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wrestlegameslegacy · 10 months

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The Potential Funeral Of AEW Fight Forever

For my regular readers, you may recall my previous article where I detailed all the ways AEW: Fight Forever could become a fantastic, highly-competitive Ranked Fighter if they marketed it correctly. Unfortunately, they didn't get anything right. Within the first two weeks, the game experienced a massive decline in active players, especially on PC, going from around one thousand concurrent players to just 50 at any given time, according to VGInsights. The lack of promotion from THQ Nordic and AEW themselves has killed what could have been a special alternative to WWE 2K.

Fans have noticed that Kenny Omega has not personally promoted the video game or been seen playing it publicly. The lack of enthusiasm from the game's "grandfather" reflects on the fans' lack of motivation. If Kenny doesn't care, why should we? What happened to the enthusiasm from the original AEW Games Conference?

The only person championing the game on social media is Justin Leeper, the designer of RTE, who doesn't even work at Yukes anymore. Kenny doesn't care, THQ doesn't care, and frankly, I'm done caring. THQ employees don't tweet about playing it or stream it. Perhaps they are bored of it, or maybe they never cared about wrestling in the first place and just wanted another gem in their "Infinity Gauntlet" of collecting original THQ properties.

It's not just the marketing that killed the game; it's also the fact that a whole season of downloadable content was announced in mid-June. The game was released on June 29th, and as of writing this article in August, there has not been a single notable update to AEW: Fight Forever, and the DLC has been indefinitely delayed.

It's baffling that Yukes released a game where the main focus is supposed to be online play, yet they couldn't create a balanced and functional experience for players to enjoy. Online matches are dominated by unbalanced skills and overpowered Created Wrestlers, along with rage-quits that completely ruin the experience. We'll delve deeper into these issues shortly.

And even after all these problems, THQ Nordic's Zyddie and Jen Bigell have yet to provide any real glimmer of hope. It appears that the same issues that existed years ago with WWE, such as Yukes' inability to communicate with their publisher, are plaguing this game once again. As a source of mine pointed out when they announced Fight Forever, “Tony just inherited a developer with 20 years of wrestling game experience. He doesn’t realize he also just inherited all the problems that made 2K fire them.”

The Failure Of Marketing

The complete sales data of modern video games is no longer readily available, as publishers now consider playtime a success metric instead of complete sales numbers. Unfortunately, AEW: Fight Forever has fallen short in both aspects, according to algorithm estimates and available data. It debuted at #3 on the UK charts and sold an estimated 20,000-30,000 copies in the first week, which seems lukewarm considering the minimal competition. The report suggests a revenue of $900,000. Data for PC is more widely available, indicating that the game initially had over one thousand players but has now dipped to an average of 50 at any given time. VGInsights' algorithm estimates that nearly thirty thousand copies have been sold.

According to Dave Meltzer, AEW invested around ten million dollars into the game. The contributions from Yukes or THQ are not known, but as more delays occurred, the game became more expensive. According to Mike Straw's report from August 2022, the game was already "way over budget" and required further investment, presumably from AEW's side. This doesn't include any marketing budget, which likely involved significant expenses for hiring film crews and traveling to AEW shows to film segments with their wrestlers.

The game isn't selling as well as Tony Khan or Kenny Omega had envisioned, partly due to THQ's marketing strategy primarily relying on social media. It's a peculiar situation, as everything appeared promising over a year ago when they participated in events like GamesCom and Tokyo Game Show, setting up rings and hosting matches for convention crowds. The THQ Nordic that handled those events seemed to have a different attitude compared to the one that started marketing the game in late May.

I have always supported the theory that sometime in the Fall or early Winter of 2022, THQ lost complete confidence in Yukes' ability to deliver a profitable product, leading them to give up caring. Mike's report somewhat supports this theory, with statements like "Because of how things have gone during the development of AEW Fight Forever, there are some on both sides of the fence believing this may be a 'one and done' arrangement between AEW and Yuke's." If you analyze the behavior of THQ and AEW over the past year and observe how their attitude towards the game has changed, you'd realize this is probably not some far-fetched conspiracy.

