"No Care" by Daughter
Max Caulfield and Chloe Price did not have the best record when it came to Portland, so when Max heard that her girlfriend wanted to celebrate her birthday up in Seattle the pink-haired girl bit her lip and buried just how ecstatic she was to hear they were not doing a repeat of most of their Portland time together. Lying in bed Thursday night, having got off from work only a short time ago, Max grinned at the sight of her girlfriend on the laptop sitting in bed with her. Dressed in a plain white tank-top and her undergarments, Max kicked her legs back and forth as Chloe talked about their potential birthday plans. Not every day your girlfriend turns 18, Max thought with a smirk as she just basked in how giddy and happy Chloe was. The situation with David had ended with Max's mother pressing charges against him and Joyce filing for divorce. She was lonely again, but it was manageable with Chloe being there for her more and Max coming down every other week.
"How's your mom?" Max asked, given that her train of thought was on the overall Price household."
"Max, it's my big 18th and you're asking about Mom? Geez, Caulfield, I got blocked on my birthday by my own girlfriend, "Mom's fine, Max. There are moments where I can tell she misses Dad, misses him, but overall things here at the house are improving. It… God, Max, I can breathe easy again in my own home. Suddenly, the urge to get an apartment ASAP is not as prominent as it used to be."
"Don't use this as an excuse to go crazy this weekend, Chloe Price!" Max teased, poking her screen where Chloe's cheek was. "In other news…"
"Max…?" Chloe asked, Max disappearing for a moment as she went to grab something off her desk, hiding it off-screen to the sight of her girlfriend's visible irritation. "Caulfield, what… Oh. Oh, shit. The letter came?! Dude, fucking open it if you haven't already!"
Max giggled, flaunting the envelope from Blackwell Academy. Tearing it open, she tugged the letter out slowly to Chloe's growing frustration before wagging her eyebrows as she just teased the unopened letter. When Chloe started to swear, though, Max had to pull out her earbuds and laugh at the sight of a red-faced Chloe Price inches from the webcam as she let loose at Max. Glad I took out the earbuds, Max thought as she watched her girlfriend calm down and point at her ears, Well, I'm busted. I did tease her pretty hard, though. Giggling a little, Max slipped her earbuds in and unfolded the letter before letting loose a scream that left Chloe being the one to take her headset off.
"Dude!" Chloe exclaimed once she had her headset back on. "You're in?!"
"I got into Blackwell Academy for Fall of 2012! I got into Blackwell Academy!" Max replied, so giddy she was all but bouncing around where she laid on the bed. "Next Fall! Next fucking Fall!"
The girls spent the rest of their call being elated over the fact that Chloe was coming up to see her for the taller girl's 18th birthday and the fact that their days of being hours apart were officially numbered. At one point, Max had to step away to go and notify her parents of the news; when she returned nearly 10 minutes later, Chloe was waiting for her still on the Skype call. Her girlfriend was a little peeved at being left waiting for that long, but Max knew that she understood. A move to Blackwell meant a move to Arcadia Bay – she had wanted to go back since Chloe had answered her phone call all those years ago.
"Tomorrow, babe. Tomorrow, you and I are gonna celebrate like fuckin' crazy," Chloe said, eyes wide and aglow with just how happy she was, "Is it still cool that Rachel and Steph are comin' along? I mean, well, for tomorrow anyway. I don't think Mr. and Mrs. C. would appreciate the addition of three total girls in their daughter's bedroom."
"Of course it's cool," Max said, the skepticism on her face at that even being a question for debate getting a chuckle, "We can do whatever, though I have to ask…"
"Yeah?"
"Just what do you have in mind, Chloe? You've been dark to me about it the past couple of weeks?"
"Well, let's just say that while some of it won't surprise you some of it will astound you. Totally blow your mind," Chloe replied, looking at her phone before she winced, "Well, if I wanna get there at a decent time I gotta bail for tonight. But, I will see you hella soon."
Max did whine a little bit, but it was all just good-natured ribbing and as she got ready to sign off she saw a momentary lapse of Chloe's cheerfulness occur. That same fleeting misery that had accompanied her girlfriend and best friend ever since William's passing years ago had nestled into Chloe's psyche: time had not worked, therapy had not worked, and Max had, at best, reduced it drastically in number and strength. Still, though, her girlfriend's depression and stress issues concerned Max a great deal. No wonder she drinks and smokes, really, given everything, Max thought with a frown, I can only hope that someday she will come to terms with everything in some fashion. Poor Chloe…
"…Babe?" Max heard Chloe ask, smiling when she saw that light in her punk girlfriend's eyes return, "You there, Mad Max?"
"Yeah, I'm here," Max said, bumping her forehead against the screen of her laptop, "Go to sleep, dorkus. I'll see you tomorrow morning for 'Mystery Chloe Birthday Shenanigans', okay?"
"Fo sure, babe. Love you, beautiful," Chloe said, blowing a kiss to the camera that Max returned with a wave and a kiss on the camera itself before she closed out the call. Glancing at their conversation history, she had to smile at just how much of it was solely video calls. Soon, though, this won't be necessary. We'll both be in Arcadia Bay, and from there it's just us and the world, Max thought with a smile as she reached over with her laptop to set the computer on her desk before she curled up in her bedspread. Glancing around at her room, she grinned at the fact that her first iteration of the Max Caulfield Photo Memorial Wall actually took up two full walls and part of the ceiling.
