Well surprise surprise! People actually enjoyed the first chapter! As a thanks, I present the second chapter! And don't ask why I like people calling Max by her last name. I just do ^.^
...
"Fucking hell, Caulfield..." Chloe breathed softly as her head hit her pillow. She grinned down at the sight of her girlfriend emerging from beneath the covers, a dark blush on her cheeks but a broad smile gracing her lips.
"I know." the brunette said, kissing Chloe's neck lightly.
"Don't start something you can't finish." Chloe warned.
"Give me a break." Max rolled her eyes. "How rare is it that we go without a round two?"
"Just saying, I know you like to take a breather." Chloe said teasingly, along with a waggled brow.
Max just laughed to herself and laid down beside Chloe, pulling her close by her waist and nuzzling into the crook of her neck. The sounds of crickets outside Chloe's window told her how late it was and she turned slightly to catch a glance at the digital clock by the bed.
2:34 a.m.
Not necessarily outside of their usual schedule, they loved the thrill of late/middle of the night sex. When David was on shift at Blackwell and Joyce was down in the living room watching bad soap operas (though, she did hint towards a couple of times when she could hear them.) Chloe didn't care of course, muttering under her breath for her mother to 'buy some goddamn ear plugs'.
Chloe leaned slightly out of Max's grip and her hand searched behind her bed for her hidden pack of cigarettes and lighter. She picked them up and took out a single cigarette before dropping the box back down. She clicked the lighter to life and the flame reflected in Max's eyes as it lit up the cigarette. The flame was extinguished and it returned to its hiding place behind the bed.
"What?" Chloe said, and Max realized she was still staring.
"Oh, uh, n-nothing..." Max said and dropped her gaze. Her cheeks burned hotter.
Chloe simply smiled as she twirled a strand of Max's hair around her finger. She took a brief drag from the cigarette, huffing out the smoke slowly. "Tell me."
Max bit the corner of her lip and gave a slight shrug. "I don't know, I just... Hmm..."
"Jeez, you act like you're afraid I'm gonna bite you head off." Chloe laughed. "Just say it."
"How can you stand smoking cigarettes?" Max said after another moment.
"Trust me, it took longer to get used to them than you think." Chloe said with a short laugh. "At the time I started, it was just a half-assed time waster. Then I kinda got addicted."
Max made a face. "And when did you start?"
"Probably about three years ago." Chloe said. "Joyce had just married step-prick, I know that."
"Do you enjoy smoking?" Max asked.
Choir shrugged. "Gotta be in the mood for it." She looked down at Max. "Why?"
"Just curious..." Max mumbled.
"Curious about trying it?" Chloe hinted with a quirked eyebrow.
"I don't know." Max sat up and looked down at the blankets. "I mean, I've wondered what it's like to smoke but I never really wanted to. Too scared to, I guess."
She felt Chloe's arm snake around her waist and the bed shifted as she sat up. She plucked the cigarette from her lips and held it in front of Max. "Do you want to?"
Max stared at the cigarette and bit her lip. Her hand reached up and her index finger and thumb closed on the tobacco stick (A/N: Because I wanted to say something other than cigarette xD). The smoke rising from the lit end faded into the air and Max swallowed.
"You can change your mind, babe." Chloe said. "I'm not forcing you to do it."
"N-no, I want to try it." Max said. "Just give me a second."
"I'll be right back." Chloe said.
She pulled back the covers and stood up, going to her closet and grabbing her black robe before heading to her door and exiting into the hallway. Max sat there, clutching the cigarette in her fingers as she heard Chloe turn on the bathroom sink. The bluenette returned a second later, closing the door behind her and shedding her robe as she sat back down on the bed. She held a cup of water out to Max.
"What's that for?" Max asked, raising her eyebrow.
"No doubt that you're gonna fuck it up the first time." Chloe said. "This is just a precaution."
Max rolled her eyes. "You expect so much of me."
"Damn straight. Now hurry up before it burns out." Chloe said, grinning.
Max exhaled slowly with breath she didn't know she was holding and hesitantly placed the cigarette between her lips. She breathed in through her mouth and she felt the smoke filling her mouth, sinking down her throat. Her eyes widened a bit and she moved the cigarette away, coughing harshly. Chloe simply smiled and placed the cup of water in Max's hand. Max took a heavy sip, still breathing radically.
"Told you." Chloe said as she took the cigarette back. "Noob."
Max's eyes watered and she wiped them with the back of her hand. She coughed lightly, still tasting the smoke in the back of her throat. "Oh, shut up."
Chloe stamped the cigarette out in the ash tray. "I'm only kidding, Super Max." she laughed. "Can't handle a little teasing?"
"I can handle plenty." Max said. "Thought you of all people would know that."
"Oooh, I think I like this side of you. I should try to bring it out more often." Chloe said.
