The First Time
An Interlude
"I'm just saying, Hilary, if he isn't back in another five minutes his plate's fair game. You don't waste Grandpa's cooking."
"Don't you dare, Tyson!" Hilary brandished her chopsticks at him threateningly from the other side of the table. "He'll be back any minute. Just be patient!"
Tyson rolled his eyes.
"'Any minute' is at least half an hour in Max and Mariam time, and they've already been on the phone for twice that long," Tyson complained, opting to refill his own plate rather than start in on his friend's. "We already had to suffer through Grandpa's stir-fry lesson without him. And he still got served the best bits, even though he wasn't here!"
"Stop complaining, Tyson," Hilary scolded. "Max hardly gets to see Mariam. And it wouldn't hurt you to eat more vegetables."
"He's supposed to be visiting us," Tyson huffed and glanced outside. Max was pacing back and forth along the fence, on the far side of the yard, with his cell phone glued to his ear. Every once in a while a laugh would be carried their way on the breeze.
It had been an idyllic summer day in many ways. The sun was shining without a cloud in the sky to contend with, but it wasn't so hot out that you felt like a useless puddle of sweat. Max was in town after several months spent in New York with his mom. He'd flown in the night before and somehow managed to have the energy to spend the day catching up with his friends.
Tyson and Hilary met Max at the hobby shop, where they had breakfast with he and his dad before it opened. Afterwards they headed down to the river and filled each other in on current events.
Every time Max returned from America, Draciel had a new upgrade, so he and Tyson shared a few friendly battles with Hilary taking turns cheering for each of them. Eventually a group of young fans congregated around them, and the boys ended up hosting an impromptu training session.
It felt like old times for Hilary, who watched the proceedings wistfully. As they got older, experiences like this were few and far between, especially compared to the years they had spent living in each other's pockets. Every second they could steal together was priceless. With Tyson in his baseball cap, Max in a blue t-shirt, and the vague scent of ocean when the wind blew, it was like nothing had changed.
Eventually, the group ended up back at the dojo. The sight of their shoes together by the entrance set the stage for nostalgia, and they'd been reliving some old memories when Gramps popped in and harangued them into helping him prepare dinner. He'd had a point when he said they were old enough to learn how to prepare a well-rounded meal – Judy was already collecting college applications for Max. It had been going well, too, until Max had to step away halfway through to take Mariam's call.
After that, Tyson had been forced to spend the whole night sautéing vegetables with Hilary while his grandfather made cryptic remarks about how they worked well as a team, especially in domestic situations. Hilary kept blushing about it and Tyson, flustered, figured the room was plenty warm enough to account for both of their flushed faces.
At least the food turned out all right.
"We got to spend all day with him, Tyson. It's not like he's leaving tomorrow." Hilary reminded, casting her own longing look in the blond's direction. Tyson hadn't been the only one looking forward to his visit.
Still, Max had a girlfriend now, and it was only fair that she took some level of priority. It wasn't as if Mariam got to see Max every day either, and she surely missed him when he wasn't around, if the length of their phone call was any indicator.
If Hilary was bothered at all by the interruption, she at least had the good sense not to complain openly about it like Tyson. Max was happy with Mariam and she was happy for him. That didn't change the fact that his relationship drove home the truth that she and her boys were growing up. She didn't want to think that there would ever be a time when Max would hop on a plane and leave indefinitely, but it was a realer and realer possibility as the years passed.
The brunette shook her head to chase away the unwanted thoughts.
"Just give him another few minutes," she said decisively.
"It's been almost TWO HOURS!" Tyson shouted with his typical dramatics. He growled and leaped to his feet. "I can't take this anymore!'
"Tyson!" Hilary scolded, scrambling to follow him through the open dining room doors and stop him from doing something stupid.
"Hey, Max!"
The blond turned to face his friends, blue eyes widening slightly at the frustration evident in Tyson's voice.
"Tyson, honestly!" Hilary locked arms with him, stopping him out of reach of Max. "Just let them finish, you oaf!"
"I think we've waited long enough, Hilary," Tyson said, trying to wrest his arm from her grasp. He was unsuccessful, so they tussled awkwardly for a while before ceasing and staring one another down instead.
Max stared helplessly between the pair, unsure if he needed to drop the phone and step in immediately, or if it was safe to wait and offer Mariam a proper goodbye first.
