You're The Only One I Need To Make Me Complete

by ghostofpatrickshand

Summary:

When people are born, they are assigned a soulmate. They have an original song stuck in their head that only them and their soulmate know. Someone just broke into Maxx's house, and he's pretty sure they're here to murder him. They're muttering a familiar song under their breath...

Chapter 1: Here I Am, 12am

The clock ticked closer and closer to midnight. Maxx lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, sifting through his thoughts, trying to ignore the loudest one.

That's what they don't tell you about this whole soulmate thing: the song can get annoying. It's constant, it's always there. At times like these, Maxx really resents the song. He just wanted silence, both inside his head and out. In an attempt to quiet the noise inside a little, he softly sang it out loud.

"Stitch me up, stitch me up, don't tear me apart..."

His cat Pistol, who had been asleep on his chest, lifted her head up at the sound. Waking up a little more, her ears twitched as she stood up and stepped off him - looking at the door.

"What is it?"

Pistol didn't need to answer his question, because whatever it was already did.

There was a loud crashing sound coming from downstairs. Aside from Pistol, he lived alone. What was making that noise?

"Wait here." He whispered to her, picking up one of the heavy skulls from his desk before creeping out the door.

Peering down the stairs, he noticed a light on that definitely wasn't before. A shadow cast on the wall showed a figure moving slowly towards the stairs. Maxx could clearly make out the silhouette of a gun in their hand.

He ducked to the side, out of sight. Heart racing, breathing rapid and shallow. He tried to keep as quiet as possible, listening out for evertything he could. The footsteps on the hard floor. The occasional crunch of broken glass under their feet.The...song they were murmuring?

Maxx listened closer. He recognised that melody. He was certain he could pick out the words 'stitch me up'.

There was no way.

Could they...?

No. They had just broken into his house to kill him. Don't be ridiculous, Maxx.

A small gust of wind came in through the open window he was near, and shivered. He looked down at himself: he hadn't realised he didn't have a shirt on. God, of course he was going to die half-naked. That was just his luck.

Accepting his fate, he began his descent down the stairs. If he was going to die, he was at least going to know who it was.

Remaining out of sight, he stopped dead.

"I know you're here, just come out." Said the person.

Maxx knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in a long time, but there was no doubt about it.

Gaining a little more courage, he stepped out behind them. "Cody? What the fuck?!"

Cody spun around. "Maxx?!"

His eyes found a framed photo of him, Maxx, and Zach. He picked it up. "Aw, you still have this."

Maxx ripped it from his hand. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Cody laughed awkwardly. "Well...You see... I have the wrong house."

"You...Fucking WHAT?!"

Chapter 2: Are You The One To Fix Me Up

Notes:

sorry this took so long, i've been focused on my other fic a bit too much. it might take me longer to update this one, but it will be written

"Cody, can you put the gun down?"

He nodded and tucked it into his back pocket. "It's not real, if that helps."

That just made things more confusing. Why would he break into someone's house - and with a fake gun? "Follow me."

He led Cody to his kitchen, pulling out a chair for him. "Sit."

Cody did as he was told, Maxx remained standing. "Are you not gonna?"

"I feel like I'll need some coffee first."

His eyes followed Maxx's movements around the room, making his drink. While he was filling his mug, his attention turned to the meow coming from behind him.

"Hey Pistol!" He slid off the chair to crouch down beside her, and she began to rub her head against his leg.

Maxx slowly sipped his drink, a smile creeping over his face while he watched. "I almost forgot how much she liked you."

He took a deep breath, another sip, then pulled a chair out to sit in front of him. "Explaination time. What the fuck are you doing?"

"First of all, I just want to make it clear this wasn't my idea."

Maxx furrowed his brow and tilted his head to the side a bit.

"Blame Zach."

"Elaborate."

"He paid me to do this. He gave me an address, said he wanted me to 'stage a break in.'"

"Why?"

"He said, and I quote, 'fuck with him for his birthday.'"

"How come you said 'wrong house'?"

