"Max! What are you doing! Put me down," Liz cried, but not too loudly - it was really late.

"Carrying you over the threshold. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do? What they do in the old movies?" He marveled at how light she felt in his arms. He nuzzled her neck.

"Max! Stop it! Put me down! At least close the door!"

He shrugged and dumped her onto the middle of the big bed. He hung the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the knob and closed the door. He slid the safety chain on too. Even totally drunk, his years of caution remained.

Liz giggled. "The clerk didn't believe we were married."

"I showed him the marriage certificate."

"He still didn't believe it. Neither do I, Max. What were we thinking of? We're not even out of high school! What about all our plans?"

Max shrugged. "Plans change. Love-that doesn't change. Mmm, change... I forgot to bring any clothes."

"I don't even have a toothbrush... or pajamas," Liz blushed.

"We can sleep in our clothes."

"Or... not," Liz said slowly, her heart pounding, looking at Max standing by the bed, towering over her, smiling like a happy child.

"Skinny dipping!" Max yelled with delight.

"There's no pool, Max. And it's cold outside."

"Skinny dipping inside!" He yanked his long-sleeved shirt off and dropped it on the floor. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it over his shoulder.

Liz looked at Max in amazement. Where had he hidden all those muscles-that rippling stomach, those big shoulders and powerful arms? She had always thought of Max as kind of slight and slender. He was so beautiful! Like one of those ancient statues... only much goofier.

"C'mon, Liz.. Skinny dip! Last one in the pool is... um... the last one in the pool!," he called happily, undoing his belt.

"There IS no pool, Max."

"The bed... we'll pretend it's a pool. C'mon, it'll be fun!" He grinned and yanked down his zipper.

"I've... gotta - you know.. go!" Liz said. She rolled off the bed and fled into the bathroom. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it, trembling. 'I am locked in a motel in God know's what town, with a naked, skinny-dipping, lunatic!' she thought, taking a few deep breaths.

"I win! Hurry up," he called, "the pool is cold!"

She shut her eyes and shook her head. What could happen? He's drunk. He's acting 5 years old. How dangerous could it be? Oh, god, he's also naked. And he's my husband. What was I thinking? "Coming! Just a minute," she called. She used the toilet, and washed her hands. She thought about taking off her ring, but decided that she was never taking it off. Besides, she was always leaving rings on the sink and they were forever falling down the drain. Drove her dad crazy. She carefully washed the glitter off her face. She debating leaving her hair up or taking it down, but strands were flying out everywhere anyway, from the long drive in Kyle's convertible, so she took it down. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to comb it out. It felt good to have it down. There must've been 1,000 bobby-pins holding it up.

She took off her dress and half-slip and hung them on the hook behind the bathroom door, debating what to do. She decided to keep her necklace on, so she wouldn't lose it. Even people 'skinny dipping' could wear jewelry, she thought, realizing she was starting to be as crazy as Max. She took off her panty hose and panties, rinsed them in the sink, and hung them up in the shower to dry. She took off her bra and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. A skinny teenage girl, small breasts, a sprinkling of moles, a frightened face with excited eyes. What did Max see in her? She hung the bra up with her dress, but decided to put her slip back on, like a short nightgown. She took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door and peekedout. Max was in bed, under the covers, curled on his side, his back to her. She hoped he was asleep. She tiptoed over to the bed and slid in beside him, not touching him, trying not to shake the bed too much and wake him. She tried to relax.

"I missed you," he said. "What took you so long? I was lonely in the pool all alone." He rolled onto his back. "Were you afraid to come in? It's not safe to swim alone. I could have drowned."

He was so sweet, she thought, how could I ever be afraid of him. "I was looking for my bathing suit," she said. He rolled onto his side, facing her. She felt his hand reach over and touch her stomach, feeling the material of her slip.

"Chicken," he said. "Afraid to skinny dip?" He stroked the fabric. "Mmm.. nice. Silky." He reached up and stroked her hair. "Silky, too. You're so... silky."

