Episode three gave me all the feels so here's a little Pricefield au.
There's mentions of blood so if that's bad for you just replace the word blood with chocolate and have a fun time reading!
The ride back to Blackwell was heavy with unsaid words, the tension between the reunited friends quickly becoming overbearing to the young photographer. Max didn't know what to say in light of the new information they had gathered concerning Rachel. It was obvious Chloe was hurt by the news based on the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. Sighing, Max turned her attention out the window. The brunette was positive that if Rachel had been in the car with them, Chloe would be happy. She would be smiling over at them, the same small, sincere smile she had on her face just a few short hours ago. Her eyes would be sparkling for a completely different reason, and everything would be okay.
However, Max was not Rachel, maybe Frank was right. Maybe she had thrown on Rachel's clothes in an attempt to be more like the person Chloe was so obviously enamored with. But clothes can't change your personality, she was still the same loser she had always been. Awkward nerd Max Caulfield. The one who got bullied on a daily basis and magically acquired time control powers that couldn't stop one of her closest friends from committing suicide. Maybe she was just as insignificant as she always had been. New powers didn't make a new person. Did Chloe wish Rachel was here instead of her?
After traveling in silence for a good few minutes, they pulled to a stop in front of Blackwell. Wide eyes looked over towards the driver, silently pleading for the punk to say something, anything, to reassure her like only Chloe could. But the quiet stretched on, so Max simply opened her door, trying not to acknowledge the frustrated and hurt tears swimming in her vision.
"I'm sorry Chloe." Max whispered, unsure of what she was apologizing for. Chloe must not have heard, or perhaps didn't care because as soon as Max pushed her door shut, the truck lurched away from the sidewalk, speeding down the road and out of sight. Heaving a sigh, Max dragged herself to her dorm, falling onto her bed like her feet could no longer carry her.
Blue eyes wavered slightly as they stared at the ceiling. Why did something always have to go wrong? She and Chloe were getting along great. Hell they had kissed! Then again it had been a friendly dare, but afterwards, Chloe had seemed so… Different. Happy. Just remembering the very brief lip lock brought a bright blush to Max's face and she groaned. Why did Chloe have to push her away when she had just figured out her feelings? Before they snuck into the pool, Max was fine pretending they were just friends. But then Chloe was looking at her like she was the only person in the world that mattered, saying such sweet things that Max was positive Chloe felt the same way.
I'm never leaving you.
"Yet she still left me." Max grumbled, bitter at the recent turn of events. After spending a couple moments basking in self-pity, Max pulled herself into a sitting position, her legs draping over the side of the bed. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she quickly reached for it, hoping Chloe had calmed down enough to talk. No such luck, as the display was a smiling picture of Warren. In a fit of frustration, Max threw her phone against the wall, not caring if it broke. It slammed into the wall with a satisfying crash, effectively stopping it from vibrating any more.
Digging into her pocket once more, Max found the photo Joyce had given her. Staring at the photo, she saw the same Chloe from earlier that morning, the one who was smiling and seemed genuinely happy. If Max could have one thing, it would be this Chloe. Happy, alive and fun Chloe. The one that didn't have shitty luck or a shitty stepfather. The one whose best friend hadn't left her for five years right after the death of her father.
"I guess it's karma for leaving her and being the worst kind of friend." Max sighed, staring down at the photo, if only she could go back in time and change it all. She would go back in a heartbeat if it would help Chloe.
"Dad take the picture!" The picture distorted and for a split second Max could've sworn she heard thirteen year old Chloe's voice. She eyed the picture skeptically, only for the image to vibrate, Chloe's voice ringing out in her ears once again. Shocked, the brunette dropped the photo, glancing around her room for anything that could've made that noise. The noise did not come again, so the photographer carefully picked up the picture, scrutinizing it as if to figure out what was happening.