"We're just getting started, Chloe," Max said, smiling before she yawned and drifted off to sleep.
Max was up, showered, and dressed in record time. At this point, little she did fazed her parents. 16 herself, Max held a part-time job at the coffee shop and was almost a straight-A student at this point. She gave Chloe humblebrag points over the fact that her girlfriend's academic skills were what had made her such a success herself; as she finished off her cereal, dancing in her stool at the kitchen island, Max took one final drink of her coffee before she put it and the empty cereal bowl in the sink. Traipsing around the living room a little, feeling incredibly light in the wake of such incredible news, Max did not even notice how Ryan was watching her with an amused expression on his face.
"You're practically glowing there, Max," Ryan said, chuckling a little more when Max stopped mid-step as though his words had broken her reverie, "Wonder whatever reason you could be feeling so celebratory for?"
"Ohmigod, Blackwell Academy!" Max blurted out, hands to her mouth as she let go of the most piercing giggle she had ever unleashed, glancing over at her father when she was suddenly aware that she was not alone. "O-Oh, um… Sorry…?"
"Kiddo, if you're not celebrating this, for all the reasons you have to do so, I'd be concerned then," Ryan said, putting his newspaper on the coffee table before he patted the spot on the sofa next to himself, "Let's have a talk before Chloe gets here, hmm? Your mom is out, so it'll just stay our secret."
A little nervous at the sudden need for privacy, Max took a seat and smirked when her leather jeans squeaked against the leather upholstery of the sofa. Sporting her Jane t-shirt and the jeans, she had finished off her small ensemble with new sneakers she had bought, flaming skulls emblazoned on each side. When her father gave her a hug, the ease of their closeness relaxed her a little. Still, her mind incredibly occupied, Max missed half of what they said and only caught his talk halfway through.
"…so that when you and Chloe are ready, you'll just know. I'm glad she hasn't rushed anything, but-" Ryan said, his voice calm in spite of the mixed look on his face, but Max was almost shell-shocked by what he said as she realized the discussion topic.
"Ugh, Dad! Gross!" Max replied, gagging a little in fun as her father just laughed in response. "Look, Dad. Even if she and I were…going there with our relationship already, I think I'd be knowledgeable enough. Anyway, um, I think I'm gonna finish up packing my camera bag and everything. I-I want to make sure I have enough film a-and… Well, yeah, I think I'll just go into my bedroom and grab my bag before I wait outside. Good talk, though."
Awkward and cringing as she headed down the hallway, Max did not catch the look on her father's face – the look of a father realizing his daughter has grown up.
"Yo, Mr. C.," Chloe said, giving Ryan a handshake as Max was finishing getting ready in the bathroom, "How's the Seattle life?"
"It's not that bad, Chloe. Same old, same old," Ryan said, warm smile on his face that only strengthened by Chloe awkwardly scratching at the back of her head, blue hair now down past her shoulders, "You're really gonna keep the blue? You have such lovely blonde hair…"
"Yeah, well, a different Chloe for every season. That, and I dig the blue, of course. Be kinda weird if I had dyed hair and didn't like the color-" Chloe was saying, until her mind and heart were taken away by the sight of Max Caulfield walking out of the bathroom.
Max had become friends with Natalie online, browsing through enough people on Facebook that when she did finally discover the cosmetics expert she was more relieved than anything. Unbeknownst to Chloe, though, was the fact that Natalie had a YouTube channel and did makeup tutorial videos. When Natalie did one that basically catered to Max's complexion, the pink-haired girl watched it several times over before she began to actually experiment with her own look. Aside from some eyeshadow and lip gloss, Max did not otherwise wear makeup; with Chloe's 18th birthday coming up, though, Max felt like being a little "risqué" for herself and opted to try and make herself look as good as she admittedly had felt after she had her makeover in LA months ago. Coming out of the bathroom with her makeup as close to the exact same from that time in Sephora as she had been able to produce, Max blushed a little when Chloe's jaw dropped at the sight of her. Bingo, Caulfield, Max thought, mentally pumping her fist in victory, Your makeup game is good, so at least you know that now. Only for Chloe, though. I…don't really like this feeling on my skin all too much. Smiling, Max walked towards her girlfriend and shyly tucked a strand of her loose pink hair behind her ear before her girlfriend dropped all pretense and just kissed her in greeting. In front of Max's father. Sorry, Dad, Max thought as she looked over Chloe's shoulder to see the awkwardness evident on her father's face.
"Hey," Max said once the kiss was done, having made sure it at least stayed chaste in front of her father, she had no desire to potentially scar him, "You're a little early. This is becoming a habit."
"What can I say? You're a good influence on me," Chloe replied, smiling as she rested her arms on Max's shoulders and just gazed at her girlfriend longingly, "My future Blackwell Academy alum. You're gonna own that fucking school – you, Rachel, and Steph will vanquish and conquer all that comes across your path."
"I…don't know about that, but they both took the news pretty well, though," Max replied, remembering all the smile emojis Rachel had sent her as a reply, and Steph's response of a picture of Rachel screaming at the news, "But, if I'm an influence on you, then you certainly are one on me."
"A good-bad one, for sure," Chloe agreed, nodding almost sagely before she let out a sigh, "You ready to bounce? They day is wasting, Maxaroni."