"Mm, that's me-silky Liz Parker."

"Evans... Liz Parker Evans. My beautiful bride/my wife/joy of my life... fork and knife," he rhymed happily.

"You're a poet when you're drunk, Max."

"And my feet show it, they're 'Longfellows.'" He poked her leg with his toes under the covers.She giggled at his stupid old joke.

His fingers were stroking the fabric over her stomach again, leaving little trails of fire. His other hand trailed up to her breast... She sucked in a breath."Silky... bumpy," he poked her breast experimentally, feeling it give and spring back. "I don't have these.. they are so neat.." He gave them another poke."No, Max... We're different. You're a boy... I'm a girl," she explained, feeling like a kindergarten teacher. He bent and nuzzled her breast curiously with his face, like a puppy exploring a new toy. She felt his lips trail over the silky fabric. "Soft.. squishy," he said. She sucked in another sharp breath. How could he be so goofy and so gentle - and so hot at the same time?

Max scooted up a little to kiss her lips, leaning his weight against her. His whole lean body rested against her. Liz felt a sharp stab of desire. She reached for him, and was surprised that he felt silky too. She felt his back, the skin over his ribs. His skin was so warm and soft; its softness surprised her. But under the softness, he felt so strong..

"I love you, Liz," he whispered. "Don't ever leave me."

"Max," she moaned his name on a shuddering breath.

He held himself up off of her, supporting his weight on his hands. She looked up at his face, down along his incredible body. She didn't want to look any further, but she did- "Oh, Max! It's so.. big!" she said, her voice turning into a frightened squeak. "Is that... because you're - you know - an alien?"

He looked down and examined himself. "No, it's.. the usual size, I think. I mean.. for when it gets big. All the guys have 'em... I'm pretty sure."

Liz felt so stupid, and so frightened. "I've just never.. actually seen one before.. I mean - big. Not in person.. I've seen those gross drawings guys draw sometimes..."

Max shifted his weight onto his hip, rolling off of her to lie beside her. "That's good... I think that's good. I mean.. that you haven't seen one.. before."

"Kind of... scary," she whispered. "I mean... nice.. but, scary. Big." Her eyes were very big and dark.

"I don't want to hurt you, Liz... or scare you. We don't have to.. do anything you don't want to. I'm sorry it got big..." He shrugged. "It just.. does that sometimes. Especially around you. Or, even thinking about you..." He sighed.

"It's OK, Max... I mean, it is our... wedding night, and all.. but... I don't know, Max.. everything is happening so fast.." She felt a tear slide out of her eye. It fell into her ear and it tickled.

"Shh.." He kissed the corner of her eye, then bent to lick the tear away from her ear, his tongue lingering to explore the curves and structures of her ear. Her hips bucked convulsively. "Taste strange, ears," he whispered. "Good with Tabasco, I bet."

"We'll buy you some tomorrow - and toothbrushes for both of us. But you are NOT putting hot sauce in my ears!" she giggled, no longer afraid. This was Max. Max threw his arm across her chest and curled up beside her, resting his bent knee against her thigh, hugging her to him like a boy with a teddy bear. "Sleepy," he said.

Liz's eyes were heavy too suddenly. She had no idea of the time, but it was way after midnight. This was heaven.. warm and safe in Max's arms -forever.

Then her eyes opened again at a sudden thought. "But, Max - if we don't - you know - consummate our vows, can't our parents just have our marriage annulled in the morning? I mean, will we really be married?"Fear of having Max taken away from her gripped her and she felt wide awake again. "Consommé - like soup?" he asked, still sleepy and in his drunken poetry mode.

"No, consummate - as in sex."

"I don't know - can they do that? Make us not married?"

"I think so. I think they might."

"We should definitely do it then," he said, "But." he lifted the sheet and peeked under the covers at himself. "It's kind of sleeping now... not so scary. You might like me better."

