A/N: I've been wanting to write more oneshots but haven't had much luck in coming up with ideas. This idea came to me as I was writing a chapter for my other MA fic. I wanted to write it while I still had time, so here it is. Hopefully you all like it. Let me know if it seems too rushed. It's not my best work. Maybe I'll rewrite it someday...
"You inconsiderate, hopeless, unthinking jackass!"
He had said it without thinking it through. He knew answering the question was dangerous – that little voice in the back of his head told him so. But he ignored it. Many years of Manticore taught him exactly how to ignore his conscious with ease. The possible consequences of what he might say didn't really register in his mind when an X5 asked him the dangerous question.
So he answered it, and when a familiar pissed off female transgenic stormed into the Terminal City Command Center yelling at him for what seemed like hours, he knew he needed to fix it. His mind wandered back to the very event that started this whole thing. He had just completed a supply run with Kit; they were heading back to Terminal City with the goods when Kit decided to try a conversation.
"Weren't you and 452...I mean Max...breeding partners at Manticore?" Kit asked. There was no doubt he knew the answer to the question; he was merely asking for permission to continue the topic.
Alec eyed Kit curiously but nodded in affirmation. If his curiosity hadn't gotten the better of him, he might have dodged the bullet.
"Was she just as bitter in bed?" Kit got right to the point, catching Alec off guard. Unfortunately for Alec, Kit was one of the many transgenics that saw Max only when she was in a bad mood, and so it was all he really knew of Terminal City's leader.
"That's none of your business," Alec quickly answered, sparking Kit's curiosity further.
"Someone's getting a bit defensive," Kit ventured, completely oblivious at how dangerous the waters had become. "So she was just as bitter." Kit took Alec's abrupt dismissal as an affirmation of his statement.
For once, Alec didn't have a smart reply. In fact, he had no idea how to deal with this situation. It had never occurred to him that others would ask him about what happened between him and Max at Manticore. When all else failed, he settled for the truth. "Not that this is any of your business, Kit, but nothing happened between Max and I back at Manticore."
Kit scoffed in disbelief. "494, one of Manticore's best, claiming to lie to the Director? Gee, Alec, I didn't think she would be so bad you'd have to lie about it." Kit didn't seem to believe his report to Renfro had been a lie.
Without warning, Alec shoved Kit against the wall. "Nothing. Happened." Alec didn't know why he wanted Kit to believe it so much. Why should he care what the X5 thought. The past was the past.
Kit held his hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say, Alec."
Alec let Kit go, knowing there was little he could really do to convince the X5 he was telling the truth. Alec had been quite a role model back at Manticore, at least before the Berrisford case, but following the failed mission was a short stint in psy-ops. It was easy to believe that he would still be a model soldier when Max arrived.
After they dropped off the supplies, Alec went to get a drink at the makeshift bar in Terminal City, preferring to forget the question Kit has proposed just minutes earlier. If only he knew Kit was planning on telling all his friends what he discovered, then maybe he could have prevented this fiasco.
"Oh, come on, Max. I didn't do anything wrong. The guy asked me what happened back at Manticore! I told him the truth – nothing!"
"Then how come everyone's talking about my 'bitterness' in bed?!" she asked furiously.
"Kit's words, not mine," Alec declared defensively. "It's not my fault people believe him!"
"FIX IT!" Max yelled angrily.
Alec raised an eyebrow; an idea was forming in his mind. "Fix it? Now how do you suppose I do that?"
"I don't know. JUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! If you hadn't opened your mouth, this wouldn't be happening!"
Everything was always his fault, even though he explicitly told her what had happened. Could she really blame him for it all? Apparently she could. Alec sighed and left the Command Center to "fix" the problem.
A mischievous smile surfaced as he wondered how she would respond to his...fix. He smiled happily after taking Kit aside and giving him everything he wanted to know to convince him of "what really happened."
He then returned to his office in Terminal City and worked on putting together a plan for the next supply run. Only a few hours passed when Max burst into his office. It would have been nice had she knocked. Still, that was by far the shortest amount of time it took for a rumor to reach her. He jotted down the time to document a new record.
"I TOLD YOU TO FIX THE PROBLEM, ALEC. NOT MAKE IT WORSE!!!"
Alec sat back in his chair, bringing his legs up to the table. "How did I make it worse?" he asked innocently.
"Care to explain why so many guys are hitting on me?" Max asked with controlled anger.
"I don't know, Max. Maybe because they like you," Alec offered, still feigning ignorance.
"I'll tell you why. Apparently every guy in Terminal City thinks I'm 'heaven on earth'! Why the hell did you tell them that, Alec?!"
"You told me to fix it. So I did," he answered nonchalantly. This time, he knew what he did would infuriate her, and he had done it intentionally for kicks. He needed something to lighten his day. "I didn't exactly say you were 'heaven on earth'. But I guess the details were a bit too much to repeat. One of the guys must have simplified it."
Max's eyes narrowed. "You call that a fix?" If the conversation continued any longer, Max would not be able to control her anger.
"Well, you didn't want people thinking you were bad in bed, so I assumed you would prefer people thinking you were good in bed. Yet it seems I'm wrong. Why don't you explain to me the error in my logic?"
