Sweaters & Cigarettes (14 page)

"So, I was sixteen when I got
my first tattoo," Max says, picking up a slice from the box. "Got it
for free, a birthday present from Gavin."

"Which one?" Theo asks,
taking a bite of pizza. Max gestures to his right upper arm.

"This one," he says, and
although his inked skin is covered by black fabric, at the moment, Theo is
pretty sure which one he's referring to, even before he says it. "It was
only supposed to be some playing cards, at first, but we ended up adding to it.
Haven't really been able to stop, since."

Theo nods slowly. He really likes
that tattoo, the one depicting a royal flush, intricately flowing together with
the other images on Max's arm.

"What about the
piercings?" he asks, and Max narrows his eyes for a moment, thinking.

"This was the first one,"
he says, pointing to his stretched earlobe. "I think. The rest followed
pretty quickly, it's hard to keep track."

He quirks a small smile.

"This one is the newest,
though," he says, sticking out his tongue. "And I think it's my
favorite."

"Mine, too." Theo catches
himself right after he says it, in a low voice, and freezes. Max pauses for a
moment, before his smile slowly widens.

"I bet it is," he says, voice
slightly lower, slightly suggestive, and Theo actually blushes, looking down at
the pizza slice in his hand. He can't believe he just said that. Although, it's
true; he really does like that piercing, for several different reasons.

They keep talking, about nothing
and everything, even after the pizza has gone cold and they've both eaten as
much as they want. It's later on that they move into the living room to watch a
movie, and as Theo sits down on the couch, Max hands him a cold beer.

"Thanks," Theo says,
opening the bottle. He doesn't usually drink beer. Not because he doesn't like
it, but because he just never really drinks, and his parents wouldn't even let
him near the stuff before he turned eighteen. He got it from Michael, instead,
and from Hannah and Ben.

He gladly accepts it from Max,
though, who sits down beside him as the movie starts. This time, they're
watching
Man of Steel
, mostly to even out the fact that they've watched
a Batman movie, but so far none with Superman.

"It's not as awesome as it
could be," Max admits. "With Chris Nolan and Zack Snyder, you'd
expect some more greatness, but... It's fine. The fight-scenes are pretty
cool."

Theo nods. He actually hasn't seen
it, yet, but he understands the reference about the moviemakers, nonetheless.
And as he does, he can't help but smile a bit; it's nice to hear someone else
geek out about movies like that, someone who gets it and doesn't roll their
eyes at him, when he does it.

He looks over at Max, who's slumped
in the couch, right next to him, and Theo absently thinks of his first time
here. They were sitting on the couch then, too, only slightly further apart
(until Max climbed onto his lap, that is). And he was so nervous, and so tense,
and when Max kissed him, it had been the most amazing thing.

"I'm gonna kiss you now.
Okay?"
he remembers him
saying.

Max actually warned him, actually
gave him a heads up. Theo chuckles at the memory, and Max turns to him,
frowning.

"What?" he says, and Theo
just smiles.

"Nothing," he says.
"Just thinking about the first time I was here."

Max seems to consider that for a
moment, before his mouth shapes into a smirk.

"Yeah, that was a good
night," he says. Then he chuckles, and looks at Theo with amusement.
"You were adorable."

Theo groans. He had almost
forgotten about the whole embarrassing, virgin-admission he made, that night.

"I'll bet," he says
sarcastically, looking at the TV and taking a sip of beer. But then Max takes
his hand and laces their fingers together, and Theo looks back at him.

"You were," Max says
fondly, still looking a bit amused. Then his expression softens. "I
actually felt kinda bad, after that."

Theo frowns.

"Why?" he asks, and Max
cocks his head.

"I don't know," he says.
"Jumping you, like that. I had no idea it was a new thing, for you."

Theo just looks at him, honestly a
bit confused, but vaguely remembering how Max looked just the tiniest bit
surprised, back then, when it turned out that Theo was, in fact, a virgin.

"Why not?"

Max seems to hesitate.

"Well," he says. "I
guess I just assumed you had done it before. Lots of times. I mean, I figured
that someone that hot couldn't possibly be untouched, as it were."

