For Maxxie

[reformingfury]

The morning after Maxxie's birthday, Dave wakes up rather disoriented and more than a little hungover. And sore. So sore, he shuts his eyes again the moment they crack open.

But he can't help but feel great.

If memories recall right, he and Maxxie have made some super big steps in their relationship, whatever that is at this point. He can clearly recall giving the dancer his present and receiving a kiss for it. And then some. But after that, things get unclear. It was a lot more dancing and kissing, as well as all the weed and booze to be had. Maybe some more, but that could have just been a dream. One very, very nice dream.

He can faintly recall coming home to the Compound with him, but after that, it's far too fuzzy between how high and tired they were coming down from the mountain. Dave tries to stretch and open his eyes again, only to realize two things:

One is that he's nearly falling out of his bed.

Two is that the weight on his torso isn't his blankets, but Maxxie himself.

Grinning, Dave adjusts their position so he doesn't tumble off the mattress, pulling the smaller boy more securely on top of him and stroking his hair. Definitely not a dream then.

Awesome.

Comments

[just_dance_it]

His bed is shifting. At least that's what it feels like when Dave stretches, what with Maxxie's head pillowed on his chest as it his and his arm flung across him. He doesn't think of it as Dave moving, still too close to sleep for his brain to be functioning in any good way. It's not until he feels someone playing with his hair that he really realizes he's not alone.

Maxxie lifts his head suddenly, groggy and confused, and stares at his bed partner with bleary eyes.

Oh, right. Dave.

Memories come flooding back to him right on cue. He blinks and smiles sleepily.

"Morning."

[reformingfury]

"Hey. Morning."

He shifts down, ready to kiss Maxxie in greeting, but holds back when he realizes his breath is likely rank, placing his lips between the other boy's brows. The shifting brings back a lot of his soreness and highlights a third fact: they're very naked.

"So... How much of last night do you remember?"

Dave can recall mostly the beginning of the party: dancing with Bay, then getting to Maxxie for their dance, which lead to the present, which lead to some awesome sex. Then going back. Taking to more people, including Anderson. What about, he's not so sure. The rest blurs together, and he hates that he can't recall climbing into bed with his gorgeous friend at the end of it.

[just_dance_it]

He grins and shuts his eyes under the kiss, dazed with sleep and wondering when the hell was the last time someone did that to him.

"Umm..." His brow immediately wrinkles as he tries to remember the last night. "Fair bit. You. Me." Maxxie smirks, the memories a blur, distinct nice bits popping out here and there.

There was something Blaine said that Maxxie didn't like. But damned if he can remember what it was now.

[reformingfury]

Dave laughs and slides his hand down his back. "All the important things then? Sweet."

He leans his head back down, basking as best he can with his head throbbing a bit. "I want to say I'm never doing that again, with the drinking and shit, but... Nope, not a single regret." Though the hangover is a big fat reminder to take it a little easier with the alcohol, or at least to drink more water between his whiskey.

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie wriggles his way higher up the bed, still tucked into the space beside Dave, half laying on him, but his head resting on the pillow now, turned so he can look at Dave's profile with lazy eyes.

"No take-backs?" The question is soft, his lips twitching in a faint smile as he tries to inject some humor into it, though he's not completely awake yet and it's a worry he always has. Here.

"I feel like, every time we have one of those parties, the next day there's always one or two people swearing that they're not really like that, or whatever. Not regret, just... not what they'd usually want to do."

[reformingfury]

"Mm, definitely no take-backs" Dave confirms with an easy smile. "But get what you're saying. Felt tha way at the last party. But no, definitely not making excuses for it. I might not have done that with out freaking out if it weren't for the booze, but it's something I definitely wanted to do."

Probably not as fast as kissing to jerking each other off and getting an amazing blowjob, but he still wanted it. "Besides, if I had put the breaks on all that, you wouldn't be in here with me right now." He tune his head and smiles, the shy blush back on his face.

"Gotta admit, I like waking up like this. Even with my hangover."

