Summary: Max gets home from his date with you, and his family can tell how it went just from how he's acting, but they ask anyways.
Pronouns: You/Yours, They/Them
Warnings: None, Pure Fluff
Word Count: 1.2k
A/N: Max is my bias, my muse, I love him I fear!
The Thunderman family—your typical suburban neighborhood family. Well, they felt like that about two percent of the time. The parents were loving and caring toward their four children, always proud and always there for dinner, even if things got a little chaotic.
Their beautiful children, were a reflection of them in the best ways—well, most of them. Phoebe, Nora, and Billy were all helping out in the kitchen in their own ways.
Phoebe was setting the table using her telekinesis—still helping, nonetheless.
Nora was using her heat vision to cook the meatloaf just right while her mom worked on the sides for dinner.
Billy, rather than running around the house with his superspeef, was actually just sitting at the table—keeping things decent. He said he was tired, but everyone knew he never got tired. He just wanted to show his parents some grace.
A typical suburban family.
The only Thunderman not at the home was Max—though no one was really expecting him in the first place. He was never home on time, and even when he was, he’d usually stay holed up in his room to avoid socializing with his ‘goody goody’ family.
Barb and Hank, Mr. and Mrs. Thunderman, finally sat at the table with the kids, smiling.
“Well, dig in!” Barb said cheerfully, ready to hear about everyone’s day.
But before anyone could even lift a fork, the front door opened—and with it came soft laughter and a slight cold breeze.
“It is *so* cold outside. How are you not freezing?” asked an unfamiliar voice as the door closed behind them.
The Thunderman family turned their heads toward living room. Through the entryway, they saw Max standing at the door with someone. The stranger was bundled in layers and still shivering, while Max wore just a T-shirt. He was angled just enough to block their face, so no one at the table could get a clear look.
Phoebe leaned forward, “Do you think it’s an accomplice and he’s hiding their identity?” she whsipered, straining her neck for a better view.
No one responded. The energy of the room felt different than usual. This wasn’t one of Max’s usual friends or ‘projects’. This was something different—something none of them could quite place.
Then it happened. A sound they hadn’t heard outside of Max’s lair. A sound they hadn’t heard so genuinely in years: Max laughed. A real, full laugh—his head falling back. As he turned slightly, they caught a glimpse of his flushed cheeks.
“Trust me, I’m pretty used to the cold,” he told you, zipping up the jacket you were wearing.
“I’m scared you’ll get sick, you shouldn’t have given me your jacket,” you pouted, placing a hand on his forehead.
His hair shifted under your touch, and he smiled warmly, gazing at you. “It’s fine. I didn’t want *you* getting sick.” he murmured, taking your hand off his forehead to hold and holding it to warm it in his.
“I’m not taking this home with me,” you said, reaching for the zipper.
“Yes, you are,” he replied playfully, zipping it back up, “You already made me come home early instead of walking you back, so the least you could do is keep the jacket.”
You rolled your eyes and shook your head, turning it—only to lock eyes with the entire Thunderman family staring intensely. You froze awkwardly and raised a small wave.
Max furrowed his brows in confusion, tilting his head before his eyes slightly widened. You could tell a small lightbuld went off in his head as his face dropped in horror. His ears turned bright red as he huffed and straightened up with a hiss through his teeth. He followed your gaze to his family and stopped himself from expressing his embarrassment.
He raised his hand stiffly. “Family,” he greeted awkwardly, clearly wishing he could’ve just walked you home.
Barb and Hank scrambled to their feet, nearly tripping over themselves in their attempt to greet you smoothly—which failed, especially when they saw you lower your hand and stifle a laugh.
“Hello!” Barb beamed, waving enthusiastically as Hank slung an arm around her shoulders. The other three kids reamined frozen and uncomfortable at the table.
Hank nodded at Max, “You’re home,” he said bluntly. Then, noticing Max’s alarmed glance towards you, he added quickly, “15 minutes before curfew…*that we weren’t able to set on you,*” he mumbled the last part under his breath.
Max shot him an unimpressed look before glancing back ar you to make sure you hadn’t heard. You clearly you hadn’t, judging by how you hugged his arm with a cheerful grin.
“I wanted to make sure he was home around dinner!” you explained. “My family doesn’t eat until later, and when he said you all eat early, I had to rush us back so he could eat.”
Barb placed a hand on her head and cooed, “Aw, that’s sweet, thank you.”
“No problem!” you replied, scrunching your nose and shrugging.
After a beat of silence and some awkward stares with the other family members, Max turned to you, hoping his family would take the hint.
Thankfully, they did—for the most part. They still stared from the table, but at least they stopped hovering.
“I think..I will go now,” you said, suppressing a laugh, Max groaned, burying his face in your shoulder.
“Don’t laugh!” he whispered, pulling back with the most unintimidating glare.
