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Fic: Dating the Cleverest Boy in the World. Chapter 5.
More fic, gentle readers! (All 3 of you? Or is it 4?) Hope you like this, and I almost feel obliged to point out once more that this story is *thisclose* to original fic. I'm working on a list of characters, 'cause they're legion! Index post here, if anyone wants to catch up. (No need to be familiar with the 'verse, the story can definitely stand on its own.)
Summary: Allison had always thought that university would be an adventure. But she'd not imagined that she'd end up dating Harold Saxon's son.
Setting: 2025 (AU post-Sound of Drums)
Characters: OCs (many!), the Doctor (10th), Lucy, Jack.
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: Just over 4000 words.
Feedback: Would be more welcome than a warm log fire. (It's COLD today! Brrr.)
Chapter 5
Allison had a nasty suspicion that she was coming down with a cold.
Also, she was feeling very uncertain about Alexander Saxon.
And yet, when he called up the day after the flirting-incident and asked if she’d like to come along to the comedy gig at the Student Union that evening, she said yes without a second’s hesitation.
Telling herself very sternly to stop being stupid (although whether she was stupid for saying yes, or for worrying, she didn’t know), she very deliberately chose clothes that were warm and sensible rather than pretty. And then at the last minute put on some make-up...
As if anyone would look at her with Josh and Chelsea around, she thought wryly. But - for reasons she very carefully didn’t examine too closely - she didn’t want Alex to think that she hadn’t made an effort.
Muniba, wrapped up in shawls and surrounded by cold remedies, lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Allison was, yet again, exceptionally grateful for her room mate. They didn’t have much in common really, but somehow that worked very well.
Half an hour later she found Alex in the queue outside the Union - and discovered that everyone else in their little gang was elsewhere.
Matt might make it later, but the gig had clashed with some worthy prior engagement. Josh (whose idea the whole thing had been to begin with) had vanished with the bartender the night before and had yet to re-emerge... Nearly 24 hours and counting, Alex commented with barely contained glee. And when Allison called Chelsea, her friend was heading for some dance-thing or other, Mike in tow.
Chen was laid up with a cold.
“It’s good that I’m as talkative as all of them put together!” Alex grinned, and Allison shook her head. He was also weirder (and more unsettling) than all of the others squared.
But she’d come to be entertained - and had never been to a live comedy show before - so she was certainly not leaving.
The evening started well as a lot of hopefuls took their turn at the mike to general enjoyment, and the mood was running high as the main act walked on stage. He took a moment to survey the room before speaking.
"So... this is the future hope of Britain. The brightest minds in the land. Those who will steer us through the rough waters ahead. And..." his eyes narrowed as he focussed on someone to the left of the stage, "...they wear T-shirts saying 'I'm with stupid!' Not very reassuring."
Laughter rose, and the comedian’s eyes roved further afield, clearly looking for more victims, before fastening on Alex.
"Now, who have we got here? Unless my eyes betray me, this looks like someone related to our very own Mr Saxon!"
"It's his son!" someone yelled, and the comic was clearly thrilled.
"Well, well, well - all the best to you, kid. And what do I spy - do you have a lovely lady friend there with you?"
Allison blushed and tried her best to ignore the sudden attention, even as she fervently wished for the rest of the group to have been there. They looked far too couple-y at their little table for two.
"Now better be careful dear, or you might not get home in one piece. We all know what those Saxons were like, don't we?"
There was delighted laughter, and Allison smiled thinly, hoping he'd move on soon. Engaging would only make it worse, that much was obvious.
She should have known that Alex wouldn't see it the same way, and could feel her stomach sink down through the floor as his voice cut through the laughter.
"I resent what you're implying."
A sudden expectant hush fell over the room.
“Do you now young man? Can I ask which part exactly you’re ‘resenting’?”
The comedian was almost visibly flexing in anticipation of dealing with this unexpected heckler; but Alex didn’t seem to notice, as he studied the man, eyes cold and reflective.
“Oh there’s several things. First of all, I resent you casting my friend in the role of victim, just because she happens to be female. Most women, in my experience, would be able to foil an entire Saxon invasion without breaking a sweat. But then maybe you don’t know any actual women, so...”
He shrugged, a small superior smile on his face, and the comedian opened his mouth. The smile vanished.
“Do not interrupt me. Secondly I resent the implication that I would ever harm her, based on my parentage. You are disrespecting me, my friend, and the family of every person my father murdered."
The comedian looked distinctly uncomfortable, smiling nervously.
“Look son, didn’t mean to upset you...”
Alex inclined his head, and no ancient Emperor could have been more regal.
“Apology accepted. Still...”
He got up, pulled on his jacket, “...I should probably go. I’m obviously cramping your style. Which is a shame, since I came here to be entertained; I don’t think it’s going to happen though, do you? Would ask for my money back, to be honest, except-” his eyes trailed over the comedian with something like pity, “-I think you probably need it more than I.”
Not waiting for an answer he walked out, and - after a moment’s hesitation - Allison jumped up, grabbed her coat and followed, ignoring the hooting that rang out after them.
When she caught up with him he was walking down the road, hands imbedded in his jacket pockets. He was determinedly staring at the ground and not showing that he’d noticed her in any way, but after a moment he started speaking.
