WHO: Luke Quinn and Max Yorke. WHAT: After an evening of very non-July 4th festivities, the two head toward home. WHERE: District 2. WHEN: Midnight of July 4th/Early morning of July 5th. RATING: PG. Not pure innocence, but close enough.
MAX: Slightly after two in the morning, Max found himself walking down one of the blocks in District 2 with Luke after a nice night of concerts and drinks with a bunch of foreign nationals. Not a bad way to spend the 4th of July in America considering his disdain for the country seemed to grown everyday, so being around like minded people was nice. But now they had all gone home and his buzz had all but worn off as he made his way down the side walk, his hands shoved in his pockets as at this hour, the air was a bit cold.
They passed a group of drunken German girls and nearly got stumbled on in the process, something with made the Englishman laugh. “Nice to see everyone in District 2 seems to be having a good night,” he mused once they were out of ear shot. There were a few more steps before he turned his head to look at Luke. “Happy birthday, by the way. Again.”
LUKE: Originally when he was surprised at work with the announcement of his birthday, Luke had been less than enthused. After all, he hadn’t told any of his coworkers so by all logical accounts it should have stayed a secret. Instead he found himself hiding behind the counter at first as Max announced it to everyone in the bar, then begrudgingly stood and allowed the insanity to continue. It wasn’t that he hated his birthday or had some horrific traumatic reason that made him stay silent. In reality, he just didn’t care for celebrating it. His parents rarely did, why should he?
He smirked at Max’s observation before pretending to make a face. “You’re not going to make everyone sing ‘Happy Birthday’ again are ye?”
MAX: You celebrated your birthday because after another year, you managed not to die and that was something certainly worth celebrating. Max had been at the piano bar long enough to know that when a co-workers birthday rolled around it was his job to sing a song. Sure, the birthday in question wasn’t until Monday, but Saturday was just full of people to add to the festivities! In the end, just be thankful he only got the entire bar to sing happy birthday rather than something more embarrassing.
“Hey. I got a whole bar to sing that song to you. That’s no small feat,” he started as he dodged someone passing them. “Plus, you also got an original song.”
LUKE: He would have rather no one at the bar sang at all! But he supposed it could have been much worse and for that he was willing to endure the humiliation. He accepted all of this just so he could selfishly watch and listen to Max playing for him. It might have not be completely for him in the sense that Max must have sang happy birthday to a great number of people, but Luke could pretend.
He bounced into Max for a moment as he was trying to maneuver around the crowd. “Yes, I was entirely grateful,” he said sarcastically, though it was clear he wasn’t irritated. Possibly because the instigator was kinda cute or something. “Give me one good reason why that is a good thing.”
MAX: When the other man bumped into him, Max’s hand moved out from the pocket and onto Luke’s far shoulder in an instinctive move to keep him steady. Just in case he tried to fall over from the bump. A split second later it moved away, though it didn’t move back to its original place.
“So grateful you tried to hide behind the bar,” he answered with a point and a small smirk. From the piano there was a direct line of view to the bar, so Max could see just how much his song was appreciated. “And it’s a good thing because I’m going to be famous someday.”
LUKE: Admittedly, he smiled when Max kept him upright. So they may never be anything more than friends, but Luke could be happy enough to accept that. He couldn’t help but eyeroll at his friends too astute observation. “Well yes, but what was I supposed to do when I didn’t know it was coming?” Luke’s smile turned more genuine at his next statement. “But how can I prove to anyone I know the future Famous Max?”
MAX: “The fact you didn’t know it was coming was the best part.” Like a surprise party, only with the lack of presents and an actually yelling of surprise. But there was still the crowd of people to hear it! That counted for something. “Well. I don’t know. You could just say the famous Max Yorke sang you a birthday song, but in ten years no one will believe you since I’ll be super famous.” Pause. “In the classical world, but still.”
LUKE: He stared at Max in the hope he could nonverbally convey that he didn’t find it the ‘best’ part of the surprise anymore great than the surprise as a whole. But again, he wasn’t really mad at the boy. Smiling, he held onto Max’s arm to get him to stop while he took out his iholo and snapped a picture of him. Before Max could ask, he had an explanation ready. “Now I have proof I knew you before you become famous.”
MAX: When he felt the hand touch his arm, Max looked in front of them to see if maybe he had missed another group of people, but only saw that the sidewalk in front of them was empty. Slightly confused, he turned his head slowly to question Luke on why he had done it and he was greeted with the soft white camera flash that came standard on all iHolo models. He blinked, opened his mouth to ask what that was for, though he closed it once the answer was given.
