what happens in Maine, stays in Maine.

3.

december 23rd
"heyyy look who's awake" alex's slightly deeper morning voice hits bradley's ears as she enters the kitchen.
bradley smirks, rolling her eyes as she shuffles around the back of alex's chair to sit in the spare seat beside her.
"i didn't sleep in that late" she replies quietly.
they both have deeper morning voices but whilst bradley's sounds more strained, alex's sounds more gravely, it resonates around the room.
bradley is wearing an oversized shirt and a robe tied tightly to hide her bare legs.
she looks slightly disheveled next to the sisters who are both wearing satin long sleeved sets.
jennifer has the pants sets and alex suprisingly is wearing the shorts set.
"did you atleast sleep well?" jen asks her as she hands her the coffee pot.
"oh yeah, it was amazing...much better than sleeping in a hotel in manhattan"
"you don't have your own place yet?"
bradley is confused at how shocked jen seems by this.
"erm no, but the hotel kind of became my permanent place anyway..." bradley replies hesitantly as she chances a side glance at alex who's resting her head on her propped up hand, slowly sipping...an energy drink?
"what are you drinking that for?" bradley asks her.
"what?" alex asks, everyone can tell she wasn't listening to the previous conversation.
"you don't need to be drinking that shi- rubbish..." bradley corrects herself when she remembers the kids are also at the table.
"yes i do. they get me up in the morning, they don't make me groggy like coffee does...and they taste good...no bad breath" alex smirks as she takes another sip.
across the table jennifer is slowly shaking her head "bullshit" she mutters.
before alex can even process that she heard her sister swear around her own kids, jennifer lunges across the table to try and grab the can of red bull out of her sisters hand.
alex gasps as she jumps up, laughing as jennifer gets up and runs around the table.
but alex, obviously being used to these moments, is faster and jumps up.
bradley is still trying to process what's going on, watching these grown women run around and squeal like teenagers, but everything becomes even more hectic as alex grabs her hand, pulling her up.
"come on bradley, we need to get dressed and leave this hell hole" alex shouts loudly as her sister laughs.
bradley's hand is gripped tightly in alex's as they dash down the corridor and up the stairs.
alex's toned legs are a blur as they run up the final steps and reach the landing.
they both stop to catch their breath, laughing.
bradley refastens her robe that had come loose as alex quickly gulps down the last few sips in the can.
"ok, you still wanna go for a walk?"
"yes" bradley replies breathily. she can't seem to find her ground in the ever-changing personality of alex levy.
she's loud, happy, glowing, vibrant.
a stark contrast to her ways in manhattan.
"ok get washed up and changed and we'll meet each other downstairs again"
"ok" bradley replied and they both turned in opposite directions and headed into their seperate rooms.

45 minutes later and alex is sat on the sofa downstairs, her elbows propped up on her knees as she glances at the clock again.
"what the fuck is taking her so long" she mutters under her breath.

alex is wearing cotton sweats underneath waterproof cargo pants, she has a long sleeved fleece on and her waterproof jacket is laying beside her. she has thick woolly socks on underneath her chunky timberland boots.

"oh my god" alex mutters again as she gets up, deciding to go find out where her partner went.
bradley can hear alex's steps coming up the stairs and to her door but she can't do anything about it.
"bradley?" there's a sharp knock at the door "you better be fucking dead...why are you-" however she cuts off as bradley swings the door open.
"taking so long" alex finishes her sentence looking down at the smaller woman, who has clearly washed her face and tied her hair up, but is still in her pyjamas.
bradley feels very uncomfortable under alex's gaze as she scans up and down bradley's body, taking in the foo fighters shirt she's wearing that comes to her mid thigh, and then it appears nothing after that.
"i don't know what to wear" bradley huffs.
"and you couldn't have called me up sooner?"
"i didn't call you up at all but-" alex breezes past her and into the bedroom "oh you can come in by the way" bradley says as she closes the bedroom door again.
she furrows her brow as she takes in alex's loud, rustling outfit, knowing she packed nothing like that.
"what are you-" but bradley doesn't get the chance to finish as its clear what alex is doing.
she's sifting through bradley's trunk, trying to find her something to wear.
"did you pack any appropriate clothing?" alex smirked as she looked back up at bradley who just tilts her head slightly.
"okay" alex sighs "this is all shit and isn't gonna keep you anywhere near warm enough" there's silence as alex looks around the room, thinking of a solve to their problem.
"i'll get you some of my clothes, you can borrow them all...just don't make them smell" she winks as she heads past bradley and back out the bedroom door.