Authors Note: Beware of Logan's presence in this chapter but don't despair because I promised M/A and I will deliver (eventually - evil laugh). Story gets more serious from this point on kiddies but remains within PG-13 boundaries but in WARNING mature subjects ahead.

EDGE OF LOVE

Chapter 4 - The Assumption

"Okay, that's it for today, do the reading and don't forget to get drunk tonight." The laughter that echoed the lecture theatre was mostly female as the men rolled their eyes at the older mans attempt to be cool.

Alec snorted as he shoved his books into his bag and looked around for Max. She had chosen to sit down front with the rest of the girls while all the men seemed to have migrated to the back rows for Professor Cale's lectures. As most of the students filed out he saw Max lingering in her seat before going up to the man who was collecting his notes together. Frowning he decided to wait for her and sat back in his seat hoping neither would notice his presence.

"Hi professor Cale." Max said as she walked up to him. A wide smile split Logan's face as he saw the girl.

"Hi Max. How you going with the course material. No problems I hope. And its Logan remember?"

"Right Logan, sorry. My dad was kinda strict about how to address your elders when I was a kid." Max saw the slightly disgruntled expression on the professors face and gasped. "Oh. Not that your elderly or I mean um." Max stammered. "Your really young and cute and everything not that I think your cute, I mean you are but-." Max slapped her hand over her mouth in shock at what she had just said.

Logan relaxed and even managed a smile at the flustered girl. "Max its okay really. I know what you meant."

Max hesitatingly removed her hand and tried a small smile still blushing lightly. "Sorry, its just… Anyway I'm fine with the course but I did have a few problems with Blake's work." Max rolled her eyes. "Sometimes I'm a bit dense about subtext and metaphors."

Logan smiled reassuringly at the girl. "Max you are not dense in any way. In fact…" His voice dropped lower. "I can even tell you confidentially of course that you don't need to worry about your grade on the Bronte essay."

Max grinned at the professor. "Really, cause I was kinda worried about the bit on-"

"Trust me Max, it was fine, very good in fact. I'm handing back the papers tomorrow." Logan assured the young girl. "But you know if you want to grab a coffee we could go over some of Blake's stuff if you would like to."

Max smiled. "Really cause that would be-"

"Such a great thing to do if you didn't already have other plans right Maxie?" Alec had come down from the seats unnoticed and decided this would be a timely point at which to interrupt.

"Alec!" Max glared at her room mate.

Logan looked between the two of them. "Alec." He nodded at the younger man. "I didn't see you up there."

Alec grinned charmingly. "Well you know I was just waiting for Maxie to finish yapping so we could get going on our plans."

"We don't have plans Alec." Max gritted out between clenched teeth.

"Oh baby! Don't tell me you forgot that today is our 3 month anniversary!" Alec managed to sound shocked and hurt at the same time. He turned to Logan. "Memory like a sieve buddy, but what can you do."

"Anniversary?" Logan sounded confused as he looked at Max who was fuming silently not trusting herself to speak. "I thought you two were just friends."

"Friends might be a stretch." Max bit out as she threw her death stare at Alec who smiled disarmingly.

"Its been 3 months since we moved in together." Alec explained. "And what a slice of heaven it has been too." If heaven involves regular beatings and tantrums.

"Oh." Logan sounded perplexed. "Well then another-"

"No! Now is fine Logan." Max discreetly pinched Alec hard on the arm who yelped. "We can celebrate later Alec."

Alec frowned as he rubbed his arm. "Fine, be like that." He said sulkily. Only trying to help stop you making a mistake with the sleaze. He added silently.

"Great." Logan had brightened up considerably. "I know this wonderful café which serves the best pastries…" Max and Logan walked out together leaving Alec behind to hear their voices fade away.

"Pastries." Alec muttered to himself. "She hates pastries."

***************

"So how were the pastries?" Alec asked as Max walked into their apartment late in the evening. "Like them so much you had to spend…" Alec checked his watch "4 and a half hours eating them?"

Max threw her bag down onto the table and glared at her room mate. "What, you're my mom now?" She asked angrily her good mood evaporating instantly. "And what the hell were you trying to pull with that anniversary bullshit earlier?" She demanded.

"Hey I was just trying to stop you making some mistake with that Humbert!" Alec retorted.

"Humbert! He's only 11 years older than me and I'm over 18!" Max yelled "Besides, we're not even like that" She added. "Or is ruining my life just a hobby of yours?"

Alec ran a hand through his hair and tried to calm down. He already knew from experience that yelling was the worst thing to do around Max cause it inevitably led to physical violence.

"Look Max. Believe it or not I am trying to help. This kind of guy is only after one thing, I know the type, they leech onto some freshman and do the whole 'deep and intellectual' thing. But at the end of the day he's only trying to get you into bed."

"That is such a load of crap. And for you information Logan is very deep and intellectual, I've read his poetry its fantastic!" Max defended.

Alec sighed heavily. "Max there are reasons why there are rules against teachers dating students you know."

Max shrugged. "So, who's going to tell?" Eyes widening Max turned to Alec and grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare!"

"Hey." Alec shook off her grip. "Calm down I'm not going to tell anyone, I'm only trying to look out for you Max." Max relaxed and Alec couldn't resist another jab. "Besides, I thought you two 'weren't even like that'" Alec quoted Max.

Max shot him a dirty look and Alec smirked.

"Anyway I was just warning you." Alec continued. "But I guess its not like your some innocent virgin or anything." He laughed before taking in Max's blush and uncomfortable expression and stopped abruptly. "Your kidding." He stated, staring at Max. It couldn't be, she couldn't be… He had heard the language that came out of that girls mouth and there was no way she a virgin!

"I- " Max squirmed. "So what if-"

"Oh my god, You are, aren't you?" Alec said deadpan in shock.

Max threw a vicious look at Alec and crossed her arms across her chest defensively. "Its not like I haven't done anything." She scowled. "I've dated and done, well everything but that." She admitted, scuffing her toe into the floor. "My dad was really strict and I never really felt connected to anyone enough to…I wanted it to be more special than just some high school boy looking to score."

Alec felt his chest constrict at Max's confession. He honestly didn't know what to say. He would never have dreamt that tough chick Max had never been with a guy.

"Look Max. Logan is not the guy for you, he's the wrong type to lose-"

"What and a drunken frat boy is the right type?" Max asked her anger coming back. "Just because you sleep with any ho that crosses your path doesn't mean everyone is like that. You don't know anything about real feelings Alec. I'm sorry I ever thought I could trust you enough to tell you this stuff! I'm sorry your even in this world!"

Alec's expression closed down into a cold mask as her words hit him like a slap, and stung more than any punch she had ever given him.

"Fine. Do what you want." He said flatly, his hazel eyes cutting like ice into her heated brown orbs. Rachel's face flashed through his mind and he grabbed Max by the arm and dragged her close to him. "But don't ever tell me I don't know about real feelings Max." He gave her a small shake and then released her, missing the look of shock on her face as he turned away. "Don't ever tell me that…"

TBC.

A/N: I know Max is not a virgin in the show but she has never had a real relationship prior to Logan and only had sex because of heat (which is irrelevant in this universe). So I wanted to show her innocence and lack of experience with men emotionally as due to the lack of experience physically. Oh and yes I brought Rachel up, it just didn't seem right to ignore her from Alec's life. More will be revealed soon on both their pasts.