Max Caulfield absolutely sucks with emotional conversations.
She usually tries to squeeze out of them out of fear of saying the wrong thing. When she doesn't know what to say, she tries to disappear, but usually that never works.
There have been a couple times where she felt comfortable being vulnerable, but even then it was extremely hard for her. Over the course of the past few months, she's been vulnerable multiple times.
Reuniting with her childhood best friend, Chloe Price. Talking about Chloe's ex girlfriend, Rachel. Saving her friend from jumping off the roof of her school dorms. Speaking to Chloe in Blackwell Academy's pool, and even discussing what to do in a tornado.
But no emotional conversation could be more nerve-wracking for what Max is trying to prepare herself for.
Max and Chloe are sitting on their bed, staring up at the ceiling while they talk about everything and nothing. They've been doing this for at least a few hours, but shortly after the fourth of fifth, Chloe notices how distant Max is being and how short her replies are.
"Hey, supermax. You alright?" She turns her head over to Max, taking her hand in hers with a gentle squeeze.
Max sighs, locking eyes with Chloe. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"But you're not. I can see that bullshit from a mile away, Caulfield." Chloe sits up, resting on her right hand as her eyes burn into Max's. "What's up?"
"Chloe, really. I'm alright." She tries to laugh off the conversation, but miserably fails. She's not ready for this conversation, yet. She's not.
She doesn't even know what set up this conversation; what made her feel this way. If it was lying next to Chloe in bed, that's a bit stupid. She's shared a bed with Chloe for years, why would the feeling change now?
"Mhm, alright." Chloe nods, staring up at the ceiling. There's a small silence before Chloe opens her mouth to speak again, "What, did you suddenly remember you're allergic to cherries after we ate those cherry filled chocolates 7 or 8 hours ago?"
Chloe laughs, continuing, "Did you realize you forgot an important day and now you're stressing out? Did you have a terrible nightmare and don't know how to bring it up?"
Max sits up, cutting her off. "Chloe. I'm fine. Nothing's wrong, this entire conversation is pointless."
Chloe shakes her head, completely ignoring Max's comment, "Are you in love with me?"
Max's eyes widen and her mouth opens slightly. She knows Chloe's joking, but she hit it spot on and she's pretty sure her facial expression gives that away. Max averts her gaze, looking at anything and everything but Chloe.
When Chloe notices the change in behavior from Max, her own eyes open in realization. "Wait, no, holy shit Max, are you really?"
Unexpectedly, a tear slides down Max's cheek and onto the bed sheets. Light sniffles can be heard here and there.
They sit there for a good bit in silence, both collecting their thoughts. Max looks back at Chloe, tears still spilling from her eyes, "I'm so sorry. This was really stupid."
Chloe takes her hands and puts them on Max's, shaking her head with a gentle smile. "Max, why are you so worried? Are you afraid I'm going to be mad at you?"
Max looks up at the ceiling, preparing for the worst. "Yeah. I guess."
Chloe scoots next to Max, taking her in her arms, "Max, I'm not mad at you. Hell, why would I be mad at you?" She laughs, "It's okay."
Max takes her hand and wipes her tears, mumbling into Chloe's embrace, "It's not funny, Chloe."
Chloe stops laughing, gently caressing Max's back with her fingers. When she pulls away she wipes some of Max's tears away and cups her cheek. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry."
"No but like, seriously. Are you?"
It takes a minute, but after bit, Max nods. Taking her hands and pressing her face into her palms. "I'm sorry."
Chloe quickly realizes just how scared Max is and rushes to calm her down, taking her hands away from her face and bringing them into her own. "No, hey it's alright. I'm not mad at you."
Max says nothing, still avoiding Chloe's eyes. "Max, seriously. I'm not mad at you. In fact, I'm honestly happy."
She looks up at Chloe in surprise, breathing out a simple, "What?.
"Yeah."
"What do you mean?" Max's heartbeat picks up, awaiting Chloe's reply.
