Beach walks & Ice cream
summary: It was late at night already at California and Jacob, Ethan, and Eddie already went back to the hotel room since everyone including Max got their vlog footage they needed. Now it was you and only your boyfriend Max alone at the beach during night time.
pairing:(3fs) Max x Fem!reader
word count: 1.4k
a/n: I freaking love ice cream man. divider found on Pinterest btw !!
California at night felt magical.
The crowds that had filled the beach earlier in the day had mostly disappeared, leaving behind only a few people walking along the shore and the distant sound of music drifting from the boardwalk.
The sky was dark, painted with stars that somehow looked brighter near the ocean.
And somehow…
you and Max were still awake.
The rest of the boys had gone back to the hotel almost an hour ago.
Ethan had been the first to leave.
“I’m exhausted,” he’d complained dramatically while gathering his stuff.
Jacob followed shortly after.
Eddie only stayed long enough to finish his fries before announcing, “You two are disgustingly in love, and I’m not third-wheeling anymore.”
Max had laughed.
You’d thrown a napkin at Eddie.
And now…
It was just you and Max.
Alone.
The beach stretched endlessly before you as you walked barefoot along the shoreline.
The waves rolled over your feet every few seconds.
The cool water felt nice after the heat of the day.
Max walked beside you, his shoes dangling from one hand while the other held yours.
You glanced over at him.
His hair was messy from the ocean breeze.
He’d changed into a hoodie after filming earlier, even though it wasn’t cold.
You’d teased him for it.
He insisted he looked cool.
The jury was still out.
“What?” he asked when he noticed you staring.
“Nothing.”
“You’re staring.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I’m appreciating nature.”
He looked around.
“The ocean?”
You looked directly at him.
“The wildlife.”
He snorted.
“Wow.”
“You asked.”
“You think I’m wildlife?”
“I think you’d eat a tide pod if somebody dared you.”
“That’s slander.”
“It’s true.”
“It is not.”
You gave him a look.
He looked away.
“…No comment.”
You burst out laughing.
Max smiled at the sound.
He always did.
Like your laugh was something he never wanted to miss.
The thought made your chest warm.
You squeezed his hand.
He squeezed back.
For a while, neither of you spoke.
You just walked.
Listening to the waves.
Feeling the ocean breeze.
Being together.
Simple.
Comfortable.
Perfect.
Until—
“I want ice cream.”
You blinked.
“What?”
Max nodded seriously.
“I want ice cream.”
“It’s almost midnight.”
“Exactly.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Midnight ice cream tastes better.”
You laughed.
“That’s not true.”
“It absolutely is.”
“It tastes the same.”
He gasped.
You’d offended him.
“The disrespect.”
“You are so dramatic.”
“And you’re denying science.”
“There’s no science involved!”
“There is.”
“There isn’t!”
“There is in my heart.”
You groaned.
“You are impossible.”
“And yet…”
He held your hand tighter.
“…you love me.”
Unfortunately.
He was right.
Fifteen minutes later the two of you were sitting outside a tiny ice cream shop near the beach.
Max had gotten chocolate.
You got cookies and cream.
And somehow.
somehow.
Max was already eyeing yours.
“No.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You looked.”
“I glanced.”
“You stared.”
“It’s just…”
He looked between your cone and his.
“…yours looks good.”
“You should’ve ordered it.”
“But I wanted chocolate.”
“Then eat chocolate.”
He pouted.
Actually pouted.
You stared at him.
“You are a grown man.”
“I am a suffering man.”
“You have ice cream.”
“But yours looks better.”
You sighed.
Then held your cone out.
“One bite.”
His face lit up.
“Really?”
“One.”
He grinned.
Took the world’s largest bite.
You stared in disbelief.
“MAX.”
“What?”
“THAT WAS HALF.”
“It was not.”
“It absolutely was!”
He was already laughing.
You smacked his arm.
“You thief.”
“You offered.”
“Not that much!”
