Chapter Text
Max wasn’t entirely sure what true love or true happiness was, but every time over the past couple of days, Luis made him feel like he did.
They actually talked about things that weren’t tossing around empty insults. Luis seemed to say everything he thought. When he noticed Hazel, Red, and Chloe acting weird, Luis mentioned it later that night at their dorm. When he noticed the Smee twins weren’t hanging around eachother as much, Luis said something.
Max wouldn’t deny he loved Luis, but every time something small happened that would be normal in anyone else’s eyes, he felt that sickening feeling of dread stab at his throat again.
“Hey, Max?” Luis waved a hand across Max’s vision. “You hear me?”
Max shook his head. “Sorry, just– thinking. What’d you say?”
“I got a tourney game tonight; I was wondering if you’d wanna come?” Luis offered, that stupid smile that Max was getting even more used to on his face.
“Yeah, sure.” He shrugged; he didn’t care much for tourney, but if Luis wanted him there, he’d go.
Luis glanced over Max’s face, like he was unsure if Max was just faking. “You sure? You don’t have to–”
“–Don’t worry, I’ll be there,” Max interjected.
Luis lightened up.
“Luis! C’mon, we have practice before the game, dude!” Robbie called from down the hall, bag slung over his shoulder.
“Shit– I gotta–” Luis gestured towards Robbie. “I’ll see you later.”
Max laughed, “You’ll see me there.”
Luis jogged off to Robbie, who gave Luis a questioning look; being waved off, they started towards the tourney field.
Max wandered off in his own direction, in search of Hazel, maybe Pink, or possibly Felix.
He found Felix alright, but was intercepted by Pink, who dragged him behind a wall with her.
“Shh!” Pink bounced, lightly smacking Max’s arm repeatedly.
“I didn’t–” Max gave her a confused smile.
“–Shh!” Pink smacked his arm harder one final time, turning her attention to Felix.
Max peeked around the bubbly princess, noticing Robbie and Luis there too. Luis waited in the archway to the field, while Felix talked to Robbie. He watched as Robbie nodded, saying something he couldn’t quite make out.
Robbie retreated from Felix, smacking Luis as the stronger one seemed to tease him.
Felix bound back to Pink once they were roughly a yard away, repeating the same words over and over. “He said yes, he said yes, he said yes, he said yes, he said yes!”
Pink jumped, cheering. “I told you!”
“Okay, what is happening?” Max put a hand on each of their shoulders.
“He asked Robbie to Castle Coming!” Pink clapped her hands, smiling somehow even brighter.
Max nodded. “Wow, that’s awesome, man. Just steer away from telling Hazel about it; she’s still mad at me for Luis.”
Felix chuckled, “I know. In sixth period that day, she practically had smoke emitting off her.”
A few beats passed in silence while Pink reached into her heart purse for something until Max remembered what he’d been looking for them for. “Right! You guys wanna come to the game with me?”
Pink nodded as she pulled out her phone, tapping a notification from Red. “Ooo, sounds fun!”
They both glanced at Felix, who nodded in agreement.
“Awesome, hey, uh,” He turned back to Pink. “Do you know where Hazel is?”
Pink thought for a beat before a light bulb seemed to light above her. “Oh! Yes, I do, actually; she’s with Red and Chloe right now.”
“Red and Chloe?” The two boys questioned in unison.
She nodded.
———
Max snickered, seeing Hazel’s expression.
“I can’t believe I agreed.” Hazel groaned, face grim at the people cheering around them.
Max shot her a knowing glance, nodding towards Chloe and Red beside her. “You only agreed when they asked you too.”
Hazel glared. “What’re you trying to say, Hatter?”
“You know what I’m saying, Hook.” Max bumped his shoulder into hers playfully.
She huffed, going quiet.
The speakers startled them as the commentator yelled about a winning goal. Looking over, they saw Auradon’s players celebrating, huddling into a circle in a frenzy of jumping, high fives, and fist bumps. Luis managed to catch Max’s eye, winking before one of his teammates brought him down in a friendly tackle.
Max looked down as he smiled to himself. He didn’t deserve Luis; if this was what being with someone was really like, gods, he’d been missing out.
“Blush much?” Hazel teased him.
“Says the one who was making out with–” Max started before Hazel slapped a hand over his mouth.
“–Shut up!” Hazel hissed, letting her hand down when he lifted his own hands in surrender.
Max watched as Pink and Felix started down the stairs of the bleachers with the Smee Twins. “Hey, your kids are running off.”
Hazel looked at him, confused, before realising. “Oh shit!” She sidestepped around him, hurrying to walk with the twins.
Red and Chloe were quick to follow, with Chloe checking to make sure Max was on his way with them as well.
The crowd seemed to thin out quickly, the other team wallowing in a disappointed huddle on the way to their bus.
Luis ran up, catching Max before he started down the stairs to the dorm building. “You actually came!”
“Yeah? Why wouldn’t I?” Max laughed, shrugging with a hint of confusion.
“Wasn’t sure if–never mind, I’ll be back to the dorm late, around seven or so. Robbie wants me to tag along for victory pizza with the team, so–” Luis fiddled with his hands, wringing them with guilt.
Max grabbed Luis’ hands in his own. “Don’t be so apologetic over it. Go have fun with Robbie and the team.”
Luis glanced over Max’s face, like he was searching for something, anything to show Max was upset over it.
Max gave Luis’ hands a quick squeeze before he let go, a short wave before he ran a bit to catch up with Hazel and the others.
Before he knew it, Max was back in his dorm, clicking the lock behind him as he shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, noticing how warm the dorm room was. The silence seemed so loud after he’d been in the bleachers around cheering students for so long. Almost sickening.
He stalked into the bathroom, leaning his hands against the counter.
His hand started towards the drawer on his side of the counter without much of a second thought, fishing around for the spare blade he’d swiped from one of Uma’s X-Acto knives. The moment he was staring at it in his palm, he dropped it on the counter in realisation.
Max cursed under his breath, knowing he’d promised himself. He could’ve sworn he’d gotten rid of them all.
It glinted in the bathroom light, teasing him, taunting him. In a sudden movement, it was back in his hand, starting angry lines on his forearm. It was almost as if he’d blanked for a beat, and the lines doubled to his other arm– angry, dark red, dripping lines.
The edge of the blade tinted red now, almost laughing at him instead of teasing. He cursed under his breath again, going still as the X-Acto blade tumbled back onto the counter, watching as a few beads of red fell into the sink basin.
He leaned down, his elbows against the edge of the sink, draping his arms across the span of it.
He could hear talking out in the hallway, accompanied by footsteps. Max didn’t move, only turning his head to catch sight of the digital clock by the bed, reading 6:57 pm.
When had it gotten that late? He had no clue.
Hearing the distinct click of the key in the door’s lock, he hung his head back down; there wasn’t a chance he’d get it all hidden and cleaned before Luis opened that door. He reached a trembling hand over, sliding the knife blade off the counter, hearing it tumble into the trash can.
The door opened, making that distinct creak it always did once it was opened halfway.
“Hey Max, I’m–” Luis paused, the room going into utter silence as the door shut softly.
Silence. Max hated it more and more recently; it always seemed to be surrounding something bad, like it was its job to come in and pull dread into a knot in Max’s throat.
A bag hit the floor.
“Max?” Luis’ tone was lower and softer, right next to him, in fact.