"Yeah, just lemme grab my camera bag," Max said, heading for the bedroom only to glance over her shoulder and giggle as Chloe proceeded to follow her, "Y'know, if you wanted to just come into my room with me you should've said so…"
"Ah, just get your bag already, goofball."
Grabbing her camera bag, Max turned around and landed right into Chloe's arms with another giggle. In her brighter moments, Chloe was even more attentive and adorable than usual. There was a lightness about her, a type of bravado that was wrapped up in graceful steps. Grabbing a handful of Chloe's hair, letting the punk kick her door closed, Max cracked a crooked grin of her own and pulled the taller girl in for a long, passionate kiss. The pink-haired girl had come to accept things about herself over the past several months, Max realizing that she was coming into her own from a place of sexual awakening. Slipping her tongue into Chloe's mouth with ease, Max pulled Chloe in even tighter and hooked a leg around her girlfriend's waist. When the punk got the message, she reciprocated with Max's signal by picking the smaller girl up altogether as they kissed over and over. Moans, whimpers, and breathing were the only noises that resounded in Max's thoughts as her room almost began to feel hot to a suffocating degree. Tapping her girlfriend's shoulder to signal her desire to be put down, Max felt one of Chloe's hands brush her right ear and the punk's eyes snapped open.
"You got your ears pierced?" Chloe asked, shock etched into her face. "Damn, Max. You're find all kinds of ways to gradually make yourself into a badass."
"Yeah, well… It was time," Max said, shrugging before she tucked her hair behind said ear to reveal the couple of rings and bar running through her cartilage, "Mom signed the consent form…with some reluctance. I think what eventually made her consent was the fact that my hair can hide them so easily.."
"Yeah, but still, though – that's sick as fuck, babe," Chloe said, her voice and face projecting just how awestruck she was before her face went red and she looked away, "So, um, shall we-?"
"Chloe Price, are you being shy?" Max asked, her teasing and elbow to the side getting a groan in response. "Aww, Chloe. It's okay to bow before my majestic-ness."
"Pfft, whatever, Caulfield. You wanna see badassness? Gimme a few hours."
Max smiled as she was led out of the door with little more than a wave and grin at her father before they were gone through the front door. The sight of her father's look when she and Chloe had kissed in front of him stuck with Max as they headed towards the truck, but once they were inside the cab with Chloe's music blasting through the truck's stereo what she had perceived from Ryan as something of a grief-stricken look faded away into near-obscurity. He sees me, sees how I am now, and I get it, Max thought as she briefly grinned at Chloe while they pulled out of the driveway, I'm not his little girl in the sense that I'm not leaning on him or Mom anymore. Even just being 16, I'm getting a lot accomplished on my own. Super-steady girlfriend, new school in 6 months and change, barista job in the bag – look out, World. Here comes Max Caulfield, hipster without a cause. A thump on her shoulder brought her back to her sense, Max rubbing the sore spot as she scowled over at Chloe.
"I swear to God, Max, you fucking space out more than astronauts at this point," Chloe teased, Max sticking her tongue out, "…What were you thinking about?"
"Getting older," Max replied, Chloe nodding thoughtfully, "I think my parents are getting sad that I'm kinda moving past needing them as much as I used to. Kinda weird, thinking just how much has changed over all my time here in Seattle."
"Fuck yeah, there's been some…developments," Chloe said, Max rolling her eyes in spite of the chuckle escaping her as Chloe wagged her eyebrows, "You an' me, though – that's the big one, Max."
"No doubt about that one," Max affirmed, knowing smile on her face, "Still, though. Nearly four years already. Feels…strange."
Max thought back to the note in her desk, back to that fateful day when it compelled her to call Chloe. Glancing out of the passenger side in an attempt to detract Chloe from giving her another punch to the shoulder, the pink-haired girl was deep in thought once more. What if I had not followed its suggestion, something I already felt I needed to do? Would I have not called Chloe? God, what would that world even be like? As much as Chloe had been an integral part of her life before they had become a couple, the two of them were so intertwined at this point that Max could imagine an invisible string that tied them together in half a dozen different places. Sighing, she leaned back into the seat and pulled out her camera.
"This thing is just about shot, really," Max said, playing with the hinge, "God, I've used it like crazy these past four years, Chloe. I can't imagine using another, but holy shit. I-"
"Reach behind the seat, will ya? Got something for you," Chloe said, her eyes distant as she kept them on the road, "Go ahead, Max. Don't be shy."
Grumbling about not being as shy as she used to be, Max sighed and reached into the small area between the seat and the back of the cab. She could barely get her fingertips against what she felt to be a gift bag, looking at Chloe with a suspicious glare that finally got a rise out of her girlfriend as Chloe just chuckled in response. Screwing her lips together as she reached as far as she could, Max let out a small squeal of victory before she pulled the bag out. Pulling all the paper inside away, Max's eyes widened and she looked over at her girlfriend with an expression that was equal parts love and awe. It's…, Max started to think, eyes riveted to the sight before her, to what was presently now in her lap.
"William's camera…," Max said, turning the old Polaroid camera in her hands several times as she just took the sight in, "God, I remember how much your dad would tease letting me use it when I was a kid."
