Maxwell Lord lay on his back with his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. It was nearly 11am, but he still hadn't left his bed. The morning light was trying to force its way through the pulled curtains, but it was still cold and dim inside, especially as he was clad only in a pair of blue cotton boxer shorts and a thin grey t-shirt. The sheets were pulled up to his chest and they rustled as he stretched out a leg.
He'd been sleeping in a lot lately, something that he'd never done before. Laziness wasn't an attribute that he wanted to be associated with, but the last couple of weeks he'd found it harder and harder to get out of bed in the mornings. The longer he slept, he reasoned, the less he would have to find to do to fill in the day. This thought swirled through his mind, causing a frown to appear on his face. Why should he not want to do things? He was a genius and he had work to do at his lab, important work. He enjoyed his work. So why was he filled with this feeling of not being bothered to do it?
It was her. It had to be. Ever since Max had been released from his imprisonment at the DEO he'd felt like he'd forgotten something, like something was missing. At first he'd assumed that it was just the effects of having been taken out of his normal routine, out of society, for an extended period of time. Later he attributed it to his failure to mention his experiments with red Kryptonite, but that wasn't it either. It had only been in the last few days as he lay in bed, glaring at the ceiling hoping that it held some answers, had he realised why he felt so empty. It was Alex Danvers.
Max was an orphan. He had no family. He was rich, powerful and intelligent, charming when he wanted to be and rather handsome. Women clamoured for his attention at parties, men wanted to shake his hand. Despite his status, he had no real friends, no one he trusted. As he delved deeper into his lethargic melancholy, feeling slightly foolish, he acknowledged the years of loneliness that had built up. Loneliness was just one of those emotions that he had pushed aside continuously. You had to get used to it or it would suffocate you and he didn't have time to feel suffocated, he was busy changing the world. Until now. Until Alex Danvers had presented him with a problem – she didn't like him and he cared about that.
Max wouldn't bat an eyelid if some media mogul spurted negative comments about him in the newspapers. He would flash his cheeky smile and come up with a witty comment if someone criticised him in person. Lots of people didn't like him and he was fine with that, but this time it was different. Alex was clever. She was tough and brave and caring. And she impressed him which very few people managed to do.
Max rubbed his face with his hands, trying to wake himself up. He'd never noticed how boring it was, not knowing anyone who pushed you a bit. Everyone was so…dull. Except for her.
Eventually he dragged himself into the shower with the hope that the hot water would wash away his lethargy. Today, he was going to continue his research into magnetic levitation propulsion systems. He was going to change the way commuters everywhere viewed public transport. He was going to create a cleaner, greener, more efficient city. The schematics had been finalised weeks ago, but then he'd been taken prisoner by the DEO so the research had come to a grinding halt without his direction at Lord Technologies. Today, he was going to create something spectacular.
Spectacular, he thought, shrugging on a shirt. Spectacular to who? Years ago, early on in his career, he'd often wished that he could share his achievements with his long dead parents. It was a futile wish, one that he quickly abandoned, but the feeling remained that accomplishments didn't seem to mean much when you had no one to share them with. Alex won't care, he reminded himself firmly.
This had to stop. He was pining for recognition from a woman who wanted nothing to do with him. He hadn't exactly given her a reason to think better of him. Maybe if he offered his help next time the DEO were dealing with an alien threat, since there was always going to be a next time, she might soften her views.
Max sighed. All he wanted to do was go back to bed, close his eyes and not move for the rest of the day. It was easier to beat away the emptiness in his life when he was curled up and lost in his head.