Day 328, Friday, November 28th

[papalobo]

[It's weird, to end up at a home that's not home. He's spent more time there than anywhere else this year, but that says more about his transience than anything. If told five years ago he would live such a lifestyle, he'd have believed that, but not the part about most of those multiple places being not just six but seven, eight figure abodes.

And yet it's Jessica's home (still probably the nicest one he'd lived in as an adult, before Ash swept in) they're doing Thanksgiving in. Maybe it's a fear of being upstaged on her part if it's in such a house; such a naive thought is, while unvoiced, just more proof of Ash's suspicions, that Max's mind is on something, something Ash had likely been trying to put his mind on for months. Because with even half of his braincells to put to it, he'd suspect the worst sooner.

It's not until they're pulling up to the house and there are two other cars there that he remembers the hell of Thanksgiving is not only family, but family you don't normally have to see. And thanks to Michael, Jessica's family is still his family.


And their ride is a taxi. It's not like they can turn around. Though Michael coming out to greet them right away in a hurried excitement would've made it impossible in anything.]

...Maybe she decided to start investing in cars. But not especially good ones. To be more undercover. As a journalist.

Day 375, Friday, December 14th

Comments

[papalobo]

My trick. To turn my boyfriend on more.

I dunno how I live with myself and these evil plans. Santa's got me on his naughty list for sure.

[But he will unlock the door and head inside.]

[jadedlynx]

I didn't say you planned it.

[ Ash is sure that Max didn't go in looking for a fight. ]

No, you'd have planned the opposite, right?

[papalobo]

The opposite of what? You think I make plans to specifically not fuck you?

[The fight isn't remotely on his mind as relevant; he had sex with Ash, that's what it all comes back to, the fight's just something else he did today along with brushing his teeth.]

[jadedlynx]

The opposite of fighting. How hard did he hit you? Don't make me feel gross by thinking I just had sex with a guy who had a concussion.

[papalobo]

I didn't go there planning to pick up my side-piece or make friends or anything...

[But how does this relate to having sex with Ash and how he can do more of it?]

[jadedlynx]

[ Max. Could he try a little? 'I didn't go to make friends'. Ash took him there to make friends!

His hand twitches with the desire to punch him for that. ]

Why do you sound like you're arguing when we're agreeing? If you'd planned it, it'd have been just annoying instead of annoying and...

[ Ash refuses to finish with 'hot' and so, he waves his hand. ]

[papalobo]

You keep acting like I went there with any kinda plan a all... No, if you asked me what happened there after the fact, I probably couldn't tell you much.

[Who remembers anything but the Ash sex, after all?]

[jadedlynx]

I've already said twice that I know you didn't plan it!

[ Concussion. Concussion. Max has a concussion. Hitting him would worsen it. Unless he hit him in the st---

No. He had to forcibly remember the warmth he felt in the bar. ]

You. No. Plan. Me. Know.

[papalobo]

[Making a face, he reaches out and pats Ash on the head. Whatever the case, he seems mad and like he should be pat. It's a little like dealing with a dog or a fussy baby who can't say what it needs.]

It's all over now. Good job?

[jadedlynx]

[ The red that spreads across Ash's face this time has nothing to do with embarrassment.

He'll kill this idiot of a man. Right here, in front of him, Michael was about to lose a father. His hands clench so hard that they almost shake and yet, he stalks past Max. To the couch.

Of all the ways he assumed the night would end, it wasn't with a pillow cushion flying at Max's head. ]

You reach a new level of stupidity!

[papalobo]

[He catches it, with relative ease given Ash is signaling his 'attack' quite a bit with his flustered anger.]

How come you getting turned on means I'm an idiot?

[jadedlynx]

[ It's a big couch. A second one flies through the air. ]

The guy who got me into idiots should just shut up!

[ It's still a childish rage, something very different from his cold, dangerous anger. ]

[papalobo]

[Blocked with the one he has.]

I don't even know which part's getting me called "idiot" anymore... You want anything from the kitchen?

[jadedlynx]

[ It was enough to calm his annoyance if only a little. Ash can't go to jail for murdering Max; the cats would have no caretakers. ]

I'm going to shower.

[ Despite the decreased volume, Ash doesn't seem completely pacified. ]

[papalobo]

Y'want me to come with you?

[jadedlynx]

[ ...What part of his behavior suggests he wants Max to come with him? The idiot...

Ah. Isn't this different from their more recent fights? Ash is annoyed, but it's not something cutting. Max goaded him well enough, unintentionally, that he didn't even stop to think about how familiar this scene would've once been. ]

No.

[ His lips thin a little. ]

...But come to bed after.

[ With Ash. Who'd be fresh from the shower. ]

[papalobo]

[It was worth a shot. Ash almost implied he was turned on by him being an idiot, an he felt really damned lost and stupid right now, so maybe he was like some kind of sex god to the boy for the moment.

Of course that wasn't the case, but.]

You're really good at mixed signals, you know that?

[jadedlynx]

I'm offering sex in the bed, you idiot!

[ But first, he needs to shower and calm himself before he becomes a black widow. ]

That's not being mixed at all!

[ Perhaps this was a bit more so, but...

With a kick turn, and the pillow cushions still off the couch, Ash marches toward their bedroom. ]

[papalobo]

This's gonna be a shock to you, but I figured that much out.

[jadedlynx]

Then what part of the signal is too hard to understand?

[papalobo]

The part where I can't have shower sex, too.

[jadedlynx]

You were too annoying for shower sex.

[ Max only managed to make it go bed sex. ]

[papalobo]

So you got a thing for me being dirty... Maybe it was the bar bein' kinda grimy? Nah, only compared to high-class fancy stuff... But I guess that'd be why you're so into leaving the house when we got a better bar at home....

[jadedlynx]

[ ... Maybe he really did have a concussion.

Ash held out two fingers. ]

How many fingers?

[papalobo]

Rather not settle for fingers, if I got a choice.