August 23/Loose Ends/PG-13/Closed

[false]

Characters: Asuka, Max, and Sora
Time: 5:00 P.M.
Location: The mall. DUH

The mall was as it always was - crowded, overpriced, insufferable - but there was a slight skip, a tinge of barely veiled glee, in Asuka’s step as she drug Max through various dress stores in search of a suitable outfit for the costume party. As she did all of this her hand fucking hurt beneath her bandages, but Asuka took the pain in stride, a sign that she should have opened up to Kenji from the start. Better late than never, though.

With limited success in looking for outfits, Asuka had called off the search in favor of a break. Wanting nothing to do with the mass crowds she had chosen a bench far in the back of the mall, where the crowds were thin, if still there. Kenji had made her insufferably happy but being around too many people at once was still a draining experience - her brain tried to analyze everything about everyone and it became overwhelming quickly. “Too bad that we didn’t find anything,” she muttered, sliding her way into the seat. “For you or for me.” She snickered a little to herself, still amused by Sora’s insistence on finding Max a white dress with a blue ribbon - the mental picture was too priceless not to laugh at.

The best part? Sora was only half kidding about the whole thing.

Asuka looked over at Max and smiled - they’d both found people to support them, boys who could hardly hope to understand the things they’d endured but wanted to share the pain, anyway. And that was all they could ask for, wasn’t it? “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You don’t really have the body for a dress, y’know?” Absent-mindedly, she played with the tips of her hair with her good hand. “Although I’m pretty sure Sora would like it either way…”

[Max]

The two of them -- Asuka and Max -- had been traipsing around the mall for nearly two hours now, scouring ever single rack in every single store for something Asuka deemed suitable for a Halloween costume, but Max's feet hurt, and the crowds were starting to grow. Despite the fact that Asuka clearly didn't enjoy the huge masses of people, she seemed happy, elated even, and it was rubbing off on Max. He was finding it hard not to smile even with the lingering memories of his last trip to the mall.

However, with Asuka around, Max felt almost as at ease as he had with Sora. The dark-haired girl was vicious, or she could be, but now Asuka was smiling, a different light in her eyes, one that she deserved to have there more than anyone Max had ever known.

Whoever this Kenji guy was that Asuka was so taken with, Max needed to find him and thank him for bringing his closest friend a reason to smile. He had wanted to ask about her bandaged hand, but she had been ignoring it, which told Max that he probably should, too.

“Too bad that we didn't find anything,” Asuka mumbled, sitting down on the bench she had directed them to. “For you or for me.” A snicker followed.

Max rolled his eyes again -- the third time since they had left campus -- and huffed dramatically, crossing his arms. The boy slumped against the back of the bench, worrying about posture was worlds away from him.

Asuka smiled at him. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You don’t really have the body for a dress, y’know?” The tips of her fingers brushed through the ends of her hair. “Although I’m pretty sure Sora would like it either way…”

The brunette's eyes shot to Asuka, his mouth hanging open -- partly in shock and partly in an odd cocktail mixture of amusement and knowing. For some reason, Max's boyfriend had expressed a desire to see him in a dress, and while everyone else seemed to find that hilarious, Max just found it odd.

"You're enjoying this a bit too much, Asuka." Max told her, an attempt at a scowl darkening his previous smile. "I never agreed to the dress!" he hissed quietly, a group of students passing them too closely for comfort. "I said I'd wear the damn cat ears, can't that be enough?"

With another roll of his eyes, Max's smile began to resurface. It was hard for him to act upset when he was the exact opposite. The blonde boy had crossed Max's mind for the billionth time that day, and, each time, the thoughts never failed to make him blush.

[andou]

The empty locker mocked him. Sora had forgotten to bring spare clothes to change into after work. Usually he would wear the clothes that he came in but today he had a make up gym class so he had to run to the host club in his gym clothes. His butler uniform was a lot better than the sweat clothes in his back pack, but he still didn't want to go out with them on. Turning to fix his hair in the mirror, Sora decided that he didn't look too bad, in fact he looked pretty good. Too good to just stay on campus.

Sora shoved the backpack into his locker, and pushed his hands into his dress pants before kicking the locker shut. His shift was over, but the host club wasn't closed so the chatter was still loud as ever. Rolling his blue eyes, Sora headed toward the exit, his regular customers waiting for his exit. "Byyyeeee Sooorrraaaa!" they squealed waving like the stupid girls that they were.

"I'll see you ladies tomorrow!" He smiled, saluting the girls. Just because he wasn't on the clock didn't mean that he could just be mean to them. He sent them a little wink before he pushed open the door and walked into the cold air.

The blonde instantly regretted not remembering to bring his scarf, it was cold out today. What was the closest thing that was warm and entertaining -- of course Max was the first thing that came to mind, but Sora had to be practical. He couldn't keep consuming all of Max's time. As much as he would love to keep Max with him every minute of every day, Max had friends and a life that wasn't all about Sora, and he had to deal with that.

Before Sora knew it, he had arrived at the mall. His nose and cheeks had turned pink in the cold, and the mall seemed to be a good place to warm up. The big crowds were comforting for Sora, he liked being with people... even though the person he wanted to be with most right now wasn't around. The boy sighed, weaving through the crowds, his blue eyes scanning the crowds. He was constantly looking out for his brunette, it had actually become habit of his.

"I said I'd wear the damn cat ears, can't that be enough?" A voice said from behind him, Sora perked up, spinning around toward the voice which he knew belonged to his boyfriend. He shivered, his boyfriend, he loved putting that label on him. Even though he was sure he had heard the voice... Sora couldn't see him. He frowned, standing on his tippy toes to try and find Max, if only he was as tall as that purple haired freak he had seen around campus.

Sora finally got a glimpse of the brunette, a black haired girl sitting next to him. He had no doubt that it was Asuka, what were they doing here? He set off in their direction but was stopped by a tugging on his butler jacket.

"Sora is that you?" A high pitched voice pierced his ears.

