Disclaimer: I still don't own 'em. Are ya shocked? ... No? Me neither.
A/N: I don't own "Piece of My Heart", that is all Janis Joplin.
Oh Boy
"Max," he whispered.
No response.
"Ma-aax," he sang, even softer this time.
No response. Wait...nope, just a slight snore.
Alec shrugged his shoulders "remorsefully", anticipating his next move. A theatrical sigh escaped him. A part of Alec had to admit he didn't want to wake Max up. She was just sleeping there, so peacefully, a rarity for her. Especially with the nightmares she had been having over recent weeks. His brow creased as he stared at her. She actually looked...child-like, sweet. A small dry chuckle flew out at that thought. Sweet? Still, he inspected her a little longer. She was a definite "spoon sleeper". The snuggling type, he thought wryly.
A sudden image flashed across his brain. His face in her hair, her faintly burrowing back against him. The thought was warming if ludicrous. She might no longer hate him, but she wouldn't embrace any physical contact, no pun intended. They weren't the touchy-feely types anyway. Nonetheless, one of Alec's fingers slipped out and brushed the short hair off of her forehead, instinctively savoring the softness of her skin.
She was warm. Too warm. Her forehead was clammy. Alec frowned but quickly shoved off the concern. The girl was practically acting out "The Princess and the Pea", with the mountain of blankets she collected. Where did they all come from anyway?
As it was said, a part of Alec didn't want to wake Max. On the other hand...with an excessively large smirk, an acrobatic leap, and a half-twist in mid-air, he gracefully collapsed onto the queen-sized bed with a satisfying "Wham!"
Followed by a very satisfying screech. Naturally, since Alec was a perfect judge of depth, he had managed to fall neatly next to Max, as opposed to squashing the unsuspecting girl. One point for him. Of course, he managed to overlook the fact that since he didn't land on Max, she - with transgenic reflexes - would have him pinned in a nanosecond. Back to ground zero. Max was sitting on his stomach, had his hands pinned to the bed, and was leaning over him in a rather sinister manner. She had yet to commence a flurry of punches and indecipherable screams. That would probably put the voyeur in the negative points range.
Then again, Max was positioned on his stomach. Her thighs were almost painfully clenching his sides in anger. Hmm, and she was wearing a pair of his boxers. Would that be bonus round?
"Morning, my stunning enchantress." Oops, that sounded a little too sincere. Throw in some sarcasm man! "I trust you slept well?" he finished mockingly. See, was insincerity so difficult?
He threw in a quick once over, covering his actual curiosity with a smirk. Her hair was tousled, sticking out in every direction. A set of eyes was meticulously carving out parts of his face at this point. Two cheeks were flushed from sleep. And an entire body was trembling from tightly leashed fury. Note to those who listen: Never let a leer transform into a real smile. The things Alec had to compete against were just insufferable. Not to mention that he felt his body heat rise to a dangerous level.
Yeah. Right about now would be the time to get her off.
But Max's flabbergasted silence had passed, and she was ready to lay into him. "Alec you bastard!" she screamed, wailing a fist into his stomach. "I swear to God if I didn't need you for another 16 months I would..." a stream of severe, body-racking coughs cut her off. She collapsed against his chest when Alec's hands grappled her arms. He rolled her protectively onto her side, their limbs loosely entangled. He silently held her until the fit subsided.
"I feel like crap," she croaked after catching her breath.
"You chose a fine time to get sick," Alec started. "You gotta work a double-shift today."
"I can't help it!" she whined, starting to cough again.
"I know, I know," he said. He supportively patted her back throughout the next tantrum.
"Alec, I don't think I can make it to work today," Max said.
"Yeah."
A quick call to Normal ensued. While Alec and the boss argued for fifteen minutes in the kitchen, Max walked into the living room like a zombie, and dropped her weary body on the couch. Now wearing a washed-out sweat suit, she gazed up at him looking for the world like a lost...kitten.
"Normal listen, I know Max said she could work double shifts today, but she is so sick..." Alec covered the receiver and groaned in aggravation. With a deep sigh, he agitatedly ran his fingers through his cropped hair.
"Yeah Normal...I could...that would be perfect...okay. Bye." He hit the "Talk" button on the cordless phone, therefore hanging it up, and tossed it behind him triumphantly. He sat down on the couch, throwing an arm around his bemused wife. "You know, I hate to brag." Max, sure enough, scoffed. Alec shot her a dry glare. "But you are the luckiest woman in the world, to be married to me."
A quick sneeze followed. "How do you figure that Golden-Boy?" Max said.
Alec just snapped his fingers in Max's direction, like she just found the answer for why the chicken really did cross the road. "See, that's just it. I AM Golden Boy."
"Nothin' to be proud of Alec."
"So someone so uneducated as yourself would think," he began in a sneaky fashion. "But I, Golden-Boy, not only got you out of work today..." Dramatic pause. "But I also got you out of the double-shift. Permanently. You don't have to work it when you get back."
Max was shocked. "How?"
"I had to sell my hollow soul to Normal," he said proudly, beaming down at her.
"Hate to break it to you...cupcake," Max stated dryly. "But I don't think it's your 'soul' Normal wants." She gave him a quick look over to emphasize her point.
Now, Max's glance may have been staged, but Alec was still a human being; a man, if you will. And Max was nestled into his side. And she had just given him some degree, however faked, of "The Look". Maybe another shower before work wouldn't be a bad idea. A cold shower. Especially with her drowsily nuzzling her face into the point where his head and shoulder met. If her 'sick breath' could feel that good on his sensitive skin...
