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MAX WALKS DOWN THE hallway with a tired expression. He acted all tough when he was talking to Kim Hee-joon, but the truth was, he was still very much nervous because he had never spoken to someone like him before. Max just tried matching his energy because he knew that it was something that would catch the prince's attention. Thankfully, they came to an agreement in the end.
"A lot of things happened today. I just want to lie down now," Max says while massaging his nape. When he got to his room, the guard waiting outside the door bowed his head to him and told him, "Sir Sinclaire, the guest you mentioned to me earlier is now waiting inside."
As soon as Max heard those words, the tired expression on his face disappeared in an instant. "Is that so?" Max asks before sniffing his shirt, making sure it doesn't smell like cigarette smoke since the person waiting inside wants him to stop with his vices.
"Then you may leave," Max then says.
"Apologies, sir, but I was instructed to—" Before the guard could even finish his sentence, Max stopped him with one look, which the guard automatically understood. "Oh, of course," he says, trying not to look flustered. "Then I will watch over the CCTV cameras instead. Don't hesitate to call if something happens," the guard adds, bowing his head again before finally walking away.
Max clears his throat and tries to act cool as he eventually opens the door to his room. The room was dim when he got inside. He quietly closes the door behind him as he walks further, reaching the living room area with a stunning view of the city lights.
Max puts on a warm smile when he sees someone familiar sitting on the sofa, silently looking at the view. Max then removed his coat and shoes and walked closer to him. "Sorry I'm late," he told him.
Gavriil Alexeev smiles as he stares at Max's reflection in the window. Max stands behind him and holds onto his shoulders, and then he leans forward to give Gavriil a soft kiss on his cheek. "Did you wait long?" He whispers, making Gavriil chuckle this time.
"This is such a contrast to when we talked earlier. You're acting all confident now," Gavriil teases, grabbing Max's hand and kissing it as well.
Max laughs and finally sits beside him on the sofa. The two of them turned to face each other, and then Gavriil immediately reached out to tuck Max's hair behind his ear so he could see his eyes better.
"You look tired," Gavriil tells him.
"I am," Max truthfully answers before wrapping his arms around Gavriil and resting his head on his chest. "Warm...so warm," he then whispers.
Gav smiles and hugs Max as well, letting him lie on him as he pats his back. "Then rest," he softly replies, giving Max's head a gentle kiss.
Max stays there for a bit, closing his eyes and finding comfort from his boyfriend's familiar scent. After a while, he looks back at Gavriil and tells him, "I almost forgot. How have you been? Did something happen with the Elites? We weren't able to talk about that when we were with the others."
Gavriil was so surprised by the sudden question that it ended up making him laugh. "That's quite random, don't you think?" He asks, and Max just shrugs his shoulders, genuinely curious to hear Gavriil's answer.
"I mean, everything's normal in J.S High and the Elites. Like what Krist and the others explained, the only exciting thing that happened was the leaked video of you that started playing at the pavilion. Other than that, J.S High has been very quiet."
"Then the Revels, have they done anything crazy?"
"The new Marquis isn't following Crazy 8's ways at all. They actually haven't shown themselves yet, which the Elites are having trouble with. If they don't come to school, we're gonna have to file a report to the association," Gavriil explains, making Max furrow his brows in confusion.
"I thought they were gonna work with Viktor."
"Well, you know Viktor. He doesn't really work with anyone. He uses them, like how he tends to do with me," Gavriil answers, and for a split second, Max saw sadness in his eyes.
Max doesn't really know how Gavriil's relationship with Viktor turned into something similar to dog and master because he never really asked him about it. Viktor makes Gavriil do the dirty work for him, while Gavriil just blindly follows, even though he obviously doesn't like doing them. There's also the fact that the bombs that killed the Stepanov Clan were bombs manufactured by Gavriil's family. Even though it was proven that they weren't directly involved with that incident, could Viktor be using that against Gav so he can continue to tie him on a leash?
"Babe, can I ask you something?" Max requests, making the atmosphere turn serious.
"What is this?"
"Why are you following Viktor?"
Gavriil expected the question, but he didn't have an immediate answer. He gently touches Max's hair and turns away from him to look at the scenery outside the window. While looking at the city lights, he takes a deep breath and says, "Guilt, probably."
"Guilt? But your family was never involved in that incident, right?"
