Xeno

Max didn't realise when she had entered and almost giving a heart attack when she jumped into his lap, he wasn't even wearing a shirt at the time and had completely forgotten about it and was so deeply invested in his audiobook, and as she hugged him Max didn't know what to do and froze in place and just let it happen, he was surprised that Estelle couldn't feel his heartbeat because this was the fastest it had ever beaten and to put the icing on the cake the kiss just made Max lose himself for a while "DID SHE JUST KISS ME???? A SHY AND LAZY GUY LIKE ME?? I SWEAR I WAS NEVER POPULAR IN MY SCHOOL DAYS BUT OH MY GOD" Max wished he could return the kiss but preferably to her lips and not her cheeks but instead hugged her back as well, Max tried to hide his face while hugging her because he well knew his face was completely red. "Yes please! I'm starving lets get dinner! I'm so proud of you Estelle, uhh one thing though, while you were gone i was thinking of nicknames to call you so how about like... Stella? I took the inspiration from InterStellar" it meant situated between the stars because that's what her eyes reminded Max of but of course he didn't tell her that but just asked in hopes to see it she agreed. @Harmony Frost (wdym no no i tagged u, just don't notice the edit )

"Oh here we go.... Fuck just what i was fearing, there's only one bed." Max thought to himself, he was about to panic but tried to keep it in, he was trying to find his words but it would crawl back down his throat and couldn't spit it out, but he spoke "Y-yea its fine its fine yea, we'll manage" but could he have managed a night literally in bed with the lady he liked? No not liked, loved. Max kept his stuff on the sides in a small area so no one would trip over and made himself acquainted to the suite and Max went up to Estelle just before she was about to leave for the meeting "I believe in you, you'll do great and it'll be a success, I bet! If this whole thing works out just as plan, pizzas on me when we get home and you can't do a thing to stop me!" Max chuckled and said to her. As she left, Max found himself surrounded by boredom and didn't know what to do, he opened up his bag and found his usual notebook he carries around and started to draw while on the bed, thinking as if he was Picasso or something but was drawing simple stick figurine of him and Estelle holding hands, and saying stupid shit, his usual hobbies were actually poetry and cooking for the most part, it was no surprise that the other pages were filled with words all portraying how Max felt for her and if this got in the wrong hsnds it could mess up everything. Max wrote a few lines and so on and was not so bored but still was, sometimes took his phone out to take stupid selfies and sometimes the view from the window, later as time passed he felt a little hot and decided to remove his shirt but put it back on before she came back, he got an audiobook and sat down at the sofa with his earbuds and was listening to it and couldn't hear a thing. @Harmony Frost

Max enjoyed the whole trip throughout accompanying her, it's the last thing he could ever ask for, no maybe he can ask for one last thing and that would be to his but he still didn't think it was the right time, and he quite didn't know how good it was to have Estelle rest her head on his shoulder, he had completely forgot that they were even on an airplane and was staring at her the whole time. They landed and was told about the suite "Yea sure Estelle. I can share a room" Max thought of asking if they had to share the same bed as well.... but waited instead till they arrived to the suite. Max decided to see if he could try and make dinner while he was alone so he had quick glance around to see the nearby shops while they were on the taxi "Hey Estelle, uhh will there be room service in the hotel or can we make things by ourself if we wanted to?" @Harmony Frost

Max's eyes got scorched by the morning rays, forgetting to close the curtains, he stretched and woke up and scratched his head. He jumped into the shower quickly and wore a pale red shirt and some tight jeans and made his hair, used some clay and saw the plate of lasagna still leftover and decided to finish it and never realised how good it was till now so that being his breakfast he took all his important belongings and few extra clothes in a rather neat and medium size bag to have minimal luggage and put on his Ray Bans shades on, got his leather watch and slipped in some rather formal looking shoes, he could have dressed better but fell a bit short due to his laziness and called in to his boss asking him for a leave to visit his parents abroad, lying to him, he got the leave and came out of his apartment door to be greeted by a rather gorgeous and eye catching sight, beautiful heels, a crimson skirt and looked up to see the woman infront of him, and all that made him do was leave him in awe and his jaw dropping and smiling, happy knowing the next few days he'd spend it with her and maybe even find his opening to ask her out. "Good morning Estelle" - he thought of complementing and he did but it was inaudible "Yo-you look great" Max stuttered a little. Estelle filled with energy, ready to go "sigh... such an ambitious and generous lady, and being friends with me, she's out of my league. Look at her, she's like a super model" @Harmony Frost

