It's not fair, Adam thinks, staring at the shadows dancing across the ceiling in a vain attempt to not look over. He has a flight early in the morning, they both do, but his mind is racing between Joe and Roddy and everything in between. He's so agitated over both situations- that Roddy would still expect him to come to his aid, after everything. And the things Joe had said...
Giving in, Adam glances over and watches Max sleep, on his stomach, face pressed into his pillow. He looks warm, comfortable and at peace for the first time that Adam's gotten to see in a long time. Which makes him even more frustrated with himself, but Joe's words are still rattling around in his head, taunting him, annoying him almost more than Roddy's had.
He moves carefully, shifts over in the bed to get closer to Max, easing slowly so that he doesn't put undo pressure on his ankle and get that going again by twisting it wrong among the sheets. Once he's close, he settles down next to Max and begins tracing gentle fingers along his shoulderblades, careful with the side he'd bruised up off of that ridiculous cutter on Saturday.
Quite the pair, we are, Adam thinks with a grim smile, enjoying the warmth of Max's skin under his fingers. He thinks he should stop, try to sleep again, but it's impossible, too enticing, so he continues easing down, trailing light touches down Max's back, following his spine.
It takes longer than he expected, but finally Max squirms under his fingers, and groans. "Adam? Wh... what're you doin'?" He sounds groggy, voice still a little raspy from celebrating defending both belts successfully the other night.
"Sorry," he murmurs. "Couldn't sleep, and I started wondering."
He lets the silence linger for a minute, not offering further clarification as he continues to ghost his hand down Max's back, when Max twists to look at him, frowning. "What? Wondering what?"
Adam locks eyes with Max, hand creeping down teasingly to his hip, resting carefully against where he'd worsened what the Gunns had done to that leg by jumping from the turnbuckle to the floor in an attempt to finish Jay off, soothing his fingers slowly along Max's skin. "What do you think Joe would say if he knew I was touching you like this?"
Max's expression twists, and he exhales slowly. "I don't know, and I don't really care," he says, fingers flexing and toes curling as Adam continues lower, down his thighs, to his knees. Max allows it until that point before slowly rolling over onto his back, mindful of both his own injuries and how close Adam is, not wanting to move wrong and knock his ankle around. "As much as I appreciate the attention, babe, it's pretty late, and I know you've been exhausted from all the travel. So what's going on?"
"I wasn't joking when I said I couldn't sleep," Adam admits, carefully shifting his ankle to sit up. Scooting closer to Max again, he leans over him and cradles his face in his hands. "And besides, this is going to be our last night together for awhile like this, until I can start rehab and actually begin to work towards returning to you for real, instead of just for a couple of days. I guess... i just kinda wanted to make the most of it."
Max stares up at him, nodding slowly. "Alright, yeah. I can understand that."
"You don't mind?"
"No," he mumbles, exhaling softly as Adam kisses him, fingers slowly easing back, stroking through his hair. "Think i'd refuse this?" He eases back against the pillows and lets Adam settle, sinking down into his warmth as he continues to kiss him, Max humming as he tangles his fingers in Adam's hair, deepening the kiss lazily until Adam moans softly into his mouth, carefully easing back and tracing his fingers down Max's jaw, searching his face.
"I'm sorry."
Max frowns, confused by Adam's rapidly changing emotions. "What? What do you possibly have to be sorry about, Adam?"
"I pushed you to accept Joe's help to begin with," he says quietly. "And I convinced you to hold true to your promise. Now he's made it all weird, and I... know he can protect you more than I can, or probably could even if I was 100%, but." Adam looks up, away. Exhales. "I'm selfish, ok? It's just- having to sit there listening to him make all these claims about you, and not being able to say or do anything about it..."
"Hey," Max says, bite coming into his voice as he once more sits up and grips Adam's face. "You listen to me. Right now." Tired, guilty blue eyes rest on Max's face, and Max shakes his head. "I don't care what that asshole says, I'm no man's property, Maxwell don't play those kinds of games." He hesitates, searching Adam's face, before confessing, "but you know if I would allow anyone to get away with saying such a thing, it'd be you. Alright?"
Adam exhales, nods slowly. "Alright."
"I mean it," Max murmurs, drawing Adam in and kissing him. He eases back after a few moments and looks at Adam, relieved to see that some of the tension has left his face. "What do you think, another tattoo in Hebrew right here? Adam's?" He traces his rib cage as if to indicate and Adam glances down before chuckling.
"No, no, don't need anything that drastic," he sighs. "This is enough." Fingers carding lazily through Max's hair once more, he kisses him again, leaning into his warmth. "I really am sorry I woke you up."
"Hey, I ain't ever going to complain about this kind of wake up call," Max teases, nipping lightly at Adam's lip. "Now what do you say we stop ruining the mood by talking about that presumptious piece of shit, and go back to having some real fun? Huh?"
Adam chuckles, light returning to his eyes as Max eases them back down against the pillows, bracing him carefully on the way down to keep from jostling their numerous injuries too much. "Alright, yeah," he breathes into Max's lips, enjoying the feeling of Max's body pressed against his. "I'd like that."