"'Cause if I'm gonna learn how to love you
I need to unlearn how to love too
Need to unlearn how to run when it feels right"
max mayfield x fem!oc
[SEASON TWO-FIVE]
cover by @hellfiresoulss
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The sound of their footsteps on the rusted train tracks seemed too loud in the quiet night, as if it couldn't escape the heavy tension that had settled between the group. They'd been walking for what felt like hours, the weight of the situation hanging over them. The closer they got to Steve's car, the more the arguments seemed to escalate. Max and Julianna had fallen behind the rest of the group, trying to process everything that had happened so far.
Max's hand was still clasped tightly in Julianna's, a small, silent gesture of reassurance after everything they'd gone through. Max didn't quite know if she was reassuring herself or Julianna, but the simple connection brought a sense of comfort amidst the chaos. The warmth of her hand wrapped around Julianna's gave her a rare moment of clarity, something to anchor her in this wild, uncertain world.
As the group continued to move ahead, Dustin's voice broke through the tension, the familiar excitement in his tone that usually came when he was in his element—spouting off facts and sharing new knowledge. "Yes. It was Dart," Dustin said matter-of-factly, letting out a frustrated sigh, as though the answer should have been obvious to everyone by now.
Max furrowed her brow in disbelief. "But he was tiny just two days ago. How could it be Dart?" She couldn't wrap her mind around the rapid transformation, still trying to make sense of how such a small creature could change so quickly. She remembered how Dart had looked at first—small, almost harmless. Now, everything felt different.
Dustin didn't skip a beat. "He's molted three times already," he answered, his voice almost giddy, like a kid telling a story.
"Molted?" Steve asked, his confusion evident. The others glanced between each other, unsure what Dustin was getting at.
"Molted," Dustin corrected, his tone slightly exasperated as if this were basic knowledge. "Shed his skin to make room for growth, like hornworms. You know, the caterpillars? Same idea." He seemed almost proud of the comparison, as if it gave a sense of understanding to this insane situation.
Max swung their hands idly as they walked. Her fingers brushed against Julianna's, a subconscious act of comfort. She tried to focus on what Dustin was saying, but the nagging feeling of something bigger—something far worse—was in the air. "When's he gonna molt again?" Max asked, almost absentmindedly, though her mind was racing. Was Dart really growing that fast? How could they keep up with something like that?
"It's gotta be soon," Dustin replied. "Once he molts, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends." His voice dropped a little, as if the realization of what that meant was hitting him harder than he was letting on.
