...

...

"..."

"... You're a sub."

...

"And Max is a dom."

...

"And Max is your dom."

...

"And you're her fulltime pet."

Rachel's eyes rolled so far up her head they actually started hurting. She snatched her arm away from Chloe a bit too forcibly.

"… You weren't kidding. Holy crap."

Rachel plopped down on the bench and sloppily grabbed the bong from the table. They always kept one stashed at their junkyard clubhouse for situations like these. Same as the weed that went into it and the lighter Rachel used to fire it up.

Chloe just stood and watched, seemingly unable to compute for a while. Rachel took an unusually strong hit and offhandedly offered the bong to Chloe, not really looking at her. Chloe never hesitated when it came to weed of course, and within a brief moment she was sitting beside with a long smoky exhale.

Rachel shook her head.

"This is just… the universe is mocking me. It couldn't wait a little bit to match me up with you but then it made me wait for almost 15 fucking months to get… this."

The following silence and Rachel's irritation weighed down the air. She'd told Chloe about everything before this emergency meeting, but Chloe's gears just couldn't spin the right way to wrap her mind around the idea.

Though even when they finally did, there was the fact that Rachel was so very against it. That was super counter-intuitive - and Rachel obviously needed help. Chloe wasn't sure how to approach this.

... Maybe as usual. By throwing a mental dart at a mental ring of options.

Optimism? Why not.

She sighed, eventually.

"… It's Max though, Rachel."

Glass half full. It's not that this reveal made Chloe feel particularly happy either, now that she was thinking within its context, just… it was kinda nice that Rachel got Max, at least. Of all people. That wasn't a bad thing at all. In fact, that was probably the best thing that could happen, other than matching up with Chloe in the first place.

Rachel sighed back, a bit forcibly, but more understandingly this time – it didn't come out of irritation like everything did before.

"I know. That's not the problem. It's the role and the rest of this bullshit."

Chloe could somewhat understand the feeling. Or she thought she did, at least. She was in the same situation when she was assigned to Megan. That felt life-ruining to her then. This probably felt life-ruining to Rachel now. Never in a million years would Chloe have guessed that this is what Rachel would be assigned. The same way she never would have guessed they wouldn't be each other's soulmates.

"Yeah… that's pretty crazy."

The bong was put down as she shifted closer to Rachel to snuggle up a little and comfortingly wrapped an arm around her torso.

Another pause, letting Rachel soak up a little bit of that affection. Rachel always kind of just dove into it whenever Chloe offered it. Chloe enjoyed it as well, though the enjoyment was hardly the focus.

"… Are you sure that's not… something you've always quietly wanted?"

"You know it's not."

...

... Yeah. The whole idea was still pretty stunning to think about. And... made little sense.

"… Well that just can't be right. Like, by design, right?"

Chloe withdrew that arm to sit a little more straight and face Rachel more, though didn't cease the touch, instead just comfortingly leaving her palm on Rachel's side and kind of holding onto her.

"Before my reveal I'd never openly said or wished to be a showgirl. But I ended up doing lots of things that I always found pretty exciting. Can't you think of a single aspect of being a pet exciting?"

There was another moment of that silence. When it came to introspection shit, both of them often needed extra time to process things. Especially if it came to looking for desires that neither of them were sure were there.

Rachel eventually inhaled as if to speak, but… no words came out. Instead, she just let out a small defeated huff as if out of frustration.

"I… no? –Maybe? I don't know. I've never even thought I'd be a sub."

Chloe suddenly gave her a playful shoulder bump.

"I did."

Just total autopilot mode there. Probably a bit inappropriate given the situation, but that's how they always interacted. It just couldn't be any other way.

Rachel scoffed slightly in response.

"Shut up. And no, you didn't."

At least that gave Rachel a tiny little smile.

Chloe huffed a little bit in return. Though… Rachel wasn't wrong.

"... You're right. But my point is, the thing tells you what you'll be most happy with, even if you can't imagine it at first. Remember how it was with Megan? Look at me now. I've never thought I'd say that before we get out of this dump but I think I'm… actually kinda happy."