Max took the box and thanked with her a smile and he thought to give a hug but he stopped himself "What if i mess up trying to hug her? But what else way can i say thanks? Isn't it what friends do right? Hug each other? Especially best friends? Why not just get it done. It may be just the thing she needs." Max kept the container and approached to Estelle, sweat pouring down his neck but he found the courage and gently raised his arms and hugged her, wrapping her lightly within his embrace and buried his head into her shoulder "Thanks alot Estelle... I really needed this.. You are an amazing friend" Max didn't want to hold the hug for too long and come out as a creep so he tore away from her, took his things and the container, slipped his shoes back on and left rather quick to not face her and give little to no room for her to reply, Max couldn't face her immediately and needed to calm down. Max opened the door to his apartment, threw his shoes next to the rack, threw down his bag and took the container of lasagna and went to the kitchen, he put it in the microwave for about 2 mins and decided to slip into something more comfortable, he removed his jeans and shirt and wore a pajama and roamed around his house in a vest, cleaning the place up, he took the lasagna out and took a plate and a spoon, Max went to the diner tabletop setting it there and slowly started to eat it, not realising it was piping hot and burnt his tongue lightly "Ouch!! Ah ah hot hot" fanning his tongue with his hand, he then took small spoonfuls and blowing on it to cool it down and kept eating, and halfway through he started tinkering with the spoon fiddling it around, and with his hand on his chin. He thought of just what could happen on the vacation, maybe they might become something more than friends? Or.. She might fall for some buff dude there. Overthinking this Max slowly fell asleep sitting on the tabletop with a half eaten plate of lasagna. @Harmony Frost

Max himself shook a little, did he do the wrong thing by reaching out to her? And he thought to himself "MAX YOU IDIOT, SHE MUST THINK THAT YOU ARE PUTTING HER DOWN" Max let his head down a little but pulled himself up and heard what she had to say "Oh you want me to come...? Sure. I'll ask my boss for leave if I can but I hope I don't get fired" Max replied with a bit of rejuvenated energy and reciprocated a little excitement to hear her offer, but Max still was thinking of what he did by reaching out to her. He raised his arms to touch and comfort her close to the shoulder but immediately retreated thinking he might confess his feelings indirectly for her "Hey Estelle, I really think I should get going home, you have more important stuff to do and also rest yourself, we'll talk later tomorrow okay? If you want you can give me a call in the morning or meet up at the café again, and I'll ask my boss for leave." Max wanted to leave not because he was getting bored but felt like a burden on her, like a little immature teen who just spent the night out drinking and partying too much and the poor mother having to take care of the kid. Deep down he didn't want it to end but he was growing weary of his feelings and didn't want to mess up his shot at this. @Harmony Frost

Max shrugged a little, adjusting himself and letting her massage but he was second guessing his feelings for her, is he friend zoned yet? Is she doing this cuz of friendships or does she want more than this, he resisted the urge to look up to her as she kept on massaging "Yea yea I have been taking care of myself" again Max replied with a lying undertone knowing all well that he overworks himself always after meeting up in the café when he goes back home and getting little to no sleep, the only meal he ever had properly was lunch. Out of nowhere as if Max's hand instinctively moved and reached out behind his shoulder for Estelle's soft and comforting hand, placing his hand on top of her hand "Estelle its fine, you don't need to" Max suddenly just realised how it felt to hold her hand, even if it wasn't the palm, he felt something so strong he never felt before. "Can we go back to talking about the ad campaign maybe we can think of some ideas of what to do, yknow two minds are greater than one" Max huffed in an effort to move on from talking about him any longer. @Harmony Frost

