Chapter 23: Beautiful because of you

Before Leo could fly too high into heaven from the words Max had said. Max's lips pressed into his own eagerly, this time he pushed his tongue in, forcing Leo's lips to part and he delved inside to taste him.

The moment his tongue flicked back Leo gingerly sent his tongue into exploring Max's mouth and tongue. It was warm and tasted like a mixture of the chocolate pie from earlier and the sweat from all their running.

Leo hadn't meant to but he realized he had moaned in delight. The moan echoed into the empty hall and he felt Max press into him slowly, gently before he pulled his lips back.

Max broke apart from him for a moment before running his hands down Leo's shoulders and pulling Leo against him by his shirt. Their bodies pressed together harder than before and Leo didn't even need to look down to feel that both he and Max were equally as aroused right now. Max rubbed against him almost maddeningly.

"Wow," He said simply before pressing his lips to his again.

Leo could feel how hard they both were as Max headily ground against him and he felt his breath get stolen from inside him before he had a chance to breathe it.

His breathing became shallower and needier before he had to break apart from the kiss. Not because it had been too long or too forceful. But because he had simply forgotten to breathe while he lost his mind to the sensations Max was making his body feel.

Max's face said everything he needed to know without even asking.

'That had been mind-blowing.'

"Come on, let's get out of here," Max said gently and took Leo's hand. Leo wondered if he was suddenly feeling brave again.

Even though they were backtracking the way they had come and Leo now knew that for some reason this place scared Max. All of those things that should have bugged them both just fell away.

Because right now they had each other.

And were turned on.

It could have been just that last one, but Leo wanted to think it was both of them.

When they finally got back out the front doors. The street lights closest to them had finally turned on and they turned back to look at the building they had entered.

"THE MAZE," Leo said. He turned to look at Max.

"Let's go home Max," Leo said and squeezed his hand, trying to show him that he didn't care. Brave or not brave, fear or no fear. He was happy with it. Happy with that moment they had shared together.

Max turned to look at him. He nodded a light smile on his face "Sorry Leo, I am scared of haunted houses. I hate them. I hate Halloween, I hate scary movies. I hate jump scares and people getting dressed grotesquely for no reason. It's dumb and I don't like it. It scares me, I don't have a reason I just don't like it."

Leo didn't know why he had felt the need to tell him that. He shouldn't have wanted to. He should have wanted to be manly, and impressive. But he had just said it... ANd Leo wondered if Max had any idea just how brave a person you needed to be to just share your secrets and vulnerabilities with others so easily. Leo sighed.

He knew his insecurities kept him from saying the things he wanted or needed to say. He knew it was a problem. It was his own insecurities that held him back. But it was something he just didn't know how to let go of yet. He wanted to be more open, be more like Max.

Leo stared at Max's beautiful face under the lights and wondered if one of the things that drew him so intensely to Max was just how different they truly were.

Max cocked his head to the side and gave Leo an inquisitive look.

Leo smiled at Max sweetly and squeezed his hand. "I figured it was something like that, let's go home, Max." He said.

Max nodded only vaguely paying attention and started off a little before Leo.

They walked back together in the moonlight, Max's paces only bringing him slightly in front of Leo as they walked next to each other.

Leo sighed. He wanted to break the tension, the silence that hung stiffly in the air. But didn't really know what to say because all he could think of was the kiss.

He wanted to touch his lips to see if they felt softer. 'They certainly tingled.' But he didn't have a free hand. Despite Max being preoccupied thinking about something, he hadn't let go of his hand. And Leo still held the white bear in the other.

So instead they walked side by side. Leo wondered if Max was even aware he still was holding onto him tightly. He wondered if he felt the same way Leo was at that moment. And neither one of them were ready to let go just yet. Or if maybe Max had already noticed and was being too nice again and was holding onto him just in case Leo felt scared and wasn't saying anything.

Leo wasn't entirely certain. He was just happy it was happening. Happy the night had become this way. And he watched the small stone pebbles in the pavement move gently beneath his feet as they both head down the path that led back to their car.

The long path that went around the whole park. The pathway that had beautifully fresh cut lawns and small bushes with medium trees that were still in their greening and growing leaves stages. Not yet fully big and bushy and in their full glory. Some even had fairly bare branches. But it was all beautiful because he was with Max. And that was the only place he wanted to be.

Leo entertained the notion that he could be in negative forty weather and still be happy here as long as he was with Max. But knew that in reality not even Max could make him excited to stand in a park outdoors in that kinda weather.

Leo smiled. No this path around the length of the park was perfect, despite the incomplete state it was in, it was still better than the Amusement Park.

Because there was no way they were going back into the Amusement Park. Those guys had probably stopped looking for them, but it was better to be safe.

Just in case.

Leo also didn't want to say goodnight to Max just yet.

He wasn't ready to. Because despite the trouble they got into, and the high-speed chase. This really had been the very best night.

✥✥✥