Forever?

Chapter 4 :)

"No, we need to wake them up. It's noon. Noon! They need to wake up."

"Alec almost died!” Ani hissed.

"We'll wake up Max,” Matt said. “He’s been hogging Max. I want my turn with him.”

"His boyfriend almost died,” Amber deadpanned.

They all snorted to themselves. Max rolled his eyes as he cuddled further into Alec’s warm side.

"Shut up," Alec mumbled. "You're going to wake Max up."

Max smiled a little as he turned to my side and tangled himself in his embrace. Max hid his face in his chest as he cuddled with him.

"Hi," he mumbled. He still looked very pale and tired. Max raised my hand and gently placed it on his face. He closed his eyes at the touch. "I'm sorry."

"You nearly died," he whispered. Ah, an image of him pale and bleeding out on his bed flashed through his mind and he clung to him a little tighter.

"I'm sorry."

Max sighed a little and hugged him. Tight. Max was glad he didn't die. It reminded him of the time everyone was at the hospital for Lyric, the time he nearly died, and he saw the way Roland was scared and not knowing whether he would live or not terrified him. And while Max had been scared for his friend, the feeling of it being for someone who was more than a friend to him, oh, that heaviness that clung to him at that time, well, he didn’t wish that upon anyone.

"Please, don't do that again. Please."

"We won't. I'm sorry."

"Will you tell me?"

"Hello, did you forget about us?" Ani deadpanned.

"You ruined a perfectly good moment," Alec mumbled, and Max rolled his eyes at him.

"There was no moment."

"But yes, Max, wake up and Alec, you can sleep some more. Actually, you should. Go to sleep again. Damian said you would need it. Goodnight. Max, up."

"I can't sleep without Max," Alec deadpanned. He looked like s**t; he was on his elbows looking at them.

"Alec lay down," Max said. He shook his head, sneezed like a f*****g monster and then repeated himself.

"I can't sleep without Max." They looked at Max, who blinked a few times.

"You really played yourself here,” Amber deadpanned.

Matt made a noise of frustration. "Fine, you win, but I want to sleep with you."

"Me too," Ani said, climbing into bed.

"Me three!" Alice yelled before she jumped onto Ani, who groaned.

"Me four!" Matt grinned and jumped on Alice, who was still on Ani. Max heard both girls groan.

"I don't want to," Oliver said, scrunching his nose in distaste.

"f**k off and get here," Matt deadpanned, and Oliver groaned a little, but he, too, jumped onto the bed.

"This is not what I meant," Alec groaned.

"We knew exactly what you meant, you filthy boy," Matt said.

"No, but seriously, I can't sleep without Max and I do want to sleep and remember I almost died. So."

"And what about Max?" Matt said.

"His boyfriend almost died,” Ani added.

"He's not my-" Alec put a hand over Max’s mouth, not letting him finish his sentence.

"Sure. Now leave."

The others finally did leave after Oliver pushed them out, claiming Alec had indeed almost died, but he needed to sleep.

So, Alec dragged him back into bed. Max was lying on his chest, drawing patterns on his arm. He was doing his best to avoid his freshly bandaged wound.

"Max?"

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?”

“Of course we can,” Max replied, smiling lightly. “What would you like to talk about?”

“Rio.”

~*~