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Rewrite was someone who usually keeps to himself. It's not that he didn't enjoy other people's company or anything, it's just that he'd rather play God with his beloved bugs. More often than not he preferred to spend time with his beloved bugs than do much of anything else. Though once and a while something would catch his attention that was more interesting than his bugs. And this something was about his partner in crime: Lord X.
Off and on for quite some time around Khaos University campus he heard word of a teacher who had their eye on Lord X, and in a romantic way at that. It started with cheesy little flirting and edible gifts every time he'd pick up his brother from the man's class. Then there was talk about seeing them together inside and outside of the college. About a month or so ago, a student made a fuss over favoritism with his brother due to the nature of their relationship. That apparently got the student kicked out of his class and sent to a different one.
Then there was that one evening where X sent a damning photo of his brother with a big ol' bruise along his chest that was all manner of colors along with some fresh scarring from teeth marks. Oh, how everyone gave him so much shit in the group text chat (Rewrite himself included hehe~)! Lord X demanded that it didn't leave the group since that was only his (and the other person's) business. Rewrite agreed to that. …but he didn't promise he wouldn't terrorize the man (and his new beau) when he had the opportunity to.~
So there was someone who was interested in Lord X and apparently Lord X seemed to feel the same way. There wasn't anything really wrong with man. Rewrite guesses he could see why someone would like Lord X in that way… But this had the hedgehog's attention. He wanted to meet this Chef Rose and see what his intentions are with his friend. Plus, he wanted to see what Lord X was into because he couldn't remember a time where he was seeing someone… Not to mention he had few chances to mess with Lord X…~
~~~
Max was excited when he got a text from Lord X earlier in the week asking if he wanted to come to a small party at his place on the weekend. It wasn't going to be anything fancy, just a bunch of snacks and red solo cups filled with beer (most likely from a keg or two) and probably drinking games (maybe some karaoke if Majin could weasel it in). He hadn't been to a college party like that since his own college days. Not to mention he needed a distraction from his… spiraling emotions. Plus, he enjoyed a get together, especially with familiar faces.~
Majin's cheerful face is what greets him at the front door. He immediately ushers in the shorter man giving him warm greetings as well as slips a red solo cup into his hands. Then he was gone as quickly as he had approached Max. The mustachioed man seemed to flit about as if he was in his element. He seemed just as excited if not more than Max himself. It warmed his heart.~
Since he was only handed an empty cup, he makes a beeline for the kitchen where the keg(s) were usually kept at these types of parties. Upon entering through the doorway does he almost bump into someone. That someone is EXE. Pink ears pin back, and he tries to conjure his best smile. "Whoops! My bad!" Max immediately apologizes. "And hello again. How have you been?~"
His smile falters when he gets a glare before EXE barrels through tagging one of Max's bony shoulders with his own shoulder as he stomps off. Nothing was signed to him. Just pure silent anger. That has Max downing the first drink he pours himself. After pouring his second one he does his best to collect himself. He inhales and exhales deep breaths then paces around a bit to shake off the stress. Once he was sure he wasn't feeling as dejected as he was a moment ago, does he take his newly acquired drink back to the living room. Hopefully he could find a friendlier face like Majin again or Lord X. He'd even settle for X's antisocial ass (wasn't a bad kid just a little… prickly).
Emerald irises do spot the young man and he feels himself smiling widely perking up at seeing him tucked in a corner with Fleetway. They had their own fold up chairs and red solo cups sharing their own snickers and sly grins. Knowing those two, they were probably up to no good. It was cute. When red meets green upon their eyes meeting, does Max send a small but excitable wave as well as a wink at X. That has X flushing and grumbling to himself which catches Fleetway's attention. When he notices the pink male across the room he's also embarrassed when he gets a knowing smirk from him. Max was really rooting for those two!~ Since he didn't want to intrude on what was as personal as their time was at a social gathering, he decides to look for his other options.
It doesn't take him long to find his rotund pal who is having a beer with Majin and someone he's never seen before… They were quite tall standing a few good inches over Majin, who had been the tallest of everyone he thought he met of the group (being at the taller end of five feet compared to everyone else who hovered around the low end of five feed or high four feet). They had bright blue fur akin to X's dressed in a simple T-shirt and khaki jeans. Their limbs are oddly detached from their body having a blank unreadable expression on their face.
"Max, where ya been? Majin said he let you in." Lord X asks right as he approaches the group.
He hold up his solo cup full of beer. "Had to get me a drink. Figured it'd be in the kitchen." A smile is beamed up at the older man. "And you should have known I'd come and find you.~" His little striped tail sways upon saying that.
