YOUR ATTENTION ON ME:

Minerva had meticulously scheduled the shoots and all ad-related tasks for weekends, knowing full well that it wouldn't put too much strain on Ezra. As for Maximillian, well, she couldn't give a flying fig if he was busy or not.

The lad had come up with more excuses than there were grains of sand on a beach, and he'd even managed to conjure up work for himself on weekends just to wriggle out of it. But alas, the universe wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

Little did Maximillian expect, his good-for-nothing, couch-loving, and bossy twin siblings decided to swoop in and take over his workload, all to nudge him towards those darned shoots. They were the type of siblings who would make the youngest do their chores while they sipped lemonade on the porch.

As kids, Maximillian was essentially the twins' personal gopher, summoned at their every whim, only finding reprieve when Minerva stepped in to scold them or when their mother caught wind of their antics.

The Chairwoman's punishments were doled out evenly, leaving Maximillian scratching his head wondering why he bothered ratting out his siblings when he'd end up suffering alongside them, unjustly.

You'd think things might've changed as they all grew older. And perhaps they did, because now, despite the weight of adult responsibilities pressing down on him, Maximillian remained the eternal doormat, catering not only to his twin tormentors but also to his nieces. It's like he's got a sign on his back that reads, "Free labor, inquire within."

So when his siblings eagerly took on all of Maximillian's tasks and then some, Maximillian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, more than a little skeptical and honestly, slightly amused by their antics. He couldn't resist a blunt remark, "You two seem so desperate, it's starting to look less like you want Ashton as a brother-in-law and more like you're auditioning for a husband yourselves."

"Honestly," Laura sighed dramatically, "If I were a few years younger, unmarried, and childless, and if I had met him before you did, I would've snagged him in a heartbeat. No questions asked. He's practically custom-made to fit our family's preferences. The only flaw he has is his tragically poor taste in romantic partners."

"Gee, thanks, sis. Your undying affection for your flesh and blood, hard-working younger brother really chokes me up. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're ready to swap me out for Ashton or anyone else at the drop of a hat," Maximillian quipped with a sarcastic edge to his usually cold voice.

"You should know better than that," Laura and Lucas retorted simultaneously, leaving Maximillian momentarily stunned.

"But seriously, what's the big deal with Ashton?" Maximillian pressed on, genuinely curious.

"He showed up with a bouquet of chicken tikka skewers when he first met me. Can you even imagine? He's so original," Laura defended, her eyes gleaming with nostalgia. "And he introduced me to the wonders of Middle Eastern cuisine. You, my dear brother, couldn't pull off something that charming if your life depended on it."

"Of course I couldn't. Why would I buy you anything? Spend your own money. Mine's all tied up in spoiling my nieces and feeding my car addiction," Maximillian shot back, crossing his arms defiantly.

"He even gave me a key to your garage once. You really ought to let your big bro take one of those beauties for a spin sometime. Seems like your cars mean more to you than your own flesh and blood," Lucas chimed in with a mischievous grin.

"That was him? Figures," Maximillian slouched back in his seat, a bemused expression spreading across his face.

But Laura and Lucas weren't finished yet.

"He also sent me a recording of you pouring your heart out about how much you care for us. It was quite touching, really. Baby bro, why aren't you more honest with yourself?" Laura teased, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"He's all, 'I watch Chinese soap operas to nail those emotions for modeling.' And his friends are like, 'Dude, chill with the drama!' But he's like, 'Nah, I'm good.' before getting scolded for overacting. Kinda cute, right?"

"And then, his handwriting? Super neat cursive. Like, who even does that anymore?"

"Oh, and the chess thing? Hilarious. Tried to dominate his cousin, but she schooled him,  after she only learned it for a day! Ezra said he had been taking online classes for it but he still lost."

"And his cologne? Still citrusy, even at his age!"

Maximillian just scoffs. "None of this adds up. They are so random and even somewhat personal if you ask me. What were you guys even trying to pull back in those days? Steal your brother's boyfriend or something?"

"Oh, the suspicion! The mistrust! The accusation!" Lucas replied in a monotone, his voice dripping with sarcasm, causing a vein to twitch in Maximillian's forehead. Maximillian still managed a smile as he responded bluntly, "If you're so enamored with him, go ahead and make your move. One of you is taken, but the other is still single."

"You wouldn't mind?" Laura asked, her tone laced with skepticism.

"Why would I?" Maximillian shrugged nonchalantly.

