Victoria's jaw practically hit the floor when she opened the door.
She made an effort!
Max looked absolutely adorable in her dark trousers, ballerina shoes and light white blouse with a blue-feathered dreamcatcher necklace. She had also done her hair and put on some makeup. It was the nicest clothes she could get short of wearing her black dress, and the most makeup she'd dare put on (especially when she had to trust Chloe to help her since she couldn't look at herself in the mirror). By Victoria's standards, or by any of the "girlier" girls' standards, it wasn't much, but to Max, it was a lot. And Victoria knew that and appreciated the effort even more.
"Come in!" she beamed at her. "It's good to see you, Max!"
The poor young vampire had to mentally slap herself out of whatever trance the vision of this gorgeous tall blond in a black halter top, black leather skirt, dark stockings and high heels had put her in. Dressed to kill, of course, typical Victoria Chase. But…
Did she dress like that… for me?
She felt herself start shaking and had to clench her fists several times to calm down. All through the trip from the lair to her room, and all through her dressing session, she'd been a nervous wreck.
What for? She'd asked herself. You and Tori have already… you know, done it. So what are you afraid of?
We were drunk, Inner Max. Drunk and wild. Here, tonight, it's like, a real, proper date. And I've never had one in my life!
Funny how she still felt confident a few hours ago, when she'd teased Victoria in the changing room, and how this confidence suddenly vanished as she was standing on her doorstep. And the smell surely didn't help her relax. Tori had put on some (probably French and probably outrageously expensive) perfume, but it did nothing to cover the stench of her stress hormones that were all over the place! Add to that the heady scent of her pheromones, and it made for a cocktail Max could handle only with the upmost difficulty.
She took a cautious step inside Tori's room. Tori greeted her with what was probably the most awkward hug in history, as both girls jerked back at the touch as if they were electric. Then Max too a look around as Tori closed the door and felt her heart do a somersault in her chest.
The room was lit by candles. Candles, everywhere. And on the table was a plate with macarons. Next to a bottle of wine and two glasses.
Wowser! If Chloe was here, she'd probably crack a joke about how it all seems to spell SEX SEX SEX!
And that thought made her suddenly want to run back to her room, lock her door and hide under her covers.
Last time… it was my first time. It was great but I wasn't… myself. What if she wants it tonight and I… don't perform? Will she get mad? Vexed? Will she laugh at me?
"Do you like it?" Victoria asked. "I thought it would look… nice… the candles, I mean. I just hope it's not too much. Is it too much? You can tell me if it's too much, I don't want to make you uncomfortable-"
"No, it's… beautiful, really."
Max smiled at her softly, and Victoria seemed to relax. Seemed. She gestured awkwardly to the couch and invited her to take a seat, and soon the two girls were seated side by side, turned so they would face each other, trying to ignore the jolts up their spines everytime their knees brushed. Victoria kept playing with her hands nervously, something which Max found oddly fascinating.
"So, uh… how was your day?" Victoria asked.
"Good. Good. And you?"
"Pretty good too. You know, classes and all…"
Silence.
"Oh by the way, congratulations on winning the game this morning! You had us all very impressed, you know."
"Oh! Uh, thanks," Max mumbled, smiling sheepishly. "I uh… yeah, thank you."
"You're welcome. H-How… how did you do that? I mean, you were so fast and all…"
"Oh, that's… workout. I took to running a lot. And doing pushups and stuff like that. You know, after class… it's good for stress relief."
"Oh, good, good… I play tennis when I want to unwind."
"You do?"
"Yeah, there's a club, not far from campus… you should come with me sometime."
"I don't know," Max giggled, "you don't want to see me with a tennis racket in my hand. I'm such a klutz, I'd only embarrass you."
"I'm sure you're not as bad as you say. And… I can teach you."
"Then… yeah, why not?"
"Cool."
Victoria nodded in appreciation. And there was another silence.
