Rain pattered the windshield beneath dark clouds. Maybe some sort of dark omen sent by whatever watched the lives of those on earth, maybe it was just the weather. The trees swayed with the winds, not as wild as they could have been, but the leaves still withered off the branches and stuck fast to the road and the hood of David's car. The car had chilled quite a bit overnight, and David had huddled under a spare blanket to fight it off, but it gave little comfort. He hadn't showered, he felt a crick in his neck from his sleeping position, and he had a bad feeling about the whole day.

After calling Gwen, David was hesitant to call Max to try and explain himself. What could he say? If he confessed all the things he'd been doing this week, Max would just feel guilty, or assume it was an excuse. David wouldn't usually forget something so important as gas, but in this frazzled situation, anything could happen.

Even so, when he finally worked up the courage to call, the phone rang once and cut straight to a dial tone. David thought that was odd, unless Max had turned his phone off; and even then it should have sent him to voicemail. He sent a text, but it continued to say 'sent' instead of delivered.

He was half asleep when the tapping of Gwen's hand against the window rung in his ears. He jolted up, startled out of sleep, and peered out the water-streaked window to see her scowling face. Wilting in the face of her obvious anger, David unlocked the door and stepped out of the car. She didn't offer to cover him in the umbrella she held.

"David, what the fuck are you doing?" She asked immediately, throwing the work clothes in her hand at him.

David caught them and put them in the car before he tugged the blanket out and lifted it over his head with a frown,"I didn't check before I left, I know it was stupid-"

Gwen snarled,"No, David, what the fuck are you doing?" She asked again, gesturing at him,"Look at yourself! Look at the fucking spot you're in!" David shifted restlessly, glancing away from her,"You look like you haven't slept for a month, you haven't sat still since this whole thing started- You're gonna kill yourself doing all this!"

David sighed quietly and reached for the gas can in her hand to fill up his car,"It's just until Max comes home, I'm okay-"

As Davey started filling up his gas tank, Gwen interrupted him,"Max comes home? David, you don't even know if he's going to come home!" She snapped,"This is all an if! You're a single guy looking for part time jobs who barely has a credit score! You're not even thirty!"

David frowned again,"My age has nothing to do with this,"

"It has everything to do with this! If you had actually raise the kid, you would have been fourteen!" Gwen shouted,"You're going fucking crazy! Where's the rest of your life, David? Kids take money and time and energy that you barely have,"

"I'll figure it out, Gwen," David's grip on the handle tightened, biting his lip.

"That's not good enough!" Gwen snapped,"You jumped into this even when I said it was a bad idea. You can't do this, David. You can't do this to him, or to yourself. Max is gonna be fine on his own, with people who really planned all of this,"

"You don't know that," David huffed quietly,"He got sent off with people that looked alright and he…" the counsellor tightened the coat around his shoulders.

"David," Gwen sighed,"You can't take him in just because you don't want anyone else to-"

"That's not it!" David said desperately, struggling to release the nozzle from the gas tank,"Why does everyone think I have some twisted alternate motive for adopting him?" He asked desperately,"Why can't I just love him and want to keep him safe and happy?"

"Because he's been nothing but an asshole to you, David!" Gwen barked,"He screams at you, he makes you cry, he does nothing but upset you!"

David spun to face her,"You're wrong." His voice cut through hers, determined and low,"Max makes me happy! He's hard to talk to, and he's stubborn, and sometimes he's mean, but he is the sweetest kid once you get past that,"

Gwen rolled her eyes,"David-"

"No, no, Gwen, I can't keep doing this!" David chided firmly,"You don't make an effort to see him in that way! You hate him so much without even knowing him!" David shoved the container into her hands, feeling more upset than he cared to admit,"I'm there when he cries, I'm there when he needs me, I'm there when he gets so… invested in his favorite books that he has the sweetest, wide-eyed little look on his face when he reads, I…" David sputtered, words struggling to form in the face of his flustered frustration.

He took a deep breath, "I get to see all of that because I want this, and I want Max, so badly,"

"You're killing yourself doing all this-" Gwen repeated, still fighting.

David stared her down as he opened the car door,"This is all for Max," He said, with an air of finality in his tone,"Live with that, or find someone else to shout at,"

He climbed into the car and shut the door loudly. There was a heavy thud against the door of his car before Gwen stalked off, and David had a feeling she had dented the frame in anger. David saw her headlights light up his car as she pulled away from the edge of the road, leaving him alone again. David took a calm breath, moving his hands around the leather wheel as he waited for his head to stop swimming with worry. He had gas, he had clothes for work, now he just needed to get there and get home.

