Saving the Villain

"If you date him, I'll date someone else… maybe, fuck her too, while I'm at it."

Maxen kept his straight face, looking at Cosette dead in the eye. He was serious, and he wanted her to know that.

"If you need my opinion, my answer will always be the same. Don't date anyone," he repeated solemnly. "But if you don't need it, do what you want to do. Date whoever you wanted; it's your life and your decision."

Silence instantly befell the two of them, looking at each other in silence. Cosette bit her tongue, finding her lost voice.

"If I date, you will also date?" she asked for clarification.

"I will if I feel like it. Don't think it was because of you. No, it's not. I just think there's no reason for me to keep holding on to someone who is happier with another person," he explained, trying his best to keep it as simple and clear.

Although what he wanted to tell her was her happiness was his priority, and even if he wasn't in that happiness... he would be happy. But obviously, he wasn't ready to say all those cheesy lines.

Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line while holding his gaze. His answer left a bitter taste in her mouth. Of course, she understood Maxen — or rather; she had a different interpretation of his answer. What she understood was that Maxen wouldn't stop her from dating or anything of the sort, and that also meant she had no say if he also started dating.

She even forgot the shock his initial answer gave her, as she didn't expect something so vulgar. He sounded a bit sexy in her rotten ears, though.

"'kay," came out a short reply, twisting her body until she was facing the television once again. When her eyes landed on the movie, Cosette didn't understand what was going on anymore, but she didn't have the energy to rewind it.

"Why are you upset?" he inquired this time, almost knowing her from inside and out. She didn't do anything grand, but her short reply, followed by silence, was enough for him to understand she was upset.

"I'm not upset," she murmured, casting him a cursory look, only to see him raise his brows. Another deep exhale slipped past her lips, smacking them right after.

"It's just... I don't know. I don't want you to date," she confessed, expressing her heart as honestly as ever. A habit that had always tugged his heartstrings and nearly pushed him to insanity.

"Of course, if you find someone who will make you happy, I'll be happy too. But the thought of it now... this might sound selfish, but I don't want Maxen to date someone else for now," she continued, almost pouting. It was almost like how a mother would refuse her child to date. That was where Cosette believe this feeling was coming from. Maxen was her baby villain, and the thought of him dating a girl at such a young age brought this mixed emotion to her heart.

'But then again... no matter how I deny it, I know for you there will never be the right time where I can say I'm ready to let him go.' Her brain told her, forcing her to face her hypocritical opinions. 'Just what am I doing? Seriously?'

"All of that is hypothetical." Maxen let out a helpless sigh as he planted a palm on top of her head. "Don't be upset about something that hasn't happened yet."

Cosette looked up at him, still frowning. "Did you also age ten years in the past two months? You sound like a real adult now."

"Age isn't the indicator of maturity." He shrugged. "Experience is."

"I know..." she pouted, keeping her eyes at his gentle eyes. "Stop looking at me like I am your little sister. I'm not."

"I'm not looking at you like my little sister."

"You are." She rolled her eyes, brushing his hand away from her head. Cosette clicked her tongue, studying him for a moment before clicking her tongue once more. She wasn't wrong with her assumption. Maxen was starting to treat her like a little girl. Just like Conrad!

That was cute before, but after her experience in the BLK Corporation, Cosette unconsciously wanted to be treated like a woman! And to be looked at as a woman, particularly in Maxen's eyes. The only person she didn't mind who would look at her like a little girl was Conrad.

"I'm not your little sister, Max. If you keep treating me like one, you'll regret it," she warned, but her tone sounded even lazier. "That's for sure."

Maxen frowned while his brows rose. Why was she assuming he was treating her like a little girl? Was she out of her mind? Or Cosette was simply playing dumb about his feelings?

He blinked his eyes, watching her refocus her eyes on the movie in front of them. Cosette was still mumbling things, reaching for the remote control to rewind, where she was before getting distracted by him.

'So, she's not faking it...' he told himself, furrowing his brows. 'But I don't really see her as a sister since... I have some fantasies about her.'

Maxen looked away when his deepest secret resurfaced in his head. Little did he know, the only reason Cosette was forced into this assumption was that Maxen looked at her the same way Conrad looked at her! Not that he was purposely doing it, but Maxen had only seen pure love between Cosette and Conrad. All relationships Maxen had seen were either with benefits or like a couple who wouldn't stop fighting, just like how it was like in his home before he ran away years ago.

In other words, Conrad's way of showing his love to his daughter sort of rubbed off on him.

While she was rewinding the film and Maxen was deep in his thoughts, he casually sprawled his arm across the backrest of the couch, and then massaged her scalp. His action instantly sent a ticklish sensation under her skin, looking at him only to realize he was doing it subconsciously.

She let him massage her scalp with his fingertips, eyes still on his side profile. From this close distance, Maxen surely retained his original features. It was just that the extra fats disappeared. Not that he looked like he truly starved himself, but even without touching his muscles, they already looked taut from regular exercise.

"Max, what sort of classes did you enroll in?" she asked, catching his attention when her eyes felt full from ogling at the beauty he hid from everyone. Her question brought him back from his trance, snapping his eyes and twisting his neck to face her.

"Huh?"

"I was asking what sort of classes did you enroll in?" she repeated patiently, once again distracted from the movie. They wouldn't finish it at this point.

"Ahh... a lot." His answer was short, and his eyes studied the genuine curiosity in her eyes. "One of them is martial arts and then art class."

"Really?"

"Mhm." He nodded. "I also did some therapy, and the doctor suggested art so I can express myself."

Her lips curled up, proud at hearing what he had done, although he didn't detail it. That much was enough for her to understand that Maxen did not only enroll in short classes to kill time but to improve himself.

"Did you at least enjoy them?" she inquired, and he answered with a nod. "That's good then."

Cosette heaved a sigh of relief, smiling with satisfaction. But before she could think of anything grand, Maxen spoke once more.

"My coach told me he likes me and made me start with yellow."

"Really?" her eyes widened. "Hey, are you really training in a legitimate dojo? How can he give you yellow for starters?!"

"Yeah, I started with yellow and now I'm orange." He shrugged, enjoying how her eyes widen even more.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Cosette waved profusely, adjusting in her seat until she was facing him again with her feet up. "Max, that is impossible. I'm starting to question this dojo and this master who is training you! You can't just start with yellow and then get orange in two months!"

"Why not?" he frowned.

"Because it takes years for that! I mean, it took me a decade to become a black belter. Some need at least more months to get promoted to green! Are you being scammed or what?" she gasped, a little more worried now. "How did that even happen?"

Maxen blinked twice, misplaced innocence in his eyes. "I beat the hell out of his protege."

"..." Cosette looked at him with furrowed brows. "What?"

"I beat the hell out of the top student who was already a black belter. So, the master took a liking to me and allowed me to skip a few colors... for the safety of those children."

"..." All she could do was stare at him in silence, scanning his straight face to find the slightest deception, but to no avail. Just then, she realized that was because Maxen was a delinquent in the past. Not to mention the hard labor he had as a part-time, so his foundation was solid. Unlike Cosette, who started at a very young age.

"Right..." she murmured, creasing her brows upon noticing the look he was giving her. "What?"

"I did a good job," he explained.

"Yes, you did. I'm proud of you."

"..." <-- Maxen.

"???" <--- Cosette.

The two looked at each other with question marks hovering over her head while Maxen looked at her as if he was waiting for something. As the staring competition prolonged, Maxen tapped his cheek.

"Reward," he explained as it seemed she had forgotten how she gave out rewards. "Did you forget?"

"..."