Liz sighed with contentment as she rested her cheek against the smooth fabric of Max’s tuxedo jacket. One of her hands rested over his shoulder while he cradled the other over his heart. His other arm looped around her waist and held her against him tightly. They swayed gently back and forth on the dance floor as the lights dimmed for the last dance of the Prom. Her eyes were barely open as she watched her fellow classmates around her dancing under the mirrored ball overhead that cast tiny beads of light over the dancers. Max’s head was bowed down close to hers and she could feel the gentle puff of his breath against her bare shoulder when he exhaled. She opened her eyes a little wider as she looked around for the others.

Isabel and Alex danced together with a practiced and professional ease. Liz smiled as they effortlessly moved to the music. She knew Alex hadn’t been particularly pleased at the dancing lessons Isabel had suggested a year ago. But he went along with them because it made Isabel happy. And he looked perfectly happy himself as he turned Isabel around him and watched as she smiled up at him, her eyes shining. Liz shifted her gaze as Max turned her carefully in a circle and her eyes rested on Maria and Michael, dancing so close that not even a piece of paper would fit between them. She grinned, knowing she had no room to talk, she was so close to Max that she had no idea where he ended and she began. Maria clutched at Michael as though he was her lifeline and Liz noticed that Michael's grip was equally intense. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady hum of music in the background and let her mind wander as she and Max danced.

The Prom was almost over. After months of planning and anticipating, it had been everything she, Isabel and Maria had imagined and more. They’d arrived over three hours earlier to a dance floor packed with people. The six of them had stood just inside the doorway, trying to decide where to go first. There were photographs to be taken and countless dances to dance. They’d stayed fixed in their spot until the Macarena began to play and Alex couldn’t quite contain himself. Maria and Liz had burst out laughing as Alex pulled Isabel onto the dance floor. Isabel had made a slight effort to put up a struggle, but the smile on her face gave away her willingness to more than indulge her boyfriend.

Liz and Maria couldn’t let Alex and Isabel be the only two gyrating to the song popular back when they had been in elementary school, so they pulled Max and Michael with them out onto the floor. Michael had been less than enthusiastic, but Max was perfectly happy to follow Liz as she pushed him along, her hands on his waist. Liz broke out into a fit of giggles halfway through the song at Maria’s antics and they both laughed until their stomachs hurt as Isabel and Alex quite seriously kept dancing. Liz loved seeing the difference in Isabel in the last two years. Shortly after she and Alex had gotten together their sophomore year Isabel had begun to drift away from her old crowd of friends and towards theirs. Maria and Liz had eagerly welcomed her into their tight circle of friends and it had become a literal friendship threesome between the girls.

"Liz, don’t laugh, I know you remember how badly you and Maria wanted to learn this dance during the summer after fifth grade!" Alex had warned as she continued to giggle. Liz couldn’t argue with him, she and Maria had been steadfast in their practice of the one hit wonder. Maria was still trying to persuade Michael to dance as he glanced at Alex, his eyebrows raised.

"I can’t believe you don’t realize how silly you look Iz," Michael pointed out. Isabel gave a very unladylike snort and waved her hand at him as she swung her hips around.

"Michael, you’ve seen where I work and what I wear. Do you really think that this dance will embarrass me?" Isabel asked, her voice yelling over the music. Liz bumped her hips against Maria’s as they digressed away from the Macarena. The two girls grinned as they remembered how Isabel had started working at the Crashdown Café two years ago. For the summer before their junior year Isabel’s parents had insisted that she get a job somewhere in town. She had reluctantly applied at the Crashdown not expecting to be hired, but with one good word from Liz and Maria, she was offered a job on the spot. The girls had spent the next two years sharing horror stories, handling the crazy tourists and enjoying more than one late night ice cream party after closing the café. The uniforms never changed, but Liz suspected that the clientele had significantly increased as a result of the way Isabel easily filled out the teal and silver dress. Liz nearly fell over as Maria bumped her with a little more effort than was necessary. She fell against Max, who grabbed her waist. Maria smiled apologetically at her as Liz steadied her balance.