"What a lying rancid rat you are. Stop with that stupid, tragic expression then," Lucas retorted. "I like the boy very much, but purely platonically."

"As I said, I do not care," Maximillian reiterated, controlling his expression.

"Yeah, sure, say that again when you come face to face with him later," Laura teased, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.

And indeed, Maximillian found himself face to face with Ezra later, despite his best efforts to avoid it. Dragged along by Minerva, he sat numbly as Ezra, along with Celeste and Damien, adorned him with flowers until he resembled a walking bouquet.

The game they were shooting the ad for followed the current popular trend of land ownership and infrastructure building, where players earned money through mini-games and such. But Minerva's company had taken it a step further, creating a visually stunning game where players guided elves in developing their flowery land into thriving communities, magical colonies, villages, cities, and even kingdoms. The game featured romantic side quests, forging valuable friendships and bonds, and battling evil creatures—it was the whole package.

Given the mystical creatures in the background, a natural and verdant setting was essential, with an abundance of flowers to evoke a romantic and mystical atmosphere.

While they could have settled for a simple animated ad, the Carlisle siblings had an insatiable appetite for the extravagant. If it wasn't over-the-top and guaranteed to turn heads, then it simply wasn't up to their standards. After much deliberation, Minerva ultimately decided to cast a popular amateur model who had garnered a significant following on social media, along with her brother, who conveniently happened to be the heir to a goddamn entertainment empire. When the producers she hired dared to question whether her personal bias influenced the selection, she denied it vehemently with the fakest expression imaginable.

However, Minerva didn't settle for just one ad. She created a two-part masterpiece: the first part showcased the vibe of the game through live-action scenes, with the cast fully immersed in their roles. Well, supposedly fully immersed. The second part featured snippets of the actual gameplay, brought to life through stunning animation.

Choosing Ezra for the role of an elf seemed like a no-brainer; he practically embodied the essence of one. But selecting Maximillian left him scratching his head until he was finally introduced to his character: a despicable villain.

Maximillian couldn't help but shoot a judgmental look at Minerva, to which she responded with genuine confusion, "What? I picked out roles that suit ya'll."

Surprisingly, the role wasn't as bad as Maximillian initially feared. He played a villain consumed by hatred, ultimately subdued by the hero, and, in a symbolic twist, finding the beauty in human life. In the final part of the video, flowers bloomed around him, almost covering him completely as he befriended the elf and became one with nature.

Maximillian though, couldn't help but internally agree with Ezra's jest, a wry unconscious smile tugging at his lips as he listened to the boy's taunts.

"What, one with nature and finding peace? I, the hero elf, basically use you as fertilizer for my land, which will eventually be shared by my descendants. One day, tons of them will walk over you, your name, your lineage, and your talent, quite literally," Ezra chuckled.

"Chill, Ez. So hardcore," Damien interjected, his laughter blending with the gentle rustling of flowers being arranged in Maximillian's hair.

"You want the orange tulip or the yellow one?" Ezra offered the flowers to Maximillian.

"None, actually," Maximillian replied blankly.

"Okay, look to the side. I'll arrange both," Ezra decided by himself anyway, his hands already moving to incorporate the vibrant blooms into Maximillian's floral ensemble.

"Put in some lilies in the center too, you know, for the razzle dazzle," Celeste suggested.

"You mean spider lilies, right?" Ezra chuckled.

"I mean spider lilies, alright!" Celeste affirmed with a grin.

"So symbolic," Damien remarked, impressed by the suggestion.

"Excuse me? Symbolic? From which angle? You mean ominous," Maximillian interjected, annoyance lacing his tone.

The shoot for the day had wrapped up, and now the crew was busy packing away the equipment while the production team reviewed the footage. The final scene they shot was exactly the one that featured Maximillian lying amidst a bed of flowers, a serene moment meant to depict his charcter's inner peace.

As the crew worked around him, Maximillian remained seated, lost in his thoughts. Without warning, the three menaces approached, snapping pictures of him. It was a rare sight to see Maximillian in such a vulnerable state, surrounded by flowers on top of that, and they wanted to capture it for their social media. Unsatisfied, they had approached him and tried arranging the flowers here and there to make it look more stylish, until they got carried away and thus came the current scene.

Maximillian did not even lift an eyelid, letting them do as they pleased in a bored manner. He started with a dull tone,

"I can understand that Joyce-"

"Damien."

