#jake;op

Maxwell had to fight to stifle a laugh as the other man’s entire face quickly turned red. It was absolutely adorable and he wanted nothing more than to wrap Jake up in his arms and pull him in close. But something told him that probably wouldn’t be received very well, at least not yet. Jake was very different from the men Max was usually drawn to rugged, athletic, and rough around the edges. In short everything Maxwell was not. But underneath the harsh exterior there was something about him that drew Max in; a hidden depth, a vulnerability that he was sure Jake tried very hard to hide from the rest of the world but every once and a while Max could see little glimmers here and there he found irresistibly magnetic. Maxwell resisted the urge to tease him about changing the subject but decided against it. He could see the struggle in his eyes, one he himself had also experienced once upon a time, although Maxwell was sure it was easier for him, far more apparent to the outside world than it was with Jake. He would do everything he could to support the man until he was ready to take that leap. “Hmm…” Max mused narrowing his eyes in thought. “I’ve always been rather fond of those little Christmas villages honestly.” He answered. “As a child I’d always imagine little backstories for every villager in each of the villages we had around the estate.” Max said smiling fondly at the memory. “What about you Jake?” He asked turning his attention back to Jake and giving him a warm, encouraging smile as he placed a hand gently on the man’s shoulder “What’re your favorite holiday decorations?”

Jake looked over at Max, thankful that he didn't press him or tease him. Part of him wondered if it would just be easier to admit to Max what was going on deep in his subconscious but he knew that once he spoke it out loud, everything would change for him. It wasn't that he didn't think his brother would accept him or that anyone that really cared about him would change how they felt but he still felt like everything would be different. He lowered his gloved hand from his nose as he looked at Max. "Okay, that's probably one of the sweetest things I've ever heard." He admitted, chuckling softly. "What kind of backstory would you make up for me?" He asked, smiling at him with a pose. "And also, let's talk about how casually you threw around the word estate. I lived in a two bedroom apartment my whole life. Do you know what that was like when my brother discovered sex?" He teased. He looked around at the decorations for a moment, smiling softly. "I know it's cliche but I always liked Christmas trees. I remember when I was really young my mom took me to see the tree lighting in town and I just thought it was absolutely magical."

Jake wasn’t in the best mood after he had gotten called into the bar last minute but such was the life when he worked for his brother.  Doing his best to hide his attitude, he grabbed a rag, wiping up the spills before heading over to the customer sitting by himself.  “Hey, how you doing tonight? Is there anything I can get you?” The man certainly didn’t look like the normal customer’s they got in the dive bar but he wasn’t here to judge the customers.  “Are you meeting someone?”

Jake immediately felt his whole face flush even redder at the compliment. He moved his gloved hand to his nose, rubbing it to try to warm it up and to cover his face. Max had come into the bar a few times now and when he asked if Jake wanted to go look at Christmas decorations with him, he had no reason not to say yes. No reason of course besides the fact that whenever Max was around him, he questioned everything about himself, especially his sexuality. He looked over at Max with a small smile before trying to play off the fact that he had turned bright red and been called cute. "What decorations are your favorite?" He asked, desperate to change the subject.