"Maria, it’s the bump, not destruction derby!" Liz insisted. Maria shrugged.

"I’m not sure I can take any more of your bony hips digging into me," Maria replied. Liz huffed a little.

"Bony hips! Maria! I do not have bony hips! Max, I don’t have bony hips, do I?" Liz asked, her eyes questioning him. Max stopped moving, and she thought he might be trying to think exactly how he could get out of the situation without spending the rest of the night alone. His gaze lingered on her waist and her slender form and he struggled to swallow. Experimenting, he bumped his hips against Liz’s and she laughed as he nearly knocked her over. He was constantly surprising her and his sudden playfulness was no exception. The Macrarena turned into YMCA and just as disco era music began to pump into the room, Michael began to get into the song. As he struck a John Travolta-esque pose circa 1977, Maria took notice and her eyes widened noticeably. Max and Liz merely stood with their mouths hanging open a little as Michael displayed an amazing range of disco moves including the hustle. Alex was the first to speak.

"Wow, Michael, I had no idea you were the Disco King," Alex said, somehow managing to keep a straight face. They all shared smiles as the song ended and Isabel glanced over her shoulder.

"Hey, we should get in line to have our pictures taken. The line seems to have died down," Isabel commented. They all nodded and filed over, Liz held up her dress with her hands as she walked since she’d ditched her painfully high heels long before. She looked around for the shoes and he gaze fell to Max, who held the heels in his right hand, his fingers hooked through the cranberry colored straps. His grin was wide as he followed her after she smiled her thanks. They stood in line for a few minutes before reaching the front and when no one filed behind them, Liz acknowledged that it was probably a good thing. She knew that the girls had planned to have lots of pictures and many poses taken. They started with the conventional poses and pairings with her and Max going first. The photographer carefully posed them together, with Max standing behind her, his arms around her waist and her hands covering his. He stepped back to admire his handiwork.

"Okay, just pretend she’s the most important thing in the world," he suggested. Max’s grip on her waist tightened.

"Not a problem," Max whispered into her ear. Liz’s smile was genuinely thrilled as the flash went off. They moved to face each other next and as the photographer was moving the camera for the next shot Max leaned his head close to Liz’s and his hands encircled her waist as hers rested on his arms.

"Liz, you look amazing. I keep wondering if some prince is going to pull up and sweep you away," Max said, his voice low. She glanced at him shyly.

"Only if he comes in on a flying saucer," she replied, to which Max laughed out loud. They were both laughing as the flash went off. They looked at the photographer in surprise.

"Trust me, that was a better shot," he reassured them as they stepped away and made room for Michael and Maria. Max found a chair nearby and sat down, pulling Liz carefully onto his lap, watching her skirt so that he didn't crease it. Her feet dangled over the floor as she put her arm around his shoulder and cuddled up against him, waiting for their turn again. They were silent as they watched their friends pose for pictures until Maria came over and pulled Liz away from the comfort of Max’s lap. Max stood next to Michael and Alex as the girls lined up together, smiling at the camera. Liz noticed a sudden lack of movement from the guys as they stared at them; Max’s eyes seemed to nearly bore holes into her head. After the flash went off they stepped down to make room for Max, Alex and Michael in front of the camera. Michael and Alex flanked Max as the guys stood and struck a very formal and serious pose, their hands in their pockets staring the camera down. Maria leaned over Liz’s shoulder from their vantage point off to the side.

"Somebody call GQ," Maria whispered. Liz flashed her a smile before turning back to face the group. Max was motioning her over and she came, followed by Isabel and Maria. The photographer sized the group up.

"Okay, how about one more picture. Don’t look so serious this time," he urged. Isabel and Alex immediately raised the level of playfulness when Isabel quite suddenly picked Alex up, holding him in her arms. Liz burst out laughing; the noise akin to what velvet would sound like. For just a minute Alex looked slightly embarrassed, but then he put an arm around Isabel’s shoulders. She raised her eyebrow to the rest of the group.

"Come on, you heard the man. And hurry up, Alex may look light, but he’s really not," Isabel replied. Alex’s head whipped around to look at her.

