Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm letting you let me do this. This is a terrible idea.”

“Cool it, Mad Max. You've seen how much I smoke, and I'm perfectly fine. Well, relatively fine. And let's face it, if anyone has earned the right to break a handful of laws, it's you.”

“Chloe, I already broke like... five laws just trying to survive this fucked up week!” Max huffed and slumped against the back of the bench, staring out from the same spot where, just a week prior, she watched as a gigantic storm threatened to tear apart the town she loved. She felt aged, like the seven days took years to pass. She wasn't even halfway through her first semester at Blackwell and she already felt like an old woman.

The only girl in the world who knew the truth was trying desperately to tend to all the trauma and psychological wounds. Unfortunately, she didn't know much about how that stuff worked, so she did the next-best thing and offered to let Max toke up with her. The lighthouse seemed like a decent place since the house was kind of a danger zone. “Okay, so don't think about the legal aspect. Just remember that there are people in this country who take this stuff to deal with pain, anxiety, depression, and more. And you are most definitely in pain.” Though it sounded like she was searching for an excuse, she was also trying in her own way to process just how much Max had suffered. She was a hero, no matter how much she denied the title.

“Okay, fine, how do I do this?”

Chloe chuckled, trying to be understanding of the fact that her friend was so adorably straightedge. “I'll go first, just watch me. It's easy. You inhale, hold, exhale, boom. And go slow. Sometimes the first time is easy, sometimes it can be a little surprising. Your tiny hipster ass could be caught off guard.” She lit up the blunt she'd prepared and took the first two hits, coughing softly as she passed it off.

Max took the joint like it was radioactive and going to melt her flesh off, and Chloe had to stifle another laugh. All those after-school specials had a way of warping your mind, like just looking at one of those things could turn you into a junkie. But innocent as she was, Max wasn't a total idiot, just understandably nervous. Still, what Chloe had said made sense. She had earned this, dammit! As ordered, she pulled it to her lips, breathed in, held it a moment, and breathed out. She had the ragged cough of a first-timer and didn't bother with a second take before passing it back. “Jesus, Price, warn a girl!! Augh, it's like inhaling straight-up fire!!” she bitched, in between fits of coughing.

This time, Chloe couldn't hold back and began giggling like an idiot before getting another two hits. Despite complaints, Max took it from her and tried again, knowing not to drag it so hard this time. “Sorry kiddo, I guess I kinda forgot what it can be like...”

After a while they got into a comfortable pattern of puff-puff-pass, speaking little, if at all. Max had spent an entire week thinking and talking and moving and doing and planning and fixing and solving and she was so goddamn tired of it. And, thankfully, Chloe really did know when to shut her mouth – even if it was obvious that she wasn't used to the idea of a comfortable silence.

Max's head was becoming comfortably fuzzy, and she found that it really was helping. She wasn't thinking so much. Her limbs were heavy. The weight was off her shoulders, as was the tension. She gave a contented sigh, and as she smiled, Chloe grinned back at her. “There's my girl. Feeling it?”

“Mmm, I guess? You'd know better than I would...”

“Thank fuck for that. Mad Max, you... You really did something impossible. And I know it still hangs over you like a ghost. I'm sorry for peer pressuring you into this, but if it's doing the job, then I can live with the guilt.” Eventually there was little left but a bit of paper and ash and Chloe quickly stubbed it out and dumped the remnants in an empty beer can, discarded nearby from the cliff's previous occupants.

Guilt. Max knew about guilt. She'd done things she wasn't necessarily proud of, but one stuck with her more than the others. “Chloe... There's... I need to... Earlier...” She stared straight forward, and felt an arm suddenly sneak around her shoulders as Chloe pulled her closer.

“Careful there, Maximilian, it's been a shit week and neither of us want to deal with any new drama.” Chloe was just trying to keep things easy, but it just made her feel more nervous again. She needed to get this off her chest.

“One last thing, and then I promise we can spend a couple months shooting the shit and not giving a fuck, okay?” Max looked up into Chloe's face, unaware that she was currently making her irresistible puppy dog eyes.

“Oh, fine...” Chloe might have sounded angry about that, but her tightening grip around Max's shoulder told her another story, the one that the blue haired monster refused to speak aloud. Max came first. Always.

Max took a deep breath, no longer fighting the fuzziness in her head, trying to use the fact that she felt so free and easy to push her forward. “I realized that my power had another use. I could... I could use pictures to go further back in time. I was looking at that old picture of us making pancakes...” Wait, shit, it didn't exist anymore. She'd destroyed it. “Um, anyway, I was suddenly thirteen again. The day William... Um, I-I stopped him. Ruined his keys. Convinced him to take the bus. He was alive Chloe! And I was in the Vortex club and I think I was shacking up with Victoria? Sorry, alternate timelines, it was all very Back to the Future.” She rubbed the back of her neck and forced herself not to see the reaction on her best friend's face.

“I'd probably still be there now. But you... There was a different accident. You were paralyzed. Millions in hospital bills. You asked me... All I had to do was... just crank up your IV to eleven. I-I did it. Then I went back and let William leave again. Everything was back to 'normal'. But not me. You died so many times, but that's the one that won't leave me alone. I killed you Chloe. And even if you forgive me, I understand if you don't, but... I can't forgive myself.”

There was a long, long pause, and this time it wasn't comfortable. The hand at Max's shoulder tightened and she felt herself pulled in closer still. She didn't say anything, but Max could hear the terrifying sound of her soft sniffling.

“I always thought that my life was so shitty. Step-douche and Rachel Amber and Frank and my debt and getting kicked out of Blackwell. And I mean, yeah, it sucks sometimes. But you've only been back in my life a week and it's like nothing changed. Hanging with you makes things easier. And I know it's shitty of me to say about me from another universe, but I guess that kinda puts stuff in perspective. And if you did what you did, I'm sure it was justified.” Chloe gave another sniffle and stared at the sun as it sank below the horizon. “How... was I?”

“No blue hair, but just as beautiful, just as spirited. We watched Blade Runner and you told me you hated the word 'hella'.” Max was shocked to hear Chloe react with a bright, raucous laugh that managed to actually startle her. It was infectious, and she inevitably started to giggle as well, even as a few tears fell from her eyes.

The two continued to laugh and cry, finally starting to let out all the bullshit that had accumulated over the week. Finally it subsided and Chloe planted a kiss to the top of Max's head, eliciting a bright blush from the tinier girl. “I love you, Max. I don't know if there's anything you could do that would make me hate you. Angry, sure. But, y'know, just a bit.”

“Nothing...?” Max said, very tentatively. Her voice was quiet, with maybe just a twinge of hope.

“Well, I'd prefer you not get too hardcore with testing that theory. But yeah. We're a dynamic duo, changing timelines and saving entire towns. Even if the ungrateful fuckers never actually recognize it. But I guess Batman didn't make a ton of friends either.” Chloe finally took note of the glowing cheeks and cocked her head to the side. “Hey, c'mon, that should've gotten a bigger laugh, Caulfield. Don't tell me you're crashing already.”

Max fiddled with the zipper on her hoodie, quietly pushing it down and back up. She was refusing to look back at Chloe. There was one more thing. Perhaps it was best to just launch into it, see what happened, and then rewind if shit got too deep. “I love you, Chloe. Um. But like, that other kind. The capital-L kind. I always did, but I guess I just figured it was some stupid confused schoolgirl thing. That's why I was so shitty about keeping in touch. I didn't want it to hurt, to grow distant while trying to pretend we were still close. Even when I got back, I guess I figured you'd be so different and you wouldn't even remember me. But as soon as we were back together, I couldn't shake it. That's why I kissed you. The dare was just an excuse.”

The look on Chloe's face was all she needed to see. Her right hand shot out and...

Nothing happened. Normally there was at least a headache when nothing happened. But this was nothing-nothing. So now she just looked like a doofus holding out her hand after confessing her big stupid idiotic crush on her best friend.

“Was that... Max!!” Chloe's arm was ripped away from her, and the brunette never felt more alone in her entire life. She'd lost her powers, she'd lost her best friend, and it was all over now. “You just tried to rewind!!” Chloe was on her feet now, glaring down at Max as the girl tried to shrink into her hoodie.

“I couldn't, I think I-”

“Shut up, we'll get to that. This is more important!” Chloe snapped, and Max saw that terrifying fire in her eyes that was only reserved for the likes of David.

Wait, more important? Bad important? Good important? Chloe, what the hell are you doing? She could only watch in horror as her friend began to pace back and forth, fuming, huffing and puffing. If Max wasn't scared for her life, it would have been pretty cute. Jesus, Max, get a grip, now is not the time...

“You unload all this stuff on me, and then tell me the sweetest, most adorable thing I've ever heard in my life, and then immediately try to rewind it?? So- So what, was this just a trick? You were curious and you'd see how I reacted to you professing your undying love for me? Was any of that stuff true? Did you really kill another me? Do you...” Her voice trembled and cracked here, and Max's confusion only grew. “Do you really l-love me?

“Of course I do! How couldn't I?” In a whirl, Max was pulled up by both hands until she and Chloe were face-to-face. Chloe was still angry, but now in a more flustered, embarrassed sort of way. The look someone got when they realized they had maybe, possibly fucked up but were too proud to admit it.

“Prove it.” She finally said, and stared Max down. “None of that playschool shit. No dare, no shenanigans. You kiss me right now, Max Caulfield, and there had better be goddamn fireworks.”

It was phrased like a request, but said like an order. Either way, it was pretty clear now, even to the oblivious Max. She held back the desire to giggle, not wishing to damage Chloe's ego too much. She tenderly placed a hand to each burning cheek and pulled Chloe in until their lips met. And no, this was no 'playschool shit'. The dare-kiss was barely a peck. This kiss was magnetized and electrified. Two poles snapping together and fitting just-so. Max may have proved her point, but she was far from done. She leaned more into it, her head tilting to the side, her lips parting ever so slightly. She could feel the other girl's hands coming to rest on her hips, and it took a good deal of concentration to not think too hard on that. With the appropriate leverage now obtained, Chloe shifted them until they were once more seated on the bench. Max's hands moved from Chloe's cheeks to let her arms wrap about her neck.

