YOU'VE HURT ME. I AM CRUSHED. UUUUUHHHHUHGGGGGG THIS IS. SO. OUCH.
You are a GENIUS. God. God. I can see that last scene you described in my head so clearly. Like Max's half-raised, heartbroken, and betrayed crinkled brows, the way his lips turn down into an open-mouthed I'm This Close To Sobbing Right Here Right Now frown. Eyes glistening with tears. He MEANS this confession. He's an emotionally closed off and emotionally neglected little boy confessing his most vulnerable feelings to probably the only adult he's ever trusted, the only person he's ever loved this much, and that man is sitting in front of him and shutting him down. David doesn't love him. Fuck, does he even care about him? If he'd hurt Max so viciously this way, so maliciously lie to him about how much he loves him, Max must mean nothing to him. He should've known. He means nothing to anyone. No one cares about him. No one loves him.
And David is also broken after this. He has to do what's right. He wants to. He in no way shape or form loves any child romantically, and he will not entertain such a mentally damaging, dangerous idea in one. He is not going to back down. But regardless, after the confession, recalling Max's face and his pained little voice, his crushed hopes and trust, it breaks him. And he can't focus. He sits at his desk full of paperwork, laying miserably on top of it against his arm. He's never felt so conflicted in his entire life, genuinely. This is up there with the worst emotional pain he's ever gone through. Max is almost a son to him and he had to break him so deep-rootedly just to protect him. And his little Max rarely shows vulnerability, and he'd finally done it, just to cry right in front of David out of his control because that's how badly David shattered his young heart. After everything they'd worked through. He had to crush Max for something neither of them could possibly control.
And after the anger boils in him at the situation itself, he finally just sobs, alone in his cabin while Gwen's out. He sobs so angrily it hurts. Half-fisted palms press hard into his eyes. He grips his hair. He slaps his forehead—He hates this. He cries for over an hour until he's just lying over his desk, looking void, eyes dry, face flushed, tears staining his cheeks. Gwen returns to the cabin, knocks on the door, and calls to him that she's back before opening it. And she sees him there at the desk, face out of view. She frowns in concern and walks over to see his expression, silently surveying him. David hides his face in folded arms. After a moment, he mumbles miserably, merely, "I told him no."
It takes a few moments, however, they've discussed Max's crush on David enough times for it to click into place. Her face contorts into what feelings David's already run through, although not as severe, because of course, she wasn't the one to deliver the blow, and she doesn't have the same sort of bond the two have. But she gets it. She asks nothing. She doesn't need a play-by-play. She knows exactly how it went.
So she says "C'mon, you need rest." and David halfheartedly allows her to pull his limp frame from his chair. "I got this," she says, taking his seat and paperwork. She glances back and forces a strained smile. "Get some sleep, CB."
David just stares at the wall, exhaustion written on his face. He nods weakly.
"We can talk about this once you're rested up," Gwen supplies. "I think you've had enough emotions for tonight."
After a few seconds David grabs his wrist, the tight grip he desires absent, and turns, trudging toward his bed. He crawls into it and gradually lies down, facing the wall and curling in on himself.
Gwen studies him sorrowfully before turning to her work.
He'll be okay. They'll be okay. They just... need time.
WOW sorry for turning your ask into fanfiction. This always happens 😭 Anyway yeah thank you I'll be thinking about this for a while <– heartbroken
turnnoffyourmind
kianamaiart
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
dailybridgerton
discoholicmusic
gummygunk
snowghoul
