The 1986 Ford F150 rolled into a stop after a short moment. Chloe scooted over in her seat and reached over to the glovebox, taking out a few bills from the brown envelope inside. She purposefully slammed the flap shut with a giggle. Max shot up in her seat, being startled a bit as she dozed off - rudely awakened the sudden loud noise. Chloe's giggle developed into a laugh at the reaction, her head moved in as she gave Max a quick peck on her lips to help her wake up. The punk shuffled back over to her seat and jumped out of the truck - leaving Max alone after a moment of silence.

The brunette quickly took a few looks around her to determine where they were, furrowing her eyebrows a bit as she couldn't find any definite signs. She saw as her bluenette girlfriend made her way over to a large pinewood lodge near the edge of a dense forest. Suddenly she shot up in her seat as she realised that they must have finally arrived at their sat there in silence as quiet melodies rung out from the radio over the next few minutes, her thoughts swimming through her head - going over the close encounter they had after their unfortunate waterfall accident.

"Hey girlfriend." Chloe spoke up as she jumped into the truck, startling the brunette again. She giggled and received a playful shove from Max. "Got us a cabin for two days, real good deal. Wait till ya see it - they showed me pictures and everything."

"We heading over right now?" Max asked curiously as she shuffled in her seat to get comfortable. Her hands ran over her slightly dirty clothes, still slightly damp in a few places from yesterday's adventure.

"Nawh. We gotta pick up some supplies, get some clothes. I dunno about you but I kinda wanna wear something else rather than these slightly rank clothes." Chloe spoke up and gestured to her own outfit, the engine rumbling to life. The punk reversed out of the parking space and merged back onto the small road.

"I guess." Max replied and nodded to herself, her gaze resting back outside her window as she saw the entire roadside covered with dense woods, all of it shooting past the moving truck as it roared along.

A few minutes passed quietly as the truck kept its pace on the nearly abandoned road - a few estates and small shacks scattered around in bundles. Eventually the Ford turned into a large street, buildings lining either side as they all had a similar rustic look of small town America.

"Where are we exactly?" Max spoke after some time, keeping her gaze on the streets around them. It was peaceful - groups of people laughing and talking as they went about their own life.

"Telma. Lake Wenatchee is just two or three kilometres away - you were asleep when we drove past." Chloe replied and then tugged at the wheel a bit, turning the truck towards a shopping complex a few hundred yards away. It looked simple, no modern artsy design, no fancy bright neon logo's - it fit very well with the small town America vibe the town had going. A few moments later Chloe turned into a parking spot with near perfect accuracy - something that had definitely already improved since Max had met Chloe at Blackwell on the first day of that one week in October.

The two girls walked through the door of the shopping complex and started to head towards the chain store supermarket near the back - hand in hand. Their fingers intertwined as they kept close to each other, a few people began to twist and turn their heads in their direction - Hicktown, WA 2.0. Max rolled her eyes a bit as she saw the stares and instead moved closer to her girlfriend.

"I hate these fu-fucking stares." Max seethed out after she saw another pair of people staring at them whilst they walked past. Chloe giggled and left a kiss on Max's temple, her hand relenting her hold from Max's as she wrapped it around her waist instead and pulled her in.

"I know - I used to hate it too." Chloe spoke and shot her glance at an elderly couple walking by, the older gentleman almost scowling at the contact between the two girls. She raised up her free hand and gave them a well deserved middle-finger, earning a dour glare as they started to walk away faster from the two girls. "You'll get used to it."

"I h-hope so." Max replied and then looked ahead at the 24/7 supermarket coming up, her pace increasing. "This place should have the stuff we need, right…?"

"Food and stuff, yes. Don't know about the clothes though - leggo and see." Chloe kept her speed up with Max, not wanting to relent the hug they had going whilst walking. The brunette noticed and slowed down after a moment.

"Chloe…?" Max spoke up after a moment as they both entered the supermarket - the dozens of aisles around them as groups of people of all ages walked by, not giving much attention to the two girls.

"What is it Maxipad?" Chloe spoke back and reached over towards a basket, grabbing one from a pile near the entrance before starting to lead both of them towards one of the aisles. Max ever so slightly jabbed Chloe with her elbow, showing her discontent with her nickname. "Ow..-"

"I hate when you call me that." Max spoke up as Chloe laughed, the brunette's thoughts travelling back a to the memory of the event that earned her that nickname. "That was not funny."

"Oh it was." Chloe spoke through her laugh and brought Max closer to her as her eyes began to dart around the aisles on either side of them - the punk trying to find the items she had desired to purchase for tonight. "What did you want anyway..?"

"W-... Uhm. Actually. Nevermind." Max had wanted to ask about Chloe's plans for today, her mind wondering over the possibilities as she saw her girlfriend start to pick out a few items from the shelves. She didn't want to ruin the now obvious surprise that Chloe was preparing for her - she'd rather that it stay a surprise as not to disappoint the punk.

In less than 10 minutes the girls had managed to acquire the supplies for the planned evening. Their basket was filled with foodstuffs and bath accessories - incense, candles, a semi-expensive body wash and strawberry scented shampoo. Max had kept quiet the entire way but she had shot her glances at the items as they were put in the basket - her heart beating faster as they carried on. She was giddy with anticipation, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach - she herself had already figured out that whatever Chloe was planning was going to be romantic. Max kept a goofy smile on her face as they went towards a queue for the checkout.

"Now just what are you smiling about ya goofster?" Chloe spoke up and snapped Max out of her daze, the brunette looking up at her girlfriend. The punk grinned wide and suggestively wiggled her eyebrows, the gesture eliciting a giggle out of Max.

"Just thinking about how lucky I am..." Max replied and then looked around, ensuring that nobody was watching them. She stood up on her tiptoes and pecked Chloe's lips, the taller girl smiling wide at the contact. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Chloe saw Max lower herself back down onto her feet, taking the chance to move in for her own chaste kiss. The punk heard a quiet giggle from behind them and looked over, noticing a small girl hiding behind the leg of whom she assumed was one of her parents. She was watching Max and Chloe with a toothy smile, clutching a teddy bear in one hand. Chloe smiled back and stuck out her tongue, the little girl giggling again as she hid out of sight.

