#maxley fanfiction
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foxdrawsz · 5 months ago
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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?
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poussacha · 3 months ago
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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)]
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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)
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After Midnight
Rated T | M(IN)/F College AU (Trans Masc!Intersex!Bradley x Cis!Fem! Max) | 130,703 Words | Complete as of Jan 1, 2025
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
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California
Rated E | M/M Doctor!Bradley x Disabled!Dancer!Max AU | 23,857 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
take it like a taker
Rated E | M/M Canon Divergent Post X-Games BDSM AU | 5,777 Words | Complete
Summary: Bradley's breath is quiet, measured. Muscles tensing beneath Max's fingertips, illuminated by the warm orange glow of candlelight, as he deftly loops ropes in simple patterns around his upper thigh and ankle. Until his legs bend open, splayed
His wrists are next. A simple double column across both arms and up through the center. OR
The shibari and wax play fic nobody asked for
Tags: shibari, wax play, porn without plot, BDSM, dom max, sub bradley, hurt/comfort, sub drop, panic, aftercare, bradley is the biggest brat, humans because getting wax out of fur sounded painful, max might be a brat tamer if you squint, self-indulgent, body worship, rimming
Song: The Giver
i feel so untouched & i want you so much
Rated E | M/M Fifth Column return to PJ's House with Bradley AU | 4,887 Words | Complete (Christmas Oneshot)
Summary: Max and George return to PJ, Vicki, Tres, and Bobby's house in Northern Ohio. This time to help them pack their things and move back to Spoonerville. Bradley accompanies them on their journey.
Tags: based on Fifth Column by Madam_Muffins, if you haven't read that fic this one probably won't make sense, porn with some plot, Anal Sex, Bradley is a Brat, Max is a brat right back, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Dirty Talk, Banter, i tried to keep them as in character as possible, missing scene au from the source work
Song: Untouched
Oneshot for: @madammuffins
🐩Maxley & Goofline🎤⚡
if we listen to each other's hearts
Rated T | M/M & M/M Christmastime Miscommunication AU | 14,974 Words | Complete (Christmas Oneshot)
Summary: Max and Goofy both have new partners to introduce to each other during Christmas. Little do either of them know, both are familiar faces from their past. With a few adventures and funny misconceptions along the way, everyone reunites.
Tags: fade to black smut scenes, funny miscommunication, max and his dad are both bisexual but haven't come out to each other, bradley and powerline are along for the ride, powerline's name is trevor, thanks to blxejxtice_, fluff, the sweetest thing i've written to date, crying over how soft this is, soft gays for my soft gays, bobby and pj only mentioned
Song: I2I
Oneshot for: jennadrawskinda (IG), zebombul (IG), and blxejxtice_ (IG)
🐕🐩🐕‍🦺Braxanne (Bradley/Max/Roxanne) OT3 Fics
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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
the things i want the most
Rated E | M/M California-Verse AU what if Maxby instead of Maxley | 12,897 Words | Complete (Christmas Oneshot)
Summary: Bobby's coworker convinces him to go to Powerline's Christmas Concert Extravaganza in New York. Begrudgingly, he agrees. Only to find himself dressed as a Slutty Santa at an after-party in hopes of reconnecting with his old friend turned backup dancer for the Powerline, Max Goof.
Tags: takes place in california-verse, New York City, au of california-verse, explicit sex, public sex, allusions to sexual abuse in Hollywood, you've heard of snakes on a plane, but have you heard of sex on a train, Bobby's van is called Bertha, purple prose everywhere as far as the eye can see, author doesn't know shit about the NYC subway system, all train shit based on BART in NorCal, and you can fucking TELL, Anal Sex, Oral Sex, Sex in a van, smoking weed, Drug Use, Explicit Drug Use, sex under the influence, Dirty Talk, Cum Play, Multiple Orgasms, somebody get these boys some water
Song: California
Oneshot for: Sw00ney (Instagram)
Bradley x Kyo (Fratchanic by Crossoutz_ on IG)
so, honey, hold my hand (you like making me wait for it)
Rated G | M/M Fratchanic AU by Crossoutz_ on IG | 2,977 Words | Complete (Christmas Oneshot)
Summary: Kyo honestly has no clue why Bradley keeps showing up at the body shop unannounced. There is absolutely no logical reason for him to go there every single day. BUT there is an illogical one. If they're willing to admit it.