"It's not really about the bombs or the incident," Gavriil clarifies, turning to look at Max again. "I felt guilty for leaving him alone when he needed us the most," Gavriil reveals, which was something Max wasn't expecting at all.
"You know, when you had that accident that killed Madam Luna, Viktor was actually devastated. It reminded him of the time he lost his family. To be honest, I was surprised. He went crazy when he heard about what happened to you. It was the first time I've seen him like that. When his whole family died, Viktor never cried or showed emotions, but we were always there for him. But with what happened to you, Vi cried for the first time," Gavriil shares, making Max look back at him with shock.
"Viktor? The Viktor we know? The King of J.S High?" Max asks in disbelief. He never expected Viktor to be affected by his accident like that at all. This was all new to him.
"That's right. After that accident, we all went to the hospital together, and when we saw you unconscious in that bed, something inside us just...something happened," Gavriil explains further, his expression showing grief and sadness, an expression he seldom sees in him. Max can only imagine what they've gone through during those times.
"The loud Grey became quiet. The warm Cindy became cold. And Vi, who never wanted us to see him weak, cried. We knew then that something was wrong. Our friendship had to end. It was getting dangerous."
"And you? What did you feel?" Max asks next, and Gavriil takes a deep breath before reaching out to touch Max's face.
"I was terrified," Gavriil answers while gently touching Max's cheek. "But Grey wanted us to be strong. He told us we needed to stay together no matter what happens. But then you woke up, and you didn't remember a single thing. Our hope to stay together was shattered. And that's when we decided to split up. Viktor looked like he didn't want to, but we still walked away. I walked away. We thought it was also safer for you not to remember. The last time we saw each other was during Madam Luna's funeral. After that...we enrolled in J.S High. But we were like strangers, and Viktor became completely different."
"And you blame yourself for it?"
"I wasn't strong enough. We were kids...I mean, we still are, but... Gavriil pauses and takes another deep breath. "I thought I lost you, Leigh. And the thought of losing you again—" Before Gavriil can finish his sentence, Max immediately embraces him. "But I'm here."
"I know. Which scares me even more."
"But there's no reason for you to be scared."
Gavriil nods his head, showing the young heir that he is aware of that fact. But then he caresses his thumb on Max's cheek and tells him, "I'll do anything to protect you. Do you know that? Anything."
"I know," Max answers and Gavriil leans forward and gently kisses his forehead. Afterward, Max turns around to relax his body against Gavriil's. Gavriil then wraps his arms around him and rests his chin on Max's shoulder, feeling his warmth.
"When I saw that video of that nun hitting your hands, I almost went straight to St. George Academy to get you. Ian had to stop me," Gavriil reveals, taking Max's hand so he can look at the wounds. But before he could do so, he noticed something else. Max was actually wearing the bracelet he gave him.
"You're wearing it," Gavriil says in shock.
"Why wouldn't I? It's as important to me as the necklace I'm wearing," Max answers without hesitation.
Gavriil is still surprised but smiles and pulls Max's hand to kiss it. He then kisses his fingers before letting go of them to kiss his cheek and neck. Max closes his eyes while Gavriil presses his lips against his skin. But before anything dangerous happens, Gavriil stops. He was about to move away from Max, but Max turned to look at him before whispering, "Don't you want to continue further?"
Gavriil was surprised, but when he saw how red Max's face was, Gavriil almost punched himself so that he could control himself.
Why is Max always testing his patience like this?
"Not yet," Gavriil answers like he always does.
Max expected it, but he still felt disappointed. He can't even count how many times he's been rejected by now.
"Gavriil Ivanovich Alexeev. You are seriously the only person on earth who will reject me like this. I'm basically throwing myself at you now. We're alone in a hotel room. The mood is perfect. Yet you still deny me," Max says, and Gavriil massages his temple, trying to justify himself too.
"Why are you making this harder for me?" Gavriil asks with a tone like he lost in the Olympics.
Max sees the frustration on his face, so he finally laughs and moves away from him. "Alright, alright. I'm not going to ask you anymore, so calm down," he answers before standing from the sofa. "I'm just going to take a shower so we can go to sleep. After all, I still need to return to St. George early tomorrow."
Gavriil stares at Max as he walks away, but he immediately stands from the sofa, grabs Max's hand, and stops him. "On your birthday, let's go somewhere together—just you and me. I promise on that day...I won't deny you anymore. I swear it."
