Neverland (Max/Eden)

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden was actually looking forward to Max's convalescence in their apartment. It sucked that he had gotten serious hurt but it forced him to take time off work. She hadn't really seen him lately. They'd both been busy. She had missed him. Now he was forced to spend more than a few minutes with her. Eden was planning on making the most of it. She had no illusions. He was going to be an annoying pest and be a very bad mood. She had gathered he and Rowena had a fight the day he came home from the hospital. He'd been a surly prat, even Snitch hadn't wanted to be with him. Eden had left him be. Now it was the night after and Eden wasn't going to let the sulking happen any longer. She'd been busy that day. After she checked in on him she'd gone out for a bit for supplies. She had come back with Max's favorite foods and a present. Eden strolled into Max's room ignoring the closed door.


"Alright grumpy pants. Get up. I have a present for you, your favorite take out, junk food and candy. I've also recorded that muggle tv show you like. I refuse to watch it in here so get your arse in the living room. I'll call your mum on the muggle cellular if you're not on that couch in ten," Eden said with an evil laugh as she went back out and settled on the couch, her wrapped present sitting on the coffee table besides take out boxes, soda, a mountain of candy and crisps.

[Max Kameren]

Max hadn’t moved since the fight. He would fall asleep and awake, just staring at the ceiling until sleep would take him again. He couldn’t stop the fight from replaying in his mind, over and over again. Retreading every mistake, every stupid thing he’d said, everything he should have said but didn’t. He’d heard Eden come in and go out again several times over, and never replied with more than a grunt. Her aura was irritatingly excited for his return; every time she walked through the apartment it was like suddenly pulling the shades in a dark room.

Should he call her? He wanted to call her. He wanted to tell her how much he cared about her, that he knew he was difficult to be with but he was trying his best. He knew texting didn’t work with Rowena, and he didn’t have the wherewithal quite yet to muster his cat patronus. Should he send an owl? Did he even have an owl? No, and on second thought he wouldn’t be writing anytime soon either…

Eden opened his door and strolled in, her aura like a sunbeam directed at his eyes and disrupting his musing. He cringed and pushed himself up to sit on the bed.

"Alright grumpy pants. Get up. I have a present for you, your favorite take out, junk food and candy. I've also recorded that muggle tv show you like. I refuse to watch it in here so get your arse in the living room. I'll call your mum on the muggle cellular if you're not on that couch in ten,"

“Ugh, god, don’t call her or she’ll come over.” Max covered his face with his hands, reeling back when he realized his bandages needed to be changed. His friend cackled and went out to the living room to await his presence. Max groaned loud enough that Eden could hear him from the living room as he got himself up, picking up the damned backpack he couldn’t open and heading out into the living room, shirtless in just his sweatpants. Who was he trying to impress?

The mountain on the coffee table Eden had amassed was an impressive collection: with closer inspection it nearly looked like an archival list of every snack and candy Max had ever taken a liking to. On top of it all sat a heaping pan of lasagna from the Italian place down the corner, Max’s favorite take-out. The gesture was sweet of his best friend, and for the first time in a few days he smiled.

Max sat on the couch next to her, handing her the backpack. “Please help me, I’ve been trying to get this damned thing open for over a day, my bandages and pain potions are in it.” He sighed in relief as Eden opened it easily and he pulled out fresh bandages before he started unrolling the hook-club monstrosity on his right hand.

As he fixed his hand his sharp green eyes darted pleadingly between Eden and the liquor cabinet. “Would you tell on me if I had a scotch? Just one? Please? Just – “ He sighed, throwing his head back against the couch as the irony tasted bitter in his mouth “ – just a finger?”

[Eden Fletcher]

"Alright grumpy pants. Get up. I have a present for you, your favorite take out, junk food and candy. I've also recorded that muggle tv show you like. I refuse to watch it in here so get your arse in the living room. I'll call your mum on the muggle cellular if you're not on that couch in ten,"

“Ugh, god, don’t call her or she’ll come over.”