That has the other man smiling, though his has more teeth and more of smirk than a smile. Max always enjoys seeing him grin.~
"So…" Max sets his green gaze over to the lanky blue hedgehog to their side. "You gonna introduce me to your friend?~" Big smiles and big energy!~
Head quills fall to one side as Lord X tilts his head upward to look up at the tallest hedgehog. There's still a smirk on his lips but without all the teeth. His whole demeanor is smug. "Max. this is Rewrite, my partner in crime.~" He winks up at Rewrite raising his cup of beer at him. Those x shaped irises shift back to Max. "Rewrite, this is Max. He's my…" His cheeks warm up in a light shade of red. "…new companion. The man can make a mean, well, anything." He still stands proud and smug as he motions a gloved hand between the two.
The shortest man takes a step back when Rewrite's head leaves his body coming right up to Max's face. The floating head tilts to one side with one of the ears flicking in thought. Those blank black irises turn into several slits stacked on top of each other reminding Max of equal signs. There's this goofy open mouthed grin on his unusual lips that hang off his oddly smooth muzzle. "So, Max, what is it about Lord X you like?" Rewrite's voice sounds almost… robotic but also cheerful. It was kind of cute. Before the shorter of the two can answer, he is cut off. "Is it his fat ass or his fat tiddies?~ Maybe even his fat gut?~"
Both Lord X and Majin are drinking their beers when Rewrite starts talking. Poor Majin sprays out his drink while Lord X is coughing and hacking due to his drink going down the wrong way and in the wrong pipe! Max's muzzle erupts into a bright red finding himself unable to speak.
The tallest seems unbothered by their reactions, though he does chuckle gleefully. One of his arms floats down to his head, and a gloved finger presses against his cheek as his head tilts upward. His facial expression never changes. "If I had to guess… I'd say it's his fat tiddies. You did leave quite the… impression on them, after all…~"
Lord X shoots a glowering stare at Rewrite. His scruffy muzzle is a dark shade of red. "Rewrite." The tone of his voice sounds quite threatening upon speaking the taller one's name. It was a warning.
Wait. How did he know about that?? Max forces a grin, finding himself a little ticked off. Did Lord X send that picture of the aftermath of his feeding to other people?? "Lord what is he talking about…?"
Oh, how Max's reaction has Rewrite giggling in more glee.~ "He doesn't know?" His head rolls around as it floats up higher and over to Lord X. "How embarrassing.~"
A gloved hand is held up into the air in a defensive manner. Ears are pinned back with both them and his muzzle feeling on fire! The scowl on his lips is a combination of pissed and embarrassment. "It's not what you think."
Majin moves closer to Rewrite's body shaking one of his shoulders to try and grab his attention. "Rewrite, maybe you should settle down with the comments…" His tone is gentle as he tries to step in to help.
Despite Lord X reassuring him, Rewrite's suspicious wording has Max believing otherwise. He feels his smile struggling to slip as well as the butt of some inside joke, which he despises! Without a second thought, he throws his head back chugging down the full cup of beer in mere seconds. Before anyone can get a word in edge-wise, he announces he's getting a refill before rushing off.
"Rewrite. What the fuck was that?!" Snarls Lord X the moment Max is out of view.
His head floats back to his body followed by the one arm. Those lanky arms simply shrug. "Just asking some questions…~" One of his ears flops thoughtfully again.
"Do not play me for a fool, Rewrite!" A gloved finger is pointed up at the man aggressively. Eyelids narrow up at him as teeth clench in irritation.
The hedgehog's anger seems to only make Rewrite giggle some more. "The man was practically throwing himself at you before he knew you so I figured he liked certain… aspects of you.~"
Poor Majin stands off to the side feeling a little anxious, and doesn't know how to interject himself to stop the fighting from escalating…
The implications bring Lord X's blush back to life. "Even if that's the case, why didn't you inquire this in a different approach?"
There's a pause from the taller upon him tilting his head upward again humming thoughtfully. "No."
"NO??"
Eyes squint as the open mouthed grin on Rewrite's face widen to a point where it's somehow hanging off of his face. "If I didn't ask it in the way that I had, then I wouldn't have gotten the reactions I wanted.~" He's giggling hysterically by this point.
The scowl perks up stretching from ear to ear showing off all his sharp teeth in a malicious grin. "Oh, well, since we're discussing in detail about the favorite anatomy of our romantic interests, maybe you can tell me what it is about BK that riles you up?~"
One black iris blows up while the other iris shrinks. His smile closes before flipping upside down into a frown. Ears flatten as eyebrows furrow.
It's right then that Max shows back up. His little pink ears are standing back up and he has his usual cheerful expression again. That red solo cup of his is filled to the brim with more beer. "BK?" Streaked quills all fall onto one of his shoulders when he cocks his head in curiosity. "Is that your significant other?" Is what he asks the tallest upon catching Lord X saying the name and romantic towards Rewrite.
