A life less ordinary ||~~Elax/Elmax~~||

We need to talk

A/N Upload 2 of 3 today...(for reading order info...)

Since the camping trip, the gang hadn't been able to see each other. Both Dustin and Lucas were on vacations with their respective families, Will and Mike had been taken on a short road trip with Joyce to visit Jonathan, and Max and El had been steadfastly avoiding each other.

"El?" shouted Karen up the stairs. El made her way downstairs to see what she wanted. "El, I need you to take this and give it to Max's mom, please" said Karen, handing over a large folder.

"Oh...uh...is it...is it important?" asked El. She wasn't nervous about seeing Max, she was terrified, she hadn't slept properly since the camping trip, it occupying her every thought.

"Well I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important" stated Karen impatiently, "she needs this stuff for something at school she's helping out with."

El nodded and, grabbing the folder, slowly made her way from the house. Walking through the woods she could think of nothing else but the camping trip and what had happened, she should have been happy, those precious minutes alone with Max had been everything she'd hoped for, but they hadn't spoken since it happened and El assumed that Max regretted the whole thing. The walk that usually took her less than 25 minutes instead took almost 40, and as she approached Max's house she slowed further, pausing and taking a deep breath before knocking lightly on the door. She stood for a minute waiting, and when no-one answered the door she turned ready to walk home but stopped when she heard a key turning the lock, the door opening to reveal a surprised looking Max.

They stared at each other for a minute. "I...errr...f-folder...for y-your mom..." stuttered El, holding up the folder as proof.

Max just nodded and walked further into the house leaving an open door for El to walk through.

"Where shall I put it?" asked El.

"The table is fine" Max answered plainly.

Once she'd placed the folder on the table, probably more carefully and precisely than was necessary, El turned slowly to face Max, searching her face for any cue she could use to carry on talking to her, now she was here not wanting to waste the opportunity to talk about the elephant in the room. Getting absolutely no clues from Max's poker face, she sighed inwardly, and rueing her cowardice made her way back to the front door.

"El?" said Max, making El pause, door handle mid-turn, "I'm sorry" she said quietly.

El turned to face her immediately, "what?"

"I'm...I'm sorry" Max repeated, looking up at the ceiling, "I never wanted to make you to feel uncomfortable, or to hurt you, or...or fuck everything up" she said more harshly, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "...I'm sorry I fucked this up, I'm sorry I fucked us up, our friendship...I'm sorry..."

El watched Max wipe her eyes and it hurt inside, "no Max" she said, letting go of the handle and walking right up to her, leaving only inches between them. Max raised her head slightly, "everything that happened...what we did...I wanted to happen, and...and I'd do it again, in a heartbeat" El finished bravely. Max finally looked her in the eyes and saw the sincerity in them, "don't be sorry" El whispered leaning forward slightly.

Max smiled slightly, mirroring El's movement and leaning forward slightly to meet her. "No?" she asked, mere centimetres away, glancing down at El's mouth that was forming into a slight smirk.

"Shut the hell up" El said, playfully rolling her eyes, making Max smile as that was exactly what she had told El in the tent. They closed the small gap between them and pressed their lips together softly, moving them in sync, snaking their arms around each other.