I groaned as bits of sunlight streamed through cracks in the boarded windows to wake me up. The first sensation that hit me was the pounding in my head. I felt like hell. Groggily, I attempted to remember why.

“Here’s that beer I owe you.”

That was right. I’d gotten drunk with 494. Well, actually I’d gotten drunk and he had laughed at me.

Of course, it had taken more than those three beers to get me drunk. But we had continued playing from that point and eventually it had become almost a challenge to see if I could drink all the beers I had won. I couldn’t remember if I had been able to do so, but it didn’t really matter anyway. All that mattered was that my head was going to explode and it was 494’s fault.

Groaning again, I sat up. The room spun around me for a moment before settling back to normal. I carefully got up and stumbled into the kitchen to make some coffee, hoping that might help my hangover.

A knock at the door assaulted my ears, feeling as loud to my tortured brain as gun shots. I cringed and started for the door, but the caller didn’t wait for me. Instead he opened the door after the fourth knock.

“Good morning, sunshine.” 494 said brightly upon seeing me, “Dropped by to see how you’re doing.”

I growled at him in response and returned to my observation of the slowly percolating coffee. I heard him laugh softly and would have punched him if moving didn’t hurt my head so much. Instead I dropped my head to rest it on the cool counter.

“Hangover?” 494 asked.

“Gee, you think?” I replied sarcastically.

“Sorry. I’ve been there. Here.” he rummaged around in his jacket pockets and produced a few white pills, “I thought you might be feeling the effects of last night so I brought you some painkillers.”

I would have deemed him a saint if my predicament hadn’t been his fault to begin with. I snatched the pills from his hand faster than I’d thought I could move at present. I dry swallowed them quickly, hoping the faster I took them the faster they would take effect. 494 half smiled at me as he watched my actions. Just like he had the night before.

494 leaned against his pool cue and half smiled as he watched me line up my shot. I knew he was letting me win. He let me break each time, therefore eliminating his chances at winning. Unless, of course, I somehow screwed up.

“You’re a jackass, you know.”

494 spread his hands in disbelief, looking indignant.

“I bring you painkillers and I’m a jackass. Have you been hanging around Max?” he asked suspiciously.

“Of course not. I was too busy letting you get me wasted.” I said pointedly.

“Oh, so it’s my fault you decided to drink a keg by yourself. On my tab, let me remind you. Damn, I’m such an asshole.” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me. You were letting me win and you know it.” I accused.

“So?”

“So my hangover is completely your fault.”

“How do you get that from me letting you win?”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

“We bet on every game. Loser buys winner a drink. Remember?”

“Yeah, I remember.” he nodded.

“And you still don’t see how this is your fault?”

“Nope.”

“Idiot.” I snapped, giving up.

“Hey, just cause I wanted to let you kick my ass at pool, let you build a little self-confidence, doesn’t mean that I wanted to see you in pain the next day. Also, if I remember correctly, it was you who made the drinks part of the bargain.” he finished smugly.

Damn. I’d forgotten that. In my gusto at having beaten 494 in our race and having gotten him to admit he owed me something with substance to signify the occurrence, I had wanted to repeat the performance. I hadn’t really thought about the consequences. I’d just been so caught up in the fact that I had beaten 494. About a year before, before I had escaped Manticore, that would have been a delusional thought on my part. Never reality. So now when it had actually happened, I’d been caught up in the experience.

“Okay, so maybe it’s not your fault.” I admitted quietly, looking down at the floor.

The grungy tile offered a distraction from the smug, triumphant look that I was sure would be on 494’s face if I looked. I was surprised when I felt a hesitant hand on my arm.

“Hey.” he said softly, and I felt like I had to look at him.

I couldn’t say anything so I simply stared into his eyes, fascinating by the depths in them as I waited for him to continue. He had always had such power, such presence in his eyes. Even when they had been cold. 494 had never been very withdrawn or distant. He had always been a definite presence in whatever he was doing. Whether he was being a callous soldier, hunting down two escaped X-5’s, or being the concerned friend that he was now. Friend? Was that what he was to me now?

“I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have let you drink so much.”

“Alec?”

“Yeah?”

“I...thank you.”

“What? Why?” he asked confused.

“Thank you for...for just being Alec and for letting me be Jess. Thank you for being the 494 I knew you could be on the outside if you were just given the chance. Thank you for...being my friend?” that last was a question, asking him if I had gone too far in making the assumption that we were friends.

I glanced up at him worriedly, wondering what his reaction would be. Slowly, a smile appeared on his face. I felt a similar one appear on my own as I realized that he was pleased with what I had said.

“Thanks to you, too.” he said, cautiously stepping closer to me and enfolding me in a gentle hug.

Once again he held me as if he was expecting to be pushed away at any second. But I wouldn’t push him away. I couldn’t. It felt too good to be held in his arms for me to end the contact. I realized that despite the fact the I had once tried with all my might to escape him, I now wanted nothing more than to be held close by him. To be surrounded by his warm, strong arms, to inhale his scent, to feel the rising and falling of his chest as he breathed. I had never before in my life felt the sense of security that arose in me at that moment.

I laid my head against his chest and listened to the soft beating of his heart. With all the crazed whirlwind of thoughts and emotions going on inside me in regards to 494, the sound of his heartbeat was steadying. It didn’t matter who he was to me or how I felt about him or what our connection was. He was here. That was all that mattered.

“So...head feel better?” he asked finally.

“Yeah.” I mumbled in reply, not really thinking about what he had asked me.

“Okay. Well. I’d better go, then.” he said, releasing me from his arms and taking a step back.

I instantly felt cold and alone.

“Will I see you later?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll drop by later. Got some stuff to do.” he said quickly as he headed for the door.

“Alec?” I called, feeling an urgent need to stop him from leaving.

He paused with his hand on the doorknob.

“What?”

I sighed.

“Nothing.”

A second later he was gone.

I was growing too attached to him. I knew that. I also knew that it was dangerous to form such attachments. Especially now when our lives were so dangerous. I was only endangering myself and him, as well, by getting myself so attached. But I couldn’t stop myself. He pervaded my thoughts and made me feel things that I had never felt before. And while I had called him a friend a few moments before, I knew that he was more than that. Kira was my friend. 494...Alec was something else entirely.