"That Joyc-"

"Damien."

"That-"

"Damien."

"Damien. Damien, okay. Happy?" Maximillian gave him a bemused look. "Where was I? Ah, well, I understand that Damien has way too much free time on his hands. He's on his way to unemployment in the future for sure-"

"If that happens, I'll leech off of my sister. She's more than happy to raise her no-good brother. Besides, I also have my beloved Ez." Damien leaned into Ezra's arm, feigning despondency. "Won't you, my dear beloved, care for your unemployed burden?"

"Absolutely. I'll make your existence worth it in itself. Just send your feet pics to OnlyFeets and voilà! Money."

"There's no such thing as OnlyFeet."

"Exactly. So don't burden me. Let's just be burdens together," Ezra replied with a smirk, straightening Damien up before returning to arranging the flowers.

"Is that a proposal?" Damien quipped, raising an eyebrow.

"Take it as you may," Ezra replied with a laugh.

"Oh no, I fear your boyfriend over here. I can't possibly," Damien laughed, shooting a playful side-eye at Maximillian.

When Maximillian remained silent, the other three exchanged suspicious glances. "You won't fight back?" Celeste questioned, her tone laced with curiosity.

"What's the point? I can't win three against one. Silence is golden," muttered Maximillian, frustration lacing his tone.

Ezra leaned in closer, his voice barely above a whisper, "You're unusually calm and docile today. I can't help but wonder why."

"Same old story. Fighting seems futile. Even if I manage to dodge your relentless persistence, fate throws you back in my path. So, I might as well roll with it. But don't expect me to give you what you're after."

Ezra chuckled softly, his fingers delicately arranging flowers in Maximillian's hair. "Oh, we'll see about that. By the way, does this feel familiar to you? Me ruining your hairstyle like this with flowers, and you just letting it happen without a fight. It's like déjà vu, isn't it? Though, the only thing missing is me piggybacking on you."

Damien raised an eyebrow, a playful smile dancing on his lips. "What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Ezra wanted to share the story, but instead, he shook his head. There are some moments in life, however trivial they may seem, that feel intensely personal and intimate, making it difficult to put them into words and share with others.

One such memory involved the time when Ezra had broken his leg. Despite Ezra's attempts to conceal his pain, Maximillian had noticed how it worsened with the cold weather. One autumn evening, feeling overwhelmed, Ezra grabbed his crutches and ventured out for a walk in the nearby park. At first, the weather wasn't too chilly as autumn was just setting in, but as the evening progressed, the cold became unbearable.

His leg throbbed relentlessly, each movement sending waves of agony through his body. Stranded on the bench in the park, just a stone's throw from his home, Ezra cursed his forgetfulness for leaving his phone behind. Even the safe neighborhood that tended to be very quiet at this time, offered little solace as he clutched his plastered leg, feeling trapped and overwhelmed.

His face flushed with anguish, his expression etched with a deep sense of despair. Though tears remained unshed, the weight of his distress hung heavy in the air. Profanities tumbled from his lips, a release for the pent-up frustration and pain, until a deep voice cut through the darkness.

"Exactly what I'm feeling right now. Continue. Go on. Release some of that stress in my stead too."

Ezra's eyes widened as Maximillian strode toward him, his figure cloaked in a long black overcoat that seemed out of place with the rest of his attire. It was clear he had hurriedly thrown it on, a mismatched ensemble that spoke volumes about his urgency.

"Oh, Max, what are you doing here?" Ezra's voice held a mix of surprise and relief at the unexpected arrival.

"You always reply to me instantly, Ezra. Whether it's a call or a text, I can count on hearing back from you pretty quick. So, when I didn't hear from you for a whole three hours, it kind of got to me. Your uncle was at work, and when I called I found out that Celeste was hanging out at Alice's place, so they wouldn't have known what was going on. I worry, you know?" Maximillian approached him gently, taking off his coat and wrapping it tightly around Ezra's shoulders.

"It's lucky that my family's home, where I'm staying, is nearby. And lucky too that I know your usual haunts, like Maria's café or this park, or Louis's place. I called them all, and you weren't at any. I found you here soon enough, though. What if you had passed out, Ezra? What if I hadn't found you?" His voice carried a subtle tremor of concern, his eyes reflecting the worry that had gnawed at him during those few, silent hours. They were pretty long hours to Maximillian though, who had a lot of concerns at the time regarding Ezra's wellbeing.

