W00t! School is done and over- which gives me the extra time to get this finished:D
Gee, thanks everybody! I really appreciate your support- specifically the people who bothered to review: Kyoko Kasshu Minamino, Knottaclue, Alexia8246, Jinnai, and Silverquickstar.
I realized (a little belatedly) I never titled the first one, so just pretend the title is the same as the song title. ;)
#3#
Title:
Rating: T.
Couple: Max/Terry.
Song and Singer: "Consider This", by Anna Nalick.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything- song, singer, lyrics, or show.
Whoopee.
$4$
"Why do I always have to be the one you bring here?"
Terry looked up out of the corner of his eye and over towards his best friend, Max. She currently clutched a flute of champagne and sported a bored expression. Her eyes drifted around, soaking in the various people that milled throughout the large ballroom.
Smiling as gallantly as he could, Terry gingerly removed the near-empty glass from her iron grip. "I bring you here," he reminded her patiently, "Because you're the only woman I can handle that I know well enough."
Max sighed, rolling her eyes, and willingly gave up the drink. "But it's so boring," she groaned staring out to the dance floor, where a variety of couples swayed or even waltzed to the beat. Internally, her mind wanted to bend to the rhythmic beat the band was playing.
"Yeah, but you look so schway," he teased, arching an eyebrow in her direction. Max did look schway tonight. She wore the same dress she had bought a year ago for prom, which had mixed animal print covering the sleeveless halter with a plunging neckline and an asymmetrical hemline cut jagged. It was unique, to say the least, and utterly… Max.
She shot him her dirtiest look, crossed her arms, and stuck her tongue out. Turning her head, Max stared out at the band, whose singer had since walked out on stage and in front of the microphone. The woman moved to the beat, and began to sing in a soft croon.
"I've tripped again and things are startin' to get interestin'
Don't give me choices 'cause I can't decide
My mind is soaked in words
I've come to terms with all my insecurities
And purity's no friend of mine."
"Oh, c'mon," Terry wheedled, draping an arm around Max's shoulders. "I know you don't like coming to these stupid parties, but it's part of our job, remember?"
She rolled her eyes yet again, shrugging off his tuxedo-clad arm. "Just because I have to come to these dumb things doesn't mean I actually want to." She continued to watch the singer, enjoying the song and hoping valiantly that the gala exhibition she was forced into attending would end soon. If it wasn't for the fact that this latest exhibition displayed the Wayne-Powers Company's news-breaking technology, she wouldn't have needed to make an appearance. She was, after all, the leading computer programs designer.
"And dreamin' doesn't do no good
'Cause I don't wanna lie
That I'm okay and I'm alright
I'd rather take and forget it."
Terry set the two flutes of champagne he had been holding down on a nearby table. "Fine, then," he responded lightly, taking her hand, "If you don't want to be here, I'll just have to make you want to be here." Smiling gallantly, he pulled her closer and added, "Wanna dance?"
For once, Max was so flabbergasted that she couldn't respond. He took this as submission and calmly led her to the dance floor. Once there, she had no reason but to wrap her free arm around his neck and sway, stunned, to the music reverberating from the speakers.
"Consider this a warning."
"See," Terry told her patiently, "This isn't so bad, is it?" His smile was just shy of smug, and she resisted the urge to smack him upside the head.
"No, but I still feel like an idiot," Max snapped, glancing around at the expensively dressed couples dancing around her. "I think I'm the only one here who's convinced she might cause bodily to anyone unfortunate enough to dance with her."
"'Cause I'll start another fight
And you'll say, "It's all alright,"
I'll wait for the day when you find
I'm too much for you baby."
Terry stared down at her, feigning offence. "Hey. I'm the one dancing with you. And I don't find it very unfortunate." In response, she stepped on his foot. Hard.
He winced. "Then again, there's probably someone here who won't do as much damage to my feet." His pensive look didn't last long, and broke out instead into a full-on grin. "But they don't look as good as you do," he said, as an afterthought.
That, coupled with his wink afterward, caused Max's eyebrows shot up at his sly response. "What?" she asked dryly, "Did you get some tips from Bruce on how to get the ladies fall for you? Romance for Dummies, perhaps? Or, wait, I know- 101 Really Bad Pick-Up Lines from the 90s'."
Terry removed the hand that rested on her waist to press it to his chest, his face riddled with mock guilt. "Oh, that hurts," he whined.
"So lay your hands over me
And feel what you only see
But don't bother wasting your time
If you're tryin' to change me."
