Fiction Tone

Tone
Author: Restive Nature (aka Bavite)
Rating: PG-13
Type: Standalone
Genre: Fluff
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Dark Angel. They belong to Fox and Cameron/Eglee.
Pairing: M/A
Timeline: After Hello, Goodbye
Summary: Some days even the littlest things can be too much.

"And then he said wrong hole, what do you mean, wrong hole?’," Alec chuckled for his captive audience, namely Sketchy as it took a few seconds for the lanky messenger to catch on to the joke. And then he was laughing just as uproariously. Original Cindy shook her head at the pair of them. She’d heard that joke when she was still a little girl. It wasn’t funny then and it wasn’t funny now. She concentrated on her lunch, giving the boys a hardened glare. It was the same day after day. The foursome would meet back at the Jam Pony building for lunch and would sit around listening to Alec either recounting stories of his numerous and sometimes dubious conquests. Or telling jokes. Or listening to Max and Alec bicker. At least Sketchy and OC agreed about something. That was their least favorite pastime. Or it had been. Something had changed between the transgenic pair, ever since Alec had been mistakenly arrested. But judging by the pinched lines gathering on Max’s furrowed brow, things were about to change again.



Max sat silently, which was fairly usual these days. She’d lost the little energy she’d had to bemoan her fate and her guilt and all the thousand other things her mind carried in the day to day life she’d carved out for herself. The whole lunch break, something had been circling her mind that had never occurred to her before. She and Alec had been delivering in the same sector all morning. So of course, that meant she was riding in silence, just getting the job done. But Alec, as usual, was nattering her ear off. Most of the time she was able to tune it out. But there were some days, like today, that it just grated on her nerves. And then he called her Maxie. It was funny, because she’d never minded that nickname. All of her siblings had called her by it at one time or another. And that got her to wondering why she hated hearing it from Alec’s lips. Was it at first because they weren’t that close and she considered it an intrusion on her personal life? Well, maybe. But that certainly couldn’t hold true now that they’d grown closer. Was it because he’d always used that name to rile her up? Well, she didn’t mind getting riled up. Her verbal sparring with Alec was just as satisfying as taking her aggression out on his unsuspecting shoulders via the punching bag route. So what was it?



Alec watched Max out of the corner of his eye. It was a skill he’d had plenty of time to develop. At first, it was an early warning system for incoming blows to his shoulder. But then, he’d enjoyed watching her get riled up about certain subjects. Most of those topics being introduced by him. It was fun, watching the signs appear as verbal and physical eruption came closer to the surface. Her body would tense up, her brow would furrow. Sometimes, she’d let her mouth open a little before snapping shut over whatever bit off curse she’d thought better of. And then her hand would fly out to land with a thud on the nearest portion of his body. Of course, the smacks and punches didn’t bother him, as he’d taken much worse in the course of his professional soldiering. But lately, he’d seen a hint of something in her eyes. Sympathy? Empathy? Guilt? He was having fun figuring it out. But before it even got to that point on this day, Max abruptly removed herself from his vicinity.



Alec, Sketchy and O.C. exchanged puzzled glances when Max all of a sudden jumped up from her chair and walked away, not saying a word to them. O.C. rolled her eyes and turned back to her lunch. Which puzzled Alec even further. Normally the lesbian would scurry off after her friend in a show of female solidarity. But now that wasn’t happening. Alec glanced at Sketch, who was busily munching his own meal. His face held the very natural and familiar look of men the world over. He didn’t understand women in general and knew he never would. So he definitely wasn’t going to try and scramble the few brain cells he had left trying to figure out Max. Alec heaved a sigh, realizing that it would be up to him to bring Max out of whatever funk she was in this time. Again.



Max made her way to her locker; her mind too caught up in this newest problem to realize that she’d just rudely dismissed the others. She turned the combination of the lock on her locker and pulled open to mesh door, staring absently at the contents within. She wasn’t even sure why she was over here.



"Hey Maxie!"



Oh yeah, that was why. That annoying voice, droning on and on about absolute blather. Max felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. It was amazing how just those two little words could make her respond that way. She grimaced as suddenly her mind flashed back to a slightly distant memory.



