Better than Max thought it would

For the rest of the weekend, Max thought about the kiss he shared with Tom. At this point, he was convinced the book was magical and could change reality. He wrestled with the idea that he was doing something wrong. Ultimately, he decided to cross out the rule about kissing, thinking it was going too far.

He put the book out of his mind until Monday. Before his first class, he went into the joint supply closet to grab some supplies. He was surprised when Tom joined him and shut both doors, then gave him a quick hug.

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize for Saturday. I was tired and wasn't thinking."

Max blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Tom looked down at his feet. "The kiss."

When Max had crossed out the rule, he hadn't considered that Tom would even remember it. Instead, he seemed to think it was his idea. Strange.

Max put his hand on Tom's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I'm not going to lie, I was surprised when you did that. But I'm also not going to lie and say I didn't enjoy it."

Tom looked at him with wide eyes. "You're not mad at me?"

Max stared at the other man's lips, then leaned in and kissed him. Tom froze, so Max pulled back and dropped his hand from Tom's shoulder to his hand. "How could I be mad when kissing you feels so good?"

They could hear the sound of the first bell and students entering their classrooms, so they separated without saying anything further. For the rest of the morning, Max felt like he was floating. He got to kiss Tom again! That single thought carried him until lunch. He went to check on the other man, but was disappointed when he wasn't in his classroom.

Max didn't get the chance to see Tom again until after school. He went into the joint closet to put away the supplies he had grabbed earlier. Tom was already in there putting rulers away. They stared at each other for a few moments, then Max cleared his throat and put his stuff away. They stood next to each other in silence. Finally, Tom turned to Max after he had finished his task and hugged him.

"Can I...kiss you?" Tom whispered.

Max pulled back and smiled at the other man, and nodded. They both leaned in and kissed. Unlike the last two kisses, this one last longer. Spurned on by each other's returned affection, they made out in the closet until they had to separate for air. They both felt hot and out of breath, but incredibly happy.

For the rest of the week, they exchanged kisses whenever they were alone. In the morning, they would meet in the closet to greet each other and start the morning with a peck. During lunch, they would eat in Tom's classroom and lazily make out with the blinds closed. After school, they'd meet in the closet to put supplies away and share one final, long kiss before leaving.

When Saturday came, Max was eager to get a few hours alone with Tom. They hadn't discussed what exactly their relationship was at this point, so he wasn't sure if the other man was ready to go on dates with him. So for right now, having a quiet rendezvous at school was the most reasonable option.

Max hummed to himself as he packed his book bag. That was when he noticed the book that had changed his week. He decided to bring it with him.