Once the release date was announced, all THQ Nordic did was post entrance videos and finishers on Twitter. While I did mention in my previous article that they should do this, they did nothing else in an attempt to sell the game to millions of wrestling fans. No billboard advertisements in New York or LA, no real television spots, no short films, no tournaments—just clips. To someone analyzing video game marketing, it appears that they wanted the game to fail so they could potentially get a tax write-off or something similar.

Another interesting piece of evidence supporting this theory is that they completely neglected to market the Stadium Stampede mode before the game's release, which was an absolutely foolish decision. I had to leak the fact that Stadium Stampede even existed as a Battle Royale mode on Twitter through early datamining, before THQ even acknowledged its existence in the game. The tweet received mainstream coverage on almost every notable gaming website, yet for some reason, Zyddie (THQ representative) tried to deny it on the Discord server, dismissing it as a "rumor." Several people informed me that they pre-ordered the game solely because this mode was included. THQ didn't release a trailer for Stampede Mode until a few days after the game's launch and failed to provide any sort of timeframe for its release. As of now, in August, there is still no timeline for when this mode will be available to fans. A monkey dancing in an AEW Fight Forever T-Shirt on Twitch would likely generate more sales than the entire marketing effort THQ put into the game. The issue of the delayed Stadium Stampede mode leads us directly into our next section.

Indefinitely Delayed Content

In my previous article, I emphasized the need for complete transparency from THQNordic if they want to retain their fans. Once again, they have failed to listen. They promised a platform game with ongoing updates, yet provided no clear roadmap for this content. There are no dates for its release, and no updates on the progress of the content. Their refusal to take responsibility for the lack of communication and content highlights once again that corporations do NOT care about their consumers.

Regarding Stadium Stampede, there has been no update on its release timeframe, and players have no indication of how it functions or what to expect. The Battle Pass, which I previously leaked, has also not been officially confirmed to exist. It's incredibly baffling how this mode wasn't the central focus of the game's marketing campaign to attract the Fortnite crowd and hardcore battle royale fans. Although fans still eagerly await this mode, it's unlikely to bring back the majority of those who have already left.

While THQ continues to post random gameplay trailers on Twitter in an attempt to entice more purchases, some of these trailers hint at new content, such as a red Chris Jericho attire or new facepaint for Sting. However, it remains unclear if these items are definitely coming in an update or were accidentally showcased from a beta build. Why? Once again, THQ chooses to remain silent and fails to provide any information to their consumers. When will we get these items? How will we unlock them? Are they free or included with the Season Pass? There are only questions and no answers.

The most egregious issue of all lies in the Downloadable Content situation, where THQNordic is attempting to deflect blame, subtly pushing it onto Yukes – a developer with a 20-year history of incompetence. Regardless of how fun or enjoyable some may find the old WWE games, the fact remains that every single one was poorly programmed, including up to 2K19. Yukes is not known for being a good developer, and anyone claiming otherwise likely knows little about game development. In Japan, they have not secured any major gaming projects in their own country.

THQ Nordic announced the first Season Pass in mid-June, and to their credit, the official press release did not include specific dates. The content included FTR, Keith Lee, The Bunny, and Hookhausen. However, the content was registered on the Nintendo eShop later that day, and the eShop indicated that the Limitless Bunny bundle would release on July 25th, while the Hookhausen bundle would release on August 22nd. These dates were widely reported by major wrestling and gaming news pages, and there was no reason for anyone to doubt them. What's worse is that THQ Nordic never made any effort to correct these projected release dates on any website, and they remained circulating for over 4 weeks without correction.

As July 24th approached, fans were left wondering if there would be any marketing for the DLC, given its imminent release on the next day. Finally, THQ Nordic released a statement. While I appreciate Zyddie, the THQ Community Manager, for his efforts, he simply isn't the right fit for this job. He lacks knowledge of wrestling and the expertise to handle comments from the wrestling community. Moreover, he doesn't fully understand how experienced wrestling fans are in dealing with community managers and seeing through insincerities. Unfortunately, he has been mocked by the community, especially for his misunderstanding of "dog collar matches," where he believed it involved actual dogs. This mistake has been a constant source of ridicule. Anyway, here's the statement that was released about the Keith Lee bundle.

"There are currently no confirmed dates for the upcoming DLC. The placeholders at Nintendo are not accurate." First off, it's rather audacious to throw Nintendo under the bus and suggest that they "made shit up." I attempted to reach out to Nintendo for comment on the origin of these dates, but unfortunately, I received no reply.

