Breathe || Max X Reader - Camp Camp

XLIV

Word Count: 3,035
Y/N's POV

The constant whirring and buzzing of crickets was deafening, not to mention to croaking of many frogs in the distance. It's not worth it. In the back of my mind, I knew there was no way I'd be getting any extra sleep.
I opened my eyes and sat up in my bed. Nikki had already left our tent. I let out a yawn and stretched my arms. I placed my left hand on my back and stood. A kid shouldn't have this much back pain already. I groaned as I began brewing a cup of coffee. This'll fix it. While my coffee brewed, I decided to take a peek outside of the tent. I carefully opened the flap and peered toward the middle of camp. I viewed David and all of the other campers gathered around him.
     Oh, shoot, this one looks important. I took a glance back at my coffee. "Dang it, I can't wait for this to brew.", I mumbled to myself. I groaned as I decided to exit my tent. I removed my hand from my back as I walked over to the sea of campers. Everyone gawked at me as if I were an alien. "What?"
"Y/N, are those your clothes?", Neil piped up. I looked down only to realize that I was still wearing pajamas. I shrugged. Good thing I wore my sports bra to bed last night. I crossed my arms and covered my chest, still feeling a bit insecure. "Fair enough."
"As I was saying!", David announced. He cleared his throat, grabbing the campers' attention. It felt good when I wasn't the center of attention. "I just want you all to be conscious of the fact that summer is, in fact, coming to a close."
Immediately, I felt more awake than ever. Summer? Ending? My eyes widened. I wiped my clammy palms on my pajama pants. "How much longer until we have to go home?", Nerris asked.
David itched his nose for a moment. "Well, we only have about two weeks left.", David reminded us. My jaw hung open. I was flabbergasted. From beginning to middle, I had never considered that there was going to be an end. It felt as though it hadn't even been that long. It felt like I had only been at camp for a few days. Time flies when you're having fun. "With that being said, I am in the midst of planning a wonderful activity to help ease the stresses of parting with your fellow campers! I don't want to give anything away, but-"
"David, nobody cares!", Max interjected.
Preston rolled his eyes. Hey, he's upright on his own! I squinted. Oh, never mind. He's leaning on Harrison. "Max, that's not very kind.", David asserted. I bit my lip. The realization was hitting me so fast. I didn't know how to handle the fact that camp couldn't last forever. "That's all, kids. You're free to go on and have your breakfast, now."
The campers quickly disassembled. The only camper left behind was Preston. I should help him. I walked up to Preston and took him by the hands. Preston leaned away from the tree. "Thank you, but I can get around just fine on my own. Yesterday was a bit of a doozy, but I've been fine all morning.", Preston insisted, shoving my hands away.
I frowned. "But Preston, I would love to help you.", I promised. Preston shook his head. "Could I at least stay? I just want to make sure you're alright."
Preston smiled. "That would be perfect, actually.", he replied. Preston adjusted his puffy collar and began hobbling towards the theatre. "I want you to come with me. I have, uh-" Preston coughed. I patted his back and took his hands. "Sorry, darling. I just have something very important that I need to tell-"
"What're you two talking about?", Max interrupted. He raised a suspicious brow. Preston's eyes widened. I stared blankly at Max. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now, if you don't mind, I need to borrow Y/N."
Max gripped my forearm. He glared at Preston. "Well, Max, I-", Preston started.
Max shushed Preston and walked away. I turned to Preston. As Max dragged me away, I watched Preston's expression turn to that of pity.

"Get in.", Max demanded, pointing at the canoe. Max cornered me at the edge of the dock, so it was either get in or get wet. Okay Max, boat it is. I slowly stepped into the canoe, cautious to keep it upright. Max smirked. "Good girl."
Max climbed in with me. He grabbed the oars on the floor of the canoe and began paddling away from the dock. "What's this about?", I asked. I crossed my legs and gripped the sides of the canoe. I was feeling very nervous about the possibility of ending up in the lake.
Max let out a grunt as he continued to send to canoe away. "You know what this is about, Princess.", Max snarled. His brows were pushed together. He seemed to've had a death grip on the oars. Oh boy, he's mad...
"I-I'm sorry!", I tried. I smiled sheepishly. Max lifted the oars back into the boat. We weren't in the middle of the lake, but we were far enough from camp to be out of earshot. "I don't really know what this is about...", I confessed.
Max itched the back of his neck. "Not surprised.", he commented. Max crossed his arms. "Look, I'm pretty pissed off about the whole 'Preston thing'. I don't like you talking to him."
I threw my hands into the air accompanied by an exasperated sigh. "Are you kidding me!", I yelled. "Max, why can't you trust me?"
I was livid. No matter what I did, it was never enough for Max. He always needed more. "Well for one, he clearly likes you!", Max argued. He gritted his teeth. "Why can't you just stay away? It's not that fucking hard!"
I pinched my forehead in agony. "Max, he's my friend! I'm sick and tired of you trying to control me all the time!", I fumed. I stomped my foot on the floor of the canoe. "This isn't my problem, Max! I can't fix you! You have to fix yourself! It's not my fault that your parents are so terrible that they couldn't even teach you how to trust somebody!", I screamed.
I took an oar and slammed it across my knee, cracking it. The oar itself was still useable, but awfully fragile. I groaned as I sat it back down. Max was speechless. Oh my God, what did I just do? Max took in a deep breath. His eyes whelmed with tears. My eyes widened. I knew I'd messed up. "Fine.", was all that Max could manage. His usual hint of anger had left him. He stared blankly.
"I-"
Max put a finger to my lips, shushing me. He pulled his finger away and sat in silence. I tried to take his hand. He didn't reject me, but he also refused to grip my hand back. Max shook his head. "I'll be damned.", Max spoke. He shook his head once again and refocused. Max looked at my hand and chose to grip back. "I didn't know you were a little firecracker."
"What?", I blurted. I immediately covered my mouth with my hands.
Max grabbed one of my hands away from my mouth and held it. "No, it's okay.", Max insisted. He sighed. "I didn't expect you to say something like that. I guess I was right about you from the start. You do have a backbone, you just don't like using it."
I let out a sigh of defeat. Max had broken me. He brought out a side of me that I never wished to see. "So, what now? Are you going to scream at me again?", I sassed.
It was all too much to handle, too much to take in. "No. If you want to talk to Preston, then talk to Preston. Y/N, listen, I'm so fucked up. I don't know what to do with myself.", Max confessed.
I tried to conceal my shocked expression. "Well, do you love me?", I asked.
That was so dumb! Why would you say that? I felt sweat dripping down my cheek. "I don't know what love feels like.", Max whispered. He cleared his throat. "But...I feel something different for you. It's not something I've felt before. Maybe it's love."
I looked down. I kicked a small puddle of water that pooled on the canoe's floor. "If you love me, you'd be patient. You'd let me go. You'd support me regardless of who my friends were.", I asserted.
Max grabbed the oars. "I'm never going to be okay like how you are, but I will try.", Max promised. For a moment, we locked eyes. Max sat the oars back down and came over to me. Max cupped my chin with one hand and placed the other on my waist. I swallowed hard. I knew what was coming. "I'm going to trust you.", Max whispered softly into my ear. I felt the euphoric tingling sensation of his breath touching my ear. My hands were clamming up. He went in for the kill. Max locked lips with me. Max's vanilla scent filled my nostrils. Max pulled me closer as our lips continued to work in tandem. Finally, he pulled away. I felt dirty because all I wanted was more.
Max picked up the oars once more and started moving the canoe toward the direction of camp.