#clarkeman fanfiction

[ladylillianrose]

2020 Clarkeman Fanfiction Award Winners

Complete List of Winners and Runners-Up, including links to stories. Congratulations to everyone!

Best 5+1 Runner-Up: The Five Times Zoey Said No (And The One Time She Said Yes) by TheAuthor44

Best 5+1 Winner: Zoey's Extraordinary Relationships by Gwritesforfun

Best Angst Runner-Up: Give Me One Good Reason (Part 1) by TheAuthor44

Best Angst Winner: Zoey's Extraordinary Nightmare by AubreyRichman

Best AU Runner-Up: You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) by Gwritesforfun

Best AU Winner: Extraordinarily Star-Crossed by Ladylillianrose and AubreyRichman

Best Canon AU Runner-Up: Seasons of Love by Ladylillianrose AND One Step At A Time by hookedoncaptainswan

Best Canon AU Winner: The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Jade4813

Best Drama Runner-Up: They Say Keep Your Friends Close, But You're Closer by Typicalaveragefangirl

Best Drama Winner: The Wedding Date by Jade4813

Best Fluff Runner-Up: The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Jade4813 AND Tequila and Team Bonding by Typicalaveragefangirl

Best Fluff Winner: Tobin Ships It by TheAuthor44

Best Multi-Chapter Runner-Up: They Say Keep Your Friends Close, But You're Closer by Typicalaveragefangirl

Best Multi-Chapter Winner: The Long and Winding Road by TheAuthor44

Best One-Shot Runner-Up: Just To Be The Man by Gwritesforfun

Best One-Shot Winner: Breaking Point by Jade4813

Best Romance Runner-Up: It's Not the Goodbye, It's the Longing that Follows by Jade4813

Best Romance Winner: You've Got SPRQS by Ladylillianrose

Best Series Runner-Up: Zoey's Extraordinary Confession Series by Jade4813

Best Series Winner: Bye Bye Bye Collection by TheAuthor44

Best Smut Runner-Up: In or Out? by TheAuthor44

Best Smut Winner: Breaking Point by Jade4813

Best Work In Progress Runner-Up: Zoey's Extraordinary Nutcracker by clarkemanship

Best Work In Progress Winners: First Comes Marriage by Ladylillianrose AND Win Some or Learn Some by Jade4813

[jade4813]

The Lies We Tell Ourselves, Chapter 1

Fandom: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist

Title: The Lies We Tell Ourselves

Rating: PG (I’m assuming it’ll stay there?)

Pairing: Zoey/Max

Synopsis: Max would do anything for Zoey. Including posing as her fake boyfriend to give her father one last "big moment" to celebrate with her. Nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, it's only his heart that stands to be broken. Right?

Author’s Notes: Takes place after Zoey’s Extraordinary Glitch.

“Max, I need your help.”

He froze, his cup of coffee an inch from his face. Things were awkward between him and Zoey. Had been since he confessed his feelings to her. Or maybe since she gained the ability to hear his feelings through song. The situation had hardly been improved when she sang a love song to him in return before immediately turning around and singing a heartsong to Simon.

He tried not to think about that. His heart was bruised, leaving him a conflicted wreck. He was trying to keep some measure of distance from her to protect whatever pieces of his heart didn't already belong to her. But those five little words were his Kryptonite. It didn’t matter if he was hurt, or angry, or heartsick. If Zoey needed him, he’d be there for her. No matter the cost.

“Of course. You know I’m here for you.”

She winced. “Wait. Before you agree, you should know that…what I’m about to ask you, I know it isn’t going to be fair to you. And I promise you, I wouldn’t ask if I had any other choice. But it’s for my dad, and…” She let her voice trail off.

He didn’t even have to think about it. There was nobody in the world more important to him than Zoey, and nobody in the world more important to her at the moment than her father. Whatever she needed, she only had to ask. “Zoey, how can I help?” he reiterated.

She sucked in a deep breath, her fingers dancing anxiously along the curve of her cup. “I went over to my parents’ last night. We’re – we’re trying –” She broke off, needing to take a few deep breaths before she could continue. “There are some end-of-life decisions we have to make for my dad. Anyway, I heard my mom and brother talking, and she thinks…”

“Yes?” he prompted when her voice trailed off.

She swiped a hand through her hair, brushing it off of her face. “She thinks he’s worried about me. Or at least that he’s sad that he’ll miss out on so many of those big moments that you know he used to love – that he loves – so much.” He frowned, not immediately clear on what she was asking of him, so she explained, “You know, like seeing me fall in love or get – get married.” Her voice caught on the last word.

It stung a little, hearing her say she wasn’t in love with him, but his feelings weren’t important right now. Pushing them aside, he grabbed her hand, stroking her palm with strong, soothing strokes. “I understand. I just don’t understand how I can help.”

Her face twisted into a grimace. “Well, I was thinking…I need a boyfriend.”

His hand stilled on hers. “You need a what?”

“Not a real boyfriend!” she rushed to explain. “Just…someone who wouldn’t mind pretending to be my boyfriend for a few weeks, until –” She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t need to. He knew what she was saying. Until her father was gone.

He was still scrambling to process what she was asking of him. “You want me to –”

“No! Max, I would never ask you to do that. To pretend like that. That would be,” she paused, searching for the word before finally settling on, “cruel. I’m wondering if you know anyone who could…who would…”

“Pretend to date you?” He tried to choose his words carefully, not wanting to hurt her but needing her to see the danger in her plan. He kept his voice soft, but his grip on her hand was firm and comforting. “Zoey…I understand why you want to do this, but…the two of you don’t have a lot of time left. Do you really want to spend the rest of it lying to him?”

She teared up. “He’s my dad,” she said helplessly, her eyes filling with tears. When he saw one trickle down her cheek, he had to fist his hands in his lap to resist the urge to brush it away. “If it’ll make him happy, it’s worth it, isn’t it?”

He leaned back, breathing a heavy sigh. Yes. If it would make Mitch happy, if it would make Zoey happy, it was worth it. Though he couldn’t pretend to be thrilled at the prospect of watching her date someone else, even if it was all pretend. “So you want my help finding you a fake boyfriend.”

He rubbed one hand across his face, thinking through his options. Simon was clearly out, which Max was ashamed to say gave him a tiny measure of relief. As desperate as Zoey was for a fake boyfriend, he doubted even she would be willing to ask Leif. Or Tobin. “Kevin from Accounts Payable?”

She groaned. “He eloped last week.”

“Really?” he asked, flashing her a quick grin. “Good for him!” Tapping his fingers against the table, he tried again. “Hank from Operations?”

“In Maui for the next two weeks. First vacation he’s taken in three years.”

Max sighed. A few other co-workers came to mind, but if they weren’t in committed relationships, there was no way that Zoey’s parents would ever buy them as plausible boyfriends. He made one last, desperate attempt. “Doesn’t Mo know anyone? Have you asked him?”

She shook her head. “Not really. The problem is, they’re all strangers. I was hoping I could find someone I might have at least mentioned to them before. It’ll be more believable if it’s someone I’ve known for a while and we can pretend we just realized we'd fallen in love.”

He managed a wry smile, but he managed to refrain from pointing out the painful irony of that comment. “Yeah, I guess. I just don’t know anyone like that, that you could ask.”

Zoey was visibly crestfallen. “Yeah, that was my problem too. Do you think if I posted an online ad…”

“No, that’s way too dangerous!” He ran his hand down his face again. “Okay, I know you don’t want to consider this, but…what about me?”

“Max, no! I told you I’d never ask you to do that!”

He shrugged, offering her a hopeless little smile. “You’re not asking. I’m offering.” She threw him a mutinous look, so he leaned forward and prepared to make his case. “Look, I really appreciate that you’re trying to protect me, but put my feelings aside for a few minutes. If you look at this critically, it’s the only thing that makes sense. We’ve been friends for a long time, and your parents know how close we are. We can totally convince them we fell in love at some point along the way. I know about your powers. I know why this is so important to you.”

Her hair whipped around as she shook her head. “No. Absolutely not. Max, I can’t…I don’t…” He stared at her, is gaze steady and unblinking, until she managed helplessly, “Things between the two of us have been…complicated, and if we pretend we’re dating, I’m worried it will make things worse! I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t want to give you the wrong idea.”

He tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but he was afraid whatever he managed was a pale imitation of the expression. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. You know how I feel about you, and I know,” he paused, searching for the words. He would say he knew how she felt about him, but did he? Maybe it wasn’t her fault because of her powers, but the signals he’d received from her had been decidedly mixed. “I know how you feel about how I feel about you, I guess,” he finished lamely.

“Max –” she tried, in one final protest.

“Zoey, it’s okay. I know it won’t be real, and I know it’s for your dad. You don’t have to worry about me. I won’t get the wrong idea. Let me do this for you. Let me do this for Mitch. You know what he means to me. If doing this will make his final days any easier, if it’ll make him realize he doesn’t have to worry about you, then it’s worth it.” He could see she was wavering, so he pressed, “Let me do this. Please.”

She still looked uncertain, but she said, “Are you absolutely sure about this?”

He wasn’t. He had a feeling that, his reassurances aside, this was going to hurt. It was probably a terrible idea. Oh, he’d still remember that she didn’t love him, but letting himself give in to his feelings for her, even if it was only for pretend? There was no way he would get out of this with whatever shreds of his heart remained intact. But it was for her. It was for Mitch, a man who had acted more like a father to him than his own.

Zoey and Mitch needed him, and he’d be there for them. No matter the cost. How could he do anything less?

“I’m sure.”

Her smile was shaky. “All right.”

Telling himself he could do this and keep a firm grip on his emotions, he lifted his coffee cup in a fake toast. “All right, fake girlfriend. Where do we begin?”

[jacquiebethelina44]

Thank you so much to the MRPS Discord for the absolute honor of being a part of the Annual Clarkman Fanfic Awards!

Winning (in even just one category let alone three!) was just the cherry on top!

All of the amazing winners are posted on A03! Check them out!

[whambamthankyoubram]

title: in which zoey drunkenly calls her best friend (and other embarrassing choices from last night) fandom: zoey’s extraordinary playlist status: complete, 5 chapters summary: zoey’s first bachelorette party leads to a phone call she won’t remember.

ao3

[dabeth-is-dead]

If you've written a Clarkeman fic, I just want you to know that I really enjoyed it and on the off chance that I forgot: kudos

[sithstrings]

words only won't suffice roses and sacrifice for you

Max tries his best to keep his last promise made to Mitch, who inspires him to reconnect with his own father.

Zoey struggles with grief and takes up new hobbies to cope, whilst leaning on her best friend and dealing with growing feelings towards him.

(written in first person with alternating perspectives)

Hey, y’all! Here’s my new Clarkeman fic! Hope you guys enjoy!

[craigslist-crackers]

Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman, Zoey Clarke & Max Richman, maybe more ?? ;) Characters: Zoey Clarke, Max Richman Additional Tags: One Shot Collection Summary:

Just a collection of one shots I write using a list of prompts ;)

[ladylillianrose]

Clarkeman Fanfiction Recommendation List

I decided to compile a nice easy access list for everyone of popular/highly rated Max Richman/Zoey Clarke fanfictions. They are arranged by type of work, and alphabetically by title! 

