josh answered the phone call he was receiving, putting it on speaker and continuing his homework.

"hey, what'd you get on number five?" max asked, josh giggling.

"you call me just to get my answers." he said. they were working on biology homework. today was tuesday, he didn't have tutoring with tyler.

"bitch i just need this one answer and i need someone to talk to or i'm gonna drive myself crazy." max laughed through the phone.

"alright alright. i got B." josh said.

"was it in the book?"

"yeah that's where i found it." josh said. "page 55."

"that's gay of the book to do that." max said. you had to put the page where you found the answer on.

"i don't see how that was gay of the book but i get it kind of." josh nodded.

"how was your day?" max asked, josh hearing the scratching of his pencil on his paper.

"i guess it was okay. i don't know i had a really good day yesterday so today i'm kind of crashing." josh said.

"im sorry. wish i could fix that."

"yeah. thanks. i'm okay though. how was yours?"

"it was actually pretty good. my mom hasn't been home today. dads been passed out drunk since i got home. so i'm just chilling." he said, slightly chuckling.

"that's no way to live. i'm so sorry." josh sighed.

"i've done it my whole life, i know how to manage now." max said.

"you're so brave." josh smiled. "i wouldn't be able to do that."

"you're brave too, you've been through a lot. i really love your family though by the way."

"my mom loves you too." he chuckled. "i need to tell her how we all made up again. i haven't yet."

"why not?"

"just, i don't know. i'm fucked up and i just don't feel like explaining all that shit i don't know how she's gonna react. but yeah i'll tell her soon." he nodded.

"yeah, cause i wanna come over sometime. i miss your mom and your siblings and stuff."

"yeah i might tell her today." josh nodded.

"has tyler not been coming over for tutoring?"

"nah. yesterday we went to his house and i guess that's the plan for tomorrow too. my mom absolutely hates him." josh slightly chuckled.

"i mean you can't blame her. she doesn't know the full story."

"yeah. hopefully she can change her mind." he nodded.

"he's a good guy. he just had to realize that he wasn't being one ya know."

"yeah. he didn't realize how much he was hurting people." josh said. he frowned a bit.

"i'm glad he's back in my life, he was like my first friend at worthington."

"he's pretty important to me to yeah. i'm glad he's back. i don't know he's just someone you didn't know you need in your life i guess." josh said. he wondered if this conversation was making max uncomfortable.

"i'm glad i'm back in your life. and you're in mine. it was awful without you." he slightly chuckled.

"i'm glad you're back in mine too. for real." he nodded.

"thank you, by the way. just for like everything."

"you gotta stop thanking me max. i didn't do anything." josh blushed.

"you listened to me. that's important to me." max replied. josh could cry.

"of course i'll listen to you. i care about you." josh said.

"me too. i care about you too." max said.

"are you done yet, with the worksheet?" josh asked.

"i'm on the last one." he said.

"i think it's d i think it's on page 61." josh said.

"yeah i was just looking at that. ima put that." max said. josh circled the answer and wrote the page number before putting his stuff back in his folder and in his backpack.

"alright. i'm done with all my homework." josh sighed, plugging his phone up.

"i have some for english. but it's not a lot." max was in regular english, instead of ap lang.

"i need to shave today." josh sighed.

"face, balls or both?" max laughed. josh giggled.

"both. i don't shave my dick max you know this." josh said.

"oh, my bad, trim." max corrected himself.

"yeah get it right buddy." josh said.

"shaving off everything down there is so childish. like grow up ya know." max said.

"exactly. a dick needs some hair. a dick without hair is ugly." josh said.

"i agree i think we should go public with our argument this is a serious matter the men of ohio need to know." max said. josh giggled.

"i agree. we can make a psa," josh said.

"sounds like a plan." max agreed.

"did you know that ryan dared brendon to go a whole month without shaving or trimming anything." josh laughed.

"why ohmygod."

"ry just dared him to. i don't really know." josh laughed. 

"i dare you to go a year without shaving or trimming." max joked.

"hellll no. gives me shivers just thinking about it ew." josh said.

"you're so cute." max laughed. a blush spread over josh's face.

"no you." he said. max chuckled.

"hey um. about what happened at the party..."

"yeah. yeah it's okay. we can just forget about it." josh said. he smiled at the thought of it.

"i don't wanna wave it off. i liked it. a lot." max said. josh cleared his throat.

"i did too." he admitted.

"is the spark still there?" max asked softly.

"i don't. i don't really know. i think so." josh nodded.

"do you still like me? it's okay if you don't, i understand. i just. i wanna know i'm driving myself crazy over you."

"i-i. i can't-" he let out a shaky breath. "yeah. yes. i still like you." he finally admitted. it fell silent.

"really?" max eventually said.

"y-yeah," his voice broke. "yeah." he cleared his throat.

"what about tyler?" max hesitated to ask.

"i just... i try to see myself with him and it just. i just can't forget what he did. i just think we're better off as friends." he said. this was true. at the moment at least.

"am i crazy for even asking if there's a small chance of us working things out?" he said. josh paused. he paused for a while.

"never mind i just-"

"no, no it's not crazy. i think there is a chance." josh finally said. he heard max take in a sharp breath. 

"will it end the same way as last time?" max asked.