White overtook her vision and when she blinked, Max came face to face with William and a thirteen year old Chloe. The two were discussing the picture they had just taken as Max looked around the room. Had she really gone back in time five years? Chloe smiled before her eyes met Max's, a frown quickly overcoming her once jovial expression.
"Hey you look pale, are you okay?" There was only one way to describe Max in that moment, she looked like a deer in the headlights. Her eyes were wide, her breaths ragged and quick.
"Yeah. Fine." Max nodded, hoping she sounded more confident than she really was.
William shrugged, going over to the stove to start the pancakes. Chloe's gaze lingered on Max for a bit before the girl nodded and joined her father at the stove. Could this be real? Did Max have a chance at saving Chloe's dad? Deciding not to dwell on her new power, Max wandered around the room, stopping to take a picture of the happy duo. She placed the image on the counter next to the other before strolling around the house, deciding to leave a mark in the house so she would have proof that she could go back a few years in time.
She was in the middle of the living room when the phone rang. It was the phone call that would end in William's death, she remembered. Lifting her hand, she hoped she still could rewind. Sure enough, the man walked backwards into the kitchen and the phone quieted.
"I can save him, he won't die today." Max quickly moved over to the phone, following the wire down to the wall where it was plugged in. She hastily unplugged it, patting herself on the back for such a brilliant idea. That brilliant idea crashed and burned when she heard a distinctly cellular ringtone cut through the air followed by William's voice as he talked to Joyce about picking her up once again.
"Max?" That voice was definitely Chloe's but she sounded so far away, muffled as if she was talking underwater. Blue eyes snapped to the kitchen, eying the other girl. She was still making pancakes, not paying attention to whatever Max and her father were doing.
"Chloe, did you call me?" The teen in question turned, cocking her head to the side.
"No, you okay Max?" Max rose a brow at her friend, confused as to what was happening. Oh no, big deal, I just hear your voice in my head. Totally fine. She answered in her head, trying to remind herself not to say anything about time travel to Chloe.
"Max what the hell is going on?!" Chloe's voice boomed again, but the Chloe in front of her hadn't opened her mouth.
"I'm fine." Was she though? She was definitely hearing things. Maybe going back five years in time was messing with her mental state. She had to be going crazy, she could've sworn a weight had settled on her shoulder.
"Max, c'mon you're not fine, open your eyes!" Max shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She noticed William lifting up a hat, finding his keys and beginning to walk towards the door. She threw her hand up, not paying attention to the pain in her head.
"No! I have to stop him." Time rewound in front of her once more until William was standing back with Chloe in the kitchen.
"Stop who Max? Come on! Come back to me." A heavy weight seized her around her midsection, a warmth settling against her back. Yet when she looked down there was nothing. She could've sworn someone was holding onto her. Odd.
"Am I going crazy?" Max whispered, ignoring the way the weight seemed to tighten around her. Shaky steps led her to the hat, her trembling fingers lifting the object, grabbing the keys out from under it.
"Fuck Max, please! What's happening?! Why are you disappearing?" Disappearing? She still felt real. Still, the panic in Chloe's voice made her pause. Surely saving William was the right thing to do. The phone ringing brought her out of her head, she had to hide the keys. She quickly threw it in the plant's pot, hoping William wouldn't check there.
"What are you doing?! You better not leave me again Caulfield!" The words caused the brunette to stop dead in her tracks, she didn't want to leave Chloe. Was her head trying to tell her that saving William was a bad idea? Should she just go back? Her head throbbed in protest, liquid clogging her nose and a distinct taste of copper on her tongue. She sputtered, trying to take a breath.
"Oh shit." Max coughed as Chloe cursed. She brought her fingers to her nose, inspecting them to see if she was once again having a bloody nose. Her fingers appeared to be clean, so why did she feel so odd? William looked around the living room for his keys, finally giving up and pulling some sort of device from his pocket.
