Max knocked on the heavy door in front of him and waited, impatiently, for someone to answer. The task at hand shouldn't be that difficult, he reminded himself again, forcing his case of nervous tummy wonkies to the bottom of his gut. He wrapped his arms behind his back, interlocking his hands in thought. He and Scarlett had gotten much closer in the years since the island, and they understood each other—at least he thought so. He tried to assure himself that once she knew the circumstances leading up to his proposal, that she would accept, and if she didn't, no skin off his back. The door swung open.
"Oh—Max! Hello dear!" Scarlett's mother piped enthusiastically and beamed down at him. "How are you, honey? Oh, come in!" Max's face pinched on one side as the chipper woman ushered him into the house—the contrast between mother and daughter was ghastly. "Scarlett pumpkin, Max is here~!" She called up the stairs before returning to her cooking happily.
Max stared after her a moment before heading upstairs to Scarlett's room as he had countless times before. He reminded himself for the umpty-umpth time that he had no need to be nervous, that it was downright silly to be nervous about such a trivial thing. He was only even asking because of his wretched mother—bless her—and her insistence on a "proper high school experience" for him. Max smirked a little; he had said he'd ask, but that didn't mean Scarlett would accept. He'd rather she didn't honestly, but she could be so unpredictable, and certainly his mother wouldn't be too happy with him either. Max spotted her younger brother eyeing him nervously from behind the door to his room as he walked past, before the boy snapped his door shut at being seen. He shook his head in pity, but he was right to be fearful. One supreme evil a household was bad, but two? Horrifying.
Not that anyone would ever guess. Scarlett had played the role of 'innocent nerd' just as well after her return home as she had before she left. Her parents didn't approve of watching the Total Drama series in their house, so they hadn't seen for themselves, but of course they had heard of their "evil" daughter—and that she was—but she wasn't so easily outted. Her "character" was evil, is what she told them, and everyone. All an act. And of course, they all bought it. Max could admit that her timid, quiet self had even fooled him, so why wouldn't it fool those simpleminded, morally-good parents of hers. He sighed and wrapped his hand around the handle of her door, opening it with as much determination as he could. He was decidedly against silly teenaged nervousness, and wasn't about to partake in it now. Scarlett turned to him from her monitors and smiled at him before turning back to her work.
"You're early." She mused, her mouth still curved contently. Max moved his mouth from side to side, unaccustomed to not knowing what to say.
"Yes." He finally managed, making his way to what had been dubbed 'his' chair. He sat down and rolled out his shoulders, trying to relax. His eyes glanced up to her main monitor and he watched her edit the schematics of one of their newer devices with little interest. Scarlett made a few more adjustments before pulling away from her work to greet her companion properly.
"You're so quiet today." Her lips curled more, wondering what her usually talkative companion was hiding. "Something the matter?" Max winced—he hadn't wanted a frontal confrontation like that, but he should've known Scarlett would catch on immediately.
"Nothing." He turned his head away to look at her bulletin board on the opposite wall. Scarlett dropped her grin and cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh?" Her smile returned. "You're a bad liar, Max. Nothing catastrophic at least, I hope?" She chuckled under her breath before resuming her efforts on their project. Max took a breath through his nose and looked back to her. She was giving him a chance to take the conversation, he knew that. The past two years at her side had made him all too aware of her social ploys. They had come to a comfortable back-and-forth eventually, but she had had the upper hand for a long time, and sometimes even still. He gave her a crooked smile.
"No, nothing to worry about, dearest." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, smirking. Scarlett gave him a side-glance for the pet name, but suppressed the urge to push his egotistical self off of his chair. Max opened one eye to look at her when he got no response to overly emphasized pet name. They may have become "cohorts with benefits", as they jokingly called it, but she still would give him a whack for anything she deemed inappropriate to their current 'relationship'. He cleared his throat—enough putting it off. "Actually, there is something I need to ask you. It's.. rather ridiculous, but my mother's twisting my arm about it." Scarlett rose from her keyboard again, interested now.
"Your mother?" She sounded skeptical. Max groaned.
"Yes. She's demanding it, actually." He rubbed his knuckles, making a face at the floor to the right of him. "Well, you see, there's an.. event coming up at my school, and my mother is expecting me to not only go but to.. bring, well, a date and—" Max sighed begrudgingly. "Scarlett would you.. go to prom with me?"
He waited a beat before raising his eyes to her again. She was staring at him, surprised, of course. Max hoped her shock wouldn't turn into anger as she thought his proposal over. She smiled.
"Oh—I was meaning to ask you about that. My mother wants photographs—you know how she is." She shook her head with a sigh. "Not really my choice, but I don't have much of a say. It's good that you asked." Scarlett adjusted her glasses, and with that, went back to typing. Max stared at her, dumbfounded.
"So.. yes?" He turned his head to the side, confused. Scarlett looked back to him and blinked, unsure of how her answer had been unclear.
"Yes."
"OH BABY! I knew you could do it!" Max's mother squealed, crushing her son against herself in a tight hug.
"Mum-mum, please!" Max struggled against her grip, but it was useless. She swung him around, keeping his feet off the floor.
"Wait until I tell your father, he'll be so proud!" She gave him another harsh squeeze before setting him down and hurrying to the phone. Max scoffed.
"Oh, I'm sure." He dusted his coat off before heading up to his room, letting the high pitched praising from his mother to his father fade behind him. His father was rarely home, off on business usually, so he got most of his family updates via phone calls—and Max was sure he couldn't care less about prom. He himself couldn't care less about prom, but he also couldn't deny his excitement. Maybe it was the joy of not getting rejected, even if it was all for convenience, since that never felt bad. He smiled a little—he shouldn't have doubted himself. Of course Scarlett would've said 'yes' when he asked her. He flopped down on his bed, happy the ordeal was over.. for now.
Scarlett picked at her dinner, stabbing a head of broccoli with her normal quiet contempt. As she brought it to her lips she decided to bring up the topic her mother had been so eager about these past weeks.
"Max asked me to prom today." She popped the vegetable into her mouth. Her mother gasped, almost jumping out of her seat.
"He did!? What did you say?" She beamed, clasping her hands in the direction of her less than enthusiastic daughter. Scarlett brought her fingers up to cover her mouth politely.
"Yes." She hardly had a chance to finish before her mother was upon her, hugging the life out of her.
"OH HONEY!" She squealed, crushing Scarlett's shoulders into her neck. Scarlett responded by choking on her mouthful of broccoli and scrambling for air.
"Mother—!" She managed through her coughing fit.
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetheart—I'm just so excited for you!" Her mother giggled, smoothing her daughter's hair back again as she tried to regain herself. "Ohh, you're going to have so much fun!" She cooed before gasping in horror. "We'll need to go dress shopping! Oh, I hope there's still time to find a tailor!"
Scarlett squinted at her mother as she continued on her prattling, watching her go back and forth between panicking and squealing. She reset her glasses on her nose, trying her best to not scowl—she had been afraid of this. She spotted her father from across the table, who seemed just as, if not more, unenthusiastic as she was.