Collections:

Fallout by Jade4813: After the embarrassing incident at Simon and Jessica’s engagement party, Zoey knows she needs to clear the air with Simon, but she keeps getting distracted by memories of That Song. Part 1 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Confessions Series. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Give Me One Good Reason by TheAuthor44: What if Zoey hadn't run out the door after being confronted with Max's heart-song in 1x11.Part 2 of The ByeByeBye Collection. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Give Me One Good Reason, Part 2 by TheAuthor44: After their fight in the alley, Zoey and Max still have a lot to express….Part 2 of The ByeByeBye Collection. Rated Mature, Complete

Repercussions by Jade4813: Sequel to Fallout (and episode 7 of the series). Zoey still has the ability to hear other people's "heartsongs" but now others can hear her feelings, too. Will Max finally learn how she feels about him? (Inspired by the episode 8 description.) Part 2 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Confessions Series. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Resolution by Jade4813: Zoey has finally figured out how she feels about Max, but when she tries to get up the never to tell him, Everything. Goes. Wrong. Will the two of them ever manage to get on the same page? Part 3 of Zoey’s Extraordinary Confessions Series. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Multi-Chapter, Complete:

Ad Nauseam (Or Not) by Gwritesforfun:  5 times Zoey and Max attempted to talk about their feelings and were interrupted. One time they weren't. Or, the evolution of a much-needed discussion. Rated Mature, Complete

Adventures in Babysitting by TheAuthor44: Max helps babysit baby Peter when Zoey is stuck at work. Ladies, tell your ovaries I said you're welcome. Rated General Audiences, Complete

The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Jade4813: Max would do absolutely anything for Zoey. Including posing as her fake boyfriend to give her father one last "big moment" to celebrate with her. Nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, it's only his heart that stands to be broken. Right? Takes place after "Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch." Rated Teen, Complete

The Long and Winding Road by TheAuthor44: Three months after her fathers' funeral Zoey gets assigned to go to a managerial conference for SPRQ Point in Orlando, Florida. Max offers to come along after he tells her he’s been meaning to head back east to go through things from his childhood home. While Max originally offers flying together – Zoey suggests they drive and make it a road trip! Max needs to figure out his next career move, Zoey needs an escape from her grief - It's perfect! Road trip shenanigans ensue as Max and Zoey’s love story takes some unexpected twists and turns. Rated Teen, Complete

The Marks That Life Left On Them by chosenandloved: This is a Clarkeman fic set about one month post-finale.Simon, Zoey, and Max all seek out therapy in their own ways and come to some startling realizations regarding life and love. Rated Teen, Complete

A marriage (and other mishaps) by Bookreader525: Zoey and Max accompany Joan and Leif on a business trip to Las Vegas. Their presentation goes well— so well, in fact, that they spend the rest of the night partying. Cue the next morning, when Zoey wakes up in a hotel room that is not hers with a ring on her finger that she doesn't recall wearing before. Rated Teen, Complete

Max’s Extraordinary Project by Gwritesforfun:  Any successful project takes a well-executed plan. Max has a birthday surprise for Zoey, and he assembles a team to give her a gift. Rated Teen, Complete

Seasons of Love by Ladylillianrose: Max has always been included in the Clarke family holiday celebrations. A journey through the different holidays and celebrations they have, as their lives continue to change and grow. Rated Teen, Complete

Take A Chance On Me by Ladylillianrose: Max moved to the 6th floor, giving Zoey the space and time she needed to figure out her feelings. But now that she's ready to talk, what is she going to tell him? Rated Teen, Complete

The Wedding Date by Jade4813: Zoey agrees to be Max's Plus One at his brother's wedding. They're supposed to be just friends, but the dreams Zoey's been having about him lately make things complicated. Rated Explicit, Complete

When I Kiss You, SPRQS Fly by ElliHelm: Five times Zoey and Max kissed throughout their (totally just a) friendship. Plus one time where they finally acknowledged it was more than that. Rated Mature, Complete

When I Think About You I… by Ladylillianrose: Zoey performs Karaoke, giving Max a show he will never forget. (Established Relationship). Rated Explicit, Complete

You’ve Got SPRQS by Ladylillianrose: A new dating app has just launched for the SPRQ Watch, called SPRQS. Joan signs Zoey up for it in order to help her meet someone. Will Zoey find someone? Can you really fall in love through an app? Inspired by You've Got Mail. Rated Teen, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Nephew by Ladylillianrose: Max stops by to meet Zoey's nephew, and a much-needed conversation is had. Rated Teen, Complete 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Nightmare by aubreyrichman: An event causes Zoey to realize her worst fears. Rated Teen, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Relationships by Gwritesforfun:  “Unnecessarily complicated, exhausting for everybody, the opposite of good.” Zoey reflects on 5 complicated past relationships, and one that isn’t complicated at all. A 5+1 things. Rated Teen, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Reunion by aubreyrichman: High School Reunions are synonymous with drama, stress, fear, and showing the people that attended school with you that you are different than you were when they knew you. When Max receives an invitation to his High School Reunion, he doesn't realize that the reunion itself could change EVERYTHING. Rated Teen, Complete 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Secrets by aubreyrichman: What could have happened with Zoey if timing had been different? What if Zoey’s dad wasn’t so sick when she developed her powers? What if she had gotten them earlier? What if...? Rated Explicit, Complete

Multi-Chapter, In-Progress

Extraordinarily Star-Crossed by aubreyrichman & Ladylillianrose: “...and when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself....the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment...”-Plato, The Symposium. Rated Mature, In-Progress

Ghosted: An Extraordinary Haunting by aubreyrichman: When Max’s life hangs in the balance, who else does he turn to but his best friend? But does that mean that he will be heard? Rated Teen, In-Progress

It’s Not the Goodbye, It’s The Longing That Follows by Jade4813: Zoey told Max that she needed more time, but time, it seems, has just run out. After she realizes her feelings a little too late, can the two of them find their way back to each other? Rated General Audiences, In-Progress

Table for Two by ElliHelm: When Zoey's conscience (re: jealousy) rears its ugly head at a fateful encounter at the Golden Gate Grind, Operation: Get Max Off Of Her suddenly becomes a lot more complicated. Or, How To Go On A Totally Platonic Dinner Date With Your Best Friend When You Know They're In Love With You. An AU where Zoey goes to Hand-Picked with Max and how her life changes as a result. Rated Teen, In-Progress 

The Times They Just Knew by bigcitydreamer98: Set after the finale, told through the POVs of Zoey's friends and family, those closest to Zoey recount the times they knew that Zoey and Max were falling for one another. From lingering glances to cheesy Dad jokes, slightly concerning outbursts of song to meeting the family Max never seems to talk about, Zoey and Max make it through it all - most importantly, together. Rated General Audiences, In-Progress 

Win Some or Learn Some by Jade4813: Zoey has just discovered her new powers, but they develop an inconvenient glitch that makes her start to realize her feelings for him may not be what she's always believed. The only problem is, she has no idea if he feels the same way. Rated Explicit, In-Progress

Zoey’s Extraordinary Guide To Grief by atlas_outlast: Or; How To Grieve When You’ve Been Grieving For Years But Now Your Father Is Actually Dead. Rated Teen, In-Progress

One-Shots

Both Showing Hearts by TheAuthor44: AU 1x12 where Zoey reflects on all the events of the day ... and Max gets to finish. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Breaking Point by Jade4813: When they become temporary roommates during quarantine, how many times can Zoey and Max have sex while still pretending to themselves and to each other that it Doesn’t Mean Anything? Rated Explicit, Complete

do you think you will be good enough (to love others and to be loved) by flashlightinacave: Post season 1 episode 10, Zoey and Max finally have a real conversation and trade some needed apologies. Rated Teen, Complete

Hand-Picked Redux by TheAuthor44: What if Mo convinced Zoey to join Max for dinner at Hand-Picked? What if she wasn't so emotionally avoidant? What if Autumn hadn't been working at the Golden Gate Grind that day? Rated General Audiences, Complete

A Promise by TheAuthor44: My take on Max's goodbye to Mitch in 1x12. Max lets Mitch know exactly how he feels about his daughter - and makes him a promise. Not Rated, Complete

The Sound of Silence by Jade4813: Max had never had Zoey's power, but he'd never mourned its absence. Her voice, and the sound of her laugh, had been all the music he'd ever needed for over sixty years. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Tobin Ships It by TheAuthor44: In order to win the office bet of when Zoey and Max will get together, Tobin decides to take matters into his own hands. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Wild Things by innie: Her power has a soft spot for Max. Rated Mature, Complete

[ladylillianrose]

Along Came A Spider a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Halloween Fic

Summary: Shenanigans at the annual SPRQPOINT Halloween party!

A/N: Happy Halloween Everyone!

AO3

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this costume," Max said standing in front of the mirror as he pinned the black robe in place.

"I happen to think you make a very sexy looking Hades," Zoey replied as she stepped out of the bathroom, pinning her flower crown in place.

Max's mouth ran dry, she was in a flowing green gown that clung to her like a second skin. 

"You look….wow…." Was all he managed to say.

Zoey grinned, "Suddenly you're very pleased that I talked you into doing a couple's costume aren't you?"

Max swallowed and nodded. Zoey chuckled and pecked him on the lips, skillfully evading his hands as he went to pull her close.

"Come on now, we're going to be late for the party!"

By the time they arrived at the haunted corn maze and pumpkin patch that SPRQPOINT had rented out, the party was in full swing.

"Do you see anyone we know?" Zoey asked Max, as she desperately looked around for familiar faces.

"Come on, I think I see Joan," Max said, as he guided Zoey through the crowd.

"I see you two went the couples costume route…" Joan said, wearing what appeared to be her normal work attire.

"Well it is our first Halloween as a couple, so I couldn't resist," Zoey shrugged.

So then Joan, what exactly is your costume?" Max asked, confused.

"Oh I don't do costumes, but if I did is there really anything more terrifying than me?" Joan grinned.

Zoey was about to respond when they were interrupted by Glen, who was dressed as a mouse and strangely holding a computer keyboard.

"Oh hey Zoey you made it! Tobin has been looking for you. He's over with Leif at the corn maze."

"Thanks, Glen...I get the mouse costume, but why do you have a keyboard?" 

"Oh wait, I get it. You're a computer mouse!" Max chuckled.

"Yes! You're the first person to get it right all night! You would not believe…"

"Glen," Joan said firmly, cutting him off.

Glen jumped startled at her presence, "Eep! Umm hi Joan….didn't see you there….great costume…" he stammered, unable to look Joan in the eye. Joan merely raised her eyebrow and frowned at him. "I'm just gonna go over….bye!" Joan's face broke into a grin and she laughed, as Glen quickly scurried away.

"See what I mean? Now if you'll excuse me, I am far too sober for this. I need a drink, or five." Max and Zoey watched as she headed to the bar, her path miraculously clear as several brogrammers jumped out of her way.

"Guess we'd better head over there and see what Tobin wants, " Zoey sighed.

They approached the corn maze but didn't see Tobin or Leif.

"Where do you think they've gone?" Zoey asked.

"I'm not sure, maybe they're right inside? Let's go see," Max gestured for Zoey to follow him inside.

"Leif? Tobin?!" they called, wandering down the path to the left. 

They continued until they came to the next turn, and decided to head back.

"Weird, I wonder where they disappeared to," Zoey shrugged. Turning around to go back to the entrance, Zoey screamed. Max quickly turned around and saw what had startled Zoey

Standing in front of them were Leif and Tobin, wearing matching short blue dresses and long brown wigs.

"Come play with us, Zoey…" Leif said in an eerie tone.

"Forever and ever and ever…" Tobin chimed in.

The four of them stood there staring at each other for a moment before Tobin burst into laughter. "You guys should have seen your faces! You were terrified!"

Max shook his head, "Aww look, honey, we weren't the only ones to go in a couples costume this year."

Zoey snorted at the offended look on Leif's face.

"Funny, I could have sworn that the lord of the Underworld was taller," Leif shot back.

Zoey decided she needed to intervene before the two of them spent all night exchanging barbs. Max was still angry that Leif had cost him his job on the 6th floor.

"Okay fine, you got us."

Tobin grinned and high fived Leif, "Told you we could get them, bro!"

"Yes, you did. Now can we go back to the party? I think I might be allergic to the corn," Leif said, sneezing loudly.

"More like he's allergic to fun, " Max whispered, making Zoey giggle, as they watched the pair leave.

"Want to see what else is in here? I mean nothing is going to be as terrifying as seeing those two in dresses," Max grinned at her.

Zoey shrugged, "Sure, why not. If it's been as quiet as they said, no one will miss us."

They wandered through the maze making jokes about the cheesy sound effects, paltry decorations, and the rather ineffective attempts to misdirect them.

