Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Max was fighting a battle that could not be won.

A battle, called a bad sleep schedule. 

Insomnia wasn't new to him, but he hated the thing so much he really doesn't want to call it an old friend. Insomnia traveled with him no matter where he went, what hotel room he stayed at, what atmosphere surrounded him, it was like the plague.

Back home, he had to wake up earlier for school and more or less retained a total of 4 to 6 hours of sleep per night. Even at Camp, David would blare that stupid whistle or just shout until his lungs were empty to wake them up, but by then Max had maybe possibly got just a few hours in of sleep.

Most nights, he would be 'put to sleep' by 10, just to still be up at 1am because his body thinks the change in environment means danger. 

He was more safe at camp than anywhere near his house, yet because it's still a change, his brain and body still haven't came to an agreement yet.

So, he was laying down on to cot, hands behind his head and blanket draped over him. Mr. Honeynuts was at his side, laying down with him as Max counted yet another 100 sheep. It was more out of boredom than any actual hopefulness that it would lure him to sleep, but after he got to 213, he sighed and grabbed Mr. Honeynuts. 

If his body wasn't going to listen, then maybe staring into the lake would disassociate him enough to passing out on a log.

His socked feet walked out of the tent, feeling the sturdy paved dirt under his feet as he made sure to avoid the sharper pebbles. The cicadas, or grasshoppers?, were buzzing in the background. While dark outside, the moon gave a steady glow as it's light reflected off the lake, really making the place look picturesque.

"God, this shithole almost looks like what it was advertised as." Max mumbled, still having the sense to keep his voice down as he makes his way down to the dock.

Or, he planned on making his way to the dock, if it weren't for the lanky silhouette sitting down on the end, doing something in front of him.

He was really too far way to even see, let alone catch a whisper of a word, so the logically thing to do would be to cut his loses and go back to the tent.

However, since being in this godforsaken camp, a lot of Max's tried and trued habits started to wear down. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation too, or even the generally sense of safety he felt at night, but the curiosity overtook him.

Inching off the Mess Hall, Max followed the soft decline to the lake's shore.

As he got closer, the lanky figure revealed itself to be David. Which, should've been obvious looking back on it, but the steady humming of the night made Max lose all his urgency.

He holds Mr. Honeynuts by his side, realizing as he forgot his hoodie in the tent. It's cooler closer to the lake, but luckily not insanely so.

Once in front of the dock, with David's steady figure emanating the thrumming sound, Max see's the ends of David's guitar poking above his shoulder as the other continue to pluck a soft tune.

It was a steady thing, of David only playing a chord at a time, fiddling with the pegs as he tried to settle on the tone. Max thinks he sees a Capper, Capo, whatever the thing is called, trapping the strings at the top. David keeps strumming a E minor, A minor, and B before tuning the pegs again.

Max inches closer, finally putting his feet to the wooden dock and feels the sharper wooden edges poke into his soles, but it was hardly doing anything to deter him. he doesn't even recognize the song, but it made him more lost in the song than it would've of if he recognized it.

Eventually, Max gets about 2 feet from David before the decaying wood betrays him and squeaks it's horrid boards.

David jumps in his seat, even letting out a squeak that would've be funny under any other circumstances, but now Max is pissed off because David stopped playing.

The counselor turns around, green eyes staring as Max's jade ones, before giving him a tired smile.

"Should've expected that," David's voice muttered, not intentional low but like the air would break if he was any louder. "You should be in your tent."

Max's eyes shoot open again, realizing how tired he felt before David's sentence.

"No shit dumbass. You should be in the counselors cabin, but I'm not the one pointing out the obvious." 

He doesn't know why, but the quiet atmosphere effected his voice too, the hushed level of his voice making the statement lose its bite. 

David laughed, which is how Max knew it was too late at night for this shit. David never entertained Max's comments, brushing them aside or combating them. Never laughing at those snide remarks or shitty language.

Still, maybe its that change of pace that makes Max sit down behind the counselor, and maybe it's Max's own more subdued behavior that makes David flip around and face him.

David still had that soft smile, not the overly bright one he wore that showed all his teeth. No, it was a small thing. There, but more real. Max kinda hated it, in a way he didn't know how to react to it.

This was new territory, and while David might still be an annoyingly good actor, Max was having a hard time drowning the calming effect it had on him.

God, he hates this stupid camp.
 
"You wanna hear me play?"

Max perked up, realizing what dragged him to the dock in the first place. It was a tempting offer, but, he'd rather die then let David get the satisfaction. He's not that sleep deprived.

"Why would I wanna hear your shitty playing? I came over to beat you over the head again with the wooden stick."

David huffed, even rolling his eyes at Max's blatant threat. 

"Wheres the stick then?"

Shit, uhh..

"I rolled it off the dock once you noticed me. Even I'm not that stupid to attack a fully grown man, despite how fucking lanky you are."

Not that stupid anymore, he has the scars to prove it.

David chuckled, readjusting his guitar over his lap as started strumming up chords again. That's when Max noticed the lack of camp uniform, and that exactly like a cartoon character, David was dress in stripped pajamas and even the fucking cotton ball hat in his lap.

Something must've shown on his face, because David laughed again and smiled down at Max with a gleam in his eyes.

"You must be more tired than I thought, why are you smiling at me like that creep."

"I think your much more than what meets the eye Max, and I think your starting to enjoy that too."

"What does that mean?" Max replies, not in the mood to deal with the white man's riddles today.

David shrugs, finally done with his tuning and actually strumming the song. Max could heard the repeat of the song, while also see David's fingers switch from C, E minor, G then repeat. 

There was a change at the very end of the chorus, right before it goes back the E minor progression. The inclusion of a F sharp in minor. It was a heavy song, and while Max doesn't know the lyrics, he could easily imagine a good music video to it.

Slowly, Max feels himself hunch lower and lower, sinking into his lap and Mr. Honeynuts' head. He jolts back up, trying to fight the sudden tiredness weighing lead on his eyelids, but it was lost cause.