Alec shot up like a rocket. "Well," he began roughly, but quickly cleared his throat. "Well," he began more naturally. "I really should head in. Can't keep the boss waiting. I'll uh...I'll drop you off some lunch? You want me to pick up something?" he asked, darting madly about the apartment, not looking into Max's eyes.
"Sure, maybe you could drop off some Chicken Noodle Soup. Would noon-ish sound okay to you?"
"Noon, sounds perfect," he rolled off absentmindedly, turning the knob on the door. He whirled around suddenly, "Are you going to be okay? Do you need someone to stay with you, do that whole pampering thing? I could call Logan..."
Now Max was the one - albeit unsteadily - on her feet. She tried to walk sturdily towards him, putting on the "I'm O.K." front. She was fine until one of her socks hit a soft spot on the slick linoleum floor and she slipped. Luckily Alec caught her. Now standing within inches of each other, they both chuckled. It was amazing was laughter could do to release the mounting tension in a room.
"I'll be fine," she sneezed. "It's probably all the stress recently anyway, plus that whole bug that's been going around. I may have been made perfect like you Alec, but you got another ten years of vaccinations on me. A day on my back wouldn't kill me anyway."
"Are you sure you..." He was brought to a halt by a warm set of fingers on his lips. Both Max and Alec's eyes widened at the contact. The hand slowly, almost regretfully, dropped to her side. The atmosphere returned to its original pressure after a charged silence.
"Well," Alec started, heading out the door, "I better get to work. Can't lose my 'Golden-Boy' status and become a mere slacker such as yoursel..ach!"
Max had pushed him out the door forcefully, slamming it shut close behind. A wry smile spread across her face before she had the chance to suppress it with her usual scowl. She strutted somewhat smugly to the couch, grabbing Kleenex and some 'questionable' O.J. on the way. When she got herself situated, Max turned on the television.
News. She was sick of politics.
Click.
Pre-Pulse "Tom and Jerry". Not today.
Click.
"As the World Turns", at a particularly sensual moment.
Hasty click.
She flipped through the channels, becoming more and more in disconcerted as she realized nothing too great was on.
Of course her frustration had absolutely nothing to do with the way Alec had gazed at her when she had been vengefully situated on him. It had absolutely nothing to do with the way he held her during her body-wracking coughs. And it had absolutely NOTHING to do with his supple yet firm lips leaving an impression on her fingertips.
Click. Click. Click.
Having had enough - of the lack of quality TV, of her stupid cold, and of her own traitorous thoughts - she turned a monotonous telecaster off and wrathfully flung the remote across the room.
Now if she could just cast off her own contemplations so easily.
*****
Alec spent his first two and a half-hours on the job delivering packages to the boondocks of Seattle. It was not only far, but also cold and raining cats and dogs to boot. But that was alright. Contrary to most feline opinion, Alec was partial to rain. A body would have to build up at least some tolerance to stay in the vicinity of Seattle. And further runs weren't so horrific today; he needed time to think. And Alec had to be high up or traveling fast to think at his absolute clearest. Pounding some serious pavement due to being heavily laden with parcels, he used his more than ample time to run through the mornings events again. And again.
The 'what-ifs' and 'maybes' had commenced their attack on his brain the instant he'd been shoved - undeservedly, he might add - out the door. The one or two enemy questions had multiplied over and over on the brisk ride to work. He stalled them off while greeting his comrades, explaining Max's absence to Cindy, and picking up packages from Normal. It wasn't until he had picked up a grueling pace a sector and a half away before he let the floodgates go kaput. After two and a half-hours of an analytical silence, a raging analytical silence, Alec let his brain, as well as his body shut down. He slid his bike gracefully into a deserted alley, leapt off his bike and slumped against the wall, dropping his butt towards the dirty pavement.
Things couldn't have been played differently this morning. Even if they could've been, the past couldn't be changed now. Gasping for air from his torturous tempo, he put his head in his hands and began to rock in slight motions back and forth. He growled at his palms, angered by his reactions and weaknesses.
Alec did a quick mental tally, how long had it been? Three years. He just hadn't been with a woman in three years; it was sexual frustration, that was all. He was surprised at his own abstinence, not wanting to know why he started to withdraw from the gratifications of the opposite and oh-so-willing sex. Nope, that reasoning didn't settle right in his stomach. Sexual frustration didn't make him care about someone else. Even if that was his problem, the thought of going back to mindless sex didn't appeal to his normally horny senses. Especially when the last time he'd even come close to second base was with...
Minette. Alec groaned again, knocking his head back against the wall. A grunt sounded at the impact. When his vision cleared, he went back to thrusting his face into his hands. He snickered scornfully. Look at him, a Manticore soldier, brought to this pathetic moment and spot by a couple of women.
Minette was a pill. A dangerous pill; he had to give credit where it was due. She was a crafty demon, offering him pleasures she knew he hadn't tasted in a lengthy while. She probably just figured it was some sort of phase. Well, her guess was as good as his. He didn't know why he had pulled away from several agreeable partners.
Now if the back of his mind would just stop sneering at him, Alec could convince himself that he didn't know.
Back to more important problems. He resettled his mind on the stunning, corrupt, and voracious Minette. And more particularly, how he still wanted her. Alec wasn't completely immune; he understood her game and knew where it would end. Too bad the blissful, if fleeting, middle passage was so enticing. Minette was just lust, quick to blaze and even quicker to chill over. But lust was a lot easier to play around than these unsettling, understated, and delicate feelings he had for M...correction, had had for Rachel.
