The entire table was silent for a few moments, until Prudence said with a small smile, if only for Lucy's sake, "Wow! That's fantastic! So you guys are gonna get married soon?"

"I don't really know, actually. I mean, we're gonna have to tell my parents, and then of course, we'll have to find a way to tell Jude's mother...I guess we're not going to really rush anything." Lucy smiled widely and kissed Jude on the cheek. "Well, I have to get back to work. Bye, guys." Lucy practically hopped over to the back of the restaurant. When she was gone, Prudence narrowed her eyes at Jude, Rita just kept quiet, and Max kept his head down, not even looking up at Jude.

"So." Prudence crossed her arms. "Would you like to inform us what the fuck is on your mind? Hmm?"

Jude wanted to be mad at Prudence, but he couldn't. Prudence was only defending Max, because Max, for once, was at a loss for words. Jude just sighed and said, "Can I just talk to Max alone?"

Prudence was about to argue, but Rita touched her shoulder gently and shook her head. Prudence and Rita walked out of the restaurant, leaving an awkward silence between Jude and Max. Jude touched Max's hand. Max didn't pull away, but he didn't exactly respond either. He just sat there, head face down, not one word leaving his lips. Jude wanted him to say something. Silence from Max was excruciating. "First of all," Jude said softly, "I want you to know that this doesn't really change anything between us. I mean, it's not like I don't feel the same way about you--"

"Then why did you do it?" Max looked up, only to reveal red, almost tearful eyes. "You're not only fucking around with my feelings, but my sister's too! God, do you think this is all a game, Jude?"

"No--"

"Really? Because you sure act like it is. Now, I can't tell you to call it off or anything. You're just gonna have to decide what you want, man. Just don't fucking do it at my expense." Max stood up and headed towards the bathroom. When got inside, he shut the door behind him, sighed, and slumped to the floor and promptly began to cry.

---

"I still don't see what the problem is. Shouldn't we be happy they're engaged?" Jojo, the only person who didn't know about Max and Jude, pleaded to Sadie and Prudence, while they sipped their beers bitterly. It was a week after the news was announced, and Lucy held a small get together to celebrate. Ever since that day in the diner, Max swiftly avoided Jude and his constant phone calls. In fact, Max was currently sitting in the corner, sipping beer, and he would often gaze at Jude, but when Jude looked at him, he would look away. Lucy tried to ignore this and act happy.

"You don't get it, Jojo." Sadie murmured. "Jude is just being..selfish. And stupid." She pointed at Max and whispered to Prudence, "God. They are totally smitten with each other. Why can't they just admit that? I mean, you should've seen how cute they were on the couch together, all asleep on each other and such." Sadie smiled a bit at the memory. "But I don't know...Lucy deserves to be happy, so we can't be too bitter about it."

"True." Prudence shrugged. "Maybe we should just let it go. Max and Jude will work everything out. Maybe they can't be together, but they're still gonna be best friends." She looked at Sadie. "Right?"

Sadie shrugged sadly, and looked over at resentful Max. How the fuck could he do this to me? Max was pissed, had been for a week. The day he was told the news, Max decided to forget all about Jude, get drunk, and get a girl into bed. He was almost successful, until he leaned over to kiss the girl on her cheek, and suddenly had a flash of Jude. Max had pulled away quickly and left the bar without a word. He had been secluded in his room ever since, until Prudence informed him that there was a party for Lucy and Jude, and she desperately wanted Max to tell Jude how he felt, and maybe they could work it out. Max was pulled over here, and the moment he walked through the door, he gave Lucy a quick hug, and sulked in the corner.

"Bullshit." He murmured under his breath. He rolled his eyes, finished off his beer, and said to no one in particular, "I'm leaving."

Max grabbed his coat and scarf and headed out the door into the cold snow. He could feel Prudence's eyes on him as he left, but he didn't care. Nothing really mattered unless he had Jude.

No more than two minutes later, Jude felt like something was weird, as if the room was off balance. His eyes shot over to Max's corner, which was empty. He walked over to Desmond and asked, "Hey, where'd Max go?"

Desmond shrugged. "I dunno. I think I saw him leave."

"Shit." Jude muttered as he grabbed his jacket, running out the door and leaving the party behind. Lucy watched him leave, but didn't stop him. Whatever he needed to do, it seemed urgent. Jude ran for awhile, until he saw Max's familiar figure at the doorsteps of his apartment. Jude ran after him.