Max was surprised by the sudden declaration that his face turned completely red in embarrassment. He knew precisely what Gavriil meant by saying all that, so despite acting all eager just seconds ago, Max became flustered instead.
"You're fucking crazy."
"For you?" Gavriil quickly asks back, and Max pulls his hand away, his ears turning red this time.
"You're seriously..." Max covers his face, but the vice president takes his hand and pulls it away so he can look at him again. Max tries his best to keep eye contact as Gavriil moves close to him. When they were finally inches away from each other, Gavriil pressed his lips on Max and kissed him for the second time.
Max was surprised, but he kissed him back while draping his arms around Gavriil's neck. The two continue with the passionate exchange, tasting each other as if they've been hungry for one another. After a while, Gavriil pulls away, keeping it minimal to avoid eating his words.
"Shall we take a shower together?" Gavriil teasingly asks, and Max finally pushes him away before running to the bathroom.
"In your dreams, Alexeev!" Max shouted before slamming the door, making Gavriil laugh.
"He's seriously gonna be the death of me."
After a couple of minutes, Max got out of the bathroom, and Gavriil went to take a bath as well. While waiting, Max sat on the bed and pulled out his phone to study St. George Academy's rules for the hundredth time. Max has to be prepared for whatever happens tomorrow.
"What are you reading?" Gavriil asks after taking a quick shower. While drying his hair with a towel, he sits beside Max on the bed and checks his phone screen. "Is that a digital copy of St. George's student handbook?"
"Yup."
"You're studying at this hour? It's almost midnight.
"I have to get ready."
"No, you have to rest," Gavriil answers, snatching the phone from Max's hand and putting it on the side table. "Come on, lie down and go to sleep. You still have a big day tomorrow."
"You're sounding more like a mom," Max complains, but he smiles and lies beside Gavriil before draping his arms around him so he can hug him. "I'm going to miss you. This one is longer than our first goodbye."
"Should I give you another bracelet to comfort you, then? Maybe a gold one this time," Gavriil jokingly says, and Max rolls his eyes back before burying his head on Gavriil's stomach.
"You'll go bankrupt if you want to impress me with jewelry."
"Don't worry, I have a lot of money," Gavriil answers, and this time, Max laughs.
While Gavriil continued drying his hair with a towel, the two of them became quiet. Max remembered their earlier conversation, so he couldn't help but feel sad about how their friendship with Cindy and the others ended like that.
"Viktor came earlier. But he said he only came because he needs to speak to someone who attended the party," Max suddenly reveals, surprising Gavriil.
"Wait, he did?" Gavriil asks in shock, and Max nods in reply.
"He actually came?" Gavriil whispers under his breath before looking down at Max.
"Maybe he's warming up to you."
"I don't know. I don't know what Viktor is thinking. Even when we were kids, I never understood his thoughts about me. I assumed he always hated my guts, but I don't know anything anymore after your story about Viktor. I couldn't believe he cared so much about me," Max says, his voice becoming softer as he starts falling into deep slumber.
"He always cared about you," Gavriil says while caressing Max's head.
"Mother's death anniversary is coming soon as well. I'm not sure if I'll be able to..." Max stops his thoughts, and then Gav gently pushes his hair away to see that Max has finally fallen asleep. He takes a deep breath and carefully moves Max so he can lie down properly. After tucking him in, he leans forward and kisses his head. "Good night, my sweet tamer."
...
"Leigh, wake up," a voice whispers, making Max open his eyes. As soon as he sees the light coming from the window, he immediately grabs a pillow and covers his face with it.
"Leigh, your breakfast is here. Étienne also sent your uniform, so get up so you can return to school," Gavriil explains.
Max groans in frustration while Gavriil forces him to sit up. He pouts, but Gavriil leans forward and kisses him, making Max open his eyes. He smiles at his boyfriend and steals a kiss from him as well before saying, "Good morning."
"Good morning, baby," he answers, standing from the bed and pulling Max up so he can come with him. "I requested these dishes so you can have energy for today. You have to eat them all, okay?"
When they arrived at the dining area, Max was surprised to see the amount of food on the table. "Are you planning to fatten me up to eat me after?" Max jokingly says.
"That's actually a good idea. Maybe I should do that next time," Gavriil answers, and Max laughs in response.