She became a little thoughtful for a moment, the playfulness subsiding in a sobering pause.

"... Even though that's mostly not thanks to her."

Rachel finally raised her eyes and looked into Chloe's. Their gazes locked for seemingly longer than a few seconds, as if they just didn't need words to communicate past what was just said.

Rachel then wrapped her arms around Chloe's elbow and tugged her back into the snuggle again, sighing as she rested her head on her shoulder.

They remained like that for a little while.

...

Though Rachel, of course, had more on her mind especially after that the weed started kicking in and making her more relaxed and thoughtful. Eventually that thoughtfulness earned release in the form of calm words.

"I think we're cursed. –Not. Cursed cursed, but more like… For some reason the universe just doesn't want our lives to intertwine. And for the life of me I cannot understand it. Weren't we happy together as we were? Or as we are? Does it think that it could make us happier than that by separating us?"

She shook her head a little.

"That sounds like such bullshit... Why would it even care? Somebody up there probably just wanted a punching bag to play with. Or two. And we just happened to be the first candidates for the job."

That easily prompted some nostalgic thoughts in Chloe, perhaps by accident. It was hard not to think back to their happy times with each other in the context of reveals. Would Chloe say she's happier with Megan now? Not… necessarily with Megan. More with Megan and with Rachel in her life, even if they had different roles, and Rachel was no longer her lover. And Max, even, was a significant contributor to that happiness. Even if it was hard to get the old Max back.

Maybe sometime in the future they'd find that they really are more happy than they thought they were. Once everyone is settled into their role and all of them are a part of each other's life. Chloe really couldn't see it any other way. To her, even if Megan was her other half, her soulmates were still Rachel and Max.

And the idea that this reveal somehow meant that they won't be together anymore didn't really make much sense in Chloe's head.

"... I dunno."

"All of that cosmic bullshit aside… I don't think that we can't make it work. We always have, and…"

A little shrug. Rachel took it as a que to raise her head and give Chloe a little bit of space.

"... it doesn't mean that we can't be together."

"It does though. Don't you see?"

Rachel pulled away some more so they could semi-face each other again.

"If I just went with everything on there…" she hinted at her wrist "… how do you think our life would go? Would I be able to go to LA with you? My role means that you would have to convince Max to go so she can bring me with you. What if she wants to go somewhere else anyway?"

"And even if we all make it to LA, what would you do with me if I was just a pet? Walk me around the beach every morning? What's the point? We wouldn't be able to hang out like we're hanging out now. We won't be together in the ways we want to be together."

"And… what about my plans, too? I wanna live. I want a career. I wanna go out and party every weekend, and dance and drink and just have fun. Can I do that when I'm on your guys's leash 24/7?"

Rachel sighed.

Somehow, it wasn't a sigh of total defeat or desperation like it was before. Maybe it was the weed calming her emotions now, or maybe Chloe's closeness had that effect. Realistically probably the combination of both… with a pretty calming realization that popped up just now.

When put like Rachel put it, ignoring Max and all the bullshit, everything seemed pretty obvious. Rachel can't become a pet. That's just that.

And Chloe… understood where Rachel was coming from, here. It was, indeed, pretty obvious what Rachel was afraid of. Some things were something Chloe couldn't fix, but she wasn't sure they needed fixing. Others… she saw much more differently.

Figuring out how to explain required an extra moment of thought.

"... I still don't know. The way I see it, we'll still be together. I don't care if you're a pet or an owner or the president of the world. I've made my promise and I'm not leaving you. No matter what. LA or… wherever we end up."

That earned another sigh from Rachel, with a little hint of a smile. Though as nice as it was to be reassured in Chloe's unconditional loyalty, it only fueled the discord in Rachel's head.

Yeah, maybe it doesn't matter what they do as long as they're together. Megan happened, and Rachel and Chloe only adjusted their relationship instead of letting it fall apart. They still have something special, even if effectively anything sexual and most romance was left behind. It turned out that Rachel didn't even need these things from her. Just being with her was enough.

