"Coming! Just a minute!" Max calls to the door. He's just pulling a cast iron full or cornbread out of the oven. As soon as he can peel off his mitts, he goes to answer the door, still wearing his apron covered in cornmeal.
"Angel? What brings you here?" he asks in surprise, but then he sees the honey. "Wait, was it you that sent me the other jar, too?"
Angel opens his mouth to say something, but doesn't manage to get words out. Instead, he nods and holds the jar out sheepishly like a shoujo anime protagonist on Valentine's Day giving chocolates to his crush.
"Aw, why didn't you send a note the first time? I would have been able to thank you. Thank you." He takes the proffered honey and then waves for Angel to follow him inside.
"Sure. If that's okay?" He realizes how silly that is, as he says it. Like, would Max offer the invitation if it's not okay? But still, there's a hesitation before he steps forward. "Do...you have good recipes for honey? I've been keeping some of what my hives make."
"Yeah, of course." Max doesn't find the question strange at all by virtue of being raised in the Midwest, where it might not be uncommon to apologize just for breathing.
He turns around with a bright smile, eyes wide and eager as he answers, "Recipes for honey? You bet I do. Honeycakes come to mind first, those are strong so you'd probably like it. I know how to make honey lollipops too. Those can be great for if you have a sore throat."
“I’ve never had a sore throat, but Eddie has. So I should probably learn, for his sake.” Those bright eyes are so much. Angel can almost feel a flutter in his chest, having that look directed at him.
"Aw, yeah, that would be so sweet of you. I'm sure Eddie would like that a lot." Max is still the biggest shipper on the island. He's weak for cute couples.
"Is that what you want to do first? It's probably the easiest."
"I mean, Eddie will be enthusiastic whatever I make. He's really sweet like that." Angel offers one of his awkward little smile. "But yeah, that sounds good. I mean, if you're up for it?"
"I'm always up for baking with friends." Max makes it sound so obvious.
"You're in luck, too, because I already pre-treated some sticks. I was planning to make lollipops this week already."
Max grabs an apron for himself and then holds a second one out to Angel. "Here. You'll want to wear this in case any of the hot sugar splashes out. It can cause some nasty burns if you're not careful."
"Um. Yeah, if that's okay? I just...didn't know if you'd want that?" Angel doesn't quite flinch or cringe, but he does hesitate, stopping where he is when Max turns to face him.
"Aw, you're going to make me blush." Too late, he already is.
"Usually I'm the guy dishing out compliments. I feel bad that I don't know enough about you yet to give you any good ones." He loves to give compliments, but he always wants them to be true and specific.
"Well. I'm an open book. Ask me any questions you'd like. Just be prepared for a 'fuck if I know' sometimes." Honestly, sometimes the hardest part of not really knowing who he is comes from not knowing how to construct a 'who' to be. Questions help.
"If you don't know, you don't know. That's not your fault."
Max taps a finger against his lips while he thinks of a good question to start with. Something Angel will be able to answer. Okay, well, there's an easy one to start off with (he hopes.)
"What's been your favorite part of living on the island?"
"Being a freak among freaks, openly. I don't have to hide anything about me, don't have to live on the edge of society. I can be myself openly. I can be a part of a community. Have friends, have neighbors, have love. It's all new for me. Brand-fucking-new."
"It sucks that you had to do that before, but I'm so happy for you. No one should have to hide what they are or who they are to be accepted. I hope you only get to have more of everything as we go on. You've got one more friend today, now, after all."
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(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-10 08:09 pm (UTC)"Angel? What brings you here?" he asks in surprise, but then he sees the honey. "Wait, was it you that sent me the other jar, too?"
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-11 03:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-11 10:46 pm (UTC)"Want to come in?"
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-12 01:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-13 07:43 pm (UTC)He turns around with a bright smile, eyes wide and eager as he answers, "Recipes for honey? You bet I do. Honeycakes come to mind first, those are strong so you'd probably like it. I know how to make honey lollipops too. Those can be great for if you have a sore throat."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-14 05:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-15 01:44 am (UTC)"Is that what you want to do first? It's probably the easiest."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-15 03:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-15 07:23 pm (UTC)"You're in luck, too, because I already pre-treated some sticks. I was planning to make lollipops this week already."
Max grabs an apron for himself and then holds a second one out to Angel. "Here. You'll want to wear this in case any of the hot sugar splashes out. It can cause some nasty burns if you're not careful."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-15 08:23 pm (UTC)But he takes the apron and puts it on.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-16 12:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-16 03:30 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-23 01:14 am (UTC)"I do. I'm sorry for how we got off on the wrong foot, but I'm really glad it's not stopping us now."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-24 04:09 am (UTC)Shhh, he wants to bask in all that warm, the walking cozy.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-27 10:00 pm (UTC)"Usually I'm the guy dishing out compliments. I feel bad that I don't know enough about you yet to give you any good ones." He loves to give compliments, but he always wants them to be true and specific.
"We gotta fix that."
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-28 06:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-02 12:36 am (UTC)Max taps a finger against his lips while he thinks of a good question to start with. Something Angel will be able to answer. Okay, well, there's an easy one to start off with (he hopes.)
"What's been your favorite part of living on the island?"
(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-02 02:51 am (UTC)A year in, he's still pretty awed by it.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-09 02:32 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-08-09 03:34 am (UTC)"Thank you, Max. You're real sweet and encouraging."