"Are you saying I’m fat?" Alex asked; his voice mockingly high pitched. Liz was still laughing as Maria jumped on Michael’s back piggyback style, and wrapped her arms around his neck. One of her hands ran through his spiky hair and she grinned at Michael. The photographer was just getting ready to take the picture when Max grabbed her around the waist and dipped her over his knee. Her laughter subsided as her hands wildly grabbed for his broad shoulders and the blood rushed to her head. Somewhere in front of them she acknowledged that the flash had gone off, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from Max’s. He was the happiest she’d ever seen him, grinning ear to ear as if everything in the world was right. There was something else there too, something in the way that his eyes lingered as they traveled from her face to the curve of her neck to the slope of her shoulder. His eyes darkened and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin. The moment was broken when Max pulled her back up, but her skin still tingled where his hands touched her. When the DJ suddenly announced that he was playing the last song Max led her out to the dance floor and she followed willingly and without a word.

Before she even realized how much time had passed, the music had stopped. They hadn’t stopped swaying, but when the lights came up she raised her head, her eyes grew disappointed as she looked around as the students began to depart from the ballroom. She looked back at Max and saw her disappointment mirrored there, knowing he felt the same as she did. It really had been an unforgettable night. Liz finally grinned, it may have been after midnight, but there was still plenty of time ahead of them. They found the others and started to walk towards the exit. Almost immediately Liz began to shiver from the slight breeze picking up outside. It was the middle of May and it was dry desert air, but the spring had been a cold one. And her dress and the lack of fabric over her arms weren’t helping. Max noticed and quickly shed his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. She smiled at him gratefully and easily walked into his embrace, one arm around her shoulders and her tucked up against his side.

"So, what’s the plan now?" Alex asked the group as his eyes lingered on Isabel, who was now also wearing a tuxedo coat. All six traded glances with one another and without a word they realized that it was time to split up. Liz’s heart beat a little faster as she bid goodbye to the others as she and Max started to walk down the sidewalk to the Crashdown. A part of her was anxious, it was Prom night and like every high school girl, she knew what usually happened on Prom night. Roswell may have been a small town, but it wasn’t any different than other cities. Teenagers had sex on Prom night. By all rights, she and Max should have made love years ago. They were West Roswell High’s golden couple, together the longest, and their picture in the yearbook even gave them the label as best couple. Liz knew everyone assumed she and Max had slept together. Any two people as in tune with one another and so obviously close brought that assumption on.

Not that they hadn’t gotten close half a dozen times. Her parents went out of town often and Max would stay with her while they were away. They still slept together all night as often as they could get away with it. In fact, the months after they’d come back from Snowmass two years ago and they’d been apart at night had been difficult for Liz. She missed him sleeping next to her, his arms instinctively wrapped around her. Their sleepovers had quickly moved into heated territory when Liz began to get more and more anxious for Max’s touch. He was a perfect gentleman, and she suspected, more than a little frustrated that they hadn’t moved beyond simply sleeping with one another. At the same time, there had always been too much that they didn’t know, and in Max’s mind, she knew that made it unsafe. But the last time they’d gotten close had nearly been a disaster for both of them.

Max had been staying overnight while her parents had gone to Carlsbad for an aunt’s funeral. She hadn’t been close to the relative, so she stayed behind and Max and her had gone to bed early that night. Her curious exploration of his chest with her hands had apparently gotten Max worked up enough because before she could utter a sound, most of their clothing had been piled on the floor. Max had suddenly pulled back and sat away from her, breathing heavy, his hands running through his hair. She had bit her lip and sat back against the headboard of the bed, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. She knew he wanted her. And she wanted him. The question had hung in the air for a few minutes until Max regained his control.

"Liz, you know how much I want to. God, you know I do," Max had said hoarsely. She’d nodded, she wasn’t blind to the insistence of his lips or the hardness of him that had pressed against her stomach.

