The Missing Piece (CC, MATURE/ADULT accepted)

[isabelle]

*Max*

I hold onto Liz and she doesn't try to move away. I'm so glad. I embraced her without thinking and it could so easily have been the wrong move. She shakes her head and speaks so softly it's almost a whisper. “I’m sorry…you probably think it's stupid getting upset like this…”

"No, not stupid. Just human," I tell her. I'm not really thinking of human vs. alien, just I think it's perfectly normal to be upset right now.

“I’m sorry Max… I do like you…I more than like you…” More than likes me? I don't move a muscle, but small hope that I shut away is suddenly starting to grow again. “You’re handsome, you’re warm and caring and … Your arms are a very comfortable place to be…”

I smile at that, wanting to draw her closer, to smooth the rough feelings. I'm about to settle into a comfortable silence but she pulls back, suddenly awkward again. “I-uh…guess we should be going inside…if we’re going to get some games…”

"Yeah," I say, although my hand catches hers, gently preventing her from leaving the jeep right away. She could pull away easily if she wanted to, but I think she'll allow me an extra moment to avoid seeming rude. "Liz?" I probably shouldn't tell her this. It's embarassing, but somehow, I want her to know. My voice is low, so low that she actually moves back a bit so she can hear me clearly.

"Liz, what you said before about being 'experienced?' I do know more than you about some things. I've had a lot of different jobs and I've seen more of the country, met a lot of people and I've done different things, like the horseback riding. And I've been trained in ways that you haven't. But when it comes to this," I pause gesturing between us. " ... relationships ...," and romance, I want to say, but I leave that out for now. "I'm probably no more experienced than you. Nacedo obviously woudn't let me get serious about any other girl and I never wanted to lead anyone on. I, ... well, I've never been in a really serious relationship, either." I can feel my ears going bright red, but I don't turn away. I focus my eyes on Liz, hoping that she'll understand what I'm trying to tell her. We're on far more even ground than she probably thought.

.

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

Although he agrees, Max catches my hand, stopping me as I move to get out of the vehicle, and I turn back to him. It doesn’t even enter my head to pull away, and as he speaks, obviously wanting to say something more, I make no attempt to object, even going as far as to sit back and move closer to enable me to hear him properly…

"Liz, what you said before about being 'experienced?' I do know more than you about some things. I've had a lot of different jobs and I've seen more of the country, met a lot of people and I've done different things, like the horseback riding. And I've been trained in ways that you haven't. But when it comes to this,"

Max pauses, gesturing between us, and I know what he’s meaning before he’s able to continue. He tells me that he’s no more experienced than me, pointing out that Nacedo wouldn’t have allowed him to get serious, so he never really even got involved… That brings me to wonder what would have happened as I got older had ‘Mr Willis’ as he was calling himself, continued to visit and I had found a boyfriend… Would he have told me the truth finally, or would he have tried to come up with some excuse as to why I should dump him…

I don’t know, but once more I’m reminded of the fact that Max didn’t exactly have a normal upbringing, and I nod slightly, accepting what he’s saying…

I swallow and hesitate a moment, wondering if I really should be saying this… “Well then…I guess we’ll be able to learn together then…” I finally respond softly, offering another small smile and then looking away, feeling my cheeks flush as I suddenly begin to feel extremely shy and so move to get out of the car again.

I didn’t say anything wrong I know, but we’re just starting on this, and I don’t really know where that came from, it just sounded, and felt right…

[isabelle]

*Max*

Liz's answer is simple and perfect. With that, we've established that we're equals in all important ways and we're ready to go forward. Funny how these few minutes has done more to make me feel more comfortable and reallyconnected to Liz than any of the last three weeks. I'd even say, I makes me feel like I'm starting to love her.

I quickly get out of my side of the jeep and hurry around to take Liz's hand while I push the passenger side door shut. "Well then, I guess it's time to go bowling," I tell her with a grin. I'm tempted to offer her my elbow in an exaggerated gesture that would be only for laughs since it's so out of place. In stead, I lower my hand and take hers in mine.

We step up on the curb together and walk towards the main doors. I lean in slightly and give her a conspiratorial wink. "Have you done this a lot? You're not going to try to hustle me, are you?"

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

I climb out of the jeep, stepping down onto the ground, and give a small smile as Max reaches to take my hand. Despite the fact that I’m still feeling nervous, I can’t deny that our last exchange has gone some way to making me feel more comfortable with him.

