Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: All characters within this fiction are the property of Cameron/ Eglee. I just like to play with them.
Timeline: Six weeks after FN.
Pairing M/A
Summary: An unexpected accident causes Max to think about the future in a new way.
Chapter Four
What I Know Could Fit In A Coffee Mug
Max continued to stare at the damning evidence on her head. Thought after thought chased itself around her mind. She was married to Alec. That just didn’t seem possible. Alec? Married? He just didn’t seem the type. And admittedly, neither did she. This was something she’d never really thought about. Even with Logan. Of course, there had been that wedding she’d attended with Logan. Of course, up until that point, she hadn’t really gotten the whole dealio. Who wanted to trap themselves to one human being for the rest of their life? But when she’d seen the emotion there on the happy couple’s face, she sorta got it. But with the yearly divorce rate continuing on its upward climb, marriage just seemed like a foolish expense.
But obviously it was one she had taken. Or had she? What if it was some grand scheme to… hell she didn’t know. But it sounded like something Alec would talk her into. Pretend to be married to pull some scam or another. But honestly, he hadn’t been pulling any scams in recent memory. That she knew of anyway. And why would they continue the charade in TC. Everyone there knew that she and Alec weren’t together. Or maybe they were in the preliminary stages of this plan. Sort of, getting used to being a married couple before they tried it out wherever it was that they were doing this bitch. But did that honestly excuse them being in the same bed, in the privacy of her home. Making lo- having sex. With each other!
Max’s head was beginning to pound. There were so many possibilities. Like the new one that entered her mind. She was here with Alec. Was she just assuming that he was her husband? Max felt her stomach lurch at this new conundrum. And she wasn’t sure if it was because that meant she was cheating on her actual husband, or the thought that she and Alec weren’t married. She shook her head lightly, so as not to further aggravate the drummers marching steadily along the inside of her skull. It was all just too much to take in. Of course, other things could account for the headache.
Maybe she’d finally found the minimum drunkenness level for a transgenic and reached it last night. This could be the infamous hangover stage that Sketchy was constantly cursing. She sucked in a quick breath. She hadn’t even thought about anyone else in her panic this morning. How did Logan fit into this new scenario? Did he fit in at all? What did her friends think of her impromptu marriage? Well, impromptu to her. Max grit her teeth, telling her mind to shut up for just one minute while she tried to figure out her most pressing problem. Was she or was she not married to Alec.
"Clues," she whispered to herself. There had to be clues. She glanced about the small room, as if expecting a huge sign to pop out saying ‘proof I’m married to Alec, in here’. But such things only happened in those silly cartoons her husband had gotten her hooked on. Max’s eyes widened imperceptibly. Where had that thought come from? She didn’t watch television unless she had to. And she’d certainly never watched cartoons with Alec. She shook her head again. Clues! She was supposed to be looking for clues.
The bathroom had changed a little since she had last remembered being in it. Instead of the solitary implements, there were now pairs of things. Two bath towels on the rack. Two toothbrushes in the Mason jar by the sink. Max reached out with trembling hands and pulled open the medicine cabinet. Yep, like she’d suspected, his and her razors sitting on opposite ends from each other. In fact, almost his and her everything. Except for the lone bottle of hair gel. She tilted her head to the side. Since when did she use hair gel? And then realized that the bottle was kind of sitting on Alec’s side. She smirked. Hmm. Well now she had something to tease him about.
She let the door close and looked about, still not firmly convinced of things. So maybe she was married. None of these things proved it was Alec. She glanced towards the tub, wondering if she had time for a quick, soothing, steaming hot bath before she had to face him again. And then her eye caught sight of the green bar of soap in the little tray. She pounced on it, pulling it up to her nose and inhaling deeply. Oh crap!
It was Alec’s soap. She’d been around him enough to know the scent he favored. And it was now resting in the palm of her trembling hand. She heard footsteps approaching and swiftly replaced the soap in the tray. Her eyes darted to the door. Damn! She’d forgotten to lock it. And if she remembered correctly, and wasn’t sure if she could any more, Alec would walk right in. But to her utter surprise, the footsteps stopped on the correct side and he lightly tapped on the door.
"Maxie? You okay?" She could hear the teasing note in his voice and realized that she’d been in there for a while.
She tried to answer, but once again was struck semi-mute. What did he think could happen to her in there? That she’d drowned in the toilet? "Um, yeah," she finally forced out. She backed up from the door when she saw the handle start to twist. Alec cautiously poked his head inside, seemingly surprised to see her so near. He cocked his head at her, puzzlement showing plainly in his eyes.