"It's been so long, surely Zach would've told me if it was you. Plus it's not your...is it?"

Maxx pointed at the calendar on the wall across from them. Cody fell silent as the gears started turning in his head.

It was past midnight which meant it was now the 22nd...and they were in February... "Oh shit! Happy birthday!"

Maxx laughed. "Well this sure is one way to get us to talk."

Cody chuckled softly. "I'm sorry about that."

"Hey, don't be. It's not like I really made the effort to reach out either."

"You know, I'm glad Zach did this. Don't get me wrong, it was fuckin weird, but..."

Maxx was sat gazing into Cody's eyes, as if he would be able to see what was going on inside his head. He wanted to ask him about the song. Confirm he was wrong. He knew it couldn't have been...right? 'Just do it, you've got nothing to lose'

"Hey Cody,"

"Yeah?"

"You were singing something earlier. What was that?"

"Oh nothing, just my soulmate song." He decided to sing a bit of it out loud, unsure why he suddenly felt the need to. "Stitch me up, stitch me up, there's pins in my heart."

Holy. Shit.

"Pardon all my precious scars." They sang together.

Cody's jaw dropped, eyes widened. "Wait, what the fuck?!"

Chapter 3: Face To Face, So Far Apart

Summary:

A little bit of background information, from Pistol's point of view.

Notes:

i had a strange idea but just went with it
enjoy :)

[Four years earlier]

Pistol woke up from what seemed like a normal nap on any regular day, unaware it was about to be anything but.

Untucking herself from between the pillows on Maxx's bed, she stretched and followed the sound of voices.

They got louder as she went further down the stairs.

Why were her dad and Cody stood in the hallway being so loud?

Cody was tense, his grip tightening on the big bag he had over his shoulder. Maxx's back was to her, but she could still see the sharp movements of his hands along with his words.

Maxx reached to pull the framed photo off the wall, Cody's eyes widening. He threw it on the floor, watching the glass shatter around his feet. Pistol flinched back at the sound.

Cody left, slamming the door behind him.

She watched as Maxx stood frozen for a moment, before letting himself fall against the wall and cry.

She immediately went towards him, but he noticed her presence. "Pistol, glass. Stay back!"

She sat down where she was stood, keeping her distance, but still trying to be there.

He crouched down, picking up the broken pieces of the frame, tossing the picture to the side. He moved to quickly, too carelessly, and cut his hand.

He sucked in a sharp breath. "Fuck!"

He ignored the blood slowly dripping from his palm, trying to clean everything up.

She remained in the same place when he hurried to the kitchen to dispose of it all.

He returned with a bandage tied messily around his hand. He walked past her to retrieve the picture, carrying it with him, then sitting down beside her.

She took this as her cue to comfort him. She climbed onto his lap, nuzzling her head into his chest. He had one arm around her, holding her close, kissing the top of her head, and that picture in the other hand. Him, Cody, and Zach. Pistol was there when the photo was taken - the tip of her tail could just be seen near one of the corners.

After that day, the photo disappeared.

...

Over 2 years later, when they moved house, Pistol had been wandering around the new place, and found her dad sat beside a box, with something in his hand, looking like he was trying not to cry.

She went over to him, doing what she knew to do when Maxx was sad.

While cuddled up to him, she saw what he was holding: it was that same photo.

From then on, that photo gained a new frame, and a place on a shelf. Maxx would get emotional if he stared at it too long.

As time went by, the feelings faded and it became just another thing in the background.

That is, until now.

Around four years after she'd last seen him, here was Cody: just in her house. She greeted him with as much warmth as she used to. She was so happy to see him again, as far as she was concerned, he was her other dad.

Chapter 4: Really Hoping That You Stay, That You Never Walk Away

The two gazed at each other, wide eyed. 

"Maxx, how do you know that?"

"How do I know it? How do you?"

"I told you, it's my soulmate song."

"It's mine too..."

Cody spoke carefully. "So, does that mean...you're..."

Maxx nodded slowly. "I think so."

