"I got this friend," Max started, sitting on the roof of an office building, preparing her grappling hook. "See, he's always getting himself into trouble." She hooked one end to the wire and turned to face a partially bruised and lacerated Alec.
"Hey, it's not like I knew this was gonna happen," he said, sliding his gloves on and smiling.
"You actually enjoy this, don't you?"
"Enjoy what? Flying through the midnight air with a dark – but not nearly as naked as I'd like – beauty by my side? You enjoy it, too. Don't lie to yourself."
She hated how his eyes twinkled with the excitement of clandestine espionage. And she hated that he was right. She'd drop dinner with Logan any night for the adrenaline of the transgenic adventure, which is exactly what she had done. She smiled a tiny smile, one she hoped he hadn't seen, loaded the hook into the launcher, and shot out into the darkness.
The hook latched onto a smaller building across the street.
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Alec said. Before she could protest, he continued. "You should smile more often. It's sexy as hell."
Max turned to secure the end of the wire and became face to face with him. He moved past her and scaled the ledge, heels barely on it and one hand gripping the ledge.
"Hop on," he said, holding up the trolley and affixing it to the line.
"On what, your back?" Max asked, twisting her hair and shoving it into the back of her turtleneck.
"Well, you could hop on my front if you'd prefer."
Even with his face partially obscured by proof of the fight, his smirk still snuck out.
"I should have brought two trollies," Max grunted, climbing onto his back.
"Ready?"
"Just don't let go."
Sailing through the night made Max feel free, made her feel as though maybe this world wasn't so bad after all, wasn't after destroying any possible chance at her happiness.
But the feeling was fleeting. She only received a few seconds of weightlessness in the air before gravity clutched at them and pulled them back down.
Crashing down toward the graveled rooftop across the street, Alec knew he couldn't foot their landing, and at the last second, Max jerked forward, sending them into a tumble. When the building stopped turning around them, Alec was securely weighted over her, nearly out of breath.
He glanced at her lips momentarily and bent to brush a quick kiss to her lips. "Thanks for saving my ass, Maxie."
He jumped up and ran toward the stair access door.
"Hey!" Max protested, scrambling to her feet and chasing after him, a huge smile plastered to her face.