"Uh...just give me one minute, guys," he said apologetically. He put a little extra distance between himself and his friends, before resuming his conversation.
He wasn't far enough away to hide what he was saying, and Hilary had to admit that one thing she and Tyson had in common was an abundance of curiosity. They listened in shamelessly, their scuffle forgotten.
"Well, I knew you'd only be calling if it was important," Max said, sounding like he was trying to reason with his girlfriend.
They could make out the tinny sound of Mariam's voice coming through the phone. She was speaking rapidly, but it was impossible to tell exactly what was being said from where they were standing, straining to hear.
Max waited patiently for his turn to speak and then answered: "Yeah, of course I'll tell them."
Blue eyes flicked their way in a silent apology, before all of his attention was once again on his phone call. He listened intently to whatever Mariam was saying on the other end with an affectionate grin, as their discussion came to a close.
"Yeah, okay, sounds good. I'll write to you soon," he promised, before cupping the phone closer and uttering, "I love you."
His expression softened and his posture relaxed when he spoke those words. It was a tender moment that Hilary and Tyson missed entirely because they were busy gaping at each other in disbelief.
"Goodnight."
Max finally hung up and swiveled to face his friends sheepishly.
"I'm sorry, guys. Mariam is, too," he said. "She didn't know we were hanging out and I lost track of time." He finished with a shrug and looked between his two shocked friends. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked after neither of them offered anything close to a reply, having the audacity to look confused as to why they were staring at him like he'd spontaneously mutated.
"Dude..." was about all Tyson could manage. His mouth opened and closed a few times, but he remained otherwise silent.
Hilary's surprise, however, had seemingly passed. Instead she had a terrifying look of glee on her face that made Max take a step back reflexively.
"Oh, Maxie!" she said, squealing loud enough to make the boys flinch. She launched herself at the blond and enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug. "You didn't tell us you and Mariam were saying 'I love you'!"
The change that came over Max at that moment was instantaneous: He blushed heavily and struggled to stammer a response of any kind. It was sort of hard to think with one of his friends vibrating with excitement and squeezing the living daylights out of him, and the other just staring with brazen confusion.
"I, uh, guess it never came up?" Max tried. He willed himself to relax and gave Hilary an appeasing pat on the back. "I mean, we've been dating a while now, so..."
The brunette gave him one final squeeze before letting go and backing off enough for Max to get some air. She had a look of dreamy pride on her face while she watched him brush nonexistent wrinkles from his clothes to cover up his feelings of embarrassment.
The sun was dipping low on the horizon by now, laying a blanket of glowing orange hues over the landscape. A lazy wind sent ripples across the Grangers' koi pond and made Max's golden hair dance like a flame. Just like that it felt like one of the many evenings they used to laugh, train, and lounge in this same yard as a team.
It seemed like forever ago, but only yesterday at the same time. Everything was different now, making the things that stood the test of time stick out in painful contrast.
Max almost expected to look up and see the Saint Shields on the roof, waiting to challenge them to a match. No, though. He had only just spoken to Mariam and knew for a fact she and her team were all still in China.
"Sooo," Hilary tried and failed to feign nonchalance, clasping her hands behind her back, "who said it first?" Her dark eyes sparkled with curiosity, and she favored Max with a playful grin.
Max figured there was no reason to dance around the question. Anyone who knew he and his girlfriend personally would probably guess correctly.
"Well, uh, I did," he answered, bracing himself for Hilary's onslaught of questions. They doubtlessly would have come if Tyson hadn't taken it upon himself to interject.
"Of course he did, Hilary. Sheesh. Have you met Mariam?" Tyson must have realized how that sounded, because he quickly apologized and continued, "No offense, Max! She just isn't the mushy type."
"No, she's not," Max agreed fondly. It was one of the many things he loved about Mariam, because it made each romantic gesture of hers even more significant. She may not be the quickest to warm up to people, but if she cared about you she found a way to make certain that you knew it. Each secret touch or unbidden favor that she did for him made Max's insides do somersaults. Just because she preferred to do so when they had no audience, didn't make her feelings for him any less valid – if anything, Max appreciated that dedication more.
"Earth to Maxie!"
Max snapped out of his reverie with a wave of Tyson's hand in front of his face.
"Uh, sorry." He scratched the back of his head bashfully.
"Dude, you've got it bad," Tyson japed with a huge smile, his upset over dinner now completely forgotten in favor of something much more interesting.