"Max? Don't you think there's someone else you could go with pumpkin, I mean—"
"Gerald you stop that! Max is a dear." She hovered closer to Scarlett, fixing her hair more. "You should support your daughter's choices." Scarlett gave her a questionable look. It's not like they were dating, it was just a dance. She acted as though they were going to be exchanging vows in a grand cathedral. The idea made her shiver—she was satisfied with their relationship being physical, but something as sickly-sweet as a church wedding would always make her gag. Her mother patted her head. "Don't listen to your father, I'm so happy for you baby!"
"Thank you, mother." Scarlett tried not to squint too hard.
Max buttoned up his shirt, once again trying to ignore the butterflies turning his tummy wonky. He and his mother would need to leave soon, even though it was still barely the late afternoon. Scarlett lived almost an hour away, with traffic, and the way to the hotel his fancy private school was hosting its prom at would be more than an hour back. He grumbled—he didn't like long car trips.
"Maxi~ Are you getting ready~?" Max heard his mother sing to him as she walked towards the upstairs bathroom. He groaned.
"Yes, mum-mum." His eyes rolled to the side as he finished buttoning up. He looked towards the rest of his outfit for the evening that was hanging on the shower door—a black suit jacket to match his slacks, and a dark purple tie. He had wanted a grey suit, but his mother insisted that black would be easier to match whatever Scarlett chose for a dress. He didn't see why he should be the one to make sacrifices in his wardrobe—he was the one who had asked her. Regardless, he was confident he could make the black suit work, especially with his choice of a tie. As he went to grab said tie, his mother peeked in the doorway, and scolded him almost immediately.
"You're not wearing your hair like that, are you?" Her brows furrowed down disapprovingly before she stuck her hands into his hair, pulling it back with enough force to make him wince.
"Ow! Yes, what's wrong with it!?" He whined, trying to wriggle away from her to no avail.
"That's how you always wear it Maxi, you should do something fancier!" She smiled as she smoothed his hair back, making him look at himself in the mirror. "See, isn't that nice?" Max frowned, raising his shoulders in defense.
"No! It looks silly." He huffed, refusing to look.
"Oh nonsense! It looks lovely. Hold on, I think you father has some hair gel." His mother hummed and left to search for her husband's jar of hair product. Max looked back at her, slightly horrified at being dolled up.
"THAT IS NOT NECESSARY!"
Max grumbled in the passenger seat as they drove down the freeway. He stared at his slicked back hair in the side view mirror and scowled—Scarlett better not laugh at him, or he'll call this whole thing off. Maybe not in front of his mother, but after the driver picks them up they can spend the entire evening at a McDonald's if that's how it's going to be. His mom looked at him a second before pinching his cheek, still looking ahead.
"Don't be nervous honey! You look so handsome." She wiggled his cheek roughly before placing her hand back on the steering wheel. Max whined and rubbed his cheek irritably.
"Mumma!" He winced, still tending to his cheek. "Stoppit—that hurts! And I'm not nervous." He pouted at the floor, making his mother laugh.
Max prayed to the God of formal events that he didn't sweat through his suit as he stood on Scarlett's doorstep. His mother tried to pat him in an attempt to be comforting, but it did little to help him. He could hear Scarlett's mother yelling at her brother to open the door, and that they weren't ready yet, and after a few moments the timid boy opened the door for them, only to stare at them uncertainly.
"Carter, don't be rude! Let them in, my goodness!" Max could see Scarlett's mother pop her head out from the hall behind Carter before ducking back to whatever was keeping her from hosting. Carter did as he was told and opened the door fully, allowing the pair into the house. Max watched him scamper away with moderate concern—Scarlett had really done a number on him. Max's mother peeked towards the hallway.
"Judie..?" She waited a moment before hearing her friend's high pitched giggle.
"Melinda!" Scarlett's mom rounded the corner, and the pair of moms embraced, squealing and laughing about their "babies going to prom". Max squinted uncomfortably at the scene before him, scooting closer to the wall. The pair calmed down after a few minutes, wiping tears away carefully, so as not to mess up their makeup. Judie turned her attention to Max. "Oh Max, you look so handsome sweetheart!" Max couldn't escape the hug coming down on him. He grunted when she squeezed all the air out of his neck. After a few seconds of bone crushing affection, she released him.
"T-tha-nk you." Max coughed, holding his neck. She clapped her hands and backed up to the hall again.
"Hold on just a moment dear, I'll get your date for you." She stressed the word date before rushing down the hall. "Scarlett, pumpkin, are you ready~?"
"I've been ready, mother." Max tried not to laugh at her dry response. She was probably even more fed up with this motherly fussing than he was. Her mother only laughed and poked her head out from the hallway again.
"Okay~ Here she is~!" She bounced a little as she exited the hall, Scarlett's glasses in hand. Scarlett wanted to complain that she needed them to see, but was too tired from this whole experience to bother. With a sigh, she walked out from behind the hall, as gracefully as she could manage with limited eyesight. Max's quiet gasp was overshadowed by his mother's happy yelp and clapping.
"Oh Scarlett, you look perfect dear!" Max's mother wiped her eyes again, unable to contain herself. Max stood beside her, even more sheepish about his appearance now that he'd seen Scarlett—he hadn't expected her to look so nice.
Scarlett's hair was done up like usual, but her bun was more sculpted than normal, and instead of her usual pompadour she had a big, lifted side bang hovering over her eyes, which were both lined and dressed with unfamiliar dark makeup. Her lips were pressed unhappily, no doubt about being shown off, but were painted a dark, ruddy red. Her dress was a dark, bluish grey, with a slightly glossy sheen. It was sleeveless, and strapless, hugging onto her chest in an almost impossible way and squeezing its way down her torso and hips before hanging smoothly around her long legs. Max could barely see her shoes as the dress began to settle, but he thought they were black flats. He was interrupted by a smack on the back of his neck.
"Compliment her, Maxi!" His mom scolded, placing her hands on her hips.
"Ow! Nh.." He whined and made his way toward her, trying to figure out how to compliment her without over complimenting her. He swallowed and looked up to his normally much-less-bare-chested partner. "You um.. you look great." Max winced, hoping that wasn't an under compliment. Scarlett's flat expression broke into a small smirk.
"Thank you." She extended one of her hands out from behind her back, which Max now noted was gloved all the way to her bicep. "Mother, I can't see my 'date'."
"Oh! My bad, honey." She laughed and handed her daughter her glasses. Scarlett slid them on, careful to not mess up the hair her mother had spent the better part of two hours on, and turned to Max again. Her eyes flickered in surprise for a second at his change of hair style. Max felt heat on his face, afraid the next thing that would come out of her mouth would be a cackle. Instead she smiled at him.
"Max.. your hair." She touched it with a gloved finger gently, making him wince in fear. "It looks nice." Her smile didn't waver, which made the nervous knot in his gut unravel in confusion.