"Yeah, Dad loved giving you a hard time over every picture you took," Chloe said, grin on her face, "But, well, he'd want you to have it. I pilfered it from Mom's collection of his stuff years ago, and I know that you'll use it awesomely. You happy?"
"Hella yes, I am!"
"…That was almost as bad as 'Ready for the mosh pit, shaka brah', Max. My ears are bleeding, babe."
"God, you are so fucking mean. You still have that video, don't you?"
"Uh, yeah. Need it for later ammunition if you ever get too badass for me. The nuclear option, of course. In case of Mad Max getting to be too much, break out video."
"Brat."
"Snot."
"Dork."
"Hippie."
Max laughed, Chloe joining her after a couple seconds as they drove deeper into Seattle from the suburbs, their laughter echoing out of the open truck windows.
"Max!" Rachel cried out, rushing the pink-haired girl as they entered the coffee shop where she was employed. "Congrats on the admission to Blackwell! So excited!"
Max smiled, giving Rachel an extra squeeze in their hug before she pulled away so that Rachel could immediately make way for Steph to add on an additional hug of her own. She caught the way Rachel and Steph eyed one another, the sadness-tinged smiles. Steph graduated this year, having been in accelerated programs at Blackwell. With her leaving while Rachel still had one year to go, their time together before graduation had been filled with laughs and more than a couple tears. Max had needed to play mediator between them at one point, Rachel all but pleading Steph to not go to UCLA for college. Max would not dare try and limit Chloe in that fashion if she wanted to go to a fancy college like that, but she also knew she did not have to. Steph really likes Rachel, but I don't think it is enough to keep her in Arcadia Bay, Max thought, glancing over at the strained grin on Chloe's face, In the end, they're not me and Chloe. We've known each other so long that our togetherness just falls into place easily whether if we are together or apart. Realizing they had all been standing by the front door too long, Max ushered them all to a four-person table and went to the counter to get herself and Chloe some drinks and pastries. Returning with two a cappuccino and black coffee with two apple Danishes, Max handed Chloe her drink and food before she took her seat. Scooting in, Max almost immediately felt her girlfriend's foot next to her own and grinned before she gave it a gentle nudge.
"So, um, how's Blackwell?" Max asked, taking a sip of her drink before realizing she had brought up the least favorable thing at the moment. "U-Uh, sorry… Bad topic. Um, how about more along the lines of 'Why did you three opt to come here, where I work, for our getting together today'? Yeah, I think I'll go with that…"
"Blackwell is…Blackwell…," Rachel answered, the grim tinge in her voice almost causing Max to recoil as Steph gave her girlfriend's hand a squeeze to the blonde's relief, "As far as meeting here… Chloe talks about this place, about how hot you are in your work clothes. I was curious, and everyone agreed. Chloe, especially."
"H-Hey…!" Chloe said, opening her mouth to argue before she opted to take a drink of her coffee instead and grumble under her breath after. "…Max does look hot in her uniform…"
"Hmm?" Max asked, smiling a little incredulously at what Rachel had said. "Well, I'm not gonna complain. Coffee and food are all pretty good. Just a little weird to be here and not be working, is all."
Setting her coffee down, realizing she had essentially been guzzling it down, Max took a bite of her pastry as the other girls talked. Chloe was being all mysterious about what she wanted to do for her birthday, with Steph and Rachel trying to wheedle information out of her. Max was as oblivious as them, save that she knew Chloe also had some good news that was solely for her knowledge. Putting the Danish down, half of it already gone, she shook her head and chuckled a little when she caught her girlfriend eyeing the food. Sliding the small plate and half-eaten pastry over, Max laughed outright when Chloe eagerly took it and proceeded to tear into it.
"God, Chloe. You waste no time do you?" Steph joked, Rachel laughing along with Max as they had seen Chloe do this with both of their meals before.
"The best Chloe is a well-fed Chloe," Max said matter-of-factly, "The best way to a Price woman with blue hair is through her stomach. And lips. Oh, and there's this one spot where she-"
"Oi! That's enough of that!" Chloe said, having put the pastry down to point an accusing finger at Max. "The first rule of Dating Chloe Club is to not talk about Dating Chloe Club. It's the second rule that says to specifically not divulge my secrets."
Smirking, Max averted her eyes but laughed again when hers and Rachel's met with a knowing expression on both of their faces. Max had divulged some things with Rachel when her friend had done the same with Steph during one of her lamentations over her girlfriend graduating soon.
"Chloe, if you don't tell us what you have in mind soon I will-" Max started, her attention returned to her girlfriend only to cringe when she caught that devilish grin she knew only too well, "…Whatever it is, no, Chloe. Bad Chloe."
"Calm yo booties, Caulfield. I…want to get a tattoo. That's all. Tattoo, and then pizza for dinner before these two head back to Arcadia Bay to 'hang out'."
"Any idea what you're getting?" Rachel asked, chin resting in her hand as she leaned forward. "Gonna get 'Max' on the small of your back? Complete the circle you began with 'Chlobby'?"
"Chlobby…," Max teased, giggling when her girlfriend flipped her off.
"No, I'm not that fucking stuck on Max," Chloe said, averting her eyes when Max gave her a knowing smile, "…Okay, so I am. But I'm not. That tattoo, anyway. Uh, I have a design I drew up with Mikey helping along. Check it!"
