Some Guy

Life had for better or worse calmed down a bit and it rolled right on. It was Brec's first weekend back after nearly two weeks of reshoots. Tired wasn't even the right word, the days started before the sun was up and ended long after it had set. She had slept until nearly eleven and even now was clad in sweats and an oversized Cowboys t-shirt. Putting away the last of the towels, she walked from the bathroom to the stairs and down, stepping around the snoozing dogs. She heard the vehicle long before she saw it. "Max, James is here." It was called the death trap for a reason and looked like it had been through hell and back more than once. Still, it chugged on. She opened the front door and waited until the man was inside before shutting it. "He'll be right down" she said before walking to finish the last load of laundry.

For the past month Max had been laying low, keeping his nose clean and staying as out of trouble as possible. It was actually quite easy. His agent was slowly starting to suggest future projects but Max was in no rush nor was he going to jump into something new because well that just wasn't his way of doing things. Besides he had other things on his mind for the near future and work was not one of them, not yet and that was okay. He had no idea how more actors didn't suffer from burnout, movie after movie, year after year, god how did any of them find time to actually live? Hearing Brec tell him James was there, which had been painfully obvious, in a neighborhood filled with the richest of the rich the death trap stood out like sore thumb. Then again, so did he. He didn't belong and he never would. Heading down the stairs, nearly crashing down thanks to the dogs, he flashed his best friend a quick smile before he focused on Brec. "We won't be home late and we will be on our best behavior." He shot his best friend a look, vigorous nodding from him. "I know I am asking a lot but trust me. Please?"

ryangosling: To anyone who has ever been "Notebook'd" all I can say is...sorry?

MaxLloydJones1: I may have been Notebook'd but at least I have never been Titanic'd!

Actions had consequences. Full stop. Sometimes they were worse than others. This definitely fell on the "worse" side of things that was for sure. Call it serendipity, call it fate, call it luck, call it what you want but things had worked at a break-neck pace and now he was being led from the cell to the front of the station. No one spoke, really what was there to say? After getting his things from the officers, he turned and faced his fiancee who was looking terribly unhappy. Given she had to rearrange her entire day and somehow find a flight down there it was understandable. Still he was a stranger in a strange land and she was his only connection to it-which suited him just fine so far. They looked at each other, again, neither speaking, before they walked outside. It was late, beyond late at this hour and it was not lost on him the weather had gotten steadily worse throughout the day and was no doubt only going to get worse. Brec was on her phone, sending off various texts and running damage control on this spontaneous bout of insanity. All he could do now was hope he hadn't completely wrecked them, given her dad and siblings a final nail in their coffin. He hoped and prayed, who was he without the person who had saved his life?

With unsteady legs, Austin faced him, he had very little time before he was knocked into, arms grabbed him and they hit the sand again, tumbling and rolling, grunting and swearing and looking downright insane. The water was cold and smacked into them hard but it was a change from the sand. With the other man's grip loosened, Austin was able to tug free, his elbow slamming into his side, hitting something, enough for him to back up and away from him. Given the thrashing he had gotten earlier though he was weak and slow and every move he made caused a sharp pain to shoot through his body.

Max gasped as he had the wind knocked out of him, stumbling slightly as he did his best to right himself. Walking upwards from the water, he caught him by his shirt and shoved him into the sand, once more pinning him down tightly. "If I find you anywhere near my fiancee I will break you, I will destroy you, I will fucking end you. And I am not fucking kidding" he snarled as he kept him pinned down. His chest heaving as he leaned forward and grabbed him by the shirt again, jerking his head upright. "Stay away or I will come back and make this look like fucking child's play." He shoved him back into the sand and took a few steps back before he slammed his foot into his groin, pulling it down as he watched him. "Had to wonder" he said, his eyes on him. And that's when the cops showed up and the cuffs came out. Max knew people got shot for a lot less than what he had done so he held his hands up and didn't move to the officers, he let them grab him and arrest him before they turned their attention to Austin.

Before Max could respond he was left cursing and swearing as he wiped the sand off his face, it had gotten in his eyes but thankfully not his mouth. He blinked away the last of it and after a minute he was able to find him again. He was clearly hurting and that should have been enough. But not for Max and not right then. Waiting a second longer he charged at him, his arms wrapping around him as they rolled into the sound and further and further until they hit water. Neither one cared though, cursing and swinging and kicking wildly, Max doing his best to keep him under lock again but the fall and water had lessened that greatly.