The blonde blinked at the small girl, thinking hard as to what her name was. She was familiar... maybe one of his customers? "Yeah?" He asked, shaking his arm out of her grip.

"I'm so glad I caught you here! Are you with anyone right now?" She pried, staking a step closer to him.

Sora refrained from rolling his eyes, "Do you see anyone around me?" His answer was sarcastic, his blue eyes straining to see Max behind her.

The girl didn't catch the hint, "Well would you want to go eat with me?" She batted her big eyes at him, the scent of her perfume making him queasy. Taking a nonchalant step away from the girl.

"No, I'm not allowed to date my customers. It's against club rules." It wasn't a lie, but Sora just really wanted to get this girl out of his hair. Max was right there, and Sora wanted to go to him, not talk to this bimbo.

"And if I wasn't your customer?" She just wouldn't quit.

He twitched, really? Was she seriously still talking to him? "No. Because I'm taken, and right now I have to--"

"But you told everyone that you didn't have a girlfriend! She squealed, pulling on his sleeve.

Glaring, Sora pulled off her hands, "Because I don't. I have a boyfriend, and I am trying to go see him. So. If you don't mind." He practically growled at the girl, pushing past her over to Max. The tall boy sneaked around the two, and snaked his arms around his boyfriend. "Hey, Maxxie."

[false]

"You're enjoying this a bit too much, Asuka." Max’s mouth contorted into a contrived frown; it was obvious that he still wanted to smile, but felt obligated to act upset. Whatever. Taking potshots at his masculinity was far too easy, and it almost always brought forth a cheap laugh. "I never agreed to the dress!" At this, Asuka laughed out loud, both because his voice was a hiss deserving of the one who held the demeaning title of “Neko” as well as the wonderful timing of the group of schoolgirls that passed. They’d likely heard everything.

I’m a bad friend, Asuka thought, but he’s not mad at me. From the corner of her eyes she watched the crowd, watching them keenly with the intent of analyzing them. But people tired her, and even in the short moment she’d looked she’d seen too much – a mother, barely hiding her contempt for her infant son who wouldn’t stop crying; a young couple, the man of which barely hiding his disinterest with his girlfriend, ogling her as well as anything else with breasts; a flash of blonde hair towering above the shorter patrons – wait, wasn’t that Sora?

"I said I'd wear the damn cat ears, can't that be enough?" A roll of the eyes punctuated this statement, followed by his previous smile, slipping through the cracks in his pathetically transparent façade. She did a double take, and upon further inspection decided that yes, it was Sora.

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask him yourself?” Asuka sat up in her seat, trying to get a better look at the boy that Max was suddenly so obsessed with. There were a lot of people in the way but in between them she could see that he was still in his host club uniform, that some chick had decided to come up and wrangle him into dating her. If only she knew. Even from afar the aura she was giving off, hopeful but obnoxiously insistent, could be perceived. Sora was attractive in the sort of way that most girls adored, but again, this girl was totally wasting her time. Asuka vaguely entertained the idea of getting up and setting the girl straight, but a fat guy passed in front of them. It was too loud to hear what they were saying, but when the man had passed Sora was walking up to them, slinging an arm around Max’s shoulder.

”Hey, Maxxie.”

He’d snapped at that girl, hadn’t he? His happy-go-lucky mask hid it pretty well, but the mixed vibes of jealousy and remorse that he gave off were too loud for her not to hear. “What, no hello for me?” Asuka smirked a little at him, keeping her deductions to herself. She rarely shared any of them, in fact; the things that people tried to keep hidden were usually better left that way, and bringing them into the light was hardly ever a constructive thing to do. I’m not my father, she often reminded herself. I won’t tear people apart like him.

Asuka sighed and returned her gaze to the crowd – she had no place in their relationship, even though she’d known it was coming far before they had. The red string tied around each of their fingers was binding, more so than she’d ever seen before; that was good. Max deserved that sort of love.

But the feeling of being a third wheel was unavoidable in this situation. Asuka pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and made a face at it – should she call Kenji, see if he’s free? Disturbing their happy union was one of the last things she wanted to do; and as a notorious firebrand she tended to disturb things. No, I can’t bother him yet. She sighed again, put the phone back in her pocket, and turned to face the two of them. It’ll be interesting, I guess…

[Max]

Asuka sat up taller in her seat, gaze cast on something that Max couldn't quite see. He was beginning to understand Asuka's hatred of the masses around them. The brunette's eyes narrowed as he gave up on trying to follow Asuka's eyes. He fell back against the bench once more, arms crossed over his chest and his half-pout coming back in to play.

"I don’t know," Asuka replied, "Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

The boy's eyebrows knitted together. Ask who what? And what was Asuka staring at so intently? Max leaned toward her in another attempt to catch a glimpse of whatever she found so interesting. Though, if he leaned any further, he would end up in Asuka's lap, and as much as he adored her, Max didn't particularly want that to happen.

Max was too busy trying to read Asuka's expression to notice anything around the two of them, even his boyfriend sneaking up behind him. Max jumped when a familiar pair of arms wound around his shoulders, but smirked once he realized who they belonged to.

"Hey, Maxxie.”

Turning his head to look up at Sora, Max grinned. It had been another one of those days again. The ones that he spent missing Sora despite the fact that they spent almost every waking -- and not waking -- moment together. Max had promised Asuka he would go shopping with and spend time with her, but that didn't stop the excitement from bubbling up in Max's stomach when Sora had shown up.

"Hi, Sora," Max said, kissing the blonde boy quickly. His eyes moved further down, inspecting Sora's unusual outfit. The brunette smirked him. "We still have a week until Halloween, Sora, but I do like your costume." It was a cheeky and stupid joke, but the blonde's sudden appearance had stolen every intelligent thought Max had had tumbling around in his head.

“What, no hello for me?” Asuka asked.

Max turned to look at her, smiling in response to her smirk and leaning his head against Sora's shoulder. "Don't be an ass, Sora, say hi to Asuka, too." Max told him, uncrossing his arms to lace his fingers with the blonde's.