"We are working to ensure the DLC is released as soon as the game is ready for it. Rushing the DLC could lead to serious issues, so we prefer to ensure a smooth implementation of new content." To an innocent reader, this statement might imply that the DLC is just taking more time. However, with my knowledge of Yukes and wrestling game history, I can read between the lines. The subtext here suggests that Yukes is unable to deliver the content within the dates they initially projected. Nintendo doesn't arbitrarily create dates; those dates were provided to them by the developers. They believed those dates, but later discovered that Yukes couldn't meet them. To quote Anakin Skywalker, "I see through the lies of the Jedi."

Customers who purchased the Season Pass and the Elite Edition are understandably upset that Keith Lee or The Bunny is not yet available in their game. Not only do they have reason to be mad about the delay, but they also lack any clarity about when the characters will actually be added. Many players have abandoned the game, and it is essentially dead in the water. As we approach the year's end, numerous big games are set to release in the next four months, making it highly unlikely that players will abandon popular titles like Call of Duty or Mortal Kombat 1 to return to AEW: Fight Forever just because a couple of new characters have been added. These characters' novelty will likely wear off quickly. Players would rather engage in games with millions of active players, possibly featuring popular figures like Nicki Minaj or Homelander.

My continuous tweets highlighting the lack of communication gained significant attention within the community, and as a result, THQ had to resort to damage control by releasing a statement promising more content. However, that alone is insufficient; we need more than just promises. We require specific dates, a clear roadmap, and details about what's included in "Patch #2" to reignite interest in this game. Effective communication is crucial.

It's disheartening to observe that despite their purported "best efforts," THQ is utterly incapable of delivering what the fans want. Even WWE 2K, which is also criticized for its communication, manages to reveal some surprises ahead of time. For instance, the new 2K Showdown Twitch show informs fans about upcoming DLC packs and previews additional bonuses, such as Sami Zayn's updated music in the latest WWE 2K23 patch. In contrast, All Elite Arcade has failed to engage in any promotional efforts during their show; they merely play the game on stream. THQ does not provide them with any content to share, and as consumers, we have learned nothing about the future of Fight Forever in the past month.

Death Of Online

I had high hopes for the Online mode, envisioning myself playing it daily and becoming one of those admired players whose matches others follow. Unfortunately, that dream never materialized because they seemingly forgot to test the Online balance before releasing the game. Yukes' failure in delivering a satisfying online experience isn't surprising, considering there hasn't been a single WWE game that fostered online competition in over a decade. AEW: Fight Forever had all the potential to become a tournament-based Ranked Fighter, but Yukes missed the mark entirely, dropping the keys to success along the way. Kenny Omega may have foreseen this outcome, which explains his lack of enthusiasm for the product he advocated to create.

One of the primary issues that emerged was the overuse of the Bail Out mechanic. As MJF, I used it strategically, role-playing his cheap heel tactics in situations that would be seen on TV. Fortunately, Bail Out has some balancing measures, such as a 5-second taunt that leaves the user vulnerable to punishment. However, during my online matches, opponents rarely capitalized on these windows and instead resorted to complaining about the perceived Bail Out spam. It is true that some users abused the Bail Out button, triggering it every time they were hit with a move, making it frustrating to mount any offense. To address this annoyance, a simple fix could limit its use online to a maximum of three times. While this is an overall nuisance, other issues were more detrimental to the demise of Ranked mode.

Firstly, the dominance of overpowered created wrestlers with "Meta" skills heavily skewed the online experience, making it difficult for fair players to mount any offense. These created characters possessed guard skills that prevented them from being downed by strikes, as well as buffs that granted extra momentum or higher kick-out probabilities. Despite Yukes' attempt to balance things by requiring created wrestlers to level up through "Road To Elite," it failed to deter players from taking these cheap characters online to secure high positions on the Leaderboards. As a result, online veterans began quitting matches as soon as they encountered a created wrestler, regardless of their stats being fair or not.

