"What?"
Lily's voice was soft, almost questioning, as she blurted out what her mind deemed fit at the time.
Maximus nodded casually, stretching his arms above his head, then flashed a cunning smile. "I'm just kidding, we could never do something that you aren't comfortable with, and yeah I've got some new movies I've been meaning to watch."
Lily's face lit up.
Her mind whirled as she recalled the time they were on the ferries wheel and she told him that she would like him to do things to her.
Her fingers curled slightly, and she hesitated for a moment, glancing at Maximus.
He, however, seemed completely unaware of the river he had stirred in her, too busy kicking off his shoes and making his way toward the kitchen.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked over his shoulder.
Lily nodded slightly without saying a word.
Maximus chuckled. "Relax, you look like you've seen a ghost."
She forced out a nervous laugh, following him as he disappeared into the kitchen.
The spacious area was sleek and modern, just like the rest of his home, with black marble countertops and state of the art appliances.
It was the kind of kitchen that seemed designed more for show than actual use, but the way Maximus moved around told her he was no stranger to it.
Lily watched as he casually opened the fridge, grabbing a couple soda and one alcoholic drink before moving forward to the pantry.
"You like popcorn?" he asked, glancing at her.
She nodded quickly, her face lighting up brighter. "Of course! Who doesn't"
"Good, because I make the best popcorn in all of Central City," he said with a smirk, pulling out a bag of kernels and tossing it onto the counter.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what makes your popcorn the best?"
Maximus leaned against the counter, pretending to ponder her question. "I have a secret ingredient," he finally said.
"Ha! Let me guess… extra butter?"
"Trust me."
"No, I want to know!" she crossed her arms with a playful and slightly seductive glint in her eyes. "I wanna know so I can make delicious and tasty popcorn like you…"
Maximus chuckled, shaking his head. "Nice try…but no."
Once the snacks were ready, Maximus grabbed the drinks and they made their way back to the living room.
Lily plopped onto the couch, adjusting herself comfortably as maximus turned on the massive flat screen tv mounted on the wall.
"So, what are we watching?" she asked, pulling her legs up onto the couch.
Maximus scrolled through his list, "I was thinking of something chill, maybe an action movie or a scary movie?"
Lily hummed. "I could go for a scary movie."
"Really good choice," Maximus said, selecting a movie before settling down next to her.
The movie started, and for a while, they both focused on the screen.
The title of the movie quickly set in, drawing them both into the story.
But Lily's mind wasn't entirely on the movie.
She was hyper aware of Maximus sitting beside her the way his arm rested casually along the back of the couch, the way his breathing was steady and relaxed.
Every now and then, he would reach for the popcorn and their hands would brush against eachother, sending a tiny jolt through her.
She was overthinking agan.
Clearing her throat, she focused herself to focus on the movies.
But then… boom!
A sudden jump scare sent her flinching, instinctively gripping Maximus arm.
He froze for a second before looking at her, a slow smirk creeping onto his face.
"Scared?"
Lily quickly let go, crossing her arms "No!"
Maximus raised an eyebrow. "You literally grabbed my bicep"
"That was just muscle reflex!"
He chuckled, "Sure, Lily. What ever you say."
She huffed, grabbing some popcorn and shoving it into her mouth to avoid further embarrassment.
The movie continued, and despite her best efforts, Lily found herself getting more and more immersed.
By the time it reached the climax, she wasn't even thinking about anything else, just the tension, the mystery and the unraveling story, and especially the scary bits that still caused her to jump a bit.
And Maximus despite all his teasing, he hadn't made any moves.
Lily had been worried for nothing.
When the movies finally ended, Maximus stretched with a satisfied sigh. "Damn, that was actually good."
Lily nodded. "Yeah, I really liked it."
Maximus turned to her, expression softening. "Glad you stayed."
She blinked, caught off guard by the sudden sincerity in his voice. A small smile crept on her lips. "Me too…"
Maximus yawned. "alright, its late. Let me prepare so you can crash here for the night."
»»»«««
Lily lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. The guest room was undeniably comfortable, raided with pillows, a soft blanket and just the right amount of warmth, but it felt sort of empty to her.
She turned onto her side, hugging the blanket to her chest.
She had expected something different when she decided to stay the night.
Something hotter.
Something way more intense than watching scary movies.
As Maximus's date that tonight, she figured shed be sleeping int the same room as him, maybe even falling asleep in his arms or making love with him like in those romance novels.
But instead, Maximus casually shown her to the guest room, bid her goodnight and left.
She huffed, puffing up her cheeks in frustration.
It wasn't that she was mad, he had done nothing wrong to her at all but treat in a gentlemanly way.
But she harboured the question of him not wanting her sexually like she anticipated.
"Hmph! He would feel so good…"
Lily kicked off the blanket and sat up, running her fingers through her blonde hair. She glanced at the door, biting her lop.
"It wouldn't hurt to try…"
Her heart pounding slightly, she slipped out of bed, her bare feet padding softly against the rugged floor.
The house was quiet except for the distant hum of electronics.
When she reached his door, she hesitated for a second or two before pushing it open.
Maximus was at his desk, illuminated by the hush glow of his laptops screen.
His fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, his eyes focused until he not
iced her standing in his doorway.
He glanced at her, then at the clock on his monitor.
"Can't sleep?"
She tilted her head slightly. "Alone…"