Begin With the End in Mind

by vegetables

The end of the road is never particularly bright. - SundaeShipping, Harley/Max, Harley/Masato.

11. Part Eleven

Part Eleven

-Harley-

The ocean breeze was strong and fierce, not the least bit revealing of any sort of tiredness like the type I felt. I closed my eyes for a moment, seeing if maybe I could manage a minute or two of sleep, but the sun was burning too bright, and I felt it beating against my eyelids and face, making me unable to get comfortable. I readjusted myself, crossing my legs and sucking in some fumes from the cigarette trapped between my index and middle finger. After inhaling some, I blew the rest out into the air, watching as the dusty gray smoke flew through the wind, disappearing instantly.

I had been sitting on the bench on my backyard porch, staring out at the ocean and the rising sun for the past half-hour. I had only woken up a few minutes before deciding to come outside, and unfortunately, had left my darling Maximus all alone upstairs. Of course, he was sleeping his life away, but I still missed the little tart, especially after his amazing cooperation last night, whatever had spurred that. I couldn't complain, as I had myself one amazing orgasm, but I was curious as to why he had suddenly seemed so set on being fucked in the ass in a very rough and not-so-romantic way.

What a little whore that boy could be, too! He was easily getting his share of shags a day, and yet I was sure if I hadn't left to take a bath this morning, he would've been insistent on being fucked again. I would've been more than happy to oblige to that desire, but I felt so disgusting after being on that cruise for two days without even a shower. I'd be sure to makeup for my disappearance later though, giving the boy a good, hard shag, even better than last night's.

Admittedly, I had a crazy intent to fuck that boy on every square inch of my house: against the walls, on the floor, on every piece of furniture, in every goddamn room. Was it obsessive? Oh, yes, most definitely. But, with a child that faunlet-y and that willing to do some rather outlandish stuff, how could I not want to? My Maximus was such a little provoking tart, one that simply existed to be ravished in a way only I could offer. It was odd, because even though I made fun of Max for claiming he couldn't imagine himself with anyone else, I had to admit, I believed him now. Because, he was indeed mine, and why the bloody hell should anyone else have the absolute pleasure of fucking him?

As if on cue—like always!—I heard the sliding glass door open, and out came my darling, stepping one foot at a time onto the wooden porch and closing the door afterward. He was adorably wrapped up in the thinnest sheet from my bed, all bundled and obviously naked underneath. And, goodness, he was not even wearing his glasses, making him appear so blank and lost. He smiled when he spotted me sitting on the bench, breathing in some tobacco from the near-gone cigarette. He walked over, sitting next to me and continuing to beam.

"Good morning," he said brightly, leaning up against me in a lazy embrace.

I snaked an arm around his body, pulling myself closer and kissing the top of his head. "Good morning, Maximus," I greeted, running my hand up and down his arm.

Max tightened the blanket around his body, sitting with his knees up against his chest. He looked so goddamn cute. I just wanted to attack him. The boy took a moment, however, to stare out at the ocean, taking notice of how the sun displayed a long orange and yellow line straight down the middle of the water. He sighed in a sentimental way, pressing the side of his face against my upper-arm and pushing into my embrace. He took notice of my wet hair suddenly, running his hands through the damp strains and cocking his head.

"You took a bath," he concluded, then turning his face so he could smell me.

"A shower, actually," I replied. I inhaled the remaining fumes of my cigarette before flicking down the last of the ashes and throwing the stick far, over the porch's railing and onto the sand. I then loosely scooped up the boy, leading him over to my side and straight onto my lap. I arranged him perfectly so he straddled me right in the center of my thighs, then pulled him close, kissing his head continuously. "Looove you," I teased, singing it in a chirp.

Max ended up chuckling, turning his head and kissing me on the chin. "You know what I think the two of us should do?"

"Fuck on the beach?" I wondered innocently.

"No," the boy stated firmly. "Battle."

"Oh, pish-posh, Max," I spewed in a huff. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Come on, Harley," the boy continued, writhing in my lap a little bit and then turning his body so he was facing me.

"Maybe later," I said, grinning. I put a hand against his chest, trailing it down his body and squirming it between the small opening of the sheets that Max so tightly held. I let my hand wander down, touching between his thighs teasingly. "Why do you entice me so, Max? Coming out here in only a little linen sheet."

"I wasn't sure where you were," he told me. "I was in a hurry."

I put both my hands on his hips, urging him close. "Really, huh?" I mused. "You don't even have on any undies, you little tart."

Max rolled his eyes, but kissed me again on the chin, so clingy and attentive this morning that I was so fucking ready to pin him onto the porch and have my way with him again and again. The way his small chest felt, breathing against mine, oh, it was wonderful. And, with his arms swung around me now, allowing me to cradle him, I couldn't help wanting to screw him. I did, after all, need to makeup for leaving him this morning.

"Harley," he said, his tone in serious mode, "I have to ask you something."

I blinked, not liking this confrontation. "What?" I wondered rudely.

"Uhh, well, yesterday when you were making dinner," he started, not eyeing me at all, "I looked in your closet."

"My closet?" I echoed. "Oh, are you wondering about that fur scarf?"

"Fur scarf?" he then repeated. "No, no, it's not about that! It's about, well, um… I saw that you had your little mock-costume of May in there."

My expression flattened, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes in amusement. "Max," I called out, tilting my head, "you have no reason to be mad about that. I hung it up there because I didn't want to see it stuffed away in some box, eventually tattered by mothballs. I'll have you know I spent hours on that fucking thing."

Max looked at me for a while, then sighed. "It's not that I'm mad," he admitted softly. "It's just, well, don't you think it's a bit weird you keep it hung in your closet?"

"I just told you, darling, I don't want it ruined," I persisted in another sigh. "It's like a collector's item."

"So, you don't, like, walk around in it?"

I began laughing. "No, Max," I assured, "I don't. But, you know, you could try it on, if you wanted."

Redness swept across the boy's face. His eyes narrowed even more and he gaped several times in an attempt to say something to me. But, this certainly was not how I expected him to react. I thought for sure my comment would make him furious, and I saw ahead of time him demanding why I would ask such a thing and then following through with calling me a "weirdo," or something. But, nope! Instead, he just stayed silent, and then it hit me. Is that what he wanted? Was little Maximus curious about the wonders of cross-dressing?

The idea brought me to laughter. I threw my head back, chuckling and snickering and giggling just at the idea. "Maximus," I began amusedly, "if you want to hop into the world of May for a day, I have to warn you, that material is not very comfortable."

Max looked back up to me, but continued to say nothing. The embarrassed blush was still printed on his face, and I could feel how uncomfortable he was getting with the conversation, just by my grip on his hips and the stiffness I felt in his body. I quickly concluded that this whole modeling thing wasn't it. I searched for the answer, mulling over various possibilities, and then, oh, boy, it struck me hard. Very hard. Maximus wanted me to try it on. Oh, my, did he want a refresher of how I looked in it, and how well I pulled the damn thing off?

I began snickering, and even through my laughter, I managed to get out, "Oh, you little dirty boy—you want me to wear it, don't you?"

Even though I didn't think the redness in his face could get any deeper, it did. A lot deeper. "Harley, you don't think that's weird, do you?" he asked in a humiliated way. "I mean, it's just May's outfit."

"Max, I wore the thing—I'm not going to criticize you for wanting to see me in it," I explained with a grin. "You just want a little reminder on what she looked like, huh?"

Narrowing his eyes again, the boy said, "Yeah." But, oh, he was lying. I could tell there was something more.

"Okay, Max, I'll be happy to do it for you," I agreed. "But, you have to do something for me."

"Like what?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"You have to play on the beach with me for a bit," I told him matter-of-factly. "And swim. I want to see you swim, you little faunlet."

"You've seen me swim," he stated. "You didn't keep your eyes off me, and it was pretty creepy!"

"Oh, pfft, that was before I had the knowledge of what your body could do," I said, waving a hand in dismissal. "I'm not asking you to skinny-dip, Max. Although, now that I think about it—"

"No," he grunted, his eyes widening. "We can play on the beach, but I won't do that."

"Why not?" I asked, mock-pouting. "You'd look so sweet."

"Because," he explained, "that would be weird, and I'd feel like an utter moron!"

I shrugged. "Well, then, go ahead and grab that bathing suit of yours," I insisted, putting my hands behind my head in relaxation. "I'll be waiting right here."

"What about you?" the boy asked, cocking his head as he got off my lap, much to my dismay.

"Get me a towel," I simply requested. "I don't want to swim."

"So, you're just going to watch me? Again?"

"Well, do you want me to model in your sister's little attire, or not?" I questioned, folding my arms.

"Well, it's not that important."

"I think it is to you—you just don't want to admit it."

"I'd live," he assured me, but then scampered off into the house, going to fetch those tight swimming trunks and a towel for moi.

Maybe I was overreacting, but I had a strong gut feeling that little Maximus here was wanting me to model the May outfit for some selfish little reason. Either he wanted me to put it on so he could stare in disgust at how fucking "weird" I was and how I was insulting his sister's existence… or, maaaaybe, he was just trying to get an image in his head of what his sister was supposed to look like. He hadn't, after all, seen his sibling in months, and it might've been, to him, a nice reminder. But, what if it was more? He could've very well just gone nuts with anger over me keeping the attire in my closet, but instead he wanted me to model it. It did bother me that it happened to be his goddamn sister's outfit he wanted me to model, but was that really mattering to him? Maximus could've just realized cross-dressing stirred a certain thrill in him.

I grinned in delight. I couldn't wait to see what his reaction would be once I put it on. I had every intention of acting like some rundown trollop, really flaunting the clothing. He might've gotten pissed, sure, but that wasn't even half the fun. I really wanted him to see how in-character I could get as one of the lasses. It was always fun, I had to admit.

I kicked off my shoes and socks, walking down the porch stairs and onto the beach sand. I felt myself sink down, sand trapped between my toes and falling over my entire feet. I discarded my jacket, throwing it back onto the porch and walking out to the middle of the beach. Thankfully, my house was pretty far apart from the two surrounding me, so if, for some spontaneous reason, Max and I decided to shag like crazy on the beach, I was positive no one would see us. And, if they did, who the fuck cared, because they should be so lucky to witness how blessed I was having Max all to myself.

"Here's your towel!" I heard Max shout, walking down onto the beach just as I turned around to look.

I caught the towel he so rudely threw at me, spreading it out onto the sand and collapsing on it tiredly. Max had taken a towel as well, wrapping himself in it sort of like he had with the linen sheet. As payback for throwing the towel at me, I tore his off, exposing him in his cute little bathing suit, which made me giddy just to see him sporting. Oh, I just loooved how it looked on him. Not nearly as tight as the underwear, but decently close. I grinned wickedly at him, patting the empty space beside me, urging him to sit.

Max rolled his eyes, blushing all the meanwhile, and sat down in a plop. He stretched—which, I swore he did to tease me because his little bare chest jutted out and made him look so adorable—and fell backwards, staring up at the sun. I lied back, too, scooting close to him and wrapping a single arm around his body. Oh, he was just a divine little soul, so meant to be in my arms.

"So, why is it you don't want to shag on the beach, Max?" I questioned, stroking his legs.

"Because I don't know where the sand will end up, Harley," he stated angrily. "And, no, don't even try and say we can do it on the towel, because I still won't agree."

"Then, maybe I'll just have to do it without your consent, huh?"

"That's not funny," the boy grunted, turning away from me.

"Oh, fine, you're no fun," I complained, sitting up and urging him to do the same. "Go swim, you little urchin."

Max stood up, and like the impish little tart he was, ran out, throwing himself into the water and going under, through the waves and popping out a moment later, all wet and adorable. I smiled happily, reaching into my pocket and grabbing another cigarette from the tucked away box. As I lit it, still keeping my eyes locked on the boy, I thought about some of the other forgettable men and boys I had here, all of which were just one-night stands. I couldn't remember anything specific about any of them, but it was quite often that my companions would insist on coming out and checking out the ocean. I had only managed to get a few to agree to a shag on the beach, and honestly, now that I thought about it, comparing it to Max's disinterest in the act, I had to wonder why it was such a turn-off for people. Who cared if sand winded up in your ass? My cock was going up there anyway, what else really mattered?

At times, I knew it seemed as though I were some slutty whore. Max had told me I was—oh, how had that boy put it? sleazy?—and Christ, that still enraged me, because it just wasn't true. I liked a good fuck, and it just so happened that no one kept my attention long enough to want to stay in a committed—of the sort—relationship. What I had with Max was something I couldn't really label. I had grown to fucking love him, but what the hell were we? He was just my little faunlet, and I, his older male lover. I couldn't stand the plural of that word—lovers—because it was so goddamn lame and stupid that I wanted to puke.

Max, all tuckered out, I supposed, eventually made his way out of the ocean, dripping wet and waddling over to me. He sat, sighing heavily and lied down, putting an arm over his eyes. Just to tease him, I decided to sit over him, straddling his lap like he always did mine, and press my crotch against his. He was all soggy, which of course made my attire soggy, too, but I didn't care. He was just so desirable not to do this.

"Have fun?" I asked, sweeping an open palm over his chest and stomach. "Because it sure looked like it." I trapped my cigarette between my lips, using my other hand to stroke his wet hair.