"Fixing it means NO ONE talks about my personal sex life."
"Your nonexistent sex life, you mean?" Alec mumbled.
Max glared at him. She knew from the look in his eyes that he was clearly messing with her, and she wasn't going to bite the bait. She kept her anger in check. Besides, she had a few things in mind to return the favor...
"If you're not going to fix this, then I can't fix the rosters that somehow have you assigned to latrine duty."
Alec's eyes widened. "Latrine duty?! What happened to my supply runs?!" he whined.
"Fix it," Max ordered, before storming out of his office.
Alec sighed and left his office shortly after Max. The real fix was simple. He found Kit once again and told him to tell all his buddies that if anyone else talked about Max, he would personally hunt that person down and ensure that there would be no more opportunities for that person to experience 'heaven on earth'. It took a few shoves and punches to show him he meant business, but in the end, the message was loud and clear, and Kit quickly ran off to spread the new threat.
Alec smiled contently and headed back to his office, satisfied with a job well done. He was only a building away when a female transgenic approached him.
"Hey Alec, can I ask you a quick question?"
Alec shrugged. It'd better not be about Max.
"Is it true you," she then whispered something into his ear, turning Alec's cheerful smile into a scowl.
He turned to face the transgenic and flashed her one of his charming grins. "Would you like to find out?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "No one's ever been displeased with my performance."
"I've got better things to do than be disappointed," she informed, walking off.
Alec watched her leave, not really used to such an immediate rejection. Damn Max. She was the only one who would have started that rumor. He headed down another hallway, deciding to pay her a visit instead. Just as she had done, he walked into her office without knocking.
Max hid a smile when she saw Alec walk into her office. She continued to ignore him, pretending to work on the medical supply list the medical staff had given her.
"So apparently someone thinks I...err...I'm bad in bed...to sum it up," Alec began. "Why do I have the feeling you're behind that?"
Max grinned. "Payback's a bitch."
"But I fixed your little problem," Alec complained. "You may not have a problem with people judging you for your sex life, since you don't want any boyfriends after Logan didn't work out, but I on the other hand, would like to maintain a relationship like any normal person."
"Just because I want to take a break after my relationship with Logan doesn't mean I don't ever want a relationship again, Alec. Either way, I don't like people gossiping about my personal life, and clearly you don't either. Get the message?"
Alec sighed. "You will fix this, right?"
Max smirked. "How exactly did you 'fix' my problem?"
"Let's just say if anyone talks about you, they'll be running into me in a dark alleyway."
Now Max raised an eyebrow. "I don't need you beating up guys on my behalf Alec. People might just start thinking there's something going on between us."
Alec didn't really think about that, but he just grinned when Max brought that to his attention. "Is that so bad?" he asked in a teasing tone.
Max playful eyes suddenly turned serious, uncertain of what he was asking really asking. She leaned back on her chair now and after a short moment of silence, she answered. "Well, at least I won't have guys hitting on me."
She didn't have to say it to make Alec realize the same would be true for him. Max grinned as realization dawned on him.
Alec frowned, not pleased with the answer. He was hoping for something more.
Max rose from her desk and went around it so that she was right next to Alec. "Is that so bad?" she asked, returning the teasing tone.
"Not if it were true," he whispered, holding his breath as he looked into Max's eyes.
Their eyes locked for several minutes, with neither saying a word. Max felt her heart rate increase steadily as she realized what Alec was asking of her. She didn't think she was ready for another relationship – not so soon. But before she had a chance to really think things over, Alec's lips caught hers, banishing all thoughts from her mind.
When the kiss finally broke, Alec took a step back, allowing Max a chance to reject him if she so desired. It was the least he could do for initiating the kiss, but considering she didn't fight it...perhaps there was a chance.
When Max finally came to her senses, she was looking at Alec with a mixture of confusion and anger. She took a deep breath and managed a smile. "Do you always come on so strong?"
Alec released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and shrugged. "Gotta take what I can get," he answered with a smirk. Max's smile eased the anxiety he felt earlier, but it quickly returned when she punched him in the shoulder.
"Don't do that again," she said.
Alec's heart dropped and he didn't bother to hide it.
Max smiled mischievously as she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "Because if it's not me, then I'd have to beat you up for trying to cheat on me."
Alec's eyes lit up in shock. "You mean...you'll give it a try?"
"Just don't go telling all of Terminal City," she bargained. "There's enough rumors going around."
"I don't think I'll have to say anything for everyone to know," he informed.
Max rolled her eyes. "Get outta here. I've got work to do."
"What's the point of being together if we're going to be apart," Alec asked bitterly.
"It's called working, but you can pick me up after work," she suggested.
Alec sighed. "Fine," he muttered before heading out of her office. A few seconds later, his head appeared in the doorway as he asked with a playful grin, "Will I find out which one of those rumors are true?"
Max threw a crumpled piece of paper at him. "OUT!"
A/N: Reviews appreciated. Thanks for reading!
P.S. If anyone cares...I've got some DA fan vids posted on my profile. It'd be awesome if I could get some ratings/comments for them...