What if....Lucas and Max started to grow more close to one another while settling down in the mountains? (Fluff and smut. And a little Angst) (Continues a few months after chapter Forty)

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"What are we going to do?"

All of the GuardRunners are gathered up in the room, Eleven and the others being included.

"What do you mean what are we going to do we have to find them." Eleven mentions.

"They may be in danger as we speak." Mike adds in.

"But it was their choice to leave." Another guard mentions. "Max beat up all of the guards to let her out and Lucas persuade them to let him go, they both left willingly."

"Yeah but they may need our help." Steve says back, looking at Hopper who has his arms crossed while he looks down a little in thought. "Commander?"

Hopper sighs a little bit. "Normally I would agree with you guys but...they did choose to leave willingly."

"Commander—"

"Plus outside of the walls is uncharted territory, we do not know what faces us outside of the walls." Hopper adds in.

"Those are two of our very best commander." Jonathan says. "The only reason why Max left is to save Lucas, she wants him back in the city."

"Then why weren't we contacted?" Hopper questions.

"Because out of all of us she knows him the most." Dustin says. "She wouldn't have just left the city she likes this city. She has some plan we are sure of it."

"We don't want to risk our lives for the ones who chose to leave this city." One guard mentions.

"Commander..." Eleven trails off.

Hopper sighs a little bit. "They're right." He mentions, going to uncross his arms. "It is uncharted territory, I will not risk the life of my guards for the ones who willingly left this city. If they come back to the doors wanting to be let in I will absolutely let them, but as for going outside of the walls that has been denied."

"But what if they are in danger?" Suzie questions baffled.

"Then they put themselves in that situation." Hopper replies simply. "Dismissed."

All of them just look at the commander before they all leave out of the room, them making a little circle. "What the hell are we going to do?" Mike questions.

Eleven shakes her head while she looks down a little in thought. "Max wouldn't just leave like this without a plan."

"You think she is what? Planning something to come back?" Nancy questions.

Eleven looks up at all of them. "Max isn't stupid."

"Okay so what are you saying?" Steve questions.

Eleven looks between all of them before she says her next words confidently.

"We have to find her."

~

Max hums a little while she sows the different shirts up, her actually able to find needle and thread while she was hunting and scavenging. Her and Lucas both came up with an agreement when they started settling in on the mountains a few months ago. While Lucas focused on building a house for them she would focus on scavenging out for different things. Most times she never found much but there were times where she found some really good things.

Solar panels, which was a really good find that way Lucas can put them on top of the house that way they can get some power. She found that and a generator in a old abandoned settlement, clearly a settlement that people ran away from. She found more UV lights, her actually finding more UV beams to put within lights that way they can put them around the base. And of course other helpful things that they are using.

And Max got super excited when she found a sowing machine in a abandoned settlement as well and other sowing equipment, her actually able to make time pass by faster with something to do. She always found herself just getting completely bored after getting back from scavenging and hunting, so she either just organized some things or annoyed Lucas with shady comments or just planned out annoyed him while he was working.

She must admit he is doing very well, him only having to finish a corner of the house and he is officially done. He does hold some talent, and Max wonders why he never really helped out in construction in the city. The house is really nice, it being windows to let the sun out, Max making curtains from some white thin fabric, and a bed to use. Of course Max uses the bed while Lucas still uses his sleeping bag, both of them still at great odds with each other.

It seems like as the months pass by the tension between them just grows more stronger and stronger. There is some anger there, definitely on Max's part there is anger. There is also confusion and there is just so many feelings there between them to where every time they are in the same space with one another the harsh tension can be felt between them, sometimes them not even able to look each other in the eye because of how strong it is.

Max gets more pissed at him by the day, and she knows part of it is her fault. She can tell him why she is mad but she wants him to figure it out on his own, which he isn't even doing and that just pisses her off more. For such a smart person who has high IQ he sure is stupid.

