Melted: A MaxTul AU story

Sixty-four: Defining Care and Protection

Author's Note: Here's a long chapter. Hopefully, it will make up for the fact that I was unable to publish anything last weekend. I tried, but I was not satisfied with any of the drafts I developed.

The picture above is of white mulberry tea. White mulberry trees are the kind that silkworms eat, so it is the main kind of mulberry tree on Hongtai farms. Sinjai has some of the other kind of mulberry trees as well mainly now for Max's jam. :D

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Max looked over at Tul who looked nervous. "Are you sure, Max? I don't have to come."

This was their last full day at the farm, and Max was preparing to take the Tappitaks to Nuer Mek Ridge, the place he had taken Tul their last evening at the farm. Tul knew that Max liked to go to Nuer Mek Ridge at least once every time he visited the farm, but Tul had assumed that this time he would go alone. However, it didn't surprise him that Max wanted to show his family, especially Uncle Pongpat the view from there.

He would love to go and spend more time with them and Max, but he didn't want to intrude on this family time.

"Actually, the family wants you there," Max said as if he were reading Tul's mind. "Besides, I might need you to help carry uncle up the last bit. He's going to want to walk it on his own, but I don't think he'll be able to make it to the top. With my ribs the way they are, I won't be able to carry him much. Ohm can do some, but we will also need help carrying more food and supplies than when we went."

"You really shouldn't be trying to carry him at all, Max."

"Another reason I'm asking you. I don't think he'd feel comfortable having anyone else seeing that he needed to be carried. Uncle does still have some pride. But I don't think he'd mind if it were you."

Tul nodded. In another circumstance, the comment would have made him feel good, but now he just felt sad.

"I don't want to leave the farm with any regrets, Tul. I know it seems like a lot, but I don't know when we'll be able to come back again."

Tul knew what Max meant, and he wasn't surprised at the sentiment. Over the last four days, he had started to become concerned that one of the people who he wanted to get rest and who probably needed it the most (second only to Pongpat) wasn't getting any rest at all.

Max seemed to be everywhere at once because everyone wanted something from him. Members of the team asked him questions every time he appeared. Sinjai Hongtai used him for experiments. The Tappitak kids clearly saw him as a much-missed older brother. Sukrit's twins always wanted him to play even though they were growing just as fond of Ohm (to Ramida's chagrin).

And Max seemed to delight in all of it. He loved the farm and was excited about showing everyone everything. He wanted people to really see what a wonderful place it was and what a gift Sinjai was giving by sharing it all. He also wanted people to have a good time and really get the peace he found when he came to the farm. They had all been through such a difficult time, and he felt the times were going to be even more challenging going foward.

But Tul could see the strain this put on Max. He didn't forget that Max had just got out of the hospital or the fact that the doctor said that his ribs would take at least a month of reduced movement and physical stress for them to heal. Tul had seen Max wince several times over the last couple of days. Max really should be resting and not moving much to give his ribs time to recover. Instead, he seemed to be doing everything with everyone. The man just couldn't help himself, Tul thought, sighing.

Max, on the other hand, was trying to keep busy. He didn't want to dwell on how much he was loving being at the farm with his family and the team and Tul. Whenever he stopped, he was almost overcome with the wonder of it all. How much he loved them all. How much he wanted this to be how it always was. How much he didn't want to think about how real life was going to get again when they weren't on the farm. When he left time to reflect, his mind drifted to what he would be losing once they all went back to Bangkok.