Put That Kid Down

Chapter Seven

"I'm not-" David stopped himself from shaking the boy with pure force of will, "I told you before. You're safe with me."

"You also just killed two men with your bare hands and dropped them like trash," Max pointed out.

"Only because they were trying to kill my-" David paused, reassessed the intelligence in making such a possessive statement towards the campers in connection with his new murderer status in Max's eyes, "-only because they tried to kill you all first. If I hadn't done this, they would have kept coming after you. It was the only way to stop them...Would you rather they killed Nikki? Or Neil?" His voice had turned a little pleading without him realizing it, and David stopped that line of persuasion right quick.

Because that's all he really had over Max.

He could never hurt one of his campers, so his only way forward without ending up in jail was to convince Max to let this go. To convince a child that killing was okay. David's heart clenched, but he sank down to Max's level. He moved his hand up to the kid's tense shoulder so he was no longer restraining him.

In a quiet voice, he told him, "It's awful and it's wrong, but I couldn't let them hurt any of you. I know you probably want to call the police, or tell Gwen and the other kids, and I can't stop you - I won't stop you if you decide to do it." He tried to search Max's eyes for comprehension, for belief, but it was like trying to read a tight-lipped brick wall, and David mustered up half a smile, "I'm going to do one more awful thing though, and ask you not to. It's a lot to put on your shoulders, and you don't know how sorry I am you saw any of that, but I'm just-" Max's cold green eyes didn't waver from his, "I'm just trying to keep my word. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"...You've got to be bullshitting me," Max blurted after a pause to process. His voice was not as flat as he'd probably like it to be; there was a tremble in his words, "And I know it's super fucking smart to tell you I don't believe you but did you really expect anyone to fall for that load of shit?"

David's half-smile spread into a full one against his will; trust Max to be immune to sincerity. "You are an infuriating and adorable child," he told him just a little shakily. David ruffled the kid's hair for the last time before removing his hands from Max's person, "Go back to camp and tell them." For the sake of honesty, because Max already knew, he hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the bodies, "Maybe I can get rid of these guys before that, maybe not."

When Max took a hesitant step back, David turned to work both up over a shoulder. Behind him, the kid made a frustrated noise before he left. Probably. When David finally looked back, having secured the bodies, he was surprised to see Max's hands clenched into fists at his side and his head down - mostly because he was surprised Max was still standing there.

"...How could you ask me that?" Max said, so quietly David almost didn't hear it. When he looked up his jaw was set, his eyes were blank, but his voice was clear, "I'm not going to tell them. Yet. But I'll be watching you and the second I don't feel safe- um," Max trailed off, having tripped over the unexpected word. Looking as surprised as David felt, he visibly gathered himself and tried again, "As soon as I think you might kill someone else or hurt someone innocent, you're fucking done, David. Get it?"

"I got it," David replied a beat too late, shock dulling his reaction time. By that point, Max had turned away, hunching down into his hoodie with his hands shoved stiffly in his pockets. He was so folded in; David thought it might be as close as Max ever got to hugging himself. The kid walked towards camp without looking back.

David couldn't deny it.

That had been just wrong of him to ask. It was despicable.

But a small part of him had leaped with cautious joy when Max had slipped up. When he'd revealed he still felt safe with David.