The radio stayed shut off when he started the car, too nervous to listen to anything that might be playing. Gwen was wrong, he knew that much. He wanted this. Not to fix what happened at camp, not to fill some sense of purpose he was lacking. He wanted Max for Max, and to be a parent because, even if he went into this a little hastily, he was ready to try and work at it for the rest of his life. All of the stress would be worth it when Max finally came home.

Max wasn't everything Gwen thought he was, and David knew that more certainly than anything else in this whole situation. Max could be considerate and quiet even when he could still fight tooth and nail to defend himself or what he believed in. Yes, Davey had jumped into this without much thought but… what was there to think about? He'd known from the start that Max was different, that he could do fantastic things if he just had the right people to guide him. David could have picked out a set of parents, but how did he know they were gonna understand him? Without getting angry because he was so moody, or because he had an attitude? Adults get to be moody all the time, and yell and get upset but most kids were told to straighten up. David always avoided that, he knew it did nothing to help the kids, and he wants Max to know he was here for all of his emotions, including anger.

David kept those thoughts close to his heart as he drove. The rain still hadn't let up, and his phone was struggling to charge on the car charger. Still no text from Max, or a call. Which was ok, David just needed to get to work and do his best. He was gonna talk to his supervisor that evening before he left to try and push the decision process faster. He needed a definitive answer so he knew what he could say tonight at the meeting. He just wanted to be a little prepared, that could help him out quite a bit. And even if the job wasn't the best paying, he was living rent and mortgage free, since his parents had bought him the house he lived in now; that fact was something he was reminded of anytime he spoke with them. He needed to pay bills and insurance, gas and groceries, and a few other things, but he would be sated with a part time job until he found something better.

He was upset after the argument, and worried about the meeting, but David tried hard to put those thoughts aside when he walked in the door. A smile on his face, determination in his heart. He could make this day his, even after the drama and the stress. He changed in the bathroom and kicked it into high gear.

He could run a team no problem. He had fantastic encouragement, and good problem solving skills. He kept the kitchen running even through the early morning rush of coffee and tiny breakfasts. There were a few broken plates, but David ushered the waitress away in favor of cleaning it up himself so she could get the order again. In his haste, he ended up with a thin scrape along the inner portion of his middle finger, but a bandaid and a good attitude fixed that in no time. Glass cleaned up, order set out, everything was going smoothly. Helping people kept his mind further off of Max than he would have thought. Maybe sitting still just gave him too much time to think. Afterall, David was a busybody at heart.

Before he knew it, it was 5:30 and time to go home. He was definitely tired, but he had things already prepped for tonight at home, which meant he just had to show up and chat. But first, he needed to talk to-

"David? I'd like a word,"

David's gaze lifted to a blonde woman in the door of the breakroom. She was the one who had initially offered him the position, and the one he was going to go talk to before he left, Mallory. Her hair was down with wavy curls twisting the ends, and silver hoop earrings matched a little silver nose ring on the right side. She wore a black skirt with a split up the side, a baby-blue blouse, and a black suit jacket to match. She radiated a confidence that David would have normally matched with ease, but today was just not his day. She was intimidating, to say the least.

He nodded his head and stood from his seat,"Yes ma'am!" His voice was deceivingly cheer despite the butterflies plaguing his stomach.

He followed her out of the breakroom and up a set of steps to where he had come in for an interview. She had a seperate room apart from a little meeting area, where a desk and two chairs waited. He followed her and she offered a brief smile before sitting down. David followed suit, sitting down in the chair slowly.

Mallory clasped her hands together in front of her, smiling again,"I've been impressed with your work here. You show very good potential,"

David smiled appreciatively,"Thank you, ma'am,"

"But, I don't think the job you've been interviewed for is suited for you-"

David spoke up quickly,"I- I'm sorry to interrupt, but please reconsider," He said hopefully,"I'm a fantastic team leader, I am incredible at communication- I ran an entire summer camp with one other person for three years,"

David struggled to bring up a case for himself- he knew he was qualified, he just didn't know how to say so. He wasn't used to singing his own praise, he hadn't interviewed for a new job in years. He'd kept the same job since he was 17, and started working at the camp when he was 19, which meant he went back and forth between the two. Campbell hadn't even interviewed him, after multiple emails and calls and asking, he just hired David on the spot. What changed his mind, David had no idea, but he was just happy to work there. He could work here no problem, but he didn't know what could prove that.

He needed this job; to set his mind at ease about the visit tonight, to have something really stable for when Max went to school, whatever the reason, he needed this.

"David, please let me finish?" Mallory chuckled behind the desk.

David shrunk in his seat, watching her apprehensively.

"I don't think you're suited well for a job in the kitchen," She hummed,"I think you would be much better qualified for a management position,"

David blinked once, twice, three times. Management? He opened his mouth but found it hard to find the right words to say.

