#zocmertm

@zocmertm​

(I am so sorry on behalf of my son) “BACON SODA MAX-!! AM I SPEAKING FRENCH??”

@univcrsally “WILL, COME ON, BACON SODA... YOU KNOW WHAT-??”

“Max! It’s not even that serious...” He let out a huffed breath. “And you wonder why I call women a different species.” 

mike is already in the process of mounting his bike when max catches him completely off guard. turning to look at her, head poking out of her bedroom window, mike wrinkles his nose. “ what? ” instead of repeating the question, max gives him a smirk as she raises an eyebrow as if to say, you know what. clearing his throat, mike looks down at his bike for a moment and it crosses his mind that he could just ride away from this.

but he doesn’t.

returning his gaze to max, he laughs nervously. “ you… you don’t really want to, ” he pauses, waiting for a reaction before adding, “ do you? ” mike’s no idiot ( sometimes ) and he’s well aware that he and max have been treading in territory far beyond ‘just friends,’ but to have that reality stare him in the face is completely different.

to have max stare him in the face, waiting for an answer, is completely different.

swallowing thickly, he considers kissing her, which isn’t hard. it’s an idea he’s entertained in the past, but he never really thought it’d actually happen. despite never admitting it to max, mike thinks she’s too cool for him. he’s just this stupid nerd who talks too much about star wars and d&d. he’s just this boy who teases her because he’s too intimidated to admit how he truly feels, even to himself.

“ is this some kind of joke? ” he asks, trying to deflect from the actual situation and turn it into another playful argument, like he always does. “ are you going to pull away and just start laughing at me? ” it’s possible, since max can be just as much of a shithead as he can, which is probably why they get along so well. everything’s always lighthearted and fun. sure, they bicker a lot, but he kind of likes the way she always challenges him.

he likes her. a lot.

their nightly adventures were coming a bit of a habit. maybe even a bad habit. ( mike hasn’t been so tired during the day since they started making it a regular thing. ) however, he’s not too eager to end it now. it’s the only time they get to be alone. truly and completely alone.

they’re lying on an old comforter and a radio playing some popular song that’s requested all the time. pointing up at the sky, he says, “ that’s orion’s belt. ” but after a moment of looking at it, he’s not too certain. “ or maybe it’s just three stars in a row. ” constellations were never his area of expertise. he just likes looking at the sky.

but, most of the time, he likes looking at max more.

over the course of their time here, he’s noticed that somehow they’ve inched closer and closer together. their shoulders are touch and, if they glance at each other long enough, mike can feel her breath. thankfully, though, she’s too focus on the stars to even notice he’s staring at her a little too long.

as soon as she turns her head, mike averts his gaze, squinting at the sky like he’s trying to make out a group of stars. “ is that the little dipper? ” he asks, in hopes that she’ll stop looking at him. it makes him feel a bit self conscious. what if he looks stupid from this angle? what if there’s a pimple he hasn’t noticed? maybe that’s what she’s staring at.

it grows quiet as the radio blends in with the ambient noise of crickets and cicadas. mike feels drowsy, and his eyelids are heavier. in the back of his mind he knows he needs to get up, take max home, but he’s just so tired. “ i could… i could really sleep here with you, ” he tells her with a sleepy chuckle. “ wouldn’t that be nice? ” mike doesn’t realize what he’s saying as he begins to fall asleep.

and the next thing he knows is the sound of a train passing, blowing its horn quite loudly. blinking his eyes open, mike’s a little confused at first. glancing around with his eyes squinted, he notices water, gravel, the sun rising vague in the east, and—max mayfield next to him. with her head positioned on his shoulder, and her arm draped around his chest mike wonders how the hell this even happened, and—

“ shit! ” bolting upright as he reads his watch, he practically slings max off of him. it’s nearly five in the morning, which means they’ve been here for hours. how did that happen? how the hell did that even happen? turning towards max slowly waking herself up, mike grabs her hand and pulls her and himself to their feet. “ we have to go, max! my dad will be up soon! ”

it takes a moment, but eventually it dawns on the girl how much time they have left to get home. the two begin stuffing the comforter and radio in max’s backpack. after straddling his bike, he pats the back of it. “ c’mon, max! ” after giving him an annoyed look, she hops on behind him.

surprisingly enough, it’s not the most strenuous ride he’s ever experienced considering he was running from the bad men a couple of years ago. somehow, that still wasn’t as anxiety inducing as this is now. by the time they reach max’s house, his hair is damp with sweat and his breathing is short and exasperated. max hops off quickly and hands mike the backpack before climbing through her bedroom window.

mike shoves the bag through behind her and begins to turn around. there’s a hand grabbing his hoodie and for a moment he’s worried it’s billy’s. fortunately, it’s just max pulling him back. “ i have to go home! ” he whispers frantically, but max just tugs on his hoodie again until she can press her lips to his cheek. pulling away, mike just stares at the girl and the huge smile on her face.

