From max to max

Part 4: the school party

It had been a few days since they were partnered together, and a lot had happened. Sam and Max had grown closer, gotten used to living together, and had even defeated a giant cell monster in their school's science class.

Tonight was the night of the school's fall dance. Max was excited to spend more time with his new best friend, and they were walking together down the sidewalk.

"So max, are there any girls you're interested in?" Sam asks. Max shakes his head. "Nah, I'm not really into girls, they're kinda boring." Sam looks at him kinda weird. "Uh, ok then... are there any guys you're interested in?"

Max stops walking. "Wait... I can be interested in guys...?" Sam stops too. "Well, yeah, why not?" Max thinks for a bit, then smiles. "Cool."

Sam smiles too and they continue walking.

Later, they were standing next to each other in the gym, boredly staring at all the people dancing.

"Say max, Do you know any good jokes?" Sam asked. Max looks up at him. "Jokes?" Sam nods. "Yeah,"

Max thinks for a bit, then nervously nods. There was only one joke he could remember:

"It smells like updog in here." "what's updog?" "Nothing much, what's up with you?"

But whenever he tried to tell it, it either didn't work or the target just didn't find it funny.

When he told it to Louise, she said "well I'm sure someone else will find it funny!" When he told Morris, he said, "man that was lame." and when he told ruby, she just said "aren't you supposed to be doing laundry?"

"Well, let's hear it, max." Sam said with a gentle smile. Max nods. "O-okay..." he looks to sam. "It smells like updog in here."

Sam sniffs the air. "I don't smell anything..." he then thinks. "Wait, what even IS updog?" he looks to max, confused. Max grinned very widely.

"Nothing much, what's up with you?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he mentally beat himself up, thinking, 'that wasn't funny. He's gonna think you're lame. You're an idiot.'

But then Max's thoughts were interrupted by Sam's laughter. Max looks up at him.

Sam was laughing his head off. Max blushes, he looked absolutely beautiful.

The country song on the dance speakers kept playing as he laughed.

"It only took one look, from your amazing eyes, for me to realize, you are the one, i loved your smile, your style, and then i felt your touch, your body said so much, boy i was done....

It was, love at first sight, it felt so right, that magical night, when i saw the light,

It was, all around you, like a halo of truth, so pure and white...

It was love at first sight... "

When Sam had stopped laughing, he wiped a tear from his eye. "Man, that was the best joke I ever heard!" He looks at Max, his eyes sparkling. "You crack me up, max."

Whether it was the music, Sam being absolutely precious, max's lack of impulse control, or a combination of everything, max wasn't able to stop himself from saying,

"I love you."

Both immediately turned red, and their eyes went wide.

"W-what did you say...?" Sam asks, whispering. Max panicked. "I-i said, 'i'm glad you liked it too'!" he smiled. "The joke I mean!" Sam shakes his head. "N-no that wasn't it.. You said-"

Max interrupts him. "I GOTTA GO TO THE BATHROOM!"

He then bolts across the gym, shoving a few people out of the way in the process. Then once he was in the bathroom, he jumped up onto the counter and out the window, tumbling out and landing outside the gym.

He ran over to the football field, hiding underneath the bleachers.

Once he was hidden, he sat down against one of the steel support beams.

"Ohgodohogdohgodohgod what was i thinking?! Where the hell did that even come from?!" he said as he started to tear up. "What on earth does he think of me now...?"

He hugs his knees. "God... I ruined everything..." he covered his face and started to cry.

"Max! There you are!" Sam's voice said.

Max freezes.

he hears the sound of feet walking over as he slowly looks up. Sam kneels in front of him, a gentle look on his face. "Why'd you run off?"

Max shakily sighs. "Because i said something stupid... and now you probably think i'm weird..." Sam smiles gently. "Aw max.."

He moves to sit next to him. "I already thought you were weird... but..." he puts an arm around him. "You're the good kind of weird."

Max slowly smiles a bit. "...Really?" Sam nods. "Yeah..." Max looks down, softly giggling a bit. "Cool."

The two sit in a comfy silence for a bit, until Sam speaks again. "You know max... I know we haven't known each other long, but..." he pulls max a bit closer. "Ever since we've met... I've felt a connection to you... that I've never felt for anyone else..." Max was a bit confused. "What do you mean...?"

Sam shifts so that he's facing max, taking his hand. "D-did you really mean what you said back there?"

Max blushes. "U-uh... if i did... would you laugh at me? Or... be upset..?" Sam smiles gently. "No, sillyhead...." he nuzzles Max's forehead gently. "I'd say it back." Max blushes more. "Oh..." Sam giggles.

Max takes a breath. "Well, in that case...." he takes Sam's face and looks into his eyes. "Sam... I like you a whole lot... more than a friend i mean..." Sam nuzzles his forehead. "I feel the same way..." Max smiles, hugging him. "Do... you wanna start dating? Maybe see where this goes?" Sam hugs back and nods. "Sure, that sounds cool..."

The two sat together under the bleachers for a while, just softly snuggling.

Max didn't even know he wanted to be with Sam until tonight, but now that they had each other, Max knew he'd never let him go.