"You're beautiful!" Max suddenly declared, out of nowhere and much louder than she had intended. She instantly winced at her own clumsiness, and Victoria had a start of surprise, but then smiled warmly and blushed and said:
"Oh, thank you! It's… nothing really, I just like to get dressed for… you're beautiful too! I should have told you as soon as I saw you, I was impressed!"
"C'mon," Max mumbled as she turned a slight rosy shade, "I can't even compare, it's just a blouse and trousers…"
"Yeah, but it looks real nice on you. And I don't get to see you in girl shoes that often…"
"Hey," Max protested with mock outrage, "what's wrong with my shoes?"
"Nothing, nothing," Victoria giggled, arms raised in defense. "Just saying I like your ballerinas! And I love your necklace!"
"Oh, you do? It's just some, you know, trinket I bought in a Salish shop in Seattle. I like it but never wore it, figured it was the occasion. You know, I'm not much into jewelry…"
Victoria nodded. She had already noticed how different they were on this matter: while the blonde liked to parade around with her expensive bracelets and rings and necklaces (real pearls or crystal only, thank you very much), the brunette seemed to be happy with just a set of colorful silicon wristbands on her right arm. Which used to aggravate Victoria to no ends. Like, how come she looked so cool with barely making any effort at all?
"But you used to wear Chloe's bullet necklace lately? How come you're not wearing it anymore? Oh, sorry, I don't mean to be… I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"No, no, it's okay, Tori, it's…" she shrugged. "I just gave it back, that's all."
Victoria frowned: "Gave it back?"
Oh shit.
"To Joyce, I mean! To Joyce. I figured she'd need it more than I do. Cause… you know, I'm trying to turn the page."
Aaaaand one big fat lie for Table 2!
"Okay," Victoria murmured, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. "It's a good thing. To turn the page."
Then she tried to lay a gentle hand on Max's thigh, but once again both girls jumped at the touch and Victoria withdrew her hand swiftly. They stared at each other awkwardly for a second, then came to a silent agreement to pretend that nothing happened.
"Wine?" Victoria offered.
Max nodded: "Sure!"
The blonde poured the drinks and gave Max her glass. Then she raised hers and said:
"And don't forget we have to look at each other in the eyes when we clink glasses, otherwise it's bad luck."
Max giggled and complied, and dog it was so hard to keep eye contact when Victoria's emerald eyes seemed to bore into her soul!
Victoria felt exactly the same about Max's azure eyes.
"Do you want a macaron?" she offered next. "They're excellent, they're made by a French pâtissier in Portland. And they're vegan! Kate told me you're going vegan."
Fuck. There goes my go-to excuse to refuse food.
I have to think of something else. I had too much for dinner? I'm not feeling hungry?
Dog, just look at her! Those sparkles in her eyes, she's really trying hard to impress me, she's gonna be hurt if I don't even take a bite!
But you can't take a bite!
C'mon, it's not gonna kill me, is it?
"Wowser," she said, putting on her best smile. "I'm glad you went out of your way to get me vegan cookies! Seriously, I appreciate!"
Then, with a tentative hand, she grabbed a macaron and considered it for a sec.
Here goes nothing!
And she put it in her mouth. It tasted like cardboard, and as she chewed she had to fight back an overwhelming nausea, as if her stomach was yelling at her: "Max, WTF are you doing? This is NOT food for you, you idiot!"
She swallowed, then flashed an Academy Awards-worthy smile and said: "It's really good! Excellent!"
Victoria lit up: "Great! I'm glad you like it!"
"Uh… just, if you'll excuse me… bathroom break. I'll be real quick!"
And without giving Tori any time to reply, she sprang from the couch and rushed out in the hallway. She tried to walk casually to the bathroom, but with each step it grew more and more urgent, until she was literally running for her life.
Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!
And soon enough, she was kneeling in front of the nearest toilet bowl, barfing the macaron.
Whew, she thought as she caught her breath and calmed down. That was close! Well, now I know what happens when we vamps try to eat actual food. Bad, bad idea!
