Author's Note: So, this is a Max/OFC fanfic! I loved JDM in "The Resident" and couldn't help myself feel some sort of attraction to his character, despite how creepy he was. I wanted to make Max more human rather than an antagonist in this story. I'm going to try and make his character likeable... So, here goes! Enjoy! :)

Lily had finally moved away from California and to New York City. New York was somewhere she always wanted to live in, but she knew it was going to be difficult. As a photographer, it was becoming increasingly difficult to make a living in California.

She figured New York City would give her more opportunities.

The first week she arrived to the Big Apple, Lily spent every minute of the day trying to sell her photographs or even put them up in a gallery.

The only downfall was that she was currently living in a hotel room and the money was piling up. There was no way that she would be able to afford living in a hotel for another day. That following week, Lily took a break to look for any vacant apartments. While there were a few that were beautiful, the rent was completely out of her budget.

Looking through the newspaper with a bag slung over her shoulder and her camera dangling around her neck, one offer caught her eye. She was just hoping that the rent would be reasonable with a nice neighborhood.

Upon reaching the building, Lily looked at her surroundings and immediately grinned at the sight of the bridge. She lifted her camera to take a picture; things were looking up. All she hoped was that the rent and landlord gave her a good offer.

She entered the building, ascending the stairs. Her eyes drift to the paper in her hands before pushing open a door. This was the one.

She looked around and bit her lower lip. It was perfect for a photographer. Three large windows to display the beautiful view of the bridge, but at the sound of construction, Lily knew that this may be too good to be true.

Her eyes deviate to the man who was kneeling down with a mask and glasses. She grabbed her camera and took a photo of him – she always loved taking candid photos.

At the sound of the click, the man looked up. He removed the mask and the glasses, flashing her a small smile.

Lily was taken by surprise at how good looking he was. She sure hoped that he was merely a man doing construction and not her landlord.

"Hi," he spoke, pocketing a hand and taking a step towards her.

Lily bit her lower lip.

"You're cute. I mean, shit. Sorry. Hi. I'm Lily."

He ran a hand along his beard, closing the distance between himself and the woman standing before him. There was a twinkle in his eye as she stared up at him.

Fuck. Way to go, she thought to herself.

"I'm Max. I'm the landlord here."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say what I did. I mean, believe me, you really are a handsome man and I'm just digging myself into a bigger hole, aren't I?" A blush appeared at her cheeks and Lily instantly dropped her eyes to look down at her camera.

"Well, I appreciate the compliment, so thank you. I see you spotted my ad in the paper. Was wondering if anyone would show up. Problem is, it's not finished yet, as you can see…"

Lily glanced around, shaking her head.

"I can't afford this."

Max interrupted, "Twenty-four hundred."

She looked up at him, playing with the fabric of her camera strap. "You're joking, right? What's the catch? A beautiful place like this with an amazing view is only twenty-four hundred?"

"Well, utilities are separate, but if you don't mind the noise, then there really is no catch. Majority of my tenants have moved out, so I've been renovating the apartments. The train causes a lot of vibration and noise, but other than that, you've got the best view in the building."

Max maintained a gentle smile, watching her with careful eyes.

"I don't mind noise… I can sleep as long as there's quiet music in the background. The only problem is… I would need to move in in two days and from the looks of it, you said it isn't finished," Lily said, sighing quietly.

"I may not be done, but that doesn't mean you can't move in. If it's okay with you… I can still work on this apartment. I'll even play some music for you if I work well into the night…" Max bit his lower lip, flashing her his dimples.

There was no way that Lily was going to say no.

For once, she was finally able to call a place her home.

"Okay, okay. I'll take it," she grinned.

Max nodded, extending a hand out for her to take. "That's great. Seems like I've got a new tenant."

Lily slowly took his hand, shaking it gently as her eyes stare up at him. It was going to be difficult for her to not gain the hots for this man – he was gorgeous, generous, and kind?

Yeah, she was going to be in big trouble.

The next few days, Lily finally grabbed majority of her things, seeing Max leave the building.

"Hey. Need some help?" He offered, walking towards the back of the move-in truck.

"Yeah. That'd be great. Seems like someone here doesn't want to do his job. Thank you." Lily smiled over at Max, grabbing the few things that she brought with her to New York. It was her third week in a new environment and things were finally looking up.

