Sleepover!
Chloe sent a quick, searching glance around when she entered Max’s dorm - and then did a double-take when she saw the wall of photos above her bed.
Max, weakly, laughed.
“Oh, yeah - I should’ve warned you. I’ve kinda got photo stuff everywhere.” She muttered, taking off her shoes and setting them next to her bookshelf. “Welcome to my cocoon-away-from-home.”
Chloe looked around again - this time a little more slowly. Max, in the meantime, flicked on the string of lights above her bed with a dismissive movement of her foot.
“...Well, this is a nice place you’ve got here, Max.” She said finally, and about as firmly as she could manage with sleepiness thick in her voice.
“Thanks.” Max said - and her jaw split into a silent yawn. “I’mma go get ready for bed. You… uhm… I dunno. Hang out?”
“Cool beans.” Chloe offered, with an easy double-thumbs-up.
Max walked through a door - which, presumably, led to a bathroom.
Now, let it be known - Chloe Price is a snooper.
But, despite this, she really hadn’t intended to snoop this time. She supposed it just kinda… happened, with or without her input.
She wandered a little - glancing down and chuckling reluctantly when she saw the keep calm and carry on rug she’d been standing on. She glanced up at the wall that happened to contain the entrance door - and noticed a very empty wardrobe, with the notable exception of a guitar, adorned with flower stickers.
She’d have to get Max to play that thing for her sometime.
She glanced at the sofa - where she’d be sleeping, probably. It had just one cushion that looked hand-knit, and a book cheerily titled The October Country in black font.
Chloe wandered a little, staring at the mess of posters above the couch - until she hit the desk on the far wall of the room, and stumbled.
She straightened herself - planting a hand on the desk and against a book. She glanced down at the surface of the piece of furniture - and the book next to her hand caught her eye.
She gingerly lifted it, holding it in front of her - and the dim lighting from behind her glinted against the cover.
She opened to a random page.
What looked like a very young Max, with her hair tied back, and an even younger Kate with her hair down were leaning upside-down, the bottom of their hair scraping the ground. Chloe couldn’t quite tell what they were sitting on - because the camera was close enough that she could just see both of their faces.
The photo had the caption Kattie and Maximus - BFFs forever. 2008
She didn’t glance at any of the other photos - and just flipped the page instead. She started to subconsciously wander back a few steps.
A picture of Max and what looked like her parents, holding out their tounges at the camera - they were all stained blue.
Max and the fam, with mall slushies. 2009
Chloe flipped a few more pages.
It seemed it was around 2012 that Max finally got a hairdo closer to her current one. She and Kate were in most of the photos - even the ones with Max’s family usually had Kate lounging around somewhere.
The bathroom door opened.
Chloe glanced up, a little startled - and was met with the image of a sleepy Max rubbing her eyes, wearing a loose t-shirt with a deer on it and what looked like boxer shorts.
Don’t tell her she’s adorable don’t tell her she’s adorable don’t tell her-
“You’re adorable.”
Max glanced up - and, suddenly, froze.
“...Don’t move an inch.”
Chloe blinked.
Max dove for her desk - no, scratch that, for the shelf next to her desk - and opened up a wooden box with a hinged lid, before tearing an item out of it.
Which turned out to be a camera.
Max backed up a step, and took a hesitant half-step to the left - and put the camera to her face.
She considered.
Chloe didn’t move.
Max, finally, tilted just a little to the left - and snapped a photo.
Chloe blinked, shying away from the glare of the flash - while Max frantically shook out the photo that shuddered out of the crappy, probably year or two old camera.
The moment she set eyes on it, she grinned - wide and sparkling and perfect.
“Chloe - I knew you were the perfect subject.” Max said happily, flopping onto her bed rather ungracefully - and she seemed to have suddenly lost every bit of sleepiness. “Here - look, look,”
Max shoved the photo in front of her face.
It… looked better then she had expected.
The right side of her silhouette was backlit by the lights hanging over Max’s bed - and her tattoo sparkled just slightly. One of her eyes was an odd, bright, dilated colour - like frosted over steel, while the other was just her normal, very dark blue.
And… man, her dyejob really sucked. She had to get it re-done, her roots were starting to show.
“I… look pretty much how I always do.”
Max blinked at her.
“No - c’mon, you can’t see it? I got you.”
Chloe blinked back.
“...Huh?”
“I - I dunno how else to put it. I finally got you. I’ve been trying to get a shot like that ever since the first time I saw you - that first time was another one, where I could’ve gotten you. But I didn’t have my camera. But this - it’s you, come on, can’t you tell? The lines of your face, the way one eye is lit- it just…”
Max stared at the photo - and smiled.
“It’s… it’s you. And it’s perfect.”
Chloe blinked.
And then, slowly - an itchy, uncomfortable heat crawled up her cheeks.
“I’m not perfect, Max.”
Max glanced up from the photo again.
“What?”
“I’m… not perfect.” She said, again - and this time, the vulnerability was gone from her voice. There was just an old, tired bitterness. “Hell, I’m not even good. I’m a constant asshole, I lie to my parents, I gave up on religion, I - I just assaulted someone. I commited arson just a day or two after I met you. I’m a criminal reprobate.”
Max blinked.
And then, said - like it was the simplest thing in the world,
“You’re one of the nicest people I know, you’ve never lied to me, you refuse to believe in something that let you down, you defended me from a woman far more rich and powerful then you, and… and you’re my criminal reprobate. So I get to say if you’re perfect - and guess what, Chloe,”
Max leaned forward, and grabbed her hands.
“You are.”
Chloe stared at her.
“Max…”
She chuckled lowly.
“You’re such a dork.”
“Well, get used to it, chump.” Max said, pulling her towards the bed - much to Chloe’s confusion. “You’re stuck with me.”
“What’re you doing?”
“Well, you aren’t sleeping on the couch - that thing is really uncomfortable.” Max said, simply.
“...That bed’s pretty small, Max.”
Max grinned.
“Afraid of a little cuddling, Chloe Price?”
Chloe, after a moment of shock - grinned back.
“In your dreams.”
“Then go get you teethsies brushed.” Max said, pointing firmly to the bathroom door.
Max, laying in her bed and facing her photo wall - she’d add the picture of Chloe tomorrow - was not ready for Chloe to suddenly flop on the bed next to her.
And she didn’t have time to prepare herself before Chloe slid up to her - and oh no.
And very warm, very soft, very bare legs gently slid against her’s - and Chloe’s arm wrapped around her torso, and maybe when she had said cuddling this was not what she meant.
Her entire body suddenly felt very, very hot. Her waist tingled where Chloe hand touched her stomach - though how it touched her stomach when it was in her throat was beyond her.
“Heya Maxxie.”
Oh no.
Oh no.
And Chloe’s voice was right next to her ear, thick and husky, and her hot, humid breath washed over Max’s skin and she was so screwed.
Her mouth was very dry.
She swallowed.
“Hi Chloe.” She muttered - and it was only because her voice was so low and quiet that it didn’t break.
She couldn’t imagine she’d get much sleep that night.
And yet - the moment she started to focus on anything other then how close Chloe was - she noticed just how warm she was. Like always. And how her skin was so soft and smooth, almost a cushion all on its own - even with the little nicks of scars she could feel on Chloe’s hand.
Eventually, her hand tangled with the one around her waist - and she started to drift.
“...Goodnight, sweet Max.” She barely heard - and she didn’t quite feel the kiss pressed to her temple before she lost consciousness.