"Wh—really?" He looked up to her again, unsure if she was teasing him. Scarlett's eyes were unusually soft as she smiled down to him, and it eased his ego a bit. He ignored his mother's 'I told you so' in the background, caught up in the relief of it all. Max started to quietly thank her, but was interrupted by both of their mothers grabbing each of them by their shoulders.
"Picture time~!" They both chimed in unison, making Max and Scarlett sag unhappily. They were thrown into the living room, where there was a mantel and fireplace for them to pose in front of. Both gave each other identical sympathetic, irritated looks as their respective mothers modeled and ordered them into poses—holding hands, looking at each other, facing them, pressed together—it was all ridiculous. They thought that most of the picture taking was over when they were each asked to collect the corsage or boutonnière they were to give to the other, but were instead in for more pictures.
"Oh, they're even lovelier together than they were in the magazine!" Both of their mothers cooed over the dark purple flowers cupped in Max and Scarlett's hands. The cohorts shared an uncomfortable look before they started getting instructions again. They wanted pictures of them putting the floral accessories on one another. Max tried not to make a sour face as both of them snapped photos of him tying the ribbon of Scarlett's corsage around her wrist—her's was bigger than his, as is traditional, but it had the same deep purple rose, white Baby's Breath, and silver ribbon as his. The only difference was a few tiny, pastel purple rose buds around the main flower. Scarlett took her turn of trying to not glower through all of the pictures their mothers took as she pinned Max's boutonnière to his lapel. She managed to attach his much faster than he had with her's, which earned her a pout from her stout companion.
"Gorgeous!" Scarlett's mother clasped her hands, looking them over. "Come now, we need pictures with your flowers!" Scarlett sagged her shoulders.
"Mother! Really?" She tried to protest.
"Scarlett I'm only going to get to do this once! So I need as many pictures as possible." She huffed. Max's mother nodded in agreement, making the teenagers sigh in dismay. They gathered the two back together, modeling them in front of the fireplace once again. It was shortly after that that Scarlett's father finally joined them from his office. Scarlett's mother tried to convince him to be as enthusiastic as she was about his polished daughter and her date, but he only managed to look at them with some concern. He tried to bring up that they might be uncomfortable with all the photographs the women were taking, but got shushed. He followed them outside when the mothers added 'outside' to their list of pictures they just had to have. Finally, after a couple dozen more next to various shrubbery and trees in Scarlett's backyard, the pair finally escaped their mothers and their vile cameras—the driver had arrived.
Their respective mothers looked them over and checked to make sure everything was in place before setting them loose. Scarlett's father gave her a hug, careful to not mess up any of her ensemble, and gave Max a handshake, though it seemed more foreboding than friendly. Max wiped the handshake off on his pants before taking Scarlett's arm and making a quick escape to the car. His father had paid for a black Cadillac—much less flashy than a limousine, but he and Scarlett preferred subtle privacy to making a grand entrance anyway. They waved their parents goodbye before getting in the car, Scarlett first, and slamming the door shut, thoroughly finished with the whole family ordeal. Max addressed the driver that they were ready before rolling up the tinted center window.
"Finally." Max sighed as the car pulled away from the curb, leaving the house behind. "Those women could find couch cushions exciting." Scarlett slid her hands under either side of his jaw and turned his head towards her before setting an abrupt kiss to his lips. Max's eyebrows spiked up in surprise, but he returned her kiss after he recovered from the initial shock. She moved her left hand up to hold his cheek as she pulled away.
"I couldn't be happier to finally be alone." She breathed out contently, scratching at his face with her gloved hand. Max laughed at that.
"I'm betting your preparations for tonight were just as, if not more, murderous than mine." He moved his hand up to grip her wrist. Scarlett kissed him again before setting both of their hands down into his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder.
"All too murderous, I'm afraid." She smiled, happy to have a calm atmosphere again. "I'm hoping this dance won't be as bad as our mothers."
"Can anything be?" Max rubbed over her knuckles with his thumb idly. Scarlett laughed.
"Unlikely."
Max had gotten antsy only twenty minutes into the hour-long ride to the hotel, but Scarlett managed to keep him seated by letting him monologue to her and by pulling him into long, drawn out kisses every now and then. It was a little after seven o'clock when they pulled into the large expanse of lanes that served as the hotel's drop-off, pick-up, and valet parking. Max lowered the center window and told the driver that he'd call him when they were finished, before exiting the vehicle and then helping Scarlett, hindered by her long dress, out of the car as well. He slapped the door shut and held out his elbow, trying to be dapper. Scarlett took it with a smile.
"So gentlemanly tonight, afraid your mother is watching?" She teased.
"Nonsense! I have to outdo all the pompous men here." He straightened his suit before striding towards the entrance with Scarlett on his arm. Scarlett shook her head, amused. She couldn't imagine meeting someone more egotistical than her date, but if she could, it'd be here. A man opened the door for them, and noticing their attire, informed them that the ballroom where the school's prom was being held was to their right. Scarlett tugged Max in the right direction when he went towards the left, which earned her an undeserved scolding from him, but she only shook her head.
"Come on Max, lead me." She smiled, baiting him back into a good mood. He crinkled his nose at her, but puffed out his chest and retook his stride. Scarlett placed her free hand on his forearm and gave it a pat. "There's my intimidating date." Her smile curled more, and he couldn't help but smile back.
"Don't try and manipulate me, woman—I've learned all your tricks." He smirked at her and turned right into an expanse of formally dressed teenagers. Both blinked at the crowd filling the hallway and filing into the ballroom, and both took notice of the rather short line at the end of the hall for formal photos. They looked to each other.
"Might as well get these prom photographs out of the way.. unless you're just itching to dance." Max's smirk returned. Scarlett rolled her eyes.
"I'll try to contain myself. You have the check?" She raised a brow at him. Max scoffed at her question.
"Of course—right here." Max patted his suit jacket, feeling the envelope crackle lightly in its inner pocket. Scarlett smiled as he led her down to the photographer.
"You really are prepared tonight, hm?" She mused, turning her gaze down to her short companion.
"You and I both know if we mess this up our mothers will never shut up about it. I'm not about to sit through more of their yammering than I have to."
"Bless you." Scarlett whispered to him, making him smile again. As they approached the booth, the chaperones there greeted them and asked for their payment and plan. Max slipped his hand into his suite jacket and pulled out the envelope before handing it off to the woman closest to them. He and Scarlett waited arm-in-arm while the woman looked over what they're parents had bought and made sure the check was for the right amount.
"Excellent!" She smiled and scribbled something down on a small form. "Give this to the photographer when you go in. Have a good night dears!" The two winced at the goodwill—they had had enough of that for one night. At least their mothers hadn't offered to chaperone.