Neither girl was entirely sober enough to process time appropriately, so it was impossible to be sure just how long the embrace went on. It was certainly long enough for Max to wipe her memory banks of anything even approaching a first kiss so that she could file this one away as her first real kiss. When they finally pulled away, they were panting, chests heaving just slightly, faces flushed, eyes still a little watery.

“...sorry, Max... That was low.”

Max shook her head desperately and pulled Chloe in for a tight hug. “No, I... I shouldn't have tried to rewind. I was spoiled this week. I was able to fix my choices instead of learning to live with them.”

“So, what, you think it was the weed or...?”

“No, if something were stopping me, I'd...” A memory came over, the only two times she'd been completely barred from using her powers. She shuddered at the thought of it. Max was definitely not ready to go there yet. “I'd know. There'd be a headache or haziness or something. It's just gone. No answers, no explanation.”

Slowly, Chloe's hands traced fingers through the sandy locks. The brunette was grateful to finally be close to her best friend in a non-platonic way, even if the circumstances sucked ass. “You'll always be my Super Max. Guess we just have to be careful from here on out.”

“Honestly, I'll be glad to be rid of the pain and the nosebleeds. It was too much to bear. And I know I have you to look out for me...” Max said this part a little quieter, more bashfully, unable to make eye contact with Chloe. “Does this mean...”

“Uh-uh, Max. Chloe doesn't do labels. What this means is that now I can indulge in all my Max-related fantasies. For real.” She grinned, but Max wasn't sure she exactly approved of that answer. To her surprise, Chloe's shit-eating grin quickly dissipated and she started to look almost as bashful. “But I guess... if you wanted... from time to time... once in a while... you could maybe say something to the effect of... 'I have a girlfriend'. But just to scare away creepy dudes! And Warren. We tell Joyce, and we tell Warren. Everyone else will have to just sit around and guess.”

“His poor heart. But why Joyce?” Max's head canted to the side slightly.

“She wants you to be my Good Influence. If she knows just how much you really mean to me, she'll get off my back~” It was pretty obvious there was a lot more to it than that. But Max didn't want to press anymore. She was tired of pressing. She was free of her powers, and she had a kinda-sorta-girlfriend, and she was ready for life to go back to normal. She stole one last fleeting peck from Chloe's lips before hopping up.

“Well then, bacon and coffee and telling Joyce you've got the hots for me. Sounds like a plan.” She let out a bizarre sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a gasp as Chloe threw a chummy arm around her neck, nearly choking her, and ruffled her hair.

“To the Two Whales, First Mate!”

Chapter Text

No one questioned Victoria Chase. Not even when she suddenly pulled a 180 and declared Kate Marsh to be completely out of bounds to any and all hate. Admittedly, no one would have dared be openly hostile to Saint Marsh, but there were still those who would snicker and joke in the deeper, darker corners of the school about how she would undoubtedly try again. Not only had she made the declaration like the princess she was, but whenever she was around and heard someone about to say something awful, she gave them The Look that shut them up right quick.

In fact, only one person in the entirety of Blackwell would have been able to call her out on it, and that was Kate Marsh herself. Victoria had rather assumed that they would pretty much never have to talk about it so long as the two agreed that it was best they keep their distance from one another. And for a while that worked out well enough, just keeping it swept up under the rug.

That was the way Victoria generally liked things, neat and clean and easy. It made it that much more difficult to deal with. She didn't have to think about why she had been such a bitch in the first place, or why she was so quick to turn on a dime and be Kate Marsh's private security detail, or why she hated Maxine Caulfield so much, with her stupid hipster bullshit and that face that was so adorable she just wanted to...

She wanted to tear it off. Because it was so stupid. So stupid and freckled.

And that Chloe chick! Victoria could still remember when she'd been kicked out of Blackwell. It was only a matter of time. She went to all that trouble dying her hair and playing up that idiotic punk rock princess routine. She clearly had other plans than being a good student. So fine, fuck her and her terrible life decisions. And since Max seemed to be pretty intent on shacking up with the bad-girl, it wouldn't be long before her and her freckles and her indie music would be out of her hair for good. Just like Rachel Amber. Well good riddance to the lot of them.

All this and more flitted through her mind as she worked on one of her various projects late at night. The only thing capable of shocking her out of it was a knock at her door. It wasn't one of her minions, none of them knocked so softly. And no one else could possibly want to bother talking to her. Huffing impatiently, she finally caved and got up, going to the door, and throwing it open.

And of-fucking-course, there stood Blackwell's Angel herself, only freshly returned from her stint in the hospital. She gave a slight gasp before attempting to resume her usual un-amused stare with pursed lips – though there was a slight glow in her cheeks that she completely ignored. “Marsh... Um, what can I do for you?” So far, Victoria had been able to keep an eye out for anyone talking shit on Kate without the girl actually being around. But now that she was back at school, it was harder to ignore what she'd been doing.

“Do you have a second? I promise it won't take long.” Kate reached across herself, rubbing her right arm with her left hand.

Was Kate Marsh here to tell her off finally? Well, Victoria certainly knew she deserved it. Frankly, she wasn't sure she could handle it. Anyone else giving her attitude would have been chewed out first. But not Kate. Never Kate. She felt bad enough already, she wasn't sure she could ever drop another attitude bomb on her again.

But she didn't look angry. She looked sad, which wasn't exactly anything new, but like... guilty sad. What in the hell was happening?? Her curiosity got the better of her and she stepped aside, allowing Kate to walk past her into her dorm. A whiff of delightful perfume hit her, vanilla and rose. Focus, Chase, just let her say her peace and then get back to work.

This seemed like the kind of thing that needed the utmost privacy, so she quickly shut and locked the door. She offered her bed to Kate and took a seat once more at her desk, turning to look at her, still not totally sure where this was headed.

For a while they just sat there, Victoria staring at Kate, Kate staring at nothing. She continued slowly rubbing her arm, seemingly afraid of even glancing in Victoria's direction. Oh. My. God. Is she gonna confess some kind of weird guilty lesbian crush on me? Why would your brain go there first?? Victoria, how do you keep ending up in these situations? Of course her self-entitled guess turned out to be way off the mark.

“Victoria, I wanted to apologize...”

Wait, what?? Victoria's brain was fried. She absolutely hadn't seen that coming. “Wait, what??” She couldn't process what in the world would make Kate think that she had anything to apologize for. This total reversal was enough to leave Victoria sitting there with a stunned look on her face.

“It's okay, you don't have to accept it or anything. The important first step is just that I can finally admit that I wronged you and others.” Kate still hadn't moved from her position on the bed, still rubbing her own arm reassuringly, still staring off into space. “I was so selfish. Standing up on that roof, I had thought... Well, I thought that once I landed, and it would be all over, and peaceful. But I also thought, that will show them. They'll be sorry. I can't believe that was almost my last thought in the world...”

Normally, when Victoria got angry at Kate, it was because she was spouting some hypocritical nonsense or trying to get everyone to stop fucking. She was still angry, but this time at whoever it was that taught Kate the things she parroted. Yeah, fine, suicide was a sin, but she hadn't committed suicide! And she had some nasty, but entirely justified, thoughts about the people on the ground. But she was apologizing to Victoria?? This would not stand.

Victoria leapt to her feet, startling the poor girl on her bed. “No!” Kate wriggled slightly, unsure what to do with herself, though at least she was now looking in Victoria's direction. “No, Kate. I... I should be apologizing to you! I should be apologizing to you three times a day, every day, for the rest of my life! Considering the only thing you wanted was for me to... to learn my lesson. You were as much a saint up on the roof as you ever have been!” Victoria crossed her arms along her chest and glared at Kate, somewhere between enraged and embarrassed. This really wasn't how she pictured her apology going.

Making things even worse was that Kate wasn't saying anything back. And then, worst of all, she started to cry softly. “Oh, shit, d-don't do that, I hate crying. C'mon, seriously... Kate. Kate!” She sat ungracefully on the bed next to her and rested a hand against her shoulder. “I... forgive you? Even if I don't really understand, please, just stop crying.” Hesitantly, totally unsure of herself, she began to rub her back gently.

Despite Victoria's pleas being rather pathetic, Kate did finally manage to stop herself from totally breaking down. “I heard you've been... like... a-avenging me or whatever. I could hardly believe it.”

As quickly as she had reached out, Victoria withdrew her hand and resumed her previous stand-offish posture, arms crossing again. “Don't get used to it. Soon enough I'll have some new target and I won't have time to be your guardian angel.” This was little more than a joke to avoid the fact that they were almost having A Moment here. “If you don't mind me asking, what's the deal with asking me for forgiveness?”

“My pastor visited me in the hospital, and we talked for a while. I told him everything, and before he left, he made some suggestions for what I should do. Apologizing to all the people I was angry at, all the guys at the party I led on and made out with, that kinda thing.”

“Hey, do me a favor. Don't do that.” Victoria said, harsh and cold, but also oddly affectionate. “I don't know who else you've talked to, but maybe skip the rest of the list. We were in the wrong. Every single one of us who had anything to do with putting you up there. So you keep on working and learning and doing your adorable drawings and...” Shit, I'm not supposed to know this stuff. “Um, and whatever else it is you do. And you prove you're better than all of them, even me. You're Kate Goddamn Marsh. Wait, sorry. Um, you get what I mean, yeah?”

Unexpectedly, Kate's arms wrapped tightly around Victoria, and she found herself pulled into a tight hug, the kind of embrace she got rarely, if ever. It was kinda nice. Sorta warm. And she tried very, very hard to not think about that. “Thanks, Victoria. I'm glad I talked to you first...” Without another word, Kate was gone, back toward her own room presumably. And Victoria was left alone sitting there on her bed, face still burning.

“What. The fuck.”

Chapter Text

Kate breathed a deep sigh of relief as her final class of the week ended. After talking about it for what felt like the hundredth time, she and Max finally made actual plans to go on a tea date. Not that Kate didn't already take every available opportunity to indulge her tea fixation. But it was far better getting some with a friend. There was a place you could get to easily from the bus stop just outside The Two Whales, but she still had a few free moments and ended up stopping by her room. She liked to check up on Alice whenever she could, and it seemed like maybe she ought to change.