“Guess I ought to have mentioned that I turn into an arrogant entitled jerk when I get pissed off.”
He shot her a swift, joyless smile, and then focussed on the ground again.
“Well I’m always arrogant, but I usually try to avoid taking the fact that I’m the son of Harold bloody Saxon and shoving all my superiority and privilege down people’s throats, and then jumping on them for good measure.”
For just a second she was completely lost for words, and stopped stock still. Surely she’d misheard... or he’d misspoken. Because...
“You think that... being your father’s son... makes you privileged?” she asked, incredulous, and he turned to her, opened his mouth- and then stopped.
“I-” he started after a second, but then stopped again, and she realised that for the first time in the month-and-a-half she’d known him, he was actually speechless.
She also realised something else. Something so obvious that she could hardly believe she’d not seen it before... Alex was always so focussed outwards - towards people, or new experiences, new things to learn - that it was nigh-on impossible to find out who he was, and it had worried her. But - watching his confusion - in a sudden split-second illumination she understood that it was because he didn’t know himself. Everyone - of course - commented on the fact that he was his father’s son. But his father was a mass murderer. How did you deal with something like that? Looking at him now, the answer was clearly ‘with great difficulty’.
Impulsively she stepped closer, put her hands on his face - and kissed him.
For a second he froze in surprise; but then he leaned into the kiss, gently wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. His lips were cool and soft, and she could feel the tremor running through him as he deepened the kiss... It was the most incredible feeling: Like stepping into thin air, and realising that it could support you.
When they broke apart he still looked shell shocked, although he was now smiling tentatively.
“What happened to just being friends?” he asked after a moment, and she shrugged.
“I changed my mind. That’s OK right?”
For a moment it looked as he was literally turning the question over in his head, and she was about to point out that dating had been his idea when he shook his head.
“Of course. It’s... it’s more than OK. Sorry, I’m just...” he stopped, and searched her eyes.
“Can I ask why? I didn’t think that being a jerk was a particularly endearing trait...”
She bit her lip, and tried to put her new-found insight into words.
“Because... I guess it’s nice to see that underneath all the smarts and cleverness you’re only human after all.”
His reaction to this rather clichéd statement was not at all what she’d expected. Instead of a smart-arsy quip, he looked like he was trying to fight back tears.
“That’s-” he took a deep breath, trying to get his voice under control.
“I... No one’s ever...”
He reached up and gently cupped her cheek, voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you. I can’t- I can’t tell you what that means to me.”
She studied him, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m...” he started, then fell silent, slowly taking her hands in his. For a long moment he just looked at her, and she wondered what was going through his head.
“Sorry,” he finally said. “I’m just overwhelmed and... things. I want this. You and me. Like this. This is good.”
“You are so weird,” she said - because obviously it was good, and it was quite clear that he wanted it - shaking her head at his odd seriousness, and he smiled softly.
“Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Obviously not,” she said, and he laughed, snapping out of the odd mood and face lighting up in a smile so bright that she felt she almost needed sunglasses - a whole host of butterflies that she’d never been aware of before suddenly making her insides do the strangest things.
It was The Saxon Smile (TM), and he was smiling it for her. Just her.
“Can I kiss you again?” he asked, and this time it was her turn to laugh.
A small part of her brain told her that snogging the face off Alexander Saxon just down the road from the Student Union on a Saturday night wasn’t the most subtle thing in the world, but quite frankly she didn’t give a damn. She’d never been one for doing things by halves.
Especially since he was a really, really excellent kisser. (Something she had been kinda expecting, but even so... She felt all light-headed.)
As they broke apart, she couldn’t help but shake her head again.
“What?” he asked, and she smiled wryly.
“Well I told myself that I was totally going to focus on my studies and not get distracted by boys. And here I am, not even two months in, and already I’ve got a boyfriend.”
He looked somewhat surprised. “I’m a boyfriend?”
She looked at him drolly. “That’s generally the way it works.”
He nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his neck. “I guess. Huh. I’ve never been a boyfriend before. It’s an interesting feeling.”
She blinked, eyebrows lifting.
“Seriously? You never had a girlfriend??”
He shrugged. “Never met anyone I was properly interested in until you showed up.”
Seeing the look on her face, he chuckled. “Well there might have been a date or two, but...”
He let a shrug finish the sentence, and she nodded - it wasn’t hard to fill in the blanks.
“So... where do we go now?”
“Where’d you like to go?” he replied, and she took his hand with a smile. It didn’t really matter, did it?
They ended up in Caffe Nero, squeezed together on a small cosy leather sofa, talking about everything and nothing, drinking hot chocolate and kissing. Allison was trying her best to get her head around the fact that he was hers - all that cleverness and fun and charm and seemingly endless knowledge was all hers, and she almost wanted to put a sign on him saying ‘Property of Allison Whitwell’. This was the result of being a younger sibling in a large family she knew, of always getting hand-me-downs, and people borrowing things without asking, and having to guard everything like a lioness. Although considering what he’d told her about his previous dating history he wasn’t likely to stray... She wondered what he saw in her, but knew that was the sort of question that’d only drive her insane.
