(Here's an excerpt from a VERY LONG story; if you're actually interested to see how all this began, check out the GoofTroop-MaxBradley group on DeviantART: http://gooftroop-maxbradley.deviantart.com/ )

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Bradley kept on looking at Max strangely that afternoon, snuggled close to him. There was a solemnity in his mysterious orbs. A rare calm.

Any past attempts to get inside his head would usually lead to nothing of progress, but this time the boy didn't even have to speak...

"Angel."

Even as the sophomore was drifting off to a slumber, the sound of his voice and that one word made him snap his eyes open, stinging when exposed to the air,

"... What?"

"Angel." a tiny whisper as he ran a gentle hand through tousled keratin.

Max's heart began to ache.
He didn't want anything to do with being an "angel" to anyone.
For it only reminded him...

"Bradley. Don't call me that... Angels don't exist."

"But you're my angel. I'm lying right next to you. You exist." The saddest smile if one had ever seen it. Something in this senior was ultimately torn, as if admitting this childish fantasy was his death sentence.

"I..."

"That's all right." Turning on his side slowly, back facing, "It's fine. I know you don't believe in Him..."

Roxanne filtered into the kid's vision, but he didn't shed a tear.


This... Maximilian, we're nearing an opportunity here!


"Max?"

"hm?" snapping out of his trance

"You should be getting back to the dorm. I don't want your friends to worry about you. Not again."

...

Not again.