Hi, everyone. I've never done this before but I figured I'd give it a go and reach out to my readers (who I would like to thank for their awesome support) and ask for their opinions. I also want to apologise for taking so long with this chapter, I've been dealing with some personal stuff but I'm back now. I'd originally intended to make this next chapter the last, including some exposition, but I've now decided to make this a purely expositional chapter. But I would like your opinions: shall I end it in the next chapter? I plan on doing a couple of oneshots afterwards, unless you want me to just continue this series and developing a plot or multiple plots for it. Please let me know what you'd like to see in future. Also, I apologise for the length of this chapter but I only wanted to use it for exposition since I'm not sure whether the next chapter will be the last yet, so please communicate with me. I don't bite. Thanks you!

~Reckless

The now normalised rain pattered against the large windows of the Williamsburg diner, and a small stream ran past it's door. Max sighed. Business hadn't got any better. A twang sounded behind her. She rolled her eyes.

"Would you shut up already?" she said, turning. Kevin grinned and turned the volume knob on his guitar to 10, then launched into a solo. Caroline, appearing from the kitchen, strolled past and turned his amp off.

"Hey!" Kevin whined.

"This is a business, Kev. Han says you're scaring off customers." she said, checking that every table had a specials menu on it- the special today being a guaranteed fully cooked poached egg. Oleg was improving. Kevin huffed and turned his amp back on, then began strumming the intro to Friends. Caroline glared at him. He grinned.

"What customers?" he asked, before receiving a menu to the face. With a sigh of submission, Kevin unplugged his amp.

"I'm bored," he grunted. "Why are we still here? You're not making any money. Let's fuck off to a movie or something."

"I know this is a foreign concept to you, but this is a JOB. It pays RENT. I don't do my job, I can't pay rent. I can't pay rent, I live on the streets." Max explained.

"Just do what I do," Kevin said. Max raised an eyebrow in question.

"Flirt with some bird until she lets you live in her flat." Kevin nimbly dodged the menu this time. He laughed and stood up.

"I'm out. Cheers."

"Where are you going?" Caroline asked. Kevin shrugged. Caroline raised her eyebrows and looked at Max, who rolled her eyes, then stood up too.

"Fuck it, I'll go with you. Blondie can pay for electricity this month." she said. Caroline laughed.

"You two have fun," she said, waving them away. Kevin skipped toward the door and held it open. A gust brought rain pouring onto him. Max laughed and sashayed over after producing an umbrella from beneath the counter. She waved goodbye to Caroline, then stepped outside with Kevin.

"So," she asked him as they walked down the soaking sidewalk, hugging the wall to keep out of the wet. "Where are we headed?" Max asked. Kevin shrugged.

"Figured we could go see the Power Rangers movie." Max made a vomiting sound. He laughed. She laughed too, glad to hear that he was joking.

"No, seriously…" he started. She punched him in the arm.

"No." She said. Kevin sighed and hung his head. They turned the corner, and he kicked a small branch. It slid into a gutter and floated past them.

"Truth be told I was hoping to talk to you," Kevin suddenly said. Max looked his way and felt the familiar sensation of uncertainty in her stomach. Some important information was coming and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what she thought he'd say. "I fly back to London in two days." That wasn't what she thought was coming. Why?

"Okay," she said. Not okay.

"You're okay with that?" Kevin asked. He stopped walking and turned to her.

"Yeah, sure. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. Kevin held her gaze for a minute.

"You know, it's a funny thing about people. Anyone can make their lips lie," he said.

"I didn't l-"

"But it's impossible to make eye's lie." Kevin's words had a certain weight to them, and he'd lost the carefree atmosphere about him. Max tried to argue again, then looked down when her words failed her.

"I'm going to tell you my story," Kevin said, almost reluctantly. "It'll explain what happened on the roof the other night." He shoved his hands into his pockets, turned, and began walking again, not waiting for Max. Coming out of her daze, she jogged to quickly catch up. They walked in silence for a bit, passing a few restaurants and stores. Kevin cleared his throat.

"I had a sister. Had," he began. "And I had a father. Had," Some rain blew into their faces and Max flinched. Kevin didn't even wiped it off his face. "My father had always been a heavy drinker, especially after mom died. He was a good man though. Just not as good when he wasn't sober. My sister was young when that started and when she was old enough… actually, before then, she developed her own habit. My dad always discouraged her while he was still sober, but once he had a few in him they were drinking buddies. And he'd never remember. I drank too. But I drank alone. And I gave my sister hell. I loved her. I couldn't stand watching her waste all her time drinking with my old man when she should've been studying," Kevin had walked into the rain now. It battered against him but he didn't seem to notice. He was drenched. "Two years ago, on that same night as the one on the roof… we were taking care of our dad. Supposed to be. I was in the cellar, on my fifth...or was it sixth? I can't remember. I was going through some old letters from mom. Always a bad idea. I'd left my father upstairs with my sister. Too drunk to care. I passed out," Kevin stopped and they walked in silence again. He tugged at his sleeve. After a few minutes, he began again. "I woke up and found the car gone," he said. Then waited again. He began to breathe a faster and raised his voice. "I thought that my dad had gone to bed and that my sister had left without me. But her purse was still in the kitchen, and my dad wasn't in the house," Faster. Louder. "I called around but no one knew where they were. And then…" he swallowed. He'd began to pant. "I got a call… From my insurance company. They found my car totaled against a tree, five kilometers from my dad's house. Two from the bar." Kevin was almost yelling now. He hadn't looked at Max once while he spoke but she hadn't taken her eyes off of him. She knew which were raindrops and which were tears. "In the front," he choked. "Were two bodies. A woman in the driver's seat. An man next to her," And Kevin stopped. "I lost them both," he said quietly. "And that meant I had no one left. I fell into a deeply alcoholic state for a week then never touched drink again. I found my refuge in music. But I'm still haunted," Max stepped into the rain and pulled Kevin down to hold him. He hugged her back tightly. "I figured I could tell you since I'll probably never see you again." Max suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and strained to swallow it. Then she kissed Kevin. They stood in the rain together, Max in her work clothes and Kevin in the same beaten denim jacket he'd been wearing since he'd met her. Then she pulled away and looked into his eyes. She smiled.

"C'mon, you nerd," she said, dragging him behind her. "Let's go see your stupid Power Rangers movie."