They got tossed out of Caffe Nero at closing time, and then wandered around the streets for what felt like five minutes, but turned out to be several hours. When they finally said goodbye it was past one o’clock in the morning, and Allison was exceedingly grateful that she’d gone for warmth when heading out. How Alex wasn’t frozen solid in nothing but his denim jacket over a T-shirt she couldn’t fathom.
“Goodnight my love... Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow,” Alex exclaimed, with a flourish and an added kiss, and she laughed.
‘Weird’ had a lot going for it.
***
The next morning Muniba woke her with a cup of camomile tea (since she was making a pot anyway, she said) and Allison, unable to contain her news, immediately told her about what had happened. Muniba was a star and didn’t say ‘I totally saw that coming’ - not out loud anyway - and then wrapped up warm and headed out to see her tutor to talk about the lectures she’d missed.
After a slice of toast with plum jam, a shower, and pulling on a pretty top and some nice jeans, Allison decided that it was time to tackle the family. Fishing the laptop out of her bag she made sure that the built-in camera still worked, then brought up her various home sites, changed her relationship status across all of them - and waited.
It only took eight minutes for the telltale ‘Someone wants to talk to you’ ping, and (of course) it was Amanda. (Who else would be sat in front of a screen, working, on a Sunday morning?)
“Hey there Allie. Did you decide that NatSci was too boring, and boys would make a better subject for studying?”
Big sisters, they never changed. And it didn’t help that Amanda was Oldest Sibling and Focussed and Successful, and never ever got distracted from her goals.
“Shut up, Amanda. It’s not like that.”
Amanda just smiled. “So what is it like?”
And now the fun would begin... It was all bubbling inside, half nervousness and half pride, and Allison took a deep breath.
“It’s Alexander Saxon.”
Amanda’s eyes widened, and it took a moment or two for her to find her voice.
“Really? Well mum told me he was in your class, but... Interesting... I’m presuming you’ve not been seduced by his fame and riches? Dad would have a triple heart attack if you became a Trophy Wife.”
Allison didn’t bother answering as she could tell that Amanda was already busy instant messaging everyone else, and idly wondered what it might be like to be part of a small family - or at least a family where every bit of news didn’t warrant an impromptu video conference.
“So what’s he like?” Amanda asked the second she’d finished typing, and Allison hesitated.
“He’s very clever obviously, and charming and, well a genius, really, but...” she searched for the right words. “A bit peculiar?”
Amanda raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
“‘A bit peculiar’? Are we talking undercover secret agent here?”
Allison chuckled - she’d not until just then realised where she'd borrowed the term from - and shook her head vehemently.
“Sorry, bad choice of words. He is as far from an army guy as you can imagine - he marches to his own drumbeat even more than Toby, I think. OK, that sounds all wrong. Wait - eccentric! That’s the word I’m after. He’s very eccentric.”
At that point Ella joined the conversation, a wriggling baby apparently trying to crawl over her ample shoulder.
“Allie! Big Sis informs me that you got yourself a fella. Well done darling! For a while there I was worried you were going to follow in Amanda's footsteps and challenge her for the title of Most Boring Student Ever.”
“Oh Ella, please!” Amanda cut through, but they both ignored her.
“So, has he got a name?”
Allison bit her lip.
“It’s Alexander Saxon.”
Ella’s blinked, then laughed in surprise.
“You’re kidding! The Prime Minister’s kid? Well hot damn. I’ll look out for you in Heat Magazine!”
Allison sighed.
“It’s not like that...”
And at that moment her mum appeared, Jimmy hovering behind her.
“Allison. Congratulations. I thought something might be up - you’ve not updated for ages.”
Allison tried not to sigh - how typical was it for mum to congratulate and berate her in the same breath.
“Thank you. And before you ask...” she shot Jimmy a warning glance, feeling like a stuck record. “It... it’s Alexander Saxon.”
As predicted, Jimmy’s face was pure wicked delight.
“Hey Al - I don’t think that’s what mum meant when she told you to ‘look after him’.”
Little brothers should be banned.
“Don’t call me Al! And shut up Jimmy. I just... I just like him.”
“I bet you do,” he countered, smirking, and she sighed deeply, trying to stomp down on her intense desire to reach through the screen and hit him. Hard.
“Mum- can you make him go away?”
“Jimmy! Behave. But do tell me what happened Allison...”
Before she could begin, a message flashed on the screen. And she couldn’t help smiling, because it was so perfectly Alex to appear at just the right time.
“Well, here he is in person,” she said, and with a flourish added him to their family network.
Immediately everyone’s attention was focussed on Alex’s smiling face. Allison could tell that he was in his bedroom, the blue Serenity poster filling up the background, and thought that really it didn’t match her own Simpsons one very well... But then opposites attracted and all that.
“Hello!” he waved. “My virtual ears were burning, so I came looking. Would I be right in guessing you’re the people who will beat me to death with a shovel if I hurt Allie in any way?”
Her father’s off-screen guffaw made Allison bite her lip, and Alex held up a hand.
“I should add that I do not think Allison in any way incapable of wielding a shovel herself, nor do I anticipate the necessity for such an action at any point. Just thought I’d point out that I know that there might be some tension in the air.”
Her father appeared on screen then, glasses halfway down his nose as usual, and a wide grin on his face.
“Young man - I like you!”
Alex smiled back.