"Surprised?" Her tone was amused.

David nodded, feeling very much like crying,"Yes, absolutely, I… don't know what to say," He sputtered,"Thank you, jiminy, thank you so much for the opportunity, oh gosh," he covered his mouth, relief washing over his worried butterflies.

Mallory smiled brightly,"Of course," She said easily,"You'll be on a set salary after probation instead of hourly wages, and making 26,000 a year, with annual Cost of Living adjustments. I'll send you an official schedule when we get someone here to train you for the position," She explained,"And we have your pay for these last two shifts right here," She offered him an envelope,"Welcome to the team,"

David took it with shaky hands, fighting happy tears. As he reached for it, he saw her watch display the time 5:42. He gasped.

"Oh my gosh- thank you again but I really need to go!" He apologized, standing up quickly and shaking her hand,"I look forward to working here!"

With that, he rushed back down the the main floor and out to the car- He'd rather be wearing clean work clothes than his dirty casual ones when he met with Jen again.

He was smiling as he left, near jogging to his car to get home quickly. He had finally gotten a job! No more searching for positions, or worrying about money. He was set. And it was an even better job than he had applied for! That meant he could forget searching for another one. For the drive home, he just turned up the radio and sang his heart out, beyond excited at today's turn of events. Things could work smoothly, he just needed to give it time.

His good mood turned to a slight worry when he saw there was already a car parked in his drive. A sleek silver Nissan, David had to assume it was Jen. He wasn't expecting anyone else, and his parents drove something incredulously expensive. He parked and gathered his things as quickly as he could.

"Jen?" he called, glancing past the lilac bushes lining the porch to see a slim woman in a grey pantsuit turn her head,"Sorry I'm late! Have you been here long?"

He stepped around the car and saw her start towards him, a small clipboard in her hand, before saw Chikae behind her. He didn't know he'd be coming! He was glad actually, he was hoping to ask if he got the muffin basket he'd left the day before. He moved closer to the porch, and his steps faltered. A familiar blue hoodie peaked out between the leaves on the bushes, and David's throat felt dry.

Jen smiled as she came near to him,"Hi again! It's been quite some time since we last spoke in person," She said brightly.

David turned his attention to her with a weakened smile,"It has! I'm glad they sent you here… I didn't realize you brought the kids on these visits…" He said, hoping not to sound too strange about the fact.

Jen waved her hand,"Well, we don't usually do a lot of things. But as much faith as I have in this little family, and considering I have news for both of you, it was approved and Max agreed to come… I should hope that's alright?"

David nodded quickly,"Of course! Just a lot of surprises today is all! Let me get my keys and we can all get out of the cold!"

David stepped past her and towards the porch, glancing down at Max as he passed. The boy leaned against the wall, hands in his pocket, and a bitter scowl pointed at the bushes. David wanted to say something, but he didn't want to start a fight before the visit was over. Jen and Chikae were looking at the little greenhouse garden in front of the house, so David quietly unlocked the door. His heart sank when he heard Max speak lowly.

"You're late,"

David shifted, watching Jen warily,"I know, I'm sorry-"

Max scoffed,"At least you showed up this time," He pushed passed David and walked into the house.

Davey bit his lip, grip tight on the key in his hand. Jen and Chikae started over, and he quickly replaced his worrisome eyes with a passive smile.

"I love the little garden out there," Jen smiled,"I always wanted to start one but my husband always has an excuse," She joked, nodding her head when David invited her in.

"I got that set up the first few months I moved in," David hummed, following after Chikae and shutting the door to the cold,"I love fresh veggies for salads,"

"You really live here?" Max's voice piped up from down the hall, sounding dreadfully sarcastic.

David smiled as best he could,"I do. My parents bought me this house for my 18th birthday, I paid for half and they paid the rest," He explained, shrugging off his coat,"Please, sit wherever! Make yourselves comfortable!"

Jen smiled but didn't look at him, eyes pouring over the room as she walked around. Chikae glanced at David, who stood watching and fidgeting with his coat.

He leaned close, placing a hand on his shoulder,"Relax. You'll do fine," He assured him, then stepping to the couch to sit down.

David smiled tightly, giving a timid nod,"Right… Does anyone want coffee? Tea?"

Jen lifted her pen in the air,"Coffee, please."

David nodded, looking to Chikae,"Chikae?"

The man shook his head,"Thank you, though,"

David smiled and set his jacket on the armchair before he walked into the kitchen to make coffee for Jen and pull the plate of cookies he'd made on Wednesday out of the cupboard. He heard Jen and Chikae talk a few times, and he could see Jen writing things on her clipboard. He hoped they were good. He'd spent enough time here cleaning, it ought to be. He took a breath, and picked up the mug of coffee and the plate with cookies on it.

