Who: Splendid and Max What: A madman visits in the middle of the night When: Valentine's Day [Backdated during the HG plot] Where: Splendid's Place Rating/Warnings: Teen/Talk of blood, crazy, and light language. Status: Closed/Completed GDoc
The OC was a strange place to live, however, as strange and scary as things got Splendid wouldn't have had it any other way. Here she was able to be herself, to live freely unlike she'd been able to after the death of her parents, and here she had Max, Capable and Furiosa. She hadn't texted the girls once the rain had started. They were both cautious enough to stay inside, and out of this mess.
Part of her thought that maybe she shouldn't have texted Max to come over, but she had been concerned especially since he stayed at the beach in his truck so much. Splendid was sure that he would be fine getting there to her place, but she was still worried.
Valerian, however, was sleeping soundly on the couch, surrounded by pillows to keep him from rolling off. Splendid hadn't had it in her to put him into his crib just yet since the rain was making her nervous.
She'd put him to bed soon enough, probably. Unless of course she felt too uncomfortable letting him sleep by himself, and then he'd be sharing a bed with her and Max.
Her brows furrowed slightly at that thought. She had told him that he didn't have to sleep on the couch that night, and she'd meant it. It wasn't as if they hadn't fallen asleep together before, but things hadn't been the way they were between them now. She wasn't even sure if she was ready for anything beyond just sleeping in the same bed with someone.
They would cross that bridge when, or if they even got there so she wasn't going to concern herself with it.
Splendid walked back over to the couch, sitting down close to Valerian's feet. She reached out and brushed her fingers over his forehead, smiling softly as he moved a little and then settled right back down. Everything was going to be okay. Nothing weird lasted long in the OC.
~*~
Storms rarely rocked the ocean view Max enjoyed in Orange County. His beach was not the location of the maelstrom happening though the blood rain was pouring around him. Its smell sickened him enough to make it impossible to breathe through his nose, leaving him panting like a dog, mouth open, tongue out. Max hoped he wouldn't be ill. There were worse things to clean up in the truck than sickness, but he didn't care for it all the same. Getting inside a building usually made him suffocate.
Max made exceptions for Splendid and her boy.
Her home felt more like a home than a prison to him. There was love inside those walls which made all the difference. Max could breathe around Splendid; he had always been partial to the young. Babies couldn't tell he was mad. They only knew he was a calm presence in a stormy world. It comforted him to hold the boy as much as the boy seemed comforted by the strength in his arms.
Parking in the designated space reserved for rigs on the street, Max got out with a trash bag held over his head. Umbrellas were on the list of things he didn't trust. The plastic kept the bloody slush off his body as he ran to the door. Splendid was good enough to have the door latch unlocked to let him inside. It scared him to think someone else could have walked in on her, but Max knew, realistically, she'd only left the latch undone for the minutes prior to his arrival.
Paranoia was something Max struggled to control.
Splendid tended to make it alternately better or worse depending on the circumstances.
"Disgusting out there. Wouldn't recommend being in it. Use the shower? Should help get the smell off."
~*~
The door opening caused Splendid to jump up from her seat at the couch, although she quickly covered her mouth and nose with her hand at the smell flooding in from outside. It was disgusting, and there was so much of it. Splendid didn't want to think about where the blood was coming from, or what nastiness could be contained within it.
"I wouldn't either. I'm sorry I asked you to get out in it." She offered Max an apologetic smile and then nodded, "Of course, I'll get you another trash bag for that and a towel." Hurriedly she went into her kitchen, pulling a black bag out from underneath the sink. She handed that off to Max as she passed him on her way back to her hall closet to grab a towel and washcloth for him.
She flipped on the light in the bathroom, placing the towel and washcloth down on the sink before checking to make sure that there was enough soap and shampoo for him to use. Splendid didn't like harsh, or overpowering scents against her skin, especially since Valerian was breast fed. Instead she opted for Ivory soap, and Dove shampoo with a fresh scent to it.
Splendid turned the water on, letting it run until it warmed before turning to leave. "It's all yours. Feel free to use whatever you need to in there. Do you need me to wash anything for you?" She asked, brows rising slightly before she glanced back over quickly at Valerian to check on him.
