Chloe's room had become like their main-base, over the last few weeks. After most other hot spots were kind of ruined by… certain events, they had nowhere else to hide from the world. It wasn't a bad thing in of itself, David didn't come barging anymore so that was a plus point. But somehow it felt too... well, normal for the partners in time to hang out in a… normal room.

A normal room full of punk rock clothes.

"Can't we wait for Kate? She seemed pretty excited to do a, what did she call it, Chloesplay?"

"Nuh-uh. They always said that your girlfriend wearing your way-to-large-stuff is ridiculously sexy. I wanna see if they are right."

Chloe smiled as she saw how her girlfriend's face was starting to glow. "Who are they, in the first place?" Max tried to talk herself out of it, even if she couldn't deny the fact that she was kind of excited. After all, it wasn't like the idea of changing her 'style' was new to Max. Getting a tattoo seems bit hardcore, but trying on a few things is harmless… right?

"They, are… uh, people. On the internet, in films, stuff like that." The punk tried to answer the rhetorical question.

The freckled girl only retorted an "Uh-huh." Then, she opened the closet, so that she could look at the options she had.

Seeing that her girlfriend would play alone, Chloe smiled wickedly. "Knew you would be into it."

"I'm not into... I'm just…" With a quiet huff, she tried to get rid of a hair streak, falling into her face. "Stop teasing me, Che."

"But you're adorbs when you pout."

"Didn't you say I'm always adorable?"

An evil smile sneaked onto Chloe's face. "Well, yes, but especially when you pout."

"Great. Thanks a lot…" The freckled girl rolled her eyes, underlining just how grateful she was.

"Aww, you pouting again?"

"Ugh." Max had just played into it. She threw her hands up in surrender. Expecting another sassy comment, she turned her back towards her girlfriend, as if that would help her in any way. But instead of more sass, she felt two hands crawling onto her waist, pulling her into Chloe.

Their bodies pressed against each other so tightly that Maxine could feel the bigger girl's chest pressing against her back. As the soft sensation let her freeze, a weird shiver went through Max's body, electrifying it. Blood flowed into her head. Then, suddenly the smaller girl felt torn, as if one half of her brain was screaming to shift out of the hug, while the other…

The punk rested her chin on the brunette's shoulder, cheeks touching slightly. "So, wanna try this one?" Chloe asked, pointing at one of her white tank-tops.

"S-Sure!" Max retorted, just a bit too quick and hoarsely.

The blue haired girl raised one of her brows. "Everything okay, Jumpy?"

"Yes, o-of course! The one with the skull on it, right?" The brunette cursed her own stuttering.

Chloe didn't like it when Max beat around the bush. In fact, she hated it. There was always the possibility of something serious raising havoc in her girlfriend's head.

Why should she be worried, though? Senior Pressass didn't reach out for us. School is going well for her, too…. At least she says it does… Did she maybe have a fight?

"Hey, Maxster, you would tell me if something was bugging you, right?

The problem was that Max couldn't. What should she say?

Yes, Chlo, you're right. Something is bugging me. Your tits to be exact. Nope that wouldn't work. Just why did she have to make things so awkward… I just want to feel her… Be with her…

Max couldn't control it. Her was still ignited. "Sorry, can I just use the bathroom real quick?"

"Sure?..."

The freckled girl left the room rather quick, after freeing herself from Chloe's grip. She sighed once she was outside and the door was closed. Max wasn't angry, nor was she sulky, she knew that her girlfriend wanted to wait after all. But what did she herself want?

She splashed some cold water on her burning face, trying to calm down. Max had tried to accept Chloe's decision. But the last few days had shown that it would be… difficult.

If I could just stop the stupid overdose of hormones! Why do I have to be a horny teenager?!

She knew that Chloe wouldn't let her sudden escape stand like that, without an honest explanation. So, before re-entering the room, she prepared a bunch of answers.

But instead of a barrage of questions, Chloe was sitting on her bad with a serious expression, eyebrows furrowed, hands folded together on her lap, and her blue eyes focused on the floor. Max recognized that face. It was worry-Chlo-Chlo's face.

"Chlo? I-I'm fine, really."

"Say, Maxi, we are dating, right?"

For a moment the freckled girl was taken aback by the weird question. She wasn't angry, was she? "You don't seriously expect me to answer, do you?"

"Let's go on a date."

"A date?"

"We are dating, but our number of dates is frightening low. What do you say, think you can squeeze in some free time next Saturday. For good old me?"

