Author's Note:
Hey, thanks for the reviews you guys! I'm coming up on a writer's block (I can feel it!) so if you guys will start thinking about some possible plot directions, I'd welcome the suggestions! I don't want M/A to get it on too fast, because they've had such an awkward relationship (in the tv series), but I do want to get them as an official couple eventually!
Alec sat on his couch, sock-clad feet propped up and a half-empty glass of liquor in his hand. It was cold enough outside to have a fire going, so he sat staring into the bright flames; wishing that, if only for this once, the alcohol would actually get him drunk. All he could think of was Max – and it made him feel like a jerk that he wasn't thinking about missing Logan at all. Sure, Logan had been a decent guy, but he'd never have really called him a friend... still, the guy was dead – and the dead deserved a little respect.
He had just finished the last bit in his glass when there was a quiet knock on his front door. Having no idea who it was, Alec set down his empty glass and carefully went over to the door, opening it slowly. Even smartass remarks eluded him.
Max was standing there, drenched from the cold rain, and shivering despite having her jacket zipped up to the throat. Her hair hung down over one eye, and her bottom lip was quivering as her teeth chattered slightly. She looked like a stray puppy, especially with those big, sad brown eyes.
Standing in the apartment complex's hallway, Max thought Alec had never looked so good or safe to her. He had a completely surprised look on his face, almost like when she'd kicked him against the door of her cell back at Manticore, but less irritated. He had no shirt on, and his hair was mussed, but he looked great. 'Safe and warm and perfect.' Max thought, another shiver running through her.
"Come on," Alec said, opening the door wider and stepping out of the way so she could come inside the apartment. She whispered a barely audible 'thanks' and went to sit by the fire, stretching out her hands and welcoming the heat. Alec came and crouched beside her, his eyes concerned. "Are you okay, Max?" Max nodded very slowly and unzipped her jacket. "Yeah, I just..." she paused, unsure what to say. She sighed. "I couldn't stay home anymore, and I..." she stopped and shrugged, beginning to second-guess herself for coming to Alec's.
"No problem," Alec said easily, straightening up and going into the kitchen. "Ya want some coffee?"
Max tugged off her wet jacket and looked around for a place to put it. "Coffee would be great," she said, draping the jacket over the back of a chair.
With his back to the living room, Alec couldn't see what she was doing, but he was listening carefully. It occurred to him when he heard her take off her jacket that she was still drenched, and wasn't likely to dry out any time soon.
"Hey, Max," he said over his shoulder, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and grab a change of clothes." He turned around, saw the look on Max's face, and chuckled. "You're a walking puddle, 452. Go change."
A little bit of the old Max flared up when he called her 452. He could see it flicker just briefly, but then it was gone, and she nodded obediently; going into the bedroom and shutting the door.
Alec busied himself making the coffee...trying hard not to think about the X5 changing into his clothes on the other side of the door. He made a conscious effort not to pay any attention to the sound of Max tugging off her wet jeans, or the quiet sound of the shirt coming over her head. He tried to shut down his highly sensitive hearing, but it was more of a chore than he thought it should have been.
'We're just friends... that's all...'
The phrase swirled in his head, but he was having trouble believing it.