Sweet Tooth [HS]

FIFTEEN

"Right Harold, time to get up."

"I don't wannaaa," Harry whined from behind Max, clenching his arm tighter round her waist while pulling her towards him.

She let herself close her eyes- just for a second- and relish in the feeling of his body so close to her own. She knew she had an obscenely large grin slapped across her face and she thanked God Harry couldn't see it.

"Harry! It's 11 and I need to shower."

"Shower with me."

Max could practically see the smile on his face as he spoke the words seductively into her ear. It was so tempting. So alluring. But Max had shit to do and keeping Lexie waiting was not at all on her list.

"Nope nope nope. You'll distract me."

Max hated saying the words, couldn't deny how wrong they sounded leaving her mouth- but she knew she did actually have to extract herself from Harry at some point. They'd been laying in bed all morning, sleeping and kissing and playing and Max felt like she was in some sort of mini paradise; some sort of dream-like state where Harry was all hers and she was all his and the world outside her bedroom had frozen, just for them.

Like everything had just stopped until they decided it could start again.

But, of course, Max knew it didn't work like that.

And even she could call it was tragically time to move.

"Come on, up you get," Max smiled, kissing Harry's cheek before finally rolling out of bed.

She had to lock the door to the bathroom to keep Harry out, and found him drinking orange juice at the kitchen table when she finally emerged. He was wearing the t-shirt he'd been wearing since he arrived at Max's flat, and his guitar was all strapped up in a case by his feet.

Max's heart throbbed painfully at the sight.

She had to remind herself that he wasn't leaving properly. He was just going for a bit, going home instead of keeping up with this strange roommate thing they'd been doing for the past few days.

She'd see him later.

He said she'd see him later.

"Boo," he said when she noticed her standing there. "Nice shower?"

"Lovely," she walked forwards and plonked herself in the seat beside Harry. "You're still coming later, yeah?"

Max couldn't help needing to hear him say it, just one more time. She demanded the reassurance. Needed it.

"Yes. Shall I just text you and meet you there?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I'll send you the address."

"Wonderful." He smiled and leaned forwards on his elbows to get closer to her.

Again, Max could feel her heart. Could feel it stumble slightly at the sight of Harry looking at her, smiling at her like that. He looked beautiful. Looked so young and so sweet and Max hated that she had to leave him, even if only for a few hours.

A ringtone split her from her trance, and she watched silently as Harry swiped his phone screen and accepted the call.

"Jack Jack?... Yep... I'll be 2 minutes... Yeh let's go to Maccies and then back to the hotel... Ok... Bye."

Max was grinning when Harry hung up.

"What's the face for?" He asked, digging his eyebrows together and tilting his head to the side.

"Jack Jack? Maccies?" She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him pointedly. "Really Harry, it's like you're a big baby."

She giggled when his mouth popped open in refute.

"Mackenzie Sweet are you laughing at me!?"

"No," she said between her laughs. "Not at all."

He stood up then and his eyes had darkened, had lowered on Max as he towered over her. "Maxie."

It was one word, his word, and she felt it echo around her head.

"Maxie Maxie Maxie," he repeated, bringing his face so close to hers that their lips nearly touched.

Max felt like she could explode at the feel of his warm breath fanning across her face, felt like she might faint at the smell of him swamping her while those pink lips spelled out her name in what seemed like slow motion.

"Y-Yes?" She murmured, unable to stop her eyes from darting down to his lips.

Harry remained silent for a beat. His green eyes narrowed even more and he pulled his lower lip into his mouth. He moved so close Max thought she could feel his heart beat.

And then- suddenly, all at once- he drew back.
Only smirked at her as he picked up his guitar case and strung the thick strap over his shoulder, all silky smooth like it was nothing.

"Text me a time and a place, Mackenzie," he said and Max remained silent, remained speechless even after he closed the door behind him.

***

"What about this one?"

Max wanted to cry.

Actually would have been happy to go deaf if she had to hear Lexie say that one more time.

"Lex, I'll hate it. I know it," she groaned, turning to see her best friend holding up a fluorescent orange scrap of material, that wouldn't make it past even one of her thighs. "What the fuck, Lex. No."

Lexie grinned, "I was joking."

Lexie herself, like always, had found an outfit in the first five minutes of entering the shop and had spent the rest of the trip taunting Max with skimpy pieces of fabric that didn't really count as clothing. She was overjoyed with the situation. Max, however, wanted to scrape her eyeballs out.

She hated shopping, she always had. Especially when Lexie was her company.

"Lex I'm never going to find anything. I hate everything," she rolled her eyes at a floral print blouse on a mannequin in front of her. "Ugh I have nothing to wear."

"C'mon Max, this is literally the last shop on Oxford Street and I'm starving. Either you buy something here or you'll have to make do with your wardrobe at home."

Max's eyes widened. "No."

"Exactly. No one should be subjected to that. Now come on."

With a clap of her hands Lexie turned and headed further into the store, and unable to find the words to complain, Max found herself following. She let Lexie lead the way around the shop, and after what felt like hours they had finally narrowed the dresses down to two options.

One was a short black dress, all simple and elegant; and the other was a little more daring. It was a dark crocodile green and floor length and shimmery and Max thought it was beautiful. Terrifying, but beautiful.

"Thoughts?" She stuck her head around the curtain of the changing room after squeezing into the black dress.

Lexie looked up from her phone screen and raised a sceptical brow. "You look drop-dead, obviously, but I don't know. It's a bit... boring."

Max turned and looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't think she looked bad, but she had to agree with Lexie. She probably had twelve dresses like this in her wardrobe.

"Agreed. Give me a sec."

She slipped back behind the curtain and took off the black dress, and hurriedly changed into the green one. When she saw herself in the mirror she couldn't help but gasp.

Her warm brown skin looked beautiful against the emerald colour of the fabric and it shimmered each time she moved. Max turned and admired the way it fit perfectly over her curves and managed to reach the floor despite her long legs.

"I love it," she squealed as she pulled back the curtain for Lexie. "Opinions?"

Again Lexie raised a brow at her, scanning her from head to toe at least twice before replying. "I love it!" Her face split into a grin and she rushed towards Max. "This is the one, Maximus. This is absolutely the one!"

***
Hi! Picture at the start is the dress for the party and the model is Imaan Hammam who I picture as Max xxxx