Chapter Text
Fuck.
Max twisted the key in the ignition again, only to hear the dying sputtering and groans from the engine.
Letting out an exasperated huff, Max sat back in the seat, placing a hand to her temple. This was not how she'd wanted to start her winter break. First, she was pretty sure she'd failed her chemistry exam. Second, she was not in the mood for her goddamn, piece of shit car to die on her.
Third, she was definitely not equipped to be stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Wrapping her thin jacket closely around her, Max shivered as she looked out at the forest trees looming over the road, their shadows becoming darker and longer as the sun set in the distance. Ahead, she could make out a few small lights from a cluster of buildings, and behind her was nothing but the long stretch of winding road.
Okay, two options. Stay in the car and possibly freeze to death, or pull a Cabin in the Woods and try and find shelter up ahead.
And looking up at the steel-gray clouds overhead, if it snowed, then she'd really be fucked. Putting her face in her hands, Max breathed in and out through her nose as she pulled herself together.
So...die, or die, Max?
As depressing as that thought was, Max grabbed her bag from the passenger seat before opening the door and getting out.
Along the walk to the small town further up ahead, Max called her parents and let them know where she was. Though she was too far from home to get a ride from her parents, they reassured her that the town she was in was relatively safe - hell, the entire town was the one street she was heading towards now.
After she hung up, she managed to make it to the main street; glancing at all the darkened windows and closed doors, however, it seemed like the townspeople had closed up shop for the evening already.
Damn it. Darkness was quickly settling in, and the cold was starting to bite at her through her thin jacket - if she didn't find a place to take shelter in soon, she'd freeze.
Hurrying along the street, Max was relieved to find the lights on in one small corner shop - a bright neon 'OPEN' sign hung by the main window, and Max didn't stop to think as she dashed forward, throwing the door open and breathing a sigh of relief as the warmth from inside washed over her face.
And it was only when the door shut behind her that Max realized where she was.
"Hi, welcome to Frisky Business, where you're the coming attraction," a voice drawled in a bored tone from the counter in the back.
Oh, my god, I'm in a -
The girl at the counter looked up and put her phone down when Max didn't respond, and her mouth dropped open into a perfect 'o'.
Max just stared back, too afraid to tear her gaze away and look at the array of lewd objects and sex toys hanging on the walls and sitting on the display tables.
"Uh, hey, you okay there?" the girl asked; she stood up straight, putting her hands in the front pocket of her oversized sweatshirt ('YES HOMO' blatantly emblazoned on its front) before walking around the counter and heading towards Max.
Max's face was burning with the intensity of a thousand suns, and her entire body felt rooted to the ground as she stupidly stood there like a deer in headlights.
The girl came to stand in front of her, eyebrows raised as she blew a bubble with her gum, and Max summoned what remaining brainpower she had to silently thank and curse whatever higher power that had led her here.
"Hello? You okay there?" she asked again.
"I'm, uh, I'm," Max stammered, trying to find her voice - up close, Max noticed the girl's name tag crookedly pinned on her chest. Chloe.
And then Max's eyes darted up to Chloe's face.
The only thing her brain could numbly register was 'wow. she's pretty.'
"You're…?" Chloe trailed off, resuming chewing on her gum. She reached a hand up to adjust the beanie on top of her blue hair before tilting her head to the side, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she awaited Max's answer.
Tearing her gaze to the floor, Max swallowed, trying to put back the pieces of her sanity and conscience as she hastily threw together a response. If the sex shop had thrown her off balance, Chloe's face was the equivalent of being flung into the heavens. Repeatedly.
"I, uh, my car broke down a little bit down the street, I was wondering if there were any places nearby where I could stay the night?" she rambled, thrusting her hands into the pockets of her jacket as she did her best to maintain her composure.
"Oh, yeah," Chloe said nonchalantly. "The nearest motel is like a five mile walk up north."
Shit.
"But," Chloe said, and the of hint of hesitation in her voice caused Max to look up. "I mean, we're open 24/7, so you could just chill here until the repair shop opens."
