AN: Joyce went on a Mom Rant(TM), sorrynotsorry.
Also, this turned into something completely different than I thought it was gonna be, hence why this is technically an "incomplete" story, because I might add more scenes and snapshots onto the grad night, like a slow dance or other dumb mushy shit like that. Who knows! Feel free to toss me prompts for GFCP, I'd be happy take them and maybe or maybe not write them :P based on inspiration and all that.
"Chloe, darling, you have got to stop fidgeting!" Joyce admonished, swatting Chloe's hands away from the edges of their suit jacket, "You'll wrinkle it if you keep twisting like that."
"It's better than punching something, mom," Chloe snapped back readily, but grudgingly acquiescing as they shoved their hands into the pockets of their dress pants. "Which is about the only thing I feel like doing right now."
"Well, I'm glad Max has managed to help you with that temper of yours over this last year," Joyce nodded approvingly, taking to smoothing the shoulder seams of Chloe's suit.
Chloe ducked away from their mother's reach, grumbling as they tried to calm their nerves by leaning nonchalantly against the wall near the front door. But despite the complaints, Chloe dipped their head and muttered, "That's not all she's helped me with."
Joyce hummed, and stepped up to her daughter, placing one hand on their shoulder, and the other under their chin, bringing it up so that their eyes, which shared the same shade of blue, could meet. "You know you'll always be my baby girl, right?"
"Mom, we've-!" Chloe started to protest, their eyes darkening as they attempted to pry their way out of their mother's grip.
Joyce let them pull away as she continued on to gently explain, "What I mean, Chloe, is that nothing will take away from how much I love you, understand? I've seen how brave you've been through everything, how strong you've been ever since William passed," Joyce watched Chloe clench their jaw as they folded their arms, but otherwise gave no other protest. A small amount of pride swelled in her chest as she continued, "And I watched your face light up bit by bit with joy when Max came back to us. To you. And I love all of that, because it's made you who you are. But I also love this part of you," Joyce gestured to the freshly pressed and tailored suit, the carefully shined shoes by Chloe's own hand, "It's who you are too, Chloe, and I know that. And I'm not asking you to change, not for the world, not for Max and certainly not for little old me. But you came into this world as a screaming little red-faced bundle and I remember holding you so close and feeling so overwhelmed by just how much I loved you."
"Ugh, mom, okay, cool, we're on the same page, can you stop now please?" Chloe buried their face in their hands, trying to press themselves as close to the wall as possible in an attempt to escape.
"Almost done," Joyce put a hand on her hip and jabbed Chloe playfully in the chest with her other finger, "The point is, Chloe, when I say you'll always be my baby girl, I don't mean that I see you as a girl, or that I want to discredit your journey, your life, or the way you're figuring yourself out.. I just mean that.. that little girl that I held? She had a very special place in my heart back then, and she continues to hold that same spot in my heart now."
Chloe squinted back tears, and bit their lip as they replied back gruffly, "Cool, thanks mom."
"Now you better come give me a hug before Max gets here!"
"Mom, do I have-"
"Yes, you do," Joyce cut Chloe off before they even got to finish their question with an almost-smothering hug. "It's my baby's special night, and you can ruin your 'cool partner cred' or whatever it is that you're worried about to give your mom a hug before you go run off for the night."
Chloe stopped wiggling and let themselves sink into Joyce's arms. They closed their eyes for a moment, but not a second longer because getting caught would literally be so mortifying, and allowed themselves to breathe. Whatever else happened, Chloe had this, at least.
A small cough sounded from the door just off to the left, and Chloe immediately sprang back from their mom like they were afraid they were going to catch a disease. "I'm sorry, I'm.. I'm interrupting," Max stammered slightly as she took one step back out the door, "It's just.. it was getting cold outside and I-"
"Heavens, Max," Joyce smiled gently, striding over and encouraging her further into the house with a firm hand between her shoulder blades. "Chloe, be a gentleman please and take Max's coat? And shut the door while you're at it."
"We're gonna be leaving soon," Chloe pointed out obviously, but they didn't complain further as they shuffled up to Max shyly, keeping their eyes on their shoes as they held up a hand, palm up.
Instead of the soft material of Max's overcoat, Chloe felt her smooth, warm hand slide into theirs. Chloe looked up, barely taking in Max's scarlet knee-length strapless as they sought for reassurance in Max's gaze. Found it there, found it in the assured strength of Max's arms as they wrapped about Chloe's taller frame. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, to be worried for, to be scared of," Max told them firmly in their ear before kissing their neck softly.