Max locks up the jeep, and together we walk away from the jeep, across to the curb and step up, walking towards the doors. Just as we’re about to enter, Max takes me by surprise as he leans in, winking at me and asking if I’ve done it a lot.

I give a small smile. “Well…” I pretend to think, then lean back towards him. “I’m not bad, but I promise not to use my powers to help anyway…” Kyle is always accusing me of doing that, because my style isn’t exactly conventional… It does seem to get results though…

Not that we come a lot – I don’t exactly have the money that would entail… But we’ve been a few times with a bunch of the other guys from the team and such. It’s good fun…

Continuing inside, we walk over to the counter, and wait to pay and get some shoes. “What about you…? Have you played much…?” I ask curiously, turning to look at Max more fully.

[StormWolfstone]

OOC: sorry, kind of short.

~Isabel~

“Hmm…well there’s pizza, chinese, mexican…and anything else you can think of…I’m happy with whatever, so what would ‘Madame’ like…?” Alex asks after making it known he liked my picnic idea. His light teasing tone and his teasing my lip enough to make me wonder how I'm supposed to think. Then his lips are on mine and the kiss is not only deep, but entrancing. It's been some time since I've been able to be so relaxed that I felt this way with him.

My arms wrapped around his neck as I responded to the kiss with delight. When I drew back a moment, I couldn't help but tease, "If you keep kissing me like that we won't make it out of here. We'll end up in the bedroom for hours." With a smile I added, "But, I'm kind of hoping we can make love under the stars." I laughed softly even as I drew his head back down and captured his lips, nibbling the lower lip teasingly.

"Let's just get pizza, it'll be faster. Then we can get to our picnic sooner." I tell him with a grin, loving that I could be like this. Loving that I could have my time with him. Simply, loving him. Having him here with me, knowing he wants to always be at my side and I want him there, it's all I can truly ask for in this world or any other.

[isabelle]

OOC -- KatnotKath -- let me know if this is okay. I'll be happy to edit if you want to play out more of the date.


*Max*

"Well, that was fun," I say as I print out our scoresheet for the two games. Since we were in public, I'd explained to Liz telepathically that I'd not played much bowling in the last two years, and expected to be a bit out of practice. But I, too, promised not to use any powers. In the end, she'd beaten me by a twenty-two point margin in the first game. I'd closed that to only seven points in the second, but she still managed to win.

It was rather funny to watch her go as her 'form' was almost completely wrong, yet she did get good results. And it was easy to tell that she was keeping her word and didn't use her powers at all.

The most fun, however, was just talking to her. After that amazingly open conversation in the parking lot, all the barriers seemed to have disappeared. As much as I'd been telling myself that I was looking for only 'Liz' and I wasn't thinking about Antar yet, it was always there, lurking in the back of my mind. She was more than a person, she was a project, a puzzle. Something I needed to explore and understand.

But tonight, everything was different. Tonight, for the first time, I had truly been able to put all that aside. No duty. No destiny. No bonding. Just a girl, a heavy ball, ten wooden pins and several yards of lackered floorboards. I spent a bit more than an hour with a charming person and simply enjoyed myself. I somehow even pushed aside the 'first date' jitters as we focused on the game.

The game was over now and some of that is coming back, but I'm determined not to let it control me.

"Are you ready for some pizza now?" I ask her, sharing a broad smile that brought a twinkle to my eyes. Just looking at her was enough to make me smile tonight. I can't even recall the last time I've been in such a good mood.

[KatnotKath]

~Liz~

I have to admit it’s been a while since the last time I bowled too… Last year we went more after work, Kyle and I, with some of the guys from the team and their girlfriends… Since I got emancipation though, my money is tigher than ever, and I just can’t afford to do things like this much.

As it happens though, I still seemed to do well, and although I had a few problems initially with a couple of gutter balls, I’m lucky enough to have been able to throw a second that knocks down at least eight or nine to salvage something of a decent score.

Despite my difficulties though, I beat Max in the first by quite a margin. My second game was better, but his was too, and on, although I still beat him, we were much more evenly matched.

We’ve handed back our shoes, and now I’m just waiting while Max gets the print-out.

While I’m stood here, I think over the night so far. It started off very awkward, that it’s not possible to deny, but that conversation in the car really helped, and for the first time pretty much since I met him and found out about all this mess, I really feel like it’s just him and me, not with Michael staring at us, or expectation weighing…

We’ve talked, and I mean really talked…just about him and me… About our lives, day to day basic stuff. We enjoyed the games together, and suddenly things didn’t seem half as complicated…

I felt comfortable with him…on the scale of how I feel with Kyle, and that’s no small thing to say…

“Well that was fun…”

I smile as Max turns back to me and I nod, returning the smile easily. “Yeah…I really enjoyed myself…” There’s a little of that nervousness coming back now that I don’t have the bowling to concentrate some of my focus on, but it’s more normal jitters, rather than the intense trepidation I was feeling earlier…

“Are you ready for some pizza now…?”