Man, if he thought this deep too much longer his eyes would be permanently crossed. Alec laughed at the thought. He stood up and made a dismal attempt at wiping some of the muck off his pants. Quickly checking his bag, he realized he had no deliveries left. He had told Normal his runs would take him the majority of the morning, and that after he was finished he would grab some lunch and stop in to check on Max. Normal had sulkily agreed to the terms, since Alec was the only one willing to take the difficult sector and he was 'Golden-Boy'. Jealous pouting was not a becoming look for his boss. Alec let out another small shutter at the thought.
*****
"Joshua, it's your agent, let me in." At the silence, Alec banged on the door again. Another silence followed. Alec was ready to kick the door in when it flung open, revealing a rather unpleasant individual. Looking the creature in the eye, he picked up a southern accent and seriously asked, "Excuse me ma'am," he tipped an imaginary hat. "But do you happen to know the whereabouts of the man of the house?"
"Alec," Mole warned.
"I know, I know," he greeted warmly, tapping the lizard-man's arm and letting his smile shine through. "I am a lowly X-series, not worthy of the ground you spit your tobacco on."
Now it was Mole's turn to smile. "As long as you know your place, freak," he mockingly growled.
Alec snapped to attention, "Sir, yes, sir!" he yelled.
Mole heartily laughed. "At ease soldier, I'll show you to the man of the house."
Joshua had moved back into his father's house, just like old times. But this time, he had brought other tenants with him. It seemed the jokingly named "Four Musketeers" had officially become inseparable. Joshua had lived by himself for a full week - much to Alec's amazement - before he had asked Mole, Dix, and Luke, to move in with him. They of course, had heartily agreed.
"You know," Alec said, heading for the basement. "I think I read that when people live together they start to act like each other. Does that mean you'll develop a taste for Salvador Dali? Or maybe it said they start to look like each other." Alec stopped. A complete look of sheer terror crossed his face. "So you, with a little bit of Josh, a smidgen of Dix, and a dash of look..." he screamed, covering his face. "The horror!"
Mole not-so-lightly tapped him upside the head with his ever-present shotgun, and continued to good-naturedly chuckle all the way down the stairs. Both men dipped their heads at the stoop, and cleared the stairs. Mole turned to Alec, who seemed impressed with the set up. "Nice," he commented. Dix and Joshua seemed to really fall in with each other's hobbies. The basement seemed to be set up for them. On one side, Dix had his computer equipment lined up, while Josh had his easel and paints on the other. And with their shared love of the written word, overflowing bookshelves lined the two open walls. "Very nice," Alec said. He turned to his tour guide, "What about you?"
"All violent weapons are kept upstairs," Dix casually replied, looking up from his encyclopedia. "Mole and Luke seem to really balance each other out. Mole is fiery and clever, while Luke is the tolerable and good-looking one. And neither of them understands the appeal of a dank basement." Mole grunted in response to the jabs.
Alec slipped a dime into Mole's hand and walked over to Josh's side. A bemused Mole turned to Dix, who chuckled and said he'd explain the joke later. Satisfied with the response, he told Alec he'd just go tell Luke to get the Chicken Noodle Soup ready. Now it was Alec's turn to be surprised. After Mole headed upstairs, he turned to his dawg, "Luke cooks?" he asked.
"Taught him," Joshua said somewhat smugly.
"Well, I'll be damned," Alec said.
"Most likely," Dix quipped. The three laughed.
"What are you working on, Josh?" Alec asked.
"Annie," the painter responded. Annie was still Joshua's soft spot, he obviously stilled mourned her loss. But these days, he didn't act like her death was the absolute end of his world. He smiled and joked, coming to terms with her early and unnecessary death. Things were looking up and had reverted back towards the way they had been before. Even better in some ways. Rita still bought Joshua's paintings - sometimes Alec acted as his agent, sometimes Joshua advertised himself - and he seemed to be an unusual hit with the art patrons. Something about the tortured soul of a Manticorian appealed to them. Well, whatever kept his friend happy.
A quick glance at his watch said it was 11:45. He could be back to the apartment in fifteen minutes, check on Max for about five minutes, and pedal his butt back to work by 12:30. Considering he had taken over Max's double shift, the thought of getting back - and more importantly, done - agreed with Alec.
Saying good-bye to his comrades and praising Luke for his well-done job on the soup, Alec headed home, not knowing the shock awaiting him.
*****
"One pill makes you larger
And one pill a makes you small
And the one that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice..." Max continued to croon into the shower stream. Convinced her body was clear of any soap, she turned off the water. Still singing, she dried her body. Following a quick swipe of her agile hand to rid the bathroom mirror of condensation, she brushed her wet hair away from her face.
"...And the white knight is talking backwards
And the red queen is 'Off with her head'
Remember, what the doorman said,
'Feed the hare! Feed the hare!'" she belted out, finishing the song on a bold note. She wrapped her body securely with a surprisingly fluffy towel. It was simply amazing what a hot shower could do for a sick body. Heavy emphasis on hot. She hadn't had a hot shower - before marrying Alec that is - in six, maybe seven years. Hmmm, the thought of hot showers until death do they part was almost enough for Max to forgo the idea of divorce. Almost.
She was feeling much better. Hey, at this rate, she might even be able to face Alec comfortably by the time he came home that night. Sudden stomach ripples told her she might as well forgo that idea also. Strolling out into the living room she told herself she'd do the best she could when their time came.
Which, judging by the way her husband was bent over a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup in the kitchen, would be right at that precise moment.
