Chapter 68: Quiet Life. (1/2)

Max went up to his apartment, he took the elevator this time. He wasn’t tired, but he was saving every ounce of energy. He had a long night ahead. He wasn’t that good with studies and he needed to complete everything discussed in class today, so wasting strength on small things didn’t make sense. The elevator hummed quietly as it rose floor by floor, the numbers blinking slowly above the door.

*DING-DONG*

Jennifer opened the door. The apartment lights were dim and warm, the kind you use when someone is sleeping. Seeing him, she smiled widely and hugged him tight without saying anything first. Max patted her back gently, careful with his movements, already understanding the atmosphere here needed quietness. Even his boots stepped softer on the floor.

~ Chevy is asleep with Maki, they fell asleep half an hour ago, Maki wanted to wait for your return but I was working on my thesis anyway, so I told her to go back, I can handle warming a few dishes ~

Jennifer whispered in his ear. Max nodded his head once, just quiet agreement. She then took the helmet from his hand and placed it on the dining table softly so it wouldn’t make noise.

” Go freshen yourself up, I’ll warm up the dishes ”

Max went to the washroom quietly, closing the door with care so it wouldn’t make noise. His body felt a little dirty from the long ride, sweat and dust sticking to his skin, so he took a quick bath, warm water running down his shoulders and back, washing away the day’s weight.

After drying off, he wore comfortable pajamas, soft and loose, then threw the clothes into the basket without thinking much about it. Machina does the laundry anyway, so he didn’t need to do anything about it.

Standing there for a second, towel in hand, he looked around the small space. Every movement had to be quiet, every step careful because a baby was sleeping.

I need to buy a big apartment.

Seeing how quiet he needed to be in his own apartment, he wanted a bigger one, something with space to breathe, separate rooms, thicker walls, somewhere his big family could live together without tiptoeing around each other. Chevy was just a guest, but what if his own baby were to be born one day.

Let’s see if she’s ready though.

A small smirk appeared on Max’s face thinking about Jennifer. She had to share this room with him today. Just the thought of it made his mind wander for a second. He could be closer to her, talk, tease, and maybe do her all night if she wanted.

She was his anyway. But thinking about her properly, the smirk slowly disappeared. His expression turned deeper, more thoughtful, and less playful. He wasn’t some impatient kid. Whatever happened would happen naturally. He put on a more composed look and exited the bedroom, throwing the towel neatly on the drying rack as he walked out.

” Sit down, I have not eaten as well, we can eat together ”

Jennifer smiled the moment she saw him. The dining table was already prepared with a few simple dishes, steam still rising softly from the bowls. She was also wearing loose pajamas, sleeves slightly long for her arms.

Max looked once, then looked again, and realized it was actually his pajamas she was wearing. The collar slipped a little off her shoulder, the fabric hanging comfortably on her smaller frame.

So we are sharing clothes and an apartment? She’s cute.

Max sat and ate. Although he had already eaten dinner once with Blanka just a few hours ago, he still felt like he could eat more, his body kept asking for fuel like it had burned everything away on the ride, every bite disappearing fast, warm food settling into his stomach while his shoulders slowly relaxed.

The long day finally catching up to him, yet his appetite didn’t slow down at all, it was like his muscles demanded payment for every kilometer, every move he made today.

It took them ten minutes to finish their food. Jennifer was in some kind of hurry, quietly eating faster than usual, so they didn’t get to talk much either, only the soft clink of plates and spoons filling the room.

Max simply asked if she got the laptop, but in reply she looked confused and tilted her head, clearly not knowing what he meant, and from that alone he understood Machina hadn’t given her the laptop yet.

Max helped her with the dishes, sleeves slightly rolled up, moving naturally around the sink, he had done this a hundred times before in the orphanage, rinsing plates, stacking bowls, wiping the table clean in a few smooth motions.

Jennifer stood close beside him drying everything quietly, their shoulders brushing once or twice in the narrow kitchen space, her face already flushed but she didn’t say anything, just focused on finishing fast.

Then both of them went to the bedroom together, her steps a little hurried and light, but she still needed to finish the project in hand, so she sat on the small chair by the window with her old laptop, the screen dim and the cooling fan making a tired buzzing sound, looking painfully outdated compared to everything else around them.

Max, seeing how busy she was, also wanted to concentrate on his own study, but when his eyes landed on both new laptops sitting untouched on his bedside table, he frowned slightly at Machina, who was supposed to take one and give another to Jennifer, then he walked over and picked one up without hesitation.

” Here, use this from now on, I bought it a few days ago, forgot to give you ”

” It’s? The new MacBook Pro? Wow, it’s costly… you didn’t have to… ”

Jennifer, taking the laptop in her hand, wanted to give it back because it was that costly. She knew this spec was very expensive, 8TB storage and insanely fast with 128GB RAM, something even many offices couldn’t afford, so she held it carefully with both hands like it might break.

She looked at him with wide eyes while Max just stood there relaxed like it was nothing, like buying something like this for her was the most normal thing in the world, his calm stare quietly telling her not to argue, almost like a silent warning that she should just take it and stop overthinking, because once he decided something, it was already done.

” Thank you ”

” That’s right, you’re welcome, if I see that look again, I’ll be very angry ”

*SMOOCH*

He leaned down and gave her a soft peck on her lips, quick and warm, just enough reward for her to shut her protests before they even formed, then straightened up like nothing happened, not wanting to distract her from her work any longer.

He pulled out his own MacBook again and sat on the bed with his back against the headboard, one leg stretched out, the other bent, screen glow reflecting faintly on his face while both of them worked quietly in the same room, only the soft tapping of keys filling the air.

Max didn’t feel tired at all and could concentrate more on his studies, words flowing smoothly as he typed, notes stacking up fast, so when three hours passed away he didn’t even notice the time.

When he heard a light snoring sound, tiny and uneven, almost like a little kitten sleeping, he finally looked up, eyes shifting from the screen, and saw Jennifer’s head slowly drooping forward, her body sliding sideways on the small chair, completely exhausted, about to fall from it while still sound asleep.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep