Max and Jaxon pulled away from the kiss, both of them breathing heavily, their faces inches apart. The room was still, save for the soft hum of the air conditioning in the background. The Polaroid camera, now ignored on the floor, was the only reminder of the awkwardness that had passed.
Max’s chest was tight, but in a way that felt good. Like all the matter he'd been carrying around had finally been removed, even if just for a moment.
Jaxon looked at him, his eyes soft but searching. “You know, you’re kinda... unpredictable, Max.” His voice was low, teasing, but there was something else there—something more real.
Max chuckled, leaning back against the headboard. “You’re not the first person to tell me that.”
Jaxon smiled faintly, his gaze drifting to the window. “Yeah, well, I didn’t expect this. Not from you.”
Max sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I didn’t expect it either.”
The silence extended again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable this time. It felt like they were both figuring out how to be in this space together, without rushing, without pretending.
Max turned to look at Jaxon again. “You’re still mad, huh?”
Jaxon didn’t look at him right away. But when he did, his expression had softened. “I was mad. I’m... not anymore. It’s just, things don’t always go how I expect. And neither do people.”
Max smiled slightly. “I get that. I’m still figuring stuff out, too.”
Jaxon nodded, his fingers brushing the edge of the bed. He looked down at his hands for a moment, then looked up at Max again. “You’re not as bad as you used to be, you know.”
Max’s eyes enlarged slightly. “Really?”
Jaxon shrugged, the smallest smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, well... I guess you’ve been trying. And I’ve been giving you shit about it. I guess... I don’t know, maybe I’m learning to let go of the past.”
Max chuckled, his heart doing that thing again—the feeling of something shifting inside. “Thanks. I don’t exactly have a great track record with this kind of thing.”
Jaxon’s smile widened just a little, and Max could see the tension leaving his shoulders. They sat in silence for a while, both of them trying to make sense of everything that had happened between them.
Max leaned forward, his eyes narrowing playfully. “You gonna talk to me, or just stare at me all day?”
Jaxon raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smile. “I wasn’t staring at you.”
Max laughed, shaking his head. “Sure, you weren’t.”
“I wasn’t!” Jaxon protested, but his grin made it clear he wasn’t exactly serious.
Max reached over, grabbing his jacket from the chair where he had left it earlier. “You wanna go for a walk or something? We could... I don’t know, talk some more?”
Jaxon glanced at him, his expression thoughtful. “Yeah. Why not?”
Scene 15: Outside the House
Max and Jaxon walked side by side down the sidewalk in the cool evening air. Max had his hands in his pockets, and Jaxon walked with his head down, the quiet street offering a rare moment of peace.
It was a strange feeling—this quiet, unspoken understanding between them. Things weren’t perfect, not by a long shot, but for the first time in a while, Max felt like maybe he wasn’t alone in all of this.
“So, this is weird,” Max said after a moment, breaking the silence. “I’m not used to... well, to any of this.” He looked over at Jaxon, who was glancing up at him with a small smile.
“Me neither,” Jaxon replied quietly. “But... it doesn’t feel so bad.”
Max smiled. “No. It doesn’t.”
They kept walking, the world around them fading away as they talked about everything and nothing at all—things that didn’t matter, and things that did. Their words were slow and careful, like they were both testing the waters.
6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8a5ITGnb3
Cuming Together
Back at the house, Max was the first to step inside, holding the door open for Jaxon. As they walked back toward the living room, Max’s dad came down the stairs, eyeing them both curiously.
“Everything okay, guys?” he asked, his tone casual but probing.
Max shot Jaxon a look, and Jaxon just nodded, looking surprisingly calm. “Yeah, everything’s fine.”
Max’s dad raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything more. “Alright. Just checking in. We’ll be leaving in a bit. You two can hang out for a while longer.”
“Thanks,” Jaxon said, his voice a little stiff, but he managed a small smile.
As soon as Max’s dad turned around and walked away, Max and Jaxon exchanged glances again. The space between them felt different but in a good way.
Max stepped closer. “You still want to hang out?” he asked quietly.
Jaxon nodded. “Yeah. Let’s just... hang out.”
They sat down on the couch again, the night stretched out before them, no more acting, no more confusion. Just them, figuring it out. Together.
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