Skeleton In The Closet

Chapter 8

After some time, Neil broke the silence. "Max, are you okay? You've a bit... distant the past couple days. I'm starting to worry about you." Neil said with concern for his boyfriend. "I love you. If there's something wrong, you know you can tell me."

"Why do you have to be so goddamn observant all the time?" Max asked him, eyes closed with his head on Neil's shoulder. "I know I should tell you, but it's not that simple. I don't *do* 'opening up', or 'emotional vulnerability.'" Max told his partner. "I've never been good at talking to people about my problems. Nikki was totally right about my social skills sucking." He admitted.

"You don't *have* to, Max." Neil assured him. "We don't have to just jump into your deepest darkest secrets." He said. "Just start by telling me something about yourself that you've never told anyone." He requested.

After a few minutes of silence, Max buried his face into Neil's shoulder, embarrased to tell anyone about something like it. He mumbled into Neil's shoulder. Already quiet, but further muffled by having his head buried in his boyfriend's shoulder. "Not like that, Max." Neil chided him. "It only works if I can hear it too."

Max looked down at the floor as he began to blush. "I wanna be a detective when I'm grown up. Ive always wanted to." Max admitted. "I have everything Agatha Christie & Arthur Conan Doyle ever wrote... I have a deerstalker cap too." Just the first piece would've been sufficient, but further talking about his passion for solving mystery just made him keep talking.

"Wow." Neil sort of just let out.

"I know it's a stupid dream." Max said as he looked away from Neil.

Neil wrapped his arms around Max from behind & held him close. "There are no stupid dreams, Max." Neil assured Max, resting his head on his shoulder. "Except Gwen's dream of getting rich by selling her Scalie fan fics on Amazon. *That's* a stupid dream"

Max laughed to himself quietly & said "hehe. Dumb bitch." He said, turning around & returning Neil's gesture, wrapping his arms around Neil.

"There's my Maxie" Neil told him

Max answered. "Don't ever call me that again."

"I regretted it the second I said it." Neil responded in a soft, & sweet voice before kissing Max's head & lying back on the couch, still holding Max as they closed their eyes & began to fall asleep.

A/N I know this is a short entry but I figured it's better than nothing. This is a rough time of year so I just finished my draft