A/N: MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL! I hope you guys enjoy this one! Just another Christmas-themed story for guys! Enjoy, minasan!
Why does this kind of stuff happen to me? And how?
It should've been innocent. It should've been just a joke. But, no! I turned my head for a second and my life became 200 times more complicated than it already was. And when you consider my life includes fighting crime as Batman, that's really saying something.
I mean, it couldn't have been more innocent. I'm serious.
Me and Max were just leaving school, joking as usual. Kidding around, even. It's the Christmas break and we couldn't be more thrilled. Anyone who has ever been through high school should know what I'm talking about. It may only be two weeks but it's a gift from the Lord when it arrives. Anyway, we were on the subject of gifts and started joking about how we are both single and won't be getting anything from a significant other on Christmas. As always, we've got each other covered and I make the joke that we might as well consider them gifts from someone we are dating.
And that's when the trouble started.
Max plucked one of the mistletoe fixtures from the wall, part of decorating committee's idea to make the school more festive. But, really, it gave more kids an excuse to make-out, which I would've approved were I still in a relationship. Amazing how different things look when you're single. Anyway, we joked back and forth about being boyfriend and girlfriend and she kept teasing me about kissing her. I can actually remember the words we said before… the event.
"C'mon, McGinnis," she teased. "Just plant a small peck right here." She taps her lips. "Or a big wet one. Whichever you want."
"You are so weird!" I laughed. She can always make me laugh.
"Come on!"
I playfully pushed her away, chuckling and turning my face at the same time. "Get outta here!"
Now, here's what happened: she charged back in, lips puckered, and I turned around just in time for her lips to hit mine. Alright, at first, the lip contact gets me caught up. Her, too, actually. It took a second for us to realize what we are doing. I mean, realize who were doing it with. When we do, we jump back with a yelp; even the pitch was the same, as weird as that was. After we separated, we stared at each other, in the most awkward of awkward silences in the history of awkward silences. This must've been what it felt like when Moses told the Pharaoh he came to free the Hebrews.
Now, here's the interesting thing: I can, without even half trying most of the time, come up with the most sarcastic, hilarious comments and comebacks in the world when it comes to supervillains. When it comes to women, I go as blank as the answers on any one of my tests. With Max, it used to be different: I used to be able to make a wisecrack like it was a reflex.
Now, I am totally blank.
And, I can tell Max is just a lost as I am. The queen of snide remarks and snappy comebacks and even she can't think of anything to say. That's when you know things are bad.
"Umm…" she stammered out. "I, uh… I gotta go! Terry, I'll… umm… I'llcallyoulater! Kbye!"
She walked-she ran away from me.
I'm still so stunned, at this point, that it took me a while to realize that she smashed her words together and took off like the Roadrunner on Red Bull. I've been trying to call her since then and that was three days ago. I mean, she picks up the phone and we have the rudimentary Q&A period but when I even bring up the word "kiss" or I use the phrase "can we talk about" and she hurries off of the phone.
Out of respect and the societal rules of kissing your best friend unexpectedly, I have stayed away from her, not even going by after patrol is over like it is now. I'm just sitting up here on top of one of the many skyscrapers in Gotham. Three days and I have barely talked to the one person who I can always talk to about everything. And what if it doesn't end there?
What that if that stupid moment ruins our friendship? I mean, just because the kiss was a very amazing moment and, holy slag, that girl is a good kisser.
Wait. What did I just say?
Oh, get a grip on yourself, McGinnis. I mean, why am I all bent out of shape? Why are we all bent out of shape? Over a kiss? It wasn't a kiss that we planned to happen! It was just a case of stupid timing, that's all! And now I automatically have to stay away from my best friend? And for how long? Another few hours? Days? Months? Years? That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of! And I fight a guy who wears black and red tights and goes around hypnotizing people!
You know what? Screw the rules. I'm not going to lose my best friend over some stupid kiss that shouldn't have happened. I expand my wings and I jet off toward her apartment. We are going to talk about this, tonight. I don't care how awkward it is. We are hashing this out because I'm not losing her over some stupid kiss. I don't care how absolutely mind blowing the kiss was-No! Stop it!
I land on top of her apartment building as I have done a million times before and I make my way down to her window. As usual, she's studying. And I'm the twip because I don't go out. How is she even studying over the Christmas break? What is she even studying over the Christmas break? Aren't straight A's enough for her?
I tap on her window.
She looks up and she looks shocked and embarrassed.
This madness has to end.
"Open up," I demand. Nicely, of course.
She sighs and seems really unsure. Is it always going to be like this? She opens the window and I enter, taking my mask off.
I can't seem to shut up, though. "You're avoiding me? Seriously?" There was some frustration there. Since when am I emotional? I mean, it's been a while. I forgot that I ever was. I mean, not like this. Maybe this is bothering me more than I thought.
"Nice to see you, too," she replies, sarcastically.
That irked me. Why? "Really? Attitude. You. You're giving me attitude?" I know this is the exact wrong way to handle this. What the slag am I doing?
"You're the one demanding I let you in."
I sigh. She's got a point. I put my hands up to concede that argument to her, "Alright. Alright, you're right." I put my hands down. "But what is going on, Max? What is going on with us?"
She puts on a classic Max look. "I'm stressing about what to get you for Christmas," she says sarcastically. The truth comes out much louder and immediately. "What do you think this is about?! I'm stressed about…" She looks for the right word. "The Incident."
"I'm calling it the Event."
"Whatever!"
"Why is it causing you so much stress? It was just a matter of bad timing!"
"Oh, yeah? You sure did hang on there for a while!"
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, genius! You're the one who threw herself toward me!"
