Chloe: i mean ive just been sitting here thinking about the shower thing still
Chloe chuckled as she sent the text, a cigarette hanging between her lips. It wasn't an entirely dishonest statement. Over the past two nights, Max had fallen asleep very quickly, presumably exhausted from the marathon through time she had ran. Chloe, on the other hand, stayed wide awake for a while afterward, clutching her little hipster as close as she could. Of course, it was warm and comfortable, but her mind did occasionally wander, being so close together.
She's going to think I'm a total perv. Meh, she ain't wrong.
She reclined onto her bed, exhaling a new plume of smoke. She watched it twist above her, tangling into itself before dissipating. She scowled a little.
Max is kind of a champ for putting up with my smoking. I should try and...not taste like an ashtray on our date tonight.
She grinned, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest.
We're going on a date! What should I wear?...Did I seriously just think that? Come on, Price.
Stamping out her cigarette, she checked the time on her phone, mumbling when she saw how early it still was.
Dammit, Max doesn't get done for a few hours then she wants to hang out with Warren...
She snickered a little, feeling simultaneously bad for the guy but also reeeeally staving off the desire to rub it in his fuckin' face.
You never stood a chance, dude. This shit was meant to be.
She had some reservations about Max telling him everything, but if the girl wanted to, she would encourage her. However, she thought this was the perfect opportunity to utilize Max's power. If he didn't take it well, she could rewind. She'd never suggest it, knowing how strongly Max felt about not using it anymore. Sighing, she decided to let it take its natural course.
Not like me and Max haven't given a bigass middle finger to the 'natural' order, but hey.
She nibbled her lip, thinking. If she was being completely, one hundred percent honest with herself, part of her wasn't all that happy that Max was giving up her powers. She knew in her heart it was probably the right thing to do, because as Max had repeatedly said – they got lucky in a game where the odds were constantly and hopelessly stacked against them. But something about being able to upend the universe at your desire was so enticing to her. She sighed.
Max went through hell to get things how they are. It's not a toy, no matter how much you want it to be one.
Suddenly, a large growl came from her stomach. She clasped a hand to her abdomen, grazing against the bullet wound by accident.
"FUCKING..." She shouted, rolling onto her side. She pouted.
Dammit, Max was right, I am being a baby about this. It's not even that bad anymore.
"Chloe?" David's unmistakable voice was joined by knocking. "Are you okay in there?"
Argh, god dammit. David...
Chloe was still very, very unsure of how to feel about David. Until recently, as in, until she was shot, he had never given her much reason to like him. But Max had claimed that he saved her. Her safety was the most important thing in Chloe's universe, so for David to have come through on that...she owed him big time. But it was still hard to roll with his new found kindness.
"Yeah, sorry," she said, hesitating. "Uh...the door's open." David entered the room, his face lighting up when he saw her. That made her heart twist a little.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, taking a few steps into the room.
"M'okay," she whispered, glancing to the ash tray sitting next to her. He ignored it.
"I wish we had more painkillers for you, but the prescription's out...the doctor says you should use Tylenol now." He cleared his throat, his face contorting. "I'm so glad it wasn't worse."
"Me too," she forced a big smile. "What would you do without me?" She laughed. Chloe was something of a master at using humor to gain information. Sometimes it made her feel manipulative, but overall she felt it was a valuable skill.
"I...don't know, Chloe." He said, his face sinking. "I could never forgive myself." She scrunched her nose.
Ah, yeah. That's why I feel like shit when I do that. Build bridges, don't burn them...
"None of it was your fault," she said quietly. "You do know that right?" He ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply.
"It's hard for me to accept that when I had all the puzzle pieces."
"You're being too hard on yourself," she said. "You had the pieces for a puzzle that didn't make sense. No one person would know what to do with that." She brought her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs. "Probably didn't even start with the border," she muttered with a small smirk. David grunted with a smile.
"Maybe that's where I went wrong," he said. He began slowly walking further into the room, his eyes scanning the homemade disaster. "My room looked like this when I was a kid, you know." Chloe eyed him curiously. At her expression, he chuckled. "Yeah, I was a terror for my parents." Then he frowned. "But they were always supportive...they never treated me poorly." Taking a deep breath, he wiped at his eye. "I guess I didn't inherit that from them."
Who are you and what have you done with David!? What is HAPPENING?!
"S'not like I made it any easier on you," she admitted, still tightly hugging her knees. He waved a dismissive hand.
"You're a damned teenager, Chloe. Your life has been...difficult. I should've been the bigger person. I'm supposed to be a parent and I retaliated like a soldier." He stretched his neck, scowling. "Excuses, excuses," he spit. Chloe felt herself blush at his vulnerability.
"Look, Atlas," the punk mocked halfheartedly. "You have to let me take some of the blame for this stuff, I'm trying really hard to fix my shit. You wanna be a good parent? Don't let me off the hook. I was a total brat." She recoiled at her own words.
What are you saying, dude!? Where is this coming from?
David approached the bed, sitting down on the side. Chloe tensed up, being so close to his surveillance. He placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling warmly.
