Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

46. Happy Love Day

The Apartment
14th of February, Valentine's Day
(2007) Max is 22, Liz is 21

She stopped short at the sight greeting her as she stepped through the doorframe.

Max.

Half-naked.

She unconsciously licked her lips as she watched the muscles move beneath the skin of his back while his arms shuffled through the laundry bin.

"Where the fuck are you?" he mumbled and a small amused smile spread across her lips.

Propping herself casually up against the doorframe, she sang, "Lost something?"

His arms froze and his head slowly turned to face her. The surprise at having her appear behind him quickly turned to the darkest desire as his eyes scanned down her body.

She tried to remain casual as his eyes made her heart beat faster and her stomach tighten. "You seem a bit stressed."

Max's eyes narrowed at her nonchalant tone, and his voice was sweet albeit suspicious as he asked, "You wouldn't know where my white shirt is, would you?"

She shrugged. "I don't keep track of your shit, Evans."

He slowly straightened and cocked his head to the side. "You find this funny, don't you?"

Her eyebrows slowly moved northwards. "You being stressed out? Of course."

In fact, it was amusing. Because Max Evans, the ever so suave and cool Max Evans, was never stressed.

"Going out?" he asked, his voice dark. He didn't really appreciate her sense of humor at the moment.

She glanced down her red dress hugging her waist, only to flow out around her hips, her two-inch heels as she felt her newly curled hair brush over her strapped shoulder. "Good guess, Evans."

Max smirked. "Lover Boy made some plans, did he?"

"Of course," Liz said, confidence radiating off her every word.

She could read from his body language that he wanted her to ask about his plans. But she already knew that story. He was probably going out with yet another blonde and she was really not interested in hearing him brag about it.

They looked at each other in silence for awhile, until Liz started to feel her confidence turn to quivering desire. She was just about to push off the doorframe and leave when he said, "So, if you don't have my shirt with you..."

She looked up, registered the knowing wink her way, and felt the familiar anger bubble up to the surface. He really thought she was there to ogle him.

She sighed, deciding to be the better person in the situation. For once. "Happy Valentine's Day, Max."

Liz got a mild satisfaction out of the surprise that her words caused. Quickly recovering from her out of character behavior, Max closed the small distance between them, and before she had a chance to register what was happening his hand softly pressed into the small of her back while he pressed his lips to her cheek.

It was a short kiss and in other circumstances it would have been completely platonic. However, Liz felt her knees go week and was glad that she was still supporting her weight against the doorframe.

"You too, Shorty," he said as he pulled back, his eyes strangely compelling.

She automatically licked her lips, watched his gaze briefly flutter to those same lips, before he non-ceremoniously returned to the laundry basket and continued to ruffle through it.