Alex woke up with a large yawn and the rare, luxurious feeling of having nowhere to be. His body felt heavy in a good way, the kind of tired that came from doing something meaningful and doing it well. He checked the time, and it was 2 PM.
Tonight's shoot was scheduled for Oscorp interiors, which meant zero need for him to be functional before dusk. For now, the world could wait.
His stomach, however, had other plans.
It growled...
Alex showered quickly, threw on a loose shirt and sweatpants, and walked down the stairs. He heard Caroline's voice. She was singing loudly.
Downstairs in the living room...
Caroline stood near the shelves, one hand holding a cloth, the other moving freely as she danced to whatever was blasting through her headphones. She was singing loudly and confidently, entirely off key and completely unbothered by it. Her pink shirt hung loose, and her white underwear flashed whenever she reached up or bent just a little too far.
Alex stopped without realizing it.
For a moment, he simply leaned against the doorway and watched her, the way her hair bounced as she moved, the way she smiled at nothing in particular, completely lost in her own little bubble of joy. There was something intimate about seeing her like this, unguarded and real, not performing for anyone, not aware of the effect she was having.
'I love her so much,' Alex thought with a smile.
She turned suddenly, lifting the cloth to reach a higher shelf, and froze when she caught sight of him. "Oh my God," she laughed, taking her headphones off. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to know you are absolutely committed to this performance," Alex replied with a side nod.
Caroline laughed, cheeks a little pink now that she realized she had an audience.
"Did you enjoy it?" she asked, half-teasing, half-genuinely curious.
Alex smiled, the kind that softened his whole face. "Very much."
She set the cloth down on the shelf and crossed the room toward him. "Good," she said. "I was putting my whole heart into that performance."
"I could tell," he replied. "It was passionate and sexy."
She grinned and stopped right in front of him. "You love it."
"I love you," he said easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
That did it.
Caroline reached up and rested her hands against his chest, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "You always say things like that when I am not prepared."
"You should know better by now," Alex said gently. He lifted a hand and brushed a loose strand of hair back from her face, his thumb lingering against her cheek. "You were happy just now. I like seeing that."
Her expression softened, playful energy melting into something warmer. "I am happy," she said. "But I won't lie, I miss quiet moments like this."
He leaned down and pressed a slow kiss to her forehead. "Yeah, me too."
She slid her arms around his waist and hugged him, resting her head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in return, holding her close.
They stayed like that for a moment, not speaking, just breathing together.
Caroline pulled back slightly and looked up at him. "Are you hungry?" she asked.
"For you? Always," he said with a grin, even though his stomach grumbled as he said the words. "For food? Yes."
"Such a smooth talker," Caroline replied, patting his chest before releasing him. "Maybe I should lie naked on the dinner table and let Max put food all over my body so you can eat it while enjoying the view with a boner."
"Please," Alex said seriously as he was already imagining Caroline lying on the table with small portions of food covering her body. "Please do."
"Well, maybe I'll do it if you tell me the date of your birthday," Caroline said as she walked to the kitchen and began preparing some pasta.
"Oh, c'mon, you can't do this to me," Alex said as he followed her.
"You always celebrate our birthdays, but none of us know when your birthday is, you don't have one in your records and you are always mysteriously unavailable on any random day that one of us might guess," Caroline replied.
"It's a date with myself, a self-care day," Alex said with a straight face.
Caroline put a hand on her hips as she waited for the water to boil. "Just tell me the date."
"I can't."
"I want to spoil you the way you spoil all of us."
"You already do," Alex replied. He moved to stand next to her and lifted his hand, slowly stroking the side of her arm. "Every day I'm with you."
Caroline's breath caught as his fingers trailed up her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. She glanced down at his hand, then back up at his face, searching for any sign of insincerity. But all she saw was the genuine affection in his eyes.
"This is so unfair," Caroline whispered, her voice barely audible.
Alex sighed as he pulled back a little. "The reason I don't want to think about my birthday is because of all the bad memories ...memories that haunt me every year on that day."
Caroline's heart ached at the sudden change in him. "Alex, what happened?" she asked softly.
"Well, it's the day when I lost everything," He replied. 'And that's the day, the real me died. Urg! Bad memories.'
"Your parents?"
He nodded.
Caroline knew about Alex's past, before he was successful. All the girls knew about his past, but they didn't know that it happened on his birthday.
"Why live in the past if you can live in the present?" Caroline asked. She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath her palm. "Don't you always say one should always move forward?"
Alex chuckled, hearing her use his own words against him.
"Well, as bad as those memories are, it helps me remind me where I came from and how far I've come," Alex said, his voice steady now, though his eyes still held a deep sadness. "It keeps me grounded."
Caroline nodded, understanding. "I get that," she said gently. "But that doesn't mean you can't celebrate you, every year, in some small way." She added pasta.