Jen was standing behind the couch now, and accepted the cup with a cheerful smile,"Thank you. Oh, and you baked! Quite the host, Jones," She poked fun lightly.

David chuckled,"Do you want to see the rest of the house..?" He suggested, peering over down the hall where Max was staring at the pictures of him and his family.

Jen hummed behind her sip of coffee, and swallowed before she answered,"That'd be fantastic,"

David had no idea why he was so nervous. He had spent the whole week cleaning the house, there wasn't a hair out of place in the whole building. He had gotten the new job, which meant he had an answer for where his income would be from. The only odd thing was Max right now, who was clearly upset with him. He may have been fussing over that. Max could be very clever, and David wasn't sure what sort of things he may say to rile him up. David stepped past him gingerly, as if moving wrong may make him angry. He hoped his tentative attitude towards Max wasn't blaringly obvious, sure that being afraid of the child you're adopting isn't a very good impression.

David nudged the door on the right of the hall open a bit more,"This is the only bathroom with a tub, but the other two have showers instead,"

Moving down, he showed them both the guest bedroom, which had sheets on it and the blanket was folded at the foot of the bed. Around the room was boxes for holidays and other miscellaneous items that David put into storage The room was otherwise barren. The wood floor creaked softly as he led them to the carpet-covered stairs. It led up and turned halfway up, then turned back around to the top floor. Upstairs was a few doors along another hallway, and at the end was an open area with chairs and bookshelves, with a desk and computer and other things to do. David showed them his bedroom, which had a bathroom connected off the side. The room further down was another bathroom, and the room directly across from that was, apparently, Max's.

David's fingers were slow to twist the doorknob, unsure about Max's feelings towards the place,"This would be Max's room, of course," He said quietly, and felt his nerves spike further upon seeing Jen was much more interested in this room than the others.

Max pushed past her, and wandered into the middle of the room to look around. David crossed his arms in a little hug for himself, watching his body language as if he could tell if something was wrong.

Max puttered around, looking around the room. The bed David bought was a full, to make sure Max had plenty of room if he tossed and turned in his sleep. He covered it with deep grey and blue blanket and flannel sheets, and three pillows sat at the head of the bed. He had a dark, wood dresser in the corner of the room, wider than it was tall, with two sets of drawers on either side. He had a bookshelf too, with the same color wood and a few novels on the shelves. There was one poster on the wall, right above Max's bed. It was for Cirque Du Freak, decorated as if it were an entrance ticket, with a '5.00 dollar admission' stub on the bottom. David found it at a garage sale- the same place he bought the dresser and bookshelf- and thought Max would like it.

Max did look at it for a little while, but ultimately continued moving around the room, opening drawers and looking behind things.

"Well, how is it?" Jen asked calmly,"Is something wrong?"

When Max dropped to his knees next to the bed, David saw bandages on his knuckles. Before he could say anything to ask, Max scared him near to death while he was scanning under the mattress,"No. Just looking for cameras,"

David paled like a ghost,"Max! I wouldn't do that and you know that!"

Max sat up from the floor and turned a dark glare towards him,"I thought you wouldn't leave me at that shithole either. Life fucking happens," David had nothing to say in return, struggling to form words, and Max stalked out of the room and back to the stairs.

David found a little difficulty trying to think, staring after him. What could he say? What happened to his hand?

"Is… there something I should know about here?" Jen piped up, a frown creasing her otherwise smooth features.

David sighed softly,"Max… is a little upset with me right now," He admitted meekly,"He has a right to be, I suppose,"

Jen raised an eyebrow,"Please tell me I don't honestly need to check for cameras, David-"

David gasped and shook his head wildly,"No! Goodness gracious no," he hurried to assure her,"Nothing like that!"

"Then what is this spat about?"

David ran his hands down his face,"I was supposed to pick up Max yesterday, but I overslept, and I ran out of gas on the way there," He explained,"My phone was dead, I didn't get home until now, I had to work," He chuckled humorlessly,"I'm pretty sure my phone died again after I called Gwen,"

Jen hummed,"Well, I can understand his side of it,"

David nodded, grimacing at the words.

"But I can understand yours too," She continued,"Just talk to him. You ought to have plenty of time after this interview," Jen assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder and leading him to the stairs.

David tried to smile, but he was sure it didn't look very believable in the face of the situation.

When they reached the bottom floor again, he saw Max in the armchair with the bottom lifted out and leaned back in it. His hood was over his eyes, and he didn't lift his head when they entered the room.

David took a spot on the loveseat to the left of the couch where Jen and Chikae now sat, and directly across from the chair Max had decided to nap in. Jen flipped through a couple things on her clipboard, pursing her lips in thought as she did so.