"Yeah, it was fun," he said. "But now I stink of sea water."

"You smell fine to me," I noted, inhaling some smoke. I let the hand massaging his chest slide down further, beneath his swimming shorts. The boy instantly jumped, feeling my hand very quickly exploring underneath, taking hold of his limp cock and teasing it wickedly.

"Harley!" he grunted, grabbing my wrist to stop me from making him hard. "Stop."

"Oh, please, Max," I sighed, rolling my eyes. I blew some smoke in his face to annoy him. "I swear, Max, you're sexually bipolar."

"It's just,"—he blushed heavily—"I'm afraid someone might see us."

I scoffed. "Oh, nobody here is going to care." I then gave a considerate look, eyeing the house to the far left. "Well, there is that itty bitty old lady over there, but I don't think she'd have the courage to ask me what I'm doing with you."

"What if she does?" he asked curiously.

"I'm your uncle, remember," I said, winking.

"That didn't work on Misty," Max stated.

"True, but not everyone is all rooomantic, now are they?" I asked through a smile. But, nonetheless, I got off the boy, sitting back on my boring side of the towel. I ran my fingers through my own hair, letting off a huff. "Max, remind me again why I put up with you?"

"Uhh," the boy stuttered, scratching his head, "something about being a faunlet."

"Oh, yes, right," I replied tiredly, shutting my eyes. "Max, it's getting too hot out here. Let's go back inside, and I'll see what I can do about little Maykins' outfit," I then said, getting up very slowly.

Max, still lying down, opened his eyes and pursed his lips. "Are you sure?" he wondered, cocking his head. "I don't want you to feel obligated."

"Well, you let me watch you swim in all your faunlet-y glory, so I ought to. Besides, I'm in the mood for dress-up. How about you go take a shower, and I'll have fun getting ready?" I suggested, extending an arm and helping the boy stand.

"Fine," he agreed, shaking off some excess water from his hair and picking up the towel.

He led the way back into the house while I gathered my jacket, shoes and socks from the porch and then followed. We both went upstairs, but Max turned to go into the bathroom as I wandered back into my room, opening my chifferobe and grinning like a maniac as I stared at the particular attire hung on a single hanger. Oh, it looked so fun just hanging them. I was quick to take it out, lying it on the bed and beginning to unbuckle my pants. I distantly wished it was Max's hands undoing my pants as I slid them off, switching into the May-clothing.

It fit me just the same, as I hadn't really changed a bit in the last couple of years. Of course, the shirt was rather flat on me, and I realized that I had no idea where I put that undershirt that I was able to stuff. I took off the white shirt, digging through my closet to search for it. It wasn't vital to the outfit, but it was pretty obvious that sister of Max's had herself quite the development for such a young age. Maybe something ran in their family, as I would assume one would be comfortable calling May a little nymphet, which she might have been, the way she jumped around quite a bit, the gross harlot. Maybe May wasn't a virgin after all, and only rejected Drew because she didn't want him to discover that. She was probably pretending to act like she respected herself too much to have a man invade her body or whatever girls were saying these days.

I hated thinking about it, but as far as I was concerned, I could see it being true. May was capable of rounding up some men with or without intention, and she had to be an utter moron not to know virginity was currency to some, myself included. I mean, I loooved the fact I had taken Max's virginity, so surely the situation had to present itself to May more than once and with others besides Drew.

Ah-ha!

I found the soft undershirt in the very back of the chifferobe. The stuffing was very politely extruded, not the least bit obnoxious and lame, and if assembled with the right clothing, it wouldn't even be obvious it was there. But, with the tight jacket May wore, the chest would form finely, appearing very real if someone did not know better. I thought I wore the disguise excellently, although I certainly was no drag queen, that was for sure.

I threw the undershirt on, following through with putting back on the white shirt and then the jacket. I zipped it up, allowing the undershirt to shape, which I adjusted myself to appear smoother. I laughed beneath my breath, just imagining how this looked. I walked over to the small mirror on the wall, grabbing my brush and beginning to style my hair. I tied the red and white bandanna around my head, then combed out the strains so they evenly spread on both sides. I grinned at myself in the mirror, then opened my bureau to search for some makeup. I located it quickly, beginning to put some on, despite the fact May did not wear any. But, it made my features softer, more feminine.

It took me a good ten or so more minutes to get the outfit right: the way the fingerless gloves traced my hands, the way the black stockings stayed up, the way I kept the bandanna aligned. I was finally happy though, and I even thought it might've been better than the first time I wore it. I began practicing my character, winking like a moron at the mirror and swaying my hips in a more obnoxious way. I then turned, shaking my ass like I was peddling it on the street and blowing kisses in all directions. Satisfied, I placed my hands on my hips and mused over what I was going to do.

The more I continued thinking about swishing around and acting like a flirty whore, the more I wondered what Max would think about all this. Moreover, would he even be angry or would he be intrigued? Oh, now my mind was working. After all, I needed to makeup for not fucking him this morning, so why not make it a little more interesting by trying to see how he'd react to me seducing him in his sister's attire? Like the dirty sinner I knew I was, I walked out of the room, strutting as if I were on a catwalk and making my way down the hall, to the bathroom.

I heard the shower faucet no longer running, and it was obvious the boy was done. I didn't remember him taking any change of clothing into the bathroom, so he'd definitely have to walk out wrapped in a little towel. I leaned against the hallway wall, morphing into May's mannerisms as best I could, keeping an upright posture and tilting my head casually. Just as I finished my pose, the bathroom door swung open, and there, in the middle of the room, was my darling Maximus, all squeaky clean and keeping the towel wrapped around his shoulders. And, he stared at me, half-dismay, half-shock.

He opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say my name, but instead, he just gaped, blinking several times and running his eyes up and down my body. Something softened in him, and he slowly closed his mouth, a timid, polite—but very, very small—smile gracing his lips. Without his glasses, I wondered how much he could see, but the expression on his face made me think his vision was very able to take in every last inch of me.

I flashed my teeth in a grin, swaying towards him and leaning against the doorway. The boy's hair was matted down, all wet and humid, and I reached out, stroking my fingers through it and grazing his cheek. Max continued to stare, his eyes following me with every movement I made. I pulled his arm, forcing him out of the bathroom. He kept his other hand tightly gripped around the towel, ensuring it would not fall.

"Max," I sweetly called out, trying my best to sound as girlie as possible, "how was your shower?"

Max looked up at me, curious, and I fell onto my knees, smiling continuously, and now running both my hands through his hair. I leaned forward, kissing him gently and looping an arm around his waist. As we kissed, messy and fervent, I began tugging at his towel, trying to get him to let go. He was nervous though: he wasn't responding to my kiss and he surely was not wanting me to tear off the towel. But, I did, using all my strength and eventually succeeding at removing it from his body. It fell along his feet, and I pressed myself firmly against him, sucking at his bottom lip.

I heard him moan into my mouth, his breathing hitched and his hands beginning to fight the urge to touch me. I took his wrist, bringing his hand up and gently aligning it with the faux chest. He seemed more eager now, clutching his hand around the material and craning his neck to kiss me. I pressed into him, running my hand down his bare chest and eventually reaching between his legs. I was startled to find that he was already so hard, and yet, I hadn't even touched his cock. I instantly realized that this was the very first time I had ever seen the boy completely aroused before I had made him that way. I furrowed my brow, but the boy writhed, desperate and greedy for me to actually touch him now.

I pursed my lips, pressing my face into his shoulder and encircling my gloved hand around his hardness. I stroked him with my entire palm, lifting my knee up and gently rubbing between his thighs, causing him to gasp and moan and silently beg for me to fuse our mouths. So, I did: I pressed our mouths together, forcing my tongue in and almost violently tangling it with his own, clutching at his shoulders and thrusting his cock in my hand. My bare fingers teased his hardness, softly tracing him with ministrations that sent him into a haze of pleasure.

Then, suddenly, still so dumbfounded by his complete arousal, I decided I would play this game through as loyally as I could manage. In a soft, May-like voice, I whispered, "Oh, Max, I've missed you."

This caused the boy to stiffen. He looked at me, his eyelids half-closed in a mixture of lust and confusion, and I could sense he was trying to analyze my words. Perhaps he thought he had heard the voice wrong. So, to soothe him, I smiled, stroking his cock more slowly, teasing him. I then stood up, twirling around and then projecting my left hip out in a pose. My back to him, I made sure my ass shook with every little sway I made, one step at a time. I then turned back around, grabbing Max's arm and pulling him towards the room.

"Come on," I suggested, giving him a wink. "Come with me, brother."

Max, unnerved by the voice and the act, seemed to fall into it, or at least understand. He followed me, slowly, eventually making it to the room, where I was already sitting on the bed, legs crossed and both hands resting on my right knee, politely. I grinned, then patted the spot next to me on the bed. He stepped forward, continuing to walk until he was right in front of me. In a rush, I grabbed him, urging him forward to lean against me, so I could kiss him tenderly on the head. Max wrapped his small arms around me, and I felt his lips on my neck.

Dramatically, I fell back, lying impishly over the unmade bed and allowing the boy to crawl over me. The feeling of his body on mine was amazing as always, especially now that I began to see a new kind of determination sweeping through him. But, he wasn't taking off the attire. He was just feeling it, feeling me—no, it wasn't me, he was feeling her—and his small hands were so delicate and careful, stroking the seams, petting the material, patting down the folds. And, so, I—May—returned part of the ministrations, reaching up and running the properly gloved hands through his bangs, combing them out and carefully beginning to urge the boy over to the side. When he followed through, she moved over him, now on top, and lowered herself so her thin, softly painted lips could press against his chest.

"Max, I missed you," she told him again, stroking his hard cock as she wiggled her way out of her shorts. She threw them to the side, smiling at Max in her charming little way, then moving some hair behind her ear, preparing to make her next move.

Beneath her, Max writhed, rising his hips and pressing himself against her. She made a small moan of delight, thrusting her hand to get a similar response from Max. Her brother happily groaned, sliding his hand up the side of her body, cupping her left breast and then moving his palm against her shoulder blade.

"Oh, Max!" she chirped, throwing her head back, making her bangs wave about.

Max creased his brow, looking at the girl questionably as she straddled him, rubbing herself on his thigh and she stroked his warm, eager length. Excitedly, she bent down a little, mashing their lips together—a quick clang of teeth and a slither of tongues—and then thought, momentarily, how she was going to go about her next move. Should she allow him into her body, allow him to penetrate her? Or, should she just continue on and touch him and have him touch her back with no penetration at all? She could use what was not necessarily hers and penetrate the boy, but would he get confused and startled? She wasn't sure, and for a long while, she felt lost.

She had never allowed him into her and had never even planned or thought about it. It had simply never crossed her mind, a deep imprint previously resting, saying that the situation would never come up. But, now it did, and she was utterly lost. And, worst of all, the boy beneath her was frustrated and in need of attention. She sighed heavily, deciding she should keep it real, keep it the way the boy was imagining things, and so she wet her hand, moistening her brother and then herself. Max, confused, instantly realized what was going on, and panic ran throughout his body.

"No, Max," May said to him, putting a hand over his mouth before he could speak. "It's okay, I promise."

He nodded, lolling his head back as she lowered herself onto him. Her brother's eyes then widened, realizing how different this was, completely foreign to what he was used to. Oh, but he was loving it, May could tell. Her brother moaned deeply, and she did, too, but much more lowly and playfully. She straddled him slowly before sinking all the way down and moving back up, already prepared to start thrusting. May's white shirt beneath her jacket properly covered her lower body, allowing her to reach beneath and attentively aid herself as she pushed on and off the boy.

Max reached up, gripping her hips, urgently wanting her to go faster. She speed up, allowing him to impale her body as she touched herself, beginning to feel exhaustion creep into her body and even her brother's, too. Max held her tight, thrusting up as she thrust down, wildly driving the younger boy far into her, until she called out, simultaneously climaxing with the boy. She felt his release fill her body, and she fell forward, pinning herself against the boy and breathing heavily.

"May…" her brother sadly whispered.

Her name had been called out, and she felt a shiver run down her body, some form of disappointment developing as she tried to catch her breath. Her brother ran his thin fingers through her hair, breathing in her scent and rubbing his cheek against the material of her bandanna. She closed her eyes.

Now, shaking away from the act and coming back to reality, I sat up, watching as Max breathed in and out, his eyes tightly shut and his face red from embarrassment. I pulled away from Max, letting his cock slip out of me as I wiped my release against the bottom of the pillowcase. I collapsed beside him, shutting my eyes for a moment, and thinking, very desperately, as to what to say to Maximus that would even make remotely any sense.

But, for some reason—a reason I couldn't even grasp—Max decided to break the silence. He rolled onto his stomach, throwing an arm around my stomach and pressing his face into the side of my body. "Harley," he softly said, "I love you."

And, there was that strong, overpowering emphasis on "you," meaning not his goddamn sister or anyone else, but me: Harley. When Max said the words, there was a deep, passionate meaning behind it, and it was the sort of crazed teenage love that he felt in his heart, I was sure. I smiled distantly, taking off the gloves and running my bare fingers through the boy's damp hair. Oh, yes, I loved the kid, but I realized now there was a distinct difference when he said it and when I did. It made me wonder what differences there were in our actual feelings.