They only had to wait in line for a few minutes before someone was free to photograph them. Max handed the man the form the woman had given him before joining Scarlett amongst the decidedly themed backdrop—Classical. There was an antique-looking, plush armchair, some white pillars, and various types of hanging plants here and there in front of the dark, oil painted looking background. The photographer told them that they had paid to have three different photos taken—which they sighed at—and then instructed them into their poses. Scarlett removed her glasses and handed them to Max, who tucked them away in his jacket; her mother didn't want her glasses in the formal photographs, she explained. The first pose was a classic one, were they were turned into each other, holding their hands together at elbow height in front of them, with their other arms behind each other. The second was more of a profile shot, with Max holding her hips from behind and Scarlett setting her hands in front of her. And the last was of Scarlett sitting in that fancy armchair with Max standing behind it—the only one he was taller than her in. They both sighed happily when the photographer finished up and told them they were free to go.
"If I never take another picture in my life it will be too soon." Scarlett seethed down to Max before taking a calming breath and slipping her glasses back on. Max chuckled and led her down the hall again.
"I know. Hopefully these will pacify them until we move out." He raised a brow towards her playfully. Scarlett returned the look, smiling now. The two of them moving in together, close to whichever university she chose at the end of the school year, was a thought that filled Scarlett with such an honest excitement she hadn't experienced since she was a young child. She had absolutely zero plans, as did Max, to even slightly express to her parents that her and Max's relationship might be more than friends. It had taken months for their mothers to stop pitching a fit when they'd find their doors closed while the other was over—not that they ever caught them doing anything, mostly because their physical relationship didn't start until this year. Still, it was annoying to be treated like she was so irresponsible, and Scarlett was more than ready to not have to hide away from a parent's prying eye anymore and frisk her partner-in-evil whenever she felt like it. She gripped his arm, eyes shining with anticipation.
"Don't tease me that way." She hummed, pulling herself closer to him. Max snickered, patting her hand.
"You know I'm just as ready as you to get out of the 'nest', as it were, but for now, I'm starving. Where the Devil is that caterer!" He huffed as they reached the line to enter, looking into the ballroom past the mass of classmates in front of him. Scarlett lolled her head to the side and suppressed a groan.
"Does being coddled make you oh-so -hungry?" She jabbed at him. He gave her a scowl.
"Hush, woman!" He hissed up at her. After a good while of waiting, they approached the front of the line and one of the attendees asked to see their tickets. Max's hand once again disappeared into his suit jacket and flashed the embossed tickets at the man. The attendee nodded and allowed them in, and the pair quickly made their way inside. Scarlett smiled down at her unusually suave partner.
"So smooth tonight, are we?" She commented, looking around the grand ballroom. Max grinned.
"Always—but I'll admit, I may be putting in a little extra for you tonight, dear." He leaned his head up into her ear. Scarlett shrugged him off and gave him a face for the 'dear'.
"I'm flattered. Stop calling me cutesy names." She wrinkled her nose before looking around the brightly lit ballroom again.
"You don't like it? It's better than 'pumpkin', isn't it?" He snickered. She gave him a tug.
"I'd prefer 'cohort'. And I found your catering table." Scarlett craned her neck a little toward the far left of the ballroom, where a multitude of white dressed tables were set up. Max sprung up at that and began hurriedly walking her through a sea of slow moving tuxedos and dresses. Scarlett tried to protest but was sat down at a free table before she could.
"Stay here, I'm going to look what plates they have!" Max pointed to himself before hurrying off to the caterer. Scarlett sighed and went to rub her eyes, before remembering her makeup and settling for her temple instead. It only took a few moments for him to return to prod at her. "Do you like beef, pork, chicken or seafood better?"
"Define 'seafood'." She raised a brow dryly.
"Umm.. cod or lobster?" Max weighed out his hands.
"Cod. And nothing with gravy on it, please." Scarlett picked at her now manicured sharp nails. Max made a face at her aloof behavior, but was too hungry to bother with her at the moment. He ran off again, afraid a line was starting to form. Scarlett was more patient than he was, and it showed when he appeared ten minutes later, thoroughly pissed at how long waiting on him had taken. She couldn't help but smile at his sour nature.
"You would think that if it was your job to feed people, you'd at least be able to do it quickly!" He growled as he took his seat, setting their plates down as he did. He went to complain more, but Scarlett turned his head to her by his chin and gave him a quick kiss.
"Thank you." She smiled and gave his cheek a pat before turning to her plate. Max stared at her in shock, before settling into pleasant surprise—she had never kissed him publically before. It felt nice.
"You're never so generous with your affection. What are you planning?" He hummed and leaned into her, sliding his hand around her back. Scarlett arched up in surprise at the sudden contact. She turned to him and slipped his arm back out from behind her.
"Watch it." She squinted at him. Max laughed, mock-hurt.
"Oh, you can kiss me but I can't even touch you? You're cruel." His grin curled into something more sinister. Scarlett lowered her eyelashes and returned his dark smile.
"I thought you liked cruel." She purred, making him smile wider. Max went to lean in more before a waiter interjected.
"Do you need a drink with your meal?" She had her eye closed. Max and Scarlett blinked, still dumbfounded on being interrupted. She opened her eyes and pointed to the glasses. "Grape, apple, cranberry."
"Um.." The duo managed in unison. Both took a glass, Max apple and Scarlett cranberry, and watched the waiter leave after she excused herself. They turned to each other, and after a moment Max snortled at the abruptly spoiled mood before sipping at his drink. Scarlett shook her head with a smile, before taking a sip of her's as well.
"I'd kill someone for us to not be constantly interrupted." Scarlett murmured against the lip of her glass. Max smirked again.
"Perhaps if you're too 'tired' to return home tonight, my father has also rented us a room here.. since you live so far away.." He trailed off, smiling into his drink. Scarlett's lips curved again, interested.
"I'll keep that in mind, if I get 'tired'." The two shared a particularly evil smirk before finally turning to their dinner.
Neither had any complaints about the food, which was a win as far as they were concerned. Max had insisted she feed him some of each part of her meal though, because he didn't want to "miss out" on anything, which was irritating, but not unusual. Unbeknownst to Scarlett, Max was interested in more than her food during dinner. Against himself, he kept stealing glances at her bare back and neck—a view that her normal attire didn't offer. The dip on the back of her dress was much lower than on the front, and seeing so much skin exposed on her was more than he was accustomed too. He always tried to not let his hormones get the better of him, but watching her gently twist and turn in her dress was getting him hotter under the collar than he'd care to admit. And the way she swirled the blood red liquid in her stemmed glass was particularly calculating and evil looking, which didn't help him much either.
"Aren't you going to ask me to dance?" Scarlett asked before drinking down the last of her juice. Max looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you serious?" One of his brows perked up.
"Of course." She set her glass on the table and dabbed her lips. "As is expected." She turned to him and pursed her lips into a smile, waiting for a response. Max's expression wavered.
"Is it.. really?" He winced unhappily. He didn't have any inclination to do anything at this dance besides show up. Scarlett's smile widened as she set a hand onto his knee.
"Oh don't look so miserable. You can dance, can't you?" She raised an eyebrow at him curiously.