Cody took a deep breath in, unsure what to do now. Maxx appeared the same; he let out a soft, awkward laugh to fill the silence. 

"Where do we go from here?" Cody asked. 

"Well, I'm going back to bed. I'm tired, and," He gestured to his lack of clothing, "Cold. We can figure this out later. There's a guest room upstairs you can sleep in. I'll show you where."

Cody followed Maxx up the stairs, trying not to trip over Pistol who was weaving herself around his feet. 

He said goodnight to Maxx, then settled himself in the bed. 

He stared at the ceiling, sleep running away from him. As he lay awake, their last conversation raced through his head, their voices echoing around him:

"Cody you can't just give up!"

"I'm not giving up, I'm moving on!"

"Well, it sounds a whole lot like giving up!"

"And why shouldnt I? We've been doing this for years and have nothing to show for it!"

"Not yet! We just need to keep going. What was it your dad said?"

"Don't you dare quote him at me!"

"'There's no shortcuts to success.'"

"That doesnt apply to times when we clearly aren't going to succeed. Why are you so insistent on this? Did the band really mean that much to you?"

"Yes!"

"Then you need to move on. We're done. Let me go.

"What does Zach think about this?"

"It doesn't matter what Zach thinks, he's not going to stop me."

"Fine. Go!"

"Maxx-"

"Go!" The smash of glass. The frame in pieces. The picture laying face down. 

Cody didn't even say anything before he left. Just turned. Slammed the door. Gone. 

Chapter 5: No, There's No Denying Chemistry This Strong

Notes:

and this is what happens when songs about sex start playing at the same time the writing juices start flowing

Maxx once again found himself laying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. No matter how much he tried to stop it, his thoughts kept going back to Cody. He couldn't get him out of his head.

As if all those thoughts had summonned him, Cody knocked softly at his door. "You awake?" He murmured.

Maxx rolled off his bed to go and open the door. "Can't sleep, either?"

Cody shook his head.

Had he been thinking about Maxx like he'd been thinking about Cody?

Cody looked like he was about to say something, but it didn't want to come out. It remained unheard while he gazed into Maxx's eyes.

Some sort of tension sat between them. Building.

In a wild attempt to release said tension, Maxx surged forward and collided their lips. Cody leaned into him without hesitation, his tongue eager to explore when Maxx opened his mouth.

Hands were in hair, hands were on backs, all pulling close.

They broke apart, gasping for air. Cody held the corner of the shirt Maxx was now wearing. "Can I?"

Maxx nodded

Cody slowly began to lift Maxx's shirt, gathering the fabric up, exposing the skin beneath. Maxx raised his arms to allow the shirt to be removed entirely.

Once it had been tossed to the side, Cody ran his eyes over his bare chest, taking in the sight.

Maxx chuckled softly. "It's not like you haven't seen it before."

"This," Cody began, breathing heavy. "Is an entirely different context."

His eyes flicked up to meet Maxx's before shooting back to admire his view. "And now, I can fully appreciate your beauty."

Maxx flushed red, then grabbed Cody's face to kiss him.

As Cody's hands travelled across his body, Maxx tugged at the shirt Cody was still wearing.

He broke the kiss to pull his shirt off, immediately recapturing Maxx's mouth with more intensity than before. His body was now pressed flush against his own, the feel of Maxx's skin on his was a wondrous sensation.

Maxx suddenly pulled away and took a step back, Cody let his hands fall away to his sides.

"Are you okay?"

"What are we doing?" Maxx panted. "We shouldn't be doing this, not now."

Cody could see where he was coming from. Too much uncertainty, and things to be figured out before rushing into something like this. "What do you wanna do?"

"As much as I'd want to just throw caution to the wind and continue, there's things we need to talk about. I haven't even fully wrapped my head around you being my soulmate yet, and I know you haven't either."

"You're right." Cody crouched down to pick up their shirts from the floor, handing Maxx's back to him. "I'll go to my room now, and I'll stay there until you're ready to talk. How's that?"

Maxx thought about it a moment before nodding in agreement. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Cody said, smiling at him before leaving.

