Hot N Cold
Max Hatter X Cheshire!Reader
Warnings: Smut, protected P n V, Dom!Soft!Max, Scars mentioned, Make Up
Auradon was supposed to be a place where everyone got a second chance.
That was the idea behind the school, anyway.
For you, however, Auradon had become the place where you learned that second chances were complicated—especially when the person you needed one with was someone you had already lost.
You had always been different from the other students.
Being the child of the Cheshire Cat meant disappearing at inconvenient times, appearing in the middle of conversations just to confuse people, and having a habit of smiling even when everyone else was worried. Your magic was unpredictable, just like your personality. One moment you could be sitting beside your friends, and the next only your grin would remain visible while everyone complained that you were “doing the cat thing again.”
Most people found it amusing.
Except Max Hatter, Max had always understood you, Maybe that was the problem.
With his black and purple hair, his chaotic Wonderland energy, and his impossible ability to make every situation feel like an adventure, Max was the one person who never asked you to be less strange. He liked your weirdness. He liked your jokes. He liked the way you could turn even the most boring day into something memorable.
And somewhere between late-night conversations, Wonderland stories, and sneaking away from crowded Auradon events, the two of you became something more.
Something secret.
Something real.
Until it wasn’t.
The breakup had been quiet, but it had hurt. Neither of you had stopped caring. That was what made it worse. There had been no betrayal. No dramatic argument. Just two people who cared about each other but kept misunderstanding what the other needed.
Now, months later, you were both stuck in the same friend group.
Which was exactly as uncomfortable as it sounded.
“Okay,” Red said, looking between you and Max during lunch. “Can everyone please stop acting like someone cursed the table?”
You raised an eyebrow “I’m not acting like anything.”
Across from you, Max leaned back in his chair “Same.”
The entire table immediately became silent.
Chloe Charming sighed “You two saying ‘same’ at the exact same time somehow made this more awkward.” Hazel Hook covered a laugh “Honestly, I’ve seen pirate ships sink with less tension.”
“Hazel,” Chloe warned.
“What? I’m just saying.” Hazel Shrugged
Pink, Red’s younger sister, looked between you and Max with a knowing smile “You two still like each other.”
Both of you immediately answered.
“No.”
The group stared.
“That was the fastest lie I’ve ever heard,” squeaky said.
Squirmy nodded. “Definitely a lie.”
You crossed your arms and looked away.
Max did the same.
The problem was that everyone was right.
You still noticed everything about him.
The way he tapped his fingers against the table when he was thinking. The way his purple streaks of hair fell into his eyes when he laughed. The way he still remembered your favorite snacks even though he pretended he didn’t.
And Max still noticed you.
Every time you disappeared during a stressful moment, Every time you smiled when you were actually upset, Every time you pretended you didn’t care, The two of you were terrible at pretending.
A few days later, a group project forced the worst possible situation.
You and Max are Alone In his dorm, The room looked exactly like you expected it would, A little messy, A little magical and A little Wonderland.
Cards floated around the room, strange inventions covered his desk, and purple lights glowed along the walls.
You stood near the window, avoiding looking at him.
Max sat on the edge of his bed, watching you “This is ridiculous.”
You looked over “What is?”
“Us.”
The word hung between you.
Your expression softened slightly “You’re the one who wanted to talk.”
“I wanted to talk about the project.” Max Said
“You haven’t mentioned the project once.” You said
Max looked away, Because you were right.
A frustrated silence filled the room.
“You always do that,” you said.
His eyebrows furrowed “Do what?”
“Pretend you don’t care.”
A bitter laugh escaped him “Me? You literally disappear every time something gets too serious.”
“Because you push me away.”
“Because you never tell me what you’re thinking!”
“And you never ask!”
The argument echoed through the room. For a moment, neither of you spoke Then Max stood “You think I don’t miss you?”
Your expression changed.
The anger faded.
“I didn’t say that.” You Said. “You didn’t have to.” His voice became quieter “I miss you all the time.”
You looked down “That doesn’t change what happened.”
“I know.”
The honesty surprised you as Max ran a hand through his black and purple hair.
“I know we weren’t perfect, But I hate pretending I don’t care anymore.”
Your heart felt heavier Because that was the truth because You had spent months pretending.
Pretending you weren’t looking for him in every room, Pretending you didn’t remember every little thing about him, Pretending losing him didn’t hurt.
“You make it impossible,” you whispered. Max looked at you “What?”
“You make it impossible to move on.” You said
For once, Max didn’t have a clever answer, He just looked at you, The person who had known him better than anyone.
The person he never really stopped caring about. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore,” he said. Your ears warmed slightly, and you looked away “Neither do I.”
The room became quiet again.
But this silence felt different. Not uncomfortable. Not painful. Just honest.
Max stepped closer “You know we’re both terrible at pretending.” A small smile appeared on your face “You’re not exactly subtle either.”
He laughed softly.
Max's lips were on yours in a searing kiss. You gasped against his mouth, surprised by the sudden change in demeanor. But then you felt yourself melting into him, hands gripping the front of his shirt as he backed you up against the wall.
His tongue delved past your lips, claiming every inch of your mouth as if he owned it. And in that moment, you felt like he did. Your head was spinning, blood pumping hot and fast through your veins. You arched into him, desperate for more contact.
Max's hands slid down to cup your ass, squeezing the firm globes as he ground his hips against yours. The ridge of his erection pressed insistently against your core and you moaned into his mouth, legs trembling with need.