~*~
"Wouldn't mind having clothes cleaned up. Don't go to any trouble."
Max started stripping his clothes off to shove them into the trash bag Splendid had provided. She was a smart one, Splendid. They were going to be safe in her home. He and her and her boy. Max wasn't thinking about the scars on his body or the ugly brace on his leg he wore beneath his pants. All he was thinking about was being clean. It didn't occur to him he was naked until he realized he was handing a bag of all his clothes to a fully dressed Splendid.
"Sorry. Naked. Didn't think."
He unstrapped the brace from his leg to drop it onto the floor, motioning with his hand, "Will pick back up when out. Don't leave things lying about. Promise."
Women cared about how clean their homes were kept. Splendid kept a very clean home. Max wasn't about to disrespect her by leaving anything lying about. There were only a few steps between him and the shower. He gripped the door tight to let himself stay steady before stepping in. Soap was soap to Max and he used the bar on everything. It'd been standard for him even before he'd gone mad.
It wasn't as if his hair were long enough for it to matter what he cleaned it with as he saw it.
"Don't bother with things if it's a bother. If it's---Splendid? Know what trying to say, yes? I. I am trying to say?"
Max didn't look out the shower as he took up the bar of soap to start scrubbing the foul-scented rain from his body. He didn't need to see her to hear her.
~*~
Splendid didn't mind doing a little bit of laundry in order to help Max be more comfortable. Hell, just to cut down on the smell she'd happily put a load of laundry into the washer. Splendid was about to tell Max that it wasn't a problem, and then he kept undressing. She adverted her gaze while he finished undressing.
"Don't worry," she spoke with a smile as she looked back over at him finally, "it isn't as if you have anything that I haven't seen before." She had a child, and prior to everything that had happened with Valerian's father, she'd been with men, although willingly.
Splendid took the trash bag from him, "I know you will, besides, it's not hurting anything where it's at." She cast a look over to Valerian to quickly check to make sure that he was still safely tucked in between the pillows. She moved back toward the bedroom to reply to him, "It's not a problem at all, Max." She called back, "I understand what you're saying. If you need anything else, yell for me."
She moved away from the bedroom, letting out a long breath as she went into the laundry room. It didn't take her long to load the bloody clothes into the washer, making sure that the water was on cold she added in the detergent and the fabric softener. She might have to wash his clothes twice, just to get the blood out of them.
Once that was done, Splendid went into the kitchen, and pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. She wasn't sure if Max would want anything, so she went back toward the bedroom, "Do you want anything to eat or drink?" She asked close to the bathroom door, loud enough for him to hear her.
~*~
Cleaning up as quickly as he could, Max scrubbed until the scent of copper and death was gone from his skin. He only smelled soap when he turned the water off. His bad leg wasn't holding up well even though the hot water had loosened the muscles some. There was a persistent pain shooting down from his hip to his toes making him draw the leg up, choosing instead to use his arms to steady himself on his way out of the shower.
"Can come in? Help?"
Max took a hand towel off the edge of the sink to hold over his genitals. Desire tended to come upon him rarely thanks to the antipsychotics which kept him sane. He didn't mind most of the time. There were moments when he looked at Splendid and wished he could be a real man for her. One she'd desire. One she'd want in her bed for something other than sleep. One who could give her a life as a partner rather than another dependent to have to look after.
"Splendid?"
He hoped she understood he needed her help yet couldn't express himself well enough. Max thought he could fall to the ground to get the brace. There was little possibility he could get off the ground even with the brace afterwards. Splendid could fasten it for him or simply hand it to him so he could do it himself. The pain was enough to have him leaning against the wall beside the shower breathing hard, hating himself for being unable to do more.
~*~
Her brows furrowed, and quickly she moved from her place by the door into the bathroom. "Oh," the bottle of water was sat down on the bathroom sink, and she moved over to him. "Here, arm around my shoulder." She wrapped her other arm around his bare waist, and then helped him over to the toilet.
