Only Aleska, Max, and Jupiter families past parts for Loonyloops for they write better than I ;)
It was Thor's day and the applied mathematics professor was finally done for the day. On the way home she saw a crazy guy in the wrong type of clothing freezing and staring up at the sky.
"What on Earth are you doing?" Aleska asked him.
"Isn't it a marvelous?" Max enthusiastically replied. Still in awe of the telescope and it's new modifications.
Overjoyed like a child with a new toy and full of life, "Tonight the sky is completely full of miracles."
It is true, the stars shine the same for everyone, she thought before saying, "Yes, the stars are wonderful but please put a jacket on to not freeze."
He laughed not at her but at himself like mischievous boy, "my lady, where do they put the meat to keep it fresh?" he asked.
"On ice or hanging in the cool air?" she didn't understand the reason for such a question.
"I am a meat popsicle..." he laughed some more, "we are all meat popsicles!" then he got serious, "The stars remind me of how small and insignificant we are yet how every life is precious. To the butterfly three days is eternity, to a dog eighteen years is a lifetime, but to us eighty years isn't enough. I try to live as if every day was my last day that is why I didn't care for a jacket... Sorry for my rambling. I'm Maximilian Jones the Astrophysics professor, my lady."
Oh such sweet manners and such passion she thought before saying her name. He forgot about the stars and stared at her instead then he noticed what he was doing and blushed. Aleska fell in love right there. She saw in him to be a man who knew how to be passionate and how to be humble and not arrogant.
"You are going to be one if you stay out any longer… would you like to join me for some coffee or tea?" She asked him.
"Ah, my lady I do not wish to burden you with my company." He replied.
"Oh, Professor Jones I insist and you can talk about the planets, the stars, and help me talk some sense to my sister Nino who likes to dabble in astrology. Please." She somewhat begged.
Max couldn't resist, "As you wish, my lady." He raised her hand and gave it a kiss.
Aleska couldn't believe her own actions as she opened the door to her place. He stopped in front of her door to give a worried look then smiled before saying, "you have the table of elements, and 'Minkowski addition of sets' framed as artwork!"
"I'm a practical person who likes to use math to help make our lives better. No fancy theories here just real math based on reality." She said it proudly.
That amused him immensely and retorted, "Not everything is what it seems. And the unseen is more important than what can be seen…"
She laughed and motioned for him to sit down on one of the two wooden chairs around her tiny kitchen table, "Oh so you're into quantum mechanics too?"
As he sat down he put a finger over his mouth as if to say quiet, "Quantum Astrophysics but that's way too advance for the university and people will have me committed or worse killed." Max said the last part by slashing his throat with his finger, sticking his tongue out, and being funny about it.
"Will you help me with my sister's obsession over astrology not astronomy? It is talking about the stars and planets." She asked while putting the hot water on for tea.
Smiling at her, he commented, "The magic of astrology is science not understood. The current version of the system is corrupted but passable to those that can interpret it. Using the original system will give better results. I'm sorry I only know that's not the original and not how to find the information needed for your sister."
Aleska giggled at his attempt not to insult her silly sister. In his presence she felt she couldn't think. "What is your favorite planet?" she asked a stupid question as the kettle whistled.
In her presence he forgot to be cautions, and answered "Jupiter the biggest most beautiful and most powerful planet in the solar system."
She thought of course because that planet has the most gravitational pull and saves Earth from most of the asteroids. Aleska placed the tea in the infuser and in the kettle. And he asked the same question of her. She replied Earth because it's the planet I live on.
Over tea he let her talk about her Applied Mathematics classes and her dream of switching it to an Applicable Mathematics class. He asked questions, seem really interested in her work, and didn't mind at all that she was a smart woman. Of course she thought she was smarter than him since he deals with theories and she deals with reality.
Aleska was infatuated with him but all he wanted was friendship. For over a year Max accepted all her invitations until she wanted more. And maybe he shouldn't have given her that one rose on March 8th. He wanted more too but didn't want her to get hurt so he retreated and tried to make her go away yet she would show up before and after his classes.
Finally Max decided to be true to himself and take the risk. The risk that someone would love him even with all the horrible things he had done and still must do. He promised to make the world better and he will with someone like Aleska by his side.
Picking a chamomile bouquet of twenty one flowers, Max was about to knock on her door when it got answered by Nino who squealed joyfully at him and dragged him inside.
"What does Ma'at's third eye have to do with Libra the tree of knowledge in conjunction with Virgo the harvest, and Scorpio the winged seraph-serpent that used to be all three signs in one…?" Nino asked.
Max put a finger to try to calm Nino and before he could ask where is Aleska she came down the stairs to find out why Nino was yelling in excitement.
As Aleska came down the stairs Max got on his knees, "The queen of my heart therefore the queen of my universe will you be my partner for this lifetime and if you can put up with my quirks maybe forever?"
