Aug. 17th/ Details/ PG-13/ Ended!

[Max]

Character(s): Max and Sora.
Time: 7:32 PM.
Location: Room 30C


It had started to rain earlier that evening, turning the sky a deep, angry shade of grey that the boy found himself staring at for long periods of time without realizing it. Anything to keep his mind from racing like it had been for the past few days. Sora was gone again. To where, Max had no idea.

There wasn't a particular thought that Max needed to address, but he wanted the chatter to stop. It was on loop, racing past even when he closed his eyes. He was glad it was the weekend, and he didn't need to think about anything else, because, honestly, he wouldn't have been able to handle it.

He had been lying on his stomach, pillow wedged beneath his chin and a book open in front of him, but Max hadn't turned a page in what felt like hours. The boy shoved his face into the pillow, a moment later remembering that it wasn't his pillow. When he had arrived back at his dorm after getting an early dinner -- alone again -- he had sat down on Sora's bed to remove his shoes but had never bothered to get up.

Though, he didn't know when he had laid down, or when he had grabbed his roommates pillow or the book he'd checked out to appease Asuka's nagging, but that's how he found himself now.

He inhaled sharply, the fact that that, too, had been a bad idea hit him hard in the gut when all he could smell was Sora. Max pulled his head up quickly, calling himself a creep a thousand times in his head.

That was the racing thought, the one that he couldn't escape no matter what -- I like Sora. That wasn't the problem, liking him, because Max knew full well it was difficult to control who you were attracted to and Sora was essentially perfect -- he'd beaten the shit out of people that had hurt Max in the past, he'd given the brunette his jacket when he had shivered only once, he was funny, lively, the exact kind of person Max needed to be around. Wanted to be around.

But Max's feelings were far more than friendship. After they had escaped the bloody and bruised Takashi and Satsuki some days ago, when Max had stopped their getaway to look over the blonde's injuries, he had wanted nothing more than to kiss the boy in that instant. He had settled for a second hug instead. Friends hugged, but Sora and Max -- two straight boys -- didn't kiss. That would have been embarrassing.

Max brought his arms up from beneath the pillow, crossing them and laying his head down. The boy's eyes fluttered closed for a moment, thinking again.

It didn't matter to Max that he liked Sora -- he was fine with that, really -- but having to see Sora every single day, act like there wasn't a violent hammering in his chest when the blonde shot Max one of his easy grins, watching him talk to other girls and maybe even bring them back to their room... He could learn to bear it, maybe even lose the feelings completely after a while, but first he needed to find the strength to move to his own bed.

[andou]

After his talk with Asuka, Sora actually felt a little better. He had accepted that he could like Max without having to like all other boys. Maxsexual he had called it. But just because he was okay with his love for Max, it didn't mean that he was ever going to tell Max about his feelings.

Max was a straight boy and Sora wasn't going to try and confuse him with a confession from his best friend. Right now he was Max's best friend, and that's all he would be to the boy. Feelings would fuck up everything they had already had. Max could get freaked out and never speak to him again. He couldn't risk that. He would rather be stuck in the friend zone for the rest of forever, than not being in Max's life at all. Sora could swallow him feelings, he could put on a fake smile and be happy for the other boy as he moved on with his life. Sure, the very thought of Max finding a girl that he liked sent a stabbing pain through his chest, but he could deal with that.

Sora had been talking to Ayame about her whole dilemma earlier that day. Her presence clung to his clothes and he almost hissed at it. Sora was wearing the same jacket he had placed around Max's shoulders a couple of days ago, and if he focused enough, it smelled just like him -- apples, that minty shampoo they had in their shower, and a scent that was Max's alone. Ayame's girl scent seemed to mess with that, and Sora wished it didn't.

He might have been out all day but the blonde wasn't ready to return to the dorm room just yet. Strolling the streets seemed much more appealing to him, a night with Max just seemed so pleasantly painful. Emphasis on the painful. Sora would rather glance at couples holding hands and imagine doing that with Max one day, then his mind would think of Max doing that with someone else and the stabbing feeling was back. It was a painful little game, that he couldn't stop playing, regardless of how miserable it made him.

