Leaving the hospital feels like it takes forever. Max has been out of it for so long, a lingering headache such a constant companion that he's not sure exactly how long he's been recovering after the car accident, how much time has passed since New Years, when he'd woke up to a frantic, exhausted looking Adam. It doesn't help much that, because of the head injury, Adam won't let him have his phone. And he can't watch TV or anything else because of how bad his vision swims when he tries.
But anyway, yeah, he's back at home, in his own bed, and Piper is nearby, he can feel her heat against his ankle, the soft vibration of her purring against his skin. It's a comfort, but there had been something- something that woke him up, had-
Then he hears it again. Adam's voice, a faint murmur, followed by another- a strange voice, one that he can't recognize. He frowns and shifts around, clears his throat. "Adam?" Weak, too thin to be heard across the room, much less down the hall into the living room. He licks his lips futilely, tries again. "Adam?" Still not enough. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, squints over at a bottle of water sitting on the table close to him. He groans and reaches over with his good arm, only just snagging it. He sits up gingerly and sips from it until he feels some strength. "Adam!"
There, that should do it. He winces and cracks his neck, listening as the voices come to an abrupt stop and then the shuffle-step of Adam on his crutches head for the bedroom. Max struggles to keep his eyes open as he leans against the pillows and waits, watching the door.
As soon as Adam peeks a head in and finds him awake, his face lights up. "Max," he says. "You're awake." He makes his way over to the bed as quickly as he dares, considering, and brushes his fingers through Max's curls, smiling down at him. "Hi, baby."
"Hi." Max's voice is already lost again, his nose winkling up in frustration as Adam softly clucks at him and hands him the bottle of water. He's still weak after the accident, between his head injury and being on oxygen while unconscious afterwards. It's done a number on him, in various ways. He huffs and sips from the water, wounded brown eyes locked on Adam's face. Once he has enough of the water, he hands it back over and clears his throat, sighing. "Who... who were you talking to? I- I heard voices."
Adam's frown grows. "Did we wake you? I'm so sorry," he says, capping the bottle and setting it aside again. When Max looks at him, silently waiting for an answer, he exhales and smiles. "Well, do you remember when I told you about that woman who witnessed our accident? She called 911 and stayed by the car until help came?"
Max hums. "Yeah, didn't you say her name was, like, Amy or something?"
"Amelie," Adam corrects him.
"Right," he sighs breathlessly, lips twitching into a soft smile when Adam reaches out and laces their fingers together, squeezing his hand gently. "Amelie. She on the phone, or...?"
"No, uh. I was trying to get ahold of her for awhile, because she was still visiting the hospital up until you got released, and they let you out so quickly, I didn't have the chance to inform her. Didn't really like the thought of her trying to visit just to realize we were both gone, so I was able to get her phone number from the AEW offices, since I had to use her phone to contact Tony after I lost my phone in the accident."
Max nods along, half-following. "So you invited her over."
"Yeah, that's ok, right?"
"I guess," he mumbles. "You trust her, I trust her."
Adam smiles, eyes bright and adoring as he leans in and kisses Max, smoothing his fingers over his jaw. "Hey," he says quietly. "Do you think you feel up to meeting her?"
Max winces, stares up at him. "I... I don't know," he says. "I..." He picks restlessly at the blankets, working his jaw. "I'm not... really..."
"It's ok," Adam soothes him. "I just thought, since you were awake. You know, every time she came by the hospital, you were unconscious or asleep, but if you're not up for it, I understand. And she will too."
Max exhales slowly, staring into Adam's eyes. "She, uh." He falters, fingers tapping absently. "She's nice?"
Adam smiles. "Yeah, Max, she's nice."
"Ok," Max breathes, resting back against the pillows. "I'll meet her."
Adam's smile grows. "Yeah?" He presses a kiss to Max's forehead. "Great. Don't worry, she won't stay long. She understands."
"Kay," Max mumbles, blinking as Adam pulls away from him.
"Hey, Amelie," he calls out.
"Yeah?" she calls back from down the hall.
"Max would like to say hi. We're down the hall, final door to your left."
After a minute, she slowly pushes the door open and peeks in, Max taking her in, messy brown hair up in a ponytail and glasses, fingers anxiously curled around the straps of a purple bag, blue jeans, purple sneakers, a merch shirt from some show he's heard of but never had the time to actually watch. So average that he immediately relaxes, believing what Adam has been saying about her. "Hey," she says awkwardly, stepping into the room when Adam nods at her. She looks from him to Max, and smiles. "You're awake. It, uh. It's nice to finally meet you."
"Adam's... said a lot of nice things about you," Max says, examining her. "You stayed with him after the accident."
"Yeah," she says, blinking a couple of times, a shadow crossing her face as she remembers that day. "It was... it was pretty bad. I'm glad you're doing better."
"Getting there," he says, looking over at Adam for a minute before facing her once more. "I understand you're a wrestling fan."