"Whoever designed this clearly doesn't understand the importance of creating the right atmosphere," Max shook his head. 

"Oh, and what kind of atmosphere is that?" Zoey grinned at him flirtatiously.

Max smirked, as he leaned in close to her, his lips just a breath away from hers. "For one, there should be far more...tension," his hands quickly pulled her towards him, pressing her hips against his.

Zoey moaned as she felt his arousal, she wrapped her arms around his neck, needing to feel his lips against hers.

Turning his head so that his lips were of reach, Max continued, "Next, you need to build up that delicious antici…." His lips trailed down her neck, making her shiver in response. "...pation," he gently nipped her neck causing her knees to buckle, as she gasped breathlessly.

"God Max, you're practically undressing me with your words," she panted, his fingers brushed teasingly across the swell of her breasts.

Suddenly, she felt his fingers still, and she looked at him in confusion.

"Ummm Zo....there's a spider in your bra."

Zoey shrieked as she quickly pushed him off of her. She flailed around, pulling on her costume, desperately trying to find the spider.

"WHERE IS IT?! GET IT OUT GET IT OUT!!"

"Hold still, I can't find it when you're moving like that!" Max grabbed her shoulders and plucked something from the folds of her dress.

"I got it, it's out! You're okay!" Max soothed her.

Holding it in his palm, Max realized something and started chuckling.

"There is nothing remotely funny about there being a spider in my bra!"

"Look," he held it out to her.

"No! Get it away! I don't want to see the perv spider!" Zoey turned away.

"Zo, it wasn't a real spider," Max grinned. "See, it's just a fake one," he placed it in her hand.

"Oh, huh," Zoey stared at the plastic spider in her hand. "Wait, you mean to tell me that you stopped a perfectly good makeout session because of a fake spider?" Zoey frowned at him.

"Hey in my defense I thought it was a real one!" Max replied. "I was a little too distracted, to realize it wasn't a real one."

Zoey grinned wickedly, as she grabbed his hand leading them towards the exit. "Come on, let's go home and I'll see if I can distract you some more…"

[ladylillianrose]

The Best Laid Plans a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

Summary: 5 times Max tries to propose to Zoey and one successful proposal

A/N: So this idea popped into my head the other day, and since I had trouble sleeping last night....tada!! I hope you all enjoy this fluff!

AO3

I.

Max had it all planned out, a nice early dinner, a romantic walk along the beach to watch the sunset, and then he would ask her to marry him.

He had continuously checked the weather report, making sure that everything would be perfect. Sunny and 73 degrees, can't get much better than that. 

Max had the ring in his pocket, it had been hidden away in his drawer for the past three years. Once he realized that he was no other woman for him than Zoey, he'd asked his mom for his grandmother's ring. It had been waiting there for the perfect moment, and today it was finally here.

Max had been nervous all day at work, unable to focus on any task at hand. What if she said no? She wouldn't...would she? No, he was certain that she would say yes.

He got home before she did, thankful to have a moment to calm himself down.

He opened the ring box and looked at it, imagining it on Zoey's finger. He smiled, a sense of calm washing over him.

"Babe? Are you in here?" he heard Zoey call out.

Shit! He quickly placed the box in his pocket, before heading out to greet her.

"Hello, love," Max smiled, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Mmm, hello to you too," Zoey grinned. She tried to deepen the kiss but Max reluctantly moved away.

"Come on, we've got to get ready."

"Wouldn't you rather stay in tonight? I can make it worth your while," she teasingly ran her fingers along his buttons. 

Max counted to ten silently, attempting to steady himself. "You can make it worth my while, after dinner," he said, grabbing her hands before they slipped any lower.

Zoey pouted, "Fine….I guess I'll go get ready." She threw an extra sway in her hips as she walked into the bedroom to get ready.

Max breathed a sigh of relief and checked the weather again. Still sunny and warm, so far so good.

Dinner went by in a blur, Max was so nervous he couldn't even tell you what they ate. He spent most of the dinner checking his pocket obsessively to make sure the ring was still there.

As they left the restaurant, Max suggested they take a walk along the beach, hoping she wasn't becoming suspicious of his plan.

Zoey smiled, as she leaned on his shoulder, "That sounds lovely."

They made their way down to the beach, stopping to leave their shoes on a nearby rock.

As they walked hand in hand Zoey told him about the latest hijinks at work.

"Can you believe that Tobin actually got his ferret certified as an emotional support animal? She looks adorable in her little vest, riding around on his shoulder. Good thing Joan is too busy running the company to notice!" Zoey laughed.

Max chuckled, shaking his head as he listened to her. He missed working at SPRQ Point, sometimes. But he found his true calling in helping out schools and libraries with their STEAM programs for kids. He was a natural teacher, his job allowed his creativity to flow and the children all adored him.

A cool wind picked up as the sun disappeared behind a cloud. Max glanced up and frowned, those were some very dark clouds overhead. Then he felt the first drops of rain beginning. 

"Maybe we should head back," Zoey suggested.

"It's only a few drops. It's not that bad," Max replied, determined to not let a few raindrops spoil his proposal.

As if the heavens had decided to mock him, the rain began pouring down suddenly.  

Max rolled his eyes at the sky and grabbed Zoey's hand. They raced back to where their shoes were and jumped into Max's car.

"Well, so much for romantic walks in the rain," Zoey quipped.

"Yeah, I don't think they mean this kind of rain," Max dryly replied.

Zoey leaned over to kiss him. "Well, it was still a lovely time. We'll go walk along the beach another day."

Max sighed and nodded as he started the car. He could feel the ring burning a hole in his pocket, he needed to come up with a new plan, and soon.

II.

After the rain fiasco, Max determined that keeping the proposal inside was a much safer option. He decided to surprise Zoey with a trip to the California Academy of Sciences. She loved going there when she was younger and had talked about going back when they had the time.

"Oh Max, let's go to the Planetarium next!" She said excitedly holding the map. He nodded and grinned at her eagerness, and they grabbed a spot line to wait for the next show to begin. Max glanced at his watch, 15 minutes till the show started, plenty of time.

He took a deep breath, "Zoey, there's something I've been…"

"Oh my gosh, Max look!" Zoey pointed at something in front of them.

Max turned to see a couple standing in front of the Planetarium, the man was down on one knee and holding out a box to the woman. A small crowd had gathered to watch the events unfold.

"Yes! A thousand times yes!" They heard the woman shriek in excitement.

Everyone burst into applause, except Max who stood there looking gobsmacked. "You have got to be kidding me," he mumbled, annoyed.

"That was so sweet," Zoey smiled at him.

"Yeah, really romantic," Max tried to keep his voice light.

"It was. So, what did you want to ask me?" Zoey said looking at him.

"Oh umm...I was thinking I might want to grow a beard and was wondering what your opinion was," he replied.

"You wanted to ask me if you should grow a beard or not?" Zoey looked at him puzzled. Max nodded, hoping she bought the lie.

"I mean, I hadn't really thought about it before, but yeah why not. I think it could be a good look."

"You do?" He asked in surprise. 

"Oh yes, not like a full mountain man of course. But a little scruff could be very sexy," she smirked, running her hand along his smooth face. 

"Well, then I'm glad I asked that important question," Max replied.

Zoey looked at him oddly and shrugged her shoulders, reading the program about what they would be seeing.

Max rolled his eyes at himself.  Really a beard? That was the "important question?" There wasn't anything better you could have made up? Stupid couple ruining his plan, stealing his proposal idea. 

The happy couple walked by them, "Congratulations!" Zoey called out.

"Wasn't it just so romantic?" The woman sighed, smiling at her fiance. 

"It certainly was. Wasn't it, babe?" Zoey smiled at him.

"Oh yes, very romantic,” Max smiled tightly at them.

"Ooo, come on, the shows starting, " Zoey looped her arm through his and bid the couple farewell.

As Zoey enjoyed the show, Max began formulating a new plan, this one would leave nothing to chance.

III.

"No, I don't want to do the ring in her drink or food. I'll just give you guys the signal and then the violinist can come to the table and I'll propose then. It needs to be at the beginning of the meal….yes I know most couples wait until the end, but I'm not taking a chance with this. Yes, okay, thank you." Max hung up the phone, relieved that all the details were fixed with the restaurant. He and Zoey would go out to dinner, order their food and then Max would propose with the restaurant's violinist played nearby. It was the perfect plan.

Later That Evening

*sirens*

"How crazy is this?" Zoey said, huddled next to Max as they stood outside the restaurant.

"It's crazy alright," Max shook his head in disbelief.

"It's lucky no one was hurt in the fire," She replied. 

"Except the violinist's violin and the waiter's pride," Max reminded her.

"Well honestly, the violinist shouldn't have placed himself there. Maybe then the waiter wouldn't have tripped over him knocking over all those candles. I wonder why he was standing so close to the table near us," Zoey rambled. 

"Who knows, maybe someone had asked him to play nearby, " Max shrugged.

"Hmm, maybe. Well, I'm starving since we didn't get to eat. I think I saw a taco truck down the way," Zoey smiled at Max.

"Sure, tacos sound good."

"Come on, last one there is buying!" Zoey teased racing ahead of him.

Max chuckled, as he chased after her. He needed to stop trying to plan the perfect proposal. He would just carry the ring with him and ask her when the moment was right.

IV.

The park was crowded, though it always seemed to be that way for the summer concerts. Max and Zoey had forgotten about them when they had made plans to take a walk in the park.

At least the paths were clear, everyone was crowding over at the lawn to find a seat before the show started. 

They strolled hand in hand along the pond, quietly enjoying the way the water reflected the sun.

Zoey sighed and smiled as she looked at Max. "It's so peaceful here," she said. "As though we were the only two people here."

Max grinned, this was it, this was the moment. Palming the ring box, he knelt on one knee behind her.

"Zoey…"

"YO, ZO-DOG!" They heard a voice yell.

Zoey turned and saw Tobin walking towards them. Was that Abigail with him?

"Hey!" Zoey grinned and waved at the couple as they approached. 

Abigail smiled at Zoey as she leaned in for a hug.

"Hey bro, trouble with your shoe?" Tobin asked, looking down at Max who was still kneeling on the ground.

"Ummm yeah, just needed to tie it. All good now " Max replied. He slipped the box back in his pocket, before standing up.

"What are you guys doing here? I didn't even know you were seeing each other," Zoey commented.

"Oh yeah, we just started hanging out, outside of work and we just clicked. We're keeping it on the DL for now, but of course, you guys know all about that," Tobin tossed them a knowing wink.

"What? No, we weren't a thing when we worked together," Zoey sputtered as she blushed. 

"Sure, whatever. Anyway, we were coming to check out the concert, but it's some lame dad rock cover band so we decided to ditch. Figured we could go grab some burgers instead," Tobin replied.

"Ooo, burgers sound good right about now. You mind if we tag along?" Zoey asked. She turned and silently asked Max if that was okay with him and he nodded.

Abigail grinned and signed, 'Of course not. The more the merrier!' She looped her arm through Zoey's and they started to make their way out of the park.

"You okay, bro? You seem a little tense," Tobin looked at over at Max.

"Nope, fine. Everything is just fine," Max ground out.

"Well, come on then!" Tobin ran excitedly ahead to catch up with the girls.

Max shook his head, he was beginning to feel like the universe had it out for him. He sighed and went to catch up with the group. Maybe a public proposal wasn't the way to go, too many things could go wrong or interfere. A more private proposal, just the two of them at home, that was the ticket.

V.

It was movie night, they had maintained the tradition even after they started dating. Though once they became a couple there were a few times they had to rewatch the movies because they got too distracted during them.

It was Max's turn to pick and he had decided on,  Big Trouble In Little China . He got everything set up, making sure the popcorn and wine were ready, so they could start as soon as Zoey got home. She'd been working long hours this week, she deserved to have a night where she could just kick back and relax.

Zoey came wearily trudging through the door and dropped her purse, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Welcome home, love," Max greeted her with a kiss.

"Mmmmm," she replied.

