His place was a mess and Max hadn't thought of it until they were, all three, standing before his front door. Wen was dwarfed in one of Vin's shirts and looking not one bit like herself, with none of the usual bright colors and glitter, and Vince looking like he hadn't slept in days, holding Max up since he was still struggling with the crutch.
"Uh- Maybe you guys should go..." He grimaced, as Wendy walked ahead to unlock the door. She frowned, glaring at him over her shoulder and threw the front door open, turning on the lights despite the fact it was day out.
"Ah... I see," he heard her scoff, while Vince ignored all of them and squeezed Max's waist, pulling him up with one arm so they could avoid the little step that separated Max's living room from the street.
Vince was in a mood, which Max wasn't sure what to do about. It reminded him of those early months when they were picking at each other, except he had no idea why Vince would be pissed at him for falling and breaking his ankle. Sorry?
"This won't do," Wendy declared, as they moved inside, and Max squinted to find her his kitchen. She was tiny, specially when not in heels, and easy to miss when wearing a gigantic black shirt, "this place is like a warzone."
"It's not that bad," Max groaned, as Vince planted him carefully on the couch. The headache had vanished, but his ankle was still throbbing. He felt gross all over, he wanted a shower, but he wasn't about to make himself an inconvenience enough and ask that. They'd leave soon, then he could figure out his bath situation.
Wendy ignored him, starting to take out all the items from his fridge and he saw her pile them up on the sink, mumbling to herself. Vince was standing in front of him, frowning, arms crossed.
Max glared back at him, "just spit it out already," he said, sharply, causing Vin's frown to disappear and his eyebrows to jump up in confusion.
"What?" He echoed, dumbly, while Wendy went on ahead to investigate Max's room and they heard her let out a very frustrated sigh, "I-I don't have anything to say..."
"You're glaring at me," Max rolled his eyes, squirming and using his elbows to lift himself up enough until he got into a more comfortable position. Wendy stomped back to the room, arms now filled with laundry and looking flabbergasted.
"How does an adult live like this!?" She exclaimed, causing Max's cheeks to burn.
"Oi, nobody asked you to do my laundry. Drop it-"
"Shut it," she turned to glare at him, quick as snake and Max's mouth clammed up, more than a little spooked at sweet little Wendy snapping at him. He let out a scoff to cover up the sudden embarrassment burning his cheeks or the fact his stomach sunk further and made him feel like his skin was crawling. Both Vince and Wendy were mad at him.
Wendy shoved it all inside his washing machine, not bothering to separate anything, not that Max cared, then she straightened up, "I'm going to the grocery store get some food that's not twenty days past its expiration date," she declared haughtily and Max rolled his eyes at the exaggeration. Sure, he was always cutting a bit close, but probably the expired items were because he hadn't been home in two days...
"Text me what ingredients you want-" Wendy tiptoed to kiss Vince and he stopped her, reaching for his wallet and handing her the whole thing, "thanks!" she beamed at that, before skipping to the front door, "and get Max under a shower, he's stinky."
"You're stinky!" He yelled after her, cheeks ablaze, and heard Wendy's silverbell's laughter before the door closed. Max let out a grumble, crossing his arms to his chest and avoiding Vince's eyes.
This was awkward.
"Are you feeling alright...?" Vince stumbled over his words and Max glared at him.
"Are you going to fess up what's wrong? You're acting super weird," he said, sharply, and Vin rubbed at his prickly cheeks, clearly upset.
"Wendy's right, you need a bath. C'mon, loop your arm around my shoulders-" with no effort at all, Vince wrapped an arm around Max's waist and pulled him up easily, dragging him further inside the house.
Max cringed, from the pain and embarrassment, as they walked past his messy bedroom. No wonders Wendy had fled, no lady should look at this. As if reading his mind, Vin let out a scoff, "you don't have drawers?"
"I don't normally have people over, now do I?" Max answered, biting down hard on his lip as Vince stumbled inside his bathroom and it caused a jolt of pain, "okay, get out now."
"Uh-hu," Vince had that deep frown back up again, as he perched Max on the edge of his tub and pushed his hands off the way, pulling at his shirt, "you're slowing me down."