Pulling a paper out of the seat pocket of her jeans, Chloe laid it out on the table and the other three girls leaned in to what Chloe wanted to permanently adorn her body. Max had to admit it was impressive, seeing the several half-erased lines from what she figured were the more rough versions of the tattoo. Flowers, butterflies, vines, ribbon, and a skull. Very…Chloe, Max thought as she nodded in approval, pulling her new Polaroid camera to take a photo of the design. Slipping the photo into her bag so that it could develop while she spent time with her friends, Max looked over to see Rachel had almost as excited a look on her face as Chloe did while Steph's response was more neutral. Makes sense, though, as Steph has already said she's not really interested in getting inked, Max said, looking down at the illustration again, …I wonder what Chloe might come up with for me if I wanted to get a tattoo…?
"…And you expect us to just sit at the parlor while you get this done? God, Chloe, this could take all afternoon and into the evening…," Steph said, a slight pleading tone in her voice that attracted Chloe's ire, "I'm…not complaining, Chloe. I think in any other situation it would be a blast. I just don't have a lot of time left before I graduate, everything is so hectic right now, a-and I want to spend what free time I have left with Rachel…"
"Oh. Right, um, my bad…," Chloe replied a little glumly, giving Max a quick smile of appreciation when the pink-haired girl immediately reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, "I just thought it would be cool, my three closest friends being there for this. If you don't think you can-"
"Let me and Steph discuss this, Chloe," Rachel interjected, glancing over at her girlfriend with what Max thought might almost be disappointment, "At worst, we can't. At best, we can stick around for some of it. That at least alright?"
"Yeah, sure…," Chloe replied before sighing, not paying the other couple much attention when Steph and Rachel got up to what Max figured was go and discuss their options, "They could've at least looked excited, babe…"
"Rachel was psyched, Chloe. Are you for real right now?" Max fired back, a hand on Chloe's cheek as she pulled her girlfriend in for a kiss. "Even if they can't, it's not like they don't care. And besides – I'll be with you every step of the way. Not even a question."
"I know I've said this numerous times, but you really are the frickin' best, Max Caulfield."
"I do aim for perfection when it comes to my Chlobby," Max replied, playing with the necklace Rachel had given her last Fall for her birthday.
"I take it back. You're totally the worst."
"Chlobby, no!"
Max sat in the tattoo parlor, some place called Pierced Hearts, and was reclining in one of the chairs as she browsed through her phone while Chloe pleaded and begged. Technically she was still 17, not turning 18 until tomorrow, but Max could tell by the look on one of the artists in the back that they were going to let Chloe get tattooed. Her girlfriend had planned ahead, scheduled the appointment a full month in advance and presented her debit card with a Cheshire grin when she got up to the counter. Max herself was thinking of getting another piercing, as she had kept that letter of consent from her parents as a precautionary measure. It pays to be prepared, Max thought with a smirk as she browsed through a catalog, I…I think I do want a tattoo when I turn 18. Chloe's getting her whole arm done. Her entire goddamn arm. Wowser. While I think it'd be cool to have something like that, I want something…different. She's getting something that says "Chloe Price" – I want something that says "Max Caulfield". Putting the magazine down to smiled over at Steph and Rachel, she admired her friends fondly as they held hands and talked to each other in low whispers. They had compromised with Chloe; agreeing to stick around for a few hours, they were going to then head out for some quality time in Seattle before both couples met at Gameworks for pizza and video games. It was a cool plan, a good one in Max's opinion, and she was looking forward to pizza and fun.
"Max?" Max heard Chloe ask, her pink hair spinning a little as she came out of her own thoughts at the sound of her name. "Max, um, would you sit in the back with me?"
"Sure, if that's okay," Max said, grabbing her camera bag, "What about Steph and Rachel, though? Chloe, you shoehorned them into sticking around, but they're gonna be-"
"We're fine, Max," Rachel said, looking up from gazing into Steph's eyes, "Honestly, I'm going to look at some of these designs, too. I know I want something, but I just don't know what."
"You want a tattoo, Chloe's getting a tattoo…," Steph said, her chuckle and disbelieving smile getting a thump on the shoulder from Rachel, "I'm teasing, cutie. I do have to ask, though – Max, I know they both rub off on you, so are you going to get one eventually, too?"
"U-Uh, well… Um…," Max choked out, averting her eyes as she cradled her elbow.
"…I'm surrounded by a bunch of SuicideGirl wannabes," Steph lamented, dramatically putting the back of a hand to her forehead, "You're all so lost."
Snickering at Steph's teasing, Max walked over and lightly thumped Steph in the shoulder Rachel had not hit herself, giggling when Steph looked at her flatly.
"Really, Max? Now I know how Chloe feels when you two tag-team her," Steph complained, chuckling a little when Chloe looked over her shoulder and flipped them all off, "I was on your side, Chloe!"
"Oh, uh, never mind, then," Chloe replied with a shrug before she turned all the way to do a little shimmying dance as she walked up to Max, "Ready to watch me get needled into badassery?"
"You're such a dork, but I love you," Max replied, hand to Chloe's cheek before the punk took her hand and they went into the back, "We'll… Uh, I'll be back to see you guys off!"