She stood up and went to the sink to wash her mouth. Luckily, she had the bathroom all to herself tonight, so she took her time and stared at the mirror.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she asked the reflection of the stalls. "Max, you're a dog-damn predator now, remember? Why are you so scared of Victoria? It's pretty obvious she's into you. Are you into her? Good. So where's the problem?"
She thought of calling Chloe real quick for a pep talk, but when she took out her phone, she saw she had one unread message:
My Captain ^-^: make her scream your name so I can hear it from here, tiger!
She chuckled. Idiot.
Nope, definitely can't ask Chloe anything. She'd probably tell me to go back to her room stark naked or some other bullshit that will absolutely not help. Geez, looks like I'm on my own here.
She looked at the mirror again: "Just play it cool. I'm cool. I'm a cold-blooded predator, I'm a fucking reptile."
She took a deep breath, and went back.
"Everything okay?" Victoria asked with poorly hidden concern as Max closed the door behind her and sat back on the couch.
"Yeah, sure. Sorry, I just… drank too much water before coming, I guess."
Victoria shrugged: "Nevermind. These things happen."
Max reached for her glass. Victoria reached for a macaron at the exact same time. Their hands brushed and they both jumped as if they had touched a live wire, Max tipping her glass and spilling wine on the table in the process.
"Oh shit!" she yelled as the blonde jumped to her feet. "I'm sorry Tori, I'm sorry, dog I'm so clumsy!"
"Hey hey, it's okay Max," Victoria said with a reassuring smile. "I know you're a klutz, don't worry about it. I'm just gonna… I got some tissues over here."
And on these words, she went to grab a box of tissues on her desk and both girls went to work wiping the table and floor.
"Oh dog, your rug! I suck!"
"Meh, it's okay, don't beat yourself up over it. Nothing a good dry cleaning won't remove. Trust me, I've spilled booze on it countless times before."
Then Max gasped: "Your skirt!"
Victoria looked down to contemplate the disaster. Which wasn't much of a disaster, actually. Just a little spill that would be easy to wipe off.
"Oh, damn. Okay, no worry, you stay here Max, and relax, while I go get myself cleaned, alright? I'll be quick."
"Previously, on Arrow…"
A rap on her door interrupted Taylor. She groaned and reluctantly paused her episode before putting her laptop aside and standing up from her bed. Isn't it annoying when people bother you while you're enjoying your favorite show?
"This better be important," she announced as she opened her door, and then froze at the unexpected visitor.
"Vicky? What's going on?"
"I can't," Vicky muttered nervously as she got in and closed the door behind her. Then she started walking circles in the room while rubbing her temples and muttering like a litany: "I can't I can't I can't…"
"Whoa, whoa whoa, wait a sec," Taylor ordered as she intercepted her friend. "And please stop walking like that, you're making me dizzy! Now, tell me what's going on. Aren't you supposed to be watching a movie with Max?"
"Yes I am, but it's a disaster!"
"Really? How come?"
"I dunno. I guess I'm too nervous, so I'm making her nervous, and seeing her nervous makes me even more nervous, and in the end we're both sitting here like two idiots who can't align more than two sentences properly, I haven't even started the movie yet, I got wine all over my skirt and I'm sure she's actively looking for an excuse to run away as we speak! I wanna die!"
"Okay, okay, so first, sit down, chill out, and let me handle the skirt, okay? Here, take this."
And Taylor picked the flask of vodka she kept stowed in her sock drawer and offered it to her friend who thanked her and took a good sip of it and belched.
"Aah, better now," she said, feeling the relaxing heat radiate from her throat to the rest of her body. Then she sat down on the bed while Taylor, tissues in hand, proceeded to wipe the skirt clean.
"I don't understand what's happening," Victoria complained. "I mean, it's not hard to watch a movie with a friend, is it? We watch movies all the goddamn time with you and Court!"
"Yeah, but it's a little different here. Max isn't exactly a 'friend'."
Victoria frowned: "What's that supposed to mean?"
Taylor looked up to meet her eyes. There was a sly spark in her look that made Victoria uneasy.