She wasn't sure exactly why this thought occurred to her, but lately she was really trying to not over-think everything. Something about what Victoria said got her feeling like maybe it was time to stop wearing herself thin by obsessing over each and every detail.

Her heart told her to change into something more casual, so she went with it. Out with the skirt and blouse, up with the floppy hoodie and jeans. Kate most definitely felt comfortable now. The perfect attire to go with warm tea and cool, late-October weather. She turned up to the coffee shop early and found herself a spot to collapse while she waited. She flicked through her phone idly, re-reading bits and pieces of her text messages with Max, unaware she was smiling rather broadly at the moment.

Max. Her hero. Her best friend. Her tea date. She was excited, eager to sit together, sipping tea and talking about anything and everything, so long as it didn't relate to rooftops and viral videos.

She saw a shock of sandy hair pass by the shop's front window, and a moment later she was up on her feet and being drawn into a tight hug. “There she is! Katie Marsh, look at you, all dressed down! It's a good look for you” Kate flushed and beamed, unsure what to say.

“It... seemed appropriate. Come on, this place has a ridiculous list of available teas. It could take us a while to decide.” She buried her hands in the front pocket of her hoodie and stepped up to the register. As promised, it did take the two some time to choose. Max was feeling bold and decided to try a rooibos tea while Kate went with a delicious berry green tea. After some messing about with honey and cream, they reclined on a pair of leather chairs and got comfy, grateful that the coffee shop was mostly empty.

With just one sip, Max was hooked. “OMG, this is hella good!”

Kate giggled brightly and cradled her cup as a means of warming herself. “That friend of yours has really been rubbing off on you, huh?” Unaware that her word choice had been perhaps a little too apt, she could only watch, mystified as Max's face bloomed. “Or... maybe not? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open any wounds or anything. Are you fighting?” She watched Max fiddle with her own cup for a little while, unable to process how in the world she'd managed to wreck their tea date with a single question. “You don't have to tell me. I don't mean to pry...”

Max continued to think for a moment before finally smiling at Kate, and she felt herself start to calm down. That was not the smile of someone who was fighting with her best friend. It looked more like...

“Oh my goodness, Max! Come on, you can't leave me hanging. I'm desperate for positive gossip that isn't about me~”

“Well, it's... I-It's nothing against you, Kate. I'm not really sure how much I'm allowed to say.” There was a moment of contemplation as Max made her decision. “I'm sorry, you're my best friend, you deserve to know. I was... um... a little out of it the other week, and I confessed my feelings to Chloe...”

“Oh...” Kate felt a strange mixture of feelings wash over her. She wanted to be happy for Max, God above, how she did. If anyone deserved a good turn, it was her hero. But for some bizarre reason, her heart sank. Just a little, but enough that Max seemed to notice that something was off.

“Is that alright?” Kate jumped ever so slightly and quickly hid behind her cup of tea. Did Max know something that even she didn't??

“Of course it's alright! It's great! Why wouldn't it be??” She fiddled with her cup now, unsure where all this anxiety was coming from.

“You're happy for me, but you're conflicted. I get it. Christianity has a rather notorious stance on this stuff. You wanna support me without disregarding your beliefs.”

Oh. Right! Yes. Of course, that was why she was feeling so odd. Well, no trouble, she wasn't terribly good at that whole judgment thing. “I-I guess, but when it's your best friend, there's no time for all that confusing nonsense. I mean, look at you, you're glowing! But then... what's the trouble?” Yes, keep the conversation away from her. That was best. Don't think too hard. Just go with it.

“Well, Chloe's... She's her own person. She hates labels, except the ones that she ascribes to herself. So she's very hesitant to ever be 'girlfriends' except when it makes someone leave us alone. Like Warren or her mom. And at first, I was like, yeah, right on, we're totally on the same wavelength. But... I'm not so sure anymore. She has a lot of work left to get over Rachel Amber.”

“Chloe knew her?” It seemed like Max needed to vent, and Kate was trying hard to let her unleash, but there was a lot that she really didn't know. Poor Max suddenly seemed embarrassed.

“Er, from what I understand, and what little she's let slip... It's more like she knew her. Like in the Biblical sense. And I'm really not sure how the hell you compete with a dead girl who was much beloved by everyone.”

“Oh Max, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what that must feel like.” Yes you can... Shut up! There seemed to be a bit of a battle waging in the back of Kate's mind. So she wasn't entirely sure how she was suddenly holding Max's hand all of a sudden. Both girls were blushing now and trying to pretend this was a totally normal moment. “More than anything else, the two things you most need are patience and communication.” It was taking a lot of concentration to actually ignore her instincts and provide Max with some honest advice. “Help her mourn. Be there for her. And remember that however much energy Chloe put into trying to find Rachel Amber, she'll eventually be able to put that much energy into loving you. And when you're ready, just... ask her.”

Max was starting to cheer up again, so why did Kate feel like such garbage? Deep down, she knew precisely why, but she wasn't ready to actually face it.

“Thanks Kate. I'm sorry for dumping all this stuff on you. This was supposed to be about us.” Their hands finally separated again and they resumed their previous posture, snuggled up in their chairs.

Yes it was, Max Caulfield, and I'm very angry with you, and you're going to have to pay me back with hundreds of kisses! “No way, this is exactly what I needed... Girl-talk, relationship advice, whining about stuff. I needed normalcy.” Kate could feel herself retreating into her hoodie, and she knew that was a bad idea. Everyone, particularly Max, was still on high alert. There hadn't been nearly enough time since the incident on the rooftop for anyone to forget. She wasn't a fan of having all eyes on her, especially since that was what got her into trouble in the first place. She wanted to retreat, and that only made Max all the more dedicated to checking up on her. Kate loved that as much as she hated it, especially now.

Still, she'd managed to keep it together, enough to stop Max from worrying. They returned to talking about classes, wondering how in the hell they were going to keep taking photography class without the key component that was Mr. Jefferson. Her heart and mind finally stopped battling, and the rest of their tea date went by quietly.

Ever the perfect hero, Max offered to walk Kate back to campus. She rattled off something about wanting another cup of tea and some quiet time with a good book that she didn't even have on her. But Max seemed eager to get back to campus and to talk to Chloe, so she headed off, after one last hug. Kate was tempted to latch on and not let go, but that would have been disastrous. Patience and communication. So she waited a good fifteen minutes, and then took the bus by herself back to Blackwell.

She had managed to make it to her room, shutting the door and collapsing on her bed when the emotional weight finally tore through her.

She couldn't say for sure how long she just lay there sobbing, hating herself for a lot of different things. So she had no clue what time it was or how many people must have walked by worrying about her when someone finally knocked at her door. She wasn't even totally sure how long they must have been knocking before she finally managed to get up and open the door.

But above all, she hadn't expected to see Victoria standing there, looking at her with genuine concern.

Chapter Text

Kate was still trying to come down from her emotional high – or... up from her emotional low. The point was, she didn't really have the energy to try and combat Victoria's entrance, nor to think too hard about how odd this was. Just a few weeks ago, the thought of this girl sitting next to her on the edge of her bed would have been cause for alarm. Now, though, it was almost comforting. Almost.

“Who hurt you, Kate? Who do I have to bitch-smack now?” Kate wiped awkwardly at her eyes, smearing her make-up. Victoria moved to her desk and returned with a tissue, carefully helping to wipe it away before she ended up looking like a sad raccoon. “I'm serious. As long as I've got this new reputation to uphold, I might as well do it right. Just tell me, and I'll end it before it gets any worse.” Even though she spoke with a brusk tone, her hands were soft and moved with a kindness Kate didn't think Victoria capable of.

“Victoria, it's Friday evening. You must surely have something better to do than waste your time with me.” Kate was trying hard to run damage control before she actually dumped all her stupid feelings in the blonde's lap. There was still a part of her that was unsure about giving her too much ammunition. But she also wasn't ready to be too open to anyone. However, her attempt to defuse the situation only made Victoria make that terrifying face at her. The one that said she was not only angry, but disappointed and tempted to walk away.

“Even I require a night alone, now and then. But it's hard to enjoy myself when you're clearly having a drama fest here alone.” And there it was, those crossed arms, that standoffish posture that told her this was clearly all about getting Kate to shut the hell up, and nothing more.

“I'll try to keep it down...”

“I can't have this getting worse. A girl needs her beauty sleep. So just give me the target and I can get out of your hair.” Victoria huffed, and Kate noticed that despite her attitude, Victoria actually didn't seem to be interested in leaving. There was the usual impatience, but she stood her ground, not even eyeing the door. Was it genuine concern? Ugh, this was becoming too much confusing drama for one day.

She couldn't tell Victoria it was Max's fault, since that most definitely wasn't the case. The thing was, the only person causing poor Kate any trouble was Kate herself. And she didn't need Victoria getting physically violent with her. Though that seemed unlikely. Snapping fingers in front of her face drew her out of her thoughts and she came back to attention. “This isn't really something you can fix. I'm just being a drama queen.”

“No, Kate, being a drama queen is sexting someone's boyfriend just because you like causing chaos. You seem to be in legitimate trouble.” Victoria's arms slowly uncrossed and she leaned back, propping herself up with her hands behind her. She stared at the ceiling, thinking to herself a moment. “Fine, if I can't protect you from the shadows, then I guess I have to go the whole nine yards with this. Out with it.”

Kate pushed back until she was propped up by the wall, and grabbed her pillow, idly looking for something to snuggle up to. She was still trying to avoid the exact truth, mostly for her own sake. “I went to get tea with Max...”

“Woah, Hipster McSelfie's the one who has you in knots? I thought you two were besties!”

“No, it wasn't her! No, not... Um. She confessed that... Oh, darnit, I can't... It's not my place.”

Victoria sat back a little as well, turning to actually face Kate. “Here...” she said bashfully, and held out the pinky of her right hand. “Pinky swear, the most sacred of bonds between teenage girls or whatever. I won't tell a soul. No matter what.”