Max watched Steph and Rachel smirk in unison before waving as she and Chloe headed off. The smaller girl did marvel at just how cool the booths were, red curtains diving each section off though the surrounding walls between booths were only about waist-high on her. Figuring it was so that the artists could communicate, Max took a seat on a stool in the very corner nearest the curtain and felt a little jittery when someone passed right by the curtain and she caught some of the breeze. Seeing Chloe give her a goofy smile, the excitement clearly evident on her face, though, gave Max a reason to ignore her anxiety and just enjoy the moment. Pulling out her Polaroid camera, Max used up the last of her cartridge taking pictures of all the prep work before she sat her old camera on the floor and loaded a cartridge into the camera her girlfriend had given her. Thanks for the memories, William, both old and new, Max thought as she took a selfie with a cheerful, toothy grin on her face.
"Haven't seen that in a while, you taking a selfie of just yourself," Chloe said, smirk on her face before she glanced down as the artist finished applying the trace paper to her arm, "So, we gonna do the whole thing?"
"That's…not possible, Chloe," the artist said, disbelief and amusement on her face, "There's too much work needed. We'll handle all the outlining today, let you rest up a few weeks, and then come back for the shading before letting it heal again before we do the coloring. Getting all of it done at once – that'd take too long and we're only open so long, kid. Just relax, yeah?"
Max watched as Chloe grumbled a little before nodding emphatically when the artist teased her with possibly not getting the tattoo done at all. Laughing at how Chloe pleaded before realizing she was being joked with, Max only laughed harder when Chloe's face turned scarlet. Setting her camera in her lap, making sure it was at the ready, Max watched as the tattoo got started and winced as her girlfriend winced when the tattoo gun first connected with Chloe's skin. It was cringe-inducing to Max, almost turned her off getting one of her own, but not even 10 minutes later Chloe said it felt numb and Max felt relief wash over her. With Rachel peeking in every now and then before getting shooed off by the artist, Max being the only additional person she was willing to let in the booth, the pink-haired girl was willing to switch places with her friend but Chloe adamantly told her to not even budge from that stool. Giggling a little at that, Max spent the time taking photos of the process from her vantage point and the adjacent corner. While sitting did not give her the best angle, standing in the other corner gave her an easy view of everything going on and she took full advantage of it. Whittling the supply of cartridges she had brought with her down, Max had to be more sparing towards the tail-end of her impromptu photoshoot and waved bye to Rachel and Steph when they announced they were taking off.
"Hit the Space Needle!" Max said encouragingly. "It can be a little busy at times, but I think it's kind of romantic how all of Seattle is basically laid out before your eyes"
"Aww, you're a cutie," the tattoo artist remarked, smile on her face.
"Yep, that's my beautiful gal pal," Chloe replied, Max cringing at that, "No bueno?"
"Decidedly no good. 'Gal pal' – what am I, a walking and talking meme?" Max replied, eyes wide as she shushed Chloe with a warning glare. "Don't… Don't answer that, Chloe Price."
When the tattoo's outline was finally done and Chloe's arm was good and permanently marked, Max could not feel her butt and thought with a grin at how Chloe had teased her over the same thing years ago. As the artist gave her girlfriend's arm a wipe-down with a disinfectant wipe and began to cover it in some type of gel and saran wrap. When Chloe hopped out of the chair, Max had to catch her as she had been sitting for nearly eight hours. The work itself was very intricate and detailed, the artist had done as perfect a job as Max figured was humanly possible. When the artist approached her after Chloe had her bearings and opened the curtain to use the restroom, Max smiled friendly enough.
"Lemme see…," the artist said, brushing back the jacket to get a good look at Max, the smaller girl's face turning scarlet, "I saw you pretty fixated on those catalogs. Those were my tattoos."
"O-Oh…?" Max stammered, averting her eyes as the artist's fingertips brushed the part of her chest exposed from the neckline of her shirt, "Um…"
"You ever thought about getting a chest piece?"
The question alone sent Max's brain into a fit of different impulses triggering her. She was anxious, excited, terrified, and intrigued all at once. The visual image of Chloe and her undressing in Chloe's bedroom before their fingertips brushed along one another's tattoos filled her with a scalding hot sensation that bubbled up inside of her abdomen. GET. A. GRIP, Max thought in spite of the fact that she was now actively wondering just how hot Chloe would think her having a chest tattoo would be.
"Um, not really?" Max replied, though the interest in such a notion was easily discernable by the tremor in her voice and nervous smile, never mind that she was looking down at her shoes and cradling her elbow as well.
"Max, right?"
"Yeah…"
"I think you'd look badass with a chest piece, something nice that branches off onto your collarbones. That's just me, though. Anyway, here comes your girlfriend. God, she's so giddy it's too cute," the artist said, wiping down her station as Max blushed when Chloe was right behind her suddenly and they were hand-in-hand while heading to the door, "See you in three weeks, Chloe!"
"Hella yes, you will!" Chloe called back, waving as Max's flustered and torn state was oblivious to her in the giddy moment of having gotten her first tattoo started.
