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A Max/Alec fic.
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Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Dark Angel. I'm not that awesome.
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A/N: Well, I just couldn't resist another one.
This one takes place during "Borrowed Time", with a few little tweaks and additions to make it a Max/Alec fest.
I hope you guys like it, I know I'll love writing it.
As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!
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"We're living on borrowed time," Alec professed. "And if you don't put your heart out there, on the line, then you're never really living at all."
Asha considered that, looking down at her drink and nodding her head softly.
"If I loved someone," he continued, "I'd tell her. If I wanted someone, then I would let her know." He grinned a wolfish smile, fixing his gaze on her down-turned face. "Straight up. Asha? I want you. Come home with me."
She looked away from him after only glancing at him for a moment, and then just as quickly looked at him once more. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Alec blinked, looking away from her after a moment.
"But it's not why you think," Asha pressed on.
Alec scoffed, picking up his glass for another drink. "Right ... it's not 'cause you're hopelessly in love with Logan Cale?"
Asha shook his head. "No. It's 'cause you're in love with his girlfriend."
Alec's drink stopped halfway to his mouth, staring back at the blonde. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
She smiled a defeated smile at him, finishing off her drink. "I have every idea what I'm talking about," Asha corrected him. "'Cause I've been there. It doesn't matter where you are, or what you're doing: when they need you, you're right there for them. And you hate yourself, because you know that they'll never look at you the way they look at each other. So, you pretend like it doesn't matter, and you come to a bar, drink too much, and hit on the first pretty thing you see."
Alec considered what she was saying, swirling the liquid around in his glass.
"So, tell me I'm wrong," Asha challenged.
Alec smirked bitterly, looking back up at her. "You're not," he admitted. "But who said there's anything wrong with wanting a little companionship in the meantime?"
Asha quirked an eyebrow at this, amazed that he was still suggesting a hook-up. "You realize it wouldn't mean anything? Just meaningless, empty sex?"
Alec widened his eyes. "Oh no ... we wouldn't want that!"
She caught his sarcasm, finishing her drink. If it helped her get over Logan ... why not?
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Alec felt the soothing water pour over his body, washing the night of drinking off of himself. He thought about what he'd planned to do with Asha when they got back to his place, and let his mind wander to her sleeping body on his couch.
He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was happy that nothing had happened. Not that Asha wasn't hot, but she wasn't ... well, Max. He hated that Asha was so dead-on about his feelings for Max. Though really, she would know better than most, being in love with the lesser-half of the Max/Logan "we're not like that" relationship.
He thought back to the broken toy comment he'd make about Max. Yes, there were parts of her that were broken, but he also believed that with the right person, she could be put back together. He sort of hated himself for believing that he was the person who could put her back together.
After a while he shut off the water, his muscles relaxed enough to get a good night's sleep. As he dried himself off, he heard voices coming from the living room. He hadn't invited anyone but Asha over, so he quickly wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the door.
Max saw him come out of the bathroom and made her way over to him quickly.
"What?" he asked, then raised his arms a bit in defense as she practically rushed him.
"I need your help," she told him in a softer voice than she normally used with him. "Can you get dressed?"
Alec glanced at her for another second before considering her offer. He shrugged, deciding he could help her. "Okay." As he made his way to his room to get dressed, he noticed Asha giving him a 'told you so' look. Okay, so she's right ... I would do anything for Max at the drop of a hat, if she asked me to ... so what?
"Please hurry," Max called out from behind him, in that same soft voice.
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"So, where do you want to start looking?" Alec asked her, slightly honored that she'd asked him to help her hunt down the gossamer.
"The sewers," Max answered simply.
"The sewers," Alec repeated, less joyed at that prospect. "I mean, I haven't got to crawl around in a stinkin' tunnel with you for about two weeks!" Was it wrong that he was a little bit disappointed about that? Realistically, he would hunt around in the sewers with her every day of the week if she were so inclined, but he wouldn't tell her that. Had to keep up his cocky front. "It's not like I had anything better to do tonight," he added.
Max responded angrily, "Sorry if this interrupts your evening." Her evening with Logan had been completely ruined with this gossamer. It was starting to feel more and more like this was supposed to have been there one last hurrah, like she would have been able to get closure on her and Logan's relationship, but now she couldn't even do that. If she was being honest with herself, she knew that she and Logan didn't stand a chance. She should have been more upset about that, but right now she was only sorry that in just over eight hours, she would become lethal to him again, and no matter their relationship, she couldn't have his death on her hands.
"Yeah, it was the funniest thing. I mean, here I am hanging out at Crash bar with Asha - who I hardly know - and it just seemed to be the right time," Alec told her, thinking how he'd only gone there to drown himself in alcohol because Logan and Max could once again touch. "How 'bout you?"