"I love you too, you dork." She laughs, tucking a piece of Max's hair behind her ear. Max shakes her head and her eyebrows furrow, "No, Chloe. I'm serious."
She nods, "Yeah, me too."
Max quickly bursts into a fit of sobs, wrapping her arms around Chloe. "I'm so sorry."
Chloe wraps her arms around Max's lower back, pulling her close to her. "Hey no it's alright. It's okay. Are you okay, what's wrong?"
"This is so stupid. I'm sorry." Max tightens her grip, wanting to let go, but she can't.
"Caulfield, I'm not mad at you. Why are you so sorry?" She chuckles, rubbing circles into Max's back with her fingertips. Max's breath slowly evens out, but tears still spill onto Chloe's shoulders.
"This feels dumb." Max mumbles into Chloe's neck, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down.
"But it's not." Chloe pulls away from the hug, looking at her heartbroken best friend. Why is she heartbroken? Didn't she just say she felt the same way?
Chloe takes her thumbs and wipes her tears, giggling softly at the situation. "Can I kiss you?"
Max's eyes widen a bit from shock, but she initiates the kiss. Her eyes flutter shut as she quickly wraps her arms around Chloe's neck. Chloe's right hand rests on Max's side while her left cups her cheek.
It seems like the kiss goes on for minutes, but in reality, it's only about 13 seconds. They both pull apart to breathe before pressing their lips together again.
When they pull away, Chloe pulls Max into her arms, gently kissing the top of Max's head. "Are you okay?"
"I think so.." She chuckles, settling in Chloe's arms, just like she used to as a kid.
This kiss was nothing like it had been months ago in Chloe's bedroom. It wasn't a dare, it wasn't half a second long, and it was reciprocated. Max felt like she was on cloud nine. Max lifts herself from Chloe's embrace, staring into her ocean blue eyes.
Her eyes flicker down to her lips, and then back up to her eyes. "Can I kiss you again?"
Chloe giggles, then nods. "Please."
Their lips meet in a passionate kiss, and a fire begins to build in both of their stomachs. Max re-adjusts her position in Chloe's lap, straddling her. Chloe's sitting on her knees with Max on top of them, her arms are gripping her waist firmly while Max's hands wrap around Chloe's neck and play with her blue hair.
"Chloe?" She breaths into Chloe's lips, making Chloe's breath hitch. Chloe can only hum while she tries to catch her breath. "I love you."
Chloe thinks she feels her heart skip a beat. She breaks the kiss, moving down to gently kiss Max's neck. "I love you, too. I always have."
Max gasps at the contact, pulling her hands into a fist, gently pulling Chloe's hair. "Chlo.."
Chloe lightly sucks on Max's pulse point, causing Max to open her mouth slightly. She closes her eyes when she feels them roll back. "Chloe- oh my god."
She takes deep breaths, trying to relax herself. Does Chloe know what she does to her? Actually, that's a stupid question. Of course she does. This is Chloe Price.
"You good, supermax?" Chloe presses a light kiss to Max's neck before looking at her. Chloe's eyes soften when she sees Max's eyes open, pupils dilated and her eyes filled with lust.
"Mhm.. more than good. Please don't stop." Max mumbles shyly. It doesn't take Chloe long to realize Max has never done this before. Chloe's heart pounds in her chest, and she takes Max's hand in hers. "Are you sure? You haven't done this before, have you?"
Max shakes her head, chuckling a bit. "If you're my first kiss, you're my-"
Chloe cuts her off, finishing her sentence. "First everything.."
Max nods, burying her face in the crook of Chloe's neck with a sigh. "Max, are you sure you want to? I mean we really, really don't have to do anything. We can just cuddle and watch a movie and whisper-"
She doesn't get the chance to finish speaking when Max cuts her off in a way that is so Max, gentle and sweet, "Chloe. There is no other person I would rather do this with.. we can stop if you want, but I can promise you I won't regret doing anything with you."
Chloe's eyes swim with tears at how sweet Max is. She's always been like this; gentle, sweet, and caring. She nods, letting Max raise out of her lap and lay down onto the bed.
