The Second Shower

Max was walking back to Gem's place, her time in a coma had made her not wanna live alone and she also liked that Gem had her baby and Dalton living with her, it was crowded and that's what she needed. Anything to get her mind off of things, well, not things but certain people, namely Alec and Logan. She was avoiding them both but the one who she didn't wanna get the idea, was letting her, the other were as always as stubborn. Men!

When she got inside, she heard the sound of the shower and realized that it had to be Alec. Great, just what I needed. Not wanting to disturb him, she headed over to the window and glanced down, it was a somewhat beautiful weather today, meaning no rain but barely no sun, but she wasn't complaining because it fit her mood perfectly.

Removing the large sweater she had borrowed from Dalton, Max went over to the couch and sat down, pulling up her feet and rested her head on her knees, staring intensively on the bathroom door thinking it would speed Alec up. Obviously it didn't work, but she was bored.

After ten seconds of staring, she decided it was a waste of time and before she could stop herself, her thoughts led her down a dangerous road, one she was desperately avoiding.

Flashback to Max's Awakening.

Her eyes fluttered open and was greeted by a bottle and the voices of Alec and Joshua, she realized what they were trying to do and opened her mouth and carefully drank. She couldn't help but wonder where everybody else was, but figured they were on their way. One thing was for sure, she was gonna tell Alec that that stupid joke had terrified her so much it wasn't even funny!

But it seems being in a coma and waking up makes you tired, she tried as hard as she could to stay awake, but not even shark-DNA could help her now, her body needed the sleep.

When she woke up the next time, she felt cold and realized that Alec was nowhere around, instead Logan was seated by the old chair, asleep. Of course! She was too tired to talk, but wanted him to wake up, so she cleared her voice as loudly as she could, she had to repeat herself four times before anything happened and a confused Logan Cale opened his eyes and looked around.

"Uh.."

"Logan?"

"Hey! Max! You're awake!"

"Water?"

"Oh, sure, hold on a second?"

He didn't even bother to wait to see her nod and left the room, only to return with a bottle of cold water, without thinking he gave it to her and their hands touched. The action caused Max to become fully awake and released the bottle, as if burned. The water spilled out on her thigh, making her shiver but she was too occupied staring at Logan to notice. The virus!

"Max, don't worry. We're cured!"

"Wha.. What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, look."

Logan moved closer and she couldn't help but press herself back towards the bed, trying to get away. It had become natural to have a certain piece of space between them and he was purposely invading it.

"Relax, Max. I'm just proving my point."

Before she got a chance to reply, he kissed her and it was obvious by the way he was kissing her, that this was something he had wanted to do for a while, something she had wanted too. The kiss itself was nice, she returned it desperately and tried to deny that she didn't feel The Spark anymore.

Normally by now, the Virus would've done its job, so she was convinced that he was telling the truth, which made her deepen the kiss all that more, trying again to find the spark. It was nowhere to be found and that's when it hit her. She was trying to fool Logan she was with Alec, so this was wrong, even if they're relationship was fake still made this feel.. Wrong.

"Logan, stop."

"What? Why?"

"I can't just let you kiss me when I'm with Alec."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah."

"I thought you just said those things because the Virus being in the way.. Keeping me away."

Damn, why'd he have to be so smart? He actually figured it out? Stupid Ordinary... Hold up! Since when did she think of him as an "stupid ordinary?" She mentally shook her head and tried to focus on him again. Why should they kiss anyway, if the spark was gone? Hadn't he felt it too?

"Didn't you feel it, Max? I love you."

Nope, he didn't feel it. Crap.

"Logan, I'm with Alec now, you're just gonna have to deal with it, okay?"

End of flashback.

The shower turning off brought Max back to reality and she got up from the couch and started to pace around the apartment, one second thinking about leaving and the next, thinking about barging into the bathroom, but knowing Alec, she was sure she'd get to see more skin than she'd be comfortable with. So instead, she stopped her pacing and was ready to bitch at anything that moved.

That's when Alec decided to opened the door and she couldn't help but voice her opinion.

"Took you long enough.."

"I didn't know.."

Either she tuned out the rest of the sentence or he never finished as she stalked by him and never once looked him in the eye, it was too hard for her to see his face up-close. The only time she had done that was when he was helping her drink water just after she had woken up, it had scared her how his concerned face looked so angelic, innocent and beautiful, thoughts she did not wanna have about him.

She slammed the door, probably in his face too but she didn't care, she wouldn't let herself sink that low. Is it really low? She gritted her teeth and was about to growl angrily at her inner-voice when she heard him speak. Please, go away, Alec.

