#max smoke

[hexusproductions]

Couple of OC updates

(Because I may not have the chance to introduce them naturally)

Max has a new job

Eve has gone on a date with one of the X-Men

Alyosha is currently researching requirements for a service dog. His hero name has also been changed to Monarch.

Chocolate Opal is now a Rhodonite to fit with canon

[payaso-pop]

Hey, guys let’s play a game! Spot the difference!

[hexusproductions]

"I like this. A quiet breakfast with you." Maybe with Icarus and Max? Honestly, whoever you want is fine

Max and Icarus! The boys!!

Mask now chosen to cover his face, that didn’t stop the sweet smell reaching him when he walked into the kitchen. Max was serving up a freshly made breakfast, and it looked like he had scrambled out of bed just to make it.

“Good morning!” Max hummed cheerfully. Icarus smiled and walked over, slipping his arms around Max to press against the smaller man’s back.

He loved seeing Max like this, all soft and sleepy and messy. In the past he’d wanted badly to touch him, hold him gently, but he couldn’t follow through on that because he’d been scared of what would happen if he did. But there was nothing stopping him anymore.

A smile drifted across Max’s face as Icarus nuzzled down his jaw to his cheek, the mask scratching pleasantly against his skin.

“You didn’t have to make breakfast for both of us.” Icarus told him, rumbled through the plastic as he brushed the fringe back from Max’s face, but Max shook his head.

“I want to take care of you.” He insisted, “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”

Icarus’s smile widened and he shifted to drift his hands up Max’s sides. Max shivered a little under the touch, drawing out a chuckle. He pulled Icarus’s arms back around his stomach, holding Icarus’s hands tenderly. He didn’t want this moment to end, he would have been perfectly happy if he suddenly died in Icarus’s arms.

Icarus exhaled contently before lifting his head to nudge Max towards the counter.

“Eat. You already got up early to make breakfast.” He released Max and took a step back. Max pouted at the loss of contact but quickly replaced the look with another smile as he hopped over to the counter and picked up a fork. He worked off a bite and popped it into his mouth, almost making a show of it to prove to Icarus that he was eating like he wanted. Once he was finished Max turned around to face Icarus, pressing against his chest. Two arms wrapped around Icarus’s waist while the other two hands rested on his chest, feeling a steadily thrumming heartbeat underneath his fingers. Max lifted his head to look at Icarus, his gaze soft.

He reached up, and Icarus froze, his head jerking back a degree, but he didn’t move any further than that. Max’s fingers curled tenderly under the edges of the mask, pulling it up and exposing enough of Icarus’s face to press a kiss there.

Neither one of them moved, Icarus committing that tender look on Max’s face to memory.

“This is nice.” Icarus remarked, “A quiet breakfast with you.” Max nodded, snuggling against his chest.

“But we have to eat for that to happen.” Icarus continued, tracing over Max’s back, “Come on.” Max sighed but slowly withdrew. He grabbed both plates before Icarus could say anything about it and stepped from the kitchen into the living room. Icarus exhaled but followed after nonetheless.

[hexusproductions]

On the plus side, I got a heap of stuff done during my absence

[hexusproductions]

“What are you doing?”

Icarus jumped. He looked up from the phone balanced in his lap to see Max hovering nearby, keys in hand and dressed ready to go out for the night. He looked absolutely stunning, from head to toe.

For a second Icarus just stared, breath taken away, but then he shook himself out of it and cocked his head to the side questioningly. Max pointed, and Icarus followed the finger to his own hands, which were still poised above his lap.

Oh.

Icarus held up a finger to ask Max to wait a moment and then he quickly closed the video on his phone, opening up the notes app. Max walked over as Icarus tapped something in, and then he turned the phone around and held it towards Max.

‘I was signing’

“Really?” Max questioned, looking surprised, and Icarus nodded. He turned the phone around, typed a new message, and then turned it back.

‘Feeling bad today. Can’t talk properly.’

Max’s gaze softened, holding two hands together with concern as he looked from the phone to Icarus.

“Do you need anything?” He asked, “I don’t want to leave if you’re upset.” Icarus shook his head, with just enough firmness to let Max know it wasn’t his fault.

‘Just need to rest voice for a bit. I’ll be better later’ He typed out. Max looked a bit sceptical, glancing down at Icarus’s hands again for a second too long, before nodding slowly.

“Okay. Text me if you need anything. Anything at all.”

Icarus nodded, smiling behind the mask even though Max couldn’t see it. Max started to turn away but he turned back to quickly press a kiss to Icarus’s cheek. He waved and continued his original course towards the door, and Icarus gave a quick wave back before returning to the video he had been watching before.