"I mean, you don't dress up like that to watch a movie with me, catch my drift?"
Victoria blushed furiously at this insinuation: "It's not a date, Tay, I told you already! I like her, she's a good friend, that's why I wanted to invite her tonight. To have fun as friends, that's all!"
"So hanging out with a friend makes you nervous? Are you kidding me? And don't forget about-"
"It was a slip, Tay! Just a slip! Remember the first rule of the Vortex Club? What happens at a Vortex Club party stays at the Vortex Club party! And for the gazillionth time, I'm not gay!"
Taylor suddenly went dead serious, which made Victoria gulp. Tay had never, ever looked at her like that. Like a mother about to chide a particularly stupid and stubborn teen.
"Vicky, do you consider me as a friend?"
"What? Tay, of course I do! You're my best friend, I thought it was obvious!"
"Then, do you agree that real friends should be able to say everything to each other?"
"Uh… yes?"
"Everything?"
"I guess?"
"Okay, good. Vicky?"
"Yeah?"
"You're gay."
"I'm not!" she protested a little too loud.
"Okay, then let's say you're bi. After all, you've had flings with guys, I'll give you that. But you're definitely into girls as well. And definitely into Max."
"Wha… what are you talking about?"
Taylor sighed: "Listen, Vicky, ever since the year began and you saw Max for the first time, you haven't. Stopped. A. Single. Fucking. Second." Then she took a bitchy high-pitched tone as she continued: "Oh my God, girls have you seen what Max is wearing today? Soooo lame! And Max did this today, and that, and that, ohmagad it's so fucking lame! Who does she think she is with her hoodie and her stupid Polaroid? Stoooopid selfie ho!"
Victoria frowned, vexed. "I don't speak like that!"
"Trust me, Vic, you do. Well, not anymore, but you used to. Anyway, every fucking day for two months you've been blabbering about Max here, Max there, Max this, Max that, God it was so annoying, you can't believe how many times I wanted to tell you to go and French her already so we could all move on with our lives!"
Victoria's jaw dropped. It was only after a moment, and with the upmost difficulty, that she managed to start saying something, but Taylor cut her off immediately:
"And don't you dare rebut me on this! You've been obsessing over her since day one."
Victoria's mind blanked. Then she rebooted and thought about this. It was true, Max had been on her mind every day for two months now. She thought it was because she couldn't stand her, and each and every of her moves and words annoyed her. Sometimes she'd even think about her in her sleep, and God it was so infuriating, couldn't this lame girl get out of her head once in a while?
Taylor's words, they… they made sense now. They explained why she'd been so obsessed. And she had to admit...
"Wa-wa-was it that obvious?" she finally stuttered. "I-I-I didn't even realize myself…"
Taylor rolled her eyes: "Yes, it was that obvious. So obvious that you can't believe how happy I was when you finally made friends with her, and at that party, girl when I saw you and her making out on the dancefloor I was like, FINALLY! And now, after all this, you're coming to me with this 'we're just friends' bullshit again? Victoria Chase, what am I gonna do with you? No wonder you're stressed out, you're on full-on gay panic, and it's ridiculous! Just accept who you are and what you want and quit shitting yourself like a scared little mouse already!"
Victoria frowned, flaring with anger at these words: "You… you've never spoken to me like that! Nobody ever has!"
"That's right, nobody ever has, and you know why? Because Victoria Chase is not a scared little mouse who shits herself. Victoria Chase is a killer, a predator, she walks with her head up high and she knows what she wants and how to get it! So that's why Victoria Chase will now walk right back into her room and woo the girl she wants!"
"You're right!" Victoria shouted as she sprang right up. "I'm Victoria Chase, I'm not afraid of anything!"
"Attagirl!"
And Victoria was already making a beeline for the door when her friend grabbed her by the hand and stopped her, armed with a breath spray.
"Wait! Open your mouth!"
Victoria complied, then Taylor asked her to raise her arms so she could smell her armpits. She made a face.