Max looks towards the door when it opens, Lucas making his way inside of the room, him being dressed in combat green pants and a black shirt, Max knowing he just got done taking a bath since his hair is wet. "Hey guess what?"

"Yeah?" He questions.

"I made you something."

Lucas gives a confused look while he puts down his things, the sun beginning to set in the sky. "Okay..." he states it more as a question, knowing something is going to be behind this.

"Something tells me that your favorite color is blue. Yeah?" She looks over at him.

Lucas shrugs a little. "I don't know, never really had a favorite color."

"Well today blue is your favorite color. Now behold!" Max says before revealing the long sleeved blue shirt to him, the black writing in the middle of it reading....

Mister Hard-Ass.

"See it describes you to a tee!" Max smiles.

Lucas only just sighs while he closes his eyes briefly.
For the past few months it has been comments and things thrown his way just like this, and the more Max does it the more irritated he begins to grow. All he was thinking about with his decision was the city, mostly her but now he gets these types of reactions out of her. He tries to be patient and he tries to ignore them but honestly truth be told he has had enough. Him getting out of the city was supposed to make him feel refreshed, without any stresses of jobs, just him enjoying the little time that he has of his life before he does.

But all this is right here is just stress. Stress while he works, definitely more stress when he crosses these doors because he knows she is going to say something everyday to him. Stress and irritation are the two main things that he feels whenever he wakes up and goes to sleep, plus his heavy heart which he always feels, and he is tired of it.

"Do you like it?" Max questions after a minute.

"Max you don't have to be here." Lucas tells her irritably. "You hate me why are you even here Max?! Why?!"

Max just shakes her head while she looks at him, putting down the shirt on the table. "You are such a goddamn idiot Lucas."

"Why?! What makes me the idiot here Max?!" Lucas yells. "What the hell did I do to you to deserve this?! I was trying to protect you!"

"No you weren't!" Max yells back, her eyes holding great anger. "You weren't Lucas! All you were doing was being a little selfish prick!"

"How was I being selfish?!" Lucas yells. "I left for you! I left for the damn city!"

Max just scoffs while she laughs bitterly, her crossing her arms. "Yeah I'm not doing this, I'm done."

"No Max this needs to happen now because I am tired of this bickering." Lucas says, going to stand in front of her.

"Get the hell out of my way Lucas." Max grits out, going to try and brush pass him but he prevents the action.

"Max you need—"

Lucas head turns to the side when Max slaps him hard, him feeling the harsh sting of the slap. "Don't slap me again."

"Or what you're going to up and leave again in the middle of the night?" Max questions. "Is that what is going to happen?"

Lucas looks back at her. "You're not being fair Max."

"I'M NOT BEING FAIR?!" Max booms out, going to slap him again. "Oh that is rich Lucas! That is so damn rich!"

Slap!

"Because everything is about you right?!"

Slap!

"Everything?!"

Slap!

"I am being fair Lucas! It is you that isn't being fair!"

Slap!

"You are a damn coward you know that?!"

Slap!

"You hear me?!"

Slap!

"Damn coward!"

Slap!

Lucas quickly grabs her wrists when she tries to slap him once again, him roughly pulling her closer to him while his eyes hold anger and irritation as well. "You need to stop slapping me."

"Get the hell off of me!" Max yells, trying to get her wrists free from his tight grip. "Let me go!"

"Max—"

"Let me go!"

"Max!"

"Get OFF!"

Max is surprised when her back hits the wall, his hands still holding her wrists tightly. It is when she finally notices his angered expression, his cheeks a little red from her hard slaps.

"Stop it!" Lucas yells. "I'm so fucking tired of this Max I am TIRED OF IT!" He yells loudly, Max looking at him in mere surprise from his tone. It is only a handful of times she has heard him yell but this is very first time she has heard him yell so loudly, especially being this close to her.

"I'm sorry." Lucas says after a minute, his voice calming down as well as his breaths. "Max I'm sorry okay? Just...please listen to me, you confuse the hell out of me Max you do okay! I'm sorry, I'm not trying to scare you or anything just...please. I can't deal with this stress." He shakes his head. "I want this time for me to be stress free, without any worries before I—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence." Max shakes her head while looking at him. "God Lucas I hate you so much."

