Prompt: "i should get to bed"
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You toss and turn in the bed continuously, sleep no where to be found as you trade glances from the moon high in the midnight blue sky and the neon red numbers of the clock- mocking you with the time stamp.
Just as you feel sleep about to wash over your body and lull you into a gentle slumber, the sound of muffled music begins to fill the apartment you share with your best friend: Max Verstrappen. The same best friend your hopelessly in love with, and the same best friend who's dating a truly jerk of a woman at the moment (NOT KELLY I LOVE HER) .
You try to muffle the sounds with your pillow but curiosity mixes with annoyance.
Why the hell is he playing classical music this late at night? Is he psycho? You think as you finally push yourself out of bed.
With quiet steps you make your way towards the living room to find Max focused on a quiet YouTube video as music plays in the background. You lean forward from next to the doorway to see what he's watching.
Ok the screen is a guy demonstrating how to slow dance. You almost laugh out loud as you start to remember why Max would be watching this.
He's practicing for his sisters wedding. You thought he was joking when he complained about needing to learn how to slow dance for it- but apparently he was serious.
"Do you have to be doing this at ten in the night?" You finally speak up. Max jumps at the sound of your voice before he turns and sees you watching him while leaning against the doorway.
A small flush fills his face as he scratches the back of his neck, "I'm sorry, I thought you were already asleep" he says bashfully.
"Practicing for your sisters wedding?" You respond with, pushing yourself off the doorway and making your way over to stand next to his side. Just being near hills creates a storm of butterflies in your stomach, but you push through with a steady smile.
"Yeah I guess Victoria wasn't joking when she said I needed to learn how to" Max says with a soft chuckle.
"How's it going?" You ask, but you can clear as day see the mix of determination but also frustration in his blue eyes.
Max purses his lips as he looks down at you, "I've been trying to get it for an hour now"
You can't help but laugh before pausing the clearly not helpful YouTube video.
"If I teach you will you stop playing the music so I can go to bed?" You volunteer. Max's frown shifts into a wide smile, a wide smile that makes your heart skip beats in your chest.
"You'd do that?" He asks softly. You nod instead of speaking, the way he's looking at you now makes it hard to form coherent sentences. So you just move to stand in front of him, your hands reach out to grab his to place accordingly.
Max's own heart starts quickening in his chest at the physical touch between you both. His warm hand that you've placed on your hip makes his mind go fuzzy with warmth and for a moment he gets lost in the feeling that sparks in his heart at being this close to you.
He feels conflicted as you take his other hand in yours to hold it out to the side, the way you're gently explaining where his hands need to go as you place them there makes his body go warm. He knows he shouldn't feel this way towards his best friend, especially when he has a girlfriend. But he can't help it the way his body reacts to yours. He always thought that these feelings just came from having a friend he's grown up with, he thought the feelings attached to a girlfriend would be this times ten. But nothing has yet to hold a candle to how he feels around you.
"Watch we're i place my feet okay?" Your soft and sleepy voice breaks through his thoughts.
He tries to pay attention, really he does. But it's hard with you this close to him.
And it's only the same for you. You have to breath in fresh air before you speak up, for fear that the feelings of this moment might clog your throat if you don't.
Soon enough Max is catching onto the lead you've given him. He steps where you tell him and begins to catch onto the rythme. Music still plays in the background as you away together, moving in harmony as one.
When you finally look up from the ground, confident Max won't step on your sock covered feet, you find him already looking at you. The warm lights of the living room lamps dance across his face, making his blue eyes impossibly light and enchanting. You're captivated by the way he looks down at you, air has left your lungs as you hold a gaze with him.
Something blossoms in your chest when he looks from your eyes to your lips. It's like you've tripped and are now free falling, hoping and praying Max will be the one to catch you even when you know he might be reaching for someone else.
It hurts that no matter what happens with Max and his new girlfriend, you'll always be seen as the best friend. It hurts even more so when moments like this happen. Where for just a split second it feels like Max thinks the same as you, that you two could make it as a couple. Only to be harshly reminded that he'll only see you as a friend.
The music comes to an end but another quickly starts up. However your dance has stilled, you're both still holding eye contact with the other. So deathly scared to break it and has the moment slip right through your fingers.
"Y/n..." Max begins but as he tries to find the right words, his phone starts to ring.
You're the first to step away when you look over and see his girlfriends contact flash against the once black screen. A soft and sad sigh falls past your parted lips as reality crashes back over you.
Max moves to grab the phone, only to decline the call. Instead he turns back towards you, his heart thunders against his chest when he sees you now looking anywhere but him.
You quickly push a stray hair behind your ear as you try to find your voice. Emotions threaten to fill your eyes with tears, all because of the true reality that you're just his friend.
It should be enough, you tell yourself. You'd rather have that than nothing, you try to convince yourself.
But your heart still begins to feel the familiar cracks of heartache.
"I should get to bed" you say lowly, finally looking up to meet his eyes. There's a lingering emotion in his blue eyes that you can quite describe.
"Y/n wait" he says and tries to reach for you hand but you've already taken too many steps back and out of his reach. You shake your head and say a quiet goodnight.
"Now will you turn the music down?" You try to crack a joke and a smile but it just comes out with a wobbling lower lip.
Max just nods, his body begs to go to you but his mind can't step reminding him he shouldn't have a feelings for his friend when he has a girlfriend.
He wants to say something but after he's run a stressed hand through his hair, he looks back to see you've already retreated back to your room. A frustrated and sad sigh falls past his lips as he reaches to turn off the music at last.
———
Actually in love with this one