"Ewww, you're sweating like a trucker, what the fuck? Here, I got tissues and deodorant."
Once this and the other necessary checks were done, Taylor ran her fingers into Victoria's hair to straighten it, then gave her a gentle slap on the cheek and said:
"Now get back there and show her what you're made of, tiger!"
Victoria strode along the hallway, keeping her head high and repeating to herself: "I'm Victoria Chase and I get what I want. I'm Victoria Chase and I get what I want."
Pumped up, she opened her door and walked in like the queen she was, and… deflated as soon as her eyes met Max's.
No, no, no, don't you get weak on me now! Tiger, Victoria, tiger!
"Everything okay?" Max asked. "I'm really sorry for your skirt-"
"Nevermind," Victoria cut her off with a handwave.
Then she sat down next to Max and lay a firm hand on hers, without flinching, which both amazed and amused Max. Amused because she might have gotten a little bored waiting for Victoria and entertained herself by eavesdropping around… so basically, she'd heard everything. And amazed at how well Taylor's pep talk had worked. She kind of liked the clumsy, vulnerable Tori, it was cute, but she also liked the assertive Victoria.
"We won't let that accident ruin our night, are we?" she continued. "Let's just forget it. You wanna start the movie?"
"Sure! But… are you sure about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Spirits Within is my favorite movie, and I get a lot of flak for that. I mean, even among nerds, it's not considered a very good movie. So, just wanna make sure you didn't agree to it just to make me happy."
Tori smirked. She was so adorkable!
"Max, I wasn't lying when I told you I like this movie. It's not my favorite for sure, it has nothing to do with the games and in terms of military science fiction anime films, it can't hold a candle to Jin-Roh, but I still think it's a very good film."
Max's eyes grew wide with bewilderment: "Really? Wowser, I… I never thought someone like you would watch that kind of movies…"
Tori snickered: "And what kind of movies did you think I watched?"
"Err, I dunno… sophisticated European films, perhaps?"
"Why, yes, I can't deny being a fan of Pedro Almodovar, among others, but… well, I guess you've figured it out: I'm also an anime nerd."
"To be honest," Max replied teasingly, "I've always wondered about that glow-in-the-dark figure you keep on your desk."
Victoria laughed: "You noticed! It's a character from Jinsei wa Kimyodesu, that's my favorite show. And it's a rare collector's edition, of course. But... it's not something I talk about openly. In fact, not even Taylor knows. I got my reputation to protect. Imagine if Brooke found out I'm one of 'them'? She'd tease me to no end."
Max laughed: "'Them'? You talk of us nerds like we're aliens! More seriously, it's a shame you're keeping this a secret, it's like you're not being the real you, out there."
Tori shrugged: "I know. I guess I'm not that strong. But it's not such a shame, I mean, we all have our secrets, don't we?"
She punctuated her question with a sly look that made Max uneasy. She guessed where this was going.
"So, what about you, Max?"
"Me?"
"Yeah. I just told you my biggest, deepest secret. What's yours?"
Like I can tell you!
"Well, uh… I'm kind of an open book, you know."
"Are you really?" Tori asked, squinting in an accusatory fashion. Max gulped.
"Y-yeah, never really tried to hide anything from anyone."
"Mmh… I'm not too sure I can believe you, you know. On the contrary, I'm sure there are many, many things hidden behind the shy hipster Max persona."
"A-are you?"
"Mmh mmh," Tori purred as she crept closer. "Lately you've shown so many different facets of yourself, facets I wasn't aware of before. I knew you were an introvert, and an incredibly talented photographer, but then I discovered you could also be childish – in a cute way – and strong, and brave, and feisty, and protective, and an amazing friend…"
Max's heart started racing like mad. Tori had kept coming closer as she spoke and they were now so close their noses were almost touching.
"And a spectacular lover," Tori added in a murmur, then she bit her lip and Max forgot how to breathe.
"I can't wait to discover all the other facets of you. But I'll take my time to discover them, one at a time… and then you will be an open book to me. You will be mine."