He shrugged.
“No take-backs.”
You groaned.
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
You didn’t.
Not even a little.
Max knew it too.
His grin softened.
He bumped his shoulder against yours.
You bumped his back.
The two of you sat there for a while.
Sharing ice cream.
Talking about nothing.
Talking about everything.
Max told you about a video idea he had.
You told him it sounded ridiculous.
He informed you that all great ideas sound ridiculous at first.
You reminded him of the time he tried to microwave aluminum foil.
“In my defense—”
“There is no defense.”
“There could be.”
“There isn’t.”
He laughed.
You loved his laugh.
The loud one.
The genuine one.
The one where he threw his head back and forgot to be anything except happy.
The one he was doing now.
You smiled.
And Max immediately noticed.
“What?”
“You look pretty.”
You blinked.
“What?”
“You do.”
He said it so casually.
Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Like he wasn’t about to make your heart explode.
The ocean breeze blew through your hair.
You looked away.
“No I don’t.”
He frowned.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Act like you don’t know.”
“Know what?”
“That you’re pretty.”
You groaned.
“Max.”
“I’m serious.”
He set his ice cream down.
Turned toward you completely.
The playful expression he’d been wearing all night softened.
“You are.”
You opened your mouth.
Closed it.
Because the way he looked at you—
like you hung the stars above the ocean—
always made it impossible to argue.
“You know what I think?” he asked.
“What?”
“I think you don’t realize how amazing you are.”
You rolled your eyes.
“There you go again.”
“No, listen.”
He took your hand.
Your heart skipped.
“You make everything more fun.”
You looked down at your intertwined fingers.
“You laugh at my dumb jokes.”
“Some of them.”
“Rude.”
You smiled.
He smiled too.
“And I just…”
He shrugged shyly.
“I like being around you.”
Your heart melted.
Because for all his confidence…
Moments like these were different.
Quieter.
More sincere.
And somehow they meant the most.
You squeezed his hand.
“I like being around you too.”
His grin returned instantly.
“Yeah?”
“No.”
He gasped.
“The betrayal!”
“I’m kidding.”
“Too late. My feelings are hurt.”
“You’ll survive.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
“I need a kiss to recover.”
You laughed.
“That’s not how that works.”
“It is tonight.”
You shook your head.
But you leaned over anyway.
Just a small kiss.
Sweet.
Quick.
The kind that leaves both people smiling afterward.
When you pulled away, Max looked unbearably smug.
“There.”
“I’m healed.”
“You are so annoying.”
“And yet…”
He pointed at himself.
“…boyfriend.”
You groaned.
“I walked right into that.”
“You absolutely did.”
The two of you laughed together.
The beach was quieter now.
The shops were closing.
The stars seemed brighter.
And somehow the night felt like it was moving too fast.
Max must’ve been thinking the same thing.
Because he stood suddenly.
Then held his hand out to you.
You looked up.
“What?”
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“One more walk.”
You smiled.
“Okay.”
A few minutes later, you were back on the sand.
The moon reflected across the water.
Your shoulders brushed as you walked.
Neither of you was talking anymore.
You didn’t need to.
Max eventually slipped his arm around your shoulders.
You leaned into him.
And for a moment
with the ocean in front of you,
the stars above you,
and your boyfriend beside you
everything felt still.
Perfect.
You looked up at him.
He was already looking at you.
Smiling.
“What?” you asked softly.
He shook his head.
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
He laughed quietly.
“I was just thinking…”
“What?”
He squeezed your shoulder.
“…I hope we do stuff like this forever.”
Your heart melted.
You smiled.
“Midnight ice cream and all?”
“Especially midnight ice cream.”
You laughed.
And as Max pulled you closer while the waves crashed softly beside you…
you thought
Yeah.
You hoped so too.
(I’m praying there are not repeats of words bc I copied and pasted this from my notes app and tumblr started to bug out for me💔💔)
ALSO
Frat!Max headcannons coming soon…