AEGM Max Goof x Sad!Reader - Ego
Your friend Max comforts you after you find out that Bradley was only dating you to make him jealous.
“Max...” you spoke softly, sighing, your gaze downcast. “You really don’t have to apologize. You tried to warn me, afterall.” You laughed weakly. He let go of a heavy sigh.
“Y-Yeah, I guess so...” he said, rubbing guilt off the back of his neck.
Your memory flicked back to the big falling out you and Max had had a few months ago as his voice became downed out by lack of interest.
“You’re such an idiot, (Y/N). Honestly, it’s a wonder you even got into college.” Max spat, making Pj and Bobby cringe from discomfort.
“Maybe you should, like, easy up on her, man.” Bobby suggested, rubbing the back of his neck.
“I’m the idiot?!” You screamed back. “I don’t really understand how you have the right to wonder how I got in to college when you’re flunking out of it! All you care about is those stupid games, you don’t even do your homework!”
Max’s cheeks reddened from embarrassment. “You bitch! I told you that in confidence!”
“Dude! Don’t call (Y/N) a bitch!” Pj deffended, standing up and slamming his palms on the table. “What would your dad say?”
“Who cares? He’s skating for the Gammas and now suddenly Bradley confesses his undying love for (Y/N)? It’s a set up and she’s dumb enough to believe it!” he snarled before turning back to you. “The only reason he’s interested in you is to piss me off. He’s using you, why is that so hard to understand?”
The tears that had been welling in your eyes finally broke free and slipped down your cheeks in rapid succession. “Max, why is it so hard to believe that someone likes me? Am I really so ugly and terrible that it’s so outlandish that someone would think I’m speical?”
“Honestly? Yeah!” he replied, sitting back down in the coffee shop booth, arms crossed.
You sniffled, haven taken much more than you could take already. “Fine.” you sat, turning and leaving with at least some of your dignity in tact.
“(Y/N), are you even listening?” Suddenly, Max’s soft tone brought you back to the present moment. He looked disappointed that you hadn’t heard him.
“I-I’m sorry, I zoned out. What’d you say?”
He shook his head, taking a sip of coffee. “Nevermind. What happened between you guys exactly, anyways?” You took a shaky breath before explaining how you broke up with Bradley.
“Well...Brad was practicing late the other night, so I got all dressed up and packed a pinic. I thought it’d be nice to eat dinner and watch the sunset on the quad.” Max smiled gently at your romantic gesture, it reminded him of all the times you’d baked him sweets out of the blue in school. Evn back then you were a hopeless romantic.
“He blew you off, I’m guessing?”
“Not exactly. Usually, when I knock on the door, someone lets me into the house, but when I got there, it was cracked open and dark, so I let myself in. I followed voices to the game room and peeked in on some sort of meeting and overheard Brad with some other girl, telling her that ‘it was just a matter of time’ and she ‘only had to deal with me for a little longer’. It was his real girlfriend. He told her all about how he’s just using me to knock you off your game so he could win the games.”
“Yikes,” Max cringed. “That’s rough.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, Max, I really am an idiot.” you sniffled, dropping your head against the table. He looked away, uncomfortable. The truth was eating away at him.
“You’re not an idiot. The need for affection is what makes you a person. It’s not you’re fault.”
“I should’ve listened to you. And I’m sorry I spilled the beans about your grades...I was just embarrassed.”
Max chuckled a bit and brushed it off. “It’s fine, Pj helped me with my homework and im making solid C’s now.”
“That’s good, I’m glad you’re gonna get to stay in school.”
“Heh, yeah.” The coffee shop fell quiet, the crisp morning turning out to be a slow one as far as business went. Soft jazz played though hidden speakers, and the stage remained dark, as entertainment hours were reserved for evenings. The two of you silently sipped at your respective coffee, neither of you wanting to make the first move to break through this lull in the conversation.
“(Y/N), I gotta come clean on something.” Max finally said, letting fo of a heavy breath, relieved to now finally be getting this off his chest. “I...actually didn’t know about Brad’s plan..”
Your ears perked up at his confession. “What do you mean? You asked, suspicion plaguing your face.
“I just didn’t want you to be with somebody else...especially my rival. I-I guess you’ve just always been there. I always knew you liked me, and it always felt kinda nice to be wanted. When brad asked you out, I guess I panicked. I just didn’t want to lose my number one fan...” he admitted. You had always been Max’s cheerleader, metaphorically and literally. You even joined the cheer squad in middle school when he went out for football, even though he quit after a month. You were always so supportive of him, and he took advantage of your feelings for him, it was you’re dynamic.
Max began to sweat as you remained silent, tormented by your lack of responce. Finally, when you did speak, his anxiety interupted you. “T-That’s so...”
“Selfish. I know. (Y/N), the truth is, I never thought I’d have feelings for you. You were just one of the guys, ya know? Nerdy and akward, just like us. But...after I broke up with Roxanne, and you took her side, things changed. That was the first time you weren’t there to back me up, and it freaked me out...” Max drug a gloved hand over his face, as if to wipe away his shape like sweat after a hot day. “After that blew over, I started trying to impress you to keep you hooked on so I-...So I wouldn’t have to lose you again. And I know it worked, because it was obvious how much you liked me. I liked that feeling. But when I saw Brad with his arms around you, I just snapped.”
You were honestly more heartbroken now than before. How could someone who you called your friend be so cruel? As your breath hitched, you stiffled a sob and grabbed your bag, prepared to exit the booth. Suddenly, Max’s finger’s wrapped themselves firmly around your wrist. “W-Wait, please don’t go!” You were startled by his force and despiration, and seeing this, he loosened his grip immensly. “Please, let me finish.” You sighed, never having been able to turn down his puppy dog eyes, before sitting back down.
“I couldn’t beleive it where you told us he’d asked you out. I-it felt like he’d taken everything from me, my dad, my dignity, and now...you.”
“Max, I never belonged to you, and neither did you dad. As for your dignity, you left that at home.” you spat, narrowing your eyes, expecting to spark an arguement. Max was never the type to let an insult go, but this time for whatever reason, he did. He simply looked down at the table and agreed with you.
“I know.” He spoke lowly. “I-I guess, the truth is...I like you, I just didn’t realize it until you weren’t there anymore. I’m sorry for all the hurt I’ve caused, and I don’t blame you for not wanting anything to do with me.” he finally confessed, figuring he’d stalled enough. He knew the pain of watching you walk out of his life was inevitable, but he’d just have to suffer from his own mistakes.
“You’re such a loser, Max.” you said flatly, crossing your arms.
“Hey!” he responded, perking up, irritated, but that all melted away when he saw your smile, wich in turn made him smile and cock a brow. “What?”
You shook your head and giggled at him. “For a really long time, I fantasized about you telling me the things that you to Roxanne. And the wehn Brad came around and actually said those things, it felt nice, but it wasn’t all I had dreamt it to be.”
“What do you me?” he asked, tilting his head in confusion. “I thought you really like Bradley?”
“I did.” You grinned. “But his laugh just isn’t as cute as yours.”
Max’s face became overrun with honeyglow and he gave a shy smile. “You really think I have a cute laugh?” he asked, ironically letting out an embarrasing chuckle, slapping his hands over his mouth.
“Sure do.” you replied, prying his hands away so you could hold them. He sighed after a moment.
“I’m kinda busy this week, with the games and all but...after I win, do you maybe wanna go see a movie or something?” he asked, hopefully.
You nodded happily, squeezing his hands in yours. “I’d love to, a-yuck.” you cooed, copying his insecurity.
“Hey!”