Notes:

updates for this and my pirate au are likely to take a while now. i've got the ending for my partners in crime fic planned out, and we're on the lead up to the final stretch, so i wanna try and focus on getting that written.

also thanks so much for the kudos and comments, they mean a lot :) 🫶

Chapter 6: Turn The Page, Look Back At What You Wrote

Summary:

Well, well, well,
If it isn't the consequences of their actions
and Zach

Notes:

i was in the middle of wrapping presents but now here we are
i should probably get back to that

Later that morning, Cody finally left the room to get something to drink, and ultimately - to face Maxx. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. If anything, he half expected Maxx to immediately kick him out. Not that he could blame him.

Pistol heard him coming and meowed, alerting Maxx of his presence before he actually entered the kitchen.

"Hey."

"Hi." Maxx responded, not turning around. His voice was monotone, focus remaining fixed on the coffee he was slowly stirring.

"Can I get a drink?" Talking felt strange, like a knife working its way through the awkward tension that hung between them now.

Maxx pointed at the cabinet to his right. "Cups are in here, you can see where the tap is, help yourself to whatever's in the fridge."

"Thanks." He said.

As Cody began moving around the room, Maxx took a seat at the table, looking at something on his phone while he sipped his drink.

Things now felt off with Maxx - understandably so. They hadn't exactly made the best of decisions last night.

Cody stood by the table, opposite him. "Talk to me."

"Hm?" Maxx looked up.

"Something's bothering you, why don't you talk to me about it?"

Maxx stayed quiet. Cody spoke again.

"Are you regretting what happened last night?"

Maxx nodded. "This isn't how I wanted things to go." He sighed. "I wish we could just start over."

"Then let's do that."

"Do what?"

"Start over." Cody took a seat and called Pistol to them. "Remember this?"

Maxx's mouth twitched into small smile.

"Maxx, if that's your soulmate song, and it's mine too..." His hand shot to his chest and he made an expression of exaggerated shock. "Does that mean you're my soulmate?"

Maxx chuckled softly. "I think so." He said, mirroring the words he spoke the first time.

"Where do you want to go from here?

While taking his time to respond, there was a knock at the front door.

Maxx got up to answer it, and Cody remained seated with his drink.

His voice echoed down the hall. "Cody what the fuck happened to my door?!"

Shit. He'd forgotten he did that. "Uhhh... Zach told me to break in, so-"

"I said to 'stage a break in' not actually do one!" Came Zach's voice.

"You broke my fucking door!"

"I'll pay for it!"

"You better!" Maxx was getting closer, the sound of another person's footsteps following him. "Just because you're my soulmate, doesn't mean you can get away with breaking my door." He was now leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm guessing you two finally figured it out then." Said Zach, entering the kitchen and taking a seat next to Cody.

He looked between the two of them. "Okay, what happened?"

Notes:

of course i write another chapter right after saying i probably wouldn't for a while
lol sorry about that
i would say i actually mean it this time, but i'm gonna be on another long car journey tomorrow so you never know what i may write

Chapter 7: Guess You'd Say I'm Blessed

Notes:

i have things to say but it's been a while since i updated this fic (sorry) so i'll put it in the end notes

enjoy the chapter :)

Waiting for their response, Zach's vision flickered from one man to the other, noticing the glances Maxx and Cody kept shooting at each other. He raised his eyebrows. "You wanna share what's going on?"

They remained silent. Cody seemingly becoming very interested in the pattern of the wooden tabletop, staring at it intensely, as if it held the answers to everything. 

"Wow, what the fuck did you guys do?"

"It doesn't matter." Maxx finally said, clearing his throat and walking from the doorway towards the cabinets. "You want a drink?"

"Maxx." 

"Is that a yes to the drink?" He tried to move the conversation away from what Zach was asking - they were starting over after all, he didn't need to know what happened. He didn't want Zach to know. Sure, they may have stopped, but Maxx still lost control and he was far from proud of that fact.

