Dinner, Dancing & Football

Author: Sunnycouger (foolofatook_@hotmail.com)

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: You all don't honestly think that I own any of this do you? Roswell and all its characters are property of Melinda Metz and Jason Katims..I just take them out to play sometimes...The song is by Tracy Lawrence and I don't own that either...very pretty song, very country though...

Category: Kyle/Tess, Alex/Isabel, therapy, friendship, CC's

Summary: When Kyle and Tess realise that they may have feelings for each other there really is only one thing they can do. Call their friends...

Authors Notes: This fic is set in the episodes that would have followed the prom. CYN did not happen!!! This is my first attempt at anything remotely foofy so if its bad blame it on a lack of practice:)

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Kyle Valenti had arrived outside the Evans house about ten minutes ago. He had stopped his car, turned the radio of and had even rehearsed out loud what he was going to say to Max...he had something smart to say to counteract anything Max would try and throw at him, and he was psyched. He was ready for it...he just had to be friendly.

“C’mon Kyle...get out the car and chap on his door. And when he comes out...just be cool, be calm...tell him what you came here to say and leave. Prove who the bigger man is!”

He opened the door and took a look at the house. He gave a low growl and closed the door again. He then clenched his fists in frustration and drove around the block again, psyching himself up again. He’d be ready next time round...

Max Evans was alone in the house. His mom had went shopping, his dad had gone to a ball game with some friends from work and Isabel had disappeared out of the house at what was usually an ungodly hour for her on a Saturday. He was alone and bored...scrap that, he was REALLY bored. He sighed and looked out the window. Was that Kyle? Why the hell would Kyle be sitting outside his house? With that the car drove away and he shrugged his shoulders, whatever he was there for clearly wasn’t important.

“Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored...Could call Michael? Nah, him and Maria are spending some “quality time” together. Alex? Nope, Isabel probably has him picking out shoes for her that matches her nails perfectly...why are all my guy friends whipped? Was that Kyle again? Bored, bored, bored...Liz? Might still be upset about the whole “Tess” thing...not a good idea. Ah, I’ll call Tess...she’ll be home!”

Having resolved a solution to his problem he took a final glance at the window before he would go and call her and again, Kyle was sitting out front before driving off. Max looked puzzled and between deciding whether or not to go out and ask him what he was doing there and observing the strange cycle Kyle was going in, he smiled. Valenti was clearly losing it, which he began to feebly chastise himself, was not something he should be enjoying...yet funnily enough, he did. Deciding that he could call Tess later he sat down and looked out the window and lifted his watch so he could time the laps that Kyle was putting in around his block.

Kyle had been around the block about fifteen times before he actually got out the car and walked to Max’s front door. He had just took a deep breath and was preparing to knock when the door opened in front of him and Max was looking at him. Was he laughing?

“Kyle? How’s the neighborhood looking?”

“Max knows! He must have saw you driving around like a flippin’ idiot! Who’s bright idea was it to drive until you felt right about it? Who was it that decided to drive around the block?”

Kyle smiled at Max forcefully and tried to remember everything Alex had told him...be civil, be calm. Don’t say megalomaniac...was there anything else? Hmmm...

“Max? Hi, I was hoping I could maybe talk to you.”

Max looked at Kyle, he was smiling at him? He was being civil? He was calling him Max and not Evans? Something was clearly wrong here...

“Oh, dammit, Kyle’s probably done something wrong...like...telling the football team he’s living with an alien. Or, he might be hiding from Isabel because he ran over Alex...or worse, impregnated Liz! Oh, God no... Probably just here to mend a few bridges...not to tell you that he and Liz are eloping to Vegas. Please let it be bridge mending he’s here for...”

He smiled at Kyle trying desperately to ignore the thoughts his subconscious kept throwing up in his mind, Kyle probably hadn’t done anything wrong.

“You want to talk to me? What about? Nothing’s wrong is it? You know...you’re ok? Liz is...”

“The reason I came here actually. Yeah, yeah I came here about Liz and Tess and...us.”

“Us? And Liz and Tess? Umm, I really don’t think I’d be comfortable talking about any of this with you...so maybe you should go talk to...someone who isn’t me. Ok? I’ll see you later.”