Tags: Kyo belongs to crossoutz_, i'm only borrowing him to make someone happy, fluff, pre-relationship, author doesn't know shit about cars, but spent a lot of time in a body shop growing up, bradley is super sweet, PJ is a little shit, everyone in the body shop ships this like fedex, even pete, fratchanic
Song: I Really Like You
Oneshot for: Kofiracha (Instagram)
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voliriande · 7 months ago
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check out my maxley fic! just uploaded chapter two the other day :)
let me know what you think!
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uglynavel · 18 days ago
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I wanna know where people have lately gotten the audacity to leave comments on fanfics talking about how much the fanfic sucked and negatively critiquing an author's fic like it's a published book review.
It pisses me off cause I've seen authors abandoned or delete their fics because of this.
You're getting fanfics for FREE! No one asked for your opinion.
I hope y'all know as authors we get email notifications when you comment so we see EVERY comment that's been left.
We also can see the negative reviews you leave when you bookmark our fics
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idiot-mushroom · 7 months ago
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my oneshot is turning into a whole ass slowburn (i hate it here)
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oneblockofgay-soy · 5 months ago
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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
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coffins-flowers · 2 months ago
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Day 5: realization
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I can’t believe it’s ending and I still read only 1 prompt from femmescripter. I need free time. I’m writing my stories for hour or so because I can physically give only so much attention to it :’^(
Storytime (this time without sad sub-plot I promise):
(Bradley)
I admitted to myself I love you at the end of november, when while driving I saw you on pedestrian street. Angry, cold, unlike you. I’m glad I made you get into my car; when we sat on folded back seats and started eating and drinking, when we were covering eachother with blanket; you finally brightened.
”Why won’t you ask what happened?” I heard.
I never associated this question with genuine concern. It was always a mind play for me in my worst years. How to tell you that?
”Why would I? If you want say it yourself.” Bravo me.
”It’ll be nice if you’d ask. That would mean you at least care.”
Oh Max. Getting on my nerves already, I am too weak to fight.
”I don’t like that question.”
”That’s all?”
”That’s all.”
”Can I tell you this?”
”You can say anything.”
”Even that your older sister is hot as hell?”
”WHAT!?”
You… started laughing. Very, very loud. It was… pleasant, pretty.
”You should have seen your face! Hahahaha, Jesus man haha. How are you not blowing your brain out with our trio? Ahyuk”
My heart was about to escape my ribcage and run to you, my smile subconsciously appeared. I thought for a moment that maybe this is how love feels.
You calmed down. Looked at me with your onyx eyes and said a phrase I will always remember.
”So this is your honest smile? Maybe you should use it more often”
You made it even wider.
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(Max)
How did you know I would agree to a date? Was it a wild card or you knew something I didn’t yet but now am sure of?
My thoughts were just like that before seeing your smirky face „Ice rink? I never even wore ice skates before. Is it like regular skating? Why I agreed to it? Why was I so excited on a word ‚date’? Are you just mocking me? Or maybe it’s genuine.” I’m still mad that it was probably you figuring my own self sooner than I did.
Ice was much more unstable than asphalt, my legs were melting and you just stood there.
”Are you sure you don’t need any help?”
”NO. Give me a second.”
What am I talking about? I’m barely standing and fighting for my life clinging onto barriers. I won’t admit I can’t ice skate, that I am scared. Ain’t no way.
”Ugh!” Oh no. Your voice full of irritation went through my spine. Don’t approach me, don’t approach me, don’t approach me… DAMMIT!
”Hold my hands”
”No, thanks. I’ll figure that ou-„ You bastard you grabbed me!
”Listen, shape your feet into V…”
”Ookay”
”See? You’re fine. I’m holding you, you are steady. It’s fine” Steady? It is anything but steady!
”Now. Pull dominant leg away and go to me. Just like skating”
”mhm” I’m moving forward, it’s fine, it’s fine. No! Hell it’s not! It’s not at all… wait, I feel your grip getting stronger.
”I’m here, don’t worry. Look at me and it’ll be fine” Why is your voice so calming? Not that I mind but… how are you doing that? Making me feel so safe?