"Will you talk to me, Max?"

She rolled her eyes and turned around, looking at the door as if she was seeing him.

"Go away, I'm taking a shower."

"Liar, you haven't even started yet."

God! What the hell was his problem, he was the one who left her alone, so that she had to wake up facing Logan!

"I'm getting undressed first, you idiot."

"Need any help, Maxie?"

Her hands flew up in the air, making motions as if she was trying to strangle him. I must've gotten crazy after the coma, gotta ask the med-team if that's a possible side-effect.

"GO. AWAY!"

Seriously, who does he think he is?! Max stripped completely down to her birthday-suit and walked up to the mirror and looked over herself, it was almost weird seeing her skin free of the mysterious markings. I don't miss them.

"You sure you don't want me to come in and help you undress, Maxie?"

Not bothering to answer, she stepped into the shower and that's when she saw that Alec had forgotten his soap behind. Maybe he's allergic to pineapple? Turning the shower on, she was surprised to find that there was warm water left. Huh, who'da thought? Her eyes were still locked on his soap, but when she heard the door to the apartment close, she looked over her shoulder and felt a pang of loneliness hit her. She had honestly thought he'd stay and bug her some more.

Without thinking, she grabbed his soap and started to scrub her skin red, something she had started to do whenever she showered after waking up from the coma. Sort of as if she was trying to wash away everything from it. She showered everyday and wasn't even sure if she could stop, not even a gun to her head would do the trick. She felt dirty and knew she was obsessed.

Unlike Alec though, she couldn't enjoy the shower and was finished within only a few minutes and that's when she recognized who's soap she had used. Ashamed by it, Max took the offending soap and some paper and wrapped it around it.

Standing there with a sticky little ugly package in one hand, she raised the other hand and ran it through her hand, only to stop by her shoulders, still not used to it being so short. She rubbed her face and then bit down on her thumbnail. Maybe I should throw it out?

When heading for the window she had stood by earlier, Max felt it was a stupid idea and turned for her make-shift bed instead and lifted the madras and hid it under it. Hopefully she wouldn't feel it when she slept later tonight. Trying to make the make-shift bed look normal again, someone opened the door.

"Just forgot my soap, I'll leave in a sec, promise."

Holding the madras in a odd angle, Max froze. Uh-oh.

"Hey, Max. You seen my soap?"

Something fell down on the floor. Double uh-oh.

"Is that.. My soap?"

"Pft, puh-lease!"

Alec bent down and picked it up and started to peal away the paper, not caring that it landed on the floor and making sloshing sounds as it hit it.

"Looks like my soap, only a little messy, care to explain, Maxie?"

"I told you, don't call me that!"

"Avoiding the question, huh?"

"It's not what you think so, just.. Take it and leave, okay?"

There was something different about the way he was looking at her then and Max felt like a cornered animal. This was a side of Alec she wasn't used to. He looked.. hungry? She was pulled out of her thoughts when he did a tsk-sound.

"Maxie, Maxie.. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Dumbfounded, that's what she felt. Because all of a sudden he went to the bathroom, only to return with the soap, wrapped neatly and perfectly in dry papers and laid it back where he'd found it.

"This way, I won't forget it in some strangers showers."

"What?!"

"You'll keep it safe for me, won't you, Maxie?"

He was walking backwards to the door, as if daring her to say something. Satisfied when she didn't, he winked and walked out of the apartment and only then did Max look down on the floor, hoping that she had imagined it all. Nope, stupid thing is still there.

With a heavy sigh, she picked it up and placed it back under the madras and then collapsed on it, not caring that there were still wet papers lying on the floor. She figured she'd blame it on Alec if Gem asked what it was, he was the one who had thrown it there anyway, so technically, she wouldn't be lying.

Another sigh and she closed her eyes, deciding that sleep would be good now. Against her own will, she felt herself smile when she noticed the lump press against the side of her head from underneath the madras. Please, don't let me be whipped, he's not even like that.

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A.N; Longest chapter of this story! I hadn't even planned on writing this much, I even stayed up 'til four in the morning because I didn't wanna risk some sleep and then forget something important! So I hope you enjoyed it. *huge smile*

Some of your reviews have made me laugh out loud, seriously! :) so thanks to; "Mia Kyra Callwel", "rukshanw", "angel 494", "moron771121", "SelenaGomezFan67", "throwerpro", "MelodicMisery", "nexus432", "Nehasupnfan", "darkaznangel452" for giving me so amazing reviews, you guys rock B-I-G time!