The rain is what eventually sent him back toward the dorm. The now damp blonde took a deep breath, before unlocking the dorm and stepping into the room. "Hey Maxxie." He greeted, a loving smile crawling onto his face. Max was here, not a thought in his mind, not just an image, he was here and it nothing else mattered. Shrugging off the wet coat, Sora sat onto his bed, and threw himself backward, the small of his back layering Max's. His next breath faltered, with the feeling of Max's heat beneathe him, but he shook it off to speak normally. "So is there any reason that you're on my bed, or did ya miss me that much?" He grinned, poking Max gently in the back of his head. Too touchy feely Sora. Chill. He slowly curled his finger back into his hand and placed it on his stomach.

[Max]

The lack of noise in the room was giving Max a headache. He had been focused on his breathing for a long time -- inhaling the scent of the boy he longed to be with, exhaling confusion and depressing "what-if's" -- while the rain beat a soundless rhythm on the window. With his eyes closed, Max could only seen a replay of the days that had passed since he met Sora, everything he would have gone back and said tapping at the back of his eyes.

It hurt, knowing you harbored feelings for someone that wouldn't -- couldn't -- return them, it hurt immensely. He had been beaten up so badly that his insides had been bruised, but this hurt much worse. Max sniffed, tears prickling his eyelids but he refused to let them out. I'd rather you didn't cry anymore, either. Trying to be strong for Asuka. That's what he was doing. Right? Maybe.

No. If Max let himself cry about this, someone would find out, because he wouldn't just cry that once, the brunette would let the gut-wrenching feeling pull him down time after time, and, without a doubt in his mind, he knew Sora would see it happen, and he didn't know if he could handle his friend asking him what's wrong and not having an answer prepared.

The sound of a key in the lock jarred Max from his emotionally-crippled state, and he closed his eyes tighter against whoever it was behind the door. Who was he kidding? Max knew it was Sora, he knew, not because it was also Sora's room that Max was laying in, but because... because. He could tell, and that hurt too.

"Hey Maxxie." The nickname again. Max had given the blonde permission to call him that, rescinding that now would be rude. Bear it, just for a little while. Bear it.

Max remained quiet as Sora filled the room with plenty of noise -- the rustle of his jacket, the frenzied beat of Max's heart knowing Sora was near. The bed dipped by Max's middle, and, a second later, Sora was tossing himself back on to the boy, their bodies connecting at the smalls of their backs. The brunette grunted quietly, his roommate was skin and bones, but still the sudden movement surprised him.

"So is there any reason that you're on my bed, or did ya miss me that much?" Sora asked, his tone telling Max that nothing was different. They did this all the time -- lying on top of one another -- and it didn't cause Max's stomach to do somersaults. Bear it. Sora reached up and gently poked the back of Max's head. Electricity sparked, Max closed his eyes tighter. The blonde pulled his hand away a minute later.

Turning his head on the pillow to face Sora, and taking a deep breath, Max opened his eyes slowly, wondering if his roommate could see the shining drop Max had failed to control. There was a significant lack of light in the room -- just enough to see, but not enough to observe. Max still cursed the lone tear.

"It was closer than my bed," Max lied, his voice restrained, calm, like he really had just woken up. Sora looked like he was coming home from a party -- dressed nicely and exhausted. The teen wanted to reach for him, bring Sora closer, but his arms didn't move. His subconscious was making his choices for him now. "Where have you been all day?"

Disinterest veiled the boy's obvious interest. He wanted Sora to want to be there, with him, but he didn't see that as an option anymore. Not without the twisting feeling in his abdomen.

[andou]

Sora was right. Being in the dorm room alone with Max was painful. His entire body ached to snatch Max into his arms and hold him close to his chest, maybe place a kiss on his forehead. Sora didn't complain though, just being with Max was blissful. The ache that had permanently etched itself into his bones was nothing compared to the joy that Max's presence brought him. He focused on the burning in his lower back where Max and him were touching, and let the tingling consume his thoughts.

Sora craned his neck forward to see Max as he turned to face him. A loose tear sat atop his cheek and Sora almost jumped up and asked why he was crying, but took a long breath and decided to deal with it the cooler way. "What's this?" He smiled gently, wiping Max's tear with his sleeve, "Did someone do something?" That question was more serious, his anger ready to set off if his answer was yes.

"It was closer than my bed."

