Saving the Villain

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you." Cosette narrowed her eyes, pushing herself up until she was standing before Maxen. "Maxen, what are you planning?"

"Nothing." Maxen shook his head, but Cosette quirked a brow and took a step closer. "Cosette, it's really nothing."

"I don't like secrets." Cosette bent over until her face was a few inches from his. "I get nervous when I feel like you're up to something and you won't tell me."

Maxen assessed her face, which was just inches from his before he blurted out. "I'm… twenty."

"Ah?"

"I'm not a teen anymore," he clarified, and, without thinking twice, he slipped his arm around her waist to pull her closer. "I was thinking I will turn twenty-one this year, too. When we first met, you were sixteen, but now you're a bit… older."

Question marks hovered over Cosette's head, as his sentiments didn't make sense. Of course, they would grow older since days were passing without stopping for anyone. What was the point? As she wondered what point Maxen was trying to make, her eyes soon dilated as a thought cross his head.

Cosette gasped, looking at him in dismay. "Max!" she slapped his chest while he chuckled, pulling her body closer to him.

"What?" he feigned ignorance, tilting his head to the side. "Cosette, what sort of answer did you have now for you to react that way?"

"Maxen, don't start." She raised a finger between them. "Do you know this is the biggest red flag? Not because I'm ignoring it doesn't mean you have to keep doing this."

"You're ignoring it, so it means I can do it."

"Tch!"

"Haha. I'm kidding." Maxen leaned his face closer, brushing the tip of his nose against her. "Don't be angry. I'm just messing with you."

Cosette frowned, clicking her tongue in irritation. She drew her head back, patting his shoulder.

"You know what? The older you are, the more silly you become. You shouldn't hang out with Luke that much. His nature is rubbing off of you." She huffed. "Anyway, are you really just messing with me?"

"What did you think I was trying to say?"

"That…" Cosette bit her tongue, eyes sliding to the corner. "I thought we were counting how old we would be if we have children now."

Maxen blinked while she looked back at him. Seeing his slightly surprised countenance, she felt a little annoyed.

"Gosh…" she rolled her eyes, looking away from him. "This is embarrassing. I hate you for doing this to me — always."

"Do you… still, love me?" he asked out of nowhere, making her look back at him with a deep frown.

"Do you still need to ask?"

"Can you just answer?"

"Yes!" her answer was quick without a second hesitation, crawling her arms over his shoulders. "Did I do something for you to question my feelings again?"

Maxen smiled. "I'm just making sure."

"Gosh…"

Maxen watched her roll her eyes before his smile turned into a smirk. He leaned his face closer, planting a kiss on her cheek. Her brows rose, but before she could say anything, another peck landed on the tip of her nose. Maxen showered her with short and soft kisses until she was giggling.

When he kissed almost every area of her face except her lips, he drew his head back.

"I love you," he expressed from the bottom of his heart. "And proud of you."

"Me too." The side of her lips stretched from ear to ear. "I'm very, very proud of you, Maxen."

The two of them stared at each other. Although the words they uttered were the same, the root of that emotion came from different things. Still, they were equally genuine.

When Maxen huffed quietly, he tilted his head to the side and slowly leaned his face. As he did so, Cosette slowly closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to press against hers, which made her heart flutter as if it was the first time.

One year.

Yet, their love for each other only deepened.

What was there to be scared of? That had been the thought that was filling Maxen's head.

Maxen still believed change was the only constant thing in this world, but he would never regret Cosette. Never.

*

*

*

The next day…

"To my fellow batch mates, my classmates, friends, the faculty staff, and everyone I would like to greet you with a joyous congratulation. Being present on this day and wearing our uniforms for the last time makes me a little emotional. I practiced my speech for today, but now that I am standing here, I seemed to have forgotten everything I practiced days before the graduation. So please, bear with me."

Maxen smiled, glossing his eyes over the students, parents, and teachers in the school gymnasium where the graduation was held.

"At the beginning of my high school journey, I always had this thought in my head. Would I even survive the rest of the year? Or rather, would I even reach the day I will get my diploma? Though I have a different reason for those questions, I'm certain there was a point we all had to ask such things.

It wasn't easy.

On top of the subjects we must pass, we also dealt with many stuff people will correlate to adolescence. Some had to deal with much deeper personal problems. So, I congratulate you for persevering. I am really proud of us.

I would like to thank all our teachers who were patient with us and gave their all…" Maxen continued his speech, speaking what would come on the top of his head, putting smiles on everyone's faces.

"I would like to thank a special someone who pushed me to be the better version of myself." Maxen didn't have to search the gymnasium as he only needed to look at the front row where some important figures of the school and the top students were at. "Cosette, no words would ever be enough to express how grateful I am to you. But since I can't, I hope these simple words of gratitude would suffice for now. "

"Thank you, Cosette Blac." Maxen smiled as his eyes softened. "Thank you for existing."

Maxen nodded mildly before shifting his attention to the man sitting beside Cosette. "And lastly, I want to thank my dad, who had always been there every step of the way. I wouldn't be here if not for you. Thank you for everything."

Conrad smiled subtly as he nodded back at Maxen before the latter continued to make his speech. When the speech was done, a round of applause exploded in the gymnasium, watching Maxen receive the highest honor as the top 1 student of the school year.