A sound came from the plant near Max and she could feel a cold panic overtake her body as William once again found his keys and made his way to the door. Why did it seem so impossible to stop his death? Raising her hand, she tried again. This time she didn't put the keys in the plant, instead she wandered around the house, trying to find something that could cancel out the alarm William would push. She came to a stop in front of the sink, eying the water as if it held all the answers to her problems.
When William got the call, she dropped the keys into the foamy dish water with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Holy Fuck Max! I don't know what you're doing but if you can hear me then take it back! I feel like I'm forgetting you and dammit I don't want to. What are you doing?!" Chloe sounded on the verge of tears, her voice strained and growing farther away.
"I'm trying to help."
"You're not fucking helping!" She couldn't hear if Chloe said anything after that, the girl's voice fading out in her head. William said something about taking the bus. The bus would save his life, but what about Chloe? She was rewriting history here. What would happen to the adorable punk with blue hair? She could hear Chloe begging her to take back what she just did. Did she really want to cause Chloe more heartache?
"Sorry William." Chloe's dad looked at her as if she had grown two heads.
"Did you do something with my keys Max? I'll have to get you back for it later." William smiled good naturedly, his happiness palpable. He was truly an amazing person, and an even better dad. And those fact just made the situation even worse. It was very hard to let someone you used to know die. Was it morally wrong to let someone die if you knew you could stop it? Max wasn't sure what was the right thing to do in her situation. So she just trusted in Chloe, or more specifically, Chloe's voice.
"I'll trust you Chloe." Max mumbled, lifting her hand and rewinding one last time. This time she let William find his keys and gave Chloe a hug the second he had walked out of the photo's dimensions.
Time whirled around her, unceremoniously throwing her back into the future. White overtook her vision, her ears ringing. Arms tightened around her, a form pressing into her back. Vaguely she could feel warm liquid running down her face, no doubt dripping onto Rachel's clothes.
"You did it Max. Damn you had me so hella scared." A voice, Chloe's voice, was strong in her ear. Her voice seemed so vulnerable and raw. What just happened? It took serious effort for Max to pry her eyes open. Her vision blurry and head throbbing painfully.
"Chloe?" The words came out garbled and choked. A shift in the bed alerted her that it was Chloe she was resting against, the punk's arms wrapped firmly around her waist as if she would disappear at any moment. So that's the weight I felt.
"Yeah I'm here." Max finally opened her eyes to what appeared to be a murder scene. Blood was everywhere. She could feel it caked on her face and a glance to her right assured her that when she coughed, it had sprayed all over her bed.
"Ugh, cleaning that will suck." Max groaned, leaning further into the punk's embrace.
"What happened Max?" Chloe ignored the obvious attempt to make the situation less serious. Max had literally started disappearing in front of her eyes. To make matters worse, Chloe started having trouble recalling events from earlier that day. It was frightening, she was surprised Max couldn't feel her ragged breaths or pounding heart.
"Ugh." The brunette grumbled, screwing her eyes shut and snuggling as close as possible into Chloe's warm body. Maybe if she cuddled close enough her head would feel better. "I went back in time." Too far back, if her headache was any indicator. She carefully brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose in an attempt to stop the blood that was still flowing out of it.
"Well I kinda figured that out on my own. But dude, you were laying here like you were dead!" The punk's voice was heavy with concern, her chin gently resting on the top of Max's head. In a flash Max remembered the moments leading to her five year time travel experience. Chloe had been completely detached in the truck, her silence cutting Max to the bone. She remembered it all, the tears, the outburst and finally the eerie calm.
"Why did you come back?" Max croaked, her voice an odd mix of emotional yet weak.
"I… Look, I just. I was wrong. I didn't mean to freak on you just because Rachel's a lying bitch." The words were said too casually considering how strongly Chloe had been reacting earlier. Max wasn't sure what to say, obviously Chloe was trying to cover up her real feelings.
"I… See." Was the response Max settled on, not sure if that awkward statement was supposed to be an apology. Chloe sagged against her best friend, happy beyond reason that she had decided to come back to check on Max. But she was also a wreck. Rachel's betrayal was like the final nail in the coffin. But Max was not Rachel, she didn't deserve to be yelled at for something she had no control over. That was the thought that urged her to come speeding back to Blackwell, intent on fixing her mistake.
