Never Surrender

Kennedy groaned softly as she woke up the next morning. She was wrapped in Max's blankets like a caterpillar in a cocoon. She slapped her hand against the bed next to her and groaned again when Max wasn't there. "Maxwell!" she shouted in a tired voice, not opening her eyes even though Max's bedroom windows were covered with black blankets.

"Max!" she yelled again, "Come here!" She unraveled the blankets from around her and stumbled to the floor, biting her lip when the wooden panels were freezing under her feet. She was still wearing Max's hoodie, but her legs were bare since she had stripped out of her jeans when Max dragged her back into the house in the middle of the night.

Kennedy padded out of Max's room and down the hall towards the living room after she peaked into Max's music room. The living room was empty and he wasn't in the kitchen either.

"Damn, Max, where are you?" she muttered to herself, heading to the fridge even though she knew that Max's fridge was perpetually empty. She yanked open the appliance and automatically grinned at the two large bottles of lemon-lime Gatorade that sat on the top shelf of the empty fridge.

Kennedy yanked the bottle out and cracked it open, leisurely heading back out to the living room. She dropped down onto the couch and reached for her bag, since she had left it out there earlier. She rifled through it and pulled out some clean clothes.

"Fuck, Kennedy, help me!" Max shouted as he burst through the door, carrying three large, brown paper bags in his arms.

Kennedy just stared at him. "With what?" she asked rudely before she took another sip of her Gatorade.

Max moved to the coffee table and dropped the bags down. "Get your ass out to the car and bring in the rest of the food," he demanded, lifting just one bag into his arms, "Or else you're not going to eat any of it."

Kennedy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right," she muttered, "You know you only bought it for me." She hopped up from the couch and brushed past him. "Why the hell are you up this early anyways?"

"If I didn't get up, you'd be waking me up to take you to fucking McDonalds again," he muttered unhappily, stopping to look at her, daring her to challenge his words.

She just turned and grabbed a bag from the coffee table. She kicked his ankle to get him to start walking to the kitchen. He turned and looked at her slowly, taking in his hoodie as it swallowed her, her messy bun, and her bare legs. He bit his lip hard and turned around, heading to the kitchen quickly with her following behind, staring at him.

Kennedy and Max dumped the bags on the counter and headed back to his car to grab the rest of the groceries. When they were finished Kennedy climbed up onto a bar stool and rested her elbows on the high counter as Max started putting the items away without her.

"Will you cook for me?" she asked, leaning her cheek against her palm as she watched him. He was showered already and his hair was straightened. The black and red strands ran down his back and stopped three or so inches below his shoulders.

Max just sent her a look as he shoved things into the fridge. "You can probably cook better than I can."

Kennedy shook her head, her messy bun bouncing on her head. "You know I can't even boil water, Maxie."

"I can't do any better!" he muttered, looking at her with disbelief, "Remember when I made you Macaroni and the noodles were stuck to the pan and rock hard?" he asked, recalling the memory from about a year ago, when one of her past flings tossed her out on the street.

Kennedy rolled her eyes. "You did that on purpose, Maxwell! Just to make me mad and to get me out of bed!"

Max scoffed loudly. "Yeah, right! I would waste expensive food on purpose just to piss you off? You're crazy, Kennedy!"

Kennedy hopped off her stool and threw her arms into the air in disbelief. "Macaroni is like three dollars, Max!" she claimed, crossing her arms, "And yeah, you're like that!"

Max shoved an eight pack of Gatorade into the fridge and turned around. He grabbed her wrists roughly and pinned them to her sides, laughing as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Let me go, Max!" she demanded, trying to yank her arms free.

Max's grasp didn't waiver. His pressed her arms against her side and smirked at her. She quickly thought about head-butting him, but just as quickly decided against it, knowing that it would hurt both of them. So she held entirely still and looked up at him. He wasn't much taller than her, at 5"9, but he stood a lot taller than she did.

"Kennedy," Max breathed, still holding her wrists. He smiled his crooked smile and tipped his head to the side.

"What?" she asked softly. She stuck her tongue out at him quickly and chuckled as he banged her hand against her hip.

Max grinned and shook his head. "Nothing," he said simply, "I'm just glad you're here and not letting that asshole get to you."

