Part 15
Sleep tugged at Max's eyes as he felt someone come and sit down next to him. A soft, warm body snuggled closer to him. He smiled, his eyes still closed as he felt the familiar touch, smelt the familiar smell. Light kisses trailed down his face to his lips and he kissed them back. When the person pulled away, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hey." She whispered softly, smiling her beautiful smile at him.
Max felt captivated by her sweet smile, a smile he had missed so much over the past weeks. "Hey," he whispered back. He sat up and then realized that he was still Liz's balcony where he had fallen asleep last night.
He looked back at the girl sitting next to him, still smiling sweetly at him, her dark brown hair falling softly around her face. He pulled her into a hug.
"I've missed you so much Liz." He whispered hoarsely as he held her close. He felt Liz's hands snake up into his hair as she hugged him back, kissing his neck.
"I know," Liz whispered back. "I missed you too."
"I thought I'd lost you." Max told her, breaking away and looking worriedly at her. "I thought I'd never see you again. Th-there was so much I wanted to tell you." Max broke off.
Liz kissed him softly. "Shh, it's all right now. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She told him soothingly. "We can start over again, we can be together now. Just you and me."
Max looked at her lovingly, hopefully. "I'm so sorry Liz." He told her. "For everything."
Liz smiled again and caressed his cheek. "It's okay Max. It's okay."
Max pulled her into a hug again, can not believing that she was here and with him once again. He didn't know how that was possible but all he knew and cared about was that she was here and with him. He felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders.
"Max, Max.Max.Max."
"Hmm." He mumbled, thinking it was Liz. But then the voice turned to Maria's and he felt himself being shaken gently. The images began to fade away as he slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the light of the early morning sun. Maria was standing above him, looking at him, concerned.
"Max?" she called softly. "Wake up."
Max gazed around a bit, unfocused as he tried to get the sleep out of his eyes. Then it registered that he was still sleeping on Liz's balcony with the blanket around him and the candles almost spent.
He closed his eyes as he remembered last night and his dream. "Oh God, it was just a dream." he whispered, his eyes tightly closed as he fought the wave of anguish. "It was just a dream. She wasn't real."
He felt Maria's arm around his shoulder as she hugged him lightly. "Oh chica. I'm so sorry." She told him. She rubbed his back comfortingly. "What are you doing here Max?" she asked.
Max looked around, trying to sort things about in his head, and still stuck on the dream about Liz. He shrugged.
"I couldn't sleep. I-I just had to get away. This was the only place I could think off." Max told her.
"You spent the night here?" Maria asked incredulously, but her voice was understanding.
Max nodded. "I just needed to be with." He broke off and abruptly got up. "I'd better go." He said.
"Max?"
Max shook his head. "It was stupid to come here."
"No, it wasn't."Maria said softly. "It's about time you did. Don't think that I haven't noticed your absence in the Crash Down and Liz's room. You've been avoiding them and it was time you faced your fears."
"That's not true." Max protested weakly.
Maria looked searchingly at him. "Isn't it?" she asked.
Max didn't answer but turned and began to head back down. He paused when he was halfway to the pipe. He turned around to find Maria watching him carefully. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" he asked unsurely. "The Parkers I mean?"
Maria shook her head. "No, I won't." she promised. "They're nice enough to let me come here when I want so I guess they wouldn't mind you coming too but no, I won't tell them."
Max smiled a little at her. "Thanks Maria."
Maria smiled, knowing he meant more than just this sleepover secret he was talking about. "You're welcome Max." she replied as he disappeared down the pipe.
She sat there for a few more minutes looking around quietly, thinking about Liz before she let herself out and headed down to start her shift.
Sleep tugged at Max's eyes as he felt someone come and sit down next to him. A soft, warm body snuggled closer to him. He smiled, his eyes still closed as he felt the familiar touch, smelt the familiar smell. Light kisses trailed down his face to his lips and he kissed them back. When the person pulled away, he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.
"Hey." She whispered softly, smiling her beautiful smile at him.
Max felt captivated by her sweet smile, a smile he had missed so much over the past weeks. "Hey," he whispered back. He sat up and then realized that he was still Liz's balcony where he had fallen asleep last night.
He looked back at the girl sitting next to him, still smiling sweetly at him, her dark brown hair falling softly around her face. He pulled her into a hug.
"I've missed you so much Liz." He whispered hoarsely as he held her close. He felt Liz's hands snake up into his hair as she hugged him back, kissing his neck.
"I know," Liz whispered back. "I missed you too."
"I thought I'd lost you." Max told her, breaking away and looking worriedly at her. "I thought I'd never see you again. Th-there was so much I wanted to tell you." Max broke off.
Liz kissed him softly. "Shh, it's all right now. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." She told him soothingly. "We can start over again, we can be together now. Just you and me."
Max looked at her lovingly, hopefully. "I'm so sorry Liz." He told her. "For everything."
Liz smiled again and caressed his cheek. "It's okay Max. It's okay."
Max pulled her into a hug again, can not believing that she was here and with him once again. He didn't know how that was possible but all he knew and cared about was that she was here and with him. He felt a huge burden lift from his shoulders.
"Max, Max.Max.Max."
"Hmm." He mumbled, thinking it was Liz. But then the voice turned to Maria's and he felt himself being shaken gently. The images began to fade away as he slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the light of the early morning sun. Maria was standing above him, looking at him, concerned.
"Max?" she called softly. "Wake up."
Max gazed around a bit, unfocused as he tried to get the sleep out of his eyes. Then it registered that he was still sleeping on Liz's balcony with the blanket around him and the candles almost spent.
He closed his eyes as he remembered last night and his dream. "Oh God, it was just a dream." he whispered, his eyes tightly closed as he fought the wave of anguish. "It was just a dream. She wasn't real."
He felt Maria's arm around his shoulder as she hugged him lightly. "Oh chica. I'm so sorry." She told him. She rubbed his back comfortingly. "What are you doing here Max?" she asked.
Max looked around, trying to sort things about in his head, and still stuck on the dream about Liz. He shrugged.
"I couldn't sleep. I-I just had to get away. This was the only place I could think off." Max told her.
"You spent the night here?" Maria asked incredulously, but her voice was understanding.
Max nodded. "I just needed to be with." He broke off and abruptly got up. "I'd better go." He said.
"Max?"
Max shook his head. "It was stupid to come here."
"No, it wasn't."Maria said softly. "It's about time you did. Don't think that I haven't noticed your absence in the Crash Down and Liz's room. You've been avoiding them and it was time you faced your fears."
"That's not true." Max protested weakly.
Maria looked searchingly at him. "Isn't it?" she asked.
Max didn't answer but turned and began to head back down. He paused when he was halfway to the pipe. He turned around to find Maria watching him carefully. "You won't tell anyone, will you?" he asked unsurely. "The Parkers I mean?"
Maria shook her head. "No, I won't." she promised. "They're nice enough to let me come here when I want so I guess they wouldn't mind you coming too but no, I won't tell them."
Max smiled a little at her. "Thanks Maria."
Maria smiled, knowing he meant more than just this sleepover secret he was talking about. "You're welcome Max." she replied as he disappeared down the pipe.
She sat there for a few more minutes looking around quietly, thinking about Liz before she let herself out and headed down to start her shift.