Max thought about it for a moment. Something was off with the bigger girl. She couldn't point the finger at it, but she was acting weirder than usual. "Che, I'm not angry at you or anything."

"I know. I would know if you were." The blue haired girl waved Max's idea off. "Why did you leave, though?"

There it was. The expected question. Because I got aroused? Because I can't trust myself around you? For fuck sake, am I really going to say that out loud? The brunette gulped heavily, trying to flush the lump in her throat down. But before she could actually answer, the blue haired girl let out a sigh, brimming with worry. "See? Did something happen at school? Did you have a fight? Someone still stalking ya because of all the hero stuff?"

"N-No! Well, yes. Some people still ask me some ridiculous things. I won't sign anything for anyone." As expected the hype around Maxine Caulfield, slayer of the demon teacher, savior of Arcadia Bay, had died off quickly. Max didn't miss a second of it. "But that's not it. I just... "

"Just what, babe? With all this shit going down, I-I can't tell the difference between a just-moody day, and... a fucked day." Her voice nearly broke. "I need your help, Maximouse."

Chloe looked up, eyes meeting her girlfriend's, and just now Max noticed how watery they had become. She felt like slapping herself. While her amazing girlfriend had been worried sick about her, she had only fantasized about what? The feeling of Chloe's mouth on different parts of her body?

"God damn it… I'm the worst" The freckled girl exhaled heavily, and then made a few quick steps forward, and embraced her still sitting girlfriend, pressing the blue haired head into her belly. She could feel how two hands balled into fists on her back.

It had been a few days since Friday, but the hard truth was that neither of them was feeling less stressed now. It would probably take weeks of nothingness before either of them could say they were just okay. And Max felt like shit for not thinking once about how her actions might seem for Chloe.

"Now, just thinking about is so stupid."

"Just tell me." She could hear a whisper coming from the area around her navel.

"I…" The brunette couldn't help but chuckle at the mere thought now. "I felt… Well... after feeling your...breasts on my back..." She brought her point across, but couldn't bring it over herself to finish the sentence.

There was an awkward silence for just enough seconds, so that Max started worrying.

"You really are stupid. But you're okay, right? Nothing to worry about? Seriously?"

With a soothing voice Max confirmed that everything was fine, while stroking Chloe's blue hair with one of her hands. She could feel how a deep breath warmed the area around the punk's face on her stomach.

"You… really... are… stupid!" Chloe suddenly yelled, while throwing herself back onto the bed, taking the girl in her arms with her. The only thing Max could do as she was swept from the floor, was letting out a high pitched shriek. The squealing was muffled as soon as the freckled girl collided with the blanket.

They jostled with each other for a few seconds, but then Chloe came out on top. Knowing that she had the favored position, a smug smile appeared on her lips. "I was seriously worried because of you. You little perv!"

"I-I'm not- Ah!" Max couldn't finish her sentence, thanks to a barrage of tickle-attacks. She couldn't defend herself against the bigger girl, her only option was to meander herself from under Chloe.

Of course teasing the brunette was one of the punk's favorite activities, but just the ring of Max's laugh, even if it was forced, was bliss for her. The vibration, which came out of the little frame under her, was shaking her bones. It was cleansing her whole being, as if it had been freed from a layer of dust or icy frost had been swept away from it.

It was right in this moment that Chloe Elizabeth Price decided once and for all that this sound was the best thing in the world.

I'll totally blow her hipster head away on the weekend!

…

They died a few more times, trying to finally get through Sen's fortress, but then sleep caught up. They could feel how their shoulders got heavier, their eyelids were falling down again and again, and at some point the two gave up on gaming. Still, feeling a weariness in them made it easy to sleep in the comfort of one another.

Chloe, who would normally sleep a lot more than she did when her girlfriend was crashing, didn't really care about the few lost hours. The shut-eye she got in exchange was more than worth it. The blue haired girl couldn't say why or how, but it felt like a battery that was being charged when she was sleeping with Maxine in her arms. She exchanged quantity for quality.

Over the last few days the couple had slipped into some type of routine. The punk woke up with her arms slung around the smaller girl, and before they tackled the day, they ate breakfast with Joyce. Yesterday, on Tuesday, even David had been eating with them. Without yelling, screaming, crying, or even angry glaring, the Prices plus Max just had a conventional morning, which was surprising in of itself.

Since Friday, the veteran had been alarmed, so to say. Chloe and Max needed to explain that they had met Nathan. After all, they still owed David for helping them to get into Blackwell Academy. To be frank, he wasn't a big fan of the story.

"So, much could have gone wrong!"