Max considered Chloe's proposition. It's not like she'd never pulled an allnighter before. And Chloe was really pretty…
"Would...would you mind if I just chilled here?" Max asked. A beat later, she added, "Oh, and I'm Max."
"Chloe. Yeah, I don't mind. Not a lot of people come here anyway, so it's nice to have some company," Chloe smiled, giving a shrug before blowing and popping another bubble.
"Thank you," Max said, grateful for Chloe's kindness.
But it wasn't until Chloe returned behind the counter and Max was standing awkwardly in front of it that she realized she hadn't thought this through. And neither had Chloe.
"You know, if you wanna sit down, you could try out our...lounge chairs and stuff," Chloe said, pointing to one wall, where sloped and curved chaise chairs lined its length.
Maybe Max would've considered sitting down on one if it weren't for the fact that above each piece of furniture hung a poster displaying what position was most popular on each.
She could feel her face on fire - again - as she turned to see Chloe smirking, biting the corner of her lip.
God, that's really hot. But...She's playing with me. Okay, fine. Two can play at that game.
"Sure you wouldn't want to join me?" Max asked nonchalantly, leaning against the counter and watching with satisfaction as Chloe fumbled a response, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"I'm not that innocent, Chloe," Max said, rolling her eyes. "Nobody gets through college unscathed."
"Oooh. So you're a college kid," Chloe managed to say, reaching up and taking out her gum before tossing it into a trash can behind her.
"Yeah. I was trying to get home for the break," Max sighed, idly tracing patterns along the black surface of the counter.
"But then your car decided to fuck itself," Chloe finished. "I'm sorry that happened."
"It could be worse."
"Doesn't mean it still doesn't suck," Chloe said. "Here. If you really want to sit down, there's a stool next to me over here." She gestured for Max to join her behind the counter, shifting slightly as Max came around and sat down.
"Thanks," Max said, looking up to see Chloe pull herself up to sit on the counter, her legs dangling off the side.
"So, what are you studying?" Chloe asked inquisitively, leaning back on her hands.
"Not really sure yet, actually," Max replied, crossing her arms on the counter before placing her head on them. "Honestly, I don't really know what I wanna do."
"I get that," Chloe said, a hint of bitterness to her voice. "But at least you're in school. I'm stuck in this fuck shop."
"And this place is open 24/7?"
"Yeah, and I got stuck with the night shift tonight," Chloe huffed. "This is usually primetime for sleazy scumbags to come in and rent out the super unrealistic porn."
Max felt something twist in her stomach when she thought of the idea of Chloe having to interact with a bunch of jerks and fuckwads. She didn't doubt some of them would try to make a move too...
"I'm sorry you have to deal with those creeps. I've met my fair share," Max muttered, glaring ahead at the shelves of DVDs and movies that lined the center of the store.
"But...not everyone who comes in is that bad," Chloe continued. "I mean, some of my potential customers are pretty cute, if you know what I mean."
Max glanced up to see Chloe with a shit-eating grin across her face, but before she could say anything, the door at the front opened, and Max shivered as a cold gust of wind blew back towards them.
Chloe looked at Max for a moment before she fluidly took off her sweatshirt, handing it to Max before sliding off the counter and turning to face the newcomer.
A young, scruffy-looking man stood at the door, clad in several layers of knitted sweaters. He and Chloe shared a nod before he shuffled forward, closing the door behind him.
"'Sup, Trevor."
"'Sup, Chloe," was Trevor's response. "I came by to say thanks for taking my shift. Got some hot chocolate for ya." He came forward and tossed Chloe a thermos.
As Trevor and Chloe had a brief conversation, Max sat up straight, holding Chloe's sweatshirt in her hands. It was worn with age, of course, but the few seconds that the door had been open had been enough for the room temperature to lower a few degrees. And her jacket wasn't really the best at keeping her warm…
Max put the sweatshirt on, pushing up the long sleeves a little before bringing the collar up to cover her face as Trevor headed back outside again. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, noticing how Chloe's sweatshirt smelled of smoke - like a bonfire - and some earthy tones, like pines or the woods after a day of rain…
In a daze, she slowly opened her eyes and lowered the collar, only to glance to her right to see Chloe staring.
