Work Text:
Thursday 6th March 2015
Chloe's confused.
"So...it's not World Book Day?"
Max gives her a fond, forbearing look. "It's World Book Day on April 23rd. But today is World Book Day in the UK."
"How can it be World Book Day if it's celebrated on different days in different countries? Better question: What is wrong with the Brits? Best question: Why are we going book shopping, again?"
Max just laughs.
That's all Chloe really wants, anyway. She has the whole day off, but the original plan had been to get together in the evening. Then Max's afternoon classes got cancelled and, a few texts later, Max was picking Chloe up and driving them to Pasadena. Now they're ambling along the sidewalk together on a warm afternoon. Instead of hanging out alone, drawing and listening to music, she's holding Max's hand and making her laugh. That's enough, right there. What they're doing doesn't bother Chloe in the slightest.
"Well, I'm not sure about the other questions, but it sort of became a Caulfield family tradition. We celebrate both days. I mean, really, every day should be World Book Day, right?"
"Whatever you say, Max."
"And I did the same thing last year, with my friend Kate. First Thursday in March, we hit the used book store and had tea afterwards. I know it's maybe kinda boring for you, but it's nice to do this with...my girlfriend."
It's only been three weeks and Max is still a little shy about saying it. But the way she does? Blushing, ducking her head but with this tiny little smile on her lips? Chloe loves every part of it.
So she squeezes Max's hand and says, honestly, "There's nowhere I'd rather be than here, Maxwell Perkins."
Max laughs and shakes her head. "How much time do you spend googling this stuff?"
"I'm insulted that you think I wouldn't know the name of the man who discovered Chuck Palahniuk."
"Hemingway! And Fitzgerald!"
"Right, all those guys."
They're almost at the store, but Max pauses and tugs on Chloe's arm, pulling her into an all too brief kiss. She's getting really good at the kissing thing.
Max sighs and pulls away. "I love it when you talk famous editors."
Chloe's not entirely sure she's kidding, either. She tries to slow her heart down, but makes a mental note to step up her Wikipedia game.
"Alright, Max, how do we do this? And, more importantly, what do we eat in honour of all the books?"
"Well, dress-up is totally mandatory in April. But today, we will visit this fine store and indulge in low-key browsing to our hearts' content."
It's a store called Vroman's. Max read about it in a list of LA's best indie bookstores, and decided they had to check it out as soon as possible because...well, nerd. Really cute nerd.
"That doesn't answer the most important question, though!"
But by that point they're inside, and Max is gone for a little bit. Chloe looks around and...yep, it's a bookstore. It's actually pretty big, and surprisingly busy. Max is taking a moment on the threshold to breathe it all in, her blue eyes wide and happy. It's all Chloe can do not to pounce on her right there.
Somehow she manages to resist the not infrequently felt impulse to grab Max as they wander the aisles and she exclaims happily at various finds. They pass nearly an hour with Max slowly accumulating a small stack of books as Chloe aids, abets, teases and counter-teases.
Then Max spies something that has her stop dead. She quickly thrusts the books she's carrying at Chloe. "Chloe, could you...? Thanks."
Chloe watches, bemused, as Max reverently approaches an enormous green book and wrestles it off its shelf. It's about the size of Max's torso, and looks pretty heavy, but Max handles it like a newborn.
"Do you two need a moment alone?"
Max laughs, embarrassed. "Shut up. I just...it's a facsimile of the original Sherlock Holmes stories." She carefully opens the book up. "Wowser! Look at this thing, Chloe! It's amazing! It's got all the illustrations from Strand magazine. That's where most of the stories were first published..."
Chloe glances at the book, then back to Max's rapt expression. She lets slip a happy sigh and tries to turn it into a cough.
Max looks up and blushes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to nerd out so hard."
"Max, quit it. For one thing, you have no idea how cute you are right now. For another...you don't ever need to apologise for loving something."
She closes the book and reluctantly pops it back on the shelf with a grunt. She turns back to Chloe with a smirk and says, "I'm not so sure that's true. I have to apologise for you all the time!"
"Oh, come on! It was one time and that guy was being a complete dick. Just because I spilled a milkshake on...wait..."
The implication of Max's words catches up with both of them at roughly the same time. Chloe freezes and watches as the cheeky smile slips off of Max's face and panic fills her eyes.
Max opens her mouth. Pauses. Shrugs. The panic vanishes and suddenly there's warmth in her eyes and a new smile on her lips, one so sweet it might make Chloe gag. If it wasn't on Max's face. If it wasn't pointed right at her. "Yeah, so. I love you. Deal with it."
They've only been dating three weeks. They only got together as friends two months ago! They've...basically known each other most of their lives.
Oh. Right. It's Max.
Chloe finds herself relaxing, shrugging back. "I can deal. I love you, too."
They stare at each other for a moment with stupid grins on their faces until Max suddenly blurts out, "Oh! Burgers!"
"Huh?"
Max reaches out and takes her books back from Chloe. "Official food in honour of all the books."
"I dunno, MaxDonalds. That seems like a weird choice. I mean, you'd get grease on the pages-"
"Chloe! Do you want to go get burgers with me?"
"Uh, always?"
"That's settled, then."
They make their way over to the checkout. Max hugs her heap of books to her chest. Since she can't hold Max's hand, Chloe puts her arm around her and hugs Max to her chest. She just breathes her in for a moment.
"Y'know, I think I could get to like World Book Day. Days. Whatever."
Max laughs and looks up at her, not with fond forbearance, but with love.
It's all Chloe really wants.