#maxley fanfiction

[foxdrawsz]

Maxley Mafia AU (yes there will be art for this too dw)

Max

Lives just below the poverty line - with his dad getting fired and being forced to go back to college, they're struggling for money big time

Max gets a job at a large company (bradley's fathers company to be precise) and starts embezzling funds to help support his father

Its not a lot, only a few hundred here and there - enough to get them by but not too much to be caught

Little does he know that the company he works for is the literal fucking MAFIA

Bradley

Is employed at his fathers business

His father runs the most successful business in the country, and naturally with a man as powerful as his father they have *lots* of ties to *a lot* of important people (he basically runs an underground mafia to keep other competitors at bay/out of his way)

When they hire Max and Bradley finds out he's annoyed that he has to deal with him both at college and at his fathers work

He absolutely makes it his mission to annoy Max as much as possible

The company itself def know abt Max's embezzlement but its not a large amount so its not a huge concern

Regardless they set Bradley up to "take care of him" (unalive lol), seeing as they're classmates and Bradley already knows him

So with max now on his hitlist he has to get close enough to Max to take him out (on a date? with a sniper? who knows)

Bradley ends up falling in love with him instead

The plot to eliminate Max is essentially getting Bradley to lure him away and dispose of him, but he keeps fucking up - max catches him off guard by being, well- max

Slipping a drug into Max's drink while taking him out to coffee, only for him to "spill" Max's drink last second, as Max tells him about his struggles for money, how everything he does is for his father.

Hiding a knife up his sleeve as he and Max walk through a secluded area of town, preparing to plunge the blade into his back, only for Max to turn around and grin at him, so happy and content to just be there with him, with Bradley, that he fumbles. That kindness, being directed at him of all people- it’s not something he's ever had before.

Bradley feels bad for trying to kill him but tells himself it wont happen again (it does. a lot.)

Eventually the evil plots become less evil and turn into genuine requests to hang out and spend time with Max. Max is clueless to the entire thing, and just thinks Bradley's being nice, albeit a little insistent, by inviting him out so often.

They find themselves star gazing in a field, and Bradley cant help but reach out for Max's hand- he's so close, Max's body mere inches away from his own. Max glances over, his eyes reflecting the stars above and gods he may as well be the galaxy because Bradley can't stop staring.

They don't talk about what happened that night, but they both know that something changed

After that, Max starts to notice things about Bradley - the faint freckles on his face, the way his hair falls in front of his eyes when he reads, the way he tenses up at the mention of his family, how passionate he is when talking about literature and poetry, how he likes rainy weather and hates the boiling hot summers- he notices everything.

And then he notices something he shouldn't.

A paper- multiple papers in fact -fallen out of Bradley's books after they were tossed haphazardly onto a desk. papers detailing his embezzlement and notes about-

his murder.

Bradley was trying to kill him?

[voliriande]

check out my maxley fic! just uploaded chapter two the other day :)

let me know what you think!

[poussacha]

My Maxley Fics Masterpost

✨🎆the rise and fall of a midwest love affair series

[the man, the myth, the legend. The series I'm writing based on Chappell Roan's Midwest Princess Album. A story for most tracks (some of them are mashups).]

[This series does not need to be read in order whatsoever, they're all independent of one another (allegedly)]

hit it like it's hot to go

Rated E | F/F Genderbent Maxley | 17,477 Words | Complete

Summary: It’s pitch black and from the booth she can only really make out flashes of light and a writhing mass of bodies. Their voices lift to sing in unison with the music she’s broadcasting while their bodies undulate like live wires.

This is the part she loves most about playing in clubs. The drunken, writhing mass of voices that lend her their ears. They listen to her heavy-handed remixes, her mash-ups, her house beats all without a single complaint. For a moment, she controls their narrative, holding them captive with a beat.

She’s three quarters of the way through her set when her least favorite part about playing in clubs rears its ugly head. In the form of a wasted brunette with long curly hair and a sneer.

“Can you play a song with a fucking beat ?”

OR

Max is a DJ at a club Brittney (Bradley) frequents with her finance bro boyfriend. Brittney tries her damndest to be obnoxious. Max might just be endeared toward her anyway.

Tags: DJ AU, homophobic slurs, minor violence from a fist fight, internalised homophobia, lesbians, jumpscare het sex, man attacking a woman, implied/referenced domestic abuse, explicit sexual content, degradation kink, vers characters, praise kink, tongue piercings, angst, heartbreak, cheating, genderbent

Song: Femininomenon To Go Mashup

Playlist(s):

hit it like it's hot to go (official)

After Midnight

Rated T | M(IN)/F College AU (Trans Masc!Intersex!Bradley x Cis!Fem! Max) | 104,757 Words | Incomplete, ongoing

Updates on all days ending on 7 and on most days that are multiples of 7

Summary: It’s Max’s first year at university. She arrives on campus with her two best friends PJ and Bobby in Bobby’s beat up sleeper van from the 1970s that reeks of musk, weed, and boy sweat. She doesn’t know yet what this year has in store, but she hopes it’s something to remember.

Bradley is in his final year in law school. Just trying to graduate, pass the bar, and move on with his life. That is, until someone comes along to change his perspective.