He filled a glass with water and set it on the table in front of Zach. He dried his hand on his shirt, wiping away the drops of water which had ran down the side of the glass and settled on his skin. 

Zach turned to Cody. "Do you have anything to say?" 

He shook his head. "Maxx has said it doesn't matter, so don't worry about it." 

He wanted to push further, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Maxx spoke - ultimately changing the subject. 

"Hey Zach, what did you mean when you said we 'finally figured it out'?"

"Is it not obvious?"

"Are you saying you knew?"

Zach sipped his water and nodded. 

Cody leaned closer to Zach. "How long have you known?"

"A long time."

"How long?" He asked again. 

"Since when we were still a band." 

"That long?!" Exclaimed Maxx. 

"And you didn't say anything?!"

"I thought since I found out so easy, you would've too. You know, spending that much time around each other, we were bound to hear something." He took another sip before continuing. "I thought you would figure it out, but you didn't. Then Cody left, and you guys fell apart. So, I tried something stupid to get you two to talk again. Thankfully, it worked."

Maxx and Cody smiled at each other, then at Zach. 

"I hope whatever happened doesn't cause a problem, because I want you guys to be happy."

"I think we'll be alright." Maxx cautiously placed his hand on top of Cody's, watching him for a response, for any signs he did the wrong thing. 

Cody locked eyes with him, and moved his hand. Maxx panicked, starting to pull away, but Cody was simply turning his hand so he could hold Maxx's better. Realising this, Maxx relaxed and offered a soft smile, which Cody reciprocated. 

Notes:

so...
i have had 3 fic ideas and i'd like your thoughts on whether you'd be interested or not :)

first, ive spent too much time on welcome2elsewhere.com and now i have more lore to unpack: do i write another elsewhere fic???

second, ya know how we have girl out boy and femcr... how about that for sio? fem it off/girl it off???

third, should i start a oneshots book???because i have a collection of prompts that would be fun to write for. plus, if you have any suggestions i will absolutely write them. i wanna write what you wanna read, ya know?

(and don't worry, anything that i start will be finished ;D)

Chapter 8: Fantasy So Close

Notes:

i was planning on posting this on maxx's birthday, but i think i've made you wait long enough for this chapter

sorry about it taking almost a month, writers block is a bitch and college is kicking my ass lol

the next chapter is already planned out so (hopefully) it shouldn't take as long as this one did

enjoy :)

Zach only stuck around for two hours. He reminded Cody of the key to Maxx's place he'd given him, expecting him to use that instead of breaking the door - an action Cody profusely apologised for. Zach also wished Maxx a happy birthday. Maxx was absolutely ecstatic with the gift Zach gave him: it was a bracelet with little pawprints spelling out 'Pistol'. It immediately found its place on Maxx's wrist, with him vowing never to remove it. 

While Maxx walked Zach to his car and said his goodbyes, Cody stayed behind in the kitchen doing something on his phone. 

Maxx hugged Zach, thanking him for bringing Cody back into his life - and again for the gift. Zach wished him happy birthday once more, before he departed. 

Maxx headed back to Cody in the kitchen, but stopped in the hall when he crossed paths with Pistol. He crouched down and held out his wrist to her. She softly booped the bracelet with her nose then rubbed her head against it, purring. 

It had gained the Pistol seal of approval!

Hearing Cody finish his phone call, he stood back up to join him in the kitchen once again. 

Watching Maxx enter the room, Cody spoke. 

"I've got someone coming to fix your door. They should be here in about an hour." 

"Thanks."

Cody made his way to sit back down at the table, but Maxx stopped him. 

"Wait. Do you wanna go sit somewhere more comfortable?"

Cody nodded. 

"Come on, I'll show you where the living room is." The smile already on his face spreading just that little bit more as he reached out a hand. 

Cody gazed back at him, his hand going out to meet Maxx's. Then he saw something. 

His hand cupped the back of Maxx's, thumb gently tracing over the scar on his palm. "What happened?"

"Remember when you left? And I smashed that picture? Wasn't careful enough clearing up the glass."