"Don't lie, you know you missed your roommie." Sora teased halfheartedly -- Please say you missed me.

"Where have you been all day?"

Dragging himself off of Max, Sora sat up, torso twisted to see Max. His ribs screamed in protest and he winced, his arm darting to comfort them but he played it off as an itch. "Oh I had lunch with Ayame. Her and Ren broke up, so I was trying to help her. Then I was out just walking." Sora informed him. Attempting to rub away the violent pain at his ribs. "How about you? What have you been doing? And don't tell me that you were reading that because the last time I saw you reading that book you were at the same exact page." He laughed, ignoring the pang in his chest.

[Max]

Sora's hand reached for him again, wiping at the tear on his cheek. Max cursed again. The blonde's scent attacking him from two directions now. He wanted to snatch up Sora's hand and convince him to leave it there, but the boy pulled away the second the tear was gone. Another one nearly followed, but Max stopped it easily.

"What's this? Did someone do something?" Sora asked, his voice gentle but surprisingly serious. He was in big-brother mode again, as Max called it, because that's all it was. Sora -- the older brother -- protecting Max -- his younger brother. Brothers, friends, whatever they were, they weren't allowed to sleep near each other, or kiss, or hold hands or -- Stop.

The words wouldn't come to Max to answer, so he merely shook his head, muttering a tiny, "I'm fine," his eyes fixated on the blonde boy. Tiny slivers of skin had found each other on their backs, pressing together unconsciously like nothing else mattered. Max tried to move himself slightly, playing it off as being uncomfortable, but, somehow, he had convinced himself that Sora would catch him, narrow his eyes disapprovingly and sit up. He didn't want that, not at all.

Sora was straight, and Max... Max was straight, too, or he believed so, anyway. If your best friend caused these kinds of feelings to stir under your skin, if the scent of them left goosebumps, then what did that mean? How do you explain something like that to them without scaring them? Max had accepted it a thousand times already -- I like Sora, I do -- but he couldn't say whether Sora would be so accepting.

Please stop thinking, Max screamed at himself, please. Nothing hurt more than his own worst-case scenarios, well, that and Sora being so close, but galaxies away from Max at the same time.

"Don't lie, you know you missed your roomie." Sora teased, another shock wiggling up from the tips of Max''s fingers to his heart, that was twisting now, not just his stomach. The blonde boy had no idea how much Max had missed him over the past few days while he flitted in and out of the room, his desire to be there seemingly very small.

The brunette boy's lips pulled up slightly in the corner, just one side, a lopsided smile covering his upset interior. "Of course I missed you, it's too quiet when you're gone." He had wanted to lie again, to jokingly ask, "You were gone?" but he couldn't bring himself to go that far. Ignoring the fact that Sora had been gone would have been like ignoring the fact that Max had been there, laying in the blonde's bed with no intention of getting up any time soon -- a reality Max couldn't address at the moment.

Sora pulled himself up, sitting on the edge of the bed again. Max nearly whined at the loss of contact. He followed the blonde with his eyes, turning his head again to look up at Sora while the blonde pawed at his side. The bruises that Max knew were there were somehow visible above Sora's shirt for him. Max felt another wave of guilt much like the one that had caused him to fling himself upon the boy last time.

Not right now, don't try to do it right now. It'll be the best thing in the world now, but hurt too much to bear later.

"Oh I had lunch with Ayame. Her and Ren broke up, so I was trying to help her. Then I was out just walking." He rubbed at his side, but made no moved to contort himself in any way than the position he was in already, staring down at Max like they did this all the time. There was nothing different. "How about you? What have you been doing? And don't tell me that you were reading that because the last time I saw you reading that book you were at the same exact page." Sora laughed.

The explanation of his day had been another stab in the gut -- Ayame was another girl in Max's division, Ren had been the one that had beaten Sora the first time. That only meant... Oh --, but his laugh was twisting the knife, rupturing his insides to ensure an eternal kind of pain. Max's breath had caught in his throat when Sora had asked what he had been doing. He didn't sound angry that he had found Max in his bed, only curious as to why.

You fucking idiot. What if he had brought that girl back here? That would have been the most embarrassing thing you would have ever done. Max didn't need to try to psych himself out, his brain did it for him.