Tags: CHEATING, INFIDELITY, AGE GAP, College AU, genderbent, fem!Max Goof, fem!PJ Pete, masc!Bobby Zimmeruski, fem!Roxanne Rover, fem!Stacey, trans!Bradley Uppercrust III, intersex!Bradley Uppercrust III, masc!Tank, no x-games, underage drinking, marijuana use, falling asleep in precarious situations, fist fight, harrassment, masturbation, shotgunning, fishing trips, San Francisco, indulgent touching, body worship, body dysmorphia, semi-nudity, tws at the top of every chapter

Song: After Midnight

Playlist(s):

After Midnight (Official)

Gamma Mu Mu House Party Playlist

& if you let me, i would've loved you always

California

Rated E | M/M Doctor!Bradley x Disabled!Dancer!Max AU | 18,851 Words | Incomplete

WARNING: DUB-CON, DEAD DOVE

Summary: Max Goof is at the prime of his life. He’s finally realized his dream of becoming the main dancer and choreographer for his favorite singer of all time, Powerline. That is, until an accident brings everything crashing down in an instant.

Leading to him to return home to Ohio, metaphorical tail tucked between his legs.

Will he find peace back home with his dad? Or will being back in Ohio only complicate things more?

Tags: blow jobs, bathroom sex, public sex, disabling incident, characters with disabilities, ableism, toxic relationships, DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT, incomplete spinal cord injury, polyamory, angst, wheelchair user max goof, canonically disabled della duck, discussions of medical insurance, allusions to drug abuse, eating disorders, slow burn, EXTREMELY DUBIOUS CONSENT, DUBIOUS MORALITY, POWER IMBALANCE, semi-public sex, prostate examinations, erectile dysfunction

Song: California

Playlist(s):

i'm never gonna get the things i want the most

🐩Standalone Maxley Fics

i just wanna sweet talk for awhile

Rated E | M/M Canon Divergent Post X-Games AU | 2,975 Words | Complete

Summary: They were always fighting. Two sides diametrically opposed. Except, as perfect opposites, they find themselves pulled together like magnets. Until they can't deny their chemistry.

Tags: fluff, self indulgent, frottage, frotting, inexperienced bradley uppercrust iii, experienced max goof, bottom bradley uppercrust iii, top max goof, soft boys, shockingly gentle to be something written by me, body worship, gentle words

Song: Sugar High

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺Braxanne (Bradley/Max/Roxanne) OT3 Fics

i'm so obsessed with your ex

Rated E | M/M/F Mean Girls/Swap AU (Boy Next Door!Bradley x Homeschooled!Max x Queen Bee!Roxanne) | 19,324 Words | Complete

Summary: Max moves to Spoonerville after spending his formative years traveling around the world with his dad and his stepmom to study weather phenomena. Specifically lightning storms. He runs into a bit of a storm himself when Brad Uppercrust and Roxanne Rover both take a liking to him at the same time.

Tags: Mean Girls AU if you squint, Brad is the boy next door, Roxxane is the Queen Bee, this a brad and roxanne swap AU, surprise, max is a virgin, roxanne wants him bibilically, so does brad, brad and roxanne are bitter (?) exes, halloween parties, threesomes, explicit sex, teasing, praise kink, multiple orgasms, underage drinking, everyone is 18, but this takes place in the us so, MMF threesome

Song: Obsessed

Playlist(s):

i'm so obsessed with your ex

🛹⭐Sw00ney Brobert Swap AU fics (not maxley)

Brad Crust x Robert Zimmeruski

More from the Swap AU here on Sw00ney's ig

bite your tongue or i'll do it for you

Rated E | M/M | 2,007 Words | Complete

Summary: Brad convinced Robert to do something stupid again, this is the aftermath of their latest near-death experience.

Tags: they're so unhinged in this, degradation kink, brat on deck, going in dry, sort of, begging, wacky power dynamics, dirty talk, they're so mean to each other, but it's love i swear, established relationship, robert is a rich boy, brad's just a teenage dirtbag baby, i had too much fun writing this

Song: Good Hurt

Art for this fic by kofiracha!

beautiful boy, your words are made of poetry

Rated E | M/M | 1,457 Words | Incomplete

Summary: Bobby comes over to yell at Brad for something he (allegedly) didn't do only to find him suffering from an intense migraine.

Shenanigans ensue.

Tags: slow updates, migraines, hurt/comfort

Song: Sugar High

🐱‍🏍🐛Other AEGM fics (that aren't maxley)

Bobby x Max

open our bodies, i quietly knock on your door

Rated E | M/M (Trans!Masc!Max x Cis!Masc!Bobby) | 1,902 Words | Complete

Summary: "Fuck," Max says, coughing a little at the tail end of his latest hit. His voice echoes in his head, making him feel like he's at the crossroads of a hundred different timelines. Consciousness dipping and floating through each. Like he's the doorway of time. "What did you say this was?"

"OG Blueberry Creme," Bobby drawls, voice slow like syrup. He takes the blunt when Max passes it back to him, raising it to his lips to take another hit. "One of my all-time favorite highs, man."

OR

Bobby and Max get high and fool around in his van. That's it, that's the fic.