Max watched the interaction between Chloe and the little girl, her heart happily lifted as she saw the two obviously enjoy the small gestures. Their queue had moved on as the two girls were next - Max quickly beginning to pass over their items to the cashier as she scanned them through. A minute or two passed in silence between Max and Chloe, the store constantly filled with the sound of people talking, shouting or the rather quiet radio providing white noise over it all. Chloe withdrew a few bills from her jeans and passed them over once they were done, lifting their plastic bags with the items inside. Max hooked her arm under Chloe's and began to lead her out of the supermarket, the brunette's head resting on her shoulder.

They walked through the entire shopping complex quietly, Max ignoring the stares they kept getting. God - you'd think it was a criminal offence to be in love with someone around here. Chloe had done her best to return a few of the glances, her eyes shooting icicles at anyone who so much as scowled at the two girls in such close proximity to one another. A few minutes later they had managed to reach the old, rusty Ford F150. Chloe slipped the bags in the leg space between Max's legs and jogged her way around the vehicle, slamming the door shut behind her as she sat down.

"Clothes shopping now gurl." Chloe spoke as her hand jiggled the keys, the ignition being turned moments later as the engine sputtered to life. She quickly reversed the truck out of its space and drove it out of the car park.

"Oh dog, fun." Max replied sarcastically and assumed her regular position, looking out the window. Chloe drifted her hand over from the clutch and onto the brunette's thigh, resting it there lazily.

"Cheer up girlfriend. I'm gonna get you some hella sweet clothes - trust." Chloe ran her hand over Max's thigh and squeezed it, the brunette letting out a quiet sigh. "I'll turn you into a punk yet."

"Oh no you won't - not on my watch." Max quickly shifted her gaze at Chloe and held it there with a serious expression. Chloe simply stared back with a wide grin, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Chloe, you will not…-"

"Oh yes I will-..."

"No you won't-..."

"Oh yes I will!"

"No you won't!"

Chloe relented her assault after she saw the scowl she was receiving from Max. She turned her head back to the road and let out her own disappointed sigh. Max saw that she was slightly saddened by the fact that she wouldn't be turning Max into her mini-punk. Then again...

"Well…- maybe a little bit…?" Max spoke up and saw Chloe's expression instantly change into a dangerously wide grin that threatened to split her face.

"Score!" Chloe laughed and gripped Max's thigh, the brunette giggling with her girlfriend and resting her hand on Chloe's - her sight returned out of her window after a few seconds.

Max saw the small town street fade into view after a few minutes as Chloe tugged at the steering wheel, turning the truck towards a small shop on the side. The truck parked up as the engine died off, Chloe gesturing the brunette out of the truck and towards the shop. The windows were slightly tinted as Max tried to squint her eyes to see inside. Chloe laughed at the brunettes attempt to inspect the shop and grabbed her hand, dragging her inside the building with her. Max gave it a quick look around and rolled her eyes, prompting another laugh from her girlfriend.

They stood inside a punk fashion store. All kinds of shirts, trousers, jackets, hats and various other paraphernalia lined the walls and rested amongst the different aisles. The tall girl smiled wide as she began to walk between the aisles and browsed the inventory, holding her girlfriend's hand as the brunette scanned around them with her nose scrunched up - she was a bit hesitant to start changing her fashion after years of dressing like a hipster.

Chloe stopped in front of a bundle of shirts - her hands starting to sort through the mess as she wanted to find something for the brunette. Chloe grinned and pulled out a shirt, holding it out towards Max. It was a black shirt with the the album cover for Americana - a small boy on a swing holding a cat-sized cockroach under his arm. Max quickly shook her head in slight disgust, she was never a fan of punk album covers - too gritty for her taste. Chloe laughed and put the shirt down, continuing to browse through the others.

"Chloe, I really don't think you'll find anything for me…-" Max spoke up after a minute of silence, her voice carrying through the store. The punk shot a glance behind her and smiled, her hands pulling out another shirt - far more acceptable than the last. It was a plain black shirt with the Ramones logo on it - a simple seal with an eagle in the middle. Max hesitated for a second but realised that it wasn't that bad - she gave her nod of approval.

About 10 minutes later the girls were still somewhat undecided. Max had helped Chloe pick out some simple shirts, a few flannels and some mild band-themed ones for herself. The bluenette managed to snag some tank tops and shirts too, mostly album covers from artists she liked, but also a few anarchy flavoured ones too. The two girls stood in front of the hat section of the small shop - the shelves mostly filled with beanies ranging from black to rainbow coloured, snapbacks and biker helmets. Chloe scrunched her face up a bit as she was deep in thought over the selection.

"Just grab a damn beanie and let's go already." Max eventually shot out as she held onto her shirts. Chloe giggled and kept browsing the selection, her gaze occasionally dropping down to her girlfriend.

"What about jeans, Max? Some warm clothing - hoodies? I know that I want ya naked but…" Chloe began but stopped when she saw the scowl on Max's face. She moved her head in and pecked Max's lips, the brunette replying in kind as her scowl disappeared.

"I think it's you who'll get naked for me." Max spoke with a quiet sultry tone, ensuring that only Chloe could hear her. The punk felt a bit taken aback by the assertiveness in her voice - she had begun to get used to a more confident, a more bold Max though. She reached over towards the shelf, her hand grabbing a simple black beanie and proceeding to shove it over Max's hair - covering her eyes in the process as she laughed.

Max grabbed the beanie adjusted it so that it didn't cover her entire face. Chloe meanwhile picked up a grey snapback and swapped it out with her old worn beanie, shoving the old ragged thing into her leather jacket. Max looked up and smiled - the snapback looked good on the punk, her short electric blue hair flowing out from the sides as some strawberry-blonde roots started to show and acted like natural highlights to her hair. Chloe looked down at the girl and quickly moved in, placing a quick kiss on the brunette's lips again.