The three of them had never spent time together offline -- Max and Sora chatting with Asuka from the comfort of their respective dorms had almost become a nightly ritual -- and Max was curious to see how this would turn out. Obviously they all got along, Sora and Asuka well enough to make jokes about Max in a dress and cat ears, much to his mock-annoyance, but Max had no idea if Sora and Asuka got along the way he and Asuka did.

With both of them there -- both of them smiling and seemingly genuinely happy for the first time since Max had met them -- he felt like everything was finally going to turn out right, like nothing bad could touch him ever again. Sora's arms wrapped around him and Asuka sitting next to them... Max's grin widened. For the longest time, he had convinced himself that people like them didn't exist, that everyone in the world was evil until proven otherwise, but that wasn't the case with these two, Max knew that, and he loved them for it.

[andou]

"Hi, Sora," The brunette greeted him with a small kiss that sent butterflies through his body. He watched the boy eye him down, a grin playing on the younger boys lips, "We still have a week until Halloween, Sora, but I do like your costume."

Sora smirked, "Hardy har har. I had no clothes to change into after work." He admitted sheepishly. His free hand pulled his bow tie loose and he sighed, suddenly tired. His job wasn't that much, but flirting with girls in vain for hours really sucked the life out of you. "I look pretty damn good though." He grinned, winking at the both of them.

“What, no hello for me?” The raven haired girl spoke, a familiar smirk on her face. He grinned right back at her right before Max spoke, "Don't be an ass, Sora, say hi to Asuka, too."

"Hey! I was getting to it!" Sora whined, he matched Asuka's grin and waved, "Hey Suki." He waved at her, a big smile on his face. He liked Asuka. She was nice to Max, and he could trust her to keep him safe when he wasn't around. Asuka was pretty, and she could rip you to shreds with her words... he had seen her do it to that slut that Max made out with. Something he didn't really like to talk about.

The blonde shifted, he didn't want to be too lovey in front of Asuka. She was here with Max first, Sora was supposed to be the third wheel. Not the other way around. He slid his arm back to his side and faced the two, "So what are you guys doing? Buying dresses or something?" Their last conversation had consisted of convincing Max to buy a dress for halloween, but Sora was only kidding when he had asked the question.

[false]

Asuka watched Max and Sora’s typical ‘new couple’ behavior with an amused expression on her face, saying nothing. They’d already gotten the hang of flirting with each other, already discarding the awkward, thinly veiled straight boy play-flirting sort of dynamic that they’d had before. The honesty in all of it was refreshing, if a little different. Sora sighed, still in his Host Club uniform. It was obvious that he felt tired, though from what, she couldn’t be sure. No doubt the job had become somewhat of a chore now that he was Maxsexual, maybe that was it?

Sora interrupted her train of thought with an abrupt, "Hey Suki,” waving at her with a big, goofy smile on his face. At the mention of her bizarre nickname, she laughed out loud, unable to do anything else while being referred to as something that ridiculous. “Hi, Tachi. Nice to see that you’ve stepped up a notch on the style ladder.”

He shifted awkwardly, sliding his arm back to his side. Asuka raised an eyebrow, though her bangs covered up the action. What was going on in his head now? "So what are you guys doing? Buying dresses or something?" He sounded a little uncomfortable now, as though he thought he was intruding? It was a wonder that Asuka had only just now made friends; being able to read people like this made social situations easy to deal with; but maybe it was more that Sora and Max never irritated her, only made her laugh and less that she knew more or less what they were thinking at any given time.

“Right on the money, Sora! But I’m sad to say that Max looks terrible in dresses,” Asuka said, smirking as she poked him playfully in the side. “And I can’t find anything that works… I need something queen-like for myself; that’s what Kenji and I are going as. A king and a queen.” At the mention of his name, she felt her mood float a little higher, feeling even better than before. “Are you guys still going as a cat and a samurai?”

[Max]

The blonde boy pulled away from Max, leaving him feeling slightly cold and more than a bit confused. Since when did Sora care about public displays of affection? After the events of the day Sora had asked Max to be his boyfriend, Max would have assumed Sora was fine with it, more than fine, actually.

Before Max could ask Sora if he was alright, Asuka was responding to the blonde's previous question.

“Right on the money, Sora! But I’m sad to say that Max looks terrible in dresses,” the dark-haired girl smirked, jabbing a finger in Max's side. Thankfully, the still-healing bruise that Max was sporting was on the boy's other side. If she had touched his other side, he would have screamed, and then had to explain to Asuka why he had done that... it wouldn't be a happy outing anymore. “And I can’t find anything that works… I need something queen-like for myself; that’s what Kenji and I are going as. A king and a queen.” Asuka brightened a bit more. “Are you guys still going as a cat and a samurai?”

The younger boy rolled his eyes again. Neko and Tachi. Max and Sora's nicknames, respectively. The words held another meaning entirely that Asuka hadn't told them, which lead to Max looking them up later that night, only to find that they meant more than "cat" and "sword."

"Like I said," Max tilted his head, his eyelids drooping to glare playfully at the girl, "You're having far too much fun with this." He laughed lightly, enjoying the calm air around them. "If we do go anywhere or do anything, I can tell you now, I won't wear a dress," Max's voice dropped to a whisper again. "Outside of the dorm."

He looked away from them, embarrassed again. Max would do whatever he could to see Sora smile, even if that meant embracing what Asuka had said about his nickname -- "not masculine like a cat" -- and donning something frilly and girly for twenty minutes.

The brunette scanned their surroundings again, avoiding looking at his best friend and boyfriend and hoping to seem actually annoyed this time. Though, he knew, with Asuka around, that was impossible. He sighed, rubbing his right eye with his fist.

More and more people had filled the mall's atrium, leaving the three of them pressed where they were. For anyone else, it would have been hard to spot a single person in the crowd, but Max wasn't anyone else. His eyes locked on to another frighteningly familiar person -- this one making the boy nauseous and sending him in the direction of the 'fight' and 'flight' levers in his mind, the paint rubbed off of the more often used one.