"Go put on your comfy clothes and then come sit on the couch. I've got everything ready, so you can take it easy," he told her.

"You're the best boyfriend ever," she smiled at him. Slowly she stumbled to their bedroom to change. 

Max put away her purse and keys and poured her a glass of wine.

She emerged in her PJs and Max led her over to the couch. She snuggled up next to him and took a sip of her wine.

Max hit play and they started the movie.

Zoey was enjoying the film, it was ridiculous and totally 80's, but it was the kind of fun she needed after the week she had.

She glanced over at Max and grinned, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"What was that for?" He smiled at her.

"Because I can," she replied, reaching for more popcorn only to find an empty bowl. 

"I'll go make more," Max said standing up.

"You don't have to," Zoey protested.

"I want to," Max replied, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Just relax, I'll be right back."

Max threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave, as he watched Zoey from the corner of his eye. She was leaning on her hand against the armrest, totally absorbed in the film.

He smiled, this was everything he wanted in life, right here at home. It dawned on him that this was the perfect opportunity. He raced into the bedroom and retrieved the ring from his drawer. 

He walked back out just as the microwave dinged. He poured the popcorn into the bowl and made his way back to the sofa.

He set the popcorn on the table and knelt on the floor next to Zoey's side of the sofa. 

"Zoey, there's something I wanted to ask you," he started.

Zoey let out a small snore, causing Max to look up in surprise. She had fallen asleep…. Max shook his head and chuckled to himself. Poor Zoey, she was more tired than she had let on.

He set the box down and scooped her into his arms.

"I was watching that," she sleepily protested, snuggling against him.

"With your eyes closed?" Max teasingly asked.

"Hear better that way," came the mumbled reply.

"Mmhmm, and the snores?"

"I don't snore!"

"No, you're right, my mistake. Must have been someone else snoring."

"Hmph," Zoey responded.

Max gently placed her in their bed and tucked her in. "I love you, Zoey."

"I love you too, Max," she sleepily replied.

Max smiled and headed out to put away everything. He picked up the ring box and sighed, someday he'd get the chance to ask her, and it would be absolutely perfect. 

+ 1

Zoey jiggled her leg nervously under the table where they sat.

"Zoey, are you okay? You look pale..er than usual," Max asked her.

"No, I'm fine. I'm actually really happy*," Zoey replied grinning at him.

"Oooookay," Max said looking at her oddly.

Mo had invited them to hear him perform at a local bar's open mic night, so they went to support him.

"When do you think Mo is on?" Max asked.

"Mmm, I don't know. Oh, look here he comes," Zoey pointed to the stage.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Mo, but I am not the one who will be dazzling you tonight with my voice."

Max looked at Zoey confused, and she shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Instead, my good friend, Zoey Clarke, has a very special performance for you all," Mo grinned and gestured for Zoey to come up.

Max stared at her as she stood up and tossed a wink at him as she made her way to the stage. Mo handed her the microphone, "Thank you Mo. Hello everyone, I'm Zoey Clarke, and Max, this one's for you."

Zoey blew Max a kiss and began to sing.

I had no choice but to hear you

You stated your case time and again

I thought about it

You treat me like I'm a princess

I'm not used to liking that

You ask how my day was

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole

You're so much braver than I gave you credit for

That's not lip service

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

You are the bearer of unconditional things

You held your breath and the door for me

Thanks for your patience

Max watched, stunned as Zoey sang to him. She began to make her way off the stage still singing, as she walked towards him.

You're the best listener that I've ever met

You're my best friend

Best friend with benefits

What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before

I've never wanted something rational

I am aware now

I am aware now

You've already won me over in spite of me

And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet

And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are

I couldn't help it

It's all your fault

The music stopped as Zoey stood in front of him smiling. She slowly lowered herself to one knee. "Max Richman, you are the love of my life, my best friend, and I can't imagine spending another moment without you by my side. Will you marry me?" 

Max slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box. "That was supposed to be my line," he grinned. "Yes, Zoey Clarke, I'll marry you!"

Max pulled her up, slipping the ring on her finger before capturing her lips with his.

Around them, everyone in the bar cheered and congratulated them.

They pulled apart flushing and breathless. 

"I guess the universe was trying to tell me something after all," Max grinned. 

Zoey looked at him confused.

"I'll tell you later."

"I'm just glad everything went smoothly. You have no idea how worried I was that something would go wrong or ruin it!" Zoey told him.

"No, you're right, I haven't a clue how that feels," he laughed and pulled her into another kiss. 

A/N: Song is "Head Over Feet" by Alanis Morissette (Listen to it here https://youtu.be/4iuO49jbovg)

*Episode 1x07

[ladylillianrose]

Karaoke to the Max a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

Summary: What if Leif wasn't the only one doing karaoke in episode 1x11?

A/N: I've had this little one-shot rolling around in my head since episode 1x11. I couldn't resist writing drunk Max doing karaoke!

Thank you as always to my beta extraordinaire aubreyrichman

The song is "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden (Listen to it here https://youtu.be/WQnAxOQxQIU)

AO3

It was late and Zoey was relieved to be home after the awkwardness at the bar with Max. Her phone pinged with a message. The only person who texted her this late had made his feelings abundantly clear with his heart-song.

It was from Max, she raised her eyebrows in confusion as she opened the message.

Zoey, it's Leif. I have Max's phone because, well, frankly he's not in the best mindset at the moment. It's easier to just show you. 

There was a video attached, curiously she hit play. 

"Next up we have Max! Come on up, Max!"

Zoey watched in fascination as Max made his way to the stage and grabbed the microphone stand. She could tell by his body language that he was more than a little drunk. He smirked at the camera and pointed, "This one's for you, Zo!"

Zoey could feel her cheeks flushing even though she knew he couldn't see her.

I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy.

I'll be your hope, I'll be your love, be everything that you need.

I love you more with every breath, truly madly deeply do

I will be strong, I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on a new beginning.

A reason for living. A deeper meaning.

Zoey sat enraptured by his song, so different from what his heart-song had told her. Unlike Leif's earlier performance, there was no cringing as Max poured his heart out. She saw a few women at a nearby table sending him appreciative looks.

I want to stand with you on a mountain.

I want to bathe with you in the sea.

I want to lay like this forever.

Until the sky falls down on me

And when the stars are shining brightly in the velvet sky,

I'll make a wish send it to heaven then make you want to cry

The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty.

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of

The highest power, in lonely hours, the tears devour you

I want to stand with you on a mountain,

I want to bathe with you in the sea.

I want to lay like this forever,

Until the sky falls down on me

Max left the stage to applause and the video ended.

Her phone pinged with another message from Leif.

I don't know what happened with you two, but he's clearly broken up about it. You may want to get down here.

Zoey sighed before changing out of her PJs and into a pair of leggings and a hoodie. If she was going to deal with drunk Max, she was going to be comfortable dammit.

She made her way back to the bar and walked inside. She spotted Leif at the bar and walked over to him.

"Where is he?" she asked.

Leif turned around, "You came! He's in the bathroom."

Zoey nodded, "How drunk is he?"

He cringed, "I sort of lost count after the third whiskey sour."

Great, that meant Max was pretty far gone then.

"Well, now that you're here I'm gonna head out," Leif said moving towards the door.

Zoey grabbed his sleeve, turning him to face her. "What do you mean you're heading out?" she hissed.

"It means Max tried to help me out tonight, so I'm returning the favor," he explained matter of factly.

Zoey narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "I still don't trust you."

"And yet, here you are," Leif removed her hand from his sleeve and walked out of the bar.

Zoey sighed, ordered two glasses of water,  and took a seat to wait for Max.

She didn't have to wait long, she saw Max weaving his way through people to get to the bar. 

He raised his hand to signal to the for another drink when Zoey put her hand on his shoulder, sending a discrete head shake to the bartender.

Max turned and looked at her in surprise, "Zoey?! I thought you left? Why are your clothes different?"

Zoey handed him one of the waters as he took a seat next to her. "Drink that. Leif texted me and told me you might need my help."

"Pffftt, Leif. What does he know? You know, he's still in love with Joan?" Max whispered the last part to her as though it were a secret.

"Umm yeah, caught that with his performance earlier," Zoey cringed.

"Oh...right…." Max looked confused. "But we're mad at each other, so why would you even come?"

She sighed, "Because you're still my best friend, Max. Even if you're mad at me, I'll still show up when you need me. That's what friends do."

"Right….friends," Max said bitterly as he drank his water.

Zoey winced, she knew they needed to talk about everything, but Max was in no condition to hear what she had to say.

She handed him the other water, "Finish this, and let's get you home."

Max rolled his eyes, "You're not the boss of me anymore….in fact, I'm a boss now, so you can't tell me what to do."

She blew out an exasperated breath, she forgot how stubborn and childish Max could get when he was drunk. "Fine, don't drink it, have a terrible hangover in the morning. But we are leaving," she told him firmly.

He glared at her before drinking half the glass and then standing up.

Zoey sighed in relief, watching carefully as Max attempted to make his way to the door. Grabbing his arm she guided him through the crowd and out to wait for their ride.

Max leaned against the wall watching as Zoey kept an eye out for the car.

"You're beautiful," he said grinning lopsidedly at her.

Zoey felt herself blush, "And you're drunk."

"Doesn't mean I'm not right," he argued. "You're smart and funny, and beautiful, and adorable," he rambled.

"Rides here!" she cried out in relief.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him towards the car and maneuvered him inside.

Once they were settled, Max leaned over and placed his head on her shoulder. "Thanks for coming, Zo," he murmured.

Zoey sat quietly unable to respond, enjoying the feeling of him leaning on her. She had leaned on him so many times before, it felt nice for their roles to be reversed for once.

They arrived at his apartment, and Max managed to stumble through the door before collapsing on the couch.

Zoey grabbed some ibuprofen and a bottle of water and set them next to Max's bed. She walked out into the living room,  "Come on, time for bed."

Max nodded and walked towards his bedroom with Zoey trailing behind.

"Okay, I put some water and pills right here for you to have in the morning. And...eeep!" Zoey turned around and was faced with Max standing there in nothing but his boxers.

She couldn't stop staring as her eyes raked over his body. Sure, she had seen him without a shirt, an image she had revisited over and over again in her head. But that was nothing compared to this. She cleared her throat and averted her eyes flushing.

"Anyway, I guess I'll just be going," she headed towards the door but was stopped by Max's hand on her wrist.

"Stay with me?" he asked.

Zoey bit her lip, "Max, I don't think that's a great idea…."

"Please?"

She sighed, "Fine, but you have to put a shirt on, and I'll need to borrow one too."

She reached into his dresser and grabbed them both t-shirts. She headed to the bathroom and pulled on his shirt. She'd just have to wear her leggings to bed, at least they weren't jeans.

She walked back into the bedroom and found Max already in bed, waiting for her.

She got in on her side of the bed and smiled at him, "Goodnight, Max."

"Goodnight, Zoey," he yawned, reaching over to turn off the light.

Zoey lay there, waiting for him to fall asleep so she could slip out and sleep on the sofa. As she listened to his breathing, she felt herself drifting off, falling into a restful sleep for what seemed to be the first time in months.

________________________________________________________________

Max woke up to his head pounding and his mouth feeling drier than a desert. He saw the water and pills and gratefully swallowed them. Glancing down, he realized he was wearing a t-shirt which was unusual since he didn't normally sleep in one. The bed shifted slightly and he glanced to his side, he did a double-take as he realized that Zoey was in bed next to him.

How had she gotten there? Actually, how had he gotten home last night? He remembered seeing Zoey at the bar, Leif's embarrassing karaoke song for Joan, and then Zoey and Joan left. He and Leif had a few drinks and talked some more but the rest of the night was pretty fuzzy, though he remembered something about Savage Garden?

Shaking his head, he grabbed his phone, quietly got out of bed, and headed out to the living room.