The boy let go of his roommate's pillow -- albeit reluctantly -- and scooted over, making room for Sora to lay down too. The other side of the bed was cold, and Max found himself wondering if the warmth he'd left behind would give away how long he'd really been laying there. Shit.

"Lay down," Max said quietly, nodding to the patch of space he'd created. Please. He continued, "I was trying to read... I got distracted. My head's killing me, but I don't have anything else to do."

Nothing he could have done would have held his focus, anyway. The brunette had read over the same line probably seventy time since he had laid down earlier, and another four-hundred time the last time he had opened the book.

"There's a 'but,' isn't there?" said Coraline. "I can feel it. Like a rain cloud."

[andou]

Something was wrong. Sora had been keeping his cool for this whole time, he could handle his own troubles but Max was definitely troubled by something and that messed up his whole plan. He wanted to do nothing more than to just wrap his arms around Max's waist and feel the other boy's smaller frame against his, and tell him that it was okay. I'll always make it okay. I'm always here for you.

Max's lopsided grin, quickened Sora's heart with some sick abstract longing, "Of course I missed you, it's too quiet when you're gone."

"Yeah I know that feeling." Sora smiled sadly, but he quickly replaced that morose smile with a brighter more Sora-like smile, "Text me when you get lonely, I'll come right back home -- to the dorm." The heat rising in his cheeks caused him to look away from the younger brunette -- something he hated to do -- and bite down on the inner of his lip. Nice and subtle. He hissed sarcastically at himself.

Max didn't seem to notice the inner battle Sora had been fighting the entire time their bodies were so close to one another. Max was the center of his thoughts -- of his life at the moment, and Sora was hopelessly caught in the gravitational pull toward him. Every fiber of his being screamed to inch closer to the young actor, and it took everything in him to deny those screams, to drown them out and to make everything seem normal. Normal. As if Max's smile didn't cheer him up, or his touch didn't stir up a fluttering in his gut.

That initial feeling that something was eating at Max only grew stronger as the silence grew between them. Sora frowned at the brunette, trying to figure out what could be wrong with him. Something was bothering him. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Max began to shift in his bed , making room for him. Longing flicked into Sora's eyes, staring at the empty spot and waiting for an invitation. Invite me. Sora begged silently, looking up at Max.

"Lay down. I was trying to read... I got distracted. My head's killing me, but I don't have anything else to do."

The blonde had to hold himself back once again from jumping at Max. He smiled nervously, unsure that his heart would be able to take that closeness. The strings of his heart pulled painfully toward Max and he found himself resting his head next to Max's, their hands brushing. Max's scent was everywhere, threatening to drive him mad. God fucking damnit. this was a lot harder than Sora wished it was. Closing his eyes, Sora used this quiet moment to collect his thoughts.

"Maxxie," Sora turned his face toward Max, his scent hitting him harder than any punch he had ever felt. His heart lurched into his throat, and he swallowed it down, "There's something bothering you, what is it?"

[Max]

With Sora's eyes on him, Max felt like he was pulled apart, dissected, his heart completely exposed. He couldn't say or do anything to keep that feeling away while Sora looked at him. There was too much Max had been trying to cover up, too much he was trying to keep hidden from the blonde boy, he knew it was going to spill out if he continued to look at him like that.

"Yeah, I know that feeling." A sad smile that nearly mirrored Max's worked it's way on to Sora's lips, but only for a short while before he wiped it away and replaced it with regular Sora. Why did he look sad? Of all of the people in the room at that moment, Sora looked upset? "Text me when you get lonely, I'll come right back home -- to the dorm."

In all honesty, Max had forgotten he had a phone at all -- getting a new one hadn't been the highlight of their last outing -- and Max wouldn't have know what to write, anyway. Hey, I wish you would come back so I could hug you, lay with you, ki-- STOP. What had been, the highlight, in Max's opinion, was Sora showing up at all. Sora. Just him being there was enough for Max -- but, thinking back, Max remembered the feeling of Sora's hand pressing in to his as they ran, warm and inviting, and he swore he could feel it again in that moment, but he knew he was just imagining things -- that night. The blonde had known he was terrified of being alone like that and rushed to his side without being asked. Thinking about it now made his heart hurt, and his head echoed the pain.