“Well from what I’ve been told of yourself, sir, the feeling is entirely mutual.”
“Did he just say ‘sir’?” Ella asked, and Alex shifted his attention.
“I’m a very polite sort of person.”
“No kidding!” Ella replied. “I’m Ella by the way.”
Then there followed a round-robin of introductions - in which spouses and offspring were produced to ‘come and say hello to Allison’s new boyfriend’ - and they had to narrate a cut-down version of the previous evening’s events.... before going back to their very first meeting, because everyone was curious.
Alex was - of course - charming and friendly and said all the right things, and Allison had to suppress her overwhelming urge to point out how she had won the boyfriend jackpot.
But then halfway through a sentence he suddenly cocked his head, listening.
“Oh! That’s Josh!”
His eyes lit up with pure mischief, and then he hastily excused himself.
“Sorry, got to go - it’s my flatmate... He’s been missing since Friday night, and I need to go mock him mercilessly.”
“Missing?” Allison’s mum asked, concerned, and Alex’s smile became even wider.
“There was a bartender... a very, very pretty bartender. And I’ve got more puns than a year’s worth of tabloids all ready and waiting! Oh- Allie? You wanna come round for lunch? I can’t promise a proper Sunday roast - unless you fancy a romantic trip to Sainsbury’s - but we can probably scrape something nice together.”
“Sure,” she replied, and he grinned, waved goodbye, and logged off.
For a moment Allison didn’t know quite what to say, but then her mother smiled.
“Well he seems very nice. See if you can bring him home for Christmas?”
She nodded. Of course. “I’ll ask, but I’m sure he actually has a family to be with already...”
Then, as always happened, the talk turned to general gossip, and all the men drifted away as Mum, Amanda and Ella started discussing the best way to deal with poorly children.
Allison said goodbye too, and then got on with writing a Mail-to-Everyone about her new boyfriend (including a link to his home site, ‘cause she wasn’t feeling energetic enough to try to explain him in any kind of detail), and hit send. Her friends were scattered all over now - some gap-yearing around the world, some working, some at university - and the thought of calling them all up individually was enough to make her head hurt.
Also she wanted to get to Alex’s as soon as possible.
Oh she had it bad.
She arrived just as Josh was leaving - still with his bartender in tow. Apparently they’d only come to get something to eat and were now heading out again. The bartender turned out to be called Jamie, and shook Allison’s hand with an air of polite disinterest, although it was hard to tell anything thanks to the the curtain of golden blonde hair obscuring the eyes. Allison got an impression of serious eyeliner and lip gloss, which - added to the long, loosely fitted top, skinny jeans (black) and converse - managed to take androgyny to new heights.
When they’d left she turned to Alex, who was watching the door with a deeply speculative air, and asked the question she presumed he was pondering too.
“So... Was that a boy or a girl?”
He turned to her, surprised.
“Does it matter?”
She found herself taken aback, and stumbled over a reply.
“No course not, I- I just...”
Alex chuckled, looking at her with a strange proud delight that made her stomach flutter.
“Oh you’re such a scientist - you just need to catalogue things, don’t you?”
Despite it being true, he was also rather patronising, but as she opened her mouth she saw Matt roll his eyes, making a ‘I don’t have clue either!’ gesture behind Alex’s back, and she had to bite back a laugh.
Walking in to the kitchen and looking through cupboards, Alex started nattering about how people couldn’t be put in boxes - which was one of the great things about them - and filling in some details about Josh’s background, the most prominent being that he’d been brought up by his mother and grandmother, and had barely been able to so much as look at a girl (never mind a boy) when at home without the third degree, and that this was at the root of his current philandering.
“Although Jamie... That could get interesting,” he added thoughtfully, but before Allison could follow up on this cryptic statement her phone buzzed, and she had to try to deal with Chelsea, who was crowing ‘What did I say, eh?’
When Allison finally managed to say goodbye, Alex was sitting on the work top, idly tapping out a complicated rhythm until she caught his attention.
“Right. I’m afraid The Gorgeous Invasion ate most of what I was planning on cooking with. So - wanna go out and get something? I mean a restaurant, not Sainsbury’s!”
“Sure,” she replied, grateful that she’d put on a pretty top - but Matt declined when given the same offer.
“As if I’d want to spend the whole meal being a gooseberry. You two have fun.”
They ended up in the Greek restaurant again, and Allison couldn’t understand how she’d not previously noticed how incredibly romantic it was. Although being at a tiny table for two probably helped...
Halfway through the meal her phone beeped, and she saw it was a message from Toby. He’d been absent from the ‘conference’, which hadn’t surprised her at all - as the only introvert in a family of extroverts, he avoided face-to-face interaction as much as possible.
The message was short and to the point, and just so Toby she wished he was there so she could give him a big hug (which she knew would make him squirm uncomfortably).
Congrats Allie. Your chap looks smart and dishy, so I’m figuring he ought to hold your interest for a good while. Is mum getting you to drag him home for Christmas? If so, I look forward to meeting him.
Toby
She showed Alex ('Look - message from my older brother!'), who preened and said ‘I’m dishy?’, to which she shrugged.
“You’ll do.”
He laughed, and Allison wondered why on Earth she’d been so worried about him.
Chapter 6 (Interlude featuring Josh).