"But, we can’t. We don’t know what might happen, and we can’t risk it. I couldn’t stand to risk it," Max whispered. She’d merely nodded and reached for his hand, gripping it tightly. She understood, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Liz glanced over at Max as she unlocked the front door of the Crashdown. She couldn’t help but think of that night a few months back. The whole "sex between aliens" issue had been skirted and avoided by all six of them for over two years. She didn’t think she could avoid it much longer. She and Max were going to Harvard in a few months. They were going together and they’d decided to get an apartment. Her parents didn’t know about that part of her upcoming college life yet, but she still had a few months to tell them. She knew that they didn’t disapprove of Max, but they did think that he distracted her from her schoolwork. No matter how much she argued with them on that point, they wouldn’t change their minds. If she and Max were going to live together she didn’t know how long the "no sex" rule would last.

She closed and locked the door behind them and Max followed her over to the counter. She was about to pour them some drinks when Max picked up a piece of paper and showed it to her. Puzzled, she walked over and took it from him.

"’Liz, the Evans came over and we decided on a last minute trip to Clovis. We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon. Be good’," Liz read aloud. She rolled her eyes at the last sentence, where "good" had been underlined. Twice. She tossed the paper back on the counter and handed Max his cherry coke. Grinning at him, she took his hand and led him towards the stairs upstairs. He followed willingly as they walked through the rooms upstairs. Liz turned on as few lights as possible as they went, leading Max out onto her balcony. They stood for a few minutes, gazing at the stars until they finished their drinks. Liz turned to Max as he put his cup down and began to shift back and forth on his feet, slightly nervous. She grinned, wondering what had him so anxious. She got her answer when he took her right hand into his left and locked his eyes onto hers.

"Liz, tonight has been the most amazing of my life," he started.

"Mine too," she replied.

"I can’t imagine ever being away from you. I don’t want to imagine that. I know it’s a lot and it’s kind of early, but I got something for you," Max said, his smile a little sheepish. She gently tugged on his hand.

"Max, what is it?" she asked curiously. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a black velvet ring box. At that moment her heart had stopped. It started again when Max opened the box, revealing two simple gold wedding bands. One was smaller and less broad than the other and Liz felt her eyes fill with tears at the sight. Max took the smaller ring in his fingers and held it between his thumb and forefinger.

"Liz, I love you. I’ve loved you my entire life and I want this ring to be a promise to you and a reminder of that. I know we’re only eighteen and we have lots of time, but I don’t want to wait anymore. Liz, will you marry me?" he asked, his fingers shaking a little as they held the ring. Liz had to bend her knees so she wouldn’t fall over as she began to nod, tears falling down her face.

"Yes, yes Max, I will marry you," she whispered. Max smiled and kissed her, tasting the salt of her tears on her lips. He kissed her face and the tears away before stepping back and sliding the ring onto her finger. It went on easily, barely catching on her knuckle. Her fingers tightened around his as she grinned at him. She took the box from him and gripped the other ring in her hand. The weight of it was slightly heavy as she grasped his left hand in hers and returned his gesture, pushing the ring onto his finger. She marveled at the feeling of the cool gold around her finger as it warmed to her skin and the welcome weight that reminded her that it was there. Max leaned closer to her.

"I know it’s not the traditional diamond ring, but I wanted to get these first, so we could both have one. I thought you might like to pick out your engagement ring with me," Max suggested. Liz nodded happily and held up her hand to admire the band.

"Max, I love it. I love what it says and what it means. I’ll never take it off," she smiled before moving in to kiss him again. "And I love you."

His lips on hers were suddenly hungry as he pulled her close, his hands running over her shoulders. She shivered as he pushed the coat off her shoulders and his hands found her bare skin. Somehow they managed to make it into her room and she giggled as Max bumped against her bed and nearly fell over. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him against her. Even through the layers of fabric and taffeta she felt how much he wanted her. It was probably a good thing that the tuxedo pants were loosely fit. Max was running his hands through her hair as he caressed her mouth with his, his tongue sweeping through her mouth. Impatiently her hands traveled to the tie and buttons over his throat. Her fingers were nimble as she untied the bow tie around his neck and began to wrestle with the buttons of the shirt.

