Ha! 2 days! That's a record! Thank goodness for summer and being locked up at home all day long! Woot! Always fun… yeah… totally…

Anyways, thank you so much for the reviews. As always, you have no idea what they mean to me, really. And thank you so much, once again, to Kalilong7, for helping me out with ideas and for just PM-ing me, because, if not, I probably wouldn't have continued working on this.

Anyways, without further ado, I present to you chapter 3!

They were running along the water. You could see the Golden Gate Bridge from their current position. It wasn't raining, but it was very cloudy. And very windy. Which was good for right now.

The three Mai were all panting by this point in time. They had been running non-stop for a solid hour by now. The previous hour was spent jumping over dumpsters in alleyways and scaling the rooftops of San Francisco. They might have some form of "super powers" as Paul loves to put it, but they've still got their limits. Which were pretty close to being reached at the moment.

Jasmine and Chloe were running together, occasionally exchanging words or comments ("Oh my goodness, did you see those pants? And he's willing to walk around in public in those?"). Chloe was feeling on top of the world. Although she knew she was tired, she felt like she could run forever with the amount of giddiness built up inside of her.

She didn't know how to exactly define her relationship with Alek. Their evening together was perfect, and in the morning, it didn't seem like Alek regretted anything, and Chloe most definitely didn't, so she probably couldn't call them "just friends". But were they dating now? Or just in a passing phase? Or is this supposed to be a pre-dating phase?

But being with Alek just felt so… right. It seemed like it had been a long time coming, and she was glad that the moment had finally arrived. And she woke up to such a beautiful sight this morning.

Jasmine heard Chloe sigh, knowing that once again, Chloe was lost in her daydreams. Probably about Alek. How the girl managed to let her mind wander to her cousin and not trip was a wonder that might stun Jasmine for a very long time.

Jasmine was happy for the two of them. It took them long enough to get together. When she saw Alek's face when Chloe threw his basketball into the trash, she prayed to Baset that Chloe was Mai. Coincidence? I think not.

Jasmine knew that the two of them had yet to talk things out and figure out whether or not they wanted a label. She was just glad that the wait and anticipation was over. She was getting really annoyed with Alek's emotion reflecting what Chloe was doing, especially if she was with Brian, and how he would lose his mind if he didn't know where she was.

Thank goodness that's over. Knowing them, while they will still be in honeymoon phase, which might be a while, those two will be attached at the hip.

Alek, meanwhile, was having more or less the same thoughts and conversation with the voice in his head as Chloe was, except his was more panic-stricken than giddy.

What if Chloe didn't say anything this morning because she didn't want to hurt his feelings? What if she regretted what happened the night before? Was that why she slipped out of bed when he was still sleeping? When was she going to let him down? Was she going to let him down? He couldn't make his mind up about wanting her to let him down sooner, or to lengthen their time together, just for a little while, just so that he could know what could have been.

Little did that silly boy know that he really did need to stop worrying himself. He really needed to cut it out. Like, right now.

The three of them finally stopped, deciding that there had been enough training for one day. None of them realized how truly tired they were until their legs stopped moving.

They were all panting, almost like dogs on a hot summer day, except for Alek, who suddenly felt a burst of energy once he saw Chloe in the state that she was in.

Her cheeks were all red and her eyes were closed, as if she was regaining or recharging herself. It was seriously starting to frustrate Alek how Chloe seemed to become more and more beautiful by the hour. He suddenly felt the need to be her knight in shining armor, protecting her from weariness.

"Ugh, I don't think we're going to need to train for a few weeks. I don't think I'll be able to," Chloe chuckled.

"Sorry, Chloe, but that's not exactly an option. We can, however, cancel training tonight!" Jasmine smirked. Looks like Alek had taught her something throughout the years, after all.

"What? You planned on training again?" Chloe exclaimed. This girl was completely out of her mind!

"Calm down, Chloe. I was simply kidding. Alek isn't the only one who can crack a joke around here," Jasmine shook her head. She couldn't believe that she had actually gotten away with this. "Alrighty, now. Time to go home, kids."

