Hey guys, I am so excited for this fic. It's gonna be so cool to write. It'll be Marshfield, along with some Chaseprice as an added bonus (my gay-ass shipping heart just can't get enough). I haven't really written much for these two ships and it's about time that changed.
I will get round to updating my other stories soon (I've been finding hard to write recently, but fear not I shall keep at it). I just wanted to get something out there.
Some points to note: There is no time travel, Max and Kate don't know each other, Chloe and Max are still friends, this does not follow the canon story.
Enjoy
Kate's POV – Streets of Arcadia – 10:24 am
I look down at the piece of paper in my hand. It has an address on it in neat handwriting I recognize as my own. I glance up to see a small, unassuming brick building in front of me. An alleyway runs down the side of it. I walk up closer and a sign above the door becomes visible reading, For Pet's Sake. Another sign in the window alerts me that the store is open. I place my hand on the door handle and enter the shop. As I do, a short cheerful bell tone fills the air. I glance around, examining the area. This place is fairly small, yet cozy. Light seeps through the window, illuminating the inside. Cages line the walls containing mice, gerbils and all other sorts of animals. Their ears prick upwards as I walk past them. I stop for a moment to peer into the cages. Stands hold all manner of pet toys and products. A till sits in the far right hand corner, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around. I double check to make sure the sign did say open.
"Hello?"
My hesitant timid voice echoes around the shop, reverberating off of the walls. No answer.
I guess I'll just have a look around and someone will appear at some point I'm sure.
I walk aimlessly around the store, examining the different cages more thoroughly. The animals inside scurry around, some eat out of bowls, some chew on bits of cardboard, others are grooming themselves. They turn their bright beady eyes to me as I peer in, tilting their heads curiously.
They are all so cute, I have no idea which one to choose.
"Can I help at all?"
As I ponder over my choice, a tentative voice echoes in the silence from behind me. It makes me jump a bit in surprise. I turn and see a girl there. She has mid-length brown hair, her bright blue eyes staring at me inquiringly. A red nametag is pinned to her chest reading MAX. On seeing my surprise, she rubs the back of her neck awkwardly, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."
I wave away her apology, giving her a wide smile, "It's fine. I scare easily. Yes, some help would be lovely, thank you."
I wouldn't have any idea where to start. I've never really had a pet before.
Max offers me a toothy grin, her eyes sparkling, "No problem. It is my job after all," she tilts her head curiously to one side, an inquisitive glint in her eyes, "What did you need help with?"
My eyes scan the small shop once more, thinking over my choices.
I probably should have given this more thought. I'm still not sure what kind of pet I want to get.
I clear my throat, composing my thoughts, "Well, I know I want to get a pet, but I'm not sure which one."
Max strokes her chin in contemplation, closing her eyes momentarily, "That is a dilemma. It's not something you can rush into. It takes a lot of effort for me to not just take them all home to be honest… well, maybe not the creepy crawlies," she gives me a cheeky smile, "We have some snakes in the back if you'd prefer."
I don't think I could handle feeding them.
"I was thinking of something fluffier."
Max nods and stares at me intently, her brow slightly furrowed in thought.
I'm not used to being the centre of attention for any large amount of time usually.
I shift uncomfortably under her gaze. She glances over at some of the cages, scratching her head. After a few moments and some very interesting facial expressions later, she speaks up, "I could see you with a rabbit. They are pretty easy to keep too. I reckon even I could do it, and that's saying something."
A rabbit sounds good.
"That sounds great. Do you have any in?"
Max gives me an apologetic smile, "Unfortunately, we don't have any in at the minute. Although, I have one on the way soon. In fact, I might even have a picture here somewhere."
She digs around in her pocket and takes out her phone. She scrolls through until she finds the photo she is after. She turns the screen my way, revealing a small white rabbit with black ears. I lean in closer, really examining the fluffy rabbit on the screen. I immediately fall in love with it, "It's so cute. I think my mind is made up."
Max beams at me, "Great. I'll keep it back for you when it comes in. In the meantime, you could get a few items ready if you wanted to. You're going to need a cage and stuff like that."
It makes sense to get things ready. I like to be prepared.
I nod in response, "Sure. I don't want to go home empty handed."
Max walks around to the stands in the middle of the shop. I follow close behind her, making sure not to knock anything over. There isn't really a lot of room to move around. Max manages to knock over a few things on her way, causing her to curse under her breath. We finally make it to where the cages are. They are all different sizes, materials and colors. Max examines each cage carefully. She takes out a crumpled up piece of paper from her pocket and glances down at it every so often. The note has some scruffy black writing on it I can't read from here.