Sitting on the couch, he began scrolling through his messages looking for clues as to why Zoey would be here. He noticed that Zoey was the last person he had texted, which was odd because he definitely hadn't texted her since their argument. Clicking on the message, he saw that it was Leif who had reached out to Zoey on his behalf. 

Max sighed. That meant Zoey had come to help him get home since he was drunk. Who knows what he said or did last night.

Spotting a video file that Leif had apparently sent her, he opened it. He watched himself make his way to the stage, dedicate the song to Zoey, and then sing "Truly Madly Deeply."

Max groaned in embarrassment, looks like Leif wasn't the only one performing karaoke love confessions last night.

"It was quite the performance, I'm sorry I missed seeing it live," he heard Zoey say from behind him.

He turned to look at her and saw that she was wearing one of his old t-shirts over a pair of leggings. Her hair was a mess and she still looked tired but he had never seen anything so gorgeous in his life.

Zoey played with the hem of the shirt, "I had to borrow this to sleep in. Hope you don't mind."

Max swallowed and shook his head. Of course, he didn't mind. In fact, if she only ever wanted to wear his clothes, that would be fine with him. But aren't you still mad at her? His traitorous brain supplied.

Clearing his throat, he looked at her, "Why did you come last night?"

Zoey took a seat on the couch next to him, "Because even though you're pissed at me, you're still my friend and I care about you."

"Why stay though? You got me home okay, there was no reason to stick around."

Zoey sighed, "You asked me to."

Max scoffed, of course, he had asked her to stay, he was mad at her but that didn't mean he wasn't still in love with her.

"And because I wanted to."

He looked up at her questioningly.

"You need to know that I didn't mean anything I said that day at the office. I was hurt and upset so I lashed out at you, which you didn't deserve."

Max looked at her in surprise. "Zoey, I…"

She held a finger to his lips, "You are an amazing programmer, a wonderful person, and the least selfish man I know. I was upset because I knew that things would change with you moving to the sixth floor, and we all know how well I react to change," she said with a wry chuckle.

"But it made me realize how much I missed you. How I need more Max in my life," she said smiling at him.

Max felt his heart beat faster, was she saying what he thought she was saying?

Zoey looked at him, waiting for his response.

"Do you mean that?" Max whispered. 

She nodded, smiling at him as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his.

Max reached up to cup her face, pulling her closer to him as he lost himself in the taste and feel of Zoey's lips.

They pulled apart after a few minutes, panting in an attempt to catch their breath as they grinned at one another.

Max went to lean forward, for another kiss but stopped, "Wait...does this mean that I have to be nice to Leif?"

Zoey rolled her eyes, "Really, you're thinking about Leif right now?"

"Hey, he's not a guy I want to have to owe a favor to," Max responded.

"Fair. No, he said something about how he owed you for helping him out, so now you're even."

"Okay, good. I'm not sure I even know how to be nice to him," Max rambled.

"Max, stop talking," Zoey said and pulled him into another kiss. 

[ladylillianrose]

Carwash a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

Summary: Shenanigans ensue at the annual SPRQ Point Carwash!

A/N: A last little bit of Summer fun for chosenandloved

Special thanks to my wonderful, lovely beta AubreyRichman

The song is "Car Wash" by Rose Royce

Car Wash

"Okay everyone, listen up!" Joan commanded. "The annual SPRQ Point car wash is on Saturday, and we drew the short straw again this year."

The entire fourth-floor team let out a collective groan. 

"Well, like it or not, we still have to do it. And everyone is to be there this year, no excuses," Joan stated, glancing pointedly at Zoey.

"It's not like I planned to fall and break my wrist," Zoey grumbled to Max. 

Max chuckled, "Joan doesn't see it that way."

"This year we're raising money for the San Francisco Public Library's STEM Programs," Joan continued explaining. "Everyone needs to be here by 8 AM on Saturday, and please make sure to wear clothes you don't mind getting wet. We don't need another cardigan episode …."

Leif glared at Max, "It's not my fault that somebody decided to use it as a towel!"

Max held up his hands defensively, "Dude, you're going to have to let it go eventually. I apologized and replaced it, didn't I? Besides, who brings a cardigan to a carwash?!"

"Was it his special "car washing" cardigan?" she whispered to Max.

Max barely managed to smother his laugh as Leif glared at him again.

"Okay, enough slacking off. Those Smart Pants aren't going to program themselves!" Joan said, dismissing the group.

________________________________________________________________

Saturday 

Zoey mumbled a greeting and handed Max his morning coffee.

"Why are we here this early?" she asked, once the caffeine had hit her bloodstream.

Max shook his head, "Because Joan likes to torture us?"

"Where is Joan by the way?" Zoey had yet to see their boss.

Max pointed to where Joan was sitting atop a tall chair placed off to the side. She had a whistle in one hand and a megaphone in the other, looking completely in her element.

Zoey laughed, "I'm not going to even ask how she managed to get her hands on a lifeguard chair."

Joan blew her whistle, "Okay people, let's get to work!"

By mid-afternoon, Zoey was hot and exhausted from all the cars that they had washed. She grabbed a bottle of water and took a seat under their tent hoping to cool off a little. 

As she sat there she heard the telltale strains of music signaling a heart song. Tobin and the other brogrammers were scrubbing the cars and singing:

Working at the car wash

Working at the car wash, yeah

Come on and sing it with me, car wash

Sing it with the feeling now, car wash yeah

Come some of the work get's kind of hard

This ain't no place to be if you planned on being a star

Let me tell you it's always cool

And the boss don't mind sometimes if you act a fool

*TWEET*

"DAMMIT GLENN!!! You spray the outside of the car, not the inside!" Joan shouted. 

Leif quickly grabbed the hose from Glenn, to avoid further issues.

Leif sensed an opportunity to exact revenge for his cardigan. He grabbed a bucket and filled it up with water. Luckily, Max was distracted, soaping the wheels of the car.

Sneaking up behind him, Leif dumped the bucket of water right onto Max's head.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Max stood up, sputtering.

"Oops. My hand slipped," Leif said, unapologetically. 

Max rolled his eyes and walked over to the tent in search of a towel.

Zoey looked up and did a double-take as she saw a very wet Max making his way towards her. His white t-shirt was now clinging to his body like a second skin. She could see the outline of his surprisingly muscular body, and her mouth ran dry. 

"He did that on purpose!" Max complained, running a towel through his hair. "All to get back at me for that stupid cardigan!"

Zoey continued staring as Max dried himself off, the water making his curls more prominent than usual. Her eyes followed a drop of water, making its way down his neck. She bit her lip to keep from groaning aloud at the thought of licking that water off him.

"Zo? Is everything okay? You look a little flushed," Max asked, concerned. "Are you hot?"

"No, but you are," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Hmm? No, no just fine here," she replied. "Well, better get back out there!" she quickly stood and left the tent. She needed to put some space between Max's wet body and her traitorous thoughts.

Nope, do not go there, Zoey. Yes, he's hot and you desperately want him, but he's your best friend. 

"You alright, Z-dog?" Tobin asked, glancing at her red cheeks.

"Yup, everything is just fine," she insisted, grabbing a sponge and getting to work on the next car.

Tobin glanced over at the tent, and saw a wet and confused Max watching her. He chuckled and shook his head, they were both so obviously in love with one another it was ridiculous.

Glancing at Zoey's outfit, Tobin realized she was wearing a swimsuit under her clothes. He grinned as he got an idea, maybe they both just needed a nudge in the right direction.

Max finished drying off as best he could, and got back to work. He took the hose from Leif, refusing to let the other man anywhere near him with it.

Tobin made sure that Joan wasn't looking in his direction as he grabbed one of the wet sponges and threw it directly at Zoey. It hit her chest with a loud smack, soaking through her shirt.

"Tobin! What has gotten into you!" she yelled, chasing him around the car. "Get back here!" 

Tobin ducked behind another car and lobbed another sponge at her, this one hit her stomach.

"Seriously? What are you five?" Zoey yelled, throwing a sponge at him in retaliation. Tobin ducked and the sponge sailed over his head, hitting Glenn in the face. Grabbing another sponge, Zoey began to advance on Tobin, determined to hit her mark this time.

“Move, Glenn!!” Tobin yelled, shoving past him as he ran away from Zoey.

Zoey chased after him, weaving through the cars to try and reach him. Just as Zoey caught up to him, sponge in hand, they heard Joan's whistle.

*TWEET*

"ZOEY! The sponges are for cars, not your co-workers!" Joan yelled.

Grumbling, Zoey put the sponge down and stomped off to the tent to dry off. Thank goodness she had thought ahead enough to wear her bathing suit. She peeled off her soaked shirt, laying it out in the sun to dry and headed back to the line of cars.

Max's mouth fell open as he watched Zoey walk by. He had never seen her wear a swimsuit before. The simple blue one-piece dipped low in the back, the straps making a criss-cross pattern that his fingers itched to trace.

"DUDE, STOP!" Leif burbled. Max turned and saw that he had accidentally been spraying Leif, instead of the car he was supposed to be washing.

"That truly was an accident," Max said apologetically, as Leif stormed off.

Zoey caught Max's eye and they both laughed.

After what seemed like the five hundredth car, they were finally on the last car of the day. 

"Wait a minute…." Zoey said, frowning at the car. "Max, isn't this your car?"

Max grinned, "Well, we're already here. So I figured why not?"

"No way, bro!" Tobin exclaimed. "You can wash your own damn car, I'm out!"

The rest of the brogrammers murmured their agreement and walked off with Tobin.

Zoey shrugged her shoulders, "Looks like it's just you and me then. Let's get to work."

With fewer distractions around, they were able to make quick work washing Max's car.

"Come on, I'll give you a ride home," Max offered, once they had put the cleaning supplies away.

________________________________________________________________

"Tobin sang Carwash?" Max laughed, Zoey told him as they walked up the stairs to her apartment. "That's a little on the nose there, isn’t it?"

Zoey shrugged, "It's Tobin. Sometimes he can be deep and mature, and other times he's well...Tobin."

Max hummed in agreement, "True."

A silence fell between them as they reached Zoey's door.

"I don't think I'd ever seen you wear a swimsuit before today," Max commented.

"I figured it was a safe bet when being around Tobin, Leif, and water. Looks like I was right too," she chuckled. 

"It's a good look on you, you should wear one more often."

"Well, what about you, Mister Secret Buff? Don't think I wasn't distracted by the outline of your muscles through your wet shirt," Zoey replied, unthinkingly.

"Oh, you were distracted, were you?" Max teased.

Zoey flushed as she realized what she had just revealed. "I mean...well...how could I….yeah...I was," she stammered. 

Max grinned, "You weren't the only one who was distracted." 

Zoey's eyes lit up in understanding, "You mean?"

"There's a reason Leif got sprayed in the face, and it has everything to do with you and that swimsuit," Max confessed.

Zoey gasped as he pulled her towards him, capturing her lips in a toe-curling kiss. 

They broke apart and Max smiled softly at her, "I'll see you later, Zo."

Zoey nodded, dazed as she watched him walk down the stairs. She walked into her apartment, unable to keep the smile on her face as she began singing to herself.

Working at the car wash

Working at the car wash, yeah

[ladylillianrose]

Sorry, I Was Staring At Your Coconuts a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

Summary: Things heat up at the SPRQ Point Summer Luau!

A/N: Yay Summer Gift Exchange!! The prompt I chose was "If you think I’m going to talk to you while you're dressed like that, you're wrong." GHOST_IN_A_GIRLS_BODY I hope you enjoy this bit of humorous fluff for our favorite couple!

As always a huge thank you to my beta AubreyRichman, without whom there would be significantly fewer commas!

Oh, and the song used is "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid (Watch here https://youtu.be/TrRbB-qUJfY) y'all can thank TheAuthor44 for getting it stuck in my head and therefore working its way into the fic!

AO3

Zoey got out of the car and glanced at Danny Michael Davis' large beach house. It sounded like the party was in full swing already if the loud music and number of cars parked in the driveway were any indication. She reached the door just as it was flung open to reveal Tobin wearing one of the most garish Hawaiian shirts she had ever seen and….was that a hula skirt?

