Rub You Right
Not for the first time did Logan wish that Max had simply let Alec's head explode. Of course she hadn't, even then when she hated him she couldn't let him go.
Logan stood in the entrance of Jam Pony watching Alec tease Max. Before, Logan would have seen this as normal Max and Alec behavior; they just rubbed each other the wrong way. Watching now, Logan was forced to admit that maybe the problem had never been that they rubbed each other the wrong way but quite the opposite. For the first time Logan saw what his eyes refused to let him see, what Zack of all people had seen immediately.
Zack, the brother who held more than brotherly feelings for Max, had needed no more than one evening with Max and Alec at Crash to see what Logan hadn't wanted to see.
Logan stood unnoticed by anyone as he watched Alec hold a package out of Max's reach. She pushed up against him and stood on her toes in an attempt to add the much needed extra height but Alec didn't relent, he held the package back slightly. Max pushed harder against him and his hand came round to encircle her waist to hold them both steady.
Logan gritted his teeth and took a step forward but stopped when a laughing Alec lowered his head so his lips were just millimeters away from Max's. He murmured something and closed the gap between them. Max's angry retort was swallowed by his kiss, his laughter not deterring him from tasting her.
Even when Max shoved him away, Logan was able to really see her, see that she didn't hate him for kissing her as much as she thought. Alec never stopped laughing even when Max hit him upside the head. She grabbed the package from his now lowered hand and breezed passed him. Still laughing Alec turned to follow her, closing the gap between them so he was pressed against her back. He placed his hands on her hips and murmured something in to her ear. Max slowed her pace and closed her eyes.
She never even noticed Logan standing there.
No, the problem wasn't that they always rubbed each other the wrong way it was that even when they first met back at Manticore, they knew how to rub each other just the right way.