Disclaimer - If they follow me home, can I keep them?
Learning of Alec
----------------
- infie
(Thursday)
Max watched Alec surreptitiously from across the expanse of Crash's main room. He was
sitting alone at the bar, knocking back Scotch after Scotch. His shoulders
hunched in just a little, straining the leather of his jacket, and his hair looked
unruly, as if he'd been running his hands through it, over and over. She could see his eyes
restlessly scanning the room through the mirror as he flipped a small white badge
between his fingers, rubbing against the plastic as if attempting to wear off the words.
As he raised the glass to his lips for the umpteenth time, she saw his hand shake ever so
slightly. It wrenched her heart to see him tremble, to see him look so tightly coiled, so
... defeated.
Max's mouth tightened as she rose abruptly and made her way over to him. He caught sight of
her in the mirror and froze half-way through a swallow, choking slightly. He turned on his
chair and offered her a big, bright, false smile. "Hey, Max! How you doing?" Suddenly his
face went tight. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no, everyone is fine." Max reassured him quickly. "Except you."
Just like that, Alec's eyes shuttered. "I'm all right."
"Uh huh." Max glared at him challengingly. "I don't think so. What are you moping around
about?"
"Max, I'm fine!" Alec grinned at her again. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alec..."
"No, Max. Enough." Alec brusquely waved her off as he reached for his wallet and removed
enough to pay for his drinks. As he slapped the money onto the bar, the white badge
fell to the floor. He bent to retreive it, but Max was quicker.
"Jam Pony Messenger. Real fascinating, Alec. I can see why it had you so absorbed." Max
taunted as he tried to take it from her. "John Biggs..." her voice trailed off as the name
on the badge registered and her heart sank. Alec took it from her suddenly nerveless grasp,
shoving it roughly into his wallet. "Alec, I'm.."
"Save it." Alec's face and eyes were starkly beautiful in the light of the bar, as blank as
if carved of marble. He pointed to the side, seemingly at random. "You." his voice was
warm, his eyes never wavering from Max's. "Come home with me."
Max blinked, then turned her head to see where he was pointing. A slim blonde was smiling,
half in disbelief that he had chosen her. She started towards Alec, an extra sway in her
walk as she approached. Her voice was a husky contralto. "Any time, gorgeous." she
plastered herself against his chest. The arm Alec had used to point curled around her
shoulders. Alec's gaze had never left Max.
"See you later, Max." he left.
Max, frozen, watched him leave.
Learning of Alec
----------------
- infie
(Thursday)
Max watched Alec surreptitiously from across the expanse of Crash's main room. He was
sitting alone at the bar, knocking back Scotch after Scotch. His shoulders
hunched in just a little, straining the leather of his jacket, and his hair looked
unruly, as if he'd been running his hands through it, over and over. She could see his eyes
restlessly scanning the room through the mirror as he flipped a small white badge
between his fingers, rubbing against the plastic as if attempting to wear off the words.
As he raised the glass to his lips for the umpteenth time, she saw his hand shake ever so
slightly. It wrenched her heart to see him tremble, to see him look so tightly coiled, so
... defeated.
Max's mouth tightened as she rose abruptly and made her way over to him. He caught sight of
her in the mirror and froze half-way through a swallow, choking slightly. He turned on his
chair and offered her a big, bright, false smile. "Hey, Max! How you doing?" Suddenly his
face went tight. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no, everyone is fine." Max reassured him quickly. "Except you."
Just like that, Alec's eyes shuttered. "I'm all right."
"Uh huh." Max glared at him challengingly. "I don't think so. What are you moping around
about?"
"Max, I'm fine!" Alec grinned at her again. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Alec..."
"No, Max. Enough." Alec brusquely waved her off as he reached for his wallet and removed
enough to pay for his drinks. As he slapped the money onto the bar, the white badge
fell to the floor. He bent to retreive it, but Max was quicker.
"Jam Pony Messenger. Real fascinating, Alec. I can see why it had you so absorbed." Max
taunted as he tried to take it from her. "John Biggs..." her voice trailed off as the name
on the badge registered and her heart sank. Alec took it from her suddenly nerveless grasp,
shoving it roughly into his wallet. "Alec, I'm.."
"Save it." Alec's face and eyes were starkly beautiful in the light of the bar, as blank as
if carved of marble. He pointed to the side, seemingly at random. "You." his voice was
warm, his eyes never wavering from Max's. "Come home with me."
Max blinked, then turned her head to see where he was pointing. A slim blonde was smiling,
half in disbelief that he had chosen her. She started towards Alec, an extra sway in her
walk as she approached. Her voice was a husky contralto. "Any time, gorgeous." she
plastered herself against his chest. The arm Alec had used to point curled around her
shoulders. Alec's gaze had never left Max.
"See you later, Max." he left.
Max, frozen, watched him leave.