Warning: This chapter contains content that could possibly be triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.


The sun shone bright in Max's window as she slept. It was around the middle of the day since she and her friends had stayed out very late. The brunette didn't stop thinking about how she and Chloe practically danced on the ice last night. And how she tripped and toppled over into her. But it seemed the lumberjack didn't mind that she had clumsy tendencies, rather just going with it. The brunette had texted her last night, but no response. She had guessed Chloe had crashed hard considering it was a while to get to her house. The brunette opened her eyes that were practically glued shut due to the sleep. She rubbed them, brushed the hair out of her face and stretched. The first thing she did was check her phone. There was a text from Chloe, which was around 9:30 AM. It was currently 11:00 so about an hour and a half ago.

CHLOE: hey hippie, don't know if ur awake yet but i wanted to hang today if thats cool with u

Max was happy to hear from her, but something seemed off. She thought nothing of it considering the blue-haired girl might be tired.

MAX: Yeah, of course! I just woke up so it might be awhile before I'm ready.

It was a little bit before Chloe responded.

CHLOE: thats fine. tell ur folks to drop u off, i got stuff to take care of

Max typed a general 'okay' response and decided to get ready. She took a quick shower, listening to Koethe's "A Light In a Dark Place" album. The brunette couldn't help but feel an emotional connection with the songs. Her personal favorite album of his was "Time" and she found it kind of funny that one of his songs was called "Price", similar to Chloe's last name. The photographer went back into her room and looked through her closet.

As she was skimming outfits, she found a familiar red letterman jacket. Max hadn't looked at it in what seemed to be years. Her boyfriend had dropped it off before he left. She couldn't help but graze her fingers across the fabric. The brunette took it out and held it. She sniffed of it, still having his scent haunt it. Suddenly her grip tightens as she clamps her teeth trying not to cry. She threw the jacket on the floor and clenched her stomach tightly, trying not to think of the bad memories in her past. Max shook her head and continued to get dressed, leaving the jacket to wrinkle on the floor.


Max trotted downstairs to see her parents were at the table reading the paper and a book. Her father looked up to see the brunette and put his paper down, smiling. "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he teased. Max chuckled at the nickname.

"More like almost afternoon. I'm sorry I came home so late last night. It was kind of a hassle," Max said sleepily.

"Ah, no trouble. At least we knew where you were. Plus you're 18, practically an adult, so who are we to say when your curfew is," he brushed it off.

"Hey, I was wondering if you could drop me off at Chloe's house today. She wanted to hang out," the photographer asked.

"Max, I wanted you to help me with yard work today. I just got done pulling weeds out there and I need you to repot flowers for me," he begged.

"Ryan, let her go have fun with Chloe. It's her Christmas break and she shouldn't be spending it doing chores," her mother interjected.

Ryan thought for a moment, then sighed. "Alright," he surrendered, "But next week you are repotting those flowers, Missy."

Max giggled. "Yessir."

As they finished conversing and ate a little meal, Ryan and Max got in their car and headed off to the Price residence. Max texted Chloe that she was on her way, catching her father's attention. "You really have been hanging out with Chloe a lot this past week," he said.

"Yeah, we have ever since you took me to their pine tree lot. I gotta thank you for that," Max responded.

Ryan chuckled. "Y'know, I can't help but think of myself and William when I look at you two girls. He brought the better side out of me when we were younger, and I can see that you two balance each other out just right. You're like the human version of Yin and Yang. So different, yet fit together like a puzzle piece. At least that's what I see, and people thought that about me and William too."

Max thought for a moment. She knew her dad was wise and could be pretty deep sometimes, but this one really made her think. The brunette never thought about it that way. She and Chloe were kind of like opposites. She was quiet, shy, and reserved, and Chloe was outgoing, friendly, and bold. Maybe they did balance each other out. "I think you're reading too much into it, Dad. Chloe and I just have different personalities."

"I'm reading too much into it? Says the girl who can create a whole story just by looking at a flower," he chuckled.