"It's not that severe," Ezra whispered, his voice tinged with guilt for troubling Maximillian. "I'm sorry."

Maximillian didn't argue, understanding the weight of Ezra's apology. He attempted to reach out his arms to lift Ezra, but was halted by Ezra's firm refusal. "No. Don't princess carry me."

"Why are you suddenly picky? You never cared about it before," Maximillian remarked with a hint of confusion.

"Just... Carry me on your back, please," Ezra whispered again, his vulnerability shining through. He then let out a snort, attempting to lighten the mood, "You can wear your coat backward. I'll hide my legs in it easily that way."

"I will be doing no such thing. The one who will look ridiculous in this situation will be you alone, as punishment," Maximillian spoke bluntly.

"How so?" Ezra inquired, curious about Maximillian's plan.

Maximillian sat down on the bench, positioning Ezra's arms over his shoulders. As Ezra's legs wrapped around his waist, Maximillian tied them loosely with the sleeves of his coat, after ensuring they were covered by the lenght of the coat. Ezra chuckled softly at the sight of this odd arrangement.

Maximillian, with Ezra balanced on his back and holding onto the crutches, managed surprisingly well despite the awkward posture. However, the ends of the crutches dragged on the ground, creating an odd and screeching sound. Despite the spectacle they were making, neither of them seemed to care, focused solely on getting Ezra where he needed to be.

While on the way back, the silence enveloped them until Maximillian broke it softly, concern evident in his voice. "You're trembling. Are you crying, Ez?"

"I don't cry that easily, Max," Ezra replied defensively.

"Are you cold then? Only a little," Maximillian pressed gently.

"Not at all." Ezra's voice was very soft.

"Then what is causing you to tremble like so?" Maximillian persisted.

"I am not," Ezra insisted firmly, trying to deflect the conversation.

"You are—" Maximillian began, but Ezra cut him off sharply. "I said I am not."

To divert Maximillian's attention, Ezra reached out and plucked flowers from the tall bushes and vines along the way. He began arranging them in Maximillian's hair, creating an impromptu nest of blooms on his head and shoulders, the distraction from their conversation evident in his actions.

Maximillian didn't stop Ezra or press him further. Understanding Ezra's attempt to quiet him down, he silently obliged, allowing the distraction of flower arranging to continue. He sensed Ezra's reluctance to burden him further with worries and chose to respect that.

Ezra felt guilty for adding to Maximillian's stress, and the thought weighed heavily on him. Despite Maximillian's inquiries, he tried to hide his frustration and sadness, a rare moment of actively concealing his emotions from Max. Usually, when Maximillian pressed him for answers hard enough he would definitely get one from Ezra. At the moment though, it did not feel at all that Ezra would do so this time.

Maximillian decided to let Ezra be and sort out his emotions himself if that was what he wanted. All he could offer was his presence as comfort, a constant reminder to Ezra that he was there for him, regardless of the challenges they faced together.

How could he have known back then that it was his very presence that was causing such distress in Ezra's life?

As Maximillian recalled that memory, he winced slightly, his expression showing a hint of distress—a stark contrast to Ezra's nostalgic and warm recollection of the time. 

There was also a twinge of self-mockery in Ezra's thoughts as he reflected on how, in that moment, he had arranged the flowers to divert Maximillian's attention away from himself. Now, he realized it was the opposite in the current situation, as it was to regain some of that attention for himself—a funny and somewhat sad realization in hindsight.

Maximillian sighed, attempting to change the topic to shift the mood, and glanced at Celeste with mild boredom. "To complete what I was trying to ask earlier. So I know that Jo-Damien, that he is always free, what brings you here, though? Are you so bored you just came to support your cousin in his ad?"

Celeste raised a brow at Maximillian's assumption. "Your life may revolve around Ez, but mine doesn't always, okay? I'm here because I felt the need to entertain myself with your expressions after I reveal some unsavory shit. Too bad Louis isn't here, but being a medical student, his free time is rare. He wouldn't want to come either."

"What are you talking about?" Maximillian asked, puzzled by the sudden shift in conversation.

"Oh, right," Ezra replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. "I wanted to mention this in our group chat and include her in it, but she insisted on it being a surprise."

Damien's eyes widened with curiosity. "What do you mean, Ez?"

"What I mean is, here before you stands Celeste Ashton, yet another victim of the world-shifting phenomenon. Fun, huh?" Ezra explained, his smile widening with a hint of schadenfreude.