"Of course I can!" Max puffed out his chest, insulted. "I just didn't—"
"—Then dance with me." Scarlett rose from her seat, standing Max up with her. Noticing her cohort's uneasy frown, she added another comment. "Don't you want to show off to your stuffy classmates?"
"If I must." He snorted, ignoring her smile. Max took his lead back from her, escorting her to the edge of the open floor where other couples were waltzing in circles to the string music playing. He hesitated a moment. "Do I just.. spin us in there, or what?" He stood on his tiptoes to see what was happening. Scarlett smiled at her companion's unusual timidness—this whole affair was getting to him, she suspected.
"Yes." She hummed as she picked up his left hand and placed it on her hip. "Come on, Max. Twirl me if you're so suave tonight." Her lips twitched playfully at the sides, waiting on him again. Max looked up at her, a little taken aback, before settling back up into his more commanding posture.
"Very well." He gripped her hip with all the determination he could manage before taking her left hand in his right and forcing them out onto the ballroom floor. It took him a moment to find his pacing amongst the other pairs, but after a few moments of fumbling he found a slow, steady rhythm to follow. Scarlett smiled again as she settled her right hand on his shoulder, letting him guide her in gentle circles around the polished wood floor. Max noticed her smile once he wasn't preoccupied with not ramming into anyone else. He grinned at her. "Happy now?"
"You dance so nicely, my dear cohort." Scarlett bowed her head a little, to keep their conversation private. "I should have expected as much, though."
"You always sell me out short." Max snapped up quietly into her ear. He drew them in closer, sneaking a kiss onto her neck. Scarlett brushed him away with her shoulder, but couldn't keep the coy smile on her mouth from being noticed. Max exchanged a smirk for her smile before bowing her down in a small dip. It had become common, unspoken knowledge that both loved to push the seams of their secret affair as far as they could—it was exciting. The adrenaline rush that came with inappropriate touching or whispers within near-earshot of their family, or on rare occasions, associates, was enough to put either of them in an amorous mood—but they'd never been seen as a 'couple' in public. Scarlett may have been the bolder of the two to start the chain of public affection tonight, but Max wasn't about to let her have all the fun. He brought her back up against him and continued on their slow pivoting.
"Control yourself." She whispered in his ear, but her usual warning tone was betrayed by her playful mood. Max laughed softly.
"Like you are in any position to scold me." He slipped his hand behind her back, teasing himself with a grace against her bare skin. Scarlett's eyes flickered down at him in interest for continuing to surprise her tonight. She responded to his forwardness by running her hand from his shoulder to his bicep and back a few times. He was right, honestly—she was teasing him just as much as he was her. Not that she liked playing fair anyway. To push the score into her favor, she arched her back and brought herself up against him higher, bumping his chin against the bare skin of her chest. Her eyes flashed again, more cruelly, as she watched him struggle to contain himself. Angry, he retightened his grip around her waist and hugged her against him with redoubled effort, making her gasp.
"Cheater." He hissed into her jaw. Scarlett smiled, gently swaying herself to loosen his grasp.
"All of a sudden you play lawfully?" Her eyelashes dipped low at her question, making him frown more.
"Only when the odds are against me." He sneered before closing his mouth on the front of her throat, making her gasp again. Max pulled away as fast as he'd kissed her, but he was more than satisfied with the shocked, glazed look his flustered dance partner was making at him. He grinned and retook his focus on their dance, which was faster now, thanks to a change of song. Scarlett, still flushed from her companion's aggressive behavior, only pressed her lips into his hairline, and followed his steps without causing any more mischief.
Max had gotten bored, and physically tired, from dancing after only a few songs, so the couple settled into one of the open loveseats against the wall and people-watched for the majority of the rest of the evening. Scarlett sat contently with him as he ranted about certain people he could see across the vast ballroom, mostly people he hated. For good reason, she'd usually conclude. Since Max didn't try and socialize more than he had to, most of them he knew from them trying to bully him. It was usually a horrible mistake, because they'd either send him off into a long-winded monologue for making fun of him, or if they bested him verbally, they'd end up with something combusting on them shortly after. She smiled at those stories—Max didn't look very impressive at first glance, she would know, but his knowledge of electronics was something even she hadn't been able to ignore. If he could keep on a project on his own instead of getting lazy halfway through, he wouldn't even need her assistance. She clasped his hand in her's, stroking it absentmindedly—she was almost grateful that he did.
Unaware of Scarlett's affectionate mood, Max was undistracted from her idle hand petting, and thus noticed a handful of people in the crowd eyeing them in surprise. His mouth twisted into a self-satisfied smirk—they hadn't expected him to look so nice, he thought. In reality, they were shocked that their grumpy, rude classmate had managed to find, what seemed to be, an eloquent, lovely date that was actually interested in him. Max took Scarlett's waist and pulled her in closer to him, trying to look big. Scarlett blinked, taken off guard, but, not noticing the people watching them, only resettled herself and rubbed up his lapel demurely. He grinned again at one of the boys watching them before returning his attention to his date.
It was only an hour into people-watching when a woman—the principal, Max explained—took attention on the stage and announced the prom 'King and Queen'. It was two polished, obvious choices for the position, like usual, but, with the 'prom royalty' announced, the lights dimmed, and the principal declared that the slow dance was to start. Max rose without any provocation from Scarlett this time and took her hand.
"Shall we?" He smirked before giving her a kiss on her gloved knuckles. Scarlett couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh yes, we just must." She let him pull her onto her feet before following him back to the open floor. They took up their previous Waltz position before Max noticed the other boys placing both of their hands on their respective date's hips, not one.
"Am I supposed to put both of my hands on your waist?" Max whispered, panicked from the crowd gathered around all the slow-dancing couples. Scarlett snickered silently.
"If you'd like to." She murmured before placing his other hand onto her hip and resting her hands on his chest. Max mouthed an 'oh' before trying to quietly laugh it off. Unfortunately, Max's instinct when embarrassed in a social situation was to talk, and he was still feeling embarrassment's sting, much to Scarlett's dismay. In the middle of his string of excuses why he didn't know what to do, she set her hand on the back of his head and gently laid his cheek against her collar, whispering a 'shh' down to him as she did. Max felt his face burn pink from the intimacy of the position in such a crowded place, but did his best to keep his composure. He felt a little better when he couldn't see anyone paying attention to anything other than their dates, and was able to focus on softly rocking Scarlett back and forth instead.
The song ended too quickly, Max thought, but they parted from each other like the other couples, though their hands interlocked gently between them as they pulled apart. Both seemed content in not listening to what the principal was saying until she mentioned something about a 'DJ', to which, both evil geniuses looked towards the stage in mild panic. Before they could think of what to do, the lights went out, and not a moment later several colored lights came on, along with loud, 'Top-Hit' music. They looked to each other as the other teens around them began to whoop with excitement.