(Incidentally the next chapter will be an interlude featuring Josh. And Jamie. Because Jamie turned up out of nowhere and demanded to be written, and to tell Jamie's story, I need Josh... Writing is a funny thing.)
Summary: Allison had always thought that university would be an adventure. But she'd not imagined that she'd end up dating Harold Saxon's son.
Setting: 2025 (AU post-Sound of Drums)
Characters: OCs (many!), the Doctor (10th), Lucy, Jack.
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: Just over 4000 words.
Feedback: Would be more welcome than a warm log fire. (It's COLD today! Brrr.)
Allison had a nasty suspicion that she was coming down with a cold.
Also, she was feeling very uncertain about Alexander Saxon.
And yet, when he called up the day after the flirting-incident and asked if she’d like to come along to the comedy gig at the Student Union that evening, she said yes without a second’s hesitation.
Telling herself very sternly to stop being stupid (although whether she was stupid for saying yes, or for worrying, she didn’t know), she very deliberately chose clothes that were warm and sensible rather than pretty. And then at the last minute put on some make-up...
As if anyone would look at her with Josh and Chelsea around, she thought wryly. But - for reasons she very carefully didn’t examine too closely - she didn’t want Alex to think that she hadn’t made an effort.
Muniba, wrapped up in shawls and surrounded by cold remedies, lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Allison was, yet again, exceptionally grateful for her room mate. They didn’t have much in common really, but somehow that worked very well.
Half an hour later she found Alex in the queue outside the Union - and discovered that everyone else in their little gang was elsewhere.
Matt might make it later, but the gig had clashed with some worthy prior engagement. Josh (whose idea the whole thing had been to begin with) had vanished with the bartender the night before and had yet to re-emerge... Nearly 24 hours and counting, Alex commented with barely contained glee. And when Allison called Chelsea, her friend was heading for some dance-thing or other, Mike in tow.
Chen was laid up with a cold.
“It’s good that I’m as talkative as all of them put together!” Alex grinned, and Allison shook her head. He was also weirder (and more unsettling) than all of the others squared.
But she’d come to be entertained - and had never been to a live comedy show before - so she was certainly not leaving.
The evening started well as a lot of hopefuls took their turn at the mike to general enjoyment, and the mood was running high as the main act walked on stage. He took a moment to survey the room before speaking.
"So... this is the future hope of Britain. The brightest minds in the land. Those who will steer us through the rough waters ahead. And..." his eyes narrowed as he focussed on someone to the left of the stage, "...they wear T-shirts saying 'I'm with stupid!' Not very reassuring."
Laughter rose, and the comedian’s eyes roved further afield, clearly looking for more victims, before fastening on Alex.
"Now, who have we got here? Unless my eyes betray me, this looks like someone related to our very own Mr Saxon!"
"It's his son!" someone yelled, and the comic was clearly thrilled.
"Well, well, well - all the best to you, kid. And what do I spy - do you have a lovely lady friend there with you?"
Allison blushed and tried her best to ignore the sudden attention, even as she fervently wished for the rest of the group to have been there. They looked far too couple-y at their little table for two.
"Now better be careful dear, or you might not get home in one piece. We all know what those Saxons were like, don't we?"
There was delighted laughter, and Allison smiled thinly, hoping he'd move on soon. Engaging would only make it worse, that much was obvious.
She should have known that Alex wouldn't see it the same way, and could feel her stomach sink down through the floor as his voice cut through the laughter.
"I resent what you're implying."
A sudden expectant hush fell over the room.
“Do you now young man? Can I ask which part exactly you’re ‘resenting’?”
The comedian was almost visibly flexing in anticipation of dealing with this unexpected heckler; but Alex didn’t seem to notice, as he studied the man, eyes cold and reflective.
“Oh there’s several things. First of all, I resent you casting my friend in the role of victim, just because she happens to be female. Most women, in my experience, would be able to foil an entire Saxon invasion without breaking a sweat. But then maybe you don’t know any actual women, so...”
He shrugged, a small superior smile on his face, and the comedian opened his mouth. The smile vanished.
“Do not interrupt me. Secondly I resent the implication that I would ever harm her, based on my parentage. You are disrespecting me, my friend, and the family of every person my father murdered."
The comedian looked distinctly uncomfortable, smiling nervously.
“Look son, didn’t mean to upset you...”
Alex inclined his head, and no ancient Emperor could have been more regal.
“Apology accepted. Still...”
He got up, pulled on his jacket, “...I should probably go. I’m obviously cramping your style. Which is a shame, since I came here to be entertained; I don’t think it’s going to happen though, do you? Would ask for my money back, to be honest, except-” his eyes trailed over the comedian with something like pity, “-I think you probably need it more than I.”
Not waiting for an answer he walked out, and - after a moment’s hesitation - Allison jumped up, grabbed her coat and followed, ignoring the hooting that rang out after them.
When she caught up with him he was walking down the road, hands imbedded in his jacket pockets. He was determinedly staring at the ground and not showing that he’d noticed her in any way, but after a moment he started speaking.
“Guess I ought to have mentioned that I turn into an arrogant entitled jerk when I get pissed off.”
He shot her a swift, joyless smile, and then focussed on the ground again.