That girl. Sakura Kuroki. Takashi's younger-by-one-year sister. She was standing with another girl near a cosmetics store -- fucking figures --, her eyes moving about the crowd, as well. Max tried to tear his eyes away from her, but it was too late, and she had seen him staring at her.

Blindly -- his eyes stuck on Sakura now --, Max reached for Sora, clutching the blonde's arm with a slightly shaking hand. But what was Sora supposed to do about this? His boyfriend couldn't -- wouldn't -- lay a hand on her even if she came at Max swinging her arms wildly.

She was walking toward the three of them before Max could even explain to Sora or Asuka what was going on. Shit! Max was panicking. The last time Sakura had tried to contact him, Max had sprinted from his room and ended up nearly having sex with a girl he had never met before on the stage. He didn't even want to imagine what actually speaking to her would to do him.

The boy sat completely still while Sakura walked toward him, her skirt fluttering around her. Max sighed angrily, knowing exactly what she was thinking. She had had such a crush on Max when they were friends, for lack of a better term, but after the incident at the warehouse when Max was leaving, Takashi had severely misinformed his sister, enough to cause her to believe that everything that had happened was Max's fault.

"Max?" Her voice sounded exactly the same as it had when he had last seen her, when she was sobbing, slapping at his chest and calling him a bastard. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Shaking his head, eyes still wide, Max said, "I have absolutely nothing to say to you, Sakura," he took a deep breath. "Leave."

The girl looked like Max had hit her, but he didn't care. He was happy now, unbelievably so, and he knew Sakura would do whatever she could to make Max feel as shitty as she still felt.

[andou]

“Right on the money, Sora! But I’m sad to say that Max looks terrible in dresses, and I can’t find anything that works… I need something queen-like for myself; that’s what Kenji and I are going as. A king and a queen. Are you guys still going as a cat and a samurai?” Asuka teased, poking Max on his good side -- oh the things Sora noticed.

Sora laughed, taking a hold of Max's hand. Being this close to his boyfriend and not touching him was torture, he needed to hold him somehow. The blonde knew that Asuka wouldn't mind if he was affectionate in front of her, and he never had a problem with publicly displaying his boyfriend but he didn't want to dangle his relationship in front of Asuka. That didn't seem right.

"Like I said," Max glared at the girl, "You're having far too much fun with this. If we do go anywhere or do anything, I can tell you now, I won't wear a dress," Sora pouted, he really wanted to see Max in a dress. Don't ask him why, he just thought that Max would look really hot in one. Oh God what was happening to him? The boy opened his mouth to complain, but Max beat him to it, whispering. "Outside of the dorm."

A huge grin cracked onto his face, and he squeezed Max's hand, "Asuka, I bet Maxxie looks amazing in a dress," He rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder, and added with a whisper of his own, "That's for my eyes only."

He grinned leaning back on the bench, "I want to see the cat ears, but I don't think I want to be a samurai. For halloween that is." He winked, half joking with the both of them. He was the samurai in this relationship... there was no doubting that. "I was thinking more like super secret spy, a tux, hair slicked back, and " He ran his free hand through his hair, "You know, like James Bond. The names Takahashi. Sora Takahashi." Sora was so wrapped up in his spy fantasy that he didn't notice where Max was staring.

Max's trembling grip shook him out of his own world, and to full attention. It only took that to make Sora on edge, his good mood gone. His blue eyes turned to ice, "Max what--" he began, his voice filled with concern. The older boy turned his head toward Max's stare, confused when all he saw was a blonde girl with a skirt that was way too short of the mall.

Sora didn't understand, but if Max didn't like her, neither did he. When she spoke to Max, the boy had to bite his cheeks to keep the venom from flowing out, he didn't know this girl and all she wanted to do was talk. He looked to Max for his answer "I have absolutely nothing to say to you, Sakura, Leave."

When the girl didn't move to leave, Sora glared. "He said leave."

[false]

"Like I said," Max said, tilting his head with a playful glare in his eyes. "You're having far too much fun with this. If we do go anywhere or do anything, I can tell you now, I won't wear a dress...”— a lie, he was going to do it, just to see Sora smile—”...outside of the dorm.” And there it was, Max’s confession, whispered quietly but loud enough to hear. Asuka laughed again, this time refraining from poking him in the side – she’d almost nailed whatever wound he had there the first time. Sure, he’d never talked about it, but it was obviously hurt – he babied that side wherever he went, whatever he did, and it was rarely ever subtle. Most likely it had come from his “friends”; they’d encountered each other recently, and Sora had been beaten up pretty badly, too. Asuka tried not to seem hostile as she debated the various unsavoury things she would have done to them in Sora’s position – they’d be in shreds, likely. She’d been trying her hardest lately to be as nice as possible, keep her biting comments to herself, but if someone threatened Max in front of her or tried to hurt him in any way that was another story. Max was her little brother and if anyone tried to hurt him in any way, shape, or form, they were going home tied in a knot, their self esteems likely ripped to shreds.

Throughout this exchange, Sora had been pouting. "Asuka, I bet Maxxie looks amazing in a dress," the boy said, exchanging his sour look for one more playful. "That's for my eyes only."

“Sora, I don’t really want to see him in a dress that much.” Asuka laughed again, trying to fight back mental pictures of Max in a skintight cocktail dress or a frilly lolita dress or – oh my god, I need to stop this NOW. Her mind didn’t need to venture into these waters; but it was nigh impossible to resist the gravitational pull of something so funny.

"I want to see the cat ears, but I don't think I want to be a samurai. For Halloween that is." Sora winked and Asuka got the distinct impression that he finally understood the innuendo behind the remark she’d made online. Took him long enough. "I was thinking more like super secret spy, a tux, hair slicked back, and..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Max’s face contorted into something awful, forlorn. She turned her head to get a better look at the crowd that his eyes, wide with shock or something like that, were scanning. "You know, like James Bond. The names Takahashi. Sora Takahashi." Asuka nodded, smirking a little bit at how ridiculous the costume would inevitably be in the end – but there was something seriously wrong with Max, couldn’t Sora sense it, too?

