We'll See
Brrring.
Brr-
“Chloe?”
“Hello, Ms. Caulfield? We’re calling to tell you your bulk order of plush penguins is ready to be delivered.”
“I - Chloe, what… what’re you talking about?”
“I sincerely hope you’re ready to pay the five thousand dollars you owe for these plushies, Ms. Caulfield.”
“Chloe, I can hear you outside the door.”
“We need you to sign for these plushies, Ms. Caulfield. Stop stalling and answer the door so you may be fined.”
“...”
Max opened the door, hanging up on Chloe as she did - and was wholeheartedly not ready for a widely smiling Chloe standing in front of her door, with a bouquet of flowers.
“A night of enchantment awaits, my queen.” She said, leaning a little and hanging her head, holding out the flowers.
Max’s face lit fire.
She burrowed her head in her hands, trying to ignore the seeping warmth that came from somewhere in the pit of her stomach - and gave out a muffled groan.
“Whyyyyy.”
“Because I saw a vendor selling on the street, and thought of you.” Chloe said very simply, pushing the flowers towards her - trying very hard to look serious, but seemingly unable to stop herself from smiling, just a little.
Max gave her the best glare she could - even as she resigned herself to taking the flowers.
...They were nice flowers, though…
“Why did I ever agree to this?” She managed to mutter, looking anywhere but Chloe.
“Technically, you didn’t - seeing as you were the one who asked me out. I was the one who agreed.” Chloe offered, leaning against her doorframe - and then, suddenly, she clapped her hands together.
“Anyway! We’ve gotta get going! I’ve got a whole day planned for us-”
Max blinked, throwing up her eyebrows a little.
“-And we haven’t the time to waste, idling here.” Chloe went on, stepping back from her door and gesturing down the hall, to the stairwell. “Let us get to the romantic section of the evening, my queen.”
“Please stop calling me that.” She muttered, stepping past Chloe so she could hide the fiery blush that possessed her face.
“Your wish is my command, honeysuckles.”
Max groaned.
“You’ve got a whole day planned?”
Chloe turned to Max - who had apparently managed to get her adorable embarrassment under control - and grinned.
“It’ll be the best first date ever!” She said, looping an arm around Max’s shoulders - much to the girl’s apparent discomfort. “Only the best for you, dearest cinnamon bun.”
“Please - no pet names.” Max muttered - though she didn’t try to maneuver out of Chloe’s loose grip, and the punk could’ve sworn that sparkle in her eyes was the start of a smile.
“Alright, babe.”
Max turned her head into Chloe’s ribs, and groaned.
“Y’know,” Chloe said thoughtfully - considering moving her arm to Max’s waist as she did. “Considering you asked me out, I thought you’d be more on board with this.”
“Yeah, but…” Max turned away, huddling her arms at her stomach. “I wasn’t expecting you to be all…”
Max considered.
“You.” She said, finally.
Chloe grinned - darting forward so she could open the door out of the stairwell for Max.
“So, Mad Max - wanna take a guess at what I have in store for us this lovely afternoon?”
Max speed-walked out the door and into the parking lot - Chloe followed her - and, once she was outside, murmured a quick,
“If I had to guess - committing a crime.”
“Nerp!” Chloe exclaimed - and then paused. “Though, if the mood strikes you at any point, I certainly won’t say no.”
Max looked skyward, and closed her eyes before answering.
“Please don’t do anything illegal, Chloe.”
“...Well, since you asked so nicely…”
For a second, Max looked relieved - but Chloe wasn’t passing up this opportunity.
“For a kiss.”
Max froze.
“Chloe.” She said - and glared at her.
Chloe grinned back.
“Max?”
“Come onnn.” She whined. “Just - refrain from committing a crime for one day?”
“I will-” Chloe said - and leaned forward, waggling her eyebrows. “For just one little kiss, Max.”
Max was quickly turning a very bright shade of pink.
But, after a long moment - she darted forward, and pressed the quickest kiss she could to Chloe’s cheek.
“I meant on the lips, Max.”
Max rolled her eyes, looking pointedly away from her.
“You should’ve specified, then.” Max muttered, sticking her hands in her pockets. “No crimes.”
Chloe grinned.
“Well, anything for you, hun.”
Max groaned again.