"Please don't tell me that we're going to be running home! I've already had enough for one day!" Chloe was just about to fall onto the ground and suggest a break before she saw a look being exchanged by Alek and Jasmine. Alek turned to Chloe with his trademark smirk and to, Chloe's chagrin, she found her feet being lifted off the ground as Alek threw her over her shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

"Alek! Put me down this instant!" Chloe yelled as she let her arms and legs fly all over the place in an attempt to be freed. Although she wasn't complaining about the view she got from hanging upside down on Alek's back… Especially while they were walking…

Alek could hear the giggles coming from her as he wrapped his arms more tightly around her legs to avoid her kicking him where the sun doesn't shine.

"Oh darling, you know I can't do that," Alek smiled. The usage of the pet name did not go unnoticed by any of the three Mai, but they all decided to ignore it.

"Alek, I swear on my life… Ah!" Chloe squealed as Alek wrapped an arm around her waist and let her free fall for a millisecond into his arms so that he was carrying her bridal style. She held onto his neck for dear life.

"Alek, I seriously recommend that you don't let her walk. The moment her feet touch the ground, she'll kill you," Jasmine snickered at the scene in front of her.

"Chloe, I'm having this strange idea that maybe we should team up and just get rid of Jasmine and her comments… Then you can try to kill me. No promises on your success, though," Alek maintained eye contact with Jasmine the entire time, as if he was trying to threaten her.

"Ah, but you see, young, naïve Alek, now that I know your plan, I can evade my defeat!" Jasmine's smirk had exploded into a wide and mischievous smile.

"Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?" The serious expression of concern on Alek's face made Chloe burst out laughing, receiving a glare from Alek in the process as Jasmine joined in with the laughter.

"You're going to get all mushy with Chloe now, so, someone has to take your place!" Jasmine finally straightened up, having doubled over from laughter.

"Hey," Alek said firmly, attempting to keep a straight face while avoiding an awkward moment that could occur between himself and Chloe, "no one, and I mean no one, can take my place."

"I wouldn't put it past her, Alek. Don't underestimate a girl," Chloe smiled. Alek gently let her back on to her feet, letting his arm linger on her waist until he was 500 percent sure that she was standing straight.

"Ugh, where have I heard that before?" Alek groaned, realizing that this battle was one he would definitely lose. Outnumbered by girls. There goes his manhood.

"Alrighty, well, I'm going to head home and take a shower, while you two work out your sibling rivalry problems. I'll see you around!" Chloe quickly planted a kiss on Alek's cheek before skipping off and then breaking into a run.

Jasmine and Alek turned onto a different direction and decided to save their energy and walk home.

"So, uh, you and Chloe, eh?" Jasmine nudged Alek's arm with her elbow.

"Um, yeah, kind of I guess…" Alek trailed off, scratching the back of his head.

"'Kind of'? You two were making out like crazy when I got in this morning!"

"Well, yeah, I guess we were… I mean,… Wait, why am I talking about this with you?" Alek couldn't believe that he was about to admit he liked a girl to Jasmine. He loved her like a sister, but… still…

"Well, you are afraid to talk about with Chloe, fearing that you'll ruin whatever you have. And you don't want to talk about it with your basketball friends because they're not really your friends. And you don't want to talk about it with Valentina because, well, that just might be a bit awkward for you. And knowing you, you want to talk to someone, not just your pillow. So, I am your only option left! Unless if you want to talk to Paul or Amy…" Jasmine smiled, proud of herself.

"That was supposed to be a rhetorical question," Alek grumbled, quiet enough for human ears to find incoherent and for Jasmine to understand perfectly.

"Oh, come on! We never gossip like we used to! Remember when we would stay up all night and you would rant about how stupid and human your 'friends' were?" Jasmine pleaded.

"Fine, we can gossip," Alek caved in, mocking her childish ways, even though he was excited to have these moments back again. "But if I hear a word of what shall be spoken outside of this conversation, I will kill you."

"Yes, sir! Cone of silence!" Jasmine gave Alek a mocking salute before proceeding to pry him. "So, do you like her? Like, like like her?"

"Jas, the amount of "likes" in that sentence are too much for me to answer properly."

"Well, do you? Do you? Do you?"

"Jas, you're starting to sound like Amy. How is that even possible?" Alek whined.

"That's beside the point. So, do you?"