[hexusproductions]

Max: What if ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘Let The Bodies Hit The Floor’ are both about the same events but from different perspectives

Luken: I’m literally begging you to stop

Icarus: No let him finish.

[hexusproductions]

The Tear-Stained Truth

Summary: After all the stress of what’s happened between him and Icarus, Max has another breakdown. And Icarus is in the next room over. Author’s Note: The bois, the wonderful stupid bois.

Sharing a bathroom was worse when you had to walk through the other person’s room to use it. It was even worse when you could hear them breaking down in the connecting room.

Opening the door just enough to peer through the crack, Icarus looked through to where he could see Max sitting on his bed, head hung and his shoulders occasionally shuddering. Icarus hesitated for less than a moment before opening the door completely and stepping out. Whether he was noticed or not didn’t matter. He walked slowly across the room, remaining silent and the slightly uncomfortable but concerned look on his face remaining hidden.

He sat down beside Max on the bed, and Max held his breath. Icarus shifted and went to put his arms around Max’s waist, but the moment he made contact Max recoiled, moving to the other side of the bed.

“Please don’t.” Max begged.

Icarus frowned, looking at Max in genuine confusion. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen Max overwhelmed, and it wasn’t the first time he’d tried to help, but Max had never rejected it before.

“How is it different this time?”

Max wiped his eyes, tucking his now-damp fringe behind his ear. He kept his gaze down and away from Icarus, but then he broke down into sobs.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

Icarus pulled back, mouth opening in a silent question as Max turned around, kneeling on the bed. Now that the dam had broken he couldn’t stop everything from pouring out.

“I’m sorry!” He exclaimed, “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t of forced you to take off your mask, I shouldn’t have asked, I just, I ruined everything again.” Icarus stared as Max hugged himself, uselessly wiping his eyes and then shaking his head.

“I shouldn’t of kissed you. It was so clear and simple that I wasn’t meant to fall for anyone anymore but I couldn’t do it!” Max gripped Icarus’s hand but immediately pulled it away, expression turning into a grimace scolding himself for what he’d done, “But I did and I kissed you and you had to sit through that because you’re too nice to push me off! And now you won’t even speak to me and I can’t, Icarus, I can’t take it. I need you to speak to me.” He looked at Icarus pleadingly, tears running down his face. Icarus held his hands clenched in his lap, eyes flickering between them and Max.

“Max…” He sighed, and Max inhaled sharply, breath shuddering as he turned his head away.

“It’s all my fault. I’m sorry. I forced you into this because I’m awful and I make a big deal out of everything and I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry-!”

“Hey hey, hey.” Icarus gripped Max’s shoulders and then moved up to hold his face, “Stop it. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.” Max opened his mouth but all that came out was a stuttered exhale. Icarus paused, realising that holding Max might have been inappropriate in the current circumstances. He started to take his hands away but Max’s own hands snapped up, gripping tightly and keeping them in place.

“I’m so sorry…” Max whispered.

“Don’t do that to yourself.” Icarus told him, “This is exactly why I didn’t want to talk about this. I made everything more complicated and then I kissed you and it got even worse.” Max frowned, sniffing once before looking confused.

“But I kissed you.”

Icarus looked at him, slowly shaking his head.

“Mm-hm.” Max nodded, then glanced away from Icarus as he confessed, “It was um, all I could think about then, actually.” Silence hung in the air for a moment, both of them thinking it over, and then Icarus let out a small ‘huh’. It sounded deceivingly perplexed despite the warm feeling he could feel spreading through his chest.

“Yeah.” Max mumbled, sounding embarrassed. Icarus was quiet for a second longer before he lifted his head back to Max.

“Look…” He started pulling his hands away again but Max held tight. Icarus tilted his head in a nod, silently asking for permission, and Max looked at him with clear reluctance before slowly letting go. Icarus nodded a second time in a thank you as he reached up and slipped the strap of his mask off of his head.

“Look I’m not, comfortable with this yet.” He started again and took the mask away, gesturing to his face as he did, “And I know that I’m not much to look at-“

“No!” Max interrupted, clearly harsher than he intended because he shrank after saying it. Icarus looked at him, waiting for him to continue, but Max just hugged himself again.

“…But I’m not as scared if I’m showing it to you. I feel like I can trust you.” Icarus finished. Max was looking at him, eyes wide and still wet with tears, and Icarus averted his gaze to his lap, hands clenching his mask.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t talk to you. I should have. You’ve got a better handle on your feelings than I do.”

“I’m crying uncontrollably right in front of you.” Max reminded him, laughing slightly under his breath as he wiped his eyes again.

