Snapshot · (Roswell Fanfiction) · √

27. Oh Brother

Outside Michael and Liz's Apartment
(2008) Michael is 24, Max is 23

Brenda's words were ringing in his head as he ran up the stairs to their apartment. But the door was ripped open before he had a chance to knock, revealing a stony version of his best friend.

"Hey Michael," Max said, trying to ignore the ominous feelings making the hair at the back of his neck stand on end. "Is Liz ho-"

That's all he got out before Michael's hard fist impacted his chin, sending him backwards against the railing. He grabbed a hold of the metal to stop himself from tumbling down the stairs while he stared in complete shock at Michael.

"What the-?"

"No," Michael said coldly, staring at him darkly. "You don't get to ask the questions, asshole."

Max was afraid to move even an inch at the venom in Michael's voice. Max could probably take Michael and win on any other day, but he wouldn't even attempt to consider it today.

"Michael, what-?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Michael erupted and Max's breath caught in his throat. He had never seen Michael this angry.

It hit him like lightning on a clear day. "Did Liz...?"

"Yes," Michael said and laughed shortly which had ice cold shivers run down Max's spine. "She told me. She told me exactly what you've been up to."

"Please. Let me expla-"

"Fuck you, Max," Michael said quietly, darkly. "You lied to my face-"

"Michael, I-"

"Shut up!" Michael snapped and Max started to wonder if he was going to get out of this alive. "I asked you straight to your face if you slept with her and you said no."

"It was not the right time-"

He stared at him incredulously. "Are you screwing with me?"

"She didn't want you to know."

"This is not even about what she wanted me to know or not. This is about you having sex with her! I never thought I would have to spell it out for you, so I never did. Because I thought you knew that my sister was off limits. You can fuck every girl on this earth, but not Liz."

"Michael, hear me out," Max tried. "She meant more to me than the other girls. So much more. It was never just a one-night stand."

He laughed humourlessly. "Oh, really? I thought that was what you called it if you only had sex once."

"There were so many misunderstandings and-"

He raised an eyebrow, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, making him look as inaccessible as he sounded. "Misunderstandings?"

"Yeah," Max said, relieved that Michael was letting him talk. "Liz thought that I was only using her-"

"And you weren't?"

Max narrowed his eyes at Michael, sudden anger exploding in his veins. "No, Michael. Of course not. She's my friend."

"I wouldn't treat a friend that way," Michael said acidly.

"I'm not trying to blame it on alcohol, but we were a little drunk that night," Max said. "And I could've sworn that she wanted to."

"She was an 18-year-old confused girl! You know that. She has insecurity issues the size of Mount fucking Everest." His whole body tensing, he asked, "Were you her first?"

"Yes," Max answered quietly, guilt drifting up to the surface.

Michael snorted and said, "Great. That's fucking great."

"I didn't know," Max said. "If I knew it wouldn't have happened like that. Not when she was drunk."

"But you would've done it eventually anyway, is that what you're saying?"

"You must have suspected something."

"You didn't really let me in on your secret activities," Michael said tightly. "And the one time I decided to ask you about it, you blatantly lied to my face. And I believed you. You know why? Because you were my friend. And if you said that you didn't touch my sister inappropriately, I would believe you. Because why would you lie about something like that? To my face?"

"I was protecting Liz."

"Oh bullshit," Michael erupted. "Don't fucking screw with me, Evans."

"She saw it as mistake. She didn't want anyone to know."

"Did you hurt her?" Michael asked tensely, his dark eyes hard.

"What do you mean?" Max asked slowly.

"I mean, when you had sex with my little sister, did you hurt her?"

Max stared at Michael as if he had grown a second head. "Fuck, Michael. How can you even think that? Of course I didn't hurt her. I would kill myself if I ever hurt her."

"What about afterwards then? You didn't hurt her then? Because I'm pretty sure she wasn't crying her eyes out over beautiful sex."

"I tried to get through to her afterwards, but she wouldn't listen. Just like you, she has this idea in her head that I did it for fun. That I only wanted a good fuck."

"Didn't you?"

Max took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair. "I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But what happens between Liz and me is not really any of your business."

"Oh," Michael laughed hollowly. "Is that right?"

"She's old enough to make her own decisions. She was back then as well."

"I'm her brother, Evans," Michael spit out. "I'm supposed to be looking after her. Protect her from scums like you-"

"Michael-" Max protested, but Michael cut him off.

"You are a scum. You consider yourself God's gift to women, something that I generally don't have a problem with, but when you touch Lizzie... I don't think I'll ever forgive you for this."

Max straightened, his jaw clenching along with his fists as he tried to control the suffocating amount of contradicting emotions running through his system.

"Where's Liz , Michael?"

"You really think I would tell you?"

"I really need to speak to her."

"I tell you where she is. After crying her heart out on our couch about a conversation she overheard on the phone between you and your friend, she went over to Maria's. And if you even think about going over there, I'm gonna hunt you down and make sure that you'll never enjoy sex ever again."

Max looked at Michael for a long moment, before slowly saying, "Michael..."

"Get out of my face, Evans, before I do something I might regret later."

Like a dog with his tail between his legs, Max turned and walked down the stairs towards his car.