Tags: porn without plot, explicit sex, cum play, marijuana use, having sex under the influence, established relationship, van sex, trans Max Goof

[idiot-mushroom]

my oneshot is turning into a whole ass slowburn (i hate it here)

[oneblockofgay-soy]

What happens to a person (dog) after almost getting hit by a truck

If I didn't know any better I'd make the whole fic a comic lol also I'm playing around with the art style and I think this looks like them in my actual style style yk? I'll post their whole fit soon cuz I'm kinda proud of it

[poussacha]

I keep forgetting to post links to these on my tumblr.

sdfjklsdkaf

@writingbetweenshadows if you wanna try milk in herbal tea i'm not gonna stop you. Personally, I think milk should be in all tea. Bradley's just a hater.

Whew this chapter of California was a doozy tbh.

@poussacha I’m tempted to try milk with herbal tea now lmao.

Everyone go read After Midnight even though the recent updates are angst filled, but they’re SO GOOD ok thanks for coming to my tedtalk

OH ALSO

This is required reading as well!!!!! Mind the trigger warnings, it’s a very dark fic but @poussacha is brilliant.

[thejadecount]

I love it how all of us Maxley shippers simultaneously headcanon that Bradley has horrible homophobic parents to justify redeeming him and making him kiss the other cartoon dog

[madammuffins]

Max (at some point) is gunna be showing off around Bradley cuz they're frenemies but Brad gives him butterflies and he likes how Bradley mean-flirts in a way that makes the blood rush to his head and his ears ring.

So Max, being the mastermind that he is, will pull his shirt off to reveal his tattoos, make some overly confident comment.

Brad will roll his eyes. Point out the earrings, brow piercing, scar on Max's lip where he removed the old lip ring - no doubt due to old workplace dress code (and Max will get a thrill from how much attention Bradley has been paying him).

What Max won't expect is the bored way Bradley will begin unbuttoning his suit jacket as he's asking about the material of Max's earrings, loosening his tie as he's commenting on the detail and quality of Max's tattoos. Max drops his skateboard, can't feel his fingers, as Bradley begins to unbutton his shirt. Stops at the seventh button down. Opens it to bare his chest, revealing nipple piercings.

"14 carat black diamond. Lab grown, we don't support all that blood shit." He sniffs as he buttons himself back up. "Surgical grade titanium, of course." Brad catches the shock on Max's face. His haughty, shit eating grin almost snaps Goof out of it as he fixes his tie. "What?" He all but purrs. "Do you think you were the only one to get body modifications here?" Bradley tsks, picking his coat back up. Looking Max up and down slowly before turning to leave. "I didn't just stop at the chest either."

[roonotrue]

On another note, have y'all been seeing the Maxley TikTok stuff?

I haven't even thought about the Goofy movies since I was young, but I recently rewatched them, and holy shit, bro. That tension is unreal, and I told myself I wasn't going to write a fic about it, but I'm thinking of writing a short one anyway because I have an idea for it that no one else seems to have done but... Idk.

What do you guys think? And while I'm asking, what are y'alls favorite headcanons about the ship? So that if I do write it I have some ideas and preferences in mind.

[lucky-ducky006]

An extremely goofy movie fanfic!!!!!

They go to the mall!!!!

Bradley was invited by Max to go with his friends to the mall. Bradley enjoyed shopping, but he still had a hard time figuring out why Max wanted to be his friend. No matter how much Bradley tries to accept everything and move on, he still has this lingering guilt that is haunting him. Bradley pushed away those thoughts and quickly changed into different clothes. He is now wearing sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. This wasn't his usual style in clothing but it was comfortable. Bradley took a deep breath and left the Gamma house to meet up with Max. He skateboarded to Max's dorm where Max, P.J, Bobby, and that beret chick were waiting. Bradley felt a sting of anxiety in his chest but hid behind his overly confident countenance.

"Hey, Brad!" Max called out.

Bradley got off his skateboard and walked up to the group. He rolled his eyes. "Do I need to correct you every time, freshman?"

Max giggled. That stupid, ugly giggle. "Oh, yeah, my bad. Well, lets get going."

Bradley felt awkward being with this group. Sure he had gotten pretty comfortable with Max, but his friends still made him a bit nervous. Especially that beret chick. He still didn't know her name and it would be awkward to ask now. The mall they were going to was one of the largest in the state. Bradley grew up in this area so he had been to the mall several times, but rarely for fun. He had usually only ever gone with his dad to get tailored for some fancy clothes or to get some nice shoes. The few times he had come for fun his siblings had brought him and spoiled him rotten, buying him all sorts of things. Bradley fidgeted with his sleeve as they walked inside the mall. Before he knew it P.J. and his girlfriend had already broken off the group to go off on their own. Why did they come if they were just going to leave the group...Bradley wondered. Bradley took in the bustling atmosphere and looked at all the different stores to choose from.

"So, Bradley, what's your favorite store?" Max asked.

Bradley smirked. "Nothing you afford to know."

Max shook his head. "I guess you're right there."

"I want some cheeese, man." Bobby groaned.

"I don't think they sell cheese at the mall, buddy." Max said.

Bradley had looked away for one moment then turned to see that Bobby had run off in search of cheese. In a mall. What a weirdo.

"I guess it's just you and me now." Max shrugged.

"Oh, goody!" Bradley said sarcastically. But he really didn't mind. He felt more at ease with just Max anyway.