"Okay, so let's talk about your childhood, David," She said, still focused on the clipboard a few moments before finally looking up with a smile.

David returned it but he felt queasy,"Alright, I can do that,"

"Were you close to your relatives?"

David shrugged,"I visited with my grandparents- my mothers side- before they passed, and I have an Aunt also on my mother's side, but I didn't see her very often."

Jen hummed,"You're an only child?"

David nodded.

"Was there ever any issues with drug or alcohol abuse in your home or family?"

David scratched the back of his neck, but Max piped up before he could answer,"Dealing with him all the time? I wouldn't be surprised if they needed something to take the edge off,"

Jen glanced at him, then returned to David, who quietly answered,"My father drank but not very often or excessively,"

Jen paused before she went on,"What were you like as a child? A teenager?"

David chuckled softly,"I was a little stubborn when I was younger, rebellious and such, but I went to camp and that changed my attitude for the better," He explained,"I struggled with depression for a little while after I was sixteen, but I only received any therapy when I signed up for it myself after I moved out,"

"Do you still go to therapy?"

David nodded,"I have a session every month, or more if its an emergency,"

Jen hummed,"And have you had any trouble with depression since?"

David shook his head,"No, not at all,"

Jen nodded, still scribbling things down,"Okay… what was the prefered discipline in your house? Were you ever abused as a child?"

And there it was; David shifted in his seat and leaned back on the cushion,"I… wouldn't call it abuse? I guess. Not physical really? My father was strict and he… he prefered corporal punishment above anything," David calmed himself for a beat before going on,"He used my mother's feelings against me a lot, as if it was my fault she was sad or angry. I'm sure there was emotional abuse, or manipulation somewhere in there," He waved a hand,"I don't speak to my parents unless I struggle with money or for a family reunion,"

Jen tilted her head at that part,"I can see this is still a soft spot, we can move on,"

David sighed quietly, and glanced to Max. To his surprise, the boy had lifted his hood and peered out at him calmly. David held his gaze for a moment, trying to figure out what was going through his mind, but Max lowered the hood and settled down again. David chewed on his lower lip for what must have been the fiftieth time that day.

"You said you speak with your parents if you have financial trouble," Jen said,"is that often an issue?"

David shook his head,"No, I've only asked once when I had first moved out and was in a car accident," He told her,"I was actually approved for a management position just before I came here, kind of the reason I was late,"

He smiled sheepishly, and Chikae leaned forward to tug a cookie free from under the plastic wrap. David smiled, always happy to be the good host and bake for his guests.

"Well, congratulations!" Jen beamed,"Do you know how much you'll be paid? Salary, hourly?"

"Well, until I'm done training, I'll be working hourly and off of tips. After that, she said a salary of 26,000 a year,"

Jen nodded,"Alrighty. Now, as far as this house will go...I know you were motivated to adopt Max because of your relationship at camp and the upsettingly sudden 'Call to action' he's experienced," She said, to which Max lifted his hood again and fixed her with a disdainful scowl,"But can I ask if you had ever intended to have children before Max?"

David nodded brightly,"Oh, yes! I love kids, I babysat a lot when I was a teen, and I was briefly a live-in nanny for a family friend after they had a baby,"

"How did that go?"

"Well I started about six months before I went to work at Camp Cambell, so I found a replacement for them and put in my two weeks. I took care of the newborn and their 7-year old."

"As far as Max goes, what do you think your strengths would be when raising him?"

David spoke haltingly,"Well… I feel like we're already close because of camp-" Max snorted loudly from beneath his hood,"...Er, I'm a very good listener, and I'm always open to talk about feelings-"

"Bold of you to assume I have any," Max grumbled.

David frowned softly, deciding he was done talking before he got flustered speaking over Max.

Jen cleared her throat,"Do you plan for Max to attend homeschooling, public school, or a private school?"

Max grunted,"He scrapes up gum off tables at a summer camp. He can't teach me anything but boy scout badges and knot tying,"

David sighed and tried to ignore him,"Public school,"

"Do you cook your own meals or can you provide the right nutrients for a maturing child?"

"He's a fucking toothpick, what do you think?" Max snapped,"And with his hand in daddy's wallet Im sure he's far from broke,"

Chikae sat up this time, looking less and less pleased with Max's quips,"Max, this serious,"

"Do you have to announce that to anyone you talk to? That nail polish is pretty flamboyant," Max's tone was haughty and sarcastic.

David stared at him,"Max! I understand you're upset, but-"

Max shot upright in the chair and fixed David with a look that could have killed,"You don't understand a goddamn thing," He stayed still, staring the counsellor down for a few more moments, before flopping back on the chair,"Ask the next fucking question,"

Jen shifted patiently,"While we're on the topic, I suppose," She scanned Max's prone form,"Should rules be broken or trouble arise, what methods do you have of handling such issues?"