You held your hands up in surrender and he pulled you in by your waist, rubbing your noses together.
“Sorry! Sorry—they’re sweet,” you said honestly, cupping his face. “But seriously, I do have to go.”
He groaned. “I know.”
You kissed his cheek and opened the door, shivering once again. Then you remembered—you were still wearing his jacket.
“Your jacket-”
“Just keep it until tomorrow.” Max interrupted quickly, leaning on the doorframe. “I *will* see you tomorrow, right?”
“Eleven o’clock sharp,” you hummed, pecking his lips before heading off. You waved goodbye as you walked away.
Max closed the door behind you, resting his back against it. He sighed, face flushed, a goofy smile spreading across his face. Even his family could see the glint in his eyes.
After a moment, he pushed off the door and headed for the tunnel, kicking the button for his lair.
“Max!” Nora called after him. “What about dinner?”
He turned lazily, grin softening. “I ate while I was out,” he shrugged as the lair door opened.
No one knew if that was true, but they decided not to press too much on that part.
Barb called out, “Well, before you go—how was your date?”
He paused and met her gaze. His eyes glimmered and his cheeks darkened.
“It was great,” he said simply, nodding before sliding down to his lair and leaving his family behind.
Dinner was fairly quiet that night, but soft grins lingered on each their faces.
The Thundermans—your typical suburban neighborhood family. Hank and Barb, loving and caring, always there for their four kids. Always proud. Always around—even when nights bring out unexpected news.
And their beautiful children—reflections of them in the best ways.
just went on a deep dive of random shows i used to be obsessed with as a kid and i need to know that the fandoms are still alive so heres my little list:
the deep
wild kratts (yes, i was an animals kid okay, dinosaur kids can gtfo)
the thundermans
henry danger (pinterest memes have given me faith in this one)
knight squad
elena of avalor
roll no. 21 (bro every time i was in india i BINGED this on CN)
just add magic (my hyperfixation for yearss i might just go rewatch this now)
andys dinosaur adventures (okay fine, i was a dinosaur kid too)
the land before time
and ending strong with horrible histories!
and yes, if you are into any of these please talk to me i will 100% yap with you about it
His theory started when he caught you watching him as he was studying with you for a test. Phoebe had teased him relentlessly that morning when he informed his parents he'd be late home from school because he was joining you in the library. The family proceeded to rush around looking for signs the world was ending and Max rolled his eyes as he laughed sarcastically on his way out of the door.
From your spot at the top of the table, you were smiling softly as he worked quietly next to you and he raised an eyebrow as he dropped his pen onto the table.
"What?" He gasped, "Is there something in my hair?"
"No," You shook your head as he fixed his hair. "Your hair looks great."
You returned your gaze to your notebook, glancing at the textbook that was angled so you could both read it. Max forgot the moment as he smirked and mimicked your actions.
The next day, you were sitting outside at lunchtime as you exchanged tales of your day so far and Max noticed your stare as he took a drink of soda.
"What?" He asked.
You shook your head with a smile, "Nothing." You tried to divert his attention by talking about something else, but the moment lingered in his mind for the rest of the day.
He began to noticed it happened often. You would observe him a lot, whether he was reading, ranting about his sister, or simply sitting next to you. And after a few days, Max decided that there was only one reason why - you knew his secret.
So, Max did the only thing he could think of; tell Phoebe.
"What - how - do you know what this means?"
Max nodded in agreement. "This is bad. Very bad."
The twins spent the next ten minutes freaking out about being forced to move again because their identity was exposed.
"What did she say to you exactly?"
"Well...nothing. Yet." Max replied.
"We need to find out what she knows before we tell mom and dad."
The plan was simple, Max arranged to meet with you at Wong's Pizza Palace, to find out how much you knew about them. Phoebe would be close by to listen in to your conversation.
Max drummed his fingers on the table anxiously, checking his watch before sitting back to talk to Phoebe who was sitting at the table behind him.
"She's never late."
Phoebe turned to look around the room and quickly dove down when you entered. Max straightened, swallowing thickly, as you walked towards his table.
"Hi," You took a seat across from him and set your bag down next to you. "This is a surprise."
"Really? Why? W-What's surprising about it?" He stammered, laughing weakly. "I just want to spend time with my lady."
You raised an eyebrow, "Okay..."
You ordered pizza's and drinks, and while you waited you sent him a smile, resting your arms on the table, asking about his day.
Max adjusted the collar of his shirt, jumping around a lot in his story but you merely laughed it off. And it hit him then how serious it was. He was used to moving, but if he told his parents you knew his secret, he'd have to leave you behind. He'd never hear your laugh again, or your smile. He'd never hold your hand or be on the receiving end of your hugs. The way you stepped into his embrace like you always belonged there, and the feel of your lips on his. There would be no more late night phone calls and even a little thing like having lunch together - he'd miss it all.