She looked longingly at her temporary bedroom door, contemplating a plan, any plan, to get her from the spot she was standing to the sanctuary of her room without him observing her latest vogue of "Martha Stewart TowelWear".
Then he began to talk. Not to himself, but to her.
Oh boy.
*****
Alec had walked into about the line where "the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go." He practically laughed out loud at the discovery. He could've pictured Max as a 'spoon sleeper', but as a 'shower singer' to boot? She wasn't a half-bad singer. She wouldn't win any Academy Awards, but who did these days? A little off-key perhaps; but on the all around, not bad. Alec nodded in approval. It was actually kind of endearing, domestic even.
He heard the shower stop, but Max kept singing, no longer drowned out by the sound of water hitting the tub. He chuckled. Knowing she'd be hungry, and that the refrigerator offered little else than mold, he quickly washed a couple of bowls and the necessary weapons for eating. He tested the soup and found it to still be warm. When his own stomach rumbled, he decided he'd had enough of being polite, and began to chow down. Luke had really outdone himself.
He heard Max end on a rather bold note. Knowing she'd be out any second, he did a quick mental preparation, telling himself to forget what had transpired that morning in this same kitchen. Right. He was a fool if he believed he could forget her face snuggled into his neck. Three hours later, he still felt the contact; how perfectly she had fit in the crook of his neck. But it didn't mean anything. He tersely nodded. "Right," he softly said, convincing himself rather admirably.
Alec wanted to avoid looking at her as long as possible, so when he heard her shuffle across the floor, he didn't bother looking up. Best to open with a sharp-witted comment, maybe that could cover his flushed cheeks. The thought of her singing in the shower brought up innocent desires best forgotten.
He checked his watch again.
12:05:36 it read.
He decided to take the plunge. "So back in the late 1960's and 70's people were frowned upon for singing about drugs, so the artists covered their drug fixation with seemingly innocent characters. "Puff the Magic Dragon" is all about Dooby-Snacks and "White Rabbit" was Jefferson Airplane's use of Alice in Wonderland for Acid. Isn't amazing what you can learn at Manti...?"
This was roughly about the time he raised his eyes.
They fell upon Max...
...in nothing but a towel.
Oh boy.
*****
Nothing.
Have you ever heard about how sometimes, two opponents outside the "domestic realm" of the animal kingdom, will face each other silently for minutes at a time, trying to assess their foe's first move? It's quite fascinating actually; two adversaries will mutely measure each other up. No roaring, stamping feet, showing colors, or other forms of intimidation are deemed necessary. But what seems to us like stark fear emanating from both parties is actually study and pre-battle mode sinking in. Have you ever heard of that?
No?
Neither had Alec. He was just grasping for a reason, any reason, to blame for his lack of a witty comment. Or, as it would be better put, lack of anything. Here he was, just sitting their staring at Max like he was some hormonal pre-teen and she was the prom queen who offered to let time turn a single into a double and run for second base. He glumly mentally scratched the hope it was merely faulty DNA.
Nothing.
Wait. No, a message was coming in. It was from the Eyes trying to communicate to the last part of the Brain that hadn't been paralyzed by shock. It was coming in now...
She...
...she looked...
...she looked...magnificent.
Whew, who'd have guessed it was so difficult to search for a complete thought? Considering the millions of brain waves bouncing around in his mind within the next nanosecond, computing thoughts and memorizing images, Alec sure wouldn't have. But now that he started, he just couldn't stop. And complete thoughts were once again impossible, and not because lack of brain activity. The flood of bits and pieces hit the ground so hand and fast, then flowed away so quickly, he couldn't soak up all the sweet fragments at once.
Dripping hair. Luminous eyes. Angelic. Innocent. Water rivulets on skin.
Wait. Another message was coming in...
...Her hair was growing back out.
That was it. Reality slapped him dead in the face; thankfully hard enough to knock him out of disastrous territory.
When the original power source had shorted out from shock, some extraordinary neuron had taken it upon himself to find the alternative source of power, God bless it. And with one sane thought, the unique neuron had flicked the switch, sending Alec crashing back to reality.
"Well, Max," he said. "This is a side of you I have never seen before."
*****
Nothing.
He just stared at her as if she was fantasy, not flesh and blood like him. He didn't say anything; it was almost like he was speechless, Max quickly scorned the thought. It was impossible for him NOT to vocalize an opinion.
But his eyes...he was looking at HER.
He always made it a point to look everyone in the eyes when he talked to them; she had noticed this. But this, this was different. He was looking at HER. It was as if for one instant, he could see into her vulnerable soul.
Max had had her moments with Logan. Those special moments, where time stopped slowed to a pause, locking them in time.
This wasn't one of those moments. This was liquid fire: fast, furious, and unforgiving. This was surreal.
Then when it seemed he was taking in every part of her at an impossibly increasing rate, he shut down.
"Well, Max," he said. "This is a side of you I have never seen before."
*****
Max seemed to hurtle out of her own alternate universe. With an indescribable flash of fire, mortification, awareness, and something not quite telling in her eyes, she let out a screech of frustration. Blurring across the apartment, she secured herself into her room with a satisfying, eardrum bursting SLAM!
Alec quickly didn't dare wade in his own reveries. Wading would lead to swimming; if Alec swam, he would drown.
Getting ready to head out the door, back to life at Jam Pony, he checked his watch.
It read 12:05:47.
Thank you for the reviews. Especially Dia, Caderyn (Thank you for the critique!), Chocaholic, Scarlet, and everyone who has reviewed more than once. I really, really appreciate it. Give yourself a nice big hug from me!