He says that last part with some
joking sarcasm, but mostly to take the edge off, Theo can tell.

"Well, I was," Theo
mutters, unsure how to feel about Max thinking that about him, back then. It
still makes him a little nervous. "Still kind of am, I guess. Though,
maybe not quite as much."

He cocks his head with a small
smile, and Max grins.

"You almost make it sound like
that's a bad thing," he says lightly, and Theo bites his lip, smiling as
he looks away.

"It's not," he says.
"I just..."

He sighs, wondering if he should
admit what he's thinking about, right now. If he should admit to how he felt
about Max, back then, too.

Max squeezes his hand.

"What?" he asks, and Theo
looks back at him, hesitantly.

"I kinda have a confession to
make," he says, and Max frowns. He looks relaxed, intrigued, and honestly
suspicious, all at the same time.

"Okay?" he says,
seemingly unconsciously turning the statement into a question, and Theo takes a
deep breath.

"First time we met," he
says. "Behind the school? I kinda had a crush on you, then."

Max doesn't answer him, at first,
and Theo feels his heart beat a bit faster, anxiously.

"I'd had a crush on you for a
while, actually," he continues. "And then that happened, and... Well,
it was all a bit surreal."

Max still doesn't say anything, but
Theo decides to keep his mouth shut, until he does. And finally, after several
seconds, Max speaks.

"You had a crush on me?"
he says, almost uncertainly. And Theo swallows nervously, nodding.

"Yeah," he says. "A
pretty big one."

Max just looks at him, mouth
slightly open.

"Well, damn," he murmurs,
and Theo nods, too nervous to really notice how Max looks oddly pleased and
smug at this new information, blue eyes promising that this will probably come
up again, some other time.

"Yeah," Theo says
unnecessarily. "But I was pretty convinced you didn't even know I existed,
and that even if you did, it wouldn't exactly be reciprocated."

Max cocks his head the slightest
bit.

"I did know you existed,"
he admits. "Just... I thought you'd be this insufferable asshole."

"Why would you think
that?" Theo says, frowning, slightly offended.

"Because your friends were
insufferable assholes," Max says pointedly, eyebrows raised, and Theo has
to admit he has a point.

"Fair enough," he says,
and Max just looks at him for a few seconds.

"I didn't know you," he
says. "And honestly, I didn't
want
to know you, due to the
impression I had of you. That's not to say I wouldn't have banged you, if I'd
gotten the chance."

He adds it jokingly, with a small,
suggestive smile, and Theo glances away shyly. No, he's still not used to Max
seeing him that way, not really.

"I just didn't think you'd be
that interesting," Max continues. "Or interested, for that matter,
not in someone like me."

Theo meets his eye again.

"But then I had the
chance," Max says, grinning wolfishly. "And I kissed you. Mostly,
just to mess with you."

Theo scoffs, smiling, and doesn't
move an inch, as Max slowly moves in closer.

"And then," Max murmurs,
lips coming closer to Theo's, "you kissed me back. And then, you kissed me
again."

He squeezes Theo's hand gently,
while his other hand moves up to softly trace the outline of his jaw, and Theo
feels himself shiver.

"And I just couldn't stop
thinking about you, after that." Max's voice is lowered to almost a
murmur, and Theo watches his mouth, as it moves closer to his. Max plants the
softest kiss on his lips.

"And I thought we'd just have
some fun," he says, voice still low, and he plants another soft kiss at
the corner of Theo's mouth. "That it wouldn't be a big deal."

He exhales slowly, cupping Theo's face.

"But then," he almost
whispers, "you were just the sweetest guy. And I couldn't do that to
you."

Theo isn't sure what to say. He's
not used to hearing Max say things like that, and although the sudden honesty
is unfamiliar, it makes him feel oddly warm inside.

Max chuckles against Theo's lips.

"And then I fell for
you," he says. "So fucking hard."

Theo can't help but smile, then. He
likes this, having Max so close. He can smell him, feel him, the touch of those
fingers against his face the sweetest feeling in the world.