"Maybe. Probably. I'm pretty sure I do…" the boy was just thinking out loud now.

"I'm taking that as a yes," Jasmine said, interrupting his thought process. She smiled to herself inwardly, knowing that she had successfully squeezed out the right information. Getting Alek to admit it to himself might just make Alek bolder in his relationship with Chloe.

"As you should," Alek replied after a long pause.

"Come on, I'll race you home," Jasmine cried out as she had already taken off and was running towards their loft. Alek just shook his head before following in suit.

On the other side of town, Chloe was just stepping out of her shower. She was so looking forward to it that, once she got into the house, she ran upstairs and forgot to grab clothes into the bathroom with her. Little did she know how that would affect her…

After wrapping herself in a towel and brushing out her hair, Chloe stepped into her room. She was just about to walk up to her closet to get dressed until she was shocked to see a certain British… sex god, I guess you could say, lying on her bed, hands behind his head and his trademark smirk drawn on his face.

"Oh, hello, there, Alek. Yes, please, feel free to come in and lie on my bed. You're always welcome." Although her voice was seeping with sarcasm, she immediately regretted those words and knew that Alek would be turning them around to his advantage in a second.

Alek swung his legs off of Chloe's bed and made his way towards Chloe, who was leaning against the wall. She made no effort to move or evade his approach. Alek came up very close to Chloe, living up to his status as a "close talker". Chloe wasn't complaining, though.

She could tell that Alek had just been in the shower. His hair was obviously still wet, but it was also somewhat dry, probably from the wind that he felt when he was on his way over to her room. This gave him a look as if he had just gotten out of bed and didn't bother brushing his hair. Kind of a sex-hair kind of look. Chloe had a thing for that kind of hair.

Alek also smelled delicious because of his bathing. Chloe wanted to inhale his scent, but she couldn't. That would mean that he won. What he won, she had no idea, but he already had the upper hand here, having her backed up against the wall, so she wasn't going to take any chances. She wished they could just stand here all day, though. She could inhale his scent forever.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Chloe King?" Alek put both of his hands at level of Chloe's eyes, trapping her in between his toned body and the wall.

"I don't know," Chloe tried to maintain some of her sanity. Alek's proximity and scent were driving her up the wall, no pun intended. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

If Alek wanted to play this game, she would play right back.

What Chloe didn't know is that Alek was considering this seduction revenge for her seduction last night. Not that he was complaining about them. But hey, he deserves to have some fun as well, right?

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not." Alek lowered his head towards Chloe's neck. His nose trailed up and down, breathing in her scent.

"I'm taking this as a yes," Chloe whispered, trying not to ruin the moment. She was gripping her towel so hard that her knuckles were almost white from her effort to not let it drop and to keep her sanity.

Alek hummed in response, as if he was agreeing, before planting a kiss on the base of Chloe's throat. His lips then made their way up to Chloe's jawline. They ghosted from one side of her head to the other, Chloe rolled her head from side to side to make access easier for Alek. After a few moments of teasing Alek finally put his lips on top of hers, but they were barely brushing up against each other. He was, once again, teasing her.

"Is it working?" He barely whispered. Had Chloe been human, she probably wouldn't have heard what he said.

Chloe was trying so hard not to cave in, but his lips were right there and they were just teasing her so much! She couldn't even turn the tables and flip his back to the wall because he was too strong and she was one handed. So, she decided to keep quiet, hoping that that might get him shut up and kiss her already.

Alek simply chuckled in response to Chloe's silence. He figured that he'd let her think that they tied this. In all honesty, he was about to throw away his seduction act and slam his lips onto hers.

And that's exactly what he did.

This was their third kiss, and, somehow, each kiss was better than the last.

Alek couldn't understand how that was possible, but he stopped caring once he felt Chloe's hand pulling him closer to her by pulling on the belt hoops on his jeans, deepening their kiss.

Alek thought that he could spend days like this. But apparently, Chloe had another idea in mind.

Chloe let go of Alek's belt hoop and placed her hand on his chest. She could feel his heart rate accelerate at a great speed. Suddenly, she pushed against, catching him off guard so that he had to stumble a little bit backwards.

"Well played, Alek. But, apparently, you have yet to learn a few tricks of seduction," Chloe smirked as she pushed herself off of the wall and walked past Alek to her closet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get changed."

