keeping his whisky, I couldn't say the same for me.
A little scuffle you know the routine, I didn't even have to use much of my strength I wasn't in the mood.
I just wanted to get home and see what I got and revel at my ingenuity of obtaining it.
Then I guess I was being careless I didn't realize that one of the other guys I knocked out came too and pulled his gun, I heard the click and my reflex got the best of me, I blurred didn't even realize it hit me. I go a couple of blocks then rounded a corner and my leg does a weird wobble thing and I fall face first in the middle of this alley.
And here I was, in a dirty alley instead of in my bed asleep. I tried to move to sit up against the wall; I got tired of staring at the stars. Bad idea that was, I tried to shift my weight to my left side but couldn't ended up pressing on the injured ass cheek it was a very unpleasant sensation.
So I lay back down, stare at the stars, just waiting for Max.
I reach inside my jacket and thumb the object that had gotten me in this part of town in the first place. She better hurry.
Two minutes later.
Okay so there she is in my line of sight, pulling up and rounding the alley corner. Damn she looks hot, her hair all in the wind and stuff.
I could move to acknowledge her but nah didn't really feel like moving might make the pain worse. That's it I am officially a softy, the Manticore soldier is reduced to a whiney, pain stricken cat. Well, maybe a handsome, whiney, pain stricken cat, with gorgeous features and a body to die for. Yep that's it.
"Hey Maxie" I let out grinning from ear to ear, lifting my hands behind my head to rest on. She approaches.
"What the hell Alec! I thought you were shot, what are you doing lying in an alley?" She is looming over me with her hand on her hip. Yeah, she's hot when she's angry too.
"Well for your information I am shot and I am lying her because it hurts to move, besides there is a nice view you know?" her lips twitch, maybe from amusement or irritation, who knows.
"Get up!" she half yells.
"Cant" I reply
"What do you mean you cant?" she yells a little louder.
"Because I am shot and it hurts to move, I just told you" Yes, making her angry is making her very attractive at the same time.
That did it all right.
She stomps over and yanks me by the collar and propels me to stand.
Yep, that hurt like a bitch.
"Dammit MAX!" I yell, well at least I got my ass of the ground, but having to stand and flex a certain ass muscle hurt, damn that bullet probably lodged itself deeper.
"I don't see an entry wound" she's checking me, you know her little hands feeling around my shoulder, my chest and torso.
"Max, you might want to go lower" I reply wagging my eyebrows. I tried to use my sexy voice but it kind of came out as a thirteen year olds creaky voice. Maybe the pain messed with my sex appeal.
"Will you shut up!" she's so close I swear I saw her blush.
"Maxie seriously I wasn't shot anywhere there, go lower…. And well" I decided to just show her.
I turn around and point. Head cocked to the side looking at her.
Her reaction caught me off guard.
She looked at my ass, looked back at me and laughed. She laughed like I had never heard her laugh before. It was cute, she snorted too. All at the expense of my right ass cheek though.
"Your such a big baby" she let out in-between laughs.
"Max, babies don't get shot in the ass" I deadpan but some how I am laughing too.
"Come on, can you walk?" She asks, she moved to my side now lifting my arm to support me. With out letting me answer first.
"I can try" I barely let out, she fit perfectly under my arm.
So there I was some how I had gotten on her ninja. Now I was trying to balance my weight on one ass cheek, it's pretty difficult when the driver makes sharp turns; I almost fell off a couple of times. That just made me hold onto her tighter though, she didn't mind I think she was doing it on purpose.
We get to my apartment. She helps me off the bike and up the steps. With her under my arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.
No words since the alley though. I am embarrassed for some reason. I think she is too.
So she tells me to get on the couch and take my pants off. Like I have heard her say to me in my many sex dreams of her. Man, too bad it isn't in the same context.
I try to get them off but I cant, and she sees that so she just comes up next to me and undoes them for me. Yes, if only I wasn't shot in the ass, maybe I could make a comment about how I knew she wanted to get in my pants, but I just stay silent and watch her take care of me.