"That's different!" Max argued playfully, both of them laughing at the conversation.


Max stepped up to the Price household and rang the doorbell. She heard a very loud "Fuck!" inside and smiled to herself. Chloe always had to say something crude very loudly. There was a bit of shuffling before the door opened to reveal a messy-haired Chloe with just a tank top and jeans on at the moment. "Hey, Max," she put on a fake smile.

"You look horrible. What happened last night?" the brunette asked.

"Uh, just had trouble sleeping. Y'know how adrenaline rushes are, right?" Chloe said nervously.

"Okay?" Max didn't quite believe her, but decided to drop the subject.

"Come on in, don't want ya freezin' your ass off out here," Chloe offered entrance into her home. Max stepped in, observing the inside of her house. It was quite nice, with a few family portraits here and there. Chloe trudged up the stairs, beckoning for Max to follow her. The brunette awkwardly followed her and up to the blue-haired girl's room.

It was quite messy with flannels, boots, and varieties of different clothes on the floor. She even saw an axe in the corner to which she guessed that's what the lumberjack used. "I'm gonna go freshen up and change. You can just hang out here, but don't get too invested in my shit, Caulfield," Chloe teased, but deep down Max could tell she really meant that. She walked out the door and into her bathroom. Max just looked up and down in the room, gazing at all the punk rock and suggestive posters, random items scattered across everywhere, and just a whole "not-giving-a-shit" vibe.

The brunette sat on her bed, which squeaked a little. She guessed it had to be pretty old, as did some of the items in there. Then one thing caught her eye. It was a photo in a metal box, which was open. She examined the box carefully, and pulled the photo out. It was a blonde girl with a blue-feather earring in just her bra and underwear. Max found it slightly uncomfortable to look at considering she wasn't covered up in the slightest. She put it down and flipped through other pictures. It was more of the girl making seductive and crazy faces. Suddenly another caught her attention. She picked it up and immediately covered her mouth to stifle a squeak that had accidentally become audible. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, for the picture was of Chloe shirtless, no bra on, completely naked.

Max felt very uncomfortable looking at it, but her eyes were practically glued to the photo. Chloe wasn't bad looking in the slightest, in fact, Max thought she looked good. She had been right about her having a six pack as the photo clearly showed her toned abs while Chloe was just smiling. The brunette also paid attention to the gorgeous tattoo on Chloe's right arm. She had glimpsed at it briefly earlier but didn't have the time to analyze it like now. Just then she heard the bathroom door open. Max stuffed the pictures in the box and shoved it under the blue-haired girl's bed where she found it. Chloe came in with her coat, vest, and blue beanie. "Didn't get too deep?" Chloe smirked.

"No, not at all," Max lied, smiling innocently.

"Alright, let's go. I wanna take you somewhere," the lumberjack offered.

Max got up off her bed and followed the blue-haired girl downstairs. I just saw somebody's nudes, she thought.


Chloe's truck drove through the snowy roads, going deep into the forest. Max didn't know what the blue-haired girl was thinking, but she went with it. She trusted her, even though they had only known each other a short while. Chloe seemed on edge considering she looked tense while she drove. Max didn't know whether to ask about it or just leave it because she had already snooped enough in Chloe's personal past life. She had seen her without any clothes on for crying out loud, she needed to let Chloe have some privacy. "Hey, Chloe, where are we going? If you don't mind me asking," she tried to make conversation.

The lumberjack just kept her eyes on the road, not even sharing a passing glance. "It's a surprise," she responded.

"Well the whole, driving into the more woodsy part of the state does kind of give me a hint," the brunette smirked.

Chloe just smiled as she looked out the truck window. They simply just sat in silence until Chloe turned on the radio. It was light acoustic tunes, and Max knew immediately it was, for it was the same person she listened to this morning. Koethe's "X & Y" song was playing, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

"Don't tell me, don't tell me what I am of . . ." Chloe sang softly.

"No way, you've listened to him before," Max grinned. "And you say you don't listen to hipster shit."

