Prompt Nr 36.,Max has to dress up as an elf.
Title: Disguise
Author: geeky_apple
Prompt: Nr 36. Max has to dress up as an elf.
Disclaimer: Don’t own Dark Angel
A/N: I really tried to write something not so food-fixated. Or rather tried to fix it after the food-things all wrote themselves without me noticing. Tried and failed.
Also this year Christmas spirit seems to express itself with me in the urge to write silly, shallow fic with stupid titles.Also sorry for the mistakes
xxxx
Disguise
“I hate you, Logan…”
Her tone as miserable as reproachful, Max was glaring at her reflection in the dark window front, displaying a blurry, distorted and surreally absurd image of… an elf. And not one of the aesthetically ethereal, otherworldly noble kind, but just a plain, plump Santa-assistant adorned with warm wool leggings and bright red cap.
“I know.” Glad that her green-clad back was to him, Logan still did his best not to smirk, grin, smile or show any other sign of amusement.
She sensed it anyway, turning around with an impatient tapping of her foot that jingled the bells on her pointed shoe tip and made Logan’s mouth twitch treacherously.
“Don’t you dare laugh,” she threatened, “remember who wanted me to do this…“
Logan doggedly stared to the ground, hoping to evade her temper… only to find her unfortunately funny, absurdly huge shoes intruding into his vision. Deciding that defense was the most efficient way to keep himself from snickering, he patiently repeated his point. “Really Max, I didn’t have the slightest idea about this elf thing. I just got this call from Matt that he knew an opportunity to smuggle an insider into the mayor’s Christmas party where he gives out contract jobs in exchange for presents and favors … and then we could finally prove his involvement in equipping the schools in sector 3 with those lead-contaminated pipes."
She simply rolled her eyes at that, knowing that he knew how she’d never managed to turn down one of his urgent missions, even less so when children were involved. “And of course your almighty brain didn’t care to ask whether it was a costume party,” she muttered, self-righteously aggravated with his obtuse failure.
“At least,” he tried to rationalize, ”nobody will remember your face with all this… decoration.” His attempts to pacify Max with one of his otherwise quite efficiently dazzling smiles failed as she refused to see the humor of her situation. “Look, I would have gone myself, but with the chair I don’t exactly blend in with the crowds.”
She simply stared him down, seemingly deciding that he deserved a bit of grilling for letting her make a fool of herself. “You owe me. Big.”
“I know,” he replied again, meekly and willing to grant her any wish as he figured that unleashing a furious Max-elf onto an assembly of champagne-drinking snobs wasn’t the most effective way of retrieving information. He just hoped she wouldn’t make him dress up as Santa.
“A nice warm lunch tomorrow, something meaty. And peaches for dessert.” Tentatively, she tested his good will, knowing that he usually just had leftovers or a sandwich.
Logan glanced up, face not giving away that he’d halfway expected her answer… and never meaning to tell her how her plain wish set her apart from those of his informants who, like her, declared that he owed them. Thinking of how hard, how unfair their life was, Logan was unable to blame them as he found himself handing out enough bills to sooth even their hungry eyes.
With Max it had never been like that. She had never put any claim on his money, had never attempted to take advantage of his belongings or connections. Giving him that clear, discerning gaze of hers, she always insisted on paying the fuel used on his missions and had been miffed when he’d once automatically started to search his pockets for a tip after using Jam Pony.
All she wanted was the basic comfort of a full stomach, the simple taste of yet another new spice. And yet, even though at the end of each meal there was nothing left but empty plates, he gave her the most precious thing after those siblings he couldn’t find: his time, his attention and understanding, caring and concern.
“Absolutely.” He nodded his consent, fully counting on her having forgotten the typically out-of season fruit-wish by tomorrow.
“And.. ,” he could see the sudden idea spreading on her face, perhaps inspired by her costume. the single wet snow flake miserably sliding down the window… or maybe just by her insatiable hunger for new tastes and impressions that was so much more than merely a physical need. It was out of her mouth before she could think about it, seemingly thrilled by his ready willingness to give up precious Eyes Only time. “And something like… Christmas dinner, with one of those big hams, mountains of mashed potatoes, gravy lakes, Christmas cake and all the other stuff people are always raving about…”
While his main worry before had been to hide his amusement, now Logan had to swallow the pleased excitement tickling his fantasies. Anticipating yet another quiet, lonely Christmas, he had found himself intrigued with the unknown factor of Max’s Christmas plans. Caught in his daydreams, he never got as far as asking her to share a chunk of that day with him, imagining that she must be firmly engaged in insanely noisy parties.
Now, Logan realized as he bit his lower lip to keep it from curling into a grin, his dilemma had just simply solved itself in the best way possible. He just had to keep Max’s startled mistrust from spreading over her face, warning him to think of this as anything other than a food request.
Logan knew better than to ruin his new Christmas plans. “Ham, gravy, mashed potatoes…. sure.” He shrugged, hoping to make it seem just like any other of his cooking routines.
There was something in her eyes, darkened by a flash of understanding before she steered back into safer territory, triumphantly topping her requests. “And sandwiches for work next week, the ones that make Normal think that I might actually have some culture.”
She was pushing him and she knew it, forgetting her disgruntlement as she started to enjoy their little game.
“Yes, Max,” he agreed one final time, even lifting one hand for a weak mock-salute as he looked her up and down again.
Standing there with her hands on the red lace belt, the costume’s contrasting red and green brought out the healthy complexion of her skin, the hue of color on her cheeks… And suddenly Logan saw another Max’ standing there, just a normal, ordinary girl like those he’d known at college, taking the odd job here and there to make ends meet.
“You know…,” he dared to test her bettered mood, “you should actually thank me.”
Her eyebrows went up, questioning his suddenly changed approach.
Logan met her even gaze, his eyes coolly amused and not betraying anything as he offered the bait. “After all I’m just giving you a chance to catch up with normal childhood experiences… Everybody should dress up as an elf once in her life.”
“Oh, really?” She seemed firmly determined to keep up her indignation… but in the end her curiosity won, unable to pass the rare opportunity of him offering childhood memories. “Did you?”
“Worse.” He still cringed at the memory. “They made me Rudy the Red-nosed Reindeer in our third grade Christmas play. I had horrible stage fright, couldn’t sleep at all the night before and well… let’s just say they didn’t need much make-up to make my nose glow in the brightest red. Or the rest of my face come to think of it, although I think the huge antlers and all the fur hid that somewhat.”
“I imagine that’s the reason for that Eyes Only mask over your face nowadays.” Max nodded in mock understanding, her eyes calm and serious as they searched for that innocently horrified boy he’d been. And just before her straight-faced reply mellowed into a smirk, she threw up her hands in exasperated defeat. “Fine, okay, you win, Logan. I’m going to save the world dressed up as a green, ugly something and even feel like I’m having an important cultural experience.”
She started to turn, again catching her reflection in the windows and for a second halted, pondering… “I would appreciate cookies waiting for me when I come back, just to enhance my new Christmas way of life.”
Then she paraded to the door, her attempts to keep up her dignity failing miserably as the bell-decorated ends of her hat merrily flopped from one side to the other.
xxx The End xxx
Yes, this was incredibly silly-sweet. Blame my shrunken brain. Thanks to mrsevilpigeon for the online error-tracking!