She got the first few buttons undone but suddenly she had to deal with the vest he wore over the shirt. Max kissed her neck and ran his tongue over the hollow of her shoulder and she paused, her hands opening and flattening over the smooth muscles of his chest. Liz felt his hands move to her back and she felt the loosening of her dress as he pulled the zipper down. Max pulled back and caught her chin in his hands, touching her lips as she looked at him carefully.

"Max, are you sure?" she asked, praying that his answer would be different that night than it had been every other time they’d gotten this far. When he nodded and claimed her mouth again, Liz moaned and returned to the task of getting rid of his shirt. She finally pushed the vest off and began to pull the tails of his shirt from where it was tucked in when his fingers pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders and her dress fell in a heap to the floor around her ankles uncovering all of her except what was covered by her silk panties. Liz helped Max yank his shirt off, but suddenly his hands were caught on the cufflinks at his wrists. Grinning, she took each hand in turn and unfastened the cufflinks, allowing Max to return his hands to touching her.

When his shirt was finally off, she paused and ran her hands up and down his chest. His skin was warm and smooth, but firm to the touch. His hands at her waist restlessly skimmed her stomach before moving up to cup her breast. Without a word he leaned down and covered her hardened nipple with his mouth and sucked gently. She gasped and fell against him, pushing them back on the bed. With anxious fingers she struggled with the belt buckle on his pants before she pulled it off and gripped the zipper. Max eagerly moved with her, but froze his movements for just a second as her hands closed around him, gently squeezing. She watched with amusement as his head fell back against the pillow and his eyes shut from a pleasure that almost looked like pain. With his pants gone, she shifted restlessly against him, straddling him so that he could feel the heat of her over his hardness while her hands moved back to his chest.

She leaned over him, her hair spilling over them like a curtain, and she kissed his chest, moving up his neck to finally catch his mouth in hers. His hands on her waist gently urged her over and he positioned himself over her as he tugged her panties down and then moved his hand to cover her, feeling the damp heat of her. She arched against him at his touch, whispering his name and gripping the strong muscles of his upper arms. Liz helped Max push the boxers he wore down and when they were finally free of all their clothing, he laid over her, bare skin to bare skin. She ached for him to be inside her as she could feel him pressing against her, but Max was suddenly preoccupied with trying to reach his pants, which had been thrown on the floor. She quickly realized what he was looking for and she stilled his movements.

"Max, I’m on birth control, it’s okay," she whispered, drawing his hands back to her. He began to kiss her again and she circled her hands around his neck as his fingers parted her gently, careful not to push too much. She could tell because he watched her carefully, looking for any sounds of pain of hurt. She moaned his name as he moved one finger in and out of her experimentally, finding her ready for him.

"Max, please," she said urgently. Max touched his forehead to hers and looked directly into her eyes as he moved between her legs and entered her slowly. Her breath caught in her throat at the sudden fullness and she gazed at Max, letting him know with her eyes that she was fine. When he carefully pushed against her again she rocked with him, pushing him past the barrier she had felt stretching around him. There was pain for an instant and Liz closed her eyes briefly. When Max tried to move away, afraid he’d hurt her; she gripped him with her arms and legs and rocked against him again. He couldn’t resist after she convinced him she was fine and his lips covered hers, finding her tongue with his own. Her hands kneaded his shoulders, holding him close and urging him on.

She felt her body begin to tighten and the answering response in Max’s as he pushed against her and his body tightened above and inside of her. As every muscle in her body seemed to clench and then release in relaxation she felt Max tremble and relent inside of her. As he fell next to her, his body warm and his muscles twitching with pent up energy, Liz covered his body with her own, resting her head on his chest. She listened to his heart rate slow down and she smiled as his arms went around her, brushing back her hair and caressing her shoulders so that he could turn her face towards his. When they tenderly kissed Liz smiled before sleepily resting her head on Max’s chest. Her left hand rested on his stomach and the last thing she saw before falling asleep was the pale gold ring on her finger against the tan skin of Max’s chest. The last thing she heard was Max’s voice, low and rough near her ear.

"I love you."