Sora's eyes moved away from him, looking down at his knees, or the floor, or the center of the earth -- Max didn't know. What he did know was that Sora wasn't looking at him with that same carefree smile anymore. Just look at me again, smile once and I swear I'll get up and leave you alone. I swear.

The boy was so close to him -- emotionally and physically, now -- but Max couldn't make himself do anything. He wanted to, badly. There was a part of him that believed that they'd fit well together, curled up in bed while it continued to rain outside. Stop. Max had never tried to mask a longing like this before. He was new to pain like this, the stabbing feeling that Max believed felt worse than actually being stabbed. His fingers were itching to reach for Sora, but he didn't have to, because the blonde was pushing himself down in the spot Max had been in seconds ago.

He had laid his head down only inches from Max's, blue eyes closed and breathing only mildly erratic. Max's eyes traveled over every inch of Sora's face, memorizing what he looked like up close. The boy felt like a creep again, looking at Sora like this -- eyes half-lidded, the only coherent thought in his mind telling him to move an inch closer and press his lips against the boy's temple -- while his roommate laid there unsuspecting, more than likely remembering his date with that girl earlier.

Max felt like he was going to die, or throw up, or start bawling. He needed to move, to get up from Sora's bed and leave the room for an hour or two, go talk to Asuka, or go run. The boy just couldn't lay there with Sora so close anymore. His brain was going to explode, his stomach was going to fall out and his heart was going to beat itself to exertion. Sora.

Their hands were so close, pinkies almost overlapping. Max curled his pinky upwards, hoping, to Sora, that it felt like an involuntary action on the brunette's part. Only a few more inches, and they'd be holding hands, laying in Sora's bed and holding hands. Max's heart sputtered again.

"Maxxie," Sora's voice broke the silence as he turned his head and opened his eyes to look at the younger boy. "There's something bothering you, what is it?"

Damnit. Max felt like he'd been caught red-handed, and was about to be scolded. Sora still looked vaguely upset, more than likely because Max did. The blonde cared about him on that level. Nothing deeper. The brunette acted on impulse again, moving his head to Sora's shoulder. You idiot, this is going to hurt beyond belief later.

Taking a deep breath -- the smell unique to Sora mingling when the scent of rain. Max's head swirled again, warmth spreading up his body from the very tips of his toes. "Sora," he breathed out, unintentionally, and his cheeks flamed against Sora's shirt. Just say it, SAY it, you idiot. Another deep breath, a calming action masking Max's real desire to never forget what Sora smelled like. "What are you supposed to do when you... like"[/color] -- he had almost said 'love,' -- "someone that you know won't like you back no matter what?" Sora, what am I supposed to do? I like you, only you, but I shouldn't... because... "Because this feels like hell." [/b]

Hell was a nice way of putting it. Though, if this was going to become Max's hell, then he'd have to call himself a masochist. Lying with his head on Sora was possibly the most comforting thing Max had ever experienced, but he'd been stabbed repeatedly, there was no way he was going to survive this any longer.

Another deep breath and Max was talking again, in a faint whisper, saying things he had every intention of keeping to himself. "I like you, that's what's bugging me." Max waited for once small second, assuming Sora was going to push him away and call him sick, but he had to get everything out before that happened. He had to. "And I'm sorry, because I know it's stupid and I promise it'll go away if you just give me time to..." Tears were prickling his eyes again, he closed them hard, shutting out everything but the sound of Sora's breathing as he waited for his best friend to tell him to fuck off.

[andou]

His head was spinning. How do you sit next to the thing you wanted most in the world and not reach out and take it? No one knew how much Sora wanted Max. He moved an inch closer, and cursed at himself for doing so. Stop it. He couldn’t do this, this was too dangerous. It felt like at any point in time Sora would end up jumping the other boy, and telling him that he liked him. Sora. You could lose him forever. Sora was burning at that thought, it was probably the worst pain of all. Tightening his chest and choking him.

His long fingers splayed in all different directions as they hovered over Max’s hand. To anyone else it would have looked like Sora was just stretching his hands, but it felt like one of the fiercest battles of his life. He wanted to drop his hand on top of Max’s and weave his fingers with his, but he couldn’t. They were just friends. Friends didn’t hold hands like that.

"What are you supposed to do when you... like someone that you know won't like you back no matter what? Because this feels like hell."

