Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

47. One Step Back, Two Steps Forward

The Apartment
(2008) Max is 24, Liz is 23

The evening had started out well.

"Mmm..." Liz sighed as Max's lips pulled on her bottom lip.

"When is he coming back?" Max mumbled against her mouth.

"Not for a long time," Liz answered, threading her fingers through his hair and holding him in position.

But the evening was about to take a turn for the worse.

Maybe it was due to the fact that Michael had only gotten 3 hours of sleep the night before. Maybe it was because Max was fed up with watching Liz feeling bad about the situation between the previously two best friends. Maybe it was because it was late at night and Michael hadn't anticipated Max to be in the apartment. Maybe it was because Max had been kissing Liz as Michael had pushed the front door open.

Or maybe it had just been building up to this moment for a long time.

But none of the three individuals in the room even bothered to contemplate the fateful circumstances that lead to this particular point in time. Liz felt her heart galloping irregularly in her chest as she with mutual intensity both felt and observed the doom fall on top of the two men that meant so much to her.

She swore that she could almost feel the air vibrate with thick emotion between them as they stood in an oddly symmetrical triangle, each facing the other.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Michael grumbled so low that Liz thought she felt the ground shake beneath her suddenly cold feet.

Max straightened, his profile hard. "I'm here with Liz."

Liz watched her brother's fist tighten and knew that not only she, but also Max, must know how Michael was barely restraining himself at the moment.

"Doesn't take a genius to figure that one out since you just had your tongue down my sister's throat."

Liz snapped surprised eyes to her brother, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. "Michael!"

"You know we're a couple now, Michael," Max said, his voice as tense as the rest of his body.

"Doesn't mean I'll have to like it," Michael responded.

"She's old enough to make her own decisions."

"Just because she's old enough doesn't mean that she's mature enough."

Anger added another color to Liz's cheeks, but as she opened her mouth to tell him one thing or two about maturity, Max beat her to it, "She knows what she's doing."

"Are you having sex with her?"

Liz opened her mouth to cry an end to this discussion, but once again Max beat her to it, "Do you really want to know that about your little sister?"

"When it comes to you, yes I do. I know of your tendencies to use them and leave them. I have no doubt that once you've had your fun with her, you're gonna throw her out just like yet another one of your bimbos."

Not appreciating being talked about in third person when she was standing right there, Liz snapped, "I'm right here, you know."

But the men ignored her as they continued their duel about who was best fitted to take care of her.

"For your information, those other girls you're referring to were in on it as well. No strings attached. It's different with Liz."

"Of course it is," Michael responded sarcastically.

Max's body tensed even further as the anger pulled on his self-restraint. "You're one to talk! Before you met Maria you were exactly the same!"

"I didn't do it for as long as you did."