Blushing furiously, Max stammered, "Um, uh, sorry - "
"It's...no worries," Chloe said slowly, blinking. "Anyway, since you're cold and shit, you wanna, you know," Chloe said, slightly red in the face as she waved the thermos in her hand. "Share some hot chocolate?"
"I'd love some," Max said, taking a deep breath and pulling herself together. Talk about embarrassing.
"But are you sure you're allowed to do that with your 'potential' customers?" Max asked wryly as she watched Chloe open the thermos and pour the hot chocolate into the lid.
"Only the cute ones," Chloe said, winking as she handed the lid to Max.
Rolling her eyes, Max gratefully took the lid in her hands, comforted by the warmth that radiated from the drink within.
"But of course, I wouldn't mind you becoming a regular, either. I mean, I wouldn't judge," Chloe said as Max raised the drink to her lips, wondering if the heat on her cheeks was from the steam that rose up from the cup or if it was just Chloe's smooth talking.
"Wouldn't that mean I'd have to buy something?" Max asked before taking a sip of the hot drink, tasting the scalding hot chocolate on the tip of her tongue. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve before placing the lid on the counter, where Chloe quickly picked it up and took a sip as well.
"Well, anything here suit your tastes?" Chloe asked, handing the drink back to Max and raising her arm before gesturing to the entirety of the store like a proud spokesman. "I'm only here to help and serve, Miss Max."
"Well, what are you into?" Max shot back, catching Chloe off-guard.
"I'm - I'm not gonna, I can't tell customers about my sex life," Chloe scoffed, crossing her arms as Max blew a little bit on the drink, trying to cool it.
"Then I can't tell you about mine," Max teased, a smug grin on her face.
"Says the girl wearing a 'YES HOMO' sweatshirt," Chloe muttered, to which Max indignantly cried, "It's your sweatshirt, asswipe - "
Their banter continued, and the time passed them by until they finished the entire thermos of hot chocolate, leaving it empty on the counter as the two walked around the store.
"So, what's your type? Hot male doctor or sexy female nurse?" Chloe asked mockingly, holding up two DVDs.
You're my type.
"Well, I guess you could say both," Max said, unfazed. "But I'm more into skaters. How about you?"
Chloe shoved the DVDs back onto the shelf, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I longboard, you know, in the summer," she said, glancing at Max, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
"So longboards are your type, Chloe?"
"No, I mean, I just, ugh," Chloe huffed, and Max burst out laughing, reaching out and grabbing Chloe's hand before tugging her along to look at more things.
Despite only meeting hours earlier, Max enjoyed the time she was spending with Chloe - their conversations flowed as smooth as water, and Max found herself wishing for more time for the two of them.
But her own body began to betray her, and after she yawned for the fifth time in a minute, Chloe squeezed her hand, putting back the gigantic dildo they'd both been laughing at back onto its place on the shelf.
"Hey, dude, if you're tired, you can crash on the bed in the back," Chloe said, gently guiding Max back towards the counter.
"Bed in the back? Don't tell me you actually let people fuck here," Max said pointedly, trying to repress another yawn as she placed her hand over her mouth.
"Dude, never."
Chloe pulled aside a curtain behind the counter, and the two stood in the entryway as Max stared at the bed. A bed hooked up with several straps, handcuffs, and harnesses. Bondage galore.
"Chloe," Max said slowly, "Are you serious."
"Okay, look, it's just for trying things out. I can take away the bondage shit and then it'll be a totally normal bed," Chloe offered. "No one's fucked in it, I swear - "
Max had already turned and sat back on her stool, crossing her arms on the counter and laying her head down. "I'd rather not wake up handcuffed, thanks," she murmured. And I'd rather not leave you alone out here…
"Max, you can't just - "
"Chloe, I've slept in a library more times than you think I have," Max mumbled, already feeling the weariness of sleep tugging at her eyelids. "I'll be fine…"
Though Chloe continued protesting, Max just closed her eyes, and she began to feel herself drift, dreaming of a punk with blue hair…
Max blearily awoke a little later, and she blinked for a moment, trying to gain her surroundings - she looked up to see Chloe's face, and something dimly registered in her mind that she was in Chloe's arms…
The soft surface of a mattress came into contact with her back, and Max squinted in the dimness of the room, where she saw a large pile of discarded handcuffs and straps lying in a corner.