Max smiled again, and I’m struck by the intense amber colour of his eyes. He looks really happy…and I am too…

The original plan was for us to go to the pizza place, it being nice and neutral, in keeping with the normal date, but I’m beginning to think twice about that… I hesitate a moment before answering him, thinking over my response. It’s not that I don’t want to eat with him…in fact, it’s quite the opposite…

I look up at him a little nervously. “Y-yeah…but how if we change the plan slightly…” I suggest softly. I can see the questions in his eyes, and I don’t bother waiting more than a few seconds before continuing. “I-I guess what I’m trying to suggest is that we get it ‘to go’…and maybe take it back to my apartment…?” I swallow and chew my lip, not really sure how he’ll respond to this. “I-I mean only if you want…we don’t have to,” I add quickly. “…we can always just eat in…I just thought…” I trail off, wondering why he’s let me babble so…I probably sound like a complete idiot here…

[KatnotKath]

~Alex~

"If you keep kissing me like that we won't make it out of here. we'll end up in the bedroom for hours..."

Does she know how much she gets me just by saying that...? I don't know what to say, and before I work it out, she speaks again.

"But, I'm kinda hoping we can make love under the stars..."

She draws my head back down, pressing her lips against mind, and I kiss her back eagerly. I can't imagine anything more perfect than just being alone with her... This is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with, that much I know for certain... I might not know where we'll be spending that life, but I do know that I want to be right there at her side wherever she is...whether that be here on earth, or on another plant...

It doesn't matter to me that she's different...that she's a princess in reality, because I already know she's the queen of my heart, and that's all that matters.

Just being here with her is something I never dreamt would happen when I first met her, but here we are...having been together nearly three years, and I don't regret one moment...

For one moment, I think of Liz and Max, considering how difficult it must be for them, keep being told what they should do... Choosing to be with someone should be just that, a choice... I only hope that tonight's going well...they both deserve to be happy...

And then, I'm back with Isabel, my attention focused completely on her as I smile and nod at her response. "Pizza sounds good to me..." I agree. "Although perhaps get it from the place on the main street rather than the one by the bowling..." It's probably an unneccessary comment, I'm sure that
she'll already have thought of that, but if she hasn't, I'm sure she'll understand what I said. This is a Liz and Max, just as it is for us... We probably wouldn't run into them, but better to be safe than sorry...

Dipping my head again, I kiss her once more before pulling back again. "Okay, so are you wanting to change, or are we going as we are...?"

[isabelle]

OOC -- Sorry, I know this post sucks. I'll do better next time....

*Max*

I-I guess what I’m trying to suggest is that we get it ‘to go’…and maybe take it back to my apartment…?” Liz says, sounding more than a little nervous. “I-I mean only if you want…we don’t have to,” I add quickly. “…we can always just eat in…I just thought…”

"Sure," I say, as quickly as I can get my mouth to work. "That'll be fine." Our plan was to stay out and just do stuff like any date. I'm not really sure what the change in location means, but I'm guessing it's a good thing. There's no reason not to and if she wants to do it that way then I'm happy to go along with it.

The bowling was nice as we had some other things to focus on. Her apartment is cozy and private and maybe it is a good place to continue.

I put my hand on Liz's shoulder and we start walking towards the pizza place. "Good thing I already know all your favorite toppings," I say. Not that I couldn't have asked at the counter, but it's nice to know such things. The fact that they're the same as mine, only helps more.

[StormWolfstone]

~Isabel~


"Pizza sounds good to me..." Alex agrees and I smile, "Although perhaps get it from the place on the main street rather than the one by the bowling..." I nod, knowing exactly what he was getting at. I already knew that it was better to get it from the main street place.

He kisses me again and I can't help but smile even as I return the kiss. "Okay, so are you wanting to change, or are we going as we are...?"

I smile, "I'll change real quick. I actually bought something earlier for a surprise before coming home from work." I kiss him and before he can respond, I slip out of his embrace and head up to the room. Unlike how I used to be, it doesn't take me long to change out of my current clothing and I slip into what I'd purchased before slipping something else over it. Then, placing my jacket on, I walked back down to him and reached for his hand. "I'm ready when you are."