"Get off me!" Max cried out, crossing his arms over his chest and stopping Vin from stripping him. Not only this was humiliating to his pride, but it was oddly reminiscent of a handful of his fantasies and Max's cheeks were cherry red. He didn't know what to do with himself, "go away!"
"You're going to get the cast wet!" Vince exclaimed back, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if Max was causing him a headache, "stop fussing and this will be over before Wen is back, okay-"
"I can strip myself!" Max tugged up his shirt, but then he planted his hurt foot on the ground in order not to sway and blinding white pain went up all the way to his knee. He clutched the shirt, folding on the middle and squeezing his eyes shut, while Vince promptly dropped to his knees in front of him.
"Max? Hey, buddy, look at me- What's wrong? You're so pale-" Vince's hands came to cup his cheeks and Max bit down a groan, little tears springing forth as he panted through the pain. One of Vin's hands came to cup his neck, while the other one was resting on his naked back, "breathe with me, c'mon."
"God..." Max's voice came out distorted and he gagged weakly at the pain, pressing the shirt to his mouth to muffle a retch, "sorry..."
"No, I'm sorry," Vince said quietly, pushing his bangs back, "I'm sorry, you're in this situation because I was a dick in the mountains, I kept pushing you and-"
"Did you shove my foot in the hole?" Max glared at him, rolling his eyes, "shut up. It's embarrassing enough I took you hiking and broke my foot and now you're here babying me, I don't- Is that why you're acting all pissed off? You're guilty?"
"I'm not pissed," Vince pouted, moving from his crouched down position to fully sit down on the ground, "well, maybe at myself..."
"That's so self centered, I break my foot and somehow this is about you," Max scoffed, opening a tired smile, "don't be stupid about it, it was an accident, Vince..."
Vince still seemed to be kicking himself, but he nodded, "okay... Can I help you in the bath, though? You've seen me naked, we're adults, if you get the cast wet it'll be hell to pay..."
Max knew he was right, it was just so much more than that. He let out a heavy sigh, "not quite how I pictured you undressing me," the blonde mumbled under his breath, reaching for his pants as Vince held him by the elbow and he didn't realize the words were out of his mouth until he saw an angry blush creeping up Vince's cheeks, under the 5 o'clock shadow and all the way to his ears, "shit. Shit, I-"
"That's fine," Vince dismissed him, lopsided smile on, whole face aflame, "I knew it, that's fine."
"You knew it," Max echoed, dumbly, heart racing in his ears and feeling like his face was tingling, "does- Wendy. Does Wendy...?"
"Yeah," Vin sighed, "I mean, you're not exactly subtle, Daniels."
"Oh man," Max pulled his arm back from Vince's grip and fell inside his tub, sweatpants still on, covering his face with both hands, "oh my god- Leave me here to die."
He heard Vince let out a cackle, "dude... Max. C'mon, it's alright. Look at me-"
"Fuck off," Max groaned, voice muffled by his hands, "this is so embarrassing. I bet the rest of them all know too... God. I wish I had died in that fucking mountain."
Vince let out a huff at that, "that's enough," he scoffed, grabbing Max's elbows and pulling him sitting up on the tub as if he was nothing, which did not cause a flurry of butterflies to erupt in his stomach, "it's not the end of the world, Leo used to crush on me before we were friends too-"
"So that's why you're so self centered," Max grinned, although his whole face was still aflame and he couldn't quite meet Vince's eye, "I'm sorry. I never meant for it to happen, I know it's super weird and I swear, I'd never-"
"Make a move on me because I have a girlfriend?" Vince interjected, lowering himself in order to force their eyes to meet, "yeah, I know. Wouldn't have succeeded if you did either," he shrugged and Max gulped down, feeling a little breathless like he had just been slapped. Of course, he knew all of this. That he wouldn't try anything, that even if he did Vince would not reciprocate, because him and Wendy were the real deal... Still, it stung.
He nodded, glaring down, at his cast foot, "can you get me some plastic bags in the kitchen? We can isolate the cast, it'll be easier."
"Yeah, of course," Vince let go of him, allowing Max to slide down once more inside the tub, "you good?"