"Chloe…?" Max mumbled.
"I got rid of all the stuff, Max. Just sleep," Chloe said, sounding far off as Max began to fall back into the arms of sleep and dreams, comforted by the presence of her newfound friend.
Max awoke the next morning to the sound of soft voices just past the curtain, and she sat up in bed, noticing a thick, homemade quilt covering her body.
"Hey, uh, could you give Max the discount for me? Just, like, don't let her know," she heard Chloe's muffled voice say from outside.
"Ooh, damn, Chloe. You have the hots for this chick?" said a light-hearted male voice.
A sharp 'Ow!' came shortly before Chloe said something else, too indistinguishable for Max to hear out clearly.
"Anyway, thanks, Justin. I owe you one."
"Heh, no probs. Where's the girl? We can go tow her car now."
"She's probably still sleeping. I'll go see and wake her up."
Max immediately threw herself back down on the bed, wrapping the blanket up around herself, noticing how it smelled just like Chloe...
The curtain opened, letting in some light into the room, and Max squinted in the brightness, raising a hand to shield her eyes as Chloe came close to her side.
"Hey, you sleep okay?" Chloe asked softly.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry for totally passing out on you," Max said, regretful of the fact that she'd probably left Chloe alone and bored at the counter.
"It's cool. You still have to drive and stuff today, anyway."
"Thank you, Chloe," Max said, trying to imbue as much gratefulness in her voice as possible - but Chloe just shook her head, holding up Max's bag.
"It's no problem."
Holding the quilt in her arms, Max headed back out to the front of the store with Chloe, where she met another young man sporting a red cap underneath a frizzled batch of blonde hair.
"Hey, Chloe called me up. I can help you get your car back on the road," he grinned, pointing a thumb back out the door, where a tow truck awaited.
Max glanced at Chloe, who shot a look at Justin - who immediately said, "I'll go, uh, wait in the truck while you get your stuff," and he sauntered out of the store, closing the door behind him.
Now that the morning was upon them, Max cursed herself for passing out. She wanted to spend more time with Chloe…
"Thank you, though, really," Max repeated, handing the quilt back to Chloe, who flung it over her shoulder, looking anywhere but at Max.
"It's nothing. And the quilt's from my truck, so, you know, it's not fucked with or anything," Chloe said, reaching a hand up to rub the back of her neck.
The two stood there for another moment, neither willing to say goodbye; Max glanced down, tugging anxiously at the end of her sweatshirt when she remembered something.
"Oh, sorry, I totally wore your sweatshirt the whole night," she breathed, about to take it off - but Chloe's hands suddenly covered her own.
"Hey, don't sweat it. Keep it, you big homo," Chloe chuckled, but Max could see that the bravado in her expression didn't quite meet her eyes.
"I'll come back and bring this back to you, I promise," Max began, but Chloe just tilted her head and gave a sad smile.
"If you come visit me again, I hope you buy something next time," Chloe said lightly, holding open the door for Max.
"You know, maybe I'll do it if the right person's there with me," Max said cheekily, and she felt a sense of satisfaction as she saw Chloe's eyes widen with surprise, her mouth parted slightly as she stared at Max's smug expression.
"Bye, Chloe." Max stood on her toes and gave Chloe a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out to join Justin.
"Bye, Max," Chloe murmured, and as Max got in Justin's truck and shut the door, she looked up to see Chloe standing in the doorway in a daze, one hand held up against her cheek.
It was only after she'd gotten back home, greeted her parents, gone out to dinner with her grandparents, and returned back home that she realized she'd been wearing Chloe's 'YES HOMO' sweatshirt the entire time - and though she was mortified by this, she now understood why the older generations kept asking her if she'd met anyone at college.
Though she told them the truth, no, she hadn't met anyone, she did mention she had met someone...someone she hoped to see again soon, she thought as she brought the collar of the sweatshirt up to her nose again, inhaling the scent of the forest and the trees.