Max doesn't even get to the end of the song, but David continues to play anyways as he tries not to coo as his most hostile camper fall into REM. David feels a inkling of childish jealous, wishing he could fall asleep to someone playing for him too.

Though, once David is done, he pops the bones in his neck as he slides the guitar behind him, the strap's worn leather grounding as he, oh so carefully, bends down to pick up Max and his bear.

David had no clue Max had one, something so innocent in nature belonging to a boy who treats the world like his enemy. David's eyes harden, wondering once again what could've caused a 10 year old boy to mature so fast. 

Max often acted Ered's age, but even the teen didn't have such a negative outlook on life. 

David sighs, but looks down to the small boy cradled in his arms. 

'No matter what,' David thought, 'I'll make sure you'll find your joy at Camp, Max.'

Chapter Text

"It was about fucking time you put your psychology degree to use." Max blurted out, arms crossed in the heat and eyeing up the counselors in the center of the activity site.

Truly, it was too hot for this shit today, but Max just took off his Camp Campbell shirt since he rather suffocate than go without his hoodie. Even Neil had to get out of his usual turtle neck and in a actual Camp Campbell tee.

"Hey, you all voted for this. It was either swim in the lake or do Behavioral Assessment Camp."

"Last week I saw a fish with 5 eyes and a human looking ear attached to it, I'm not taking my chances." Neil said, just for QuarterMaster to pass by and hear it.

"Hmm, dinner." The old groundskeeper than equipped a spear on their prosthetic, and left for the lake. 

"Welp, I'm not eating dinner. Can we just go back to our tents and rot for the day?" Max asked, half wondering if he has enough hair to steal one of Nikki's hair ties.

"Come on kids!" David cheerfully exclaimed, hands on his hips and looking completely fine in the heat. Max already planned to put some honey in his clothes later, so long as he could drag Nikki away from the Mess Hall.

Speaking of the girl, "Isn't that the stuff at the doctors office where they make you circle a number on how your feeling?"

Gwen's eyes widen, impressed. "Yeah, basically. Except, to make this more interesting for me, we'll be going over the psychology of love languages for today."

Max scoffed, "That's pseudoscience, created by a bored pastor listening to cheating wives complain about their husbands."

"And today I will be that pastor and you children, the cheating wives. Plus, I get my counseling hours in. You guys will be going by first names, meet me in the counselors office, and David will be here to watch y'all do whatever. Dolph, you're up first."

"Yippee!" The little boy skipped his way to Gwen, and Max tugged at the locks of his hair.

"WHAT WAS THE POINT IN MAKING US STAND HERE THEN?!"

Max was the fourth kid to go visit Gwen, but since Neil was right behind him he made sure to drag it out to cause some panic for the nerd.

Eventually though, the heat was making him long for the shade of the indoors, which resulted in Max practically collapsing in the chair while Gwen rolled her eyes.

"Was it worth it?" She asked, boredly.

"Absolutely." Max huffed out, flipping her off while he was at it.

"Continue that behavior and I'll get David in here."

"You sick women.."

"Right back at ya'. But if you're done bullying me, I got questions for you."

Max slid his legs of the arms of the chair, tilting his head in a bit of amazement. 

"You're taking this seriously."

Gwen smiled, though clicked her pen and began scribbling down someone on her clipboard.

"You're a nihilistic asshole. What makes you feel appreciated?"

"Water and being left alone, but even basic necessitates like that are hard to come by in this godforsaken camp."

Gwen smiles and writes something down, and Max can't help but feel out of the loop.

"If you wanted water, who would you go to ask for it?"

Max squints his eyes at the counselor in front of him, and all the women does is smile back with a knowingly smile. 

"It's fucking water, if I needed to ask for it then $500 a month isn't enough to keep this camp open."

"Just answer the question you little shit." 

Max rolls his eyes, "Then I guess David, since in that scenario all the other campers are also shit out of luck and you're no help. I'm not going to trust anything QM give me."

Gwen doesn't write something, only pressing her pen down in a line. 

"I'm already getting sick of therapy, can I go back now?" Max was starting to feel like a labrat in one of Neil's experiments, and he was debating the merits of running back outside into the heat or enduring more of Gwen's pathetic attempts of getting him to open up.

The ceiling fan offered a great rebuttal, but he wasn't sure what to do with the crawling feeling in his stomach.

"Not yet, but don't worry, I'll cut our session short after a few more questions."

"Thank god."

"Now, what's you're favorite fairy tale?"

"Jesus Christ.." Max muttered, but mulled it over anyways. He hardly gets a chance to read fiction books when he's home, considering all the ones they did own were either autobiographies, something vaguely political, or in Hindi. He tried to remember any he read, or anything he saw on T.V, but instead remembers one Neil told him about that one time.

"Rumpelstiltskin."

"Fucking what?"

"Rumpelstiltskin, crazy ass story. Father lies about his daughter being able to turn either straw or string into gold, the King overhears this shit, and forces the girl to spend 3 night in a prison basically to make said gold. Newsflash asshole, the father was lying his ass off, but the girl is still trapped there. Here comes Rumpelstiltskin, saying hey, I'll make that straw into gold for you if you give me your valuables."

Gwen wasn't even writing anything down, just staring at Max like he lost his mind. To be fair, this story probably wasn't anyone's favorite, but it the first thing he remembers.

"So, night one she give him a necklace, then the next night she gives him a ring. The last night, she doesn't have anything to give him, so he says he'll take her firstborn son. Why it's always a baby, I don't know, but basically she agrees and when the king sees all the gold she made, he marries her. Now, years later, she knocked up and gives birth to a baby boy."

"Dear fucking god," Gwen exclaims, still looking dead into Max's eyes as she debates her life choices. Good. 