Of course the actual act of a pinky swear didn't hold much water with either of them, not really. They'd grown out of that stuff years ago. But the fact that Victoria was offering it felt oddly important, though Kate didn't know why. She hesitantly stuck out her hand and linked her little finger with Tori's. They held the miniature embrace just a second longer than was really necessary before breaking apart.

“So... She told me that she and Chloe... um...”

Kate didn't have to say anymore before the other girl gave a loud laugh and a little fist pump. “Augh, I knew it! I thought she had to be lurking around here for a reason.” She stopped herself and seemed to realize this wasn't the end of the story. Right. Kate sad. “Sorry...”

“Anyway, I was happy for her. And then I... wasn't.” Kate began fiddling with her cross necklace again. It was one of those obvious tells she couldn't break herself of. Not that it mattered, it was already obvious she was upset.

This was an unexpected twist, and Victoria sat up a little. “Okay~ Well, I guess the obvious question, if you don't mind me getting to the point: Are you jealous of the punk or the hipster?”

“What??” Kate felt her face start to burn almost immediately, and she buried it in the pillow she was cuddling, as if Victoria hadn't already seen her blush.

Victoria watched in amusement, trying to ignore how utterly adorable Kate was being at the moment. Now was not the time for her fucked up, embarrassing day dreams. “If you want, you can just lie and say 'neither'. And I can leave you alone for the night. I... can respect a need for privacy.” Despite offering to leave, Victoria remained firmly planted in her spot on the bed, just watching Kate carefully. Yes, she was not only her one-woman defense squad, but she was also firmly in the “Never let Kate end up on the roof again” camp.

Kate was still adamantly refusing to say any more, and Victoria thought that it might possibly be time for some drastic measures. “But you could also say the answer is 'both'. I could sympathize with that” If this doesn't work, I'm fucked. I just admitted out loud that I have a big dumb idiot crush on stupid Max and her stupid punk-ass girlfriend. Suddenly Victoria was also feeling a desperate need to cuddle something. But she was too far from the pillows, and Kate was the only one within arm's reach. And any attempt to cuddle her would likely end poorly. Jesus, why was she getting so horribly mushy? She was an ice queen dammit!

“I dunno~” came the muffled reply from the pillow hiding Kate's face. Victoria just barely managed to hold back the urge to laugh.

“Fair enough, that works too. Look. Max Caulfield is... different. And no matter how hard I tried to hate her, she turned out to be kinda sorta okay sometimes. And I guess the punk thing works on some people. Whatever. So what.” She tried desperately to maintain her aloof attitude, but even she got just a tiny bit anxious and melty, finally saying these things out loud. She was just as grateful for the pinky swear as Kate. This stuff could never be heard by another soul. Ever.

“I don't think it will come as any surprise that I don't like drama. I think I just need to get over myself. They deserve to be happy. This will probably pass.” Her face had finally removed itself from the pillow, but she was still clinging to it like a lifesaver. “I've caused enough trouble to last a lifetime.”

Victoria was feeling desperate. She needed to get away from this stress. All this nerd drama was too much to bear. And the more Kate spoke, the more it made her think things she just didn't want to deal with. But she couldn't leave Kate alone without giving her at least a little something to ease her woes. “Hey, I don't want to sound like a broken record, but... Maybe try not to worry about it so much. You're planning five moves ahead. Trust me, I'm the expert when it comes to playing chess with real-life people. And it doesn't end well. Sometimes, you get surprised. You can't predict everything.” Victoria swallowed, watching her step carefully, looking to avoid any mines, wanting to reach the other side of this conversation in one piece.

“So, like... Don't imagine you know everything that will ever happen. Maybe Max feels the same as you. Maybe Chloe could learn to share the love. Maybe you'll end up dating a football player. Maybe Daniel will do an amazing sketch of you and you'll fall head over heels for him. People are weird and unpredictable and scary.

“We're here to learn and possibly have a little fun in the process.” Though she had just given an entire schpeal about not making too many plans, she felt one pop into her head and couldn't help herself. “Come with me to Dana's Halloween party. She won't be happy unless the entire Blackwell student body is there. I'll help wing-woman for you. Get you a cute costume, make sure you get a dance in with Maxine, see where things go, y'know?”

This whole day felt so completely ridiculous, but this was most certainly the cherry on top. Victoria wanted to take Kate partying. She wanted to help her hook up with her best friend. It was all a bit much, and Kate nodded her head before she thought too much about it. “...but I get final say on the costume. I won't go as a... a slutty bumblebee or whatever...”

Victoria actually had a decent laugh at that and she slipped gracefully off Kate's bed. “I solemnly swear, Katie, you will be beautiful. You'll be beating them off with a stick, whoever 'them' happens to be.” Even Kate allowed herself a little bashful giggle as Victoria left.

She felt better. She felt hopeful. She also felt very, very confused.

Chapter Text

Chloe swaggered into the Blackwell gym with a cocky grin. Tonight, the pirate captain and her first mate ran in style. It had taken a bit of work, but they'd managed to gather all the pieces they needed in time for Dana's Halloween party. She'd managed to find a jaunty tricorn hat that she outfitted with various bits and pieces, and a cool jacket that looked rather pirate-y after some work. She'd managed to convince Max to rock a pair of short-shorts and some stripey leggings and a headscarf.

They made quite a pair, and that was rather the idea. She continued to be rather avoidant when it came to the subject of their specific relationship. She usually just gave up some line about how she hated labels, but she wasn't stupid, and neither was Max. The silent agreement was that she needed to work out her... feelings for Rachel or whatever. But that kinda shit took ages for her. Max was patient, but only just. So perhaps this was her way of apologizing and trying to make it more obvious they were together-together.

She could tell Max wasn't really comfortable with the costume, but she enjoyed wearing it for the one person that mattered. They held hands adorably and moved about, grabbing punch and chatting with a few people as they adjusted to the loud music and flashing lights. Unlike that garbage “End of the World” party, this one was much more low-key. No Vortex Club bullshit, no VIP section, just a regular old party.

Warren was hanging with Brooke, and Chloe could only assume they were in a couples' costume as well – thank Christ, both of those nerds were so needy, it was good they could cling to one another. Only via Max could she confirm her suspicions that they were in a paired costume, since it mostly just looked like Warren in a bow tie and Brooke in a fucked up ballgown. Some Doctor Who shenanigans. She sure as hell didn't get the reference.

She was also given a moment of pause when she noted that the lady of the evening, Dana looked like a prince, her friend Juliet like a princess. “Oh my god, Romeo and Juliet. This whole school is nothing but fucking nerds! Even the cheerleaders!”

“Be nice, I think it's cute!” Max giggled, pressing close to her, never letting go of her arm. “Do you think it means something, or am I reading too much into things?”

“C'mon Mad Max, golden rule. If You Think They're Fucking, They're Fucking. Good for them!” Chloe gave her best hearty laugh like a true brigand. She was just about to pull Max out to the dancefloor when something very, very weird caught her eye. She'd only met Kate once or twice, enough to recognize the girl on sight at least. But she had never seen her looking so free. She'd come as an angel, complete with wings, halo, and her usually strict hairdo let loose. “Who do you think would actually have the pull to convince Kate Marsh to-” She stopped dead, as did Max, when their path of travel brought her dance partner into view.

“Chase?? That can't be right... What... How the... Fucking... What???” Chloe tried with all her might to believe that her eyes were deceiving her, but that was most definitely Victoria, in a devil costume of her own, horns and all. She wasn't necessarily up on Kate or anything, but they had definitely come here with one another.

The blue-haired pirate was still trying to decipher what this fuckery was when Kate caught sight of Max and dashed up, immediately pulling her first mate off her, giggling like the kind of girl who'd done some pre-gaming. “Come on, dance with me, Max!” The two disappeared into the crowd before she could do anything. Fine, best to deal with this head-on anyways. She made a bee-line for Victoria, who was oddly compliant, and dragged her to the quietest corner she could find that was devoid of students. “What the fuck is your damage, Victoria?? I heard you were doing better, ditching the bitchy princess act, looking out for her! Come to find out, you've got her drugged again. Jesus Tapdancing Christ, I should have known it was too good to be true!”

Victoria pointed a finger in her face and it took every fiber of her being not to snap it right off her hand. “Look, Price, it was a shot of Rumplemintz, and she asked for it. I'd love to continue arguing with you, but we have a serious issue and it affects all of us!” Victoria paused, seeming to rethink her phrasing. Well, she was certainly intrigued now. “Katie... Um, Kate. Kate has the hots for your hipster waif girlfriend. Like... bad.”

“And you let me leave them alone??” Chloe couldn't possibly imagine the day she'd be angry at Kate – or threatened by her, for that matter.

“I wouldn't have, but somebody dragged me away before I could stop you! Besides, it's Kate and Max. It would take them six months of continuous dancing to start bumping and grinding.”

Shit, excellent points. “Okay, so... What the fuck? And why are you inserting yourself into the situation?” To her surprise, Victoria quickly lost her fire and began to look rather embarrassed. “Ho. Ly. Shit. She wants Max and you want her! Oh-hoh my god, and here I thought tonight was gonna be boring!”

She was really expecting Victoria to start parrying and riposting, but she just continued to stand there looking like a goof. “You won't say anything, will you? We're barely even friends. I'm not trying to complicate her life. Honestly, I'm just trying to fix things. All that matters to me right now is that she doesn't get drawn into some weird drama bullshit.”

Chloe really had no idea this side of Victoria even existed. She wasn't a good enough actress for this to be a ruse. She was straight-up crushing on Kate. It might have been adorable if it weren't also disturbing as hell. Kate was drunk, Victoria was blushing, Dana was hanging on Juliet's arm like a wallflower, and Weirdo Warren had a hot girlfriend. She kind of thought that Max losing her powers meant an end to the weirdness, but Arcadia Bay always managed to surprise. Chloe glanced across the dancefloor and caught sight of the pirate and the angel dancing together. She expected to feel a sense of indignation, of jealousy, of anything other than the warm fuzzies that hit her instead.