"'I threw myself'? What's that supposed to mean? Like I just couldn't resist the almighty Terry McGinnis and all of his masculinity?"
I groan, more like roar. "Not like that!"
"Then how!?"
"I mean, you moved first!"
"So, you're saying I made the first move!"
"No, no! That's not even what I said!" How did we get here?
"Well, that's what you said!"
I put my hand up, "Wait, hold up. Are we… is this us fighting?"
She opens her mouth to answer but stops. Oh, my God, she doesn't know either.
"Uh… no!" she finally says. "I'm not fighting with you!"
"Really? Because I've been in a relationship before and fights sound… exactly like this."
"It's not a fight!"
"Then why are you yelling?"
"I'm not!"
I point at her, indicating that's what she just did.
She realizes that it was. "Whatever!" she screamed. She realizes that she did it again and growls herself. She calms down a little. And I stress, a little. "Look, it was just a kiss! A dumb moment in our history! It was stupid! Let's just forget it!"
"I've been trying! You're the one goin' Blight on me right now!"
She stops when she realizes I'm right again. It doesn't happen often. I savor those victories while I can. "Okay! Yes! I'm a little heated."
"Why?"
"'Cause it was embarrassing!"
"Why? Was I that bad?"
She laughed, "No way! You were schway! I sucked."
"Who told you that?"
"Uh, you did."
"Wha…" I look behind me trying to figure out where that came from. I look at her. "When?"
"You didn't say anything about it."
I turn in a circle out of frustration and face her again, "You are insane! I've been trying to talk to you!"
"You didn't stop me from walking off after it happened!"
"You ran! I didn't even know you could move that fast!"
She looks embarrassed again. I guess she forgot she ran off.
"And, anyway, I was just wanted to talk to you about it so we didn't stop being friends over this."
She looks offended. "Is that what you were worried about? Oh, Terry, gimme a break!"
"What?"
"Terry! One stupid kiss doesn't mean I'd ever throw away our friendship! It was just…" She fiddles with her fingers, "I don't know." She stops. "I… just couldn't face you right away." She shrugs, "This has never happened before."
I shrug now, "Yeah, that's a fact."
"But, no. We're always gonna be friends."
That's a relief. "Oh. Cool."
She smirks, "Unless you start getting moody like Bruce. Then, I'm dropping you like a bad date."
I chuckle, "Deal."
"Just as long you don't go telling everyone I suck at kissing."
"Oh, please. Now, you gimme a break."
"What?"
"It's like I told you: I just didn't want to let divide our friendship. It doesn't mean you don't know what you're doing when it comes to… that."
She looks a little nervous, but flattered. "Thanks." A few more seconds of silence pass before she breaks it again. "You're… not bad, either."
Now, why did I feel pride hearing that? It even made me chuckle. "Thanks."
We get real quiet real fast as what we just said hits us both. What the heck just happened? Did we just admit that we knew how to kiss? Where did that even come from? Why would we admit to that? The uncomfort level in this room in amazing. I didn't think it was possible to feel this out of place with someone who knows you're a superhero.
Okay, don't misunderstand me: Max is hot. I mean, whoa. That body of hers just never quits. Always has. Even before she knew more about me and we became friends, I used to check her out. From a lot of angles. Make that, every angle. I was never going to cheat on Dana but a hot girl is in my field of vision. What do you want from me? I'm a guy; it's what we do. Now, getting to hang out with her, it's sometimes… difficult to not be a typical guy around her but I manage. When me and Dana broke up, I even considered asking her out but I didn't. I couldn't. The main reason is because I don't want to lose her as a friend. I can't lose that. It's kept me grounded more times than I can count. I don't know where I'd be without her.
But, what's surprising me is that, now that I really think about it, I can't get past the kiss. It was really a wow moment. I guess one reason I wanted to talk about it was because I wanted to see where she stood with it. I would like to kiss her again. I would be great but I don't know if that's what she wants.
"So, what do we do now?" she asks me.
I scratch the back of my head, "I dunno. What do you wanna do?" Wow. That was such a bad cop out, even I'm ashamed of me.
But, much to my surprise, she looks around a little nervous. "Can I be honest?"
"Sure." I wonder where she is going with this.
"I… kinda wanna kiss you again. But, for real this time."
And now I know. Boy, this room got hot fast. I have to swallow a lump in my throat. But, I'm amazed at how much, I really wanted to hear that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. I mean… no lie… I want to kiss you again, too. For real, this time." There. I said it. No going back now.
"So… can we?"
I nod, "Yeah."
We lean in and kiss. On purpose. And, like we agreed, it was for real. And, oh, slag, this is way better than before. That awkwardness from the first time is long since gone. I almost can't even remember this feeling awkward. I think what makes this better is that we are really getting into it. We stop for air, as much as that sucks, and we stare at each other.
This… this is new. But, definitely, good.
"Okay, I want to do that a lot more." She recoils a little. "Is… that weird?"
It's almost funny to see this timid side of her. "No, it's not weird." Voice was a little husky there. Wonder what brought that on? Or I could just stop lying to myself anytime now. That would be great.
She smiles at me. A little bit of a sultry smile, I can't help but notice. "Good."
"Sooooo… are we gonna put a label on this or…"
"We could. We could totally do that. Or… we could just make out like crazy for like next few… hours and figure out the rest later."
I pause and consider. And come to only one logical conclusion: "That is a way better plan."
"I thought so."
We don't say anything else. I can't even tell who moved in to keep this going faster, her or me. Hardly matters, I guess. I gotta admit: what started out as a stupid moment really turned into something so very schway.
Mistletoe. Who would've thought?
A/N: There you have it! Did you guys like it? Leave me a review, even some favorites! Please and thank you! Matane, minasan!
T2 Angel