A/N: I don't own "Piece of My Heart", that is all Janis Joplin.
Oh Boy
"Max," he whispered.
No response.
"Ma-aax," he sang, even softer this time.
No response. Wait...nope, just a slight snore.
Alec shrugged his shoulders "remorsefully", anticipating his next move. A theatrical sigh escaped him. A part of Alec had to admit he didn't want to wake Max up. She was just sleeping there, so peacefully, a rarity for her. Especially with the nightmares she had been having over recent weeks. His brow creased as he stared at her. She actually looked...child-like, sweet. A small dry chuckle flew out at that thought. Sweet? Still, he inspected her a little longer. She was a definite "spoon sleeper". The snuggling type, he thought wryly.
A sudden image flashed across his brain. His face in her hair, her faintly burrowing back against him. The thought was warming if ludicrous. She might no longer hate him, but she wouldn't embrace any physical contact, no pun intended. They weren't the touchy-feely types anyway. Nonetheless, one of Alec's fingers slipped out and brushed the short hair off of her forehead, instinctively savoring the softness of her skin.
She was warm. Too warm. Her forehead was clammy. Alec frowned but quickly shoved off the concern. The girl was practically acting out "The Princess and the Pea", with the mountain of blankets she collected. Where did they all come from anyway?
As it was said, a part of Alec didn't want to wake Max. On the other hand...with an excessively large smirk, an acrobatic leap, and a half-twist in mid-air, he gracefully collapsed onto the queen-sized bed with a satisfying "Wham!"
Followed by a very satisfying screech. Naturally, since Alec was a perfect judge of depth, he had managed to fall neatly next to Max, as opposed to squashing the unsuspecting girl. One point for him. Of course, he managed to overlook the fact that since he didn't land on Max, she - with transgenic reflexes - would have him pinned in a nanosecond. Back to ground zero. Max was sitting on his stomach, had his hands pinned to the bed, and was leaning over him in a rather sinister manner. She had yet to commence a flurry of punches and indecipherable screams. That would probably put the voyeur in the negative points range.
Then again, Max was positioned on his stomach. Her thighs were almost painfully clenching his sides in anger. Hmm, and she was wearing a pair of his boxers. Would that be bonus round?
"Morning, my stunning enchantress." Oops, that sounded a little too sincere. Throw in some sarcasm man! "I trust you slept well?" he finished mockingly. See, was insincerity so difficult?
He threw in a quick once over, covering his actual curiosity with a smirk. Her hair was tousled, sticking out in every direction. A set of eyes was meticulously carving out parts of his face at this point. Two cheeks were flushed from sleep. And an entire body was trembling from tightly leashed fury. Note to those who listen: Never let a leer transform into a real smile. The things Alec had to compete against were just insufferable. Not to mention that he felt his body heat rise to a dangerous level.
Yeah. Right about now would be the time to get her off.
But Max's flabbergasted silence had passed, and she was ready to lay into him. "Alec you bastard!" she screamed, wailing a fist into his stomach. "I swear to God if I didn't need you for another 16 months I would..." a stream of severe, body-racking coughs cut her off. She collapsed against his chest when Alec's hands grappled her arms. He rolled her protectively onto her side, their limbs loosely entangled. He silently held her until the fit subsided.
"I feel like crap," she croaked after catching her breath.
"You chose a fine time to get sick," Alec started. "You gotta work a double-shift today."
"I can't help it!" she whined, starting to cough again.
"I know, I know," he said. He supportively patted her back throughout the next tantrum.
"Alec, I don't think I can make it to work today," Max said.
"Yeah."
A quick call to Normal ensued. While Alec and the boss argued for fifteen minutes in the kitchen, Max walked into the living room like a zombie, and dropped her weary body on the couch. Now wearing a washed-out sweat suit, she gazed up at him looking for the world like a lost...kitten.
"Normal listen, I know Max said she could work double shifts today, but she is so sick..." Alec covered the receiver and groaned in aggravation. With a deep sigh, he agitatedly ran his fingers through his cropped hair.
"Yeah Normal...I could...that would be perfect...okay. Bye." He hit the "Talk" button on the cordless phone, therefore hanging it up, and tossed it behind him triumphantly. He sat down on the couch, throwing an arm around his bemused wife. "You know, I hate to brag." Max, sure enough, scoffed. Alec shot her a dry glare. "But you are the luckiest woman in the world, to be married to me."
A quick sneeze followed. "How do you figure that Golden-Boy?" Max said.
Alec just snapped his fingers in Max's direction, like she just found the answer for why the chicken really did cross the road. "See, that's just it. I AM Golden Boy."
"Nothin' to be proud of Alec."
"So someone so uneducated as yourself would think," he began in a sneaky fashion. "But I, Golden-Boy, not only got you out of work today..." Dramatic pause. "But I also got you out of the double-shift. Permanently. You don't have to work it when you get back."
Max was shocked. "How?"
"I had to sell my hollow soul to Normal," he said proudly, beaming down at her.
"Hate to break it to you...cupcake," Max stated dryly. "But I don't think it's your 'soul' Normal wants." She gave him a quick look over to emphasize her point.
Now, Max's glance may have been staged, but Alec was still a human being; a man, if you will. And Max was nestled into his side. And she had just given him some degree, however faked, of "The Look". Maybe another shower before work wouldn't be a bad idea. A cold shower. Especially with her drowsily nuzzling her face into the point where his head and shoulder met. If her 'sick breath' could feel that good on his sensitive skin...