The words hit Sora right in the ribs, making him gasp a bit in pain. He closed his hand and brought it away from Max’s hand. He rested it on his stomach and held it there, so Max couldn’t see how hard they were shaking. Who could Max be talking about because the only unattainable girl that Max knew was –Asuka. The way that his mind spat out her name -- like it was a horrible taste – surprised him. So this is what it was going to feel like when Max liked another girl. There was a void in his chest where his heart was once sputtering moments ago, and crying was an actual threat. “Hell.” Sora laughed weakly, “No, I don’t think hell could be so cruel.” Sucking in all of his misery, Sora shot Max a tired smile, “Sorry Maxxie… I don’t know what you’re supposed to do.

I don’t know how I’m supposed to just sit here and see you cry over someone else. I don’t know how to comfort you without holding you. I don’t know how to stop feeling like I’m empty whenever I’m around you. I’m sorry Maxxie… I don’t know how to be the friend you think I am. I like you. I like you more than I’ve liked anything.

"I like you, that's what's bugging me."

His heart started up with a roar, and Sora stiffened, blinking at Max. What did he just say?

If Max was saying anything else, Sora didn’t hear it. His mind was racing as fast as his heart was. It crashed against his broken ribs painfully but he didn’t care, he didn’t care about anything at this moment other than the boy lying next to him. Max, the only object of his affection. I like you. He had said that. Max liked him. The feelings were mutual. I like you. The blonde let those words repeat in his head, drowning in this bliss. There was no reason to hold back anymore, all of this pain; he didn’t have to feel it. Max liked him, and that was all he wanted to hear.

Sora’s hands found their way to Max’s face, and feverishly pulled him toward himself. He needed to tell Max how he felt, but he couldn’t say it with words. His lips were on Max’s. They were soft and they tasted just like he thought they would. His heart was beating so fast that it made Sora dizzy. Could a heart actually burst? Because he could swear his had. Pulling away, Sora left his hands on Max’s face, their foreheads pressing together just like their lips had been. “Say it again.” Sora begged his voice wavering and soft. “Maxxie…please, say it again.” He practically groaned, their lips brushing as he spoke. Sora was unable to believe that this was real. He needed to hear it. He needed to hear Max confess again, he could listen to it forever and still not believe it.

[Max]

The blonde stiffened seconds after Max had stopped talking. Max steeled himself as well, waiting for the inevitable slap of rejection. He didn't remember what it felt like. The last time he'd felt such a fierce rejection had been twelve years ago, and, to this day, he still didn't believe he had the amount of pain he assumed it had caused him back then was right.

Sora's heartbeat had picked up, his hands were shaking. Max thought he was going to hit him. His eyes still pressed closed tightly, Max braced himself for impact. But Sora didn't move. If you're going to hit me, just hit me. Don't make me wait like this.

But no fist came flying, Sora's legs didn't swing up to kick Max. The brunette was screaming on the inside, pleas for some kind of response deafening him, but silent to the rest of the room. He wanted to take everything back, tell Sora to forget everything he had said, every hug, every glance Max had thrown his way when he had been sure that his roommate wasn't looking but probably caught anyway... he'd erase them all for Sora to just... say something to him.

The taller boy's hands were suddenly gripping the sides of Max's face, pulling and twisting him upwards. His eyes snapped open hurriedly, wondering just what the fuck was going on. Max thought Sora was going to throw him off of his bed, slam his head into the wooden slats of Max's bed above them, something violent. That was fine, Max probably deserved it. If things went back to normal for the two of them, Max could handle whatever Sora was planning to do.

Pain never came, though.

Sora's lips pressed against his, feverish and needy, the blonde's hands still holding Max's face. A strangled whimper slipped out of Max as he pushed himself closer to Sora, propping himself up with his elbow and turning himself to have better access to the boy. Their lips moved together in a frenzied rhythm, almost as if they were battling for control.

Max's heart was about to beat out of his chest, the painful, twisting feeling was gone, replaced by something else entirely. The brunette felt warm again, happy. Sora was kissing him. He was kissing Sora. It felt wonderful. Beyond wonderful, but Max couldn't find the right word. The hammering in his rib cage was a good one this time, the pain had warped to pleasure, an intense, amazing kind of pleasure.

