charmed - MAX RUSSO

nine

"What for?" Athena questioned with a raised brow.

Max gulped. "I... uh... need to ask you something." Nervousness showing in his voice and the grey mist in ir aura gaining territory over the pink one.

Alex widened her eye at her brother's statement. "Ask her... Yeah, go!" She pushed Athena off the couch, the girl hitting the ground with a 'humph'.

"Why?" She questioned, taking Max's arm for support as she got up. "First my ankle and now this. Are you trying yo get me killed?"

"Just go already!" The Russo sister threw some popcorn at them, making the two rush downstairs to the Sub Station.

A small grin appeared on her lips as she hoped that one of them would ask the other out on a date. But that grin soon faded when the door of her apartment opened again and Mason stepped in.

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"So..." Athena mumbled, leaning over the cashier.

"So..." Max repeated her words also leaning over the cashier by her side.

Athena ler out a laugh. "Okay, so what did you want to ask me?" She tried to play it cool in front of him, twirling a lock of hair with her finger and keeping her eyes in the restaurant tables ahead of them.

Max bit the inside of his cheeks as he felt his heartbeat increasing and his mouth getting dry.

Get it together, he told himself, it's not like she'll run away. Or will she?

Max opened his mouth but no sounds came out.

Athena let ou a breath. "Okay, so since it seems like the cat has got your tongue," She joked after a few moments of pure silence. "can I ask you something?"

Max turned to her, eyes slightly widened. He nodded and as he did, the girl took a deep breath, recalling the conversation she had with Alex earlier.

"You and Max like each other. It's that simple." Alex's voice rang in her mind.

"What do you think of... I don't know, going out or something?" She managed to speak. "As... on a date, I guess...?" The girl kept her eyes straight ahead, not daring to look over to her crush.

"Oh" He did not expect her to ask him that. He let out a relieved chuckle.

The girl held her breath. Was she this ridiculous? At the point where he'd actually laugh at her? She started to pick on the skin around her thumb, still not glancing in his direction.

"We don't have to, I mean I... you... It's getting hot in here, huh." She felt her cheeks and ears warming up, a bitter taste taking over her mouth as she tried to get herself out of that embarrassing situation.

"No, no, no, no!" Max blurted out, moving to the other side of the cashier so that he could face her. "I mean, yes, I'd love to!" His voice held excitement. "I was about to ask you the same thing, to be honest."

The Jones girl felt a weight being lifted from her shoulders as he said he'd love to go on a date with her. "For real?" She questioned.

Max nodded. "Here we go." He told no one in particular in a low voice. "I, uh... I think..." He bobbed his head. "I know, I have this... feelings. For you."

Athena's blue eyes were fixated on his caramel ones, neither of them knowing how to act or what to say after that. The girl's lips curved in a shy smile and she tilted her head to the side a bit.

"I have... feelings for you too." She managed to break the eye contact, lowering her gaze to her hands.

The boy's mouth went 'o' and he fought the urge to scream. "For real?" He contained himself, saying the exact words she had said just a few moments ago when he told her about how he felt.