[AN: After a few drafts I decided that the real focus of this chapter is to show that moment when "slippery slope" turns into "actively sliding downhill". Enjoy!]
From the outside looking in, Terry McGinnis has it all. A girlfriend who keeps taking him back in spite of numerous screw ups, a day job that pays way better than it should and a 3.3 GPA thanks largely to the girl that serves as his tutor, medic, best friend and confidante all in one fell swoop. Not to mention the impressive physique, the thick black hair and the baby blue eyes that make every girl at Hamilton Hill High weak at the knees.
Well, almost every girl.
After six years of friendship and eighteen months of being his right hand girl, Max is completely impervious to all of Terry's tricks. From the puppy dog pout to the soul searching eye contact, it's been years since Max has fallen for any of it. Even his new material is falling on deaf ears, which is disappointing because he worked on "You know what they say about guys with long ears" for a week. But when he finally uses it on Max all she does is raise an eyebrow and ask if that's the best he has; he responds with "I don't know. Why don't you check my utility belt," and then laughs so hard that before long Max is giggling too.
To be completely honest, when Terry first noticed Max's immunity to his charms he was the slightest bit confused. While he loved that she was now the only girl who could match him in the flirting department, he'd worried that maybe he was losing his edge. It was a vain and shallow worry, but he worried it all the same until he winked at a staring sophomore and she turned the color of Blade's newest convertible. Once his confidence was restored, he managed to look at Max in a different light. He realizes that when it comes to flirting, Max is a pro. He watches her shoot down obnoxious frat boys, leave underclassmen drooling in her wake and even charm a sales associate into giving her a 15 percent discount. (A female sales associate, which screws with his mind to this day.) It's while watching this particular scene unfold that Terry begins to understand that Max is beyond his level; the things he can get with five minutes of hardcore complimenting and smiling pale in comparison to what she gets with a seductive smile and a bat of her eyelashes. She's phenomenal, a flirting goddess. And Terry is intrigued.
He flirts with Max daily, engaging her in a battle of sexual wits both in public and in private and he knows that he's in trouble. To him, Max is the ultimate unattainable goal. He wants her so badly and, deep down, he believes that if they stopped dancing around one another they might actually work and Terry likes the thought of that. Max is brilliant, charming, attractive, strong, determined and she always calls him on his shit. Terry would love to be the man to parade around with Max on his arm; more than that, he would love to be the man Max chooses.
But then there's Dana. Sweet, impatient, forgiving Dana, who is all piss and vinegar one minute and lollipops and kittens the next. Dana, who still loves him even though she's starting to suspect that Bruce may occupy his nights, but there's someone else who keeps him from calling to say good night. Dana, who still swoons when he looks deep into her eyes, takes her hands in his and swears to her that tonight will be the night that he puts Wayne in his place. As he watches her face soften, he thinks that she has to see through it by now; he's made this promise thousands of times, but has yet to "set the old man straight". She should know better by now, even Max says so.
"Not that I enjoy watching you crash and burn or anything," she says to him one day while Dana uses his creds to buy herself an 'I'm sorry' present from him. "But sometimes I wish that just once she would resist you."
"Yeah, no way I could take offense to that," he replies dryly. They sit on a bench across from the shoe store Dana's perusing because Max can't afford new shoes and because seeing price tags sometimes makes Terry feel sick to his stomach.
"I feel bad sometimes," Max continues. "It's like she knows she shouldn't believe you, but she does just because she wants so badly for this to really be the last missed date or the day you put in your two weeks' notice."
Terry sighs and rubs the back of his neck, then drapes his arm across the back of the bench. "I know. And every time she forgives me I promise myself I'm going to be a better boyfriend to her. But then…" he trails off and Max nods sympathetically.