Fights onscreen are a very different thing than the real world. They are choreographed and practiced until they are perfect with stunt people around for the harder things. But a fight in real life? There is no choreography, no stunt people and sometimes no warning. It was by pure happenstance Austin had been by the doors, having finished eating he was ready to head back to work and filming. All thoughts of pretty much everything went out the window when he felt the punch catch him off-guard, his teeth rattling against the blow, his body standing at half-mast now. Before he could do anything, his hair was yanked along with the rest of his body out against the beach. His head snapped up like a ragdoll, three consecutive punches followed and then he was on the ground, blood spitting out of his teeth as he could feel his body shake slightly. Nothing about the attacker was familiar, not at all. Still clearly he had some beef with him-either that or all of this had been for naught.

Austin may have had the height on Max but he had rage and that was all he needed. So. Much. Rage. It radiated out from him like a third person, his bloodied hands at his sides, fists contracting over and over again as he looked at him. Had he disliked people? Sure, who didn't? Had he ever hated someone with a rage that almost blinded him? No, not until last night which had bled into today. Now he understood hatred and rage which was proof enough you were never too old to experience new feelings and emotions. He ignored the rest of the world, the early risers jogging on the beach, almost no one paid them any mind. As for the restaurant well...his eyes drifted up and he saw a small crowd of people. Grabbing him again, he dragged him further and further finally tossing him a few hundred yards away. His foot crashed into his rib cage, several times before his foot was caught and spun, tossing Max on the sand. Standing quickly and keeping a healthy berth as he looked down at him. "How does it feel?" He pinned him down, using all his weight to keep him from moving, his arm pressed tightly against his throat. "A little different when the shoe is on the other foot huh Oz?"

Brec: Yeah you picked one strange time to move here. Not complaining though! Great I'll see you soon.

Max: Okay almost done at the store, is there anything else we need?

Between dancing, gymnastics and other sports Brec was more than capable when it came to holding her own. Still, there was an easy way Max danced, everything was precise and exact, Brec was able to easily match him move for move, beat for beat. There was no need to speak, just swaying his arms, dancing slowly, as if they were the only two people left in the world. She heard his words and shook her head, quietly shushing him. "Hey that situation was completely out of your hands, I wouldn't hold it against you" she said and shook her head, her head tilting up so she could meet his eyes. She leaned up slightly and kissed him gently, her eyes closing as she just melted for a minute, safe and sound in his embrace. This was love, it was impossible to define but impossible to deny. It was felt, deeply, more than anything else. Yes, this was perfect, better than any sort of dream or fantasy she could have dreamed up and certainly better than any other opportunity that had presented itself before. She sighed, her eyes closing. "I wish we could just stay here forever" her words were almost inaudible but there nonetheless.

Max nodded, still feeling a twinge of guilt. It had indeed been out of his hands but that didn't make it easier, not really. "Well I will do my best to not miss another birthday" he said with a quiet chuckle. His lips met hers easily, then again, anything was easier when there weren't cameras and boom mics and a whole cast and crew watching. He held her close, the two swaying softly to the music. "Yeah I know the feeling" he said as he let his eyes wander the room. Here, on this tropical paradise, there was no work, no one knocking at the door, it was them and nothing else mattered, not then anyways. "But we have to go back to the real world eventually...in the meantime, let's just enjoy this" he said and with three successive spins until they were inside the bedroom, his hands dropping to her waist as he looked at her. "I love you and even those words don't do my feelings justice...I can't promise perfection but I can promise forever, or, until you decide you are sick of me" he said with a casual shrug.

For something that it seemed like the average guy wanted more than anything, sex was almost an afterthought when it came to Max. And no it was not from lack of attraction or someone else, no, nothing like that. Maybe it was age, experience, or, lack thereof in her case, her disease, combined with that insufferable Julia Roberts movie and people just went out of their way to act weird, in truth, Breck couldn't say why the wait was as long as it was but she didn't mind it either. After all, it proved that nice guys were still out there, they still existed, sure, they were few and far between but every now and then one popped up. Still, she knew something had to give at some point and it seemed to be pointing that way now. With dinner done, her levels checked, she was more than ready for the next step. A light crimson flushed across her cheeks, still, the dimmed light hid it well. "You may" she said, her hand slipping inside his again.

Max silently thanked his mother for making him take dance lessons when he was younger, what had once been the bane of his existence now paid off. His hands were perfectly placed, one in hers, the other at the small of her back, his feet sure, effortless as they slowly moved to the music, the smooth, silky ballads of Luther Vandross filled the room. Who knew something as simple and routine as a chemistry test in Lionsgate had led to this beautiful second chance at love and happiness, something he was done questioning. If the franchise in question had taught him anything it was that life was indeed precious, the past was gone and there was no point in living it afraid. Max couldn't see the future (ha ha!) he had no idea what was coming up next but he knew exactly who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "So, this hopefully makes up for having to miss your birthday."