Chloe drops down beside her, pressing her lips to Max's before capturing her neck in gentle and light kisses. Her tongue flicks out every now and then, pressing on her pulse point. Max lightly moans, biting her lip to try and muffle the noise.
Chloe wraps her arms around her, taking one of her hands in hers and interlocking their fingers. "You don't need to be quiet. It's okay." She mumbles into Max's neck, causing Max to nod and breathe heavily.
Chloe sits up, straddling Max's waist but barely putting any of her weight onto her, making sure she doesn't hurt the girl beneath her. Her fingers grip the bottom of her cropped shirt, she looks at Max, waiting for her to open her eyes.
"Can I take it off?" She asks, making sure she has Max's explicit consent for everything. Max nods, but Chloe doesn't take that as an answer.
"I need to hear you say it." Her thumbs rub patterns into Max's stomach, in which Max smiles in response. "You can take it off, Chlo."
Chloe nods, slowly lifting Max's shirt up and over her shoulders. Max sits up to help her, and then lays back down. Feeling as if it's only right, Chloe lifts up her tank top and drops it to the floor, as well as Max's cropped shirt.
She presses her lips onto Max's again, capturing them in a short, sweet kiss. She boops her nose before going back to kissing her neck. She can hear Max giggle and it warms her heart.
Nothing is ever going to hurt Max while Chloe's around.
Max opens her mouth to speak, but immediately closes it again when Chloe moves down to her collar bone, leaving a trail of gentle kisses down her neck and chest. "I love you, I love you, I love you." Chloe whispers in between kisses, causing Max to wiggle. "Chloe, that tickles."
Chloe laughs, glancing up at her smaller, short haired girlfriend. "I'm not sorry."
Max chuckles, playfully shoving Chloe off her for a moment, letting her climb back to where she was. "You're mean to me."
Chloe kisses her again, mumbling into her lips. "You love me."
Max closes her eyes, sighing with a gentle smile. "Unfortunately."
Chloe wraps her arms around Max's waist, raising her arms to the clasp of Max's bra. She hesitates, waiting for Max to give her the okay.
"Chloe, you don't have to be so gentle with me. I trust you."
Chloe shakes her head, unclasping Max's bra and letting it slide off her shoulders. She takes it, gently discarding it on the floor.
Max takes her arms and reaches around Chloe's back, unclasping her bra and letting it fall onto the bed. Chloe takes it and drops it on the floor. "Hey, Max?"
Max's eyes stare lovingly into Chloe's, a smile still on her lips. "Yeah?"
Chloe hesitates, and Max gives a gentle squeeze to her hand. "Are you.. sure you want to do this?"
She sighs, pressing her lips into Chloe's for a second before pulling back and staring into her eyes, again. "Yes, Chloe. I'm sure."
With a nod, Chloe kisses Max's neck and works her way down in a gentle trail of kisses. Chloe stops for a second when she reaches Max's chest, hesitating for a second before sighing. "Chloe."
"I know, I know." Chloe kisses the middle of Max's small (but perfect to her) breasts softly, being careful not to hurt her. She takes her hand and gently cups one of them, causing Max to lightly moan her name, tensing up. "Are you okay?"
Max nods, "I'm alright. I'm just getting used to it."
She sighs, relaxing her hand. "Okay, Max. Tell me when you want me to continue."
"I mean, you can go ahead. I like it, it's just a new feeling." Max runs her fingers through Chloe's hair, breathing in the scent. Ocean Breeze. Of course; that's so Chloe.
"Are you su-" Chloe doesn't even get to begin her final word when Max shushes her.
"Chloe."
"Okay, okay. Got it." She chuckles, continuing her soft motions with her hand.
Max's chest rises and falls quickly, her hands gently grip the sheets while her muscles tense up. "Chloe, please don't stop."
Chloe nods, moving down slowly, peppering sweet, loving kisses to Max's stomach and waist. She keeps her hands busy, causing Max to shake a bit. "It's okay, I'm right here."
She hums, "I know."