Of course, that day. How could they ever forget? Thinking about it made both their faces fall.  

Cody approached Maxx, arms outstretched to give him a hug. Feeling Maxx lean against him, and put his arms around him, Cody held him a little tighter. 

Pulling away after a moment or two, Cody had an idea. 

"Hey, Maxx?"

He met his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Do you have any plans tonight?"

"No...why?"

"I'd like to take you out. Somewhere nice. For your birthday - and perhaps... for our first date?"

Maxx's face lit up, the joy immediately infecting Cody. "I'd love that!"

Chapter 9: Just Take A Breath, Relax

Notes:

guess who saw sio live recently 🔥
i need to share with you guys a thing that happened:

guy in the crowd: muscle mommy!!
maxx: ...what??

Maxx stood in front of his open closet, staring at everything inside, frowning. 

Cody had left shortly after the door had been fixed, and he told Maxx he would pick him up at 6. 

It was currently almost 5:30. Shit. Where did the time go? How did he only have half an hour? He hadn't even figured out what to wear yet.

Cody hadn't told him where they were going, but he had said to "Wear something nice." What did he mean by that? Exactly how 'nice' were they talking here? He didn't want to wear something too nice and fuck things up - but he also didn't want to wear something that wasn't nice enough and fuck things up. He really didn't want to fuck things up. 

He sighed. He'd been on dates before, never stressed out as much as he was right now. 

'This isn't just a date.' He told himself. 'It's a date with your soulmate.' 

Well, that had set off a bunch of thoughts. 

'Imagine fucking up a date with your soulmate.'

'If he's your soulmate it's bound to go well.'

'If the date doesn't go well with your soulmate of all people, that really says something about you.'

None of those thoughts helpful, of course. 

Maxx pulled all the clothes he deemed 'nice' out of his closet and laid them out on his bed. Once again, he found himself stood staring at the clothes with his mouth downturned. 

He arranged them in a line from most fancy to most casual, then opted for the outfit in the middle. 

While putting the clothes on, he was second-guessing everything. Was he perhaps overthinking this? 

Facing the mirror, he tucked in his shirt and studied his outfit. His black trousers matched his black blazer, and underneath he wore a plain white t-shirt. It was simple, but smart. Not too laid back, but not too overly formal. At least, that's what he hoped. 

He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back and out of his face. He nodded to himself: now it looked a little more tidy. 

Maxx's phone buzzed, and when he went to check it, there was a knock at the door. 

'You ready?' Read the text from Cody. 

He almost tripped over Pistol while leaving his room, then he hurried down the stairs. He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers when he went to check his pockets. He had everything he needed. 

He took a deep breath, trying not to feel so anxious. Putting the key in the lock, Maxx remembered what Cody used to say to him. Three questions, whenever he was worrying. He could picture him asking them. 

'Are you worrying?'

'Is it helping?' 

'If it's not helping, then why worry?'

The door opened, and there was Cody. His face lit up upon seeing Maxx. He felt better already, Cody's smile calming him. 

He seemed to have had the same sort of idea with his clothes. They may have even been wearing the exact same trousers and blazer combo. Cody had chosen to put on a light blue button-up shirt underneath, with the top buttons undone. 

"You look great." Cody told him, holding out a hand. 

"So do you." Maxx responded, taking it. 

As they got in the car, Maxx asked where they were going. 

"You'll see." 

Notes:

i asked my friend for advice on this chapter and the next. they helped me figure out what they're wearing, and then repeatedly said to make them fuck in the restaurant bathroom...
i have something better planned >:)

Chapter 10: Taste Of The Good Life

Notes:

sorry this update took so long 😭 hope the longer than usual chapter makes up for it 🫶

"So... You gonna tell me where it is we're going, yet?"

Cody shook his head. "Nope. You'll find out when we get there." 

Maxx pouted. "Okay, Mr Mysterious." 

He watched Cody smile. "You'll like it, I promise." 