The two of them sat down and started eating. After this, Gavriil won't be able to see Max for an entire month. He's trying to enjoy every moment with him as best as possible.
"The Exchange Program will officially begin today. Can you tell me who the Elites planned to send?" Max asks before putting food in his mouth.
Gavriil takes a sip of his tea and then looks back at Max. "We had a long discussion with this, and the brotherhoods even argued with the president. But after a while, Ian decided to send—" Before Gavriil could even reveal it, Max stopped him.
"Wait, no, scratch that. I don't want to know anymore. I'll see him later anyway. I think that would be more exciting."
"Alright then."
"By the way, do you have any advice for me for the exchange program, Mr. Vice President?" Max asks next, and Gavriil pauses and seriously thinks about it.
"Advice? Let's see...Stay out of trouble. I know you can be stubborn sometimes, but remember, you can't always do things head-on. Remember the traits of the brotherhoods you conquered. Be unpredictable like the Jokers, graceful like BND, bold like Cigarettes, and cunning like Crazy 8. If you do that, there's no reason for me to worry about you," Gavriil says, making Max clapping.
"Okay, that was a freakin' good advice!"
"Now you're just teasing me," the vice president retaliates while pinching Max's cheek.
Max laughs and shakes his head. "I'm serious!"
"Okay, okay. Just go and eat your food. Étienne is already waiting for you downstairs," Gavriil tells him, and the two finish their meal before getting ready to leave.
After breakfast, Max bathed again and changed into his uniform with the help of his sweet and caring boyfriend. After getting ready, the two of them finally exited their hotel room, ending their short time together before they parted again.
Étienne was already waiting outside, holding the car door open as Max and Gavriil approached him. "Master Leigh, sir Alexeev, good morning," Étienne greeted with a respectful bow.
"Good morning," Gavriil answers while Max nods his head to acknowledge him. Max then turned to Gavriil and looked at him with a sad expression.
"One month," Max says. "I won't be able to see you in one whole month."
"It's going to be okay. A month will be faster than you think," Gavriil answers, reassuring him while he gently tucks Max's hair behind his ear.
"Then I'll head out first. I'll see you when I see you, Gav," Max says, and Gavriil smiles and nods his head in response.
Max turned around and walked towards the car. But when he got closer, he stopped and made a quick decision. He gives his butler a look, and without even hearing the instructions, Étienne turns to the hotel employees and guards standing behind them. Étienne then gestures something, and the employees automatically leave without any question. Afterward, the loyal butler clears his throat and turns away from Max and Gavriil, giving them their much-needed privacy.
Gavriil was confused, but then, with his face completely red from embarrassment, Max ran back to his boyfriend and draped his arms around his neck. Before Gavriil could even say anything, Max pressed his lips on him.
The vice president was flustered, but he eventually kissed Max back, wrapping his arm around Max's waist and pulling him closer so he could kiss him deeper. After a couple of seconds, the two pull away from each other, panting as if they just ran a marathon.
"I love you," Max whispered.
Gavriil reached out and wiped Max's lips before whispering back, "I love you too. See you next month."
Max gives Gavriil one last kiss before letting go of him. The two of them look at each other, and then Max runs away and quickly heads inside the car like an embarrassed teen, making Gavriil chuckle.
Étienne closed the car door and turned to Gavriil, who immediately felt awkward.
"S-Sorry about that," Gavriil says.
Étienne had a serious expression on him, but then he chuckled and bowed his head to him before saying, "Thank you for always taking care of Leigh."
Gavriil was surprised by the sudden gratitude, but he smiled and bowed his head back to him. "Thank you for taking care of him as well," he answers, and Étienne finally heads inside the car.
Gavriil waves his hand as they drive away. As soon as they were gone, Gav sighed and slowly reached out to his lips, remembering the goodbye kiss Max had given him just seconds before. "It's confirmed. I am madly in love," he says to himself as a family car arrives to take him home as well.
The driver steps out of the car and opens the door for Gavriil. "Master Gavriil. Looks like you slept well. Did you enjoy the party?" the driver asks as the Elites' vice president steps inside the car.
Before closing the door, Gavriil looks at the driver and tells him, "The party wasn't the only thing I enjoyed."
Thus, this ends Leigh and Gav's short yet sweet alone time.
- END -