It's sudden upon Rewrite's expression changing. Back again is that open mouthed smile, and his eyes have annoyed looking black slits. The knuckles of his gloved hands press against his hips as he leans over in irritation. He huffs out a sigh. "Geez Lord X, I thought you'd be into someone who had more awareness and intelligence, but I guess we can't help but fall for a dumb pretty face sometimes…" His arms raise up as he shrugs his shoulders. The tone he speaks in is quite condescending. His nose turns up into the air as to literally have his nose up at Max.
Usually Max was unbothered by grumpy or hostile people, and it was due to the fact that they weren't actually rude to him, just ticked off and projecting that outward whether the pink male was there or not. But when it came to others being actually rude to him or calling him names or making fun of him… I'm not a fucking idiot! I'm not fucking stupid! I'm not a complete fucking airhead! One minute Max is standing there with his ears flattened backwards and pushing his smile so wide it was almost just a line trying to keep it together. Then the next… a loud crackling sound followed by a wet pop! fills the room before his entire face and chest up is covered in the beer that was squeezed out of the red solo cup! The cup in question is completely crunched up in his gloved hands. That catches everyone's attention as all eyes turned to the liquor soaked hedgehog.
"MAX?!" Shouts both Lord X and Majin.
The taller of the two instantly runs around frantically trying to remember where he had towels stashed so he can help clean the man up.
Lord X offers a dry shirt for him to borrow for changing into.
"…oh dear. It seems I've spilled my drink all over me." The shortest finally speaks. "I should call it a night and go home and clean up…" His voice is eerily calm and he looks as though he's barely keeping it together.
By the time Majin zips back over to the small group, does Max start making a beeline for the front door. The cup still sits in one of his gloved hands crushed up into a leaking mess.
Not immediately after, since he isn't expecting Max to suddenly walk away, but Lord X follows after him. "How about I walk you home so I can be rest assured you make it back safely?"
The younger man halts in his tracks. Gloved fingers entwine upon him leaning towards the older one. "What a gentlemen.~" Despite looking as though he'd swoon into the other hedgehog's arms, his smile doesn't quite meet his eyes. "But I'm going to have to decline. Maybe some other time…~" But then he's back to a quick stride trying to get to the front door.
That doesn't deter the man. He keeps up after him being right on his heels. With an extra boost of speed he runs up ahead in front of Max. He dons on his best smile. "But I insist."
Any other time, Max's legs would have turned to jelly and have allowed Lord X to weasel his way into this. "And I decline, again." He continues onward getting right around the bigger man.
A massive hand reaches out snagging a thin wrist stopping the smaller man once more. "Max."
Bony shoulders hunch upward as his skinny body stiffens. There's a silence between them upon the pink male just standing there with his back still facing the other hedgehog. Eyelids clench with his chest heaving excruciating slow as he inhales and exhales a deep long breath. He just wanted to fucking leave. Why was Lord X being so fucking stubborn…?
He finally turns to him with narrowed eyes. "Lord." The way he says that part of his name causes him to let go of his wrist. "I'm not a delicate flower. I can handle myself. So please, let me go out on my own. I'll be fine." Max tries to conjure his sweetest smile to grin up at the other man. "Promise."
Ears pin back and eyelids narrow as he huffs a sigh out of his pointy black nose. Of course he knows Max can handle himself. That wasn't the void damned problem! "…can I at least walk you out?" Is his last ditch effort in hopes of comforting him in someway shape or form. He didn't know what to do with this new side of Max…
"Sure." He sighs out looking a little defeated. Whatever it takes to get you to back off afterwards…
That immediately has Lord X snaking an arm around his shoulders hugging him to his side before walking them closer towards the front door. They're both pretty quick as in a few seconds, Max finds himself standing on the other side of the door having his hair quills rustled by the cool evening air. Right as the taller man opens his mouth to finally bring up what happened back inside, a gloved finger presses up against his lips stopping him.
"I don't wanna talk about it. Just pretend like it didn't happen, and let me leave, please." The shorter of the two pleads with him really emphasizing that little please at the end.
When the finger is pulled back does he allow himself to speak. "Are you sure?" He decides to ask one final time.
Dark head quills bob upon him nodding in response. Emerald green irises silently beg him not to continue.
This frustrated Lord X, but he decides to push further, despite having not knowing what exactly was up with Max and how to help. Burly arms cross as he sighs once more. "You know, you can text or call me any time you need someone." Is all he can offer upon feeling helpless in this situation.
Gloved hands grab a hold onto those arms. "I know and I appreciate that."
There's a shared tender smile between them before Max lets go of Lord X heading off in a quick pace.
Lord X stands there watching him walk away till he can no longer see his silhouette… Before he swiftly turns on his heels ready to go back inside so he can verbally tear Rewrite a new one! How dare that metaphorical little asshole ruin his night…!