It took a moment for Alek to regain himself. He was still staring at Chloe in awe. How does she do that?

"So, I'm assuming you want to me to go outside while you change." It was more of a question than a statement, since Alek was hoping she might let him stay.

However, that was not the case. Chloe just shook her head, smiled, and gently gestured towards the door. Alek put on a fake puppy dog face as he made his way towards the door. Chloe just shook her head once again and waited for Alek to close the door behind him while she changed.

"Hey, Chloe?" Alek asked after about 30 seconds.

"Yes, Alek?"

"Valentina suddenly wants me at the apartment, so I'm going to run home and find out what's going on. I doubt that it'll take long, so I'll just come back here when it's over and save you from the boredom of being alone… again. Alright?"

"Okay. Have fun, kiddo!" Chloe smiled to herself.

"'Kiddo? Seriously?" she could hear his voice fading out slowly so she didn't bother replying. Instead, she just laughed, knowing that Alek could hear her.

It was already dark outside and Alek had yet to show up. Amy and Paul had come over to Chloe's because they thought that it was about time to have a friend's night in. With all of Chloe's training and Mai-related business, they haven't had one in a while.

Amy was rambling on about some dress that she saw in the window of some boutique. Paul was being, well, Paul, and admiring Amy while ignoring what she was saying. Chloe was trying to listen, and was responding with a "mhm" and a "yeah, totally" whenever was necessary. But she couldn't help but worry about Alek. He said that it shouldn't have taken whatever Valentina wanted too long. And yet, it had been six hours.

Just as her thoughts crossed to Alek, the devil himself opened the door. Chloe was sitting on the couch facing the door while Paul was spread out on practically the entire couch facing away from the door. Amy was on the floor so she couldn't even see the hallway leading to the door.

The moment Alek saw Chloe, he made a beeline towards her. He had been waiting for forever while Valentina was trying to explain that she was going to Las Vegas for a little while, and why, but she was being constantly interrupted by phone calls that she just had to take. Alek had been itching to get back to Chloe the moment he left her house, making this one of the most difficult days he had ever had to endure.

"Hi, darling, I'm so sorry I'm late. I got a little bit held up back home. I'm sorry I didn't call," it was a reflex to talk to her as if they were tied to the hip.

They sounded like a happily married couple.

He didn't even allow Chloe to respond and tell him that there was no need to apologize. He automatically placed his lips gently on her. Chloe craned her neck upwards to give easier access to Alek, who was standing behind the couch. She gently placed her hand on Alek's cheek. It felt like the right thing to do. And his skin was so smooth.

"Woah, there people! What is going on?" Amy shrieked out of surprise and excitement , making our two favorite lovebirds pull away from their kiss to look at the girl. "Alright, you two have got a lot of explaining to do!"

"You hadn't told her about what happened between us, yet, have you?" Alek winced at the prospect of what was to come.

"Nope, not yet. I was going to, however. Tonight. Until you came and kissed me," Chloe sent him a gentle glare, making him chuckle at her attempt at being threatening to him.

"Alright. Chloe, Alek, onto the armchair. Paul, sit up," Amy ordered around. "You are about to tell us everything. And I mean everything." Amy sat down next to Paul, ready to listen, more attentive than she has ever been.

Alek took a seat on the armchair and Chloe happily took a seat on his lap. One arm snaked around Chloe's back to secure her from falling off of the chair and the other draped itself over Chloe's thighs. Chloe's arms wrapped themselves around Alek's neck.

"I hope you know that what we are about to endure is completely and utterly your fault," Chloe threw yet another pretend glare at Alek.

"Yes, dear," Alek sighed and spoke with a slightly mocking tone.

"Aw, did you hear that, Paul? Alek just used the international term used by guys giving into their women!" After a moment of adoration, Amy rapidly turned towards Paul. "Are you taking notes, sweetie?" she cooed.

"Yes, dear," Paul sighed.

I guess Paul catches on quickly, doesn't he?

Yes! Chapter 3 is done! And now to work on chapter 4… but that's for later.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I most certainly had fun writing it! Please review, they are always greatly appreciated, not to mention the amount of motivation they give me! Thanks you!