“ ugh, ” he scoffs, stepping back and scowling at her. “ gross. ” of course, there’s a faint hint of a grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

send ❣ for a random kiss // 10. assertive kiss

sneaking out in the middle of the night has become somewhat of a habit for the two of them. whether or not it’s bad is still up for debate. on one hand, max has gotten the idea that he actually enjoys her company, and has taken it upon herself to become a bit more affectionate with him. on the other hand, well, mike actually enjoys her company and has also become a bit more affectionate with her, too.

in fact, he’s been wondering what it’d be like to get a little more than a kiss on the cheek—just a teensy weensy bit more. “ all right, seems like the coast is clear, ” he tells her as he walks her back to her bedroom window. all the lights in her house are still off, so that’s a good sign that no one’s noticed she’s been gone for—well, he’s not sure how long. feels like hours. “ i guess i’ll see you at school tomorrow. ” with a shrug, he turns around to head back to his own house.

but... he just really wants to know. “ wait, ” he turns towards max again, quietly wincing at the fact that he really can’t back out now. he has to do—or say—something without seeming like a totally idiot. “ i was just thinking, ” he pauses, delaying the inevitable with the inability to articulate what’s on his mind, as he’s always good at doing. “ you... we.... ” shrugging awkwardly, he exhales a nervous laugh, as if that’s going to explain what he’s trying to say.

it’s now or never, he thinks. if he doesn’t suck it up and just do it, he probably won’t find the opportunity again. or he’ll just keep chickening out again and again and again. “ shit, ” he mutters, knowing this could very well end badly if max doesn’t like it, but he has to try, right?

mike takes his time at his locker, swapping textbooks and tidying up. it’s not like he’s eager to get to his next class—english—so he’s finding ways to busy himself until the bell rings. it crosses his mind to just skip, but he’s done that enough this semester already. as if time knows he’s reached his highest point of dread, the bell sounds across campus.

closing his locker door, he notices max rushing in his direction. lifting a hand to wave, he notices she doesn’t look quite as unamused or annoyed as usual. in fact, it looks like she might be crying. “ hey, what’s wrong—? ” she doesn’t stop to answer, or even acknowledge he’s there, which causes quite a bit of concern for him. at the very least, he expected a ‘don’t talk to me’ glare.

hesitating a moment, mike chooses to follow after her. they’ve grown quite close, so he really can’t bring himself to just ignore her and her feelings, especially when she might really need a friend right now. “ max, wait—! ” he calls, hoping she’ll stop and at least let him talk to her for a moment. unfortunately, she runs straight into the girls’ bathroom.

stopping at the door, mike considers his options. he could give up and go to english, or he can ignore the obstacles and be there for her. after a moment of contemplation, he pushes the door open only to hear a group of girls begin screaming overdramatically. “ oh, shut up! ” he tells them, shoving past them as they attempt to shoo him out of the bathroom in vain.

“ stop, stop! ” he snaps as he fends off several hands swatting at him, all of them calling him a pervert and threatening to go to the principal. as if he even really gives a shit. “ would you just shut the hell up? i’m not here to watch you—what? do your make up? take a piss? get over yourselves! ” with a huff, the girls finally leave, giving him the opportunity to find max.

peeking under the stalls carefully, he finally finds her pair of red converse sneakers. “ max? ” he says, tapping on the stall door. of course, she doesn’t open it, and doesn’t say anything. in fact, she’s completely silent aside from a sniffle or two. “ you okay? ” comforting someone isn’t new to him, but he usually knows what each individual person needs. max is different than most people, she’s stubborn and callous and mike has no idea what could possibly make her feel better, especially when he doesn’t even know what’s bothering her.