"That's our cue." Max yelled against the music and smiled wide before grabbing her wrist and bolting them forward through the crowd of now-rowdy teenagers. With as much rough shoving as both could manage, they broke free of the thick of the crowd and burst out into the almost deserted hallway. Their hands broke apart as they went through the double doors and, as they caught themselves, both turned to look in bewilderment at the mob of black figures and flashing lights that they'd escaped from. They turned to each other before laughing, happily to have bolted before the crowd grew too wild to fight against.
"Too close." Scarlett laughed as she fixed her bangs. "I don't think I'll ever be in that good of a mood."
"Lord, I would hope not." Max shivered at the thought before digging into his suit jacket. He pulled out his phone and wiggled it at her. "Shall I call our driver?"
Scarlett blinked, paused in the middle of fixing her hair bun, before smiling a rather devilish smirk at him.
"Actually.." She stepped close to him, running her middle finger along his jaw. "I'm feeling so very fatigued from all of the night's excitement. Is the option of that room you mentioned earlier.. still available?" Her eyebrow twitched upwards in mock-curiosity. Max hesitated, confused at her sudden flirtatious tone, before he remembered his earlier offer. He shot her a devilish smile of his own.
"Of course. Anything to make you more comfortable, dear."
Max and Scarlett managed to contain themselves while they checked in at the front desk for their room, and even on the slow elevator ride to the ninth floor where their room was located, but their wills were wavering by the time they reached the door to their room. Max swiped the keycard through the lock and opened the door for her, flashing her a smile as he did. Scarlett smiled back at him, confident that this was the last act of chivalry she'd get for the night, and walked past him into the room. She looked over the layout of the room and laughed at the two beds on either side of the large drawer that served as a nightstand.
"Two beds? Does your father think that highly of you?" She gave him a mean smile before walking further into the room. Max snorted and shrugged off his coat.
"Just because your father reflects the irresponsibility of today's youth onto you, does not mean mine does the same." He tossed his jacket over one of the armchairs before retreating into the bathroom and locking the door behind him. Scarlett looked back at the sound of the door shutting, only to roll her eyes. Max had such a small bladder for such a 'large' man. She decided to turn her attention to the wall length window on the north side of the room. She carefully removed her corsage from her wrist and set it on a table near the window, followed by her arm length gloves. She then turned to the window and folded her arms in front of herself casually as she looked out at the expanse of golf courses and manmade ponds behind the hotel with little interest. After a few minutes, she heard the door unlock, and then immediately the sound of Max on the phone, with what she assumed was their driver, as Max explained that they wouldn't need his 'services' until the morning. Scarlett took the moment to make a call herself—to her mother—to inform her that they'd be staying at the hotel that night, as is expected from a responsible daughter like herself. Scarlett reassured her mother that there were two beds in the room and that they would leave in the morning after some rest, before saying goodnight and tossing her phone onto the edge of the bed. She returned her attention to the window only to catch a glimpse of her partner in the window's reflection as he approached her. Despite the minor warning, she still gasped in surprise when he gripped onto her waist and closed his mouth between her shoulders.
"Max—!" Scarlett breathed out, momentarily stunned from the sensation of his lips trailing across her back. She could feel his mouth twist into a smile against her skin as his arms wrapped around her waist completely.
"Where do you get off—" He kissed her shoulder blade again. "—wearing something so showy?" She smiled at that and leaned into his kissing, swaying against his hold without thinking. Her rocking successfully pushed his fervent mood further, and he began to lazily bite at her, dragging his teeth across the base of her neck as he stepped them backwards towards the bed closest to them.
"Don't you dare leave marks." Scarlett commanded of him quietly, keeping her eyes low as she looked back towards her companion. He caught a glimpse of a sly smile on her lips before she turned her head away from him again. "You know I have to wear this again tomorrow."
"I'm aware." Max mumbled against her skin before running one of his hands onto her back, silently searching for the zipper to her dress. After a few moments, Scarlett began chuckling at his failing attempts and decided to help him.
"The pull tab is tucked into my dress—"
"I don't need your help." Max snapped, irritated at her dress's refusal to cooperate with him. He dug his fingers under the back of her dress, finally grabbing hold of the infuriating zipper and yanking it over and down her backside. Scarlett could hardly manage a yelp when he dodged sideways and unceremoniously thrust her backwards onto the bed. Dazed, but refusing to be bested so easily, she scooted back as quickly as she could, making Max crawl after her indignantly.
"Woman, stop that!" he hissed, closing in on her as she laid down amongst the pillows. Scarlett tucked her legs to one side as he tried to bear down on her, refusing to part them for him.
"Stop what?" Her teasing smirk was quickly squashed as Max pushed down onto her and kissed her roughly, forcing her into the pillows more. Undeterred, she kissed him back with rivaled vigor, fighting her way back from under him. She gripped into his jaw and dragged him into her more before throwing her arms around his neck and trapping him above her. Max tried not to grind his teeth in heated impatience and instead focused on undressing his companion completely as they kissed. He slipped his fingers into the side of her dress and jerked it forward, only to make her yipe in pain.
"What?" Max pulled away, concerned, unsure of how removing her dress could have hurt her.
"My mother, used some kind of dress tape—" She panted quietly, trying to steady her breathing. Max turned his head down to look at where he had torn a wad of tape from the side of her ribs and bit his lip in regret. Scarlett sighed desperately, wanting to return to their prior affairs. "I'm fine—it just startled me."
"Oh?" Max smiled, but still felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach. He leaned down more and brushed the fabric aside, kissing the light pink mark where the tape once was. Scarlett hummed happily at the gesture and held his head there selfishly. Max continued to kiss at the tender mark, earning a few soft moans from it's bearer, as he moved his hand to the opposite side of her dress and began to carefully peel it off of her. Once he felt the tape give, he brought himself up from her side to hover over her again.
"You're so gentle with me tonight—are you going soft, hm?" Scarlett leaned up to kiss him, closing her eyes as she did so. Max snorted at her comment and bit at her lip as she pulled away from him, though he missed.
"You're the one that wanted 'mutual respect', if I recall correctly." He raised an eyebrow to her before returning to the business at hand. He gave the front of her dress a few gentle tugs, confirming that there was indeed more tape to be removed.
"If you translate that as treating me with such tenderness, then you're more enamored with me than I thought you were." She purred, making his eyes shoot up to her again, angry now. He pushed against her mouth in another rough kiss before forcing himself into the bend of her neck, attacking it with the same hostility. Scarlett gasped before falling into moans at his aggressive behavior. She held his head to her again, moaning against her resolve as he removed the rest of the taped dress from her chest, all the while continuing to bite and kiss at her neck.
"You are so aggravating!" Max hissed into her neck before heaving the top of her dress down to expose her chest. Scarlett gasped, her cheeks flushed pink now. Before she could reply, Max thrust both of his hands down onto her and gripped onto her breasts harshly, making her cry out. His lips twisted into an evil smile as he squeezed and pushed on her breasts cruelly.