But at the same time, these assignments might just not be the keys to their lives. Maybe they are for the rest of the world, but Chloe and Rachel managed to forge such a strong bond without them, and they've already committed to each other just as strongly as those who were matched. Do they really need an official matching at this point? Maybe all of it isbullshit, and they could find their own happiness without any stupid cosmic guidance.

Chloe thought she offered useful insight there, seeing that it gave Rachel something to think about. But there was more - Rachel was assigned to Max. Someone they both could trust.

"... And… partying and your career… I'm sure you can just work it out with Max. It's not like she won't understand. We both know her. I'm sure you can be like… a pet for every 3 or 4 days of the week, or something. And the rest of the time is yours."

"Hm."

Unlike before, for Rachel there wasn't much here to think about.

"No. She wouldn't want that. Her writing even says so – her happiness is making me do this fulltime as strictly as possible. What's the point of doing it halftime or whatever? Then both of us just won't be getting what we want."

... Yeah. Or- probably. Who knows. Rachel was so sure, yet Chloe found that hard to buy. What Rachel said made sense even with the iffy logic. Just… picturing Max being so strict and unrelenting felt pretty weird. Even in spite of the reveal, well, revealing that she clearly had a strong side like that inside her.

There was a small sigh, and… it seemed like Rachel was calmly confident for once.

"I will insist that this won't ever work. She'll understand. I'll find my own happiness without any stupid pointers."

"If you're sure. I still think you should consider it some more."

Chloe wasn't… fully okay with that idea either. This was kind of a lose-lose situation. Either Rachel does what she doesn't want to do or…

"... Especially if your decision means that Max would have to search for it as well."

That wasn't the most pleasant thought. Max was her friend too, and by all means just as entitled to her happiness as Rachel was. Yet this was a decision made solely by Rachel, without much space for Max to chime in. That… kinda sucked, but. If it's so unacceptable for Rachel… maybe that doesn't matter?

This was a weird area. Chloe didn't know where she stood on this. Instinctively, probably with Rachel. But on a second thought, Max mattered as well, and depriving her of guaranteed happiness just because Rachel thinks that hers is a mistake…

Rachel's phone buzzed in the meantime. Again. It was giving off series of long buzzes, as if someone was calling, unlike the other brief buzzes Rachel has been getting all day. That's what made it noticeable for her to turn attention to it.

She picked it up and glanced at the screen. And it was filled with all kinds of notifications – there was a reason why Rachel put the thing on silent. They were all various variations of 'Congratulations!' and 'Wow I can't believe that you're a sub!' and 'Holy crap you'll be a pet!' spread across different social media. Thanks, Juliet. The last thing Rachel wanted right now was to answer these, or to even see them.

So instead, her eyes turned to the caller.

Max.

She probably called before too, but Rachel either didn't hear or didn't want to hear.

A part of her mind wondered if she should pick it up, while the other part responded to Chloe.

"There's nothing left to consider. That's just how it has to be."

Maybe... fuck it. Might as well let Max know that.

"Hey."

There was a little awkward silence. As if Max didn't actually expect Rachel to pick up.

"… Hey."

Or maybe she did, and just... choked a little. The last few hours weren't easy on Max too, because she spent them by herself, in her room. Thinking. Stewing. Worrying.

There wasn't really anyone she could go to for advice or friendly talk. Chloe was… already taken. And they weren't on as good of terms as Chloe was with Rachel, which was yet another thing that was mostly Max's fault – not necessarily because of the past, but kind of… indirectly because of it, as it was one of the things that kept Max from letting herself get closer.

There was Kate, but… Max already knew what Kate would have to say, even though she was a dom like her which should make the issue more understandable. With anyone else. Kate just believed in the system a bit too religiously. Usually in a good way, but that somehow didn't inspire confidence in her ability to advise anything other than 'follow the instructions, they can't be wrong'.

Warren? They weren't really close enough for something so personal. And he probably would say the same thing, only from a scientific point of view. 'Every single studied case of following the instructions to the letter had resulted in a positive outcome for all parties involved'. Like that's going to help.