"You're crazy." Max said, but smiled.
Chloe returned her smile with a bigger one as she kissed her. "Yep, I'm fucking insane in the brain." She kisses her again, making Max hum against her lips.
"And why does this surprise me?" the photographer said. She sighed softly when Chloe's lips found her pulse near her collarbone.
"Beats me." Chloe said softly.
She felt Chloe's hands at her waist and she was suddenly yanked downward, falling onto her back. Max shrieked with laughter and Chloe smiled, leaning down to capture her lips again. Her grip tightened and Max wrapped her legs around Chloe's hips to force her down. As always, her hands found her way into Chloe's hair, her blue locks threading through her fingers almost like silk.
...
"So," Victoria said, sitting down on Max's table. Max looked from her journal, her hand covering whatever she was writing.
"So, what?" Max asked.
"Don't play dumb. Who are they?" Victoria's smile caused a shiver to pass down her spine.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Max said.
"Like hell you do." Victoria said. "You think you're so stealthy. I heard you sneak back into your room last night."
Max flushed lightly, biting the inside of her cheek. "So you automatically think that I was with someone?"
"The blush on your cheeks say it all." Victoria said.
"I could've been anywhere. Why were you listening for me anyway?" Max said.
"Who said I was specifically listening for you?" Victoria said. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Caulfield."
Max's hand twitched, eager to rewind and start over. She really didn't want to get into anything with Victoria, not after they were on the track to being some form of friends. And she hated using her powers for something so petty, but she'd rather get it right "the first time" then have to fix it later when it was too late to go back.
So she rewound.
"-lay dumb. Who are they?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Max repeated, pulling a plan together in her mind.
"Like hell you do." Victoria said. "You think you're so stealthy. I heard you sneak back into your room last night."
"Yeah, I felt nauseous." Max said. She looked down. "I needed fresh air, so I went for a walk."
Victoria narrowed her eyes and her nose scrunched up, but she sighed. "Okay, I believe you. Sorry for accusing you of something."
"It's fine." Max said, almost smiling at how soon Victoria changed her tune. It was one of the few signs that they were working towards friends.
"And I wasn't listening out for you, if that's what you're thinking." Victoria added a second later. "I couldn't sleep so I stayed on my laptop for a bit. I heard your door open and close."
"Is everything alright?" Max asked.
"Yeah, just... stressed out, I guess." Victoria put a hand to her head.
Max opened her mouth to say something, but Jefferson walking into the room stopped her. He went to his desk and faced the class. "Good morning, everyone. I'd like you all to take your proper seats. That includes you, Miss Chase."
Victoria rolled her eyes with a scoff and stood from Max's table, going to her own and sitting down in her chair. Max sighed quietly and moved her hand away from her journal, returning to her writing.
...
Max could hear the whispers on the way to her dorm room. They haven't left her thoughts since the first time she heard them.
"I swear, I heard it a couple days ago!"
"Why would anyone-"
"Who knows? All I know is that someone was doing a damn good job on them."
"That's so...unsanitary."
"I wonder who they were."
"They must've been high or something."
She keept her head bowed until she entered the welcoming solitude of her dorm room. She dropped her bag down by her bed and opened it up to take out her journal. She sat down on her mini couch, laying the journal open beside her to her latest entry. She picked up her guitar and held it in her lap. Her fingers flicked against the chords and the musical note sounded.
I haven't played in so long. I wonder if I still got it.
She plays a few more notes and eyes her journal, mumbling words under her breath.
"Everybody's asking questions, they're getting deeper than I'd like,
They want to know who we are, they want to know if it was us
They want to know if we were high on amphetamines-"
No, that's not right at all. Max grimaced and looked around for a pencil. She reached over to the stand beside the couch and picked up the only one she could see. I can do better than that.
She crosses out the first lyric and a few select words from the second, tapping the eraser against her lips as she contemplates what to write.
"Knocker, knocker." she suddenly heard, along with taps against her door. She hurriedly shuts her journal and puts her guitar down. "Y-yeah?"
The door swung open to reveal Chloe, who leaned against the door frame. She had on a pair of shades with reflective rainbow lenses, a blue plaid shirt that remained unbuttoned to show off a black tank top, and dark gray jeans. Her signature beanie was still on her head.
"You, me, Two Whales." Chloe grinned.
"Right now?" Max said.
"Hella yes, right now! I'm starving!" Chloe replied. "I didn't get all dressed up like this for the thrill of having clothes on!"
Max stood up. "Yeah, because you just love wearing clothes." she said as she grabbed her bag.
"Do you not remember naked pirates when we were three years old?" Chloe said.
"How could I forget?" Max said as she gently shoved Chloe out of her room. She gave her journal a longing look before shutting the door behind her.
...
And the story dives a little deeper! Hope you enjoyed!
Thanks for reading!