"You don’t sound okay," he accused lightly. Max bit her lip. What the hell was she going to tell him? Sorry Alec, apparently we seem to be married and living together and having phenomenal sex, but I sure can’t remember how that happened. So she went with her second choice. The other truth.
"Headache," she replied tightly. Alec sighed and let the door swing open fully.
"Sweetie, you’re supposed to say that before sex," he teased with his trademark smirk, "not after."
"Yeah, I guess," she murmured, dropping her eyes. He stepped forward and cupped her cheek.
"Must be bad," he whispered. "You didn’t even smack me for that one."
"Mm," she agreed. Okay, another piece of information. They were comfortable enough to still tease each other. Well, Alec teased and she retaliated physically. A familiar, comfortable pattern to her at this point. But seeing the gentleness in his eyes and not the usual mocking undertone unnerved her a little more than she already was. He kissed her forehead and she found herself leaning into it. He pulled away and ducked down slightly to catch her eyes.
"I’ve got some coffee going," he offered. "Maybe a cup will help."
"Yeah, sounds good," she agreed tonelessly. Alec grimaced as her eyes shuttered themselves. He took her hand and pulled her back out to the living room. He nudged her towards the sofa and as she sat, Max saw even more evidence of their apparent life together. There was a television where none had been before. Books scattered on the coffee table that she’d never been interested in reading. A leather jacket that was not hers tossed on a chair. Shoes, definitely too large for her casually kicked off and left where they landed. She had the impish urge to nag him about that. She groaned. She was a nagger?
Alec stopped on his way to the kitchen and returned to her side, careful not to jar her as he sat beside her. "Seriously Maxie. You don’t look okay. Are you sure it’s just a headache?" Max smiled shyly. She was definitely not used to seeing this caring side of Alec. And the more she saw, the more she liked. "You didn’t bump your head last night, did you?"
"I don’t think I did," she replied guardedly. She sure as shooting didn’t remember last night. Alec reached up carefully and ran his hands through her curly hair, testing gently. Max felt the urge to lean into him again. His fingers against her scalp felt so good right now.
"Don’t feel any bumps," Alec shrugged. "Tender anywhere?" She shook her head.
"Maybe I rolled over in the night and bumped it on that incredibly large… head of yours" she grinned up at him, at the look of pleasure on his face at her rejoinder. It somehow felt right to tease him back. To flirt with him. After all, they were married. That’s what married couples do, right? They tease each other, have inside jokes.
"Wouldn’t be the first time," his tone deepened slightly and Max’s grin widened when she saw the shot of desire running through his clear hazel eyes. She could certainly get used to this.
"You know what I want," she crooned in his ear, her own voice lower than usual. He shuddered slightly as her breath tickled his sensitive flesh.
"What?" he gulped.
"Coffee," she giggled as he did a double take, then rolled his eyes.
"You are a cruel woman," he snorted, rising from the sofa. "I hope you know that."
He returned a few minutes later, a coffee mug in each hand. Max was about to tease him some more, but saw the contrite look on his face. She took the mug he proffered and curled her feet up underneath her while blowing on the steaming liquid. Alec set his own on the coffee table before them and sat down sideways, so that he could face her. "God Maxie, I’m sorry," he began. "I am such a screw-up. I completely forgot what day it was."
She stilled, taking that in. "You did?" she asked hesitantly. She couldn’t blame him. She had no idea either what day it was. Alec took the mug from her trembling hands and set it beside his.
"I did," he confirmed. Her eyes were wide, trying to piece this together. Of course it would actually help if she had a date to list in her mind against important things that had been happening. "I know you don’t like to think about it, but everything’s okay now." Max’s mind started to whirl again. Obviously, from his tone, everything was not okay. That told her immediately, it wasn’t a good day, today. Something big must be happening, for him to be this concerned over it. His voice was strained and Max felt her heartbeat speed up.
Alec must have noticed too, for he pulled her into his embrace, stroking her hair, her back, seemingly to try and soothe her. "Alec?" she let out a strangled moan as myriad possibilities clamored in her thoughts.
"He’s gone Maxie," he whispered. "Don’t think about him today. White’s gone. And Joshua…" he trailed off as she went absolutely still.
Joshua! What had happened to Joshua? Was he gone? Was he dead? Was today the anniversary of Joshua’s death? Max felt the tears leak from her eyes as her lashes lowered, fear squeezing at her heart. If anyone, Joshua was the one person it would kill her to lose. And perhaps she had. Perhaps she was waking up from the nightmare of what had happened, not knowing, not remembering because that blow had been too painful. She burrowed into the arms of the only person there to offer her comfort.
Chapter Five
No comments:
Post a Comment