"Fuck," Max breathed when they finally broke apart for air. His eyes were dark with lust now, pupils blown wide. "I want you so goddamn bad."
He didn't give you a chance to respond before sweeping you up into his arms and carrying you over to the bed. He tossed you down on the mattress and crawled over top of you like a predator stalking its prey.
You watched with rapt attention as Max slowly peeled off his shirt, revealing inch after inch of tanned skin pulled taut over lean muscle. When he threw the garment aside and stood at the edge of the bed to remove his jeans too, it took everything in you not to drool.
The boy was fine as hell.
But then he was back on top of you, lips and teeth and tongue working their way down your neck to your collarbone. You threw your head back with a shuddering moan, one hand fisting in his silky hair while the other gripped his shoulder.
Max's hands slid under your shirt, calloused palms skating over smooth skin. He pushed the fabric up and off before diving back down to lave attention on the sensitive swell of your breasts spilling out of your bra.
You felt like you might combust from all the sensations coursing through you. Your hips undulated against him, seeking friction where you needed it most. Max obliged by grinding down into you harder, rubbing his clothed erection along your aching slit until you were panting and writhing beneath him.
"Please," you whimpered needily when he pulled back just enough to look at you. "I need-"
"I know exactly what you need, Baby." Max rasped darkly.
He sat up, straddling your hips as his fingers hooked into the waistband of your panties. In one swift motion, he ripped the flimsy material away, baring you completely to his hungry gaze. You flushed with embarrassment and arousal at the same time. No one had ever looked at you like that before - like they wanted to eat you alive and savor every last bite.
Max leaned down to capture your nipple between his teeth through the lace of your bra. You cried out sharply as pleasure-pain lanced through you, back arching off the bed. Your hands flew to his head again, nails digging into his scalp.
"Fuck," Max groaned around a mouthful of breast tissue before pulling back once more. "I can't wait any longer."
He shucked off his boxers in record time and grabbed a condom from somewhere on the nightstand before settling himself between your spread thighs again. The blunt head of his cock nudged against your slick entrance and you held your breath in anticipation.
With one hard thrust, Max buried himself balls-deep inside you. You screamed at the sudden intrusion, hands flying to his back and nails scoring down his skin. He grunted with the effort, body shuddering above yours.
"Goddamn it," he panted harshly. "You're so fucking tight."
Then he started moving, hips pumping in a relentless rhythm as he chased his pleasure inside you. Each snap of his hips drove him deeper into your welcoming heat until it felt like he might split you in two.
You could only hang on for dear life, legs wrapped tightly around his waist and heels digging into the small of his back. Max leaned down to capture your mouth in another searing kiss, swallowing your cries as he pistoned into you over and over again.
It was brutal and messy and absolutely perfect. The obscene sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room along with both of your harsh breathing and mingled moans. It seemed to go on forever but not nearly long enough when Max suddenly tensed above you with a guttural groan.
"Fuck, I'm gonna-"
You could feel Max's cock throbbing and pulsing deep inside you, signaling his impending release. Your own orgasm crashed over you like a tidal wave, muscles clamping down around him as ecstasy exploded through your veins.
"Yes, fuck yes!" you screamed, head thrown back in blissful agony. Your nails dug into the skin of Max's back hard enough to leave crescent shaped indents as he continued to pound into you through the aftershocks.
"Shit! Fuck!" Max cried out in a mix of pain and pleasure when your claws raked down his flesh. His hips stuttered before picking up the pace once more, chasing his climax with renewed vigor.
The sharp sting only seemed to spur him on further until he was slamming into you with punishing force. It felt so good it almost hurt - that perfect line between too much and just right.
Rolling to the side, Max slipped free from your body with a hiss. He dealt with the condom before pulling you into his arms again, tucking your head under his chin. You curled into him bonelessly, savoring the feel of skin on skin.
"I'm sorry," he murmured against your hair after a few moments of comfortable silence. "For earlier."
You hummed softly in acknowledgment but didn't respond verbally. There was no need - the sincerity in his tone spoke volumes.
Max shifted onto his elbow so he could look down at you properly. His eyes searched yours intently as if trying to gauge your reaction.
"I know I can be an asshole sometimes," he admitted gruffly, thumb brushing over your cheekbone tenderly. "But it's only because I care so damn much."
A small smile tugged at the corners of your mouth despite yourself.
"You have a funny way of showing it."
Max chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest. He leaned down to press a lingering kiss to your forehead before pulling back slightly.
"I know," he conceded with a wry grin. "I'm working on it."
You studied him for a long moment, heart swelling at the vulnerability in his expression. This was the Max you had fallen in love with all those months ago - not the prickly exterior he so often hid behind.
"I'll give you another chance," you decided finally, fingers toying with the hair at his nape. "On one condition."
Max arched an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"
You pushed up onto your elbows until you were face to face with him, mere inches apart. Your tongue darted out to wet your suddenly dry lips and his gaze immediately zeroed in on the action.
"That we do this again," you replied huskily, rolling your hips against his for emphasis. "Soon."
A low groan rumbled in Max's chest as he felt himself starting to harden once more. His hands gripped your waist possessively.
"I think that can be arranged," he growled before claiming your mouth in a searing kiss.
As you lost yourself in the slide of tongues and press of teeth, you knew this was just the beginning of something incredible - both inside and outside the bedroom.