"Ah—Max!" She winced, embarrassed to be manhandled so callously, and gripped onto his wrists, intent on stopping his groping. Max snickered and slowed his squeezing down to a kinder massage.
"What's the matter? You miss my 'tenderness', dear?" He leaned down and pecked her. He snickered again when he was met with a hiss.
"You disgusting man!" Scarlett growled at him, clawing her nails into him more. Max whined, squinting one eye in pain, before shaking her hands off and replacing his on her sides.
"Mmm, don't be mad Scarlett. Did I hurt you again?" He hummed before setting his mouth down on the outer part of her right breast and sucking on it gently. Scarlett inhaled sharply, and though she tried to silence herself, she couldn't stop herself from arching her back as he moved inwards. Feeling as though he had successfully distracted her, Max began to tug her dress down, working it to her knees as his mouth continued kissing and sucking to the center of her breast. Her silence broke violently when he reached her nipple and ran his tongue over it before sucking on hungrily. She brought her claws up against the back of his head and gripped onto him, desperate to keep his mouth on her now. As he continued, Scarlett couldn't help but squirm as her ecstasy rose higher than her cold and collected demeanor could deter. While she wriggled her legs, she rubbed her hip up against her cohort's front, and in doing so, managed to accidentally grind up against the erection concealed inside his pants. With that, Scarlett decided that any more foreplay would drive her mad, and she threw him off of her. She kicked her dress off the rest of the way, along with her flats, and straddled him aggressively.
"Enough." She demanded before leaning down and kissing him heatedly. Max was only dazed for a moment, and after recovering, wrapped his arms around his now mostly-nude lover and kissed her with enough vigor to match her own. He pulled her down onto him possessively, forcing her to lay as flat against him as she could while still sitting on him. Meanwhile, Scarlett tugged on his necktie, loosening and tossing it off before going for his belt, all the while letting his hands wander along her back and thighs. As she unbuckled his belt however, her phone rang. The two looked at each other in confusion at the abrupt sound, before Scarlett gave in and leaned over towards the end of the bed to answer the call.
"Hello?" Scarlett said in an uninterested tone as she continued to undo her date's belt. A yell escaped from the phone, making her flinch away. "Father?"
Max looked up at her in surprise and after some confusion, she returned the look.
"Father—calm down, what's wrong!?" Scarlett looked to her phone for an answer, unused to being yelled at by either of her parents. After a moment, her face fell darkly. Max mouthed a 'what?' to her, but she was too engulfed with the call now to respond. She finished undoing his belt before violently pulling it off of him, making it snap out like a whip. "How can you even think that!? Do you take me for someone that irresponsible!?"
Max laid there, confusion rising, as Scarlett began to tear at the buttons on his shirt, still focused on her phone.
"Max and I are just friends—nothing is happening between us! Do you trust me so little that—think that I'm so weak-willed to hormones—that I can't spend a night in the same room as him without having sex!? Is that it?" Scarlett sneered at her phone angrily. Max blinked a moment before smiling devilishly at his partner's convincing deception. His smile grew wider as she continued to scold her father for not trusting her, all the while undressing him. He resumed his groping as she lied to her father through her teeth, and began to squeeze and rub her thighs and hips in the same, slow rhythm she had taken up as she rolled her hips down onto him.
"I am so furious with you—goodnight." With that, she chucked her phone at the nightstand, sending it clattering around the surface violently before it finally lay still. Scarlett snapped back to Max and flew down onto him, taking her aggression out on her lover in rough kisses. Max hardly minded, happily shrugging his dress shirt off as he flipped her over. He set a particularly long kiss on her mouth before pulling away.
"You are so evil." He smirked through his labored breathing. Scarlett laughed as she caught her breath as well.
"I'm tired of being treated like a child." She smiled into another set of quick kisses as she pulled his undershirt over his head. She set a hand on his bare chest. "I'll have sex if I want to."
"Oh pumpkin, isn't that a little 'dirty'?" Max laughed before crying out in pain when Scarlett swiped her claws against his chest.
"Silence. I refuse to be humiliated any longer—undress!" She hissed before pulling at the button on his pants, unclasping it successfully. Despite his scratch marks, Max managed to smile at her, though unwilling to admit how her commanding tone excited him.
"Yes, dear." He murmured before closing his lips on her's again as he unzipped his pants and began to work them down. Scarlett kissed him back, moving her lips against his urgently while she pulled and wriggled out of her panties. She could feel the fabric of his pants bunch at her knees, and took the opportunity to flip them again, kicking her underwear off before landing herself on top. Their kissing continued as she tugged his boxer shorts down, with a little help from Max. As she settled down on his arousal he gasped, which brought a diabolical smirk to her lips.
"No more interruptions." Scarlett purred against his mouth. He managed a smirk through his stupor.
"Finally." He hummed before bumping himself up against her encouragingly. She bit her lip, trying to contain some of her excitement, before sitting up on her knees and gripping hold of his erection, standing it up underneath her. She paused a moment before sliding down onto him, making him groan beneath her. He grabbed onto her hips roughly, trying to control himself as she began to slide up and down his length slowly. Scarlett tilted her head back as she continued faster, smiling in satisfaction at finally having her way. Max moaned beneath her, gripping into her hips more before selfishly bringing her down harder on him. Scarlett brought her head forward, stifling a scream.
"Max—" Her upset was interrupted by another scream as her partner thrust up into her. She went to cover her mouth but as he thrust up again, she brought her hands down onto his chest instead, in an attempt to balance herself. Scarlett tried to protest, but as his pace quickened, she decided instead to fight him for control. She ground herself down onto him faster, rivaling his own pace, and succeeded in making them both cry out louder. She lowered her front onto him more, shakingly gripping at his chest and collar.
"Curse you, woman." Max hissed before gripping the back of her neck and wrenching her up into a kiss. Scarlett kissed him back feverishly, and gripped his jaw, trying to bring him impossibly closer to her. As they ground together, Max moved his opposite hand from her hip onto her lower back, holding her to him now as closely as he could. She twisted against his grip, but was too consumed with reaching climax to fight against his hold for long. As she neared her desperate goal, she began to curse him and claw at his jaw and neck angrily. Despite himself, Max couldn't escape his orgasm any longer and came into her, though it did nothing to stop his lover from continuing her brutal pace. He tried to plead with her, but only choked on his words as she continued to pound down on his now overly-sensitive arousal mercilessly. After a few more heated moments, Scarlett buried her nails into his chest and gasped forward, before arching back and crying out as her body finally granted her release. She doubled forward again, this time far enough to bring her forehead down against her lover's, and tried to steady her breathing again, all the while whimpering little curses. Max wrapped his arms around her trembling body and kissed her before lazily rolling over. He propped himself up on his elbows, still inside her, and continued to place a series of small kisses on her lips.
"Get off of me." Scarlett breathed, her face flushed from the exertion. Max laughed through his breathlessness, his face also tarnished with a blush.
