"You keep staring at me," Thackery observed as they sat across from each other later in the safety of Max's room, "Is something wrong?" And things weren't awkward between them per say, but it was a definite change that left them in unfamiliar grounds.
"No!" Max exclaimed, frantically waving his arms as if to physically dispel the notion, "I just can't believe that you're here with me, in person. I've been waiting for so long..." When he trailed off, he could see the doubt beginning to settle into the other teenager's expression.
"Is it not what you were expecting?" And he could almost hear what the other was really asking; was Thackery not what he was expecting.
"You're everything I was expecting and more," he swore, taking one of Thackery's hands in his own. It had startled him at first, that Thackery was bigger than him. Taller, more muscular, with hands that engulfed his own. It was perfect in every way; he was perfect in every way. Now he just needed to get the words out.
"You once told me that you wouldn't know how you truly felt about me, about us, until you saw me in human form. Here I am, Max, and I still need an answer. Because I still want to be with you forever; if anything, being here with you, like this, I've never wanted anything more." Those eyes stared into his soul intensely, with a heat that he wasn't used to. It made him blush and stutter, suddenly shy in the face of the one he cared for.
"I want that too," he decided in a rush, eyes darting around, unable to return the gaze, "I want to be with you until the end, I want to give you everything I have that I couldn't give you before. I want to make you happy, I want to be happy with you." It seemed like that was all the other needed, a sigh of relief filling the space between them, a space that the menace was beginning to cross.
Thackery is kneeling now, moving towards him slowly as if to give him time to move away, to stop the inevitable, but Max stays where he is, glancing between those piercing eyes and those lips. He can feel the other's breath on his face before lips meet his own, and it feels like fate, like destiny, like this was how it was always meant to be. There's a hand curled around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer. His own hands move from where they were planted on the floor, keeping him up, to cup Thackery's face, causing him to fall back, Thackery following him down without hesitation. Lips find his own again, body hovering over his, pinning him in place on his bedroom floor. And as much as he is tempted to get distracted by his emotions and thoughts, he's thoroughly engrossed in the feeling of the other. There's a hand creeping under his shirt, warm fingers brushing over his stomach teasingly in a way that causes him to jolt. There's a tongue tracing his lip before Thackery pulls away, moving to place chaste kisses on his throat as they both pant.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this; how much I've wanted to touch you like this; how much I've wanted to make you mine?" the other boy asks, voice husky in a way that makes Max whimper. The leg that was settled between his own shifts upwards to brush the crotch of his jeans, the friction making Max gasp and arch into the thigh between his own. He can't help but grind into the touch, making a low sound leave Thackery in return.
"Tell me what you want, Max." It's serious, like a demand or an order. His tone, combined with the way the other teen was beginning to suck bruises into sensitive skin, had the California native shivering.
"I-I don't know," he whined, suddenly unsure about the whole thing. Was he a good kisser? He wanted to touch Thackery too, but where should his hands go? Was he allowed? It was so hot, and Max found himself unable to think straight.
"I need you to do better than that, lovely. The things I've wanted to do for you, to you, with you. I've been watching you ever since you stepped into that house, ever since you lit that candle. I haven't wanted anything except death for such a long time, and then you came into my life." He always seemed to know what to say, the words flowing like poetry from his lips. It made him feel inadequate, with his stuttering admissions and definitely not suave seductions. Thackery was a natural, and as much as he wanted this, he didn't know what to do.
"But I need you to talk to me, darling. Otherwise, I'll stop." It was a threat, one he knew the other wouldn't hesitate to make good on.
"Don't!" he yelped, the volume resulting in Thackery giving him a wicked smile before kissing him until he was dizzy with it, "It's too much. I've never done this before."
"I know, that's why you were able to light the Black Flame candle in the first place, my little virgin," the once cursed boy teased gently, but it still made Max pause thoughtfully.
"And what? You were the man whore of Salem back in the day?" he huffed, causing the other to pull back slightly with an interesting expression, "Really?" It hadn't been something that he had considered, given that he had assumed they were prudes. But clearly he was mistaken.
"I was considered of age back then, would've been married off to some maiden sooner rather than later," Thackery said, as if that explained everything. Like how he knew how to touch Max, who was definitely not a maiden. Like why he had no reservations just fucking right here on the floor, right now.
"I feel like there's so much I still don't know about you." Because realistically, he knew nothing about his supposed boyfriend. This wasn't a body he was entirely comfortable with yet, this wasn't the furry face he had become used to. It was just a familiar voice from a stranger. And he knew some things, like Thackery's favorite constellation and how he hated the sounds of cars. But he didn't know about his past other than his sister and his experience with the witches, he didn't know how many other people the cursed boy had been with, he didn't know what kinds of friends he liked to keep, etc. He didn't know what expression was on his face, what feelings were reflected in his eyes, but Thackery seemed to read him like a book, freezing on the spot.
"You aren't comfortable with this yet," the other said slowly in realization, eyes wide and guilty as he began to remove himself from Max completely. He didn't get far before hands were scrambling to pull him back, resulting in them laying next to each other on the floor, staring at each other.
"I want to be," he admitted, leaning forward for another kiss, trying to rekindle the mood that he had ruined with his overthinking. And the other allowed it, but only for a minute before he was gently pushing the more inexperienced boy away.
"We can take this slow, Max," Thackery offered softly, tracing his face like he was something precious, no less intense or passionate but more contained, "I waited for centuries to kill those hags; I can wait for you without complaint." And Max felt guilty still, but those words reassured him significantly.
"I just want to be with you like this for now, if that's okay," he admitted, focusing his gaze on where he had yet to release Thackery's shirt from his death grip. He shouldn't have just pulled the other around like that, even if the larger teen had definitely only moved because he wanted to rather than Max's feeble attempt. It was something he would have to adjust to, being the smaller one in the relationship.
"That's fine with me, I'm happy to just be able to hold and kiss you." And then he did just that, pulling Max with him as he got up from the cold and unforgiving wooden floor, moving them to lay in the bed together. He laid down first, bringing the other boy down on top of him partially so they were cuddling, Max using him as a body pillow. Featherlight kisses were placed on his head, and he finally relaxed for the first time in a long time.
They still had obstacles to overcome, conversations that needed to be had, but right now they were finally able to be together, to learn how to be together.
And it wasn't perfect, but it was all they really needed anyway.