Kennedy glanced to the floor and shrugged her shoulders, causing Max to frown. "I know it's stupid," Kennedy murmured, "But I've been thinking and you know, maybe it was my fault because I didn't-" she rambled quickly, only to be cut off when Max realized what she was saying.

"No, no, fucking no, Kennedy," he growled, tightening his grasp on her. "His douchery had nothing to do with you. I don't care if the two of you never had sex, he still shouldn't have cheated on you!"

Kennedy frowned, looking up at him. "You would never..?" she trailed off, hoping he'd understand without her having to say more.

Max shook his head vehemently. "Fucking no!" he shouted, "She could say no forever and I'd dump her before I'd cheat on her! Especially if she was as fucking gorgeous as you, Kenny." He was still shaking his head when he finished speaking and Kennedy slipped her arms from his fingers so she could cup his cheeks.

He looked down at her with her fingers pressed against his face. She spoke with a smile on her lips. "You're a better man than Oliver, Max," she stated, licking over her lips, "Although I already knew that."

Max grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's easy to be better than that ass, let me know when someone worth it catches your eye."

Kennedy nodded and held up her pinky finger. "Promise," she murmured, linking her finger with his as he lifted it up.

Max echoed her. "Promise." He dropped his hands to his sides and nodded towards the fridge. "What do you say I try to make you some food?""

Kennedy clapped her hands and nodded eagerly. "Yes, please, Max!" she cheered, wrapping her arms around his slender waist tightly.

"Okay, okay," Max mumbled, "Get off me so I can make some breakfast."

Kennedy let go quickly and marched past him towards the bedroom. Max turned around quickly and watched her leave for just a second before he called out to her, "Where're you going? If I have to cook you have to keep me company!"

She waved her hand over her head. "God, Maxwell, stop being so needy. I'm just getting some pants. Your house is always freezing!"

Max couldn't help but sneak another glance at her long legs. He and her and always been comfortable wearing the bare minimum around each other, but Max was finding that it was harder and harder to think of Kennedy as just another neutral, like a sister. He glanced back to her when she entered the room, dressed in a pair of sweats that were hanging on her hips.

"Aren't those mine?" Max questioned, jabbing a spoon at her.

Kennedy shrugged her shoulders. "Since when do we claim things?" she questioned, walking up next to him to peak into the bowl in front of him. "What are you making?"

"Since I bought those," he replied, "And pancakes."

"I bought half the shit in your room," she stated with a roll of her eyes, "Since when do you know how to make pancakes?"

Max grabbed the box off the counter and read the instructions on the back. "The box explains it all," he said, thrusting it in her face, "My bedroom set was a gift, Kenny, you have a big, fancy job and you love me."

Kennedy laughed sarcastically. "You sound so sure of yourself," she stated, crossing her arms over her chest, "How do you know I love you?"

"I've known you for six years, Kennedy, I know you love me by now," he replied, grinning crookedly.

Kennedy bumped his hip with hers. "I loved you the first day I met you, Max, I just didn't know it right away."

Max wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer so that he could press his pierced lips against her forehead. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him back, grateful to have Max in her life and as her best friend.

Max finished the pancakes according to the instructions on the back and Kennedy gathered two plates, asked Max if they were clean, and then rewashed them in the sink with a quarter bottle of dish soap just to make sure, even though he confirmed they were. She dried them off and set them at the counter bar as Max dished out the pancakes and rifled through the cupboard for a bottle of syrup.

He set it on the counter and grabbed two forks from the drawer near the fridge.

"Wash those, Max," Kennedy demanded, pointing at the sink.

Max rolled his eyes but traipsed to the sink to do as she said. He lathered them in soap and then rinsed them before he set them near their plates and rounded the edge of the counter so that he could sit down and eat his pancakes.

"These are really good," Kennedy mumbled with food in her mouth, licking the syrup from her lips.

Max scooped a huge bite into his mouth and nodded as the flavor hit his tongue. "I'm a good cook," he voiced, trying to hide his surprise as he choked down another bite.

"Slow down," Kennedy laughed, "You don't even have time to breathe!"

Max shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his fork in his mouth, causing Kennedy to laugh and scoot to the edge of her stool, not wanting him to choke and spit his food out any where near her.

Max swallowed and then paused, listening to the air. "I think your phone is ringing," he said, glancing in the general direction of the bedroom.