"Right? Anyways, woop-dee-do, Rumpelstiltskin makes a come back for the baby. The guy says she got 3 days to figure out his name, or else the baby is his. For 2 days, she goes through the whole damn list, but who is the world is going to guess Rumpelstiltskin right? She still tries though, until either she hears it herself or a servant comes and tells her, but the dumbass starts singing about his own name! All smug and shit, all proud." 

Gwen, remembering why she dragged Max here in the first place, immediately starts writing something down. Max wants to laugh, but still seeing Gwen this semi-serious about something still fills something of unease in him. 

"So, guy come back on the third night, and the Queen says 'Rumpelstiltskin' all dramatically, and the guy fucks off basically. Again, crazy ass story but it's one of those thing you gotta appreciate because those type of drugs to dream up that shit weren't cheap back then."

It was also nice that the women went through the lengths to protect her child, even though the child wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place if her father wasn't a liar. It wasn't her fault for wanting a family, but she should've been more careful. 

Gwen flounders, cradling her head in her hand as she stares at the clipboard. 

"You know what? It was stupid of me to think you would've had a regular answer, like Beauty and The Beast or even fucking Pinocchio would've been too normal. I've had enough, this story gave me all the information I needed."

Max smirks, glad to have won against.. wait.. what was he even here for again?

"The results are in, and Max, your love language is Quality Time."

Deadpan. All Max could feel is this fucking deadpan, annoyed, and frankly empty feeling washing over him.

"So, you weren't listening at all. Great, feeling the love Gwen. Literally the first fucking thing I said was 'being left alone' and you think quality time is my love language?!"

"No, I wrote that part down. The wonderful thing about psychology is that behavior and words often don't always correlate."

"It's too fucking hot for thissss" Max yells out, slumping against the chair as his whole body begins to slide down. Fuck Gwen. Fuck psychology. The only thing that shit is good for is manipulating people and seeing how fucked up humans are, it serves him no purpose other than to get him what he wants.

"You clearly spend enough time with Neil to listen to that batshit insane story,"

"He's my fucking tentmate, i didn't have much of a choice—"

"Dolf's is words of affirmation, I had to praise him alot to make him stay."

"Isn't that violation of clientele privacy? So what if I stayed? It's hotter than Satan's asshole outside. "

"Doesn't matter, as even you picking David as your 'go-to' gave me all the answers I needed."

The bitch wasn't even smirking, stating that shit like fact and not whatever fucking tea leaves she was reading.

"You're fucking crazy. What is this camp doing to you?"

"It's making realize a lot of things Max, and that you hating David but clinging to him whenever there's an activity hasn't escaped my notice—"

"Misery loves company! I want him as miserable as me, and to make you're fucking lives hell while I'm trapped in this hellhole!"

"Angry is a secondary emotion, usually hiding something deeper."

"AUGHHHH!"

Max hops down from the chair, flipping the counselor off with both hands as he goes back outside and slams the door shut.

Gwen smiles, an evil part of her finding joy in getting Max so annoyed after the Gargle Incident, even if she knows she'll find ants in her coffee later. She stares back down at her clipboard, seeing the counter of other's people input compared Max's own input, and seeing the lovely 'threats against her life' counter at a lovely zero.

That's what makes her smile the most, seeing how much Max's grown in these past few weeks at camp.

She sighs, taking the paper off and tucking it in her shorts, because she did slip up and reveal Dolf's answers, and she already got her earful for the summer when she revealed Mr. Honeynuts in front of the camp.

Gwen doesn't think she's ever gotten David that angry before, much less directed at her. That car ride to her interview was a stressful one.. She sighed.

Whatever Max wants to do now is up to him, so Gwen gets up and calls for Neil.

Neil, Nikki, and Max, once finished with their own little therapy appointments, were laying down in the most shaded part of the forest. 

It was too hot to even talk, with Nikki shucking off shoes and socks. Neil was using his shirt as a fan to cool his sweating face, and Max rolled up his jeans and hoodie sleeves to as far up as he could.

Nikki even gave her regular pigtails a rest and moved it all up into a ponytail, giving Max her second one where he tied his own up ontop as high as he could. He looks stupid as fuck, but it was helpful in getting most of the hair out of his face and neck.

The three were baking, but the shade of the trees and the gentle breeze of wind every now and then made it a much better alternative than the tents.

It was almost peaceful, just laying down on the grass floor with Neil and Nikki. No scheme needing to be done today, no more hangups about foreign brats, just a nice steady calmness of other people's empty minds.

Max enjoyed it, enjoyed it a lot.

"Up and at 'em Campers!" 

Max no longer enjoyed it. Maybe if he kept his eyes closed, he can ignore the David's shrilling voice.

"Aughhh, Davidddd! Just let us dieeee." Nikki howled at his right. Even Neil seemed to groan and suck his teeth, which inevitably gets a laugh out of Max,

"See? You woke up Max! Now kids, it time to come to the Mess Hall and get some refreshing lemonade!"

Max peeked an eye open, seeing that same spiked up red hair still in place and not even a drop of sweat anywhere. It made Max more pissed off, how even the Sun conspires with the asshole.

Upon the mention of lemonade, Nikki's eyes snap up, whole body vibrating as the girl gets on all fours and begins to run straight to the mess hall. Neil groans, but sits up too and begins a slow and painful walk to the Mess Hall.

Max was about to join him, until Gwen's awful words reenter his head. Quality Time, yeah right. Max shuts his eyes again and stays down.

"Maxxx.."

"Fuck off David," The usually bite to the statement was gone from the heat. Max simply just allowed himself to melt. Maybe he'll get heatstroke and finally die.

David stayed quite, which was never anything good, so Max had to once again open his eyes. The counselor had a mischievous smile, one he would usually find on Nikki but seeing it on David made Max on edge.

"Just what are you—"

In a flash, David bends down and slings Max over into redhead's arms.

"WHAT THE ACTUAL—"

"Since you wanna be a lazy butt, let me carry you to the Mess Hall."

