"I didn't know you felt that way." Max said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had enveloped them for the past few minutes.
"Huh?" Alec asked somewhat dazedly, snapping out of his intense study of the dusty cellar floor.
"Uh, well, I didn't know that's how you felt about me. I mean, I didn't know I made you feel that way." Her eyes shifted uncomfortably across the room, looking as if she'd rather be discussing any other subject in the world, and she stopped, as if she didn't know what to say next. A delicate blush stained her cheeks and Alec felt his own face flush, afraid of what was coming next. How could she have known? I mean, of course she *must* have felt his arousal when they woke up this morning, but Jesus Christ, he couldn't help his body's reaction to Max! He was only a man! She was a beautiful woman - who was pretty much naked at the time- and she had been rubbing up against him! And she was surprised he had reacted? And worse, now she wanted to *talk* about it? Alec blinked at her, and realized his mouth was gaping open. He quickly closed it, but couldn't quite manage to wipe the dopey expression off his face. Gee, with his suave sophisticated style, she would be swooning at his feet any moment.
He swallowed hard, the action scratching his suddenly dry throat and a light bulb went on over Alec's mind. His eyes narrowed at her. Oh, he got it... This was probably some type of amateur psychosis from her. Her way of dealing with him and his annoying...reaction. No doubt she was thinking of the nicest way to tell him that he stood absolutely no chance with her.
Screw that! Boy, did Max have a big surprise coming - he didn't even *want* her. She could throw herself naked at him, and offer all kinds of sexual favors, and he would be the one turning *her* down. Ha! The joke was on her!
Okay, so that wasn't exactly true. If Max got naked in front of him and offered her body and performed erotic acts, he'd take her up on it. He wasn't stupid, after all. But that didn't mean that she needed to know that. Sure, she was hot, but she was also a royal pain in the ass. There were other women just as good-looking -no, better looking! - and they wouldn't piss on him the way she did. Hell, he could get about any woman he wanted with the wink of an eye and the snap of his fingers. Let Logan have her - he didn't want to deal with her nasty attitude anyway.
So, plastering a vaguely bored expression on his face, he decided to take the Manticore route to what was going to be an unwanted and uncomfortable conversation - deny and lie.
Then he snorted at her, the action filled with indifference.
Max waited for a reply from Alec, but for several long moments, none came. However, numerous different looks passed across his face. First, he paled slightly and looked a tad bit frightened. Then, he looked almost..pained at whatever thoughts were going on in that brain of his. Yet again, his face contorted and he smirked at her, as if she was some misdirected, ignorant woman whom he had dislikable task of humoring. And then - and this is what sent her from zero to pissed in 6 seconds - he snorted at her!
What the hell was his problem? She was trying to be nice and even (gasp!) apologize for the horrible behavior she'd exhibited since they'd first met. But if he was going to act like that ...well, screw him!
Max placed a hand on her hip - a now familiar stance when Alec was around - and exasperation colored her voice. "Did you ride the short bus back at Manticore? Because I just made a statement and I'm expecting you to talk - not *snort* -back. If we both talk back and forth for a while, it creates this interesting concept called *conversation*. I know, I know: thinking and talking at the same time is complicated for a pretty boy like you. But if you concentrate hard enough, I'm sure you can accomplish that basic human function." She walked closer to him as she spoke and her movements exuded fury.
Alec exhaled slowly and counted to ten. If they were able to rescue Joshua and make it out of this mess alive, he was going to kill her. Where in the hell did she come off talking to him like he was some mentally challenged child? He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, bending his head down closer to hers.
"You see, Max. This is what I was talking about. Don't you *ever* have anything nice to say? Or is that too hard? God forbid you stop being a total bitch for one minute. That would ruin the tough-chick image you put off, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" His sarcasm returned, coming back in full force. Her face stayed expressionless, but he could see her fists tighten up at her sides. The girl was fuming.
Good!
"Well, Alec", she talked slowly through gritted teeth. "I *was* going to be nice before you stood there looking at me like I was some kind of freak who was taking up your precious time. Get this: I was even considering *apologizing* to you for coming off the way I have since we first met. I mean, you're right - you aren't always a total asshole. After all, I'm sure you are somewhat tolerable when you are asleep. But hey! What the hell was I thinking?"
"I don't want any goddamned apology," he growled and spun away from her. He didn't want her to see the embarrassment that was no doubt all over his face now. Okay, so she was going to apologize to him, and not bring up his...well, whatever it was he felt for her. He couldn't help but feel relieved. But why had he thought her totally innocent remark was in relation to his feelings - no! Not *feelings* for Max. His...lust for her. Yes, lust was the right word. Just because all he'd been able to think about since stepping into this damned cellar was him and Max in various states of undress - and positions - didn't mean that she was on the same perverted brainwaves he was. Honestly, he should have known Max wouldn't want to talk about anything like that. So why the hell had he overreacted?