You noticed the change in his features, and leaned forward slightly, "Max, what's wrong?"
He cleared his throat, "How long have you known?"
"Known...what?"
"About me, and my family. Our powers." You blinked, so he elaborated, "That I'm the son of Thunderman." Your eyes widened. "Are you going to tell people? Because you're looking at me like you have no idea what...I'm talking about. Oh, no."
"Way to go, Max!"
Your eyebrows furrowed when you heard her voice. "Phoebe?"
She stood up from the table behind Max and stopped next to you. "Do you really not know who we are?"
"I thought I did." You glanced between the twins warily.
"Move!" Wong barked and Phoebe quickly sat next to Max. "Pizza!"
You thanked her before turning to the twins who were whispering, glancing at you now and then.
"You told her! Have you lost your mind?"
"I thought she knew!"
Phoebe gestured to your bewildered gaze. "Does she look like she knew?"
Max shook his head at his sister as he turned to meet your gaze. "You didn't know that we were superheroes?"
You shook your head. "Although it explains a lot. You are kind of weird." You flashed a smile as you took a sip of soda.
Phoebe tilted her head from side to side for a moment before sighing. "We have to tell dad."
"What - why?" Max asked.
"Because you told her who we are and exposed our secret." Phoebe spoke slowly.
"I won't tell anyone." You told her.
"And we could stay here." Max added, looking at you then his sister.
Phoebe considered it, "You really won't tell anyone?"
You shook your head. "I wouldn't hurt you like that."
Phoebe took a deep breath. "Okay. But we still have to tell dad. But for now, we'll keep it amongst ourselves."
Max sighed in relief before turning to you. "There's still one thing I don't understand."
"Just one?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow at him.
Max ignored her. "Why have you been staring at me? And smiling."
You shrugged, "I think you're pretty. And I love you. It makes me smile."
Phoebe smiled, letting out a quiet "aww". You blushed, looking at your hands. Max dismissed her by pushing her away from the table and walked around to your side of the booth, sitting next to you.
"How pretty?"
"Annoyingly so."
He chuckled, lifting a hand to your cheek as he leaned in. "Does this mean you won't run screaming after I tell you my powers?"
"Depends how cool they are."
Max feigned offence, eliciting giggles from you and he smiled as he bridged the gap, kissing you softly.
Later that day, Max took you to his house and showed you the secrets hidden in every room. Starting with the photograph by the door.
"Aw, look at you in your little costume."
Max rolled his eyes, "Highly sophisticated -"
"Spanx."
Max pouted while Phoebe smirked at his discomfort.
"Aw, the little symbol!"
"Can you stop saying little while you're pointing at me?" Max whined.
Phoebe crinkled her nose in disgust and you turned with a soft smile. "Sorry."
The two siblings continued with their tour and you were stunned by how much you had failed to notice before. But the twins were in their element as they excitedly bounced around from one thing to the next.
"I wanted to show her that -"
"Too late!"
The tour ended with his bedroom and although you had seen it before, Max turned with his arms outstretched, "Ta da!"
You looked around his room at the various devices he kept lying around - normally tucked out of sight when you visited.
"What is all this?" You asked, approaching the table.
Max rattled off devices but you were shocked when the rabbit began to speak.
"That's Doctor Colosso. A villain our dad captured."
"The rabbit talked." You blinked, "Wait, he was evil?"
Doctor Colosso cleared his throat, "Well, doesn't someone sound a little jud-"
"Don't finish that sentence." Max warned.
To diffuse the tension, Phoebe said, "He used to call this his lair."
You looked at the brunette, "Lair?"
"He wanted to be a supervillain."
You turned to your boyfriend who scratched the back of his neck, "I changed my mind, didn't I?"
"Most days, yes." Phoebe agreed.
Urgently moving the conversation forward when he saw your frown, Max insisted on showing you their powers and you sat on the edge of his bed as you observed them. They landed on their feet with matching grins.
"So, impressed yet?"
You shrugged your shoulders, "Meh."
"Meh? Meh?!"
You slowly smiled, "Alright, it was pretty cool."
As weeks passed, you began to get more involved in their antics and with every new threat, you grew more concerned about their safety. Max was thrilled to finally be able to share that part of his life with you and you would often insist on going with them, and if they refused, you followed them when you could. It had led to many spats in the beginning, but it became common for you to be involved with or hold knowledge of his missions.
Despite his excitement at showing you the part of his life he kept hidden, Max quietly worried that it would change the way you stared at him with adoration.
For months, he fretted internally, and it affected how he viewed being a super. Phoebe confronted him when she noticed his changes and he reluctantly confided in his twin who had assured him that he had nothing to worry about. But Max couldn't fully shake the feeling.