"Yo, Z Dog! You made it!" Tobin gestured for her to follow him inside. 

Zoey nodded at his attire, "Nice outfit."

Tobin grinned, "Hey, just getting into the luau spirit. Speaking of," he grabbed a lei from a nearby table and put it over her head. "Hmmm still missing something…." He snapped his fingers, "Got it!" He plucked a hibiscus flower from a vase and placed it behind her ear. "Now you're ready to party!"

Zoey chuckled, Tobin's enthusiasm was infectious. "Have you seen Max around?" she asked, as they walked further into the house.

"He was hanging out by the bar outside, last time I saw him."

She nodded her thanks and headed towards the backyard. It seemed like outside was where most everyone had congregated. She nodded in greeting as she recognized a few people from around the office. She walked over to the bar but didn't see Max anywhere nearby. 

"What can I get you?" the bartender asked.

"She'll have a pina colada. Oh and make sure it gets one of those little umbrella thingies," a voice said from behind her. Zoey glanced over her shoulder to see Max.

"I was wondering where you were," Zoey nodded her thanks as the bartender handed her the drink, little umbrella, and all.

She turned to fully face Max and nearly choked on her drink. "What on earth are you wearing?!"

Max was dressed in a grass skirt over his swim trunks, a coconut bra sans shirt, and a flower crown perched on his head.

"If you think I’m going to talk to you while you're dressed like that, you're wrong," Zoey laughed as she took another drink.

"It's the flower crown, isn't it? I thought it might be a tad too much," he admitted.

Zoey snorted, "Yeah Max, the flower crown is what tips it over the edge."

"Well, I know it's not the rest of the outfit cause I am rocking it!" Max exclaimed.

Zoey felt her gaze slide down to his chest, distracted by the muscles she saw behind the coconuts. She had to admit Max did look rather hot…. Wait what?  Shut up brain!

"Um, Zo, you okay?"

"Huh? Sorry, I was staring at your....coconuts...." Zoey turned bright red and quickly downed the rest of her drink. What is wrong with you? That's it, no more pina coladas for you!

Max laughed, "Come on, let's go check out the bonfire." He grabbed her hand and eagerly pulled Zoey towards the beach.

"Oh cause alcohol and fire are always a great combination, " Zoey mumbled as she followed him.

________________________________________________________________

Zoey had to admit she was having more fun than she had expected. Though most of that was due to the man next to her who was tipsily attempting to fix his  coconut bra that had somehow gotten untied.

"Zoey….help…." Max pouted. Shaking her head she moved behind him and tied the strings for him.

"All good?" he turned around and she saw that it was slightly askew. Without thinking she reached out to fix it, her fingers brushing along his chest as she did. His breath hitched as her fingers stilled. She swallowed, resisting the urge to run her hands along the rest of his chest.

Clearing her throat, she stepped back slightly, "All good." Her fingers still tingled from the heat of his bare skin against hers.

Max opened his mouth to respond when they were interrupted by Tobin.

"There you guys are!"

"You were looking for us?" Zoey raised her eyebrows at him.

"Obviously! We're all taking team pictures at the photo booth. Joan said something about proving to Ava that she has the better team," he shrugged.

"And somehow a picture is going to prove that?" she asked.

"Dude, don't ask me, I'm just following orders."

Zoey looked at Max and they both shrugged, Joan could be a puzzle sometimes. They followed Tobin back towards the house.

"Found the lovebirds," he loudly announced.

Zoey and Max flushed and glared at him.

"Okay, let's get this over with people. And remember we're having fun, so everyone had better smile. Glenn, I'm looking at you, don't screw this up," Joan ordered.

After a few tries, they managed to get enough decent shots to please Joan.

"Alright people, go back to whatever it was you were doing before," she dismissed them with a wave and they all quickly scattered. 

"We should take some pictures," Max suggested with a grin.

Zoey laughed, "Sure, why not. I'm sure Mom will get a kick out of them."

They did a few silly poses, laughing the whole time as they each tried to look more ridiculous than the other.

"Okay, now just one serious one," Max said, his eyes shining with laughter.

Zoey nodded and moved to stand next to him.

"Wait," Max said, turning her towards him. He reached to adjust her flower that had come loose with their antics. Zoey held her breath as she felt his fingers lightly brushed through her hair. She unconsciously leaned her body towards him as her eyes fluttered closed.

The flash of the camera went off, shattering the moment. Zoey quickly opened her eyes and moved to where their photos were printing. She felt Max come up behind her. "I hope they don't turn out blurry….I hate when they are blurry or my eyes are closed….then it just seems like a waste of a picture…" she nervously rambled, trying to distract herself from how close she had come to almost kissing Max.

"Zoey…" Max started.

"Oh look, they're done!" she grabbed the prints over eagerly.

Her eyes drifted to the last picture, afraid of what she might see. If a picture was usually worth a thousand words this was worth at least ten thousand. Picture Zoey had her eyes closed and was leaning towards Max, who's hand was hovering next to her cheek as he too leaned forward.

Her eyes darted to his and back to the photo.  Had he also wanted to kiss her?

"Max, I…."

She was interrupted as Tobin began loudly singing to them.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Don’t be scared

You got the mood prepared

Go on and kiss the girl

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

A few people turned to stare at Tobin as he sang to the couple.

Don’t stop now

Don’t try to hide it how

You wanna kiss the girl

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Float along

Listen to the song

The song say kiss the girl

Sha-la-la-la-la-la

Music play

Do what the music say

You wanna kiss the girl

You’ve got to kiss the girl

Why don’t you kiss the girl

You gotta kiss the girl

Go on and kiss the girl

Zoey glared at him and started to walk towards him when Max pulled her into his arms capturing her lips in a kiss.

All thoughts of anger disappeared as she lost herself in the feel of Max's lips against hers.

They broke apart panting heavily, as Tobin and everyone nearby began cheering.

Zoey rolled her eyes, "How about we take this somewhere without an audience?"

Max grinned and nodded. "Oh wait," he reached to take off the grass skirt when Zoey's hand stopped him. 

"Bring it with us," she murmured.

Max chuckled, "And you said you wouldn't talk to me while I was wearing this."

Zoey's eyes gleamed wickedly, "Who said  anything  about talking?"

[ladylillianrose]

You’ve Got SPRQS a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

A/N: I'm back guys! So this plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone. You've Got Mail is one of my favorite movies, so I decided to take a modern ZEP twist on it! So hopefully you all enjoy this!

SPRQS messages are in italics

Thank you to my lovely beta aubreyrichman for looking things over and listening to me ramble.

Just borrowing the characters to play with, they're all Austin Winsberg's babies!

Summary:  A new dating app has just launched for the SPRQ Watch, called SPRQS. Joan signs Zoey up for it in order to help her meet someone. Will Zoey find someone? Can you really fall in love through an app? Inspired by You've Got Mail.

Chapter 1

"I'm sorry, you did what?" Zoey asked Joan incredulously.

"I signed you up for that new dating app that just launched on the SPRQ Watch," Joan calmly explained.

"Ooookay….but why me?" 

Joan raised her eyebrow at her, "Because, you need to try putting yourself out there!"

"But a dating app? Aren't those just hookup excuses?" Zoey asked, worrying her lip.

"Not this one! No photos, no real names and no personal info until you choose to disclose it. SPRQS is all about building a lasting connection through meaningful chats and messages with one another." Joan explained eagerly. 

"So it won't even interfere with your nonexistent social life. If you find someone you enjoy chatting with, then you talk with them until you're ready to meet in person. And when that happens, I'll go with you to make sure they aren't a homicidal knife wielding maniac." Joan reassured her.

Zoey sighed, "I guess that doesn't sound too bad."

"Great, so here's your login info. You just need to make a simple profile listing some of your interests, and then you just decide who you want to talk to." Joan beamed at her.

"CodeRedLeader?" Zoey looked at Joan skeptically.

"What? It works." She said dismissing Zoey. 

Zoey shrugged her shoulders and headed to her desk. She took a moment to write a short profile.  " My blood type is coffee. No, the moon landing was not faked. Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”

Within a few minutes she had a message from someone named PianoMan. 

"Why is it all the women I talk to prefer Star Wars to Star Trek? Genuinely asking, maybe I'm missing something."

Zoey chuckled, she glanced at his profile. It read,  "Office guy by day, Piano Man by night. Pitched that idea to Marvel, still waiting to hear back….Live long and prosper."

"Maybe it's because all the women you know appreciate the badassness that is Princess Leia who eventually becomes General, and the leader of the Resistance?"  She responded.

"Hmmmm...that does seem to track with the women I know….Hii by the way, I promise I don’t normally start all conversations with random questions about Star Wars vs Star Trek...some but not  all  .”

Zoey couldn't help but giggle, "Hi to you too."

"So….I'm not totally sure how this all is supposed to work,"  he confessed.

" A friend signed me up for this so I'm not that certain myself. She said something about using it to chat and get to know people. Which, considering how busy my life is right now, is about all I have time for."

"I totally get that. Things can get pretty crazy here too. Pretty much the only thing that keeps me sane sometimes is my piano."

"Oh, so you actually play? That's not just a clever screen name or line to get the ladies ;)" she teased.

"LOL! Oh, that's too funny if you think that line gets any ladies. But, yes I do play, I've been playing since I was a child. But what about you? CodeRedLeader? I can't make heads or tails of that."

"Well, RedLeader is of course for the far superior Star Wars, and what can I say? I just love Mountain Dew Code Red."  What the fuck am I saying? Mountain Dew Code Red? Really Zoey?

There was a pause as she waited for a response.

"Of all the soda flavors out there, you're telling me that Mountain Dew Code Red is the one you would choose? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who would admit to that."

Zoey cringed,  "Umm yeah, it's amazing…"

"Lol, to each their own. Look, I have to get back to work before my boss realizes I haven't done anything in the past half hour. But, I'd like to keep talking to you if that's okay, Red?"

Zoey grinned,  "I need to get back to work, too. But, yes Billy, I'd like that."

He sent back a laughing emoji followed by a piano keyboard.  "Talk to you later, Red."

"Bye, Billy."

Zoey glanced up from her watch to see Joan watching her with an approving smile.

Zoey shook her head, turning to focus on her work, when she felt a cup nudge against her hand.

She looked up, and saw Max standing there with a cup of coffee held out to her.

"How did you know?" She asked, taking a sip and savoring the rush of caffeine.

"I figured if Joan was making you meet with her when everything was going pretty smoothly, then you might need a pick-me-up." Max grinned taking a sip of his own coffee.

Zoey smiled at her best friend, "Naw, it was just a checking in chat. Making sure everything is okay." She was too embarrassed to admit that Joan had signed her up for SPRQS. 

"Did you hear about this new dating app that someone came up with?" Max asked.

Zoey coughed as she inhaled her coffee too quickly. "There's a dating app?" She squeaked.

"Yeah, it's called something like SPRQLR, or SPRQR I think?"

"Hmm," Zoey feigned disinterest. 

"Yo bro, it's called SPRQS!" Tobin said as he approached them.

"You know like, you've got SPRQS of love because of the connections you make."

Max raised his eyebrow at him, "And how do you know so much about it?"

"Cause I signed up, dude! I'm going to find the perfect person to handle all of this," he gestured to himself.

Zoey turned pale as she realized that there was a possibility that Tobin was PianoMan.

"Random question, but do you play any instruments?" Zoey asked.

Tobin looked at her oddly, "Just my sweet skills on the mic and some beat boxing. Why do you ask?"

Zoey breathed a sigh of relief. "Just curious. I hear some girls are into musicians. So, you could always lead with that."

Tobin grinned, "Ooo, that's a good idea, Little Red. Woo a woman with my mad lyrics. You guys should check the app out, it's pretty sweet."

Zoey shook her head. "Oh no, I don't have time for anything like that." She lied.

"What about you, Maxi-Pad?"

"First, don't call me that. And second, it doesn't sound like my kind of thing. I prefer personal conversations to exchanging messages."