He knew why. It's because her scent was intoxicating him, not letting him think straight. The memory of her silky skin against his flesh still burned where they had touched, almost as if she were branding him. He could still feel her hair where it had raked across his chest, and his lower body still tingled where her thigh had rested. Alec sneered at the humor of his situation. Funny, a man can be a genetically engineered soldier and still be outdone by a pretty girl and an erection. He raked a disgusted hand through his already tousled hair, and let out a ragged breath.
Damn it!
When he got back to Seattle, the first thing he was going to do was get laid.
Behind him, Max threw her hands up in the air. She tried! She couldn't help it that if on top of being an ass, Alec was a total idiot. Rolling her eyes, she made her way to the opposite corner of the room, where she slid down into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her knees. She closed her eyes and proceeded to indulge herself into some sulking.
Why had she ever asked Alec to come with her? He drove her absolutely crazy back home, and was surely getting on her last damn nerve now. So why?
Max sighed. She knew why. Because he was an X, and two X's were better than one. And because she desperately needed to save Joshua.
Alec turned back around and noticed Max had slipped quietly to sit in the corner. Her head rested against the wall, and her arms were curled around her knees. Circles of stress bagged her eyes, and her face was troubled. She looked so small and fragile that, for a moment, he wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be all right.
He felt ...guilty. The girl had almost died in the past 24 hours, and no doubt she was concerned about dog-boy. And here he was giving her grief because she had wounded his male pride.
Damn.
Alec knew that it'd be a cold day in hell before Max allowed him console her physically, but maybe - just maybe - she'd accept his comfort as a ...friend. Making up his mind, he walked over and sat down next to her. She opened her eyes and looked at him incredulously.
"You have an incredibly quick temper, Max. That's not healthy."
"Oh, for Christ's sakes! Can't you just leave me alone?" she asked, exasperated.
He sighed and pondered on what they could talk about amicably. Logan? No. She was probably still pissed about that whole virus/doctor ordeal. Manticore? Nah. He'd had enough of Manticore to last a lifetime. But then he remembered...when he had first met Max...
He turned his head toward her, and extended an olive branch.
"Tell me about 493." He stated sincerely.
Max's shock was obvious. Where in the hell had that come from? She stared deeply into his blue eyes, trying to gauge if he was serious or not. He was. She briefly toyed with blowing him off with some simpering remark that would keep them emotionally distant from each other, but he seemed genuinely interested. Max realized that this was his way of apologizing, and that he was offering a truce of sorts between them.
She decided to accept it.
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds, Max answered him. "Ben. His name was Ben, not 493, " she started hesitantly. "He was one of the twelve of us that escaped back in '09. But I'm sure you already know that." She turned away, losing herself in the bittersweet memory of her brother. "He was a wonderful boy, but Manticore ruined him. The irony of it all was that he became exactly what they wanted him to be - a soldier... a hunter...a killer." She echoed the words Ben had spoken to her on the Needle so long ago. "You look exactly like him." She whispered offhandedly.
This wasn't a surprise to Alec; he knew that 493 - Ben - was his twin, but it hurt to think that every time Max looked at him that she may see the crazy X5.
"Is that why you dislike me so much?" he asked, unsuccessfully attempting nonchalance and focusing his eyes on the ground. He didn't want her to see that her answer was unreasonably important to him. Max looked at him intently, and didn't fail to notice that his hands were tightly clenched together; his knuckles white.
Her opinion of him on this mattered. Max couldn't explain why, but she was touched.
She answered honestly. "When I first met you, back at Manticore - yeah. I think it bothered me." Max gave a small smile and continued. "But then, you opened your mouth and you were so different from him. Now, I hate you simply because you're a dick." She couldn't help the dig, and Alec chuckled.
He cleared his throat and became serious again. "I told you I spent six months in psy ops because of him. They never told me exactly what he did, but it must have been pretty bad." His eyes clouded over in recollection. Max knew whatever it was they did to him in those six months, it was almost assuredly horrible. She sobered as well.
"Yeah, it was. He killed several people, very gruesomely, very calculatedly. He was insane. He couldn't have been helped..." her voice trailed off.
"What happened?" Alec asked delicately, knowing by Max's expression that this was becoming more difficult for her to talk about.
"He died," she said flatly. "I killed him."
He peered at her for several moments. Though she tried to hide it, remorse and guilt had crept into her voice. Alec knew that she thought of the twelve that escaped with her that night as family, and it must have been hell for her to kill someone she considered her brother.
"You had no choice. You wouldn't have killed him if you didn't have to. He was a murderer, and you probably saved countless lives." Alec's voice was so certain about this that Max glanced up at him in surprise. His eyes caught hers and she was startled by the conviction there. There was no doubt lurking in their blue depths, nor was there any smidgeon of accusation. Without even knowing the whole story, he believed that she had done the only thing she could've. He believed in her. She didn't know why his faith in her mattered, but it did. She had so many self-recriminations and so much self-hatred about what she had done to Ben that just hearing another person siding with her decision lifted some of the weight off her shoulders.