Alec shot up like a rocket. "Well," he began roughly, but quickly cleared his throat. "Well," he began more naturally. "I really should head in. Can't keep the boss waiting. I'll uh...I'll drop you off some lunch? You want me to pick up something?" he asked, darting madly about the apartment, not looking into Max's eyes.
"Sure, maybe you could drop off some Chicken Noodle Soup. Would noon-ish sound okay to you?"
"Noon, sounds perfect," he rolled off absentmindedly, turning the knob on the door. He whirled around suddenly, "Are you going to be okay? Do you need someone to stay with you, do that whole pampering thing? I could call Logan..."
Now Max was the one - albeit unsteadily - on her feet. She tried to walk sturdily towards him, putting on the "I'm O.K." front. She was fine until one of her socks hit a soft spot on the slick linoleum floor and she slipped. Luckily Alec caught her. Now standing within inches of each other, they both chuckled. It was amazing was laughter could do to release the mounting tension in a room.
"I'll be fine," she sneezed. "It's probably all the stress recently anyway, plus that whole bug that's been going around. I may have been made perfect like you Alec, but you got another ten years of vaccinations on me. A day on my back wouldn't kill me anyway."
"Are you sure you..." He was brought to a halt by a warm set of fingers on his lips. Both Max and Alec's eyes widened at the contact. The hand slowly, almost regretfully, dropped to her side. The atmosphere returned to its original pressure after a charged silence.
"Well," Alec started, heading out the door, "I better get to work. Can't lose my 'Golden-Boy' status and become a mere slacker such as yoursel..ach!"
Max had pushed him out the door forcefully, slamming it shut close behind. A wry smile spread across her face before she had the chance to suppress it with her usual scowl. She strutted somewhat smugly to the couch, grabbing Kleenex and some 'questionable' O.J. on the way. When she got herself situated, Max turned on the television.
News. She was sick of politics.
Click.
Pre-Pulse "Tom and Jerry". Not today.
Click.
"As the World Turns", at a particularly sensual moment.
Hasty click.
She flipped through the channels, becoming more and more in disconcerted as she realized nothing too great was on.
Of course her frustration had absolutely nothing to do with the way Alec had gazed at her when she had been vengefully situated on him. It had absolutely nothing to do with the way he held her during her body-wracking coughs. And it had absolutely NOTHING to do with his supple yet firm lips leaving an impression on her fingertips.
Click. Click. Click.
Having had enough - of the lack of quality TV, of her stupid cold, and of her own traitorous thoughts - she turned a monotonous telecaster off and wrathfully flung the remote across the room.
Now if she could just cast off her own contemplations so easily.
*****
Alec spent his first two and a half-hours on the job delivering packages to the boondocks of Seattle. It was not only far, but also cold and raining cats and dogs to boot. But that was alright. Contrary to most feline opinion, Alec was partial to rain. A body would have to build up at least some tolerance to stay in the vicinity of Seattle. And further runs weren't so horrific today; he needed time to think. And Alec had to be high up or traveling fast to think at his absolute clearest. Pounding some serious pavement due to being heavily laden with parcels, he used his more than ample time to run through the mornings events again. And again.
The 'what-ifs' and 'maybes' had commenced their attack on his brain the instant he'd been shoved - undeservedly, he might add - out the door. The one or two enemy questions had multiplied over and over on the brisk ride to work. He stalled them off while greeting his comrades, explaining Max's absence to Cindy, and picking up packages from Normal. It wasn't until he had picked up a grueling pace a sector and a half away before he let the floodgates go kaput. After two and a half-hours of an analytical silence, a raging analytical silence, Alec let his brain, as well as his body shut down. He slid his bike gracefully into a deserted alley, leapt off his bike and slumped against the wall, dropping his butt towards the dirty pavement.
Things couldn't have been played differently this morning. Even if they could've been, the past couldn't be changed now. Gasping for air from his torturous tempo, he put his head in his hands and began to rock in slight motions back and forth. He growled at his palms, angered by his reactions and weaknesses.
Alec did a quick mental tally, how long had it been? Three years. He just hadn't been with a woman in three years; it was sexual frustration, that was all. He was surprised at his own abstinence, not wanting to know why he started to withdraw from the gratifications of the opposite and oh-so-willing sex. Nope, that reasoning didn't settle right in his stomach. Sexual frustration didn't make him care about someone else. Even if that was his problem, the thought of going back to mindless sex didn't appeal to his normally horny senses. Especially when the last time he'd even come close to second base was with...
Minette. Alec groaned again, knocking his head back against the wall. A grunt sounded at the impact. When his vision cleared, he went back to thrusting his face into his hands. He snickered scornfully. Look at him, a Manticore soldier, brought to this pathetic moment and spot by a couple of women.
Minette was a pill. A dangerous pill; he had to give credit where it was due. She was a crafty demon, offering him pleasures she knew he hadn't tasted in a lengthy while. She probably just figured it was some sort of phase. Well, her guess was as good as his. He didn't know why he had pulled away from several agreeable partners.
Now if the back of his mind would just stop sneering at him, Alec could convince himself that he didn't know.
Back to more important problems. He resettled his mind on the stunning, corrupt, and voracious Minette. And more particularly, how he still wanted her. Alec wasn't completely immune; he understood her game and knew where it would end. Too bad the blissful, if fleeting, middle passage was so enticing. Minette was just lust, quick to blaze and even quicker to chill over. But lust was a lot easier to play around than these unsettling, understated, and delicate feelings he had for M...correction, had had for Rachel.