Well, that was at least two guys that Zoey could check off the list. Tobin didn't play piano, and Max clearly hadn't joined the app.

"Come on people, I'm not paying you to stand around and gossip!" Joan yelled from her doorway.

Tobin saluted her and sprinted back to his desk, throwing himself in his chair. "You got it, boss!"

Joan shook her head and returned to her desk.

Max and Zoey exchanged a look, and laughed.

"So, does that mean you aren't going to take Tobin's advice and sign up for SPRQS?" Zoey asked, tentatively.

"I'm no more likely to sign up than you are," Max said, walking back to his desk.

Zoey winced internally, if he only knew.

[ladylillianrose]

First Comes Marriage a Max Richman/Zoey Clarke Fanfiction

A/N: Apologies for taking so long to update, work and school have been a lot to handle as of late. In just a few weeks I'm starting my last semester of grad school so updates may not be as frequent as they have been before! Thank you all for your support and comments, I really appreciate them!

As always a huge thank you to my lovely beta AubreyRichman

Any dialogue you recognize is from the episodes Pilot and Best Friend.

Chapter Two

Chapter One

Zoey quickly ran to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Max was singing her another love song? What was going on here? 

She thought back to the other day when she had been about to tell Max about her strange powers.

________________________________________________________________

“There she is, our new team leader! Is it weird that I’m now a little intimated by you?” Max teased.

“Oh, please,” Zoey grinned, waving him off.

“So first day, how you feeling?”

“Really good actually. You know, I just want to tell you what a great friend you’ve been through all this, Max. It’s just been really comforting to know that I have you, as like my rock. And, crazy thing is, I haven’t even told you everything that’s been going on with me lately. You wouldn’t believe….”

Max suddenly looked anxious, he started playing with the ring on his right finger, something she noticed he only did when he was nervous.

“Are you alright? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. Nothing, it’s just…. Last night”

I was sleeping and right in the middle of a good dream

Like all, at once I wake up from something that keeps knocking at my brain

Zoey sighed, “Okay, now you’re singing too. I don’t think I know this one.” She took a seat in Max’s chair and watched as he danced around his desk. It was quite endearing to watch.

Before I go insane I hold my pillow to my head

And spring up in my bed screaming out the words I dread

“What words are those?” she asked, curiously. Max turned around to face her and sang the last words she had ever expected to hear from him.

I think I love you!

“I’m sorry, what?” Zoey laughed out nervously. Max slid over to her on his knees.

I think I love you so what am I so afraid of

He held out his hands for hers, spinning her around in the chair.

I'm afraid that I'm not sure of a love there is no cure for

Max danced up the staircase, as he continued his song.

I think I love you isn't that what life is made of

Though it worries me to say that I never felt this way

Zoey stared at him unsure of how to react to his revelation.

Max looked at her confused, “What?” 

________________________________________________________________

And now here she was splashing cold water on her face, trying to hide how flushed Max’s newest love song had made her. How long had her best friend had these feelings for her? She glanced down at the ring on her right hand, did he have these feelings for her when they got married? He would have said something right?

Zoey sighed, this was all too much to deal with right now, she would just try and make it through the day and think about it later. She nodded at her reflection and squared her shoulders before heading back out to the bullpen.

________________________________________________________________

Zoey stood at the cereal bar, eating and trying to think about what she should do about Max.  Speak of the devil.

Max approached her grinning, “Great news, I won the lottery!”

“What?”  Does Max even play the lottery?

“Well, the restaurant lottery. I finally got us into that fancy farm-to-table place," he explained.

“You got us into Hand-Picked?!” Zoey couldn't believe it.

“Yeah! Thursday night. Is it a date?"

Zoey panicked, "Is it a date?!"

Max looked at her oddly, "What? No. I just thought we could have a celebration of sorts…."

Zoey was confused, "Like for my promotion?"

Max awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, yes that, but it's also been a year…."

"A year?" She repeated.

He glanced significantly at the ring on her right hand and cleared his throat. "Umm yeah, a year…"

Understanding dawned on her face, "Oh wow, you're right! A year already?"

Max grinned, "I know, it just flew by. So, what do you say?"

Zoey worried her bottom lip, she didn't know what to do. "Let me check my schedule, make sure there isn't any family thing going on that night and I'll let you know?"

Max nodded, "Sounds good," and he headed back to his desk.

Zoey pulled out her phone, "Mo, we have an emergency! Meet me at Golden Gate Grind in 10!"

________________________________________________________________

"It happened again. I heard Max sing another love song to me this morning, and, this time it seemed way less ambiguous than last time."

Mo looked curious, "What song was it?"

Zoey winced, "Sucker."

Mo grinned, "Ooh, that songs hot! How did Max look doing it?"

Zoey blushed as she thought about how distracting and attractive she had found Max while he sang to her. "It doesn't matter. My best friend is super into me, Mo!"

"So what? He’s attractive and single, you’re attractive and single, I don’t know why you haven’t tried to lock that down already!” Mo said, rolling his eyes.

Zoey was about to respond when she heard the notes of a song beginning.

“Zoey, are you even listening to me?” Mo asked.

 "I’m listening, just not to you at the moment," Zoey responded distractedly as she listened to the people in the cafe sing.

"You mean you're hearing a heart song right now?"

"Yeah, and it's very emotional and moving." Zoey stood entranced as she watched the people in the cafe sing and dance to, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

Her eyes followed their usual barista Autumn, as she sadly sang.

I need a man who'll take a chance

On a love that burns hot enough to last

So when the night falls

My lonely heart calls

Zoey could feel a plan forming in her head.

"Hey, Autumn," she smiled at her.

"Oh hey, Zoey, the usual?"

"Yeah. And actually, I think I'll get something to go for my buddy, Max. Speaking of Max, what's your take on Max? You like his vibe? Appearance? General outlook? You a fan?"

She could feel Mo glaring at her, "Zoey, this is not a good idea."

Zoey waved her hand dismissively, "Quiet Mo, I'm working here."

Mo rolled his eyes, "I reserve the right to say I told you so," he murmured.

________________________________________________________________

"Zoey, this feels weird," Autumn said as she nervously smoothed her clothes. "You sure Max is okay with it?"

"Psh, of course, he is!" Zoey led Autumn over to the chair Max was working in.

"Hey. Guess what? I used Dijkstra's algorithm to find the shortest paths between all hunt locations so we can make sure our guests get to…. Hi," Max finally looked up to see Zoey and Autumn standing in front of him.

"Hey Max, you know Autumn right?"

"Umm sure. Hey," he responded, unsure of what was happening.

"So, turns out I can't make it Thursday, but Autumn is a big fan of farm-to-table and would love to take my place," Zoey explained, as she nudged Autumn forward.

"Oh," Max tried not to look too crestfallen. He had been looking forward to spending their first anniversary together.  She's only your wife on paper, it's not a real marriage remember? No need to celebrate an anniversary that doesn't mean anything.

"Only if you're cool with it," Autumn interrupted his train of thought.

"Well, yeah. Um, I mean, I can't really think of anyone else I would take at the moment," Max agreed. Best not to waste the reservation, and Autumn seemed nice enough.

"Great!" Zoey exclaimed eagerly. "I'm gonna go work on the thing," she quickly backed away as Max watched her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Zoey sighed, relieved to have found a solution to her problem. She glanced back and saw Max laughing at something Autumn said. She shook her head, ignoring the ache she felt in her chest as she watched them. Thinking no more on the subject, she threw herself into her work.

________________________________________________________________

Zoey was walking around the bullpen checking in on her team's progress, ignoring Max who was trying to get her attention.

Max got tired of waiting for her to look at him, "Hey, Zo. Will you tell me the truth?"

Zoey's eyes widened in a panic and she gestured for him to follow her.

"Why didn't you want to go to dinner with me?" Max asked, looking at her sadly.

"What? No, I have a thing," she started.

Max raised his eyebrows at her, "Uh-huh, a rather convenient thing. You've been acting weird since I mentioned Hand-Picked. What's going on?"

"I just think that people might suspect something if we were to go to a place like Hand-Picked." Zoey nervously played with her ring as she spoke.

"Everyone knows we're friends, Zoey. It's not like we haven't had dinner together before."

"I just think that it's not such a good idea, especially since I'm your boss now. We need to be extra careful that nobody finds out about…"

"Considering it's been a year and no one is even remotely suspicious, I think we're okay. What? You think that we eat some pickled beets out of a Mason jar, and they suddenly realize that we're married?" Max replied sarcastically.

"Keep your voice down," Zoey hissed.

Max glanced over at the team, none of whom were paying attention to the two of them.

"I'm pretty sure that nobody cares," Max rolled his eyes.

"Max, I don't want to fight about this," Zoey sighed.

"No, wouldn't want the team to think we were in the middle of a lover's quarrel now, would we? If you need to create some boundaries between us, fine, " Max bit out as he walked back to his desk.

Zoey winced at his harsh tone, she knew she had hurt him.

Max spent the rest of the day refusing to even look in her direction. When they were done for the day he quickly packed his things and left, not even saying goodbye.

Zoey felt that ache in her chest again as she watched him leave. She groaned in frustration and placed her head on her desk. This was a disaster, she needed to fix things and fast.

[ladylillianrose]

Clarkeman Fanfiction Recommendation List (Updated 10/15/2020)

5+1

Ad Nauseam (Or Not) by Gwritesforfun:  5 times Zoey and Max attempted to talk about their feelings and were interrupted. One time they weren't. Or, the evolution of a much-needed discussion. Rated Mature, Complete

The Best Laid Plans by Ladylillianrose: 5 times Max tries to propose to Zoey and one successful proposal. Rated Teen, Complete

Crystal Clear by typicalaveragefangirl: Crystal Clear, or, five times Clarkeman planned their wedding and one time all of the planning was done. Rated Teen, Complete

The Five Times Zoey Said No (And The One Time She Said Yes) by TheAuthor44: Five significant times Zoey used the word 'NO' in her relationship with Max - some funny, some heartwarming, some heartbreaking. And then one very significant 'YES' Rated Teen, Complete

The Heat is On by Gwritesforfun: Five Times Zoey or Max felt the heat. One time they felt it together. Rated Mature, Complete

Island in the Sun by typicalaveragefangirl: Or, five times Clarkeman share an innocent physical touch on vacation and one time it isn't so innocent. Not Rated, In-Progress

Redhead with the Red Sole by Gwritesforfun: Five times the Louboutin's are "just shoes" and one time they are VERY GOOD shoes. A 5+1 fic. Rated Teen, Complete

Sink Down (And I Will Comfort You) by Gwritesforfun: Five times Zoey's bean bag chair is good for thinking. And one time it's good for something else. Rated Mature, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Relationships by Gwritesforfun: “Unnecessarily complicated, exhausting for everybody, the opposite of good.” Zoey reflects on 5 complicated past relationships, and one that isn’t complicated at all. A 5+1 things. Rated Teen, Complete

One-Shots

At the Beginning by TheAuthor44: It's SPRQ Point Coder Orientation Day! My take on the day that was the start of a beautiful (and eventually *very* complicated) friendship! Rated General Audiences, Complete

Both Showing Hearts by TheAuthor44: AU 1x12 where Zoey reflects on all the events of the day ... and Max gets to finish. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Breaking Point by Jade4813: When they become temporary roommates during quarantine, how many times can Zoey and Max have sex while still pretending to themselves and to each other that it Doesn’t Mean Anything? Rated Explicit, Complete 

Car Wash by Ladylillianrose: Shenanigans ensue at the annual SPRQ Point Carwash! Rated Teen, Complete

Crashing Through Your Door by hookedoncaptainswan: Zoey is hiding out in her apartment and everyone is worried about her so Max decides to make sure she's okay. Not Rated, Complete

The Day the Music Died by Gwritesforfun: Scenes we didn’t see from episode 12, from different character’s POV. Rated Teen, Complete

A Fish Out Of Water by TheAuthor44: Disney's Little Mermaid AU: Zoey is a mermaid, Max is a human. It's the love story you know, with a few modern twists. And some people who were humans are now animals! Rated General Audiences, Complete