"Sorry, Chloe, but not this time. I'm just happy you're here." He grinned, his mustache bobbing on his lip. "Give it a month or...hell, maybe a year, and I'll get pissed at you again. But for now I'm just thanking the heavens that you're here." Chloe stayed in her position, conflicted that his touch felt warm and...fatherly. He furrowed his brow, coughing. "So, uh...your mother told me something." Chloe cringed, imagining his hand turning to ice on her shoulder.
Well, fuck. I guess this was nice while it lasted. I'm sure he's not cool with this. Why do I care? I didn't care before. Fucking...
"Yeah?" She asked, hesitant. "What's that?"
"You and Max are...an item?" He asked, as if his information was correct. Chloe nodded slowly.
"Is that, uh, cool with you?"
Why do I fucking care so much that it's alright with him?
"Are you happy?" It was a simple question.
"More than you could imagine," she said, blushing a little.
"Then I'm cool with it," he said, patting her shoulder before removing his hand. She glanced at it as it moved away, a small longing for it to return.
"I just didn't think...I dunno, you were down to clown with 'the gays'." She tried to sound silly, diffusing the tension that was only hers.
"Let me tell you, something..." He said, moving the ash tray and bringing one leg underneath him. "My best friend in the whole world was gay. He and I were the perfect team and his orientation never once affected how I felt about him. In fact," David grinned, a faraway look in his eyes. "He helped me with the ladies quite a bit. He was the best wingman ever."
"Gross," Chloe laughed, scrunching her nose. He shrugged, smiling.
"We grew up together," he continued. "I was the first person he told, you know? It just seemed so natural and...I mean, it was who he was. And he was my buddy. It wasn't until a bit later that I really found out how frowned upon it was." He breathed, shaking his head with a goofy smile. "Got into quite a few fistfights."
Chloe had never felt this close with David before. Actually, she had never even felt neutral about him before, and now here they were...bonding?
Goddamn butterfly wings... she thought, grinning to herself.
David was quiet while Chloe thought over his small story, perhaps the only time he actually shared something from his life with her. Something about it sounded off, though. She frowned.
"You, uh...keep saying was, David." She arched an eyebrow. David cleared his throat.
"Yeah, we uh, went into the service together. Kicked a lot of ass. Like I said, we were a great team." He ended the sentence, as if that's where the story stopped. She knew he was comfortable leaving it where it was, but a small desire twitched in her brain, forcing the issue.
"What happened?" She asked, pretty sure of where it was going.
"He never made it home," he said, his expression falling to shadows. He grunted, wiping at a single tear. "I wasn't even there when it happened. I think that's what hurts the most." Chloe stared at him for a moment, speechless. Small electrical pulses began whirring through her body, bringing her arms to movement. Without thinking, without even comprehending what was going on, she found herself hugging the man. He returned it, gripping her tightly.
David... Shit. You earned this hug, big guy. I know what it's like to lose a close friend.
"Max being there for you when it happened..." He whispered. "In some weird, fucked up way, it feels like...balance." They were quiet after that, the hug lasting a bit longer before they broke it. They stared at each other, sad eyes finding small smiles on each others' faces. Finally, Chloe let out one sharp laugh, running a hand through her hair.
"Look at us," she said, holding her arms out wide. "Bonding and hugging and shit! I'm so proud of us!"
Getting shot has literally been the best thing I've ever done... Huh.
"Look at us," he repeated, smiling. He patted her on the back, the rush of parental care shooting straight to her heart. He stood up, stretching a bit. "You look pretty tired," he teased. The punk pouted facetiously.
"Hey man, I've had a long fucking couple of days."
"Well that's something we can agree on," he said. "How about you take a nap? I sure as hell could use one. But..." He gestured to the door. "Blackwell calls. What are your plans for the night?"
"Oooh!" Chloe hopped in her bed excitedly. "I'm taking Max out on a date! First official one!" She giggled at herself internally, unbelieving that she was talking about this with David.
"That's exciting," he nodded. "I'm glad you're happy." He waved awkwardly, before moving toward the door. "Oh, and uh..." He said, turning back around. "I guess we don't have to worry about any babies anytime soon, so there's that." He flashed a smile before leaving.
"Dick!" Chloe yelled after him, a big smile on her face. She flopped onto her back, her mind whirling.
Well, that was a surprise. Me and David, buds...who would have thought?
Since it would be hours until Chloe could see her girlfriend, she decided to take David's advice. Her eyes closed, a sense of calm washing over her.
David pointed the gun at Jefferson with tears in his eyes. He pulled the trigger, the bang stabbing through Chloe's head, startling her awake.
"Fuck!"
She sat up, breathing heavily, sweat building on her skin. She scanned the room, the familiarity of it calming her down. Shutting her eyes, she focused on bringing her breathing back to normal.
Was that another Max time-dream? Fuck...
She sat in bed, wiping at her brow with her arm. Her mind ran through what she had just seen...
It started with Max and David talking about everything in the Dark Room...