We are moving forward, I start getting it. I can do this!
”Let me go”
”Max, I don’t think it’s good idea”
”C’mon. I will do it”
”As you wish~”
Heck yeah! I’m doing it. I’m great. It is great. It… it starts to get unsteable again. Oh no. OH NO. OH NONONONO ARGH-
I barely got caught, one millimeter further and I’d be on a ground. I feel like made of jelly.
”Hahahahaha! What were you saying? It’s not THAT easy princess hahaha”
Looking at you, laughing, holding me from that angle… oh cupid you really are cruel. I don’t think I’m ready for relationship.
”Are you alright Max?” Your ocean-blue eyes widened. That cloudy-sky, royal, deep blue looking at me. And your hair waving in a wind like a sea of weeds, with all the shades of a plane tree. Even your brows look stuning when you look at me all concerned. You are all mine at this moment and this is comforting like comfy bed after tiring day, like cold drink in summer heat, like… us seating in your car.
I changed my mind. I must be with you in a relationship.
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madammuffins · 7 months ago
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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."
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thejadecount · 7 months ago
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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
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roonotrue · 8 months ago
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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.
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ghostlylicious · 6 months ago
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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 😔
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memelordotherblog · 5 months ago
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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.
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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 )
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Definitely not, but it'll be fun though.
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life-is-curious · 6 months ago
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I'm learning Spanish again because I NEED to be able to read those maxley fics that are in spanish or I'll die
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poussacha · 25 days ago
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2024 AO3 Wrapped!
Hi everyone! It's been another year, can you believe it? Time for another of my AO3 wrappeds! I have a LOT of information this year so I'll be posting the overview and the mini guide first then the month-by-month break down in a different post!
Enjoy!
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There is also a separate, CUTER version on my Instagram here.
Fanfiction Mini Guide!
The Santa Clause
Barlie (Charlie Calvin/Bernard the Arch Elf)
Your Lamps Will Call Me Home by Solarcat | Rated M | 8k
Charlie Calvin's life changed forever the night his father became Santa Claus, but even Charlie didn't know how much it would keep changing.
North Pole Squad by flewtooclosetothesun_inc | Rated G | 1k
Every fandom needs a chatfic and the Santa Clause didn't have one yet.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Zukka
where the stars do not take sides by WitchofEndor | Not Rated (Also Gen) | 60k
When Azula is nine, she becomes an only child. She hears the Fire Lord call for Zuko's life, and in the morning, her mother and brother are gone. Azula may be young, but she isn't naive. She knows what happened to them. Which makes it all the more surprising when Azula tracks the Avatar down and fights his group of peasant friends, only to find herself staring into an eerily familiar face.
Wooing the water tribe by lenaballena | Rated T | 60k
Zuko is courting Katara, and with every passing day finds new and insane ways of showing that he would quite literally move the spirit world and earth to make her happy.
In hindsight, it probably would've been better if Sokka had realised he was in love with Zuko at literally any time before this. Or preferably, never fallen for his best friend in the first place.
knowledge and peace by thecelerystalksatmidnight | Rated T | 29k
Sokka is a man of science. Of math. Of tangible proof. Sokka started this journey two years prior without knowing what he was marching towards. Yet quietly, a path was worn. In the silence between words, Sokka understood the fundamental truths of nature. How could he not, when his father raised him with kindness and love? Sokka is at peace, here.
/
Or, Sokka is fifteen and follows his master into the Spirit World. It doesn't go the way that he plans.
Heart's a Thousand Colors by OhMyFreddy | Rated E | 125k
Sokka regularly has great ideas, and he knows that intentionally falling behind on Fire Prince Zuko's ship to "throw him off Aang's trail" is not one of them.
He goes with it anyway, and finds himself to not be the trickster he thought he was. Instead, he’s immersed deeper into the daily routines aboard the vessel. While the pursuit of Aang and Katara continues, Sokka struggles to maintain his grip on his metaphorical shield and sword against the Fire Nation soldiers around him, as each day finds him more included.
Worst, is the Fire Prince himself, who easily bested him in his village, and who makes it clear immediately that he will hunt down the Avatar whether Sokka is aboard or not.
