Pointdexter: A Swooning Over Stan-fiction

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Intimidation Tactics

Alice sat in the living room of the Shack most of New Year's Eve, settled with a book in her lap and a cup of tea in Stan's chair. She'd been alone most of the evening, but it hadn't bothered her. Ford was deep in the forests, she wasn't sure what he was doing but he had told her not to wait for him, so Alice busied herself reading and correcting her notes on the Luminiferous Cranes.

The only thing that distracted her was Stan.

"You know," Alice mused from his chair, pulling her feet onto the seat and shutting her book over her thumb. "If you want me to move you could ask nicely."

"I don't need to ask nicely, lady," He snorted at her with a slight scowl. "This is my place, remember? That's my chair."

Alice chuckled, arching into the chair and letting her body settle comfortably.

It had been a strange pattern between Alice and Stan, where he teased her mercilessly and Alice shot back. Ford had told her that Stan's goal was getting a rise out of her, and Alice had met it with a very similar outlook.

"Well," Alice mused, her socked foot tapping against the arm of the chair. "Guests get priority, right?"

"Guests are supposed to be polite, not squatters," He retorted, his scowl deepening as he stomped over to the chair and towered over her. "And they certainly don't take up the best seat in the house."

"I'm perfectly polite," Alice gasped, hand over her heart in mock hurt, "I'm five-star and so much more."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you're a regular princess," He snarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But that doesn't entitle you to take over my chair."

"Maybe not a princess," Alice mused, slipping her hand from the book and setting it comfortably on the dinosaur skill next to the chair. "Maybe an heiress would be better."

"Heiress, huh?" Stan echoed, his annoyance giving way to interest. "You sayin' you've got some money tucked away somewhere."

"A very nice divorce settlement," Alice responded, adjusting the pages in her journal and settling it atop her book. "But it's for emergencies."

Conceding over the battle of the chair, Alice pushed off the recliner, stretching her arms behind her back. Stan's interest perked as she spoke and he rocked forward on his toes, feigning nonchalance.

"For emergencies, huh?" He repeated, a sly smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "That sounds pretty useful, I bet. Nice and... Profitable."

Rolling her eyes, Alice settled her hands on her hips, glancing at Stan with a light chuckle. She collected her books and tea cup, hoisting the books under her arm and sipping the last dregs of tea from the cup.

"While I have your attention," Alice started, leaning on one leg. "I wanted to ask you something."

Stan raised a brow at her, and she could see the curiosity mixing with suspicion in his eyes. He leaned back, resting against the wall and folding his arms across his chest.

"Yeah? What is it?" He asked, his tone tinged with wariness. "You ain't askin' me for money are ya?"

"Do you really think I need your money?" Alice asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Alright, alright," He conceded, a smirk playing across his lips. "You got me there. So, what is it you want, princess?"

Alice tried not to roll her eyes at the nickname, she'd been graced with so many that she stopped keeping track. 

"Ford asked me to join you two on the boat," Alice continued, waving her free hand as she spoke. "I told him if you said yes, I'd come. And he hasn't mentioned it sense, so I'm taking the initiative and asking myself."