"Victoria! Move!" Max gave a sharp tug and the blonde would have slipped and fallen in the mud had Max not been holding her hand so tightly.
The rain pelted down against them making it hard to see. The tornado was almost here and the two of them were some of the last to get the hell out of Arcadia bay. Max had refused to leave until she was sure everyone had at least been warned. Victoria had been equally stubborn in staying behind, refusing to leave Max on her own.
Eventually everyone had been warned and the two started to leave. It was almost too late, the roads were a mess and so here they were running through the mud and rain, trying to make it to the lighthouse. It was the only place could Max could think to go to.
A choked sound ripped itself from Victoria's throat and she had to stop running. She hunched over, hands on her knees. She gasped for breath, her chest heaving. Adrenaline could only take you so far. But they couldn't stop, not now. They were so close.
Max felt horrible, pushing her girlfriend like this, felt like shit over the whole situation. She swallowed down a lump in her throat and reached out, taking her hand again.
"We can't stop, come on we're almost there."
Victoria shook her head. "I can't." She wheezed. Victoria sure picked a horrible time to say 'I can't' for the first time.
Max tipped her head up and pressed a desperate kiss to her mouth, pushing air into her lungs. "You have to. Now move!" She pulled and they were off again, racing against time, stumbling and slipping in the mud and rain.
Finally after what felt like hours, the lighthouse came into view. With a surge of energy they rushed up the slope and into the relative safety the structure provided. Max slammed the door shut, shutting out the rain and the howling wind. Victoria collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.
Max slid down the wall, the cold stone feeling nice against the heat of her cheeks. They sat there for a few minutes, just breathing. Eventually their breathes evened out and it wasn't such a strain on their lungs. Max beckoned to the blonde, who after a few extra seconds slouched over and dropped herself in the brunette's lap. She was shivering almost violently, which wasn't surprising considering she was soaking wet. Max unzipped her hoodie and wrapped it around her as best she could and held her close.
A few more minutes passed in quiet before there was a loud groaning and something shattered against the side of the lighthouse. Victoria flinched into the other girl and clutched at her shirt. She looked terrified, green eyes wide with terror. She hiccuped and before Max could blink she was crying.
Victoria Chase was sitting in Max Caulfields lap and crying. Once she got over her shock Max held her tighter and pressed a shaky kiss to her forehead. "Shh it's okay. We're fine, we're going to be okay, calm down tori." Max hoped the use of her nickname would help calm her. Instead it only made her cry harder.
"M-Max." She whispered her name and clung to her like a child afraid of thunder storms. Max hushed her gently and rubbed her back to sooth her.
"It's okay. It's all going to be okay." Max was pretty sure she was lying but who gives a fuck, she would say anything right now if it meant reassuring Victoria.
"I don't want to die." Max hardened at her words and pulled her closer.
"I won't let that happen. I promise."
"You can't promise that."
"I can rewind time, yes I can." To cut off any protest Victoria might have made, Max kissed her. It was desperate and needy but the blonde didn't seem to care, kissing her back like the world was ending.
For all they knew, it might be.
Victoria shifted in her lap until she was straddling the smaller girl, fisting her hands in her shirt and pulling her closer. Max held her hips and tipped her head up, matching her in ferocity and passion. Their kisses were desperate and full of fear, and while Max couldn't think of a better way to meet death if that was their fate, she didn't want her last kiss to taste of desperation and salt.
Carefully she twisted, and with one smooth movement Victoria was laying down under her. The fear was gone, replaced with annoyance. "What do you think you're doing hipster?"
"Making out with you until you stop being scared and upset." She closed the gap between them and kissed her hard. Victoria gasped and arched up and Max took the opportunity to slide her tongue in her mouth. Their tongues danced while the blonde yanked her down closer and pressed their bodies firmly together.
Max felt hot, far too hot which was strange considering both her and Victoria were soaking wet and had been shivering on the floor together not five minutes ago. Then the blonde moaned into her mouth and all higher brain functions ceased.
Suddenly their positions were flipped, with Max pinned under the panting blonde. She wasted no time in diving back in and immediately went for Max's weak spot, sucking hard at the brunette's neck. The action drew a throaty moan and her hands scrambled for purchase in blonde hair. Victoria left a trail of vibrant hickeys colouring her neck.
Suddenly there was a crash and Victoria screamed in fear as part of the lighthouse succumbed to the storm, brick and mortar flying at them. Max looped one arm around her back and thrust her right hand out. She rewound until the moment just after Victoria had switched their positions. She went to attack her neck again but Max stopped her.
"Move now!" She demanded, shoving her off and scrambling out of the way. Victoria protested but scrambled after her. They moved to the opposite side of the lighthouse where Max pinned her to the wall, sheltering her as best she could from the soon to come crash.
The lighthouse crumbled again but this time Victoria only flinched and turned wide eyes on her. Max smiled tiredly. "I told you, I won't let anything happen to you."
"We were almost crushed." She whispered, as if speaking louder would make the storm try and take their lives again.
"Yeah, but I wasn't about to let that happen." Victoria hugged her, her arms shaking and Max just held her. They lay huddled together, pressed close for warmth and comfort.
Then suddenly, the storm died down, leaving the world as quiet as death. Tentatively they stood and locked hands, venturing out of the relative safety of the decimated structure.
Outside everything was a mess, there was nothing that hadn't been destroyed. But the storm was over. It was over and they were both alive. Max almost burst into tears in sheer relief. Then she was hugging Victoria, crushing her to herself. She didn't seem to mind, holding the brunette just as tight.
"It's over." Max whimpered. "It's finally over."
Victoria squeezed her and kissed her again, this time in relief and joy. "It's over." She repeated. "It's over."