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It was a Saturday in February of 1988 when Lucas had an idea.
Max had woken up from her coma three months earlier, and just a few days ago she had finally been discharged from the hospital to stay at home. It had been a long period of adjustment, filled with intense physical therapy sessions and a focus on rebuilding the muscle mass she had lost after eighteen months in a coma — or trance. She was still walking with the help of crutches, but that was enough for her to be cleared to go home and stay with her mother.
Max’s mom, Susan, had rebuilt her life — or at least, she was still trying to — during that time. She wanted to do everything she could to make sure Max felt like she had a home when she woke up. Just like Lucas, Susan had never stopped believing that her daughter would wake up someday.
Knowing that Susan would be working an extra shift that day, Lucas decided to go to Max’s house to surprise her.
After getting everything ready, he took a shower and put on something comfortable: sweatpants, sneakers, and a jacket from his basketball team. It was around six in the evening when he knocked on her front door. In his hands, he held the same piece of paper Max had once drawn the two of them on at the movie theater.
Max opened the door and immediately smiled when she saw him standing there. That day, she was wearing jeans and a rock band T-shirt.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Lucas said with a smile. “I thought I’d surprise you.”
He helped her move toward the living room couch. Even though she was able to walk on her own, he was always ready to help.
“So,” he continued, “I brought some movies for us to watch tonight. We can have our own movie date. I also brought some snacks — your favorites.”
Lucas pulled everything out of his backpack, which Max hadn’t even noticed he was wearing.
“That’s really sweet, Lucas. Thank you,” Max said warmly. “I was seriously rotting away in here, doing nothing.”
She said it dramatically as she picked up the VHS he had brought.
“Aliens and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” she read out loud.
“I hope they’re good,” he said simply. “I picked the ones that looked the best.”
They were movies that had been out for a while — but because of the coma, Max obviously hadn’t been able to see them. They were films Lucas had added to a mental list of things he wanted to do once she woke up.
Yes, it might sound cheesy, but he had actually made a list: movies, books, places to visit, and other things he wanted to show her when she finally woke up — things they could experience together.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t watched any movies during that time. It was that he had saved certain ones, the ones he was sure she would like, just to watch with her.
“I don’t get it,” Max said, looking at the covers again before turning to him with a confused expression. “You didn’t watch any of these? They came out, like… two years ago.”
“Actually, no,” Lucas admitted. “You’re probably going to think this is cheesy, but I was waiting for you. I didn’t want to watch them before you did, so I waited until we could watch them together.”
He said it as if waiting more than two years for his girlfriend to wake up from a coma just to watch movies with her was the most normal thing in the world.
Lucas glanced at Max, who was sitting beside him. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears, and one slipped down her cheek.
“Hey, babe,” Lucas asked softly, reaching up to wipe it away. “Did I do something wrong? If you don’t want to watch them, I’ll understand.”
“That’s not it,” Max said quickly. “Of course I want to watch them. I just… I can’t believe you waited all this time to watch them with me.”
She shook her head slightly, overwhelmed.
“And no, it’s not cheesy at all. It’s actually really sweet, Lucas.”
She pulled him into a hug.
“Thank you. Really. This means so much to me.”
“Of course, Mad Max,” Lucas said, kissing her quickly. “I’d do anything for you.”
“I think we should start with Aliens. What do you think?”
“Sounds good,” she agreed.
“Before we start, I’m going to make some popcorn and grab some soda for us, okay?”
Max nodded. She had already wiped away her tears, and all she could think about was how lucky she was to have him as her boyfriend.
After so many days coming over to help, it almost felt like Lucas lived there. He knew where everything was without having to ask.
Besides helping Max, Lucas had helped Susan with the move, and every now and then — when Max was still in a coma — he would stop by just to talk to her, to see how things were going and whether she needed any help.
The truth was, Lucas had won Susan over during that time, and she knew Max had the best person possible by her side.
After more than two years, they were finally able to watch a movie together. It wasn’t in a movie theater like they had once imagined — but with Max by his side, that was all that mattered.
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After that day, Lucas and Max agreed that every month they would choose a Saturday to watch movies together, a way to catch Max up on everything she had missed in the cinematic world.
