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the first time max hatter met you was on the first day of school at auradon prep. he decided to explore the campus instead of getting lunch with his friends since he didn't feel like eating just yet. he managed to get all the way to where the enchanted lake was but he wasn't quite there. along the path built for said enchanted lake, he noticed that the path deviates into this man-made path going into the forest surrounding the said built path.

curiosity caught him and max ventured into the forest.

there, he saw you.

you laid on a blanket with this basket full of jars. there were jars on the blanket as well in one pile near it. surrounding you were piles of... leaves? plants? flowers? whatever they were, they seemed to be properly sectioned off separately.

max wasn't sure if you were asleep or just taking a break. but he wasn't going to risk being seen looking like some sort of creep.

...although maybe it's best to be seen so that you don't think of it like that.

an alarm ringed. the sound stirred you as you stretched your limbs then slowly sat up. letting out a yawn, you grabbed a pair of scissors then pulled out a bouquet of flowers from... somewhere (max didn't see where you pulled those out of). in one swoop, you cut the buds off the stems—the buds exploding onto your lap.

what the fuck —> max's exact thoughts in real-time.

he was so taken aback that he didn't realize he actually said these words out loud.

looking up, you made eye contact with him. "oh, you're not my cousin..." you monotonically commented then turned back to what you were doing.

this time, max looked taken aback. he walked forward while saying, "woah, woah, woah—you can't just say that i'm not your cousin then go back to... whatever the hex you're doing." he plopped down onto the blanket on the forest floor, taking a seat in front of you.

max invited himself and picked up one of the open jars next to him. "what even are these?" he asked as he raised the jar up to his eye level and peering into it.

you looked up for a split second then turned back to stuffing the buds into one of the jars and bluntly answered, "they're poison."

he dropped the jar he was holding out of shock. your reflexes kicked in and quickly caught the said jar before it crashed into the ground. "...you're lucky i caught that." your deadpanned eyes meeting his confused ones, then the contact went away as quick as it happened.

max didn't know what to understand from you. what kind of person collects poison? on school grounds also no less. it's... it's mad—! and that's already coming from the son of an actual madman (max internally rolled his eyes). he watched as you crumpled each petal into this paste-like powder inside of the jar.

who are you? he can't fathom not knowing who you are nor knowing what legacy you came from. you can't be a vk... he would've known—then again how would he have known even if you were a vk? it's not like he paid much attention to the other vks on the island. but he probably would've remembered someone pretty like you—he shook his head from the thought. an hk then? but... what you're wearing didn't look like something any hk would sensibly wear.

a strapless one piece swimsuit top paired with from what he can see to be a skort? just low enough so that the top of your hips were peeking out from the slit between the swimsuit and the skort. the swimsuit top looked scaly with leaf prints here and there while your skort was just plain black. vines swirled around your legs that came from the straps of the heels you have. long elegant gloves with the same swirling vines around it. your hair a bit wavy with red-orange highlights, obvious and seen from your dark hair.

....max hummed as he thought that you looked more like a vk if anything—poison ivy motif. that mole on your cheek.... who has a mole on their cheek? he wasn't sure if he knew any villain or hero who has moles on their face.

so his question still remained unanswered.

just who are you?

"...and why in the wicked isle are you even collecting poison for?" he managed to ask.

you let out a hum, not looking up at him. "because i want to?" a tilt of your head and the tone of your voice made it sound like that was supposed to be obvious.

max nodded his head at you. "uhuh," he responded sarcastically. "i totally should've known." a deadpan look on his face.

you glanced up at him then let out a chuckle at his face before looking back to another bouquet. at the sound of your chuckle, his face softens. max noticed how monotone you look and sound together with how literal you can get. it's a bit refreshing that you didn't look at him in fear because of who he is. actually, do you even know who he is?

"do you know who i am?" he asked straightforwardly.

you paused after cutting off another set of buds. this time you properly looked up and stared at him. "no," you answered honestly. "...do you know who i am?" your tone a bit soft.

"no," max gave you the same answer with a shook of his head.