Kennedy paused and listened for her ringtone. Her eyes widened when an Escape the Fate song shouted at her. She slid off of her stool and ran through the kitchen, her sock clad feet sliding on the tiled floor. She raced around the living room and down the hallway towards the biggest bedroom.

She jumped onto the bed and reached for her phone, which was plugged into Max's charger and shoved under the pillow. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.

"Shit," she murmured to herself, seeing Oliver's name flashing below his picture. She bit her lip and slid the green bar across the screen. "Hello?" she answered.

"Kennedy?"

"Yeah," she breathed, "What do you want, Oliver?"

"Where are you?" he asked, "I stopped by earlier and you weren't there. You never get up early."

"I moved out, Oliver. It's none of your business where I am," she stated, shaking her head, "So don't call me again, Oliver."

"Please, Kennedy. I made a mistake and I just want to see you one more time."

"No, Oli. I can't see you anymore," she said softly, leaning against Max's headboard and stretching her legs out on the mattress, "You're not worth my time anymore."

"Oh, Kennedy, please. Just one more-"

Kennedy looked up as Max walked into the room and crossed his arms over his chest. He knew exactly who she was talking about and he was familiar with her habit of relapsing back to the guys who had hurt her.

He held out his tattooed hand. "Give me the phone, Kennedy," he demanded, curling his fingers and stretching them out again.

Kennedy bit her lip and pulled the phone from her ear. "Maxie, we're just talking. I'm not going to-"

"The phone," Max repeated, "Come on."

Kennedy handed him the phone and he stared at the screen for a moment before he lifted it to his ear, under his thick hair. "Oliver?" he asked, shocking the man on the phone.

"Who is this?" Oliver asked, becoming defensive as he realized that Kennedy was spending time with another man, one who was already protective of her.

"Max fuckin' Green," he replied loudly, "Not that it's any of your business, you asshole."

"Oh hell, you're that guy that Kennedy always hangs out with," he replied, "That fucking freak-show from that gay ass band, right?"

Max rolled his eyes. "What the hell have you done with your life?" he questioned, "Oh, besides fuck around on an amazing girl." Max slid the red bar across the screen and tossed the phone onto the bed.

"Max, what the hell?" Kennedy shouted, reaching for her phone, "You hung up on him?"

"Because he's an idiot, Kennedy!" he exclaimed, "Why are you even bothering to listen to what he wants to say?" Max growled under his breath and crossed his arms.

"Because I loved him, Max! If he had to go some where else to be happy then there was obviously something I was doing wrong, too!"

Max rolled his eyes. "You don't honestly believe that bullshit, do you, Kennedy? I thought you were better than that. If an asshole cheats on you, that makes him an asshole and that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you."

Kennedy looked at Max and pouted slightly. "Max, you don't understand."

Max glanced to the hardwood floor and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah," he muttered, "I guess you're right, Kennedy. I've never been cheated on or had my heart-shattered."

Max turned around and walked out of the room so that he could clean up after their breakfast. It was obvious that Max was more than a little upset about how quickly Kennedy's resolve was wavering and how she quickly forgot about his breakup when she was focused on herself.

Kennedy had been there when Lexus Amanda shredded his heart and handed it back to him. She knew all about what happened and she was the one who stayed up with him for days and forced him to eat ice cream and watch movies that he hated. She was his best friend and they'd always been there for each other. Max just wished that she'd wake up and realize that Oliver wasn't worth it, just like Lexus wasn't for him anymore.

Max was rinsing the suds from the dishes when Kennedy emerged from the bedroom, holding her phone in her hands and biting her bottom lip between her teeth. "Hey, Max," she said softly, causing him to look at her.

"What do you want, Kennedy?" he questioned, piling the plates on top of each other.

She sighed and walked over to him. She leaned against the counter next to him and touched the ends of his hair. "I'm really sorry, Max," she stated, "I wasn't thinking and I'm just really sorry."

Max nodded slowly. "I know," he said, because he did.

Kennedy sighed and bounced on her heels. "Please just forgive me, Maxie. It's torture when you're mad at me." She put a pout on her face when Max looked at her.

He couldn't help but crack a smile at her attempted puppy dog face. "Okay, okay, I forgive you, Kennedy, but stop talking to that ass," he told her, lifting his arms into the arm as she grabbed onto him tightly and held on, her head on his shoulder as he finally wrapped his arms around her too and held on, unable to stay mad at her for long.