"There's nothing wrong with that," Hilary interjected, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think it's sweet that Max cares so much."
Tyson held his hands up defensively. "Chill out, Hil. I was only teasing him a little."
The brunette rolled her eyes, before turning to Max eagerly. "Can I ask you something? If you don't want to answer, it's okay, but I'm curious."
"Uh-oh. That's your cue to run," Tyson warned, collapsing back onto the grass to get comfortable for what he was sure would be a lengthy conversation.
Max followed suit and patted the ground next to him as an offering to Hilary.
"Ask away!" he answered as she took her place beside him.
Hilary shifted to face the boys and smoothed her skirt out over her thighs. She contemplated her words for a short while before asking, "When you told Mariam, did she say it back right away, or did she wait and tell you later on?"
"Oh, come on, Hilary!" Tyson exasperated, flopping over backwards, "This isn't a slumber party and we're not doing play-by-plays of our love lives!"
"That's good, then, seeing as how yours wouldn't be long enough to entertain anybody anyway," Hilary shot back. If this was a slumber party, she would have walloped him with a pillow.
"Hey! I've been on plenty of dates!"
"With who? Dragoon?"
"None of your business!"
Max chuckled at their antics with a knowing gaze. "Well, I'm ready to spill if you braid my hair afterwards," he joked.
Hilary gave him a playful shove. "Yeah, right!"
Max giggled and the tension was quickly diffused. He fell into a contemplative silence, trying to figure out the best way to answer. He leaned back on his hands and took in the starry canopy above, gorgeous in its complexity like a certain Saint Shield he knew. He wondered briefly if Mariam ever talked with any of her friends about him or if she played everything as close to the vest as she let on. Honestly, the truth wasn't a hard conclusion to come to.
"Mariam actually hasn't said it yet," Max revealed. His eyes never left the sky. He wasn't sure what Tyson's and Hilary's reactions would be to the news, so he braced himself for whatever they wrought.
"Oh," Hilary said with quiet concern, a stark contrast to her previous mood. Her eyes tried to meet Max's, searchingly, but the blond was still stubbornly gazing skyward.
"That's kind of harsh, dude," Tyson said, furrowing his brow. "But, I guess that's Mariam, huh?" He looked to Hilary for assurance, but she was lost in thought. "I mean, it's just words."
That got her attention.
"It's not just words, Tyson! That's how much Mariam means to Max. If she doesn't reciprocate it, it could mean that she doesn't feel the same way," Hilary intoned seriously.
As one of the people who had known Max the longest, the brunette felt she had the responsibility to safeguard his heart. It wasn't that she didn't like Mariam, but the two girls didn't have the closest friendship yet. Hilary just didn't know her well. But she did know Max, and he deserved someone who loved him as strongly as he loved them. She'd be a liar if she said she wasn't concerned at all – she didn't want to see her friend get hurt.
"No, you have it all wrong," Max defended calmly, but leaving no room for argument. "I don't care when Mariam tells me she loves me, or even if she ever does. I didn't say it so she'd feel obligated to say it back or anything like that." His eyes finally met two puzzled gazes before he continued, "I love her, and I just wanted her to know that. If I told her I love her with strings attached, that makes it more about my pride than our relationship."
Max's passion towards the topic shouldn't have surprised Hilary as much as it did. Of course kind-hearted, understanding Max would allow Mariam however much time she needed to come to terms with her emotions. He was the type of guy that would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it, but if you mistook his friendliness for gullibility you'd regret it. She hoped he could be as discerning when it came to Mariam, who'd had Max wrapped around her finger ever since they'd met.
"Max..."
"Leave him alone, Hilary. What, are their star signs not compatible or something?"
"You know that's not what this is about Tyson!" Hilary countered. Her patience with him was beginning to wear thin.
"Stop bugging him about things that don't matter!"
"It's important!"
"You're both right," Max interrupted, causing their argument to grind to a halt. "It is important that Mariam and I are on the same page, but it also doesn't matter if she says she loves me right away. I didn't say it to force her hand – I said it to be honest with her."
"Are you sure you're okay with that, Max?" Hilary asked. "You don't deserve to be left hanging forever. I like Mariam, I really do, but I know she's not exactly...forthcoming."
Seeing that he still owed his companions an explanation, Max clarified, "It means a lot that you guys are concerned, but I really am okay with waiting. Mariam's not the most expressive person, but she says she loves me everyday, even when she doesn't use those exact words."