"oh."

a comfortable silence envelops the two of you as you continued doing what you were doing while max stayed beside you, hanging out and scrolling through his phone.

as you were walking through the locker hall, you bumped into a familiar person. max caught you in a dip; his arm wrapped around your waist while his other hand caught your arm. you could feel his strong hold on your hip and wrist.

"..it's you," he lets out before pulling you back on your heels. "you good?"

you nodded your head. "thank you," you say.

he shook his head. "don't mention it."

felix lets out a whistle from behind max. "oho, who do we have here?" he says as he laid an arm on max's shoulder. his other hand shuffling a deck of cards—tarot cards.

on the other side of max stood hazel as she looked at you up and down. she then raised one brow like she had recognized you, but wasn't quite sure. "what a princely move there, max," she commented with an elbow nudge. "you pulling them hk moves now?"

max rolled his eyes at his friends. "can you shut up," he says (with affection).

hazel laughs as she lets out, "what?" then she walked towards you, circling you. "she's a fine lass. sweetheart, if you had bumped into me, i would've done more than swept you off your feet."

you shook your head. "no thanks. i'm already familiar with... max. i would've rather him than you."

hazel paused in front of your with an amused yet surprised look on her face before turning to max to laugh at him. "what the hex did you do to her?!" she lets out.

"wow, that's a first," felix lets out next with a cross of his arms. he then walked over to your side to ask, "do you not see the resemblance he has with his father?"

you raised a brow at his question, but before you could answer, max placed a hand on hazel's and felix's shoulder. "okay!" he exclaimed. "enough! let's go. we got a class to catch." then started pushing them away from you. the two of them started laughing at his embarrassment.

as he passed by you, you turned back to him. "max," you called.

the three of them paused as max turned back to you. "what?"

with a stretched hand, you called, "give it back."

felix and hazel looked at each other as max looked a bit impressed. "give what back?" he says with a smirk.

wordlessly, you pulled out a jagged wallet with you other hand. "let's do a trade then." a similar smirk forms on your face.

"no hexing way!" hazel lets out in surprise while felix lets out a low whistle. "she done you good, max!" she then points at you. "you and i need to hang out—i don't care if you're an hk. you're wicked in my book."

max groans as he took out your own wallet from his back pocket and places it on your open palm as he swipes back his own wallet. "i'll see you some time," he whispered out to you.

you watched him walk away.

"so what's your deal with her?" hazel asked immediately after departing with you. the group stopped in the hallway inside the building by the wall.

max shrugged. "i don't know what you want from me," he says. "i just met her... like a few weeks back. i caught her in her business and i just... we ended up just hanging out then."

hazel slightly reeled her head back as she stared at him with squinted eyes. "the hex do you mean "cause her in her business"?" her fists on her hips.

"wait—!" max palmed his face. "i mean, she was collecting some herbs or plants or flowers or stuff out in the forest in the enchanted lake. and i somehow found her."

"was this when you ditched us from lunch?" felix asked to which max nodded at. "so then y'all just... there in the forest alone?" max nodded again. "... do you know who she is?" felix pointed a finger towards the direction where they bumped into you.

max shook his head. "she looked really vk—i mean, you guys saw what she's wearing! but i don't remember a vk like her, so i just defaulted to maybe she's an hk that i don't know."

"an hk you don't know?" hazel repeated. "max, she's a madrigal."

felix nodded. "y/n madrigal, daughter of... isabela? the one with the flowers," he added.

it felt like max's head just exploded right there.

felix shook his head at hazel. "no, who cares if he didn't know—i mean, we all saw what she was wearing!" he repeated. "i wanna know if she knew who you were."

max shook his head. "no, she said she didn't know who i was—i literally asked her—and then she asked me if i knew who she was... i said no, duh. and then.... and then i don't know?! something changed after that and we were just... comfy.... in silence. it wasn't even awkward! we just hang around for a few hours together with silence and some talking here and there." he blinked a few times. "we never actually asked for each other's names."

"max, i don't think i ever saw you this down bad before," felix mentioned.

hazel nods her head at that. "yeah, no, you're wickedly down bad."

max blushed at his ears. "what! no, no, no, no," he denied. "this is just the first time someone ever... not been afraid of me because of my father!"

felix and hazel looked at each other before turning back to max.