Helping to ease him down, Splendid took one look at his leg and figured that he would need his brace. "Hold on just a second." She placed a gentle hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze before she hopped up and ran into the living room. She spared another glance over at Valerian to make sure he was alright before she picked up the brace and returned to the bathroom.
"I'm sorry that you're hurting." She offered with a small smile as she reached over to pick up the towel to wipe the excess moisture off his knee and leg as gently as she could.
"Do you need any help getting this on?" She asked, looking up at him.
~*~
Max wrapped an arm around her shoulders gratefully, trusting her to take his weight as he hobbled with her assistance to the toilet. The lid was closed fast which made for a decent seat as he tried to catch his breath. He watched the toes of his bad leg clenching up tight from pain, relaxing for seconds before another spasm overtook the muscles of his calf to run down to the digits and cause them to pull up again. It was as if it were someone else's leg, another man's foot he was watching.
They could tell him all they liked he shouldn't have nerve damage.
Max knew they were wrong.
"Could use a bit of help with the bottom buckle. Max---I, I can do the top."
He tried to use pronouns of ownership with Splendid. She was smart. Her life as a caseworker meant she knew what was wrong with Max on a deeper level than some bint he'd met in a bar. Max tended to get attention when he was out in public. It was partially on account of his size yet also because people noticed the way he moved. Not quite right. That was the feeling Max passed on to most people: he wasn't quite right.
"Sorry. Again. Sometimes rain makes it worse. Should do more physio, but hate the doctors and the nurses and the therapists. Would rather deal with the pain."
Splendid might be able to understand that. She understood plenty about Max after all.
~*~
Splendid did all that she could to help Max out. She truly did hate seeing him in pain, and she wished that she could do something to take it away. After helping him, she quickly worked the brace up his leg. A small smile tugged up the corners of her lips, "Okay, that I can do." With nimble fingers, Splendid helped him get the bottom buckle done, and she leaned back a degree to look up at him.
"I understand." A line of worry appeared between her brows, and she thought she could make him an offer here. "If it'd help, maybe I could go with you once, or learn what might work best and help you out with your PT." Splendid wouldn't mind helping him as much as she could.
"And don't you be sorry, it's not your fault." She offered him a smile before moving to stand, "Besides, it's not as if anyone counted on blood rain to happen." She pulled a face and shook her head, "Let me go get you a fresh towel while your clothes wash." The house wasn't cold, and if needed she'd be happy to run the heat up a bit for him.
After a few moments, Splendid returned with a fresh towel and held it out to him. "Anything else I can get you?"
~*~
Standing with assistance was easier than standing alone. Max appreciated Splendid helping without asking if he'd a need of her again. Her way was quiet, unobtrusive, and it gave Max a chance to maintain what little dignity he had left to him after being maimed along with going mad. She left him to dry off the rest of his body while she went to fetch a dry towel he could wear while his clothes were laundered.
Max didn't bother hiding anything as he lay the damp towel on the edge of the sink, taking the dry one to wrap around his nude waist without concern for the fact he was wearing nothing more than a leg brace in front of a beautiful woman.
Splendid had already stated she'd not been offended by his nudity. What difference did it make? Max was hardly in any shape to pose a physical threat to her or even to offend her with an inadvertent sexual response. He couldn't recall the last time his body had responded to woman. Being alone as often as he was in his rig, Max spent most of his time lingering in his memories or in his madness.
Neither option was conducive to erotic exploration.
Shrugging, he said, "Company? Wouldn't mind sharing the couch. Watching a bit of telly."
~*~
With a bright smile, Splendid nodded. "Sure, we can definitely do that." She was more than happy to just spend time with Max on the couch watching television while the world went to hell around them. It wasn't going to be easy, not with all of this craziness going on, but Splendid was sure that they would manage as long as they were together.
As far as Splendid was concerned they would always be fine as long as they were all together. Again she helped Max up, not bothered by helping him as she understood that he'd lived quite a hard life and she couldn't even start to imagine the things he'd gone through.
"We'll get through this, Max." She glanced over at him with a soft smile, happy to do what she could for the man that she found herself falling for.