Max scored another ace shot into the center hole, racking up an impressive score of 50,000 on the Skee-Ball machine as Chloe cheered her on while Rachel grumbled about "a rigged game" to a sympathetic Steph. Pulling out the string of tickets, it being so long by their final game that it was curled around itself several times, Max added it to their group total in her camera bag and marveled at just how full it was. They had mainly targeted machines that were geared towards the prize counter and those that awarded winners with more coins for the games. Max was their ranger in this particular campaign, a scrutinizing gaze over each machine as she would typically circle it if possible and examine the machine for a moment before coming to a decision. Theatrically, Rachel would give the machine a thumbs-up or thumbs-down in such a way that reminded the girls of Gladiator; most of the machines were thumbs-up, however, so Max weaved them through the machines by alternating between games that awarded tickets and those that spit out coins. With a strategy in place, and no one ruining it this time, the girls were able to turn $10 in coins into a three-hour game binge between eating slices of pizza and downing Cokes.
"Quit it," Max said, swatting Chloe's hand away as she touched her new tattoo again, "It's bad enough you're leaky. You took the wrap off half an hour early and now it looks like someone blew their nose on your tattoo."
"Fuck right off, brat," Chloe half-teased, her and Max exchanging looks before the taller girl rolled her eyes and shrugged before she put her jacket back on, "Thank God this thing is loose on me, though. If it was skin-tight I'd be hella screwed. But yes, Madam Max, I will endeavor to not fuck with my badass tattoo. Another game?"
"Sure," Max said, seeing Rachel and Steph exchange a look themselves, "Um, actually, maybe some of us ought to call it a night…"
"Who?" Chloe asked, only after noticing that Steph was starting to look tired. "Oh man, my bad. I wasn't even… Are you two gonna be good to go? It's two hours back to the Bay…"
"We'll be fine," Rachel said, reaching in to hug Max and Chloe, "This was a lot of fun. I'm not usually big on games, but I really liked Soulcalibur."
"Yeah, because you button-mashed Chloe into submission," Max replied, crooked smirk on her face turning into an expression of pain when the tall punk thumped her on the shoulder, "What? She did, Chloe."
"Whatever you say, Max," Chloe grumbled, though she did wind up smiling after she gave Steph a hug, "Message me to let me know you two made it back a'ight?"
"Of course-"
"Ooh! Hold up!" Max exclaimed, waving all three girls over to her discovery. "We have to do this!"
The photo booth was larger than normal ones, the seat inside able to hold three of them easily with room for someone on the floor. Steph yawned and scratched at her beanie absently while Rachel mulled it over and Chloe just looked at the machine excitedly.
"How we gonna do this, though?" Chloe asked once Steph was in on one last machine.
The first picture was of Steph, Chloe, and Rachel with Max sitting on her girlfriend's lap as they smooched and the other couple made funny faces at them. The second one was of Max and Chloe on the floor, hands brought together in prayer as Steph and Rachel threw up devil horns and stuck their tongues out. The last one, the one they wanted most, was of Rachel sitting on Steph's lap and Max on Chloe's as all four girls just expressed their happiness. When all was said and done, Max wound up using a significant portion of their coin reserve to print off four copies of the photo strips. With one in Rachel's possession, one in Steph's, one in Chloe's, and one for Max they all hugged and bid each other a good night before Steph and Rachel left Gameworks. Taking Chloe by the hand, Max unveiled her own devilish grin and Chloe's eyes lit up before they gave their tickets to another couple of girls who were playing an Aliens: Extermination machine. Slapping their haul on the arcade cabinet, they blew kisses to the other pair of girls before hurrying out of the entertainment center.
"Feelin' bold, eh, Max?" Chloe asked, wagging her eyebrows before laughing when Max went so far as to rub her hands in a mischievous way. "What's up, my lil pup?"
"I just remembered that one of our neighbors are gone for the weekend, Chloe…," Max said, leaning over with a broad grin on her face that seemed to only encourage Chloe's own smile, "…and they have a jacuzzi."
"Hella yes…," Chloe gasped, clapping her girlfriend on the shoulder, "I am a good-bad influence on you. But I didn't bring a swimsuit-"
"That's what our bras and underwear are for, Chloe!" Max exclaimed, eyes wild and carefree.
Her words enough for Chloe, Max rolled down her window and leaned her head out to scream and yell as they drove through Seattle on the way back to the Caulfields'. It was late enough that she knew her parents would either be in their bedroom watching television or asleep. Telling Chloe to cut her lights half a block away out, Max grinned when her girlfriend brought the truck to a crawl before the finally did park in the driveway as quietly as possible minutes later. Scrambling out of the truck, both girls were careful to ensure the doors closed silently, Max led Chloe over to the neighbor's yard. Deftly managing to jump the hedge row, Max giggled when Chloe rolled her eyes and just walked around it before she put a finger to her lips. The pink-haired girl was having too much fun with this, but the mischievousness in her eyes was only fueled more so by the glee on Chloe's face as she found the spare key and opened the side gate door.
"Here we are…," Max said, her voice light and musical as she ushered Chloe towards the stone jacuzzi surrounded by a gazebo, "I believe that was a reservation for two, yes, Ms. Price?"
"Don't mind if I do," Chloe said, sly grin on her face as she looked over at Max before she began to strip down, "Dude, this is the best way to end my birthday bash. You, me, and a bunch of jets blasting us with hot water as we soak. Gonna get nice and prune-y up in this shit."