Eden laughed doing her best impression of an evil genius. She knew she had Max when he groaned. There was no way he'd risk his mother coming over. It wasn't an idle threat. Eden would without hesitation pull the trigger on the mom card. But only if nothing else worked. Eden wasn't really sure that Max's mom actually liked her. Or approved that her precious little darling lived with a woman. Eden had the distinct impression that his mother blamed Eden for some of the trouble her little angel got into.

Eden waited on the couch wondering if she had done the right thing. She knew Max was hurting. He was more than physically hurt. Something had happened between him and Rowena. Something that caused the OCD healer to be absent. Eden half expected Rowena to move in to take care of Max but she had been gone. Completely. No 50 page manifesto of instructions on how to care for Max. No thousands of owls checking in on him. Total silence. Eden was glad the woman wasn't riding her ass but she was sad that this made Max upset. Rowena had made Max happy for some crazy reason. Eden pushed thoughts of Rowena and what could have happened out of her head. She needed to focus on Max.

“Please help me, I’ve been trying to get this damned thing open for over a day, my bandages and pain potions are in it.”

Eden opened it quickly. "A whole day really? Communication from the underworld must be difficul otherwise I'm sure I would have heard your calls of help," Eden said sarcastically, holding the bag out for him.

“Would you tell on me if I had a scotch? Just one? Please? Just – “ He sighed, throwing his head back against the couch as the irony tasted bitter in his mouth “ – just a finger?”

Eden snorted. "I think you need more than just a finger," She said with a wry grin. She couldn't resist the bad joke even if to others it would seem in poor taste. Eden sized Max up unsure if she should give in to him. He was just put back together and she was sure whiskey was not allowed.

"What are the risks if you have some? Will it kill you?" Eden asked watching him intently. She would know if he lied to her.

[Max Kameren]

“Please help me, I’ve been trying to get this damned thing open for over a day, my bandages and pain potions are in it.”

Eden opened it quickly. "A whole day really? Communication from the underworld must be difficult otherwise I'm sure I would have heard your calls of help," Eden said sarcastically, holding the bag out for him.

“There’s very little echo from the pits of misery, actually, hard to give a shout out from them.” Max cocked his head and smiled bitterly, eyeing the liquor cabinet from across the room longingly. He’d just bought a Lagavulin 16 before he was attacked and it called out to him. “Would you tell on me if I had a scotch? Just one? Please? Just – just a finger?”

Eden snorted. "I think you need more than just a finger," She said with a wry grin. "What are the risks if you have some? Will it kill you?"

Max scoffed. “Kill me? No, I’m a person not a houseplant. I’ll just get drunk faster if I drink too much.” He shrugged. “I’m not going to drink that much, promise. Merlin only knows what I’d do anyway.”

He pushed himself up with a grunt from the strain on his bandage-free right hand, kneeling at the liquor cabinet and pulling his bottle out. “You want anything?” He smiled mischievously and held out a glass for her with his bad hand, being sure to show off the gory stitched-up stump of his ring finger to Eden as closely as possible. “Scotch?”

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden snorted. "I think you need more than just a finger," She said with a wry grin. "What are the risks if you have some? Will it kill you?"

Max scoffed. “Kill me? No, I’m a person not a houseplant. I’ll just get drunk faster if I drink too much.” He shrugged. “I’m not going to drink that much, promise. Merlin only knows what I’d do anyway.”

"Probably try and make drunk calls and then I would have to stop you and then I'd have to sit on you. So one small drink please." Eden said with a dark chuckle. She did not want to have to deal with a drunk Max trying to call Rowena. It wouldn't be pretty.

"If you have a bad reaction and I have to call Elle to make sure you're still breathing I'm going to kill you dead." Eden warned as she looked at his stitched up finger.

"Scotch?"

"Yes please," Eden said grabbing Max's gift off the table. It was in a cardboard gift box and she had drawn a teddy bear doctor on it. Eden placed it in his lap when he sat down as she took her glass from him.