"I didn't mean to call you scary. I love you Max. Nothing about you is too scary."

"You've handled slugs," he pointed out, then gave a kind of suppressed giggle.

"Can I touch it?" she asked timidly, and his reply was a deep groan. Those were the four main words of every teenage guy's fantasy - alien or not.

"You're right-slugs are much worse," she said, "This is...nice. Kind of cute...oh-oh!" It throbbed under her finger.

"If you touch it... it gets big again," Max managed to say, the muscles of his jaw bulging, his teeth clenched.

Liz threw back the covers. "I want to see," she said, her scientific curiosity overcoming her fear of the unknown.

She studied the mass of dark curls, his penis up against his belly, still soft, not - fully inflated... half-mast? - She didn't know the exact words. She stroked her finger down the length of it, and it kind of jumped under her touch. She pulled her hand back, surprised. "It's alive!" she joked, her mouth dry. Max made another sound, deep in his throat.

The rest of him was interesting, too. The wrinkly soft pouchy place underneath...what did they call it? 'The family jewels.' She poked one egg-shaped side and then the other. Max jumped a little... his penis was getting bigger. One side was a little higher, one a little lower. She guessed they fit in boys' jeans better that way. This was nothing like her at all - no opening down there, none of those weird lips - She checked.. just a little seam where the whole thing sort of plugged in. Much stranger and neater than anything she'd ever seen.

The end of it was so nice, too - it flared out, like the top of a mushroom.. like a helmet... kind of shaped like a heart. With a cute little hole at the end. She touched the end and Max's hips bucked up against her hand. His head was thrown back, eyes shut tight behind those dark lashes.

Liz always wondered why such beautiful eyelashes were wasted on a guy. Now she realized they weren't wasted at all - they were part of Max, and they were beautiful. Just like this strange exotic guy thing blooming from its bed of dark curls was beautiful. This was Max. He was hers, forever. And she loved him -all of him.

She stroked it with her palm. He groaned and she noticed the sac was suddenly smaller, tighter. Boy, this was interesting. Nothing on her body did anything this amazing. "What should I do, Max?" she whispered.

He opened his eyes. There was no little boy there now. His golden brown eyes glittered through his slitted lids like the eyes of some jungle cat. For just a moment, the planes of his face looked strange and cruel. His hand reached down and took hers, wrapped it around the length of him, both of their hands trembling.

He pumped his hand - her hand - their hands together - up and down... The little eye in the center slowly shed a big tear. She wondered if she was hurting him... Their hands moved faster. She wanted to watch, but she couldn't keep her eyes open... the sensations were so intense. She was panting. She opened her eyes for a moment - veins and tendons stood out along Max's long neck, his head thrown back, his body arching up like a bow, mimicking the beautiful hot hard curve of the thing in her hand. His whole being seemed to be concentrating, to be gathering itself... focusing-

He gave a wild and strangled cry. It might've been her name. He reached his other hand out blindly for her, tried to touch her, pull her to him - but instead his arm flailed wide and pounded the bed beside him. His body leaped and jerked like he was being shot through with a million volts. And then he was still - only his chest rising and falling like he'd just run a mile.

She still held him in her hand, though his hand had fallen away. She moved her hand up and down - experimentally - and he jumped again, like he was ticklish. She held it and felt the steely hardness ebb away. There was a strange smell and she saw there was - stuff - all over Max's stomach and on his chest. whitish, iridescent, like pools of fire opals. She was sure it wasn't supposed to be this pretty. What'd Maria told her she heard it was supposed to look like? Sweetened condensed milk, that was it. She'd never used canned milk in a recipe since without grinning. Maybe this was another one of those "what's so good about being normal" things about Max, she thought. Good-looking sperm. She smiled tenderly.

She released his beautiful boy thing reluctantly and poked at the stuff spattering across Max's belly. It was... different. She suddenly felt old and wise and powerful. 'I did this,' she thought, filled with a fierce pride. I made him come. I gave him this... pleasure. She smiled. Maybe aliens weren't the only one who had powers in their touch.