"What am I doing Max?" Lucas asks her exasperated. "What am I doing wrong? You keep saying I'm selfish what am I doing that is selfish? I was thinking about you the whole time—"

"No you WEREN'T LUCAS!" Max booms out. "Because if you were Lucas if you were truly thinking about me you would have told me that you were leaving! You would have said hey Max I'm a danger to everyone and I feel more comfortable leaving than staying here I just thought you should know Max!"

Lucas looks in between her eyes, and now he is actually finally able to see the hurt inside of them. Yes the anger is there, but since he is looking closely in her blue eyes he sees the hurt, he sees the sorrow inside of her eyes, he sees the anguish.

He sees it.

And now his angered expression is replaced with a soft sorrow filled expression, an expression of understanding and regret, because he finally understands now. Yes he was being selfless by leaning but at the same time he gets Max's side of it, because he didn't tell her anything about it nor did he plan to.

He wasn't looking at her side of things.

"Let me go." Max says more quietly now.

"Max—"

"Let me GO LUCAS!" She yells.

"I'm sorry." He tells her immediately, his hands still holding her wrists. "I am Max, please understand that, it was never in my intention to hurt you."

"Let me go." Max grits out. "Let me go..." she says more quietly now.

Lucas steps closer to her, Max swallowing the lump in her throat while she looks up at him. "I can't, otherwise you won't listen to me." He tells her, his voice soft and mellow. "Please just listen, I kindly ask of you Max, please."

Max clenches her jaw a little while looking at him, swallowing another lump in her throat, honestly feeling her mouth grow dry. She can't even look at him anymore because honestly it just becomes to much, because every time she looks in his eyes the anger always just gets consumed with hurt, the hurt and the pain always takes over her and it makes her shake a little, makes her blink profusely for the tears to not leave her.

She hates vulnerability.

"I get it now." Lucas tells her softly. "I do, in a way I wasn't thinking about you or your feelings, and for that I am really sorry Max, I am." He tells her. "Honestly I...I didn't know if you cared for me, I definitely do care for you Max I told you this, but you always just...hide your feelings so well I guess. I guess I just thought me leaving without telling you anything would make it easier, not only for me but for you too. I thought it would be especially easier for you because I didn't know if you cared."

Lucas sighs softly a little bit. "I do care for you Max, I truly do. I will always look out for you, I will always be sure nothing happens to you I do promise you that. I never thought I would care for someone like this after my family but I do, which is why since I do care for you I don't want it to be where I end up...killing you Max." He admits. "I don't want to turn and end up hurting you, I don't want to hurt you at all Max. I always want to be around you but it isn't safe for me too, especially after I run out of medicine, I can't put you at risk. I didn't want to leave but I knew in order to protect you and made sure you had the best chance of survival I would have to leave you."

"It killed me inside Max it truly did, but I knew I had to do it, that way you could be safe." Lucas explains. "But I do understand your side too, you like honesty you prefer it, and I'm sorry that I hurt you Max, and I understand your side of the spectrum but I ask of you to please understand mine, because I wouldn't be able to live with myself and I would hate myself if I ever hurt you. You understand?"

Max looks in between his eyes, her honestly feeling more tears prickling in her eyes from the words. She thought she understood his side of things, which she did a little bit of but not the full picture. He cares for her, she sees it with the words he just said plus with the way he is looking at her right in this moment, she sees it.

"Max?" Lucas questions, honestly feeling his heart beginning to beat more faster. "Do you understand?"

Max goes to put her lips on his, her hands going to his cheeks and her standing a little on her toes to reach him. It honestly comes as a shock to Lucas, something he definitely wasn't expecting to happen.

She pulls away, both of them looking into each other's eyes with glazed expressions, Lucas looking in between her eyes. He just feels this overwhelming urge to bring her in closer, him doing exactly that and going to put his lips on hers.