The second major problem was related to quitting matches. Even in what seemed to be a fair match with in-game roster members, some players would suddenly disconnect right after their opponent hit their finishing move. This rage quitting behavior spoiled the entire experience and discouraged players from seeking fair matchups. The penalties for rage quitting were insignificant, only resulting in a few leaderboard points being deducted, which was not a sufficient deterrent. Players were left wondering why opponents couldn't just accept the loss and take it like sportsmanship dictates.

Another significant issue arose from the game's use of peer-to-peer connections instead of dedicated servers, which probably wasn't in the budget. This choice led to half of the matches being connected to opponents with poor internet, causing severe logic lag and spirit meter desynchronization. This lag resulted in moments where players believed they had a special move available, only to realize that the meter was lagging behind, leading to unexpected outcomes during matches. The lack of a dedicated server negatively impacted the overall online gameplay experience.

During a recent feedback project, I suggested the implementation of AI to replace users who quit during online matches. Zyddie responded, stating that it would be a time-consuming endeavor, and I understood his perspective. However, it highlighted Yukes' lack of foresight in developing the game, as this feature should have been included from the start. In the past, WWE games had this functionality while Yukes was involved in their development, making it surprising that it was not part of the original design document for AEW: Fight Forever. Such messages reveal the shortcomings of Yukes in their current stage of life.

After the first week, the online mode saw a sharp decline in player interest. Even HaangEmHigh and I, who initially championed the online mode and planned to host a tournament, lost enthusiasm and steam. We both expressed our disinterest in playing online, leading our followers to feel the same way. The lack of fair competition and inadequate balance management made Ranked matches unappealing and discouraged players from engaging in online play.

Possible Future

The entire situation is incredibly frustrating, especially considering how vocal I was about the need for transparency, which was never delivered. While I don't entirely blame THQNordic, Zyddie, or anyone on their team, it appears that they, too, are in the dark about Yukes and the developments in Yokohama. Their updates are often limited to vague statements like "things are in development," and it seems that's all the information they receive themselves. For instance, their questions about the whereabouts of Stadium Stampede are probably met with responses like "almost ready," but unfortunately, regardless of what comes to the game in the next three months, many fans believe it's too little and too late.

One of the main criticisms of the game is that it lacks content for offline players, and this holds true, as I mentioned in my review for WCWWorldwide. Regrettably, nothing in the confirmed pipeline caters exclusively to offline players. While Stadium Stampede is a fantastic concept, it won't affect those who don't play online. Similarly, additions like Red Jericho and other attires, though neat, are merely cosmetic changes and do not add to the game's longevity. What players desire are more matches, which is feasible considering there's an entire match creator behind the scenes. Additionally, a better "Create-A-Wrestler" suite is in demand, and while advanced morphing might not be possible, adding more items and face types to the console players' library of characters would be highly appreciated. Regarding Road To Elite, even though Justin Leeper is no longer at Yukes, expansions by a new writer could enhance the character leveling experience. However, securing funding for such endeavors may prove challenging.

A common question I often discuss with friends is whether we might see another AEW game soon, and my honest belief is that it's insane to think any other developer or publisher would want to take on that task after this. Technically, AEW didn't do anything wrong, but the first impression in the industry is practically the only impression you get. I sometimes hear funny responses like, "Hopefully EA/[Other Huge Corp] will take them." However, that's not likely to happen. Business analysts know that big corporations require a guaranteed return on their investment, and the quick death of this game and its commercial failure means that AEW as a brand is at fault, not the game or product itself. IP (Intellectual Property) is incredibly important to the film and gaming industry now, and when an IP faces failure, it becomes tainted or blacklisted.

This can happen to even the biggest intellectual properties, like Marvel. Games like Midnight Suns, Guardians of the Galaxy (an excellent game), and Marvel's The Avengers all undersold, underperformed, and received underwhelming reviews. As a result, you don't hear about other games being announced using these IPs. The corporations believe that the brand is tainted in the eyes of the consumer. Instead, Marvel is now focusing on solo adventures, with Iron Man by EA, Wolverine and Spider-Man 2 by Insomniac. There are also rumors of a solo Black Panther game in development, as well as the Captain America/Black Panther war game. The corporate belief is now "fans don't want games based on a team or squad," and the blame will never be on themselves. Similarly, this is the case with All Elite Wrestling.