[just_dance_it]

Even with the blush, Dave's so straightforward in a way that pleases Maxxie, as much as his words do. It's strange how admitting to what you like can take confidence and trust. He's not baring his soul to Maxxie right now or anything like that, but it's good to hear some things, some simple things, and not have to worry about a double meaning.

"Better than waking up alone," he replies, smiling. "With or without a hangover. Even if the Compound beds are a little small."

[reformingfury]

"No kidding," he agrees as he cracks his neck a bit. "I'm seriously thinking of moving that empty bed over here so there's more space."

But that would mean getting up, and Dave is so, so very comfortable right here.

[just_dance_it]

"Mm, I think we're fine how we are for right now." He snuggles a bit closer to Dave and squeezes him with one arm to prove the point.

As happy as Maxxie is in his spot right now, the more he wakes up, the more he remembers that it isn't just as simple as this. There's expectations and consequences: not necessarily bad ones but he doesn't want to repeat old mistakes.

"So, um.." he begins, ineloquently. "What now?"

[reformingfury]

Dave grins when he's snuggled up against, leaning in to nuzzle Maxxie's hair and contemplates kissing him full on the mouth. Morning break be damned, and Maxxie is likely in a similar situation. He just wants to kiss the other boy again.

But the question hangs in the air for a bit, making him pause. What do they do now? "I'm... not sure. I mean, I definitely like this. Wouldn't mind more at all." That's putting it lightly. Dave wants a lot, but he has no clue how to go about it.

"Do... do you wanna go out some time?"

Oh god, he sounds like an idiot. And this is incredibly backwards from what he used to imagine for himself. It's not a complaint, but once again, he's finding himself out of depth with the situation at hand.

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie can come up with some kind of response to the first part. Nothing smart or thoughtful, and he would probably follow it up with half a dozen questions, but he could answer.

The question takes him by surprise somehow. It's not just that it's coming after a night of sex and waking up in bed together, though that's a big part of it. Dating on the island -- real, actual dates -- seems like such a weird concept, not something Maxxie's gotten his head around before.

And, in Maxxie's case at least, it still leaves them with questions.

"I-- uh, sure," he says, a short, surprised laugh slipping out of him. "That's, um-- Yeah. If you want."

[reformingfury]

He laughs nervously at Maxxie's answer. "Yeah, it's what I want. Is... is it what you want?" God, please say yes again.

"I can't promise it will be good... I've never actually been on one before. And I honestly have no clue where I can take you that you haven't been to, yet," Dava admits a little weakly. It's embarrassing that he hasn't, in his head, but then again, he's been so far in his closet, it's not like it should be surprising to anyone. "But I know I have fun with you, and if we give this a shot for real, I want to do it right. So... Yes?"

[just_dance_it]

A shot for real. Do it right. For fuck's sake, what is he doing? He's good at getting attention and hooking up. Relationships are another matter, and so far he hasn't done very well with them. He doesn't want to fuck up again. He really doesn't want to hurt Dave. And the surest way of doing that would be not to engage in anything at all.

But they're already started and what was it that he had said to Effy? They're all gonna get hurt anyway, one way or another. Might as well go in all the way if at all.

Maxxie bites his lower lip for a second, then nods, another smile appearing. "Yeah," he says. "Yes. It doesn't have to be super special or anything. Just hanging out with you is good for me."

[reformingfury]

There's a long sigh as Dave lets out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. "Thank god. Not that I wouldn't try, but I'm like ninety-percent sure I'd fuck it up if I try to doing something elaborate." He winces when he remembers a bit of his conversation with Anderson about what he was afraid he did on Valentine's Day.

"So you totally won't say no to just chilling on the beach? I know you're on there all the time anyhow, but I can maybe pack up something?"

[just_dance_it]

He grins at Dave's obvious relief, feeling like he's not so alone in his anxiety, even if it's probably different for Dave. He's not used to dating for a whole different reason than Maxxie.

"Nah, dude," Maxxie assures him. "Honestly, I haven't gone on a lot of dates either. Anything would be cool. I'm not judging you on this one."

[reformingfury]

Dave grins and leans down, kissing Maxxie full on the mouth for being so freakin' awesome. He's going on a date. Dave is going on a date. With Maxxie, the hands down hottest boy he's met so far. And not only that, but he's fun and totally chill with this.

