Within four days Kris was settled into her new place. Minus the ominous presences of White somewhere in the city, Kris was pretty happy. White had not tried to abduct her again, but she was never without a "chaperone" as Alec sarcastically put it. It was about ten at night and Kris was sitting on her new, second-hand couch for an evening of quiet reading when she heard a knock on her door. She froze, she never had a visitor before.

Checking her peephole, she saw Alec. That was odd, he should have been at The Crash. She opened the door and greeted him.

"Hey," he replied, holding something behind his back. "I just wanted to give you this," he said, revealing a brown paper bag.

She looked at it curiously before taking it. Her whole face lit up when she saw what was inside.

"Sorbet! Ah! Thank you!" said cried out, hugging him. That had been the most physical contact they had since they met a week ago. Kris pulled away slightly, but Alec still had his arms around her waist. She didn't struggle, she really didn't want to. His lips were so close to hers...but something told her no.

"Um, do you, um, wanna come in?" Kris asked quietly, averting her eyes from his lips.

Alec looked at her quizzically, wondering if there was a second meaning behind her words. It didn't seem like something she would do, which was why he liked her so much. He had respect for her.

The long pause made her realize that her question could have been misinterpreted.

"I meant for sorbet, no sex," Kris added dryly.

Alec released her from his grasp. "I knew that," he replied cockily as he followed her into the apartment.

Kris grabbed two spoons and opened on of the pints of sorbet gleefully.

"Yummy, yummy, yummy," she chanted while sitting on the couch Alec was already on and handing him a spoon.

Alec laughed. This was the second time he saw a little luxury completely brighten her face. He loved that about her. It made him want to take as much enjoyment as he could from the little things in his life - like spending time with her.

"Laugh all you want, Golden Boy, I don't care. This stuff is heavenly," she said, taking a spoonful and savoring it.

Alec smirked, taking a spoonful and tasting what the big deal was with the stuff. It did taste really good, not a creamy as ice cream. His smirk turned into a genuine smile.

"See," Kris said, pointing at his face, "even you like it."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Alec asked while taking another spoonful.

Kris shrugged. "Just that you seem like a guy who's hard to please." She watched him at The Crash as he played against other guys for money. He liked winning, but he didn't seem happy.

"I'm a man with simple needs," he said defensively with his cocky smile now playing on his lips.

"Oh, do tell what those needs are," Kris teased, crossing her legs on the couch as she faced him.

"Food, alcohol, money, women," Alec listed. "But not necessarily in that order."

"Ah..." Kris said, lifting her eyebrows . "What comes first?"

Alec thought about it momentarily before answering, "Money."

"Huh, I'd have thought it'd be women," Kris replied absently, taking another scoop of sorbet.

"No, money cuz you can buy food, alcohol, and women with money. Money is the key," Alec said, somewhat sagely.

Kris wasn't sure if she was supposed to laugh at this. It was funny but in a pathetic way. Paying for women? She was well aware there was prostitution, but Alec didn't seem the type who would need to pay for sex.

Alec wondered if he said something to upset her. He was still getting used to just talking to her since he never really wanted to talk to women before.

"Kris, what is it?"

"Huh? Oh, its just that you never struck me as the type who would have to pay for sex," she replied honestly.

Her blunt reply shocked Alec. Was he supposed to take that as a compliment? Her face showed no trace of mockery when she said it. But he had paid for sex several times, he just didn't want to be alone sometimes.

"Uh, thanks?" Alec asked, taking another spoonful of sorbet - the stuff was addicting.

Kris chuckled. "I notice how the girls at The Crash look at you. They're tearing your clothes off with their eyes. No wonder you have such an inflated ego."

"Hey! I can't help it if I'm desirable..." He couldn't finish his sentence because a pillow was thrown at his face. "What is up with you and pillows?" Alec jested, hitting Kris with one in return.

She giggled like a child, hitting Alec again. Alec grinned madly as he lunged at her, pinning her on the couch under his body and tickling her mercilessly. Kris laughed hysterically, struggling under him.

"Okay, okay, stop, I give," Kris cried out, laughing as her hands were pinned over her head by Alec's.

"So, admit it," Alec said, no longer tickling her.

"Admit what?" Kris said between gasps.

"That I'm desirable," Alec replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Kris looked at him above her, his hazel eyes dazzling with playfulness. His brown hair was slightly matted down on his forehead with sweat, but he wasn't panting at all. Must be the X5 training, Kris mused. She impulsively stroked his hair away from his forehead. It was soft and slightly damp.

She once again caught Alec off guard. He knew this was no invitation for a kiss or sex or whatever like it had been with other girls touched him like this. He saw that Kris had no idea of the spell she was putting him under. She wrinkled her eyebrows and looked straight into his eyes.

"Eh, you'll do," she replied casually to his question, her eyes glittering with mockery.