And when he saw the subtle downward tilt of your smile or the way you looked at him while he was working on his latest invention while you studied, he knew he wasn't imagining it. Something had changed.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just like watching you work."
"No, you look like you're about to cry." Max dropped the drill and approached where you were sitting on his bed. "And if looking at me makes you cry then I want to know why."
You shook your head, looking away. "I'm just thinking, that's all."
"Well, tell me what you're thinking about." Max licked his lips when you hesitated. "Come on, it can't be bad. Unless you plan to break up with me. Then I don't want to hear it."
You looked at him in surprise, "Why would I break up with you?"
Max awkwardly chuckled, "Well, I...I just assumed because of the way you look at me."
You shook your head, "That's not it."
His gaze turned pleading, "Then what is it?"
You exhaled, "I just...worry about you."
His frown deepened when you explained how it felt, afraid he would never return from a mission, worried that you were on different trajectories, and fretted he'd decide that he didn't need a non-super holding him back.
You wiped a tear that trickled down your cheek, and Max brought you into his arms.
"How could you ever think that I'd break up with you? Are you kidding me? I was afraid you were breaking up with me because you didn't want the chaos that comes with...well, me."
You shook your head on his chest. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way, I just couldn't stop worrying and once the door opened I couldn't close it."
Max pulled back slightly to meet your teary gaze, "I'm not going anywhere."
More tears fell as you whispered, "You can't promise me that."
"No, but my dad is still here and he can't use the door." His lips lifted when you laughed softly. Ever since he told his parents you knew their secrets, you'd seen Hank fly through the roof to fetch snacks from all over the world much to Barb's exasperation. "I can't promise I won't get hurt, o-or worse..." You glanced down briefly. "But I will always be fighting with everything I have to come back to you. Every time. Okay?"
You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly and he returned the embrace, kissing your head. "I love you."
Max smiled, both relieved that you weren't breaking up with him and that he had managed to comfort you a little. "I love you too." He paused for a moment, "Next time, talk to me and spare me the heart attack."
You smiled as you pulled back, "Deal."
Max placed a hand on your cheek and kissed you tenderly. Your notebook and textbooks were pushed aside as you laid down with your head on his chest. Max turned up his music to drown out Doctor Colosso's complaints and you smiled softly when he pressed his lips to your head.
You tilted your head up to gaze up at him and Max smiled when he saw the way you stared at him. There was still some worry there, and he doubted it would ever go away, as his parents still fretted over one another when they were facing villains, but he hadn't truly realized how much he missed seeing how much you loved him so openly displayed. Your eyes were his favorite feature due to how expressive they were and over the years he learned how to read your emotions through them.
And as time went by, the adoration, the love, the fondness, you held for him never went away.
I headcanon that a big part of why Max ended up thinking he wasn’t as good as Phoebe is that Max is too smart. He’s a genius who builds crazy inventions at only 14. Which means that in school he was bored. So he didn’t pay attention. He acted out. Thus he got labeled as a problem child.
Phoebe is smart but she’s good at reciting facts. Her science fair projects come from building models she finds in textbooks. Max has out of the box, original ideas. He can create gadgets from scratch. But being young his early stuff didn’t work when he showed people (the Grow-matic) and so people think of his inventions of not being good. Max has to have knowledge in specialized areas to build the stuff he does. Temporal mechanics, lasers, human anatomy, micro biology. He has to have an understanding of these complex concepts and more to create a lot of his inventions.
Phoebe has learned a lot and could probably skip a few grades but she doesn’t come up with the crazy stuff Max does. She learns what other people have written. She doesn’t make new discoveries herself. She’s also a rule follower. If a teacher assigns a chapter to read in a textbook, Phoebe will read it even if she already knows the material. She will be just as interested and involved the first time a teacher goes over something as she is the 100th. Max on the other hand only learns about stuff he’s interested in. He’s already far advanced in science and math compared to his peers. And he just doesn’t care who won the War of 1812. So he doesn’t care about school. And while he likes learning he sees a distinction between gathering information for an invention versus studying. Studying means school work which he doesn’t like.
Phoebe fit into the boxes that everyone thinks are good. She always kept inside the lines that society deemed acceptable. So she is considered the good twin. While Max is just as good but he didn’t fit neatly into a box. He didn’t do homework or pay attention in class the way he should have. So he was considered that bad/trouble making twin. And their parents were influenced by teachers and society to think of Phoebe as doing right while Max was the one always getting sent to the principals office.
The world was always comparing them and they got trapped in their labels.
Maybe one day I’ll write the AU I have in my head where early on a teacher recognizes Max’s genius and he gets put into a specialized program where his talents are harnessed instead of ignored. This makes Max the child everyone thinks will go on to do great things and has all the expectations foisted on him while Phoebe lives in his shadow thinking she’s just mediocre compared to her genius brother.