Chloe vaguely understood all the bullshit Max had to go through. She had traveled through time and had even seen other fucking realities. For the first time, she understood what that was like. Because she knew Max wouldn't dare leave her side. Chloe herself still had feelings for a girl that wasn't even alive. And yet she could see the spark that also existed between her own girlfriend (or... whatever) and the Saint of Blackwell. It was... cute. Oddly cute. All the rage she was used to experiencing was nowhere to be found, and the wheels in her head were working overtime trying to make it make sense.

“I'm going to suggest something. And you're probably not going to like this.” Chloe said, with a very hesitant and not-at-all confident tone. “We're meddlers. We meddle. It's how we stay sane, like we have any control in this fucked up world. I-I think... We need to let this play out naturally?”

“You're right. I don't like it. What the hell's your angle, Price?” Victoria was clearly dubious, and Chloe could hardly blame her.

“The same as yours, Princess. Inexplicably, I want to see someone besides myself be safe and happy. And Kate Marsh is pretty much the only person I can imagine letting close to Max without feeling like I wanna rip their head off.”

Now it was Victoria's turn to look out across the dancefloor, and it seemed that she was approaching the same conclusion. Through all the bullshit, the two had managed to come out the other side as beautifully innocent as ever. They were finally letting loose and having fun.

“I'm not saying we push them together in some kind of weird plot. Just, y'know... Let them have their tea dates and whatever. And if they decide they want to be adorable together, then, fuck it, whatever, y'know?” Chloe was really trying here, reaching and stretching for some unnameable thing. Was there even a name for what she was talking about? It felt insane.

“No, I really don't know, Chloe. What are you getting at?” The question may have come out in that natural Victoria tone, she was as intrigued as she was mad.

“I don't know, okay! I still haven't gotten used to the idea of calling Max my girlfriend, alright? Like always, I just follow my gut. And sometimes my gut is a bastard, and sometimes it gets things right. I'm just talking out of my ass here. But frankly? I'm fucking sick of drama. I'm tired of fighting. I don't even have the energy to pester David most days.”

That burst of honesty seemed to strike a chord with the blonde as well and her face softened. “I know what you mean. You grow up way too fast when you realize you've been fawning over a killer.” Victoria pulled the horns from her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “So what now?”

“Shot in the dark, but Max and Kate will come pester us. We'll head out to the floor and dance our very lovely asses off for a while, get exhausted, and go crash somewhere. Max will feel slightly guilty, Kate will think she's a sinner and a homewrecker, and our only jobs will be to comfort them until this shit sorts itself out.” Snide attitude aside, it was weirdly nice to have a game plan set up.

“I wish I had the kind of faith you do...”

“Kate's the one who believes in a higher power. I only believe in one thing...”

“...Max. Yeah yeah, no need to turn into a giant sap. I get it.”

Almost on cue, there they were. The First Mate and the Angel. As predicted, Victoria and Chloe were dragged out to the dancefloor, and they joined in eagerly for a few numbers, grateful to finally get some of their nervous energy out.

Suddenly the beat shifted dramatically, and a slow number came on. Chloe was pulled into Max's tight grip almost immediately. Kate was beginning to lose her excited, tipsy attitude, and could only be coaxed into a dance when Victoria offered her a hand. The four girls moved in slow, paired circles. Max and Kate were the first to catch glances, each immediately looking away from the other and blushing heavily. Chloe and Victoria were next, and they shared awkward but slightly hopeful smiles. As the song came to an end, Chloe and Max shared a brief kiss. Victoria saw the look on Kate's face and began to understand what Chloe had been going on about.

She lifted Kate's hand to her lips and kissed her knuckle tenderly.

“Wh-What was that for?”

“You're a saint, Kate Marsh. I think you've earned a little romance, even if it's with your sworn enemy.”

She saw a look of surprise pass over her face, followed swiftly by a look of indignation. “Tori! I'd hope you would at least think of me as a friend by now...”

“Seems like I don't really have a choice.”

Some time later, an exhausted captain and her weary first mate wandered into Max's dorm room and began shedding their costumes in favor of some comfy pajamas. As they settled into bed, Max finally seemed ready to tackle the elephant in the room. “What's the deal, Chlo? You've had this look of smug satisfaction all night!”

“It's probably nothing, Mad Max. I guess I'm just excited for the future.” Max seemed unconvinced, but too tired to push any further.

“Very well, keep your secrets, Captain Price. I'll get them out of you some day...”

“I know you will, dear.”

Chapter Text

Finally, thank Dog, things seemed to calm down around Arcadia Bay. The animal life was back to normal, the students were getting into their routines once more, a series of guest photographers were brought in to teach Jefferson's class. Max was finally starting to feel a little normal. Despite how weird Kate had been for a little while there, she remained a steady friend, and they were getting into a lovely routine of getting tea together every Friday. Chloe was weirdly okay with letting her girlfriend hang out with another female for a few hours a week, and there was no denying that Max might have maybe felt just a tiny bit guilty about that.

Speaking of weird, her best friend had also seemed to be spending quite a lot of time with Victoria lately. Hell, even Max had been allowed to crash with her out on the front lawn of Blackwell once in a while, and it had been kind of okay.

Max was actually getting into a nice pattern, even with some of the odder elements. She was happy.

And yet...

And yet there were troubles too. The more tea dates she went on, the more she felt this niggling sensation that she had jumped on the Chloe Train too soon. Had she chosen wrong? She loved Chloe so much, but she also loved her dear friend Kate. And there were times where she couldn't tell exactly what kind of love she felt for her. Only that she loved their afternoons together, sitting together, sipping tea, talking about anything and everything. It made her warm and happy. That meant something, right?

There was always drama, wasn't there? Even as things changed, they stayed the same.

It was late November, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Max got a call from Chloe while she was attempting to sleep in, enjoying her miniature vacation. Groaning and groggy, she fumbled for her phone and pulled it into her little cocoon. “Chluu...? Wha's do? Nee' help?”

There was an amused chuckle on the other end of the line. “Dude, it's almost one in the afternoon. I know I'm not exactly one to talk, but please tell me you're not gonna get angry at me for calling you past 12:00.”

“Nah. Jus' tired. What's going on?” Had it been earlier in the morning, perhaps she would have gotten frustrated. But her bluenette ladyfriend had a good point. “Is everything okay?”

“Things are a little tense at Casa de Price-Madsen. Would you be okay just doing like... a totally not at all Thanksgiving type thing? Besides, something something Native Americans something colonial imperialism something hipster nerd bullshit.”

Even dead-tired, Chloe had a way of being simultaneously sweet and disaffected that hit all the right notes. She giggled sleepily and finally managed to at least get to a seated position. “So what's the call, Chinese food and crappy movies?”

“It's like you read my mind, Super Max.” Max beamed, impressed with herself for being able to see what she was getting at while barely awake.

She had various things to take care of that evening, but she was looking forward to the next day. It wasn't the most impressive of dates, but it was some time just for themselves, and that was exciting. Max loved Thanksgiving, but not enough to trek all the way back to Seattle to spend barely two days with her family. Christmas was coming soon and that would be more than enough time to catch up. She would need a few days to work up the courage to tell them about Chloe. No doubt they would be thrilled. Her father seemed like exactly the kind of person that would try to claim that he had 'called it'.

She spent Thursday morning trying to straighten up her dorm a little bit, though she knew it was pointless since Chloe lived in such a disaster zone herself. Regardless, her room was more bearable now, Lisa was fed, and she just had to wait for Chloe to turn up. Around three, her door opened without so much as a knock, and there stood the blue-haired girl with plastic bag and cheeky smile. “Rude, much. You can't knock before striding in here?”

“Oh, yeah, because you have so many secrets to keep from me Maxine...” Ugh, that name. She didn't even give Chloe the satisfaction of responding.

“What if I was working on a surprise for you??” Max was reaching here, not so much to continue their playful banter as to hide the fact that she kinda did have a secret or two to hide. But she was really trying hard to avoid drama these days. Things were quiet, and she loved that.

“There is no hiding from me, Caulfield. The Amazing Chloe knows all...” She settled herself onto the floor and leaned back against Max's bed, starting to unpack all the food she'd brought with her. It was no turkey and stuffing, but she'd apparently splurged and brought quite the feast with her. “Dig in, Mad Max!”

The day went as planned and it was utterly perfect. With full bellies they settled in to watch a few movies. But rather than their normal dates where they inevitably passed out in the early evening, both girls found they were feeling a little restless and decided to bundle up and take a little walk around Blackwell. With winter well on its way, there was a real chill in the air, crisp and lovely, and they watched as their breath came out, visible, mingling together. Silent and thoughtful, their footsteps brought them out to the football field where they lay together, looking up at the stars.

Chloe was the first to pipe up. “You know, I still dream about getting the hell out of here. But I guess, sometimes, it's not so bad. But you can never tell a soul I said that.”

“Mmm, it has its perks.” Their hands were gently linked together between them, just a few fingers really. Max's free hand was resting against her stomach and she moved it in a slow circle to still the fullness in her belly. “Chlo?”

“Yeah?”

Despite clearly needing to get something off of her mind, Max was hesitant to speak again. She felt Chloe grip her hand tighter, and she did her best to focus her mind on all the things they'd been through together since they were kids. Chloe would always be her captain, but just maybe...

“You know, we've sorta had this unspoken pact, to try and avoid drama as much as possible. And it's been going so fucking well, and I sorta feel like... I'm about to really ruin everything forever.” The hand just tightened and both girls shifted slightly closer to one another.

Chloe just kept right on clinging to her, and she wasn't sure how it was that someone who was normally such a ball of fury could be so peaceful. “Well, if there's anything I've learned, it's that bottling stuff up is a lot more likely to ruin everything. So drop the nuke, because it doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere. Speak your mind and we'll sort out the wreckage together.” The other girl's strength never failed to impress.

“I like Kate...”

“I know you do.” How the hell was she managing to say that so calmly?? Wasn't Chloe terrified of being pushed aside?? Max sat up, with a mix of complex emotions all over her. Distressed, scared, anxious, worried, all balled up into one.

“No, I like Kate.”

“I said I know, Max. I'm not blind.” Okay, now Max was starting to feel an overwhelming sense of anger. She flipped over so that she was now straddling her, hardly thinking of the implications at a time like this.