“Well I’m always arrogant, but I usually try to avoid taking the fact that I’m the son of Harold bloody Saxon and shoving all my superiority and privilege down people’s throats, and then jumping on them for good measure.”
For just a second she was completely lost for words, and stopped stock still. Surely she’d misheard... or he’d misspoken. Because...
“You think that... being your father’s son... makes you privileged?” she asked, incredulous, and he turned to her, opened his mouth- and then stopped.
“I-” he started after a second, but then stopped again, and she realised that for the first time in the month-and-a-half she’d known him, he was actually speechless.
She also realised something else. Something so obvious that she could hardly believe she’d not seen it before... Alex was always so focussed outwards - towards people, or new experiences, new things to learn - that it was nigh-on impossible to find out who he was, and it had worried her. But - watching his confusion - in a sudden split-second illumination she understood that it was because he didn’t know himself. Everyone - of course - commented on the fact that he was his father’s son. But his father was a mass murderer. How did you deal with something like that? Looking at him now, the answer was clearly ‘with great difficulty’.
Impulsively she stepped closer, put her hands on his face - and kissed him.
For a second he froze in surprise; but then he leaned into the kiss, gently wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer. His lips were cool and soft, and she could feel the tremor running through him as he deepened the kiss... It was the most incredible feeling: Like stepping into thin air, and realising that it could support you.
When they broke apart he still looked shell shocked, although he was now smiling tentatively.
“What happened to just being friends?” he asked after a moment, and she shrugged.
“I changed my mind. That’s OK right?”
For a moment it looked as he was literally turning the question over in his head, and she was about to point out that dating had been his idea when he shook his head.
“Of course. It’s... it’s more than OK. Sorry, I’m just...” he stopped, and searched her eyes.
“Can I ask why? I didn’t think that being a jerk was a particularly endearing trait...”
She bit her lip, and tried to put her new-found insight into words.
“Because... I guess it’s nice to see that underneath all the smarts and cleverness you’re only human after all.”
His reaction to this rather clichéd statement was not at all what she’d expected. Instead of a smart-arsy quip, he looked like he was trying to fight back tears.
“That’s-” he took a deep breath, trying to get his voice under control.
“I... No one’s ever...”
He reached up and gently cupped her cheek, voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you. I can’t- I can’t tell you what that means to me.”
She studied him, puzzled.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m...” he started, then fell silent, slowly taking her hands in his. For a long moment he just looked at her, and she wondered what was going through his head.
“Sorry,” he finally said. “I’m just overwhelmed and... things. I want this. You and me. Like this. This is good.”
“You are so weird,” she said - because obviously it was good, and it was quite clear that he wanted it - shaking her head at his odd seriousness, and he smiled softly.
“Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Obviously not,” she said, and he laughed, snapping out of the odd mood and face lighting up in a smile so bright that she felt she almost needed sunglasses - a whole host of butterflies that she’d never been aware of before suddenly making her insides do the strangest things.
It was The Saxon Smile (TM), and he was smiling it for her. Just her.
“Can I kiss you again?” he asked, and this time it was her turn to laugh.
A small part of her brain told her that snogging the face off Alexander Saxon just down the road from the Student Union on a Saturday night wasn’t the most subtle thing in the world, but quite frankly she didn’t give a damn. She’d never been one for doing things by halves.
Especially since he was a really, really excellent kisser. (Something she had been kinda expecting, but even so... She felt all light-headed.)
As they broke apart, she couldn’t help but shake her head again.
“What?” he asked, and she smiled wryly.
“Well I told myself that I was totally going to focus on my studies and not get distracted by boys. And here I am, not even two months in, and already I’ve got a boyfriend.”
He looked somewhat surprised. “I’m a boyfriend?”
She looked at him drolly. “That’s generally the way it works.”
He nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his neck. “I guess. Huh. I’ve never been a boyfriend before. It’s an interesting feeling.”
She blinked, eyebrows lifting.
“Seriously? You never had a girlfriend??”
He shrugged. “Never met anyone I was properly interested in until you showed up.”
Seeing the look on her face, he chuckled. “Well there might have been a date or two, but...”
He let a shrug finish the sentence, and she nodded - it wasn’t hard to fill in the blanks.
“So... where do we go now?”
“Where’d you like to go?” he replied, and she took his hand with a smile. It didn’t really matter, did it?
They ended up in Caffe Nero, squeezed together on a small cosy leather sofa, talking about everything and nothing, drinking hot chocolate and kissing. Allison was trying her best to get her head around the fact that he was hers - all that cleverness and fun and charm and seemingly endless knowledge was all hers, and she almost wanted to put a sign on him saying ‘Property of Allison Whitwell’. This was the result of being a younger sibling in a large family she knew, of always getting hand-me-downs, and people borrowing things without asking, and having to guard everything like a lioness. Although considering what he’d told her about his previous dating history he wasn’t likely to stray... She wondered what he saw in her, but knew that was the sort of question that’d only drive her insane.
They got tossed out of Caffe Nero at closing time, and then wandered around the streets for what felt like five minutes, but turned out to be several hours. When they finally said goodbye it was past one o’clock in the morning, and Allison was exceedingly grateful that she’d gone for warmth when heading out. How Alex wasn’t frozen solid in nothing but his denim jacket over a T-shirt she couldn’t fathom.