David was already walking before Max could finish. It wasn't even David, or any adult, didn't already have a habit of scruffing Max by his hoodie to carry him off somewhere. But being cradled like a baby in his arms? God just kill him now.

Max made an attempt to shake off the other, the counselor's hold was solid and David looked too proud of himself. He was truly considering biting the other, but then David had to put his hand over Max's forehead, checking for something. 

It was cold, either from natural body temperature or cooled off sweat, but it was cold. It was nice, and since David's hand covered his entire head, it was like an ice towel when your sick. Max leaned into it, any plans for annihilation leaving with the heat.

David clicks his tongue, but still smiles radiantly as the Mess Hall starts coming closer and closer into view.

"You're not overheating, which is great but you still need to stay out of the sun. Maybe if we can find a less polluted part of the lake, we should get you kids in there for the day."

"I'd rather die."

Still, Max leaned into David's arms and hands, all parts of the counselor feeling like a cold blanket over Max's heated skin. Why the fucker ran cold, it was not important.

All that Max knew is that he clung to the counselor for the rest of the way, hanging off of him once he found the closest thing to air-conditioning in this camp.

Neil and Nikki, realizing this too, also began clinging to the counselor. Then, eventually, the whole camp was in on it.

Max laughed once David was being used as their own personal cooler.

Chapter Text

Max had a really good day. An amazing day in fact.

He never said that out loud, but Nikki was smiling even wider than usual and Neil was bouncing back from comebacks even harder. Even managing to land a few good ones that made Max's face wheeze out in laughter.

He woke up, knowing it was going to be a great day today. That should've be the first red flag, since it contradicts everything Max has believed in for the past 15, no, 16 years of his life. 

He had turned 16 today, smack dab in the middle of fall. David had the tradition of letting him skip the next day of school when it was his birthday, so he didn't even have to worry about going tomorrow.

He woke up to the smell of strawberry pancakes, and while he never liked to make a big deal of his birthday, David once said it was his favorite day of the year. Higher than camp beginning, the redhead would say. 

After eating, and Max ignoring the whipped cream spelling out '16' on the top, it was a matter of lazing around until inevitable Neil and Nikki got there. They were still his day ones after all, and he knew other campers would each send their own birthday wishes throughout the day. 

Hell, Max even got other friends from school and his music group sending him their kind regards, which Max sent his own thank yous and heart emoji's to them. 

David then opened up their backyard, raked clear of leaves, and let Max out into the 'early Halloween party' with jack-o-lanterns, black and orange ribbons, and spooky scary skeletons playing in the background.

Though, blue and white balloons surround a white table in front of the fence, with a suspicious cake placed in the center of it. The cake was flavored Masala Chai, but was styled like a tres leches cake where the cake itself was also submerged in coconut milk before being decorated.

A soggy and spongy cake, one that you couldn't find in any bakery near goddamn Oregon, one that taste the best homemade. Max's favorite.

Even now, with the party long over and his friends heading home for the day, Max could still taste it on his tongue. The world was ridiculously silent, head empty in the literalist of terms. He was staring up at his ceiling, one with old glow-in-the-dark stars that barely even work anymore, with warm colored fairy lights lining the edges of his ceiling instead.

Like a different time, years back on his 14th birthday when he first got them installed, where Nikki and Neil slept over. Watching all the 'How to Train your Dragons' movies in one night, with all of them crying together in a pile of blankets when 'Dancing and the Dreaming' came on.

For the past 5 birthdays, Max has cried on all of them. For the past 3 of them, it was for happy reasons.

'Past 3..?'  Max reached up, touching the corner of his eye just to feel wetness trail down his face. Almost like blinking back to reality, Max took in the fact he slumped down into his mattress, his left arm starting to tingle with how his body was laying on top of it.

His was in his room, one he fully decorated and one he was safe in. He controlled the thermostat, he had brown fluffy blankets and satin pillow covers, he had a rug that he needed to vacuum when he got the chance..

Max was 16, and ever since he was 11 he has been living with David in Oregon. David, who was his foster dad. Or, rather, just his dad..

An ugly sob left his lips, but he could hardly find it within himself to be sad or upset with himself. After all, today was a really good day. And still is.

"Max?" A knock was heard from his door, then another, then another. "Max, is everything alright?"

Another sob filled laugh escaped him, and before he could respond, David inched the door open to peek inside.

"You're so predictable.." Max joked, the sniffed back some congestion as he dried his tears clear. After all, guy might as well be his dad, he was still David. Max would rather save his tears for when its something important, like him getting diagnosed with cancer or something. Not crying over being happy, like a wimp.

Still, David only had to take one look at Max for him to come in running, sitting on the edge of his bed as the other fretted over Max's well being, all without saying a single thing as David wrapped an arm around Max's shoulders for a hug.

The boy laughed, but took the hug anyways as he wrapped his arms around David's neck. 

"Max, was everything alright today?? Did I do something you didn't like?? I'm sorry Sparrow, I'll fix it right now—"

"David, stop being stupid. Today was great, I'm just being a baby over shit."

David pulled back from the hug, still keeping his hands on Max's shoulders as he looked the boy right in his eyes.

"Max, you'll not a baby. You're a kid, a teenager whose still growing. Turning 16 is a big milestone, so even if anything at all might have ruined this day for you—"

"David, I'm surprised I'm alive."

The guardian flinched, like always when Max made those types of jokes. It's been a hot minute since he made one in such a serious moment, so David probably thought he was super upset over something. In fact, it was the total opposite.

"David, I never thought I'll even make it too 16. Let alone 15, or even 14. I thought I'd either kill myself long before I got the chance, or my parents killed me first. The fact I'm still here, breathing and actually happy and not homeless, starving in crack house is much better than I thought it was going to be."

The redhead stayed silent, like always when Max was speaking up about his past. David hardly got the chance to hear the full story before his parents signed away their rights to him and Max was under his roof.

Max chuckled at that, knowing the only good thing his parents gave him was a loving dad. It hurts, but their saving grace was also his, in a weird fucked up way.