If Tony were to call up Electronic Arts right now to propose making an AEW game, they would likely laugh and hang up. The first obstacle is that mega-publishers like EA are only interested in wrestling video games if they involve the WWE brand, which is a global powerhouse. They generally show no interest in independent wrestling games or any "second-rate" promotions like AEW, ROH, or iMPACT. Even if they were open to non-WWE projects, AEW missed their chance to prove the brand's worth with their first attempt, and that makes it difficult to attract investment. This was similar to TNA's situation, as they were unable to release another game after Midway closed down, as nobody showed interest.

Another indicator of this reality is AEW's association with TNT, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery. Warner Bros Games, a high-end publisher housing video games based on WBD properties, also did not want to publish AEW: Fight Forever. This suggests that even their own parent company recognized that the return on investment might not be worth it. Adding to this, Warner Bros Discovery's recent games have had rocky track records. Gotham Knights, based on the Batman IP, received poor reviews and sales. Hogwarts Legacy, although breaking sales records, faced weeks of negative press due to its association with J.K. Rowling's property. Furthermore, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League has faced significant criticism, leading to a one-year delay for further improvements. In this context, taking on any potential misses is a risk they can ill afford to take.

As a fan of All Elite Wrestling and video gaming, it's challenging to see a happy ending in this situation. After AEW: Fight Forever ends its support, there might be a possibility that Aubrey and Kenny reignite their passion for mobile games and attempt to compete with WWE by releasing high-quality games across various genres. The upcoming AEW: Figure Fighters has been announced, but it's unfortunate that it seems to be based on NFTs, which could be a polarizing choice.

THQ's actions have been puzzling, as they've remained completely silent while trying to act friendly. Even in my case, I was denied and ignored a review copy by the PR manager, but she later requested a mod once my following increased post-release. It's disappointing how the launch and post-launch were handled, especially for someone like me who has spoken to past and present Yukes employees. I hope that one day, someone like Kenny Omega or another person involved with the game comes forward with a full "tell-all" to shed light on the misfire and identify those fully responsible for it.

It's remarkable how they managed to miss their targets at every turn. The marketing campaign failed to generate enthusiasm from the publisher or licensee. Promised content has been indefinitely delayed without any clear timelines set by the publisher. The online mode has suffered a quick and merciless death due to the lack of fun matches. Unfortunately, I don't see a future where AEW survives and delivers meaningful updates without continuous funding. I have doubts about the possibility of a complete Season 2.

Despite the potential to become a fantastic, competitive Ranked Fighter, the game's marketing, lack of transparency, and delayed content caused its rapid decline in active players. Even Kenny Omega's lack of personal promotion and enthusiasm echoed the fans' disappointment. With THQ Nordic's questionable marketing strategy and Yukes' inability to deliver a balanced online experience, the game faced insurmountable challenges. Despite promises of ongoing updates, the indefinite delays and lack of communication further alienated players. As the game struggles to survive, the hope for a Season 2 and a meaningful future for All Elite Wrestling's gaming endeavors seems uncertain.

#thq nordic #thq #thq fanart #aew #all elite wrestling #wrestling #aew fight forever #aew ff #fight forever #wwe #wwe 2k #wwe 2k23 #kenny omega #aubrey edwards #daniel garcia #adam cole #MJF #maxwell jacob friendman

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haddonfieldwhore · 9 months

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look after you - mjf

mjf x gender neutral! cole! reader

word count: 2.9k

warnings: injury (concussion), mostly fluff, probably ooc for max idk i’m trying. for simplicity i’m using ring names, slightly nsfw at the end

summary: when you sustain a concussion during a match, someone has to watch over you. who better than your older brothers new bff?

your vision blurred as you were slammed onto the canvas, your head hitting it harder than it was supposed to. you were supposed to get up and move to do the next spot- supposed to kick out of the pin, but you couldn’t find the strength to move, instead you eyes fluttered closed as your chest rose and fell heavily with each breath.

it should’ve been like any other match- it was only a power bomb- a simple move that just went slightly wrong. you couldn’t even remember who your opponent had been, your head was spinning so fast. you heard the bell signalling that the match had been ended prematurely, but it sounded like it miles away.

officials rushed over to check on you, and you could feel their hands carefully lifting you onto a stretcher and taking you out of the ring to medical. you could tell people were talking around you, but couldn’t hear what they were saying as you drifted out of consciousness, and everything around you went black.