“I love you. And I love Kate. At the same time. Doesn't that worry you?? Why aren't you freaking out!!” Max could feel herself crying and she'd actually begun pounding at Chloe's chest uselessly. And fucking Chloe just lay there, looking at her with this smug face. “What the fuck!”

With one fluid motion, Chloe brought her tumbling back down to the ground, her head pulled against the bluenette's chest, fingers running soothingly through her hair. She let out her stress, finally, weeping openly, vaguely aware that she was getting her gross tears and snot all over Chloe's cool shirt. But she just rolled with it, ever the badass. “You done?”

“I dunno, are you done... being a... jerk?” That was lame, but her energy was nearly gone now. It would have to do. Was this a fight? It didn't feel like one. It felt like a tantrum. Max never imagined there'd be a day that she'd be the one having a fit while Chloe just took it.

“I'm letting the attitude slide because I know this is probably tough for you and you feel racked with guilt. But if I may sum it up in so many words... You're Max Fucking Caulfield. If I thought for a minute you were going to ditch me and hook up with her, I'd murder you. Straight up manslaughter. But you wouldn't. You won't.” While it was pretty nice to hear Chloe say that stuff, she still didn't understand what was happening here. It was like they were having two entirely different conversations. The confusion must have been pretty plain on her face, because Chloe continued talking. “What I mean... What I'm trying to say is that... If anyone should get to know you the way I've gotten to know you, it's her. I won't let you leave me, Max. Not ever again. But if you feel like you've gotta... fuck, I don't know, bring someone else along for the ride... Well, there's plenty of room on our ship.”

“Cereal...?” Jesus christ, Max, stop being such a weirdo and get real! “Sorry... But. Yeah, you're really serious about this.”

“I'm also serious about not letting it screw up what we've got either. Look at it this way, this is your payback for feeling like you had to compete with Rachel Amber even though I was fucking in love with you since we were little kids. It's not the most normal reaction, but you're right, I'm sick and tired of letting drama get in the way of a good thing. It's stupid and I don't have the energy for it. Besides, I saw Kate at that Halloween party. Once you unwind that chick, she's alright. If you're not careful, I might have to have my own tea date with her, if you catch my drift~” Chloe winked at Max and she gave her a playful shove.

“I don't know how, but you've managed to turn the words 'tea date' into the grossest innuendo ever. Besides, she's captain of the no-sex club and devout as hell. What would you two even do together?”

“Who knows, maybe I'll go to church with her sometime?”

“Chloe Price, in church? In a dress? You'd never make it. You'd probably end up cursing out the pastor!!” Max giggled brightly and climbed to her feet, pulling Chloe along with her. She fluidly hopped up and wrapped around her shoulders, and Chloe reflexively wrapped around her legs to hold her up.

“Ugh, now I know why we haven't done this since we were kids... You're heavier than you look, Max...”

“Shut up, I am a tiny pixie, a precious waif. A stiff breeze could knock me over...”

She could see with some amusement that Chloe was trying very hard not to make a 'stiff' pun. “Guess you carry all your weight in your amazing ass” she said, delivering a swift smack with a nice, resounding slapping sound.

“Happy Colonial Oppression Day, Chloe...” Max whispered and kissed Chloe on the cheek as her steed began marching them back across campus. Tomorrow was Friday, and she had a lot to think about.

Chapter Text

It was the middle of the afternoon, the day after Thanksgiving, and Victoria was hiding out inside Courtney's dorm with her and Taylor. Absolutely nothing was going on, and she was starting to fear that life at Blackwell was becoming a little bit too dull. Her minions were passing back and forth a flask of vodka, and something about getting drunk in the middle of the day just seemed so boring. Suddenly her phone went off and she unlocked it to check the message, not really expecting what she got.

“hey its chlo. max craves the kate! guess who called it mothafucka!! xoxo”

Victoria stared at her phone, unaware that she had started to speak out loud. “When the hell did she get my number?”

“Oh my god, who?” Had that been Courtney or Taylor? Whatever, it didn't matter.

“Oh, it's... Um, that blue-haired chick. I gotta go deal with this. If she has my number, who knows how much chaos she could cause!” She was in a hurry to get out of the room and missed the amused, knowing smile that passed between her supposed 'minions'. If only she knew they weren't as brainless as she thought.

As soon as she was safe and secure in her room, she dialed Chloe back. “What the hell, Price? Why am I supposed to be excited about this?” She could hear a bit of traffic in the background. Great, she was driving and talking on her phone.

“Chill out, Tori! You gotta look at this optimistically. The adorable twins could end up dating, and that means Kate's a lot more open than any of us had suspected. We've all said in our own way, we're aiming for the low-drama option.” Victoria listened to the insanity coming through the phone speaker and sat down on her bed with a huff. “Come on, Princess Pouty-Pants! Don't you ever in your life just decide it's easier to say 'fuck it' and do whatever the hell you want?”

“No, I gather that's more your style, Chloe.” Victoria was trying hard to be her usual self, but there was something vaguely infectious about Chloe's attitude. She wanted to be optimistic. She wanted to support this stupid endeavor. She wanted to see Kate happy. But she also, maybe, sort of, kind of wanted to be the reason she was happy. And maybe she wanted to get to a point where she wasn't so prickly with Max too. With her stupid freckles. Even Chloe had a certain... charm. But this was the kind of stuff that only happened in religious cults! All that polygamy insanity. Was it still polygamy if you were all girls?

“I deal best with results, okay? Let's at least let the little ones finish their tea date before we go making suggestive eyebrows at one another.” She hung up before Chloe could say any more and sat there, staring off into space for a moment. “Fuck.”

“You know what I miss? I miss Kate Marsh playing her violin every day!” the two girls had seemingly become more comfortable with one another and were seated on a couch in the coffee shop as they chatted. “Truthfully, I never got to really listen to it anyway. It was always dulled, coming through the walls.”

Ever-bashful, Kate was trying to deflect Max's eager hinting. “I don't know, Max. I'm so rusty. But... Well, there was something I wanted to play at church some day, I guess if you're okay with a few rough notes, I could use you as a test audience?” Max hopped to her feet and gave a small bow.

“My dear Kate, I would be honored!” Without warning, Max took her hand and dragged her friend out into the crisp November air. Already it was rather dim and chilly due to the cloudy skies. But the unexciting weather was no match for Max's sunny attitude. They waited outside the Two Whales and hopped on the bus when it came around. The girls sat side by side, looking out the window.

Kate still wasn't entirely certain what to expect on these tea dates. Sometimes they were so plain and quiet and lovely – little more than warm drinks and light conversation. But sometimes her friend would get a moment of inspiration and pull her along into some whirlwind of activity. As they marveled at the oddly beautiful late-fall weather, Kate suddenly felt it. Max's hand brushed up against her own, just their fingertips at first. She cast a sideways glance at Max, but she was playing innocent.

She was with Chloe, so why was she doing this?? Was Max the cheating kind? Kate felt more confused than ever. Rather than encouraging or discouraging, she left her hand right where it was. But Max kept right on pushing her luck until their fingers were interlocked. This time she looked directly at Max with a “what are you doing” face. Max's face was as red as her own, and she just smiled pleasantly at her, as though there was nothing wrong with this.

Kate trusted Max. It was why she'd ended up with these conflicted, stupid feelings in the first place. She was giving her a chance, the sandy-haired hipster had earned as much. But if Max wanted to get close, then it would be rude to make her do all the work. She shifted closer and rested her head against Max's shoulder. It was so comfy. But still that weird guilt nipped at the back of her mind. She wanted this, but never at the expense of someone else. And Chloe seemed like someone she didn't want as an enemy.

They remained attached at the hand until they reached Kate's room. “Okay, um... I haven't practiced this very much. Bear with me.” Max sat eagerly on Kate's bed while the other girl stood in the center of her room, violin tucked up against her, hands at the ready. She played through the tune once, with only a handful of slip-ups. Max watched with fascination as Kate seemed to get lost in the moment, and she began to sing along softly.

“My life flows on in endless song, above earth's lamentation... I hear the real though far-off hymn, that hails a new creation... No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging. Though love is lord of heaven and earth... H-How can I keep from singing?” There was more, but Kate realized she was losing her nerve and was actually sniffling just a little. She was in the process of setting the violin down and had every intention of telling Max she was worried about where this was going. But the other girl cut her off before she got the chance.

“Katieeee!!! That was beautiful!!” Max's arms wound their way around Kate's shoulders and she was pulled into a tight hug. “You were... beautiful...” To her disappointment, Max let go of Kate and guided her to her bed. “Okay, wait! Wait, I owe you something for that!” In a flash, Max was gone, and then back just as quickly, guitar in hand. She settled into the bed next to Kate and did some light tuning.

“Okay, um... I don't really know any Jesus-y songs... But this one's from a video game and it's really pretty so I hope that's cool...” Kate watched in fascination as Max plucked a series of chords, eyes closing as she began to hum a light tune. She wondered if perhaps this was the same thing Max had just been feeling while she played. While Kate had some experience with singing and actually enjoyed it from time to time, Max was far more inexperienced. But the song had a kind of rustic feel that meshed well with her rough singing style. “I dig my hole you build a wall. I dig my hole you build a wall. One day that wall is gonna fall. Gon' build that city on a hill. Gon' build that city on a hill. Someday those tears are gonna spill. So build that wall and build it tall cuz we'll be there before too long...” Like Kate, she could have gone on, but she was seemingly eager to remove the guitar from between them.

“Oh, Max...” Kate found herself leaning against the wall for support as Max put the guitar aside. “I've never heard you play before. Or sing for that matter. I didn't realize you were so multi-talented...” Yeesh, Katie, that was awful. You can do better than that!! “That was so cool~”

Max chuckled bashfully and moved a little closer to Kate, still too nervous to do anything other than hold her hand yet. “You're one to talk, Marsh! You've got the voice of an angel... Tell me you sing in the choir at your church or whatever!” Neither girl was really good with this stuff. But at least they seemed to be on the same wavelength. Still, Kate was unsatisfied. She looked at their linked hands.

