Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
Go Figure
She laid down on his century-old, rotting bed, breathing too heavily to speak. She was worn out in the aftermath, yet strangely rejuvenated. Her hair sprawled limply against his sweaty but fully clothed chest. Alec's damp palm lightly grasped hers, assuring himself of her presence. Him on his back with her curled snuggly at his side. Max slowly, lethargically raised her head, giving him a small, grateful smile, which Alec returns unabashedly. Comforted, Max returned her cheek to its designated spot on his chest.
He'd be aching in the morning. Max smiled at the thought. She could just picture him groaning rolling heavily out of bed when all he would want to do was escape back under his sheets. For all his tough facade, he really did have a heart underneath. Not too many guys would take a beat down from a girl, just because she had to release some emotions.
Underneath her, Alec moaned sorely.
"Sorry."
"Yeah right," he griped, using that I'm-not-really-mad-I-just-want-to-complain tone of voice men seemed to use so often.
Who knew when the tradition started. One day out of the blue, the small bickering fest became a heated argument. What had they been fighting about anyway?
Max jerked her face trying to remember; Alec's hand halted the lazy circle patterns on her back, checking her face for any sign of annoyance. He received nothing; she was too far-gone in yet another memory. He gave the usual not-quite-careless shrug, and pulled her closer to him; her body relaxed once again.
What had started the clash was hazy to Max; it was just another bumping of heads. It was even in the usual fashion, her accusing him and Alec lifting his hands in surrender. Swiftly, the remarks became more brutal on her end and less carefree-sarcastic on his.
Maybe it was Logan again, or the war with White, with the world, with themselves. A hand had struck out deftly connecting with the other's chin. The full out, knock-him-on-his-back-and-bury-him combat aura replaced the previously innocent appearance. The abandoned alley in the back of good ole Terminal City transformed into a boxing ring. They exchanged blows for what felt like forever, fighting each other's disgustingly egotistical yet noble personalities, fighting Rachel's soulful brown eyes and Logan's wry grin, both stolen from them. Each blow, kick, scratch, and breath raged against every lie they had ever been thrown, whether at Manticore, the real world, or in love.
Alec shifted his arm that had been wrapped around Max. Probably had fallen asleep, Max grinned at the thought.
Alec was the first to break the twenty-eight minute silence. "What are you thinking about?" He asked softly, not really wanting to break the rare peaceful moment.
"Nothing much."
"If you say so." Yeah, that sounded really convinced.
"I was thinking about..." Max trailed off, not sure of where to go next. Hmmm, honesty or lying?
A warm finger tipped her chin. The low, almost none existent brightness of twilight lazily filtered through the homemade curtain of ripped sheets. Even in the dimness, Max could see Alec's eyes. The cat DNA must have been faulty, she kept seeing some unrestrained, indefinable emotion shift in his eyes. Their faces were close together, but obviously not close enough for Alec. Suddenly, her body pillow disappeared, as he rolled to his side, carefully placing Max completely on his bed. Their faces were a little nearer to one another, Alec's breath rhythmically stroking her forehead.
A dark eyebrow lifted. Alec put on his "teacher's" face, the one where you are caught passing a note in class and now you are supposed to answer an impossibly hard question. He cleared his throat. "Well?"
"The first fight," Max blurted out.
Alec expression dropped the sarcasm. Max cringed, ready to be looking at a blank brick wall, a tactic used to avoid showing emotion. He had another ten years of training; his mask would probably be harder. Instead, he became more intense, his hand gripping hers a little tighter. "The first fight," he repeated roughly.
"Yeah."
They both lost themselves in the past. Even Manticore stamina had run out eventually. They had fallen against opposite walls of the alley, air filling their lungs painfully. The daggers in their eyes had transformed into an unorthodox healing balm. All wounds were open, both physical and spiritual, the blood filling the already grubby gutters. They laid in that fashion, gasping, for a short eternity. Soon the waves of pain subsided and both were able to see past their tears. Two tentative bodies laboriously drew to each other on hands and knees, collapsing as one in the center ground the previous No-Man's-Land.
Since then, they would show up at each other's doorstep, so wired and tense they were on the verge of explosion. So they exploded on each other, the person exploding on the offense, the punching bag on the defense. Which led them to this moment in time. Max had come over after another guilt fest; fighting for air, she almost threw a punch before Alec even had the door fully open.
Bringing themselves to the present, they both unconsciously sighed simultaneously. Upon realizing this, they both chuckled. The tension evaporated.
"That was fun that day," Max started.
"Right. Now have a few nice permanent scars on my perfect body." He paused, faking some deep thought. "No matter, I'll just tell the ladies they're badges from the night I took out some big bad guy. But I'll probably have to change the name each time; can't have all the broken hearts tracking me down." He shrugged. "No biggie." Alec pulled his best puppy-left-in-the-rain-face on, ready for the playful blow which never came. He glanced at Max expectantly.
"Earth to Maxie."
