Episodes Masterlist
Episode 1: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
Episode 2: coming soon
Episode 3: coming soon
Thank you to these angels, @thissying and @dspookje, for so kindly volunteering their time to quality-check the footage and patiently answering all of my (many) questions, I am so so very grateful <3
Episodes Masterlist
Episode 1: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
Episode 2: coming soon
Episode 3: coming soon
Thank you to these angels, @thissying and @dspookje, for so kindly volunteering their time to quality-check the footage and patiently answering all of my (many) questions, I am so so very grateful <3
Thank you for indulging me! Here it is: drunken kiss + maxiel, around 800 words
The yacht is too warm.
Max can feel sweat gathering at the back of his neck, underneath his shirt collar, in the soft space behind his knees. The deck sways enough that his body keeps having to correct for it, tiny adjustments in his ankles and hips.
Itβs annoying. A floor should be still. This is one of the basic things a floor is supposed to do.
He takes another sip of his gin tonic.
Itβs good. Bitter and cold, with a sharp little bite at the end. Max has had maybe one too many. Maybe two. Itβs hard to know because the glasses are stupidly small and mostly ice, and anyway he has eaten earlier. Some pasta. Half a bread roll. A piece of Danielβs dessert that Daniel had pushed at him with a grin and said, βCome on, live a little, Max!β
So he is fine.
Across the deck, Daniel is at the bar with Scotty James.
Max stares.
Scotty is leaning on one elbow, relaxed and tall and blond. Heseems very pleased with itself. He is wearing linen. Max hates linen. It wrinkles too much. Daniel is laughing at something Scotty says, head tipped back, his mouth open, throat working.
Maxβs stomach goes hot.
Scotty James is not even in F1. He does snowboarding, or something like this. Which is impressive, maybe, but also totally unrelated. There is no reason for him to be standing so close to Daniel at a Red Bull party. There is no useful information he could be giving Daniel. Daniel already knows how snow works.
Max puts his glass down carefully on a table.
He walks over.
Daniel sees him first. Of course he does. Daniel is always seeing things, when Max doesnβt want him to.
βHey, mate,β Daniel says. His smile stays on, but changes a bit. βYou alright?β
βYes,β Max says. He looks at Scotty. βAll good?β
Scotty blinks, then smiles. βYeah, man. All good. Congrats on the race. todayβ
βThank you.β
A little silence opens.
Danielβs eyes are bright. βYou having fun?β
βNo,β Max says, honestly. Scotty laughs.
Max looks at him.
Daniel says, βMax.β
βWhat?β
βNothing.β
βIβm answering the question.β
βYou are.β
Scotty takes a sip of his beer. βNot a party guy?β
Max shrugs. βI like parties if they are useful.β
Daniel makes a small noise. βUseful?β
βYes. For example, team dinner is useful. Sponsors are useful, sometimes. Celebrating is useful if it helps morale. But thisββ Max gestures vaguely at the yacht, the women, the gold lights, Scottyβs shirt. βThis is mostly standing.β
Daniel presses his lips together. His eyes are doing the thing they do when he is trying very hard not to laugh.
Scotty says, βFair enough.β
Max nods.
A second passes.
Daniel reaches out and puts his hand on Maxβs shoulder. Warm. Heavy. Thumb brushing the side of his neck.
Max forgets whatever he was going to say next.
βCome on,β Daniel says. βYou and me. Bathroom.β
Max frowns. βWhy?β
βBecause youβre doing that thing.β
βWhat thing?β
βThe thing where you get very honest and very scary.β
βI am not scary.β
Scotty coughs into his beer.
Max turns his head. βWhat?β
βNothing,β Scotty says quickly.
Danielβs hand tightens. βMaxy.β
Max lets Daniel steer him away.
Not because he needs to be steered. Heβs walking perfectly. But Danielβs hand stays on his shoulder the whole way, and his fingers are warm through Maxβs shirt, and this is better than standing by the bar watching Scotty have no useful purposee and being dumb.
The bathroom is small and white and cold. Daniel locks the door behind them and turns on the tap.
Max says, βI donβt need to piss.β
Daniel laughs. βGood to know.β
βSo why are we here?β
βBecause youβre pissed.β
Max doesn't understand, so Daniel grins and paraphrases: "Pissed like hammered. Drunk."
βI am not pissed.β
βYou are a little pissed.β
βI am buzzed.β
Danielβs mouth twitches. βRight. Buzzed.β
He cups water in his hands and nods at the sink. βSplash your face.β
βNo.β
βMax.β
βI am not a kid.β
Danielβs face softens in a way Max immediately hates, because it makes his throat hurt. βI know youβre not a kid.β
βYou are doing the voice.β
βWhat voice?β
βThe Daniel voice.β
Daniel leans back against the sink. βI only have one voice.β
βNo, you have so many.β Max steps closer. βThis one is when you think I need help.β
Danielβs eyes flick over Maxβs face. His flushed cheeks, probably. His mouth. His stupid hair and red bitten lips. Max knows what he looks like. He can see himself in the mirror behind Daniel, bright-eyed and hot and too close.
βMaybe you do,β Daniel says softly.
Maxβs stomach drops. Then rises.
βYou like helping me, Daniel,β Max says.
Daniel goes still. The tap keeps running. Water against porcelain. Music through the door. The dull, slow creak of the yacht.
βMax,β Daniel says in warning tone.
βWhat?β
βYouβre drunk.β
βBuzzed.β
βYouβre younger than me.β
Max laughs, but it comes out strange. βNot that much.β
βEnough.β
βThatβs so stupid, Daniel.β
βItβs not.β
Max steps closer again. His knee brushes Danielβs thigh. Daniel inhales, barely, but Max hears it.
βYou donβt move away,β Max says.
Daniel shuts his eyes. βFuck.β
It is the best sound Max has ever heard.
Max kisses him.
Daniel is still for half a second. Then his hand comes up to Maxβs jaw, and he kisses back.
Itβs hot. Wet. Softer than Max thought it would be, then harder when Danielβs mouth opens under his. Max makes a noise, surprised, and Daniel answers it with one of his own, low and rough. Max grips Danielβs shirt. Danielβs fingers press into Maxβs waist like he means to stop him and forgot how.
For a moment, Max thinks: yes. Finally.
Then Daniel pulls away.
βNo,β Daniel breathes.
Maxβs mouth feels swollen. βNo?β
Daniel looks wrecked. Red mouth, dark eyes, guilt all over his face.
βNot like this,β he says.
Max swallows. βI wanted to.β
βI know.β
βYou did too.β
Daniel flinches. Then, quietly, βYeah. Thatβs why I have to leave.β
He lets go of Max.
The air turns cold where his hands were. Daniel unlocks the door. The party rushes in, bright and loud. He doesnβt look back.
Max stands alone by the sink, face burning, the water still running.
Episodes Masterlist
Episode 1: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
Episode 2: coming soon
Episode 3: coming soon
Thank you to these angels, @thissying and @dspookje, for so kindly volunteering their time to quality-check the footage and patiently answering all of my (many) questions, I am so so very grateful <3
Episodes Masterlist
Episode 1: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
Episode 2: coming soon
Episode 3: coming soon
Thank you to these angels, @thissying and @dspookje, for so kindly volunteering their time to quality-check the footage and patiently answering all of my (many) questions, I am so so very grateful <3
Episodes Masterlist
Episode 1: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5
Episode 2: coming soon
Episode 3: coming soon
Thank you to these angels, @thissying and @dspookje, for so kindly volunteering their time to quality-check the footage and patiently answering all of my (many) questions, I am so so very grateful <3
titsay
vaporwave
snowghoul
blakekathryn