Chloe takes her hands, placing one palm on her stomach, rubbing circles into Max's stomach with her thumb, the other resting on the waistband of Max's shorts. Max takes her hands and slides Chloe's down, giving her unspoken consent. "Go ahead."
Chloe slides Max's shorts down her legs, pulling the clothing off her ankles and discarding it onto the floor. Like usual, she does the same to her own pants, sliding the pair of sweatpants off her body and dropping it on the floor.
When Chloe looks back up at her girlfriend, she notices how flushed Max's face is. "Are you alright, love?"
She nods, bringing up her knees slightly. "Yeah, I'm okay."
Everything is quiet for a moment, but it's a comfortable silence. "Can you take them off?"
Chloe's eyes soften, she takes her hands and slowly slides Max's underwear down her legs. She stops at every look of hesitation on Max's face until she gets the okay, and lets them fall to the floor.
Chloe does the same for her own underwear, letting it drop to the floor in the pile with the rest of their clothes. Chloe drops down next to Max, burying her face in her neck and wrapping her arms around her.
"Can we stay like this for a bit?" Chloe whispers, intertwining their legs. Max smiles, turning to the side and wrapping her arms around Chloe.
"Yes, baby. Yes we can."
They lay there for what feels like hours, even though it's only about 10 minutes. Eventually, Chloe takes her hand and runs it from Max's hair all the way down her body and makes it's resting point right on Max's stomach. "I love you, Max."
"I know, Chlo. I know."
"Sorry. I just wanted to let you know again." She huffs into Max's neck, causing Max to shiver.
"I think this gives me a pretty good idea..." Max retorts, running her fingers through Chloe's soft blue hair.
If you had told Max 6 years ago that she'd be laying in bed with Chloe Price naked after going through to most embarrassing love confession she could ever think of, she would've laughed in your face and said she and Chloe were just friends. She would've said, "What, you gonna tell me I can rewind time, too?" and when you say yes, she'd think you're in need of mental help.
But yet, here she is. Laying in a bed with Chloe Price, naked, and she can finally call her her girlfriend. Her heart skips a beat at the thought.
"Whatcha thinkin' about, Caulfield?" Chloe looks up at her, still giddy from cuddling Max like this.
"You." She chuckles, finding a spot on Chloe's head to rest her hand.
"Good things?"
"Of course, you dork." They stare lovingly into each other's eyes. They could probably look at each other all day and not get bored. "You know, you're really special to me."
Max's eyes fill with tears and they fall onto the sheets below her. "You're really special to me, too."
Chloe sits up, resting on her elbow. "Do you.." She rubs her hands down Max's body, lovingly. "Want to stop for the day..? You know.. just enjoy each other's company today and maybe continue this tomorrow? You know since it's your first time doing anything and I want it to be special and-"
"Chloe."
"Yeah?" She stops herself from talking, looking at how relaxed Max is. She trusts her completely.
"I appreciate how gentle and patient you're being with me. Thank you. I think we can continue this tomorrow, if you want." She laughs, brushing a piece of Chloe's ocean scented hair behind her ear.
She nods, dropping down next to Max scooting up so she's above her. She pulls her into her chest, intertwining their arms and legs once again. Chloe presses a sweet and gentle kiss to Max's head, receiving a small hum from her.
"Hey, supermax?" Chloe abuses that nickname, it honestly makes Max cringe at times. But right now, nothing Chloe says, not even the corniest jokes, would ruin her day. "Yeah, Price?"
"I fucking love you."
Max smiles, feeling her face heat up. "I love you too."
They spend the rest of the day laying in bed together whispering sweet nothings, and trading kisses. Eventually, they turn on a movie and they both fall asleep, hand in hand, in each other's arms. Nothing could prepare them for the life they've got ahead, but they're both incredibly ready to conquer it, whatever it is.
They're soulmates. Always have been, always will be. They wouldn't trade each other for the world.
And now, Max supposes she's found the one person who can get her to be vulnerable and have emotional conversations with her. Chloe will never hear the end of that.