Then David asked Max where I was...she told him the truth...
And...and he killed Jefferson. Because of me. Is that what she meant when she said she knew what losing me would do to him?
A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, her mind split between thinking it was 'badass' while the other side considered the consequences David would face had it actually gone down that way. Her stomach churned nervously as she thought of the dreams. When she had dreamt about Kate up on the roof, it was a new and, admittedly, exciting view into Max's life during their week of hell. Afterward, she actually felt a little eager to experience more of these visions as she believed it brought her and Max closer. And in her mind, it was 'cool time shit.'
However, this time it felt...too real. The dream had begun after David's rescue, as Jefferson was already on the floor unconscious, but just seeing the room again and knowing that Max had been held captive there made her stomach feel like a washing machine. She shivered, pulling her covers around her. It was a strange feeling of anger and worry that washed over her, accompanied by a silliness that she could do nothing about it.
David really killed him. He was so broken up. Jeffershit deserved it. Fucking psycho.
She pulled the covers over her head, feeling more comfortable in her little fort. She reached for her phone, before hesitating.
Should I tell Max? No...she doesn't need that right now. What if it makes her nose bleed? What causes those damn nose bleeds?
She rushed her fingers through her hair, scratching at her scalp. This was something that Chloe no longer wanted to happen to her, but she quietly resigned herself to the idea that it might continue. A deep dread sank into her mind, envisioning the Dark Room before David arrived to save Max. She began to cry.
I don't want this. I don't want to see that.
She spent a while under her covers breathing evenly, willing away the anxiety creeping through her spine. It wasn't until she heard the door close downstairs that she felt safe to exit her cocoon. Shaking and still somewhat disoriented, she made her way down the steps where Joyce was shuffling through the kitchen.
"Hey...hey, Mom," Chloe spoke softly, causing Joyce to whirl around in panic.
"Chloe! You scared the daylights out of me!" She pressed a hand to her chest. She took on a worried look. "Are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Several...
"I'm okay, just had a bad dream," Chloe said, moving toward Joyce and bringing her into a hug. She could tell Joyce was going to say something snarky, but instead closed her eyes and returned the gesture. "How was work?" She asked, feeling significantly better now that she was with her mother.
"Same old, same old," Joyce droned. "It's going to get a little crazier though. One of the gals just up and quit today," she gently pulled out of Chloe's hug before taking a seat at the dining room table. "She did a lot of the morning shifts, so looks like I'll be picking up some extra hours." She rolled her eyes. "No rest for the wicked, I guess."
"You think you're wicked?" Chloe barked in laughter, feeling herself return to normal. "No offense, Mom, but you're about as good as they come." Joyce looked at her, an 'are you serious' look on her face.
"No offense, but you're a good person? What on Earth goes on in that blue head of yours, child?" She snickered. Chloe 'hmm'd' as she took a seat opposite her mother.
"Yeah, that didn't come out right." She drummed her fingers on the table. "Wait, who quit? It wasn't Claudia was it?" She asked. Her mother nodded. "Nooo!" She wailed, slapping a hand against her face. "But she always gave me extra bacon!"
"I give you extra bacon too!" Joyce smiled as she nudged Chloe's arm. She sighed. "I hope they find someone else soon. I really don't want to have to put in more morning hours." Chloe leaned in, resting her chin on her hands.
Damn, Claudia was badass. I hope whoever they get to replace her is cool...Shit, maybe I should do it.
She smirked to herself.
Making hella bank serving food in the morning while Max is in class. Then I could take her out to more dates! I could use the money. No more borrowing from people.
An image of Frank glanced across her mind, her stomach tightening. Max told her that she had killed him in self defense, but now the thought of seeing it made her feel uneasy.
Max is right about no more time travel. If it's fucking with me this much, I can only imagine how bad it is on her. She fucking bleeds just thinking about it!
Joyce began reading the paper, humming to herself as she did. Chloe's mind returned to the Two Whales.
Yeah, right. Like they'd hire me anyway. And it's not like I actually want a job. That's so not my style. Kind of a dumb idea, there, Chloe.
"Hey, Mom," Chloe said, raising an eyebrow.
Wait, what? Stop, mouth.
"Hm?" Joyce responded, not taking her eyes off the paper.
"The Two Whales needs a new Claudia, right?" The punk reached for Joyce's hand. Her mother looked up, bewildered. "What's your policy on blue hair?"
A/N: Something a liiiiittle different this time!
I have several Chloe-centric chapters planned out, this being the first. I'm referring to them as The Adventures of Chloe Price in my little folder. Since the story is mostly from Max's perspective, these chapters will not be as frequent as Max's 'main' story, but I feel like they're a great opportunity to get into Chloe's head a little more and act as sort of 'side stories' to the current plot. What's neat is I can kind of work on this and the next Max chapter simultaneously, since this takes place during the natural break in story.
Anyways, I hope you guys dig it. Next chapter will be out pretty soon, I have a lot of it done already!
Oh and HAPPY TEN CHAPTERS! That's a big accomplishment for me :)