If he were standing, he'd be practically bouncing on his heels.

"When do you think we should go, then?" He actually realizes that he has no clue what kind of schedule Maxxie has here. He knows that he takes some dance classes, but Dave has no idea which ones or when, and he has is own classes. He wracks his head for when he thinks might work. "...Thursday around seven? We'll be swimming around sundown, but... that's good, yeah?"

[just_dance_it]

"Sure!" Maxxie answers without stopping to think about it. Maybe he has class then, but if he does, he'll just skip. It's not like it's a big deal on the island or like he's gonna skip all the time. Mostly, Thursday just seems like a long way away.

"So is this--" He licks his lips, glancing down quickly at Dave's mouth. He needs to brush his teeth badly. He's not thinking about kissing him right now so much as later. "Are we just dating? Are we boyfriends? How much did you want to slow down?"

[reformingfury]

It's another loaded question that he doesn't entirely know the answer to, but it's also another that Dave knows that he and Maxxie can just figure out as they go along. It seems to work out so far, right? Just going with what feels good and comfortable for them, rather than over thinking shit?

"Well, um... I think it's dumb to cut out sex all together at this point. As long as we take it slower from here on, I see nothing wrong with um..." Dave gestures at their still very naked bodies. "Doing this again. When it feels right. And we don't have to put a name on it yet, but... I'd like to be?"

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie mulls that over for a second and decides better safe than sorry. Monogamous and not expecting too much. It's not as if that's a hardship for him. He hasn't had his eye on anyone else and hadn't even been expecting this, so it's not as though he has the same worries as before.

"Okay," he says, then smiles a little more. "Good. I like that, yeah."

He can do this. He can do this and not fuck it up.

[reformingfury]

Dave watches for Maxxie's reactions, and slowly smiles in relief when that appears to be good for him. A dumb, fast part of him just wants to be at the whole boyfriend thing already, but he's not an idiot. Neither of them are there yet, and this is the best plan realistically. At the least, it's a start for both of them. One they can be comfortable with, knowing what's on the table without making demands or expectations.

"Awesome." He leans in again for a kiss, but stops himself. "I really want to get back to kissing you like last night, but I think we both really need to wash first."

[just_dance_it]

"Definitely," Maxxie laughs.

He wants to dive right in. To prove that he can and he will. To enjoy that closeness after a long stretch of closing himself off. But Dave doesn't want to quite yet and that's good enough reason not to for Maxxie. It'll help things, right?

"And lots of water. Acetaminophen. Breakfast. I am so down for snogging once I feel human again."

Not that being here in bed with Dave isn't comfortable and appealing, too.

[reformingfury]

"Mm, good plan. Let's get showered and see what Bill's cooked up, if it ain't all gone already."

Even though he says it, he makes no move to actually budge out of bed. In fact, Dave just snuggles tighter in the comfort of the bed and Maxxie's body.

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie laughs but doesn't fight, letting his head fall to rest on Dave's shoulder with a contented smile on his face.

"Or maybe we stay here for a little while longer?"

[reformingfury]

He grins at the thought, but has a better one.

"Or you can join me in the shower? Unless that's too fast." Dave isn't intending on being bad while they clean up. He just really likes the physical closeness right now. Besides, they're already naked together and planning to make out after breakfast. It's not like it would hurt things.

[just_dance_it]

Maxxie grins and nuzzles at his neck, leaving a kiss there.

"I like your version of slow," he says. The longer he spends in Dave's company, Maxxie thinks, the better he'll feel about this. Not better. He feels good about this. But more confident. More reminders of why it's totally worth the potential pain.

[reformingfury]

Dave laughs and sits up. "Hey, it ain't speeding up if we don't really do more than what we already did."

Stroking Maxxie's back again, he can't help but think about how floored he is that this is happening. That they're agreeing to go at a comfortable pace and see what happens, that they're taking this chance on each other.

That there's a possibility that mornings like this will become their norm.

Dave grins wide and slips out of the bed. "Come on. Let's get in the shower."