I couldn't help but continue smiling as I unzipped the jacket and removed both the white shirt and the undergarment beneath. I threw them both onto the floor, then turned to pay attention to my darling Maximus. I kissed him as I rested on my side, pressing my lips on his forehead, cheek and lips. I looked at him fondly, trying to get the message through to him that I wasn't angry. I mean, sure, it should've upset me that he hadn't been thinking of me a moment ago, that it wasn't I who had made him climax, but it had indeed been me who had provoked the whole incident. And, if nothing else, at least I knew now that Max was lying on some level when he said he didn't want his sister and that he had no kink. Quite obviously, he enjoyed this little scandalous affair.

"Harley, I love you," he then repeated, very frantic. He held me close as he said it, and, I honestly could sense how sincere he was being to me.

"Darling, calm down," I urged, patting his head. "Don't worry, Maximus. I love you, too."

"Really? Truly?" he wondered in a panic. "Harley, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Please, please don't be angry with me." And, suddenly, tears were welling up in his eyes and his lip quivered in an attempt to quiet down a cry.

I sat up, pulling the boy close to me. I couldn't help but smile awkwardly, both concerned and amused by Max's dramatic fright. He stifled a sob then clutched at me, pulling me closer and closer until we were fused so perfectly. I rubbed his back and shoulders, kissing his head and coaxing him back down his calm state of mind.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Harley," he stated, his words mumbled as he continued to stay pressed against me. "I don't want her. I don't. I promise."

Was he actually telling the truth? He sounded far too alarmed and distressed for me to know. So, I simply nodded, telling him, "Max, it's okay, darling. I'm the one who insisted."

"I should've told you no," the boy went on, muffling his words all over again.

"Maximus," I firmly stated, breaking apart from him so he would look me straight in the eye, "I honestly am okay with it. In fact, I'm quite overjoyed by what we got to do."

Max did calm down a bit, but I still felt his heart pounding. "Why?" he asked.

"It's fun being another person and yet still being me," I told him. "Earlier I was thinking about how I simply do not want you ever to be with anyone else, and this was sort of like that, but it was still me. I think that's funny, don't you?"

Max looked totally unconvinced and even confused, too. He narrowed his eyes, sighing, and then said, "For a while I thought it was her."

"Oh? And, how did that make you feel?" I asked.

He shrugged. "It was confusing, Harley. I knew it was you, but for a few seconds here and there, I just couldn't understand any of it." He pursed his lips. "Then—then—you didn't do what you normally did, and it felt really odd."

"Well, Max," I explained, "I figured that if I was dressed up as a lass I ought to show you how fucking a lass would be like."

"That's how it'd feel?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

I shrugged, helpless on this part. "I guess, but I'd imagine it'd feel a lot different in terms of, well, uh, texture." I searched for a further description, then saying, "I've heard it's wet and slimy, and just, well, ugh!" I shivered in disgust.

Max blushed, and soon, I found myself a bit humiliated by my words, too. For the first time in front of Max, I was talking about something I literally had no clue about, and moreover, never wanted to know about. Still, I thought Max should've been proud of himself. The last time I had let someone fuck me had been years ago. I was fine with either way, and before I had developed my own taste and style for shagging, I hadn't had a preference for where I wanted to be, but now I did. And, that, to me, made my versatility in allowing Maximus to penetrate me all the more meaningful. After all, I didn't have to, but honestly, I was glad I did. It felt different having a younger boy's cock in my ass, but it certainly felt amazing at the same time. My little Maximus was a delight.

"Harley, if you want, I'll do something to makeup for it," the boy then stated, despite me having said I wasn't angry.

I sighed heavily. Oh, this boy was impossible, now wasn't he? Of course, now was my opportunity for A). sex on the beach (and not the drink), B). having Max prance around in his undies with the umbrella, or C). coaxing him into beating each other silly. I giggled in delight, but couldn't get myself to suggest any of these. After all, it wasn't as though the boy had done something awful. We each had one amazing orgasm, so what was the problem here?

"Maximus, it's fine," I once again told him. "I had fun, and I know you did, too."

Max finally nodded. "Okay," he agreed, continuing to nod. He then brightened, smiling widely and suddenly pressing his mouth against mine, the little bipolar tart.

I responded fully, pushing against him just as hard as he was pushing against me. After we broke apart, I rubbed the boy's thighs, gently teasing him. "Now, I honestly cannot help but need to verbally note that even before I touched you, your cock was hard as hell."

Max blushed and said nothing.

I gave him a questionable raise of an eyebrow. "Now, there are two explanations here. You enjoyed seeing me in drag so much that you got hard even before my hands starting fondling you. Or, you just happened to be thinking naughty thoughts in the shower and were already semi-aroused in the first place."

"Uh, which one makes me seem less disgusting?" he asked, titling his head.

I laughed and just waved my hand in dismissal. "Okay, let's drop it," I insisted, pinning Max down on the bed and grazing his chin with my teeth for a moment or two. I felt him shiver and writhe worriedly beneath me before I rolled off him, holding the boy closer and assuring, "You and I have a bright future ahead of us, darling." I gave a smile through a long exhale.

"I hope so," he happily told me, "because at this point, it's really hard to imagine you not coming to the Johto League with me."

"Yes, it's hard to imagine who else I would fuck who is as great as you," I admitted with a shrug.

Max pushed his lip out, almost appearing to be pouting in an annoyed way. But, color swept across his face for a moment, and he stuttered, "Oh, um, that reminds me." He made a soft musing sound afterward, sucking in his lips and preparing himself for whatever it was he was going to say. "Last night I was thinking, and I was trying to decide what time was, um, you know, the best."

"The best fuck?" I clarified questionably. When I saw him nod with his eyes narrowed, I slapped my lips together, trying to think as well. "Ooh, now Max, you and I both know we've had some good times. But, really, what was such an immoral thought doing crossing your head?"

Max rolled his eyes. "Don't start," he warned playfully. "Anyway, I think, for me, Harley, it was when we ate that ice cream sundae." He blushed, but gave a reminiscent smile.

"Ooh, you little sitophiliac," I teased, grinning.

"No, Harley, it's not that," he argued. "It was just so, well, I don't know. Everything about my birthday was so unique, that included." He shrugged miserably, obviously humiliated.

To cheer him up, I decided to reveal my own favorite time, stating, "Hmm, I think I'm going to have to say just yesterday, onboard the ship."

"That's sort of romantic of you," he noted. "I mean, yesterday was when you first told me you loved me." He blushed—again!—at his own words.

I laughed. "Indeed, but I'm going to say the runner-up was when we first got on the ship, too. That was nice, too. But, how about we just try our bloody best to outdo all three of those, right here and now?" I sat up, smiling widely as I automatically locked Max into a powerful kiss.

"Mmph!" the boy mumbled, taken back. But, very agreeable, the boy swooped his arms around me, pulling me in quickly.

"I hope you don't mind a little biting this time," I whispered, flicking my tongue along his chin.

Max shut his eyes, leaning his head back and grinning happily. "Can I bite back?" he wondered, allowing my hand down his body.

"Don't act like you have to ask!" I shouted happily, gnawing lovingly at his chin. "Sink your teeth in hard, Max. Really hard." I pointed to my upper-arm, moving it in front of his mouth.

The boy looked at me considerably, sucking in his bottom lip and mulling over whether or not to do such a thing. He let his eyes meet mine as he leaned forward, opening his mouth just a bit before he pressed it against my skin. I felt his moist teeth grazing me before he loosely clamped them around a spot of skin, then, very suddenly, he pressed his jaw shut, trapping my skin in a tremendous tightness that pinched and burned and thrilled. I yelled out, grunting loudly as he continued to bite, and I decided to fondle him tightly with my free hand. His teeth's grip dropped, but I continued to touch him, feeling the stinging throb over and over on my arm.

Max leaned up, kissing me on the neck and rising his hips. I shrugged my shoulder up, wanting his mouth to align with it. The boy was hesitant, but I soon felt him bite me again, much harder this time, which caused me to gasp loudly. He did not stop though; he kept his mouth still, pressing continuously as he continued rubbing his hips against my body.

"Harley," he moaned, his teeth loosing their grip. Saliva painted me messily, and soon, the boy developed his nip into a soft, comforting kiss, sucking the skin on my shoulder.

I lifted the boy's legs, pushing my way in between and causing him to shiver dramatically. He moaned my name again, and I returned the sound with his own, moving him away from my shoulder and kissing him directly on his lips. I pressed my palm into his, closing my hand and tightly clutching to him, wanting to be close. Max swung his other arm around my neck, drifting me down alongside his small body.

xxxxx

-Max-

"You know, darling," Harley lectured, putting his hands behind his head and dragging his feet as he walked, "you just had you letter sent yesterday. I doubt your loving sister received it." He hadn't said anything in a while, but his tone was definitely on-edge.

Walking next to him, I nodded, and replied, "I know, but I don't feel like coming here everyday expecting her response, so I'm going to ask Nurse Joy if she can call me when it arrives."

"Oh," the man said, slightly snotty. "Well, then, while we're here do you care for that battle I owe you?" he wondered, cocking his head.

I looked up at Harley quickly. "Really?" I wondered, grinning brightly. "Yes! Yes!" I grabbed his arm as we walked, excitedly pressing up against him.

"My," the man chuckled, "you'd think I'd have just ask you if you wanted fucking world peace." He patted my head, enjoying the closeness, obviously.

"Well, I want to train Slugma more," I told him. "I think I am going to keep him on my team for the League since I don't have a Fire-type." I continued to press against Harley as I felt the man's fingers go through my hair.

Harley did not feel like cooking breakfast this morning, so instead, he took me to a diner, where he claimed they made the absolute best oatmeal ever. I didn't even know he liked that stuff, and really, it amused me greatly. We had ventured out to the city quite early because of the breakfast, and I had suggested afterward we could visit the Pokémon Center. Even though Harley had assumed it was because I was curious whether May had responded or not, that wasn't the reason at all (I knew it was too soon), but I did indeed want to ask Nurse Joy to forward it to Harley's house.

When we entered the Center, I immediately approached the front desk. Nurse Joy, who was typing away at the computer there, looked up, then extended her lips into a warm, pleasant smile. She stood up, walking over to me and greeting me instantly.

"How may I help you?" she wondered. "Do your Pokémon need a checkup?"

"No," I told her, "I am here because I told someone to send a letter to me at this address. I was wondering if you could call me when it comes in."

Nurse Joy smiled and picked up pen a paper from the far side of the counter. "Sure," she said, handing me the material. "Just write down your name and number, and I'll be sure to contact you."

"Thank you," I said, beginning to scribble onto the paper. I wrote my name, then Harley's phone number, which I had learned this morning along with his correct address. He lived on Rt. 09-33, which I thought was funny, as I had never heard of a street, in the outskirts of a town and in very homey neighborhood, being referred to simply as numbers.

I handed back the paper to Nurse Joy, and she once again assured me she would call when my letter arrived. I walked away from the front desk, finding that Harley hadn't been behind me like I thought, and instead was standing over by the window, filing his nails again. I went over to him, pulling at his sleeve and interrupting his manicure.

"Let's go battle," I insisted, gesturing to the sign that pointed towards the arena out back. "And, let's battle using Kirlia and Cacturne! Like I suggested before!"

"A rematch?" he wondered as he put away his nail filer. "Oh, I like the sound of that." He grinned and began walking, obviously agreeing.

"I think whoever wins should get something," I then told the man.

"Yeah, gambling with Pokémon?" he concluded. "Isn't that morally wrong, you little crook?"

"It's not that," I argued. "It's just for fun! I mean, as long as the winner doesn't get anything, like, bad."

Harley laughed, putting a hand over his mouth. "You're such a goof, darling," he stated as we entered the back room.

There were quite a number of other trainers in the room, but they were all sitting on the bleachers talking, none battling at the moment. Harley quickly claimed his side of the battlefield, so I rushed over to my side, grabbing Kirlia's Pokéball. Harley, posed so cinematically over on the other side, took out Cacturne's and threw it out, having the large, towering Scarecrow Pokémon land in a thump. I threw Kirlia's, having her land just in front of its green opponent. The two instantly recognized each other, although having only interacted during Harley and mine's first match. They seemed to develop an instant rivalry now, perhaps knowing that they would be battling more in the future.

"Okay, Cacturne," Harley called out, "don't let Kirlia win this time! Use Needle Arm!"

"Kirlia, Future Sight!"

Kirlia concentrated for a short moment, using her psychic powers to anticipate a future attack of Cacturne. Then, feeling Cacturne's Needle Arm approaching, jumped up, dodging the attack completely. Cacturne kept shooting, moving its thick arm in every direction of Kirlia. But, being rather slow, Kirlia was able to continue dodging the needles.

"Now, use Confusion!" I ordered.

Kirlia's eyes lit up in a blue glow, and although focusing deeply to allow the attack a powerful outcome, she managed to release the Confusion quickly. Cacturne was hit, obviously taking the attack in all its might. The green Pokémon quivered, but otherwise seemed fine, not being affected by a puzzled and hazed aftermath. Harley immediately commanded Cacturne use Pin Missile, causing the Pokémon to lift its arm again, shooting out purple hues in all directions. One pin hit Kirlia, causing her legs to buckle, falling over instantly.