But the longer Zuko hosts him, the more Sokka stumbles, and stumbles against *him*, and the more he finds his closest convictions challenged.
Wasn't my body rescued, wasn't it safe by sulkybender | Rated M | 15k
“If you want to laugh you can laugh,” Zuko says bitterly.
“Nephew,” Iroh says gently.
“Go on,” he says. His face is twisted up with some emotion none of them can name. He looks almost eager for it.
“I think I need some time alone with my nephew,” Iroh says.
As they back away, Zuko buries his face in his hands.
Below the Sun by CSHFic, VSfic | Rated T | 24k
Sokka is washed overboard while working on the fisherman's boat during the storm. He wakes on a deserted island.
Or... mostly deserted.
Gen
Salvage by MuffinLance | Rated T | 127k
Mid-Season-One Zuko is held for ransom by Chief Hakoda. Ozai's replies to the Water Tribe's demands are A+ Parenting. Hakoda is… deeply concerned, for this son that isn't his, and who might be safer among enemies than with his own father.
Podfic and translations in German, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, and Ukrainian now available! See chapter one author notes for links.
I Wanna Be The Very Best by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 3k
[“Gym Leader Zuko?” He asks hopefully, and the grin the man sends him dashes his hopes into smoke.
“Afraid not,” the man says, “Zuko is my nephew and unfortunately, he’s not here right now.”
“Shit.” Sokka squirms a little. “Any idea when he may be back? I need his badge so I can—“ Go beat up Aang for being annoying and perfect at everything and making champion at thirteen goddamn years old while Sokka’s doing this whole thing late— “Better myself and reach true enlightenment. Uh. Sir.”
The man says nothing about Sokka’s age, just hmmms in consideration and rustles his bag.
“Call me Iroh,” the man says. “My nephew is like a spring wind, vivacious and—“
Flighty.]
Or,
The Pokémon AU that nobody asked for.
Keep Moving Forward to Stay Alive by Haicrescendo | Rated T | 3k
[“Watch the tail, child.”
Zuko watches the tail and cradles the baby Charmander carefully and close. It sleeps soundly like most infant pokémon and doesn’t stir even when he has to shift its position.
He knows at that very instant that he would rather die than see it harmed, and the potent spike of feeling burns his throat and the space behind his eyes.
Azula holds her Bagon with reluctance, uncomfortably, like she’d rather drop it to the floor.
Zuko never wants to put Charmander down.]
Or,
Zuko’s life has never been easy and somehow, it always manages to get harder.
The Deepest Water Haicrescendo | Rated G | 4k
[“You’re great,” Sokka says to Iroh, “But I’m going to murder your nephew. He’s dead to me.”
Despite Sokka’s forewarning that he would be coming and Zuko’s eventual confirmation via text that he would be there, Vulca’s gym leader is very decidedly not where he is supposed to be.
“You’re welcome to try,” Iroh replies, trying way too hard to sound serious and radiating amusement instead. “If you’d like, you’re welcome to battle me in Zuko’s stead.” He has that authority, Sokka knows, because Zuko’s told him so even though Vulca’s gym regent isn’t well advertised. Nevertheless, he shakes his head.
“No. It doesn’t count as a rematch if it’s you. Besides, I need to go find him and pound some manners into his damn head.”
“Again, you are very welcome to try.”]
Or,
Sokka gets blown off, helps rescue a pokémon, and maybe rescues Zuko a little bit too.
Have The Courage To Be Bold by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 5k
[Zuko wants to cry. He drops his face to the floor and sniffles into the wood and a few tears slip out of him anyway.
“Yes, you’re very fierce, little one,” Piandao tells Druk, very gently, with his hands up. “I will not hurt him.”
Zuko stifles a quiet little sob into the floor.
“Come, now. Off the floor, boy. Up, up.” Large hands grip Zuko by his upper arms and peel him up off of the floor, lifting him bodily and setting him back into his generic blue bed with its generic blue comforter. “Who did that to your face?”]
Or,
Zuko finds rescue from an unexpected source, is definitely not accidentally kidnapped on purpose, and beats up his fellow kids.
The Extra Mile by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 2k
[“Let me remind you that I haven’t seen you in person in like, a month, Researcher Pakku gave me the week to hang out with you, and instead of giving your favorite sister your undivided attention, you’re texting some weirdo who sends you...memes?”