Max bolted upright again, eyes blackened and angry,"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? On the topic my ass," He snarled.

"Max, will you settle down!" David scolded him, feeling heat in his face and a sense of being overwhelmed swarmed his head.

Max turned to glower at him,"Well go on, answer the fucking question, Davey,"

David stared right back, sick of submitting to those awful stares,"Well I ought to think a round of washing out your mouth is in order!"

Max grinned deviously,"I'd like to see you fucking try,"

Chikae shifted again,"Let's all settle down, please,"

Max once again turned to snap at him,"Listen here, ponytail-"

"Max," David snapped, catching his attention,"What has gotten into you?"

Max jeered nastily, "For the low, low price of child molestation charges, you could be asking who-"

"Max,"

Max had a wild look in his eye, nose crinkled at the bridge, a grin on his face as if to say Do something. I dare you.

David would most certainly do something.

Triple dog dares be damned.

He stood out of his seat in a flash, crossing the space between them in two quick strides. Max barely had a chance to react before David hefted him out of the chair, set him on the ground, and snatched his wrist in a tight grip. After excusing them both with a passive tone, he carted Max off down the hallway. He pushed open the guest room door. He pushed Max forward without much grace, and slammed the door behind them both.

Max stumbled from the force, still a bit surprised by David's sudden jump into action. He caught his balance and turned to face him again, the usual deep-set scowl darkening his eyes.

David put his hands on his hips, frustration bubbling in his voice as he spoke sternly,"What are you doing, Max?"

Max said nothing in reply, shoving his hands in his pockets.

David pushed a humorless, breathy laugh from his lips,"Do you want to send them away? What are they supposed to think of me when you act like this during the interview,"

Max bristled,"What they think about you?" He clamored,"Fuck you! Fuck your image! Fuck this whole goddamn interview!"

David gestured out his hands, helpless,"Why, for god's sake tell me why! I've done all of this for you!"

Max was absolutely furious,"Why? Why, David?" He balled his fists in his coat pocket,"Why didn't you show up?"

David wilted ever so slightly,"Oh, Max-"

Max went on,"Why didn't you fucking text me? Why did you just fucking leave me?" His voice wavered,"Why does everyone keep fucking leaving me?"

David felt the air in his chest disappear, the frustration dying on the spot,"Max, it's nothing like that-"

Max stepped away from him and pointedly shook his head,"No, it never fucking is. It's never this big thing to you, it's never important to you, it never fucking matters to you,"

David had nothing to say, and could only stare on as Max ranted.

"This stupid- stupid tiny things are so fucking pointless! They don't matter to you, or anyone, and I'm just," Max struggled for words for a few seconds, and erupted into a frustrated shout of anger,"I'm just fucking standing here, like some god damn toddler throwing a tantrum over shit that doesn't matter but I can't stop thinking about it because I thought- I thought you would show up," He stepped back again, as if he was trying to back into the corner,"I looked so fucking stupid just sitting there for four fucking hours,"

David was dumbfounded. He'd expected anger, hostility. He knew Max would be angry with him, even a little upset, but this… This was beyond just what David had done. This was his old parents, and abandonment. This was more than David ever expected Max to open up with.

Max went on, voice wobbly and still bitter,"I could have just gone to bed, or eaten or fucking ignored you but I couldn't because you're in my head now! I… I keep fucking thinking you're gonna do what you tell me you will, and I don't… don't have to have a backup plan for when you just decide to leave, and then this stupid shit happens and I have to start all over and I don't want a fucking plan," Max shook his head furiously, lifting his hands to wipe harshly at his face,"I w-ant to stop fucking caring what you do, and w-why you didn't show up, and if you're h-hurt because it's fucking stupid stuff I didn't care about before a-and now I'm just throwing this tantrum l-ike a fu-ucking five-year old, and I-...I…"

Max groaned again, forcing the sleeves of his jacket against his cheeks in rage and pressing hard to make the tears stop. David saw the bandaged hand once again, and held himself back from asking. He rubbed roughly, and his skin burned but he couldn't find a fuck to give. David once again closed the distance between them and sat on his knees in front of Max, grabbing his wrists tightly and pulling them away from his face. Max shouted again, angry, trying to shove David away or hit him or something to hide from his own embarrassment. David held fast and shook him a bit.

"Max, stop it," He demanded firmly, shaking him again to get him to listen,"You look at me, right now. Eyes up, Max,"

Max rolled his eyes even as he sniffled, as if he could save face by playing the sarcasm card, but held David's gaze when he spoke.