"right, right," hazel says.

"whatever you say, bud," felix says.

"guys!" max exclaimed.

you watched as the trio go inside, heading for whatever class they have next. that was then luis drops by next to you. "are you good, prima?" he asked.

you turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "yes?" you answered, confused.

"no, 'cause you bumped into... them of all people," he told you with a slight glare towards the direction where they left.

you tilted your head at him. "luis... prejudice, really?" you stated at him. "there's a reason why the borders are down for the vks... it's because they're not like their parents—!" at this point, you tried to walk away from him.

luis winced at your harsh words as he catches up to you and stops you once again. "but he's a hatter! maddox is one of the most feared villains! and that's his son, max. and he's friends with a hook and a facilier." he sighs. "look, i'm just trying to protect mi familia."

"look, it's the madrigals!" someone squealed from the side as a small crowd eventually forms.

luis was quick to act—a smile on his face as he flaunts off his muscles. you rolled your eyes at him before forcefully shoving your way out of the crowd. he saw and immediately caught you by the wrist. "sorry about my prima here guys! she's a bit in a bad mood right now," he apologized on your behalf. "we'll hang out next time?"

the crowd then slowly dispersed.

you sighed in relief. you then turned to luis with a glare. "you of all people should know just how much i hate our family name," you stated firmly. "why am i given this pressure of morals and comparisons all because i was bestowed the title of an hk."

luis stayed silent. his brows furrowed at your statement.

"i know you agree with me to a certain degree, luis," you tell him. "you don't have to do the things i've done to rebel. you just have to not fall for the stereotypes of others and act on it. i bet they're nice—i know max is—and you'd know it too if you try to befriend them."

you turned on your heel and stomped off.

max managed to find you once again, this time, at the greenhouse which was located in one of the corners of auradon prep. a rather isolated area due to the magical plants it posses and the size of the greenhouse. a fairly big building that feels like the size of a cottage, albeit a bit bigger.

it was by chance that max stumbled upon it. he just felt like walking around and he managed to see the spacious area. the greenhouse was surrounded by a garden—smaller compared to the one behind the school.

there you were, inside the greenhouse watering some plants. max watched you from the entrance. after a few more seconds, he then decided to wordlessly look around. he wasn't sure if you knew he was here, but decided not to announce his presence.

he appreciated how organized the area was. each section was categorized into certain kinds of plants and then each plant was also named. he didn't know much about botany but this system made it easy to know which is which and under what.

max stared at the section with just a bunch of leaves. none of it was labelled—he looked for one. was it a new section? maybe since it didn't have any labels at all even a hanging sign above the section wasn't there. he crouched down to look at the said leaves. he slowly reached out to touch—

"don't touch that."

he froze mid-air as he turned to the sound of your voice.

"all of those leaves are poisonous to the touch. i was just about to pick up the labels i printed over at the library," you told him as you stood next to him. "it's a good thing you found this place before i left."

max sighed in both relief and annoyance as he stood up. "wouldn't it be better to have the labels ready first and then plant them?" he asked.

you shrugged turning to the sectioned leaves. "i was excited," you honestly told him. "besides, fairy godmother said no one really drops by here and is only weekly maintained, so i called dibs and it's technically my territory now."

he hummed. "you..." he stuttered. "you know who i am now, huh?"

you turned to him with a raised brow. "...and you know who i am also," you mentioned.

silence engulfed the two of you. a silence that felt one of you had to disturb it, but the hesitation was evident. words hung on the tip of the lip, but nothing comes out.

max swirled in his anxiousness. in his head, you were already afraid of him. in his head, it's over. in his head... in his head, he actually wanted to get close to you. letting out a sigh, he walked towards the door of the greenhouse, carefully swerving around you, and not bumping his shoulder into yours.

he didn't dare look back.

you dumped books into your locker as you were done with classes for the day. lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice someone closing your locker door for you. a loud bang gets your out of your thoughts.

turning to one hazel hook, leaning against the lockers. you raised a brow at her and said, "hello, hazel."