“They’re really good memes, though!” Sokka protests, and shows her. Katara is not impressed.
“...Sokka, it’s a picture of a dude and a Butterfree going ‘is this a Pidgey?’. I think you need better taste in memes. And maybe friends.”]
Or,
The one where Katara very seriously considers an intervention for her brother.
Don't Say Your Heart's In a Hurry by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 5k
[Piandao rarely feels anger with this kind of intensity and the cold waves rocking through him are startling to the point that all he can do is mumble his address, throat tight, and hang up. He’s numb with fury as he heads straight to the house and barely manages to not slam the door open.
It startles Zuko anyway, perched on the sofa with Druk and Foxglove bundled up on either side of him.
“Are you...okay?” He asks after a moment of silence, because all Piandao finds that all he can do is stare at him. “Master Piandao?”
“I cannot believe you,” he finally manages to force out, “Two years. Two years here with me, and you let Iroh think you were dead.”]
Or,
The reunion chapter.
Catch Me If You Can by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 9k
[“Dude, it’s like seven am.”
“Uh huh.”
Zuko looks like he doesn’t quite understand why Sokka has a problem with this. He’s way too awake, and Sokka is not awake enough.
Sokka scrubs at his eyes.
“You know it doesn’t open til eleven?”
“Yeah, to the public. Sorry for thinking you’d want to skip out on the line that’s gonna snake through the whole city. Have fun with that—“ Zuko scowls and turns around to leave, and unthinkingly, Sokka nabs the back of his hoodie and tugs.
“No, please do not do that.”]
Or,
In which everyone’s a little nerdier than anticipated, Sokka is a public embarrassment, and Zuko gets honest.
You Found Me (made me into something new) by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 3k
[It’s born in a cage, in a lab that’s all stark white and generic blandness.
It’s alone, no mother or siblings present, just a face swimming in front of its shaky, infant vision. The face is considering and then ecstatic, and it feels a jerk of happiness, the first feeling it ever has.
It’s hungry but also tired, and wants to know about the world.]
Or,
The origin story of Zuko’s fire-breathing Pikachu.
Take a Pop Shot by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 5k
[Zuko leans back hard against the bed frame and sighs heavily and tips his head back to look at Sokka.
“Have you ever jumped off a cliff with a bungee before? Or, like, a waterfall?”
“What? No,” Sokka snorts. “Why, have you?”
Zuko’s quiet and considering, and he doesn’t look away.
“It’s scary,” he says, “But when you’re falling, you never want to stop. The fall feels like it takes forever, and you could do it and be happy for the rest of your life. And then you hit water, or the end of your tether. And it hurts, it always hurts, but the fall feels so good that you keep doing it, over and over again.”
“Are you falling right now?” Sokka asks.
“No,” Zuko murmurs. “Fall’s over. I hit the water.”]
Or,
Zuko implodes and Sokka wants pancakes.
Not Until I'm Ready by Haicrescendo | Rated T | 5k
[Zuko has a traveling companion.
A people one and not a pokémon one, he tells Uncle one night when they’re on video chat.
His name is Jet, he’s a year older, and Zuko found him. Well, kind of. It was kind of like they found each other, because Jet was taking a nap in a bush, and Zuko tripped over him and fell on his head. Jet had yelled and hollered about it, and Zuko had yelled and hollered back until both of them were out of breath, and now they’re apparently traveling together because Jet won't go away.
Zuko knows three important things about Jet.]
Or,
Druk evolves, June is doing her best, and Zuko and Jet’s excellent adventure.
Field and a River by Haicrescendo | Rated T | 7k
[It’s barely seven in the morning when there’s a pounding on the door to Vulca’s gym.
Zuko waits a few minutes to see if Uncle gets it (he doesn’t), and eventually drags himself out of bed. It’s early enough that the junior trainers aren’t here and the gym is deserted. Zuko hopes that they go away.
They don’t, and the knocking continues.
Zuko slides open the door.
“Hi there,” Jet tells him with a grin.
Zuko slides the door shut without a word.]
Or,
An unpleasant reunion, a little more trauma for everyone, and someone gets hit with the feels stick.