Started out of another reverie, Max blushed furiously. "Why Maxie, I don't believe I have ever seen you blush. Makes me wonder what thoughts you were thinking..." Alec trailed off in that suggestive tone of his, but his eyebrows waggled comically.
"I am very aware of you sexually." Max blurted. Mental slap. All this blurting. What had happened to her more subtle approaches? Feeling Alec tense, she tried to shrug nonchalantly.
"But, it isn't erotic."
Sarcastic Alec was back. "Hmmm, Max. Could you be anymore vague?"
"Of course." Alec shot her The Look.
"It is just that..." she trailed off, wetting her lips. Pity she didn't notice Alec's quick glance to her lips. "You're male..."
"And that is my greatest downfall as a human being," Alec finished dramatically, hand to the forehead and all. "At least according to O.C. anyway."
Now she did slap him, impatiently. "Would you please stop interrupting?!?"
"Sorry."
"And I'm female." Alec was about to shoot off another characteristic remark, but Max's humorless expression stopped him just in time. "I don't know if it's because of this virus thing with Logan," her partner was unusually silent on the subject. "Or if it is just your vitality. I feel your, um, masculinity and I respond on some level. It's probably mostly because you're so close to me on a personal level." Even the stunned Alec snorted at that, but Max just continued on. "You are. You comprehend me and see my weaknesses and faults and my past. You don't condemn me. That's really important to me. Maybe it's just the way we are made as human beings. Longing for human contact from the other sex. I think girls are closer to girls and guys to guys on some level because they have the experiences, you know. But I think men and women relate because they balance each other out. And you balance me out."
Silence.
Max cleared her throat nervously. "Well," she tried a weak smile. "I just want to say thank you."
Silence.
"I gotta go. I will see you later okay?"
Silence. Max gathered herself quickly and left.
*****
At the door slam Alec rolled over with a moan, sprawling himself across his bed, his head rested heavily on his pillow. He reminded himself to breathe. She would come around to the obvious eventually; he let out a masochistic laugh. That was a joke. Good thing she left when she did though. When her face had scrunched up in thought, Alec almost lost his reasoning on why he shouldn't press his lips against hers.
So different from Rachel.
Turns out he fell for a hard knock who would just as soon would kill him as to stand within a mile of him when she wasn't having a moment of emotional weakness.
Go figure.
*****
Out in the hall of his apartment, Max silently banged her head against the wall. Mentally chastising herself for getting lost in a moment, blurting out too much. But one thing stuck out the most.
Turns out she fell for a sarcastic, pain-in-the-butt G.I. Joe who still carried around the necklace of a lost dead girl.
Go figure.
Go Figure
She laid down on his century-old, rotting bed, breathing too heavily to speak. She was worn out in the aftermath, yet strangely rejuvenated. Her hair sprawled limply against his sweaty but fully clothed chest. Alec's damp palm lightly grasped hers, assuring himself of her presence. Him on his back with her curled snuggly at his side. Max slowly, lethargically raised her head, giving him a small, grateful smile, which Alec returns unabashedly. Comforted, Max returned her cheek to its designated spot on his chest.
He'd be aching in the morning. Max smiled at the thought. She could just picture him groaning rolling heavily out of bed when all he would want to do was escape back under his sheets. For all his tough facade, he really did have a heart underneath. Not too many guys would take a beat down from a girl, just because she had to release some emotions.
Underneath her, Alec moaned sorely.
"Sorry."
"Yeah right," he griped, using that I'm-not-really-mad-I-just-want-to-complain tone of voice men seemed to use so often.
Who knew when the tradition started. One day out of the blue, the small bickering fest became a heated argument. What had they been fighting about anyway?
Max jerked her face trying to remember; Alec's hand halted the lazy circle patterns on her back, checking her face for any sign of annoyance. He received nothing; she was too far-gone in yet another memory. He gave the usual not-quite-careless shrug, and pulled her closer to him; her body relaxed once again.
What had started the clash was hazy to Max; it was just another bumping of heads. It was even in the usual fashion, her accusing him and Alec lifting his hands in surrender. Swiftly, the remarks became more brutal on her end and less carefree-sarcastic on his.
Maybe it was Logan again, or the war with White, with the world, with themselves. A hand had struck out deftly connecting with the other's chin. The full out, knock-him-on-his-back-and-bury-him combat aura replaced the previously innocent appearance. The abandoned alley in the back of good ole Terminal City transformed into a boxing ring. They exchanged blows for what felt like forever, fighting each other's disgustingly egotistical yet noble personalities, fighting Rachel's soulful brown eyes and Logan's wry grin, both stolen from them. Each blow, kick, scratch, and breath raged against every lie they had ever been thrown, whether at Manticore, the real world, or in love.
Alec shifted his arm that had been wrapped around Max. Probably had fallen asleep, Max grinned at the thought.
Alec was the first to break the twenty-eight minute silence. "What are you thinking about?" He asked softly, not really wanting to break the rare peaceful moment.
"Nothing much."
"If you say so." Yeah, that sounded really convinced.
"I was thinking about..." Max trailed off, not sure of where to go next. Hmmm, honesty or lying?