"How about we check out your fancy, rich people stores? Just for fun?"

Bradley shrugged. "Nah, they're more boring than you think. Plus I doubt they would let you in to dirty up their floors."

"Oh, wow, thanks." Max pouted.

The two walked into a generic clothing store. Bradley noted how different the vibe of the store was. It didn't feel like you couldn't touch anything without getting scolded for getting the merchandise dirty. Max looked through the graphic t-shirts while Bradley looked at some of the accessories. Bradley wasn't really interested in buying anything. He just came for fun. Max bought a shirt and they left to search for a different store.

Max suddenly lit up. "Bradley, have you ever been to build a bear?"

Bradley snickered. "Yeah, I went with my sister when I was like, seven."

"We should totally go, it would be so fun!"

"You're such a child. Why would I want to go there?"

"You're literally no fun. You're the most boring person I've ever met."

"Whatever-" Bradley was cut off by Max dragging him into the build a bear store. "Max, I'm not going in there, it's for children." Max ignored him and kept on walking. Bradley felt his face flush slightly. He felt so humiliated walking into a build a bear at his grown age. Max excitedly looked through the different bear skins trying to decide which one to get. Bradley rolled his eyes and stood by the entrance. "You look like an idiot, don't you know that?" Bradley called out.

"I'd rather be a fun idiot than a boring idiot." Max said mockingly without taking his eyes off the bears. He finally settled on a dark brown bear. "Bradley, are you sure you don't wanna get anything?'

"Uh, yeah, I'm totally sure." Bradley answered. Bradley thought fondly about the time he had come with one of his sisters. He had picked out a light brown bear and dressed it in a t-shirt and jeans. He was embarrassed of this but he had actually brought it to college and kept it hidden in a drawer. When he has a bad day he pulls it out to sleep with. If anyone found out he would probably kill them. Bradley looked up as Max came to show him his finished bear.

"Isn't he cute? I named him Steven!"

"... Why Steven?"

"I dunno." Max shrugged.

Suddenly Bradley heard someone call out his name. A familiar voice that made a shiver run down his spine. No. Not now. Bradley froze as he saw Nicole walking up to him. Normally he would love to see any of his siblings, but right outside of build a bear workshop was not a good time. Nicole gave him a big hug.

"It's so good to see you, Bradley! And how cute, you're at build a bear!"

Bradley awkwardly hugged her back. Max had met Bradley's other sister, but he didn't recognize this one. Max laughed at the sight of Bradley's panicked expression.

"Oh, is this your friend?" Nicole said as she pulled away from the hug.

"Uh, yeah, this is Max. Max, this is my sister Nicole."

Max shook hands with Nicole and Nicole started to speak again. Shut. Up. SHUT UP! Bradley thought.

"Bradley, remember when I took you here when you were little? You still have that bear, don't you?"

Bradley cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, I do."

Max snickered. He had never seen Bradley like this and he was entertained.

"You should get it a new outfit or something! That would be so adorable. Well, I gotta go now, it was nice seeing you." Nicole gave Bradley another quick hug and walked away.

"It was nice seeing you too." Bradley sighed in relief when Nicole was officially gone. Max started to laugh out loud.

"Wow, I'd never expect you to act so shy, Brad!"

"Just shut up, lets go before I throw your bear in that trash can."

Max hugged his bear protectively and gave Bradley a feigned annoyed look. Neither of them found much else to buy and now they were waiting to meet up with the rest of the group where they had come in. To their surprise Bobby came up to them holding a can of cheese in one hand and a bag with several more in the other hand. He looked like he had already been snacking on some. Finally P.J. and his girlfriend found them. P.J. was holding several bags in one hand while his girlfriend held his free hand. They looked like they had a good time. The group laughed and joked on the way back to the campus and said their goodbyes. Bradley arrived back to the frat house and sat down on his bed to process his day for a moment. He really did have some fun despite his moment of embarrassment. Reluctantly Bradley opened his drawer and pulled out his bear and looked at it. He could've used another outfit. Bradley jumped when he heard his door open. It was Tank. Bradley looked at him in horror knowing he had been caught. Tank looked at what he had in his hand and smiled. He closed the door and Bradley heard his yell that could probably be heard across the entire campus.

"GUYS, BRADLEY HAS A TEDDY BEAR!!"

Once the shock had worn off Bradley ran out of his room to attack Tank

THE END!!!

[ghostlylicious]

85,202/100,000

plss help @bilal-salah0 's family by donating to and sharing this fundraiser ‼️ read their story 🙏 come on they're so close yet so far 😔

[memelordotherblog]

Okay, Maxely friends who want to write a fanfiction about Max and Bradely taking care of young child, I'm going throw you bone (haha because they're dog) and tell you that Goofy has a nehepew named Gilbert.

Now, it's a good idea to trust these two with a super smart child? (Especially fucking Bradely, i won't trust this man even one of those fake flour babies )

Definitely not, but it'll be fun though.

[life-is-curious]

I'm learning Spanish again because I NEED to be able to read those maxley fics that are in spanish or I'll die

[starry-eyed-lord]

"How do you deal with all this trauma?"

I write.

"Hey, that's beautiful man."

Write fanfiction about 2 gay dogs from the 2000s.