"That being said, I'm fucking thrilled with everything today. Lets call me crying, an act of reminiscing. I've been as happy as I've ever been with you, but don't let it go to your head. "

David wilted like a puppy, making Max laugh again at it's absurdity. Still, a fond smile met Max, with red rimmed eyes from the camp man like David was the one holding back tears. It made him want to cry again.

Instead, Max went in for another hug. Then, in a whisper so quiet David would have never heard it if weren't for the fact Max was right next to his ears;

"Thanks for the amazing birthday Dad.."

Somehow, despite Max being well into his growth spurt with gained weight and height, David still managed to pick Max up and spin him around. Crying and hollering like Max just said his first words.

Max had a really good day. An amazing day in fact, and still is.

Chapter Text

"He's such a good kid Gwen."

"You've been saying that for the past hour David, I believe you."

"But Gweennn, you just weren't there today to see it!"

David smiled into the phone, cradling the device in between his shoulder and head while making a cup of chamomile tea. He would’ve usually added honey, but something sugary didn’t feel like the call for the night. Instead, he grabbed the milk instead.

“Gwen, this semester, he got an A in Music class. B's in Social Studies and English class, and it passing all his other classes! I was never that smart back when i was a kid, I had all C’s even when I was trying my best! Max goes through all those classes with a breeze, I can’t help but be proud!”

David sniffles, remembering seeing that report card and seeing those top marks highlighted in green. And yes, sure he fibbed a little as Max was currently a D in math, the fact he had a low grade at all made David even more determined to bloom Max into a thriving scholar. 

Max, despite entering the school year months late and juggling all the change, somehow Max was still getting passing marks and keeping up in school. Surpassing anyone's previous expectations, even as the school let out for spring break. 

“David, if you cry right now I’ll just hang up."

"I'm sorryyy.." David sniffed again, picking up his completed tea and heading for the couch. "I just get so excited to talk about him. Other parents seem so blasé when mentioning their kids achievements, like it's nothing new or just expected of them. But, Max has always put his worst foot forward, to protect himself. The fact his trying and succeeding deserves every single award imaginable."

"Even Max's worse grades don't concern me, because I have full confidence he can overcome it. He just entered middle school in the most stressful part of his life, if wasn't failing even one class I would be scared he's cheating off of Neil's homework."

"Neil would offer his homework for free, or for a Milkyway bar. It's Max, those three are closer together than gum on hot concrete."

"I want him to be 12 years old. Have it my way I would've homeschooled him and show him all of what Oregan has to offer!"

"Which isn't much." Gwen deadpanned.

"Yes, and he would've hated that. Every kid needs to socialize with others their age, it's important to their development! Keeping him in the house all the time and only being around me would've drived him up the wall, and that's counterproductive to what I want. Still, imagine the two of us, taking a camping trip in the woods and roasting marshmallows under the stars!"

Gwen laughed, causing David to chuckle too at his outlandish daydreams. Max barely tolerated nature as it was, camping with Max, for fun, without access to indoor plumbing and air conditioning would've been 'hell on Earth' for his kid.

David paused at his internal rambling, wondering for a split second of anxiety-driven late night thoughts, if Max would appreciate David throwing the words 'his kid' around.

Sure, it's a conversation they hadn't had. Other than a few passing comments or witty comebacks about David legally 'owning' Max, which were met with swift disapproval since Max was his own person. David was here for support and guidance, not a hindrance to Max... 

"Still, I would love to take him out of state before we head back to camp. I don't think Max has ever left California, and Oregon really isn't the most touristy of places to be in. Even if Max might not like camping, I would love to take him to Yellowstone one of these days."

"That's going to be a lot of paperwork and talks with his social worker, and you barely survived the foster care process, are you sure?"

David looked down to the cup his was drinking, seeing the divet of a chipped off triangle piece where Max had dropped the cup in a late night snack run, and sees the glittery yellow glue in the crack connecting it to the rest of the cup.

Max was in the middle of the floor, frozen in shock when David came to investigate. The little boy was scared, pupils dilated like a mistake was a death penalty. It probably was in his old household.. 

David had to gently remind Max he wasn't upset, only worried the other had gotten injured. Max seemed to relax after that, as well as he could of in any case, and David picked up the cup to throw it away. Imagine his surprise when the fixed cup showed up in his cabinets a few days later.

David's smile widened, caressing the favorite part of his cup with his thumb as he downed another part of his tea. 

"Yes. Anything's worth it for Max."

"Don't I know it.. Listen, loved the talk David and I'm glad your doing so well with Max, but it's getting late and I got a plane to catch tomorrow. Tell the little shit I said hi and take care of yourself, good night David. "

"Good night Gwen."

A small press of a button, and David was now alone on his couch.

Or, maybe alone is the wrong word. After all, he doesn't live by himself anymore.

Shaking his head, David leaves his cup on the coffee table and walks towards Max's room. He put Max down to sleep 2 hours ago, but once he gets to the corridor, a big head of hair was spotted, trying to hide behind the kitchen island.

David smiles, and Max doesn't look very impressed with his attitude. 

"You could've joined me on the couch, it's better than crouching on the floor Max."

"Heard you were talking shit about me."

"If you were there for the conversation, which you clearly were, you would know I said nothing of the sort."

Max stayed quiet, which David then took a closer look at Max's face.

Those normally striking jade eyes were surrounded by pink instead of white. Adding the disrupted sleep, Max's eyebags also looked bigger on his rounded face. Despite it all, Max looked bashful and was pouting. Looking every bit of the 12 year old David had dreamed for.

David counted his lucky stars everyday Max agreed with staying with him, all bad days included. Max looked his age with David, and it made his heart hurt every single time he gets reminded it wasn't Max's norm to be. 

Maybe—hopefully—now, in the future, it would become Max's norm. 

Realizing he has been quiet too long, David crouched down and open his arms. 