"Max, I'm sorry okay? I know I was an asshole, and I didn't mean to take it out on you. Sometimes I just go into dick mode and I know it sounds like an excuse but I'm not used to this." She awkwardly gestured between the two of them as best she could with Max literally lying on top of her.
"And you think I am?" Max mumbled through her hand, relieved that the blood dribbling down her face was beginning to slow.
"I… I guess not. I'm sorry. No more silent treatment." The brunette allowed a small grin to grow on her face, finally able to lower her hand back down. Chloe sounded sincere and that was good enough for her.
"Deal." The two sat in silence for a few moments, Chloe relaxing since her apology was accepted and Max was no longer in danger of disappearing in front of her very eyes. Max let her eyes drift shut, basking in the warmth her best friend radiated, happy to feel her headache fade. She was glad Chloe had come back.
"Now back to you, what happened Max?" The brunette sighed, unsure how Chloe would react to this piece of information. Would Chloe be angry she let her dad die?
"I went back to save your dad." Quiet, honest truth. Max didn't know what else to say about it, obviously William was still dead.
"You almost did, didn't you?" Chloe seemed to be piecing her thoughts together, finally understanding why she had found Max in the state she had and why Max had seemed to be fading out of existence. She should be more focused on the fact Max had been trying to save her dad. She appreciated the thought, she really did but maybe this is how it was meant to be.
"I finally worked it out but then I heard you and, well, I couldn't let you forget me." A weak smile grew on the photographer's face. Chloe swallowed hard at the feeling of her memory practically being rewritten. Had she not come back for Max, who knows what could've happened?
"And I couldn't let you disappear on me. We're in this together Super Max, no going back in time five years, deal? It can seriously fuck some shit up."
"Yeah I can't imagine how different everything would've been. What if I had been friends with Nathan Prescott?" The punk laughed at the unlikely scenario, allowing Max to sit up and out of her embrace. She watched the smaller girl go with a bit of a frown before shaking her head clear.
"Well you could've noped the hell right back out of that timeline if that happened." Chloe smirked when she finally drew a smile from Max.
"True, assuming I still had my powers. I think I need to wash my face off, I seriously bled everywhere. How did I not die?" Max was definitely being over dramatic but Chloe didn't seem to pick up on it, just staring up at the now standing brunette. She looked so lost and hurt for a reason Max couldn't decipher.
"I don't know, but I'm happy you didn't. We can't all have mad time powers, superhero." Max stared down at her friend, for the first time noticing how expressive Chloe's eyes seemed to be. Blue pools shimmering with uncertainty and fear.
"Don't worry Chlo, I'm still here." Max reassured, moving over to her closet to find something not covered in blood.
"But what if you weren't? I can't rewind if I fuck up." Chloe spoke to herself, as if forgetting Max would be able to hear it. The photographer made her way back to the girl sitting stunned on her bed. Not sure what to do, Max laid her hand on top of Chloe's, offering her a gentle smile.
"Chloe I think it's hella cool that you still do all this crazy shit without being able to rewind. I think you're brave. A lot more brave than me." A grin played at the corners of Chloe's lips, one that seemed nervous and shaky.
"You said hella again, I must really be rubbing off on you." Chloe seemed to catch the double meaning behind her words, offering a confident wink in Max's direction. "Maybe we can do that after you wash your face though." The brunette timidly laughed, pulling her hand away from Chloe's, her face blushing a vibrant red.
"Way to ruin the moment, ass." Max practically teleported back over to her closet, finding random clothes and making a break for the door when Chloe's voice stopped her.
"S-sorry about that, I was uh, just kidding." Rambling, nervous Chloe was definitely Max's favorite. The way Chloe would avoid eye contact, trying to hide the fact she was blushing all the way up to her ears was by far the most adorable thing in the world.
