Pointdexter: A Swooning Over Stan-fiction

Chapter Forty-Seven: Equations in Big Air Quotes

Alice leaned against Ford, a book propped in her hands as she sipped her cup of tea. The ship rocked under them, sending the flickering lights in the gally as she read and Ford noted next to her, comfortable and warm after the previous evening. It wasn't until Stan wandered in that Alice realized she might have made a fatal mistake.

"Good morning," Alice greeted Stan as he poured himself a mug of coffee and settled across from her and his twin. "Sleep well?"

Stan grunted in response, a slight frown on his face as he eyes her. He took a sip of his coffee, gaze flickering between them.

"You two look awful cozy this mornin'," He noted, a hint of mockery in his voice. "Slept well, did ya?"

Alice shifted, leaving her book on the table and casually flipping her collar up, praying he wouldn't notice the details of the night on her skin. Stan's watchful eyes sent a flicker of guilt over her, she'd forgotten he'd been on the ship.

"Something like that," Alice agreed, shifting her gaze to Ford.

"Yes, we slept well," Ford replied, his voice betraying a hint of anxiety as he looked back at her.

"And yourself?" Alice asked, hoping to guide the subject away from her.

"Oh, I slept just fine," Stan said, his tone laced with mockery. He took another sip of coffee, his eyes still fixed on them as he leaned back in his chair, a smirk on his face. "Heard some interestin' noise comin' from your bunk last night, though. Anything you two wanna share?"

Alice flushed, forcing her gaze away from Stan and into her mug of tea.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Stanley," She muttered, her voice betraying the truth. Stan's smirk only widened, as if he enjoyed the fact he could get under his skin.

"Really?" Stan drawled, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Because I could have sworn I heard some rather... passionate noises comin' from your room last night. Could've sworn I heard a certain woman's name being moaned a few times..."

"Stan," Ford growled, choking on his coffee. He set his mug down, his voice steady as he continued. "Shut. Up. Please."

Alice, turned her gaze toward the door, part of her very tempted to pitch herself over the rails to escape the conversation. Her hands flattened on the surface of the table, fingers inching over the wood as she tried to soothe her fluster.

"I didn't hear anyone calling your name, Stan," She responded, as cooly as she could manage. Stan chuckled, leaning back in his chair with a smug look on his face.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complainin'," Stan said with a wink. "I think it's great to see my twin finally get some action. I'm just sayin', next time you two should really try to keep it down. These walls are paper thin, you know?"

Ford buried his face in his hands, "Stan, please, can we just... Move on from this?"

Alice turned her nose up, shooting a pointed glare at him, "Seven months together and I'm just 'some action'?"

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that," Stan chuckled, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "But you gotta admit, it's kinda funny how easy it is to get you two all riled up."

"I'm going to pitch myself off the boat," Alice groaned, burying her head in her hands. "On purpose this time."

"No, you're not," Ford said firmly, his hand grabbing her arm. "Don't even joke about that."

"Sorry," Alice murmured, drawing her face from her hands and sending Ford an almost reproachful look. "But look at him- He's never going to let me live this down."