"Hey, Koethe is different. He puts time and effort into his music, not like other pretentious indie alternative pricks," the lumberjack protested.

Max just chuckled at Chloe's defensive attitude. "Okay, Miss Punk-Rock-But-Secretly-A-Hipster."

They both laughed as the music kept playing and the truck got closer to the forest.


"Chloe, wait up!" Max huffed, trudging through the snow.

Chloe didn't respond, still walking in the white obstacle like it was nothing. Max was impressed at how Chloe could not be breathless after the endless trekking, then again she was used to it considering she had to do it for her job. Max, on the other hand, was not used to using this much energy walking. She was sweating even through her coat. She cursed under her breath at Chloe's impulsiveness and grumbled to herself, not realizing the blue-haired girl stopped and accidentally bumping into her. "Chloe, what . . ." She suddenly caught sight of what the lumberjack had stopped for. A tree, just a single tree was in the middle of a clear snowy opening. There were other ones surrounding it, but it just seemed clear out in the open. Chloe looked at it as if it was the best thing that had happened to her. She walked toward the pine with an astonishingly big grin on her face. Max couldn't help but smile as she saw the blue-haired girl's excitement. She secretly got out her camera and took a picture, then proceeded to join her friend. Chloe looked over at Max, still having the wide smile. "Max, do you see this? It's the perfect Christmas tree! Obviously it's waiting to be decorated!"

"We don't even have any decorations," Max laughed.

"Hold on!" Chloe sprinted away, leaving Max with the tree. The brunette was befuddled and bewildered about the lumberjack's effort and enthusiasm.

About five minutes later she heard heavy breathing and snow being kicked off the ground. Chloe was running with a cardboard box full of lights and ornaments and all Christmas tree nicknacks. Max laughed at how stupid the lumberjack looked. Chloe stopped in front of the photographer, setting the box down gently. "We're gonna decorate it!"

"Chloe, how the hell do you have a box of Christmas decorations in your car," Max asked.

"I work for a Christmas tree lot, why wouldn't I have a box of Christmas decorations on me at all times?" she retorted.

Max thought for a minute, then shrugged. Chloe started getting decorations out and walking towards the tree. "You gonna help me, hippie?" she asked. Max grabbed a few light strands and helped Chloe string them on. "Wait! We need to put on some jams!" Chloe grabbed a portable radio in the box and turned it on. She had it defaultly set on the Christmas station and now "All I Want For Christmas Is You" was blasting while they worked. From lights, to tinsel, to ornaments, the two girls worked for almost two hours, laughing, singing, and goofing off. In mid-working session, Chloe had twirled Max around while singing the Christmas song to the brunette's giggles and delight. She was never really excited for the holidays, but her new friend made the hype possible again.

They were almost done when all that was left was the star. Max held it in her hands and tried to get it up there, but was simply too short. She felt a pair of strong arms wrapping around her and pulling her up. "Chloe!" she squealed. She knew the blue-haired girl had picked her up a couple of times before, but she always got so squirmy every time.

"C'mon, put the star up!" the lumberjack encouraged. Max reached up and put the glowing object on top. Chloe did think having a portable electrical station was important as well so they could light it up. As Chloe put Max down, they admired their work as if it was their greatest creation.

"Hey, I never asked you what type it was," Max said.

"Douglas Fir, about three years old, needles one and a half inches and relative to the northwest," Chloe announced.

"Impressive," Max said in awe.

They both stared for a while, the gleaming lights mesmerizing to look at. Chloe suddenly took Max's hand in her own, getting a glance from the brunette. She gazed at Chloe, who's eyes reflected beautifully with the light. She then went back to the tree.

"Max, I. . . . This has been the best Christmas I've had in years. Maybe the best one. Life hasn't really been so generous to me," Chloe said.

"Chloe, what do you mean?" Max asked.

"Y'know my mom? Joyce?" the lumberjack asked.

"Of course. I've been going to that cafe for literally ever," Max professed. "Your mom has always been working there. She's like a second mother to me and Kate, Warren, even Justin and Brooke."

