A/N: Well I'm back. Sorry for the wait. College is a bitch, but I break up soon for Xmas so yay! Carmen: I'm glad I got Johnny in character - somehow I thought I made him a tad too arrogant/childish, but then I guess it's Johnny we're talking about. shadowncat: Here's your update. A somewhat firery chapter with another scheme.

Enjoy

Chapter Twelve

Today was the day. Max in took a breath and exhaled heavily, for today was the day that he would do it. He would confront Tyson about their relationship. He would be the submissive one no more. He would establish authority and set his lover straight.

"You either change or we're through! You got that! I'm having no more of it," He said at his reflection in the mirror that afternoon, attempting to rev himself up, as if he were a boxer up for the world champion title.

"You flirt with Miss Hillary, you disrespect me in front of everyone, you have no consideration whatsoever, but I've had it. NO MORE!" He shouted.

"No more what?"

Max turned around in shock going completely red in the face upon seeing his stoic roommate enter the room. Max flinched.

"Err…nothing" He stated more to convince himself then any.

Nonetheless, he could tell that Kai was far from convinced. He did not press on however. He merely stepped into the room and ruffled through his things, pulling out something and then exited without a word. Max was thankful. He was already nervous about the situation. A full on discussion wouldn't have been right for him at this precise moment.

Max sighed, running a hand through his ruffled locks and rubbing the back of his neck. This had been the day he'd been waiting for. It had been several days later then when he had planned but Enrique and Oliver were right. He didn't want to loose Tyson. He loved him. But he feared that Tyson's feelings had changed. That maybe the blunette just saw him as a bit of fun – someone he could tend to when he needed some.

He growled at the thought. That was like reducing him to no more then a male slut.

The door flew open suddenly and Max's heart jumped into throat and then into his stomach at the sight of the blunette he had been preparing himself for.

"Hi Maxie!" Tyson beamed, flashing his ever-winning smile.

"Err…" Max cleared his throat. "Tyson. Good. I need to speak…

"One minute, Max" Tyson interrupted.

Max grimaced.

"It's okay, guys, we can play in here," The blunette shouted out the door.

"You sure Kai won't mind," Came a reply. "We all know how he likes his privacy."

"He's not here!" Tyson shouted back, to which seconds later, the room became swamped with other inmates.

Max noted that Jermaine was present with a box of Dominos and others had bought food and drinks.

"Tyson, I really need to talk to you, "Max said a little louder this time, though not very much because this time, Tyson ignored him entirely to make conversation with the inmates.

The blond not only felt claustrophobic now, but he felt insulted. Maybe it was true. Tyson didn't feel the same way about him anymore. In the past, he had been fixated on all of Max's whims. He had been loving, affectionate and horny too. Nowadays they couldn't even be in the same room together for fifteen minutes without some sort of quarrel happening. He didn't want to think that it possible he could be loosing the blunette and he wouldn't let it happen. He couldn't.

"Tyson! I need to speak to you NOW!!" He shouted, the sudden anger in his voice rang around the room and possibly through the walls too as the room went dead silent.

For the first time, Max had seen red and had acted upon it, so much that the other inmates appeared to have halted in shock.

"Me tink we better come back some-udder time," Jermaine finally said, noting Max's stern expression.

The other inmates soon followed suit, packing up the crisps and chocolates, before murmuring their goodbyes and patting Tyson on the shoulder in some sort of silent condolence. Perhaps they knew what was about to happen.

Tyson meanwhile stared dumbfounded. Whether he was shocked or scared or both, Max couldn't tell.

Once the door had been shut, Tyson spoke.

"Max, what's going on?"

"Sit down!"

Tyson gulped. He had never seen Max so serious before.

"Tyson," Max began.

He rested his arm on the opposite bunk.

"How do you feel about me?"

Tyson screwed up his face.

"But you know how I feel about you…

"Just answer the question," Max snapped.

Every moment he spent, he surprised himself more by just how furious he was.

"Max…what's this all about?"

By his tone, he seemed to think that it was kind of joke. It only infuriated the blond more. Couldn't he take things seriously for once?

"Okay! Why do you consistently flirt with Miss Hillary?" He blue orbs stared hard at his lover.

"Oh, here we go again" Tyson rolled his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I've already told you"

"Sometimes I think you'd prefer her over me"

"What!"

"Well am I right?"

"What's your problem, Max?"

"…You're my problem!!"

Tyson paused.

"Oh that's rich!" He finally said. "After everything we've been through,"

He had been expected this and had tried to follow Kenny's advice, but his calm face was falling fast.

"Like what, Tyson!" Max pressed. "I mean, we don't even 'fool around' anymore!"

"It's you who hasn't felt like it. So I thought that maybe, I dunno, you couldn't perform anymore,"

Max froze.

Tyson could see the hurt in his eyes and it had stung him too, but before he could justify himself, Max retaliated.