And then the crowd parted like the Red Sea, and a blonde skank was walking up towards the three of them. Asuka narrowed her eyes at her – there was something wrong with this girl, something malevolent. It was the way she carried herself – like a bitch, tried and true – or the way she dressed – so underground goth slut chic, raccoon eyes and everything – something, anything, that gave off the aura of her just plain being a bitch. And it took her a moment to realize it, but Max’s eyes were fixed directly on her, wide as dinner plates. Oh, shit. Her stomach did a U-Turn as she put together the pieces: that girl was most likely Sakura, the sister of the boy who had made Max’s past life miserable and was still trying to pull his current one down the toilet. Who else could it have been?

”Max?” the girl asked, voice tinged with too many entwined emotions for Asuka to make sense of. Hate, regret, affection, and the like were all there, in her body language and her eyes, but it was nigh impossible to tell which one prevailed. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" Asuka looked over at Max and saw that he was shaking.

Go the fuck away, Asuka thought to herself, biting her bottom lip. You’re poisonous, an adder. Leave before I make you.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you, Sakura," Max said, taking a deep breath. "Leave.” Max was trying to be brave, but this display somehow only made him seem weaker. He was so afraid, so very afraid.

The girl looked like Max had hit her in the face, but still she stayed. Asuka was about to interject when Sora stated exactly what she’d been thinking – "He said leave.”

It would have been so easy to punch the girl in the face – they were both girls, there was no bullshit taboo in the way – and she had it coming, didn’t she? Her brother was the most awful person in Max’s world and he just wouldn’t fade from existence; it was reasonable to assume that by Max’s reaction and the bitchy tone to her voice she was hardly any better; but as Asuka shifted a little in her seat she saw Kenji’s face in her mind, sighing. He wouldn’t want her to do this, would he? Maybe she’d go away, maybe this would all blow over and they could go back to how happy they’d been before. Asuka sighed and leaned back in her chair, heart dropping at how terrified Max looked.

If this Sakura bitch said anything out of line to Max, she was dead.

[Max]

The two people sitting beside Max had both turned to look at him. perfectly in sync, then followed his eyes to the thing walking toward them. It would have been comical to anyone with their eyes on the three of them, but Max sat stock-still, watching Asuka and Sora's expressions contort from the very corners of his eyes to equal parts of glares and savage warnings.

Asuka and Sora were ready to spring forward to protect him if something went wrong, but this was Sakura, and Max knew how to deal with her, or at least, he believed he knew how. She had more than likely been the first person Takashi had called after he had popped his arm back in to place or gone to the hospital or whatever it was that he needed to do to fix what Sora had without a doubt broken.

Sora, now gripping Max's hand, looked at the blonde girl as if she were the most disgusting human on the planet. "He said leave.” Max hadn't seen the way he had looked at Satsuki and Takashi, but he assumed it was something very close to, if not worse than, the look he was giving Sakura now.

Max squeezed the blonde's hand but made no effort to rip his gaze away from Sakura fucking Kuroki. She had the nerve to approach him after what she had said to him the last time they had seen each other -- "You nearly killed my brother, you fucking asshole!" -- and she had the nerve to act like it hadn't happened.

"Don't make me say it a thousand times, please -- leave." Max told her, heaving another annoyed sigh. "I have nothing to say to you, and would rather you not be here. The three of us are having a good time, and you don't need to be here."

The girl wasn't looking at him anymore, though. Her gaze had dropped to Max and Sora's hands -- still clasped tightly, fingers zipped and locked together. Fuck. She was really going to go there.

"You lied about something else, huh?" Sakura asked, nodding down to where her gaze had been trained before dragging her eyes back up to Max's face again. "I knew Takashi was right. There was no way you could be straight," Shut up, shut up, shut UP. "You never wanted anything to do with the girls that my brother hung out with."

Max wanted to snap at her, to really and truly tell her to fuck off, but the words stuck in his throat. There was no doubt in his mind that everything he said, did, and everything Sakura observed would be relayed right to the sources of Max's torment. If he made the girl cry again -- though, in his defense, Sakura had already been crying the last time they had seen each other, Max leaning outside on the bottom floor of his apartment building, cigarette stuck between his lips and blood drying under his nose when she had walked up to him out of the blue and slapped him so hard that his cigarette flew in to a puddle -- he would be dead in twenty-four hours.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Max? Defend yourself again, lie to me and tell me you're not gay again," -- Max had no idea why he had even bothered clearing it up with her in the first place -- "I knew my brother was right about everything, right from the start!" she was whining now, causing a scene, but Max couldn't do or say anything.

No matter what -- he could say the word "frog," and it would get twisted in to something else entirely --, whatever Max said would make it back to the two other boys, and then they'd have a real reason to come after the brunette. Takashi showed no mercy when it came to his younger sister, but the boys were itching for an excuse to really get at Max, that much he knew, and they would use this as their reason.

[andou]

Sora did not like this girl. He didn't like anything about her. Her skirt was too short, her hair was too blonde -- hell the way she breathed ticked him off. Sakura's dull brown eyes were ogling his boyfriend and he just about kissed him to show her that he wasn't up for grabs. She was way too familiar... her very sight cause a very familiar rage to bubble up in his chest.

The blonde's eyes never stopped glaring at the girl, but in his peripherals he could see Asuka tensing up. A sick smirk worked it's way up onto Sora. Keep talking, sweethart. He thought devilishly. Asuka would tear her apart, the second they let her. No no, him first. He would warm her up... if Max needed him to.

"Don't make me say it a thousand times, please -- leave. I have nothing to say to you, and would rather you not be here. The three of us are having a good time, and you don't need to be here." Max asked again. Annoyance ran through him, like a burning fire. Go. The. Fuck. Away. Bitch. But what could he say? What had she done other than glare at them?