“Goodnight my love... Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow,” Alex exclaimed, with a flourish and an added kiss, and she laughed.
‘Weird’ had a lot going for it.
The next morning Muniba woke her with a cup of camomile tea (since she was making a pot anyway, she said) and Allison, unable to contain her news, immediately told her about what had happened. Muniba was a star and didn’t say ‘I totally saw that coming’ - not out loud anyway - and then wrapped up warm and headed out to see her tutor to talk about the lectures she’d missed.
After a slice of toast with plum jam, a shower, and pulling on a pretty top and some nice jeans, Allison decided that it was time to tackle the family. Fishing the laptop out of her bag she made sure that the built-in camera still worked, then brought up her various home sites, changed her relationship status across all of them - and waited.
It only took eight minutes for the telltale ‘Someone wants to talk to you’ ping, and (of course) it was Amanda. (Who else would be sat in front of a screen, working, on a Sunday morning?)
“Hey there Allie. Did you decide that NatSci was too boring, and boys would make a better subject for studying?”
Big sisters, they never changed. And it didn’t help that Amanda was Oldest Sibling and Focussed and Successful, and never ever got distracted from her goals.
“Shut up, Amanda. It’s not like that.”
Amanda just smiled. “So what is it like?”
And now the fun would begin... It was all bubbling inside, half nervousness and half pride, and Allison took a deep breath.
“It’s Alexander Saxon.”
Amanda’s eyes widened, and it took a moment or two for her to find her voice.
“Really? Well mum told me he was in your class, but... Interesting... I’m presuming you’ve not been seduced by his fame and riches? Dad would have a triple heart attack if you became a Trophy Wife.”
Allison didn’t bother answering as she could tell that Amanda was already busy instant messaging everyone else, and idly wondered what it might be like to be part of a small family - or at least a family where every bit of news didn’t warrant an impromptu video conference.
“So what’s he like?” Amanda asked the second she’d finished typing, and Allison hesitated.
“He’s very clever obviously, and charming and, well a genius, really, but...” she searched for the right words. “A bit peculiar?”
Amanda raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.
“‘A bit peculiar’? Are we talking undercover secret agent here?”
Allison chuckled - she’d not until just then realised where she'd borrowed the term from - and shook her head vehemently.
“Sorry, bad choice of words. He is as far from an army guy as you can imagine - he marches to his own drumbeat even more than Toby, I think. OK, that sounds all wrong. Wait - eccentric! That’s the word I’m after. He’s very eccentric.”
At that point Ella joined the conversation, a wriggling baby apparently trying to crawl over her ample shoulder.
“Allie! Big Sis informs me that you got yourself a fella. Well done darling! For a while there I was worried you were going to follow in Amanda's footsteps and challenge her for the title of Most Boring Student Ever.”
“Oh Ella, please!” Amanda cut through, but they both ignored her.
“So, has he got a name?”
Allison bit her lip.
“It’s Alexander Saxon.”
Ella’s blinked, then laughed in surprise.
“You’re kidding! The Prime Minister’s kid? Well hot damn. I’ll look out for you in Heat Magazine!”
Allison sighed.
“It’s not like that...”
And at that moment her mum appeared, Jimmy hovering behind her.
“Allison. Congratulations. I thought something might be up - you’ve not updated for ages.”
Allison tried not to sigh - how typical was it for mum to congratulate and berate her in the same breath.
“Thank you. And before you ask...” she shot Jimmy a warning glance, feeling like a stuck record. “It... it’s Alexander Saxon.”
As predicted, Jimmy’s face was pure wicked delight.
“Hey Al - I don’t think that’s what mum meant when she told you to ‘look after him’.”
Little brothers should be banned.
“Don’t call me Al! And shut up Jimmy. I just... I just like him.”
“I bet you do,” he countered, smirking, and she sighed deeply, trying to stomp down on her intense desire to reach through the screen and hit him. Hard.
“Mum- can you make him go away?”
“Jimmy! Behave. But do tell me what happened Allison...”
Before she could begin, a message flashed on the screen. And she couldn’t help smiling, because it was so perfectly Alex to appear at just the right time.
“Well, here he is in person,” she said, and with a flourish added him to their family network.
Immediately everyone’s attention was focussed on Alex’s smiling face. Allison could tell that he was in his bedroom, the blue Serenity poster filling up the background, and thought that really it didn’t match her own Simpsons one very well... But then opposites attracted and all that.
“Hello!” he waved. “My virtual ears were burning, so I came looking. Would I be right in guessing you’re the people who will beat me to death with a shovel if I hurt Allie in any way?”
Her father’s off-screen guffaw made Allison bite her lip, and Alex held up a hand.
“I should add that I do not think Allison in any way incapable of wielding a shovel herself, nor do I anticipate the necessity for such an action at any point. Just thought I’d point out that I know that there might be some tension in the air.”
Her father appeared on screen then, glasses halfway down his nose as usual, and a wide grin on his face.
“Young man - I like you!”
Alex smiled back.
“Well from what I’ve been told of yourself, sir, the feeling is entirely mutual.”
“Did he just say ‘sir’?” Ella asked, and Alex shifted his attention.
“I’m a very polite sort of person.”