‘God I even hate the sound of his voice right now,’ Kendra complained as she lounged on her bed, having just hung up the phone, canceling a date. Which was completely abnormal behavior for the vivacious blonde. Max watched silently, sympathy for her friend tugging at her. She thanked whatever deity there might be that on the upside of her feline DNA, she didn’t have to deal with this monthly mess of hormonal rampaging.



‘It’ll be over in a few days,’ Max soothed, patting her roommate’s hand. Kendra sighed and carefully rolled over to her back. Cramps were nobody’s friend.



‘Yeah,’ Kendra huffed. ‘Until next month.’ She rolled her eyes, then pursed her lips as she considered her friend. Lucky Max who never had PMS, never had to deal with something as stupid as her body deciding it didn’t like a person’s tone. ‘You know, I thought I was crazy,’ she sighed.



‘Why?’



‘Well, it sounded so stupid,’ Kendra muttered. ‘I mean who would think that PMS would make my ears ultra sensitive to the point where a guy’s laugh makes me want to tear his head off.’



‘Yeah, that does sound stupid,’ Max giggled, then tried to compose herself at the grimace that crossed her friend’s face. ‘That actually happens?’ she asked with interest.



‘Oh yeah,’ Kendra confirmed. ‘My doctor told me that it’s a common symptom with PMS sufferers. Something about the surge of hormones making the body a little more sensitive to certain things.’



‘Huh? Weird.’



Was it something as simple as that? Max ran through a short mental checklist. She was female. Check. She had the hormones to prove that. She was transgenic, with ultra-sensitive hearing. Check. She normally didn’t mind Alec. Check. At least until he nabbed her attention with that absolutely annoying, teasing tone of… where his voice lilted up at the end. Damn! Max’s eyes widened as she realized that now, now she understood exactly what Kendra had been going through.



"Don’t call me that," she snarled softly, barely turning her head to acknowledge him.



"Call you what Maxie?" Alec returned, grinning broadly as she seemingly rose to his bait. He’d always known that would get a rise out of her, even when she was at a level of Zen calm. But it was interesting to see that she was actually trying to hold herself back this once. Suddenly, the little game was getting a lot more interesting.



Max bit her lip. Did Alec even realize what he did to her by using that tone of voice? Of course he did. With the line of tension she felt through her posture, she was sure it radiated enough for a blind person to sense. But how the hell could she get him to quit? If she told him straight out, he would just run with it, deliberately teasing her all the time. So what could she do that would encourage him to stop annoying her without giving the secret away.



Alec was waiting for Max to let loose one of her verbal castigations, almost rocking on his heels in anticipation. But to his utter surprise, she whirled around to face him. She pushed her locker shut, setting the combination lock with an easy twist of her wrist. With a thoughtful look in her eye, she reached out and snagged a fistful of material of his jacket and before Alec realized what she was doing, had pulled him around the corner. Away from prying eyes.



"Gee Maxie, if you wanted to get me alone, all you had to do was ask," he smirked down at her, leaning against the end of the lockers. She had a pensive look on her face and he wondered if something had happened that she hadn’t shared. She really didn’t look too happy.



"Alec, do you like me?" she asked quietly. His eyebrows shot up. What the hell kind of a question was that?



"Sure Maxie," he grinned, wondering what her new game was. "Of course I like you. I wouldn’t subject myself to daily torment and abuse at your hands if I didn’t." Her eyes darkened slightly and she bit at her lower lip. Alec felt his senses thrumming with the anticipation now. Come on, she just had to respond to his taunting now, and then he’d be able to get what was bothering her out of her. Whatever it was. But the only reaction he got was for her to advance on him, almost like she was stalking him. Alec hid his surprise quickly, unused to the turnabout they’d suddenly displayed.



Max could sense no one else in the vicinity and so gave in to the rest of her little plan. "No Alec," she whispered softly once she’d successfully backed him into the wall behind him. "I mean, do… you… like… me?" She had to repress the urge to grin when his eyes took on a mildly desperate glaze to them.



"Uh, yeah." He finally managed to get out, wincing at how lame he was sounding. But as sure as hell was hot, he’d never expected this. He exhaled harshly as his body reacted slightly to her nearness. How was he going to get out of this with said body still in tact? Did he even want to? "Hell Maxie, I’m a red blooded man. Why wouldn’t I like you?" His smirk returned as he raked his eyes down her body, clearly letting her know just what he liked. He felt relief sweep through him with the little measure of control he’d managed to exert over the situation.