The two of them went through the store a second time and picked out a few pairs of jeans and some hoodies for when it got cold. After making their way to the checkout counter they put down all their newly acquired clothes and waited a bit. The cashier walked in from the back - it was a girl in her teens, obviously a punk, her matte black hair was highlighted with bright red at random intervals with no particular pattern. A few piercings along her ear and a nose stud were the defining details of her rebellion against society. Max began to look around the store absentmindedly as she tapped her foot, the silence being occasionally lifted by the sound of a beep as the clothes were scanned and tallied to the total. Max shifted her eyes back to the cashier punk behind the counter and saw her smiling wide at Chloe, almost as if she was hopeful of something. Her heart screamed out for her to do something - the slight jealousy enveloping her beating organ. Oh no you don't.

Max quickly turned on her heel and threw her arms over Chloe's neck, catching the tall punk off guard as she felt a pair of lips on her own - the light tug pulling her bottom lip a bit to try and open her mouth. She did. Instantly Max snaked her tongue inside and french kissed her girlfriend. Chloe didn't object - she loved it - and quickly wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist as she pulled her into deepen the kiss. A few seconds passed and the girls moved away, Max quickly resuming her previous position as if nothing happened, crossing her arms and looking around the store. Chloe stood still in silent shock for a moment and then looked over at the girl behind the counter - her jaw had completely dropped open at the display that was put up in front of her. She began to furiously scan over the clothes and stayed silent. The brunette shot a brief glance over at the counter and smirked - the anger in the punk girl scanning the clothes gave her a bit of a kick.

Eventually all the clothes were scanned and their total tallied up. Max let out a slight gasp as she saw the number pop up on the small screen attached to the register - the total being far higher than she expected it to be.

"I-.. Chloe I think-..." Max began as she tried to get her girlfriend to cut back on the clothing.

"No, shush. We have cash girlfriend." Chloe spoke and reached into her back pocket of her jeans, struggling a bit to retrieve the bills. The punk girl behind the counter was shooting absolute daggers towards Max - the hipster girl looked back with her own stare, the cold gaze capable of turning even Perseus to stone, reflective shield be damned. The cashier instantly relented and looked down for a second before getting snapped back to reality - Chloe slammed a few $100 bills on the counter and grabbed the bags that contained their clothes. Max and Chloe spent no time getting out of the store and back into the truck.

The engine rumbled to life and the truck almost immediately pulled out of its parking space, neither girl speaking to each other as they processed the what had happened in the store.

"Max, what the hell was that back there?" Chloe eventually spoke as she drove the truck down the main street, stopping at a pair of traffic lights. Max lowered her gaze in slight shame - she didn't have an explanation.

"S-Sorry." Max replied quietly. Chloe giggled furiously at her girlfriend as she pressed the pedal lightly again, the traffic lights turning green.

"That was hella awesome. Just saying." The punk spoke and tapped her fingers along the steering wheel as she drove, shooting a glance at her companion. "I like jealous Max."

"I don't." Max spoke back and looked out the window.

Chloe looked over at Max and raised her eyebrow, seeing the girl looking a bit uncomfortable as she stared out the window. The punk eased up on the pedal a bit and drove through the last parts of Telma proper, tugging the wheel to the right as she turned back onto the road leading in the general direction of their cabin. Her hand dropped from the clutch and wiggled over towards Max's - grabbing it and giving it a squeeze.

"Hey." Chloe spoke up and tried to get Max's attention. The brunette turned her head slightly, watching the punk out of the peripheral of her eye. "I love you."

"Mm." Max replied with a simple hum and looked back. She kept thinking over her rising jealousy, how she felt the anger rise up in her chest when she saw the cashier look at her girlfriend with that longing look. Chloe kept shooting concerned glances at her obviously distracted girlfriend.

"You're pretty dominant when you're jealous.." Chloe teased and hoped to lighten the mood - Max turned to her with a halfhearted smile on her face.

"Dominant, huh?" Max appreciated her girlfriends attempts to lift the atmosphere and indulged her. Chloe wiggled her eyebrows and elicited a giggle from Max at the gesture.

"Let's explore that part of the conversation sometime." Chloe finished off with a wink and turned back to the long winding road ahead.

"Perv."


At turn of the key and the click of the lock the door swung open. Max took a step inside and gazed around.

It was beautiful. Pine wood walls, pine wood furniture, pine wood counter tops in the relatively modern looking kitchen - everything had a rustic flow that fit the cabin well. A small stone fireplace was sat against one wall, a small flat-screen hanging over it as two couches flanked either side, slightly tilted towards the TV - coffee table in between. There was a double bed with velvet covers, prompting Max to stay her gaze on them for a bit as her mind thought about how much this place must have cost.

"Maximus, keep moving - I've got lots of heavy bags here girlfriend." Chloe spoke up and shoved Max forward slightly as she walked into her. Max quickly took the hint and made way for Chloe, the punk walking past with the plastic bags filled with their purchased items. The brunette closed the door behind them and began to follow the bluenette.

Chloe walked through the cozy living room and placed half of the bags on the small island separating the threshold of the kitchen and living room. Max didn't hesitate for a second as she began to scour the bags, her stomach rumbling quietly - Chloe laughed and walked over to the bed with the rest of the bags. Max fished out a few freshly baked breadsticks and munched on one, watching her girlfriend near the bed.

"You know, I didn't get told that the cabin would be all the way out in the forest." Chloe spoke up as she looked out the window - it had begun to get dark outside already. She turned around and approached Max, a smile radiating from her face as the brunette kept looking on. Max shrugged and bit into her breadstick again.

