Roommates (Maxley)

Chapter 16

"I didn't mean for this to happen, I...I wasn't supposed to live!" The tears fall before he can stop them, flooding his face and dampening his shirt. The hospital didn't bother changing him, or maybe his father told them not to. He had already bribed one them to keep them from report this...accident.

That's what he always called things like this.

Accidents, incidents, always making it seem like no harm was meant when it was all that was done.

"Brad-"

"I'm sorry, I should've called, I wanted to, I-" He can't breathe, lungs refusing to accept the air around him. He's hyperventilating and doesn't even know it, "-I'm sorry! All of those- those things he said I don't think them! I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey! Look at me." Max cups his face, trying to wipe away tears that keep coming down his bruised cheeks."You have nothing to be sorry for, alright? Nothing, you've done nothing wrong."

"I'm the one who asked you out a-and it's my fault the picture is going around." Brad says in between shrill sobs, hands on Max's. He should've just taken the hit, then his father wouldn't have said those things to Max. "And Father called you-"

"Brad, none of what he says matters." Max rubs his back, his shoulders, everywhere that looks like it hurts. His eyes narrow at all of the purple and blue dots on Brad's skin but now isn't the time to be angry, that's not what Brad needs right now. He kisses the crown of Brad's head as he weeps, "Don't even think about him, just focus on us."

He's so sick of crying, of being so weak, but with Max it's okay. He can sob into his shoulder without guilt, without worrying about what he thinks or what he'll say. Max's arms are warm around him, soothing his cold body as he pulls off his jacket to wrap around Brad. He can't meet his gaze as he's carried to the car, too humiliated. It's strange thinking of the two of them that way, together, but it starts to feel real when Brad steps into Max's home. It isn't small but it's not as big as Brad's used to, quaint and cozy unlike the contemporary decor he's learned to love. Crystals and dreamcatchers are scattered around, along with incense from shelves and what he thinks is a shrine or altar of some sort. Holistics, not exactly something he expected Max to be into but it's not surprising. He glances at Max's father, a lanky man with a big afro and toothy grin that makes Brad look away. Not because his smile is ugly, the opposite, big pearly whites and a gap that reminds him of Max. If he had seen the two men on the street he'd know they're related, sharing the same nose and lips but Max's eyes were smaller and sharper. He finds himself staring at them, admiring the coffee brown that matches the colors of the dining table. Max raises a thin brow and Brad turns away, face flushing when Max squeezes his hand under the table. Even after everything he's still trying to protect Brad's privacy despite there being little left.

"How are you feeling?" Max whispers, oblivious to how his voice stirs the groggy butterflies in his stomach awake. "I can sneak you some pain meds if you need any-"

"I heard that, Max." His father sets down a big bowl of...honestly he's not sure what it is. It looks like soup but a scoop of rice is sitting in the center, chopped sausage and vegetables peeking from the depths. "Did the doctors prescribe you anything, Son?"

"Not really, I mean...uh..." He's blanking, either from exhaustion or nerves. This is his first real conversation with Goofy besides what happened almost a semester ago, he doesn't want to say anything wrong. He does need to say something though, he can tell Goofy is waiting for an answer. "No. They just said take over-the-counter pain meds and then uh, then to relax because of the concussion."

"Concussion? That sounds serious." Goofy gives Max his bowl before sitting beside him, motioning to cornbread set down earlier. "I'll make sure to give you seconds, good for healing!"