"Max!" Jude called out. When he got to him, he was out of breath, so he stammered out, "W-why did you l-leave?"

Max rolled his eyes. "I didn't seem to really be needed." He narrowed his eyes. "Or acknowledged, for that matter."

"Max, honestly." Jude said, still slightly out of breath. "You think I don't care?"

Max crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm sorry, you do? I didn't exactly get the memo, especially when you asked my sister to marry you, only an hour after kissing me." He walked up the steps. "Yeah, so sorry I didn't get the catch that you 'care', Jude."

"Max," Jude said. "Look, can I just talk to you? Please?"

Max sighed, then gestured for Jude to come up to the apartment with him. When they got inside, Max looked at Jude expectantly. Jude closed his eyes, sighed, and said, "Okay, look, I get it. I fucked up. I shouldn't have asked her, I shouldn't have. It's just...she was waiting for me to ask. I couldn't let her down. I felt bad for already screwing her over by being with you, I..I just didn't want to let her down again."

"So...you don't want to let her down by asking her to marry you, even though you don't want to?" Max said bitterly. "Wow, it's so hard to believe that I can't see the logic in that."

"Yeah, I know it makes absolutely no sense." Jude said, shaking his head. "But you have to know that I still care. I always will."

"Yes, Jude, I know you care." Max spat back. "Can you tell me the word I actually want to hear?" Max knew it was very clear to Jude what word he was waiting for.

Jude opened his mouth, closed it, and then he opened it again, "Fine, Max. You wanna know the truth?" Jude took a step closer to him. "The truth is, you're quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened in my life. And yeah, that probably sounds insane and stupid, but it's the truth. You happen to be always on my mind. You happen to bring a smile to my face. You just happen to make everything perfect. And if you need me to say it, then fine, I'll say it: I am in love with you! Okay? I am." Jude shook his head. "Insanely in love."

Max paused for a second. Then he leaned in and kissed Jude square on the lips, but neither of them pulled apart. They didn't stop kissing. They didn't stop when they slowly started moving over to Max's bed; they didn't stop when they fell over onto the bed; they didn't stop when Max pulled off Jude's shirt, and when Jude pulled off Max's shirt; they didn't stop when the pants came off; they paused just long enough for Max to whisper, "I love you, too" in Jude's ear; but after that, they didn't stop. They went on and on and forgot about everything. All they knew was that they felt good, and they should never stop.

When it was over, they lay side by side, their chests moving up and down, sweat glistening on their foreheads. Jude couldn't believe he had actually gotten this far with Max. Or any male, for that matter.

"So, did we just, uh...?" Max asked.

"Yep."

"And, did we just tell each that we lo--"

"Yes."

"So...do you think we'll do it again sometime?"

Jude thought for a second, until he looked at Max and said, "Oh yeah." That caused them both to collapse with laughter. When they stopped, Jude propped himself up on one arm and looked into Max's blue eyes. "Jesus, Max. What are we going to do?"

Max smirked a bit. "We could be mature adults, stop this little game, pretend like it never happened, and eventually move on."

Jude smirked back. "As mature as that is, is there another plan?"

"Canada?"

Jude giggled and ruffled Max's hair. "Really, though..."

"We could..." Max couldn't even bring himself to finish the sentence, but the look in his eye told Jude everything: We could keep sneaking behind Lucy's back, and eventually break her heat. Max hated the thought. Sure, he loved Jude and always wanted to be around him, but at Lucy's expense? Lucy, who had helped him sneak out countless times back home. Lucy, who visited Max in the hospital more than anybody else. Lucy, who worked extra hours just to pay Max's rent for him, right along with her own. Lucy, who had held him in her arms the nights he would have nightmares and flashbacks from 'Nam, and sang to him the same lullabies their mother did so many years ago. And then there was Jude's Lucy; the Lucy who took care of him when he was sick. The Lucy who supported his art so many times, while he couldn't even compliment the speeches she wrote. And the Lucy who made the fatal mistake of simply loving him.

Neither of them were willing to say this out loud, so Jude just looked over at Max, stroked his cheek, and murmured, "Yeah..I know."

----

Gah.

Don't trip about the song title not being a Beatles one.

It works doesn't it?
[BTW: Just watched the ending of the Other Boleyn Girl, which Jim Sturgess is in...for those of you who have seen it...OMG HOW COULD THEY DO THAT TO JIM??!?! Or, George, his character name.