"You lied about something else, huh? I knew Takashi was right. There was no way you could be straight. You never wanted anything to do with the girls that my brother hung out with." The older boy clenched his hand t his side, aching to bitch slap this girl. He silently begged Asuka to let him borrow her body so he could shut this bitch up. "Why aren't you saying anything, Max? Defend yourself again, lie to me and tell me you're not gay again, I knew my brother was right about everything, right from the start!"

That was it. Sora had enough venom stored up from the last time he encountered his "friends" , to at least sting the girl. His anger cause him to over look the again statement but he made a mental note to address it later. "Takashi is your brother?" He laughed humorlessly, "I knew you looked familiar. How is the old pal? You must be here to send me his 'Thanks!'. Tell him it was no problem, and if he ever wants a dislocated arm again... he can come to me. I'd be happy to do that for him. I mean, that has to be the reason you're here because... you wouldn't be here to hurt my Maxxie would you?" The look in his eye was murderous, as he mentally attempted to throw knives at her. Sora threw his arm around Max, kissing his cheek. "And you should probably get your facts straight. Max isn't gay. He doesn't like boys, but he doesn't like girls either -- which means you -- he only likes me."

[false]

This Sakura bitch just didn’t know when to quit, did she? Max and Sora were holding hands next to her; she could see that Max’s knuckles were white from the corner of her eye. ”Don’t make me say it a thousand times, please — leave.” Max told her, sighing out of annoyance. ”I have nothing to say to you, and would rather you not be here. The three of us are having a good time, and you don’t need to be here.”

Damn straight, Asuka thought to herself, clenching her fists. Go the fuck away, you’re not wanted here. If looks could kill, the combined animosity between both her and Sora’s gazes would have set this girl ablaze long ago.

Sakura’s eyes were no longer on Max — they were on his hands, interlaced with Sora’s. Her expression was one of utter contempt; why this was, Asuka had a few educated guesses. ”You lied about something else, huh?” the girl said, voice dripping with envy that she tried to mask with her bitchy, intolerable attitude. She was jealous of Sora, that was it, but why would she treat Max like this if she liked him? ”I knew Takashi was right.” — Asuka clenched her fists even tighter at the mention of his name — ”There was no way you could be straight.” So, what? She was a jealous bitch who bought her brother’s lies? Max had never come off as completely straight — if anything he came off as neutral, swinging either way but choosing girls simply because that was the easier route. But the bitterness in her voice suggested that it had been given time to fester, years, even. She must have liked him, but Takashi must have lied to her about it.

Does she even know what kind of person her brother is?

In Max’s realm, the wheels were turning inside his head. It was obvious that he hated her fucking guts, but he wasn’t saying anything; that wasn’t surprising, he was somewhat of a coward in the face of his past. Not that she had any room to talk whatsoever. The fact stood, however, that he was absolutely terrified of her. Asuka hated that look in his eyes and she hated the feeling of watching him get hurt. Again, the demon in her mind called her to arms, whispering sweet nothings that made her blood boil and her judgment wane. You don’t fucking control me, she told it, beating it away. Violence was something she would never, ever allow herself to succumb to, never again.

”Why aren’t you saying anything, Max? Defend yourself again, lie to me and tell me you’re not gay again?” What the fuck was this girl talking about? She was whining like a three year old, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was both disgusted and envious of Sora at the same time. Ordinary people may have missed it — hell, Asuka doubted that the girl could admit it even in her own head — but it was all so obvious, so palpable. ”I knew my brother was right about everything, right from the start!”

Sora beat her to the punch, though. ”Takashi is your brother?” He laughed, though there was no humor in his voice. His eyes were dangerous-looking, violently protective. So, she wasn’t alone in wanting to slap the bitch across the face. ”I knew you looked familiar. How is the old pal? You must be here to send me his ‘Thanks!’. Tell him it was no problem, and if he ever wants a dislocated arm again… he can come to me. I’d be happy to do that for him. I mean, that has to be the reason you’re here because… you wouldn’t be here to hurt my Maxxie would you?” Sora threw an arm around Max, kissing him on the cheek. ”And you should probably get your facts straight. Max isn’t gay. He doesn’t like boys, but he doesn’t like girls either — which means you — he only likes me.”

Sora’s last point brought forth just how ridiculous Sakura’s train of thought was — Max had been violated sexually by her brother, a member of the same sex, but somehow being in a committed relationship with another boy was worse than that? She was so fucking stupid.

Asuka couldn’t help what came out next — she laughed so hard that her sides felt as though they were going to burst, the pathetic irony in the girl’s bitching too much for her to even handle. It didn’t matter that Max had suddenly become mute and Sora was using all of his effort to contain his rage, or that everyone around her likely thought she’d finally snapped. This was just too much for her, the final straw, and either she was going to laugh or she was going to tear out the bitch’s jugular vein. ”Hahahaha, oh my god,” Asuka said, wiping a tear from her eye before standing up from the chair. She set her phone down neatly on top of her purse, standing up out of her chair.

“You, Takashi’s sister, criticizing Max’s sexuality?” Asuka asked, rolling her eyes before stealing a glance at the two boys behind her. “Criticizing Max for anything? Don’t fucking make me laugh.” She took another step closer to Sakura, unflinching, her voice even but loud enough to be heard. “If you’ll kindly open your fucking eyes, you’ll realize that you have no place here, anymore. Does Max really look like he wants anything to do with you?” She waved an arm towards her best friend behind her, his boyfriend’s arm around him. “No, of course he doesn’t. And why would he? You’re a vacuous, meaningless little tart who swallows everything her bastard older brother says — that same opportunistic, malevolent older brother, in fact, who forced himself on Max. And by forced himself, yes, I mean rape in every sense of the word.” She paused for a moment, letting the words sink in. Max hadn’t told her that explicitly, either, but it had been fairly obvious that ‘he was under the impression that I was gay’ meant so much more than that. “But it’s sad, isn’t it? Not only are you still in love with Max, or rather, you can’t seem to shake how you used to feel about him, you’re also jealous of the wrong fucking person.”