"Don't care. I just want to sleep in a bed and not the damn truck for a change." Max truthfully spoke and spun on her heels, her eyes scanning over the compact kitchen. It had contained everything that could be considered essential - coffee machine, stove, microwave, sink and a dishwasher - obviously it was meant for long-term stay overs.

"Hey, old faithful ain't that bad." Chloe tried to defend her truck and looked around the cabin herself - it was far better looking in person than in the pictures she was provided with. Max scoffed.

"Old faithful better sort his shit before I decide to sleep in motels everyday." Max took another breadstick and bit into it. Chloe turned around and watched her girlfriend eating, her eyebrows furrowing for a second.

"That'd kill the budget, Maxaroon - we gotta be smart spenders, y'know?" Chloe took a few steps forward and placed her hands on Max's hips, swaying the both of them side to side playfully.

"Oh yeah, like we were smart spenders in the clothes store? What was it - $450?" Max looked up at Chloe as she rolled her eyes. The punk lowered herself down slightly and playfully bit into the half-eaten breadstick in Max's hand. "Hey, get your own!"

"Fine." Chloe let go of Max's hips and walked over to the island, her hands rummaging in the bags as she pulled out her own breadstick. Max walked out of the open kitchen and proceeded into the living room, her gaze still lingering on a few finer details here and there in the cabin - pictures and paintings of the local scenery hung all over, a few taxidermied animals hung up on the walls. Chloe kept her own eyes on the brunette, watching her every move with a smile.

"Chlo...?" Max spoke up and rested her stare on the bed and its velvet covers. Chloe nodded loudly and saw her girlfriend staring at the bed, her mind racing a bit through the possibilities as she pondered over what Max was thinking. "How much did this place cost?"

"Uhm-..." Chloe looked down awkwardly and silently bit into her breadstick, not wanting to answer the question.

"Chloe…" Max turned towards Chloe and looked at her with a stern expression, her hands drifting to her hips as she felt a bit disappointed. Obviously the punk must've spent a considerable amount of money - money that they did in fact not have an infinite supply of. "You know that we don't have anything apart from that $5000, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Chloe looked up sulkily and met Max's gaze, her deep blue eyes piercing Chloe's as they scolded her - she quickly relented and threw her hands up in defeat. "I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted to do something n-nice. For us."

"Oh." Max felt the breath taken out of her by the statement, her heart skipping a beat as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Chloe had wanted to do something nice for them - not just Max. The brunette had forgotten that this relationship was going to be a two-way street, not just solely focused on Max because of what she's been through - Chloe had wanted to live up a little bit too after the 5 shitty years in Arcadia. Max looked at her sulking girlfriend and felt a bit guilty for making her sad by scolding her for something like this. "Hey..- I-..."

She didn't know what to say to comfort her punk girlfriend. Max walked back into the kitchen, dropped her breadsticks on the island and wrapped her arms around the taller girl, resting her head on her bust as she gave her a long, tight squeeze to relay her apologies. Chloe appreciated the gesture and wrapped her own arms around Max, returning the hug.

"I just w-wanted us to relax a l-little - after all the shit we've been through…- Sorry." Chloe repeated and felt Max squeezing her again.

"Don't be, I should be the one saying sorry. I-... all this time you've been taking me to all these places, you've been encouraging me and keeping all this shit inside me contained.." Max's muffled voice rang out from underneath the punk, the girls tone slightly guilty and apprehensive. "I've been a sucky girlfriend, you deserve to relax too. Sorry."

"I think we both suck." Chloe responded and heard Max giggle quietly. "It's a work-in-progress, right?"

"Work-in-progress." Max repeated her girlfriends statement and nuzzled her face further into the punk, taking comfort in her embrace. Max felt the one thought at the back of her mind scratching her, begging to be brought up. "Chlo-... uhm. W-What about you?"

"Hmm? Whaddya mean ya doofus, I can't read your mind like you can read mine." Chloe teased and felt the smack against her side, her body jolting to the side at the contact. "Hey, it's true!"

"I can't read minds asshole, your one is just easy to figure out." Max spoke and wrapped her arm back around Chloe. "I meant how are you keeping up with all of…- t-this? Like Arcadia a-and… y'know."

"I'm fine." Chloe once again lied, her tone a bit too blunt for her liking. She had become an expert in keeping her feelings down - she didn't need to vent or confess to anything.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying!"

"Yes, you are - Chloe - I told you can I goddamn tell when you're lying." Max moved away from the embrace and jabbed her finger into Chloe's ribs again. She was slightly frustrated with her girlfriends attempts to lie and keep shit to herself. "Stop keeping yourself bottled up."

"Max, I'm fine, okay?! Just lay the fuck off!" Chloe's anger exploded unexpectedly, some of it slipping past the age-old barrier she had kept up inside. She didn't mean to let it happen, yet sometimes even she couldn't stop it from spilling over. Max had completely moved away from the embrace as she kept her eyes on Chloe, hands on her hips. "I'm fine, seriously - you don't need to worry about me."

"Chloe, I care about you. I don't want you to fucking breakdown on me halfway through this damn trip in the middle of nowhere!" Max felt her own voice raise in anger as she pressed on, her finger pointed accusingly at her taller girlfriend. The punks abrupt anger had triggered Max's own defence mechanism in the argument. Chloe simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Don't fucking dismiss me like that!"

"What the fuck do you want me to do?!" Chloe shot back and took a step towards Max, the brunette moving away.

"Telling me the fucking truth would be a nice start!"

"Oh, you want me to tell you how fucking conflicted I am about your damn choice? How fucked up I am over the fact that my parents are fucking DEAD? How everyone I've ever f-fucking known is d-dead and bu-... buried under f-fucking Arcadia!?" Chloe's barrier had begun to crack, the hairline fractures causing almost irreversible damage to the once stalwart defender of the punk's psyche. "Well guess fucking WHAT! I'm fucking pissed at it all, fucked up beyond belief as it's fucking eating away at my damn mind all the fucking time!"