She looked away from him, not answering the question.
"Oh, come on. I mean, now the virus is out of the way, right?" he asked, maybe a little too hopefully.
"Just get in the sewers."
So they still haven't slept together ... I can't believe it. Alec chuckled, "You guys crack me up." His cell phone interrupted his gloating. "Hello?" he spoke into the device. "Logan, hey, we were just talking about you," he added with a hint of amusement.
Max reached for the phone as Logan gave him a sharp, haughty reply.
"Hey, you called me, pal," Alec reminded him. He sighed as Logan asked for Max. "Yeah, she's right here." She snatched the phone out of his hands, walking off to talk to talk to the man. He felt that familiar twinge of jealousy that always came when Max and Logan had one of their moments, but he was slightly reassured by the fact that - for whatever reason - Max had still not 'taken the plunge' with the Ordinary.
Max returned after a while, handing the phone back to Alec. "Thanks," she muttered.
Alec nodded, taking the phone back. "All good?"
Max looked away, facing the sewer entrance once more. "Let's just get this over with."
Alec held the grate open for her, entertaining the notion that perhaps things weren't all sunshine and daisies with Max and Logan after all.
...
They had split up to look for the gossamer when they'd reached the junkyard ... that had been their downfall. Alec had been slimed first, and now he was stuck in the backseat of some cheap car, with Logan passed out in front of him and Max asleep on his shoulder. It would have been nice if they weren't covered in gossamer-goo.
"Max? Hey, Max, wake up!" he urged, moving his shoulder around to try and nudge her awake.
Max's eyes snapped open, looking up into Alec's face. "Alec?"
"Welcome to the party," he greeted sarcastically.
"Alec, can you get out?" she asked him, trying to wiggle around.
"Yeah, I thought I'd just hang around," he commented, trying not to seem like he was affected by her wiggling. "You know, 'cause it's so comfy."
"Dammit," Max muttered. "I can barely move."
"You can move enough," Alec replied under his breath, feeling his body reacting against his will to her presence.
Max stopped moving and angled her head to look up at him - which was pretty hard, seeing as she was glued pretty much flush against him. "What?"
Alec spoke, "Nothing." He motioned to Logan in the front seat. "Roller-boy's out cold."
Max tried to get a view of Logan, but it was too difficult. She wondered how much longer it would be until their time ran out; she had no way of knowing, as she didn't know how long she'd been unconscious.
"So, are we having fun yet?" Alec wondered.
Max started squirming again, desperate to be free before the gossamer came back and finished them off. "Heaven forbid I get one night, just one," Max began.
Alec rolled his eyes. "I'm sure there will be plenty of nights for you and Logan to sit around not moving forward with your relationship," Alec commented. "I don't know why you're so upset about it."
Max gritted her teeth, struggling harder. "Of course you wouldn't," she retorted. "You're too busy thinking about Asha and how you're gonna get her to come back to your place again."
It was Alec's turn to roll his eyes now. "Oh, for the last time, nothing happened with Asha. Why do you even care, anyway?"
Max paused for a moment. "I don't."
Alec saw that she was uncomfortable and pressed forward, seizing the moment. "Oh, I think you do ... I just can't figure out why." He wanted to say that maybe she was jealous too, but it would come out sounding far too hopeful.
She peered as far as her eyes and neck would allow her, trying to glance at Logan and see if he was really unconscious. If he wasn't, he was doing a damn good job of being silent.
Alec figured out that whatever it was, she didn't want to discuss it in front of Logan. "He's out," he informed her honestly. Whatever the gossamer had done to knock him out, the added stunning goo seemed to have done an excellent job.
Max sighed, ceasing her struggles and letting her body sag a bit, winding up pressed a bit more against Alec without really realizing it. "It's just ... why Asha? What the hell is so special about her?"
Alec's eyes widened at that. So it was gonna be one of those discussions. Well, two can play at that game, Maxie. "I could ask you the same thing about Logan."
Max glared at him. "I'm being serious, Alec."
He met her glare head-on. Now or never, he thought. "So am I. Dammit, Max ... when are you gonna realize that we're not meant to be with them? They can't handle being in relationships with us, and being with us just ends up getting them hurt."
Max quirked an eyebrow at him. "And that's why you took her home?"
Alec shook his head. "No, I took her home because we were both trying to forget ..."
Max waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "Forget what?"
Alec groaned, shifting around himself now. "Look, it's no surprise that Asha's got a thing for roller-boy."
Max ignored the last comment, focusing on the main point of the statement.
