Melted: A MaxTul AU story

Sixty-Five: Fruit and Protein

Max awoke feeling the most rested he had in weeks if not months. He was embarrassed that he had fallen asleep so quickly the night before. He guessed he hadn't realized how exhausted he was. He felt warm and soothed by the limbs of the man lying next two him which were wrapped protectively around his body. However, he also felt stiff, and he thoughtlessly tried to stretch around those limbs. But in the warmth he was feeling both inside and out, he'd forgotten about his ribs and yelped. Tul immediately woke up.

"Max," he said groggily even though he had bolted up as if he were fully awake. "Are you okay?" Even through Tul's just awakened haze, Max could hear the concern in Tul's voice.

Max smiled and grimaced at the same time, also sitting up, trying to stretch a bit. "I'm fine. I just woke up feeling so good I forgot about my ribs."

He turned to see Tul's face flush with a shy smile before the other man scrambled out of bed. Tul picked up a tray from the table on the other side of the bed. It had a glass of water and some other items that Max couldn't really see. Tul held the tray and stood by the side of the bed not meeting Max's eyes. Max thought, "Could he be embarrassed? I should be the one who is embarrassed."

"Max," Tul said looking at the tray as if there was script on it he was reading. "I brought you medicine, but I didn't know if it was the kind of medicine you shouldn't take on an empty stomach, so I have some dried fruits—durian, strawberry, and mango—or peanuts if you want some protein."

He paused, then rushed to say more. "If you don't like any of these, I can go to the kitchen and . . ."

Max interrupted him, "Tul, this is fine. I'll take the medicine and eat some peanuts. What time is it? Breakfast should be ready soon. The adults might not want to eat much, but Mae Rhutna and Kuhn Sinjai will know that the kids will be hungry."

"It's still early. Only 6:30. Only you would be thinking about breakfast now," Tul smiled, liking the way Max used the nickname "Mae Rhutna" for the cook. He finally felt that he could look at Max as he stepped closer and held the tray out so Max could get the medicine and the water. When Max was finished taking the medicine, he set the tray down again and passed him the bowl of peanuts.

"Kuhn Bagnet will have already eaten a full breakfast by now," Max said. "I like staying with her because you can have hot breakfast by 6."

"But didn't you tell me that she gets up every day at 3? No wonder, she's ready to have a big breakfast by 6."

Max nodded and scooted back to so he could lean up against the wall behind the bed. This was a challenging maneuver with his ribs still sore and because he was still naked under the sheet. He knew that Tul had seen everything last night, but Tul could barely look him in the face now. He felt staying covered was prudent. 

He admitted that he felt a little embarrassed, too, but Tul was more embarrassed than he was. Still, Tul tried to help Max without staring at all of Max's exposed skin. He worked hard trying to make sure the pillows were in exactly the right spot behind Max so he would not think about how much he wanted to start kissing again like last night.

He concentrated instead on Kuhn Bagnet. "Max, do you think she has found out anything?"

"I don't know," Max replied. "The last I heard from her was that text I mentioned to you, asking me if I knew a man in a picture she sent. It was of Naak's boyfriend, although he may be her fiancé by now. I can't remember. She also said something about helping the kid that hit me in the head."

"Why would she do that? He hurt you," Tul said, feeling dissatisfied.

"Because he was just a kid,Tul, and I asked her to check him out first. She would have anyway, especially since I said he looked like the one of the guys in the fight. She believes in avoiding collateral damage if she can help it."