In March, as planned, Lucas picked another movie he thought Max would like — at least, from his point of view, the plot sounded interesting. Once again, they decided to watch it at Max’s house, since it was the place where they had more privacy. Even when her mom was home, she usually left them alone. It was different at Lucas’s place, where there was almost always someone around — Erica with a friend, or simply his parents.
When it was time, Lucas rode his bike to his girlfriend’s house, where she was already waiting for him. This time, she was wearing sweatpants and a plain T-shirt. To Lucas, she looked beautiful.
“Hey, MadMax,” Lucas greeted her, giving her a quick kiss and a hug.
“I missed you, you know?”
“That nickname makes more sense every day,” Max replied, emphasizing the last word.
“We literally saw each other yesterday at school, stalker.”
“Sorry if missing my girlfriend is a crime,” Lucas said, pretending to be offended, which made Max roll her eyes and laugh.
“So,” she asked, “what movie did you pick for us this time?”
“Well, I thought I’d switch genres a bit,” Lucas said as he handed her the tape.
“So I rented this one.”
“Stand by Me,” Max read out loud.
“It’s about a group of friends,” Lucas explained quickly.
“From what I understood, it’s about their friendship and how certain events strengthen that bond. Does that remind you of anything?”
“Basically us,” Max said with a nod as she put the tape in and turned on the TV. With another month of physical therapy and exercises, she was almost fully recovered by now.
As usual, Lucas made the popcorn and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around Max’s shoulders. They cuddled together, and toward the end of the movie, Max rested her head on Lucas’s shoulder. He noticed her eyes were slightly teary, but he didn’t say anything.
Even if she didn’t always show it, Lucas knew Max was sensitive. Over time, he had learned to respect that and to wait for her to speak whenever something affected her. The movie left Lucas thoughtful as well, reminding him of everything they had been through — and how they had survived it. Or rather, how they were still learning to survive it, day by day.
“Wow,” Max said when the movie ended.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be that impactful. The ending made me a little sad.”
“Yeah, me too,” Lucas admitted quietly.
“It reminded me of a lot of things from a few years ago.”
Despite being more open emotionally, Lucas had never really talked to Max about how he dealt with her coma. With everything that had happened — her recovery, catching up at school, adjusting back to life at home — the subject had simply never come up.
Even without talking about it, Lucas had gone through deep trauma. Watching his girlfriend die in his arms — even though they were broken up at the time — and then seeing her in a coma for months was not something easy to live with.
On top of that, he had witnessed Jason’s death when Hawkins was torn apart, and he had lost one of his basketball teammates to Vecna. To make things worse, many people believed he was a traitor for helping Dustin when they were searching for him because of the Hellfire Club.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Max asked when she noticed he had gone quiet.
“I think I do,” Lucas said softly.
“It’s hard for me to talk about it, but I think it might be good.”
“I’m here to listen, Lucas,” Max said as she held his hand.
“I know you worry about me a lot, but I worry about you too.”
“I know, babe. Sometimes I just don’t know how to talk about these things,” he admitted, squeezing her hand gently.
“Why don’t you start with what it was like during the months when I wasn’t here?” she encouraged him.
“Okay,” Lucas sighed before continuing, pausing briefly to gather his thoughts.
“When you died in my arms, it was the worst feeling of my life. It felt like my heart was going to explode from not knowing what to do. After that, I just felt empty. All I could do was cry and feel useless for not being able to help you. If it hadn’t been for Eleven — for bringing your heart back — I would’ve lost you right there, and that haunted me.”
He stared at the floor as he spoke, still holding Max’s hands.
Max didn’t say anything. She waited, not wanting to rush him.
“Even when we weren’t together, above everything else, you were always my best friend,” Lucas continued, his voice breaking.
“You were the person I talked to about things I couldn’t even tell the guys. I knew you understood me in a way no one else ever could. So spending eighteen months without seeing you, without hugging you, without talking about the dumbest things or the most serious ones — those were the worst months of my life. I visited you in the hospital every single day. And every day, I asked you to come back to me.”
His eyes were full of tears now.
“On top of all that, I was dealing with Jason’s death, and with people thinking I was a traitor,” he went on.