She gave a small smiled in gratitude. "Thanks"
"No problem."
His gaze held hers just long enough to become awkward, and he flicked his eyes up.
"Um, it sounds as if the storm has stopped. We can probably get out of here now." He said. He stood abruptly and dusted off his jeans. He offered her a hand, and after a brief hesitation, she accepted it. He helped pull her up, but her foot caught on the blanket that she had warmed herself with the evening before. She slipped, and the action caused her to stumble forward. She let out a shocked gasp and Alec's arms instinctively circled around her waist to help steady her. Her breasts slammed up against his muscular chest and she grasped onto his shoulders to keep from falling. She stayed there unmoving for a second, attempting to catch her breath.
"You should be careful," Alec whispered, and the huskiness of his voice caused her to look up. She nearly gasped again when she saw his eyes. They were dark and smoky, clouded with some emotion that Max couldn't recognize.
An emotion that she was too scared to recognize.
Max couldn't look away. She had never really *seen* Alec before now. Not this close, with so little space between them. But at this very instant, she really looked at him for the first time.
He was gorgeous.
He was enthralling.
He exuded sex appeal.
Oh God.
Her lips were suddenly parched, and she absently flicked her tongue out to wet them. Alec's eyes shot downward to follow the teasing action. His grip tightened on her hips, and her own hands unconsciously dug into his shoulders. Their mouths were mere inches apart, and she briefly wondered what it would be like if he tilted his head downward and brought his lips to hers...
Max eyes widened in alarm at her thoughts, and she abruptly and clumsily disentangled herself from him. She was breathing a bit faster than necessary, and her face was burning.
"Uh, well, we should, uh, get out of here. We've got to get to Joshua as fast as possible." Her voice wasn't as steady as she would've liked, and she turned away from him to start fumbling with the ladder of the cellar door.
'What in the hell just happened?' she wondered silently.
Fuck! Who was she kidding - she knew what had just happened! She didn't want to admit it - hell, she would probably go to her deathbed denying it - but deep down she knew it was desire that had swirled about in Alec's eyes.
And, if she hadn't stepped back and turned her face away from his, she knew that he would have seen the same thing reflecting in her own.
This wasn't happening. It didn't happen. It couldn't happen. She had Logan...well, no she didn't. The whole damn virus affair made sure of that. And now...here with Alec...she couldn't be attracted to him.
Could she?
She groaned aloud.
"You okay, Maxie?" Alec's amused voice called from behind her. No doubt he was enjoying watching her troubles with getting the ladder to stay still so they could climb out of this horrible, tiny room.
"Fine. Just fine," she muttered hotly, suddenly wanting to slug him.
If she had turned around and looked at his face, she *would* have slugged him. Alec was wearing a self-satisfied smile, unexpectedly feeling ten times better about their whole predicament.
And the reason he was feeling better was because Max hadn't turned away quickly enough. He had seen the fire that sparked in her eyes. It was brief, but it had definitely been there, mirroring his own need.
Finally, Max successfully got the ladder to stay in place, and she climbed up and out the cellar. Alec followed closely behind, enjoying the nice view it allowed him of her blue jean clad backside. He began whistling some non- descript tune and narrowly avoided Max's foot in his face.
"Hey, watch it!" he cried.
She looked down, and gave him her most innocent and angelic look, though her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I almost hit you?"
Alec grumbled an obscenity under his breath and ignored her. She shrugged her delicate shoulders and lifted herself out of the tiny basement. He finished his own short ascension and heaved himself onto the snow-covered ground. The cloudy sky made things dark, but Alec figured it was about two in the afternoon. The blizzard had stopped completely, but it had left quite a blanket of snow in its wake. He glanced at Max who was quite obviously avoiding looking at him. Alec was tempted to start whistling again, but figured that this time, he probably wouldn't be able to avoid physical injury from Max.
The landscape before them was flat, and there was no sign of shelter or establishment of any sort. The snow covered terrain stretched on seemingly for miles. The blizzard had done a thorough job of covering up any landmarks that Alec may have recognized during his initial search for Max. However, he was undaunted, and he clapped his hands together dramatically. He stepped past Max and started walking. "Let's get this bitch on the road."
"How do you know you're going in the right direction?" she asked smartly.
"I don't," was his simple answer. He didn't slow down, and he didn't look back. Max stared at his retreating form, suddenly unsure of herself around him. The events in the cellar minutes ago left her feeling off-balance. After a moment, though, she shrugged it off. Joshua was still in White's clutches, and her friend was relying on them to rescue him. Precious time was ticking off, and she would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to him.
So she followed him on through the snow, not really sure of where they were going and only hoping that it was toward civilization, not away from it. Their tentative and unspoken truce hung delicately between them. No longer enemies, but not quite friends either.