“Yeah.” Icarus agreed, almost with a sigh as he glanced to the side briefly. Max gave the faintest of smiles and lowered his hands, all four of them.

“I’m sorry for screaming at you.”

“It’s okay.”

Max frowned for a second. Past experience told him it wasn’t.

“Max.”

“Hm?” He looked back to Icarus, returning to the present. Icarus’s expression had turned serious.

“I don’t want to take advantage of you just because you like me. I like you too but we both have to think rationally.” One hand had moved from his lap, resting centimetres away from Max’s fingertips. Max just sniffled again and smiled.

“I’m a stupid gay. I’ve never thought rationally in my life.” He laughed quietly at the end, but when Icarus just frowned at the joke Max scooted forward on the bed, “Hey, I’m trying to get better. I’m gonna try to think more from now on. Okay?” It was then that Icarus smiled.

“Good.”

Max nodded in agreement, and then he looked at Icarus out of the corner of his eye, trying not to look too hopeful.

“So…does this mean we can talk now? You’re not going to avoid me?”

Icarus shook his head, smile widening. Max grinned and then leapt forward to hug Icarus, almost taking him off the bed in the process. Icarus laughed, hugging him back as Max snuggled against his chest. After the laughter had subsided - both Icarus’s and Max’s - and Max had stopped himself from crying again, the two were still sitting on the bed, wrapped around each other. One of Icarus’s hands shifted further up Max’s back as he looked blankly at one of the bedroom walls, thinking, and Max rested his head on Icarus’s shoulder.

“…So what do we do now?” Max asked eventually. Icarus thought about it for a second before shifting slightly to hold Max closer against him.

“We could keep it casual.” He suggested, mumbling it into Max’s hair, “But…maybe let’s not tell anyone for a while. So we can figure it out.” Max nodded in agreement, reaching behind him to pull one of Icarus’s hands away and lace the fingers with his own.

“Okay.”

[hexusproductions]

Summary: An interaction between Max and Icarus post the ‘incident’ at the end of the Inhibitions arc. Neither of them is handling things too well. Author’s Note: Spite is a hell of a motivator. This actually takes place between the text convo between Luken and Max and ‘A Giant Praying Mantis’

Max walked into the apartment, slipping his key back into his pocket. He froze and then shrunk in on himself when he saw Icarus on the sofa, watching tv. Icarus gave him a quick glance before looking back to the screen. Largely keeping his gaze on the floor and shoulders still slightly hunched, Max shuffled across the living room and took a seat on the other side of the sofa. Icarus continued to ignore him, and Max frowned and brought his legs up, holding them tightly as he tried to focus on the tv despite his throat suddenly feeling painfully dry.

The two of them fell into silence, sitting on opposite ends of the sofa and watching the tv, neither of them willing to say anything. Max squirmed a little in his seat, uncomfortable in more ways than one. Eventually he shifted, lying down on the sofa with his head resting in Icarus’s lap. Normally, this would have been fine, but with what had happened it caused a nervousness in Max as he tilted his head to glance up at Icarus. Icarus turned his head down to look at Max. With the mask hiding his face he just seemed to stare for a few moments, before he rested his hand on Max’s side. Max jumped slightly at the touch but he turned his gaze away, remaining quiet. Again neither of them spoke, Icarus watching tv while Max snuck another glance up at him. A smile almost pulled at his lip but it then dropped back into a frown and then deepened, eyes flicking down at his shoes. His thoughts raced and left the small apartment, the pricking feeling in his throat moving up to his eyes. Max’s grip tightened on the sofa.

“We need to talk.”

He could feel Icarus tense underneath him.

“About…?”

“The kiss…” Icarus’s completely flat tone made Max curl up into a ball, and he looked up at Icarus as he waited for him to speak.

There was a moment of stillness that seemed to last forever. Then Icarus shook his head. Max’s face fell but as he opened his mouth to speak Icarus shifted him off of his lap.

“I need to go.” Squeezing out from underneath him and standing up from the sofa, Icarus didn’t pause before moving towards the door. Max’s eyes widened and he pulled himself up.

“No. No! Don’t!” Max tried as he scrambled to the other side of the sofa. Icarus didn’t respond, didn’t stop, and Max’s expression twisted into a desperate and pained grimace, actual tears now building in his eyes.

“Icarus please I just need you to talk to me please!” Two hands reached out pleadingly while the others tangled in his hair, pulling it away from his face and exposing his other eye, “Please!”

“I’m sorry!” Icarus called back, almost shouting it, voice breaking at the end as he closed the door behind him.

Max stared at the door, eyes still wide. He clutched his head in his hands and turned away from the door, shoving a hand in his mouth and biting down to stop himself from screaming in frustration.