Once they finished bringing her furniture and clothes upstairs, Lily took a seat at her bed and grinned, lying back. Max hovered at the edge of the mattress, his eyes slowly raking over her body in a territorial stare.

Lily sat up and smiled up at the man who had been a blessing in her new life.

"Thank you, Max. I appreciate all that you've done for me. You even helped me move in. A few landlords should take after your generosity. Would make the whole world a better place, I'd say," she laughed quietly, standing from the bed to give him a gentle hug.

Max bit his lower lip, his arms slowly snaking around her frame. He inhaled her scent, shutting his eyes and imagining what it would be like to have her as his own.

"It's no problem, Lily. I'm glad I can help."

When she pulled away, Max frowned. He was beginning to enjoy her presence.

"Well, I better get going. Let you get settled in."

Lily nodded, leading him out of her apartment as he stood out in the hallway. He flashed her a small smile and cleared his throat quietly.

"If you need anything, I'll be down the hall. Perks of living on the same floor as your landlord and my only tenant."

Lily laughed quietly, leaning against the door. "Sounds good. I'll see you later, Max. Good night."

Lily spent the rest of the night organizing her apartment, especially her bed. It was beginning to look and feel like home. She never really knew what it felt like to have a home with the absence of her own family, but things were finally looking up.

Max was watching her through a peephole that he strategically built. Lily was sitting in the bath with a glass of wine and soft music playing in the background. She tilted her head back against the edge of the tub, shutting her eyes and allowing the warm water and bubbles relax her muscles.

Though, she was brought out of her reverie when her phone rang. Instantly grabbing it from the ledge, Lily brought it to her ear to hear the good news.

"Wait, wait. My photographs are being shown in a gallery tomorrow?! And they're going to be for sale? What's the catch?"

Max smiled at that. Apparently she didn't know that sometimes good karma was deserving for someone who had been through a lot; if only he knew what that felt like.

As she talked to the other person on the phone, Lily's eyes lit up at the mention at how a few other photographers and businessmen and women would be in attendance.

"Okay, thank you so much. I'll be there." Hanging up, Lily set her phone aside and grinned to herself, downing the rest of her glass of wine.

She climbed out of the tub, water dripping onto the tiled floor as Max let his eyes rake over her bare frame. He just hoped that things could go right with her – he was tired of being told no by other women.

The next day, Lily eagerly dressed in black jeans and a nice blouse. Her curled hair framed her face perfectly and once she left her apartment, Lily was hoping she would bump into Max to tell him the good news.

Maybe later, she told herself.

Entering the gallery, her eyes instantly found the section of her photographs with many people surrounding it. Taking a deep breath, Lily walked to the small crowd to introduce herself and also to give them a bit of backstory on the photos as well as the type of photographer she was.

They seemed pleasantly satisfied, especially when a few businessmen handed their cards to her. When the head of the gallery approached her, he told her that all her photographs had been sold. Grinning, Lily hugged the man before walking towards the bar.

Max was watching from afar, smiling at her excitement. He had to make himself known somehow. Taking note that she walking to the bar, Max began to walk towards her, bumping into her along the way.

"Oh, I'm sorr – Lily?"

"Max!" Lily looked up at the man with a large grin and wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I was looking for you earlier!"

Max pulled back from the hug with a slightly confused expression. "You were?"

"I wanted to tell you the good news about my photographs being featured in a gallery, but you're here already."

Max smiled to himself, pocketing his hands once more. "Well, congratulations. I enjoy coming to galleries like these and supporting the community. I actually bought a piece over there – " He pointed in the direction of one of her photographs.

Lily smiled, "You bought one of my photographs…"

"Saw it and imagined it in my apartment. Figured I'd jump on it before someone got it before me." Max couldn't help the smile line his lips at how cheerful she seemed to be. "The man told me that I could pick it up tomorrow."

Lily instantly took his hand, smiling to herself. "Wanna get outta here?"

Max arched a brow, taken aback at her sudden need to leave, but he wasn't going to complain. He enjoyed her company and if spending some alone time with her would make her happy, then he would happily oblige.