David held his wrists still,"You are not throwing a fit. You're upset, and angry with me, and you have every reason to be, kiddo," He said, softly,"Yesterday was bad, and pretending it wasn't isn't gonna fix it,"

"If it was so bad why didn't you just show up!," Max yelled,"When am I a fucking priority?"

David shook him to quiet him,"Stop it!" He snapped,"You are always my first priority, Max! You are the reason I'm here, and the reason I worry so much, and the reason I keep ending up here. We keep having these fights and I haven't walked away from one of them. Do you have any idea why?" David paused, but received nothing as he expected,"Because I want to be here. And I would rather fight and scream and cry over something that we messed up than let you feel like you can't always talk to me,"

Max's face was still stained with tears, and it was obvious he wanted to look away, and yet he soldiered on and held his eyes.

David continued,"I am going to be here, whether you like it or not, until I die. I don't care how much you scream and kick and fight me, I am gonna sit here and wait until you want to talk to me and we can fix it,"

David dropped his head with a sigh, knowing what he was going to have to do," And… I… can't expect you to bring up things with me if I hide things from you, too,"

That pulled another rise from Max instantly, and he started trying to yank away again,"Hiding- Hiding what?"

Max managed to pull one hand free, but David held onto the other even as Max tried to dig at his fingers to free himself. David hissed in pain when Max's nails cut the skin on his index and middle finger, tearing open the slice from the glass earlier. He switched to holding Max's right hand with his left, and tugged him round so he faced away from David. Before he could jerk away, he grabbed Max's other hand and pressed them both against to his back, keeping him from running or swinging at him anymore.

"Let me go, David,"

"No," David said sternly,"Let me talk, Max." He huffed a breath, holding his now bleeding hand against his shirt with a pained wince,"It's not an excuse, none of this is. I promised you to see you whenever I saw you even when I knew how busy I would be. This isn't a guilt trip, and it never will be. Tell me you understand that?"

"Just fucking tell me!" Max snapped, twisting in his hands again.

David tried his best not to roll his eyes,"My car broke down last night, okay? Well it didn't break down, it ran out of gas. Gas I spent on the two hour drive from here to the home, and from there to work, and there to the camp to help Gwen," Another sigh,"I was everywhere at once, I don't think I got a decent night's sleep since last week," He glanced down at his hand, and blood still beaded at the cut before running down to his palm,"And the only reason I was so late, and my phone was dead, and my car was out of gas, was because I overslept after third shift at some job I was training for.

David shut his eyes, wondering why in the hell he hadn't just come clean earlier,"I had to find a new job before they asked about my income, because I've been about as close to broke as you can get for the last week and my old job never told me I was fired," He pressed his hand back against his shirt because why the hell not,"The camp is in debt over its eyes and I had to sort it out before I lost that job too. And I tried, I swear I tried to text you or call. As soon as the crank-charger thing got my phone up to thirty I tried to call you but it wouldn't go through,"

David hung his head, a sense of shame washing over him for not telling him this earlier,"I just wanted to make this easy, and make sure you felt wanted and- and safe." he said softly,"I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand," voice breaking, David felt a lump in his throat.

Suddenly, Max tore away from David's grip and spun around to face him. David flinched back, startled by the sudden movements.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Max shouted, face still streaked with tears.

David laughed as tears brimmed his eyes,"I don't know! I have no idea," He admitted,"I just didn't want you to think you were a burden, I didn't want to make anyone worry,"

Max scowled,"You wasted money on me every fucking day," He spat,"You could have just- just stayed home! Called or something- jesus, David," Max wiped his face, less angry this time.

David shook his head,"I just…" He took a steady breath and looked up at the boy,"If I had to do it all over again, for the rest of my life… If it meant," his words were broken by the tearful tone,"If it meant I could keep you happy and safe and share my home with you, I would do it without a second thought,"

Max's expression changed multiple times as he looked down at the teary-eyed counsellor,"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like I would leave you," He whispered,"Or if I made you worry, and I'm sorry I didn't show up,"

"You got the job, right?"

David blinked in confusion, feeling tears glide down his face,"I… yes, I did?"

Max scuffed his foot on the floor, having been staring at the carpet for some time now,"You can visit one time,"

"Max," David deflated, not wanting Max to think it was him that caused all the stress.

"One time," Max repeated, stronger,"Each week. That's fucking it,"

Well, if David couldn't talk some sense into himself, maybe Max could. As long as he was okay with that, David supposed he could be too. He wanted to see Max whenever he could… but that would happen after he was adopted too. David just needed to be patient.

David was tentative, but he sighed and nodded,"Alright,"

There was quiet for a few moments, then David wiped his face and chuckled tearfully.

"What?" Max mumbled, eyes still watching his shoes.