For a few seconds, he just looked at the other man as he tried to figure out something to say in response as the corners of his mouth started to curl into a smile. Such a simple explanation, though Max had to admit he found it oddly sweet and possibly once of the nicer things he had heard in years. Taking a step toward Luke, he let his hand curl lightly around the hand that still held onto the iHolo as if to keep the other man in place. Then not even a second passed before he leaned down and pressed his lips against Luke’s, not caring if anyone else was on the sidewalk to see.
LUKE: Well. That was a surprise. He expected Max after his smiling to just laugh and slap him on the shoulder before the two continued on their merry way. The kiss took him off guard and for a few blissful moments, he responded positively, not moving forward but most certainly not stepping back. For a moment all was right with the world. Before anything further could (possibly have) happened, a drunk passerby apparently saw them and yelled in a garbled accent, “Yeah, fuck America!”
Pulling back, Luke was half smiling as his brain decided to catch up with him. Besides the fact he was just a bit embarrassed at such a public scene they just made, he was confused at the fact Max was even kissing him in the first place. “I...I thought you just wanted to just be friends,” he said confusedly. “So...” what was that for? He needed to know.
MAX: Since becoming stuck in America, the ‘just friends’ line was something he had told to a very small handful of people. Originally, it was because he was still dating his girlfriend at the time, still delusional that at the drop of a hat he could return home to England. He kept saying it for that reason until it was decided that no foreign nationals would be leaving the United States and Kate subsequently declared that they would no longer work. After that, he said it out of hurt and anger, both towards his ex and America. Max eventually just fell into the routine of saying the ‘just friends’ line, using it as some subconscious defense mechanism to protect him from any possibility of repeating the hurt he had felt from his ex-girlfriend.
“I did want to be just friends.” His voice was lower than usual, possibly because he was caught off guard by Luke’s statement. Taking a small step back, he looked away for a moment, though his hand still remained over the other man’s hand. “Then you had to go and kind of ask me on a date. Also be extremely nice to me. And watch Doctor Who with me. Most people just left me alone after the friends line.”
LUKE: His lips quirked up at that. So it was his fault now for showing an interest? That made him more amused than anything else that Luke may have screwed with Max’s plans dating-wise. It wasn’t something he was really used to doing admittedly: his first boyfriend found him, and the few others were never intended to be relationships. Not even his rounds with girls in high school helped him as he found guys were a completely different mystery.
He took that step forward to re-close that space between them. “Most people aren’t strange, stubborn and Irish.” He took the iHolo out of one hand with the other and stuffed it into his pocket, his now free fingers snaked around Max’s wrist. “Suppose I’m just not too bright then,” Luke added while grinning before pulling him forward for another kiss.
MAX: He clearly screwed up his plans dating-wise as before now, he hadn’t planned to make any. Now... well, Max hadn’t completely thought that far ahead with things since this wasn’t even supposed to happen. Once Luke took hold of his wrist, he let himself be pulled forward, though right before their lips would have met for another kiss, he paused. “Would you like to come back to my place? For some tea,” he asked right before making a tiny face at his somewhat lame addendum to the invitations.
LUKE: Things never end up the way they’re planned, Max. You’re just going to have to get used to unpredictability. Or go completely nuts. Whichever. He pretty much expected the feel of lips pressing together, so he was a little disappointed when Max stopped. However, his question quickly changed Luke’s mood from confusion to intrigue and possibly mischief. “Tea would be lovely,” he affirmed, letting Max’s hand go as he aimed it up the street. “Lead the way.”
MAX: “All right then. Tea it is.” He smiled briefly as he tried to let the fact he had just used the prospect of tea in order to get Luke back to his flat because, honestly, it was rather stupid and clearly not one of his better moves. Shoving his hands back in his pockets, Max started to walk once again down the sidewalk, but after a few steps he stopped, pivoting on his left foot so he could look back at the other man. “You do know there probably isn’t going to be any tea, right?”
LUKE: He had only taken a couple of steps before Max stopped, forcing him to wait while Max warned him of what might really be to come. However, if the look on his face was any indication, the mischief in his eyes as he eyed Max was enough for both of them to know that ulterior motives were at work. “No tea?” Luke chuckled while following. “Suppose we’ll have to find something else to occupy our time, shall we?”
MAX: Well. There could possibly be tea later, perhaps in the morning during breakfast time. Which ever worked. Looking at Luke, he smiled, though it was twinged with a smirk thanks to the overlying tones of the conversation. “I suppose we shall then,” he replied before turning back around and started walking once again, slightly faster than he had before he stopped.