"Sorry.. sorry," Max was saying, rolling his head from side to side. "Made a big mess..." The little drunken boy was back.

"It's okay."

"Didn't consommé.. didn't.."

"Shh. Don't wipe it up with your hand, Max! Wait. Let me get a towel."

He started to sit up.

"Stay!" she ordered.

He lay back down and smiled. "Staying," he said. He couldn't get up right now anyway if he tried.

* * *

She went into the bathroom and studied and rejected the Kleenex and toilet paper - disposable and sanitary, but probably too sticky. She ran hot water onto a washcloth and grabbed a hand towel.

Max was staying, but his eyes followed her across the room as she came toward him. He reached for the washcloth, but she pushed his hand away, and washed him off tenderly, taking his sticky hand and cleaning it like he was a child. She washed him off and dried him with the towel, then covered him up with the sheet and blanket and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Does it always do that... I mean.. is there always.. so much? Is it always so - violent?" she asked, still intrigued by their differences.

"I don't know... but I guess it - builds up. It's... definitely better - when you .. have help." He smiled, then he looked sad. "I'm sorry, Liz - I just... you touched me and.." he let out a shuddering breath. "I'll try to do better, next time."

Next time. The thought of next time gave her an odd shivery sensation in her belly. "I thought you did just fine this time, Max."

"I wanted to make you happy, Liz. I don't want to - use you - like some... pleasure thing."

"Don't be silly. You were... ready, that's all."

"Next time, it's your turn..."

"You mean you can be the scientist and I'll be your exotic specimen?"

"Exactly."

"Are you sober yet, Max?" She was sure, after what they did... that it must have sobered him up.

He thought about it awhile. "Nope. Don't think so."

"How much liquor did Kyle give you, Max? You haven't been yourself for hours and hours now."

"If I'm not myself, then - who am I, Liz?" he asked, his voice sounding frightened.

"It's just an expression. How much did he give you?"

Max held up his hand, fingers about 1/4 inch apart.

"That's all! I thought you drank a case!"

"Nope... guess.. Aliens just can't hold their liquor... Wussy boys - that's what Kyle called us."

"We have to go back, Max."

"No! They'll take you away!"

"How are we going to live, Max? Your money's almost gone."

"I'm sure we could do something....I could go to the casino and win some more." He thought that might be fun.

"No, Max, that would be cheating... you might get in trouble."

"I could make some more." He waved his hand.

"That's counterfeiting, Max. It's illegal."

"I meant earn more."

"We're 16, remember? We don't even have our high school diplomas. Well, I suppose I could always waitress. Or manage a restaurant. I have a lifetime of experience," she sighed. This was not the career she'd had in mind.

"We can go to Vegas! I can be a magician... and you can be my lovely assistant... Like Sigfried and Roy!" He loved the idea of using his power, right in front of everyone, and getting paid for it.

"They're both guys, Max."

"I'd never saw you in half, though" he added, solemnly.

"Thanks."

"I wonder how I'd look in one of those quilted leather jump suits, you know, with the plunging neckline, like Sigfried and Roy.. Wonder where they buy those..."

"Max!"

"Kidding," he said.

"I knew that. And you would look - terrific. Just - no more drinking, Max. You've got to promise. It's too dangerous."

"Can't hold our liquor... can't hold our water," he bit his lip. "Gotta pee..." He slid out from under the covers and went into the bathroom.

She folded up the towel. She caught sight of herself in the mirror, in her necklace and her white slip. She pulled the slip over her head and looked at herself in the mirror. She felt... different. She liked what she saw. Max loved her.

She slid under the covers into the warm spot where Max had been and waited. She waited for her crazy, drunken, mysterious stranger. Her beautiful, wonderful... husband. That word sounded even more alien... than 'alien'! She smiled.