Here we go, More fluff, nothing weird or bad can ever happen again
Episode 28 - The Price of Silence
When Max woke, she found herself alone in Chloe's room. It was rare for the bluenette to be up before her, or at least to be up and let her continue to sleep. Most days, if Chloe was up, she wanted everyone else she was with to be up, too. For whatever reason, the blue-haired punk had mercifully left her asleep. And, from the smell wafting through the house, she seemed to be making food.
'Chloe Price, domestic goddess… pfft, yeah right.' Max couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, knowing there was no way in hell the bluenette would ever reach that level.
Speaking of Chloe… was she still mad about the whole 'keeping her a secret' thing? Honestly, Max wouldn't blame her in the slightest. She'd been such a coward, selfish in a way. Just like before…
Sighing, Max got up and headed out into the hallway. Again, she was hit with a much stronger wave of fry up smell. Sneaking downstairs and through the hallway of the Price residence, she crept up behind her girlfriend currently tending to the stove. Standing on her tip toes, she wrapped her arms around the bluenette and placed a kiss to her neck, earning a half surprised giggle-half moan.
"Max the ninja strikes again. Morning sleepy head. Well, afternoon I should say," Chloe added as an afterthought, correcting herself.
"Just how mad are you at me?" Max mumbled into the other girl's white skull tank top, hit with a waft of smokey weed and shower gel.
Chloe glanced back over her shoulder with a suggestive grin. "I suppose I can find it in me to forgive you. Count yourself lucky that you're still new at this relationship thing. Otherwise, I might be requesting certain... apologies."
Letting her go, the brunette swallowed hard at her low, husky tone. "I, uh… wh-what kind of apologies?"
"Since you asked…" Chloe smirked. In one swift motion, she put the pan to one side, spun around and grabbed Max by her waist, hoisting her onto the counter top.
"Chloe!" Max gasped in surprise as she was lifted off the ground and boxed in.
From this position, the brunette was actually taller than the bluenette for a change. That was just what Chloe had been going for, immediately pulling her in for a deep kiss. Moving down, she planted firm kisses and gentle nips along pale freckled skin, rewarded with several satisfied sighs and moans.
Hands fumbling, eager to take it further, Chloe gripped the bottom of Max's shirt and tugged at it. Flushing red, the young time traveler lifted her arms above her head, giving the punk permission. Wasting no time, Chloe pulled the shirt up and threw it to one side, noticing that her girlfriend didn't have a bra on underneath. Blue eyes lingered on newly exposed skin as Max looked away bashfully, fighting the overwhelming urge to cover herself up somehow. She'd have to get used to this eventually.
Shaking her head, she gently grabbed hold of the younger girl's chin and turned her head to plant a tender kiss on her lips. As she deepened it, she ran her hands up Max's sides and softly brushed her thumb over one of her nipple's. That earned her a surprised gasp as the brunette clamped her legs around Chloe, pressing herself against her girlfriend.
Trailing kisses along Max's jaw, Chloe continue down her neck towards her chest. Instinctively, the younger girl arched her back, letting out a soft groan and small yelp in quick succession when the bluenette's teeth grazed across her nipple. Lips worked down along her stomach, body tensing as hands gripped the waistband of Max's pants. A shaky gasp, followed by a loud rumble caused the bluenette to snicker.
"Sorry," Max mumbled shyly, throwing her arms up over her face to hide her embarrassment.
Smiling, Chloe forced her arms down and gave her another quick kiss. "Guess that's my cue to get my girl something to eat, huh?"
"In my defense, it does smell good," she protested weakly. 'And not just the food, either…'
Reluctantly letting the bluenette untangle herself, Max watched her return to the stove and resume cooking. Feeling equal parts relieved and disappointed, not to mention exposed, she slid off the counter to retrieve her top.
When Chloe noticed what she was doing, she rolled her eyes. "You know, you can keep it off, right? There's nobody else here."
"I, um, I'm not sure I can… you know, walk around like… this all the time," the brunette muttered, motioning to herself while feebly trying to cover her chest.
Before now, the only times she got even partly naked was to get dressed or shower. To have someone else around while she was this exposed was… nerve-wracking, especially when that person was Chloe Price. She couldn't help but feel self-conscious.