Chloe dropped their head onto Max's shoulder, nuzzling their nose against the smooth skin there, and breathed in the scent of her jasmine vanilla perfume, allowing themselves to be grounded by the scent, as well as by Max's words. "Okay," they nodded once, taking in a breath to steel themselves as they pulled back slightly from Max's arms and straightened their shoulders. "Okay, I trust you, Max."
"You better," Max ribbed them, a grin playing around her lips, before softening slightly. "But it's not just me, Chlo. It's you. You have to trust yourself too. And believe that you really are brave, that you are strong and you deserve to be proud of yourself. This might be my graduation, but it's your night."
Chloe felt tears start to well up in their eyes, and they scoffed at themselves with a little laugh. "God, Max, you're turning into such a sap."
"Well look who's crying," Max pointed out with a teasing grin, but moved closer even still, and plucked Chloe's forget-me-not blue handkerchief out of their front suit pocket, and used it to dab under their eyes.
"Mom would say it's 'cause you've made me a big ol' softie," Chloe chuckled again, the sound a little stronger this time.
"You've always been a softie, dear," Joyce piped up from the kitchen, before fully appearing in the hallway and shuffling them towards the door. "Now you don't want to be a big ol' softie who's late, now do you?"
Suddenly remembering themselves, Chloe started, and rounded on Max, finally taking in her entire ensemble. And felt their mouth go dry. "Uh... shit. Max, I.. wow, um. You..," Chloe tried, before a blush overtook their face and they hung their head, which didn't really help them regain their composure, as their vision was now just filled with Max's bare legs. "Fuck me," they muttered, slapping a palm over their face.
Chloe heard Max pull in a slow gasp of air, the kind that Chloe knew meant that Max was thinking inappropriate thoughts in very inappropriate places. And standing in front of their mom definitely qualified as an inappropriate place. "We should go," Max squeaked, her voice high and her face flushed as she looped her arm around Chloe's and yanked them forward, out to Chloe's truck.
"Have fun you two," Joyce's bemused voice followed them out into the night.
"Oh my god," Chloe finally gaped as they shut the driver's side door in behind them with a loud bang, gripping the steering wheel and dropping their forehead in between their hands.
"Uh... yeah," Max agreed, and Chloe could tell in her voice that she was nodding.
Chloe allowed the moment to hang in the air for a few more seconds, before blowing out a steady breath of air and starting the engine with a sputtering growl. It was a few more minutes into the drive towards Blackwell that they decided to break the silence, "So.. was it nice seeing your parents tonight?"
"Yeah," Max shifted slightly in her seat, her dress riding up slightly at the movement. Eyes on the road, stupid, they told themselves, swallowing slightly and tapping a finger on the wheel to keep their focus where it needed to be. The momentary distraction had caused them to miss a bit of Max's recounting of her night however. "...couldn't stop crying and telling me how beautiful I looked, and that she was so glad we had managed to find this dress-"
"I'm glad she managed to find that dress too," Chloe inserted, unable to help themselves, unable to keep her voice from darkening with desire.
Chloe shot a glance over at Max and was pleased to find her blushing, her gaze trained on the way her fingers kept knitting and unknitting in her lap. Fingers that were so slender, and could curl and touch and make them writhe and-
"Chloe! You're gonna get us fucking killed!" Max's alarmed shout, along with a long, blaring horn pulled her back to reality with a jolt.
"Fuck, Max, shit!" they snapped, yanking on the wheel, bringing the truck back to the right side of the road. "Damnit, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. You just need to be more careful, that's all," Max replied quietly, her voice a little shaken.
Chloe felt their mind blank and buzz all at once, filling their brain with frustrating static that only left them as a barely functioning shell until they pulled up into the Blackwell parking lot, where, with a little bribery, David had left a spot reserved for them.
Stepping out of the driver's side, Chloe strode over to Max's door and opened it with one hand, while offering her their other hand to help her down. Once Max's feet had touched the pavement, Chloe offered her their arm. But Max didn't take it. "Chloe," Max said gently, yet firmly as she took their shoulders in her hands, her heels putting her almost at eye-level with them. "Don't beat yourself up, okay?" she said, and Chloe knew that she wasn't just talking about their near-death experience a few minutes ago. They had had plenty enough of those in the past few months, for pretty much the exact same reason, and none of them had warranted the reaction Chloe was experiencing right now.
