Fic: Think Tank (Max gen)
Title: Think Tank
Fandom: Disney (Max gen)
Notes: So XGM was on the Disney Channel tonight, and mizzmarvel saw it for the first time.
poisonivory: How much did Bradley want Max?
mizzmarvel: Very much.
mizzmarvel: I don't think Max was into it, though. The perpetual crazy eyes were too much.
poisonivory: PJ will eventually say in passing that Beatnik Girl says Bradley only gave Max such a hard time because he was hot for Max. After the requisite shudder of disgust, Max will start actually thinking about his sexuality far more than he has ever allowed himself to.
mizzmarvel: Ooooh!
mizzmarvel: Run with that.
It's not like Max hasn't had the occasional thought about another guy but everyone has thoughts like that. And, okay, Bradley was okay-looking when he wasn't, you know, CRAZY EYES, but that was basically never, so the point is kind of moot. And maaaaaybe, just maaaaaaybe he'd had fleeting thoughts as a kid about whether it would be possible to marry PJ instead of an icky girl, but the only girl he hung out with regularly had been Pistol then, and only a lunatic would want to marry Pistol over PJ regardless of sexuality, and anyway he was certainly in favor of girls now. Very much in favor!
"Tank," he says finally, "how did you know you were gay?"
Tank looks at him in surprise. They're sitting in a quiet corner of the Bean Scene, after hours. PJ is "helping" Beatnik Girl clean up, which consists more of distracting her with kisses and philosophy than actual help, but it seems to work for them, and Bobby is passed out under the table.
"What makes you think I'm gay, sweetheart?" Tank replies, but he's smiling.
"Well, for starters, the fact that you just called me 'sweetheart,'" Max says. "Also, you're wearing a dress."
"Most transvestites are straight," Tank points out. "I know; I got an A in my Psychology of Sex class."
"Okay, fine," Max says, rolling his eyes. "Because you've been hitting on Bobby all night, and if he wasn't using my shoe for a pillow right now, you'd still be complimenting him on his glove size."
"Well. You have me there."
"You haven't answered my question. Bradley didn't, like, order you to be gay, did he?" Max wouldn't put anything past that Uppercrust jerk.
Tank sighs. "It wasn't very complicated for me, baby. I never liked girls, and eventually I realized there was a guy I wanted to get to know better. A lot better." He paused. "It's not that simple for everyone."
Max doesn't like the look Tank is giving him - appraising verging on sympathetic. Still, in for a penny, in for a pound. "So you never liked girls at all?"
"To dress up with? Sure. To kiss? Not really. The ladies just leave me cold." Tank wrinkles his nose a little, and Max can't help but grin.
"Mind if I ask what brought this on?" Tank asks, taking a sip of mochaccino.
Max shifts in his seat, tugs his collar. This is a touchy subject in almost every conceivable way. Max is pretty sure Tank won't beat him to a pulp, but the friendship is still new. "Well, ah. PJ said that Beatnik Girl said that, uh...that is, she thought that, um, that...that Bradley might've been into me."
Tank's expression goes blank for a moment, but then he shrugs, averting his gaze. "Bradley was into a lot of people. But...yeah, probably. I can see that."
"I was grossed out," Max says tentatively.
"I don't blame you."
Max swallows, looking down at his cup. His mochaccino is long cold by now, and he has no idea where he's going with this.
"But," Tank supplies.
"But," Max agrees. He doesn't think he needs to go on.
They're quiet for a moment, and the only sounds are Beatnik Girl's gentle laughter and PJ's earnest murmurs. Finally, Tank clears his throat and says, "It's not a big deal, you know. You like to stress, sure, but you don't need to this time, sweetheart. Honest."
"I do not like to stress!" Max says indignantly.
Tank laughs, loud enough that it startles Bobby awake under the table. "Who in the wha now?" Bobby mutters. "I can't...purple! Tell them!"
"I'll tell them, Bob-Man," Max assures him.
"Cool," Bobby says, and he's out like a light again.
Max shakes his head, then raises an eyebrow at Tank. "Seriously, this guy? I mean, I love him, but I wouldn't date him."
Tank shrugs. "What can I say? I like 'em scrawny and unhinged."
