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"Max, you almost forgot your lunch!" The teenager groaned and stopped under the door frame of the apartment's exit, turning around and grabbing the paper bag from the redhead. "If this has another cheesy note inside David, I swear..."
The man in question chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. Max rolled his eyes and shoved his lunch in his backpack. He opened his phone and raised his eyebrows when he realized what time it was. "I need to get going, bye David."
David looked up and watched the teen walk off, waving him goodbye before he saw him going down the stairs. Now, I know what you may be thinking. A 28-year-old and his adopted camper living in an apartment complex? Not the best, but it was cosy with affordable rent.
The redhead closed the door before walking to the kitchen. He grabbed the dishes that remained from breakfast and set them in the sink, deciding to wash them in a bit. Instead, David sat down at the dinner table and opened his phone. He went through his apps, trying to find one to cure his boredom before he settled with his photos (I do that for some reason but just let it happen, please-).
As he scrolled through the countless pictures of his camping trips and the different kinds of trees, he abruptly stopped scrolling when he was met with a selfie. A selfie with him and Max, to be exact. His gaze softened as he remembered that day and a smile crept its way onto his lips.
It was Max's first day here after summer, the day David decided that he wasn't going to let the boy live in such a neglectful household anymore. He knew that his whole lifestyle was about to change, but he didn't mind. If anything, he was happier than ever.
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[Timeskip to Max having lunch-]
"Wait, where's Neil again?" asked the teen as he reached into the paper bag to pull out his lunch. Nikki took a bite out of her grilled cheese sandwich before answering. "He's in the library. Studying for a test, for like the fifth time today." the girl snickered as she took another bite of her lunch. Max had gotten his lunch out by that time, an apple and a half-burnt half-okay toast wrapped in tinfoil laid on the table.
Nikki looks over at her friend, noticing a bright green sticky note in his hand.
"Have a nice day at school, Max! Love you! :D -David"
Max flinched and turned to look at Nikki after hearing her chuckle, giving her a 'piss off' look. "Oh, come on. Don't look at me like that! I think it's nice, the whole note thing." she said, raising her hands as if she was caught. Max just rolls his eyes and lets it go, grabbing his toast and unwrapping it from its tinfoil prison.
The two of them ate in comfortable silence, sort of. There's no silence when you're at school we have to be honest about that. But other than that, neither of them talked for a fair amount of time. "So, how's it been living with David?" Nikki asked as she finished her sandwich. Max shrugged. "It's better than you'd think. But I can't drink more than one cup of coffee so that sucks ass." While it seemed like Max was complaining, he couldn't help but smile softly.
"Wow, his happy-go-lucky attitude did rub off on you after all. Neil owns me five bucks, ha!" Nikki raised her fist in the air, already thinking of what she could do with those five bucks (sadly not much, but saving is always a choice). Max wasn't as delighted though as he flipped Nikki off.
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School was over at last and all the students were outside. Some were waiting for their parents, others for the bus and others were sitting there with their friends. As for Max, he was currently waving at Neil who was rushing to the bus. Nikki had to stay for an extra hour and help clean the mess she made in the lab. Let's just say there's a lot of blue foam covering most of the desks now.
Max took his leave, not wanting to be late again. Last time David had called him five times and sent him a bunch of messages, all because he forgot to tell him he was going over at Neil's that day.
As the teen was walking, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. But something felt wrong. He pulled his left hand out and realized that he was holding the sticky note from earlier. It was crumpled up now, but other than that it was fine. He secretly kept every note David put in his lunch, filling his bedside drawer with them. But no one could find out, he had a reputation to keep up.
Max must've zoned off because his feet were moving on their own. All he could do was hope to not get caught up in his thoughts and forget where he was going. The teen's mind went back to his former household, anger slowly building up within him. He didn't deal with physical pain, yet his parents' neglectfulness was truly something else.
But he didn't have to deal with that now. It was all over, he was living with David. The one adult that actually gave a shit, the one who took him in when his parents refused to. Max unconsciously smiled to himself. He wouldn't admit it but he loved this new life. The horrid memories hadn't disappeared, no. But he wasn't making new ones every day either, he was even getting rid of them one by one.
Him and David were closer now, and even if Max acted like a little shit from time to time the man always stood beside him. But the redhead's attitude did rub off on Max, as much as the teen tried to deny that.
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David finished draining the pasta he had prepared for dinner before bringing two plates out. He split the pasta onto the plates and went to grab the sauce before the doorbell rang. He quickly made his way towards the door, looking through the peep-hole and opening it with a big grin when he realized it was Max. The teen gave him a quick hug before heading off to his room.
Once Max came back with a fresh pair of clothes on - and the sticky note safely secured with the rest - he sat down next to David at the dinner table. As he ate, David's gaze was focused on him. He looked up at the man, smirking when he saw him flinch and look back down at his pasta. "The food is nice, David. Definitely better than last time." Max chuckled when he recalled last time David tried to cook this dish. It was a disaster from start to finish, so this was an upgrade. (I headcanon David to be a bad cook, but a great baker so-)
The redhead looked back up and thanked Max, before he continued eating. They ate peacefully, with David asking Max about school here and there. Another thing that David had noticed and definitely not taken advantage of was that when someone asked Max more and more questions on a certain theme, he could talk non-stop.
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Max sighed once he finished eating, feeling full. David must've put a bit too much, but he wasn't going to put the man down when he hadn't burnt the kitchen. The teen rested his eyes for a second, only to open them the next by sudden sounds. He saw David picking up the plates and setting them in the sink, about to wash them. "Hey let me do that." said Max, walking next to the redhead and nudging him out of the way. "You could use some time off." David looked down at the teen and smiled as he patted his shoulder. "Thank you Max!"
"No problem dad."
Max continued washing the dishes before realizing the words that escaped his mouth. He froze in place. 'Quick, say something clever!' panicked his inner monologue. "Now don't think I-"
As he turned to look up at David, his comeback disappeared from his memory in an instant. The older man's eyes were watery, a soft smile decorating his face. At this point, Max knew better than to crush David's happiness.
The teen gave a faint chuckle and continued with his work. "Come on, don't give me that look." he said. David rubbed the tears out of his eyes and turned around, probably about to exit the kitchen.
"And don't post that on Facebook!"
David quickly put his phone away. Was he that predictable?