Max wanted to answer something. Something seductive. Something mysterious and mesmerizing. She opened her mouth and breathed out a weak:
"Hum… okay…"
Fuck, Caulfield, you're pathetic!
"I very much want to kiss you now," Tori moaned.
"M-Me too."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
And Max happily complied. Hesitantly at first, but then more and more fiercely, they ate each other's lips and tongues. With each kiss Max's fear waned a little more, making way for her primal instinct, her predatory drive to possess this bewitching girl. She felt Victoria's hand caress her side, while her other hand was gently scratching her thigh. The touch drove the young vampire in a frenzy and she grabbed her friend's bare shoulders, gently but firmly, scratching her shoulderblades with the tip of her fingers, all the while tasting her mouth with voracious appetite. She felt the blonde shiver, and saw goosebumps appear on her skin.
"Your skin…" Tori moaned with delight. "So fresh… love it…"
And the next thing she knew, the blonde had reached under her blouse and was stroking her bare belly. Max closed her eyes, relishing the intoxicating touch. When she opened them again, she saw the world in shades of red. Hungry, like a wolf on the hunt. Hungry for blood.
She made a swift move to straddle Victoria, who gasped in pleased surprise at this sudden display of dominance. Then Max descended toward her neck, her long, soft, sweet-smelling, delicious-looking neck. She started kissing it. Tori shivered again, and tilted her head gently to the side to give her full access, while her hands, still under Max's blouse, reached across her ribs and her nails started drawing circles on the small of her back, slowly heading down to her butt. She kissed her neck, again and again, she kissed that beautiful vein, pulsing fast, saturated with sweet, healthy blood. She felt her teeth grow. She could take no more. She kissed the vein one last time, then opened her mouth wide, reeling in anticipation as she felt the tips of her fangs about to pierce the delicate skin.
"Max!" Victoria called as she had a start and suddenly stopped caressing her.
The young vampire instantly shook herself out of her trance, and retracted her teeth. Then she backed off so they could look at each other's face.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"I, uh… you were about to bite me, weren't you?"
"Um… yeah? You… you don't like it?"
Victoria's smile quickly dissipated her dread: "It's not that," she explained. "I… to be honest, when you went all vampire on me at Halloween, I liked it. Like, really liked it."
She turned a deep crimson as she uttered this confession. "Is it weird?" she asked.
"Not at all," Max reassured her, actually delighted upon hearing this and her mind already wandering off to a ridiculous number of NSFW feeding scenarios. "I'm glad you told me, but… what's the problem, then?"
"Well, uh… problem is, we know what's gonna happen if you bite me. And I don't want to lose control. Not tonight."
She paused, but Max didn't answer, and upon seeing her puzzled look, Victoria felt the need to elaborate:
"Look, when I told I'd take my time to discover you, I meant it, I… thing is, I like you, Max. I really do. And don't get me wrong, I'd love to go wild with you again tonight, especially after your comment in the changing room this morning. That was very bold, I loved it, and just thinking about it I've been all hot and bothered all day, but... I want to do this properly. I mean, I don't want to go too fast and make it a sex thing, you see? So I thought, if that's what you want too… maybe we can take it easy tonight?"
Max was lost for words. Okay, on the one hand, she was starving and frustrated now, and it was tough to deal with. Seriously, would you take it well if someone made you smell a delicious pizza only to deny you a slice? It's cruel! But on the other hand, she felt… wowser! All fuzzy and giddy, it… it was the first time someone actually asked her… no way!
"A-are you a-a-a-asking me to be your steady girlfriend?"
Victoria smiled, eagerly and anxiously. "Yes," she said. "Do you want it too?"
Max smiled back: "Yes."
And they kissed to seal the deal. And again. And again.
"We're gonna lose control again!" Victoria warned, which made both girls laugh in each other's arms.
"Crap, this control thing is hard!" Max complained.
"Don't tell me! Then, how about cuddles and a movie, then?"
"Yeah, I think we can do that!"