“No kidding!” Ella replied. “I’m Ella by the way.”
Then there followed a round-robin of introductions - in which spouses and offspring were produced to ‘come and say hello to Allison’s new boyfriend’ - and they had to narrate a cut-down version of the previous evening’s events.... before going back to their very first meeting, because everyone was curious.
Alex was - of course - charming and friendly and said all the right things, and Allison had to suppress her overwhelming urge to point out how she had won the boyfriend jackpot.
But then halfway through a sentence he suddenly cocked his head, listening.
“Oh! That’s Josh!”
His eyes lit up with pure mischief, and then he hastily excused himself.
“Sorry, got to go - it’s my flatmate... He’s been missing since Friday night, and I need to go mock him mercilessly.”
“Missing?” Allison’s mum asked, concerned, and Alex’s smile became even wider.
“There was a bartender... a very, very pretty bartender. And I’ve got more puns than a year’s worth of tabloids all ready and waiting! Oh- Allie? You wanna come round for lunch? I can’t promise a proper Sunday roast - unless you fancy a romantic trip to Sainsbury’s - but we can probably scrape something nice together.”
“Sure,” she replied, and he grinned, waved goodbye, and logged off.
For a moment Allison didn’t know quite what to say, but then her mother smiled.
“Well he seems very nice. See if you can bring him home for Christmas?”
She nodded. Of course. “I’ll ask, but I’m sure he actually has a family to be with already...”
Then, as always happened, the talk turned to general gossip, and all the men drifted away as Mum, Amanda and Ella started discussing the best way to deal with poorly children.
Allison said goodbye too, and then got on with writing a Mail-to-Everyone about her new boyfriend (including a link to his home site, ‘cause she wasn’t feeling energetic enough to try to explain him in any kind of detail), and hit send. Her friends were scattered all over now - some gap-yearing around the world, some working, some at university - and the thought of calling them all up individually was enough to make her head hurt.
Also she wanted to get to Alex’s as soon as possible.
Oh she had it bad.
She arrived just as Josh was leaving - still with his bartender in tow. Apparently they’d only come to get something to eat and were now heading out again. The bartender turned out to be called Jamie, and shook Allison’s hand with an air of polite disinterest, although it was hard to tell anything thanks to the the curtain of golden blonde hair obscuring the eyes. Allison got an impression of serious eyeliner and lip gloss, which - added to the long, loosely fitted top, skinny jeans (black) and converse - managed to take androgyny to new heights.
When they’d left she turned to Alex, who was watching the door with a deeply speculative air, and asked the question she presumed he was pondering too.
“So... Was that a boy or a girl?”
He turned to her, surprised.
“Does it matter?”
She found herself taken aback, and stumbled over a reply.
“No course not, I- I just...”
Alex chuckled, looking at her with a strange proud delight that made her stomach flutter.
“Oh you’re such a scientist - you just need to catalogue things, don’t you?”
Despite it being true, he was also rather patronising, but as she opened her mouth she saw Matt roll his eyes, making a ‘I don’t have clue either!’ gesture behind Alex’s back, and she had to bite back a laugh.
Walking in to the kitchen and looking through cupboards, Alex started nattering about how people couldn’t be put in boxes - which was one of the great things about them - and filling in some details about Josh’s background, the most prominent being that he’d been brought up by his mother and grandmother, and had barely been able to so much as look at a girl (never mind a boy) when at home without the third degree, and that this was at the root of his current philandering.
“Although Jamie... That could get interesting,” he added thoughtfully, but before Allison could follow up on this cryptic statement her phone buzzed, and she had to try to deal with Chelsea, who was crowing ‘What did I say, eh?’
When Allison finally managed to say goodbye, Alex was sitting on the work top, idly tapping out a complicated rhythm until she caught his attention.
“Right. I’m afraid The Gorgeous Invasion ate most of what I was planning on cooking with. So - wanna go out and get something? I mean a restaurant, not Sainsbury’s!”
“Sure,” she replied, grateful that she’d put on a pretty top - but Matt declined when given the same offer.
“As if I’d want to spend the whole meal being a gooseberry. You two have fun.”
They ended up in the Greek restaurant again, and Allison couldn’t understand how she’d not previously noticed how incredibly romantic it was. Although being at a tiny table for two probably helped...
Halfway through the meal her phone beeped, and she saw it was a message from Toby. He’d been absent from the ‘conference’, which hadn’t surprised her at all - as the only introvert in a family of extroverts, he avoided face-to-face interaction as much as possible.
The message was short and to the point, and just so Toby she wished he was there so she could give him a big hug (which she knew would make him squirm uncomfortably).
Congrats Allie. Your chap looks smart and dishy, so I’m figuring he ought to hold your interest for a good while. Is mum getting you to drag him home for Christmas? If so, I look forward to meeting him.
Toby
She showed Alex ('Look - message from my older brother!'), who preened and said ‘I’m dishy?’, to which she shrugged.
“You’ll do.”
He laughed, and Allison wondered why on Earth she’d been so worried about him.
Chapter 6 (Interlude featuring Josh).
(Incidentally the next chapter will be an interlude featuring Josh. And Jamie. Because Jamie turned up out of nowhere and demanded to be written, and to tell Jamie's story, I need Josh... Writing is a funny thing.)