Max shuffled his shoes around after entering, even confused to the point where he wasn't sure where he'd place his shoes, he finally set it away and walked in and sat on her couch, kept his belongings next to him and loosened himself up a little more. "I don't know what has been lately happening to me Estelle if I'm completely honest with you" Max said with a lying undertone since he exactly knew what had been bothering him but he kept it to himself, earlier back at the café he thought that he could probably move in or have her move in to his apartment and would make her food and do the chores for a little while till her ad campaign was done, but he decided not to say it. His eyes were all gloomy and dark, cheeks pale, hands lifeless, but still tried to break away a smile in all of this, he mustered up his remaining strength to sit up to get the glass from her, kept it beside him in his hands, with very long breaks taking short sips. He was in her house, this, this is what it would feel like coming home to a wife like this... But all she was to him was just a friend. @Harmony Frost

Max thought about it for long and hard, should he go and accept the offer or refuse it, he took longer than usual packing and cleaning things up with rather a slower pace to buy himself time to think, would it be fine for him to drink with her? What if he accidently spitted the truth? He let out a little sigh and followed "Thanks, give me a sec" he got up with his stuff and decided to walk just behind her and not close to her, his footsteps were with the rythm of his heartbeats, fast short steps "I really appreciate it Estelle thank you" He caught himself fantasising of how it would feel her hand lace onto his, just to hold it tight and never let go, only if she knew how strong the fire was within him that only kept fuelling by her. Every second spent with her only made it burn brighter and in nostalgic fashion, Max tripped as he forgot the pace he was walking at, and his heartbeat only getting faster and he thought to himself "Ugh why am I so darn clumsy and shy around ppl, and its even worse when its her i loose all sense of what's going on."

Her smile was everything Max wanted, every time when he felt defeated and drained, all he needed was her, her presence was divine, everything from head to toe was gifted to her, even her clumsiness "Sure that sounds great, we'll have the coffee on the go but I was thin- ah never mind." Max stopped himself, he didn't want to ruin what he already had, he didn't want to bite more than he could chew so he kept his idea to himself "My day was exhausting, I barely made it here in time but I feel better already, this job is getting boring by the day." he never willingly wanted to work here, he just had eyes for Estelle and wouldn't mind working here, only so he could see her everyday after work, Max scratches his arms a little in anxiety and tries tear away his sight from hers to not even give subtle clues, he felt the shivers sprint through his spine and the goosebumps and butterflies just by her sitting there.

"Woah woah, the latte, be careful! Your as clumsy as always Estelle" this threw Max back to a nostalgia trip when he first met Estelle when she tripped and ruined his shoes, Max could still remember how their eyes locked and he immediately saw galaxies in her eyes, he knew that she was the one for him but, they were stuck at this block but snapping back to reality. "I'm so proud and happy for you! This is really big news, I wondered why you were in such a gleeful mood today and you didn't have to buy me bagels but on this occasion i will accept it!" Max was quite truly blown away by how talented she was even if she was clumsy at times but Max felt more concerned and worried than just happy, something zoomed across his mind, he looked visibly anxious by the news and he finds the urge to ask her "So umm.. does this mean you'll be alot more busy from now on?" Max knew deep down he's gonna miss coming back to her everyday since she was really all he had after work.

It was another day after work, Max hurried himself to the cafe eager to meet Estelle, shots of anxiety ran through him as he thought he was getting late, shuffling his bag around him and quickly swinging his hand through his hair, he would always keep a deodorant with him and quickly spray before he met up with Estelle, she practically became a routine of his life and it always was just as exciting as it was the first time when they met in the same cafe. Maybe it was luck? Or destiny? Whatever it may be Max was happy he met her. Sometimes he would find himself lost in thoughts of her but would always try and go back to his work at hand. He nervously gripped the door handle and he noticed her heels in the usual cubby corner of the café, his brain was imprinted with her habits and would always remember them, he eventually went further and saw Estelle from behind sitting where they usually do with a small parcel next to her and Max eagerly but also hesitating marches towards her and finds the courage to call her out "Hey Estelle! I'm back!" and finds a seat infront of her, smiling warmly towards her. @Harmony Frost