Chloe seemed to take offense to that as her eyebrows furrowed. "She was never a mother to me," the blue-haired girl uttered bitterly.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say," Max said almost irritably. She didn't comprehend what Chloe was trying to let out.

"Max, some of my scars aren't from trees… They're from her," Chloe murmured.

"What?" Max gasped.

"When I was little, my mother started drinking. At first it was in moderation, she needed it for her cholesterol. But soon it got out of hand," she explained.

"Chloe, I-"

"I don't want your pity, I just need to get this off my chest. The abuse started when I was around nine or ten. That was when she was drinking heavily. One night when I was young, I was going to the kitchen to get water, and I saw her… drunk and not normal. I didn't know what to do, I was so scared," Chloe felt tears coming to her eyes. "She said that she hated me, that I was a mistake. It just kept getting worse from there, verbal and physical. I… I wanted to tell my dad, but the way they interacted, the way they were together. I couldn't ruin it for them. So I kept her abusing me hidden. One time we tried getting her into rehab. That was a fucking failure. People who go to rehab are fucking liars. They say they'll get better, but they never do. They're all just fucking idiots."

"You don't think your mom's an idiot, do you?" Max asked.

Chloe gave her this look as if she would lash out any minute, but with confusion. She immediately broke down crying, bringing her hands up to her face. "I don't know what to think of her! On one hand I see this drunken woman who's a monster and has no regard for other peoples' feelings. On the other I see my mom who loves me unconditionally and would never do anything to harm me. Fuck, I just want to figure her out!"

Max put her hands on the blue-haired girl's shoulders and laid her head beside her's. "I don't know what you're going through, Chloe, I don't get what you're feeling, but I do know that you love and care for your mom. You want to see her get better and become the mother you want her to be. The reason why you don't tell your dad is because you love and care about his and your mother's relationship. You care a lot, Chloe. Maybe too much to put your own health at risk. And you're scared. Scared of what could happen to you or her, or even your whole family. That's what I see from you."

The blue-haired girl looked down, bloodshot eyes puffy from crying. "Max, the reason I didn't give you any specific item that I wanted for Christmas is that I don't want anything that can be bought. All I want for Christmas is for my mother to get better. I've been asking for that for years, but never getting any results. I just want my mom back."

"I wish I could give you it, Chloe. I really wish I could," Max was crying too at this point.

"Max, the only thing I want from you is your kindness and friendship. Just be there for me and I will for you," Chloe hugged the brunette.

"I'm not leaving you, Chloe. Ever," Max vowed.

The two girls hugged in front of the glowing tree, letting their tears fall free as they embraced each other. Neither of them spoke, for they had nothing important to say. Max then realized that it all made sense. How Chloe was constantly defying Joyce's word, how she was so anxious when they came over for dinner and Vanessa offered them wine. She wished Chloe had told her sooner, but better late than never. Max didn't want to see the scars up in person, she didn't think she could bear to see Chloe's past pain. "Max . . . thanks for listening. You're the first person I actually told about it. Most of my friends just figured it out. But the worst of it was when Rachel saw my mom drunk and almost got injured. She broke up with me before she moved away, and I guessed that was one of the reasons why. I wouldn't blame her for wanting to get away."

"No. She took the coward's way out," Max muttered.

"What-"

"A true friend and partner wouldn't leave someone because of family issues. They would help and stand by them, not leave or break up with them. Seems to me like Rachel wasn't as loyal as you thought she was," Max said irritably.

"You didn't know her," Chloe argued.

"But I do know what true friendship is, and clearly she didn't portray it considering you were dealing with heavy shit. Chloe, just by what you're telling me it sounds like Rachel didn't have the same level of feelings as you and was looking for a chance to get away."

Chloe furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the ground again. "What do you know about being in a relationship? You always seem like you've never even kissed anyone."

"I probably know more about being in a relationship than you, Price," Max spat.

"Oh, so now it's about who knows more about being in a relationship!" Chloe snarled.

