Max knocked on the door to the price house. It was 7 am and max prayed it would be Joyce who answered the door. Rubbing at an eye while she waited for the door to open max bit back a sniffle. It had been a long day and an even longer night and max just really needed the comfort and reassurance that only Chloe could offer.

The door swung open and Joyce was standing in the door way, already dressed for work. "Why hello there max. It's a surprise to see you here this early."

Max smiled softly and shrugged. "Yeah I know but Chloe promised she'd help me with a project and this is the only free time I have to do it." Joyce gave her a sympathetic smile and opened the door wider to invite max in.

"Chloe's still asleep. Unfortunately I have to get to work otherwise I would offer you some breakfast."

"That's ok, I'm not all that hungry right now anyway." At least that part wasn't a lie, max didn't think she could manage to keep anything other than water down right now.

Joyce told her to just go ahead and wake Chloe before he had to leave for work. Max waited and waved goodbye to Joyce before climbing up the stairs to Chloe's room. Predictably Chloe was fast asleep sprawled out over her mattress, snoring and drooling a bit. Max smiled. Chloe always had been a messy sleeper. Slipping her camera bag off and setting it on the floor carefully and shedding her hoodie, max crept towards the bed. Gently shaking Chloe interrupted her snores and blue eyes flicked open.

"Hey, it's just me. I just... Can I sleep here for a bit?" Chloe frowned in concern and tried opening her mouth to ask what was wrong but max covered it with her palm. "Later, I just... I just need you to hold me for a while." Her voice wavered and Chloe instantly opened her arms. Max crawled onto the bed and into Chloe's embrace. The punk held her to her chest and comfort instantly washed over her as her girlfriend held her. Max looped one arm around her waist and snuggled closer before sighing and closing her eyes.

"Go back to sleep." Max said softly. Chloe hummed and max felt her chest rumble soothingly. Pressing closer max curled her fingers in Chloe's shirt and Chloe dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

Chloe was asleep again within minutes and while max took a while longer to nod off once more, once she did it was a deep dreamless slumber.

Max woke hours later, the first thing she registered was Chloe playing with her hair. Blinking to wake herself up max yawned. "Good afternoon sleeping beauty." Chloe teased. Max groaned.

"What time is it?"

"About 12:30. Man you slept like a rock." Chloe let her go as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Chloe sat up next to her and put an arm around her waist. "You never sleep this late and you came over here at an ungodly hour on a Tuesday. Something's up so spill."

Max sighed and turned, pressing her face into Chloe's shoulder. "I didn't sleep like, at all last night. I kept seeing Kate jump and you getting run over by that train and..." Max sighed and clenched the sheets. "And I guess I just needed you." She whispered. She knew it was childish and silly. She was 18, she could handle nightmares just fine. Except lately they'd been getting worse and seeing your friends die in your sleep over and over was exhausting.

She expected Chloe to laugh, make a joke and tease her and call her a child. Instead she drew her into a kiss, palms warm on her cheeks as her thumbs rubbed her cheeks bones soothingly. "Okay. I get that." Max smiled a bit, thankful Chloe wasn't trying to laugh this off.

Max's stomach grumbled and Chloe did laugh this time, making max blush. Chloe stood and offered max her hands to help her up. Taking them max let Chloe pull her to her feet, admiring the corded muscle in her arms. Chloe smirked before playfully swatting Max's ass. "Come on nerd, let's get some food in you." Max yelped and Chloe roared with laughter. Max huffed and glared and tried to keep a smile off her face but she was fighting a losing battle.

"Go on downstairs, I need to wake and bake first." Max hesitated. She's once asked Chloe what it was like being high. The punk had shrugged and said 'it kinda makes you not care. Like nothing really matters and life is great if only for a little while.' Max nibbled her lip before catching Chloe's hand. Chloe looked at her curiously.

"Can I stay and smoke with you?"

"What?"

Max rubbed her arm and shrugged. "Yesterday was really stressful and you're always say how smoking out chills you out..." Chloe rolled the joint between her fingers. For all her teasing about breaking max out of her shell, she was nervous about letting max try weed. Of course it wasn't like she was getting max into heroine or crack but she was still nervous about letting max do drugs. But max HAD come over at 7 am just to crawl into her arms.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then." Chloe took her joint and the ash tray and plopped back down on her bed and pat the space next to her. Max took a seat and Chloe put the joint in her mouth and lit it. She took a deep drag before handing it to max.

Max took a deep breath before putting it between her lips and inhaling deeply- only to cough and nearly drop the joint, only rescued by Chloe's quick reflexes. "Woah there, slow down." She rubbed Max's back until the hacking subsided.

"That was great." Max choked out. Chloe laughed.

"Sure whatever you say." Max glared and snatched the joint back, intent to prove she could do this. Taking a second drag yielded the same results. Chloe pat Max's back as she tried to stop coughing once more.

Max flipped back onto the bed dejectedly. "Damn it..." She cursed. Chloe smirked, an idea forming in her head.

"Sit up, I've got an idea." Max eyes her curiously before sitting up as asked. Chloe shifted on the bed to face max more fully and gestured for the smaller girl to do the same. "I've always wanted to try this..."

Chloe took the joint and put it between her lips and took a deep drag. Max watched her curiously but let Chloe put a hand on the back of her neck to draw her in closer. Setting the joint down in the ash tray Chloe pulled max close and kissed her. Using her thumbs to stroke her cheek bones she coaxed max into opening her mouth, once she did she exhaled the smoke and kept her mouth pressed firmly to Max's. Carefully counting in her head she pulled away and let max exhale before it strained her lungs.

Max had a dazed look in her eyes and Chloe smirked in satisfaction. "Better?" She teased. Max snapped out of her daze and met her eyes, a smile creeping up.

"So much better. Again."

"Ohhh demanding Maxine, I like." Max rolled her eyes at the use of of her full name but didn't say anything. Chloe took another drag before kissing max again. This time max tangled her fingers in her hair and drew her even closer, holding the kiss for longer before pulling away and lazily letting the smoke trail from her mouth.

"This is so much better than smoking up alone." Chloe muttered. Max grinned and picked up the joint again rolling it between her fingers.

"Can't argue with that." Chloe grinned and took the weed from her and put it between her lips.

"Ready for more?" Max licked her lips almost hungrily and Chloe felt heat pool in her belly.

"Hella yes." She hurriedly took another drag before kissing max again. They fell back against the mattress, max pinned under Chloe. The punk carefully set the joint down and out of the way before focusing all her attention on the girl under her. Max pulled away and blew the smoke away before kissing Chloe again, this time her tongue slipping into Chloe's mouth.

Well this morning had certainly taken a turn for the fun and interesting, Chloe mused before Max's hands slipped up her shirt and she stopped thinking at all.