The bus comes to a stop.
"Portland," Chloe breathes out against the window. "One more stop for me."
Max smiles and stands up, grabbing her camera bag. "Does Greyhound even do service to Arcadia?"
"Once in a blue moon," Chloe jokes and gets up after retrieving her duffle.
As she laughs in return, Max reaches up above their seats and struggles to retrieve her small suitcase. "Oh, come on-"
Chloe steps forward and reaches up, using her superior height (and strength) to retrieve the suitcase with ease for Max. "Here," she says as she lowers it down to the floor beside them.
"Thanks," Max replies with a blush.
"Sucks to be short, huh?" Chloe teases and receives a playful shove from the brunette.
"Shut up," she shoots back and begins to make her way down the aisle. "I'm not short, I'm just fun-sized."
Bursting into laughter, Chloe follows Max with her duffle over her shoulder. "Fun-sized, right."
As the two of them get off the coach, the immediate cold night air hits them like a snowball. Chloe spots a moderately terrifying amount of snow on the pavements and sides of the road.
"It wasn't this cold when I left for San Francisco, what the hell?" Max complains and pulls up her thin hoodie, walking down the pavement towards the exchange building.
"Yeah, supposedly there's a freak snowstorm raging through Oregon for the next week," Chloe shrugs as she speaks.
"Global warming," Max replies and giggles.
Chloe groans. "Right, whatever."
"It's true!" Max protests and looks at Chloe with a smile.
"If global warming is real then how come Oregon is getting a snow storm right now?" Chloe teases with a serious tone, her face stern.
"Are you cereal?" Max stops momentarily and looks at Chloe with a mix of frustration and shock. After a moment, she groans. "Oh, screw you dork-"
Dropping her serious expression, Chloe laughs. "Oh dude, your face was golden."
"Shush," she dismisses Chloe with her hand.
Approaching the exchange, Chloe immediately looks up at the small monitor displaying Greyhound routes. As 'PORTLAND-ARCADIA' shows up, she notices the red writing beneath in similar bold letters - 'SERVICES SUSPENDED DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL'.
"You've gotta be kidding me," Chloe drops her shoulders as she reads over the message again. "No way."
Max scrunches up her face as she reads the message, looking at Chloe. "Sucks."
"Yeah," Chloe replies and drops her duffle between her legs, retrieving her phone. "Oh, great - my phone is out of charge too."
Max opts stay quiet as she watches Chloe.
"Do you know any motels near here?" Chloe asks, looking down at Max.
"Oh!" Max is caught off guard. "Uhm. No. Sorry."
"It's fine," Chloe speaks and then looks back up at the monitor. "Figures that Arcadia would be shut off from the rest of the world."
"You can crash at mine if you want…"
Chloe doubles-back on her thoughts.
What?
"What?"
Max giggles and shakes her head. "I said you can crash in my apartment if you want, I have a couch."
"Oh," Chloe looks away, her face burning hot. "Eh, n-no thanks. I'll just look for a motel-"
"I insist," Max pleads with a smile. "Neither of us know where the nearest motel is, but I know where my apartment is and it's closer than the nearest motel - trust me."
"I'll be fine," Chloe still doesn't look at Max, instead focusing her eyes on a nearby Greyhound. "Thanks for the offer though."
Max hides her disappointment behind her smile. "Suit yourself," she shrugs and picks up her suitcase, beginning to walk away from Chloe and towards the city.
Momentarily, Chloe looks at Max walking away. Her thoughts clouded, her body cold and her heart beating fast - she makes her decision.
"Wait!" Chloe calls out and picks up her duffle, running after Max.
Unable to stop herself from smiling again, Max turns around and faces Chloe. "Changed your mind?"
"Yeah," Chloe smiles back. "You sure you don't mind me crashing on your couch?"
"Would I be if I invited you in the first place?" Max rolls her eyes.
"Fair point," Chloe replies and hoists up her duffle again. "Alright - where to?"
Max turns around and begins to walk again, rolling her suitcase along. "This way."
Chloe follows close, looking around them every once in awhile. As they leave the exchange behind them, the city starts to rise up around them - a few skyscrapers here, a neighbourhood there. They pass a few clubs and a hospital - to be honest with herself, Chloe has no fucking idea where Max is taking her.
"So, when do you think they'll resume services to Arcadia?" Max asks, breaking the silence between them.
With a shrug, Chloe speaks, "Dunno to be honest. Probably a few days at least, Arcadia is a backwater so there's no point in sending out crews to clear the roads until somebody begins to complain."
"You've been in Portland before, haven't you?" Max continues her line of questioning.
"A few times, yeah," Chloe admits and is secretly grateful that Max is trying to make conversation.
"Did you ever walk around the city and see the sights?"
"No," Chloe shrugs and looks at Max, catching her smile yet again. "I just came here for cheap booze, punk concerts and mosh pits."