“Over time, I tried to accept what happened, even if the way he died was horrible. Day after day, I tried to keep going, even if just a little. I knew I had to be strong for when you woke up. I never stopped believing you would. I focused on getting stronger, trained every day to distract my mind, played basketball whenever I had free time. Steve helped me a lot with that.”
By the time Lucas finished, he was no longer holding back his tears.
“Hey, Lucas,” Max said softly.
“Look at me.”
He lifted his gaze.
“I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?” she said, pulling him into a hug.
“You can talk to me about anything you want. You’re my boyfriend, but like you said — we’re best friends. And I’ll always be here for you.”
“I know,” Lucas said quietly.
“I’m so grateful to have you back in my life. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”
“I’m never leaving you, Lucas,” Max said.
“I know I don’t always say it as much as I should, but you’re the most important person in my life. I love you. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve you, because you’re so good to me.”
“Of course you deserve me,” Lucas replied, wiping his face.
“Never doubt that. I love you so much.”
Max pulled him into a quick kiss, holding him for a few seconds.
“I’ve never told you this,” Lucas admitted, meeting her eyes, “but sometimes I wake up from nightmares. They’re always about you not being here anymore — or being in a coma again.”
“Then let’s make a deal,” Max suggested gently. “Whenever you wake up from one of those nightmares, you can call me on the walkie-talkie or phone me, okay? That way you’ll calm down and remember that I’m here — at least until it passes.”
“Deal,” Lucas said with a smile, holding out his hand. Max shook it, laughing at the gesture.
“Dork,” she said fondly. “What do you think about watching a comedy to lighten the mood?”
Lucas agreed.
The rest of the night was calm. They spent it watching a silly movie and exchanging soft touches, simply enjoying each other’s company.
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April arrived quickly, with both of them busy juggling school, basketball games, and endless exams. Once again, it was Saturday, and according to their schedule, it was supposed to be movie night — but this time, Lucas had a different idea.
“Babe, I was thinking we could do something else today,” Lucas said as he walked into Max’s house. “What do you think about going to the arcade? I really want to beat your Dig Dug high score, and I heard they got a new machine.”
“I still can’t believe your record is still up after all these years!”
“Keep dreaming if you think you’re beating my record, stalker,” Max said, rolling her eyes. “You guys always try, but I’m unbeatable.”
That wasn’t a lie. Every time the group went to the arcade, someone tried to beat Max’s score — especially Dustin, who always ended up muttering son of a bitch whenever he lost just a few points short.
“I think you’re way too confident, Mad Max,” Lucas said. “But today, your reign ends. The king of Dig Dug has arrived.”
He used a ridiculous voice, making Max laugh.
“You’re such a dork,” she teased. “But let’s see what you’ve got. I’ll go change, and then we can leave.”
“Okay, I’ll wait here.”
"You can come to my room, Lucas, it's not like you've never seen it before," Max said as if it were obvious.
“Right. Sorry,” he said with a small smile. “I’m still getting used to that.”
Once Max was ready, they headed to the arcade, which was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night. The place hadn’t changed much — just a few new machines — but it still felt familiar. It was part of their childhood.
After about ten tries, Lucas still hadn’t beaten the high score. On the board, the only familiar name left was MadMax. The scores he and Dustin had once set were long gone.
“Lucas, I think it’s time to admit you’re not going to make it,” Max said.
“Wait — just one more try,” Lucas said confidently, smiling at her. “I swear I’ve got the hang of it now.”
“Fine. But this is the last one,” Max warned. “Otherwise, I’m leaving you here. There’s still the new machine to play, and you’re burning through all our tokens.”
Lucas agreed it would really be his final attempt. After several long minutes of intense gameplay, he was just a few points away from breaking the record. Max noticed and started cheering for him, getting caught up in his excitement.
When he finally beat it, Lucas jumped up in celebration, practically bouncing with joy.
“I can’t believe it! After all these years, I finally did it!” Lucas said as he wrapped his arms around Max’s waist and lifted her off the ground in pure excitement.
“You got lucky, Stalker,” Max said once he put her down, laughing at his reaction.
“But it was a fair win. Congratulations. Enjoy it while it lasts.”