Max looked back, skeptically as always when David offered carrying him. Back at camp, it was all about being picked up forcefully to get redirected to a safer location, but at home?

David waited, and made sure to never do something unless Max wanted it. And maybe, Max does.

Inching closer, Max crawled his way into David's arms and looped around David's neck. The redhead then placed one hand on his back and one arm carrying his legs. 

It was stable, and that's really all Max can ask for nowadays..

Curling into David's neck, he can feel the cold skin contradict Max's own burning skin. A nice cold blanket, especially since Max can't have a air conditioner in his room since the ceiling fan was enough. 

Max always preferred the cold compared to the sweltering heat anyways, and he could always reliably count on David for being cold-blooded.

Lizard man probably soaks in the sun like a cold-blooded animal too. 

The idea of David having green lizard scales leaves his mind once the two are sat down on the couch though, and Max is given the wonderful traitorous feeling of David placing him in his lap as David places his chin ontop of Max's curls.

Motherfucker was enjoying this. It pissed off Max in how easily David can love something like Max. Like, be disgusted with him like everyone else..

Max laid closer in, his back using David's chest like a wall as David —ugh— snuggles him closer. 

He'll give David this one and this one only, this is enough physical affection for the year. 

Blinking every so slowly, Max lets himself melt into the darkness of the night and think about tomorrow. 

After all, he has a math test to cheat off of Neil tomorrow.

Chapter Text

Swimming sucks. 

Max had to take mandatory swim classes back in Oregon, because apparently needing to learn how to swim is an 'important life skill' or whatever. He just thanks whichever god that was up there that it was a regular ass swimming teacher and not David being there to coach him.

Guy might be his guardian now, but shit, there was a reason he avoided it so much during Camp Campbell. Even now, when the other kids are swimming in the less polluted parts of the lake, swimming just wasn't his thing.

He offered Nurf his extra pudding cup to keep CJ and David distracted, and told Neil and Nikki where he was heading before going back to the tent to change. If he calculated this right, then his got a good 30 minutes before David catches him. 

Though, ever since being fostered by the asshole, somehow David managed to grow a 'Max is gone' radar. Even back home, something as little as Max going outside to throw out the trash is met with David running outside to check up on him.

He used to go out grocery shopping in the worst part of LA, and David thinks him going out to the front of their driveway is dangerous? Please, if he wanted to run away, he would've hijacked a car by now.

Plus, living with David isn't all that bad..

Even at camp, since Max has 'foster child' privileges now, he can spend a lot of time in the counselors cabin without David snitching to CJ where he's at. He still doesn't think CJ even knows David adopted Max, considering CJ left a week early and David decided to go with them into the city that time.

He actually misses Gwen, and it's silly. He talks and sees her all the time, since David and her are still besties and shit.

Another paint stroke goes astray, and Max rolls the sheet up and tosses it behind him.

"Fuck nature, the goddamn paper is going back to the same trees its made out of.'" Max grumbled, before going back to another page.

Dolph was into sculpting at the moment, so a lot of the paper and watercolors were fair game. He even remembers Neil stealing a few pages a few days ago for some make-shift blueprints.

Whatever, if Dolph has a problem with it, the 9 year old can suck it. Max has a gift he actually wants to give.

Laying down on the same clearing from the beginning of last summer, Max tries to capture the landscape and the trees in the back. It should be simply, like there is only 3 things in the damn picture. A sunset, a lake, and the endless trees.

He picked watercolors specifically for the blending, but every attempt looked worse and worse. Max could feel the anger rise in him, cheap brushes under him bending under his closed fist.

Looking back into the lake, with the sun still high in the sky and partly blinding him, he growled out and flipped to his back.

David had the picture in his camera, and the camera was in the counselors cabin which would be the first place David would look for him. He was really running out of options, especially since the kid who infamously doesn't have a camp is out in the middle of the forest with art supplies of all things..

Even if he has a camp now, it most definitely wasn't art camp.

Still, Max grabbed another brush and started again.

If anything, he can get the damn lake and trees down and figure out the sunset later when it's dark.

Looking out onto the lake, Max dips the brush into the light blue and covers the bottom of the page in it. He tries making the waves recongizable, and even adds green in their for depth or whatever, but it still looks like ass.

"UGHH! This shit is impossible!"

Max crumbled up the paper and sent it flying behind him, but to hear crunching footsteps follow it.

He didn't even have to turn around to know exact who it is, there was only that long of a gap between steps that were also incredibility light.

David stops once he makes it side by side with Max, plopping right down next to Max's lying form and deposits all of Max's failed attempts in front of him like a power play.

"Lemme guess, 'Nature is beautiful so don't litter?'" Max taunts, looking away from the pile of failures as to not show his embarrassment. Seeing even a smidge of blue or green leaking from the papers filled him with a flaming hot pit of shame, mad at himself for not even drawing right. Shit, he wasn't expecting to be a natural, but it still stung at being bad at something..

Like swimming..

"Well, yes, and I'm also wondering why you ran off in the middle of the day. Usually it's a night time affair with you."

Another thing that makes Max want to roll inside a pit, was David's tone when it was just the two of them. The counselor seemed to realize the fake cheeriness angered Max more than it aided him, and seem to drop it whenever it was just the two of them. Sure, the guy was still wholeheartedly optimistic, but it was steadying to hear the bass in David's voice.

"If I left during the night, you probably would sent out the search and recuse this time. At the very least I told Nikki and Neil where I was going."

"I knew I should've asked them first.." David said, with a same chuckle in his voice as Max finally gathers the nerves to look at him.

David was in his camp man get-up, bandana annoyingly bright and the other grim covered vest. Truly, David looks as close to nature as one could get. 

David looks easy to draw, is what Max is saying. Wouldn't even need to swap out the palette when drawing the background.

He tells the counselor as much, which gets a confused reaction out of the other. Max rolls his eyes, but sits up. If his going to get dragged back to camp, he rather David carry him again down the hill than waste energy using his legs.

