Cuando amor no es locura, no es amor.
December 23, 2021
Sometimes it's hard to let yourself go and forget the values, beliefs and annoying little habits you've taken such care to instil into your life to keep you safe. To keep people away. To keep yourself from facing betrayal and consequently spending your life back in a concrete room with a cockroach called George for a roommate and a sideways optometrist with a name you can never quite remember, to perform daily eye tests with a fandangled red laser and a whole world of hurt.
One would think after all that had happened in the past two weeks, Max and Alec would by now be recovering from a night of hot monkey sex on the living room floor and sleeping like satisfied little rabbits.
But no.
Nuns would find it difficult, hell, impossible to pass up an opportunity to ravish such a fine specimen of perfection such as Alec. But unfortunately, we're talking about Max here. And she's clueless when it comes to knowing what's best for herself. Blame it on her childhood, blame it on the planetary alignment of the moon and the stars. Personally, I blame it on the fact that she's lost the key to her chastity belt and is too embarrassed to admit it. It's really the only logical explanation…
"So it's back to normal with you and my boo huh?"
Alec stared wistfully across the room to where Max stood at the bar in wait of their latest round of beer. "I guess so."
Original Cindy rolled her eyes to the ceiling and tried to remain calm. "Oh my god! Don't tell me you two are still at each other's throats?"
Alec frowned in thought. He had almost allowed himself the luxury of believing after everything that had come to pass between them, Max would be more receptive towards him than this. Funny, Logan probably wondered the same thing himself. Alec had at last rested on the conclusion that Max was either A-sexual or harbouring lesbian tendencies and trying desperately to suppress them.
Suddenly a hand lashed out and slapped him across the back of his head.
"Holy crap OC! What was that for?"
"I heard that fool!"
"But I didn't say anything!"
"You didn't need to suga. Original Cindy's gaydar works on many different frequencies. My boo is not A-sexual."
OC turned away with a smile and muttered. "Unless the A stands for Alec."
"I heard that." Alec smirked as he turned to encounter Max standing behind him, one hand on hip, the other holding a pitcher of beer.
"Heard what?"
Alec took in the arched eyebrow and sulky pout of the petite brunette before him and the cocky grin made a familiar return to his face. He could tell a little white lie or let her in on the discussion. The latter was certainly a much more interesting option.
As he opened his mouth to respond, she slammed the jug of beer onto the table and stepped closer, a finger posed before him in warning as a smile briefly flitted her face. She knew by the look on his face that he was about to deliver some smart ass remark.
"Hey, think before you speak boy. Don't make me drag you into an alley and rough-handle you!" She forced the grin from her face at the thought.
Alec's grin widened further. "Will you?"
Max paused, her mind suddenly tangling in her words. Looking around the crowded bar, she couldn't help but wonder it would pay to get some fresh air…
"Alec, just shut up and go invite your friend over there to the table. She's looking kinda lonely."
Chasing thoughts of Alec and alley-ways out of her mind, Max pushed him towards Match with a small secretive smile. One that he returned before melting into the crowd.
"Okay, straight up boo. Exactly what is going on with you and your boy?"
Cindy came to stand before her friend, forcing her to tear her doe-eyes off the guy and focus on the question at hand. "Are you two kickin' it for real or are you in heat?"
Max ducked her head and bit her lip, suppressing a smile. "No way. As Alec said yesterday, it's just 'business as usual'."
"My ass! You can't fool Original Cindy, something has changed between you two. Now fess up!"
"Nothing's changed OC! I'm tellin ya straight up!'"
Max smiled into her glass of beer as her friend shook her head in exasperation and reached across the table for the pitcher. As Max watched Alec laugh with Match across the room, she pushed away the last of her jealousy and allowed her mind to slip into memory of the night before.
--- flashback --- >
Alec surveyed the large unwelcome Christmas tree and looked at the broken angel in Max's hand. Wiping the tears from her eyes, he stood up and pulled her to her feet with him. She looked up and met his eyes, a war of emotions raged in the dark orbs as relief, confusion, desire and anger battled for control. He wondered if she was angry at him for bailing, or if it was aimed at someone else.
"I should kick your ass for scaring me like that Alec."
Alec smiled softly as he stroked Max's hair. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear that."
She shifted her head to look up at him, their eyes locking together as each felt the electricity spark, but neither making a move to explore this phenomenon.