***
It took Maxx right up until they were actually approaching the building for him to finally learn their destination. 

He looked around. "This looks fancy..."

Cody smiled at him. "Oh yeah. Just you wait 'til we get inside." 

They walked beside each other until they reached the door - which Cody held open for Maxx, gesturing a little overdramatically. 

The pair were greeted by the host, who showed them to their table. Despite Maxx's attempt at a protest, Cody insisted on pulling his chair out for him. 

"You're being quite the gentleman tonight." Maxx said, face a little red. 

"I'm just trying to make tonight as nice as I can for you." He responded. 

"Well you're succeeding. It's been perfect so far." 

Maxx's gaze travelled across the room, then he looked up and saw the giant chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. "Holy shit... This place is fancy as fuck!" 

"I wanted to take you somewhere real nice, this was the best place I could find on short notice."

Maxx's eyes were still travelling around, full of wonder. "It's amazing!"

While his gaze ventured, Cody's stayed fixed on the beautiful man across from him. He sighed affectionately. "Just for you, Maxxy..." He murmured. 

Maxx's head snapped back to look at him, face flushing very red at the nickname. "What  was that?"

Cody's heart quickened, and he could feel his own face heating up to match Maxx's. "Uhh nothing." 

"No, I - I liked it." 

The approach of the waitress startled both of them. "Hi, are you gentlemen ready to order?"

Shit. Cody cleared his throat then spoke. "Sorry, we're not. Could we have more time?"

She nodded. "Of course, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thank you." He turned to Maxx. "We should probably get to doing that." 

Maxx agreed and picked up the menus, handing one to Cody. He opened it up...

"Holy shit!" 

"You okay?" Cody asked. 

"I was not expecting everything to be that expensive."

"Don't worry about it, it's all on me tonight."

"Cody, that's ridiculous." 

He shook his head. "Nuh-uh. You order what you want, let me treat you."

Maxx tried to protest, but due to Cody's insistence he eventually gave in. 

***
Cody parked up outside Maxx's house, and right as he was opening his mouth to say something, Cody spoke first. "Want me to walk you to your door?"

Maxx nodded. 

They walked the short distance together in a strange silence. It felt like they both wanted to say something, but neither did. 

Reaching Maxx's newly fixed door, they turned to each other. 

"Thank you for a great night. Really, it was perfect." 

Cody's smile just grew, his whole face full of joy. His brief glance at Maxx's lips didn't go unnoticed. 

"You know what could make it even more perfect?" 

"What?"

Maxx stepped closer to Cody, a hand reaching up to gently cup his face. "Pretend like it's the first time." He whispered before joining their lips in a soft, sweet kiss. It may have only lasted a few seconds, but it still left them both breathless. 

"It's really late, do you wanna... stay the night?"

Cody raised an eyebrow and Maxx realised the connotations of what he just said. His face went a little red. "That's not me suggesting anything." He clarified. "I'm gonna watch TV with Pistol, do you wanna join us?"

He smiled. "I'd love to." 

Oh, that smile of his. Infectious. Beautiful. It tugged on Maxx' heart in a way he didn't know he loved so much. 

As he turned to unlock the door, he sighed deeply. It opened, and Cody followed Maxx inside. They were immediately alerted to Pistol's presence by her loud meow, and the soft sound of her paws on the floor. 

Maxx called a greeting, and Cody crouched to pet her. 

"Come on through whenever, I'll be getting things ready." 

As Maxx went out of sight, Pistol pulled her head from Cody's hand to find him. Standing up, he followed her. 

He walked into the room to find Maxx stood in front of the sofa with a blanket in one hand, and the TV remote in the other. Once it was switched on, he took his blazer off and sat down. 

Cody did the same, then took a seat beside him. As Maxx lay the blanket over his legs, he offered to share with Cody. When the offer was accepted, he frowned when it didn't quite reach. 

"You're gonna have to move closer if you want this to work." 

Cody shuffled a little more towards Maxx, unsure exactly how close he should get. 

"I don't bite." Maxx chuckled, noticing Cody's wariness. 