Max laughs, takes a sip of his cold drink, and makes a face. "You know, I dated the prettiest girl in my high school," he says, apropos of nothing.
"She was a princess, I'm sure," Tanks says dryly. "And why aren't you dating her now?"
Max frowns, then mumbles, "Juhmmpdh..."
"Uh, beg pardon?"
"She ended up being more into me than I was into her," Max says. He brushes his hair back idly. "I kind of lost interest after the chase."
"Mmmhm," Tank murmurs knowingly.
Max looks up, scowling, "Hey, that doesn't mean I'm...like that! It just means - um..."
"That you're a jerk." Tank grins.
Max slumps in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. "Shut up, sweetheart."
Tank just laughs.
"I do like girls," Max says, feeling a little pathetic.
Tank spreads his arms, an expansive gesture. "What's not to like?"
Max raises an eyebrow. "But you like boys."
Tank spreads his arms again. "What's not to like?"
"It's not that simple!" Max splutters.
"Why can't it be?"
Tank squints at Max. "If you ask me, you're letting your old man's virility cramp your style."
Max makes a horrible face. "Thank you for that, Tank."
Tank laughs again, tilts back his head, and downs the last of his drink before saying, "What it comes down to is that you can not like guys, and that's okay, but you can like them and have it be okay too. You have good family, good friends. They'll be fine with it."
"Yeah," Max says reluctantly. He looks down at his cup again, then smiles big and awkwardly says, "So, uh, seen the latest Mickey Mouse movie?"
Tanks laughs. "Time to change the subject? Sure, sweetheart."
So they do.
A bit of conversation from the writing process:
mizzmarvel: (Okay, Tank is like my new favorite character.)
poisonivory: (ME TOO)
poisonivory: (I want Tank, Beatnik Girl, and Stacey from AGM to start a club. An AWESOME club. For people who are awesome.)
mizzmarvel: (I want Max and Louie to go to Tank's house for smart dinner parties.)
poisonivory: (YES)
ETA: In case you've forgotten who Tank is, he's this wonderful creature. Seriously, I love him so much.
Fandom: Disney (Max gen)
Notes: So XGM was on the Disney Channel tonight, and mizzmarvel saw it for the first time.
poisonivory: How much did Bradley want Max?
mizzmarvel: Very much.
mizzmarvel: I don't think Max was into it, though. The perpetual crazy eyes were too much.
poisonivory: PJ will eventually say in passing that Beatnik Girl says Bradley only gave Max such a hard time because he was hot for Max. After the requisite shudder of disgust, Max will start actually thinking about his sexuality far more than he has ever allowed himself to.
mizzmarvel: Ooooh!
mizzmarvel: Run with that.
It's not like Max hasn't had the occasional thought about another guy but everyone has thoughts like that. And, okay, Bradley was okay-looking when he wasn't, you know, CRAZY EYES, but that was basically never, so the point is kind of moot. And maaaaaybe, just maaaaaaybe he'd had fleeting thoughts as a kid about whether it would be possible to marry PJ instead of an icky girl, but the only girl he hung out with regularly had been Pistol then, and only a lunatic would want to marry Pistol over PJ regardless of sexuality, and anyway he was certainly in favor of girls now. Very much in favor!
"Tank," he says finally, "how did you know you were gay?"
Tank looks at him in surprise. They're sitting in a quiet corner of the Bean Scene, after hours. PJ is "helping" Beatnik Girl clean up, which consists more of distracting her with kisses and philosophy than actual help, but it seems to work for them, and Bobby is passed out under the table.
"What makes you think I'm gay, sweetheart?" Tank replies, but he's smiling.
"Well, for starters, the fact that you just called me 'sweetheart,'" Max says. "Also, you're wearing a dress."
"Most transvestites are straight," Tank points out. "I know; I got an A in my Psychology of Sex class."
"Okay, fine," Max says, rolling his eyes. "Because you've been hitting on Bobby all night, and if he wasn't using my shoe for a pillow right now, you'd still be complimenting him on his glove size."
"Well. You have me there."
"You haven't answered my question. Bradley didn't, like, order you to be gay, did he?" Max wouldn't put anything past that Uppercrust jerk.