What Good is Winning (if you lose your heart) by Haicrescendo | Rated T | 9k
[“Let it be known, nephew, that I think this idea is terrible.”
“Noted.”
“Let it be known, Sparky, that I’m normally very supportive of your bad ideas and I also think that this one is terrible on an entirely new level for you.”
“Noted,” Zuko says between gritted teeth. “If you didn’t want to help, you didn’t have to.”
Toph rolls grey, unseeing eyes and flips him the bird.
“If you think I wasn’t gonna come help the second you told me about this shitshow, you’re out of your mind. You’ll die without me.”]
Or,
In which Gym Leader Zuko learns to pick his battles and hates having feelings.
Free Up Your Mind by Haicrescendo | Rated G | 5k
[Zuko slams the magazine down on the table. He’s livid, red-faced and gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw’s going to hurt later. He slams it down so hard, in fact, that it rattles Uncle’s tea setting.
“What did the local news do to warrant such a massacre?” Uncle asks mildly, hands instinctively wrapping around a full teacup. “A good ginseng could never.”]
Or,
Gym Leader Zuko breaks the internet.
Doctor Who
13/Rose
Pertinacia by lumidaub | Rated T | Comic
Rose Tyler finally makes it back but her universe has moved on. Finding her Doctor may not be quite as easy as she imagined.
A manga style comic.
Let Wonder Seem Familiar by tsukara | Rated T | 35k
The Doctor wrecks the TARDIS (again) with his regeneration energy (AGAIN), so the TARDIS thinks 'well, why not? The Time Lords are back (for now) and can fix any cracks that might happen, let's go get Rose Tyler--the Doctor's going to need all the help she can get soon', though she can't hold on to her when the TARDIS gets caught in her rematerialization loop. With Torchwood and UNIT gone, Rose tries to find the Doctor however she can--which leads her to MI6. At the same time, strange aliens are attacking spies around the world, which is exactly the sort of thing that would draw the Doctor in.
Post-Journey's End Reunion fic set in Season 12.
All This Can I Qualify by tsukara | Rated T | 8k
At the end of the events of Spyfall, everyone--including Rose--has returned to the TARDIS. There are five planets between Gallifrey and when the Fam finally ask her about what is going on.
Or: Five Planets Where the Fam Didn't Ask Where the Doctor is From and the One They Did
Every Line is a Place on a Map by disasterism | Rated G | 1k
Time deceives, disguises itself; it is not a year, a minute, an era, but a map. This is your map from London, UK to Dårlig Ulv Stranden, Norway to the edge of time. The Doctor/Rose Tyler; Bad Wolf.
Ed, Edd N' Eddy
KevEdd (Edd "Double D"/Kevin Barr)
Pick up lines by WeepingWillow1928 | Rated T | 1k
Kevin wants Double Dee's attention, and he's just desperate enough to take Nat's advice.
An Extremely Goofy Movie
Maxley (Max Goof/Bradley Uppercrust III)
🌟🌟FRESHIE AND III BY EDDAMAEASTER | RATED T | 95K🌟🌟
It's a semester later - Bradley has been all but a ghost on campus. Until Max is wandering through the music school and happens to glance into one of the practice rooms.
(One of the best if not THE best fic in the tag, I swear to GOD)
🌟🌟FIFTH COLUMN BY MADAM_MUFFINS | RATED E | 90k🌟🌟
A single dad to a child just as head strong as he was, Max finds himself struggling with broken dreams and trying to find his path in life as he enters into his thirties.
Bradley has one last chance to prove himself to his family. His father. That chance comes in the form of a failing toy factory in a city too close to the biggest personal failure in his life.
When paths cross and egos once again collide, how can Spoonerville be big enough for the two of them?
(SCREAMING MY HEAD OFF PLEASE READ THIS FIC)
Twin-Sized Mattress by AndSheWasBeautiful | Rated E | 23k
“Now you’ve put me in a tight spot,” Max laments as he re-buckles his belt, the bulge in his pants still distractingly taught. “Give me two more minutes alone. Or, you know, if you’re willing to lend a hand, we could have this dealt with in one?”
Bradley snarls at that, wrenching himself off the door and into the bathroom.
