Through The Camera (bxb)

chapter 23

That's what I said, but could you blame me?

Max has been ignoring me nonstop, always hurrying somewhere whenever I called out to him. He couldn't have made it more obvious that he was avoiding me. Every time I'd catch him alone he'd tell me he didn't have time to talk at the moment, and other times I'd see him with someone. Which is very unusual for him by the way. He's the type to work and spend his time alone, rarely socializing. I could now see how far he'd go to avoid me.

Time flew and Friday arrived, making me grow impatient and frustrated at the same time. I promised to myself that I'd confess to him this week for sure, however, my confidence had been wavering lately. Thankfully, our boss decided to host a company dinner this evening as gratitude for our hard work.

I was determined to speak to him there!

***

Sipping the beer from my glass, I glanced at Max sitting on the opposite side of the table, as far away from me as possible. He seemed to be deep in thought as he barely even touched his alcohol. We had already eaten the food and were about two hours into the dinner.

Everyone around us was chattering, laughing loudly without a care as they chugged down their beer. The room was noisy and I wasn't in a particularly good mood to join in on the fun.

Frowning, I placed the drink onto the table and slowly but surely made my way over to Max, taking a seat beside him. First, he didn't notice my presence, but it didn't take him long to turn his head and meet my eyes. "Oliver? What do you want?" he asked nervously. "Nothing in particular. I just wanted to talk to you." He gave me a suspicious look. "That's what friends do, no?" I insisted.

At my words he averted his gaze and rather fixated it on the drink in front of him, seeming uncomfortable with the conversation. I sighed and decided to not prolong it any further.

"I wanna talk to you about something. It's important so I'd rather be with you somewhere more private." I let out, making him look up at me again. "Fine, let's go to my house. I'll drive us there as I didn't drink anything yet." Max breathed, finally giving in and granting my wish. Packing his stuff, I was left surprised at his willingness and soon followed his footsteps.

Arriving at his home, he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. I walked in after him, closing it, and looked around to admire the room as I missed hanging out here.

"What is it?" Max began, not wasting any time. My gaze landed on him seated on the couch as he wore an unbothered expression. With a smile, I trudged over to him and let myself collapse next to him. "Today's dinner was quite boring." I said, making him roll his eyes in response.

"If you're not gonna tell me then I'll have to kick you out because I'm not in a good mood right now." Max insisted, crossing his arms. "Okay, okay..." I gave up with the small talk. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for what I was about to reveal to him.

"I... after thinking about it for a long time, I've realized the feelings that I have towards you." I paused. Max was staring at me intensely, waiting for me to go on so I mustered up the courage and did. "I feel the same way... I... I like you too." Now it was out. The truth. It felt good to finally have it off my chest, but now I was expectantly waiting for his reply, growing nervous with each passing moment of silence as I studied his face.

His eyes widened in an instant and before I knew it, he reached out to grab me by the back of my neck and brought our lips together. Taken aback, I stared shocked before responding to his touch and melting into it. We kissed fiercely, our hot tongues penetrating each others' mouth. His insides tasted delicious as I explored them, it made me want to devour him whole. Now that our feelings were mutual, he was mine. I've never felt this happy and turned on just by a simple kiss, it made my heart flutter like crazy.

Our breath soon quickened and we had to part to properly inhale air again. I held him by his hair while Max still had his hands placed on my neck. We stared at each other, none of us saying anything, while we gazed into each others' eyes filled with lust and desire. The silence was a comfortable and understanding one and I couldn't help the grin that slipped from my lips. What surprised me was Max copying me, also giving me one of his genuine smiles that made my heart skip a beat.

"I like you too." he announced, his eyes watering up, but he didn't allow the tears of happiness to spill. "What took you so long?" he asked, clearly frustrated at me for taking my time. His question left me thinking and I knew it would be hard for me to form an answer immediately. So I sighed and removed my hand from his hair, my smile dropping. "What's wrong?" he questioned, worried about my sudden change of mood. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, thinking about how to start the explanation.

"My parents... raised me without showing me what affection was. I never knew what it meant to be loved or how to love. When they found out I was attracted to guys... they didn't take it well. They weren't overall very understanding." I paused to check up on Max's reaction and was met with a pitying look, leaving me slightly surprised. "That's why... I apologize if I took too long to confirm my feelings. I was very confused about how I really felt at that time and I couldn't express it well. I also didn't want to give you false hope..." I muttered the end, now afraid I said too much. What if he thinks I made it all up? As an excuse? What if he laughs at me?

Giving me no time to worry, he suddenly engulfed me in a hug and I let myself enjoy the warmth and comfort his body gave me. I felt his hand rubbing circles on my back, soothing me. After what felt like an eternity, I had calmed down. Taking a last deep breath, I went back to sit on my own, my eyes fixated on the floor.

"I can't even imagine what you had to go through..." Max trailed off, forcing me to meet his gaze and my eyes widened at the sight of him, on the verge of tears and his eyes filled with anger. "How could your parents be so cruel?! To a child of their own!" he raised his voice, but after finishing the last sentence, it sunk again. "I'm so sorry for acting so selfish... and avoiding you. If I could help you in any way... but it's probably too late now." he sighed, wiping away the tears.

"It's never too late. And there's actually something you could do..." My smile returned, making him give me a puzzled look. "Would you go out with me, Max?" I asked, determined to make him mine once and for all.

His wide and heartwarming grin brightened up the entire room, giving me more hope than before. "Yes!" he exhaled and a chuckle escaped me as our lips met. It was a soft kiss and didn't last long, just enough for me to feel whole and happy like never before in my entire life. "This is the best day of my life." I breathed, as both our tears wouldn't stop.

"Mine too." he whispered, giving me a peck on the cheek before his face switched back to a serious one. "Now tell me. What happened after your parents found out?" he inquired and I let out a sigh. I told him about the girl they forced me to date to the day I finally broke free from the shackles.

"Once I was finally of age I moved out and never saw them again." I ended my speech. I could see Max holding his anger in, not wanting to explode right now. I debated whether or not I should inform him about Julian, my first serious boyfriend, but decided against it. Maybe some other time, now wasn't the right moment. Max looked as if he'd kill anyone that got on his bad side.

"Can I ask you something?" His question took me aback, but I nodded. "That one time when you..." He paused, coughing awkwardly as a blush spread on his face. "When you were in the bathroom..." I wasn't sure what he meant. "When you got off... I heard you moan my name." I felt my face heat up and I couldn't meet his eyes that were sparkling with curiosity and amusement. "Why did you do that? I misunderstood and thought you liked me."

So that's when it all started?

Why did I do that in the first place? I can't even properly remember it. It must have been a slip of the tongue. Or did I have feelings I didn't even know of at that time? I always thought he was just a friend. Maybe I was wrong, but I couldn't remember when I began to view him in different light.

"That was a mistake." I replied honestly. "I wasn't thinking at that time, but maybe my mind already knew." I winked at him.

"Oh..." Max blushed even harder, embarrassed for even bringing it up. Silence consumed us and Max was the first one to break it. "It's getting late, wanna sleep over?"

Nodding, I accepted his offer and we both went to prepare ourselves for bed.