You Plus Me Equals - Chapter 6

Max realized he probably could never do anything normal around him ever, not even if he asked his body to be on the best behavior.

Max raised his hand and scratched the back of his head and chuckled lightly.

They all kinda laughed awkwardly at the clear tension that was running through the air.

Leo’s muscles bulged again and this time when he pulled the bag back up onto his shoulder, the fourth button on his shirt popped open from the force. The Bag pulled the shirt open and bared the top of his soft pinkish, creamy clear skin on his chest.

Max cleared his throat and practically ran the few steps to Leo in a frantic hurry to rid him of his burden.

He thought if Leo pulled the bag up one more time and his whole shirt ripped open he would have a heart attack on the field before ever getting to run.

“Let me take that for you. The athletics club has a room here. I am part of the club so I get to use it, I can put your bag there until the games are over if you want?” He grabbed the bag before Leo could respond and realized in surprise it was really heavy.

“Ah, oh, um, thank you Max, but…” Leo started but gave up as Max already had the bag, instead he just smiled and looked at the ground.

“Holy! What did you put in here, though? Are you carrying around a body, Leo?” Max joked.

Leo blushed a little but stepped forward so he was close to Max. He stood in front of the bag which Max had in front of him cradled in his arms.

“Ah, is it too heavy for you Max?”

“Let me take it back,” Leo said nervously.

Leo smiled softly and reached out for the bag, but Max pulled it tightly to his chest quickly wrapping both arms around the bag in front of him as if to claim it.

“Nah, it’s nothing. I just was teasing you. Lighten up, Leo.” Max chided, smiling and Leo relaxed again, the tension released out of his shoulders and he looked down at the ground shyly at Max’s light teasing. Then looked back up at Max and Sam.

Max thought someone had punched him in the gut. The moment Leo’s bright honey colored eyes flashed up to stare into his. The sunlight lit up his whole face and his soft, doe eyes practically glowed in the sunlight through his deep long eyelashes that curled down.

Max’s gut twisted.

“Sorry, It is heavy.” Leo apologized, misreading the situation entirely.

“I wanted to bring something to support you guys for doing your racing,” Leo said carefully, He leaned forward and motioned at the Bag still being held tightly against Max’s chest and stomach. His fingers grasped the zipper gingerly almost as if he were scared to startle Max or upset him? But nothing happened, so he carefully unzipped the bag.

He pulled the bag open just slightly. To show off the contents on the inside.

Max’s looked down eyes widened in surprise. ‘This crazy thin guy had carried that much water from the Campus store all the way to the Athletics field almost a full twenty-minute walk away.’

“Holy Shit Leo, are you crazy!”

“You carried all this water from campus to here by yourself…”

Leo’s eyes went wide, and he blinked quickly, worried he had done something that upset Max already.

“I…I… Uhh.”

“You are a lot stronger than you look,” Max exclaimed, and looked Leo, up and down admiringly. Leo froze, but looked at the ground trying very hard to ignore, but also too aware of the attention of Max’s eyes.

“I was worried you guys would be thirsty after your racing. Or during them.”

Max noticed Leo blushing and wondered what he could possibly have on his mind in this moment.

He smiled gently at how shy Leo was and felt a pang of both relief and regret. Wondering how he could have been so stupid before, just to accuse him because he had they had seen him near the key, and he felt guilty that just because Leo’s brother was in prison because of theft, that he had, let his anger get the best of him and drawn a biased assumption about someone who was clearly a very pure and gentle person. Someone who he was wishing more and more that he could become closer to him. His mind muddling through all the questions or things he should say to make idle conversation.

But the blazingly warm sun that beat down his back was causing small trickles of sweat to slide slowly down his warm skin. Their tiny trails of wet a momentary cool before his body soaked it back in or his shirt caught it and it disappeared into his jersey. Max suddenly felt hot and parched, as he tried very hard not to continue to just gawk at Leo.

Leo turned to look at the grass.

“Uhh, I should get back to the stands now, right…” He chuckled nervously while rubbing his empty hands slowly together in front of him.

“Once you guys have finished off all the water I’ll come back and get my bag,” Leo said, then waved shyly at them both, then he turned and walked off quickly towards the stands, his head lowered.

Sam waved at Leo’s retreating back and snickered.

“Although… looking at you staring after him forlornly. I would say it didn’t work… ”

“You poor thirsty, thirsty sucker.” Sam laughed, shaking his head at his own joke, then grabbed one water, cracked it open and started to drink deeply from it.

Max stared at him.

“Asshole!!!” Max snapped.

His arm reached out and smacked the bottle end gently but firmly. The bottle flew up slightly hitting Sam in the mouth, causing the water to spray everywhere.

Sam coughed and spit as the water dribbled down his chin and face and out of his nose.

“What the hell man!” Sam shouted, glaring at him angrily.

“A devil like you doesn’t deserve to drink Leo’s water,” Max said, annoyed.

Sam burst out laughing.

“You’re right, you should be the only one to drink Leo’s pure, cool water.” Sam teased while winking slyly and making inappropriate motions with his face towards Leo and Max.

Max flushed.

“Ugh, Sam! You’re a dirty pig,”

Sam pretended to mimic Max’s nagging.

“And a complete asshole you know that right?” Max snapped, glaring at his friend.

“You wouldn’t have it any other way now would you?” Sam chuckled in good stride and threw his arm over Max’s shoulders. They both carried the bag to hand out the water to the other boys.

Sam tried to help but whenever he went to touch the water bottles Max would just glare, so he watched and sipped on his stolen water.

Slowly, over the course of the meet, the water bottles ran out. Max had watched the bag carefully making sure everyone got one, before he actually grabbed his own, Sam had taken his bottle back an hour ago and he was feeling a sticky warmth from the heat. He reached in to grab a bottle, but his hand hit something small and warm first.

‘What is this?’ he felt the outline of the item with bafflement.

He pulled the warm bumpy item out and stared at it in confused shock.

‘Shit! His Key?’