"oh-"

[idiot-mushroom]

scene from my fanfic, go read it 💪💪

[sarahblueskyyyy]

Frames

Romance, MaxBradley, Fluff, Slow Burn, Tension, Post Canon, Future Setting, Happy Ending, Reunion, etc.

Bradley Uppercrust the Third, has always been and always will be someone who’s minding his own business. At least—that’s what he has learned throughout the years, ever since his university life.

“Oh, God—are you seriously saying that? I can’t believe you!”

He lets out a yawn. His head is filled with what he should eat when he finally gets home. A takeaway from that one Chinese diner might be nice—or he could just bring home something. The owner of this restaurant is kind enough to share any remaining food with his employees anyway.

“Bradley, you seein’ this?” One of the waiters nudges him with his elbow. He cocks his head towards the center of the freshly-made exhibition. “That guy is gonna get dumped. It’s a painful sight.”

Bradley rolls his eyes. “Really, as if there isn’t anything worth watching.”

“At this moment? No, not exactly.”

A kitchen staff member rings a bell—an implicit order for a server to fetch the cooked meal to its customer. Bradley picks a tray, puts that plate onto it, and his blue eyes scrutinize the number of the table that is attached to a bill besides the plate.

How lucky. It’s the table with that couple that has been on each other's throats for the last 10 minutes. Well, to be more specific, the lady dog is the one who’s berating him, and the poor guy is just accepting it in silence.

Eh. Maybe he deserves it.

Bradley shrugs and brings that tray towards the table, unwavering. It’s not really his problem, but perhaps he should meddle, for other customers have been whispering and trading looks. Certainly concerning to the restaurant’s reputation. And, who knows, he might get some appreciation from his boss if he could break lovers’ quarrels.

However, when he arrives at the table—even before he could part his lips to say a word—the lady dog stands abruptly. Without him realizing it, her fingers wrap around that glass of whiskey, and her arm swings in a forward motion, transferring all the liquid inside to drench the other person on that table.

The other man is still looking down. His hair, pitch black like a pair of a raven’s wings, is damp and shiny under the light. Droplets form rivulets on that head before they fall free from the pointy end of his hair.

Bradley sure hopes it was the climax of her wrath, and perhaps God answers his hidden thought because, in the next second, that lady dog storms away until she is no longer inside the building.

Alright. At least one problem has ceased for now. Bradley sighs. His job still requires him not to be a dick, so he calls out delicately to the poor guy, offering his condolences and help.

“I’m sorry for what has happened. May I offer you our hospitality, and get you some dry towels—”

When the other guy lifts his face, this time Bradley manages to have a good look. He can’t prevent the smirk that creeps into his cheeks, carving an absolutely snarky expression.

“Ha!” His scoff surprises almost everyone in that room. “Long time no see, freshman.”

Maximilian Goof groans, and the frown on his forehead is apparent. “I miss you too.”

It looks like both of them developed a sense of humor over the years.

.

“Don’t you have work to do?”

As sharp as it might sound, the sentence lost its bite completely. Max receives the towel Bradley gives him and places the fluffy fabric on top of his head. His ears sag on the sides of his face like usual, but this time they look even more slumpy because of the whiskey.

“My boss pities you.” It sounds like a plain mockery, but no—Max notices it’s just how Bradley talks. How has he always been. “Besides, my shift is gonna be over soon. So, dry yourself up, be a doll, and go home.”

Max doesn’t answer that. Instead, he rubs his own hair with a tad too much force, finding the rocky pavement more interesting to pay attention to.

Bradley breaks the uncomfortable stillness with a question, “So—what went wrong? I didn’t take you to be the cheating type. Or a jerk—oh, wait, you maybe are one.”

“Perhaps take a look into a mirror for once.” Max is pressing the back of his head. Then, after that, the tone of his voice gets gentler a notch. “Nothing, really. I just admitted I’ve lost my feeling for her, and I thought it’s best to break it up now than prolong it into something worse.”

“Lost?” Bradley isn’t sure why he needs a confirmation, but he asks it anyway, “Or never had it in the first place?”

That makes Max snap his neck towards Bradley, his expression almost unidentifiable. But for some reasons—for Bradley, it is quite clear what’s going on inside his mind. Max wears his heart on his sleeve; it is easy to see and even easier to break. Max looks hurt and betrayed—like a child who’s caught red-handed doing something he shouldn’t do, and now he can’t lie through his teeth about it.

Aha. Bradley shakes his head and smiles. "You've got to train your poker face more.”

“That’s not funny, Brad.”

“It's Bradley, and I wasn’t trying to be a jester.” Bradley thinks for a few seconds before he proceeds with his words, “Big chances are that lady knew you were lying to her. She probably figured out you never really loved her, and yet, like a fool, you keep being kind to her until you realize it’s futile. You let her make you the bad guy.”

Max’s lips grow apart. His eyes are fixated on the figure in front of him, incredulously.

“What? Bull’s eye?”

“How do you know that?”

“What don't I know?” Bradley mentally takes note of how—maybe some things aren’t meant to change. Case in point: Max Goof’s naivete. A wave of innocence blankets his personality and protects him from the world’s vile truths, and they against his optimism. A combo match made in heaven. “Anyway, are you done? I need to get ready to go home; it’s getting chilly.”

Bradley is greeted by faint cricket sounds and the night wind.

