Hey guys, guess what's actually getting written. That's right, this fic… finally.

For those who don't know, this was the Tumblr prompt: "How about a ChaseField actors au wherein they are actors and life is strange is a tv show but in real life they are together and is (probably giving everyone diabetes -sometimes-) in love." Only took me like a year to get my ass in gear. Thanks to everyone who commented their ideas (mostly on AO3), they're all awesome (I'll use as many as I can). Ya'll deserve mad credit.

Here's the prologue to whet your appetites. I'll start it properly over the summer, when I have time (if I survive exams… RIP me).

Prologue: Setting the Scene

Max's POV – Apartment Complex, Seattle

Warm rays of sunlight hit my face, almost blinding me even with my eyes closed. I groan, turning over in my sleep-addled state. I never did cope with mornings well, or sunlight in general. The word 'vampire' comes to mind – a term my friends and family have wholeheartedly adopted for me. Not that they are unjustified. I try pulling the blanket up over my face, but it's stuck on something… or stuck under someone might be more accurate.

Opening my bleary eyes, I come face to face with a woman. Her eyes are closed, breathing steady and rhythmic. The sunlight hits her pale skin and disheveled blonde hair - I might've had something to do with that last night. Allowing myself a smile at that thought, I continue to stare at her. This woman is everything to me. I want to reach out and run my fingers along her cheeks and lips, familiar territory, but I don't want to wake her. For now, looking will have to be enough.

When we first met, I had no idea that we would end up here. I'm forever grateful to the universe for giving us the opportunity to meet. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Max, are you staring at me while I sleep again?" she sleepily mumbles, opening one of her eyes a fraction.

"It's hard not to." Feeling guilty for waking her, I lean over and kiss her forehead in way of apology. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

"I was already kind of awake, but yes." She stretches out, nearly hitting the bed frame. Once she has adequately stretched she shuffles closer to me, her face inches from mine. I find myself getting lost in her eyes, mesmerized. "I have a few ways you could make it up to me, though."

"I bet you do…" I intertwine our fingers, giving her a brief yet tender kiss, "and I'll probably be fine with whatever forfeit you have to suggest."

It took me a while to get used to all this. Victoria was my first 'proper' relationship, however you want to define that. Sure, I dated a few people before her but they never went anywhere serious. As is the way with relationships sometimes. Fun, but an inevitable dead end. Not that you necessarily realize that at the time. In a way, I'm glad they didn't work out. Otherwise, me and Victoria would never have had this blissful chance now.

My offer makes her smile broadly, a grin I have come to associate with plotting. "Oh, really? Well then, you're on laundry duty for the week."

"…everything except that," I hasten to add, my face scrunching up with disapproval. "Or anything in that vein, for that matter."

Victoria chuckles knowingly, giving my hand a light squeeze. "I figured as much."

"You know me well." I laugh softly with her as I begin to run my fingers through her hair, content.

"Too well, some might say. Speaking of…" she offers a sly smile, kissing me again with much more conviction.

I return her kiss just as passionately. A kiss from Victoria works better at waking me up than any amount of caffeine. Her tongue slides into my mouth effortlessly, exploring like it has a hundred times before. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. No matter how many times we do this, it still feels as good as the first. Maybe even better.

When I start getting a little too touchy-feely, Victoria pulls back and taps me on the nose, almost like she's scolding a disobedient puppy. "As much as I would love to continue this 'Cop-a-feel Caulfield', I have to get to work soon."

Feeling a little disappointed, I sigh and withdraw. "Yeah, I know. Wish you didn't. Can't blame me for trying, though."

"You should know better than to even try." Victoria reaches out and cups my cheek, giving me another brief kiss to show she isn't actually mad. I know that already, but the confirmation is nice and I certainly won't turn her down. "Unfortunately, lying in bed with you all day doesn't pay the bills."

Between her acting and modeling career, Victoria already has a packed enough schedule. I always thought my calendar was pretty full, but even my busiest week is nothing compared to hers. Somehow, she always manages to fit me in, though. Both of us are just getting started in our separate acting fields, me working in the indie scene with Victoria's gig being more mainstream hits. Had it not been for our joint debut film, we might never have even spoken. That would've been a crying shame. Ever since that time, several years ago now, we've kept in touch on and off even though our careers took us down drastically different paths. All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes. This whole relationship thing has been a fairly recent development, officially a few months in now, but a long time coming.

Reluctantly untangling herself from me, Victoria gets up, grabs a dressing gown and shuffles towards the kitchen. I follow her a few moments later, finding her halfway through making breakfast.

Coming up behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist and decide to tease her a little. "You'd make a good housewife."

Victoria turns around, grinning at me. "Was that a proposition?"

I let her go, giving her another kiss. "I'll leave that up to you to decide."

While it might still be too early for that, it has been on my mind. I've liked Victoria for a long time now even before we started 'officially dating', and from what I've gathered she's been the same. Over the years, whenever we started talking more, something came up and stopped things before they could really get going. We've had our own separate lives to lead. It's strange, even though we are busier now than ever, spending time together seems… easier. Weird and paradoxical, but true. Living together helps. I think we could both do with some stability. Still, there is no rush. It took us long enough to get here, what's a few more months? For now, we're just enjoying this, these tender moments we share. That's enough.