"No! It's about how your 'girlfriend' decided to up and leave you when you clearly needed her!" Max defended.

"I can take care of myself! I don't need anyone fighting my demons for me!" the blue-haired girl retorted.

"Oh, you can clearly handle yourself when your drunk mother beats you with the nearest solid item!"

"You don't know my life or what I've been through, so why don't you just fuck off!"

The girls were silent, staring daggers into each other's eyes. Max was almost on the verge of tears again. "Y'know, I didn't have the support at first when I needed it, but I eventually got help from the people who truly cared. Now I want to return the favor, but apparently some people don't know the difference between a true friend and a user."

Chloe softened her expression a bit. She didn't know Max went through anything horrific, but then again, it might just be one of those things where they say it's a big thing but really it's something like a small pet dying. The brunette was pretty good at keeping it hidden if it was anything. Max then stormed away from her and closer to the forest. Chloe just stood in the snow, looking at the tree they decorated. She considered Max might've been right, but her pride hurt to admit it out loud. Maybe Rachel was a bit of a bitch for leaving her when she needed her the most, but who was she to judge her family's motives or their reason to move. She looked over to see the photographer sitting on a log. Chloe sighed, walking over to her. The lumberjack put a hand on her shoulder, getting a startled look from Max whose eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Hey, I'm sorry for acting like an asshole back there. I really shouldn't have said those things."

Max wiped her nose with the sleeve of her jacket. "I'm sorry too. It wasn't my place to tell you what kind of friend Rachel was considering I've never met her."

"No, no, I guess she was kind of a bitch for leaving me. But I guess I blocked that part out with how highly I thought of her," Chloe confessed.

"And I really shouldn't have said I had more relationship experience than you. Everyone's experience is different. I shouldn't judge considering mine wasn't all sunshine and rainbows either," Max admitted.

"Yeah, I'd like to know what this whole 'relationship of your's is," Chloe said with slight amusement.

"Well, it's not a walk in the park that's for sure," the brunette shrugged.

Chloe sat beside the brunette on the log, resting her chin in her palm. "Go ahead, Max. I'm all ears."

Max shuffled awkwardly, seemingly nervous to tell the story. "Well, I was a sophomore, 16 to be exact. I met this really cute boy in photography class, his name was Nathan Prescott."

"Wait, Nathan Prescott? Like, the Nathan Prescott? The one who got chased outta town for a rape case and bankruptcy?"

"Yep, that's the one," Max said shamefully.

"Woah. Sorry, continue."

"Anyway, we hung out a few times. Then it was a more deep friendship, and then we finally got together at the end of the first semester. It was beautiful the first few months. We looked forward to photography class, went on little dates, gave each other love notes. It was almost too good to be true. Then Junior year came around. That's when Nathan started acting weird. He was quick tempered and more jittery. He said it was issues within the family, and I thought nothing of it. I was stupid. He was more distant, and didn't really respond to anything nice I did for him. I was starting to get worried about his behavior, and he seemed to notice, because right after that he was acting the way he did at the beginning of our relationship. That was when I fell into his trap." Max's lip quivered and she had uneven breathing. She felt a pair of warm, strong hands wrap around her. Chloe rubbed the small of Max's back, trying to comfort her. "Take your time, Max."

"He took me to his room, seeming like it was okay. I was young and ignorant, thinking everything had gone back to normal. Once we were in there he started touching me seductively, and I was kind of into it. But that's when he started undressing me, and I felt uncomfortable. I was too dumb to say stop at first, so he kept taking my clothes off until I was completely naked. He also undid his pants. He took me to his bed and started touching me all over, and I didn't say anything, just going with it. Eventually he grabbed a condom off of his dresser, and put it on. That was when I started to say no, to stop him. He didn't listen. He proceeded to have . . ."

"Hey, hey, it's your story. I'm not making fun of you for how you tell it," Chloe reassured, running a hand through the brunette's hair.