"Sure, yeah." Max held the door open for her and stepped out, watching her hand move away from his own. He instantly missed the feel of having her so close, but he already had a plan in making that happen.

When Max bought two cups of coffee, he led her to a bench that overlooked the bridge. Lily took a seat and smiled over at him, leaning back against the bench.

"I have a question," Lily asked.

Max took a sip of his coffee, glancing over at her and nodding. The smile seemed to remain on his lips and Lily would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the view. He was incredibly handsome.

"I don't see a ring on your finger and you surely don't live with a woman, so… Why don't you have a girlfriend? You're extremely nice. You're handsome. Seems like you're the whole package…" She bit her lower lip nervously, her eyes drifting to his.

"I'm flattered, really." Max laughed quietly, shrugging a shoulder. "I don't know. I work a lot and since my grandfather's health have been taking a toll on him, I haven't had much time to date."

"… Makes sense." Lily took a sip of her coffee and let it rest on her lap afterwards. She looked out to the amazing view of the bridge, sighing at the thoughts that managed to enter her mind.

"So, have you lived in New York your entire life?" Max asked, squinting an eye to shield the sun from hitting his orbs.

She looked over at him and shook her head.

"Actually moved here a month ago. Used to live in California. I needed a new change. Nothing was happening for me there. In fact, this gallery happened in a month of me being here and I couldn't even get my photographs to feature in a gallery back in California and I've been living there my entire life. Must say something, huh?"

"Yeah. The people in California don't care much for photographers." Max smiled.

Lily let out a quiet giggle, shaking her head. "Either way, I'm glad to be here. I finally know what it's like to feel… Home, you know? So, thank you… For being a reasonable landlord and also an amazing friend."

Friend. Max let his smile drop for a moment at that word before he cleared his throat. That would change soon enough.

"I've got a bottle of wine back home and I'm thinking of ordering some pizza… I have to celebrate with someone and since you're the only one I know, want to join me?" Lily said quietly.

Max broke out into a grin. Maybe things would finally go his way without forcing it. "How about you order it right now and we can start walking back to the building?"

Lily nodded, smiling to herself. "Great. Let's go." She pulled her phone out to dial the nearest pizza restaurant, ordering two boxes of pizza to deliver to her apartment. When she finished ordering pizza, Lily pocketed her phone in her bag and followed his lead back to the building.

Later on that night, Lily poured two glasses with her red wine and brought it to the living room. The candles surrounded the vacant area to illuminate the space. As she entered the living room, Lily smiled at the sight of Max placing each a slice of pizza onto two plates. When he noticed her, he flashed her a small smile and handed her a plate while she handed him a glass.

"Smells delicious," she said.

"Good call on the regular pepperoni." Max smiled, taking a seat across from her. "So, why a photographer?" He asked, taking a bite of his own slice of pizza.

Lily looked up at him, setting her glass of wine down as she shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. Picked up a camera when I was younger and fell in love with it ever since."

"Your parents give you your first camera?"

Lily tightened her jaw, looking away and shifting along the floor. "Um, not really, no."

"Sorry. Did I cross a line...?" Max said quietly – he didn't want to mess things up with her before they even started.

"Family is just a really soft subject for me, that's all. You didn't know. It's not your fault."

Max tilted his head, setting his plate down to bring the glass to his lips. Maybe this woman had more in common with him than he thought. "Don't worry. My parents are a sore subject for me too."

They spend the night talking about one another, avoiding the subject about family. She was enjoying his presence and wondered if it would be a bad idea to "sleep with the landlord." It sounded so taboo and something that only came out of fictional stories.

"It's getting late and I have to pick up my new artwork in the morning tomorrow," Max said with a smile.

Nodding, Lily stood up and led him out the door. She wanted to ask him to stay and with the tension clear in the air, she knew that he wanted to stay too.

"Good night, Max…" Lily leaned in, moving her lips to press slowly against his.

Though, Max pulled away with a quiet sigh.

Fuck, she thought.

"I'm so sorry… I must have misinterpreted what was – I'm sorry. Good night." Lily said, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

"Lily…" Max quietly said, seeing the door close in his face before he rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced at her door before walking to his own apartment down the hall with clear frustration in his features. He was upset with himself. He wanted her and he simply denied her advances.