Max immediately kisses him back, her letting out a little sound when he bends down a little to grab the back of her thighs, going to pick her up. Their lips still remain on one another's, Lucas turning around and walking towards the bed while they kiss each other deeply.

Lucas lays her down gently on the bed, Max's hands tugging at his shirt in the process. Lucas pulls his shirt up over his head, Max doing the same. Lucas explores her body while he kisses her, Max's eyes honestly fluttering closed from the deep kiss. She can tell he is nervous, but his lips are so soft and full, his body warmth amazing against her.

She makes the next move, her hands sliding down his chest before she goes to his belt, unbuckling it as well as his pants before she goes to unbuckle her own. He pulls down his pants as well as hers, beginning to grind himself against her.

And damn the feeling is amazing. Max's arms wrap loosely around his neck, his tip rubbing up against her clit in just the right way, Max's eyes fluttering closed while she feels all around his body, his body towering over hers.

"Max..." he tries.

"Shhh." Max hushes, going to bring him in for another deep kiss. She doesn't feel like thinking right now, she just wants to forget, she wants to get lost in him right now.

So that is exactly what happens when he pushes inside of her, Max gasping and holding him tighter due to his size, him moving inside of her inch by inch until she is adjusted, his slow calming movements turning into quick steady paced movements, his skin beginning to slap against hers.

"S..shit!" Max curses in a shaky tone, holding onto him tighter. She holds onto him by her arms and legs while he pumps into her, his head going to the crook of her neck.

Both of them just going over and over again with each other.

~

Max and Lucas both have their backs turned to one another, the moon being high up in the sky and the thin white curtains lightly blowing from the cool wind. Max and Lucas are both under the thick blanket that Max made, both of them just trying to be under it from the cold air.

They both just look aimlessly ahead of them in thought, them not really able to look at each other in the moment, just trying to process what happened. They went from at each others throats to sleeping together...multiple times, and now things are even more awkward then they already were.

Lucas looks back at Max before he goes to get up, deciding they won't be able to go to sleep comfortably with this wind. He first goes to get some firewood and sticks, putting it in the little fireplace space he made before he starts up the fire, him going to the cooler and opening it, revealing the fish that they caught.

"Are you...hungry?" Lucas questions.

"No." Max responds simply.

Lucas turns back to look at the fire, him going to get up after a minute to put on his pants, him sitting down on the bed with a little sigh. "Max I'm...I'm sorry okay? I really don't want us to be at odds." He mentions. "I miss the times where we would just sit up late and talk, now things are just...." He trails off a little bit, looking over at her, her bare back being seen. "I really am sorry."

Max still looks aimlessly ahead of her for a moment before she sits up, wrapping the blanket around her before she turns to face him, sitting cris crossed on the bed. She wraps the blanket more around her, her looking down a little, her hair being down.

"Are you cold?" Lucas questions, him taking another blanket and wrapping it around her. "I made the fire too. It should be getting warm in here in a minute."

Max slowly looks up at him. "You make it so hard sometimes Lucas."

Lucas gives her a confused expression. "So hard to what?"

"Hate you." She responds. "Hate you, care for you, resist you, all of it." She shrugs. "In your own way you are so damn complicated."

"I..." Lucas trails off a little bit. "I really am sorry Max."

Max gives a soft little smile that doesn't meet her face, her slowly looking up at him. "You hurt me Lucas, you really did hurt me." She admits. "And yeah I get why you did it I truly do but....it still hurt me, it really did."

"I know, and I'm sorry Max I truly am." Lucas tells her.

"Do you know how much...." Max trails off a little bit. "Lucas I do care for you, I honestly don't think you realize how much, I don't think you do."

Lucas expression softens more, him going to sit cris crossed on the bed, him coming closer to her, going to sit in front of her. "I'm sorry I didn't see that, I guess I just thought that....you didn't. You are just really good at hiding your feelings."

"Or you just really