Max felt his heated gaze lingering at points south and fought against a blush. Damn, she should have been used to guys staring at her assets. But none of them ever did it so brazenly as Alec. She couldn’t lose it now though; she was too close to her goal. Slowly reaching out one hand, she let it slide over his chest, taking in the broad expanse of muscles, clearly delineated beneath his thin shirt. "So you wouldn’t object to me doing this?" she purred as her hand came to rest at his waist.



"No, not at all," Alec replied, a tinge of huskiness creeping in to color his voice. As all the blood seemed to be rushing from his head to his nether regions, Alec forgot all about wondering what her game was. He had her number now. But that didn’t explain at all why she was doing this. As subtly as he could, he inhaled; looking for the telltale scent that he should have noticed long before it got to this point. But it wasn’t there. His eyes widened. If Max wasn’t in heat, then did that mean…? Did she really want him?



Max could see the puzzlement in his eyes, and with a little push of encouragement to herself, went in for the kill. She glanced down at the straining material of his pants between them and drew one fingertip down the denim, following the curve of his fly. "And what about this? Feel good Alec?" she taunted softly. She wasn’t surprised by the responding shudder his body gave at her light touch.



"Oh hell yes," his smoky voice curled around her body and Max gave a mental sigh of contentment as she quickly drew back from him. Alec’s eyes shot open.



"Bingo!" she laughed, shakily leaning against the opposite wall. "There it is."



"There what is?" Alec demanded harshly, unable to understand her mercurial moods. His head was near to literally spinning.



"Your voice Alec," Max pointed out calmly, not daring to let her eyes wander over his stimulated body.



"My voice? What about my voice?" he hissed, an uncharacteristic anger beginning to boil within him. What the hell was she playing at?



Max tilted her head to the side as she contemplated him. His face was slightly flushed, his eyes glittering. His chest was heaving as he dragged in lungful after lungful of precious oxygen. Damn if he didn’t look kind of cute. ‘Plan Maxie, remember the plan!’ "Well Alec, it’s just that every once in a while, you sound kind of girly."



"What?!" he shrieked softly. Max grinned as his eyes widened, finally hearing the octave that his voice had scaled too. He coughed quickly, trying to hide it and said again in a much lower tone, "what?"



She nodded sagely, inwardly rubbing her hands with glee. "Yeah, we’ve all noticed it." She gestured back towards the table where OC and Sketchy were finishing their lunches and arguing over something. Her eyes fell on their boss, heading towards the table with packages in arm. "That’s probably why Normal digs you so much," she threw in. True, it was a little harsh, but damn it, that tone just grated on her nerves. And by the panicked look in Alec’s eyes, her little plan had worked. She’d never have to hear another annoying Max-IE out of him again.



"So this whole thing," Alec gestured to the air between them, careful to keep his voice low, "was for what?"



"Oh that," Max giggled. "Hell, I was pretty sure you were capable of talking like a man. That was just the quickest way to get you to do it."



Alec wanted to tear his hair out in frustration. They didn’t like his voice? How petty was that? And why the hell hadn’t his friends said so sooner. It wasn’t like he tape-recorded himself, just so he’d know if his tone were too high pitched. His eyes skittered around wildly, taking in everything Max had said. Oh God, was that why Normal had such a yen for him? Aside from the whole cage fighting thing that was. ‘Cause Normal did have that deep voice thing down. Of course Alec had always assumed that the man’s rugged voice came from the exertion of yelling at his employees eight hours a day. Did this make Normal regard him as the more effeminate of the pair? Alec cringed as he considered this.



And of course, there were the times himself when he heard Sketchy making pathetic squeaking noises while drunk that sounded decidedly… female. Oh hell, he was in trouble here. Alec’s mind scrabble around for something to say. Anything to wipe that pitying glance off Max’s face. He glanced down at the bulge in his jeans. "You know Maxie," he purred, striving desperately to sound suave, in control… male. "It’s not nice to tease."



"No Alec," she smirked back at him. "Not nice at all." And she casually sauntered away, leaving a very perplexed transgenic male behind her.