Saving the Villain

In the end, Maxen still has to intervene between Luke and Cosette when five minutes had gone by and neither back down. The result was, Maxen asked Cosette to sit in the back seat while Luke was in the front passenger seat.

Sitting on the back, Cosette's frown deepened. She crossed her arms under her chest, glaring daggers at Luke.

"This is so unfair," she complained. "I want to sit in the front."

"Hehe!" Luke looked back at her and smirked devilishly. "You wish. I am Max's first passenger."

Her frown deepened. "Max, can we kick him out of here?"

"You're both my first passengers." Maxen chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road. "This is the first time I am driving without an instructor, Cozie."

"Heh. Don't worry, Max. Even though I am a year younger, I know how to drive. So, as a professional driver without a license, you're doing just great…" Luke raised his hand, pinching the air and leaving a little gap in between. "... only if you add a bit of speed because you're driving like an old man."

"It's okay to be slow. We'll reach our destination, anyway."

"Well, it's your birthday." Luke shrugged and then looked back just to spite her. He let out a series of tongue clicking, shaking his head, gazing at Cosette incredulously. "I have my reasons why I don't know Max's birthday, but you? Goodness, Cozie. How could you?"

Cosette opened her mouth to argue but ended up pursing her lips into a thin line. She glanced at Maxen with teary eyes.

"I… have no excuse!" she exclaimed, on the verge of crying her heart out. "I didn't notice the date. I had been thinking about it since a few months ago, but — this is so frustrating!"

"Heh… you're really cruel," Luke commented, not a bit sorry for her this time.

"Don't tease her too much, Luke." Maxen cast Luke a side-eye. "She'll really cry if you do, and I might kick you out."

"Geez! Just when I thought you're not biased anymore since you let me sit here."

"He was punishing me!" Cosette dramatically wept in the backseat. "He was angry that I forgot his special day and was torturing me in the cruelest way. I'm sorry, Max. You can punish me, but not in this way!"

Maxen laughed while Luke scrunched his nose up in dismay.

"I'm not punishing you." He glanced in the rear mirror to look at her momentarily. "I asked you to sit there because it's safer. In case we get into an accident — hopefully not — you'll be safe."

Luke gasped, placing his hand across his chest. "Maxen, are you saying it's fine if we get into a crash since we're both in the front?"

"You're an experienced driver." Maxen shrugged without casting him a look. "I will need your guidance so that won't happen."

"Oh… well, that made sense." Luke nodded, while Maxen smiled. This guy was so easy to appease, and it was surprising how no one in the Quinn Family seemed to not get how simple Luke was.

"You're really not angry, Max?" Cosette asked, sniffing hard.

"No." Maxen shook his head mildly. "Why would I?"

"Well…" Cosette fumbled her fingers. "This is your first birthday that we're going to spend together…?"

"Aren't we three together?" he replied with a light tone. "Don't cry, Cozie. It's fine, and I prefer it this way. I am not fond of celebrating something, but if I am going to celebrate, I'd rather celebrate it with the people I fondly care about. Spending a day with you on this special day… makes it ten times better than a grand celebration with people I don't know."

"It makes sense, right?" Maxen turned to Luke and flinched a little as soon as he saw the latter's face.

Luke was chewing his lower lips, staring at Maxen with teary eyes. He covered his lips as she spoke.

"You want to celebrate with me?" asked Luke with a shaking voice, moved to tears as this somehow made him feel very special. Before Maxen could reply to him, he glanced at the mirror, only to see Cosette wearing the same expression as Luke.

A shallow breath escaped Maxen's lips as he chuckled slightly. He thought these two would prefer a grander way and find his plans too plain. Even though Maxen knew them and had been with them, he couldn't help but sometimes wonder if these two prefer it the grander way. Both Luke and Maxen were wellborn to boot. They lived an entirely different lifestyle just a year ago.

Therefore, even though these two had always shown they were fine with mostly everything, Maxen would still reconsider their upbringing. After all, there were times Luke and Cosette's spoiled qualities would show up.

"Of course. You're both very dear to me," Maxen expressed without a second hesitation, smiling genuinely, despite having his eyes on the road. "This is the first time I ever wanted to celebrate the day I was born. So, it's also special to me."

Luke sniffed as a little tear leaked out of his eyes. Cosette was also crying, but she was now silent.

"Stop crying now." Maxen let out a deep exhale when ten minutes had gone by and the two were still silent. He could only hear their sniffles for the past several minutes, and it somehow made Maxen feel bad.

Was being too open to them a bad idea? But wasn't that his therapist advised?

"It should be a happy day," he added, trying his best to liven up the mood. "You make me feel bad."

"But that's because I wasn't ready to be appreciated!" Cosette exclaimed, her voice cracking in the middle. "I'm so touched I cannot stop my tears."

"Me too! How can you say all that without a heads up?" Luke added as he cried once again just when he thought he had slowly recovered. "I didn't even buy you a gift, and that makes it way worse!"

Maxen shook his head but ended up letting out a chuckle. "What am I going to do with you?" he mumbled.

He wanted to tell them coming into his life was already the best present and the greatest blessing in his life. However, he figured he should just let his action speak. These two wouldn't stop crying if he expressed those words verbally.

'What a good day,' Maxen thought, letting them cry and calm down without attempting to stop them from crying. 'I don't remember a single year in my birthdays being this bright.'