They needed today more than they knew. Darkness was falling upon Seattle in the shadow of their deepest fear. Exposure. Hatred. Love was all they had until the dark passed them by. And love would pull them through. Alec was sure of it as sure as holding her in his grasps could be. Max was settling down, in behavior and attitude. She was finally maturing towards womanhood. Alec was finally maturing himself, in ways even he could be impressed with. But even though growing more cunning and mature, in skills according to fighting, both knew it would take more than stamina to stave off fear in Normals minds. They saw them as frightening reminders of corruption in their world; inhuman killers. They saw only their reflections in the mire and clouded puddles of Seattles streets as they ran away from danger. Today they would see things differently. Today would be beautiful.
"We have so much time before lunch at the club," Alec mentioned for the fiftieth time since leaving the apartment. Max raised her hand over his mouth in hopes of quieting him.
"I know, I know," she said, "and I keep asking you what you want to do but you keep on ignoring me." Alec could tell by her tone that she was getting bothered by his excitement and that toning it down alittle wouldn't be such a bad idea. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her cheek tenderly.
"I just love being with you. Doing nothing." Max squeezed his body tightly next to his as the passers-by stared ruthlessly, jealous of their brightness on the dismal, cloudy day.
"We could have done nothing at home, where it was at least warm." Alec knew that when Max started to complain, it wasn't because she was dissatisfied. He had got the drift awhile ago that it just came natural to her to complain and that mostly it was a way to get some kind of reaction, like impatience, out of him. It rarely worked.
"Oh, your cold are you? I'll warm you up, baby." Alec grabbed around her waist as she walked, his rear end sticking out towards the market streets where women gawked and oohed him. Blushing, Max smiled and kissed him.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Will you stop advertising yourself now?" Alec pursed his lips and stood up. Both now stayed quiet as they trampsed through the crowds, walking in unison and swinging their entwined hands. They must have looked silly because nearly every one who looked at them seemed to grumble to themselves and hiss that the two of them 'should get a room'. Then Max spoke up.
"I was thinking the other day about something...." she said first seriously and then with a smirk, "its probably going to make you laugh." He couldn't wait.
"What?" he asked her, holding back his obvious enthuthiasm.
"Well, I was thinking that you don't have a last name." Alec blinked, trying to understand where she was going. She continued, "So, if you don't have a last name, then if-" and then she stopped herself with a laugh, "this is an 'if', mind you, that if we married, I would have no last name to take." Alec's mind was blown that she even considered this. Marriage. Apart from hearing about it on television, Alec had never met a married couple nor did he have much knowledge on why marriage was so special. But if Max was thinking about it then maybe it was something she wanted. And usually what she wanted was perfectly wonderful for him.
"You want to get married?" he asked her, quizzically. Max frowned playfully and scoffed.
"No," she said with a laugh,"why, do you?" This idea of Marriage was both intriging and interesting to the two. It seemed to them that they already had a marriage-like relationship and would not really be changing much if they went and did it. Alec held her hands in his and smiled.
"Yeah, I do, I think." Max's eyes filled with surprise. Was that a proposal, like she had seen in the movies? Or was it simply an agreement? All she knew was, unlike in movies, she didn't feel swept off her feet by it. Disapointed, Max turned away. The persistance in Alec's eyes as he yanked her gently back meant more than words. And for an instant, Max realized he meant what he said.
"You mean it," she said, trying to uncover a bluff on his part, "you really want to marry me?"
"Yes! Marry me! Marry me, today!" Alec added triumphantly as if she'd already answered him with a yes. Max's eyes lifted up into the sky, a small tear forming in her eye. All this emotion was stirred up in those words and suddenly she was nodding and smiling and holding Alec next to her. Married. What could be more wonderful?
"We have so much time before lunch at the club," Alec mentioned for the fiftieth time since leaving the apartment. Max raised her hand over his mouth in hopes of quieting him.
"I know, I know," she said, "and I keep asking you what you want to do but you keep on ignoring me." Alec could tell by her tone that she was getting bothered by his excitement and that toning it down alittle wouldn't be such a bad idea. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her cheek tenderly.
"I just love being with you. Doing nothing." Max squeezed his body tightly next to his as the passers-by stared ruthlessly, jealous of their brightness on the dismal, cloudy day.
"We could have done nothing at home, where it was at least warm." Alec knew that when Max started to complain, it wasn't because she was dissatisfied. He had got the drift awhile ago that it just came natural to her to complain and that mostly it was a way to get some kind of reaction, like impatience, out of him. It rarely worked.
"Oh, your cold are you? I'll warm you up, baby." Alec grabbed around her waist as she walked, his rear end sticking out towards the market streets where women gawked and oohed him. Blushing, Max smiled and kissed him.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. Will you stop advertising yourself now?" Alec pursed his lips and stood up. Both now stayed quiet as they trampsed through the crowds, walking in unison and swinging their entwined hands. They must have looked silly because nearly every one who looked at them seemed to grumble to themselves and hiss that the two of them 'should get a room'. Then Max spoke up.
"I was thinking the other day about something...." she said first seriously and then with a smirk, "its probably going to make you laugh." He couldn't wait.
"What?" he asked her, holding back his obvious enthuthiasm.
"Well, I was thinking that you don't have a last name." Alec blinked, trying to understand where she was going. She continued, "So, if you don't have a last name, then if-" and then she stopped herself with a laugh, "this is an 'if', mind you, that if we married, I would have no last name to take." Alec's mind was blown that she even considered this. Marriage. Apart from hearing about it on television, Alec had never met a married couple nor did he have much knowledge on why marriage was so special. But if Max was thinking about it then maybe it was something she wanted. And usually what she wanted was perfectly wonderful for him.
"You want to get married?" he asked her, quizzically. Max frowned playfully and scoffed.
"No," she said with a laugh,"why, do you?" This idea of Marriage was both intriging and interesting to the two. It seemed to them that they already had a marriage-like relationship and would not really be changing much if they went and did it. Alec held her hands in his and smiled.
"Yeah, I do, I think." Max's eyes filled with surprise. Was that a proposal, like she had seen in the movies? Or was it simply an agreement? All she knew was, unlike in movies, she didn't feel swept off her feet by it. Disapointed, Max turned away. The persistance in Alec's eyes as he yanked her gently back meant more than words. And for an instant, Max realized he meant what he said.
"You mean it," she said, trying to uncover a bluff on his part, "you really want to marry me?"
"Yes! Marry me! Marry me, today!" Alec added triumphantly as if she'd already answered him with a yes. Max's eyes lifted up into the sky, a small tear forming in her eye. All this emotion was stirred up in those words and suddenly she was nodding and smiling and holding Alec next to her. Married. What could be more wonderful?