Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: When Maxxie gets attacked he heads to the place where he knows people will open their arms.
Maxxie stumbled up the stairs; his blonde hair had blood smeared in it, his blood. His vision was blurring and he was trying to ignore the dark splotches edging in. Finally managing to reach the door, Maxxie feel against it and slid to the ground, his legs no longer able to hold him up. The door opened and Tony instantly saw the blonde lying on the doorstep. Rushing forward Tony wrapped his arm around Maxxie. "Maxxie? Christ. Are you okay? What the fuck happened?" Maxxie didn't reply so Tony dragged his now limp body into the house.
"Fuck!" Tony stated as he payed more attention to the beating that Maxxie's face had taken. The blonde boy tried moving and quickly hissed in pain, and Tony suddenly realised that maybe more than his face had been injured, so very gingerly, Tony peeled Maxxie's shirt off and found more bruises. "Crap!"
"I'm sorry, I just, I didn't know where else to go."
"Shhh. Don't be sorry. I'll take care of you. I mean, I owe you for looking after me."
"You owe me nothing, Tone." Tony looked into the other boys blue eyes, surrounded by abrasions and knew that he was serious. That was the way it had been between the two of them; they didn't owe each other anything, they didn't lie, and they just understood.
Tony watched Maxxie's chest rise and fall to the rhythm of his dreams, like a personal metronome – as long as it beat, Maxxie could keep dancing. But it seemed that someone had finally succeeded in stopping this angel from dancing for a bit. Hopefully he'd be back on his feet soon. Tony wanted to find out who had done this to his blonde-haired sugarplum fairy and beat the crap out of them. But Maxxie was asleep again so Tony would have to wait until tomorrow for answers. Tony pulled off his shirt and threw it to the ground before carefully crawling onto the bed and resting beside Maxxie's warm figure.
Maxxie woke pressed against a familiar body and suppressed the tide of emotions that surged in him. It was over; "it" had never really started. Tony was straight, and had Michelle. The few random kisses and quick fixes had been nothing more than experimentation – it hadn't meant anything, at least not to Tony. Maxxie watched Tony sleep but didn't dare move closer, it wasn't right. So Maxxie tried to ignore the feeling of Tony's chest pressed against his, tried to not notice Tony's legs wrapped around his, fought to think of anything but the fact that they were laying in bed together, limbs entangled and lips near. He silently disentangled himself and crept towards the bathroom.
Tony woke to find Maxxie humming and dancing (as best he could with his bruises) across his room. He was in pants, but no shirt, and his hair and body glistened with water from his recent shower. Tony watched in awe as Maxxie moved so smoothly across the room; spinning, jumping. Suddenly Maxxie's phone began to ring, loudly and irritatingly. Maxxie grabbed it quickly, still believing that Tony was asleep.
"Lara, hey."
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"Yeah, I'm fine. The Whitler brothers found me last night."
…
"Aha. Just a couple bruises, I'll be fine. And then I ended up at an old friend's house."
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"No, you don't know him."
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"Tony."
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"Yeah, Russia Tony. "
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"He's straight."
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"Russia was just…experimentation."
…
"Yes, I'm sure. We were young, and he just wanted to try something different."
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"True. Um, can you do me a favour? Check on Doyle? He seemed a bit down yesterday and I don't want him to feel awkward with me asking, we didn't break up too long ago."
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"Okay. Thanks."
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"I will. I'll call you later. Love you."
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"Bye."
Tony had strained his ears to hear what Maxxie had been saying, but he'd heard enough. 'Russia Tony'? So Maxxie still talked about him, about Russia. And he thought that their thing had just been an experiment? That it hadn't meant anything? Was he crazy?
"How're the bruises?" Maxxie jumped around and smiled.
"Bruised."
"Let me see." Maxxie obliged and sat beside Tony again who ran a hand along his bruised stomach. Maxxie breathed in sharply, "Sorry. Guess that one's still sore, huh?" Maxxie just nodded in response, truth was that wasn't why he'd gasped. Tony moved his hand to Maxxie's face and caressed his cheek gently, trying to not hurt the boy more. Maxxie's brow creased as he watched the brunette stare at him, he opened his mouth to ask, 'what?', but before the words even left, Tony had placed his lips on Maxxie's. He wanted to pull back, wanted to again tell Tony that he wasn't a hobby, but he couldn't. By now Tony had deepened their kiss and wrapped an arm around Maxxie's neck, successfully pulling him closer. Maxxie broke away, slightly flustered.
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"Because, Tone, you're straight, you have a girlfriend. We just can't."
"I don't have a girlfriend. Michelle and I are done. And I don't want a girlfriend Maxxie, I just want you. As for the straight thing, I'm obviously not straight if I like a guy." Maxxie looked at Tony with sad eyes.
"It's dangerous. Being gay is dangerous. People don't treat you the same. All these bruises…another mob tried to bash the shit out of me. That's what they do, I've been cornered by mobs of idiots too many times, and it's not fun. Tony being gay…it's not easy."
"And pretending not to feel like I feel is?" Maxxie continued to look sadly at Tony, almost pleading him to understand with his eyes. "Maxxie, I care about you, more than I should as just a friend. I want to be with you in everyway. Stop trying to push me away."
"It'll end the same as last time, you'll change your mind and Michelle will come running and I'll be left all alo…" Tony silenced him with a kiss and didn't stop kissing him until Maxxie finally gave in and kissed back.