Max yanked herself up from the bed and gasped for air. She looked around franticly, searching for Chloe to see if she was okay.
"Max! Are you okay? What is it?" Chloe asked, awoken by Max's sudden and harsh movements in the bed.
"Chloe! Oh, god, Chloe!" Max exclaimed before pulling the bluenette close and wrapping both arms around her and burying her face in Chloe's shoulder.
"Hey, Max! It's okay! I'm here!" Chloe said softly as she hugged Max back. She could hear the petite brunette sobbing and crying in her shoulder, as if she'd had a horrible experience.
"Chloe!" Max managed to cry out between sobs. "I thought… I thought I lost you!".
Chloe squeezed Max tighter and leaned her head onto Max's.
"I don't know what happened, Max. But I've got you. And I'm not letting go. I'm never gonna let you go!" Chloe said sweetly and determined. There was no chance that anything would hurt her Max. Chloe would never allow for such a thing to happen! Not after everything they'd gone through together!
Max whimpered in Chloe's arms for a while, still trying to cope with what'd just happened. It was app just a dream, right? Just a stupid, macabre dream that meant nothing! Right?
Although unable to go back to sleep, Max rested in Chloe's arms for a considerable amount of time before getting up.
"Where are you going, Max?" Chloe asked sweetly.
"I… I need to step outside for a bit. It... Things got intense, and I just… I just need a minute" Max replied, sounding a bit confused and taken aback.
"Would you mind me joining you?" Chloe asked, not wanting to leave her beloved alone after what seemed like a terrible dream and a horrific experience.
"Please" Max replied simply. "I need you right now… I just don't need this room. Or sleep."
Chloe rose up from the bed, still naked after last evenings extravaganza, which both girls had really enjoyed at the time. She picked up yesterday's underwear, and put it on alongside a robe the hotel had been kind enough to provide. Stepping out on the balcony with Max, she leaned on the railing and put an arm around Max, pulling her closer. Letting out a sigh, Max leaned her head onto Chloe's shoulder and closed her eyes, wishing that she could stay here forever.
"Chloe…" Max started
"Hey. You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. I'm here for you no matter what, okay?" Chloe interrupted
"No, it's… It's okay. I think I should talk about what happened. Maybe it'll put my mind at ease…"
"Okay. But only if you want to!"
Max let out a barely audible sigh under her breath, as she prepared to mentally re-live the horrors of the dream. Although it was replaying in her head all the time, it felt heavier to actually talk to someone about it, rather than just thinking about it. Something about talking made it more lively, and it meant she had to somewhat focus on what'd happened, rather than just passively letting it swirl in her head.
"Okay, bear with me. It's gonna be macabre and probably sound stupid."
"Hey… It's okay." Chloe said while softly running her fingers through the brunette's hair.
"Okay… Here goes. So I suddenly found myself in some sort of lot. Maybe a parking lot? Or in the road. There was some kind of white fog-barrier that blocked my vision. Then it sorta expanded, and I found myself standing in front of the school. And I suddenly got a pounding headache. It was very painful, and it was beating with a rhythm… Like, a heart rhythm…"
"Go on" Chloe said softly, being careful not to push Max into saying or remembering something she didn't want to.
"Well, I went towards the doors to the main building, but they were locked, and I couldn't get in. I tried to walk over to the dormitories, but that fog-barrier thing stopped me before I could get there. It was the same as when I rewind using a photo. I can move freely within the past, but only to an extent. Anyway, I couldn't get to the dormitories, and the rhythm increased. It wasn't bearable. So I almost ran over to the pool building to see if I could get in there to stop the headache. And the doors were fortunately open, so I ran inside. And the headache stopped suddenly. And then…"
Max stopped. Chloe could see distraught and pain in her eyes, and tears started forming in the corner of Max's eyes.
"You don't have to go on…" Chloe started, but was quickly shot down by Max.
"Yes. I have to. It's the only way to put that pain behind me" she said.
"Okay"
"The headache had stopped. And the doors shut close after me. I never checked if they locked themselves or not… So I found myself in the pool area. It looked just like when we went for a night time swim there." Again, Max stopped to draw her breath and think for a second about the dream.
"I looked towards the pool, and saw you floating there. At first I thought you were just floating on your back and relaxing. But when I approached… You were lying face down in the water, Chloe!"
Chloe looked a bit distraught, and pulled Max a bit closer. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Max".
"Yea… I jumped in and got you onto the floor. And I tried CPR, but… you died, Chloe. You died in that pool, and I couldn't save you."
Chloe's eyes were now starting to well up with tears as well.
"And I decided I couldn't live without you. To be honest, it felt more and more like a dream. Or rather a nightmare. But even if it was real, I wouldn't want to live without you. So I did what I thought I had to do. I… Chloe, I drowned myself for you."
"What?" Chloe was shocked.
"I did. I pushed one of those metal crates into the water, and held on to it until I drowned. And then I woke up."
"Max, you… You fucking drowned yourself because of me?" Chloe asked with eyes full of tears and a shaky mouth.
"Yes I did. And I would do it again." Max replied
"…fuck…" Chloe sobbed, before hugging Max with all her might. Hearing Max say that she was willing to die for her, pushed her over the edge, and Chloe started crying. Tears were now drippling freely down her soft and puffy cheeks.
Both girls stood on that balcony for what seemed like hours, hugging each other in the gentle, cool nighttime air. The skies were fairly dark, but they could see a glimmer of light on the horizon, indicating that the sun would probably get up in not too many hours from now.
Max reluctantly broke the hug after a few minutes. It was getting a bit cold, and she was shivering a bit, which Chloe noticed.
"You cold, Maxaroni?"
Max nodded
"Okay. Let's get you inside" Chloe said sweetly. The way Chloe talked to Max when she was either hurt or just needed some snuggles, really warmed Max's heart. Chloe had such a soft and sweet voice when she was calm and talking with someone she loved. But she could have a harsh and sharp voice when talking to someone she didn't care a whole lot for.
Max and Chloe stepped inside, and lied down on top of the bed in each other arms, doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
"Chloe… I meant everything I said. I literally can't live without you by my side" Max said in a low voice.
"I know, Max. And I feel the same way" Chloe replied gently
"Why do you think this is happening to me? Is it a side effect of having rewind powers, or is it just my head that's messing with me?"
"I don't know. But we'll figure it out. Together"
"Promise?" Max asked
"Promise!" Chloe replied
"Come here" Max said, before carefully rolling onto Chloe. Their heads were close, and Max gazed down into Chloe's deep, blue eyes. She could lose herself for days just looking at them, if she wasn't careful. Gently lowering her head, their lips crept towards each other in a painfully slow pace, until they finally met. It was a passionate kiss, as it usually was with Max, but Chloe could swear this carried more meaning and more feelings than usual.
"I'm yours, and you're mine" Chloe said after their kiss was broken apart.
"Oh, Chloe" Max sighed, before resuming the kiss. Her hands started out with going through the bluenette's hair, but eventually her hands started to wander downwards. First towards her shoulders. Then towards her hips.
"Oh, Max!" Chloe gently cried out.
A/N: Sorry I haven't posted in a little while. Things are getting busy irl, and I barely have time to write. Not gonna let that stop me, though ;)
Thank you to everyone sticking with me so far :)