"Yeah, I know." As she pats his leg Terry knows he should be thinking about how to make up the last six dates to Dana or about how he's going to gracefully bow out of this shopping trip by sundown but all he can focus on is the weight of Max's hand on his thigh and the warmth of her back against his arm. No, you don't know, he thinks to himself. I promise myself I'm going to be a better boyfriend but then I see you bite your lip or cross your legs and all of a sudden I forget everything but how much I want you screaming my name. Catching Max's eye Dana beckons to her and holds up two different shoes. Max gets up and walks into the store and Terry watches as they debate the merits of each shoe and try each pair on. (He watches especially closely as they bend over to take the shoes on and off.) They decide on a pair and go to the register. As they wait for the sale to be complete, Dana hugs Max as thanks for her help. When the clerk hands Dana the bag, they let go and walk out arm in arm, laughing at some inside joke. Terry's mouth goes dry and a little too much blood begins to flow south as he watches them approach and finally acknowledges the truth: he wants them both.
Hell, at this point he's pretty sure he needs them both.
He wants to protect them- Dana, up close beside her constantly and Max, from a distance, there when she needs him. He wants to be the one who wipes Dana's tears and holds her hand during scary movies. He wants to baby her and cuddle her and protect her from the dangers of the world. He wants to spar with Max verbally, physically and every way in between. He wants to catch Dana when she falls and Max when she jumps. He wants to watch Dana melt under his gaze and in his embrace just as much as he wants to sit back and watch Max flirt with everyone who gives her a second look, knowing that she belongs to him. His love for Dana is sweet and gentle while his love for Max is primal and animalistic.
He stands as they reach the bench and maneuvers himself between them, draping an arm around each girl. Dana presses herself into his side and reaches up to hold the hand that dangles above her shoulder as Max winks at a business man who's giving her a thorough once over. Terry tugs Max closer and narrows his eyes in warning at the man. Max laughs as he rushes off.
"Don't worry Ter," she says patting his stomach. "You know you're my one and only. That is, as long as Dana doesn't mind sharing."
"Are you kidding me? I could use a break. Being with this one is hard work," Dana replies. "You want to take him tonight? I promised my dad I'd have dinner with him."
Max nods. "Okay. Do you want him back this weekend?"
Dana strokes her chin thoughtfully. "Nah. Just keep him 'til Monday, then we'll figure something out."
"So when do we consummate this?" Terry asks slyly. He looks at Dana, who looks at Max.
"We already did," Max says without missing a beat. "You were at work." She and Dana exchange a high five and Terry is too distracted by the image Max just painted to respond. Later that night he's still entranced by the thought of his two girls together together and when he finally crashes after patrol he has dreams that are so dirty he can barely look either of them in the eye the next day. Max looks at him like she knows and he should probably feel guilty but instead he gives her his most suggestive smile and she winks in return.
Guess I'm not sleeping in class today.
Sometimes Terry wonders how much of this the girls see. Like tonight, he ducked out of their study party before things could take the turn that they always did, but after patrol Max's apartment is empty so he goes back to Dana's where he find them asleep on Dana's bed with the canned screams of one of their horror movie binges muted. Part of him feels like he should leave, just go home and spend two consecutive nights in his own bed for the first time in months. But a different part, one whose motivations he can't even begin to pinpoint, asks him how many more opportunities he'll have to wake up to both of his girls at the same time. He imagines the surprised happiness Dana will radiate and the quiet smile Max will give and it's these images that have him shrugging off his jacket and leaving his shoes by the window.
It takes maneuvering, but eventually Terry is situated between them. Max faces away from him, but her head finds his bicep and her back presses against his left side as soon as he's nearby; Dana shifts once he's settled and ends up with her head pillowed against his chest. Terry smiles as the voice that told him to leave reminds him that this could never be forever.
Slag forever, he thinks as he drifts off. Right now is pretty damn perfect.
And for the record, the way they look the moment before they wake up, with the sun spilling across their skin and their faces more peaceful than he's ever seen them, reassures him that he made the right choice in staying.
(And proves that he is completely and utterly slagged.)
[AN II: In this chapter I ended up changing the mall scene to the one you read. I really like the other one too though, so if you wouldn't mind reading it and giving me some feedback send me a message! (I won't hold the next chapter hostage if no one responds-I just want to see which one people like better!)]