"Max," Adam says, somewhere between a sigh and laugh.
"I am," she hedges, shifting awkwardly on her feet as she looks between them.
"This one won't tell me anything about what's happened since the accident," Max says, squeezing Adam's hand. "Maybe you'd be willing to-"
"Max," Adam scolds. "She didn't come here to-"
"Adam, I need to know," Max mumbles. "Please."
Amelie looks uncertain but Adam exhales and nods at her, watching as she pulls her phone out. "There was this statement issued a few days back," she murmurs, scrolling through some news sites. "Um, so,... In the aftermath of Worlds End, with Maxwell Jacob Friedman's contract status left uncertain, AEW CEO Tony Khan announced that in lieu of the car accident that led to the cancellation of the main event of MJF vs Samoa Joe, and caused the world title to be forfeited to the challenger-"
Max makes such a distressed noise that Amelie stops and looks up, eyes wide, Adam pressing his forehead to Max's. "It's ok," he murmurs, "just breathe, baby. It's gonna be ok."
"I'm sorry," she says weakly, putting her phone away with shaking hands.
"What else?" Max asks after a couple of minutes.
"Max," Adam says quietly.
"I, I don't-"
"What else?" Max insists, gaze boring into Amelie.
"It- the article just goes on to say that Tony Khan has paused your contract due to injury, so you're still technically with the company until both parties are able to negotiate further," Amelie says miserably. "Says in the meanwhile he'll be supporting you and Adam with whatever you need in the aftermath of the accident."
Adam sighs, resting a hand on Max's side. "Good guy, that Tony."
Max sits with that for a few moments, then looks back at Amelie. "Who was the devil?"
She falters, glancing at Adam. He shrugs at her and she exhales. In for an inch, in for a pound. "Uh, well, after Joe... after Joe accepted the title," she grimaces, but Max fails to react this time, so she continues on, "these masked guys surrounded the ring. The lights went out, and when they came back on, a fifth guy was in the ring, with your, uh, your devil mask on. They all revealed themselves to be Kyle O'Reilly, Roddy, the Kingdom and Wardlow."
"Wait, Kyle was the...?" Max asks, searching Adam's face. "Why?"
"Revenge," Amelie speaks up, fingers twisting in the straps of her bag. "Do you remember, uh, when, when Roddy and the Kingdom began working together all of those months ago? Said it was because of how Adam, uh..." She hesitates, shooting an uncomfortable glance at Adam before barreling on. "How Adam betrayed them all? So that's why Kyle, uh. Why Kyle put all of this in motion."
"Revenge on me," Adam says slowly, squeezing Max's shoulder gently. "They targeted you, worked with Joe, sowed doubt on me... did everything they could to split us up. Bet they never even considered that, even if we hadn't gotten in this accident, there was no way for them to succeed."
Max looks up at him, eyes dark and soft. But he's still struggling to absorb all that Amelie has revealed to him and turns his attention back to her after a moment. "Wardlow, though," Max says, still not thinking fast enough to figure it all out. "He had nothing to do with Adam. Right? I think."
"He just wanted an opportunity to get back at you, get an shot at the world title," Amelie says, glancing from Adam to Max. "And, well, Worlds' End, uh, ended with them telling Joe he owes them."
"I'm sure Joe loved that," Adam says dryly.
"As much as he loves anything," Amelie offers, looking pleased when Adam chuckles and even Max manages a smirk.
Max's energy fades quickly after this and he sinks back against the pillows, sighing. Adam smooths his thumb over Max's forehead, smiling down at him, and Amelie watches them for a couple of moments.
"Well," she says softly. "You look wiped out and I don't want to overstay my welcome, so I'm gonna go." When Adam moves to grab his crutches to stand and walk her to the door, she holds a hand up and shakes her head. "No, Adam, I'll find my way out. I think. if not, send a search party for me in a couple of hours." She smiles a little. "You both take care of yourselves, huh?"
"We will," Adam says softly, squeezing Max's hand.
Max blinks sleepily at her. "Thanks," he says. "For... for helping Adam. Us. For updating me on things. I appreciate it."
Adam smiles at her. "We'll talk soon."
"Alright," she says, tapping her hand against the doorframe. "Bye."
"Bye," Adam murmurs.
"Bye." Max closes his eyes, listening as she makes her way back through the penthouse, the door clicking behind her as she goes. "You were right," he mumbles.
"Hm?" Adam asks.
"She is nice."
Adam chuckles, adjusting himself to stretch out next to Max and lazily wrapping an arm around him, tucking him in as close as he can considering their various injuries. "Told you," he says softly, realizing that Max is all but asleep already. He presses a kiss to the side of Max's face, thinking about everything Amelie's told them, how Max will want to react to it all once he's a little stronger. Thankfully, for now, that's somewhere far in the distance. Instead, they'll both be focusing on their recovery for awhile yet. It's kind of a relief, getting a break from Roddy and everyone else's drama. "Rest well, Max," he whispers.