So I do as I am told and she hands me a towel. I am lying there on my stomach with my goods on display for her. Some reason I can't say a word. She digs to get the bullet out, bandages me up, still no words.
"All right all done" she breaks the silence.
I just nod a thank you. She hands me a clean pair of pants and turns away as I try to get them on. Why she does that makes no sense, she's already seen everything. This time I get it on myself.
"So what the hell were you doing that got you shot in the ass?" she asks trying to suppress a fit of laughter.
I try to adjust the way I am sitting, but it hurts so I lay back on my stomach. She maneuvers her way to the table by the couch. I am eye level with her knees.
"Just getting some business done" I reply.
"Liar" she says bending down to catch my eyes.
I just rub the tiredness from my eyes and squeeze the bridge of my nose. I am tired.
"What do you know about it?" I said, that's it I am in no mood for her rants on how I am a screw up. I put my head back down; trying to get the sleep I needed right now.
She asks if I am okay still hunched over, looking at me. So I turn and say " I am always Alright Maxie". Looking up at her. Man, but the way she's bent I can see down her shirt, nice view.
She caught me, barely taps me up side the head.
"You in trouble again Alec?" I fake snore as an answer.
Knowing Max, she wasn't done with me yet.
So she does the unimaginable, she kneels in front of my face, brushes the hair from my ears and says "by the way nice ass". She was getting even.
Okay now who's blushing, yeah I would have thought the blood loss would stop from staining my cheeks, no not the ass cheeks, my face. But no I blushed and she smiled.
"Well your all patched up, I'll tell Normal your not coming in tomorrow, give your ass a chance to recuperate." she says.
That's the like what, the third time she says "my ass". Well at least she finally got a look.
I said thanks. She stood up to leave and I stop her.
"Hey Max"
"Hmm?" she says while putting her jacket on. She is still in front of me just beyond the table.
I grab my jacket from the floor next to the couch and fiddle inside the pocket. Thank God it's still there.
" Here" I throw a white little tube in the air and she catches it.
I watch, as her eyes got big as she opened her hand.
"Where did you get this?" she said.
"Somewhere" I reply putting my head back down, I am sleepy.
I hear a pop, she opened it, and I hope she likes it.
I hear her come closer, yes, she kneeling by my head again. I open my eyes and she's looking at me all smiling. I smell the cherries on her lips, she's that close.
"You got shot for this?" she asks amused at the thought.
"No, Maxie, but I would have you know given a different circumstance" I reply.
"How did you know to get the right flavor?" she said she's looking at me I am looking at her with the same stupid smile on my lips.
"I saw the tube you threw away last night, it had no label, made it hard to choose. Called a couple people". I continued, " I didn't realize there were like fifty different kinds and brands.
She nods her head.
"So I thought, you always smelled like cherries, and I know you don't do lip gloss or lipstick, so I saw this Chap stick thing in a white tube, looked similar so I got that one, Is it the right kind?" I ask.
"Yeah" she says.
Then out of nowhere she leans in and kisses my cheek. She whispers a thank you in my ear. She stands up ready to leave. She left the cherry smell. That's enough for a guy like me.
"Get some sleep, Alec" she says half way out of the door. I oblige closing my eyes, I hear her close the door.
"Not bad for a nights work, huh?" I said
"Nope, Alec buy Max yummy lip stuff?" Joshua replies.
"Yeah big fella, I did" I can't believe he forgot about the, me getting shot and saving an ordinary.
"Thanks for the story Alec" Joshua says half asleep.
"No problem buddy". I reply
Max makes her entrance in the house, and sees Joshua asleep on the couch. She has a brown paper bag under her arm.
She reaches in and throws a beer towards me. I catch it and head for the kitchen. She follows, after kissing Joshua on the cheek.
She's in the kitchen hands on her hip and a beer in the other. Her lips still smelling like cherries. She's smiling. No secret Eyes Only mission for tonight, just a couple of beers and a movie.
Yeah, not bad for a night's work all right.