Max kept silent as she shrunk in her place a bit, taken aback by her girlfriend - she hadn't ever seen her like this. The atmosphere in the cabin had taken a complete opposite turn.

"But get THIS! I don't even care anymore, my life has been a constant fuck up and I've come to terms with it! My dad fucking died, my mom fucking died, Rachel fucking died and you nearly fucking died trying to save my dumb ass all the fucking time! Perhaps I shouldn't be alive, perhaps you should've fucking chosen that shithole hicktown over my worthless ass!" Chloe stuck out her own finger at Max, the brunette staying silent through the tirade. The punk ignored the sting of tears in the corners of her eyes as she kept going, the barrier unleashing a torrent of dark thoughts and fears that she had kept down for so long. "Why the fuck did you chose me, huh? Because you love me? How long is that going to last, Max? How long before you fucking abandon me again and ride off into the f-fucking sunset?!"

Max felt as if a freight train hit her. Chloe's words had stung and they had stung deep. She hadn't expected this when she asked how her girlfriend was holding up. Her own tears had begun to silently trace their way down her cheeks, her heart in pain as each individual word and gesture from Chloe had torn into it. Chloe was in emotional pain but she kept it all down for her, yet here she was breaking apart in front of Max - piece by piece. All this time the punk still had kept her fear of abandonment, her fear of Max leaving once again - even after everything that Max went through that week.

The punk went silent after her last bout of words, her brain finally catching up and processing what had just shot out of her mouth. She instantly began to kick herself mentally, her hands quickly drifting over to the crying brunette to try and hold her - to try and apologize. Her psyche immediately went into emergency mode, quickly starting to repair the barrier that held it all back as she realised that it had finally begun to break in earnest - her hurtful words were the result of that.

"S-Shit-.. M-Max I d-didn't…" Chloe placed her hands on Max but shot them back when the brunette swatted them away. "I-..."

"Don't fucking bother!" Max shouted over her tears, her hands frantically running over her eyes as she tried to wipe them away to regain her vision. "Chloe, after all the fucking shit I've fucking done you still think that I don't love you?!"

"I-..."

"I fucking allowed a freak fucking storm to destroy an entire fucking TOWN! Everyone fucking DIED! Just because I WANTED to be with YOU!" Max stuck out her finger and jabbed it hard into Chloe's sternum, the punk shrinking in her spot as she heard her girlfriend. "Do you ever fucking THINK? Do you honestly believe I'd abandon you after what I did?"

"N-No…"

"Well there you fucking go! Chloe, I fucking LOVE you! I went through f-fucking HELL to be with you." Max continued to jab Chloe with each word, each time harder than the last. "I was nearly f-fucking m-molested by my own d-damn fucking TEACHER! I survived it a-all and guess w-what my end f-fucking goal was?!"

"M-Me..?"

"YOU!" Max jabbed Chloe again and kept it there, her tears now covering her entire cheeks as she didn't even bother to wipe them away.

Chloe kept silent as she went over the brunette's words in her head. She felt stupid for her outburst, completely idiotic that she had even thought about the possibility of Max leaving her after everything she did, annoyed at herself for allowing it all to spill over. She fucked up and she fucked up bigtime - true Chloe Price style. She wanted to say something, to apologize to the best of her ability - but she completely sucked with words. Max had brought up her hands back to her face and began to wipe away the torrent of tears, quiet sobs escaping her mouth as she took in deep breaths to calm down.

"I-.. I'm an a-asshole." Chloe spoke up after a few silent moments, her head dropped down as she kept her gaze on the floor, her hands fiddling behind her back.

"Y-Yes, you a-are." Max confidently spoke back and looked up at her girlfriend. Her heart began to return to its normal rhythm, her tears still coming on - her anger subsiding after she vented most of it away. "C-Chlo, I care about you s-so much..."

"I know. M-Max, I-... Sorry." Chloe couldn't find the right words and instead gave up. Her hand drifted into her leather jacket and took out her crumpled back of cigarettes - she took one out along with her zippo. Her hands shook the entire time as she looked at the brunette. "Uhm..- C-Can we talk after I smoke a cig? I need to c-calm down."

"F-Fine." Max nodded and let out a sigh. Chloe walked past slowly and stopped for a moment, her glance shooting behind her towards Max. She quickly resumed her walk and opened the door, slamming it shut a bit harder than she meant to. The brunette stood quietly in the kitchen and allowed herself to recollect, her thoughts starting to race through as she thought over the argument they've just had. She felt the guilt of sacrificing Arcadia, the guilt of killing everyone in the town - yet it was all overcome with the guilt of her own words. Perhaps if Max hadn't pushed, if she hadn't pried like the nosy hipster she is then Chloe and her wouldn't have the argument. Then again, how long would it last? When would the punk burst on her own, when would she break? It was better to sort everything out now whilst they weren't on the road even if it was hard for them.

Chloe brought the lit cigarette to her lips as she took a drag, the bitter taste filling her mouth as the smoke travelled down to her lungs. She exhaled in a frustrated sigh, the wispy cloud forming around her as she looked ahead at nothing in particular. Max's words had somewhat reassured her - she felt stupid for even considering the possibility of Max abandoned her after everything that happened. That one week in Arcadia, all the events that happened and the storm - the choice - all of it meant they were bonded for life. Yet Chloe had doubted her girlfriend, doubted her ability and willingness to stay with the punk that was so fucked up inside. She let out another sigh and felt herself venting all her emotions, all the anger and bitterness she had once held towards Max for abandoning her. There was no basis for argument here anymore - she wasn't ever going to abandon her ever again, that much was certain now. One weight of many fell off her shoulders.

She haphazardly took another drag of her cigarette and coughed out some of the smoke, her fingers flicking the half-smoked cigarette away onto the forest floor. She grabbed the handle of the door and stopped, turning around and stomping her foot down on the cigarette. Fire hazard, dumbass.