"So it is true then, " He said. "I was just your little whore and now that it's not working for you, you're just pushing me to one side"

"What!" Tyson was stood up by now, his calm had disappeared entirely.

"You never loved me at all"

Tyson growled.

"I dunno what your problem is," He retorted. "You're not the Max I used to know.

"That's right! I'm not," The blond yelled matter-of-factly. "I'm changed and for the better. I now see that you've never been right for me. You don't appreciate me and you don't even realise just how lucky you were."

"Listen, if you're breaking up with me, then go right ahead," Tyson shouted. "In fact, ya know what, I'm breaking up with you because I've had enough of your bullshit! You're always complaining and whining. If I knew you were so jealous, I would've never got involved with you"

The blond froze again, staring into the blunette's angry eyes. He was searching, trying to find an ounce of doubt in what he had just voiced, but there was none. He felt a sharp pang in his chest.

"What's going on?" Someone shouted from outside as the door burst open and Miss Hillary, along with several other officers appeared.

Max stared at the female officer, remembering that she had been one of Tyson's little distractions. He glared at her before turning his gaze back to Tyson.

"Nothing!" The blunette replied. "It's over!"

Max in took a breath painfully, as he watched his ex-boyfriend turn on his heal and push passed the authorities. He knew what that comment really meant. He knew the hidden message. His stomach churned just then and as if on impulse, Max rushed towards the toilet and spilled out his insides in heartache.

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Ian hummed that afternoon to himself, snaking through the crowds, most of which had been in discussion about the event that had occurred earlier that day. He had heard from Jermaine himself, that Max had shown a new leaf that morning and he himself, had heard the enraged voices to know that Max and Tyson had had that long overdue argument. Now as a personal schemer, it was only right that he pay his respects to the newly separated couple. He'd had a brief word with Tyson, who kept flaring up at the mention of his ex's name, so he hoped that Max would be much calmer, but after hearing that it had been Max who'd initiated the row, he knew to expect anything.

He approached Max's dorm as the flamboyant duo, Oliver and Enrique, stepped out. When they saw Ian coming, they switched from their normal lovey composure to a more indistinct manner.

"Max doesn't want to see anyone at moment" Oliver remained indifferent.

"But I'm surprised that you'd want to pay him a visit," Enrique added.

Ian snorted.

"Aww, how cute. Do you finish each other's sentences often or have you become Oliver's official bitch?"

Enrique glared.

"Let's not waste anymore time here. He's not worth it, Enrique," Oliver tugged on his lover's arm, before they departed.

Ian smiled. How he loved to torment them.

He pushed open the door then, seeing that Max was lying on the top bunk with his back to him. He was huddled as if he were cold.

"Whoever it is, just go away!"

That was certainly different. Max had never been one to turn away a friend, even if they weren't that close. Perhaps the argument had traumatised him and for Ian, the more traumatised, the better.

"Now that's not a very nice way to greet someone is it," Ian spoke in the sarcastic way that he did so often.

He saw Max look up briefly.

"Ian? What d'you want?" Max replied bluntly.

"Oh nothing. Can't I just check up on a friend?"

"It depends. We've never been that much of friends, so if you're looking for Tyson, he's probably around…somewhere," He spat at the name with disgust.

Ian was quite impressed however. He would have never put 'Max' next to the word 'guts' in a sentence had he not seen him now. He wasn't the passive one no more. He'd become a real man. Max had balls.

"Fair enough! You got me," Ian said. "But I just thought you'd like to know, I've been hearing things.

"I'm not in the mood for this,"

"Oh, hear me out, hear me out," Ian pushed. "I mean it's not like you're going anywhere."

Max shuffled on the bed. His silent gesture signalled to Ian, for him to continue.

"It's kinda funny because no one would've expected you to raise your voice, let alone raise your voice to someone like Tyson," Ian began. "It was bound to get ugly, I'm not gonna lie. But you've never been the argumentative type so I'm just wondering where it came from."

"Why would you care?"

"Maybe I think its good you've finally stood up for yourself, especially because everyone knew that you'd taken a backseat to Tyson,"

Max looked up.

"Just what is this about, Ian?"

"Lets just say you shouldn't believe everything people might tell you to do," Ian replied. "After all, things were bad before, but we all know you didn't want this to happen, but maybe somebody else did, because it wouldn't be the first time."

Max stared at Ian's retreating form as they door shut behind him. Just what was he up to? He was just stating the obvious. Things had been bad before. He'd been quiet and had blamed himself, but then he'd gotten stronger just then. All of his hate and anger had flown into that one moment and if it hadn't been for his talk with Oliver and Enrique…?

Max gasped.

…Then this would never have happened.

TBC…

Interesting. Max seems a bit scary when he's serious like that. I mean, we've seen him serious, but not this serious.