Chloe gave her a searching look, not even hesitating to remove her own shirt and bra, tossing it towards her. "See, now you're not alone. Better?"
Max stood there, dumbfounded as she stared at her girlfriend. A knotting sensation formed in the pit of her stomach, swallowing hard. It took her a few moments to realize she was staring, swiftly averting her eyes.
"I, err… y-yeah…" she mumbled, eyes drifting back over to Chloe every so often. It was both difficult to look and to look away.
Noticing her hesitation, Chloe sauntered over. She stopped in front of the younger girl, smirking as she put her hands on the brunette's waist. "You know, you're allowed to look. One of the perks of having a girlfriend."
Not sure what to do with her own hands, Max sighed. "I know. It's just… I'm not used to this…"
"Well, let me guide you, then," Chloe smirked, taking one of her awkwardly hovering hands and placing one over her own breast. "See, they don't bite."
Licking her lips, Max ran her finger tip over the blue-haired punk's erect nipple, getting a soft moan in response. Biting back a grin, she repeated the action getting the same result, if a little louder this time.
"Do that again. I dare you," the bluenette challenged playfully.
It was kinda weird and exciting to see Max take a more active role. Up till this point, it had mostly been Chloe taking the lead… and she wasn't about to complain. Before the brunette could finish doing it again, their lips crushed together in a deep kiss – pinned between the punk and kitchen counter. Her chest pressed against Chloe's, sending shockwaves through her body... and that was when she smelled something burning.
She pulled back, looking over at the stove. "Uh, Chloe, I think you're burning my food."
"Damn... I'm blaming you for this, Caulfield," Chloe shot back playfully, releasing the brunette and discarding the burned remains.
"If I recall, YOU started it," Max smirked, shrugging as she let her shirt fall to the floor and propped her elbows on the kitchen counter as she watched the punk cook.
Chloe passed glances at the slightly flustered, half naked girl. "Ya know, that's a little… distracting."
"I could always put my top back on," the brunette playfully baited, making to go retrieve her top.
Using her leg to cut off the younger girl's route, Chloe shot her a playful scowl. "I'm sure I'll survive. Besides, I'm not letting you crawl back into that shell of yours this weekend."
"I can't walk around the house half... naked all weekend, Chloe," Max replied, the thought making her blush. She was barely managing two minutes, let alone two days.
"Sure you can... If I had my way, you'd be wearing a lot less," the bluenette added suggestively, plating up.
Still a little self-conscious about her state of dress, or lack thereof, Max joined her at the table and the pair ate the unburned second attempt at food. Whenever Chloe passed a glance her way... or when the bluenette caught her looking, she felt herself blush. It might take a while to get used to this kinda thing. In the heat of the moment, it was easier to deal with. Like this, casual, was a little more awkward. Still, by the end of their meal, she was feeling just a little more comfortable with the situation. It helped that Chloe was about as exposed as her, even though she didn't act like it.
'Chloe is so damn fearless and unashamed. Wish I could be like her...' Sighing softly, Max finished off what she wanted from her meal before pushing it Chloe's way, the bluenette eagerly accepting the half-eaten offering.
After happily scarfing down the remainder, the blue-haired punk's expression turned thoughtful. "Y'know, I was thinking..."
'Here we go...' the brunette thought to herself, preparing for a crazy and dangerous suggestion.
"Maybe we should go on a double date with Kate and Dana," Chloe mentioned as she licked her fingers clean.
Max narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Oh because you'd love that. I can just imagine the chaos you and Dana would cause making me and Kate embarrassed."
"Or maybe I'll team up with Kate," the bluenette added with a smirk. "I reckon she has a mischievous side in her, just need to coax it out."
"You don't need a teasing partner." Max knew all too well that Chloe could handle just fine solo on that front... having been on the receiving end of her playful torment more times than she could count.
"Aw, is Max jealous?" she countered with an impish grin. "C'mon, you know you're the only girl for me, right? I think our recent time together should prove that. And this is gonna be our first proper date. Thought you'd be all over that romantic shit. So, let's see if Kate and Dana are up for it."
Thinking it over, the young time traveler let out a long, resigned sigh. "Fine, but you owe me."