His grip tightened on her hand, and her only warning was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes before he spun her around on the dance floor.
Max gasped at the action, snapping, "That's not funny, McGinnis!" She glared at him, tightlipped as he laughed, completely unfazed by her anger.
His other arm smoothly wrapped around her waist again and brought her closer to his body than before. "What's wrong, Max? Uncomfortable around me all of sudden, or something?" He winked again, leaning close to her. "'Cause I couldn't understand why you'd feel that way."
"You're kinda cool but I know better than to break the rules
Of messin' with a lesson that I'll never learn
I'll go from bad to worse and later back to better
But I'll never better bridges that I meant to burn."
She glowered right on back, unfazed by his cockiness. "Terry, the only time I'm ever uncomfortable around you is when you have a beer, get drunk, and start calling me 'Dana'," she shot back.
Terry's pompous smirk faltered. "Hey," he pouted, "I don't pick on you when you get drunk."
Max looked up at him and calmly retorted, "That's because I'm not dumb enough to get drunk."
"That's nice, Max. Insult the guy that brought you here."
Glancing around, she mumbled, "You didn't do me that much of a favor…"
"And dreamin' doesn't do no good
'Cause I don't wanna lie
That I'm okay and I'm alright
I'd rather take it and forget it."
"Hey, hey, hey," he exclaimed. "I'm trying to make you want to be here! Stop trying to undermine me at every turn!"
Max stuck out her tongue. "I'm not trying to undermine you; you're just not giving me good enough reasons to stay."
Terry made an outraged noise, and pulled her even closer than before, so that there was barely enough room for the two to move. "But you're still not convinced that my company alone isn't sufficient?"
Blushing under her dark complexion, Max muttered something, quickly breaking eye contact.
He smirked and leaned closer to Max, so their cheeks were touching. "I thought as much," he whispered in her ear.
"Consider this a warning."
She stiffened, trying to ascertain where he was going. Finally, she settled for just remaining flippant, and told him, "You really are a pompous ass, you know that, McGinnis?"
He laughed, but didn't pull away, so she felt his body shake from the laughter as his deep chuckle rang through her ears.
"Yeah, but you love me," he replied happily.
"'Cause I'll start another fight
And you'll say, "It's all alright"
I'll wait for the day when you find
I'm too much for you baby."
Max freed her hand from his and reached up to wrap around his neck with her other hand. She used the extra leverage to lean her head back without actually pulling her body away from his. She shined him a cunning smile, and calmly informed him, "Are you sure that the only reason you wanted me to come here as your date was because I'm the only woman you can stand?"
His eyebrows shot up as he watched his best friend smoothly turn the tables. "That…" he stumbled, "That wasn't the onl- I mean, yeah it was- but…" His face turned a lovely shade of scarlet and filled in the blanks. "You're the only one I have eyes for, Maxine," he replied tightly.
"So lay your hands over me
And feel what you only see
But don't bother wastin' your time
If you're tryin' to change me."
She couldn't hold back the groan at his cheesiness. "Aw, slaggit, McGinnis! That was just-" She rolled her eyes and shook her head, disgusted.
Terry adjusted his hands so they lay comfortably on each hip, and replied with a laugh, "I think I deserve extra bonus points for being able to say that with a straight face."
Max nodded, conceding defeat. "You do. I regret to admit I'm still an amateur to your flippant, flirty prowess."
"This is a warning
This is a warning
This is your warning."
He narrowed his eyes down at her. "Now you better not be bashing the prowess, because I have no problem embarrassing you in front of everyone with a random, loud declaration of love on my part," he warned her. It was only the sly twinkle in his eyes that belied his ulterior motives.
She gasped in mock horror. "You wouldn't dare," she stage whispered. "That's so… horrendous!"
"And dreamin' doesn't do no good
'Cuz I don't wanna lie
That I'm okay and I'm alright
I'd rather take it and forget it."
Smirking triumphantly, Terry continued on dancing as though nothing had been said. Finally, he muttered into her ear wryly, "Consider this a warning."
"Consider this a warning."
Max's only response was a roll of her eyes.
"'Cuz I'll start another fight
And you'll say, "It's all alright."
I'll wait for the day when you find
I'm too much for you baby."
"So lay your hands over me
And feel what you only see
But don't bother wasting your time
If you're tryin' to change me."
"If you're tryin' to change me.
If you're tryin' to change me."
$4$
Alright, so I'm a little put off that I didn't use the entire song, but it's all good. The way it ended, I'm satisfied. Thank God.