However, before I could gather time to panic, Kirlia then stood up, and discharged a bright, burning ray of light, zapping onto Cacturne and forcing the green Pokémon to fall backwards, sliding against the brown flooring. It had been Kirlia's Future Sight attack, obviously sensing Cacturne's next move even before they were made. I smiled, glad I had ordered that as the first move.

"Cacturne, use Leech Seed!"

"Kirlia, Confusion, again!"

Cacturne somehow managed to effectively let out its attack first. The spores locked onto Kirlia's arms and legs, sucking out energy from her and bringing it all over to Cacturne. Cacturne's posture heightened, making me realize that a far amount of Kirlia's strength had been sucked out. The last of the spores remained on her, but she shook it out, letting her eyes light up again in the blue light and crush against Cacturne. This time, the Confusion affected him differently, and just like the first battle, Cacturne's concentration was tampered with, and the green Pokémon stumbled and fell back and forth on each leg.

From where I was standing, I saw Harley's mouth move in several curses, and he pursed his lips, obvious trying to think long and hard over what to do next. While he was doing so, I told Kirlia to use Double Team, and soon after, Harley ordered Cacturne to use Faint Attack.

Kirlia's form multiplied, but Cacturne was not the least bit intimidated. Instead, Cacturne chose to release several bursts of Faint Attack, all hitting one of the Kirlia figures at least once. The real Kirlia was hit twice, falling backwards and staying down for a long time.

"Kirlia, Psychic!" I yelled.

"Finish this, Cacturne! Use Faint Attack again!"

And Cacturne did this quickly, already warmed up from its last attack. The green Scarecrow threw the attack on Kirlia heavily, and the smaller creature fell backwards once again, an instant and very painful knockout. It didn't even take a second for Harley to realize he had won, and he loudly cheered, beginning to pride Cacturne over and over.

I sighed heavily, walking over to Kirlia and kneeling down. "It's okay," I told her sincerely. "You did your best, you really did." The creature gave a small smile before I returned her into the ball. I replaced the ball into my backpack, then stood to face Harley over on the other side of the battlefield.

"See, I told you Cacturne's ego wouldn't let another loss pollute his mind," Harley remarked, returning Cacturne as the man beamed with an almighty sense of pride.

"It's funny, too, because you haven't trained Cacturne once since that battle," I mentioned, rubbing the back of my head. "Congratulations."

Harley smiled at me, running his hand down the side of my cheek. "Oh, cheer up," he chided softly. "You did well."

Despite feeling down, I allowed the man to touch me, and I think I even leaned into his ministrations. He swung an arm around me, hugging me tightly, which I was incredibly embarrassed about because of the other trainers in the room. I didn't have the heart to push him away though. I just let him hug me. When I felt his arms begin to rub up and down my back, though, I had to move away. The man smiled at me mischievously, then began taking out a cigarette, placing it between his lips.

"You can't smoke here!" I reminded him.

"Fine, let's leave then," he replied, rolling his eyes and walking towards the exit.

I followed, keeping up nicely as we reached the lobby. "So, what are we going to do now?" I wondered.

"Personally, I was thinking we'd go fly kites."

"Huh?"

"I saw a flyer in the Center for a kite competition," he explained, "and I think we should go. It's at the park, darling."

I furrowed my brow. "Why, Harley?" I asked in puzzlement. "I mean, that's so not you."

"Well, don't you like flying kites?" he asked me. "And, I have quickly decided that I like watching you fly kites. At least, from what I'm envisioning I do." He extended his arm, rubbing the back of my neck with his fingers.

"Well, I guess it gives us something to do," I agreed, still kind of confused. "This isn't a trap though, right?"

"Of course not!" the man shouted, grabbing my arm and forcing me to speed up. "So, have you ever flew one, darling?"

"A couple of times," I admitted. "My dad once took May and I kite flying once. I think I was seven or something."

Harley chuckled. "Oh, yes, I am going to enjoy watching you fly a kite: running with those little faunlet legs of yours, straining your small, cute arms as you hold the sting! I think I'm getting hard just thinking about it!"

"Harley," I grunted, exhaling deeply. "Don't be weird."

"Don't be a delicious little faunlet then," he countered, rubbing his fingers around my neck hair even more teasingly.

"I think I'm going to let Murkrow out when we get to the park," I said, changing the subject. "You should let out Sneasel."

Harley nodded, and we continued walking to the park. It took about five more minutes before we actually got there, and already, from a distance, I could see various kites, of all different shapes, sizes and colors, flying through the air. Many had ribbons and bows tied to the long string, which made it seem a little silly, if you asked me.

At the very center of the large, grassy park, there was a booth for registration and where you could rent the kite. Harley was quick to sign-up, although it took several minutes, and when he was done, he received some sort of flyer and a large, orange kite, in the shape of a Torchic face. I couldn't help laugh, thinking it was cute, but Harley apparently thought it was dumb, because he gave a weird face.

He handed me the kite and said, "Make this worth it for me, darling."

"I'm certainly not the one who suggested it," I noted, taking the kite. "Hey, where's yours?" I then asked, beginning to walk to where everyone else was flying.

"I'm not participating," he revealed. "I just want to sit back and watch. Remember what I said about your legs?"

"Hey, if I had known you actually weren't going to participate, I would not have agreed!" I shouted. "This is just like when you tricked me into going swimming in Goldenrod City!" I yelled.

"Hmm, well, then, this day is certainly quite reminiscent to when we first got to know each other," he teased. "But, Max, darling, don't be a letdown. I'll help you, if you prefer that."

"What's the point of this competition anyway?"

"To get your kite the highest, of course!" he revealed. Then, for the first time, the man took a look at the flyer he received. He read over it, cocking his head a bit and saying, "There's carnival tomorrow."

"Carnival?" I took the flyer as he handed it to me, looking at the advertisement. "On the boardwalk, too," I then read, continuing to walk through the park.

The two of us found a relatively empty spot, enough room all around for me to run and gain speed for the kite's height in the air. After I put my bag down, I looked at the flyer again, reading about what would be at the event and other tidbits. When I was done, I gave the flyer back to Harley.

"A carnival's something we haven't done," the man pointed out, putting away the flyer. "I think we should check it out. Imagine the fun!"

"Fun?" I echoed. "I hope that's a pretty normal kind of fun you're speaking of, Harley."

"It is!" he defended. "We could have cotton candy! Who doesn't like cotton candy?"

"We could ride the Ferris wheel, too," I suggested. "Maybe it will be worth our time."

"Ferris wheel?" the man questioned. "I'm not too keen with heights, darling."

"Really?" I exclaimed. I then made a considerate sound, shrugging. "I would've never guessed."

Slightly embarrassed, or so I guessed, the man rolled his eyes as I began messing with the kite, furling it out and then dropping it to the ground as I held the end. Harley, setting his bag down where I did, approached me, crossing his arms and watching as I got ready.

"Now I kind of really want to go," I told Harley. "Just so I can get you on that Ferris wheel." I laughed.

"It's not until tomorrow and the day after," he reminded me. "I have better plans for both days. Shagging and swimming."

"I'm pretty sure that's unhealthy for two days straight," I muttered, still messing with the kite.

After a minute or two, my kite was ready, and I then ran a few feet, watching as the kite dragged, and soon, flew up into the sky. It stayed there, floating and swaying, for a long while, but eventually, it fell flat, hitting the ground.

"Ooh, Max, your legs are so strong," the man commented, an obvious lecherous tone that was meant to sound somewhat sarcastic. But, truthfully, I knew it was sincere because he was looking and admiring and wanting. He was so weird.

The sign near the registration said the actual competition started at noon. We had a good ten or so minutes before I had to really start trying, so I walked back over to Harley, giving him a blank look, and hoping he'd try to help me get the kite into the air. However, the man just kept looking at me, and I knew that look. It was the look of desire and lust. How could me running a few feet with a Torchic kite cause Harley to get so turned on?

Sort of weary of the man's look, I decided to just run again and attempt to get the kite high in the air. As I did this, my mind wandered back to yesterday, and Harley's little act of dressing as May and seducing me. It was weird. It was still weird now. I had asked him to dress up in it, and although I had previously imagined what it would be like with him dressed, and well, having sex with me, I didn't expect it to go that way yesterday. Moreover, my small thoughts as I had stared at the chifforobe my first night at Harley's house, had really only been thoughts. I never expected them to relate to reality. And, I certainly did not expect Harley to act like May. He mocked her voice, he mocked her mannerism, and he even mocked what sex would be like with a girl. I was humiliated.

Even worse, Harley had pointed out my arousal forming before he had touched me. In many ways, that was normal, but not for us. Harley usually coaxed me into sex, and although I was willing, and sometimes eager, I had never been fully hard until his hand wrapped around me. But not yesterday. Then—then!—I had called May's name instead of Harley's. God, what was wrong with me? And, I just judged Harley for being turned on by me running, yet I had basically imagined having sex with May and hadn't been disturbed at the time. Jeesh.

What would May have thought if she knew? I feared her discovering about Harley and I, but what about that? Surely there was no way of her knowing unless I told her, but if, for some reason, she had found out, how sickened would she be? I was so tormented by this I simply couldn't even think about it for too long. I was ashamed of myself, so ashamed. It felt like I had betrayed Harley, too, because it wasn't him I thought about, it was my sister. My sister.

As I walked back over to Harley, gathering the long sting I had let flow through my run, I saw that the man was sitting, having a cigarette and keeping his eyes locked on me possessively. I sat down to rest, catching my breath, and Harley leaned over, kissing me deeply. I tasted the fresh tobacco on his mouth, metallic and spirited, and when his tongue entered, the tang only heightened. We were far enough away from other people for me not to worry, so I pressed in, allowing the man to rub his free hand against my neck. When my glasses slid an inch or so off the bridge of my nose, the man pulled away, grinning, then took them off.

"Hey!" I shouted, trying to grab them back.

Instead of complying, Harley just extended his arm into the air, making it harder for me to retrieve them. He looked at the glasses curiously, then placed them on himself, posing particularly and grinning. "You like?" he asked, peeking over the lens and at me.

"You don't look that bad," I admitted, backing up to see him better. "Now, give them back." I reached for them again, snatching them off the man's face.

He laughed, kissing me again through his chuckle and helping me properly put back on my glasses. "You look so adorable with your glasses on, Max," he voiced, stamping a kiss on my chin. "Most kids look like morons, but you—oh, you—look like an absolute sweetie. They sharpen your faunletism, if you ask me." The man tried to move over, on top of me, but I stopped him.

"Hey, it's almost noon—don't distract me!" I warned, pushing him further away. I stood up, dusting myself off and then preparing my kite again.

Harley's persistence could be such a pain sometimes. I didn't understand why everything somehow, some way led to Harley wanting to have sex, whether we were in public, private, wherever. It annoyed me more when we had already done something beforehand, and that was the case today, where this morning Harley and I had been halfway out the door before the man decided to grab my hips and get all touchy-feely. He ended up dragging me back into the house and—as Harley would put it, though personally I hated the word, but at least it was better than the alternative—"shagged." And, on his couch, too! Sometimes he made me feel so feral the way he enticed me into things. Why was it again I liked it all so much?

Sighing—both in aggravation and a final exhale to catch my breath—I perked up when I heard the man at the registration booth begin to speak over the microphone, loud and clear over the yards of the park. He explained that the competition would be starting soon, lasting for twenty-five minutes, where, at the end, whose ever was the highest, would be awarded the unknown prize. As the announcer continued on and on about guidelines and the like, I took a good look around the entire park, and realized that contestants seemed very sincere about wanting to win. I suddenly did not feel right participating, although I doubted I would win anyway.

I shook out my kite one more time, just in time for a loud, blazing siren to go off, signaling we all were permitted to begin. Many of the contestants dashed off, trailing their kite behind so it would float swiftly into the air and rise higher and higher. I turned to give Harley a quick look, and he blew some smoke out from his nostrils, winking at me and looking rather amused by all this. I stared blankly at the Torchic design on the kite, slightly reminded of May's.

"Maximus, what are you doing?" the man questioned, cocking his head. "Run, and prove what those legs of yours can do."

So, inspired by his words, I decided to go. I ran—raced, almost—and allowed the kite to throw itself into the wind, causing it to flutter up and float around for a reasonably long time. I kept running, coming around in a loop to head back towards where I started, dragging the kite along with me. When I stopped and turned around, I was glad to see the kite still hanging in the air, being tossed back and forth between the gusts of winds. I gave a bright smile in Harley's direction, and as he stood he flicked his dead cigarette somewhere behind a tree, eventually coming over to watch the kite more closely.

"You know I'm not going to win, right?" I said to him, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't want you to enter to win," Harley voiced, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yeah, you just wanted to stare at me," I droned, making a face.

"Well, then screw the competition, and let's have our own fun!" the man then shouted.

Before I knew it, his grip was beneath my underarms, and he lifted me powerfully, pressing my back against his chest as I still held the kite. He was nuzzling my neck as he continued holding me, letting my legs dangle off the ground. I began squirming in a sense of discomfort, trying to readjust my position. I ended up letting go of the kite by accident, and immediately, the object whirled away, getting swept away in the heavy wind like an inflated balloon. I reached out, trying to catch it, only making Harley's grip more uncomfortable and causing him to stumble over in surprise at my hurried action. The man fell backwards, flat on his bottom with me still in his lap. He yelped in pain as my weight pressed down, then, roughly, let out a swear.