"What a bummer, I could've called Warren and seen if he wanted to see some girl on girl action." The sarcasm in her voice was practically palpable, causing Chloe to let out a snort and flip her off. Max opened her door, pausing and turning for dramatic effect, looking at Chloe with a smug grin. "Oh, and I was definitely right about one thing earlier, you do want me to kiss you again."
She didn't let the punk respond as she resumed her journey to the girl's restroom without so much as a second glance behind her.
"Damn Caulfield, if you wanted me so bad we should've eloped!" Chloe didn't really care who heard her, as long as Max was just as flustered as she was. It was a lot easier to be flirty when Max just thought she was joking around.
The proclamation caused Max's cheeks to burn more, glad that everyone else seemed to have gone to class already. Finally getting into the bathroom, Max inspected the damage. Blood coated the bottom of her face, dried in some places, some staining her neck as well. Rachel's shirt was officially ruined, both of them. The flannel covering her arm dyed a darker red from where the liquid ran down her sleeve.
"Wowser that is a lot of blood." Max grimaced as she began the tedious task of removing the blood. She briefly entertained the thought of showering before deciding against it. She'd feel bad leaving Chloe in her room for too long alone.
Chloe looked around Max's room for the first time since she had entered, noticing the photo wall to her right. Various pictures created sort of a mural, and the Christmas lights framing them cast an almost romantic light. It was probably more impressive when it was dark outside. Blue eyes wandered the room, noticing the piles of books, a rabbit and a plant labelled as Lisa. Odd yet very Max. Getting up, Chloe inspected the books, noticing they were all about time travel or paranormal occurrences. It was good to know Chloe wasn't the only one trying to research Max's odd powers.
She eyed the laptop sitting on Max's desk and made her way over to do a little snooping. After all, Max always rummaged through all of her things, so she was allowed to do the same. The browser was opened on Kate Marsh's page, random students offering their condolences. She just knew Max had been staring at Kate's picture, blaming herself for the other girl's death.
"You did all you could Max, it's not your fault." Chloe murmured, deciding to move onto something else, like Max's dresser. Tucked into the top drawer was a picture of her class, and also one of her and Chloe. The picture instantly brought back all the memories of their pirate days. Sitting in their tree house, pretending to be more hardcore than they actually were. Chloe laughed, wishing she could take the picture but ultimately deciding to put it back.
"Ransacking my stuff?" Chloe jumped, trying to cover it by smoothly turning the rest of the way around, her arms crossing over her chest. The raised eyebrow Max leveled her with let her know she had done a terrible job at trying to play it cool.
"Well you go through all my shit, so I figured it was payback time." A condescending smirk grew on the punk's face and Max just scoffed, throwing Rachel's clothes at Chloe's face.
"Dude ew, don't get your nasty ass blood on me. You could infect me with a STD or something." Max rolled her eyes, shutting her door before leaning against it. Chloe glanced at the girl, noticing she was back to her usual style of outfit, sans jacket. Maybe Max did have her own style.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but there's blood on your jeans." She let that sink in, before deciding to continue. "Also, I am as sexually active as a starfish." The snarky remark she had been working on died on Chloe's tongue. Day dreams replaced her once completely innocent thoughts. Max trapped under her, looking up at her, nervous yet excited. The kiss they would share after that would definitely last longer than the peck they had in Chloe's room.
"I uh." Her brain was officially short circuited. She could practically feel the soft curves of Max under her. She could hear the whine the brunette would make when Chloe ended the kiss, only to turn her attention to the brunette's neck. An erratic heartbeat pulsing against her lips before she allowed her teeth to scrape against the soft skin of her best friend's neck.
"Are you daydreaming again?" Max's amused voice broke through Chloe's haze, the punk quickly turning pink. "You totally were!" A giggle. "You're too damn cute."
"No I'm not, I am hot and sexy. Totally badass." Chloe griped, bringing a hand to her face to try to hide her growing blush.
