HeartFelt

By Serena

A/N: My first DA Story. Saw the series on TV - reruns - then loved it so much that I bought the first season because of the major lack of M/L. Sorry M/A fans - I'm a Logan diehard. :)

It's short, but I guess could be continued. Haven't decided yet.

Disclaimer: Don't own Dark Angel. Don't have any witty sayings. At the present. Hee.

All she wanted was a normal life. Get married, have some kids, grow old.

But Max Guevera, aka X5-452, was as far from being "normal" as a girl could get. As a Manticore super-human, she had gone through an insane childhood of being put through rigorous training that even normal adults wouldn't be able to take, then being on the run for the rest of her life. She had finally settled down in Seattle, gotten a job, made some friends, and started to feel like she could actually be normal. She could actually live the life of a regular human.

Then, she met him. Logan Cale, aka Eyes Only. An unsuccessful thievery attempt somehow led to her being pulled into the job of a hidden angel, and after the first job, that led to another, then another. Max managed to juggle work at Jam Pony and her job with Logan, but it became harder when she started to have feelings for Eyes Only. Her normal life went out the window.

But as Max stared out the rain-drenched window, sitting on the windowsill in Logan's apartment, she wondered if she really wanted to be normal. Did she enjoy the nightlife, the danger, and the thrill of the chase? Did she enjoy getting the bad guy for Logan? Did she enjoy just being with Logan? The familiar, warm smell of his apartment, the gorgeous view, the whole aura…

"Hey."

Max glanced at Logan and smiled. "Hey yourself."

Logan wheeled next to her and gazed out the window for a moment in silence. Max took this opportunity to study the man she considered her closest friend, other than Original Cindy. But even with OC she couldn't be herself. She couldn't explain her condition, her past, or why she had a barcode on the back of her neck. But with Logan… Max looked over his blueish-green eyes covered with clear glasses, his stubble-covered chin, his chestnut spiky hair. He was amazing, and Max was surprised that she hadn't realized it sooner.

"Logan," she said suddenly.

He looked at her. "Yeah?"

She smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said, surprised, then returned his gaze to the window. After a second, he said, "For what?"

She smiled. "For being a pal. For being the one person who really understands what I'm going through."

Now he looked even more surprised. It wasn't every day that tough-girl Max had a heartfelt confession. "Uh, you're welcome. Again."

She nodded, still smiling, and glanced out at the rain pouring down ceaselessly. She soon felt his eyes on her, but she didn't look at him.

"Max," he said suddenly.

She looked at him. "Yeah?"

He smiled slowly. "Thanks."

She grinned. "You're welcome." After a short pause, she added playfully, "For what?"

He grinned back. "For being a pal. The one person who really understands what I'm going through."

She laughed. "Is there an echo in here, or is it just me?"

He shrugged. "I think it's you." His face became serious. "Max… I mean it. Thanks… for sticking with me through everything. Thanks for being there. You don't know how much I appreciate it."

"Ditto," she said softly. "You're the only one I can trust with my secret. You're the only one who… who I know will never betray me."

"Ditto," he replied just as quietly. "What a pair, huh?"

Her eyes fixed sharply onto his. "Yeah," she whispered. "What a pair." She slowly reached out a hand, and his hand met it halfway. Their fingers entwined as their hands squeezed tighter against each other.

Both knew that their friendship wasn't just a friendship anymore.

Okay, they're probably a bit OOC. But hey, it's called "Heartfelt" for a reason. Mushy, warm goodness. :) If you don't like it, don't review. If you do like it, please review. :)

- Serena