"You almost say that like it's
a bad thing," Theo says, his voice as low as Max's, and Max chuckles, as
his own words are turned back at him.

"I thought it was," he
admits. "Until I found out that you felt the same way."

Theo sighs softly, squeezing his
boyfriend's hand, and Max pulls back, just far enough to look into those green
eyes.

"It is a good thing," he
says. "You're a good thing."

He leans in then, slowly, and
kisses Theo on the mouth. The kiss is slow and gentle, affectionate and
sincere, enough to make Theo close his eyes. And Max pulls away the slightest
bit, pulling his fingers softly through Theo's hair.

"The best thing."

Chapter 11

Skin

It's not like Max's bed is small. It's normal-sized,
Theo supposes, maybe a bit big for one person, comfortably so. But as he looks
at it, it suddenly looks tiny, like there will be no way whatsoever for the two
of them to lie anywhere but practically on top of each other.

He swallows hard. No big deal.

It turns out that bringing a
toothbrush was a good idea, and Theo puts it in the cup by the bathroom sink,
after using it. It's in the middle of the night, by now, and he's all done by
the time Max takes his turn, planting a quick kiss on Theo's mouth, as he slips
into the bathroom and locks the door behind him.

Theo has been in Max's room before,
a bunch of times, and he knows this house pretty well, by now. But, like so
many other things this evening, it suddenly feels new and scary. Even the bed,
where they've spent a frankly ridiculous amount of time together, seems to
glare at him from across the room. So Theo tries not to think about it.
Instead, he strips down to boxers and a t-shirt, and sits down on the bed, in
lack of anything else, before realizing where he sat down. So much for not
thinking about it.

Max is still in the bathroom, so
Theo just sits there for a minute, a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to do. He
ends up looking around, studying the posters and trinkets that litter the room,
eyes landing on Max's bedside table. It's small and dark brown, with a drawer,
and beside the lit lamp standing on it, is an array of things. There's a box of
cigarettes, a lighter, some bracelets that Theo has seen Max wear, as well a
small pile of books, ranging from advanced algebra to a
Hellblazer
graphic
novel. Theo picks up the
Hellblazer
one and flips through it, but is
distracted by something else; there's a folded piece of paper there, previously
hidden underneath the graphic novel, and Theo frowns.

He glances over his shoulder,
before picking it up.

It doesn't seem very important, at
first, and as Theo unfolds it, he's confused to find that it's a paper that has
been torn in half, and even more so when he realizes that it's the lower half
of a math test. At the bottom is a score, which is the highest one, and Theo
raises his eyebrows slightly, surprised and at the same time not; he knows how
smart Max is. It's the writing at the bottom, though, that catches his eye.

Good job! Love you /Mom.

Theo just stares at it. There's no
way of telling how old or new this paper is, but either way, he's so stunned by
it, that he doesn't react for several seconds. Why would Max keep something
like that, hidden under a book, on his nightstand? It just seems really weird,
especially for him. And somehow, on some, subconscious level, it makes Theo
feel oddly sad.

Theo doesn't have more time to
think about it, though; he hears the bathroom door across the hall open, and he
hastily puts the note back where he found it, placing the
Hellblazer
book
on top of it. He's not sure why, but he feels like he's snooping, and he's got
a feeling that Max wouldn't want him, or anyone, to find what he just found.

He turns slightly where he sits, so
that he sits more on the bed than on the edge of it, and he watches as Max
shuffles into the room. He's rubbing his eyes, and Theo looks at him, as he
sighs heavily and moves his hand from his face and up to card through his black
hair.

Theo actually straightens a bit,
then. Something is different. He only has to think about it for a split second,
though, before realizing how something is different, and as he does, he tilts
his head a bit.

Max isn't wearing makeup. For the
first time, Theo is seeing him without that black eyeliner, and although it's a
little unfamiliar, he really doesn't mind. It somehow simply softens Max's
face, and Theo just looks at him for a little while.

