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Max was warm, too warm, the kind of warm you feel when you’re tucked under blankets during winter. But he didn’t feel a blanket on him, in fact he was sure he was on top of his sheets. Max didn’t remember how he got to bed but his own question was answered when he felt movement next to him. He turned and his eyes adjusted to the dark, on his left Michael was facing him asleep, still in the clothes he was wearing when Max last saw him at the Drive In, and on his right Isobel’s back was towards him, she was almost falling off his bed.
He tried to remember what happened, he came home after leaving the drive in repeating what Liz had said to him, “did you kill Rosa?” That hurt him more than anything else, that she thought he was capable of murder. Then remembers calling Isobel and Michael but neither picking up. Then oh shit, he sat up and looked outside, the town was dark. He got up from the bed, trying not to wake Michael or Isobel.
The town was like a ghost town, he can see candle lights all over the town, but nothing else was lit, he turned back to his bed, wondering if he mentally called for them.
It’s been forever since they’ve slept in the same place. For others it may seem weird that they all did this, but for them it was like a security blanket. They’ve done this since they were kids and they realized they were different. At first it was for Michael, when he realized that he actual slept better, rather than just lie in bed, with Max and Isobel there with him, and not at his foster dad. Then it was for Isobel when she discovered her mind walking powers. It freaked her out so much that she unintentionally called for Michael and Max. The next thing they all knew was waking up to their parents wondering how Michael got here.
The last time they slept in the same room was the night Rosa died. Max felt so guilty that he didn’t stop her or at least made her stay in the diner that his powers were going crazy so he locked himself in a barn so he wouldn’t hurt his parents or Isobel. Then he found himself calling for Isobel and Michael, they were there in minutes apparently they were already looking for him. It was always just the three of them, even if they weren’t seeing eye to eye it was them against the world.
Isobel’s been going through things, he and Michael haven’t been close in years, but in the end he’d trust them two more than anyone. They will always be there for him. It was still dark, with the power out Max didn’t know the time, but he was tired so he just crawled back in with them. He moved Iz closer to him because she would fall sooner than later. Michael was pretty much out like a light but the minute Max laid back down Michael’s arm flung onto the center of Max’s chest and holding Isobel’s arm keeping her from moving, a reflex they all had to keep each other safe, he hasn’t been doing that for a while now, not since Liz came back. But for the lack of better words Max was stuck until one of them moved or woke up but he didn’t care.
He felt Isobel’s eyes on him, she was still half asleep but she said, “thanks for telling Noah about the movie. I needed that tonight.”
She may be older than him, they think, but he also feels like he needed to take care of her, especially when all she does is take care of everyone else.
“You have to not worry about us all the time Iz. Just take care of yourself okay?” She nods and lays her head on his shoulder and goes back to sleep. He kisses her head.
“That’s never going to happen.” Michael murmurs from next to him, then drifts off again, Max laughs, he’s right. She wouldn’t be Isobel if she didn’t worry. But right now she didn’t need to worry, and neither did he. All he needed was to sleep off everything that is affect him. Tomorrow he’ll face what happened.