SYDNEY CLARKE + MAX BELL-LOKISSON
MISTLETOE MADNESS
PG | COMPLETE
Atlantis had always been full of shenanigans, and Max enjoyed a good shenanigan more than many did. Being back in the past seemed to mean a little extra chaos, and he couldnât be too upset with that. Heâd gone out for lunch, getting wrapped up in a few random things along the way, and it was on his way back that he spotted a girl who seemed to be a bit stuck. The mistletoes had certainly caught his attention since his arrival, and heâd gotten a few kisses as a result of them, so he knew enough to assume that was the situation here as well. Still, benevolent as he was, he approached her, a lopsided grin on his face. âYou alright there, or did you get stuck?â
âUhhhh-â Sydney wasnât usually without words, but now she was staring up at the mistletoe like it both betrayed her and was helping her? Atlantis was a place for a lot of firsts for her, and living in a hotel previously or on the run had not exactly afforded many options for kissing.
So this would have been her first one, and poking around for someone to come help her just struck as a little too desperate. The guy who came forward was cute, at least, and Syd offered a totally casual shrug. âDefinitely stuck. Hey?â
As ridiculous as Max was, he was very careful when it came to situations like these. Atlantis wasnât always great on consent when it came to its weird occurrences, after all, and Max wasnât about to put anyone in a shitty situation where they felt like they couldnât refuse. âHi. Iâm Max,â he said, offering an introduction. âYou want some help?â
âHi, Max. Iâm Sydney.â And now they werenât strangers, so she didnât feel like she was about to potentially kiss a completely unknown person, which was good. And she had nothing against kissing in particular, just wasnât the type to advertise that sheâd like people to actually kiss her. But now she was stuck and the opportunity was in front of her. She glanced up at the mistletoe again. âIf youâre willing? I kind of donât want to be stuck here all day.â
Max nodded in response to the introduction, and again to the question, with a shrug. âOh, for sure! Who doesnât enjoy a good random awkward kiss, right?â he joked. He took a step forward then. âAlright, to it, then? I donât think thereâs a real protocol for conversation beforehand -- it might make it more weird.â
âYeah no, just-â Sydney was not a very patient person, and now that she had an offer and permission to boot, she wasnât about to beat around the bush with niceties. Sheâd seen enough movies and tv shows to know what to do, at least, and reached out to tug him forward by the front of his shirt, so she could plant a kiss on his lips.
Belatedly realizing she could have just kissed him on the cheek instead.
Max made a sound of surprised amusement at her actions, but he returned the kiss as it was given, pulling away after a few moments with a smile. âOkay so, I definitely appreciate impatience, for the record,â he said. âSo thank you for that!â
At least as far as first-kisses went, it probably wasnât the worst? Oh god, the blush was creeping up on her cheeks, but at least now Sydney could move, so she backed away and kept the pure act of casual as she shrugged again. âHey, no problem. Thanks for the help.â She gave a stupid little wave, hoping to escape before it got even more awkward. âBye!â