“Max, is this okay?” It was hardly the most pointed question, but Max seemed to understand what she meant. And yet, there wasn't a trace of worry in her face. What was Kate missing??

“It's very okay. I know what you're going through. I told Chloe I was feeling confused about... you... She was just so cool and understanding. With this stupid, satisfied, smug look. Like she knew it was coming. I was so mad at first, but mostly just blown away. But, I dunno, I feel like I could ask you the same question!”

“Cuz of the religion thing?” She could almost sort of picture Chloe being okay with these two being more romantically involved. But from what little she'd seen, the bluenette tended to be possessive. Would she really be alright with her and Max being... together? “I mean, as long as you're okay with me not telling my parents or my church, I think Jesus will probably understand~”

“Not that. The other thing. The Victoria thing?” Max looked genuinely concerned. Kate looked genuinely confused. “You two have been getting friendly lately. I didn't want to go making too many assumptions, but...”

Kate gave a dramatic groan, immediately grabbed at her pillow and pulled it in, burying her face in it. She was all-too aware that this wasn't the first time she'd gotten all blushy and tried to hide it. “There's no Victoria thing! ...I don't think? ...I don't know. It's all weird. I'm just trying to survive the rest of this semester.”

“That sounds familiar. Chloe and I have both been saying the same thing...” Kate was still hiding, so she couldn't see exactly what Max was up to. It therefore came as a bit of a surprise when the pillow was carefully taken away from her and she was burrowing into Max instead. “Getting away from over-thinking and silly drama. Just enjoying ourselves for once. It's new and scary, but it has it's upsides.”

“You really think that's possible? To avoid drama?”

“Not exactly. And we don't really know unless we try. But I believe Chloe. And... well... I'm totally putting a bug in your ear, but seriously, I saw Victoria kiss your hand at Dana's party. You critique each other's work. She watches out for you even more than me! I dunno, it's just a thought.” Max smiled and carefully guided Kate to sit up so they could look at each other properly. Kate looked on wide-eyed as Max started to lean forward, eyes closing, lips parted just a little.

She wasn't dumb. Just inexperienced. And since she had actively wiped her memory of any previous instances involving parties and cameras, this would become – for all intents and purposes – her first kiss. With Max Caulfield. Who better to offer it to? She was terrified, sure, but all this talk of freedom and getting away from drama, it was so intriguing. She had already started to lean forward as well, mostly unconsciously. “Max... I-I'm trusting you...” Kate whispered, and finally allowed their lips to meet.

Whatever worries she had disappeared slowly. She was doing it. She was kissing Max Caulfield. On the lips. Romantically. She had feelings for Max Caulfield. She loved her. Her hero. Her guardian angel. Why had she wasted so much time denying it??

Both girls were a little surprised as the kiss deepened. It was still rather chaste, all things considered, but passionate in a way only Kate could pull off. She finally pulled away, out of breath, embarrassed, still uncertain. Wanting more. “So what now?” She glanced away, but a hand at her cheek urged her to maintain eye contact.

“Now we... do whatever we want. We keep going on tea dates. We play music together. We kiss and snuggle and whatever. We'll be best friends or girlfriends or gal pals. I don't have much in the way of solid answers. But I can promise you that if there's something you want, there's a good chance I want it too.” It was easy to forget that Max was just a high school student like herself. She'd been so heroic at times, so brave and understanding and clever. But they were only eighteen.

“What about Chloe?” It was maybe an unnecessary question, but she was pleasantly surprised to find Max was willing to answer it.

“For now, I think she's happy to sit on the sidelines and squee over us. In time, I think she'll want to hang out with you more and... Well, it's not right for me to speak on her behalf, but I think even Chloe has a little bit of a crush on the beautiful Kate Marsh. Who can blame her?” They giggled and gently shared an eskimo kiss.

“A-And Victoria?”

“That's up to her. Chloe seems convinced that there's something going on there. I'm tempted to agree. She just needs the right push, maybe?”

Kate played gently with Max's hair and nodded. That was pretty much all she could take for one day. “Would you mind spending the night in a totally platonic and not at all sexual way? A girl still has to have her morals.”

Victoria was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of soft music. It didn't sound like Max's usual hipster stuff. Could it be, Kate was actually playing again? Her feet carried her of their own volition out into the hall just as Kate's door closed and now she could hear guitar and more singing. She pressed her ear to the door, able to make out bits and pieces of the conversation. Some of it was too quiet to be discernible. She heard movement from within the room and scampered back to her room, feeling very un-Victoria-like at the moment. After much thought, she texted Chloe back.

“Alright. You win. I'm on board. What do I do?”

Chapter Text

The voice of Kate Marsh came through the curtain, soft and trembling. “Tori, are you sure about this? I-I don't know...” Victoria had to resist the urge to go with her gut reaction and roll her eyes. She knew that taking Kate out shopping wouldn't be the easiest thing in the world.

Under the guise of wanting to help her friend get a proper winter coat, the truth was that she just wanted to see Kate in a bunch of cute outfits. But it proved even more difficult than expected. She was afraid of even so much as trying on anything that so much as approached 'risque' which was defined in completely different terms in Kate's head than her own. It took a good deal of pleading and eyelash batting to convince her to try on a cute dress that looked absolutely perfect for her.

“You don't have to buy it, Katie. And it's totally dead here. Just give us a peek and I'll drop it, okay? This is just supposed to be a good time. Right?”

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence, when finally the curtain was pulled back. Rather than emerging, she nervously said “Would you come in here instead?” This somehow managed to be both the best and worst option at the same time.

On the plus side, Victoria would get to see Kate in her new outfit and they would be together inside the small changing room. But, the problem was that they would be together inside the small changing room. Yes, Victoria liked Kate, and she wanted to get closer to her. But she didn't want to trick Kate into that kind of thing! She'd been hesitating a rather long time, and only Kate's voice reminded her that she hadn't actually moved yet. “Would you just get in here already? Before I lose my nerve~” Well, what kind of cruel friend would she be to ignore a request from Saint Marsh herself?

She ducked in through the opening in the curtain and stopped dead as it closed behind her, and she saw Kate standing there looking beautiful and bashful, somehow owning the white sundress only insofar as it completely fit her character. On anyone else it would have been merely pretty. Victoria knew, not even she could pull it off so well. “...K-Kate...”

Shit, she should have said something more articulate! That vague reaction only made her more nervous, and it was obvious she was expecting the worst. “Oh. Sorry. I'm just not used to this kind of stuff.”

Victoria moved forward, and just barely managed to stop herself from doing anything more than simply setting a hand on Kate's shoulder. “No, you've got it all wrong. It's perfect. I don't know what I was expecting, but this is seriously like... It's got your name all over it. I'm serious, if you don't buy it, I'm going to, and I'll give it to you for Christmas or sneak it into your closet or something!” Thankfully, that put the smile back on her face, and Victoria watched Kate start to beam. She gently took her hand away and smiled back at her. “Think you've got it in you to try on a few more outfits?”

For a moment, just a split second, she saw something she had never seen before. Kate looked playful, almost sneaky. “Only if you let me pick out some stuff for you too...”

“Deal.” After Kate's initial fears, they started to get into the flow of it. Picking out various articles, telling one another how absolutely cute they would look wearing them, disappearing into dressing rooms, emerging, twirling, posing, etc. Though Victoria wished for another dressing room chance, there seemed to be only one and she had missed it. Even if she recognized it was stupid to think she wouldn't have more chances with Kate, that paranoid, lonely part of her was constantly worried Kate would come to her senses and stop hanging out with her.

But she shoved that voice back down deep, as she had to pretty much every day of her life, and kept right on marching. Even with all her complaints, even Kate was walking away from their shopping trip with a modest supply of new clothes, white sundress included. Although 'nothing' happened, Victoria still felt a little like she was walking on air.

They stopped long enough to get some terrible mall pizza before climbing back into Victoria's fancy-ass car to head back to Blackwell. They had been having a great time, but Kate seemed more quiet than normal. The calm before the storm.

“...Tori?”

“What's up, Angel?” It still felt a little strange to use a pet name with Kate, but the girl seemed happy to have it. It felt a tiny bit special, but perhaps that was just her being a huge weirdo as per usual.

“You know how we talked a while back about Max and Chloe?”

Victoria's heart stopped and her breath hitched in her chest. “I do. What about them?”

“Um, well... Max and I kinda... W-We sorta started dating... too... also...” The blonde sort of expected this conversation would happen eventually. She wanted to be happy for Kate, she did, but it was hard to ignore the way the announcement hit her. Where the fuck was Chloe's no-drama world now? Because she was hurting like hell.

“Th-That's... cool, Angel. I'm... I'm happy for you...” Kate clearly noticed her tone, and she visibly panicked.

“Oh!! Oh, no, that's not what I... No, that was just... y'know, like the lead-in or whatever. There's more. The 'more' being... that... Well, it's a lot to take in, this idea that people can date more than one person, and it can actually work.” It was one thing to feel the pain of worry, that Kate might never be as close to her as she wanted. But somehow it was even worse waiting to see what else she could possibly want to say. “And I sorta thought about it. And we sorta talked about it. And even though this might be kind of sudden and maybe you're not really ready to just all of a sudden be together with us, we, and specifically I, but also 'we' wanted to... ask you out. On a romantic-type date-like sort of thing. Some time.”

Kate seemed to be rushing the closer they got to Blackwell, until her words were blending together as Victoria pulled into a parking spot. She was panicking too, but she needed to calm Kate down. “Hey~ Hey, take a breath, Marsh. I'd love to give it a shot.” Chloe had sort of been making it clear where the end goal was, but it was still nice to finally have the message delivered officially. Stupid Max with her stupid adorable freckles, and punk-ass Chloe and her ever-changing chromatic hair. And Kate. Lovely Kate. Wonderful Kate. No matter how scary, how could she ever say no? “Is it safe to assume that Chloe already has some grand plan in the works?”

Kate finally started to release her pent up tensions and giggled nervously as she climbed out of the passenger seat with her own bags and they started off toward the dorms together. Victoria would take a proper moment to freak out when she was by herself. For now, it seemed she needed to be casual and calm on Kate's behalf. “She does. Her mother and step-father are taking a short trip to... um... work some things out I guess? Anyway, she's got the house to herself for a few days, so she wants to do a lazy winter break sleepover thing before we all go home for break. Movie marathons and hot cocoa and a big pillow and blanket fort. Cuddling, probably. I should have known how much of a sucker Max is for cuddles.”