"Not a chance." He kissed her again, slower now. Against her better judgment, Scarlett returned his slow kisses, savoring each one with a sigh. He smiled, knowing her own selfishness had exhausted her, and thus, had left her vulnerable to his command. Max moved down to her jaw, kissing the underside of it as he pushed forward and resettled himself inside of her. She gasped softly at that and moved her arms around him to hug him to her tightly.
"Max.." She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his lightly, knowing full well he planned to take control now. He began to slowly grind against her, moving just enough to send teasing waves of pleasure through both of them every so often. Scarlett whined under him, still too weak to fight him off properly.
"Oh, shh my dear. You're so tired.." Max feigned concern into her ear before slipping a hand between one of her legs and him, successfully grabbing hold of her thigh without a fight.
"Oh shut up." Scarlett tried to sound annoyed, but couldn't hide her smile. Max took that as submission, and with his breath back, thrust into her. He watched his partner-in-evil gasp and writhe under him as he ground their pelvises together.
"You enjoy that?" Max smirked, continuing to grind against her clit. Scarlett managed to curse him again through her shaky breath, which he took as a 'yes'. With that, he rested all his weight onto his free elbow and forced her leg he had in his grasp down onto the bed as he began to steadily thrust himself into her. Scarlett cried out and placed her hands to his chest once more, moaning urgently for him to continue. Max smiled wider, happy to have his ego assured, and complied with her wishes. He leaned down more, forcing her into the bed as his pace quickened, making her screams rise in the process. She ran her clawed fingers down his back, gripping at his shoulders desperately now and again as her ecstasy rose higher and higher.
"Oh, Max!" Scarlett lolled her head to the side, ignoring her own embarrassment for submitting, and continued to moan for him, hoping it would encourage him to continue. Her noises blinded any reserve her partner had left in him, and he pressed his forehead up against the side of her head, thrusting into her as wildly as he could manage. His aggressiveness earned him a shriek from his lover, and she clung to him frantically, forcing his head away from her so she could reach his lips. They kissed, clouded by their own needs, and called out for one another repeatedly amongst the slew of other needy comments between them. Out of desperation, Scarlett regained enough energy to grind up onto him, and begged him to do the same. Through lust, he complied, and ground down against her, both rubbing her clit between them in a frenzy. Scarlett wailed, gasping between screams as her second orgasm raced faster to its head than her first. Her legs gave way, refusing to respond to her correctly, as climax shook her again, rocking her body much harder than it had before. Max groaned against her trembling lips, breathing out a string of curses before reaching his climax as well and emptying himself into her again. He did his best to not squish her as he collapsed to her side.
"God." He managed through his heavy breathing. Scarlett was still shivering from her orgasm while she tried to catch her breath, and as the waves of ecstasy finally dispersed, she drew her partner's face up to her again and kissed him.
"How dare you.." She whispered to him with her eyes closed, rubbing foreheads with him contently. Max smiled and returned her nuzzling before rolling over and kicking his pants off and onto the floor. He pulled his underwear up and cradled her against up him, roughly forcing the covers of the bed down.
"Come here." Max smiled and kissed her brow before lazily dragging her onto him and throwing the covers over them. Scarlett sighed, finally catching her breath, and settling into his shoulder.
"I hate you." She hummed contently into his collar.
"Don't lie. Everyone knows the truth, my dear." He hugged her to him tighter, shifting in an attempt to get comfortable. He gasped when she nipped at his neck in response.
"I told you no pet names.." Scarlett murmured against the spot she had just bitten. Max scoffed, taking her jaw in his hand.
"You also said 'no marks', and then you bite me." He smiled and kissed her again. "Dear."
"You're just never content with things, are you?" She smiled as she cuddled up to his neck and began gently scratching at his chest. "Don't overdo it."
"You're starting to like it, eh? Fickle woman." Max chuckled, before yiping at being bit again.
"Go to sleep, you wretched man." She whispered before kissing the now sore spot on his neck. He snorted, still smiling.
"Very well." He kissed her brow again and clicked the table lamp off.
Thanks to Max's mental clock always setting its alarm to 'early', the pair was able to wake up slowly, without the irritating sound of a phone alarm. Scarlett informed him between lazy kisses that her father had called late that night to 'check on her', and that she had almost thrown her phone through the drywall. Max only laughed and allowed her to complain to him, before they fell into kissing again and then fell into lazy, unintentional, 'morning after' sex. As they lay together afterwards, Scarlett pet Max's hair back affectionately.
"You should wear your hair like this more often.. It looks good." She purred, running her hand down the back of his head.
"My goal is to look evil, not good." Max laughed lightly, purposefully taking her words literally. Scarlett crinkled her nose at him, though still smiling.
"Well it makes you look very evil, my dearest cohort." She kissed him before resting on him again, idly scratching at the side of his neck.
By nine o'clock, they managed to pull themselves away from one another and started their preparations to leave. Max called their driver, instructing him to pick them up within a half hour, while Scarlett showered any remnants of their tryst from her lower half, all the while being overly careful to not wet her hair, for fear it'd seem suspicious. When she was finished, she found Max already dressed, aside from his coat, and he offered to help her into her dress. Thought she didn't need it, she was in a blissfully content mood, and allowed him to help her. As he zipped up the hind of her dress, he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.
"You look too good in this." He whispered to her, making her cheeks tinge pink.
"Thank you." She looked at him over her shoulder, allowing him to see how his affection influenced her cheeks. Max smiled, taking her show of softness without any gloating.
Max threw his suit jacket over his forearm as they left, careful to not hurt the slightly wilted boutonniere still attached to it. Scarlett took his free arm, and contently walked in silence with him to the elevator. As they entered the lobby, Max felt his ego rise again when he caught sight of another classmate who had stayed at the hotel that night, probably for the same reason he had. It felt good to set gossip among his fellow students—they all must have truly underestimated him, and it was nice to set them straight. Once they had checked out at the front desk, they continued arm-in-arm to their rented car, and settled into the back contently.
They arrived at Scarlett's house first, even though Max's was obviously closer, half because they weren't ready to part yet, and half because it was expected he see her home. Max took her hand and led her out of the car and up to her front door.
"We better make this quick before your father catches scent of me." Max mumbled to keep his voice down. Scarlett stifled a laugh under her fingers and leaned down to kiss him. They pecked a few times before stepping apart.
"Thank you for the wonderful night, Max." They smirked at each other, both knowing full well what she was referring to.
"Always a pleasure, Scarlett." He smiled up at her before clasping her wrist in his hand and kissing it. Her lips lowered into a soft smile.
"Call me when you get home." She whispered as she took the door handle.
"I will." Max winked at her before turning and jogging back to the car. Scarlett rolled her eyes with a smile at his antics before opening the door and heading inside.
Max watched her house disappear as the car pulled away, and he wondered how on Earth he was going to survive the ride home without her.
AN: And FIN! Wow, this was massively long for me.. I hope ya'll liked it ;w; Review if you have the time, I really appreciate them! Thanks guys. :-)