Man, if he thought this deep too much longer his eyes would be permanently crossed. Alec laughed at the thought. He stood up and made a dismal attempt at wiping some of the muck off his pants. Quickly checking his bag, he realized he had no deliveries left. He had told Normal his runs would take him the majority of the morning, and that after he was finished he would grab some lunch and stop in to check on Max. Normal had sulkily agreed to the terms, since Alec was the only one willing to take the difficult sector and he was 'Golden-Boy'. Jealous pouting was not a becoming look for his boss. Alec let out another small shutter at the thought.
*****
"Joshua, it's your agent, let me in." At the silence, Alec banged on the door again. Another silence followed. Alec was ready to kick the door in when it flung open, revealing a rather unpleasant individual. Looking the creature in the eye, he picked up a southern accent and seriously asked, "Excuse me ma'am," he tipped an imaginary hat. "But do you happen to know the whereabouts of the man of the house?"
"Alec," Mole warned.
"I know, I know," he greeted warmly, tapping the lizard-man's arm and letting his smile shine through. "I am a lowly X-series, not worthy of the ground you spit your tobacco on."
Now it was Mole's turn to smile. "As long as you know your place, freak," he mockingly growled.
Alec snapped to attention, "Sir, yes, sir!" he yelled.
Mole heartily laughed. "At ease soldier, I'll show you to the man of the house."
Joshua had moved back into his father's house, just like old times. But this time, he had brought other tenants with him. It seemed the jokingly named "Four Musketeers" had officially become inseparable. Joshua had lived by himself for a full week - much to Alec's amazement - before he had asked Mole, Dix, and Luke, to move in with him. They of course, had heartily agreed.
"You know," Alec said, heading for the basement. "I think I read that when people live together they start to act like each other. Does that mean you'll develop a taste for Salvador Dali? Or maybe it said they start to look like each other." Alec stopped. A complete look of sheer terror crossed his face. "So you, with a little bit of Josh, a smidgen of Dix, and a dash of look..." he screamed, covering his face. "The horror!"
Mole not-so-lightly tapped him upside the head with his ever-present shotgun, and continued to good-naturedly chuckle all the way down the stairs. Both men dipped their heads at the stoop, and cleared the stairs. Mole turned to Alec, who seemed impressed with the set up. "Nice," he commented. Dix and Joshua seemed to really fall in with each other's hobbies. The basement seemed to be set up for them. On one side, Dix had his computer equipment lined up, while Josh had his easel and paints on the other. And with their shared love of the written word, overflowing bookshelves lined the two open walls. "Very nice," Alec said. He turned to his tour guide, "What about you?"
"All violent weapons are kept upstairs," Dix casually replied, looking up from his encyclopedia. "Mole and Luke seem to really balance each other out. Mole is fiery and clever, while Luke is the tolerable and good-looking one. And neither of them understands the appeal of a dank basement." Mole grunted in response to the jabs.
Alec slipped a dime into Mole's hand and walked over to Josh's side. A bemused Mole turned to Dix, who chuckled and said he'd explain the joke later. Satisfied with the response, he told Alec he'd just go tell Luke to get the Chicken Noodle Soup ready. Now it was Alec's turn to be surprised. After Mole headed upstairs, he turned to his dawg, "Luke cooks?" he asked.
"Taught him," Joshua said somewhat smugly.
"Well, I'll be damned," Alec said.
"Most likely," Dix quipped. The three laughed.
"What are you working on, Josh?" Alec asked.
"Annie," the painter responded. Annie was still Joshua's soft spot, he obviously stilled mourned her loss. But these days, he didn't act like her death was the absolute end of his world. He smiled and joked, coming to terms with her early and unnecessary death. Things were looking up and had reverted back towards the way they had been before. Even better in some ways. Rita still bought Joshua's paintings - sometimes Alec acted as his agent, sometimes Joshua advertised himself - and he seemed to be an unusual hit with the art patrons. Something about the tortured soul of a Manticorian appealed to them. Well, whatever kept his friend happy.
A quick glance at his watch said it was 11:45. He could be back to the apartment in fifteen minutes, check on Max for about five minutes, and pedal his butt back to work by 12:30. Considering he had taken over Max's double shift, the thought of getting back - and more importantly, done - agreed with Alec.
Saying good-bye to his comrades and praising Luke for his well-done job on the soup, Alec headed home, not knowing the shock awaiting him.
*****
"One pill makes you larger
And one pill a makes you small
And the one that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice..." Max continued to croon into the shower stream. Convinced her body was clear of any soap, she turned off the water. Still singing, she dried her body. Following a quick swipe of her agile hand to rid the bathroom mirror of condensation, she brushed her wet hair away from her face.
"...And the white knight is talking backwards
And the red queen is 'Off with her head'
Remember, what the doorman said,
'Feed the hare! Feed the hare!'" she belted out, finishing the song on a bold note. She wrapped her body securely with a surprisingly fluffy towel. It was simply amazing what a hot shower could do for a sick body. Heavy emphasis on hot. She hadn't had a hot shower - before marrying Alec that is - in six, maybe seven years. Hmmm, the thought of hot showers until death do they part was almost enough for Max to forgo the idea of divorce. Almost.
She was feeling much better. Hey, at this rate, she might even be able to face Alec comfortably by the time he came home that night. Sudden stomach ripples told her she might as well forgo that idea also. Strolling out into the living room she told herself she'd do the best she could when their time came.
Which, judging by the way her husband was bent over a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup in the kitchen, would be right at that precise moment.