Max takes a deep breath and empties his lungs before he answers, “I share an apartment with her. I can’t exactly waltz into my home right now.”

“Are you serious?”—that’s what Bradley was going to ask. That, and probably followed by, “How is that my problem? I ain’t your babysitters; figure things out yourselves, hon.”

Unfortunately for him, as he matures in age, empathy seeps inside him now more than ever, and the intensity magnifies compared to when he was still an adolescent. And also, all the hardship he encounters perhaps contributes to the sentiment.

Bradley knows he’s going to regret this, but the last thing he wants is to find the possibility of tomorrow’s newspaper filled with information about a missing dog or a dead one. Exaggerating it might sound.

“Do you want to stay at my place?”

.

.

.

Bradley isn’t kind, compassionate, or polite enough to sputter out the courtesy, “Make yourself at home.” He doesn’t need to, anyway, because the younger Goof marches inside the apartment with such confidence.

“Sit.” Bradley’s forefinger is aimed at his couch. “I’ll give you my unused shirt and towel.” Before he himself goes into the bedroom, the corners of his eyes catch Max's unusual excitement towards the living space. Bradley alarms him with an order—which he’s quite sure will be disregarded completely. “Don’t look, don’t touch, nothin’.”

Max gives him a half-hearted thumbs up. He can hear Bradley’s grumble as he walks inside his room. Then, the black-haired canine, as expected, starts looking around the place. Order and rules are meant to be broken—or however the saying goes.

If there is one thing he realizes once he steps foot inside the house, it’s how inhumanely tidy this place is. Small paintings are framed and nailed to the wall with such precision that they rival the strictness of Britain’s royal regulations. Mugs, accessory bowls, and ornaments are placed in their own designated area. There is no dirty laundry or random briefs on the corners of the room, which, by Max’s standard, is preposterous. Who doesn’t throw their shirt somewhere on the floor once in a while? There are many times when Max is exhausted and just overwhelmed by his work; his limbs feel like they’re falling out, and he can’t be bothered by doing laundry.

However, his mind’s focus shifts almost instantly when he sees three framed photos on the TV table.

The first frame is a photo of Bradley and his—Gamma Mu Mu. He had his usual arrogant lines on his expression, while the rest of the members were wearing this silly laugh. It looks surprisingly endearing.

The second one is his graduation photo. A formal one where he wore a mortarboard and the college’s distinct cloak. In that picture, he stands tall with his chin up, yet he’s alone. The display alone raises Max’s memory of his own graduation photos—and there are a ton of them. Of course, his father, Goofy, insisted on such an idea to make sure they have something to remind them of home—no matter how far the world may take them. And Max, albeit being surged by the complexity of embarrassment and elation, is forever thankful to his dad. He remembers the series of photos of him, Bobby, and P.J., then some others of him, his dad, and Sylvia.

So why did Bradley take the photo alone?

Before the cogs of his head could turn and arrive at a conclusion, his eyes had already moved to the third frame, and it's empty. There is nothing in it.

Why bother setting up the frame, then?

“Having fun diving your nose into my business, Max?”

“How come the third frame is empty?”

Crass, brash—Bradley didn’t know Max could showcase two insufferable traits in one go. But he’s been proven wrong, hasn’t he?

Bradley’s refusal to answer is prominent. He shoves a set of comfortable clothes into Max’s arms, which readily cradle them. That, and a clean towel. The silky smell of fabric softener is gently spewed out of those cloths, and the electric synapse in Max’s brain works fast to associate the fragrance with Bradley.

“Take a shower, stinky.”

Max offers a genuine smile. “Thanks.”

When he finally steps inside the bathroom, Bradley sighs deeply. Wondering what he’s gotten himself to.

.

Bradley has taken his own bath when he enters his room with a towel hanging on top of his head. His sky-colored eyes look at Max, who’s now leisurely lying down on a mattress he provided before. There is a scrunch between Max’s eyebrows and his fingers typing fast on the thin screen of his phone—Bradley can guess several reasons for such behavior.

The Uppercrust sits down on the edge of his bed. He blinks—once, twice. Perhaps he’s really drained because his eyelids struggle to keep them lifted. And the effect of the warm bath that relaxed his whole body is surely pumping the melatonin even more.

He still observes the young Goof. The way his own shirt fits on his toned body, sharp blade shoulders, and a little too tight on his biceps and the curves of his muscles are obvious behind the cloth. Huh. Brandley wonders if Max has always leaning on the sturdy side, even back in the day.

“Are you sleepy yet?”

Bradley snatches the towel off, then spreads it on the hanger to ensure its dryness the following day.

“Unlike you, I worked all day. So, in a matter of fact—yes, I am. Goodnight.”

“I worked all day, too.”

“And getting dumped by the end of it? God really hates you, Goof.”

Max scoffs and smiles. He puts down his phone, eliminating a source of dim light in that room. “So, tell me. What a rich guy like you doin’ in a restaurant as a server nonetheless?”

“Haven’t you heard?” Bradley flicks off the switch of his table lamp, and instantly, the room is engulfed by the dark. “I got disowned right after the X Games. Cash is an old friend.”

Max can feel his furrow go even deeper. A little more of that, and it’ll dig into his skull. “I thought that was just a—rumor.”