"He had intercourse with me, very bad and painful intercourse. I had never had any sexual experience before, so it hurt a lot. He was thrusting so much and I could see blood coming out. He then got bored of piercing my… my vagina, and went behind. After that I was practically begging him to stop, and then he injected me with something that knocked me out. I don't know what happened from there, but I remember waking up in a fetal position with duct tape around my wrists and ankles. Nathan was gone, so I tried to escape the room as best I could, putting on my clothes and dashing out. I ran into Warren but I was too scared to say anything."

"God, Max, that's awful. I'm sorry," Chloe choked.

"Little did I know that the condom had ripped and leaked in me. That was probably the worst of it all."

"What? Wait, you mean you were-"

"Was. I found out about three weeks after the whole incident. I knew I had to tell someone, but I didn't know what anyone would think of me. What could I tell anyone? That I was drugged and raped, and a baby mama to be? Who would believe me over someone as powerful as Nathan Prescott? I eventually told Kate, and she freaked. But she was supportive in the end. I ended up confessing to my parents, and they immediately told the police, who were a little hesitant on confessing to the Prescotts considering they were their puppets. It finally got into court and Nathan was found guilty. Unironically, he fled town, never to be seen again."

"What about, y'know . . . the . . ."

"My friends were there for me, especially Warren and Kate. God, Warren was so pissed when he found out. I think he punched a few things in the hospital while we were there. I guess that was when he still had a major crush on me. But then I turned him down and we were cool. As for the baby… I had a surgical procedure. I wasn't ready for it and still a baby myself. No one said anything after that. Maybe some people judged me for getting an abortion."

"Whoever did was conservative republican trash," Chloe snorted. "You were young and still developing yourself, and you couldn't take on a developing child inside you. Plus it was your kid, your choice. I'm not that political in any way, but I think it should be up to the parents if they want to have one, or if they have to have one."

Max smiled through the fresh tears that had fallen. "You have some wise words in that mouth of yours, Chloe Price."

"As do you, Max Caulfield."

They were both silent for what it seemed like the hundredth time since they were together. As before they had nothing important to say. The girls huddled against each other, nuzzling into whatever crook they could find. They were like this for a long while. Eventually Chloe sat up and got off the log. Max took notice and looked up at the lumberjack, who offered a hand to her. She took it willingly and they walked back to the tree hand in hand. They stood in front of it, finding its lights and green needles even more beautiful than before. "I guess you're scarred from ever having kids with anyone," Chloe whispered.

"I don't know," Max shrugged. "Maybe one day when I'm a full fledged adult and found the right person to spend the rest of my life with."

"'Person'? You'd seriously consider jumping over the fence for someone?" Chloe said befuddled.

Max chuckled. "Well, yeah. Chloe, it doesn't have to be a boy. In fact it doesn't really have to matter about their gender, just that I like their personality."

"Oh so you're a pending bisexual, just waiting to fall off the fence for somebody," Chloe teased.

"Shut up! I don't see you getting all the ladies," the brunette retorted playfully.

"That's 'cause they haven't realized they're gay for me yet," the lumberjack said proudly.

"You're a mess," Max giggled.

They both laughed and eventually quieted down. Max looked down at their hands. Chloe's practically covered hers, but she kind of liked it. Big protective hands shielding small fragile ones. "So I guess you're scarred from ever drinking alcohol," she said,

"I also don't know," the blue-haired girl sighed. "I mean, on one hand I'm worried that I'll end up like my mom, but on the other I can do it responsibly."

"See? Now we're looking into the future and turning negative things into positive. You know that drinking can be okay if done in moderation, and I know that having a child isn't necessarily a bad thing if you're ready for it."

Chloe smiled. "I guess that's part of life. You learn from other people's mistakes and even your own, then make the most out of the future.

"Glad we can agree on that," Max smiled.

The two girls were facing each other, analyzing ever detail in their faces. Max saw the scars scattered around Chloe's features, the faint blur in her right eye, and a cut on her bottom lip. Chloe saw faint cheekbones on Max, and freckles scattered below her eyes, and ocean blue eyes. Max put her hands on the lumberjack's cheeks and gingerly pressed their lips together. Chloe was taken back at first, but eventually eased into Max's offer. They lingered for a moment then broke apart. The two were dazed, mesmerized at how amazing it was.