"what did you do to max?" she asked straightforwardly with a glare on her face.

taken aback, you didn't respond in time.

"he's been sulking for months!" she exclaimed. "and i've thought about it"—her hook pointing at you—"and i've concluded that the only person who could be sulking at is you."

you opened your mouth, but nothing comes out. "i..." you stammered. "i don't know what to tell you. he..." your eyes flickered.

"well, maybe i can give an old facilier special," felix spoke up from behind you.

three cards floated from his hands. a mist of green surrounded the cards. the first card flipped over showing a reversed major arcana, the hermit.

"she's lonely, hazel. whatever happened between the two of them, she's also suffering."

the next card showed a reversed five of pentacles.

"and she's regrets it wholeheartedly. regret what though? not talking? not interacting? not stopping him when he walked away that day?"

the final card flipped over showing a four of wands.

"and so, there's only one thing left to do." felix moved the last card up to your face, emphasizing it. "you either take back the words you couldn't say or live in your grief forever."

he closed his fists, making the card in front of you disappear.

hazel stared at felix with a deadpan. "you faciliers and your pazazz," she says with a roll of her eyes. "but you know what, it worked." she turned to you.

your face looked as if you were a kicked puppy.

hazel looked amused as she wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "awe, sweetheart, i can't help but pity you too if you looked like that," she says.

"okay, enough bullying the youngin," says felix to which hazel rolled her eyes at as she lets go of you. "max is a total avoidant—he's gonna shut down or even run away the moment his mind overthinks. he doesn't like being compared to his dad and his mind runs in circles, then..."

hazel sighs at felix's explanation. "yeah, he's just gonna assume the person already hates or is afraid of him because of his name," she added.

"and i know you're exactly like him," felix added with a confident smirk and a snap of his fingers.

"is this about what luis said when we finally got him and max to be civil?" hazel asked to which felix nodded.

"your cousin told us—announced, really—that you think max is nice," he says. "and that you're the reason why he's being open-minded with being buddy buddy with us vks.

"in other words, you're exactly like max"—he stared at you like he figured everything out—"you act vk and look vk. we saw evidence of this from when you stole back max's wallet when he tried to steal yours."

hazel raised a finger. "which was wicked by the way," she commented. "where'd you learn how to do that?" felix hit her shoulder to which she stared at him with a stink eye. "what? valid question by the way."

"anyways, you two need to have a good proper talk," felix then concluded.

hazel then started moving you towards inside the building. "c'mon, let's get you some good food to cheer up with."

"and maybe talk about a plan to get you and max to bump into each other again," added felix to which hazel nods at.

"right, of course, that too."

the three of you head towards the cafeteria.

max laid on his bed in his dorm that he shared with felix. the said facilier was currently in class while hazel was off with the smees getting lunch—he didn't want to do anything plus he didn't have class, so here he was. there was nothing in his head but silence and regret. a sense of shame in him too. a part of him wanted to see you, but you know who he is now so what's the point.

he sighed out loud once again.

"you know, that sounds really like a lovesick sigh."

"yup, it really does and i wonder for who—?"

"what the hat?!" max jumped from his bed and turned to see both red and pink in his dorm room, standing by his bed. red chuckled at his reaction while pink let out a giggle. "what are you guys doing here?" he then asked as he sat up on his bed.

"hazel won't stop complaining to chloe and by association, us, about you sulking," red announced as pink nodded her head.

"yeah and hazel slipped that it was about y/n madrigal," pink added.

red turned to pink with a shocked look on her face. "woah, what's with y/n?" she asked.

pink turned to red this time. "you didn't know?" she lets out. "hazel and felix mentioned that they have something going on."

"woah, woah, woah"—max held both his palms up at the two hearts—"there's nothing going on with y/n and i. we just hanged out a few times."

red then turned back to max with a raised brow. "you? hanging out with another hk?" she pointed out. "it took you a wicked long time to get comfy with luis."

"well~" pink spoke up. "luis did kept provoking max so i'd say that's on him." she gave a tight nervous smile.

max pointed at pink with an "exactly" look on his face. red shrugged, agreeing with the argument.