"Yeah well, you don't know how happy I am to have your ass here right now."
He bit back a quip and searched her eyes, wondering if that was an invitation he could see shining out of them, but unsure if now was the right time to try and find out. The bruises upon both of them were still evident. Both physically and emotionally. This wasn't something he wanted to rush.
"I'm so sorry Alec."
She looked away, suddenly ashamed. The words were unfamiliar to her but she meant them no less. But she knew it would take more than a few small words to make up for all the hurt she'd caused.
"It's okay Max. I should never have kissed you in the alley anyway.That was meant to be Logan's job. God knows you two had waited long enough."
Swallowing had suddenly become a difficult task. It was strange how his words could make her feel so disappointed. She berated herself for desiring absolution. She didn't deserve his forgiveness. Now he seemed to think it was all his fault when she had caused this whole sordid mess. And now he regretted that kiss…
--- end flashback --- >
"Don't worry boo, there'll be no shortage of mistletoe at the party. Original Cindy's made sure of that."
"Huh?" Max snapped out of her daydream and looked to her friend, unsure of what she was talking about.
"Mistletoe at the Christmas party. You know?" She sighed at Max's blank look. "It's the tradition to smooch under a mistletoe branch fool!"
"Then everyone will be lining up to kiss him!" Max's mood slid even further downhill at the thought.
OC smiled at the confirmation her friend had just unwittingly given her. "Oh but none of the other Manticorians know what it's for. Original Cindy's made sure of that too."
Max shrugged and looked away, trying to appear as if she didn't care either way. But she couldn't stop the blush that rose to her cheeks.
"Now, your not trying to make Max jealous again by talking to me are you?"
Alec's smile fell as shame filled him. "Look Match, I wasn't hanging out with you just to make her jealous. I know I shouldn't have -"
"It's okay Alec. I understand." She smiled softly. "I was just pullin ya leg."
He rolled his eyes at her and glanced back towards Max, who appeared lost in her own little world.
"Hey how 'bout ya come join us at the table? I promise Max won't shoot daggers at you." He adopted his best puppy dog look as he pleaded with his friend.
"Maybe next time round. I need to get some sleep." She glanced at Max and grinned. "Looks to me as if you two enjoy picking on each other. Am I right?"
"Well, 'terms of affection' would be my way of describing it." He cocked his head to one side as he analysed the numerous arguments they'd had together in the past and with any luck, would continue to have. "Some people have pet names like 'cupcake' and 'sweetie-pie'... Max prefers the more bad ass combinations such as 'jackass' and 'screw-up'."
"And you love this girl why?" Match shook her head and laughed.
Alec paused, neither denying nor confirming her insinuation. "Let's just say, if Max traded in 'jackass' for 'cupcake' I'd be running in the opposite direction. She wouldn't be Max anymore."
"Well, just don't forget what drove out 494 in the first place."
"Months of trying to forget Manticore ever existed Match. That's what did it." His eyes narrowed in seriousness as he held her stare.
Max had fessed up about Joshua's reason for knocking him out. He remembered none of it, but was deeply ashamed nonetheless. It was something he knew he could never forgive himself for, but thanked small mercies that this was one incident which she could.
"And I wouldn't be surprised to hear of that happening to a lot more of us in time to come."
Match nodded in understanding. At times she could feel the same rage crawling beneath her skin like a demon trying to carve words onto her flesh. There'd come a day when Terminal City would seem like a saucepan filled with exploding corn.
"Perhaps we can call the experience a rite of passage and give the soldiers a branding if they pass the test?"
Alec laughed. "Go home Match."
Max noticed the redhead leave and walked over to where Alec now sat staring into space. She was half fearful that he'd slip away inside his mind again.
"Hey you." Max slid into the seat before him and rested her hands on the bar.
He looked up and smiled. "Hey yourself."
Neither spoke for a moment and at last Alec felt he could bear her silence no longer.
"You know, I wish I could take things back to the way things were before." Her eyebrows raised in surprise and he reached out to idly play with her fingers.
"You want things to be like they were before?" Her eyebrows raised further as the words sank in.
"Yeah. You know, before Logan came along with the elixir of life. Back when Max was Max and I was the annoying thorn in your side."
"You want things to be like they were before." This time it wasn't a question but a statement made in disbelief.
