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*
Right after the Snowball Dance, he asks Max to be his girlfriend. The next day.
(Or so Lucas tells his friends.)
Lucas invites her over to his house, nervously drumming his fingers inside his jean-pockets as Max skeptically glances over the living room. Erica's gone, thankfully, but he shows off Erica's ferret — Queen Madonna — and watches as Max's face brightens.
They throw off their winter coats. Lucas forgets to set up the ferret-pen, but it seems to be okay right now. No biting or running.
"She's really cuuu~uute," Max coos, wonderstruck, petting Queen Madonna's silky, white fur. The creature ignores her, attacking and gnawing on the pinkish-purple flower petals scatter over the kitchen table, its beady, black eyes full of mischief.
"You're, uhm," Lucas bends forward, leaning with his hands on the table, grinning. "You're cute."
Max cocks an eyebrow at him.
"Did you just compare me to an animal, Stalker?" she says monotonously.
He flails, nearly stumbling backwards. Queen Madonna peers up at him, puffing her fur, skittish.
"No, nono-" Lucas protests, face warming as Max's icy blue eyes lock on him. "I mean, yeah—but I just meant that, uhhh—" He fumbles for an explanation. Lucas snaps his fingers, grinning again. "You're cuter. Prettier. So pretty. The prettiest girl in Hawkins."
She bursts out laughing, picking up a squirming Queen Madonna and hugging her. "Relax, Lucas. I'm messing with you," Max admits.
"O-oh—"
"You wanna go steady?" Max trills out, smirking, pushing a strand of orange-red curl over her earlobe.
Lucas nods, mesmerized.
"Cool."
*