From the corner of my eye, I witnessed Harley's green hat collapse onto the grass, but my vision stayed locked on the Torchic kite, tangled in the wind and ending up colliding into a tall, bushy tree. I chuckled softly at this, realizing instantly I had most definitely lost the competition, though I hardly cared, to be honest. Then, remembering myself, I slid off Harley's lap, my eyes wide with curiosity.

"I'm sorry!" I told him, half-smiling. "But, that was sort of your fault."

The man glared as he put back on his hat. But, then, his lips extended into a smile and he reached out and stroked my chin. "You lost your kite, you dummy."

"I know," I acknowledged, rubbing the back of my head. "Oh well."

Harley pulled me forward, forcing me to straddle his lap facing him. "Honestly, we don't seem to have much luck with anything. First fishing, now this. It's a wonder we even have Pokémon."

I laughed, nodding in agreement. "Oh, but that reminds me!" I then exclaimed, reaching and grabbing my bag. I took out Murkrow's Pokéball, releasing the black bird instantly. "Let out your Sneasel!" I urged.

Harley pursed his lips, apparently too lazy to reach back for his bag. I helped by grabbing it for him, and as he released his Pokémon, I watched as Murkrow perched himself on a tall tree, staring out at the many colorful kites spread across the large park. When Sneasel was released, the creature took notice of the kites, too, and ended up following Murkrow up the tree to get a better sight of all the activity. The man then reached into his pocket, taking out another cigarette from his box and lighting the stick up. I watched him suck in the fumes, recognizing the calm dash that swept through the man afterwards.

I cocked my head and asked, "Are you ever going to quit?"

"Quit smoking?" the man wondered. "Why? Do you think I'm going to die?" He grinned at me, exhaling a messy and thick cloud of smoke in the space between us.

I waved away most of the smog without coughing, but glared at the man nonetheless. "I just don't see the reason for it, that's all," I explained, turning my head to the left and right to check to see if anyone was watching Harley and I.

"You like how it tastes on me though." He grinned, looming his mouth over mine and letting some small puffs of smoke release from his mouth. "I can tell."

Harley leaned into me, pressing me into a loose embrace. Everyone was distracted by the kite competition—maybe even mine, still caught in the tree—and I doubted they were paying attention to the two of us, off in the distant. I breathed into the man's shoulder, smelling him quickly and realizing there was a distant lilac tint to him today. He still smelt like lavender, as always, and this just made me want to bring him closer to me, even though that was nearly impossible; we were already so fused. So, instead, I boldly decided to kiss him, straight on the mouth and surprisingly deep. It didn't even take a second for the man to respond: he gripped my hip with his free hand, held his cigarette in the other and rubbed our chests together for the sake of more contact.

His mouth tasted particularly metallic, but I could also taste a hint of artificial pecan from the tea he had with his breakfast this morning. It was an interesting combination, and for one of the first times, I decided to suck on his bottom lip the way Harley always tended to do with me. The man gave a soft moan before pulling away, beginning to stroke my cheek fondly.

"You and I are basically disqualified from the competition," Harley noted, kissing my neck. "First for losing the fucking kite, and soon, for shagging right here in public."

"Eh, I haven't agreed to the second, Harley," I warned him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, your kite flying was fun while it lasted. You were adorable. As always."

I blushed, looking down for a moment to absorb his compliment. I still could never tell with Harley, whether he was making fun of me or if he just wanted to gush. I kissed Harley one more time before insisting we stand up. Our Pokémon, seeing us stand, came down from the tree, and Murkrow landed directly on my shoulder, cawing loudly. As I bent down for my backpack, I took out the Dusk Stone and showed it to Murkrow, who was very curious about the small stone.

"See this?" I said to him. "It's a Dusk Stone. If I used it on you, you could evolve."

Curiosity was sweeping over the dark bird, and he checked out the stone a bit more. It was obvious he very much understood what this meant, but was considering what it would be like to change his form.

"It's definitely your choice," I then stated. "If you don't want to evolve, I won't force you, because that wouldn't be fair. Go ahead and think about it for a while, okay?"

Murkrow gave a sound of agreement, and I petted its feathery neck before returning it into Pokéball. Harley returned Sneasel and the two of us stood for moment, simply watching as other people flew their kites, completely serious about the competition. I almost felt like Harley and I had wasted our time, but it was still nice to be in the park and enjoy the weather, bright and sunny with the nice breeze.

Instead of leaving right away, Harley continued standing, smoking dully and seeming to keep an eye on the park as if he were expecting something or someone. I was curious about the latter, wondering if perhaps he knew anyone here in the park. I knew he must've had some kind of acquaintances in the city—those kind or not—and part of me was almost interested in meeting someone Harley knew. My only knowledge of who Harley was came from the man himself, my experiences with him, and of course, the past. I wondered what someone else who knew him pretty well would say, and if they knew the extent of my relationship with Harley, how they would feel about that, too. I almost wished Harley had a relative.

Harley did, however, know that one lady who took care of his Pokémon. Why the man hadn't decided to go get the rest of his Pokémon was a mystery to me, but I didn't feel right asking about it, because it would reveal my thoughts. Harley told me the woman was too "dingy" to know the truth about us, but remembering the way Harley smiled—and not one of his phony ones!—made me realize that they actually were friends.

Having gained the courage, I asked, "Harley, where's that lady who takes care of your Pokémon?"

"Livvie?" Harley said, and I realized this was the first time he actually revealed her name to me. "She doesn't live that far from the city—maybe even closer from here than my house. Why?"

"I was just curious," I said, shrugging. "Are you two, like, friends?"

"Of the sorts," he replied. "She used to be a maid at my house when I was growing up."

"Really?" I exclaimed. "But she's so young!"

"She's thirty, was nineteen when she started working for us, and I was only thirteen. We got along quite well, and after my parents died, she began as a caretaker."

"Oh…" I quietly voiced. "So, are you going to get your Pokémon?"

Harley inhaled some of his cigarette. "If you don't mind, we could get them now. I suppose having a full party of Pokémon around wouldn't hurt. And, I've been absolutely ignoring my poor Wigglytuff lately, so maybe it's best if I have her stay there with Livvie."

"I don't mind," I agreed, almost too eagerly.

"Good then!" Harley said, sucking in some more fumes. "Off we go then."

Harley began taking a different way than where we came from, and I kept up well. It was very different than the other side of the city, and we past many buildings, so tall and captivating that it was hard to believe so many where just pointless businesses. Slateport had an interesting structure, especially the way it displayed a busy, city-like exterior, but later formed into a quiet beachside town, like where Harley lived. There was, of course, the steep hill off in the distance, where the Contest Hall stood, and the various bridges that stood more prominently in the scenery.

As we walked, Harley finished his cigarette and discarded it on the side of the street, littering rudely. He placed his hand on my far shoulder and pulled me close, and I could smell the faint, imprinted scent of tobacco on his fingers. We walked slowly, eventually reaching the end of the city and crossing over a small bridge that led to a calmer part of town. There, on the other side, there were several spread-out houses, all possessing extremely large backyards. I spotted one, east of the others, and the acre property in the back was tremendously long. Out in front of that particular gray house was a sign reading: All Service Pokémon Daycare.

Getting closer and closer to the house, I saw that in the back there were quite a few Pokémon scampering around the fenced yard, including a Pachirisu, Spinda and Electrike. Harley and I approached the house, walking on top of stones engraved in the grass, leading towards the front door. Harley knocked on the door, and suddenly a bit nervous, I backed up a little, going behind the man.

Harley turned around, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he wondered, seeing me stand there with my lips pursed.

"I, uh, I don't know what I'm supposed to say or do."

Harley ran his hands through my hair. "Max, I believe I told you already that this woman is a bit dense. She's not going to suspect a thing."

But, at this point, it wasn't even that I was worried about. It was more about the fact I would be meeting a woman who knew Harley before me. And what if she knew something about Harley that I didn't want to know about? Something bad. Something embarrassing. Something that would really disturb me.

"Harley!"

I looked up now, seeing the door had open in a rush and the same lady I had seen on the phone was standing there, dressed down in a brown work apron with her hair tied up in a bun. Her yellow skirt, viewable from the side edge of the apron, was down to her knees and she had a white blouse, too. She immediately stepped out of the doorway, waving both her hands to usher Harley inside. Then she noticed me.

"Yes, hello to you, too, Livvie," Harley greeted, giving a rather charming smile. "This here,"—he gestured to me widely—"is my dear, dear friend. He's a trainer, too."

Livvie tilted her head, giving me a cautious smile. "Hi there," she said, reaching out for a handshake. "What's your name?" she then asked, and I noticed her tone was so soft and polite, like she was talking to a little child.

"Max," I revealed, taking her hand and shaking it slowly.

"Max doesn't want to drop off any Pokémon. He is just here with me." He smiled, but all his words were so suggestive that I couldn't believe this woman wasn't already suspicious.

"Oh, I see," Livvie said. "Does this mean you want me to take back some of yours?" she then asked Harley.

"Just Wigglytuff," he answered, "but I decided I want a full party, so I'll be taking three."

Livvie began walking further inside her house, which was so small and modern and decorated in an orderly combination of oak wood furniture, woven upholstery and weird knickknacks. Almost improperly placed, there was a counter at the far side of the enclosure, which Livvie was walking towards. She took out a large black binder, turning to the right page and began marking a few things.

"It's really good to see you, Harley," she noted out loud, looking up at the man. "You just called, like, a week ago. I can't believe you're in town already."

"Neither can I," he admitted. "We just decided to drop by for a few weeks." He grinned in a thoughtful way to her, but a more knowing way to me.

"I see," she said, nodding. "So, which Pokémon do you want back?"

"Hmm!" he exclaimed, putting a finger to his chin. "Banette, Stunky, and Ariados."

"Stunky!" I vehemently shouted. "You never told me you owned one of those!"

Harley turned to look at me—Livvie did the same—and the man curled his lips in a pursed smile. "I know, darling," he said, laughing a little.

"He also has a Natu, Skarmory, Marowak and Duskull."

"Harley!" I gaped widely, utterly shocked, but, then said, "Why did you tell me about them?"

"You knew I had a Natu and Skarmory," he innocently said, but he knew I was referring to the other three. He then turned to Livvie, giving her a Pokéball, which I presumed was Wigglytuff's.

"I'll be right back," she said, turning and going through a backdoor.

I went closer to Harley and furrowed my brow. "I asked you before which Pokémon you had!"

Harley began laughing even harder. "I know that. Don't act like I've gone and betrayed you, darling. I just forgot about them."

"Forgot?" I repeated, confused. "How do you forget about your Pokémon?"

"It happens," he assured me, giving me a playful grin. "But, don't worry, Maximus. I wasn't keeping anything from you!"

I relaxed a little bit, positive he was telling the truth but still a little sketchy about how you forgot about which Pokémon you capture. Each one was so special and represented something completely individual. I finally just shrugged, walking closer to the man.

"I can't believe you have Stunky! Where'd you even capture it?"

"Right here in Slateport," he responded. "Just in the outskirts."

"Wow, I can't believe that!" I excitedly beamed. I then clung to his arm, urging, "Release it when she gives it back! I want to see it!"

Harley's grin softened into a jaunty shine, and he carefully kneeled down, kissing me on the lower chin. "Why don't you get this excited for other things, huh?" he wondered, sliding his hand down my back. "You're just precious when you get all riled up like this."

I flushed nervously. "I've never seen a Stunky before!" I explained.

Harley rolled his eyes in amusement. "Well, you will now," he guaranteed, kissing me evenly. He then stood up, leaning against the counter and winking at me. "Then, I think we need to go home and have ourselves a good time, don't you think?"

I tilted my head, but as I did so, I noticed from a far window that it was suddenly very cloudy out. "I think it's going to rain," I noted.

"Oh, you said that last time, and nothing happened," he waved off, shrugging.

"Okay, Harley," Livvie suddenly said, coming in from the backdoor and holding three Pokéballs, "I have your Pokémon." She reached out, handing each to Harley, who carefully placed them in his bag, save for one.

"Thank you, dear," he said, then reaching into his front pocket and taking out some cash. "Here you go."

Livvie smiled as she took it, quickly counting it out. "Thank you, Harley."

"And thank you, again, for taking care of my little darlings!" he then beamed, turning around and waving at her as he did so. "I'll see you later. Take care."

"You, too, Harley," she said, waving back.

I followed Harley out of the daycare and back onto the small neighborhood street. We began walking back over the bridge, but instead of going where we came from, we took another road, leading to the western side of the city, which I presumed was a shortcut back to Harley's house.

When we began walking on the concrete cement, Harley summoned his Pokémon out of the ball, and Stunky suddenly appeared on the sidewalk, standing on all fours and yawning tiredly. It blinked a couple of times, and from the coat color, I could tell it was female. It then turned, noticing Harley, and as dark and angry as the creature looked, it features softened and displayed a high sense of joy. It gurgled in its own way, walking up and brushing against Harley's ankle.