Parents? Telling them is… a separate issue. They didn't even know what friends Max had here, besides Chloe. It's just too much to explain.

So Max was left to think of her own ways to handle things.

And it resulted in more silence. Despite Rachel's seemingly confident decision, neither of them exactly knew where to start, or whether they should be the one to do it.

Max eventually figured that she should, though. She called Rachel in the first place anyway, and she had thought of things she wanted to say before doing so.

"Um… Can you… come by my place so we can talk? I'm still here."

"I'm not at Blackwell."

...

"... Oh."

That probably came off mean if not – knowing Max – confidence-crushing, even if Rachel didn't mean it that way at all. It's not like they were enemies or upset at each other. It wouldn't help anyone if Max was feeling like that.

So Rachel's tone lightened significantly.

"I just had to get away from everyone and clear my head. And my phone was exploding. Thanks to Juliet."

Max's voice kinda picked up a little bit of vigor, hearing that Rachel at least wasn't alienated to her, and whatever that was was not as bad as it seemed.

"Oh. Yeah. Mine was too, for a little bit. So many people can't believe that I'm your dom. Or that I am a dom. I still can't quite believe it either…"

There was another pause – it was clear Max was nervous about everything. She inhaled a bit, and Rachel could hear that she was about to say something, but-

Rachel sighed, breaking that pause before Max managed to say anything. Realizing that there was no point in letting her anyway.

"Look, Max, I haven't changed my mind. I know what you're gonna say. You understand that I'm afraid, you understand that it's very life-changing, you aren't gonna push me and you're ready to give me time, and the reveal can't be wrong and we're meant for each other. I know. I get it."

Her eyes went to Chloe for a moment. Chloe was just watching and listening. Neither of them considered this a matter too private to keep from each other – they kind of didn't have matters like that at all.

"But I can't do it. That's got nothing to do with the fact that it's you. You're one of the few people I wouldn't mind matching with. The problem is the role and how it ruins everything I worked for. Me and Chloe. And even you to some extent."

A heavy yet determined breath.

"I've spent a whole year figuring out what I want to do with my life. I've made plans. I don't wanna give that up for something that I don't even want. I'm sorry if that forces you to go through the same process of figuring shit out and living it afterwards, but I just don't see another way."

"I could go on and give you a thousand more arguments, but I don't see a point. I know you understand. So… just. Let's skip all of that bullshit, be friends, and try to forget about the roles."

"Alright?"

Unsurprisingly, there was a pause after that. Rachel… summed it all up quite well. It actually felt a little unfair to Max to a small extent, because Max didn't get to use the arguments herself, and Rachel was prepared to reject all of them. And of course, her points were reasonable too. More or less.

Still, understandably so.

There was a sigh.

"You're right. I understand."

There was one thing she didn't think of though.

"I know this isn't what you want right now, and it's really hard for you to imagine changing your life like that. But. Hear me out. Maybe that's the whole point of our instructions? You're supposed to be loyal to me no matter what. I'm supposed to do things even if you don't want them. So… maybe it's telling us that we have a challenge to get through to be happy? Like, our instructions are encouraging us. Yours wants you to be loyal and trust me. Mine wants me to be confident in binding us together despite all of our fears and doubts. We just have to try and get through it, and we will because it wouldn't tell us to do something we can't do. And once we do, we will be happy. Right?"

There was a little pause. Rachel didn't really think of it this way, and while it was something to consider – perhaps not too seriously, since her decision was pretty much already made – Max came up with more things to say.

"... But I don't wanna force you or ask the school for help or anything. I want you to try to trust me. In small steps, if that's what it takes."

...

That… final part actually landed very wrong on Rachel. She was kind of already looking for a way to justify her position in the new frame that Max gave her, but Max's following words prompted some very unpleasant thoughts.

Asking the school for help. To enforce it. A scary possibility that Rachel didn't really consider until now.

It was pretty sobering.

"Um… -look. I'll think about it. I just need some time right now. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

It felt a little abrupt, but getting Rachel to at least consider was something Max could be happy with.