"okay, besides the point," red says. "my point is: you didn't become this anxious loser around her that had to act every second—and don't deny it. hazel and felix told me everything." she crossed her arms on her chest.

max groaned at being exposed by his two friends. "okay, look!" he exclaimed. "she didn't know who i was when we first met."

pink squealed. "awe max! that's like all you ever wanted," she commented.

red let out a hum. her brows furrowed like she was connecting some dots. "did you know who she was?" she asked.

"no..."

"i see," she replied. "i see that you're an idiot."

"what?!" max exclaimed in aghast as he stood up from his bed. "what'd i do?!"

"y/n's exactly like you, you know?" she emphasized. "she doesn't want to be known by her family name; she wants to be known for who she is. you're being a huge hypocrite for not even hearing her out." red jabbed a finger on max's chest.

"max," pink called out nicely. she signaled red to move a bit to the side with a touch of her shoulder and stood in front of max. "i have no right to say this as an hk myself and i can truly never know what you've been through due to your father's status, but i think you need to hear it anyways.

"there's a reason why king ben and queen mal brought down the barriers—and it's for us! the future of auradon, the next generation. yes, your title as a vk and my title as an hk will always stay, but we can write our own destiny now!"

pink then gave a glance at red. "red literally chose to be both a vk and an hk," she added.

"yeah, because i act too much like a vk—said fairy godmother."

"i don't even know how you turned out like that overnight. we grew up with the same mother!"

"...that's what you think."

"what?"

"nothin'"

pink turned back to max. "anyways, max, you two should talk."

max turned his head away and said, "yeah, maybe."

you slid off the skort you wore with a sigh of relief. though you'd much rather only wear the one piece swimsuit you have, your mama threatened to burn it down if you didn't wear at least bottoms paired with it. sighing, you slid off the gloves you wore—

"pink! i know you took my—"

the loud slam of the door hitting against your dorm room walls echoed in the room. your eyes made contact with max's eyes as the two of you froze at the situation. at the sight of max, that talk you had with hazel and felix lingered in your mind even though it's been a few weeks since then.

"i'm so sorry," max immediately blurts out at the sight of you in just oyur swimsuit.

you shook your head. "no worries. i'm still clothe. you're looking for something? you can come inside," you tell him with no malice.

max awkwardly closed the door behind him. he made sure to stay as far as away from you as possible. "so, uh," he stammered as he looked everywhere but you. "pink took this... formula that i've been working on for a while and i really need to update it before i forget."

as he talked, you took off the tights you wore as well. "i don't think i've seen something like that around here," you say. "i haven't seen pink since this morning, actually." standing up, you placed the tights into the basket next to your closet and pointed at pink's desk on the other side of the room. "you can look through pink's stuff."

max nodded his head. "yup, uhuh, i'll... i'll go do that," he stammered you watched as he walked over, sat on the chair, and rummaged through pink's things.

staring at his back, you felt a bit... mischievous. a shy smile formed on your face as you silently walked towards his back. the sound of things clanking together and shuffling was the only thing heard in the room. you slammed your hands onto his shoulders in a quick flick.

max jumped out of his seat from the second of your touch and turned to you with wide eyes as one of his hands laid on his chest. "holy hex, y/n, you scared the absolute hat outta me!" he exclaimed.

you stepped away from the chair as it fell to the floor. you laughed with your arms over your stomach. the laughter then falls from the sight of the uncomfortable tone on his face. the light mood that once surrounded the two of you turned awkward.

"i don't hate you, max," you told him honestly. "why can't we be friends again?"

max picked up the fallen chair and put it aside. he then turned to stare at you with this longing in his eyes but his eyes also held sadness. "i don't hate you, y/n. i could never hate you," he tells you honestly. "aren't you afraid? ...of what others think?" he whispered with a soft tone.

you stepped closer towards him as he stepped closer to you as well. "who cares about them, max." your voice wavered. "the only thing that matters is what we think."

a sense of hope lights up inside of you.

"do you really not care?" he asked once again. a hand slowly raising almost like he wanted to reach out to you. "that you'll be... with me?"

your hand shot to his own, holding his fingers between your own. "i never once cared."

"oh."