"Nice to see you, too," Harley said, bending down and petting the small purple Pokémon. "I've missed you!"

Again, the Stunky rippled a noise, still appearing so happy. It gave me a look, and Harley gestured over to me with a single arm, signaling he knew me and that my presence was safe.

"This is Max," he introduced.

I reached down, stroking the creature's incredibly soft fur. Her tail was even softer, and I smiled widely as I said, "Hi there!" I patted her head a final time before Harley stood properly and began walking.

"I'm glad to have you back with me," Harley told the creature. He then looked towards me. "Back to Maison de Harley, it is."

"I want to battle Stunky!" I told the man. "Maybe with Murkrow! A Dark-type against a Dark-type—how cool would that be?"

"Not nearly as cool as you and I finding somewhere to fuck right now," he droned, moving some bangs out of his face.

"Where'd that come from?" I demanded, giving him a weird look.

"Maybe this cloudy weather is turning me on," he suggested, giving a shrug. He then opened his palm, feeling the air. "I think I felt a raindrop."

"Really?" I asked, looking up to the sky as we walked.

"This gives me an excuse to bring you home and get a fire going!" he sang out jovially. "And, for you to use your umbrella."

Suddenly, the man halted me, unzipping my backpack as I still wore it and digging into it. He found the umbrella right away and popped it open, letting it rise above us. Harley smiled at me and urged me to walk, still holding the umbrella as the raindrops continued to fall gently. At the very bottom of the handle, the tag reading To Max, my adorable sweet faunlet was still there, swaying loosely as the man walked with the umbrella.

"I thought you didn't share umbrellas," I pointed out in amusement.

"Did I say that to you once?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "How could you forget! That's why I had to wear my poncho and that's why you made fun of me!"

Harley laughed wildly, putting a hand over his mouth and chortling. "What on earth was I thinking back then?" he asked to himself. "Declining having my sweet Max all close to me under an umbrella. Jeesh!"

"Well, I wasn't your 'sweet Max' back then," I reminded him, almost bitterly.

"You are now!" The man snaked an arm around me as best he could, holding me against his side as we walked. His eyes then lowered to Stunky, who was walking a bit slower to get under the umbrella, too.

The more we walked, the more and more it rained, heavier and faster. By the time we reached Harley's street, it was simply pouring, and the man returned Stunky before we stepped over a deep puddle. We reached his house and he closed the umbrella, shaking the excess water and then opening the front door, which he hadn't locked. Entering the house, we both took off our shoes, placing them by the door, where Harley decided to put the umbrella, too.

Removing his hat, the man placed it on the couch and stretched his muscles tiredly. He then walked over to the kitchen, filling up a teakettle with faucet water and placing it on the stove.

"I think I am going to get changed," I voiced. I felt a bit too cold in my current outfit, even though it wasn't the least bit wet from the rain.

"Oh, no, no, no!" the man argued, rushing over to me and pulling my arm. "You're going to warm up by the fire!" He began dragging me to the den, where the large, hearthstone fireplace was located.

At first I thought for sure that he was going to start organizing logs into the fireplace, but instead, he simply flicked a switch at the side wall, and I noticed that flames spurted to life instantly on top of the wood, already placed inside. It was an electric fireplace, but the wooden logs appeared to be real. I stepped closer, examining the flames, seeing that they had come from some kind of grill-like burner.

Just as I was going to say something snarky, the man snuck up behind me, pulling me down to the floor along with himself. He smiled widely, brushing his hair to his side and removing his jacket.

He kissed my shoulder, nuzzling my neck for a moment before lying on his back, exhaling loudly. "You know what, Maximus!"

I made a musing sound, curious, but remained fixated on the fire that was quickly starting to become more and more powerful as the flames stuck to the wood, burning the bark and forcing sparkling, crackling noises.

"I think we've fucked almost twenty times."

I furrowed my brow, twisting around and looking at Harley in shock. I gaped widely, then exclaimed, "What are you doing keeping track?"

Harley chuckled. "Oh, I haven't, darling. I counted just now." He snickered again. "That's a record, you know. I haven't shagged the same person even half as much as that."

I furrowed my brow even deeper. "I don't need to know about your… your past acquaintances," I seethed, biting my lower lip.

"Ah, but, it's not as though they cast a flame to your glory, Maximus," he assured me, patting my thigh. "You are just a doll, and you know it. Want to increase the number?"

"Don't you have water boiling?" I wondered, cocking my head.

"My stove is slow," he then said, tugging at my waist to lie down next to him. When I did, he crawled over me, straddling my lap. "We have time, and who cares if the water overflows? Your ass is worth it."

xxxxx

-Max-

It was around ten o'clock when I woke up. At first I felt very stiff and uncomfortable until I sat properly, and I realized that I was still on the floor of the den. I rubbed the sleepiness out of my eyes with my palms, then looked around the small room. The fire wasn't going anymore, and I figured the electricity on it shut off during the night. Covering my lower half of my body was a thin, blue blanket, and to my left, I saw Harley was awake, lying on his back with his head propped up with one arm as he smoked a cigarette. He was obviously lost in thought though, because he wasn't looking over at me.

I stretched a little and scooted over to Harley, trying to get him to pay attention. The man blinked a little before he smiled, realizing I was awake. He sat up fully, looping an arm around me and bringing me close for a kiss on my cheek. I returned the kiss with my own, but instead, I placed my lips directly on his despite the cigarette hanging loosely from the right side of his mouth. He breathed some smoke into my mouth, which made me gag, but I recovered quickly, shaking my head and quickly glaring.

"How did you sleep?" he wondered, combing his fingers through my hair.

"Fine," I told him. Almost childlike, I clung to Harley's arm, enjoying how warm his body felt at the moment. "My back sort of hurts though. I've heard it's bad for your bones to sleep on the floor."

Harley scoffed as he exhaled some more smoke. "I suppose it is," he said, rubbing my shoulder. "Want breakfast, Maximus?" he then inquired, sucking at my shoulder's skin.

"Sure," I answered, shrugging.

The man stood up, finding his pants at the far edge of the fireplace. He slid them on and zippered them, but failed to re-buckle the belt. After finishing the cigarette and throwing it in the blank fireplace, he walked out of the den and into the kitchen. I decided to get up, too, finding my scattered clothing throughout the room and dressing properly. Afterwards, I put on my glasses and followed Harley into the kitchen, where he was busy taking out a fryer and a carton of eggs.

"I wonder who ended up winning that kite competition," I voiced, taking a seat on one of the stools. "I wonder what the prize was, too."

Harley laughed as he washed his hands under the sink. "Ah, who cares? The whole thing was worth watching you run and scamper about with that little Torchic kite. You were adorable."

I rolled my eyes away from the man's view, watching as he put on his apron and tied it. "We should go to the carnival tonight," I reminded him. "I want some cotton candy. Maybe I can win something, too."

"We have plenty of fun at Maison de Harley," he assured me. "But, maybe. Only if you let me win a prize for you."

I noticed there were still some cupcakes leftover on the counter, protected by a plastic covering. I took one, unwrapping it carefully, and saying, "That would be nice of you, but are you even good at any of the games?"

Harley turned and looked at me, caused him to give me a funny look. "I'm here making you breakfast, and you're filling up on cupcakes?"

"Well, I don't want the rest of them to go to waste," I argued, continuing to eat the snack. "Don't worry—I'll have room left for your breakfast."

"You better," he said, beginning to crack some eggs over the frying pan. The man then glanced up, looking out the window above the sink and quickly noticing it was still drizzling. "Well, it's a bit too gloomy for a carnival."

"We could always go tomorrow," I pointed out, rubbing the back of my head.

"Sounds like an excuse to stay in today then," the man said as he cooked. Then, suddenly, he turned around, hearing the phone ring. He rose an eyebrow, obviously confused—maybe even worried—and wandered over to the living room, picking up the receiver. "Hello?" he answered, his brow creased.

I, too, wondered who was calling, but from the look on Harley's face, it was apparent he normally did not get phone calls. He seemed rather calm as the person on the other line talked, and he nodded along, eventually telling whomever to hold on a second. He covered the speaker with his palm as he walked over to me.

"It's for you."

"Huh?" I said in disbelief.

"It's Nurse Joy," he then explained, and I suddenly remembered I had given her Harley's number.

"Oh," I then voiced, still pretty confused. I took the phone from the man, and he went back to the stove, flipping the eggs over with the turner. I cleared my throat, then said, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Max," Nurse Joy greeted on the other end. "I hope you don't mind me calling you. Your sister actually called this morning, wishing to speak with you."

"M-my sister?" I echoed, furrowing my brow. My words caused Harley to turn around, and he, too, gave a rather puzzled expression. But, I sensed he was also a bit angry now.

"Yes, she said she received your letter this morning," Nurse Joy further explained. "She called to speak with you, but I told her you weren't staying here. I wasn't sure whether you wanted the phone number you gave disclosed, so I just told her I'd see if I could get in contact with you."

Slightly relieved Nurse Joy hadn't revealed Harley's number to May, I then wondered how on earth May received my letter so quickly. I stayed silent for a few moments, unsure what to say, but finally, I decided to ask, "Did she say anything else?"

"Yes, Max," she told me. "She wants you to call her. She said she's home."

"Home?" I repeated. "Um, okay, thank you, Nurse Joy. Thanks very much."

"You're welcome," she said. "Have a good day. Bye!" She then hung up.

I placed the phone down on the counter, then looked up at Harley, who was still glaring back at me, his arms folded. I wasn't sure what to say to him either. So, instead, I just kept staring at him, my mouth opened and still trying to absorb the phone call.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to tell me," Harley grunted, turning back around and continuing to cook the eggs.

"Um, I… well, she…" I stuttered, feeling flabbergasted. "May got my letter."

"So soon?" he wondered, his tone full of unsteadiness.

"She's back home in Petalburg City," I revealed. "But, I don't know why. As far as I know, she hasn't earned her last ribbon or anything."

"Maybe she's dying…"

"Harley!" I shouted, glaring at him. "That's not funny."

"Hmm, why? Worried it's true?"

Ignoring his comment, I managed to mutter, "I think I need to call her, but then she'll have your number."

"That might be a fun way to reveal this all to her," the man quipped, but I could tell he was completely serious. "Anyway, though, my number is public, but my name is blocked, so it doesn't matter one way or the other."

"Really?" I asked. "Or, are you just saying that so I will call her, and she would see your name?"

Harley laughed, shaking his head and turning off the stove. "No, darling, I'm telling the truth," he promised. "But, good for you for catching on to my possible lie." He laughed again, and I had to wonder why any of this was amusing to him.

I was silent for another long moment, watching as the man began placing an equal amount of eggs onto two plates. He was quiet as well, but finished making breakfast by toasting some bread and pouring some orange juice. Once he was all done with this, he brought the plates and drinks over and sat down next to me.

"I hope everything's okay," I quietly said to myself. "She must've received my letter today. I mean, Petalburg and Slateport aren't that far away from each other."

Harley began eating his breakfast and shrugged. "Well, I'm sure everything's fine, dear. She's probably just too lazy to write a letter."

I managed to chuckle a little bit. "That might be true," I unveiled. "She never liked writing." And, minimally cheered up, I picked up my fork and began eating the eggs, which were definitely delicious.

"If you'd feel better about it, you can call her from a payphone," the man offered.

I shook my head. "No, I believe you about the blocked name," I admitted. "I just hope she doesn't ask where I'm staying. I won't know what to say."

"Just tell her at a hotel," Harley suggested. "It's not that unbelievable. You lied about getting a ticket here from a friend."

"Not really. You're my friend."

"Pah!" he scoffed. "I won't even bother making a snide remark on that one."

I pursed my lips, staying silent. Harley and I finished eating after a while, and I washed down my breakfast with the orange juice, which I suspected might already have been expired. I said nothing though and wiped my mouth afterwards.

"Thanks," I said, smiling at Harley a little. "You're a fantastic cook. Which I'm sure you already know."

"Indeed!" the man shouted, beaming proudly and kissing my neck. He stood and began cleaning up, scraping off excess food into the garbage and then placing all the dishes into the dishwasher.

As he cleaned, I sat there, wondering whether I should call May now. But, what would I say? What would she say? I sighed heavily and looked up to Harley then back to the phone, still lying on the counter. It literally scared me to pick up the phone and dial my home number, just knowing that I would be talking to my sister. I still remembered her voice so well, and I knew it wouldn't surprise me to hear it again.

Bracing myself, I finally voiced, "Maybe I should just get it out of the way."

Still cleaning, the man said, "Then go on ahead." I could hear disinterest in his tone.

I picked up the phone and began dialing, so very grateful that this wasn't a videophone. I pressed the speaker up to my ear, hearing the ringing over and over. Then, I heard someone pick up, and it only a second later that I heard her voice.

"Hello?" she answered, curiosity and hope in her tone all at the same time.

Harley looked over his shoulder as he cleaned, still wearing his apron. I gulped, unable to speak. I closed my eyes, exhaling deeply and finally responding, "H-hi, May."

Harley turned away.

"Max!" came the voice on the other end, her voice. "Oh, Max! It's so good to hear you!"

I pursed my lips once again, almost feeling a blush rise in my cheeks. "Yeah, May, it's good to hear you, too."

"I got your letter this morning," she happily announced. "How'd you know to send it here?"

