Fiction Anything To Zipper- Touch

Title: Touch

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own Dark Angel. This show belongs to Fox and Cameron/ Elgee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for reading pleasure only.

Rating: PG-13 for allusions, maybe language, just to be safe.

Genre: Dark Angel

Type: friendship, budding romance

Pairing: mentions of Max/ Logan, Val/ Logan (canon)

Summary: One touch to lead, one touch to follow. One touch to just let yourself go.

Spoilers/ Time line: Late season two.

Feedback: Always welcome.

Distribution: Is at the discretion of the author. Please ask first.

A/N: This one turned out only slightly different than I had intended. The general theme is the same as the outline I had, but in an effort to get past a lot of exposition, I moved the start of the story further along the time line. And once I got flowing with Sketchy, it kind of stayed that way. With Max and Alec on the periphery, you can really read between the lines on this one, so feel free to do that. But I really like the way it ended up!

Touch

“Man, this was a neat idea,” Sketchy announced as he flopped into his seat. He was panting slightly after his exertions on the dance floor. The other occupant at the table, Logan Cale, he only knew peripherally from being friends with the woman they had in common, Max Guevara. But he was glad that the man had extended the invitation he had given to Max, to her other friends as well. Cindy had explained to Sketchy that the couple was having a rough time for reasons not totally understood, in their relationship. Logan understood that Max needed a little buffer but still wanted to spend time with her boyfriend. Sketchy hadn't much cared one way or the other what was going on, but he was at least smart enough to recognize opportunities when they came his way.

So earlier, when they'd, meaning he and Alec McDowell, had been standing outside the club, slightly away from the line of hopeful entrants, chatting with the bouncer, Sketchy had watched his man's performance. It took him a little while to understand the subtlety that Alec had been employing, but then after a while he got it. Instead of threatening or bribing the bouncer as numerous others tried to do, Alec was simply setting up things for down the road. He chatted amiably with the harried man about other places the bouncer had worked, some hobbies they had in common. And who knew that simply hitting a punching bag could be considered a hobby?

Eventually Sketchy had joined in, throwing in small comments about a humorous story about one of the deliveries they'd made some weeks past. He figured, if Alec were going to make himself unforgettable to this guy, then so could he. Maybe he could finagle his way in again down the road. Impress a certain hottie he had his eye on.

The bouncer had seemed wary at first, but when the pair of them didn't harass him, he relaxed and when he wasn't consulting his list and allowing guests entry, he was laughing, sharing and joking around with them. When Logan had showed up, kindly picking up Max and Cindy so they wouldn't have to walk in their... finery, Alec had happily announced that the rest of their party had shown up. He had stepped back and allowed Logan to take lead on that one. The bouncer, Shane by name, was greeted by the older man and his list consulted, finding Cale's name and his plus four and allowed them all admittance. Sketchy had had a moment of brilliance, slipping Shane a precious twenty, thanking him for chatting and telling him to get a drink on him later. Shane had happily accepted it, saying that he would and telling them all to have a great time.

Alec had noticed and gave Sketch a knowing nudge with his elbow as they moved into the darkened entrance of the club. Sketch, round eyed, found himself appreciating the higher class establishment that was quite the cut above Crash bar where he normally hung out. And best of all, a whole new host of honey's to try his lines out on.

So the evening had been cherry right from the word go. Sure, they'd had to cajole Max out onto the dance floor with them, but once Original got her way and the dj slid into some classic spins, Max was out there gyrating with the best of them. And he'd noticed the smirk on Alec's face as they stayed out of the girl's ways. At least it was easier to see than the wistful look on Logan's face. But he'd felt sorry for the guy, which was one of the reasons he'd returned to the table.

“I had them freshen up your drink,” Logan offered as he slid Sketch's drink closer to him.

“You didn't have to do that,” Sketch offered appreciatively as he lifted it up. “But thanks man.”

“Not a problem,” Logan demurred, turning his attention back out to the dance floor. He smiled again and Sketch turned his head to see, predictably of course, what had captured his attention. The cues of the music, overlaid with what were currently playing started to change. It sounded to Sketch's untrained ear, vaguely Latina in style and he was surprised when a large number of dancers started exiting the floor. But judging from the movement around the tables posted above and around the dance floor, there was a whole new crop to take their place. “This is why I chose this place.”

“Huh?” was the lanky messenger boy's brilliant reply. Logan threw him a brief smile.

“They do a lot of more specialized dancing,” he told him. “I used to come here with my wife, well ex-wife now, when we were younger. They slowly added a lot more to their repertoire to attract a younger generation.”

Sketchy nodded, though he wasn't quite following. “Specialized dancing?” he asked, looking for a little more information to go on.