Max had learned early on, once their relationship began in earnest, to read between the lines. Her love was evident in the way she said his name, in every touch and kiss, and in every mischievous smirk she gave him when her green eyes zeroed in to focus solely on him. It didn't happen all the time, but her love was also laced through the uncharacteristically sweet things she said when they were alone together.
This was a big step for both of them, learning to operate as a unit and navigate a long-distance relationship, and while Max was better at verbalizing his feelings, there were aspects of their life together that Mariam was better at, too. They balanced each other.
"I know Mariam loves me as much as I love her. It would mean a lot to me if you two didn't doubt that."
Max looked imploringly at two of his closest friends whose opinions both mattered greatly to him, willing them to understand. The silence seemed to stretch on forever when, in reality, it was probably only a few seconds before it was broken.
"Well," Tyson began after a beat, rolling to his feet. "That settles that, then. You know Mariam best, and after years of having you as a teammate and fighting by your side, I know you're no pushover." He extended a hand and pulled the blond up.
"Thanks, Ty."
"Don't mention it! Or do, because you ditched me with Gramps and Hilary for a stir-fry torture session. I think I lost a few years off my life!"
"Sorry about that," Max laughed. "Really though, I'll try not to take any more hour-long phone calls while I'm here." He scratched the back of his head and said: "I've really missed you guys."
Tyson beamed, "Back at ya, buddy! Now let's go eat – all this feelings talk is making me hungry!"
"You didn't have to wait for me, Tyson," Max said with an apology on the tip of his tongue, as Tyson attempted to frogmarch him inside.
"I didn't. I want seconds."
Max laughed and turned to offer a hand to Hilary.
"Coming?" he asked. "Mariam I can handle, but I might need backup for Tyson."
Any negativity that lingered in Hilary's expression faded away, like a curtain pulled back to reveal sunlight.
"Mm-hm!" she nodded enthusiastically, taking Max's joke to mean that there were no hard feelings.
Hilary felt bad for grilling him about Mariam, and now that it was over she knew she had overreacted. She was always the first to tell people not to get involved and there she went sticking her nose where it had no place being. It was nice of him to have taken the time to assuage her fears, but it turns out she needn't have worried in the first place. He always was the most sensible of her boys.
Once she was on her feet, the blond lifted their joint hands and gave her a twirl, before tugging a giggling Hilary back toward the house. Tyson was already crossing the threshold, not keen on being kept from dinner any longer, when Max turned to her.
"Thanks for looking out for me, Hil. It means a lot."
He gave her hand a squeeze and she was definitely not tearing up at his earnest expression. All was forgiven.
"Of course, Max," she sniffed, struggling to fend off the sudden rush of emotion.
Like a true gentleman, he didn't mention it.
"Next time Mariam's in town, we should all hang out. You, me, Tyson – double-date or something," he suggested.
She looked at him quizzically. A glint of mischief in his eyes accompanied his grin.
"I'm all for hanging out with you and Mariam, but I have no idea who you expect me to bring as a date," she said, spots of color blooming on her cheeks. "Or Tyson, for that matter." Her blush deepened ever-so-slightly. "Though I'm sure there's plenty of fans lining up for a chance, even if I don't believe he's been on 'tons of dates'," she scoffed.
Max likely would have continued to teasingly pry, if Tyson hadn't chosen that moment to pop his head out and complain about dinner being cold. Hilary yelled at him and stomped up onto the porch with a raised fist, ready and willing to give him a piece of her mind.
Max followed them in, laughing and shaking his head. He was going to be stuck on re-heating duty for sure, but he couldn't bring himself to care when he had friends like Tyson and Hilary to keep him company. Next time he'd have Mariam too, and the thought of all his favorite people together in the same room made everything seem brighter, even when he found all his shrimp missing from his bowl a few minutes later.
A/N: I've haven't written much of Tyson and Hilary before, and I'm not entirely convinced that I pulled them off. 'A' for effort? I truly enjoy both of them as characters though, so this was good practice for the next time they pop up in a story.
One more chapter to go - we'll be seeing Mariam again, and I'm pretty excited about it!
Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, or added this story to their faves/alerts! I appreciate it and hope that it continues to live up to your expectations. :)
(And thanks again to roktavor for the beta! This one was a struggle, so kudos for fielding all of my complaints like a champ.)