"A little something to cheer you up," She said hiding her grin as she took a sip of her scotch.

[Max Kameren]

“I’m not going to drink that much, promise. Merlin only knows what I’d do anyway.”

"Probably try and make drunk calls and then I would have to stop you and then I'd have to sit on you. So one small drink please."

“Well you’ve got me there,” Max acknowledged. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done that, and not the last either. He pushed himself up and made a bee-line for the liquor cabinet, pulling out his craved Lagavulin and pouring two glasses. He held one out for Eden with his injured hand.

"If you have a bad reaction and I have to call Elle to make sure you're still breathing I'm going to kill you dead." Eden warned as she looked at his stitched up finger.

"I know what I’m doing. They don’t just give me the green robes because I look good in them; believe it or not I’m a healer too. Scotch?"

"Yes please," Max handed Eden the glass and maneuvered around the mountain of food to take his seat once more. He took a sip of the scotch and felt relief at the spiced earthy taste; for the first time in weeks he felt normal. Well, his normal. He set down his glass on the coffee table just as Eden placed a small box in his lap. Max chuckled at the drawing on top and smiled, arching a skeptical brow at his friend. "A little something to cheer you up," She said hiding her grin as she took a sip of her scotch.

“Oh, god, what did you do? That grin is suspicious…” Max shook his head and held the box firmly in his good hand, picking at the tape with his few good fingers remaining on his right. He got it open and pushed the flaps out, pulling out orange-and-black tissue paper from the Halloween store to reveal –

- A pirate’s hook. A short involuntary cackle burst from Max’s mouth and for a moment a bolt of joy struck through the miserable fog of Max’s aura in the form of Eden’s sense of humor. He grinned at his friend and for a moment the dimmed lights in the room returned to normal and Snitch perked up, no longer afraid to go near him. “I’ve missed you, you crazy-person.”

Max took out the hook with his good hand and placed it gingerly over his right, wincing as he pushed his stiff middle finger into a position to grab it. “Perfect! I’ll have to get the other four lopped off but this is definitely an upgrade.”

[Eden Fletcher]

"A little something to cheer you up," She said hiding her grin as she took a sip of her scotch.

“Oh, god, what did you do? That grin is suspicious…”

Eden shrugged as Max opened his present. She had thought it was harlious when she walked by a muggle halloween store and saw it in the window but now she wasn't so sure. What if he hated it? What if he was insulted? She didn't want to fight with him.

A short involuntary cackle burst from Max’s mouth and for a moment a bolt of joy struck through the miserable fog of Max’s aura in the form of Eden’s sense of humor. He grinned at his friend and for a moment the dimmed lights in the room returned to normal and Snitch perked up, no longer afraid to go near him. “I’ve missed you, you crazy-person.”

She worried for nothing and Eden laughed with Max. "I've missed you to beard man," She said setting down her glass as Snitch came up to them. She jumped onto the couch and settled down between them, her tail on Eden and her front paws touching Max.

Max took out the hook with his good hand and placed it gingerly over his right, wincing as he pushed his stiff middle finger into a position to grab it. “Perfect! I’ll have to get the other four lopped off but this is definitely an upgrade.”

"Hooks are quite useful," Eden said with knowing nod. "I think it fits with your personality. Much more you than the fingers." Eden said with a giggle. She leaned forward and began to put lasagna on a plate.

"Hungry?" She asked as she loaded up the plate. She hadn't seen Max eat in a while. She waved it under his nose. "I am lasagna You know you can't resist. Eat me, eat me," She said in a high pitched voice.

[Max Kameren]

“Perfect! I’ll have to get the other four lopped off but this is definitely an upgrade.”

"Hooks are quite useful," Eden said with knowing nod. "I think it fits with your personality. Much more you than the fingers."