Kyle clenched his fists and teeth at Max’s attempts to dismiss him without even listening to a thing he’d came here to say. He remembered his agreement with Alex...a civil conversation. So he smiled more broadly and spoke slowly and deliberately to Max so he was left in no doubt that he wanted to talk.

“Believe me Eva...Max, I would really like to go elsewhere but...but you’re the man that can help me out here. So if you will either invite me in or at the very least step outside here we’ll talk, and then I’ll go on my merry way and you can play at being King some more. ‘K? Thanks a lot.”

Max looked at him, first dumfounded and then annoyed. Kyle Valenti was here at his house and pissing him off? And he was smiling about it? He stepped outside the door and forced his own smile to go broader...Valenti thought he was going to get a reaction out of him he was sorely wrong.

“Well, if its that important for you to talk to ME Kyle, you better do it. Wouldn’t want to not help your love life out...”

With that they both stood looking at each other, each daring the other to be the first to cave and tell them what they really think about them. Kyle spoke first.

“So...Since you’ve finished using Tess, I take it your going to make your move to win back Liz? I wouldn’t care but I don’t think Lizzie is happy about being the “other woman” indefinately...and I’m pretty sure Tessie has dumped your ass already. So, since it would be some sort of intergalactic crime for you to be single while all your friends are paired of I assume you will attempt to win back Liz?”

Max looked at him with growing fury...he came to his house on a Saturday morning to give him a lecture on his love life? After he had a) slept with his girlfriend and b) kept...bugging him.

“I don’t think that has anything to do with you Kyle. So if that's what you came to talk about I suggest you leave...”

“No.”

“No?”

Kyle looked exasperated, what was the guy? Stupid? Surely a stupid King should be able to understand the concept of N.O. He was just about to put his thoughts into words when Max began to speak again.

“You know Kyle, this is none of your business. But as you seem to have such an unhealthy interest in my love-life I think you seem to be missing a few points. A) I’m not dating Liz and it was her that broke it off anyway. Actually you had a hand in that I think... And B) Me and Tess are not split up...I was just about to call her before you arrived.”

Kyle felt as though he had been kicked. They hadn’t split up? But...but...they had a “date”. She had said it was a date...not him. She wouldn’t be going on a date with him if Max and her were still together would she? She wouldn’t do that to him..would she?

“What's up Kyle? You don’t sound so...confident now. Oh...wait a minute, you like her? You care about Tess don’t you? You came here because of it...you came here spurting on about Liz and Tess because you couldn’t stand to lose another girl to...”

“You? You think I came here because of you? You are so wrong Evans, you treat Liz and Tess like crap and you get away with it because...because you play the tortured hero so well. I just came here to tell you to get a grip of the situation...stop messing them about.”

“You have zero idea about anything. I care about Tess, but I loved Liz. And you! You ruined it all...first with your suspicions, then with sleeping with her and even later than that...you kept trying to undermine me...”

“When? Ooh, when my Dad had disappeared and you weren’t letting me get involved? Damn right I undermined you, you...you...”

“Don’t say it...you promised Alex you wouldn’t say it!...Ok, say it but don’t tell Whitman...”

“You power-crazed, megalomaniac! And you know what? I have no doubt I would undermine you again because you are without a doubt, the worst choice any planet could have as a king!”

Max looked at him...he took a few deep breaths before he spoke.

“I’ll give you “megalomaniac”, Valenti!”

“At least I’ll have a level headed Queen by my side in Tess...”

That was Kyle's breaking point. He had been pretty reserved up until that point. And apart from using the M word he had pretty much been civil. Well, he hadn’t exactly been civil...but he had started well. But with Max almost laughing in his face and the weight of everything he had thrown at him he felt compelled to react. So he launched himself from where he stood onto Max who was standing about three feet away. If Alex or Tess asked he could always say he was protecting someone's honour...Yeah, they’ll buy that on...

Max looked on at Kyle, he had fought many battles before. He had won most of them yet here was a human, diving at him within a few feet of him and he was actually apprehensive? Max could take Kyle any day of the week, but he was so angry just now that he had to remember to keep his powers in check or he could hurt him. As Kyle landed on him, they both fell to the ground hard. Kyle was sitting on top of Max and started punching him.

“Level head this! Your majesty...”