•••

when you woke up, you were in your hotel room, the bright lights had been turned off so that the only light in the room was lamp on the side table. your head was pounding, but you managed to sit up on your own, albeit slowly, and take a look around. to your surprise, you weren’t alone; none other than maxwell jacob friendman sat in the arm chair in the corner of the room, his head on his shoulder as he slept. max had become friends with your older brother adam in the last few months, and while you were still wary of max due to his reputation as a bit of a scumbag - how much of that was his character you weren’t sure- you had no personal issue with him. if you were correct, he was around your age, maybe a year or two older, and you had been a little surprised at how fast he and adam had become friends.

max seemed to notice that you were awake, as he stirred in his seat.

“hey- how’re you feeling?” he asked, walking over to the side of the bed to check on you.

“i have a headache but i’ll live,” you sighed. “don’t take this the wrong way but-“

“what am i doing here?” he laughed, and you nodded, regretting the decision instantly as pain shot through your head. max placed a hand gently on your shoulder, before seemingly realizing what he’d done and removing it.

“take it easy. the doctor said you need supervision for 48 hours, and your brother asked me if i could keep an eye on you since he’s at home with britt this weekend,” he explained. “but if you’re uncomfortable with it i’m sure we could find someone else to-“

“no not at all. i just didn’t expect to see you when i woke up you know? we’ve hardly talked,” you replied, and then realized that may have come across as rude. “but i am grateful, it’s nice of you to do this for adam.”

“we’re brochacos for life,” he smiled, and you couldn’t help but think that he looked cute when he had a genuine smile on his face instead of the usual cocky smirk.

“i’m assuming if i’m not in the hospital i can’t be hurt too bad,” you thought aloud, and max nodded, pointing to the end of the bed silently asking permission to sit. you pulled your feet up under you to sit cross legged and he took it as a yes.

“yeah, somehow just a minor concussion. you should be back to kicking ass in a few weeks. just gotta take it easy and avoid bright lights for a few days.”

“i can do that,” you sighed contently, relieved to hear it wasn’t a more serious injury.

“we were all really worried about you. that bump looked really fucking scary,” he admitted, and you felt even more grateful that you were in as good a condition as you were. a smile crossed your face.

“maybe it has something to do with the wonderful nurse i have,” you teased, gesturing to max, who mocked offence.

“please, you wish you could see me in one of those little nurse outfits- i would look fantastic,” he joked.

“i don’t think they really wear those anymore. or you just have a perverted idea of it.” you both laughed, and you found yourself enjoying his company more than you expected. you trusted you brothers judgment, and if he was friends with him you knew that max must have some redeeming qualities. it also helped that he was so handsome,

“you should get some sleep, it’s late,” max said, and you glanced over at the clock, seeing that it read 2:05 am. even though you had just slept for almost 4 hours, you were exhausted. your eyes landed on the uncomfortable looking arm chair in the corner of the room, and you felt bad thinking about max having to sleep in it. your room unfortunately didn’t have a couch or pull out bed but it was a king sized bed, so there was more than enough room for two people.

“you don’t have to sleep in that chair. it’s probably terrible for your back and i would feel bad making you sleep there after you’re being so nice and taking care of me,” you offered.

“it’s not a big deal; and i don’t know how much adam would appreciate-“

“adam doesn’t have to know. besides, it’s not like that,” you rolled your eyes, and max smiled.

“thanks,” he said softly. he stood up, pulling his hoodie over his head, leaving him in a black tank top, a good chain around his neck. he walked over to the other side of the bed, and sat down before switching off the lamp, leaving the room dark. you both laid down, the large bed leaving a comfortable amount of space between you as you found yourself drifting off to sleep with ease.

“goodnight, y/n,” you heard max softly say, but you were too tired to reply, already nearly asleep.