And he had a point. That's why neither of the girls could really be angry with him. Even if Chloe tried. But just as Max expected another fight between the two, David exhaled discontented through his nose.

"But I see why you did go anyway." And with that his irritated expression changed into one of understanding. Since then he and Chloe hadn't talked much, but the bits and pieces they actually did talk with each other were almost friendly. Close enough.

Joyce, seeing that the air between her two loves was getting more pleasant, had a big satisfied smile on her face, for the whole time they ate together in the morning.

So, where were we again? Ah, yes, Breakfast.

After inhaling some eggs and toast, the two girls moved upstairs again, and Max readied herself for school. Afterwards the punk drove her back to Blackwell just in time, so that Max wouldn't be late. Getting a kiss for the ride was more than enough compensation for Chloe.

...

School was…. meh. Annoying to say the least. Max had forgotten that things like homework, or just standard teenage future-anxiety, could suck major ass.

But despite all the negatives, there was a bright side to it as well. In the two and a half weeks, Max had missed, the teachers hadn't gone that much deeper into the subject material, and she was making actually pretty good progress on catching up to the other students.

Also, seeing her friends again, after what felt like years, was restorative. At last, some wounds were starting to heal now. Visiting Dana and Juliet to hear them chatter about boys and rumors, without the fear of a storm or some psycho ruin her life, was like a vacation.

Old Max would've hated it. I was always scared of how people saw me. It's just so… irrelevant, it's almost funny.

Some part of her was even starting to believe that everything would be okay. And that was frightening Maxine more than anything. Because if something should happen, she needed to be prepared. It would destroy her if the worst case scenario

How can I say that anything will be good, from now on? Maybe everything will get even more fucked? Maybe I triggered a storm somewhere else. In some other town. Killing hundreds without even knowing any of them?

The panic-attacks didn't end. But somehow she managed through the first half of the week. Obviously Chloe, but also all of her other friends were very supportive and patient, even if they didn't see the whole picture. Stories had spun around the happenings with Jefferson, so that now each student had his own version of what had happened.

Max didn't ask. Nor did she talk about it.

Right now, she was sitting in the library going over the last few things she needed to figure out for algebra. Biting her pen, she was struggling with one certain assignment, but just as she was about to throw the towel she heard someone speak up. She would just surrender, go back to her room and wait for Chloe to come over, after she was done working.

"H-Hey, need a hand? Or, well, a brain?" Warren was standing behind Max's back, looking down on her papers.

For a moment she stared at the boy in surprise. Warren had been the only one who hadn't talked too much with her in the last few days. It wasn't like he had hard feelings, or well one could say that exactly that was the problem. He did have feelings for Max, still. Warren was not stupid, he knew that it would never be anything more than friendship between the two of them, but who can really decide how his heart feels, right?

But can I blame him? Chloe rubbed us in his face pretty hard. Must've sucked major ass to see her kiss me, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Ugh, does it make even sense? I think my assignment is botched or something."

"If you just use the equation on page forty five, it's actually pretty easy."

One eyebrow quirked up, she gawked at him. "Seriously Warren? You really even know the pages by heart?"

He just shrugged, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "You know me. Been Always the go-to-nerd."

"Haven't you?" She agreed, a smile playing on the tip of her mouth. Then, the two of them fell into an awkward silence. Not knowing what to say, or what to do, the boy just sat himself in front of Max and started reading a book as well.

The freckled girl didn't try to have small talk either. She knew why the normally so talkative Warren was silent. From time to time he glimpsed over, and it seemed like Warren wanted to say something, as he opened his mouth, but before any word could escape, he quickly closed it again.

After about ten minutes of this charade, Max loudly sighed through her nose. "Something up?"

"Huh?... I… N-No, it's nothing."

"Warren…"

"I just…" He groaned, irritated with his own stuttering. "I just… I'm sorry."

"You've done no-"

"That's the point." He showed her a sad smile, now eyes fully focused on her. "Haven't been there since… And don't say you didn't need help. I know you got Chloe and all, but... " He was right. Kate and Warren were Max's closest friends, besides Chloe obviously. The freckled girl knew that Kate had to deal with her own demons, but Warren? What had he been up to for the last weeks?

How would I feel if I found Chloe making out with some other girl? Depression would've banished me into nothingness, I guess. He probably needed time as well, to compensate and shit.

"I'm seriously sorry that I hurt you. But just like you, I can't decide who I like."

Warren frowned upon hearing that. "Dude, I know. That wasn't… I don't blame either of you, Max. Don't think so low of me." He sounded wounded.