He's gotten used to seeing those
dark blue eyes framed by black, but despite this being unfamiliar, he finds
that Max looks just as good without eyeliner, as he does with it. Not that Theo
doesn't love the way that black usually makes the intense, dark blue of his
eyes pop, because he most definitely does. This is simply a different kind of
hot than he's used to, and he doesn't mind.

Max notices Theo looking at him,
and he stops dead, narrowing his eyes.

"What?" he says, and Theo
shakes his head.

"Nothing," he says.
"I just... I haven't seen you like this, before."

It seems to take Max a second,
before realizing that Theo is referring to his lack of makeup, and he tilts his
head a little bit.

"And?" he says, and Theo
pauses, before cocking his head and putting on a
meh
-expression. And Max
actually pulls back, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Are you sassing me,
Davis?" he says incredulously, and Theo quirks a small smile.

"Maybe," he says.
"How am I doing?"

Max just looks at him for a moment,
chewing at his bottom lip, before he smiles and actually glances away, suddenly
looking uncharacteristically shy.

"Could use some work," he
says, but his trademark cockiness is laced with something like affection, and
Theo's smile widens, as Max looks back at him. He sighs.

"We all have our
secrets," Max says dramatically, making his way over to the bed. "I
must admit, I feel kind of exposed, right now."

He raises his eyebrows pointedly,
and Theo doesn't argue. Seeing as how that black makeup is such a fundamental
part of Max's look, despite it being so small, he can imagine that it feels a
bit weird to let someone see him without it. Even if it is Theo.

"I like it," Theo says,
looking up at Max, as he places himself by the other side of the bed, still
standing. "It's different. But I like it."

Max just looks at him for a moment,
before scoffing, with a small smile.

"I'm glad," he says,
grabbing the back of his long-sleeved, black t-shirt and pulling it over his
head, exposing his bare skin. Theo can't help but practically gulp, as he sees
it, but Max doesn't notice, as he turns around and makes his way over to the
dresser and pulls out a drawer.

When he turns around, though, Theo
really reacts. His eyes actually widen, as they catch sight of Max's back.

The wings. He had almost forgotten
about those.

Max has deliberately kept the huge
tattoos hidden for the past couple of weeks, as they've been healing, and
although Theo has been itching to see them, ever since they left that tattoo
parlor, he has almost forgotten about it, at this point. Now, though, he can't
help but simply stare, as those wings move so perfectly with the motions of Max's
body, over his muscles, that they look practically real. They're beautiful,
finished and shaded to perfection.

Theo is vaguely aware of how he
gets up from the bed and makes his way across the room, and it's only when he's
standing right behind Max that he realizes how brave he suddenly feels.

Max doesn't seem to have noticed,
actually folding up his shirt and putting it in a drawer of his dresser. Theo
watches him for a moment, and then can't help but reach out and touch his bare
back. 

Max nearly jumps, but immediately
relaxes, as Theo slowly moves his fingertips down along the contours of those
dark feathers; the skin is smooth and soft, completely healed, and he can feel
Max shiver slightly, under his touch. He swallows, moving in a bit closer.

His hands are hesitant, gentle, as
they place themselves against Max's shoulder blades, where the wings look like
they're sprouting from his skin, touch slow and attentive, as it smoothes down
over his back. He can feel Max tense up slightly, as he slowly exhales, and
Theo keeps his eyes focused on those beautiful, detailed wings. His hands slide
down along Max's sides, and before he knows it, he's actually leaning down
slightly and kissing the base of Max's neck, softly and tentatively.

Theo actually feels the shivers,
this time, feels the way Max's muscles tense up and the way the hairs rise
along his skin. And it somehow spurs him on, moving his lips up along the back
of Max's neck, to the side, kissing him just below the hairline, hands trailing
down his waist and down to his hips. He moves in closer, presses his chest
against the inked skin of Max's back, and he suddenly wishes he wasn't wearing
a t-shirt; he wants to feel that skin against his own.

Max exhales heavily, slowly,
tilting his head back the slightest bit, and Theo closes his eyes as Max places
one hand over his, on his hip. Max laces their fingers together, gently
squeezing, and when Theo uses his tongue to smooth over the kisses he places
against the side of Max's neck, he hears him moan quietly, the sound vibrating
slightly through his back.

