The Last Sunset
Title: The Last Sunset
Characters: Jude/Max
Fandom: Across the Universe
Rating: PG-13
Table: 11
Prompt: 1, Sunset
Author's Note: This is entirely a product of imagination, and I do not own Jude Feeny, Max Carrigan, or any of the other characters depicted in the film Across the Universe.
Jude leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, looking up at the expanse of sky above him. The colors were already starting to change, the blue shading into palest violet and pink at the edges of the sky just above the concrete city buildings.
Soon, it would be night -- and that was always his favorite time.. There was something electric and exhilarating about the night life here in New York, especially since he shared it with the most vital, exciting man he'd ever known.
A smile curved his lips as he thought of his boyfriend. Max had struck a chord within him the first time they'd ever met; even though he hadn't known then that they would be lovers, he had felt that Max would be someone special in his life.
Of course, Max had proven to be more than that. Much more. He was Jude's lover, his soul mate, his one and only. Jude felt as though he'd come home the first time Max had drawn him into those strong arms; he'd never wanted to move away.
And he never would. He wanted to be in Max's arms, in his heart, in his life, for the rest of his own life. He simply couldn't imagine being without Max; not having the other man beside him wasn't an option, Jude told himself firmly.
Max was more than just his lover -- his boyfriend was a part of him. That was the main reason why he had to be so careful that he wasn't found to be in this country illegally -- the last thing in the world he wanted was to be sent back to Liverpool without Max.
Liverpool didn't even seem like home any more. Of course, he called his mother, and sent her a short letter occasionally. But that life he'd left behind there seemed so long ago, a life that had happened to another person that he could hardly remember.
His life was here, with Max, in New York. There was nowhere else he wanted to be, nobody else he wanted to be with. He had everything he wanted here -- well, except freedom from the fear that he could be unceremoniously yanked away from the man he loved.
Max wouldn't let that happen, Jude told himself, feeling a shiver of cold fear slice down his spine. His family had money and influence; they would make sure that Jude was safely in this country, if only to make Max happy.
Oh, who was he kidding? Jude shook his head, an angry frown settling between his brows. Max's family didn't care if Jude was here or not. In fact, they'd rather have him safely across the ocean and away from Max so they could try to convince their son to be with some girl.
But that wasn't going to happen. The frown cleared from Jude's face as he pushed that thought into the back of his mind and locked it away, burying it where it couldn't be found. Max wouldn't let him be taken away. They were going to stay together.
Jude looked around as he heard the door that led from the stairs to the roof of their building swing open, smiling as Max pushed the door open and stepped out. The tall blond man returned Jude's smile, moving across the roof to sit down beside him.
"Watching the sunset here is a great idea," he said as he slipped an arm around Jude's waist. "I used to do this all the time at home, go up on the roof and watch the sunset alone and dream about what my life would be like when I could live it the way I wanted to."
"And has your life turned out the way you saw it in those daydreams?" Jude asked him, looking over at his boyfriend with a smile. He rested his head on Max's shoulder, closing his eyes, content to relax within the protective circle of Max's arm.
"It's turned out better than I ever dreamed it could," Max said softly, his voice almost a caress. "I've got you. That wasn't part of my daydreams back then, but in the real life that I'm living now, it's the best part. The part I never want to lose."
Jude felt tears rising behind his eyes at Max's words; he hadn't expected his lover to say something that sweet and romantic. Max wasn't usually given to romantic words, but when he was, the power of what he said usually reduced Jude to tears.
What was it about Max that could make him feel so vulnerable, and yet so loved at the same time? No one else had ever made him feel like that. But then, no one else had been his soul mate, the person he was destined to be with for an eternity and beyond.
The sunset was deepening now, brilliant colors replacing the pale. Jude watched as a brilliant red streak formed in the sky, followed by a deep orange shade. He caught his breath in wonder; he'd never seen a sunset where the colors looked so vivid.
"Wow, this is gorgeous," Max murmured beside him, his voice holding an awed tone. "I've seen some pretty sunsets before, but never one like this." He raised a hand to stroke Jude's hair, a smile in his voice when he spoke. "That's probably because you're here with me."
"Do you think the sunset would be so beautiful if I wasn't here?" he asked, the words slipping out before he realized he'd put a thought into words. Jude bit his lip, waiting for Max's answer; he wasn't sure what his boyfriend was going to say.
Max shook his head, his words decisive. "No, it wouldn't be. Y'know, you're what makes life bright for me these days, Jude. I wouldn't be this happy if I didn't have you. I'd enjoy being in New York, but I'd always feel like there was something missing from my life."
"But if you'd never met me, then you wouldn't know that you were missing a part of your life," Jude pointed out, raising his head from Max's shoulder and raising an eyebrow. "How could you know? You wouldn't have any idea that I existed."
"Oh, I'd know," Max said, shaking his head. "I'd feel that there was some part of me that wasn't here. I always felt that, even before I'd met you. I knew that there was something missing in my life -- I just didn't know what it was until you walked into my world."
"Maybe that's what drew me to America," Jude said softly, his gaze moving back to the brilliant sunset that was playing itself out in front of them. "I thought I came here to find my father and let him know I existed -- but maybe I was really looking for you."
"I believe that," Max said softly, turning his head to look at Jude. The sunset was forgotten as their eyes met and held; it could have been the last sunset that the world would ever see, and they wouldn't have cared. They were too wrapped up in each other.
Both of them leaned forward at the same time, their lips meeting in a long, lingering kiss. The sunset deepened behind them, a blazing, colorful panorama that completely escaped their notice as they sank into a world that was entirely of their own creation.