"Sure you are. And I know you were totally daydreaming about me again." Max actually wasn't sure about that until Chloe's face snapped up and her eyes seemed way too wide for her face. Max could feel her joke backfire as heat rushed to her face in light of the truth. Now they were both awkwardly avoiding eye contact, trying not to be too obvious in their very obvious attraction.
"Ahem, s-so what if I was?" Chloe finally spit out, a half-hearted smirk on her face that betrayed her anxiety.
"Well I'd be okay with that." Max responded, a grin on her face despite her crippling awkwardness. Chloe took a few steps closer, looking down at her friend. With more confidence than she felt, she brought her hands to Max's waist. When the photographer didn't even bat an eyelash, Chloe pulled her closer.
"Would you be okay with this?" Blue eyes darted to Max's lips, back to her eyes. Chloe was leaning in very subtly but being as close as they were, it was obvious what was on her mind.
"I would." Max nodded, smiling slightly at how cute Chloe was, not that she'd say that out loud. She brought her arms up to wrap around the taller girl's neck, playing with the blue hairs that were not covered by a beanie. She was thoroughly surprised when Chloe finally moved, bending down so her lips could press gently but firmly against her own.
Gentle was not what she had expected from a self-proclaimed bad ass. She had always thought kissing Chloe would be sudden and rough. But she much preferred the kiss she was getting to any of the ones she had made up in her mind. One of Chloe's hands dropped down to frame Max's hip, urging her closer. The other cradling her jaw like she thought Max might run. Her kiss wasn't demanding, it was more of a request. A request that Max answered in kind. Chloe pressed several kisses to Max's mouth, smiling when the brunette finally seemed to match her rhythm.
Max fell into the routine easily enough, surprised when she felt Chloe's mouth open slightly wider and a tongue sweep its way into her mouth. Her hands buried themselves deeper in blue hair as their tongues met. Max felt completely out of her element, she had never been in any type of sexual situation in her life. So she followed Chloe's lead, if the other girl's tongue stroked hers, she would match the movement. After a few moments of languidly exploring Max's mouth, Chloe pulled back, resting her forehead against Max's. When Max opened her eyes, she found blue pools already staring at her, a certain light in them.
Chloe couldn't believe that had happened. She desperately hoped it wasn't some sort of daydream. But she could actually feel Max's breaths against her lips, the brunette looking up at Chloe shyly. There was no way she could imagine something so real and beautiful. But she wasn't ready to share that with Max so she cracked a smile.
"You are so hella gay. I knew you liked me." Chloe straightened, not getting far with Max's hands still twisted in her hair. The brunette rolled her eyes, staring up at the big idiot. It was then that she noticed Chloe was blushing, her grip tight, frightened.
"Yeah, yeah. You knew it all along huh?" Max laughed, finally loosening her grip on her best friend. Chloe's hands slid back up to the photographer's waist before wrapping around her and pulling her off her feet in a hug.
"A girl can dream right?" Max rested her forehead against Chloe's, as if to reassure the punk this was no dream. Her arms awkwardly squeezing the punk in an attempt to return the hug. "Plus I have a secret for you."
"What's that?" Max beamed, unable to take the grin off her face, not that she really wanted to. She was too giddy, happy beyond reason that Chloe felt the same. There was no reason to be jealous of Rachel Amber, not with the way Chloe was grinning up at her as if this was the first time she had ever been truly happy since her dad's death.
"I'm gay." Chloe whispered as if it was a huge conspiracy. Max feigned a look of surprise, pressing a quick kiss to Chloe's smiling mouth.
"Oh no, life no longer makes sense. God, think of the children Chloe!" Max giggled at the mock offended look on Chloe's face. Despite her frown, her eyes seemed so much lighter, like she had forgotten all the shit that had been happening. It was a nice way to escape, for both of them.
"Imma cuddle the smartass right out of you Caulfield."
"Bring it Price."