Alex looked at her, genuinely considering her words. "I suppose you're right," he admitted. "Maybe I could do something positive on that day, to counteract the negative memories."
"Exactly!" Caroline said, her face lighting up with enthusiasm.
"It's on 31st December," Alex said.
Caroline blinked once, then twice, as if she needed a second to let the date settle.
"December 31st," she repeated, slower now. "You really picked the most dramatic day possible."
Alex smiled faintly. "I did not pick it. Fate did. Fate has a flair for irony."
She turned back to the stove and stirred the pasta. "You know what that means, right?"
"That you are about to plan something terrifying," he replied, leaning against the counter.
"That I am about to reclaim that day," she said firmly. "New memories. Better ones. Loud ones. Warm ones."
He watched her for a moment. "You are very convincing when you cook."
"I know," she said. "That is why everyone is emotionally vulnerable around carbs."
She salted the water, then glanced at him again. "We will not turn it into a circus if you do not want that."
Alex nodded slowly. "That sounds… doable."
"Good," she said. "Because I am absolutely not letting you spend your birthday pretending it does not exist while the rest of the world celebrates the end of the year."
He laughed quietly. "You are very stubborn."
"I live with you," she replied. "I had to adapt."
She drained the pasta and tossed it into the pan, adding sauce and cheese. The kitchen filled with a comforting smell, rich and familiar.
Alex moved closer and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Thank you for not pushing too hard."
Caroline leaned back into him. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."
They stood like that while the pasta finished, close and quiet, the kind of silence that felt earned.
A few minutes later, they sat at the table with two bowls between them. Caroline twirled her fork and took a bite, clearly pleased with herself.
"Okay," she said. "This is good."
Alex tasted his and nodded. "This is very good. I might forgive you for emotionally cornering me."
She smiled. "That is all I ever wanted."
He reached across the table and took her hand. "You are still doing that naked food thing, right?"
Caroline laughed, "Alright, fine. But it'll be a surprise. One night when you walk through the main door after a long day, you'll find me lying in all my glory... waiting for you to ravish me."
'Shit! She's good,' Alex thought. "You are such a tease."
"I know," She winked.
...
[8 PM] [Titan HQ] [Top Floor]
The top floor looked like a futuristic lab.
Glass panels lined the walls. Cold white lights hummed overhead. Cables ran along the floor, taped down with obsessive precision. Monitors flickered with streams of data and there were a couple of transparent monitors, just to give the scene a more elevated look. The FX team had even added a faint mechanical ambience, a low electrical thrum that made the space feel alive.
Alex walked around the place with his tablet in hand, checking angles and sightlines. He stopped near one camera, crouched slightly, then stood again.
"Bring that lens up two inches," he said.
The camera operator nodded and adjusted without question.
Willem Dafoe stood near one of the glass walls, already in Norman Osborn mode. He was wearing a tux and was reading his lines.
Five junior actors stood near the entry doors. They were playing the roles of government and military contractors.
There was another group of actors who took their positions around the floor. Their role is to play the scientists, researchers, workers and security guards.
At the center of the room was the Horizon Glider. It was hanging in the air, thanks to the thin reinforced metal cables. There were a couple of high-powered fans near the wall. Once the scene starts, the fans will generate enough air to make it look like the glider is hovering in the air, and with a few added effects during editing, the glider will look real.
A man in a green suit stood on the glider platform, strapped in and steady. He flexed his hands once, then settled, waiting for his cue.
"You good?" Alex asked.
He gave him a thumbs-up. "Yes. Ready to go."
Ron Perkins was wearing a lab coat and was ready to play the role of Dr. Stromm.
After taking one final look, Alex went to Willem. They talked for a bit as Alex explained the facial expression he wanted for the scene because it's a crucial point that forced Norman to test the serum on himself.
"Norman is out of time and the contractors are threatening to cut the funds if there is no result. So, he's angry and afraid at the same time, but he couldn't reveal his emotions. Instead, he tries to convince them with a confident smile and expression that everything is fine and he's ready for the human trial. But Stormm interferes and messes things up for him. Norman gets angrier, but couldn't lose control... I got it," Willem nodded with a serious expression as he took a few minutes to adjust his mindset. "Alright, I'm ready."
Alex nodded and walked toward the director's chair.
"Alright, everyone. It's time," He clapped his hand and raised his voice to gather everyone's attention. "We'll start with the elevator. The elevator opens and five contractors walk out. Dr. Stormm will greet them and guide them to the main lab. That'll be Scene B1. Then we'll take a cut and resume the inside scene... So, get in position."
Everyone took their position.
The actors playing Oscorp employees began to walk and work around the computers.
"Scene B1. Take 1. Action." Alex gave the cue.
---[Stockpiling. So, it'll take some time to release the next chapter.]---
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