Max watched as the door opened and her punk girlfriend proceeded inside. Both of them looked much better after their own few moments of recuperation - they were both regretting their words but what's done was done. They both realised that'd this would be a long road to recovery, this trip had only partially begun healing old wounds - never mind the fresh ones that had still been blaring in pain since the storm. Chloe kept her gaze on Max the entire time as she approached, her expression switching between a slight frown and a sulky smile. She stopped a foot or two away from her girlfriend, her hands beside her as she was unsure what to do now.

"I'm sorry." Chloe spoke up and ran her hand through her hair.

"Me too." Max replied and dropped her gaze awkwardly.

"Hey, do you remember the promise that you gave me…?" Chloe brought up the words she had spoken a few days ago after Max's breakdown at Mount Rainier.

"Yeah." Max replied and saw Chloe take a step forward. Her hands drifted down towards Max's and lifted them up towards her face, the punk leaving a few kisses on either one as a sign of apology.

"I should've promised too, huh?" Chloe admitted her mistake. Max nodded again and let out a faint smile.

"Yes, you should've." Max simply spoke and kept her faint smile. "Chloe, I care about you - I don't want you to hurt yourself for me by keeping this hidden."

"I k-know. Max, I'd cross the world over and throw myself in front of danger for you, y'know that right?" Chloe held Max's hands and saw the girl nod.

"Yeah, I seem to have a few memories where you did something like that, yep." Max tried to lift the mood a bit and widened her smile when Chloe laughed.

"Well, I promise to talk to you whenever I need it, m'kay? Just like you promised to me. We're in this together after all, right?" Chloe lowered Max's hand much to her dismay but replaced the gesture with a hug - her arms wrapping around Max as the brunette replied in kind.

"I've been saying that since day one, dork." Max's muffled voice came up from Chloe's tank top, the girl nuzzling her face into her girlfriends chest. Chloe nodded and looked over at one of the bags over on the counter, her eyebrows furrowing for a moment as she thought of something.

"Hey, how about a bath? We're both dirty and absolutely wasted - something relaxing…?" Chloe saw as Max's cheeks instantly turned red, her face burying itself further in her chest as she tried to hide it.

"Chlo-... was this your plan all along?" Max spoke up and heard her girlfriend cough awkwardly. "Oh my dog, you wanted to seduce me into a bath?"

"Hey, I never said I was good at the mushy shit." Chloe admitted and chuckled. Max felt the butterflies in her stomach as she thought over the gesture.

"Well…- we are dirty and tired I guess…-" Max felt a bit embarrassed about it - this was Chloe asking her to bathe with her. In the same tub. Naked. Max's cheeks flushed with even more red, her entire face almost looking like a well cooked lobster. Oh my dog.

"I wish you could see your own face right about now." Chloe spoke up and cackled when Max let out a muffled groan. She lightly moved her girlfriend away and looked her over, the brunette doing her best to hide her flaring red cheeks. "Why are you blushing so hard Maximus?"

"Chloe!" Max exclaimed and looked up at her with a slight scowl, expecting the punk instantly realise what the problem was. Chloe let out another loud laugh and pulled Max back into the hug.

"I'd like to remind you that we were both naked under the same blanket just yesterday. I'd also like to remind you that we nearly had s-..."

"Dog, I know!" Max brought up her hands to her cheeks and hid them from nobody in particular - it was just her and Chloe in the cabin. Her heart took the leap just as she did. "Just shush and lead the way."

"As thou command." Chloe gave a formal bow as Max giggled, jabbing the punks side again to bring her back up.


The two girls entered the bathroom and closed the door behind them, fresh clothes in their hands and the bath supplies in the other. Max looked around the rather small yet cozy room - the tub was far bigger than she'd expected it to be, more than enough room for the two girls. Her mind kept wandering over the cost of it all - Chloe had purposefully spent a lot of money just so the two of them could relax properly in some luxury. Max felt as Chloe shoved her forward a bit, a snicker escaping her lips as she realised how excited her girlfriend was.

"So eager to get me naked already?" Max spoke as she felt some of the confidence she had gained over the past few days return. Chloe purred loudly enough for Max to hear, the brunette giggling in return.

"C'mon, get the water running and prep the bath ya doofus." Chloe handed Max the bathing supplies as her other hand took Max's pile of fresh clothes. The brunette walked up to the bathtub and began to mess around with the taps, trying to get a relatively hot yet not quite scalding temperature in the water. "Shit - do you want some music…?"

"Hopeless romantic." Max rolled her eyes and heard Chloe giggle.

"Get the bath ready, I'll go grab my charger and phone - bee arr bee." Chloe dropped the clothes on a pile of towels and quickly shuffled out of the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

Max bit her lip and ran her finger across her mouth, hesitating for a moment. She was self-conscious about herself, yet it was only yesterday that she and Chloe had been practically all over each other and naked in the old Ford. She finally shrugged and realised that this would eventually become the norm - they were girlfriends. Max begun to quickly undress her top and followed it up by her bra - yet once the cold air hit her breasts she once again stopped and moved her arm over them as she felt a bit awkward. She let out a sigh as she realised that her fear was stupid - Chloe wouldn't laugh at her, would she? Her hands drifted down to her jeans as she continued to undress, the denim trousers being kicked over towards her pile of clothes once she was done. Max hooked her thumbs over her panties and started to drag them down as the door to the bathroom opened. Max squeaked and quickly turned around - wrapping her arms around her chest to cover her breasts.

"Hey, Max - I got some good tu-.." Chloe spoke but froze when she saw Max. Her girlfriend was standing near the bathtub, topless and in her panties, facing away from the bluenette awkwardly. Chloe grinned at Max's embarrassment as she closed the door behind her, she shuffled over towards the sink and plugged her charger in, connecting up her old smartphone and seeing it light up after a few moments. Her eyes drifted over to Max, the girl was still standing still in the same place she had been before - obviously in slight shock. Chloe smirked and put her phone back down, wandering over towards her girlfriend.