"I'm sure I could come up with a… suitable payment," Chloe replied suggestively.
Shaking her head, Max looked her dead in the eyes. "Like, buying me dinner."
That made Chloe scoff. "Dude, I am broke as fuck. Good luck trying to find somewhere I can afford. Then again…" Her grin widened, plotting. "With your rewind, we never even have to worry about money. I mean, you could just stroll into a bank, grab a wad of cash, rewind and leave. Simple."
"Chloe, I'm not using my power to steal innocent people's money," Max outright rejected. That was a long and slippery slope to chaos. Yes, she had done a lot of morally questionable things with her powers, but at the time she'd had very little choice.
"So, you're happy if the money's dirty?" her blue-haired girlfriend asked, using her infamous logic to find a loophole.
"I almost forgot how stubborn you are…" Max sighed, deciding to drop the discussion for now before Chloe really did manage to convince her to do something she'd later regret. "Let's see if Kate and Dana can make it before we start planning our criminal escapades." She whipped out her phone, dropping Kate a text.
Max: Hey Kate
Max: Was wondering if you and Dana are up for a double date today
Max: Chloe's idea
She only had to wait a few moments for an answer, her phone buzzing loudly.
Kate: That would be great
Max: awesome, we'll swing by in a couple hours to pick you up
Max: spoiler alert: it might be a tight squeeze
Kate: I'm sure we'll manage
Kate: can't wait xoxo
"What's with all the hugs and kisses? Shit, you worry about me seeing other chicks, and here you are cuddling up to Kate," Chloe playfully accused, getting to her feet and gathering plates.
"Hey, you were the one who said I could, and I quote, 'bang anyone with no strings attached, rewind time and boom. It's like it never happened' when I told you about my powers the first time," Max reminded smugly as she too made a move to help tidy up. "Good thing you're not the one with powers, huh?"
Chloe shrugged, shoving everything in the sink to wash later. "Well, if you change 'anyone' with me, and lose the 'no strings attached rewind' part, I'm game."
"Yeah, I bet you are... so relentless," Max chuckled softly.
Chloe had made her intentions very clear so far, which made the brunette feel both nervous and just a little excited... or maybe a lot. Before now, she'd never been bothered with anything remotely related to relationships. Not anymore. Chloe had a way of bringing out the deep buried wants and feelings... and she damn well knew it, too.
"And you love it," the bluenette announced, swooping in for a kiss. "And don't even try to deny it, cuz you don't lie well, Caulfield."
Instead of futilely denying and resisting, Max accepted her fate. Chloe was right... but she wouldn't give her the verbal satisfaction of admitting it aloud.
Later That Day - Beach
As planned, Chloe and Max drove over to Blackwell to pick Kate and Dana up. With just a little manipulation, all four girls managed to find a spot in the truck and they headed down towards the beach front. When they got there, they found a decent spot, pulling out a small portable grill and a couple of cool boxes filled with food and drinks. Of course, the bluenette insisted on taking charge, enjoying her power as BBQ boss. Max was reminded of the times William fulfilled that role: warm summer nights, overly full bellies and constant dad jokes. That all seemed like a thousand years ago now...
"Maaaax... hellooooo," the familiar voice pulled her from bittersweet memory.
"Huh?" Max managed, turning her attention back to the bluenette sat beside her.
"You were spacing out again, weren't you?" Chloe playfully accused, nudging her shoulder before reaching to construct her second burger while everyone else was still firmly into their first helping. "Next time, I'll come up with a more... inventive way to get your attention."
"Now this I want to see," Dana added with a smirk, tucking into some hastily made potato salad.
"Probably something better kept for behind closed doors," the bluenette smirked, passing a wink at Max.
"Oh dog... I'm starting to regret agreeing to this," the young time traveler mumbled, even Kate chuckling at her expense.
"Don't worry, Max. You can come retreat over here with me if needed." The blonde patted the sand beside her, offering her a way out if needed.
Frowning with mock suspicion, Chloe wrapped her arms protectively around her girlfriend. "Uh, no way Marsh. I know your game. Max is mine, and I'm not known for sharing."
"Yours, huh?" Max repeated, half-embarrassed and half-ecstatic.
