#max arloft

a/n: so im starting up the between the lines fandom. there has to be someone out there who fw this movie.

warnings: KISSBOY JEFF, kissyface 🤨🤨🤨, injuries ig, some form of smut although it really isnt

enjoy ★

Harry grabbed Max, having to physically restrain him as he took his anger out on the air, watching the car drive away. Abbie immediately rushed over to David, making sure he was okay. He had blood dripping down his nose. Of course, David tried to play it off as nothing. Like he wasn't bothered. But Max, Harry, and Abbie could clearly see through him. They knew him too well, especially Max.

He still let the three of them help him get home, though.

They had helped him with whatever he needed, then left to get back to work. However, only half an hour after leaving, Max came back. He didn't even bother knocking. He just opened the door to David's apartment. With his key.

"David?" Max calls out, walking into the apartment. He walks into the living room to find him sitting on the couch, staring off into space. He sits down beside him, "David? You with me?" He places a gentle hand on his shoulder. David blinks a few times before turning his head to look at Max, "oh, hi. I didn't hear you come in," he smiles.

Max gives him an unamused look, "cut the shit." David frowns, "what are you talking about?" Max sighs, "stop it. Stop pretending like you're okay, like that didn't bother you, like you aren't hurt!"

"But I'm really not, Max, trust me. It wasn't a big - ow ow ow!" He looks down at his wrist in Max's hand. Max was staring at him with the same unamused look.

"You're screaming in pain after I very gently grabbed your wrist, and you expect me to believe you're okay?"

David stays quiet. Max's eyes soften, "please talk to me? Please - please talk, say something, I'm listening, please?" David finally speaks, "my wrist is killing me... " His voice is barely above a whisper. Max frowns, "why didn't you say so? We would've taken you to the hospital sooner, you know?"

David shakes his head quickly, "no, no, I'm not going to the hospital, Max, I'm fine!" Max sighs, "no, you're not... I mean, for Christ's sake, it looks like your wrist is broken!" David scoffs, "It's not broken -" he's cuts himself off, crying out in pain when Max roughly grabs his wrist. Max gives him that same unamused look, "you were saying?"

David stays quiet, trying his best not to cry, but Max could clearly see the tears that he couldn't stop from falling.

"Woah, hey... I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just -" he pauses and sighs, "I'm worried about you." David sniffles, clutching his wrist in his other hand. Max gently takes his hand, "please, you're hurt. Let me take care of you. Please? I promise I'll be extremely gentle. It's not weak, it's not humiliating, it's normal. Needing help is normal." David stays quiet for a while before nodding. Barely.

After a few hours at the hospital, a doctor tells David that he has a dislocated wrist and manipulates it back into place before applying the splint.

Max drives him back to his apartment and sits him down on the couch. "Do you understand now?"

David looks at him, confused. "You didn't even know your wrist was dislocated. You were fully prepared to go about your day pretending like you were fine, and that most definitely would've resulted in an even more severe injury." Max wraps his arms around David and gently pulls him closer.

"David, there's nothing wrong with asking for help, you know? I'm here for you. We're all here for you. The same way we're all there for each other. We don't want to help you and take care of you because we don't think you're capable of doing it yourself. We want to help you and take care of you when you need it because we care about you. And again, it's not just you. If what happened to you had happened to, say, Harry? We would've offered him all the same help and support we offered you. It's not a way of putting you down or taking pity on you. It's because we care about you and love you. I love you."

David slowly stares up at Max with wide eyes before he can realise what he just blurted out. "What? Wha - um, what, uh, what?"

Max's eyes go wide when he finally realises what he said. He stares ahead of him, almost frozen. The silence in the room is deafening. After what feels like an eternity of silence, David nervously clears his throat, "uh, um, so - so I'm guessing that based on your... reaction right now, that was an accident?" He asks carefully.

Max stays frozen in place, still staring at the wall with wide eyes. David clears his throat again, "and, um, so, I'm guessing because it was an accident... I'm not allowed to say it back?"

Max blinks. He looks down at David, "what...?" David looks around nervously. Max grabs his face, making him look at him. "What did you just say?" David laughs nervously, "w-well technically I didn't actually say it -" Max cuts him off, "David. Say it." The silence returns.

But it doesn't last nearly as long. "I love you." The words are loud and clear to Max, and that's all he needs to pin him down on the couch, closing the gap between them.

After a few moments, he pulls away, resting his forhead on his. "I love you too." David smiles, "really?"

"No." His face drops. Max grins, "I'm joking, of course I do." David hits his arm, "oh you're a real asshole you know that?" Max shuts him up by kissing him again.