"Chlo-..." Max began stopped as she felt two cold hands work their way around her exposed waist, moving up a bit and resting over her own hands covering her chest. Max was a bit uncomfortable, feeling the punk move in closer and press her clothed body against Max's exposed one.

"Max… It's alright. We're girlfriends…-" Chloe spoke softly into the brunette's ear. Max shuddered a bit and felt her punk's hot breath on her - she was still feeling a bit tense about the entire thing.

"I-... Uhm. Chlo-... I've never…- Never exposed myself. To anyone. I-... I'm jus-..." Max tried to stammer out. She wanted to be confident enough to show herself to her Chloe. She wanted it to be normal. It was hard for her with her social anxiety and general insecurity.

"Hey, you're beautiful - okay? You're the cutest girl I've ever seen and I'm lucky to have you." Chloe continued to whisper into Max's ear as she felt the brunette begin to relax. "Your freckles are the cutest too."

"Chloee.."

"Don't you dare slam the freckles girl - that's the best part. At least, that's the best part I've seen yet.." Chloe growled and lightly bit Max's earlobe, the brunette letting out a soft moan as she felt the sensation send shocks through her body. "C'mon, open up girlfriend…-"

Max tried to stammer out some words but decided to just stay quiet. She felt as the cold air of the bathroom hit her now exposed breasts again, her hands being pulled down carefully by the punk standing behind her. Max closed her eyes and bit her lip, eventually working up the courage to fully expose her breasts. She turned around slowly as Chloe moved away, opening her eyes to read her girlfriend's reaction. Chloe's jaw was agape.

"I-..." Chloe began as she stared at her girlfriend's breasts, taking them both in individually. She had already touched them before, sure, but she hadn't seen them. Her bust size was only a bit smaller than Chloe herself, not that the punk had much to speak of in the first place. "You're beautiful. Gorgeous. Drop-dead stunning. S-Seriously."

"Chloe, you don'-..."

"I'm so serious right now Max, don't you dare put me down now." Chloe replied and spoke over the brunette, her eyes constantly scanning every inch of Max's torso.

"I-... I've never done this before, okay? I'm just a bit…- nervous." Max's hands began to drift back towards her chest but she stopped herself, allowing them both to drop down beside her again. Chloe nodded and smiled wide, her jaw finally resting normally.

"Don't be nervous, this'll become the norm soon..." Chloe teased, a laugh escaping her as she noticed just how flustered the brunette looked at the comment.

"S-Such a perv!" Max managed to speak out and turned around, not wanting to show herself off any further for Chloe. Once again two hands wrapped around Max and pulled her in closer. Max felt as soft lips kissed her shoulders, each individual one landing on a bundle of freckles peppered around the spot. "Chloeee…"

"Alright, alright." Chloe let go of Max and moved away back towards her phone. She drifted over her notifications but dismissed them after noticing there were far more than last time. Her gaze switched back over towards Max, the girl now bending over to check the water and add the bubble-bath solution into it. "Get your cute butt in there already..-"

"B-But…" Max turned around and blushed again, the embarrassment constantly present as her breasts were once again exposed to the punk. Chloe looked over the girl and noticed her hands lingering near her panties, obviously a bit conflicted about whether she should pull them down or not. Chloe understood that they'd have to take this one step at a time - this might be just too much for now.

"Want me turn around for ya? I won't see anything underneath the bubbles anyway.." Chloe reassured her girlfriend and saw her nod promptly. She smiled and turned around, phone still in her hand as she began to browse through her music. "Sorry if I'm coming on too strong..-"

"It's f-fine." Max replied and pulled down her panties quickly. She tossed them over to her pile of clothes and without hesitation stepped into the bathtub, lowering herself down below the sea of bubbles already present - her body now being half-exposed once again. "O-Okay, I'm done."

Chloe smiled and turned around, still focusing on her phone as she played around with her albums. Eventually she found a mix she liked, a few punk songs mixed with rock and some 'hipster trash' as she would call it - her guilty pleasure. She turned the volume up just enough so that it would be heard all around the bathroom yet quiet enough so that her and Max could hold a conversation. She looked over at Max and saw the brunette playing with the bubbles absentmindedly.

"You're still a damn kid." Chloe teased and saw Max shoot her a scowl instantly, her face scrunched up. The punk laughed and began to undress, her tank-top almost instantly being discarded as the brunette watched in shock.

Max quickly looked away and stared at the bubbles, wanting to give her girlfriend some privacy - her heart began to race at the thought of seeing Chloe naked. She felt her cheeks blush yet again - she heard Chloe's jeans drop onto the tiled floor of the bathroom as her heart skipped a beat. She quickly focused herself on the rough beat of the music that played out of Chloe's phone, the guitar riffs that played alongside the drums.

"What ya thinkin' about..?" Chloe's seductive voice broke Max out of her thoughts instantaneously. She shot her gaze at the bluenette and her jaw dropped - more so than when Chloe saw her topless.

Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, staring seductively at the brunette in the bathtub. She was completely naked, completely exposed. Max ran her eyes up from Chloe's eyes and down her body, towards her chest as she saw the slightly larger-than-her-own breasts and below that her lightly toned abs - a simple sapphire button navel piercing glinted in the light. The brunette took a gulp as her eyes lowered themselves further, her jaw threatening to unhinge from its sockets as she saw the neatly trimmed hair - electric blue - just above the punk's pubic mound. W-Wowser.

"Y'know that staring is rude, right?" Chloe spoke up again as she crossed her arms a bit, shifting in her place. Max instantly gasped and looked away, embarrassed.

"I-.. uhm. Sorry." Max quietly mumbled under her nose, prompting a quiet chuckle from the bluenette.

"Max, we're girlfriends - you can stare at me all you want, I really don't mind. Now shuffle over a bit, I wanna get in - it's cold." Chloe spoke and then moved over towards the bathtub, watching the brunette shuffle to the side a bit to leave her a spot. "Not the side - move forward."