It felt... truly amazing to be wanted and loved, especially by Chloe. And, while she might not be as direct and open as the blue-haired punk, she felt the same way. After all these years, they had finally figured it out, well most of it. And it took several lifetimes' worth of pain and heartbreak to get there. Little by little, Max was gaining confidence in the fact that she and Chloe were meant to be together like this. Nothing would ever change that, not even time. For the first time in... god only knew how long... she actually felt happy. And that was almost solely because of the girl now hugging her possessively.
"I think you probably still have a few marks to prove it," Chloe pointed out mischievously, fingers dipping slightly under clothing to trace hidden marks.
"Oh, already at that stage, huh? Dana smirked, passing Kate an amused glance.
The bluenette shrugged, loving every second of this teasing opportunity. It's what she had been hoping for. "I've got five years to make up for, so I'm gonna enjoy it."
"Chloe... please stop..." Max whined, weakly batting her wandering hands away.
"What, no I wanna hear all the juicy relationship gossip," Dana pressed with just as impish a smirk as Chloe as she put an arm around Kate, the blonde instinctively resting her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "With Blackwell pretty much empty, I've been lacking my high daily quota."
"Ugh, please don't encourage her, Dana," the brunette pleaded. "She doesn't need it."
"I gotta give the people what they want, Max," she replied with a playful grin. "Although... I am a sucker for bribery. So, if you can think of a better offer than watching you getting embarrassed in front of friends, I'm open."
Sighing, Max leaned in close and whispered something, Chloe's eyes going wider for a second before a grin tugged at her lips. "Ooh, not a bad offer. Enough to save you this time. The price of silence will keep going up, though..." The bluenette turned back to the other girl with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Dana, maybe next time."
Snapping her fingers, Dana let out an exaggerated sigh. "Damn it... well, not like I can compete with whatever deal Max has made with the devil to maintain a shred of dignity."
"I'm more interested in you two lovebirds," Chloe announced, thankfully changing the subject. So, c'mon juicy deets please."
"There's... not much to tell," Kate replied slowly, looking embarrassed all of a sudden with Dana simply smiling at her reddening cheeks.
"That long pause and blush tell me differently," the bluenette called out, not buying the thinly veiled lie for even a second.
"Hey, back off a little, Chloe," Dana warned playfully. "Only I get to tease and make her blush like that."
Max rolled her eyes, not surprised by this outlook. "Jeez, me and Kate aren't toys, y'know."
Dana and Chloe simply exchanged a look before turning back to the protesting brunette, the former speaking. "Max, hate to break it to you but... you kinda are."
"Especially if I have my way," the blue-haired punk smirked.
"Max, I think it's better to pick and choose our battles," Kate advised, getting a cheek kiss from Dana which made her beam.
'Guess I'm on my own on this one...' Realizing she was fighting a losing battle, she gave it up for the time being. As much as this might be embarrassing, it was nice to talk so freely about something, or rather someone, who made her so happy... and she supposed it was worth the teasing comments and bribery deal.
The next morning when Max woke, she felt a pleasant heat at her back. A familiar tattooed arm was wrapped tightly around, pulling her in closer with tangled legs. She and Chloe had crashed hard after the excitement of yesterday's beach BBQ, lasting well into the evening. Chatting, laughing, eating and just enjoying a moment without the threat of imminent death and destruction. Honestly, she had started to forget what that felt like.
It was then that she remembered her pacifying promise to the bluenette, glancing down at her exposed torso. Semi-nudity over the whole weekend was the price of silence. Sure, it was a little embarrassing still, but it could've and probably would get worse as time passed. If it was for Chloe, she didn't mind all that much. She wanted to give her blue-haired girlfriend everything she had to offer - all the things she deserved to get after years of heartache and betrayal. Some possibilities did make her feel a little nervous, but if it was with Chloe it wasn't a bad nervous. More of the anticipatory kind.
Of course, there was always that flicker of self-doubt that she wouldn't be good enough. Her previous competition, as terrible as she felt using that phrasing, had been Rachel. Could she even compete? Most of that worry faded away when she felt lips on her neck and a hand shift further up her stomach. Chloe was awake.