"no. no i promise you that. i swear." josh said. he didn't lie.

"i miss you."

"yeah. i miss you too."

"i'm sorry i'm just putting all this on you right now. but i really just fucking miss you. you're so sweet and god you're so beautiful. i just-, i don't know why i keep feeling things for you. i tried to just forget you but you never left my mind. you saved my life josh. i couldn't have gone on any longer in my family. i didn't have anything to live for. now i do. i have you. i have a whole group of friends. and it's all because of you. boyfriend or not, you saved my fucking life." max said. josh wiped the tears that fell from his eyes. he heard max sniffle.

"are you okay, max? i know you're not. but for real. i need to know if you still have those thoughts." josh said. he didn't mean to ignore maxs whole statement, but this was serious. max took a while to answer.

"do you want to come over?"

"i-it's okay you don't have to." he said, voice shaky.

"i'm coming to get you." he said, standing up off his bed.

"what about your mom?" max stuttered.

"i'll handle it. i'm on my way. max?"

"yeah?"

"i feel the same way about us. i just," he stopped. "we'll figure it out. i'll be there in a minute."

"o-okay. yeah. bye." he said.

"bye." josh said back, hanging up the phone.

he grabbed his keys and walked downstairs, seeing his mom.

"mom?" josh said, standing in the kitchen.

"yes sweety?" she said, turning to look at him.

"i need to talk to you. just in here or something." he said. she furrowed her eyebrows, standing up and walking to him.

"what's up, are you okay?" she said.

"yeah i'm okay. but you need to know. max is back in my life." josh said. she stayed silent. "and tyler."

"tyler? honey, tyler?" she said.

"i know i know it looks bad mom. but he's changed. if you see him you'll know he changed. him and max are friends again." josh said.

"what do you mean again? max hated that boy." laura said.

"they used to be friends, and then tyler did something to max. there's a long story but i think max should tell you. i'm going to get him." josh said.

"are you sure this is a good idea? you know you can't go back to them." she said. "not now at least."

"yeah. yeah i know." he said, sighing.

-

josh texted max that he was there, obviously knowing that it was better not to knock on the door. he saw max walking out, wearing joggers and a hoodie.

"hey." max smiled when he opened the door.

"hey max." josh replied, putting his car in reverse and backing out.

"what'd you tell your mom?" max asked.

"i just told her it was a long story, and that i'd let you tell her when you were ready." josh smiled. "you wanna stop at sonic? i'll buy of course."

"no you don't gotta do that. i'll buy." max said. josh pulled into sonic, it was on the way.

"too bad. what do you want?" josh thought. "i want ice cream."

"ooo yeah that sounds good. hmm maybe just a vanilla shake."

"that's all?" he asked.

"yeah." he nodded. "thank you."

"of course." he pressed the button, waiting for them to answer. he ordered the vanilla shake, and then a hot fudge shake for himself.

the lady came out and gave them their stuff, josh handing max his and taking his own. he grabbed his phone, and took a picture of max smiling with his straw in his mouth. he posted it on his story with "catch me at sonic 24/7"

they left there, and finally pulled back into josh's driveway. he turned his car off and got out, max following behind him.

"hi max." laura smiled as soon as she saw him. max blushed.

"hi." he said back. he said hey to josh's siblings also.

they walked up to joshs room, shutting the door behind them.

"alright. let's talk." josh said softly. they sat on the bed.

"i want to try things out again." max took a deep breath. "but only if you want to. for real it's no problem if you don't feel the same way. i-i just, i don't know. and please please don't think you just have to say yes because of my home situation and stuff. please." he said. josh nodded slightly.

"i think. i think i wanna try it too." josh said.

"but i also don't want to go public with it." max said.

"yeah, yes me neither. i think, if we're gonna try this, we should with just us. not added on drama i want to focus on me and you and see if this is really what we want."  josh said. he grabbed maxs hand.

"yeah. yeah i'd like that. and i. i don't wanna bring it up but..." max said. josh nodded, swallowing hard.

"yeah. yeah no i, i really fucked up max. and i swear to you it's never going to happen again." josh said.

"you said that before." max said.

"i know. i know and i'm sorry. you dont have to believe me. but i swear to you. never again." josh climbed up so he was straddling max.

"okay." max nodded. josh smiled, slowly connecting their lips. max kissed back, sliding their tongues together.

josh blushed when they pulled back, with smiles on both their faces.

"i want you to promise me something." josh said, setting their foreheads together.

"what's up?" max said.

"promise me that if you ever aren't feeling good to tell me. i don't care what time it is." josh brought his hand up to play with the curls on the back of maxs head.

"i promise." he nodded. 

"i really wish you'd get some professional help." josh sighed.

"i know you do. i'm just. i'm not ready for that yet." max said.

"only when you're ready. i'm not pressuring you into anything." josh smiled. max kissed him again.

"would you like to talk to my mom today?" josh asked.

"yeah. yeah i think i'd like that. but, i don't want this to sound weird but, can it be just me and her?"

"of course. of course yeah." josh smiled. "why don't i go get her, and you stay here, i'll stay downstairs."

"thank you." max said.

"shhh." josh kissed him again. "i'll go get her."

max was unbelievably happy to have joshua back in his life. boyfriend or not, that boy saved his life.

A/N: the end

kidding love y'all