"Mosh pits, huh?" Max raises an eyebrow and then giggles. "Figures."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chloe asks with a playful smirk.
"Nothing," Max giggles and looks away. After a few seconds she sighs and looks back at Chloe. "You just give off a punk vibe, that's all."
"Right," Chloe bobs her head and looks around them again. "I was a punk and a delinquent before I joined the forces, still am at heart," she gestures mockingly to her chest.
"I'm sure you are," Max rolls her eyes and giggles again. "So what kind of clubs did you go to?"
"Mostly gay stuff," Chloe openly admits. "Trying to find a hookup, get a few drinks and chill out."
Max hides her blush behind the thin fabric of her hoodie. "Any luck?"
"Once or twice," she shrugs and looks at the ground. "Just one night stands, nothing permanent."
"Uh-huh." Max looks ahead and then up at the night sky above.
"The girls I was with were mostly turned down by the fact I was in the armed forces. Probably didn't want a long distance relationship or whatever," she continues and and sighs. "Whatever, right? Maybe I'll get lucky one day."
Falling into silence again, they continued to walk down the relatively empty street - only a few bystanders out at this late hour (at least Chloe assumed it was late - her phone was still out of charge).
"What about you? Any lucky guys or gals in your life?" Chloe asks in an attempt to resume conversation.
Max sighs and shakes her head. "No. I had a boyfriend during college, but that didn't last."
Chloe doesn't ask.
"Too clingy," Max answers anyway. "I'm all for cuddling and everything but… I dunno. It didn't feel right - he was constantly following me around and stuff, never had a moment to myself."
"Creep," Chloe states under her breath.
"Oh, no!" Max quickly shakes her head. "He was sweet, really, it's just that… sometimes I wanted a moment alone but he wouldn't understand."
Chloe doesn't say anything, opting instead to look ahead as they approached a set of lights and a pedestrian crossing.
As they crossed, the wind picked up - bringing with it fresh flakes of snow and a chilly sting.
"It's cold," Max mutters and then shivers.
With a look towards Max, Chloe drops her duffle and slips out of her camo jacket - one displaying her rank and name on the shoulder. "Here-"
"No, I couldn't-"
"Take it," Chloe shoves the jacket forward and smiles. "Seriously, giving you my jacket in the cold the is least I could do considering you're housing me for the night."
Max looks at Chloe and then the jacket. Smiling, she takes it and then slips it over her hoodie - instantly being hit with a newfound warmth and a unique scent. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it," Chloe says and picks up her duffle, her torso now clad in a tightly-held khaki shirt that glued to her lean, muscled frame.
"You're going to freeze," Max giggles and looks over Chloe momentarily, spotting her tattooed arms and the well defined muscles. She bites her lip and looks away quickly before she's spotted.
"I'll be fine," Chloe shrugs. "Have we got long until your place?"
"Not that far," Max shakes her head as she looks around. "Not that far."
Arriving at the doorstep of her apartment, Max drops her suitcase on its feet and then begins to rummage her pockets for the keys. After a few moments, she retrieves them and unlocks the door - leading Chloe inside.
"Home sweet home," Max mumbles and then giggles, shutting the door behind them.
Chloe shoots a glance around the apartment. It isn't particularly impressive, but it isn't shabby either. A kitchen/living room combo with two doors which Chloe assumed led to the bathroom and bedroom.
"Nice place," Chloe smirks as she spots the couch. "Is that my queen sized bed for the night?"
Max giggles again as she makes her way past to the kitchen, leaving her suitcase near the small island separating the two rooms. "Yep. Make yourself at home, please."
Placing her duffle on the couch, Chloe sits down and lets out a groan of pleasure. "God, so much better than an army cot."
"You want anything to eat or drink?" Max asks as she opens her fridge, looking over her shoulder.
"No thanks," Chloe replies and runs her hand over the back of her neck. "I'm wasted," she yawns out.
"I won't bother you then," Max says as walks out of the kitchen. "I'm kinda tired myself," she continues and then gestures Chloe to stand up.
Chloe watches as Max lifts the upper part of the couch and reveals the inside, including fresh sheets, a blanket and a set of pillows. "Nice."
"Everything you should need is here, I think," she brings up her finger to her lip in thought. "Uhm. Bathroom is on the right, my bedroom on the left."
Nodding, Chloe makes note of the doors. "Got it."
"If you want to have a shower or wash up, go right ahead - I don't mind." Max smiles and then makes her way around the couch - grasping her suitcase again. "I'll go and get changed," she says and rolls the suitcase behind her into the bedroom - disappearing behind the door shortly.
Looking around, Chloe smiles as she takes in the small details - the polaroid pictures plastered on the walls in frames, paintings, a few framed posters for what were no doubt famous photography shows. She opens her duffle and retrieves a set of fresh clothes for the night - a white tank top and some tattered but clean sweatpants.