Max took the punch and then threw him of the side of him and stood. Kyle stood up and looked at Max who had put his hand up to his mouth and was looking at the blood on his fingers. Kyle almost expected Max to walk in the house indignant but instead Max ran at him screaming with his head down and toppled him over to the ground in a football style tackle. He then proceeded to take up the same position Kyle had earlier and began punching him.

“I’ll show you megalomaniac you know good...”

“You and who’s army...hybrid boy?”

“Hybrid boy?! Why you no good bas...”

Max was shut up as Kyle swung a punch wildly at his face. As the punch connected to his left side Kyle sat up, just in time for Max to grab him in a headlock. As they both were flaying about Max with his arm around Kyle's neck and Kyle with a hold of Max by the waist while still trying in vain to land a punch, they hadn’t heard the car approach from behind them into the drive way. They hadn’t heard the car door open and the footsteps walk behind them. They hadn’t heard any of that, but they certainly heard the yelling.

“Max Evans? What the hell is going on here? Kyle? Will you two stop it?!”

The two teenagers looked around to see a furious Mrs. Evans standing right behind them. They looked at each other and then back at Diane before separating and standing up.

“Mom?! Your home?”

“Mrs. Evans? Hi.”

“Yes I’m home. What I didn’t expect to find when I got here was the two of you fighting in the middle of the lawn like a couple of common hooligans. Either of you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Kyle looked at Max, and Max looked at Kyle before a word was spoken.

“We were just...talking...Mom.”

Kyle had to stifle a laugh...Max Evans was a hopeless liar.

“Oh, you were just talking? Max, sweetie...do I really look like a total idiot? I see the blood on your face, I see the blood on Kyle's face...I come home to find the pair of you acting like a pair of wrestlers. Do I really look like I’m buying the whole “just talking” argument? No...I’m not, so you two will either shake and make up right now or Kyle you go home. Either way Max? You’re grounded...your sister will have the jeep for the week.”

“Mom, you can’t ground me I’m eighteen...”

“Oh...you’re eighteen so you’re too old to be grounded? Oh well, in that case...Izzy can have the jeep for two weeks...I’m revoking your license until then...hand it over.”

Max looked at her pleadingly...he hated getting in trouble with his mom. Despite the fact that he was a different species, his mom always treated him like a normal kid. Complete with normal punishments. Seeing her stern face and Kyle’s goofy grin he took out his wallet and handed her his license...she’d probably give him it back in a few hours when she was less mad at him. Probably.

“Here Mom...sorry...”

“Good. Now act your age is that clear? Good...and Kyle? Your father will hear about this so I’d stop laughing if I were you...”

With that Diane Evans walked into the house shaking her head. Kyle looked at the defeated look on Max’s face and burst out laughing...Max, the great King and Savior of a planet had just been grounded.

“Will you please stop laughing? This is your fault.”

“My fault? What the hell did I do? You’re the one that started this.”

“Like hell I did! You called me a megalomaniac! And said I used Tess!”

“And? If you deny any of them I’ll apologize. But can you hand on heart say you don’t get a buzz out of being in charge? Can you say you aren’t only with Tess because you can’t have Liz?”

“I am not using her...and I’m not power-crazed.”

“Sure...well, since you have been zero help to me I’ll leave you alone with your mom...later Evans.”

Max watched Kyle walk away before sighing. Why was he doing this?

“Kyle? Come on...you may as well talk about what you came to talk about. I’ll be less... aggressive...I promise....”

With that he stuck out his hand reluctantly for Kyle to shake. Kyle looked at the offered hand...he came here to talk...not bond! But, he shrugged his shoulders, couldn’t hurt right? If nothing else, Tess would be glad he had made the effort.

“Thanks...Max.”

“I could have took you hybrid-boy!”

“No problem...Kyle.”

“You could blow him up...no one would notice! Well, maybe his dad but...he’d get over it pretty quickly...”

They both shook the others hand firmly at first, and then someone tightened it further which was then counter tightened until both their hands were purple because of the pressure. When they finally let go Kyle looked at Max before they walked to the step.

“Well, that was fun Evans...we should shake more often if you give up like a girl all the time...”

Max glared at him...it was going to be a long conversation...

TBC

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