"Okay. Um. See you?"

"Sure."

Rachel seemed a little off now that she hung up. It was easy for Chloe to notice.

"What's wrong?"

She hesitated there, kinda clutching her phone with a thoughtful gaze that in a moment turned back to Chloe.

"I… think Max just threatened to use legal force against me."

"What?"

That came out as incredulously as it could possibly could. And as a result, it kind of snapped Rachel out of some thinking – perhaps overthinking.

"No, -I mean. Not threatened. She just kind of implied it, I think by accident, but… still…"

Rachel placed her palm on her forehead again, releasing a bit of a sigh.

"Fuck…"

...

"... I didn't even consider that like… her instructions. She could justify actually forcing me. If she decides to. And everyone will back her up."

Rachel groaned weakly and slumped down. This was pretty bad.

Chloe though was not particularly concerned about that. In fact, she felt pretty confident in the opposite.

"She wouldn't. It's Max. Come on, Rachel."

Her reaction and fear was understandable, but really. It's Max. Chloe trusted Max. She was sure Rachel trusted Max too, at least outside of all of this.

And she did. Precisely outside of this. Maybe it was just everything coming down at once and fucking with her mind. Maybe it was experience of just dealing with people. But Rachel really couldn't see this as anything other than a constant threat – not a directly voiced or even promised one, but one that effectively threatened her life as she knew it, regardless of what Max was thinking right now.

"... Why wouldn't she though? Unless she agrees to sever the bond, which I'm pretty sure she's not going to. If she assumes at any point that I'm planning to, or if she just gets tired of waiting and trying everything but this – why wouldn't she force me into the role? She's literally instructed to."

The next sigh had noticeable hints of desperation, but before it turned into any more defeat, Rachel shook her head.

"I need to do something. Before it's too late."

Chloe was starting to get a little frustrated herself.

"Like what? You've overreacting way too much right now. Yes, Max has the ability to do it, but she wouldn't. You know her. I know her."

Rachel groaned irritatingly in return.

"But it's still a huge risk! My whole life is at stake here, and so is our future. All she needs to do is to just snap her fingers. It's too much, Chloe."

She took a breath and tried to level herself out a bit, facing Chloe properly. There was an idea.

"Drive me out of town. For as far as it takes to break the bond. Then everything can go back to normal and we won't ever have to worry about any of this."

Chloe should have probably seen that coming, but somehow she didn't, and it was stunning to hear, so much so that she raised her hands in defense.

"-Whoa, okay-"

"-Chloe, please." Rachel cut her off.

"We have to do it before it's too late. We've always wanted to escape together. Please."

That was a bit too blatant of a manipulation attempt, and Chloe, who is usually not super keen at catching these things, caught this one pretty easily. And the fact that she did only highlighted Rachel's desperation, if she was resorting to this.

"-Rachel, stop. This isn't the same thing and- you don't have to do it in the most criminal and harmful way possible. Just go to Max and talk to her. If you really wanna sever the bond, she'll listen."

Rachel clenched her fists in frustration and let out another groan. It wasn't angry – the desperation was just that obvious.

"And what if she doesn't? What if she'll think that I'll try to sever it anyway and that compels her to go to the authorities to stop me? There's nothing I'll be able to do about it. It'd be too late."

"Chloe, please. I know it's not fair to Max but if you say she will agree to break the bond, there's no harm for us to do it on our own terms. I can't risk asking her. I just can't."

...

Chloe was obviously conflicted, but now, visibly considering. Rachel kind of had a point at the end there, as much as Chloe hated to admit that.

She also kept pushing too.

"Please. I need you."

And that made Chloe huff and close her eyes for a moment, raising a palm to signify stop, as if to block Rachel from interrupting her thinking. But that sort of achieved the opposite. Rachel needed her. These words were ringing through empty dark space she put herself into.

Rachel needed her. It was unfair to Max, but Rachel needed her.

Fuck.

...

Fuck.

A heavy sigh was released. Chloe was not okay with this.

But.

"Fine."