It was obvious she wasn’t going to let it go forever — she’d just let him brag about it to the rest of the group for a while. Deep down, Max was extremely competitive, something Lucas knew very well — and something he loved about her.
“Thank you, MadMax. I am now officially the king of Dig Dug,” Lucas said dramatically, bowing deeply. Max laughed and shook her head — but secretly, she loved it.
“Now let’s see what name I’m going to put up here,” Lucas added thoughtfully.
“Choose wisely, because soon it’ll be MadMax back at the top,” Max teased.
“Okay, I’ve got it!” Lucas said, typing ‘4U MAX’ into the machine.
“Lucas, you know you’re incredibly cheesy, right?” Max laughed at the name before kissing his cheek. “You’re lucky I love you.”
“Yeah, I know you do,” he said smugly. “I love you too, MadMax — more than anything.”
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At the end of June, instead of it being just the two of them, they made plans to go to the movies with the rest of the group — Will, Mike, Dustin, and Eleven. The movie showing that night was Beetlejuice.
Lucas picked Max up at her house. He had already gotten his driver’s license, which made things easier whenever they wanted to go somewhere farther away without having to ask anyone else. He was wearing black jeans and a dark blue jacket. Max chose a pair of jeans and a Back to the Future T-shirt, with an open jacket over it.
When they entered the theater, the rest of the group was already there waiting for them. Lucas headed to the concession stand to buy popcorn and tickets, while Max stayed behind chatting with the others.
“Two tickets for Beetlejuice, please. One medium popcorn and two Cokes,” he said to the attendant, who didn’t reply — just grabbed everything and handed it to him. “And I’ll take one of those chocolate bars too,” Lucas added, pointing to Max’s favorite.
“Thanks,” he said before heading back to the group.
“Finally,” Mike said.
“It didn’t even take two minutes, Mike,” Lucas shot back as he handed the popcorn to Max so she could carry it, since his hands were full.
They went into the theater and sat down next to each other. During the movie, Max did what she always did when she was with Lucas — she rested her head on his shoulder, and Lucas gently held her hand.
Time flew by, and when the movie ended, they headed for the exit.
“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” Dustin said randomly.
Everyone stared at him like he’d lost his mind.
“What? I’m just testing it,” Dustin replied as if it were obvious, making everyone laugh.
“I liked Lydia’s look,” Max said after a few minutes.
“Yeah, bitch,” El agreed, laughing as she referenced her own old — and admittedly badass — style. Max laughed too, the two of them walking with their arms linked.
“Sorry, but why is no one talking about how Lydia looks like Mrs. Byers?” Mike asked, incredulous.
“What? No way, Mike!” Will protested, clearly offended.
At the same time, everyone else burst out laughing, agreeing that she really did look a lot like Joyce.
“I read once that everyone has a doppelgänger — someone who looks just like them,” Dustin said thoughtfully. “Maybe that’s Mrs. Byers’ look-alike.”
“Definitely,” everyone replied in unison — except Will, who still refused to see the resemblance.
Later that night, Lucas drove Max home.
“Do you want to come in?” Max asked once he parked the car.
“I think it’s already pretty late. If I don’t get home soon, my mom’s going to kill me,” Lucas replied.
“You could say you’re sleeping over at Mike’s and stay here,” Max said, putting on her best sad puppy expression. “I miss you.”
“Your mom won’t mind?” Lucas asked, worried.
“She loves you,” Max said. “And actually, the other day she had the talk with me. She said she trusts us to ‘take care of ourselves,’” Max added, making air quotes with her fingers.
“It was the most embarrassing conversation of my life, but she said she doesn’t mind if you stay over,” Max shrugged.
“Alright then, babe. I miss sleeping wrapped up with you too,” Lucas said as he leaned in to kiss her. “Let’s go inside.”
That night, they didn’t really do anything special — of course, there were a few kisses and gentle touches, but they fell asleep quickly, with Lucas holding Max close.
The nights they got to sleep together — which were rare — were the ones Lucas slept best. No nightmares. No fear of losing her.
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They continued with their monthly dates — though, truthfully, they met up far more than once a month, at least whenever time allowed. When they were on school break, Max decided that this time, she would be the one to surprise Lucas.