"So, what's my punishment? I snuck off without telling anyone, and I littered. What you going to do? Trap me in my tent for a rest of the day?"

Max would honestly love that, but he has to make it sound like he hates it if he wants David to pick that punishment. It was his favorite punishment back when he lived with his parents too. Even if it meant skipping meals, he could usually just climb out his window and buy cup noodles near the 7-11.

"I want you to show me what you drew."

Max paused, then looked back up to see David's completely serious face.

"What a cruel and unusually punishment.."

"Hey now.."

"David, do you get off on embarrassing me?"

"WHat! No!"

"Because that's what this sounds like. What? You going to laugh at my drawing skills for not being able to draw the different tree species correctly?"

"THAT WAS ONE TIME!"

"Yeah, it was so fucked. You're so fucked in the head."

David whines, pleading with Max as he shakes the poor boy by his shoulders.

"You know that's not what I mean!"

Max smirks, pushing David's hands off him as he gathers the crumpled paper. 

"Yeah, I'm just fucking with you. If that's the price for sneaking out, shit I'd take it."

David frowns, but long ago stopped caring about Max's language. The swear jar they have back home doesn't apply to camp.

Still, when Max unfolds the first paper and shows the clear attempt as crystal blue waters, David smiles along anyways

Chapter Text

"Max, the land is dangerous. Land Monsters aren't to be trusted, Max!" David huffed out, crossing his arms as he swam to the kitchen, with Gwen laying her purple self to the side, ignoring the both of them as she flipped another page in her book.

"Gwen used to go up all the time!"

"That was when Gwen was old enough for the Change! Me and her were 18 when we went to the surface, you're only 10 Max!"

"It was 17, but eh, it's boring up there." The other girl said, flipping to another page as Max pulled at his scales.

"This is so unfair! You won't even tell me anything about the Change! It's not like the Land Monsters would know!"

David whipped around, face lined hard with anger but deflated when he saw Max. Stopping his chopping, David floated towards Max and cupped his face.

"Max, I do this because I care. Who knows what will happen when i'm not there! You can go to the surface when you're 18—"

"17."

"..17 and a summer."

"Ughhh!" Max pushed David off, accidentally moving the other's yellow bandana too. David adjusts it, but sends a smile towards Max anyways.

"Hey, you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah Yeah I know.. Love you too or whatever."

Gwen huffs out a laugh from her corner, but says nothing as she goes back to her book.

It was harvesting time, with Max being sent out to the other neighbors to barter and exchange produce. David grew the oysters and shrimp, so Max was trading for bundles of greens and possibly urchins if he played his cards right. 

He already got some sea cucumbers and seaweed from the other houses, and he needed to go further North for the rest of the house before turning back. 

However, before he could, something shiny caught his eye. 

It was unlike any regular shiny stuff, and seemed to have it's own reflection too as Max can't even identify what it could be made out of.

The thing, was apparently many things, as a whole trail of it departed itself from the path. Heading west, where the island was..

Max shook his head, returning back to looking ahead as he went down his regular route. David said he can't go land, and if Max disobeyed it might actually be the final straw for the green scaled guardian.

Still, looking at his own blue scales when David's green and Gwen's purple, he can't help but feel a bigger disconnect. Another secret David was hiding from him, was his own origin. 

Maybe the Land Monsters would tell him..

It's an idea to look back on, since he's already too far down to really make it back to the path. Maybe once he gets his items, he can deliver it back to David and explore. Just a little bit.

He was meet with the usual fanfare of David checking over every scale of his when he got back a minute later than usual, to which even Gwen had to intervene with batting David with her tail as she did her own once over.

"See? As blue as ever. Though, I do kinda need you to go out again."

Max's eyes widened, but played it off with his regular annoyance.

"Come onnn. I just got back!"

"And I can't go because it my turn to clean the cave. David's cooking and you got a few hours until nightfall."

Moving to her bag, Gwen searched until she threw something over her shoulder. It was whatever magazine she was reading earlier, but it took until Max looking at the cover to realize what it was.

"A fucking fanfic? You really would rather a 10 year old drop off your smut than do it yourself?"

David looked flabbergasted, looking at Gwen with betrayal.

"Gwen! You can't let Max go that far! Here, let me take it for you—"

"Absolutely not. You're too nosy to be trusted, at least Max would have the head to not read anything I write."

"The fact I'm touching it at all is hurting me."

This is great, better than he could've hope for honestly. With Gwen's fanfiction buddy living farther out of town, Max can have the excuse of taking longer to deliver it. He can go see that trail from earlier!

David pouted, but Gwen's word was law so he relented.

"Okay.. Just come straight back! No other paths or any helping! You go there and back, you hear me?"

David wagged his claw in Max's face, to which the younger rolled his eyes and agreed.

After all, can't hurt if he never finds out, right?

Max got the cave in about half an hour, the other creature living in the house having really cool dark scales and two pieces of kelp tied like an criss cross at his chest. He thanked Max for the book and gave him some squid for the journey back.

He was more of an octopus fan, but the food was nice either way. He always liked the chewiness of squid too.

Going back down the road, Max was at the tangent. Same shiny things leading a trail to the island up above. 

First, Max picked up the shiny thing. It was the same color as the setting sun, a yellow but had a smooth texture to it like sea glass. Yet, it was much smaller than that, and had weird engravings on it too.

Max followed the trail, with more and more of them piling up the closer he got to the surface. He could barely even hold it all, eventually giving up and dropping all of them to the floor below. 

He was just under the water, almost breaking the surface tension, with the sun reflecting all the little yellow things, making Max even more noticeable if any Land Monsters were there right now.. 

A brownish blob was right outside the water, the waves touching it's form as the thing stayed still. It looked like a bag, but whatever it was made out of was unfamiliar to Max.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Max let his claw reach out. Inching closer, and closer, until the tip of his nails were right at the lip of it—

"MAXX!! Are you close?!"