“Why would it be?” Bradley yawns, and as a result, a drop of tears prickles out of his eyes. He rubs it away. The timbre of his voice insinuates that this is no more than a weather talk—it’s concerning for Max personally. “Uppercrust never jokes when it comes to the things that matter the most.” 

“…. I can see that now.” A silence. “Is that why I practically never saw you anymore after the games?”

“More or less.” Bradley speculates how many more questions he needs to answer before the curiosity weans off. But then he realizes it feels good to talk about himself occasionally. And to be fair, it’s been a long time since he did that. “Gotta focus on graduating, then job-seeking. It wasn’t so bad. It took me fast enough to comprehend that the money you gain yourself is far more satisfying than being given.”

“But that’s …,” Max’s words dissipate in the air before it comes back to its track, “… crazy. I mean, why would parents abandon their own child? I know my father wouldn’t.”

“Good for you.” Bradley can’t see Max since he’s lying on his back, but he’s pretty sure that empty head is tilting in confusion. He continues, “People are just different. You of all people should’ve known that.”

“You did almost kill me. And Tank. And the others.”

“…. That I did. If my memory serves me correctly, I have properly apologized."

"You have." Max huffs quietly. His vision scans the strange ceiling, almost alienating since he’s gotten used to his own. “You’ve mellowed.”

Bradley almost lost his drowsiness. “Are you calling me old?”

“Well, I mean—I am 29 this year. That makes you … what, 40?”

“Your perception of others is fucked. I’m 33.”

“Oh. Well. It wasn’t an insult.”

“Sure, it wasn’t.”

Max chuckles. His laugh is light and airy, oozing across the room in a tender way. And at the end of that giggle, there is a unique hiccup—something only the Goofs have. It throws Bradley off for a moment. Is he deranged, or somehow, he does miss that laugh? Something he hasn’t heard since a decade ago.

“It’s good, really,” Max tries to convince him. “I mean, how to put this … you are still—you. But you’ve matured and are not as annoying as before—”

“Maxmillian Goof.”

“—but you know. All grown up. Hey, look! Shitty parents don’t always produce shitty kids. So, there is that.”

“I was a shitty kid.”

“Not anymore. If you were, I wouldn’t have been here.”

Bradley pursed his lips in defeat. He wants to retaliate, but then it’ll look ridiculous. So instead, there is an attempt to change the topic, “How about you? No luck with girls, ever, huh?”

“Oh, c’mon ….” Max scratches his nape. “I just haven’t found the right one, I guess.”

Bradley hums. “The right one. That’s a broad description.”

Max ponders for a few seconds before he verbalizes his thoughts, “Well, someone that you’d get married to. The one that stays in your life for the better or worse. Cliché, I know, but—that’s the goal.”

Bradley forgets that not everyone is as laid-back as he is. People tangle themselves in relationships and a series of interlaced emotions so they can have a friend that’ll walk with them until the end of the line. Truth be told, if he wanted to satisfy his primal, compulsory needs, he'd just rub it out or hire someone.

“What if you never find one?”

Max blinks in his direction. “It can’t be helped, then. My dad probably will be more devastated than I am, but—you can’t force a feeling.”

“Look at you. All grown up, huh?”

Max feels a heat crawl into his face, and he groans. “We should sleep.”

“Thank God, I’ve been saying.”

Reticence comes back with the absence of conversation. Just a mild whirling sound from the air conditioner and an even muted ticking from the clock.

“…. Bradley?”

An exasperated sigh. “What, Max?”

“The third photo frames. Why didn’t you put anything in it?”

Bradley closes his eyes.

“The third is not important. Go to sleep.”

Max goes quiet. It doesn’t take him long to drown in his own unconsciousness, pulled by an immense strength that renders him unable to stay awake.

When tomorrow comes, he knows it’s time to say goodbye.

.

The next morning, Bradley wakes up at 6—just like he always does. Apparently, Max woke up even earlier, seeing that his used mattress had been neatly folded. Bradley notices a small note that was put on top of it, with handwriting that he recognizes as Max’s.

Thank you!

M. G. 

That’s what was written.

That’s it, huh? Bradley closes his eyes, reminding himself internally to stay alert, and only after then is he startled by his own thoughts.

That���s it—of course. What am I hoping for?

.

.

.

.

.

“Oh—hey, Maxie.”

Max’s arm freezes in the air, just by the time his fingers are holding a warm cup of latte. His head turns to the side, where he finds a lady dog smiling gently towards him. Max goes agape before his voice resurfaces, “Oh. Hi.”

It’s his ex. The lady dog’s chin perks up in another direction—an invitation to talk. Max’s stomach is filled with a ball of worry as his footstep follows her—and he suddenly remembers that the two of them never really had a chance to talk it out.

That morning, after the one-sided fight and an awful breakup, Max found his apartment already cleared of her stuff. There is no remnant of it except what’s left in memory. If Max didn’t know better, he’d have doubted her existence.

However—he was sure she was real because the feeling was there, no matter how minuscule it was. There were comforting moments between them, a shared fleeting happiness. So, it was real.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t say anything.” The lady dog speaks in a serene demeanor. A contradiction of what she was displaying that night. But Max knows this is how she usually is. “I was just … too distracted, and my emotions got ahead of me, and I selfishly pulled myself away.”