"Fancy seeing you here," the bluenette greeted sleepily, the end lost to a yawn. "Been awake long?"
"No, only like a couple minutes at most," Max replied softly, exposed back pressing against the bluenette's body.
Chloe placed a kiss on her shoulder, hand lazily brushing against the younger girl's bare chest. "Glad to see you're still upholding your end of the bargain."
Shifting to face her, Max leaned in for a brief kiss, then another longer one. It was almost surreal being able to do this with anyone, let alone Chloe Price. And she sure as hell wasn't complaining. "You know me, always true to my word."
The taller girl gave her a skeptical look. "Uh-huh, sure."
"Oh, like you can talk," the brunette countered defensively. "I swear every other word that comes out of your mouth is a lie."
"I prefer 'edited part truth'," Chloe corrected with a smirk, kissing away any comeback her shorter girlfriend might use.
"Nobody can win an argument with you, can they?" Max chuckled, knowing full well that the answer to that question was no.
The bluenette gave her a smug grin, leaning in for another kiss. "Out of everyone, you would know best." Her lips hovered over Max's, breath warm before she pulled back and smirked when she noticed the flicker of disappointment in her girlfriend's blue eyes. "C'mon, let's get our asses outta bed."
Not only did she love teasing Max, she kinda wanted the brunette to take more of an active role in this relationship. Since she was the one who would be setting the pace - not having much experience - Chloe didn't want to push it too far without knowing the young time traveler wanted it to be pushed. And hopefully, that time would come sooner rather than later.
The pair got out of bed and trudged downstairs in search of something to eat. After refueling, Chloe stood and began rummaging through a book shelf coming back with an old photo album. "I, uh, figured we should probably do the old photo reminiscing thing. Bet there are a few new photos we could and should add."
Staring at the album, Max involuntarily winced as they flicked through the pages turning to the page with the all too familiar picture of a younger blonde Chloe and brunette Max making pancakes. Not too long ago, she had been given that damn photo by Joyce... the one she used when she first realized she could photo jump. The time when... Chloe had asked her to help in the worst possible way. Guilt began eating away at her.
"Chloe, would you... want to see William again if you could?" Max asked hesitantly, wondering if this was really a good suggestion. Chloe deserved the choice, though.
Understandably confused, Chloe glanced up from the album. "Max, what are you talking about?"
Seeing the pain in her eyes, the young time traveler tentatively continued. "I can show you that day again, when he... left us, if you want. You won't be able to interact or anything but... you'd get to see him one more time."
The bluenette thought it over for a while, face cycling through conflicting emotions. "I... I want to see him again, Max. So much."
All Max could manage was a small nod, standing up and taking a firm hold of Chloe's hand. "And you can."
In her mind, she took herself back to that fateful day trying to keep her head clear of distractions. Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. A small flicker of panic seeded itself, growing bigger as she felt the full force of the memory approach. Eyes tight shut, body tensing, she tried and failed to focus. One bright flash of light brought her to her senses, eyes opening once more.
"I hope the flash didn't scare you, Max," a blonde man with blue eyes said, looking at the photo he'd just taken.
Looking over, she was met with a bewildered, much younger Chloe. It had been so long since Max had seen her this way, long blonde hair and much shorter - still taller than her, though. Her eyes zeroed in on her five years dead father, just staring for a moment.
"You're here, alive... how?" she mumbled, turning to the brunette with a questioning frown.
'What the hell is going on now.' Max looked down at her hands, seeing her 13-year-old self. 'Oh no... not here, not this again.'
"Max, what's going on? How can we be here... now?" Chloe demanded, tears starting the fall down her cheeks.
Not knowing what to say, Max stumbled over her words. "I... I don't know. We CAN'T be here, Chloe."
Confused by their weird behavior, William gave them a strange look. "What has gotten into you girls? Chloe, you look like you've seen a ghost."
That was when Chloe broke down, launching herself at him and latching on, sobbing her heart out. "Dad..."
Just incase its not clear, Max has basically photo jumped WITH Chloe for simplicity's sake.
Ok I lied *Hides*
On a slightly different note, Myself and Olivia have another fic...or two in the works, so lots to look forward too.
Until next Sunday.
Peace out