"Was that . . . okay?" Max asked.

"Hella," Chloe whispered.

They kissed again, this time with more passion. It started to softly snow as the two girls were making out. Max ran her fingers through Chloe's hair, accidentally taking it out of its ponytail, but it gave her more room to wander. The blue-haired girl put her hands behind Max's neck, slipping her tongue gently into the brunette's mouth. It was a battle of flavor to which Chloe won, not that Max was complaining. The photographer leaned against the lumberjack, accidentally knocking them over. The blue-haired girl moved away, only for Max to look at her in confusion. "Max as much as I would love to continue this, I don't wanna freeze my tits off by having sex in the snow," Chloe lightly joked.

Max blushed, realizing what she did was kind of over the top, but laughed awkwardly.

"I gotta hand it to you, you're a bomb-ass kisser. Took me and Rach a while before we spiced it up. Nathan had good taste," the lumberjack grinned.

"I guess. But I don't wanna think about him right now, just you," the brunette whispered.

"Me too. No more thinking about Rachel either," Chloe agreed.

They both gazed at each other with loving smiles. Max observed the snowflakes that had fallen on Chloe's lashes. She looked beautiful, and her eyes matched the wintery setting just perfectly. She wanted to take a picture, but figured it would ruin the moment. The brunette pressed her lips to the blue-haired girl's in a quick kiss. Chloe reached up and nuzzled Max's nose, then kissed it. "Also, if we were to have sex right now, I'd obviously be on top." Chloe waggled her eyebrow.

"You're gross!" Max giggled, lightly hitting the lumberjack's shoulder, getting a chuckle from her.

"Yep, yep, fuckin' insane in the brain!" Chloe tackled Max, getting a squeal from the brunette as they rolled over with Chloe being on top. The lumberjack littered her face with kisses and eventually went back to her lips. As Chloe began to kiss down Max's jaw, she felt a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, Chloe, can you please stop?" she asked.

"What? Oh, Max I'm sorry, did I trigger anything? Fuck, I'm stupid! Sorry-"

"Chloe, chill," Max was practically chuckling. "You don't have to be sorry, I'm just not ready for something that extreme yet."

"I . . . I just want you to feel safe. I don't wanna hurt you," the lumberjack whispered.

"And that's why you're better than him. You're considerate and gentle, so don't take fault in his doings," the photographer reassured.

"I don't want to force this for you, so if I do anything you're not comfortable with please tell me."

"I do have to tell you, it's definitely more soft and comforting than him. You have that going for yah," Max smiled.

"Glad you can tell a difference," Chloe returned it.

Max brushed some hair out of the blue-haired girl's face and cupped her cheeks, kissing them gingerly. "You should wear your hair down more often."

"Like hell I should. I need a haircut right now. It's all shaggy," Chloe complained.

"I like it," the brunette giggled, running her fingers through it again. "It's fun to play with."

"You'll be sad when I put it back up again."

"Please, just have it down when you're with me. I promise I won't tell anyone."

Chloe chuckled. "You are so cute, Caulfield. Who gave you the right to be so adorable, huh?" She poked Max's side, getting a yelp from the girl. "Is Maxie ticklish?"

The brunette blushed and shrunk in her coat. Chloe then attacked her fingers on Max, sending a squeak out of the shorter girl. "No, Chloe, stop!" she choked between laughs, "Please, I don't wanna get snow in my clothes!"

"Alright, alright, I'll stop. But I'm holding you to this," Chloe threatened playfully.

"Oh, like you're not ticklish?" Max smirked.

"Let's not test that theory."

The two girls headed for the truck, laughing, kissing, and just playing around. They learned a lot about each other, some things they wouldn't dare tell in their right mind. But the bond between the two had blossomed into something more than friendship, and trust is a key part to that.