Please excuse the title… Revision: please excuse the whole chapter… (:
Bantering (or: Rule No. 19 in the unofficial Max-and-Alec-Rulebook: Do not—under any circumstances—stop bantering / 19 a: even if you don't feel up to it / 19 b: especially then…)
(Nineteen)
"No," Max said, her voice rising a little with incredulity as she playfully slapped Alec's head.
"I don't think you should slap me, Max, I mean—hello?!—hurt guy here?" rasped Alec and stared at her accusingly.
"Nah, that's just a sorry excuse for you, for making my life harder… just as usual," she replied, smiling fondly, though, while gently lowering him to the ground.
"Ever thought of the possibility that maybe my life's not solely revolving around annoying the hell outta you?" he smirked, but Max could tell that their bantering was slowly starting to exhaust him even further.
"Thought about it, yeah—but," she paused shortly, trying to come up with something to shut him up, although she already knew she'd fail anyway, "found it to be unconvincing…"
"Excuse me?!" he blurted, and raising himself up a little yet again, he made to add something more, when a sudden coughing fit stopped him pretty effectively, making both him and Max cringe.
"Enough, Alec, please—if I promise to shut up and not call you an idiot again—although you so are an idiot for doing this to yourself!—will you finally shut the hell up, too, and rest?" she couldn't help but plead and frowned when she saw him already opening his mouth for yet another retort; but suddenly it was Mole whose annoyed grumble she heard before Alec even had a chance to say anything else.
"Not that I'd want to interrupt you two lovebirds, but Josh will be here with a truck anytime now to get Princess to the infirmary; so, Max, time for us to check how the rest of us are doing…" he said and looked from Alec to his CO, and—sighing—he added, though solely for Max's sake of course, "He'll be fine…"
Yeah, well… sorry about that? (: