Work Text:
[Takes place after All You Knead Is Love.]
[Valentines Day evening]
There’s an unusually calm expression on X’s face as he hums the song Fleetway sang for him earlier to himself. Upon opening the front door to let himself inside he’s greeted with his older brother stepping out. An eyebrow is arched quizzically at the younger man. “What’s gotten you in such a good mood?”
The question has X immediately scowling with ears pinning back and his quills bristling in agitation. “What, am I not allowed to be happy?!” He snarls down at the older man.
That gets him a glare. “Sheesh, sorry I asked.”
There’s seconds of silence as the two sort of just stare at each other with narrowed eyes. In those fleeting seconds it dawns on X that they met at the front door. “Wait. Where are you heading to?” And alone at that…
Lord X shrugs nonchalantly. “Max invited me over for a Valentines Day dinner date.” His grumpy frown mellows into a smirk. “I was reassured only the finest food and liquor and the company isn’t too terrible, so why decline such an invitation?~” The smirk grows showing off teeth while he rubs his finger along the underside of his nose.
“Whatever you’re trying to use on my brother doesn’t work for the rest of us!” Maybe if he implied suggestive things about his crush (even if it was about his older brother) then he’d be embarrassed as well, which would serve him right!
The pink hedgehog’s shocked expression and reddened muzzle had X feeling a sense of triumphant! …till it was quickly replaced with a toothy smirk and the quirking of an eyebrow. “Would Lord X like a nice Valentines Day surprise like that?~”
X went from scowling to grimacing upon remembering that part of his conversation with Max earlier this week. What if the pink male did take him too seriously and was planning on doing that…? He feels his scruffy muzzle warm up. Voids dammit this is embarrassing…! “This isn’t up for discussion and I already don’t want to say this, but you deserve to know what you’re walking into, but there’s a high chance that Chef Rose may have decked himself in whipped cream and fruit for this date.” X doesn’t give his brother a chance to respond as he rushes through the doorway slamming the front door behind him shut.
Lord X is left staring at the door in confusion. Just what the fuck was the boy on about?? The older man allows himself to pocket that remark for asking Max later. He had places to be and things to enjoy, and wasn’t about to upset the host by being late. He’d get his answers later.
~~~
Since Max invited Lord X over he simply lets himself inside instead of knocking or ringing the doorbell. Of course the other man is in the kitchen where he takes a seat as his usual spot at the kitchen islander across from him. Crimson eyes scan around looking for a certain preteen noticing that they’re not around. “Niku not here?”
Black hair quills sway from side to side when Max shakes his head. “They’re over at a friend’s house. Most people wouldn’t expect the man to be reliable or responsible, but I know Niku’s in good hands. Niku adores him so they’re happy to be staying over there.”
Lord X smiles proudly at Max, though he can’t see it with his back facing him. “Look at you making a new friend and all on your own.”
“I knooow.~ I wasn’t expecting to make a new friend so soon, but here we are!~” That little striped tail of Max’s wags excitingly. “So~” Max turns to fully look at Lord X wearing his KISS THE COOK apron. In his hands are two decent sized steaks still in the packaging. “Since I’ve learned from the whole birthday cake fiasco that you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, I figured you’d like something more savory.” He winks with his own proud smile when it looks like Lord X’s mouth is watering. “Thought so~” He sits them on the counter behind himself. “I also figured you weren’t much of a wine person so I picked up what’s right there in front of you.” His head nods at the bottle sitting right in front of Lord X.
Lord X picks up the bottle in one hand to check out the label. He lets out a whistle. “Some good stuff you got here.” The bottle sloshes when he gives it a shake.
The pink male steps back and off to the side showing off a few extra ingredients laid out next to the steaks. “There’s also a few options for sides as well in case you have a preference.”
A large gloved hand rubs over his protruded belly. He didn’t have one. By this point he was grinning ear to ear. Max was really going all out for this silly dinner date, and he was definitely going to indulge himself.~ He swallows down saliva that builds up from his mouth watering in anticipation.
“This isn’t up for discussion and I already don’t want to say this, but you deserve to know what you’re walking into, but there’s a high chance that Chef Rose may have decked himself in whipped cream and fruit for this date.”
Once more he scans the vicinity though for the aforementioned items, which he doesn’t find. He snorts out a laugh upon shaking his head.
Max looks at him with a puzzle expression. “What’s so funny?”
Lord X lets out a dry laugh and rolls his eyes amusingly. “X was worried that you’d dress yourself in only whipped cream and fruit for I’m assuming my eating pleasure.” There’s an amused smirk on his lips as he explains.
Max’s muzzle flushes and he laughs a little too hard. A hand is waved dismissively at the older male. “Oh, that was just a continuation of a joke I made at X to poke fun at something he could do for his-”
“Just don’t tell Majin, or for the endless void, my brother! I don’t need to be coddled or made fun of!”
“-heh! It was just a joke between me and X. Nothing more!” The laugh he lets out is forced and awkward. To avoid eye contact he turns around so he can have his attention on the food on the counter.
Eyes narrow and his head cocks to one side in suspicion at Max’s abrupt change in demeanor. First his brother’s odd remark now Max avoiding the topic of it. Something was up and he did not like being out of the loop. Lord X was going to get to the bottom of this, and he knew exactly how he was going to about it.
“Maaax~” He made sure to lay his tone on thick and sweet like honey. A smirk comes to his lips when he watches the younger man stiffen in surprise. His upper body leans over the counter top as his smirk widens showing off all teeth. “I implore you to tell me the truth.”
A shiver runs through his spine and his striped little tail bristles at the way the man spoke his name. He feels his face flush again and his legs grow weak. Arms grasp the kitchen counter for dear life so he doesn’t collapse. Hesitantly, he looks over his shoulder at the older man donning on his best smile. “There’s nothing to tell.” Inwardly, he curses to himself because he can hear the shakiness in his voice as he tries to lie. Max has to pull his gaze away because that flirty smirk made his insides turn to mush.
Wrong answer. Lord X is like a shark that smelled blood in the water. He was up out of his seat in seconds coming around the kitchen islander right beside Max. The shorter man turns towards him the moment he’s by his side. Lord X leans over in his space having their faces mere inches away. That causes Max’s face to erupt in a bright red. “You can speak it on my lips, if that’ll help you get it out.~”
Too close. Too close! TOO CLOSE!!~ Max is almost rendered speechless. “Th-there’s nothing to tell…!” He stutters out before rushing to the opposite end of the islander farthest from the other man. His heart is beating so hard in his chest, and his face is on fire!
Lord X was still on the hunt and wasn’t backing down any time soon. While Max’s back was to him (probably from trying to compose himself), he quickly strode up to him. A gloved index and middle finger ran down the other’s tail while he leaned against him. A shudder ran through the other man followed with a yelp. “Or, if you want, you can utter it in my ear.~”
Good golly did having the older man’s breath on the back of his neck almost made his legs give out! Oh this was bad! He promised he wouldn’t say anything, but holy hell was Lord X making it so hard!
Max speeds off to the other side of the kitchen whipping out his phone and pulling up the email app.
Max: HELP!! YOUR BROTHER’S TRYING TO SEDUCE INFORMATION OUT OF ME OVER THAT FRUIT JOKE!! I DON’T THINK I CAN HOLD HIM OFF MUCH LONGER!!
Fingers fly across the screen typing frantically, barely able to send the email out. His phone starts going off with numerous replies from X.
A delicate chime flickers in Max’s ears and he feels that all too familiar powerful aura in his personal space. He is unable to react in time upon Lord X teleporting right up behind him! The phone in his hands is snatched out of them with the older hedgehog using that window of time to send his brother his own email.
Lord X: I will get my answers one way or another >:)
That email not only had Max’s phone blowing up, but Lord X’s as well. The phone is snatched right back up before Max rushes back to the kitchen islander using it as a poorly makeshift barrier against the other. “Ge-get back, you sexy beast!!” He weakly shouts at him.