•••

sometime around 10 am, you began to stir awake, not yet conscious enough for your brain to register the feeling of arms around your waist. your head hurt significantly less than it had last night, and you shifted slightly, before you felt yourself being pulled closer to max, who you realized had at some point in the night, pulled your back against his chest and caged you safely in his arms. you knew you shouldn’t, but you found yourself enjoying it; he was so warm that you couldn’t help but turn over in his arms, curling into his chest as he hummed slightly, still asleep as he tucked you under his chin. you couldn’t have got up if you wanted to now, tightly in his embrace as he koala hugged you, and you felt yourself fall back to sleep.

max woke up about an hour later, and looked down to see you securely in his arms, and his heart sped up. this wasn’t supposed to happen- what would adam think if he saw this? of course nothing like that had happened, it was just sleeping; but would adam believe that? would anyone? the worst part is how much he enjoyed waking up next to you. while agreeing to watch over you had not been an elaborate attempt to get in your bed, but he would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about it before. he knew it was wrong, your brother being his best and only friend after all, but he couldn’t stop himself from the growing attraction he had to you, and it was only getting worse the more time he spent with you. how the hell was he supposed to survive 24 more hours alone with you? max felt you move slightly in his arms, but rather than waking up, you nuzzled into his chest more, and at that moment he realized just how screwed he truly was.

max placed a soft kiss to your forehead, and this time you did wake up, and he was worried he had fucked up. but as your eyes opened and you looked up at him, he was relieved when you didn’t freak out. instead, you mumbled a soft ‘good morning’, and max let you out of his grip.

“how’s your head?” he asked, and you smiled before responding.

“i haven’t had any complaints,” you smirked, and it only took max a second to get the joke. he laughed, rolling his eyes as you sat up against the headboard.

“very funny.”

“i feel a lot better. i think sleeping definitely helped,” you gave a real answer now, and he smiled a genuine smile again as he looked up at you, still laying with his head on the pillow. “is the bed more comfortable than the chair?”

“definitely,” he scoffed. “it could have something to do with the cute teddy bear i had.” you felt your cheeks heat up, and you grabbed the pillow from behind you and whacked him with it. he laughed again, the pillow over his face before he moved it to his chest, and a comfortable silence fell over the room.

“adam…” you started.

“doesn’t need to know,” he finished the thought you were having. you nodded, thankful that it didn’t hurt your head this time.

“do you want to order breakfast?” you asked, carefully standing up for the first time since the match. max noticed you wobbling, and rushed out of bed to offer a shoulder to you. “i guess chivalry isn’t dead,” you teased.

“what can i say i’m a gentleman,” he smirked, helping you over to the chair in the corner.

“thank you,” you said, as he passed you the room service menu. “i was right - this chair is awful,” you laughed, confirming your suspicions having now actually sat in the rock hard piece of furniture.

“yeah, i think i might’ve lost years off my career if i slept in it,” max laughed, rubbing the side of his neck as if imagining the stiffness he would’ve felt. you continued reading the menu options until you found something you wanted, and then extended the paper to max.

“do you know what you want?”

“do i,” he mumbled. he was distracted looking at you and hadn’t meant to say it out loud. you looked at him funny, assuming you had just misheard him and honestly thinking nothing of it. “uh no i have to look at the menu.” he cleared his throat.

“here,” you smiled, and he took it from your hand before sitting on the end of the bed. as he looked over the food options, you couldn’t stop yourself from admiring him. how did he look so good first thing in the morning? his brown curls were slightly messy, and his sweatpants hung low on his hips. you were sure you looked horrible in comparison, and decided to try to walk on your own to the bathroom. max looked up at the movement in his peripheral vision, and offered to help again.

“i’m okay - i’m gonna have to figure out how to stand on my own at some point. unless you’re going to help me shower?” you joked, and max raised his eyebrows, and you swore his cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

“i mean if you NEEDED me to i-“ he teased, grin on his face. you had much better luck walking on your own this time, and managed to make it all the way to the bathroom door, grabbing a change of clothes from your suitcase on the way by.

“nice try, friedman,”

“just trying to be helpful,” he smiled, and you shook your head.

“you can go ahead and order the food; i’ll just have whatever you’re having. they should just charge it to my room but if they don’t my card is in my wallet,” you pointed to your bag on the dresser, before stepping into the bathroom.

“just yell if you need anything,” max offered, before grabbing the phone to order the room service. he heard the water turn on, and after he had ordered gave his credit card number - no way in hell he was using yours.

after he hung up, max flopped dramatically onto the bed, landing on his stomach with his face in the pillow. he noticed it smelled slightly of your body spray, and groaned softly. get it together, he thought to himself, but the thought of you in the shower was doing nothing to help his brain from thinking all too much.