Once both of them were down to their undergarments, Chloe chuckling a little at Max's plain pink bra and white panties, they kicked on the jets and heat before climbing into the jacuzzi. Both let out a sigh of pure contentment as the water was nice and hot within a couple minutes. Chloe had wanted to turn on the lights embedded into the tank, but Max swatted her hand away and pointed across the fence to show that her parents' window was within their line of sight. Seeing Chloe shrug in the darkness, Max just giggled before she splashed the taller girl with a handful of hot water. Leaning against the side of the jacuzzi, they just gazed at each other for a moment and Max bit her lip at how beautiful Chloe looked in the near-dark of night. There's a way her hair catches the light of the moon, Max thought as she leaned her chin down on the stone while Chloe turned around to sit up against the side, Like the sky itself is reflected in her crazy blue mane. The vastness of time and space encircle her like something from a dream. I…I want her. I want my girlfriend. And that's perfectly normal, but not just yet. Max was not wholly ready just yet for her and Chloe to consummate their relationship, and as she became further mystified by her girlfriend the smaller girl got a splash of hot water right in the face.
"You lanky fuck!" Max exclaimed, half of her statement ground down into a whisper when Chloe put a finger to her lips. "…You lanky fuck…"
Chloe just grinned and sidled up next to Max so that they were right next to one another. Max's heart reverberated through her, the pulse of her life present in every inch of her body as her ears heated up and the echo of existence could be heard by her as a thump-thump. Torn between sliding away and just taking Chloe right in that moment, Max opted to compromise after a solid minute of thought and unceremoniously sat in her girlfriend's lap. Wrapping her arms around Chloe's neck, Max just eyed her girlfriend with a knowing smile.
"I love you," Max said, the sweetness and passion in her voice giving Chloe pause as she opened her mouth to reply before closing it up just as fast, "You are so, so beautiful. And smart, kind, fun. You are a wonder of the world, Chloe Elizabeth Price. I'm lucky to have you."
Chloe replied with actions rather than words, leaning in for a long and sensuous kiss that left Max in a pseudo-fugue state of arousal and confusion from the kiss coming to an end. Eyes locked on Chloe's face, burning that dazzling, smiling visage into her mind, Max watched what Chloe was doing but paid it no heed. Her mind was too full of their future together, nights under the stars and exploring the world with her photography and Chloe's artwork. When the bra did come off, though, Max's train of thought was utterly derailed as the present moment was hurtled into the forefront of her mind. Unlocking her hands around Chloe, Max reached behind her back and when Chloe mouthed You don't have to Max just leaned in and kissed Chloe on the forehead before she let her bra float on the water's surface.
"Incredible…," Chloe said, breathless and in a state of wonder if her expression was any indication, "You are…so incredible, Max Caulfield…"
Her bosom heaving as she breathed, Max felt that her development was sub-par and had always been rather sore about it once puberty kicked in. Still, though, there was more than enough for Chloe and as Max readjusted her sitting position so as to straddle Chloe their breasts pressed against one another's. When they were breathing rhythms were in unison, Max swore to herself that she could feel Chloe's thunderous heart as the storm which built inside of her churned through the smaller girl's brain with abandon. The girls' bodies crashed against one another, pressed up, and as their lips parted and then their mouths parted Max found her mind a growing haze of lust and raw energy that she had not experienced before.
"I…I want you…," Max said, the admission little more than a breathy whisper while Chloe just nodded and bit her lip, "But… Not just yet, okay? I'm… I don't want our first time to be in here. I want to really feel all of it, y'know?"
"I get that, Max, but…," Chloe said, Max internally crumpling up as she caught the momentary flicker of disappointment on her girlfriend's face, "…Soon, right? Like, not another year o-or even two, okay? If…If you make me wait until you're 18 I will go insane."
"I promise," Max said as she stroked her girlfriend's hair, "I will not leave you hanging much longer. Just give me a chance to breathe, find myself a bit more, and be truly ready for you, gorgeous. My precious punk."
"I…like that," Chloe said, averting her eyes only to realize she was staring down at their cleavage before her head snapped up again and met Max's knowing eyes and smile, "Shaddup."
"I didn't say anything," Max said, easing herself off Chloe's lap to the sound of her girlfriend whimpering ever so slightly, "…Wait. You said you had something private you wanted to tell me. Chloe, what was it?"
"Oh! Fuck, man, I totally forgot," Chloe said, their prior states of best friends first and girlfriends second reemerging, "I got a place in Arcadia Bay! Studio apartment, but it's pretty dope. Gonna be slowly moving in over the next week while I'm off from work. Mom's giving me the old couch, a-and I found some decent shit at Goodwill. It's gonna look hella bad, but be badass."
"If you're there I'm sure it's wonderful," Max said, eyes aglow as the insinuation behind this news wove through her head, "…No more parent supervision while I'm down there! A-And when I'm at Blackwell I can crash with you whenever I want. I can be that cute girlfriend, the one who brings her precious punk her lunch every day and share kisses behind the store…"
Max looked over at Chloe, the punk turning around so that she could also lean her chin on the stone, their hands coming together so that their fingers might weave together as they became interconnected. This will last, Chloe. We will.
"Together, we're gonna make the world bow."
Author's Note
Oooooh :O
Shiz is getting S-T-E-A-M-Y
That said, expect something different from me when things get NSFW. I'm usually pretty visually detailed, but I'm going a different way with this. Something more natural and mythic, maybe? That a good way to describe what I'm aiming for? Hmm, guess we'll see.
See you next chapter!
Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls!
Rowan