Lord X’s movements are careful and calculated as he stalks up to said islander. The expression on his face is devilishly handsome making Max feel as though he’s a prey being approached by an overconfident predator. He stops right up to the islander placing his hands against the counter sides leaning his torso over. The entire time he keeps eye contact with the flustered pink hedgehog. “I’ve tried to be patient about this, but you’ve forced my hand.”
The way his eyes gleamed and his eyebrow arched paralyzed Max in place. “Oh?” His little tail sways at the countless possibilities.
What he receives is a slow nod. “I’ll make you a deal, My Dear.” His stomach did flips at the deliberate pet name. “Tell me what I want to know, and I’ll reward you with a kiss.”
…did-did he hear him correctly?? And was he being serious?? “A kiss, you say?” Another nod. He gets a suspicious glare. “How do I know you’re not lying?”
A chuckle rumbles low and deep in Lord X’s chest. He rests a gloved hand over his heart. “I am a hedgehog of my word. You will get what you want when you give me what I want.” His other hand extends out to Max. “Deal?~”
Max’s own hand floats a few inches over Lord X’s as he inwardly struggles between keeping his promise to X, and the way his emotions soar at the idea of getting an honest to God kiss from that handsome devil!~ His head hangs low in defeat with his dark hair quills spilling over his face and shoulders as he places his hand in the others shaking it. “...deal.”
Oh, the shit eating grin that stretched across Lord X’s muzzle. His cheeks practically hurt from how wide he was smiling. “Well, go on.” He didn’t even give Max a chance to mourn his own betrayal.
The pink male sighs with his shoulders slumping. He definitely owed X after this… “My lesson for this week was for the class to make a dish for their loved ones. I told X he could make something for his crush, to which he argued since he can’t technically cook or bake anything. I teased him then saying that the best he could do for his crush was chocolate or whipped cream and the crush’s choice of fruit, as in on his body. He got embarrassed and proceeded to try and turn it against me by saying ‘whatever works on my brother doesn’t work for the rest of us’, to which I teased him further by asking if it would indeed work on you. He got even more embarrassed telling me that he didn’t know and was ‘fucking with me’. So yeah, that’s what happened. …I wasn’t supposed to tell you.” He bemoans.
Oh, this was too good!~ Lord X is cackling evilly to himself as he pulls out his phone opening the message app. He ignores all the angry in all caps texts from his brother while pulling up the keyboard.
Lord X: No wonder you were happy when you got home earlier. Must have enjoyed Fleetway’s mouth on you eating up that food off your body~
He wasn’t actually sure they had done that, but X wasn’t subtle about his feelings for Fleetway and vice versa.
Max sulks as Lord X watches in sadistic glee at the utterly pissed texts X shoots at him. The older hedgehog can’t help himself from chuckling more upon hearing Max’s phone also popping off with what were probably equally pissed emails.
A yelp escapes Max when he feels arms wrap around his waist and his upper body tipped back. Standing above him with his arms around him is Lord X flashing him a triumphant smirk. “Your kiss, as promised.” Despite his cheeks flushing again, Max shuts his eyes slightly puckering his lips anticipating another pair on them. His eyelids fly open when one of the arms unravels itself from around him grabbing one of his hands with its own raising it and the arm it’s attached to. Blood red eyes stare him down as a deliberately agonizing slow kiss is given to the backside of the hand. He looks way too proud of himself grinning this knowing toothy smile as if to say ‘I didn’t say what kind of kiss I’d give you’.
Max finds his entire face roaring into a bright hot red! That silver hog shouldn’t have looked as fine as he did with such a simple gesture! It was just all too much!! He was soaring over the moon!~ …before everything went black.
Lord X finds his arms flailing as Max’s limp body almost falls out of their hold. “MAX??” He shouts from being caught off guard. The man was out cold, or well, he would have been if his body didn’t look like it had overheated… This was not the reaction he was expecting…! Unsure of what to do, he pulls out his phone pulling the messaging app once again.
Lord X: I may have incapacitated Max
Majin: WHAT??
Lord X: I’m pretty sure he’s still breathing
Majin: WHAT??