“You wanna know why your relationship with him went down the toilet?” She stepped even closer, only a few feet away. “Wanna know why Max won’t look at you anymore? It’s because you’re too fucking stupid to realize that your brother’s a fucking monster — Takashi and his cute little group treated him like dirt, crushed him underneath their heel. The evidence was all there for you to see — do you think Max just got hurt like that on his own? Sucked off businessmen in bathroom stalls just because he felt like it, rather than being coerced into it? The evidence was all there, but you were too fucking stupid to see it.” Asuka rolled her eyes. “You swallowed their lies like a complacent little bitch.”

It was becoming harder and harder not to slap the girl across the face, but Asuka’s iron will would not be bent on this. “It wasn’t Sora, or me, or anyone he’s met since he left that made him hate you, loathe you,” Asuka said, voice still as calm and collected as it had been before. “It was Takashi. And you fucking know it.”

[Max]

The blonde boy tensed next to Max, his grip on his hand tightening in the same instant that Max's did. They were bound to draw blood with the intensity soon, but Max didn't care. He could feel Sora next to him, and glancing to his right, Max could see Asuka there too. It wasn't the right time or place, but the younger boy had never wanted to tell the two of them just how thankful for them he was.

Asuka and Sora -- his best friend and boyfriend -- both looked incredibly angry, be it at the girl, the situation, or something else entirely, Max wasn't one hundred percent sure.

Sora launched into a rant, spitting venom at Sakura with every syllable he spoke. He laughed without a hint of real amusement, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "You must be here to send me his ‘thanks!’ Tell him it was no problem, and if he ever wants a dislocated arm again… he can come to me. I’d be happy to do that for him. I mean, that has to be the reason you’re here because… you wouldn’t be here to hurt my Maxxie would you?” Sora's grin, filled with malice and ill-intent only a moment ago, softened as he tossed his arm around Max, his lips grazing the other boy's cheek. ”And you should probably get your facts straight. Max isn’t gay. He doesn’t like boys, but he doesn’t like girls either — which means you — he only likes me.”

Sorasexual. Max dropped his eyes to his lap, smothering a small, grateful smile. The brunette knew that Sora had just completely confused the girl standing in front of the three of them without actually, actively trying to.

Sakura didn't have much in the way of brains, but, when insulted, she would keep firing off stupid comments until her opponent walked away or their head imploded.

There was a moment of silence echoing between the group of the four teenagers, before Asuka started to laugh, hard, leaning forward slightly where she sat. Max's head snapped up, turning slowly to look at her.

Oh no...

Max had never seen Asuka angry before, but he could tell easily that that was exactly what has happening before him. The brunette boy had heard a story or two of what happened when she finally couldn't contain her anger within herself anymore -- which is without a doubt part of the reason her hand was bandaged like it was -- and, from what he understood, it usually started off something like this.

As Asuka laughed, Sakura's eyes widened. She was afraid of her. Good. The brunette boy didn't like to think of people finding Asuka frightening, but Sakura was a different story completely. Nothing Max did or said would intimidate her because Sakura believed she was bigger than him, stronger, and while that might be true, with Asuka standing between the two of them, her back straight like she was a soldier, Max knew he had no real reason to worry.

"Oh my god!" the dark-haired girl said between tiny fits of laughter. She stood from the bench, setting her bag and phone down gently before stepping up to Sakura. “You, Takashi’s sister, criticizing Max’s sexuality?” Asuka looked back towards Max and Sora, still pressed close together on the bench, Max's eyes wide again, watching her. “Criticizing Max for anything? Don’t fucking make me laugh.”

The brunette boy found himself trying to remember what he had done to receive such fierce protectors. He couldn't think of a single thing. Max had simply had the two of them placed in front of him with 'Befriend Me' signs hung around their necks. Or, maybe it was the other way around, but either way, Max knew he didn't deserve them.

Asuka continued. “If you’ll kindly open your fucking eyes, you’ll realize that you have no place here, anymore. Does Max really look like he wants anything to do with you? No, of course he doesn’t. And why would he? You’re a vacuous, meaningless little tart who swallows everything her bastard older brother says — that same opportunistic, malevolent older brother, in fact, who forced himself on Max. And by forced himself, yes, I mean rape in every sense of the word.”

Max cringed, shying away from the argument and closer to Sora. He had never worded it that way -- in fact, Max had been trying to avoid thinking about it at all lately -- and hearing what had happened put in such blunt terms hit him hard. Though he had never elaborated when telling Asuka about his past the morning they had met, she knew exactly what he meant.

The blonde girl did have one decent quality, however -- when in an argument like this, she let the other person finish tearing her down before she retaliated. Why she did that, Max couldn't say, but he hoped she realized how wonderful it was for her to have that tiny speck of respect when she hand none for anything or anyone else in that moment.

“Wanna know why Max won’t look at you anymore?" Asuka pressed on, stepping closer to Sakura. "It’s because you’re too fucking stupid to realize that your brother’s a fucking monster — Takashi and his cute little group treated him like dirt, crushed him underneath their heel. The evidence was all there for you to see — do you think Max just got hurt like that on his own? Sucked off businessmen in bathroom stalls just because he felt like it, rather than being coerced into it? The evidence was all there, but you were too fucking stupid to see it.” The dark-haired girl's hand shook, only once and it was barely noticeable. “You swallowed their lies like a complacent little bitch.”

Sakura took a deep breath, angry tears pooling in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Asuka wasn't quite finished yet.

“It wasn’t Sora, or me, or anyone he’s met since he left that made him hate you, loathe you,” She was calm, her anger in check, but there was no doubt in Max's mind that Asuka was completely furious. “It was Takashi. And you fucking know it.”

"Asuka..." Max whispered, glad that Sora's hand still held his tightly. If it had slipped even in the slightest, Max would have already been standing, wrapping his arms around her and thanking her a billion times. He had been right, the brunette boy had done nothing to deserve her as a friend

There was another long silence between the four of them. Max had no plans of speaking unless it got out of hand, to call Asuka off, or Sora, whoever it may have been. He couldn't say anything, and not because he was afraid or Sakura, but because he was afraid of her brother.