“No—,” Max quickly interrupts her. He parts his lips, trying to say something, and his guilt is weaved along with his explanation, “I’m the one who should’ve been apologized. You’re right; I don’t deserve you, and I shouldn’t stay longer than I did. I hurt you. I’m sorry.”

The lady smiles. No faux geniality, and her heart swells. “You are kind, Maxie. You’ve always been. I took advantage of that. I knew you never loved me, yet I still try to convince you that you do—because I was craving the affection. It was foolish of me, because then I realized that the compassion you had, the kindness you served me with—were never mine in the first place.”

Max’s head slants to one side, and his loopy ears follow the gravitation and sway softly. It is expectedly adorable, and the lady is confident there are other people who’d think the same.

“I don’t know, Max,” she says once again with firm authority, but she doesn’t lose the tenderness. “You love someone, that’s certain. If you’re confused by it, I suggest you better start finding out, for you don’t want something similar like this to happen again.”

Those words root and glide into the slopes of his heart. The lady bids farewell and walks away, and still, Max doesn’t move from where his feet are nestled. Eventually, he drags his limbs outside the café. He isn’t sure where his legs are bringing him forward, but there is an indescribable relief when he stumbles upon someone he knows on the bench near the central town.

A smile instinctively sculpts itself on Max’s face.

“Bradley.”

Bradley grimaces at the sudden sound. Not for long, because he finds a familiarity in that intonation.

“Is this town getting shrunk or what?”

“What are the chances, am I right?” Max sits beside his former upper-class man, ignoring the look of disapproval that is shot towards him. A beat of silence. “I met my ex just now.”

“Congratulation!” Bradley bites back quickly. He takes a furtive glimpse at the Goof and notices how fidgety the man is. “There wasn’t any incident involving liquid, I assume, since the content inside that cup is still whole?”

Max shrugs. “No, there wasn’t.” He looks at Bradly, who mutters a low hum. “What are you doing here, anyway? No work? How about that restaurant?”

“Easy, Max.” He shakes his head. “I’m just taking a walk. Besides, that wasn’t my fixed job. It was part-time until I landed on a permanent one, and I have, so I quit.”

“Oh … good for you.”

“Yep.”

“So, what are you going to do? I mean—what’s your job now?”

“Just simple supervising in a garment factory. The idea is, I’ll get promoted to manager after 2 years.”

“That’s cool. I can’t imagine doing corporate work, though. Being a sports coach feels right for me. A lot of movements and all.”

“Well, each to their own, I guess.”

Max nods, almost in slow motion. His dark eyes stray to glance at something else, but it’s ineffective since his thoughts are reverberating, pleading to get unraveled verbally.

“I’m not good at this. Can I just say whatever's on my mind?”

Bradley exhales in a dramatic manner. “Finally, yes—stop beating around the bush.”

Max’s grin widens from ear to ear. He takes out his phone, and with a somehow crafty look, he tells Bradley, “Look here.”

Bradley automatically slants towards Max, just for him to be met with Max’s phone camera, and the younger guy wastes no time to hit the red button in the middle.

“Hey! What gives?”

“You said the third frame is not important, right?” Max is filled with glee that Bradley doesn’t understand. Max’s goofy teeth peek up from the lips, and there are lines near his eyes, an undeniable proof that the flow of time waits for no one, yet it feels like the same smile he wore when they first met. “Then I claim its spot, and it’s up to me to fill it with whatever.”

“Excuse me? What even are you yappin’ about?”

“Oh! Or maybe you want to settle this on the skateboards, like old times? I don’t mind—it’s our style after all.”

The look on Bradley’s face is one of disbelief. His jaw falls, almost comically. He suspects Max is toying with him. His thoughts dart around, bouncing inside the space in his skull, and he tries to make sense of the situation. However, he sees the grin on Max’s lips and how the evening sun outlines his unruly hair, and he caves in.

“What? You scared?”

“Okay, whatever, Max.” And he'll be a hypocrite if he says he doesn't feel the same thrill. “What do I get if I win?”

“Me vanish from your life forever.”

Bradley raises both of his eyebrows. How fuckin' arrogant and confident! “You’re so full of yourself, you know that?”

“I’d win. So don’t fret about it.”

Max stretches his arm out for Bradley to reach.

And when Bradley does reach for it, his inner voice tells him that it’s probably a bad idea.

But he has nothing to lose, doesn’t he?

.

.

.

EPILOG

“Have you ever expected this?”

P. J. squints at Bobby through the sides of his eyes. He doesn’t need to ask for an answer, because he too knows full well that it was a rhetorical question. He turns his head back to the view in front of him: Max and Bradley are exchanging words with Goofy and Sylvia.

“No,” P. J. says anyway. “Have you?”

Bobby examines the house with his sight. There are photo frames all over it, neatly planted in their own spaces. This is Max’s style and personality talking. However, the precision of every placed object is undoubtedly Bradley’s.

“I know Max swings both ways. I never thought it’d be Bradley at the end of the day.”

“Is that so wrong?”

Bobby grins. His teeth present themselves, and P. J is positive; that’s the biggest beam Bobby can muster.

“No,” the buzz-cut man answers. “Not at all.”

P. J. smiles. Yeah. Of course not.