"I just offered her a drink to drown her sorrows when I told her that you and Logan got the virus all taken care of, and could be together again," Alec explained.
Max bit her lip, debating whether or not to tell him that it wasn't a permanent cure. "Okay ... that explains what she was trying to forget. But what about you, Alec? What's up with you lately?"
Alec was silent, something highly uncharacteristic for him.
Max thought back to what he'd been saying about Asha, and that they were both trying to forget something. "Alec ... who were you trying to forget?"
He tried to come up with an acceptable lie, but Max was impatient.
"Who, Alec?" she pressed on, and Alec snapped.
"You, dammit!" he replied, turning his head sharply to stare down at her. "Are you happy now? It's you. Always you."
Max blinked several times, trying to wrap her head around it all. "But, when ... ?"
Alec shook his head. "It just sort of happened," he told her. "I didn't plan on it."
Max sighed, wishing there were more space between them so she could focus. "Look ... now's not really the time or place to discuss this. We should just -"
"Focus on getting out of here," Alec finished. "Yeah. Took the words right out of my mouth."
Max struggled against her goo-bonds, hoping that Joshua would realize that something was wrong and come find them. In the meantime, she had a hell of a lot more than Logan to think about now.
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Logan had told her that he loved her.
Max raced along the streets on her motorcycle, feeling like scum. Logan had told her that he loved her, and she'd said that she didn't want to see him anymore. And it wasn't just because of the virus. She couldn't stop thinking about Alec, and what he'd confessed to her.
She'd be lying to herself if she said she'd never even entertained the notion of her and Alec ... but it had always been in passing, and usually only when she got to thinking about her heat cycles.
Her next cycle was due to start in a few weeks, and Max didn't want to spend that one the way she always did: holed up until she couldn't fight it anymore, and then ending up hating herself the next morning.
She needed to sort out her emotions for her fellow X5, once and for all.
Max made her way to Alec's apartment, trying to figure out what she was going to say to him when she saw him. She sorely hoped that Asha, or some other desperate girl, wasn't there with him ... she didn't know how she would act if she found him there with someone else, not after what he told her earlier.
Finally she arrived at his place. After taking a few breaths to steady her nerves, Max made her way into the building and up to his apartment. She thought about just walking in, but with the sort of conversation she wanted to have with him, she decided to knock instead.
Alec answered the door a few seconds later, looking at Max with surprised eyes.
"Hey," he greeted after a moment.
Max dug her hands into her back pockets. "Hey."
Alec opened the door wider, motioning for her to enter. "You wanna come in?"
Max nodded, stepping inside so he could close the door.
"So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?" he wondered.
She took a breath before turning around to begin her speech. She was cut off as she realized that he was less than a foot away from her. "I - um - I thought we should talk. You know, about what happened before, in the junkyard."
"Oh, that," Alec said in a quiet voice. "I was kinda hoping we could just glaze over that. I mean, I know you're with Logan, and I don't wanna get in the middle of whatever you guys have." Well, really he did, but he also wanted Max to be happy.
Max shook her head after a moment. "Me and Logan aren't like that."
Alec rolled his eyes. "Max, come on ... can we act like adults for a minute here? You don't need to put on a show for my benefit."
Max rubbed the back of her neck with one hand, choosing her words carefully. "No, I mean ... we're not like that anymore," she elaborated. "We talked it out, and decided that we just weren't a good fit."
Alec absorbed the information, his body frozen while it sunk in. "So, you guys aren't together anymore?"
Max shook her head.
"And you came over here ... to talk?" he continued.
Max nodded, gazing up at him.
Alec decided to be bold a took a step towards Max. "Please tell me you're not gonna make me wait a year before you tell me you like me?"
Max couldn't stop the smile that began to form on her lips, but before she could reply with a scathing comment, Alec filled the space that was between them, pressing his lips against hers. She didn't know how long they'd been kissing, but when they finally pulled back for air, Alec was without his shirt, and Max's jacket and shoes had been thrown across the room.
Alec didn't want to give Max an opportunity to second-guess herself and storm out, so he pulled her back towards him, crushing their lips together once more. He didn't need to worry, as Max responded immediately, kissing him back with just as much force and passion.
That night, she discovered just what she'd been missing all the years that she'd never been with another transgenic ... though a part of her knew that it wasn't just his being a transgenic that made it so wonderful. It was Alec ...
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The end.
So, what did you guys think?
Grr, I'm having so many issues with this site right now, it's stopped sending me emails every time I post a new story, get reviewed/favorited/alerted and such ... it's becoming quite a nuisance.
Oh well ... maybe it'll fix itself eventually.
Reviews are appreciated, flame if you must, but constructive criticism is much more useful.
Until next time ...!