Coming Home To You

He watches how the younger man beside him kept on crossing his arms around his body, stepping away slightly from the frame every time it was Tul's turn to answer the reporters question, how his voice goes an octave higher when he describes their relationship, especially when he says the words "boyfriends" and "husbands". But what really caught his attention was how he had reacted when Tul threw the question "So when are you going to ask me to marry you?"

He heard how the younger man's breath hitched before wide onyx eyes turn to him, cheeks flushed red and hands grappling for support as all the wind was knocked out of him. He was completely flustered for a second, but the thrust of a microphone in front of their faces broke him from the stupor and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he saw the younger man recover and opted to laugh away the question instead. Max's defence mechanism, to laugh when in doubt.

"What was that about?" He thought to himself. "Why would Max have that kind of reaction."

Five years of being together has taught Tul to read Max to the most miniscule of details. Max has always been loud, rambunctious and outright crazy. And right now his infectious laughter could be heard from across the set. But Tul had seen that vulnerability in his eyes with a hint of something else. Was it anguish? But that wouldn't make any sense.

"Max, can I sleepover your place tonight?" He asks. They had come together to the set as Tul's car was in the workshop. They had stayed over enough that they had spare clothes in each others places.

"Sure"

Gone was the easy smile that had graced his face through out the night. A forced one was in its stead, not quite reaching his eyes, and Tul's heart broke a little bit more seeing this side of Max being offered to him.

They had changed to their home clothes and after saying their good byes to everyone, they made their way to the car.

"May I?" Tul offered as he gently pried the car key from Max's fingers and Max relented. Tul gently lead Max to the passenger side before opening the door, letting Max get in and closing the door for him. Tul then jogged to the driver's side and got in.

The atmosphere in the car was stifling and Tul was tempted to lower down the windows just so that he could breathe. He looked over to Max, who had rested his head over the glass window and had his eyes closed. Was it him or did Max look a little pale? And he was so quiet. This silence was very uncharacteristic of Max because Max is never silent, even when he sleeps. And it scares Tul to his very core.

Max tries to steady his breathing and not give in to the pain in his chest that has enveloped him like metal chains. He had hoped that it would let up once they leave the set, but instead it had tightened, constricting his airways making it hard to breathe. Beads of sweat collected on his forehead as he attempts to concentrate on doing the basic act of breathing, but the air in the car was too thick and soon enough it was becoming too overwhelming.

Max suddenly grabs Tul's hand that was on the gear stick, surprising the man and clamps down on it "Stop the car" he squeezes out.

"What?" Tul exclaims and turns to look to Max. He was alarmed to find the younger man covered in sweat and hyperventilating, a hand clutching tightly on to his shirt.

Tul cursed under his breath and looked through the rear view mirror to see if there was any cars behind him before signalling left and eventually stopping by the road shoulder.
Tul helped Max to unbuckle his seat belt and Max threw the door open, stumbling out in a mess of flailing limbs before falling onto the ground. Tul had just managed to reach Max's side just as the younger man started retching.

After what feels like an eternity, the recthing finally stopped and Max dry heaved a couple of times. He was vaguely aware of a hand gently rubbing circles on his back, the act comforting him.