She points out a small cage with a green bottom and a metal wire top, "I reckon you would need a cage somewhere around this kind of size."
"You're the expert here, I shall trust your judgement."
Max lets out a small laugh, "I'd hardly say I was an expert, but I get what you mean."
She takes the cage, placing it by the till and continues around the store, explaining to me what I will need, every so often picking out something for me. Before I know it, there is a pile of items ready for me to take home, including the cage, some food, a bowl, straw, toys, a water bottle and some cleaning spray. I look down at the small mountain of items.
I'm not sure if I can carry all that home right now.
I turn to Max, "I might have to come back for some of this, I'm not sure I can carry it all."
She nods sympathetically, "Well, I don't mind giving you a hand."
I don't want her to go out of her way or anything.
I wave away her offer, not wanting to cause her any trouble.
She has already done so much as it is. I would feel bad if she did more.
"You don't have to do that."
Max puts on a stern expression, well as stern as she can muster. She doesn't really pull it off, it doesn't really match her personality to be stern, at least from what I've seen. Nevertheless, she tries, "I insist. It really is no trouble at all. I am about to close up for lunch anyway. I can spare some time to give you a hand. We can take as much stuff as possible between us, then maybe you can come back tomorrow or some other time this week and I'll help with the rest."
I don't think I am going to win this one. Besides, it would be nice to get some help. I do have a lot of stuff.
I glance back down at the pile, "If you're sure."
Max nods, "I am."
"Well, thank you then."
We gather what we can and begin to make our way to where I live. The sun beats down on us, lighting up the path before us in an orangey haze. Birds swoop lazily overhead and trees dance in the warm gentle breeze. Max turns her head towards me, a question in her eyes, "So, I don't think I got your name."
We continue walking down the street as we talk, the pet supplies in our hands. Max has the cage, she said it would be best not to give her anything breakable, because it probably wouldn't last the journey.
"I'm Kate."
Max shifts the cage in her hands slightly. She manages to balance one of the small plastic bags with the food in on top of the cage, "I'm sure you've already seen my name is Max from my name tag."
"Yes, I had actually."
She smiles, "Glad to see it does the job."
I maneuver the items I am holding in my hands to a more manageable position, "I sure did get a lot, huh?"
She turns her head to face me, "You could say that."
When I get an idea in my head it consumes me.
"I just get so excited about things that I get carried away."
Max glances my way, her voice a little tentative and mumbled, "It's not a bad thing really. I… I think it's cute to be honest."
She thinks it's… cute?
My cheeks heat up at her words. I turn my head away from her to hide the flush on my cheeks.
What is wrong with me? I really am socially awkward. She's just being nice. I guess I can't take a compliment.
In the distance, I can see a grey block of flats, the place I call home. Max motions to the building with her head since her hands are full, thankfully changing the subject, "Is that you?"
"It is."
As we approach the door, I place the things I'm carrying, the bowl, water bottle and straw, down on the floor. After some rummaging around, I take the key out from my bag and insert it into the lock. It opens with a small click.
I really should get a key chain at some point. It would make my key easier to find.
I hastily shove the key back into my bag, pick my items back up and enter the building. We make our way over to the stairs leading up to my room. I turn back to Max, "I'm on the second floor."
"Gotcha."
We continue up the stairwell to my floor. There are two other rooms here excluding my own. I have quite nice neighbors actually, I'm lucky. Both of them work a lot so aren't in much, but when I see them we have a chat. Max places the things she is carrying on the floor in front of my door. She exhales deeply, wiping the stray hair from her face, then gives me a warm smile, "There you go. You'll have to come by and pick up the other stuff tomorrow or whenever you have time. I'll keep it in the back for you. Have a nice day, Kate."
She goes to leave. Something in me doesn't want her to go. She begins the descent downstairs. I suddenly hear myself shouting after her, "Wait…" she turns around, a confused expression on her face.
She probably thinks I'm a complete weirdo.
I clear my throat awkwardly, thinking up some reason for having stopped her. Something hits me, "Do you want to come in for a cup of tea and something to eat? You've helped me a lot today and I'd like to do something to thank you. Also, you're sacrificing your lunch break to help me."
I would feel bad if I didn't give her something in return for helping me.
Max ponders this for a moment, then nods, "I won't turn down free food."
Chloe's POV – Alleyway – 10:38 am
I stand out in the back alleyway, a cigarette in my hand. I inhale and release, the smoke cloud billowing around me. I glance down the alleyway, tapping my foot impatiently on the ground, "Where are you, Max? You're usually here by now."
I glance down at my phone to see if she has texted, finding that she's about now ten minutes late.
Should I call her or something? Knowing her, she's probably got caught up taking a picture of a squirrel or something. That girl gets distracted so easily, but that's part of her charm.