Max obliged and shifted back, moving forward instead this time. She saw as the bluenette stepped in behind her and lowered herself down into the great bubble sea - her legs spreading apart a bit as she placed them on either side of Max. The brunette felt two hands snake their way around her waist as they pulled her in slowly. Max froze for a second as she felt her girlfriend's naked body press against her back - the two breasts softly touching her shoulder blades. Her heart was absolutely thumping at this point at the thought that she was sitting naked in the bathtub with a naked Chloe pressed against her. She heard the girl behind her giggle.

"Your cheeks are absolutely beet red. Why are you so embarrassed? Do you like it?" The punk spoke and wiggled forward a bit, pressing her further into Max. The girl nearly squirmed at the contact. "Don't worry, babe."

"I-... uhm. Shucks. This is jus-.. So-...".

"Different? Intimate?" Chloe answered Max instantaneously.

"Yeah…- Intimate. I… never thought I'd be doing this." Max lowered her gaze as she felt Chloe's chin rest on her shoulder.

"Max, you nearly had me take your vi-..." Chloe began but was quickly cut off.

"I know! I know…- It's just. This is intimate. Okay? Uhm. Sorry if I made this all awkward for you." Max slumped her shoulders slightly - her body starting to relax as it got used to Chloe's naked body pressing against it.

"Nothing you do is awkward to me, Max. All these things, these little moments when you're shy and awkward and embarrassed…" Chloe spoke softly as she tilted her head a bit, placing light kisses on the brunettes neck."...it's what make you, you. I love it all. Don't ever change."

Max relaxed after a few moments as she conceded to the battle raging within her heart. Chloe wouldn't laugh at her, wouldn't make fun of her, wouldn't hurt her. Seeing each other naked would be the norm soon enough as she had pointed out, the sooner she started to get used to it the better for them both. Max felt as her hot cheeks flushed and returned to their normal state - the brunette no longer feeling so embarrassed. Chloe continued to softly kiss her neck, occasionally biting a bit and sucking on one spot - creating hickeys as the punk marked her territory.

"Mm. Are you trying to mark me?" Max whispered as she slumped her head to the side slightly, allowing the bluenette more real estate. Chloe giggled against her neck as she bit down again, her hot breath against the brunette - sucking a bit after her attack. Max let out a quiet, soft moan at the feeling. "Keep-... Keep it going."

** ...Say, you don't want to chance it
You've been hassled before
Watch it now, eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only... **

"You're absolutely lovin' this…" Chloe spoke against her neck and continued to do her job. "...horndog."

Max giggled for a few seconds and then interrupted it with another moan as the bluenette marked her down with another hickey. The brunette had begun to forget all about their argument before, her mind now focusing itself on the current moment between the two girls. She felt the punk's hands begin to drift around her abdomen, slowly lowering themselves further into the depths - Max panicked a bit and shot her own hands down, gripping onto Chloe's.

"S-Shit, did I fuck up?" Chloe quickly moved her lips away from Max's neck and looked her over. The brunette shook her head slowly and turned her head towards the punk, smiling to unnerve her.

"No, it's just that…- Do you mind we if j-just cuddle and talk? I don't feel like..- y'know." Max spoke and saw Chloe smile back instantly, her hand drifting back up to Max's abdomen and resting there.

"I won't do anything you don't want me to do." Chloe moved her head back into the crook of Max's neck and resumed her kissing and biting - proceeding at a much slower pace than last time to allow the brunette to adjust herself. The quiet rock song played out of Chloe's phone as both girls enjoyed the atmosphere in the room.

** ...You, lose yourself , no not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself, give your free will a chance
You've got to work to succeed... **

"Chlo-... can we talk…?" Max finally worked up the courage to bring up the argument. She didn't want either girl to linger on it too long, yet they hadn't finished everything they wanted to say to one another. Chloe's muffled nod came out from under Max's head.

"Go ahead." Chloe spoke and relented her biting, instead focusing herself on leaving simple kisses on Max's neck instead.

"C-Can we make another promise to one another…?" Max asked inquisitively as her hands begun to mess around with the mess of sea bubbles surrounding both the girls.

"Mhm.." Chloe moved her head back up and rested it on Max's shoulder, waiting for the girl to continue.

"If we ever argue like this-... can we make a promise to always sort it out before the end of the day…?" Max looked at her girlfriend, a faint smile resting on her face. Chloe nodded and moved her head forward a bit, kissing Max on the lips and holding it there for a few seconds.

"I promise to sort out any argument we have before the end of the day." Chloe smiled wide and resumed her position on Max's shoulder. She felt much better somehow, the small promise lifting yet another weight from Chloe as she had some kind of assurance that if things went wrong then they'd make up eventually.

"I promise too."

** ...Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart... **

"Max, I'm really sorry for fucking things up back there." Chloe quietly apologised and stared ahead at the tiled wall. "I didn't mean to say any of those things..-"

"It's alright Chlo, I know. I'm sorry for saying those things too, I tried to g-guilt trip you with the whole Arcadia speech and the choice..- ugh. You've been keeping in so much shit for me..-" Max felt a bit bad for causing her girlfriend's slight breakdown - the punk had kept it all inside herself so she could be strong for Max at any given time. "Thank you."

"Max, I'm glad you're here with me." Chloe left a kiss on Max's shoulder and held it there, her eyes closed as she relished the taste of her brunette girlfriend's skin.

"I'm glad you're here with me too."

"We're both fucked up, aren't we?" Chloe spoke against Max's shoulder and heard the brunette giggle.

"If it means we can be together then I wouldn't have it any other way."


A/N -

Fluff! Guilt-tripping! Drama! Over 10,000 words! My fingers! Agh.

Girls still tense after everything that happened, it can't just all be flowers and rainbows can it?

Massive thanks to everyone for reading and enjoying so far, this story has so far reached a total of 1,100 views - pretty awesome

We're reaching the pivotal point soon. Next few chapters might come a bit late, have Uni stuff to tend to first.

- :) WinTTY