Max smirked up at her as he attempted to pet Snitch with the hook and found the cat oddly receptive to it. It sparked playfulness in the kitten and she reached out with her paw to snatch at the hook, biting the top of it. The tugging of the cat sent a sharp shooting pain into his hand and Max winced, releasing the hook to the victorious feline and inspecting his stitches to make sure he didn’t tear any. The nurse had been right, he wasn’t very careful.

"Hungry?" It was as if on cue from her question that Max’s stomach growled loudly in reply. He hadn’t eaten anything since his last meal at hospital, and with the fog of his post-fight depression slightly dissipating he realized he was starving. "I am lasagna You know you can't resist. Eat me, eat me," She said in a high-pitched voice.

Max laughed and gently took the plate from his friend and set it on the coffee table. “You don’t have to tell me twice. Give me a second, I’ve got to re-bandage or I’m going to rip one of these open again…”

The backpack reappeared between Max’s knees on the floor and he searched through until he found fresh bandages to wrap his middle and stump fingers in, emerald gaze flashing up at Eden as he tended to his hand. This was nice; for a moment it felt like old times, before Eden’s visions came back and Max got busy with work. They didn’t hang out like this anymore, especially not since Max and Rowena started dating.

A pang of pain went through him again at the musing and he shook it off, trying to change the subject away from his life. “Where’ve you been lately? Anything salvageable in the greenhouse?” Max had helped Eden clear the debris from her studio and had seen the devastation of her work and her happiness in tandem. He hoped some of it had been saved and that whatever she needed, Max could help her. What else was he doing now, with no job and no girlfriend to speak of?

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden watched as Max fixed up his hand. He was so quick about it, so sure. Eden envied his quick fingers. His ability to know what to do. He had a purpose in life. Eden felt lost. It had been a feeling that had plagued her when the visions came back and more so when her studio shattered.

Where’ve you been lately? Anything salvageable in the greenhouse?”

"I saved a few shards of mosaic that hadn't been entirely destroyed. I'm thinking of making them into a back splash or stain glass window pane. I was able to get some stuff, like the sketch books and the paint brushes. I repaired some canvas but it wasn't the same." Eden said handing Max his plate when he finished with the bandages.

Eden grabbed a breadstick, munching on it as she thought about Max's other question. What had see been doing lately? Avoiding him. Avoiding the house. And hanging out with a certain war hero. Eden knew she should tell Max about her growing friendship with Emory. Okay, it was more than a friendship but it hadn't started out that way. If max found out from someone else he would see it as a betrayal.

"Actually, I've sort of started seeing someone. Don't be pissed and it's not a huge age difference actually if you don't count the 17 missing flux years he's only a year older. But I kinda of went on a date with Emory Williams," Eden said rushing the last bit, staring at the mountain of food. She was squirming in her seat. How would Max react? Eden had went to dinner and movie with his father's best friend. And they kissed. It was pretty chaste as kisses went but it was still a kiss.

[Max Kameren]

“Where’ve you been lately? Anything salvageable in the greenhouse?” 

"I saved a few shards of mosaic that hadn't been entirely destroyed. I'm thinking of making them into a back splash or stain glass window pane. I was able to get some stuff, like the sketch books and the paint brushes. I repaired some canvas but it wasn't the same." Eden said handing Max his plate when he finished with the bandages. 

And faded shiver of depression and loss emanated off of Eden and went through Max. She reminded him he wasn’t the only one who’d been devastated by these attacks; the world around him was rethinking and rebuilding as well. Eden was rebuilding not just her studio, but what she wanted out of her life and Max needed to be there to support her. He reached out with his good hand and hugged his friend reassuringly, being careful to keep his aura to himself. The last thing she needed was to be blown around the the shifting winds in his head.

"Actually, I've sort of started seeing someone. Don't be pissed and it's not a huge age difference actually if you don't count the 17 missing flux years he's only a year older…” Max arched a questioning brow at his friend, his chewing slowing as he listened. Why would Eden seeing someone bother him? It was nice to hear that she was dating anyone, Flux or not Max wanted Eden to be happy. Besides, it’s not like the 17-year jump made the age difference real in any way… “But I kinda of went on a date with Emory Williams.”