A derisive voice pierces the air, one I know all too well, "Oh, so this is where you've been hiding."
I turn my head to the right to see a girl with short blonde hair and piercing brown eyes. Even in the shitty uniform we have to wear, she somehow manages to look good in it. I'm sure there have been a few minor alterations made to make it up to her standard. I don't know why they insist on using this ugly ass shade of yellow for the top.
She scowls at me, her arms crossed in annoyance, her fingers drumming on her arm, "I've been in there working my fucking ass off and you are out here."
I stick out my tongue at her, which she is not impressed at… not that I care, "Get off my crack, Victoria. I'll have you know I am on my break at the minute."
I blow the smoke in her direction, causing her to cough. She wafts it away, giving me a skeptical look, "Really?"
I shrug nonchalantly, throwing the cigarette to the floor and stomping out the remaining orange embers with my black boots, "Well, sort of. Look, no-one is in at the minute and it's getting close to closing up time anyway."
She sighs in frustration, rubbing her temples, "I swear to god you are the most infuriating person I know."
I take a step closer to her, our faces inches apart. My voice is low and teasing, a smug smile plastered to my face, "Uh-huh. Is that right? That's not what you were saying last night. If I remember correctly, you were telling me how-"
Victoria silences my taunting words by pushing her lips roughly against mine. She backs me against the brick wall of the coffee shop, pressing her body into mine. My hands find their way to her ass, pulling her closer. I kiss her back just as roughly. She slides her tongue into my mouth, something I am more than happy to allow. My fingers hover at the hem of her shirt, itching to pull it up and expose her pale skin. Just as things start heating up, she suddenly pulls away, anger and fire in her eyes… a look I can never get enough of.
She glares at me threateningly, "Don't you fucking dare talk about that again! Next time I will end you. Now, you are coming with me and I am not taking no for an answer," she grabs hold of my arm and drags me along violently back into the shop.
"Oh, I like it when you get bossy."
She scoffs and pulls me along to the storage room. I was half expecting her to take me back to the front, but it appears she has a different agenda on her mind, one I am all too happy to comply with. The door locks shut with a click.
This is not the first time we have done this, and it sure as hell won't be the last… not if I have my way.
Kate's POV – Kate's Apartment – 10:53 am
I bring over a pot of tea, along with some cheese sandwiches and a few packets of potato chips I managed to scrounge up from the deep dark depths of one of my cupboards. I join Max on my beat up couch. I pass her a plate, which she graciously accepts and place her cup on the small coffee table in front of the couch, pouring out some of the steaming liquid into it. She begins to eat one of the sandwiches, careful not to make a mess. A million questions begin racing through my mind.
I haven't seen Max around before. I wonder if she's local.
As I pour out the tea, my curiosity gets the better of me, "How long have you been in Arcadia?"
Max chews thoughtfully, then swallows. She places her half-eaten sandwich back on her plate and turns her gaze to me, "Most of my life actually. My parents and I moved to Seattle for a while to try and find better jobs. The grass is always greener as they say," she picks up her mug from my coffee table and swirls it around, the steam gently rising into the air, "I wanted to strike out on my own, so I moved back to Arcadia. I kind of missed it here anyway. I needed a job, so I got the whole pet shop gig. I've been working there for a few months now. Obviously, it's not what I want to be doing for my entire life, but it's something to pay the bills. There's only me and another girl working there at the moment, so there is a lot of work to do and I have a lot of time on my hands," she goes back to eating.
I wonder what she wants to be.
I take a sip of my tea, the warm liquid pours down my throat, soothing it, "What is it you want to do?"
Max scratches her chin as if to prolong her time before she answers, then she smiles at me sheepishly, looking away slightly, "This is probably going to sound stupid, but… what I really want to do is become a photographer."
Why does she think that's stupid? Maybe someone has told her it is before.
I shake my head, smiling at her, "That doesn't sound stupid at all."
Max takes a packet of potato chips and opens them up, popping one into her mouth, crunching it loudly. She swallows, her piercing gaze is trained on me, "What do you do?"
I always feel kind of embarrassed when I say my job.
I lean back in the couch a bit before answering, "I illustrate kids' books."
Max's eyes widen in surprise, then she beams at me, "Really? That is so cool."
The way she says this is so genuine, unlike most people who feign interest. She truly believes the words she is saying.
"I've done a few for other people's works. I'm actually working on writing my own about bullying right now."
Her eyebrows raise and she gives me an impressed smile, "Wowser. You really are living the dream."
I suppose Max must live around here too.
"Do you live around here?"