“Watch,” Logan grunted, jerking his chin to the dance floor. They had an excellent view, being slightly elevated and overlooking the hardwood and veneered floor. Sketch, taking another slow sip of his drink, turned marginally in his seat. The dancers still remaining on the floor had taken up positions and had quickly flowed into a dance that reminded Sketchy of his younger years, sitting around his parents living room while his mother happily watched a show about Stars Dancing or some weird thing like that. Ballroom dancing, he realized in an instant. That's what it was like. But instead of big old flowing gowns and tuxes, these people were a lot more relaxed looking.

“Wow,” he sighed as the uniform turns and inherent sensuousness of the dance made itself apparent. He glanced back at his host. “You used to dance like that?”

“I did,” Logan chuckled. “When we were married, Val and I used to take lessons. Her idea, but it wasn't bad. I mean, there were a lot of social functions we used to attend where you were expected to dance like this... sort of,” he finished with a rueful laugh. Another piece of the Cale puzzled was offered, not that Sketch was worrying over it.

Their view though, was momentarily disrupted as Original Cindy returned to the table. She gained her seat and Logan, as politely as he had with Sketch, slid a fruity concoction over to the girl while she smiled her thanks at him.

“Where're Max and Alec?” Sketch asked and he definitely didn't miss the relief on Logan's face that the older man didn't have to ask.

“They on the other side, arguin as usual,” the black girl huffed. She took a small mouthful of the icy drink, savoring it before she returned the glass to the table.

“What on earth are they arguing about now?” Logan sighed, even as his eyes searched for them, as did the others.

“Alec wants ta dance but my girl don't know the steps,” Cindy offered with a shrug and then smiled slyly as she leaned forward. “He neva gonna get Boo out there.”

“I wish I had taken that bet,” Sketch laughed and then again as Cindy looked mildly alarmed. He pointed to the edge of the dance floor and she turned just in time to see Alec leading Max out. The girl looked irritated, while Alec looked, well, as happy as a pig in mud.

“Huh,” Logan sighed, more resigned seeming than actually upset. They all watched as the pair waited for a cue, the downbeat in the music before they entered into the dance, twirling around. There was only a momentary stumble on Max's part before she was just as smooth as the other women out there. Looking better than some of them even.

“So either she was lying or she's got photographic memory,” Sketch teased, luckily this time, totally missing the speculative look passing between Cindy and Logan.

“Actually,” Logan dismissed the off the cuff theory Sketch had given them. “It's Alec. Look how he's holding her,” he directed. Both of the younger people turned their heads back to the dance floor.

“Yeah?” Cindy finally spoke up, sounding unsure as to what point Logan was making. He must have understood because he gestured at another couple on the floor.

“See how he's holding her?” he demanded gently and both kids nodded. “And see what's different about Max and Alec?”

“He's holding her shoulder, not her waist,” Sketchy realized instantly. Logan was nodding. Sketchy turned back to their host. “Isn't there like rules about dancing?”

“Only if you were in a competition,” Logan explained. “No, all he's doing is directing her. Watch them when Max's back is to us.”

They had a little difficulty, as there were other patrons moving around them as well. But slowly, what Logan had been talking about was making itself known. Alec's hand while yes, being on Max's bare shoulder blade, they were certainly not idle and not in any despicable manner.

“A quick tap here, a slide there,” Logan smiled, sounding thoughtful, and looking so as he cupped his chin in his hand. “Let's her know when they're going to turn, which way they're going next.”

“That's a really good idea,” Cindy sounded impressed. Sketchy was as well, since it was not ever something that he had had occasion to think about.

“That's what the instructor that Val and I had were trying to teach us,” Logan went on, and in an aside to Cindy, in case Max had never told her, “my ex-wife.” Cindy nodded, her face impassive. “You can learn all the routines you want, but improvisation is a lot of fun too.”

“And both Max and Alec are good with that,” Cindy giggled and for some reason, Sketch felt like he was missing the punch line of a joke.

“The thing about it is,” Logan went on, “using that method, when you're dancing and it's unfamiliar, well you can still have fun and sort of, let yourself go. Do it without looking like a fool out there. Feel protected and sheltered, with just a touch,” he ended softly, remembering once how Val had explained how she had felt about their dancing lessons that first day the instructor had demonstrated with her. The man that she would eventually leave him for. Not that she had stayed with their instructor either. Her other romance, with a bottle of vodka held much more sway than any man could.

It took only a moment for Logan to notice Cindy's sympathetic stare, to which he smiled tightly back in return. But as always his eyes went back to searching her out. He was happy to see her happy. To see her living something of the normal life that she wanted to badly. Even if, and yes it hurt when she smiled up at Alec like that as their bodies swayed closer together before breaking apart again, even if...

If only Manticore....

If only...

And then he would have been the one to touch her, to slide against her, to guide her, to bring her the happiness she deserved. But now and maybe not ever, would he be able to do that. Manticore and their damnable virus had seen to that.

He couldn't hold her hand as he did, or tap her shoulder, as he did. And even if it was admitted only to himself and no one else, could Logan put a smile on her face like that, with just a few small touches.


AtZ- Umbrella