While she deals with breakfast, I get to work setting the table and making coffee. Soon enough, we have a breakfast fit for a queen, or two if I'm being generous to myself. Victoria has always given off that regal vibe. At first I found it intimidating, now I just find it very attractive. Sitting down opposite one another, we chow down. There is plenty to choose from: eggs, bacon, toast and coffee, almost the full works. Having breakfast with Victoria is the only way I want to spend my mornings.

Buttering her toast and taking a sizable bite, Victoria gently nudges my foot under the table to catch my attention. "You're spacing out again. Such great company."

I roll my eyes at her sarcasm, digging into my breakfast. "Ha, ha. I didn't see you complaining about my laconic company yesterday."

A mischievous grin tugs at her lips. "Talking isn't always required. There are better uses for that mouth of yours, sometimes."

"Keep talking like that and you really will be late for work," I shoot back playfully. Seriously, I need to calm myself down or I'll be left all hot and bothered until evening.

For a split second, she almost takes me up on the offer, sense soon re-asserting itself as she finishes off her coffee. "Don't tempt me."

"Well, you did start it," I remind her, taking a sip of my coffee.

"And I'll end it… later," she promises with a smug grin, leaning in to idly twirl a strand of my hair around her index finger.

I can tell she wants nothing more than to fulfill that promise right here and now, but she remains resolute. Part of me wonders if she's just doing it to tease me. If so, it's working. At least I have something to look forward to later. Maybe I can go all out, put on the Ritz with a romantic candlelit dinner, bubble bath, massage, really pamper her. She sure deserves it.

Of course, Victoria notices straight away. "You look like you're plotting something."

"Noooo…" There is no point trying to seriously hide it from her. I've never been good at lying, especially to Victoria. Still, I can put up a fight.

"Could you sound any more obvious?" she asks, shaking her head.

I wave away her suspicion. "Don't worry about it."

Clearly, she doesn't believe that for a second. "Uh-huh."

We finish up breakfast, piling dirty dishes and cutlery on the side for me to wash up later. I am banned from both the bathroom and bedroom until Victoria is ready, no need to tempt fate. Instead, I slump down on the couch and flick through TV channels. There's not much on this time of day apart from depressing news stories and boring infomercials. I can hear the shower going, suppressing the urge to break the terms of my temporary romantic parole.

After getting dressed, Victoria returns to the lounge looking stunning as usual. I don't know how she does it. This early in the morning, no matter how much primping and preening I do, I still look like a zombie. Sometimes I wonder what Victoria sees in me. I mean, I'm pretty average looking. Most of the time I don't bother questioning it, just accepting. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. She's certainly not sticking around for the terrible puns. Other than that, I must be doing something right.

Finishing up, she comes over to me, taking her jacket from the back of the couch, where she left it last night. "Don't cause too much trouble while I'm out."

To me, that always sounds like a challenge. "No promises."

After rolling her eyes playfully at me, she leans down and kisses me briefly before heading on out of the door. It is so tempting to just latch onto her and stop her from leaving, but she'd get mad at me… maybe.

The second she leaves I get to work planning for later. Normally, plans aren't my thing but I want this to be perfect, like her. Note to self: tone down the cheese. As I sit there brainstorming, my phone buzzes on the small wooden coffee table beside the couch. Lazily, I reach over to take it and answer the call without looking at the caller ID in too much detail.

Before I can even get a single word in, the caller gets there first. "Max."

I recognize the voice almost immediately. "Hi, Brooke. What's up?"

"I need your help," she announces abruptly without any small talk.

To most people, Brooke can come off as borderline rude… or full on, unapologetic rude in most cases. I, however, am used to her seemingly brash behavior by now, so it doesn't take me by surprise. "Fire away."

There is a moment's silence before she speaks again. "I'm seriously considering bailing on this latest project of mine."

Brooke has been working on her latest project for over a year now. She's kept most of it pretty secretive, but she has told me a bit about it here and there. We've worked on projects before so I've become her go-to advice giver. She seemed super pumped about the whole thing when we last talked, so the fact that she is thinking of giving up on it is kind of worrying. Brooke is a stubborn as they come.

"You want to meet?" I suggest, knowing that sometimes Brooke just needs a vent and then she's good to go again. Better to talk it out face to face.

"If you have time." She sounds as aloof as ever, although there is a slight hint of hope and gratefulness, too. Under that hard exterior, there is a nice person. Very few take the time to find her, though.

Having already booked today to plan and prepare for tonight, I realize tomorrow is relatively free. Since I'm between projects at the minute, I have time. "Is tomorrow okay?"

"Perfect," she replies with no hesitation. "Meet me at the café near your place around ten, land of the living time to clarify. Hope that's not too early for you."

"Ouch, low blow," I chuckle, knowing it to be true. My reputation as a creature of the night precedes me. "Ten is fine. See you then."

I hang up, setting my phone back on the coffee table and immediately get back to planning. It seems I have a few things to look forward to now. You wait for one bus and three come at once. For the time being, my priority is tonight… and Victoria Chase.

So, that's the prologue down. Expect the first chapter soon (around the end of June/July time). Have an awesome day and see you next time :)