"Oh, I wasn't sure where you were in the Orange Islands, so I figured Mom and Dad could just forward it to you."

"Well, I'm back home now, and that's sort of why I decided to call you instead of write," she went on, and I sensed something in her voice, as if she was hinting at something else. "See, I just earned my fifth ribbon, and even though the Grand Festival is coming up in a just a few weeks, I had to come home, because Mom and Dad had to leave Petalburg."

"Huh? Why?" I asked, boggled. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no," May assured me. "It's actually quite similar to your situation with Clair in Blackthorn City."

"What do you mean?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Harley as he seemed to be pacing the kitchen, cleaning up various things.

"Dad needed to attend a conference in Viridian City, and Mom went with him. They had no one to look after the Gym who was qualified to take on the role as substitute Gym Leader, so… they asked me."

Dumbfounded, I could do nothing but gap several times, staying silent and suffering in a clouded and hazed mind. May called my name, wondering if I was still there, and I managed to recover, stuttering, "Yes, yes, I'm here." Then, I inquired, "What do you mean they asked you? You're filling in for Dad?"

"Um, well, yes," she answered, obviously uncomfortable. "I think they only let me because I won the Grand Festival last year, otherwise I could never see Dad agreeing to it!" She gave a nervous laugh, trying to calm my obvious jealousy and anger.

And, really, what right didn't I have to be upset? May didn't want to be a Gym Leader! She never even battled a Gym Leader. I was the one who earned all eight badges in Hoenn, participated in the League there, and now, I was on my way to entering the Johto League! Why did she get to fill in? Was she even technically allowed to do so? I was absolutely, 100 percent enraged.

"Max…" she eventually murmured.

"I'm here," I told her bitterly. "So, why'd you call me again?"

"Max," she softly said, "don't get like that, please. I'm not trying to rub it in your face—you know that!—I'm calling you because I need a favor."

"What?" I demanded, trying to control the anger in my voice.

I noticed Harley was looking at me again, slightly pleased with the tone I was giving May and also very, very curious about what was going on in the conversation. I'm sure he was fighting back the urge to grab the phone and shout into the speaker everything we had done together in less than a minute. I almost wanted him to, because at the moment, I was so upset with May and Dad and Mom that I wanted them to feel horrified about something.

"In your letter," she began, "you said you were holding off battling in Blackthorn until Clair returned, so I figured that if you don't have anything else to do, then maybe you can come back home for a while, and help me out around the Gym. You know more about what to do here than myself."

Silence filled both ends on the phone. She was done talking, and I knew she understood the shock I suddenly was feeling. My anger diminished quickly, but, again, I had no idea what to say to her. Was she being serious? Did she really want me to come back home and help out as she substituted as Gym Leader? Yet, it wasn't excitement I was feeling, it was actually confusion. She wanted me to leave Slateport, come help her, and… and… leave Harley. Of course, she didn't know the latter is what I'd be doing, but it was what I'd have to do.

"Max?" she called out. Again.

"Sorry, I'm still here," I quickly apologized. "May, uh, you know I'm in Slateport, right?"

Harley tilted his head, and I knew he was half-wondering whether I was about to reveal anything about him, which, of course, I wasn't. He was crazy to think that I actually would right now.

"Yes, I read that," she replied, and I knew she was nodding her head, even though I couldn't see her.

"Well," I explained, "I just got here, and I'm having a good time, and I don't know if I really want to leave."

I watched as Harley's expression flattened. I swear the color drained from his face, too, and I was definitely shocked to be able to witness this reaction on Harley. Unable to bear the look, I turned around, facing the living room and staring down at my feet.

"Yeah, I'm sorry to just drop the bomb like this, and I know kicking back and focusing strictly on your training must be really good for you. But, Max, whatever you're doing there, you can do here, too. You can train all you want. The two of us can battle, even!"

I knew that if Harley was able to hear, he would've laughed like a lunatic at May's comment about doing there what I was doing here. Obviously that wasn't quite true, and I felt a bit perverted for thinking that way. Harley certainly had tainted my mind, I supposed.

"How were the Orange Islands?" I then asked, changing the subject completely.

"Oh, fine," she responded brightly. "It was really beautiful there, and the Contests were just amazing. I just hated that I constantly had to go from one island to another on boat. It became very tiring after a while, you know?" She laughed in her cute little way, obviously thinking back to specific memory.

"Guess who I ran into," I then said.

"Who?"

"Misty," I revealed. "She was on the ship I took to Slateport. She's still the Leader in Cerulean, and she's really strong. We battled, and uh, well, she won."

"Really?" May wondered with excitement. "That's fabulous! Well, not that you lost, but that you ran into her." She laughed again.

"Yeah," I decided to say dully. "Anyway, May, I just need to think this whole thing over, okay?"

"Oh…" May voiced, obviously perplexed as to why I would be making such a big deal out of whether or not to come back home. "Well, okay, Max. Where are you staying, by the way?"

"Um, a hotel."

"A hotel?" she repeated. "Where'd you get the money for that?"

"Uh… I saved up," I lied, and I felt as though it was an incredibly obvious fib, too.

"Oh," she simply said. "Okay, well, call me soon, okay? As much as I hate to admit it, I do need you here."

"Why? Where's Kenny?" I wondered.

"He's here," May revealed, "but, it's more about, well, needing support, Max."

"Support?"

"Yes," she admitted. "It's not exactly easy doing this, and maybe this can be a way of, you know, bonding."

"I'll think about it," I repeated. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Max. Bye."

I hung up, and I was fairly positive I did so before her. I ended up standing and putting the phone back on the receiver before managing to turn and look at Harley. The man approached me, and knowing I needed some form of comfort, kneeled down and wrapped his arms around me, bringing me close. I was taken back by the sincerity of this: the way he stroked my hair, the way his lips hovered under my chin, and the way his other arm rubbed up and down my back.

"Well, you're not upset because she found out, right? I'd imagine the conversation would've been more heated if she had." The man kissed me on the lips, long and fervent. "So, what'd the big, mean sister say this time?"

"My mom and dad left to go to Viridian City for some conference," I explained to him, "and they decided to let May take care of the Gym."

Harley looked pretty skeptical about what I was saying, but a moment later, he realized I was indeed telling the truth. "Why would they let her and not you?"

Honestly, I was glad he said this. It made me feel less arrogant for having felt that I was more worthy of taking Dad's place than May.

"I don't know," I finally replied, "but, she wants me to help her."

"Ah, and she must not have much pride for admitting that she can't handle the duty," Harley jeered, smirking. "Why doesn't she call her lover boy, Drew? I'm sure he'd be happy to help, maybe even get another shot at getting into her pants."

"She told me she wanted to bond, too," I further revealed. "Can you believe that? She actually said bond."

Harley laughed. "Goodness! Well, maybe you should go. You wouldn't want to miss bonding with your loving sister!" He lifted my chin, looking at me thoughtfully. "Or, maybe you can take me along, and we can dig a grave for her with the truth about what you've been doing in Slateport."

I wasn't amused by his comment. But, I had no idea what I was supposed to say at all. I had no idea what I was supposed to do about this situation. And, finally just not knowing what to do at the very moment, I just relaxed into Harley's embrace, pressing against the man's chest and exhaling deeply. Harley immediately began rubbing my back again and then kissed my neck, like he always did.

"Darling, you're okay," he coaxed. "Don't let her get to you."

"But, it's not that, Harley!" I suddenly shouted, backing up. "She wants me there! She admitted that, and I'd be an awful person not to go!"

Harley rose an eyebrow. "Well, maybe Drew told her about us, and she's just being sneaky and wanting you to come there to get away from me without really telling you why." He chuckled at his scenario. "Truthfully, Max, why should you bother? It's her problem for not knowing what to do."

"She could be right though—this could be a good way build our relationship up again."

Harley's smile faded, and he pursed his lips in a frustrated and disapproving way. Apparently still thinking this was all nonsense, he snaked an arm around my hips and pulled me close all over again. "Well, too bad for you both, because you're not leaving moi."

I pulled away again, a bit angrier. "Harley, I'm being serious. I think I might need to consider visiting her." I gave a small shrug. "And, maybe you can come."

But, Harley just glared at me. He stood up, dusting off his knees and putting his hands directly on his hips. "And then what, Max? You're going to tell her? Or, are you just going to hide me away somewhere and lie to her about everything?"

"No, Harley," I argued, unsure about his temper, "I'm not planning anything like that. I just don't feel right rejecting May about something like this. I mean, she admitted something she didn't have to admit, and I feel obligated to help her out."

"Then what, Max?" he repeated. "You go back and what happens then?"

I shrugged helplessly. "I should've asked her when Mom and Dad would be back," I quietly stated.

"You're not leaving, Max."

My eyes shot back up to his gaze. "Excuse me?" I demanded, giving him the most dumbfounded look. He hadn't even said it as a question or an opinion or anything like that. He said it as an order. "You don't have the right to tell me that."

"What the hell are you going to do there, Max?" he harshly inquired, suddenly raising his voice. "Dust? Wash clothes? Sweep? You sure as hell aren't going to have the kind of fun we have unless you plan on fucking her."

"Harley!" I shouted, glaring at him. "Why don't you understand what I'm saying! This doesn't even have anything to do with you!"

"The hell it does," he seethed. "You're mine, Max. I've told you that already. I won't let you return to her just so she can mess with your head again. You belong with me!"

"Stop being so obsessive! It's not like that with May! She's my sister!"

"How can it not be like that when you were so passionately convinced to have been fucking her just a few days ago?" he yelled.

"Don't you dare rub that in my face, Harley! You agreed to it, too!"

"And, I had to hear you moan her name instead of mine. And you dared to call me sleazy once upon a time?"

I couldn't believe Harley's words. I was speechless. It suddenly slapped me in the face that we were having a fight, that Harley was yelling at me and I was yelling back. He was ordering me to stay with him, claiming that I was his and I had no right to visit May. What couldn't he understand? Why was he making such a big deal out of this when it had nothing to do with him in the first place? I didn't want to visit May so I could replace Harley; I just wanted to help her. Why was that wrong, and why did it bother Harley so much?

Moreover, I simply could not believe the look on Harley's face. There was such a sincere anger there—he looked angrier than I had ever seen him with May or Drew or anyone. And, he was looking at me that way. The way he was fuming with all sorts of emotions made me realize how possessive he was actually getting, and I had a fear that if I said anything more, he might actually hurt me. And, so, I stayed silent, watching as the man continued to scowl.

xxxxx

-Harley-

I stood there waiting for a response that simply would not come. He looked pathetic, just staring down at his feet with his bottom lip pushed out in a pout. He was trying to calm himself, but I remained just as furious at the boy and his fucking trollop of a sister and his goddamn stupid family.

What a fucking damnation this all was! He was not going back to Petalburg. He just was not. What the hell was wrong with me for even allowing that boy to send his sister a letter? I should've stopped him! That way she would've never known where Max was and therefore couldn't contact him. And, I couldn't help but blame Drew especially for all of this. He was the one who made the final push for Max to contact that girl, and dammit, why did I enter that Contest and have to run into that stupid prep?

Then again, that prep probably had to deal with May's obsession with Max the same I was dealing with it vice versa. Drew had his suspicions about the two of them, and I was fairly positive it must have bothered him the same way it was bothering me now. Max could deny it all he wanted, but I knew there was something weird about him and his sister. Why else would he be so responsive when I dressed as her and we fucked? And, now, he denied wanting her at all? What complete and utter bullshit!

So enraged and bitter, I finally ordered, "Max, if you don't want to fuck your sister, then what do you want with her?"

Slowly, Max looked back up to me. His eyes were watery and his lip was still quivering as he tried his best to keep calm. Normally, a sight like this would've had me floored with desire and apologetic lust, but it did nothing for me now. I was too emotional to be swayed by his faunletism.

"I want to makeup with her," Max then replied. "I need my sister, Harley."

"You have me," I told him, clenching my fist and gritting my teeth.

"It's not the same…" he whispered. Then, shortly after, he said, "You wouldn't understand. You don't have any siblings."

"You get everything from me!" I shouted. "Everything! You don't need her!"

"No…" he argued sadly, turning away. "No, I don't get everything. I don't get that bond, the one I had with May all those years ago. And, I've never been the same since. I thought I was over it, but I'm not. It still hurts, and I need to get past it."

He began crying. Actually crying! I had never seen this before. I had seen tears in his eyes, but they never fell. Now, witnessing the water slowly slide down his cheeks, falling beside his nose and meeting at his chin, I was left frozen. Embarrassed and ashamed, the boy turned away, his shoulders heaving with each sob. He stripped himself of his glasses, placing them down and just continuing to cry.

As much as I wanted to be unnerved by his tears, I wasn't. Max was still a faunlet, one whose each and every move was tainted by his impish charms. Sighing, I walked over to the boy and placed my hands on his shoulders. Instead of pressing into my touches like I thought and hoped he would, the boy ducked beneath my arms, walking away to the other side of the room. I was tempted to repeat my actions, but I was positive Max was going to do the same thing, and it was a game that surely could last the entire day.

"Max…" I called out, my voice finally stable and calm.

He said nothing to me. He just continued sobbing with his back towards me. I rolled my eyes, a bit annoyed now, but managed to approach him anyhow.