On a Saturday afternoon, she changed her clothes, grabbed her things, and went over to his house. When she knocked on the door, she was met with a very confused-looking Lucas Sinclair as he took in her outfit: short shorts, one of Lucas’s basketball jerseys with “SINCLAIR” printed across the back, sporty sneakers, and a basketball tucked under her arm.
“Max?” was all he managed to say as he stared at her.
“Hey, no drooling, Sinclair,” Max teased as she walked inside. “I thought I’d surprise you this time. You’re always being so romantic, so today it’s my turn to return the favor. I talked to Steve, and he said we could play basketball at the court at his house. His parents are out of town, and he’ll be at work. What do you think?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“I’m in! I’ll go upstairs and change, and then we’ll head out,” Lucas said, quickly running up the stairs. Max followed right behind him.
Lucas entered the bedroom first, and as soon as Max closed the door and turned around, he stepped closer and kissed her. It was a deep kiss, full of desire.
“You look incredibly sexy in that outfit,” Lucas said, still holding her waist as he trailed kisses along her neck, making Max gasp.
“I thought you’d like it,” Max replied, giving him a provocative look. “But as much as I love your kisses, go change. Save that energy for our game.”
“Yeah, okay. I just wanted to show how much I liked your surprise,” Lucas said, giving her one last quick kiss before pulling off his shirt and walking over to his dresser to grab another one. Max couldn’t help but stare as he changed.
“No need to drool,” Lucas teased when he noticed her looking.
“Oh, shut up, Sinclair,” Max rolled her eyes in response.
When they arrived at the basketball court, Lucas suggested they start with some free throws. He taught Max how to shoot properly, and after a few tries, she started sinking the ball into the hoop more easily.
“Not bad, Mayfield.”
“Thank you, Stalker,” Max replied, bowing dramatically in a cocky way.
“What do you say to a one-on-one?” Lucas asked.
“I know you’re going to win, but sure — let’s do it for fun,” Max agreed.
After a while playing, with Max trying to use every trick she knew to distract him, they eventually lay down on the ground to rest.
“I really liked today, Max,” Lucas said, watching the clouds drift across the sky.
“Me too. We definitely need to do this more often,” Max agreed with a smile, turning her head to look at him.
“Thank you for this,” he said as he partially lifted himself up to give her a quick kiss. “Have I ever told you how lucky I am to have you?”
“Only about five hundred times,” Max replied. “But I love hearing it.”
“I’m really lucky to have you too, Lucas,” she added. “Thank you for being my best friend and the best boyfriend I could ever ask for.”
“I love you so much, Max.”
“I love you more.”
As the months went by, Lucas grew more and more confident that Max wasn’t going anywhere — that he would never again have to worry about the day he might see her wake up, or hear her laugh at his jokes. For a long time, Lucas believed he would never be happy again.
But he was wrong.
With each passing day, he felt happier — happier than he ever thought possible.
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Bonus (this part contains smut, if you don't like it, please don't read)
As usual, it was a Saturday night, around seven o'clock, when Lucas knocked on Max's door. When it opened, he couldn't help but notice what she was wearing, which consisted of very short pajama shorts and one of Lucas's hoodies, which was far too big for her, almost completely covering the shorts she was wearing. That night, Lucas knew they were alone, as Max's mother had traveled for work, so he wondered if Max had done this on purpose.
"You look beautiful," Lucas said as he entered the house and gave her a hug, followed by a kiss. He was carrying a backpack and wearing black sweatpants and a red shirt.
“Lucas, I’m literally wearing the first clothes I found in my room, it was the most comfortable one I could find,” Max said, shaking her head and playfully slapping his arm.
“But you look beautiful wearing any type of clothing, Max. I’m just complimenting the most gorgeous person in the world,” Lucas continued. He didn’t mind saying these things to her now; they were intimate enough for that, it wasn’t like they were still young.
“Okay, Don Juan, let’s start the movie before it gets late,” Max said, changing the subject, but she had blushed slightly at the comment. She would never get used to receiving compliments like that; no one in her entire life had treated her as well as Lucas did.