•••

you turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, feeling a lot better after letting the hot water relax your muscles. you wrapped a towels around your body and dried off before putting on your clean clothes, a simple t shirt and some shorts since you would be staying in the hotel room all day. deciding in the mirror that your appearance was acceptable, you walked out of the bathroom to find max laying face down in the bed.

“what are you doing,” you asked, laughing slightly.

“i’m relaxing- what does it look like i’m doing?” he replied, and you walked over to the side of the bed next to him. he rolled over so he was looking up at you, and sat up with his back against the headboard. “the food should be here soon.”

“awesome. want to find a movie to watch? you can pick since you’re stuck here with me,” you offered.

“you feel up to staring at a tv screen for 2 hours?” he asked, and you realized you hadn’t really thought about that.

“good point. i think i’m fine, if my head starts to hurt i’ll close my eyes,” you promised. max looked at you unsure, but sighed.

“fine, but don’t push yourself. come here,” he said, gesturing for you to sit next to him, and you resisted the urge to curl into his side. what had gotten into you, you thought.

•••

the food had arrived and been eaten, a movie playing on tv that you weren’t really paying attention to. it wasn’t really bothering your head thankfully, but the constant thought of how close max was to you was plaguing your mind, the scent of his expensive cologne driving you crazy. you decided to make the most of the opportunity, and rested your head on his shoulder, closing your eyes. he looked down at you, immediately wrapping his arm around your back to hold you close.

“you okay? is it bothering your head?” he asked. “i’ll turn it off.”

“it’s okay, can you just turn it down a little? i’m just gonna close my eyes for a minute,” you mumbled, and max turned the sound nearly to mute, before you felt him pull you into his lap, your legs over his sideways. you were a little surprised, but nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck, a without thinking, placed a gentle kiss below his jaw. you both froze, and you pulled back to read his expression. you began to apologize, when his finger reached forward to gently hold your chin. you nodded softly, before max leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours. he tasted sweet, a hint of maple syrup on his tongue from breakfast, and you felt your heart skip a beat. he kissed you so gently, like you were made of glass, and when you finally separated, you both stared at each other, catching your breath.

“i-“

“i’ve been wanting to do that for a while,” max admitted, his cheeks flushed, and you were sure yours matched.

“really?” you asked, surprised.

“uh, yeah?” he said, like it was obvious. “god, adam would kill me if he could read minds.” you laughed, leaning forward to kiss him again, gently nibbling at his bottom lip. his hands landed on your hips and adjusted your position to straddle his lap, the blanket gathering around your waist.

“adam’s not here,” you pointed out. max screwed his eyes shut.

“i’m starting to think that you’re a very bad influence,” he groaned, his voice a little deeper than usual.

“how can i be a bad influence on someone who calls themselves the devil?” you asked. his fingertips dig into your sides,

“i’m trying really hard to behave myself right now, but you’re not making it easy….” he trailed off, looking up at you as he breathed heavily.

“i don’t know what you’re-“ you played dumb before he interrupted you with another kiss, rougher than the previous ones. his teeth tugged at your bottom lip, before his tongue slipped past and explored your mouth. you moaned into the kiss, and max bucked his hips upwards slightly at the sound. he pulled away, breathing heavily as he apologized.

“i’m sorry- i don’t think we should do this right now. i really don’t want to hurt you.” he admitted, and you could tell that it pained him to say it. you kissed him one more time, gently again, as if to say you understood.

“you’re probably right. i’m sorry.”

“it’s okay. don’t think i don’t want to,” he assured you, and you nodded. curling into his side again, you rested your head back on his shoulder, kissing him on the cheek quickly before you closed your eyes.

“thank you for taking care of me,” you mumbled, feeling sleepy again. max pressed a kiss to your forehead, and you hummed softly.

“anytime. although, maybe next time you don’t have to get a concussion to convince me to spend time with you,” he teased, and you playfully punched his ribs. “okay, okay, sorry.” his hand rested on your thigh, his fingertips drawing little shapes and patterns on your bare skin.

“deal.”

#mjf #mjf x reader #mjf imagine #mjf fic #maxwell jacob friedman #maxwell jacob friedman x reader #aew

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