From A to Z by hookedoncaptainswan: After taking a trip home to see his family, Max returns acting strange and wanting to talk to Zoey about something... What could it be? Rated General Audiences, Complete

Game Night by Gwritesforfun: Zoey and her friends have a game night. Shenanigans, songs, jealousy and kisses occur. Rated Teen, Complete

The Great Defender by TheAuthor44: Max gets hurt defending Mo. As Zoey tends to his wounds, her resolve to not have feelings for her best friend starts to thaw. After all, what's hotter than a hero? Rated Teen, Complete

Hand-Picked Redux by TheAuthor44: What if Mo convinced Zoey to join Max for dinner at Hand-Picked? What if she wasn't so emotionally avoidant? What if Autumn hadn't been working at the Golden Gate Grind that day? Rated General Audiences, Complete 

The Hard Hitting Truth by TheAuthor44: Set post 1x10 - After her day of endless outbursts, Zoey has a dream that hits her with a hard truth. Rated General Audiences, Complete

In or Out? By TheAuthor44: Max and Zoey get trapped in the SPRQ Point elevator with their feelings. They both have to decide if they're in or out, and as we know - Max is all in. Rated Explicit, Complete

Just To Be The Man (Who Goes Along With You) by Gwritesforfun: Max is having an interesting night. Episode 6 from his perspective. Rated Teen, Complete

Karaoke to the Max by Ladylillianrose: What if Leif wasn't the only one doing karaoke in episode 1x11? Rated Teen, Complete

Malfunction at the Junction by TheAuthor44: An intimate moment sends Max to the ER, and you won't believe what got them there. Rated Mature, Complete

Of Self Sabotage and Epiphanies by Vilindeer: What would have happened if Zoey could find it in herself to answer Max when he confronts her about her heartsongs? Rated General Audiences, Complete

Playing With Fire by chosenandloved: (Takes place two months after 1x12.) Max invites Zoey to join him at a company retreat at his new job. Rated Teen, Complete

Pour Some On Me (Sugar) by Gwritesforfun: Zoey and Max bake bread, but the oven isn't the only thing turned on. Rated Explicit, Complete

A Promise by TheAuthor44: My take on Max's goodbye to Mitch in 1x12. Max lets Mitch know exactly how he feels about his daughter - and makes him a promise. Not Rated, Complete 

Sorry, I Was Staring At Your Coconuts by Ladylillianrose: Things heat up at the SPRQ Point Summer Luau! Rated Teen, Complete

The Sound of Silence by Jade4813: Max had never had Zoey's power, but he'd never mourned its absence. Her voice, and the sound of her laugh, had been all the music he'd ever needed for over sixty years. Rated General Audiences, Complete 

Spin Me Round (In My White Dress) by Gwritesforfun: Zoey and Max's big day is here! There is love, laughter, and shenanigans. (Sequel to You Spin Me Round (Like a Record, Baby)) Rated Teen, Complete

Tobin Ships It by TheAuthor44: In order to win the office bet of when Zoey and Max will get together, Tobin decides to take matters into his own hands. Rated General Audiences, Complete

True North by AubreyRichman: Recent events have Zoey's world spinning. Her best friend hates her and now, she is having hallucinations. Could this get any worse? Rated Teen, Complete

Trust Your Love by clarkemanship: When Max and Zoey get into a huge argument, can they figure out how to makeup in time. Rated Teen, Complete

Truth or Dare by hookedoncaptainswan: Truth or Dare can be a very revealing game…Not Rated, Complete

What He Saw (In the Moonlight) by Gwritesforfun: A remix of the scene in 1x12 when Zoey walks Max to the car, and Simon arrives. What would have happened if Zoey declared her feelings for Max-and Simon witnessed it? Rated General Audiences, Complete

ZEP One-Shots by clarkemanship: Just a bunch of one-shots! Rated Teen, In-Progress

Zoey’s Extraordinary Prom by Ladylillianrose: Max finds out that Zoey never attended her Senior Prom and he decides to remedy that. Rated Teen, Complete

Multi-Chapter

Adventures in Babysitting by TheAuthor44: Max helps babysit baby Peter when Zoey is stuck at work. Ladies, tell your ovaries I said you're welcome. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Camping, It’s In-Tents! by AubreyRichman: When the 4th floor team goes camping as a work retreat, what could go wrong? Rated Teen, In-Progress

Expect the Unexpected by Gwritesforfun: A late night at work leads to unexpected consequences for Zoey and Max. Rated Mature, Complete

Extraordinarily Star-Crossed by AubreyRichman & Ladylillianrose: “...and when one of them meets the other half, the actual half of himself....the pair are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy and one will not be out of the other's sight, as I may say, even for a moment...”-Plato, The Symposium. Rated Mature, In-Progress

Fast Forward by Jade4813: When teenage Zoey is humiliated at a party, she makes a wish that has consequences she couldn't possibly predict. Suddenly finding herself an adult, she discovers that not all wishes should come true...and sometimes happiness is right in front of you, where you least expect to find it. Rated Teen, In-Progress

First Comes Marriage by Ladylillianrose: Max's grandmother left him a trust fund, but in order to receive it, he has to do one thing first... Rated Mature, In-Progress

From SPRQPoint With Love by reddish_umbrella: Zoey has a normal life as IT support for a boring start-up. As suddenly her whole world changes...to the better? Rated Mature, In-Progress

Ghosted: An Extraordinary Haunting by AubreyRichman: When Max’s life hangs in the balance, who else does he turn to but his best friend? But does that mean that he will be heard? Rated Teen, Complete

I See the Light by clarkemanship: Can Zoey make it through an intimate "date" with Max without one thing going wrong? Takes place a few months after the season finale. Rated Teen, In-Progress

It’s Not the Goodbye, It’s The Longing That Follows by Jade4813: Zoey told Max that she needed more time, but time, it seems, has just run out. After she realizes her feelings a little too late, can the two of them find their way back to each other? Rated General Audiences, Complete

The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Jade4813: Max would do absolutely anything for Zoey. Including posing as her fake boyfriend to give her father one last "big moment" to celebrate with her. Nothing could possibly go wrong. After all, it's only his heart that stands to be broken. Right? Takes place after "Zoey's Extraordinary Glitch." Rated Teen, Complete

Like I’m Gonna Lose You by TheAuthor44: When an unexpected illness puts Zoey and Max to the test, they have nothing but their love to see them through. Rated Teen, Complete

The Long and Winding Road by TheAuthor44: Three months after her fathers' funeral Zoey gets assigned to go to a managerial conference for SPRQ Point in Orlando, Florida. Max offers to come along after he tells her he’s been meaning to head back east to go through things from his childhood home. While Max originally offers flying together – Zoey suggests they drive and make it a road trip! Max needs to figure out his next career move, Zoey needs an escape from her grief - It's perfect! Road trip shenanigans ensue as Max and Zoey’s love story takes some unexpected twists and turns. Rated Teen, Complete 

The Marks That Life Left On Them by chosenandloved: This is a Clarkeman fic set about one month post-finale.Simon, Zoey, and Max all seek out therapy in their own ways and come to some startling realizations regarding life and love. Rated Teen, Complete

Max’s Extraordinary Project by Gwritesforfun:  Any successful project takes a well-executed plan. Max has a birthday surprise for Zoey, and he assembles a team to give her a gift. Rated Teen, Complete

Mixing Business With Girls and Thrills by reddish_umbrella: Zoey just wanted to spend the weekend with her friends Mary and Sue in L.A. as suddenly she get dragged into a story of spies and world conspiracies. Rated Mature, In-Progress

One Step at a Time by hookedoncaptainswan: A fix-it for 1x09. If Zoey hadn't asked "Was that the right answer?" would Max have made a different choice? Not Rated, Complete

Seasons of Love by Ladylillianrose: Max has always been included in the Clarke family holiday celebrations. A journey through the different holidays and celebrations they have, as their lives continue to change and grow. Rated Teen, Complete 

Singin’ A Different Tune by TheAuthor44: 1940's Noir AU - Newspaper man Max Richman, and his girl Friday Zoey Clarke, investigate the murder of a backup singer. As suspicions rise and fall with every new suspect, this story has more twists and turns than an old dirt road. Will they be able to crack the case and break their headline … before it cracks one of them? Rated General Audiences, In-Progress

Take A Chance On Me by Ladylillianrose: Max moved to the 6th floor, giving Zoey the space and time she needed to figure out her feelings. But now that she's ready to talk, what is she going to tell him? Rated Teen, Complete 

Tequila and Team Bonding by typicalaveragefangirl: Zoey and her coworkers spend a weekend away partying at Danny Michael Davis' beach house. Rated Mature, Complete

They Say Keep Your Friends Close But You’re Closer by typicalaveragefangirl: Max Richman, she wrote... Is it too early to say enemy for life? Rated Teen, Complete

Uptown (Where the Skyline Meets the Stars) by Gwritesforfun: Max and Zoey attend a fundraiser, and meet a person from Max's past. Rated Teen, Complete

Waiting in the Wings by chosenandloved: Zoey Clarke is the Stage Manager for CMU's upcoming production of RENT and she doesn't trust actors-not even Max Richman. Rated Mature, Complete

The Wedding Date by Jade4813: Zoey agrees to be Max's Plus One at his brother's wedding. They're supposed to be just friends, but the dreams Zoey's been having about him lately make things complicated. Rated Explicit, Complete

When I Think About You I… by Ladylillianrose: Zoey performs Karaoke, giving Max a show he will never forget. (Established Relationship). Rated Explicit, Complete 

Win Some or Learn Some by Jade4813: Zoey has just discovered her new powers, but they develop an inconvenient glitch that makes her start to realize her feelings for him may not be what she's always believed. The only problem is, she has no idea if he feels the same way. Rated Explicit, In-Progress

The Writing’s On The Wall by chosenandloved: Zoey is doing just fine on her own in her quaint little beach-side town-that is, until a mysterious, handsome writer comes to stay for the summer. Rated Teen, In-Progress

You’ve Got SPRQS by Ladylillianrose: A new dating app has just launched for the SPRQ Watch, called SPRQS. Joan signs Zoey up for it in order to help her meet someone. Will Zoey find someone? Can you really fall in love through an app? Inspired by You've Got Mail. Rated Teen, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Nephew by Ladylillianrose: Max stops by to meet Zoey's nephew, and a much-needed conversation is had. Rated Teen, Complete 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Nightmare by AubreyRichman: An event causes Zoey to realize her worst fears. Rated Teen, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Reunion by AubreyRichman: High School Reunions are synonymous with drama, stress, fear, and showing the people that attended school with you that you are different than you were when they knew you. When Max receives an invitation to his High School Reunion, he doesn't realize that the reunion itself could change EVERYTHING. Rated Teen, Complete 

Zoey’s Extraordinary Season Two by typicalaveragefangirl: This is my take on what might happen if Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist gets picked up for a second season! Rated Mature, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Secrets by AubreyRichman: What could have happened with Zoey if timing had been different? What if Zoey’s dad wasn’t so sick when she developed her powers? What if she had gotten them earlier? What if...? Rated Explicit, Complete 

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record, Baby) by Gwritesforfun: Zoey and Max are DJ’s at KBCR, the Voice of Berkeley College. Follow them through 4 years of friendship, fights, running the place, and maybe even love. Rated Mature, Complete

Series

ByeByeBye Collection by TheAuthor44: What if Zoey hadn't run out the door after being confronted with Max's heart-song in 1x11. Various Ratings, Complete

Zoey’s Extraordinary Confessions Series by Jade4813: After the embarrassing incident at Simon and Jessica’s engagement party, Zoey knows she needs to clear the air with Simon, but she keeps getting distracted by memories of That Song. Rated General Audiences, Complete

Collections

ZEP Freakout for Discord: One-Shots in which various ZEP characters experience freakout moments. Various Ratings

Zoey’s Extraordinary Halloween (Coming Soon): Halloween Fics