Max nods, picking up her cup again, warming her hands on it. She furrows her brow in thought, "Yeah I do. It's not quite as nice as this place, but it's got a roof. I think there was a drug deal or a murder or something in there once… maybe both, I can't remember… anyway it was going cheap because of it."
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise at her words.
How can she live somewhere knowing that? What if they come back?
I look at Max in disbelief. She meets my gaze, but I can see her face is strained from trying not to laugh. Suddenly, she can't hold it in any longer. Her laughter fills the room. She wipes tears from her eyes and tries to catch her breath, "I'm joking."
Of course she is. Well done, Kate. You made a fool of yourself yet again.
I blush slightly in embarrassment from my gullibility and quickly change the subject, "Are you here on your own?"
Max takes a deep breath, trying to get her breathing under control again. She clears her throat and continues, "I live with my friend at the minute. Her names Chloe. She's working at the coffee shop down the road…" her face suddenly falls, her eyes widening in sudden realization, "Shit. I was supposed to be meeting up with her," she runs her fingers through her hair and sighs.
I feel bad for making her late now. If she hadn't helped me, she would have been there now, "Sorry. It's my fault."
Max shakes her head, "No, it's not. She's always late anyway, it'll be good for her to get a taste of her own medicine," she glances at her phone, "I'll just phone her quickly. I'm sure with a bit of groveling and promise to buy her dinner she'll forgive me."
Chloe's POV – Storage Room
Victoria's hands roam down my back, her manicured fingernails scratching at my porcelain skin. My fingers tangle in her hair, something I know drives her crazy. She acts like she hates it when someone touches her hair, but in truth she really enjoys it. Sure, she bitches about it, but if you stop, she'll demand you continue. Her exposed skin rubs against mine, sending shivers up my spine.
I need more… more contact.
I reach around and start to undo her bra strap, when my phone buzzes in the pocket of my jeans, which now sit on the floor beside me. I go to reach for it, when I feel her warm breath at my ear, her voice husky, "Don't you dare answer that."
She places her lips on my neck and kisses, her teeth gently grazing my skin. I reach out for my phone, knowing it will get her worked up more. She bites down on my neck, causing my hand to recoil and instead to be place on her back, my chipped blue nails digging into her skin.
That is the reaction I was hoping for.
"You should be focusing all your attention on me, Price."
I give myself over to her. I have no desire to rebel... not now. She continues to work her way down my neck…
My phone rings again impatiently, demanding attention much as Victoria does. Eventually, Victoria snaps. She grabs my phone and all but growls into the phone, "Whoever the fuck is ringing, Chloe is preoccupied right now…" I lean over and bite down on Victoria's shoulder as she talks, causing her to moan slightly, "…call back …later."
Kate's POV – Kate's Apartment
Max brings the phone away from her ear, staring at it for a few seconds. She places it back in her pocket, a confused expression passing over her face.
"What's wrong?"
Max smiles to herself, her blue eyes lighting up with amusement, "I have a feeling Chloe doesn't mind that I wasn't there in the slightest."
At least she didn't get in trouble because of me.
I sigh in relief, "That's good then."
Max nods, "Yeah it is. Anyway, you didn't say whether you were living with anyone here."
I refill Max's cup, along with my own, "Oh no. I just needed to escape my parent's house for a while. I love my sisters to bits, but they can be a handful."
A fond smile forms on Max's lips, "I bet. I always wanted a sister, but my parents always used to say 'Max, you are more than enough trouble and joy for both of us'."
She goes to take a sip from her now full mug.
"Are you really that bad?"
The cup stops before it reaches her lips. She places it back down on the table and leans back in the couch. She offers me a cheeky grin, "Well, I guess you'll have to stick around to find out."
I've enjoyed talking with Max and I really would like to get to know her better.
"Maybe I will."
Her doe like eyes sparkle with amusement as she downs her tea and glances at her phone, "I'd probably best get going now, as much as I would love to stay and talk more. You should drop by sometime for a chat if you want. I work there pretty much every day and I won't turn down such good company."
It would be nice to get to know some more people around here. I am usually too shy to approach anyone and start up a conversation. Max seems to be like me in that respect.
"I'd like that."
Max gets up, taking her mug and plate into my kitchen. She goes to wash up, but I shoot her down. No one can win an argument with me over that kind of thing. She finally gives up and makes her way over to my door.
"I guess I'll see you around."
"Yes, you will."
She waves awkwardly as she leaves and I almost immediately find myself looking forward to going back to the pet store.
Yes, so we have a Pet Shop AU here if you hadn't guessed. The fic will be more focused on Marshfield, but we shall have some Chaseprice scatterings here and there. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, but I'll try to do it as much as possible. Thanks for reading.