Oh. Max swallowed slowly as he tried to process that information. Of all the Flux victims Eden could date, that was the most… interesting choice. Emory Williams, Curse Kameren’s childhood best friend, seeing Eden Fletcher, Curse Kameren’s unofficially-adopted daughter. It wasn’t the age difference that was unsettling, it was the relationship: it was like if Eden had told him she was dating Alex. It was rude to respond to someone’s relationship news with a cringe, right?

His mouthful of lasagna was finally done with and he’d run out of time to stall for a response. “That’s…” He grasped for an appropriate adjective and came up short. “…How’d it go?”

[Eden Fletcher]

"Actually, I've sort of started seeing someone. Don't be pissed and it's not a huge age difference actually if you don't count the 17 missing flux years he's only a year older…” Max arched a questioning brow at his friend, his chewing slowing as he listened. Why would Eden seeing someone bother him? It was nice to hear that she was dating anyone, Flux or not Max wanted Eden to be happy. Besides, it’s not like the 17-year jump made the age difference real in any way… “But I kinda of went on a date with Emory Williams.”

There she said it. She admitted her dark secret she had kept from Max. She had went on a date with a man who should have been old enough to be her father. Who was her adoptive father’s childhood friend. That alone should make Eden not go there. And she had been hesitant at first. She hadn’t planned on dating Emory. It just happened. There had been a spark during that first meeting when he came by her office to speak with the artist who had done his painting for the memorial. Then they grabbed a coffee to talk about watch stuff. She saw him at the watch meeting. Ran into him in Hogsmeade. Then grabbed dinner one night because she was bored and he needed a friend. She hadn’t planned on dating him but they had a lot in common. She hadn’t thought of him as Curse’s friend. She hadn’t really known him when she was a child. She’d only seen him a few times.
Silence stretched. Eden could hear Max chew slowly. Merlin’s beard it was getting awkward.
is mouthful of lasagna was finally done with and he’d run out of time to stall for a response. “That’s…” He grasped for an appropriate adjective and came up short. “…How’d it go?”


Eden rolled her eyes when he couldn’t finish his sentence. “That’s what? Weird, strange, odd? Gross? I didn’t plan on it. I mean it is weird. The date went well I think. It was just dinner. It just sort of happened. We’ve become friends since he got back. We have this habit of running into each other. And we just hung out and then it turned into something more. I tried to fight it but it just…I dunno. If this really weirds you out I could just not see him.”

[Max Kameren]

“That’s…” He grasped for an appropriate adjective and came up short. “…How’d it go?”

Eden rolled her eyes when he couldn’t finish his sentence. “That’s what? Weird, strange, odd? Gross? I didn’t plan on it. I mean it is weird. The date went well I think. It was just dinner. It just sort of happened. We’ve become friends since he got back. We have this habit of running into each other. And we just hung out and then it turned into something more. I tried to fight it but it just…I dunno. If this really weirds you out I could just not see him.”

Max smiled wryly at his friend, shaking his head. “Oh don’t mind me, if you’re happy I’m happy. As long as you know it’s weird. Because it’s totally weird.” He shrugged and ate another mouthful of lasagna, smiling in amusement at his friend. Sure it was a bit odd, but if they liked each other why not? Between the two of them a whole host of less-than-favorable choices had graced their apartment in the late hours and early morning, Emory and Rowena were significant standouts compared to the rest. Besides Eden loathed Rowena, so who was he to talk? She’d expressed her distaste for her on multiple occasions, but that hadn’t stopped him from falling hopelessly in love nonetheless.

A wave of depression hit him suddenly square in the chest and he quieted, sitting back further on the couch. Suddenly losing his appetite he put the rest of his plate on the coffee table and reached instead for the whiskey bottle. A second drink wouldn’t impair him too badly, he was sure…