He moved a bit closer, until their sides were touching, and the blanket now comfortably over the two of them. 

They wasted little time finding a movie - one they knew they both loved. 

A few minutes in, Cody started to feel uncomfortable. He needed to shift his arm, but didn't want to bother Maxx. In the end, he had to. He lifted his arm up and tried to move it over Maxx's head to lay across the back of the sofa without disturbing him. He realised his arm was practically around him. 

"This okay?"

Maxx looked at the placement of his arm. "Hmm..." 

Cody worried for a minute, before Maxx did the unexpected. 

He moved Cody's arm to be properly round him, his hand resting on his shoulder, then shifted much closer to him. "How about this?" 

Cody returned the smile Maxx gave him. "Even better."

Pistol took this as her cue to join them - jumping up and laying across the place their legs met, joining them together. 

The pair hadn't noticed how tired they were - they were unaware the movie ended, as they had fallen asleep. Cody's arm still round Maxx, Maxx's head on Cody's shoulder, and of course Pistol still on their laps. 

Notes:

shoutout to ass for saving me with this chapter (they know who they are)

Chapter 11: So Glad I Found You Now

Notes:

this took so much longer to update than i thought, im sorry 🙏😭 i dont know where the time went

heres a lil chapter of fluff :)

As Cody stirred awake, the weight on his shoulder was one of the first things he noticed. That, and the slight ache in his body due to having slept sitting up. He used the hand that wasn't around the still-sleeping body of Maxx to rub the sleep from his eyes. He blinked a few times, then looked around. 

The TV was still on - well, the screensaver was. He couldn't do anything about it, though. The remote was next to Maxx, and he couldn't really move; he didn't want to wake him - he still seemed pretty deep in sleep. 

Pistol was still curled peacefully on their laps. She'd moved a little to be mostly on Cody, but her head rested on Maxx's leg. 

Cody looked back to the sleeping head on his shoulder. Maxx was so beautiful. He loved the way his long hair fell a little over his face, casting a shadow across his eyes. 

Cody couldn't even begin to describe how lucky he felt. How lucky he was to have Maxx back in his life, to be here with him right now, to be his soulmate. It didn't feel real. 

He stayed perfectly still, watching Maxx sleep, debating whether he should wake him or not. He didn't have to think for too much longer because Pistol had started to wake up. She stood up, stretched, then began to nudge Maxx with her paws. She meowed once; he made a small noise. She meowed again, louder, and that seemed to draw him further from his slumber. 

"Alright, Pistol." He murmured. "I'll feed you in a minute."

Maxx brought a hand up to his face when he yawned, and that's when he fully registered his position. He was huddled up close to Cody, his head on his shoulder, and Cody's arm was still around him. Maxx pulled himself away. 

"I'm so sorry, I hope I wasn't bothering you too much. I didn't mean to invade your space like that." 

Cody just smiled at him. Despite Maxx being further away, his arm still connected them. "Do you hear me complaining?" 

"No..."

"Then you have nothing to apologise for." 

He returned the smile. "You really don't mind?"

Cody chuckled softly. "I was quite enjoying it, actually." 

Maxx flushed a little red as his smile grew. "Well, in that case, it's a real shame I need to go and feed Pistol; I'd like to go back to that." 

The cat let out another loud meow at the mention of her name. 

"I'm sure she can wait for five more minutes." Cody gently pulled him back. 

Maxx fully let himself be moved by Cody, contently humming when his arm tightened around him and his head returned to its place on his shoulder. They both sighed happily. 

"Pistol's not gonna be happy about this." 

"She'll survive."

After a few moments of silence - or the closest they could get to silence with Pistol making noise on Maxx's lap, he spoke again. 

"I really missed you, you know."

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry for all of it. I promise I'll never leave like that again."

"Thank you."

"Now shut up and cuddle me."

"You got it." He responded, reaching an arm around his torso to hold him closer. 

Cody planted a soft kiss on the top of Maxx's head. He wished they could stay like this forever. For these few minutes, life felt perfect.