Max nodded, gulped down the little knot in his throat, "embarrassed as hell, but yes. I'm fine."
--------------------
By the time Wendy made it back, Max was settled in the couch wearing just basketball shorts and with his leg propped up against the coffee table, several cushions under it. His wet hair was spiked up and the pain was growing strong again, but he didn't feel like vocalizing that because the tension in the room was thick as fog.
Vince had opened all the windows and had removed his shirt since Max had managed to nearly drown in the bath — purposefully or not, they'd never know — and it was drying hanging on the bedroom knob.
"Here," Wendy sounded breathless as she pushed the door open with her hip and Vince leaped across the living room to retrieve the bag from her arms, "there's more in the car."
Vin nodded, putting away the bag on top of the sink and walking out of the room to retrieve the rest. Max let his eyes follow his back, longingly, before they were back and on Wendy. She was studying him, as she normally did, little smirk pulling on the corner of her lips, green eyes scrutinizing his face. Her hair was wet-
"Did you get rained on?" Max asked, gesturing to her hair and she wrinkled her nose adorably, making a face.
"Yeah," she walked closer, "you're looking kinda pasty there."
"I'm fine," Max mumbled, as Vince returned with more of the bags, "did you buy the whole grocery store?"
"I'm figuring you won't go shopping for a while now, will you?" Wendy rolled her eyes and he realized she had glitter on her lids that certainly wasn't there before. Glitter and under Vince's large shirt she was wearing a black flared skirt, instead of the shorts from before, "what? You didn't expect me to stay in those clothes, did you?" Wen pouted, catching him looking and Max rolled his eyes at her.
"No, of course not," he leaned his head back against the couch, settling down, "can you get me my cigarettes, gorgeous? They're in the pantry..."
"Nope," Wendy sat down on the couch with him, "I will do no such thing."
"Oh c'mon, I'm already in pain, you can't make me quit cold turkey too!"
"So you're in pain?" She raised an eyebrow, quizzically and Max blushed, glaring at her as she opened a victorious smile, "I'm not forcing you to quit, but you're not going to smoke inside the house. It stinks the whole place up."
"No, it doesn't," he grumbled, but couldn't bite down his smile fast enough. What a bossy little thing she was. Wendy ignored him, twisting up her body to grab one of the bags Vince was walking inside with.
"I got you this," she shoved her arm inside all the way to the elbow and pulled back a little glass bottle, encased by a cardboard wrapper which she promptly tore open and some wooden sticks, "to make this place smell like a house."
"I'm moved," Max snarked back at her, although he wasn't sure how much was sarcasm as she removed the seal from the bottle and pushed the sticks inside, a floral scent immediately coming up. The knot in his throat came back, from the bathroom, from Vince's rejection, "Wendy..."
"Yeah?" She sounded extremely proud with herself, looking around the room and getting up from the couch, planting the diffuser next to his TV and then walking back, meeting Vince's eye over Max's head, "you got everything?"
"I think so," Vince's voice came from the kitchen, "Max, you're not lactose intolerant, right?"
"No," Max squirmed, wishing Vince had disappeared in a cloud of smoke or stayed outside. He wanted to apologize to Wendy and it would be much easier if Vin was cooking in his kitchen, shirtless, half rained on, looking like a dream and having just rejected him.
All of this would be much easier if Vince could just go.
"Alright," Vince turned back around, twirling the knife in his hand and starting to chop garlic.
Wendy was watching Max once again as he looked away and he winced, patting the cushion next to him. She rolled her eyes, but obeyed and sat down.
"What is it?"
"I-" he couldn't finish the sentence. Max clammed up his jaw, then forced up a smile and gestured around, to everything she had done in the four hours she had been in his place already, "thank you. For coming, for being here. You're amazing."
It always seemed like she could read his mind, so Max was pleasantly surprised when this time she raised her eyebrows and blushed, "don't worry about it..." Wendy looked away, she had dimples when she smiled and bunny teeth, she was insufferably adorable, he thought.
"You're overdue your meds," Wendy decided, breaking the spell, jumping up and Max let his head fall back with a sigh, whole body loosening up. He was in so deep, there was no saving him now.