Chloe could already tell that this was going to be a great day.
“You hungry?”
Max turned to Chloe - she had managed to maneuver her way out of her very warm, very soft grasp, and by now they were walking along the sidewalk together.
“Depends. Is this going to end with an innuendo?” Max muttered, with a sharp eye.
Chloe laughed.
“No, it isn’t. For real. You hungry?”
“I could eat.”
Chloe raised an eyebrow, and smiled.
“You okay with burning off a bit more energy first? Work up a good appetite?”
Max considered.
And nodded.
“Dope! To the first romantic activity of the day!” She called, grabbing Max’s hand and tugging her along as she ran down the sidewalk.
Max struggled to keep up with her, and didn’t even bother trying to stamp down her massive, goofy smile. Chloe couldn’t see it anyway.
“What are we even going to be doing?” Max called back, holding a hand up against the glare of the sun.
Chloe pulled to a screeching halt.
Max plowed right into her back.
Chloe let out an audible ‘oof’ as she fell onto the sidewalk - meaning, technically, she got the blunt of the impact.
But Max would’ve traded with her in an instant - because she was the one who had to land on Chloe, in a tangle of limbs and warmth.
When she came to her senses, and managed to mostly disentangle herself from Chloe - she found herself propped up, with a blue-haired punk right below her, staring right back at her and giving her that look.
And then, suddenly, she was the one on the concrete - and Chloe’s calloused hands were on her shoulders, gently digging into her skin, and perfectly blue eyes as deep as ravines were sparkling at her.
And Chloe grinned.
The breath left her.
“Well,” Chloe murmured - and her voice was thick and husky as anything else. “We could just… stay here a while…”
Max, for a moment, scrambled for a single coherent thought.
She only found one when she managed to tear her eyes away from Chloe, and look past her - up into the perfectly blue sky, just starting to get a little warmer in shade.
Max pushed, weakly, at Chloe’s shoulders.
“Get up, idiot.” She muttered, looking anywhere but at Chloe. “We’ve got plans, right?”
“...Well,” Chloe said, sitting up easily and dusting off her shirt - Max instantly felt the pressure leave her chest. “I suppose we can go on to the first completely romantic and wonderful activity of the day - if my beautiful date wishes it to be so.”
Max lit red.
“Be quiet.” She muttered, standing up as quickly as she could and scuffing a heel on the concrete - once again not quite managing to look at Chloe.
“But it’s the truth! You look wonderful, Max. The flower clip is a nice touch. And purple is so your color.”
Max fingered the pink flower bud clip in her hair, and just barely smiled - tilting her head down so her bangs covered it. She looked stupid when she smiled.
“...Thanks. You look…”
Max glanced up.
She hadn’t even really noticed Chloe’s clothes. She’d been more focused on her face, and her attitude. And the flowers she’d delivered. But it was clear that Chloe had… actually made an effort to look nice.
Her hair was much straighter then normal - unlike the tangled mess of bangs it usually was. She’d forgone her beanie, too. She had on a red plaid button-up shirt, that was tucked into her jeans - unripped, for once. And, just to fill it out, she had on a loose, thin, long light-brown jacket that went all the way down to her knees - almost closer to a dress in the way it flowed around her.
It was a little weird, but… fitting.
She looked…
“Perfect.”
The second the word slipped out of her mouth, Max felt her eyes go wide - and she flushed all the way to her collar.
“Uh - I mean-”
Chloe’s laugh cut her off.
When she glanced up, she couldn’t help but notice that Chloe had a little pink dusting her cheeks, too.
“Well - uh - thanks, Max.” She said, voice a little soft.
And she smiled that smile - the soft, quiet, perfect one.
Luckily, Max didn’t have to scramble for an answer before Chloe was plowing on.
“Anyway - a night of enchantment still awaits! Come on, let’s get to doing romantic things! I want there to be extra time afterwards for cuddling!”
Okay, thank God, things were back to normal - her blushing furiously and Chloe grinning like a hyena.
“No cuddling, Chloe.” She said, as sternly as she could manage.
(She’d learned her lesson after last night. Cuddling with Chloe was simply too risky.)
“We’ll see, Max.” Chloe said, with a sneaky squint and cunning grin - before she rubbed her hands together like a supervillain.
“We’ll see.”