Tank sighs. "It wasn't very complicated for me, baby. I never liked girls, and eventually I realized there was a guy I wanted to get to know better. A lot better." He paused. "It's not that simple for everyone."
Max doesn't like the look Tank is giving him - appraising verging on sympathetic. Still, in for a penny, in for a pound. "So you never liked girls at all?"
"To dress up with? Sure. To kiss? Not really. The ladies just leave me cold." Tank wrinkles his nose a little, and Max can't help but grin.
"Mind if I ask what brought this on?" Tank asks, taking a sip of mochaccino.
Max shifts in his seat, tugs his collar. This is a touchy subject in almost every conceivable way. Max is pretty sure Tank won't beat him to a pulp, but the friendship is still new. "Well, ah. PJ said that Beatnik Girl said that, uh...that is, she thought that, um, that...that Bradley might've been into me."
Tank's expression goes blank for a moment, but then he shrugs, averting his gaze. "Bradley was into a lot of people. But...yeah, probably. I can see that."
"I was grossed out," Max says tentatively.
"I don't blame you."
Max swallows, looking down at his cup. His mochaccino is long cold by now, and he has no idea where he's going with this.
"But," Tank supplies.
"But," Max agrees. He doesn't think he needs to go on.
They're quiet for a moment, and the only sounds are Beatnik Girl's gentle laughter and PJ's earnest murmurs. Finally, Tank clears his throat and says, "It's not a big deal, you know. You like to stress, sure, but you don't need to this time, sweetheart. Honest."
"I do not like to stress!" Max says indignantly.
Tank laughs, loud enough that it startles Bobby awake under the table. "Who in the wha now?" Bobby mutters. "I can't...purple! Tell them!"
"I'll tell them, Bob-Man," Max assures him.
"Cool," Bobby says, and he's out like a light again.
Max shakes his head, then raises an eyebrow at Tank. "Seriously, this guy? I mean, I love him, but I wouldn't date him."
Tank shrugs. "What can I say? I like 'em scrawny and unhinged."
Max laughs, takes a sip of his cold drink, and makes a face. "You know, I dated the prettiest girl in my high school," he says, apropos of nothing.
"She was a princess, I'm sure," Tanks says dryly. "And why aren't you dating her now?"
Max frowns, then mumbles, "Juhmmpdh..."
"Uh, beg pardon?"
"She ended up being more into me than I was into her," Max says. He brushes his hair back idly. "I kind of lost interest after the chase."
"Mmmhm," Tank murmurs knowingly.
Max looks up, scowling, "Hey, that doesn't mean I'm...like that! It just means - um..."
"That you're a jerk." Tank grins.
Max slumps in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. "Shut up, sweetheart."
Tank just laughs.
"I do like girls," Max says, feeling a little pathetic.
Tank spreads his arms, an expansive gesture. "What's not to like?"
Max raises an eyebrow. "But you like boys."
Tank spreads his arms again. "What's not to like?"
"It's not that simple!" Max splutters.
"Why can't it be?"
Tank squints at Max. "If you ask me, you're letting your old man's virility cramp your style."
Max makes a horrible face. "Thank you for that, Tank."
Tank laughs again, tilts back his head, and downs the last of his drink before saying, "What it comes down to is that you can not like guys, and that's okay, but you can like them and have it be okay too. You have good family, good friends. They'll be fine with it."
"Yeah," Max says reluctantly. He looks down at his cup again, then smiles big and awkwardly says, "So, uh, seen the latest Mickey Mouse movie?"
Tanks laughs. "Time to change the subject? Sure, sweetheart."
So they do.
A bit of conversation from the writing process:
mizzmarvel: (Okay, Tank is like my new favorite character.)
poisonivory: (ME TOO)
poisonivory: (I want Tank, Beatnik Girl, and Stacey from AGM to start a club. An AWESOME club. For people who are awesome.)
mizzmarvel: (I want Max and Louie to go to Tank's house for smart dinner parties.)
poisonivory: (YES)
ETA: In case you've forgotten who Tank is, he's this wonderful creature. Seriously, I love him so much.