The blonde pulled away from him. Max opened his eyes slowly, staring directly into Sora's. Their foreheads were touching now, their lips only a few centimeters apart, Sora's brushing Max's as he spoke. “Say it again.” Sora was begging, his voice hardly above a whisper. Max shivered above him, his eyes never leaving the other boy's. “Maxxie... please, say it again.”

Smiling down at Sora -- genuinely for the first time since his roommate had arrived back at the dorm, back home, as he'd said earlier -- Max repeated his confession over and over. "I like you, Sora" he kissed him again, pulling back only to inhale and say the words again. "I like you, you don't even know how much."

Max had never experienced such... joy before. His brain -- that had been screaming at him to stop only moments ago -- was now telling him to go. Don't hold back. Sora hadn't said it outright, but Max could feel it. Sora liked him too, much more than Max would have originally believed.

The younger boy leaned down, pressing his lips against Sora's yet again. He smiled into the kiss, moving a hand up to gingerly touch Sora's cheek, wary of the bruises still healing on the boy's skin. Every time, there was a tiny spark that Max knew he would never get enough of. Now that he could actually kiss the boy, hold his hand, hug him, maybe even sleep next to him if he were lucky, Max would never want to stop. He felt giddy, like pure energy was running through his veins. Max couldn't imagine kissing anyone else the way he wanted to kiss Sora. The stirring feeling in the lower abdomen made him smile even more. Sora.

His hand still on the blonde's cheek, Max moved back, his cheeks pink and his eyes illuminated wildly, looking down at Sora. The brunette moved his thumb in small circles on the skin near Sora's ear, his fingers had somehow moved to tangle in the blonde's hair. Max sighed contentedly.

"Sora," he said, his voice now only a quiet whisper. "I like you." Max had already said it a million times, but now, he could say it as much as he wanted to. No guilt, no twisting pain, nothing. Just little confessions.

[andou]

Sora had never had a kiss like this in his entire life, it was fluttery, painful, desperate and passionate all combined into one magnificent feeling that the boy never wanted to forget. Lust, alcohol, boredom, none of those words had anything to do with this kiss. This kiss was from Max, and it was perfect, everything a kiss should be. The blonde had kissed more boys in his life than he’d like to admit, this one was different. When he closed his eyes he wasn’t imagining a girl on the other side of those lips, he was picturing Max, and that was wonderful.

Blue orbs locked onto hazel as electricity passed through them. He waited for the words that were dripping off of Max’s lips, just waiting to be vocalized. The blonde leaned closer to the other boy, ready to snatch up the words as soon as they spilled free. "I like you, Sora" Again. He wanted to hear it again. The soft peck between words was maddening, "I like you, you don't even know how much." The boy was taunting him now with words that he wanted to quickly disprove, but he didn’t. He loved hearing it, he wanted to hear it more. If these kisses were the embodiment of Max’s feelings, Sora knew exactly how much he like him, because he felt the same way.

Sora would ask for Max’s forgiveness later, for the aggressive manner of his kisses, but Sora really couldn’t help it. All of the confusion, all of the pain, it was all in vain because Max had liked him the whole time. He had thrown out any hope that this moment would ever happen, and that reigniting of hope, that bursting feeling relief had him feverish. Now Max was kissing him back, he parted his lips against Max’s mouth, inhaling his short breath, as his hands made their way into Max’s chestnut colored hair.

Max’s hand had reached up to the place where Sora’s bruise was and he suppressed the natural urge to wince away from the sting. His hands were gentle but the bruise was still very sore, not that Sora cared. Max could have jabbed a finger into the throbbing bruise and he would have still continued to kiss him. Sora’s ribs were currently wailing in protest at Max’s position on top of them, but Sora made no attempt to move Max. He loved the feeling of him, the muscles that were only partly defined from early morning runs and mandatory gym classes.

Now Max was looking down at him rosy cheeked and brightened, a sight that Sora was sure would only be possible in his dreams. Winded and giddy, Sora stared right back up at him, panting through his grin. "Sora, I like you." He whispered again, sending another jolt of electricity through Sora. One of his hands came down to cup Max’s face, gently this time as he propped himself onto his elbow. Their noses pushed against one another, as Sora spoke, “Yeah, I like you too, Maxxie.”

/ENDU