Chapter Text
Chloe
It’s just over a couple of weeks into the new year when I have my first really bad spell since Max came back into my life. I’m not sure how long she’s been there when I wake up, but she looks half asleep too. There isn’t a part of me that doesn’t ache – which seems particularly cruel, given that I usually can’t feel most of those parts at all – and I feel like I’m suffocating. “Hey,” I croak, weakly.
Max immediately sits up. “Hey! How are you feeling?”
“Not great,” I manage. My throat feels like sandpaper.
“I’m sorry sweetie,” Max says, concern etched on her face. She leans over and briefly kisses me. “Water?”
I nod, and she picks up the cup, holding the straw to my lips. I eagerly sip some down, and the cool liquid running down my throat does make me feel the tiniest bit better. “Thanks.”
Max looks me over for a few seconds. “You really don’t have the spoons to be sociable right now, do you?”
I feel immediate relief that she understands, with guilt hard on its heels. “Sorry…”
Max shakes her head. “No need to apologize; we all know that you have bad days as well as good ones. You should get some more rest. I’ll be here if you need anything.” Tenderly, she strokes my face, then places a soft kiss on my lips.
“Would you… sing something for me?” I ask. After Kate mentioned that she played the violin, I insisted that she give me a demonstration; it was beautiful, but classical music was never really my sort of thing. Kate suggested that I get Max to bring her guitar instead, and even mentioned that she’d been working with her on doing vocals as well as just playing.
“I… guess I could do that,” Max says, shyly and uncertainly, before muttering under her breath, “I’m going to get Kate for this.” She retrieves her guitar from its soft case in the corner of the room, then sits back down, plucking at the strings and fiddling with the tuning pegs.
“It doesn’t have to be perfect, sweetie,” I try to reassure her. “I’ll love whatever you play, because I love you.”
Max flashes me a nervous smile. “Okay. This is something I’ve been practicing for you.” She starts to play, and a few moments later to sing. I don’t care if she mis-fingers a few notes, or that her voice is a little pitchy. It’s wonderful, because she’s doing it for me.
When Max reaches the chorus, I follow the instructions in the lyrics, and let the music wash over me. “Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You’ll be alright, no-one can hurt you now. Come morning light you and I’ll be safe and sound.”
For a few minutes, everything hurts just a little bit less, but eventually the song has to end. I force my eyes back open. “Thank-you, sweetie, that was beautiful.”
Max blushes. “Thanks, but…” she stumbles to a stop when she sees the look I’m giving her. “Thanks,” she says again. “Now, get some rest; one of us will be here when you wake up.”
“Love you,” I mumble, feeling the tendrils of sleep already reaching up for me. Even Max’s presence isn’t enough for me to want to fight it; not when being awake means being in this much pain. I close my eyes, and feel a soft kiss on my cheek.
“I love you too,” whispered in my ear, is the last thing I hear before drifting off.