It's enough to make Theo swallow
hard and squeeze his eyes shut for a moment, tightening his grip on Max's hips
ever so slightly.
Damn it
. He's already getting hard.

Either Max notices this, or he
doesn't, but either way, he suddenly moves Theo's hands from his hips and turns
around in his arms, so that they face each other. And he lets his dark blue
gaze trail over Theo's face, his mouth, before leaning in and kissing him.

It's a surprisingly soft kiss, surprisingly
slow, and Theo feels his breath quicken, as Max's hand slips in underneath his
t-shirt. He doesn't stop him from pulling the shirt over his head, and he
doesn't stop him, when he gently steers him backwards, toward the bed. Instead,
Theo keeps his lips pressed against Max's, while fumbling slightly with the fly
of those black skinny jeans, and Max moans quietly against his mouth.

Getting Max's pants off is
surprisingly easy, and before Theo knows it, the two of them are underneath the
covers, tangled together, fingers pulling through hair and smoothing over bare
skin, and Theo absently realizes that he has never done this before. He has
never
done this before, has never been practically naked with someone like this,
bodies moving together, grinding and touching, as he and Max lie on their
sides, as close together as they can possibly get.

Theo has never done this before,
and his heart is pounding. He has never kissed someone like this before, has
never pulled someone closer like this. He has never moved his hand downward
like this, before, like he moves his hand down over Max's bare, hard stomach,
and lets his fingers ghost over the stretched fabric of his boxers.

He's not sure which turns him on
more; the way Max inhales sharply at the touch, or the way he's actually hard,
because of Theo.

Theo's not entirely sure what he's
doing. Sure, he knows what feels good, since he knows himself and what he
likes, but this is another person. This is
Max
, and he tries his best to
make him moan and tense up under his touch, as he grips onto Theo's hair
tighter, Theo's hand rubbing and stroking slowly, as they kiss. He does his
best, and he seems to be doing well.

He doesn't get to keep going for
long, though, before Max rather suddenly pulls back, and Theo opens his eyes,
confused, automatically pulling his hand away from Max's crotch.

"What's wrong?" he asks
softly, mostly out of uncertainty, and Max looks at Theo's chest, avoiding his
eyes.

"You don't―" he starts,
then sighs and seemingly revises. "You don't
have to
, you
know."

Theo frowns.

"What?" he says, and Max
looks up at him.

"We don't have to do
anything," he says softly. "I mean, that's not why I asked you to
stay over."

It takes several seconds for Theo
to get what Max is saying, and when he does, he blinks in surprise. He hadn't
even thought about that. He just wants to be close to Max, and it hasn't really
occurred to him in the past few minutes that Max might misinterpret that as him
feeling obligated, somehow.

He's vaguely reminded of his rather
intense nervousness before, though, earlier tonight, about this very issue. But
he's not nervous now, not in the same way, at least.

"I know," he says,
shuffling a tiny bit closer to his boyfriend and looking right into those
gorgeous, blue eyes, hoping to convey his own honesty.

Max's expression is one Theo hasn't
really seen before. Since they started hanging out, ever since that first kiss
behind the school, Max has been pretty obvious about what he wants, physically.
And ever since he found out about Theo's inexperience in the matter, he has
taken it slow, after all, reining himself in, for Theo's sake.

But he has always wanted more, and
he has always shown it, and Theo has always been pretty okay with that.

This is different, though. This is
Max looking at him like he's almost worried, like he really doesn't want Theo
to feel like he's being pushed, and Theo somehow doesn't know how to deal with
that.

"I just want to be close to
you," he ends up saying, his voice low, and more honest than he expected.
"I like that."

As he says it, he moves in even
closer, his hand trailing up along Max's side, over his ribs, where the skin is
still untouched, unmarked by ink. And Max takes a slow, deep breath, his dark blue
eyes fixed on Theo's green ones. He moves his hand up to Theo's face, his thumb
smoothing along his bottom lip.