A warm finger tipped her chin. The low, almost none existent brightness of twilight lazily filtered through the homemade curtain of ripped sheets. Even in the dimness, Max could see Alec's eyes. The cat DNA must have been faulty, she kept seeing some unrestrained, indefinable emotion shift in his eyes. Their faces were close together, but obviously not close enough for Alec. Suddenly, her body pillow disappeared, as he rolled to his side, carefully placing Max completely on his bed. Their faces were a little nearer to one another, Alec's breath rhythmically stroking her forehead.
A dark eyebrow lifted. Alec put on his "teacher's" face, the one where you are caught passing a note in class and now you are supposed to answer an impossibly hard question. He cleared his throat. "Well?"
"The first fight," Max blurted out.
Alec expression dropped the sarcasm. Max cringed, ready to be looking at a blank brick wall, a tactic used to avoid showing emotion. He had another ten years of training; his mask would probably be harder. Instead, he became more intense, his hand gripping hers a little tighter. "The first fight," he repeated roughly.
"Yeah."
They both lost themselves in the past. Even Manticore stamina had run out eventually. They had fallen against opposite walls of the alley, air filling their lungs painfully. The daggers in their eyes had transformed into an unorthodox healing balm. All wounds were open, both physical and spiritual, the blood filling the already grubby gutters. They laid in that fashion, gasping, for a short eternity. Soon the waves of pain subsided and both were able to see past their tears. Two tentative bodies laboriously drew to each other on hands and knees, collapsing as one in the center ground the previous No-Man's-Land.
Since then, they would show up at each other's doorstep, so wired and tense they were on the verge of explosion. So they exploded on each other, the person exploding on the offense, the punching bag on the defense. Which led them to this moment in time. Max had come over after another guilt fest; fighting for air, she almost threw a punch before Alec even had the door fully open.
Bringing themselves to the present, they both unconsciously sighed simultaneously. Upon realizing this, they both chuckled. The tension evaporated.
"That was fun that day," Max started.
"Right. Now have a few nice permanent scars on my perfect body." He paused, faking some deep thought. "No matter, I'll just tell the ladies they're badges from the night I took out some big bad guy. But I'll probably have to change the name each time; can't have all the broken hearts tracking me down." He shrugged. "No biggie." Alec pulled his best puppy-left-in-the-rain-face on, ready for the playful blow which never came. He glanced at Max expectantly.
"Earth to Maxie."
Started out of another reverie, Max blushed furiously. "Why Maxie, I don't believe I have ever seen you blush. Makes me wonder what thoughts you were thinking..." Alec trailed off in that suggestive tone of his, but his eyebrows waggled comically.
"I am very aware of you sexually." Max blurted. Mental slap. All this blurting. What had happened to her more subtle approaches? Feeling Alec tense, she tried to shrug nonchalantly.
"But, it isn't erotic."
Sarcastic Alec was back. "Hmmm, Max. Could you be anymore vague?"
"Of course." Alec shot her The Look.
"It is just that..." she trailed off, wetting her lips. Pity she didn't notice Alec's quick glance to her lips. "You're male..."
"And that is my greatest downfall as a human being," Alec finished dramatically, hand to the forehead and all. "At least according to O.C. anyway."
Now she did slap him, impatiently. "Would you please stop interrupting?!?"
"Sorry."
"And I'm female." Alec was about to shoot off another characteristic remark, but Max's humorless expression stopped him just in time. "I don't know if it's because of this virus thing with Logan," her partner was unusually silent on the subject. "Or if it is just your vitality. I feel your, um, masculinity and I respond on some level. It's probably mostly because you're so close to me on a personal level." Even the stunned Alec snorted at that, but Max just continued on. "You are. You comprehend me and see my weaknesses and faults and my past. You don't condemn me. That's really important to me. Maybe it's just the way we are made as human beings. Longing for human contact from the other sex. I think girls are closer to girls and guys to guys on some level because they have the experiences, you know. But I think men and women relate because they balance each other out. And you balance me out."
Silence.
Max cleared her throat nervously. "Well," she tried a weak smile. "I just want to say thank you."
Silence.
"I gotta go. I will see you later okay?"
Silence. Max gathered herself quickly and left.
*****
At the door slam Alec rolled over with a moan, sprawling himself across his bed, his head rested heavily on his pillow. He reminded himself to breathe. She would come around to the obvious eventually; he let out a masochistic laugh. That was a joke. Good thing she left when she did though. When her face had scrunched up in thought, Alec almost lost his reasoning on why he shouldn't press his lips against hers.
So different from Rachel.
Turns out he fell for a hard knock who would just as soon would kill him as to stand within a mile of him when she wasn't having a moment of emotional weakness.
Go figure.
*****
Out in the hall of his apartment, Max silently banged her head against the wall. Mentally chastising herself for getting lost in a moment, blurting out too much. But one thing stuck out the most.
Turns out she fell for a sarcastic, pain-in-the-butt G.I. Joe who still carried around the necklace of a lost dead girl.
Go figure.