It was never to be sentimental, it wasn't supposed to be a moment between the two and it certainly wasn't supposed to hurt so much when he didn't step through that burning blaze.
With a girl on his arm and his mind on the beauty of Agent 99, he couldn't help but compare Agent 23 with her. Not once had she even accepted him, not till around the end, but 23 had been there from the beginning; now that he was gone, Maxwell felt empty. As her lips settled on his, he thought back to that desperate attempt of an escape. Hers were soft and gentle, his were rough and chapped. His were better then hers. He had always admired 23, not only for his handsome appearance but also how well he did his job. To think he fooled everyone, even him, had he even meant when he said Maxwell was ready to be an agent?
Thinking back on it, he wasn't so sure, but when Agent 23 said he could just fall because of Max's eyes, there was something swimming beneath the surface. He was sure he had felt something akin to what he was feeling now. Pain, betrayal, sorrow. Emotions were trivial, always deciding the path for us.
That last moment between them, was forever etched in Maxwell's mind, the pressure of an unplanned kiss, the stopping of time. That silent heat at the pit of his stomach. It wasn't supposed to be memorable, it wasn't supposed to mean anything. But to Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, Agent 23's fan boy, it meant more then the chocolate eyes that were rimmed with thick eyelashes that bat at him silently. It meant more to him then Agent 99.