She looked longingly at her temporary bedroom door, contemplating a plan, any plan, to get her from the spot she was standing to the sanctuary of her room without him observing her latest vogue of "Martha Stewart TowelWear".
Then he began to talk. Not to himself, but to her.
Oh boy.
*****
Alec had walked into about the line where "the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go." He practically laughed out loud at the discovery. He could've pictured Max as a 'spoon sleeper', but as a 'shower singer' to boot? She wasn't a half-bad singer. She wouldn't win any Academy Awards, but who did these days? A little off-key perhaps; but on the all around, not bad. Alec nodded in approval. It was actually kind of endearing, domestic even.
He heard the shower stop, but Max kept singing, no longer drowned out by the sound of water hitting the tub. He chuckled. Knowing she'd be hungry, and that the refrigerator offered little else than mold, he quickly washed a couple of bowls and the necessary weapons for eating. He tested the soup and found it to still be warm. When his own stomach rumbled, he decided he'd had enough of being polite, and began to chow down. Luke had really outdone himself.
He heard Max end on a rather bold note. Knowing she'd be out any second, he did a quick mental preparation, telling himself to forget what had transpired that morning in this same kitchen. Right. He was a fool if he believed he could forget her face snuggled into his neck. Three hours later, he still felt the contact; how perfectly she had fit in the crook of his neck. But it didn't mean anything. He tersely nodded. "Right," he softly said, convincing himself rather admirably.
Alec wanted to avoid looking at her as long as possible, so when he heard her shuffle across the floor, he didn't bother looking up. Best to open with a sharp-witted comment, maybe that could cover his flushed cheeks. The thought of her singing in the shower brought up innocent desires best forgotten.
He checked his watch again.
12:05:36 it read.
He decided to take the plunge. "So back in the late 1960's and 70's people were frowned upon for singing about drugs, so the artists covered their drug fixation with seemingly innocent characters. "Puff the Magic Dragon" is all about Dooby-Snacks and "White Rabbit" was Jefferson Airplane's use of Alice in Wonderland for Acid. Isn't amazing what you can learn at Manti...?"
This was roughly about the time he raised his eyes.
They fell upon Max...
...in nothing but a towel.
Oh boy.
*****
Nothing.
Have you ever heard about how sometimes, two opponents outside the "domestic realm" of the animal kingdom, will face each other silently for minutes at a time, trying to assess their foe's first move? It's quite fascinating actually; two adversaries will mutely measure each other up. No roaring, stamping feet, showing colors, or other forms of intimidation are deemed necessary. But what seems to us like stark fear emanating from both parties is actually study and pre-battle mode sinking in. Have you ever heard of that?
No?
Neither had Alec. He was just grasping for a reason, any reason, to blame for his lack of a witty comment. Or, as it would be better put, lack of anything. Here he was, just sitting their staring at Max like he was some hormonal pre-teen and she was the prom queen who offered to let time turn a single into a double and run for second base. He glumly mentally scratched the hope it was merely faulty DNA.
Nothing.
Wait. No, a message was coming in. It was from the Eyes trying to communicate to the last part of the Brain that hadn't been paralyzed by shock. It was coming in now...
She...
...she looked...
...she looked...magnificent.
Whew, who'd have guessed it was so difficult to search for a complete thought? Considering the millions of brain waves bouncing around in his mind within the next nanosecond, computing thoughts and memorizing images, Alec sure wouldn't have. But now that he started, he just couldn't stop. And complete thoughts were once again impossible, and not because lack of brain activity. The flood of bits and pieces hit the ground so hand and fast, then flowed away so quickly, he couldn't soak up all the sweet fragments at once.
Dripping hair. Luminous eyes. Angelic. Innocent. Water rivulets on skin.
Wait. Another message was coming in...
...Her hair was growing back out.
That was it. Reality slapped him dead in the face; thankfully hard enough to knock him out of disastrous territory.
When the original power source had shorted out from shock, some extraordinary neuron had taken it upon himself to find the alternative source of power, God bless it. And with one sane thought, the unique neuron had flicked the switch, sending Alec crashing back to reality.
"Well, Max," he said. "This is a side of you I have never seen before."
*****
Nothing.
He just stared at her as if she was fantasy, not flesh and blood like him. He didn't say anything; it was almost like he was speechless, Max quickly scorned the thought. It was impossible for him NOT to vocalize an opinion.
But his eyes...he was looking at HER.
He always made it a point to look everyone in the eyes when he talked to them; she had noticed this. But this, this was different. He was looking at HER. It was as if for one instant, he could see into her vulnerable soul.
Max had had her moments with Logan. Those special moments, where time stopped slowed to a pause, locking them in time.
This wasn't one of those moments. This was liquid fire: fast, furious, and unforgiving. This was surreal.
Then when it seemed he was taking in every part of her at an impossibly increasing rate, he shut down.
"Well, Max," he said. "This is a side of you I have never seen before."
*****
Max seemed to hurtle out of her own alternate universe. With an indescribable flash of fire, mortification, awareness, and something not quite telling in her eyes, she let out a screech of frustration. Blurring across the apartment, she secured herself into her room with a satisfying, eardrum bursting SLAM!
Alec quickly didn't dare wade in his own reveries. Wading would lead to swimming; if Alec swam, he would drown.
Getting ready to head out the door, back to life at Jam Pony, he checked his watch.
It read 12:05:47.
Thank you for the reviews. Especially Dia, Caderyn (Thank you for the critique!), Chocaholic, Scarlet, and everyone who has reviewed more than once. I really, really appreciate it. Give yourself a nice big hug from me!