Lily began cleaning up, setting their wine glasses in the sink and blowing out the rest of the candles to prevent a fire from starting. She walked to the bathroom, undressing as she sighed to herself. She stared at her body in the mirror, looking down at herself with disgust.

"There's no way he's interested in you," she told herself.

Max was watching and he felt immensely guilty. His eyes couldn't help but rake over your body, but as he turned, his knee hit the wall which caused Lily's attention to move where the sound had come from.

Furrowing a brow, Lily looked around her apartment before sighing. Now she was becoming crazy. Great.

The following morning, Lily dressed in tight leggings and a sports tank top. She needed to release all her emotions and running was the perfect answer. She attached her iPod to her arm and placed an earbud into her ear, stepping out of her apartment. Just as she was walking, Lily bumped into Max.

"I'm sorry… Should watch where I'm going," she said. Max's hands were placed on her slender hips, probably to hold her from falling. She bit her lower lip and glanced over her shoulder to see an older man peek his head out at the interaction between her and Max.

"Don't worry about it, Lily…" He glanced over his shoulder to see his grandfather, sighing to himself. "I'm sorry about last night… It wasn't you. Just didn't expect someone like you to like someone like me…" He admitted.

Lily shook her head. She hated hearing people put themselves down especially when they were a really great person. "Hey, you're a great man, Max. I'd be stupid if I didn't want you." She admitted, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Max turned his head, letting his lips press against hers and he could have sworn that everything around him disappeared. All the negative words from his grandfather diminished from his thoughts and he knew he wanted more. He needed her.

Lily froze for a moment at what was happening before allowing herself to succumb to him. Her hands instantly rest on his chest before she pulled herself back. She looked into his eyes and smiled shyly.

"I'm gonna go for a run. You – I'll see you later." Lily kissed his cheek, walking to the elevators and looking at him. Max couldn't help but smile – he had her now and there was no way he was going to let her go.

Lily had never been fully intimate with a man. There were a few boyfriends here and there, but they all left because she was never ready to go that extra mile. Sex had always been something she was saving herself for, but if she was being honest with herself, it scared her too.

She was scared to let anyone get close to her because she was afraid they would end up leaving… Just like everyone else in her life.

After she finished with the day's errands, including her run and contacting the people that handed her their cards yesterday, Lily heard a knock at the door. Unlocking it, she saw Max with a bottle of wine and with a grin that was enough to make her weak at the knees.

"Hi there," Max said.

"Come in, come in." Lily opened the door for him and he smiled in her direction, stepping inside. She shut the door behind her and noticed Max setting the bottle of wine down.

Instantly, Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her lips against his. Max rested his hands onto her hips, moving one to run along her back and to grasp her backside. Gasping against his lips, Max darted his tongue out to flick his own against her upper lip. Lily whimpered, pulling the end of his shirt over his head as her hands immediately run along his chest once more. Max hoisted her up into his arms, bringing her into her bedroom and setting her down.

He had removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor, his lips moving down her chest. Lily's hands move to rest in his hair, moaning quietly at the feel of his beard gently scratching her skin before she felt him grasp her hands and place them at either side of her.

Max's lips move further down her chest to her flattened abdomen and instantly, Lily opened her eyes. She wasn't ready yet.

"Max…" She said quietly, seeing him look up to press his lips against hers before she turned her head to stop him.

"Max… Stop, please." Max sat up, looking down at her and sighing. He draped his legs over the edge of the bed and rested his hands onto his knees. He was hurt.

"It's not you, Max… I'm just – Listen, I'm not ready yet…"

The silence was awkward and uncomfortable, but when he looked back at her, Max noticed that she wasn't trying to cover herself up. Still, though, he was a bit upset.

"Okay… I'll just – I'll go." He stood up from the bed and walked out of her bedroom to retrieve his shirt, pulling the fabric over his head to cover his body. Lily sighed, grabbing a sweater to pull on before she got to her feet.

"Wait… Don't be upset."

"I'm not, Lily. I understand."

Before Lily could even argue and ask him to stay, he was already out the door.

Max was upset and embarrassed. Lily knew that she shouldn't feel bad, but somehow she did. She just hoped that this wouldn't cause a rift in their friendship.

After all, he still was her landlord.