Alec was just about the resume his tickling when his cell phone began ringing. He sighed and got off of Kris, never realizing how comfortable that position was until he was out of it. Kris scooted into a seating position facing him.

"Yeah?" Alec answered the phone, slightly annoyed. "Hi, yeah, yeah, again? Okay, fine, fine, bye." He hung up, deeply annoyed.

"Very eloquent," Kris commented sarcastically.

Alec snorted. "I have to go. Max needs me for something."

Kris looked at him, puzzled.

"Max does these crime fighting things for Logan and this one is a two-man job," he explained, getting up from the couch.

"Huh, learn something new everyday."

"What?"

"Well, I just ate sorbet with a real life superhero," Kris teased.

"Very funny. I'm far from one," Alec said.

"You're doing a good thing," Kris said truthfully, her expression turning serious.

Alec shifted uncomfortably. "Max has saved my ass more than once. So, I owe her," he said, trying to explain his non-superhero status.

"Okay," she replied, letting the subject go. She hugged him and whispered, "Be careful."

"Huh, maybe I'll save the world more often if that's my reward," Alec replied, opening the apartment door while giving her a cocky smile. He closed it behind him right after he saw her roll her eyes.

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"Drinks on me," Max said, coming over and placing a pitcher of beer in the center of the table and a ginger ale in front of Kris.

"Thanks," the group said.

"No prob. Some loser wanted to play me, even though he saw I beat the crap out of his friend. Men are such idiots," Max replied. OC and Kris laughed while Sketchy and Alec tried to defend their sex to no avail.

When the protest subsided, Sketchy asked, "Hey, Kris. How come you never drink beer?" He had known the girl now for a month and never seen her drink one drop of liquor.

"Cuz alcohol has a tendency to lead to sex," she replied, sipping her ginger ale.

"And that's a bad thing?" Sketchy replied jokingly, filling his glass with beer.

Alec laughed and he took a swig.

"Well, for me? Yeah. For you? No, you need all the action you can get, Sketch," Kris teased as she patted his head affectionately. Max, OC and Alec laughed heartily.

"Okay, okay, haha. But seriously, have you ever tasted alcohol?" Sketchy asked.

Kris wondered what sparked this whole questioning session. It was probably the fact that Sketchy was getting drunker by the minute. She didn't mind answering his questions though.

"Yeah. Right after Sean died I got drunk often," she replied honestly. OC and Sketchy knew about her boyfriend's death, but only Max, Logan and Alec knew about White's interest in him.

Sketchy looked at her dazedly. "So how many people have you slept with?" he asked.

"Boy, shut yo mouth before she smacks you. How many people have you slept with?" OC scolded Sketchy.

Sketchy thought about it for a second, his drunk mind trying to count. "Six, you?" he asked OC.

"Too many, Sugah, too many fine hunnies," OC replied, smiling. Max laughed heartily. "What? What about you, Boo?" OC asked her best friend.

"Me? Four," Max replied.

"Huh, too bad it ain't five," OC commented, alluding to Logan. They had yet to find a cure for the virus that would kill him if Max touched him.

Alec chuckled while Max blushed.

"Oh shut up, Alec. You probably don't even remember all the people you've been with," Max fired at him.

"That's true, Maxie," Alec said, his eyes filled with amusement.

That was the one thing Kris didn't like about him, he practically went after every female he could. The routine got boring as she watched him approach women constantly. But this one peeve did not stop Alec and Kris from becoming friends. He would come over to her place often or she would go to his apartment to watch movies or talk or eat. She realized that she was probably the only woman he knew, besides Max who loved Logan and OC who was a lesbian, that he hadn't slept with. She intended to keep it that way.

"What about you?" Alec asked Kris, bringing her thoughts back to the current conversation.

"Um, two," she replied.

"Two?" Sketchy repeated loudly. Wow, he was really annoying when he was drunk, Kris thought.

"Yeah," Kris replied confidently.

"I'm surprised, you're very attractive, you know..." Sketchy said drunkenly.

"Yeah, but she ain't easy, Sketchy, so stop trying to pick her up," Max said.

Everyone laughed except Sketchy.

"I hope one of them wasn't Alec," Sketchy mumbled.

Kris laughed, looking at Alec who was also amused at his intoxicated friend's comment.

"No, Sean and a one night stand. I was so smashed once that I woke up naked in some hotel room next to a guy whose name I didn't even know. That's why I don't drink," she explained casually.

Sketchy nodded his head and soon passed out.

Alec thought about what she had said, understanding now why she was so careful in trusting him. The people who knew her intimately were either dead or a complete stranger. He wanted to hug her, but she said it in that casual tone, which Alec knew meant 'it's no big deal,' despite the fact that it was. He had spent enough time with her to understand her subtleties - that scared him to a point because didn't that mean she knew his?

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