“Don’t even joke about it, freshman. You had some girl in here a second ago - what you aren’t fussy about who gets you off? Figures,” Bradley sneers, levelling the most disgusted look he can muster at Max. The disgust comes with unsurprising ease - all it takes is one sideways glance in the mirror and Bradley can dredge it up.
“Projecting much?” Max replies coolly.
-
The Gammas host a toga party.
Consequences by plaided_koala | Rated M | 4k
Bradley knows:
If you mix the alcohol with medications, there will be consequences.
Max Goof's Guide to Getting Girls by kingofheadaches | Rated G | 14k
Bradley Uppercrust the III is a virgin to everything. Never been kissed, never dated, never fucked, never done anything with sexual intentions. But when his father demands a fiancée before his father’s big gala, he has to be willing to take some help from his archnemesis-roommate, Max Goof.
Or Whatever by criesmom | Rated E | 13k
Max disentangled himself to slide out of the booth, offering Roxanne a hand to get up. They exchanged farewells with Tank and Bradley before heading towards the stairs, but with a final glance over his shoulder, Max could see Bradley still watching them leave. His face seemed more relaxed, maybe a little hollow. The expression sat in Max’s stomach long after he’d turned around.
Or
With Roxanne by his side egging him on, Max embraces the experimental nature of college life and gives something new a go - Bradley Uppercrust III
Don't let me down by Midnightblue66 | Rated M | Comic
Max is celebrating his victory at the X-Games after party when he sees a familiar face. Has Bradley finally come around to make up for his horrible behaviour?
Victorious
Reck (Beck Oliver/Robbie Shapiro)
Love in 60 days or less by Kheta | Rated G | 9k
Beck loves Jade but hates hiding and Jade loves Beck, but she hates complicated and.
And Beck comes out of the proverbial closet and other snippets of his life.
Jori (Jade West/Tori Vega)
You be the Moon, I'll be the Earth by PrettyLittlePottyMouth | Rated M | 30k
After Tori asks Jade for a favor, Jade discovers there's more to Tori than she ever expected. Tori worries that her secret is the only thing Jade finds interesting about her. Lunacy ensues.
Sam & Cat
SamCat (Sam Puckett/Cat Valentine)
I Know it Seems Far, but Just Be Where You Are by PrettyLittlePottyMouth | Rated M | 140k
Sam's arrival in Los Angeles changes everything for Cat, including the dynamics of her friend group, especially when it comes to Tori and Jade. Meanwhile, Sam struggles to leave behind her past and start something new. Lunacy becomes their new normal.
Star Vs. the Forces of Evil
Stomco (Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz/Tom Lucitor)
The Silver Bell Ball by boredomsMuse | Not Rated | 3k
How I imagine the Silver Bell Ball would have gone if Star and Tom tricked Marco into going. (And they were totally tricking him, it wasn't like they were actually avoiding their dance or anything.)
Demoncism by boredomsMuse | Not Rated | 2k
On the day of Tom's demoncism, Marco goes out and buys all the jello he can find. Because jello is the best thing to eat after the demon-equivalent of an operation.
Sophomore Slump by boredomsMuse | Not Rated | 3k
It's been a week since Demoncism and things on Earth are getting more and more tense for Marco. Especially with Star too busy to talk to him.
Being Erica
EricaTom (Erica Strange/Tom Wexler)
Me. And Me Now by sakuracorr | Rated M | 17k
Post season two. Sometimes it's hard to let go, especially when you have the ability to really find the answers to your "What ifs?"
Jujutsu Kaisen
SatoSugu (Gojo Satoru/Geto Suguru)
all your sugar lovin', it belongs to me by Gyyuuttt | Rated G | 757 Words
just some thoughts about stsg in an idol au that i don't think i'd ever be able to write into a story partly bc of lack of skill, and partly bc of lack of motivation
Life With Derek
Gen
Ding Dong, the Prince is Dead by slipslapslop | Rated G | 500 Words
“Wake up. We’re going to a funeral.”
“Derek what are you talking about?”
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idiot-mushroom · 7 months ago
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scene from my fanfic, go read it 💪💪
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sarahblueskyyyy · 8 months ago
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Romance, MaxBradley, Fluff, Slow Burn, Tension, Post Canon, Future Setting, Happy Ending, Reunion, etc.
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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.
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