Offending him like that wasn't her intention. She pursed her lips, fiddling with her pink streak. "Sorry that didn't come out like I planned." Her blue eyes dug into the wooden table between them.

"Oh, I know someone who didn't come out as planned, as well." He was right. Thinking back, it was quite embarrassing. They kissed in front of everyone. Literally everyone... Wait. Did he just… sass her?

She tilted her head to the side, brows furrowed. "I was quite shocked myself. But Piper Chapman is actually bi."

A sarcastic smile appeared on his lips. "And Chloe is Alexa, eh?"

His goofy nature let Max mouth tilt upwards. But she also wanted to know how they stood now. "I really like you Warren. You are like one of my best friends, and I would hate to lose that."

He gave an agreeing hum, as he nodded. "Just give me some time. Gonna sort some stupid stuff out." And then he mumbled more to himself, "That's why cyborgs are so dang cool."

"You would rather be a heartless machine?"

"That a serious question, Max?" He retorted, voice full of sarcasm.

No. They were talking about Warren Graham. This was not a question. "More like a clarification." The freckled girl chuckled.

"That's not a laughing matter! Just think about it. I would come from the future to save all of you. Wouldn't that be awesome?"

Max was quite happy that Warren didn't see how her hand balled a fist, under the table. Immediately after the boy had finished his reference of Terminator, she had bitten her own tongue. She buried her face in the book, in hope that it would provide a good hideout.

He didn't mean it literally, you dingus! She tried to calm down, while pretending to study again. Just a joke. Nothing but a joke...

"So, seriously now Mad Max, you need any help with this stuff?" For a moment she was confused, as Warren spoke up again. Then, she noticed that he was pointing at the book in her hands.

"Actually, yes. I got some homework still preying on me in my room. Would it be o-okay if you check them?" She cursed herself for the single stutter. The freckled girl would lack an answer if Warren noticed that something was off with her.

The boy shrugged. "Sure thing. Not like I have a life outside school, anyway."

"Cool. Follow me then, young one."

"It's just by two years." The boy groaned.

"Two long, long years, Warry."

"Ugh, don't call me that." He rolled with his eyes, but couldn't help the smile on his face.

The two of them packed their stuff together, and headed for Max's room. Once they entered, he looked around. "Hm, just like last time I was here."

The brunette narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like it's a bad thing."

"Well, your room is … artistic?"

"My room is not messy." She defended her realm, arms akimbo.

"I said artistic."

"You did mean messy, though."

"Well…" Warren looked around once more. Papers were spread all over the table. Photos she had shot two weeks ago, were taking the last few inches of free space left. Here and there some clothes were resting lonely on the ground as well. "It is."

"Nuh-uh. I know exactly where everything is."

"Then, find me the homework you got problems with in under two minutes."

"That a challenge, Graham?"

"If you win, I'll do it for you."

"Nice, but what if I lose?"

"You…" He looked around the town to come up with something. Then, he spotted the guitar, resting laid against the couch. "You play something for me?"

"I'm not that good."

"That's not up to you to decide. Deal or no deal, Caulfield?"

The freckled girl agreed, thinking that it would be easy, and that him doing her homework would give her some time before Chloe came over. It took her over five minutes. "Dog damn it!"

"As I said, very artistic." The boy noted with a smug smile on his lips.

"Shut it." Max huffed in return.

"So, you gonna play something?"

"I warned you, don't expect too much."

He just rolled with his eyes, while sitting himself on the chair next to the table.

The freckled girl took the guitar in her hands, and made herself comfortable on the sofa. She hadn't thought about what to play yet, but as her fingers stroke over the strings she started playing, without even noticing it herself. After a few seconds she realized that it was Mountains from "Message To Bears" that had popped into her head.

As the slow tunes vibrated through the room, Max closed her eyes, and just played. Not thinking about her fears nor her wounds, she just played. She hadn't used her guitar in a long time, so sometimes she missed a tone, but it didn't interrupt her in the slightest. She had missed playing it, so instead of getting angry at her mistakes, she indulged the music she was creating.

For once she was creating something. She had gotten way too used to the idea of her being the destroyer of worlds.

As she finished, she opened her eyes again, vision blurred by water.

W-When did I start crying?

Warren just noticed it as well, and after a short moment of hesitation, he stood up, and sat himself next to her. "You okay?"

But before Max could lie to Warren, the door swung open, revealing a big blue haired punk.

"Hey!- Uhm?" Chloe was taken aback by the picture that had just unfolded in front of her.

Max was crying. Warren next to her. What did just happen?