Making her way forward, Chloe stops with her hand on the door - the right door. Rolling her eyes at herself, she grasps the left door instead - shuffling into the bathroom quickly.
Taking a quick shower, Chloe washes the bare essentials before jumping out from beneath the water - not wanting to waste it considering she's only a temporary guest at Max's place. Putting on her clothes, she runs a hand through her short hair in the mirror - brushing it up to the side to keep the fringe out of her eyes.
By the time she exits the bathroom, Max is in the kitchen in a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts - nursing a cup of some kind of hot beverage, another placed in front of her.
"I… I made you some hot chocolate," she says and smiles. "Dunno if you like it-"
"Are you kidding me dude?" Chloe smiles as she approaches. "Who the hell doesn't like hot chocolate?"
Max giggles. "You're right."
Giving it a taste, Chloe relishes the cocoa flavoured drink as it makes its way down her throat. "This is great - thanks."
"You're welcome," Max smiles and then walks around the kitchen counter and Chloe - sitting herself down in an armchair beside the couch.
Chloe follows up and sits herself on the couch instead, watching as Max turns on the TV and switches to a random channel displaying the weather. Listening in, Chloe groans. "Jesus, are you serious?"
Max scrunches up her nose as she listens to the all-week heavy snow forecast prediction. "Sucks."
"They're never going to clear the roads to Arcadia," Chloe mumbles and drops her shoulders, opting to take a drink of her chocolate instead.
"You can stay here until they do," Max looks at Chloe with her smile. "I don't mind."
"No, seriously - I think one night is already enough hospitality from someone who I met today," Chloe smiles back, failing to catch the flash of disappointment across Max's face. "Thanks for this, seriously."
Max nods and takes a sip of her drink. "No problem, it's nice to have some company here for a change."
Chloe drops her smile as she hears the words. "I thought you said you had friends in Portland?"
"I do," she nods and sips her chocolate again. "They've been busy the past few months though, it's been awhile since I've talked to any of them."
"Oh, right," Chloe looks at her momentarily before looking at the TV instead.
"When do you get have to go back?" Max asks, gazing at Chloe again. "If you don't mind me asking of course."
"Oh, before November - give or take two months." Chloe nods and sips from her mug. "Yeah, it sucks for me this year - I've got the Christmas tour this time round, last year I had three months of lounging around between November and January."
"Sounds fun," Max giggles.
Chloe groans and shakes her head. "If your idea of fun is hanging around with your old folks for three months in the most boring town in the USA, then sure - it's fun."
"Sounds fun," Max repeats and giggles again.
"Yeah," Chloe laughs and then looks at Max. "What about you? What do you do during the holidays?"
"Oh, nothing much," she admits with a shrug. "Last year I stayed with my parents in Seattle, this year it'll probably be the same. Occasionally I went out with my friends to do Christmas shopping and whatnot, just hang around and catch up."
"Cool."
"Not at all." Max scrunches up her nose and giggles. Looking at Chloe for a few seconds, Max bites the bullet. "So, you never mentioned if you had any relationships in the past."
"Hm?" Chloe hums and swallows an uncomfortably large gulp of the hot chocolate, ignoring the pain it leaves on it's way down. "Never."
"Never what?" Max raises an eyebrow.
"I've never been in a relationship," Chloe admits and then looks away - embarrassed.
"Oh." Max looks at the TV, unsure how to continue.
"Like I said before," Chloe speaks up again after a few moments. "It's mostly been one night stands, never anything solid."
Max stays silent, busying herself with the TV instead - only absently watching as she allows her thoughts to calm down.
"You never told me what you were doing in California," Chloe asks with a smile, taking another sip from her mug.
"Visiting a friend," Max smiles back and looks at Chloe again. "She runs an art gallery in downtown San Francisco, her parents bought it a few years ago when they were expanding."
"Ah," Chloe nods and then switches her gaze to the TV - finishing her mug of chocolate.
"Refill?" Max asks with a smile as she finishes her own, leaning forward towards Chloe's mug.
With a shake of her head, she declines. "No thanks - it was great though, thanks for that. I haven't tasted hot chocolate in months."
Max giggles and stands up, taking Chloe's mug with her and looking at the clock on the wall. "It's late, I should be getting to sleep - I'm sure you're tired too."
Chloe yawns, prompting a giggle from Max. "Yep, you got that right," she says and chuckles. With her peripheral vision she watches as Max walks into the kitchen and places the two mugs in the sink, walking back towards the living room.
"Goodnight," Max says with a smile and a half-wave, shuffling towards her bedroom.
"Yeah, goodnight," Chloe replies and smiles - watching Max disappear behind the door again.
Groaning quietly, she lowers herself down on the couch and turns the TV off - tucking into her blanket and absently looking up at the ceiling.