Max shrank back, clutching his claws like the item was the sun. He raced back down the incline, hightailing it back to the house as he heard David's voice get closer and closer.

"Max! What took you so long!?"

David fretted, once again turning Max every which way to check for any damages.

"I saw a crab and wanted to catch it. It looked pretty."

"Maxx! You know you're not allowed any pets!"

" I know I know.."

Damnit, he was really close to getting his claw out the water. If only he had more time in the day..

"What did he say? Did he liked the fic?" Gwen asked once Max entered, pushing David aside as she asked her questions.

"I didn't interview the guy. He gave me squid for the book though."

"Yess!!" Gwen punched the air, while David started going off on a monologue about how to dangerous to accept food from strangers.

Max didn't pay attention to any of it though, simply thinking back to the shiny pieces and the sun drenched bag..

Chapter Text

David was sat, light hanging above the kitchen island shining brightly down on Max's enrollment papers.

| Name: Maxwell Chandrasekhar Dasari |

| Age: 12; October 24th, 2006 |

| Camp: _____ |

David hit his head on the counter, mind still drawing a blank on what to put in the blank spot. He long ago filled out Max's information requirements, just to make sure CJ would know what to do if case.

Though, given the other's deposition to leaving for weeks on end in the middle of summer like his father before him, David might have to ask Gwen for a few of her vacation days in order to survive this summer.

He really hates having to rely so much on Gwen, especially since the women already has her full-time job and dreamed of staying away from Camp Campbell. Even though their friends, it feel like David can hardly pull his weight when it comes to her...

His only dream was to be a camp counselor at Camp Campbell, and he achieved that years ago. Yet, there would be no universe where David would've stayed one if he didn't have co-counselors helping him out. He needs Gwen, same way he needs CJ.. 

Sometimes, he really does envy Max's independentness. 

He really shouldn't, it's a horrible thing to envy. Max's exclusion of people came from years of trauma and neglectful upbringing. Max became independent because he had too, to survive.

Yet, a small, ugly part of David envied how easily Max can stand his own ground. Include people on his own willingness, but not because he needed people. But because he wanted people. 

A pitiful laugh leaves him, how Max seemed to already be a full grown adult some days when David has yet to catch up.

Maybe that's why they work so well together. David needs Max as much as Max needs David.

At the end of the day though, Max is still a 12 year old boy who does, in fact, need an adult in his life.

It just doesn't have to be David..

A small, pitter patter against the wood comes from his left, and David gets to see the wonderful image of a sleepy Max cuddling Mr. Honeynuts in one arm and rubbing his eyes with another.

It's still an adjustment, getting Max's sleep schedule in order, but David would be a hypocrite to point it out. Though, he will say it is more important for Max to get his hours in comparatively to David. 

"Why are you up? Camp doesn't start for another week at least."

"Still doing some more paperwork. If you want, I can get started on some hot chocolate for you."

David pushed his chair back and got to doing it anyways, as even if Max says he doesn't want any, he will probably steal David's cup anyways.

Max rolled his eyes, but got up to the other chair next to Davids.

It still hurt his heart to see Max so woefully small, compared to other pre-teens his age, but his doctor said getting Max on a proper schedule will fix that. More meat, more protein, less caffeine, and more sleep.

Caffeine was currently banned in the house, and chicken is always a good source of food. Sleep was a struggle, but David is always striving for better.

Like, now, even with though Max's sleep schedule is still a bit loosey-goosey, Max didn't have as bad of eyebags anymore. 

Pouring in milk and then breaking up the chocolate disc to add in, Max's voice came from behind him.

"Don't tell me you're also sending me away because you can't deal with me."

David whipped around, wondering if he did anything recently to make Max feel unwanted, but was met with a much more embarrassing sight.

Max had a small smirk on his face, holding up his own enrollment papers like it was a funny joke. David clutched his heart.

'Right, yes, Max was curious. Not questioning David's own lack of adequacy.'

Still, while setting the pot to a low simmer, David flipped back around and face Max on the kitchen island.

"Well, since you're here. I was wondering what camp you would like to go too."

"Jesus, do I fucking have too?"

There was a more noticeable anger in Max's voice, one David immediately tried to remedy.

"Well," David trailed off. Technically, Max was doing just fine without a camp. Always hanging around the Science Camp or wondering around the activity site if there was truly nothing else for him too do. Even him hanging out around the Theater camp wasn't an anomaly.

However, "If that's what you want to do. I rather put in 'undecided' than no camp at all. You can pick whichever camp you would like, doesn't have to be now, doesn't even have to be this summer, just, when you're ready."

Max gave David a tight look, like he wanted to pick a fight. David was honestly expecting one, simply out of habit than anything else, but Max simply scoffed and grabbed David's pen off the counter.

"Check on your goddamn chocolate before you burn the kitchen down, asshole."

David raced back to the stove, getting a fork and immediately stirring the pot to make sure no chocolate piece stick to the bottom. Once thoroughly broken down, David put the heat even lower and looked back at Max.

Max had already pushed the paper and pen far away from him, even flipping the paper down like it was a bad grade on a test.

The boy seemed to be grumbling to himself, whispering in such a soft voice David couldn't decipher it even being right across from the other. Max was even a bit red in the face, pushing his face closer into Mr. Honeynuts as he avoided David's stare.

"I hate camp. I hate this—this stupid 'talking about your feelings' bullshit, and I hate you for doing any of this at all."

Max face pinched at the last statement, but mellowed out once he breathed out.

"But I don't hate music. It's one of the few things I enjoyed about being trapped in tap dancing and gymnastics. It's easy to identify the notes to go along with the rhythm than physically remembering all the stupid routines."

Max turned to look at David, a vulnerable look etching across his face that Max didn't even show when he was crying.

"I always wanted to learn the guitar."

David could hear the milk bubbling behind him, but Max's scream of horror was louder when David leaped across the table to give Max a hug.