Characters: Jude/Max
Fandom: Across the Universe
Rating: PG-13
Table: 11
Prompt: 1, Sunset
Author's Note: This is entirely a product of imagination, and I do not own Jude Feeny, Max Carrigan, or any of the other characters depicted in the film Across the Universe.
Jude leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, looking up at the expanse of sky above him. The colors were already starting to change, the blue shading into palest violet and pink at the edges of the sky just above the concrete city buildings.
Soon, it would be night -- and that was always his favorite time.. There was something electric and exhilarating about the night life here in New York, especially since he shared it with the most vital, exciting man he'd ever known.
A smile curved his lips as he thought of his boyfriend. Max had struck a chord within him the first time they'd ever met; even though he hadn't known then that they would be lovers, he had felt that Max would be someone special in his life.
Of course, Max had proven to be more than that. Much more. He was Jude's lover, his soul mate, his one and only. Jude felt as though he'd come home the first time Max had drawn him into those strong arms; he'd never wanted to move away.
And he never would. He wanted to be in Max's arms, in his heart, in his life, for the rest of his own life. He simply couldn't imagine being without Max; not having the other man beside him wasn't an option, Jude told himself firmly.
Max was more than just his lover -- his boyfriend was a part of him. That was the main reason why he had to be so careful that he wasn't found to be in this country illegally -- the last thing in the world he wanted was to be sent back to Liverpool without Max.
Liverpool didn't even seem like home any more. Of course, he called his mother, and sent her a short letter occasionally. But that life he'd left behind there seemed so long ago, a life that had happened to another person that he could hardly remember.
His life was here, with Max, in New York. There was nowhere else he wanted to be, nobody else he wanted to be with. He had everything he wanted here -- well, except freedom from the fear that he could be unceremoniously yanked away from the man he loved.
Max wouldn't let that happen, Jude told himself, feeling a shiver of cold fear slice down his spine. His family had money and influence; they would make sure that Jude was safely in this country, if only to make Max happy.
Oh, who was he kidding? Jude shook his head, an angry frown settling between his brows. Max's family didn't care if Jude was here or not. In fact, they'd rather have him safely across the ocean and away from Max so they could try to convince their son to be with some girl.
But that wasn't going to happen. The frown cleared from Jude's face as he pushed that thought into the back of his mind and locked it away, burying it where it couldn't be found. Max wouldn't let him be taken away. They were going to stay together.
Jude looked around as he heard the door that led from the stairs to the roof of their building swing open, smiling as Max pushed the door open and stepped out. The tall blond man returned Jude's smile, moving across the roof to sit down beside him.
"Watching the sunset here is a great idea," he said as he slipped an arm around Jude's waist. "I used to do this all the time at home, go up on the roof and watch the sunset alone and dream about what my life would be like when I could live it the way I wanted to."
"And has your life turned out the way you saw it in those daydreams?" Jude asked him, looking over at his boyfriend with a smile. He rested his head on Max's shoulder, closing his eyes, content to relax within the protective circle of Max's arm.
"It's turned out better than I ever dreamed it could," Max said softly, his voice almost a caress. "I've got you. That wasn't part of my daydreams back then, but in the real life that I'm living now, it's the best part. The part I never want to lose."
Jude felt tears rising behind his eyes at Max's words; he hadn't expected his lover to say something that sweet and romantic. Max wasn't usually given to romantic words, but when he was, the power of what he said usually reduced Jude to tears.
What was it about Max that could make him feel so vulnerable, and yet so loved at the same time? No one else had ever made him feel like that. But then, no one else had been his soul mate, the person he was destined to be with for an eternity and beyond.
The sunset was deepening now, brilliant colors replacing the pale. Jude watched as a brilliant red streak formed in the sky, followed by a deep orange shade. He caught his breath in wonder; he'd never seen a sunset where the colors looked so vivid.
"Wow, this is gorgeous," Max murmured beside him, his voice holding an awed tone. "I've seen some pretty sunsets before, but never one like this." He raised a hand to stroke Jude's hair, a smile in his voice when he spoke. "That's probably because you're here with me."
"Do you think the sunset would be so beautiful if I wasn't here?" he asked, the words slipping out before he realized he'd put a thought into words. Jude bit his lip, waiting for Max's answer; he wasn't sure what his boyfriend was going to say.
Max shook his head, his words decisive. "No, it wouldn't be. Y'know, you're what makes life bright for me these days, Jude. I wouldn't be this happy if I didn't have you. I'd enjoy being in New York, but I'd always feel like there was something missing from my life."
"But if you'd never met me, then you wouldn't know that you were missing a part of your life," Jude pointed out, raising his head from Max's shoulder and raising an eyebrow. "How could you know? You wouldn't have any idea that I existed."
"Oh, I'd know," Max said, shaking his head. "I'd feel that there was some part of me that wasn't here. I always felt that, even before I'd met you. I knew that there was something missing in my life -- I just didn't know what it was until you walked into my world."
"Maybe that's what drew me to America," Jude said softly, his gaze moving back to the brilliant sunset that was playing itself out in front of them. "I thought I came here to find my father and let him know I existed -- but maybe I was really looking for you."
"I believe that," Max said softly, turning his head to look at Jude. The sunset was forgotten as their eyes met and held; it could have been the last sunset that the world would ever see, and they wouldn't have cared. They were too wrapped up in each other.
Both of them leaned forward at the same time, their lips meeting in a long, lingering kiss. The sunset deepened behind them, a blazing, colorful panorama that completely escaped their notice as they sank into a world that was entirely of their own creation.