"I.. I thought I was fine, Max," Chloe mumbled, their voice stilted, high-pitched. Afraid. "You.. you helped me, you made me think I wasn't a freak, but now I almost got us killed and.. and I just don't know anything-"
"Sh...," Max murmured, pulling them into her arms, and it took everything in Chloe not to fall to pieces right there in the parking lot, to pour a river from their eyes onto Max's bare, goose-fleshed shoulder. "Chloe, listen to me. You have nothing to be ashamed of, to be worried for, to be scared of," Max repeated slowly. "I'm here. I've got you, and I wont let you go. I'm never going to stop loving you, ever. Just please breathe for me right now, I know it's hard. Right here, okay?" Max demonstrated, putting a soft hand on Chloe's stomach, indicating to them to breathe into their diaphragm.
"Okay," Chloe nodded after several deep, slow breaths. "Okay," they murmured again, capturing Max's hand in theirs and kissing her fingertips before linking them together as they set out towards the lit path that lead to the main entrance.
"I love you, Chloe," Max told her quietly as they drew closer to the double doors, where music could be heard filtering out into the air a few feet away.
"I love you too, Max. I," they hesitated, their steps slowing ever so slightly. "I just want this night to be perfect for you. I want to be perfect for you."
"Chloe Price, don't you talk about yourself like that," Max admonished gently, "You are perfect for me. You are everything I've ever wanted, and you've always been everything to me. I care about you so much; nothing, and I mean nothing could ever change my mind about that."
"Fuck," Chloe hissed at themselves, swiping at the corners of their eye with the back of their hand. "Twice in one night Max, c'mon."
"Here," Max smiled, standing up on her tip-toes to kiss Chloe softly on the lips. "Better?" she asked, cupping their face as she dropped back down onto her heels.
"Gaaay!" a loud, sneering voice called from inside the hall.
"Oh shove it Victoria!" Chloe snapped back, but there was a playful smirk playing around the edges of their lips, "You're just jealous that you can't get a piece of this ass!"
"Like I'd ever want to get anywhere near your flat, undecided ass," Victoria retorted as Chloe and Max swept past her into the hall. "Which bathroom are you gonna use tonight, Price?"
Max felt Chloe freeze in her arm. Oh, fuck-
"You have no fucking clue what you're talking about, Victoria," Chloe snarled, their whole body rigid, their jaw and fists clenched.
"I'd imagine it must be tough for Max to deal with-" Victoria continued on, raising a hand in a vague gesture.
"Stop right fucking there Victoria," Max said, her voice dangerously low, stepping past Chloe into Victoria's bubble, the pitted shadows on her face from the low lighting making her look even more vicious. "I think it's best if you shut the fuck up about things you know nothing about and walk away right now."
"Max, I was just-" Victoria stuttered, looking properly cowed as she seemed to wither and wilt under Max's fury.
"I don't care what you were just, Victoria. Don't fucking approach either of us again tonight. We're going to enjoy tonight, and you wont even look in our direction. Got it?"
Victoria just nodded once sharply, pursing her lips to compose herself before turning on her heel and scurrying to the opposite side of the gym.
"Max, oh my god that was so hot," Chloe murmured into Max's ear as they wrapped their arms around Max's waist.
Max wiggled around in Chloe's arms and faced them, her body flush with theirs. She kissed her cheek gently, before pulling away and cupping her face with one hand. "We can go home if you want, Chlo. We don't have to be here. I'm so sorry that-"
"Max," they interrupted, encircling Max's wrist with loose fingers, "Don't. It's okay. I'm okay. Victoria was just being Victoria. I bet she has a pole even further up her ass because her parents practically paid for this entire party. You scared her off, like a good pirate scallywag protecting her booty." Chloe grinned down at her, kissing her lips to further reassure her. When Chloe pulled back and Max still looked slightly uncertain, they pulled themselves out of Max's arms, latching onto her hand instead and yanking them both towards a table in the corner of the room. "Let's just go have fun tonight, okay?"
Max didn't respond, just slipped her hand out of Chloe's grip and raised her camera from its strap around her shoulder. "Hey, Max, what are you- oh, don't-!"
She just grinned and pushed the button, capturing Chloe in their suit, backlit by a gentle warm light, an expression of bemused exasperation twinkling in their eyes, twisting their lips. "Get used to it," she teased playfully as she let the polaroid fall into her hand before shaking it and storing it in a small folder in her bag. She readjusted the strap of her camera so it sat comfortably against her side once more as she continued, "I want to capture everything perfect about this night. And that starts with you."