David chuckled again,"I thought I was the one supposed to be making the rules,"

Max looked up to roll his eyes, and just about yelled again. David had a streak of blood across his cheek, and even more from where he moved his hand away from his shirt.

"Fucking shit, David where are you bleeding?" Max bolstered, until he saw David's hand,"Did I… Fuck,"

David was going to answer, assure him most of the blood was from his diner shift, but Max reached forward, sleeve pulled over his fingers, and wiped against his cheek. David shut his eye, lest Max poke him accidentally, but sat still otherwise. When he decided he was satisfied, Max pulled a fistfull of tissue paper, bandaids, and tape out of his pocket. David's eyes widened at the scene, surprised.

"I was gonna stick em all over your stuff," Max mumbled,"To piss you off,"

David couldn't help but laugh at that, realizing Max had wandered into the guest bathroom when they first got there. Well, at least he knew why now. David reached for one of the bandages in his hand, but Max jerked away and glared.

"Your hands are all fuckin gross, back off," He snapped,"You're a fucking mess,"

David smiled weakly,"Aren't all of us sometimes?"

Max said nothing, and set to individually unwrapping each bandage and sticking them to David's fingers with a strangely accurate precision. He wondered how many times he'd been taping up his own scrapes when he was younger.

David spoke as he worked,"I don't like that you're so good at this," He said quietly.

He had settled for not getting an answer from the focused boy, but Max replied almost silently,"Then let me forget how to do it,"

Even as the words settles heavy in David's stomach, he watched him for a few moments, thinking it was a little endearing how focused he was on the task at hand. Sure Max didnt want to delve further into why he was so experienced in first aid, David turned his attention back to the wrapping around Max's fingers.

"Can I ask why your hand is taped up?"

Max frowned,"...I got fucking mad, and I hit things. Big deal,"

"Not people, right?"

"Not people,"

Max finally put the last bandaid on his finger. The only blood left was the streak running down his palm and the stain on his shirt. David smiled softly.

"Thank you,"

Max grumbled, but went quiet again.

David took a breath, paused, and spoke again,"I had a fight with Gwen today too," he admitted.

Max looked at the bed when he went on,"I know what people think about all this. I know they think I'm too young, or that you're difficult to talk to," Max rolled his eyes,"But I want you to know that I want this more than I can ever say. I want this, I want you, so bad,"

David smiled to himself,"I can't even start to understand who would want to leave you behind like that. Who would… would want to miss your smile, however rare it may be," He looked up, and Max wasn't smiling, but he certainly wasn't scowling either,"I don't understand why they could just shrug off these moments, when I can really see who you are,"

Max twisted to argue, once again frowning, but David interrupted,"Don't, Max. I'm not saying I know you, I don't think I've even scratched the surface," He paused and smiled even brighter,"But I know you're more than what you show. And I'm always gonna be so proud of every part of you. Even if you stay grumpy for the rest of your life,"

David chuckled quietly, hoping to lighten the mood by being silly. Instead, Max sniffled and reached up to wipe his face again. David couldn't take seeing him so miserable anymore, and reached forward to pull him down to the floor. He wrapped his arms around him, laying his cheek against Max's curls as he tried to calm his own breath.

"I'm so proud of you," David heard a muffled sound from Max, but went on,"I'm gonna make sure this works… There will never be a 'when' I leave, there's not even gonna be an 'if'. I'm gonna make sure you know you never, ever need that backup plan again," David struggled against tears himself,"I don't care how hard you fight me, I'm never gonna stop loving you,"

Max pressed further against his chest, knuckles white as he gripped onto his shirt desperately. David just nuzzled closer, rubbing his back slowly and letting him take as much time as he needed to calm down. All the while, David was in awe at the picture they would make right then. At the start of camp, a hand on Max's shoulder was cause for death. He hated David, hated the camp, hated everything. And now? David was wrapped around his finger and he couldn't be happier.

The moment was quiet, and undeniably sweet, but it didn't go uninterrupted for long. A soft tapping on the door came before Jen's voice.

"Boys? Everything ok?"

David chuckled,"Yes," he called in return,"Just need a moment,"

"Sorry to step in, but I need one too,"

David hummed quietly, looking down to Max,"Are you ready, kiddo?"

Max shook his head against David's shirt, but sat up anyways to rub his eyes and calm himself.

"I promise it'll only be a second," Jen called again,"I just need some papers to confirm the adoption, is all,"

David looked at Max just as the boy's head jerked upwards, attentive after hearing what Jen had just said.

David stammered,"What did you say?"

Jen laughed,"The sooner you get out here and sign these, the sooner we can get Max packed up,"

David and Max shared another look, paused, then scrambled to get the door.