Work Text:
The bathroom had filled with a humid mist which you took as a sign that it was time to switch off the shower. You had been standing under the warm, constant flow of the shower head, relaxing as the water poured down you. Your eyes closed as it cascaded over your head melting away stress and worry. With a sigh of defeat you turned the metal knob that controlled the water to the off position. Showers like this were almost like a meditation for you.
Grabbing the fluffy white towel you rubbed the cotton fabric quickly over yourself then wrapped it around you. Attempting to kept it in place by tucking it in at the top to leave your hands free to fasten a towel around your dripping hair.
Opening the bathroom door you were hit with a rush of cool air, well outside seemed cool in comparison to the bathroom you had been monopolising for so long. Your feet lightly padded to the bedroom. You smiled to see Max laying on the bed in just his boxers watching YouTube videos on his phone.
"Hey, how was your hour long shower?" Max smiled as he asked with a slight mocking tone to his voice.
"Relaxing. Thank you for asking. Had to wash your stink off of me."
"It's all man baby! Get use to it. Marking my territory."
You stood looming over Max with your hands placed firmly on your hips. A fake expression of anger etched into your face.
"Excuse me. What did you say? Dare you to say it again. Go on. Dare you." You challenged the smug looking Max.
"I said babe, that you are my territory.....to be marked...with....my ...scent." Max struggled to finish the sentence as you grabbed a pillow and started reigning gentle blows down on him.
His arms instinctively went up to protect himself as he laughed at your pillow onslaught. You joined in laughing as you slowed down your attack. One last big throw of the pillow at him and you sat down on the edge of the bed laughing and out of breath.
You pulled the towel from off of your head and started to roughly towel dry your hair. Max propped himself up on his side using his elbow. His free hand came up and gently stroked the back of your neck. Max lent foreward and planted a kiss in the spot he was stroking. You swore you heard a slight inhale of breath as he lingered there for just a second.
"You freak Max. Did you just sniff me? Don't tell me your checking out your scent on me or something." You teased him.
"No no no! Nothing weird honest. Just your hair."
"What about my hair?"
"Apples. It smells like the apple shampoo you always use. I like it. It's like it's....you. I can't smell it without thinking of you now." Max sounded almost shy admitting it.
"You associate me with apples. I guess it could be worse. I never really thought about it but yeah, it's my most used shampoo I guess."
"Even the pillows smell of apples from your hair after you have washed it. Not that I purposely sniff your pillow." Max continued stroking your neck, his fingers brushing over your shoulders. It felt relaxing and sensual.
"Are you going to miss me and my apples this week?" You asked Max.
"Of course I will babe. Will feel weird having the bed to myself though. I'll get stretch out like this though and not have to sleep pushed to the edge." Max demonstrated by starfishing across the double bed with a smirk on his face.
That was your favourite Max facial expression, his cheeky "I'm hilarious" smirk. His smile or laugh would show teeth but this was definitely a closed lipped closed smirk you had seen him do many a time. You stood up, let your towel drop to the floor then crawled into the bed pushing Max over to his side.
"Yeah that's it bitch over to your inch of the bed." You jokingly pushed Max away from you with your hands.
"Hey be nice to me. Your going for a week. I'm going to be sad and alone missing you."
"You will have Chad, Warren and Julian over every night getting drunk. Guaranteed. You won't miss me."
"Well, your not wrong but I will miss you. I'll be sniffing your apple pillow every night."
"Shut up about my Apple hair now Max. A) it's creepy and B) I have to be up stupidly early." You smiled at max enjoying the conversation that flowed between you
That had been something that had first drawn you to Max. You guys could casually insult each other back and forth for hours. This banter had turned semi flirty to straight up sarcastic dirty talk in your first few meetings. Comments like "yeah you would love this D" and "you probably have a semi over me right now" had been thrown around as if you had known each other for years.
You snuggled down under the covers pressing your naked body into Max's warm torso. Max put an arm round you pulling you tight. He buried his nose it your apple scented hair planting a kiss on the top of your head. He really was going to miss you this week so he made the most of your smooth skin against him. Max commited to memory the sound of your soft breathing, the feeling of your skin on his and if course that familiar apple smell.
You woke up in the morning to your phone alarm beeping angrily at you. You groaned quietly lifting Max's arm off of you and grabbing your phone to swipe the loud alarm off of the screen . Tiptoeing about inorder to let sleeping beauty rest undisturbed, you quickly got ready to spend the week apart from your beloved Max. You would miss him but duty called and the trip was unavoidable. Despite how hard you had tried you couldn't get out of it.
*A week later*
The taxi dropped you outside the house late at night. You paid the driver and thanked him for his service. Hauling your suitcase behind you up to the door while searching your pocket for your house keys, fatigue washed over you. Bed was calling to you. As soon as you were in the house you headed straight to the bedroom. Unpacking could wait. Ever so quietly you entered the bedroom, you winced as there was a creak from the door and the figure in the bed moved slightly. You would feel so guilty if you were to wake Max. Slowly you shut it behind you.
In the dark you stripped of your clothing and felt your way to the bed. You felt at home as you lifted the covers and crawled in beside the warm sleepy body. Max stirred and instinctively put his arm around you drawing you close to him.
"Y/N. Your home. Missed you." Max muttered mostly still asleep.
"How did you know it was me? Could of been a burglar." You whispered back.
"Apples." Max replied in one word going back to sleep. You smiled in the darkness feeling like you had very much arrived back home.