"I mean, it's not like I crave being your ever-humiliated sidekick or anything, I could do without the humiliation and your continuous statements of how much you wish I would get out of your life... but ya know, I do enjoy seeing your eyes light up when I piss you off."
He flashed her a cocky grin as he turned her hands over in his and began to stroke her palm.
She stared dumbfound at their entwined hands, his touch making her heart accelerate as his words made her wonder exactly what he was talking about.
"Why?" It was a simple question. Perhaps it would inspire a simple answer.
"Cuando amor no es locura, no es amor."
Perhaps not.
"What the hell does that mean Alec?"
Max felt her mind flared in sudden annoyance as she realised the only word she had understood was 'madness'. Was he calling her crazy?
Alec laughed at her frustration. "Figure it out."
He left her there with the trademark pout on her face and walked casually through the crowded bar and into the night.
When love is not madness, it is not love.
December 24, 2021
"Hey Big Fella. How's the decorating going?"
Joshua looked up in surprise as he was exiting the large warehouse where the Christmas Party was to be held the following day.
"Hey Little Fella. It's all done. All set to go."
She tried to step around him to have a peek inside but he blocked her path. "Uh-Max, what are you doing?"
"I just wanna have a look!"
Joshua took her by the shoulders and pushed her back. "No! It's a surprise!"
Grinning, Max tried to dodge around him but she may as well have been a fourteen year old trying to bargin with a bouncer. A bouncer with considerably noxious dog-breath at that.
Holding her hands up in surrender, Max stepped back. "Hey Josh, do you know where Alec is?"
"Nope" Hey eyed her up suspiciously and decided to jam the door shut. "You got him a present yet?"
Max's jaw dropped in dismay. "Oh. No. I didn't think of... Oh no!"
She felt utterly embarrassed. Claiming ignorance of Christmas traditions wouldn't work either considering Joshua knew these things and he'd spent the majority of his life confined to a basement.
"It's okay Max. I've got your present for Alec." He grinned and clasped and arm around her shoulders as he led her to his apartment. "Come see. Look for Alec later."
Terminal City didn't offer much in the way of retail when it came to last minute Christmas shopping. Alec figured the stores would be packed but, this place was dead!
He laughed at his crazy thoughts as he made his way through empty buildings that had already been picked clean by 10 years worth of desperate vagabonds followed by a nation of exiled lab experiments.
"This is impossible!" He kicked an empty box across the floor and chewed his bottom lip in thought. Perhaps he'd just try one more building and then go see if Joshua would lend him some art supplies.
"What inspired you to make sculptures of me and Alec?" Max's tone was light and conversational as she tried to hide her curiosity.
Joshua grinned and walked over to his box of candle stubs and melted wax pieces he had scrounged from who-knows-where. Picking up a stick of blue and a lighter, he began to melt was onto his newest design before turning to Max.
"I see my two best friends unhappy. I know why they don't smile. Want to fix them."
Max forced a grin and her voice shot a decibel higher, "But I am happy, I'm smiling!"
Joshua shook his head and laughed. "Can't fool me, Little Fella."
Sighing, she slumped into a seat, leaning into it as she closed her eyes in weary defeat. "Well what am I supposed to do? Tell me, because I honestly don't know."
The transhuman nearly barked in excitement as he lumbered over to a corner of the room and pulled out a roll of exquisite wrapping paper he'd discovered a long time ago in the storeroom of an abandoned shop.
"Here." He cut off a piece of the delicate paper and began with great care, to wrap the 'Max' figure. "Give him this."
She looked down at the package he thrust into her hands and tried to hand it back to him. "Joshua, I can't! What will you give him?"
The dog-boy grinned. "Alec doesn't expect a present from me. But he'd like one from Max."
She smiled as she rose from the seat. "Thanks Joshua! That's so sweet of you!"
"That's okay Max." As she hugged him, he squeezed her tightly and whispered in her ear. "Just pay me later in ham hocks."
Finally giving up, Alec turned to Joshua's place. He was leaving it a bit late but perhaps he could make her a statue of Aphrodite or something.
The transhuman grinned with delight when he opened the door, and welcomed Alec inside.
"Josh, I need your help! I haven't got Max a present and I thought perhaps you could let me use some of your -"
Joshua jumped on the spot and gawfed. "It's okay Alec. I've got just the thing..."
TBC...