"Who are you, anyway, to say things like this? None of that is true! I know that! My brother wouldn't lie to me." Sakura started, eyes bouncing between Asuka and Sora, not once looking at Max. Thank god. She stared directly at Sora now, her eyes narrowed. "And you're Sora? The dick that hurt my brother last time? You're a horrible person! He did nothing to you!" Sakura was crying now, ridiculously rehearsed and not fooling anyone.

The girl cried for a moment, her face in her hands, before returning her cold glare to Asuka. "Neither of you know anything about him" -- she gestured to Max -- "or what happened between him and my brother. Max is a liar, that's all he does! He lied about everything that happened that night, and about what he felt for me!" -- which was 'nothing' from the first day I met you, and it's nothing now -- "You can't say these things to someone you don't know, you... you bitch! I know Max, I have for a year now, and even though he's not a good person, he's still my friend and all I want to do is talk to him!" She shouted, making fists at her sides and stomping her foot.

Max sucked in a breath, the familiar feeling of 'I'm about to vomit' sweeping through him again. The brunette was pressing himself so close to Sora that he was practically on the older boy's lap. He was tired of this -- constantly being attacked like this, out of the blue --, it terrified him. Inevitably, it would happen when neither Sora nor Asuka were around, because they couldn't constantly be at his side, constantly protecting him. What would happen then?

[andou]

The blonde almost jumped at the cackling that came from the glasses wearing girl. He raised a blonde eye brow at her, his attention drawn away from the blonde girl in front of them. Asuka looked insane... and it was fucking awesome. This must be what he looked like when he fought Takashi and Satusuki, wide eyed and filled with rage. ”Hahahaha, oh my god,” The girl stood up, and Sora almost stood up with her. Shit was about to go down, and the grin on his face only grew wider. It took everything in him not to start screaming 'Fight! Fight!'

“You, Takashi’s sister, criticizing Max’s sexuality? Criticizing Max for anything? Don’t fucking make me laugh. If you’ll kindly open your fucking eyes, you’ll realize that you have no place here, anymore. Does Max really look like he wants anything to do with you? No, of course he doesn’t. And why would he? You’re a vacuous, meaningless little tart who swallows everything her bastard older brother says — that same opportunistic, malevolent older brother, in fact, who forced himself on Max. And by forced himself, yes, I mean rape in every sense of the word.” Her words were so harsh and direct that Sora felt like he was the one getting hit with them.

I mean rape in every sense of the word.[/b]

Sora was shaking now. The hand that wasn't holding Max clenched into a fist and he just felt like punching something -- preferably Takashi. It was just like back then when the dark haired boy had flaunted what he did in front of Sora, "He's good at sucking dick, especially if you force him, he doesn't bite or anything. Isn't that right Max?" He needed to hit someone. The thought of someone putting his hands on his Maxxie, drove him crazy. Images of going to the local hospital and finishing off the job flashed into his mind, punching the kid so hard repeatedly until his face was unrecognizable. I'll fucking kill him. He swore silently.

“But it’s sad, isn’t it? Not only are you still in love with Max, or rather, you can’t seem to shake how you used to feel about him, you’re also jealous of the wrong fucking person. You wanna know why your relationship with him went down the toilet? Wanna know why Max won’t look at you anymore? It’s because you’re too fucking stupid to realize that your brother’s a fucking monster — Takashi and his cute little group treated him like dirt, crushed him underneath their heel. The evidence was all there for you to see — do you think Max just got hurt like that on his own? Sucked off businessmen in bathroom stalls just because he felt like it, rather than being coerced into it? The evidence was all there, but you were too fucking stupid to see it. You swallowed their lies like a complacent little bitch.” Stories had gone around Aozora of how vicious and sharp tongued Asuka was, but they paled in comparison to the real deal. If if wasn't for how god damn angry the blonde was, he would have had his mouth open in shock.

His blue eyes traveled back to the blonde girl who was on the verge of tears -- as she should be --and he laughed lightly. at her expense. Was she really going to try and retort?

Apparently so.

"Who are you, anyway, to say things like this? None of that is true! I know that! My brother wouldn't lie to me." The stupid girl glanced back and forth between Asuka and him, and he begged silently for her to say something to him so he could tear her apart, and thankfully... she did. Turning her overly powdered eyes to Sora, she glared, opening her moth to say something, "And you're Sora? The dick that hurt my brother last time? You're a horrible person! He did nothing to you!"

He wanted to interrupt her there, but apparently she had more to say, her words directed at Asuka this time. "Neither of you know anything about him or what happened between him and my brother. Max is a liar, that's all he does! He lied about everything that happened that night, and about what he felt for me! You can't say these things to someone you don't know, you... you bitch! I know Max, I have for a year now, and even though he's not a good person, he's still my friend and all I want to do is talk to him!"

Holy shit was this bitch dumb, and maybe even more pathetic than her brother. As much as he hated to, Sora released Max -- who was practically clinging to him-- bringing both of his arms to his lap and dusting it off, before standing up and towering over both girls. His head shook back and forth as he clicked his tongue, "Sakura, Sakura, Sakura. You really are a dumb little bitch aren't you?" He glared down at her, "Let's not forget that your piece of shit brother, is in the hospital, because of me. And I won't hesitate to hurt anyone who threatens to hurt my boyfriend." It was a bluff, he wouldn't hit Sakura... but she didn't know that, "Now that we have that as a reminder... Let's talk. Takashi, is scum, just like his little fuckin' friends. Last time I saw him, I got this," -- he pointed to his healing bruise on his eye -- "And this," Lifting his shirt up he showed the girl the angry blackened bruise that hovered about ribs he knew to still be broken. "So. Don't fucking tell me he didn't do anything to me." He dropped the shirt from his hand and took a step toward the girl, close enough to smell her perfume, "You know Maxxie more than me? That's fucking hysterical. No seriously, I'm pissing my fucking pants with laughter." He cracked a devilish smile, before speaking again. "If you want to talk to Maxxie, you have to talk with all three of us. If couldn't already tell, we're kind of a package deal."