"Max," I repeated. For some reason that was I could manage to say.

Max whirled around, rage prominent in his eyes as he shouted, "Shut up!"

It was the first time he ever said that to me. It was just as bad as any swear coming out of his mouth. And I hated the way he looked when he said it: his brow creased, his mouth turned down and his pupils shaking. He was truly angry with me. And, sadly, I was truly angry with him.

"You can't tell me I'm not allowed to see my own sister," he managed to say between sobs.

"I'm pretty sure I have the right to tell you something, Max," I then grunted, some anger resurfacing. "You haven't spoken to her in how long, and now—now—she finally decides she wants to talk and you're so quick to choose her over me?"

"I'm not choosing anyone!" the boy yelled. "She's my sister and you're—you're…"

"I'm what?"

"You two don't compare to one another," he decided to say, dropping his previous sentence.

I took a step forward, curious to see if he would back away. When he didn't, I took another step forward, a step at a time until I was directly in front of him, where I kneeled down again. After placing my hands on his shoulders, I looked at him seriously, still feeling rage inside me, but calm enough to trust myself around Max.

"I don't think it's healthy the way you're trying to control me right now," Max murmured softly. "I'm not trying to hurt you or anyone else." His crying ceased and he regained control of himself slightly.

"You're mine."

"Stop saying that."

"Why should I?" I questioned, sneering powerfully. "It's true, isn't it?"

Max shook his head. "No, Harley, it's not. Why would it be?"

"Because what we've done together is a whole lot more meaningful than anything you've done with her, and you know it!"

"Stop yelling," he told me, pursing his lips. "I didn't want it to be this complicated, Harley. I didn't expect you to act like this."

"I'm bloody upset, Max," I voiced. "And, why shouldn't I be? I didn't think that girl would ever take anything away from me again. And now look!"

"Are you comparing a loss of a Contest and a ribbon to me?" he demanded.

"I'm comparing how she took away what was rightfully mine then and how she's doing the same now."

"She doesn't even know about us!" the boy hollered, backing away.

"I'm sure Drew told her."

"No!" Max yelled. "She's not manipulative enough to play out your scenario! May's not like that!"

"I sincerely doubt that she's as angelic and pure as you seem to think! She didn't just drop from the goddamn sky like a saint, and—!"

—and then I felt it.

Before I even saw it coming, the boy had bloody hit me. And more forceful beyond anything I could've ever expected from him, I fell backwards, right on my ass. Having already been on my knees, this wasn't that astonishing, but I was completely taken back by the strength he had put into the blow. I felt my lower chin, rubbing the burn out of the slap—or the punch or the whatever—and just gaping widely in confusion.

And, yet, I wasn't the least bit angry.

I was turned on.

I felt the heat in my body immediately rise, thinking about how forceful and strong Max had been, how the sting was still radiating off my chin and how the same burn must've been throbbing on his small hand. I looked at Max, who appeared so regretful of what he did that I was even more intrigued by the whole act. I pursed my lips, moistening them considerably before I reached forward, grabbing the boy's hand, which instantly made him stiffen in fear and uncertainty.

"Harley!" he yelped. "Harley, I'm sorry!"

Oh, but why was he apologizing?

I yanked him forward even more so, grabbing his hips and pressing myself against his small body. I forced my lips on his and pushed his head further into the liplock as I lowered the boy down onto my lap. Max was still as stiff as ever, completely unsure and afraid of what I was going to do. Soon, he began pushing me away, grunting and whimpering as I continued to keep our mouths fused.

"Mmmph!" he groaned into my mouth. He tugged and pulled and pushed, trying to get away.

I became more aggressive. I grabbed his arms and pushed him backwards, towering over him and pinning him onto the carpeted floor.

"Harley!" he shouted, trying to bat my arms away. "No, Harley! Get off!" He began squirming.

To still him, I pressed my knees down onto his thighs, eventually writhing my way between them. Max was horribly afraid beneath me, and he slapped my chest and neck and arms, trying so hard to just push me away as best he could. I decided that I wasn't going to play anymore. So, I fought back. I grabbed the boy's arms, twisting them and digging my long nails directly into his lithe wrists. Max then gasped, feeling my hard erection press into his lower body. He was certainly not expecting this.

I used one hand to continue pressing one of his arms down, using my free one to unzip and pull down his shorts and undies. Max calmed down just a bit, but otherwise remained squirming, possibly so I would loosen my grip on his wrist. His cock was already somewhat hard, and I only heightened his developing desire by enveloping his length in my hand, stroking and fondling as I finally let go of his wrist and began using my hand to undo my own pants.

"Harley—Harley, wait!" the boy begged, stilling me by the shoulders.

I looked down at him considerably and tilted my head for a moment. But, I continued on, shaking off my pants and letting them fall to my ankles. Max writhed, turning his head and making a noise in the back of his throat, half-pleasure, half-fear. He knew I wasn't going to stop.

Pushing up the boy's legs and linking my arms underneath each crook, I was quick to prepare myself with a weak spit onto my left hand. I moistened my cock and spread the boy's legs further, moving forward without giving the boy time to prepare. He shut his eyes the moment I began pressing into him, letting out an involuntary grunt of pain and still turning away with his eyes shut. Almost as payback for his refusal to look at me, I wasted no time sheathing myself fully into the boy. Ohh, and I knew it hurt him. The lack of preparation was hurting me, too. But, I didn't care.

Max pursed his lips, silencing a cry as I began thrusting into him, a bit slow, but quick to pick up the pace. I pushed in and out at a terribly aching speed. Beneath me, the boy threw his arms up, linking them around my shoulders and bringing me closer. I appreciated this and returned his sentiment with a soft kiss on his shaking lips. The stiffness loosened in the boy, finally seeming to relax.

"Max," I whispered, lowering my head and aligning my mouth near the boy's ear, "you're mine… mine."

"Harley…" he softly replied, so fragile sounding.

As Max allowed himself to fully relax, obviously unsure what else to do other than stay still, I slid a hand underneath his shirt, feeling around his cold chest. My hand, warm and heated, stung against his lifeless temperature, but the sudden sensation of my ministrations produced a gentle moan from Max. I leaned down again, colliding our lips, and he lolled back his head in an exceptional way, quivering his lips, but this time, in stifled down pleasure.

"Remember what I told you?" I breathed unsteadily, pumping in and out of his body. "I told you I'd go mad without you. Oh, darling, I believe it's true. Because you're just everything I need, everything."

I tightened my grip on his legs, driving myself deep into his body and pulling myself out just enough so I could slide back in with amazing force. Max cried out, shouting my name and thrusting up to meet me as I rutted hard and deep into him. I kissed him deeply, pressing my tongue through his lips and slipping it into his hot, wet mouth.

"Mm, Harley," he sang out, responding remarkably as I decided to once again enclose my palm around his aching hardness. He shut his eyes, exhaling deeply before rising his hips into every one of my strokes. Then, with much more volume, he shouted, "Harley!"

With a few more powerful thrusts, I felt myself grow weak. It wasn't long before I came, climaxing into the boy's body, and moments later, feeling Max reach his peak, too, directly in my hand. Exhausted, more so than I had felt in a while, I pulled myself out of him, letting out a long and tired sigh that seemed to go on for ages.

Still on his back, Max closed his eyes momentarily, then sat up, reaching forward and bringing me into a very demanding embrace. I encircled my arms around the boy, too, kissing the top of his head many times. I wondered, vaguely, if he was in a high amount of pain as I had failed—once again, really—to prepare either of us properly for this shag. But, he felt so trusting against me, and I knew that he must have gotten over my beginning cruelty. Besides, now in a calmer state of mind, I realized that no matter how demanding I could be, I could never take this boy by full force.

"Maximus," I called out, running one hand through his hair, "don't you see why this is affecting me so negatively? There's no one else like you." My other hand, still wet from his climax, was brought to my mouth, and I slowly licked the fluid off and forced him to watch.

Max watched curiously as I lapped my tongue between my fingers, licking up his come. He seemed less disgusted than last time, but still pretty grossed out that I would be doing this. Max obviously had no interest in the taste like I did, since both times he had taken my cock in his mouth, he seemed so hesitant to actually swallow my seed. I wiped the rest elsewhere then gave Max a very distinct look, trying to keep him calm as I kissed him deeply, holding back his head so I could extend my tongue into his mouth and feel around his warm, welcoming walls.

The boy eventually ended the kiss, pulling away and giving me a very melancholy stare. "Harley," he began softly, "I love you."

This I was not expecting. At least not right now. I stared at him for a moment, wondering whether or not I had heard right. But, the look on his face was sincere and focused, and I realized he had indeed said this to me once again. I gave him a smile back, stroking his hair and pulling him into another hug.

"Then, Max, I think the answer is quite clear," I explained to him. "You simply cannot leave."

A bit frustrated, the boy sighed, but still remained close to me. "W-what… what if I did, Harley?" He then added, "And don't tell me you'd go mad, because you're just lying."

"You think I'm lying?" I asked. "Maximus, I'm surely not. Who else would be around to pamper and dote and fuck? No one! At least, no one like you."

"Well, I don't want to leave," he soon admitted. "I don't. But, I can't ignore May. She needs me, too, and I have to do something about that."

"Taking me with you wouldn't be a bad idea," I suggested once more. "Who knows! Maybe she'd come around and see that I'm not some monstrous pedophile."

"If it were that easy I don't think we would've ended up fighting," the boy pointed out. He then reached out, his small fingers grazing where he had hit me. "I'm sorry for doing that."

I rubbed his back, trying to ensure him it was all right. "Don't worry about it, darling," I voiced merrily. "I did, once upon a time, ask you to hit me unexpectedly. That was as unexpected as it gets. So, thank you." I kissed his hand when it neared my lips.

"Harley…?"

I tilted my head. "Yes?"

"Please don't make me have to choose. Just let this be easy."

I couldn't bear him hinting at wanting to leave. So, I looked at him with a jovial grin, pressing my mouth against the side of his nose, playfully. "I love you," I chuckled into his skin. "Very much at that."

There was something very farce about why I had decided to say this to him though. I wanted the conversation over, and I knew this was the only way I could get him stop talking. It was cruel, really, but it wasn't as though my words weren't true. Obviously they were and that was why I having such a hard fucking time with Max's revelation. Thankfully, I felt Max close his eyes, and I knew he had decided to drop the conversation, too. It was silly, really, because we'd have to discuss the inevitable sooner or later.

A moment or two later, I gently pushed Max off my lap, urging him to stand. I did the same, readjusting my pants and buckling the belt again. Max pulled back up his shorts and flattened out his shirt. I stood there, looking down at Max, who was staring up at me in return. I reached down, stroking his cheek with a single finger and trying my best to smile.

"Let's go outside," I suddenly suggested. I grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him to the sliding glass door and opening it quickly. "I need some air."

Both Max and I sat down on the cushioned bench, much like the first morning we had spent back here. The air was grainy and dull, the aftereffects of the hard rain from yesterday and this morning. It was actually quite cold as well, but I ignored it, simply sitting there, crossing my legs and leaning back. For one of the first times ever, there was a rather large space between Max and I, and I realized the boy was being distant, either afraid or just not in the mood to be near me.

But I simply did not like how uncomfortable the atmosphere felt. It almost reminded me when Max and I were first getting to know each other and how frigid and uneasy he would be the entire time.

"Harley," he voiced softly, looking forward at the beach shore, which was entirely damp and almost muddy looking. After a short pause, he managed to slowly look my way, still comfortless. "You know what I think?"

I rose an eyebrow, and replied, "No. What, dear?"

"I think that lately everything's been happening at a very coincidental time," he explained to me. "And, usually, that only happens when you finally feel like everything around you makes sense."

I wasn't sure what the boy was getting at, but it disturbed me a little. As he began looking back at the shore, I wondered if he really could see anything at all since he was not wearing his glasses. I reached out, touching the nape of the boy's neck and inviting him to come closer to me. Max balked though, and it took me several more strokes of my hand to finally get him to agree to slide toward me. I wrapped a lengthy arm around his shoulders and began rubbing his arm.

"I don't think I'm going to call May back today," he then revealed.

"That's good to know," I muttered, rolling my eyes away from his view. "Maybe now we can enjoy the rest of the day."

"But, I'll call her tomorrow," Max quickly said. "I'll ask her how long Mom and Dad are going to be away. Maybe it won't be for that long and then I either won't go or I won't have be gone too long."

"Max," I said, holding out my hand and looking at my nails just to busy myself, "who do you love more: May or me?"

I felt the boy go stiff under my embrace. It was an unfair question—I knew that!—but I had a right to know who came first to the boy now that he had me in his life.

"Well?" I asked after a long gap of silence.

"I can't answer that," he told me weakly.

"Why not?"

"You know why, Harley," the boy said. "It amazes me that a grown man like you would ask such silly things!"

"I'm curious, that's all," I grunted out.

His answer had not settled anything for me. Honestly, I very well should've been top priority as I had given Max everything he needed, had taught him so many things and had been first one to ever fuck him. Oh, yes, it was true. Even if his sister took him away from me—took, once again, something that should've been mine—then at least I was the one and only person to know what his first time was like. Max and I shared that. And, he shared it with no one else.

End of Part Eleven