To give you an idea, he celebrated every little thing she achieved, whether it was a high grade on a school test or a difficult skateboarding trick, and in her life, it had always been treated as if it were nothing special.
“What do you have in your backpack?” Max asked.
“Well, I know your mom wouldn’t be here, so I figured I could spend the night with you,” Lucas replied with a mischievous smile.
“Quite presumptuous of you, Sinclair,” Max replied with a smile, but didn’t disagree.
The movie started and Lucas couldn’t really pay attention; something about Max wouldn’t let him take his eyes off her.
“Stalker, you’re staring,” Max said, looking at him.
“Sorry, you’re so beautiful, you’re distracting me, so technically it’s your fault,” Lucas said, shrugging and smiling.
“You know that instead of just staring you can kiss me, right?” Max asked, feeling a little bolder.
She didn’t need to say it twice; as soon as she finished speaking, he had already pulled her into a kiss. As the kiss deepened, Max sat on his lap, facing Lucas. He took advantage of her movement to place one hand on her thigh, pressing lightly, while his other hand was on her waist, which he quickly slipped under her shirt, feeling her skin. Max had her hands on his neck, returning the kiss with desire. A few seconds later, she interrupted to pull his shirt off, throwing it to the corner of the sofa.
“Never stop training,” Max said as one hand squeezed Lucas’s bicep, then slid down to his defined abs.
“Never,” Lucas replied. He leaned in and kissed her neck, his hands inside her shirt, moving upwards, noticing she wasn’t wearing a bra.
“Hmmm, no bra, huh?” he asked mischievously while still kissing her and squeezing her breast, making her moan. He was dying to remove that piece of clothing that was getting in his way.
“Bedroom?” Max asked between kisses.
“Yeah, bedroom,” Lucas replied simply. They both stood up, but before Max could head to the bedroom, he picked her up in his arms, bridal style, which made Max laugh, but she didn’t complain.
Lucas opened the door and placed her on the bed, already removing a piece of clothing that was irritating him. He also took the opportunity to pull down her shorts, leaving her only in her underwear.
“You’re perfect,” he said while showering kisses all over her body, making Max moan a little louder.
“Lucas, I’m ready,” Max said. Lucas understood that she was referring to sex. Of course, they had done a few things before; it wasn’t the first time they were “making out,” and they knew every part of each other’s bodies, knowing what each touch awakened in the other. They had agreed to take things slowly, so they would be 100% comfortable with each other when the time came.
“Are you sure?” Lucas asked, looking at her. Max nodded. Receiving her affirmative response, Lucas resumed what he was doing, pausing only for a second to take off his pants, remaining in just his underwear for a moment. He felt his erection growing larger, throbbing with desire. “I want to make you come first,” Lucas whispered in her ear. Max didn't respond, but the way she gasped and moaned was an answer for him.
Lucas kissed her neck, moving his kisses down to her breasts, which he lightly sucked.
“Lucas, I need you to touch me,” Max whispered amidst a moan.
Hearing this, Lucas moved his kisses down, kissing her intimate area and then removing her underwear. As soon as he removed the garment, he saw how wet she was, ready for him. He kissed the area, then licked it. He continued doing this, feeling her every reaction, until the moment she reached her climax.
“I love you,” he said, kissing her cheek.
“I love you too,” Max said, recovering. “I have a condom in the first drawer,” she told him, and he promptly grabbed one and put it on himself.
Max placed his hand on his penis, making movements at the rhythm she knew he liked. “May I?” Lucas asked, and Max nodded. When he inserted it, Max let out a groan; he didn't move immediately.
“When I can move, let me know,” Lucas said, looking at her. After a few seconds, she nodded, indicating that he could begin to move inside her.
“Slowly for now,” Max told him, and he agreed. He started slowly, and after a few moments, Max asked him to go faster. What had been a slight discomfort before became pleasure for Max as well.
“I’m close,” Lucas said just before reaching his climax. “That was perfect,” he said, lying down beside her after removing the condom and putting on his underwear. “You’re perfect,” he said, kissing her cheek, making Max smile.
After a few minutes of lying there, Max got up.
“I’m going to take a shower, are you coming?” she said, making Lucas get up quickly.
“If I ever say no to this, you can kill me.”
“Dork.”