Now Victoria truly felt light, and as they approached their separate rooms, she paused and gave Kate a kiss on the cheek. “I can't wait.”

She was just starting to turn toward her door when she heard Kate reply “Maybe we could practice?” What the what?? Victoria turned and glanced back at the other girl, amused by the look of complete embarrassment plastered across her face. She clearly wasn't ready for their little afternoon of fun to end just yet, and she said the first thing that came into her mind. Victoria flashed a smile at Kate, an old one, the kind she used to give back before things went to shit back in October. She felt a little like the old Victoria, all the confidence, none of the bitch. Victoria Lite.

“Practice what, Katie?” It seemed to be working, because Kate was showing her old nervous self, but without the antagonism.

“Cuddling. I have a ton of work to do tomorrow for finals, but I'm free tonight. If you don't have a party to go to or anything...” She did, in fact, have a standing invitation to a party that night. But she didn't give a good goddamn about it. Kate Marsh was standing there looking so bashful and adorable and inviting her for cuddles. What kind of doof would she have to be to say no to that?

“Head on into your room and put on something comfy. I just wanna set my bags down and I'll be over in a sec...” She was on a roll and couldn't help it, giving Kate her best winking kissy face before disappearing into her own dorm. With the door shut and her bags set aside, she took a moment to make good use of her privacy, and allowed herself a momentary victory dance before rushing to pull her phone from her purse.

 Chloe was reclining on her bed as some soft music played, idly toying with the hair of her sleeping girlfriend when her phone chimed. Not expecting anyone to contact her, she eyed the lock screen with a cocked eyebrow. She chuckled and roused Max with a gentle nudge. “Hey, hipster, wake up. All systems are go.”

Max groaned and lifted her head off Chloe's chest with the bare minimum of effort to see what all the fuss was about. There on Chloe's phone she saw the message from Victoria and giggled softly.

“FUCKING FUCK YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN MAKING KATE BE THE MESSENGER SHE WAS SO TERRIFIED YOU ARE EVIL OKAY WERE GONNA GO SNUGGLE NOW >//////<”

Chloe lay back down and snuggled Max with a dramatic, forlorn sigh. “You Blackwell nerds and your emoji.”

Chapter Text

It had been almost two months since Chloe had promised not to do any major plotting or scheming. Since Dana's Halloween party, there had been a great deal of waiting. Chloe fucking hated waiting. Thankfully she had Max there to keep her entertained, at least when she didn't have classes or tea dates or whatever. And there was something very heartwarming about watching things develop between her and Kate. And she didn't count her various texts back and forth with Victoria as meddling.

Finally, things were progressing. And thank fuck for that. Chloe could only take so much tap dancing around, no matter how cute. The text from Victoria the other night had been the final piece. The green light she had been dying to get.

She never really bothered much with cleaning. Max had a messy side, but Kate and Victoria likely would have problems with the usual state of Chloe's house, and her room in particular. While Joyce and David were packing for their trip, they watched in amazement as Max and Chloe worked like madwomen to get the house in order. “I thought you said you weren't having any parties, hon”

“If you renege on our deal, Chloe, I'm going to-” David was cut short with a heel to his toes.

It didn't go entirely unnoticed that the usually combative and cool Chloe was presently blushing and fumbling to respond. “No! Not a party, just... two friends of ours coming by for a sleepover... You said it was okay! But they're kinda anal retentive, so I just wanna make sure they feel comfortable here”

Well, Joyce knew she couldn't be too angry. Chloe had been loosening up, seemed less directionless, and... well... she had friends! Even if she were planning a party, she didn't want to dash her hopes. She wanted her daughter to have a better life, one free of dead friends and painful isolation. Besides, Max was always there next to her. That tiny girl was the only person capable of reining in Chloe's destructive tendencies. She and Max made eye contact and shared a little nod. “I think you've earned our trust, Chloe. Sorry for interrupting your cleaning session.”

Before long, her mother and step... father had finished packing and were on the road. She and Max continued working on cleaning the place up until they had to admit defeat and crash for the night. The next day was mostly spent shopping for snacks and getting everything set up. Max was bustling about the kitchen making some baked goods, daring to wear one of Joyce's adorable aprons, and Chloe was making up their pillow and blanket fort in the living room.

The sound of the doorbell elicited a sharp squeak from Max, who was clearly feeling a tad nervous. “Hey Mad Max, when you're done freaking out, can you get the door? The fort's in a very precarious position and I can't really spare a free hand!”

Max hurried to answer and opened the door for Kate and Victoria, both clad in their comfiest jammies. Seeing their friend in an apron, Tori burst out laughing and even Kate had to stifle a giggle. “What, I was baking!!” Her adorable pouting caused both girls to hug her gently before they were finally allowed into the house.

From the living room Chloe called out again. “Hey, blondie, give us a hand. This structure is threatening to topple” Victoria rolled her eyes at the others and disappeared to help Chloe.

Kate turned to Max and grinned. “Need help in the kitchen?” To this, Max blushed and dug her hands into her pockets.

“No, but you can hang out anyway~” Well, now the both of them were blushing and playfully bumping shoulders.

“You know, I sort of expected we would just be doing chips and salsa and popcorn and stuff. What are you putting all the extra effort into?”

Max continued to blush as she checked on the cookies in the oven. “I just... I want this to be perfect... I even have supplies for proper cocoa that I was gonna fix up next.” She closed the oven again and felt Kate wrap around her from behind, hugging her tightly. “Oh, Kate... You just got here, don't tell me you're already getting mushy~” The grip tightened slightly and she could feel Kate's cheek resting against her shoulder.

“Too late. I'm a mass of nerves. This is helping.” It sounded a little like a joke, but only insofar as Kate was doing that thing where you tell the truth in a humorous tone.

It took a bit of work to turn with Kate holding her so tightly, but Max eventually wriggled around so she could face her. “Hey, we're all in this together. And if nothing else, you just stick by my side tonight. You're my Kate. I won't let anything happen to you.” That eased her just a little and she finally released her.

“And you're my Max.” Kate leaned up against the counter and watched as Max slowly went back to work. As promised, along with the cookies in the oven, there was also a pot on top of the range that she added some milk to and set it heating at a low burn.

“Seriously, though. No pressure, no craziness tonight. We're gonna be soft and warm and comfy, and that's about it. No big plans or anything.”

“I guess maybe I'm also nervous because, well, I-I know that you and the others enjoy things other than... just cuddling...” Ahhh, that made sense. Max found herself a bit of empty counter space and took a seat, pulling Kate in close again and pecking her forehead.

“Don't worry about a thing. The last thing any of us want is to alienate one another. If anything should happen, you won't be left alone. Never again...” Shit, Max hadn't meant to say that part out loud. Of course that was the unspoken rule, but you weren't supposed to open old wounds so blatantly. But now she'd said it, and at least Kate was still smiling.

Chloe, of course, had absolutely no idea what the hell she was doing. Max was good at cooking so she took snack duty. But the bluenette was willing to bet that Max was probably also better than her at pretty much everything, including making blanket forts.

Victoria, for her part, wasn't about to let her off easy for fucking up what should have been a fairly easy process. “You're hopeless, Price...” As was becoming par for the course, Victoria's voice no longer had it's harsh edge. She spoke like someone saying the sweetest words imaginable, but her word choice hadn't exactly caught up. With grace, she undid all of Chloe's precious work and began rearranging chairs and pillows and things to include the couch and floorspace. It was almost a kind of artistry.

“Where the hell did you learn to do this? How did you find the time to learn blanket forts of all things between photography and good grades and shit?” Chloe opted to sit out until she was called upon. Clearly she wasn't needed here. She'd provided the house, so her job was done, after all.

“A Chase is good at anything she puts her mind to, darling. You'll see...” Now she was not only speaking sweetly, but with just a hint of extra honey, practically purring. Precious Kate might not have been so interested in her carnal needs, but Chloe almost certainly was. Even in her pajamas she knew she looked amazing, and Chloe was barely hiding it as her eyes traveled around.

“Yeah, well, that'll have to wait. Tonight, we take it easy. A hella amazing start to our winter breaks!”

“It's gonna be so weird, not seeing you guys for so long!” came Max's voice from behind them, as she emerged from the kitchen bearing all the various treats she'd made, with some help from Kate. They set everything on the coffee table and marveled at Victoria's creation.

“Aw, c'mon, Max, I know you're dying to get rid of me” Chloe said with a smirk and a wink. It quickly disappeared as the sandy-haired hipster pecked her on the cheek.

“Hush. My first New Years I finally have someone to kiss, and you won't even be there!”

“Someones” corrected Kate and Victoria simultaneously. There was a burst of nervous laughter as they all settled into their fort. It had been one thing, each enjoying each other's company one-on-one, but this was their first attempt at being a true group together. It was understandably confusing and fumbling as each tried to find the perfect posture that allowed the most connection to everyone else.

They agreed to put on a variety of Christmas specials and movies, mostly so that they wouldn't have to focus too much on the screen. There would be a lot of moving about, getting snacks, retrieving more hot chocolate, etc. It seemed every fifteen minutes they were in some new configuration. Max most frequently ended up with her head in someone's lap. Kate tended to be the most nervous about disturbing the other girls, even though no one seemed to mind. Often her worries were met with even more ferocious cuddling. Chloe was, naturally, a fan of 'accidental' skin contact, which was met with varying degrees of warmth. And Victoria always tried to come across as prickly, but would inevitably be the one to hold the tightest and the least willing to let someone go once they were comfy.

As the food, drink, and movie supplies ran low, there was more yawning and less movement. The quartet finally seemed to find a combination that worked, with Max and Kate in between the taller girls, nestled close. They were like that for almost an hour, each occasionally falling asleep before jostling back awake. Around the fifth time it happened, Chloe seemed to decide it was time to bring the party to an end and get some proper rest.

Max checked her phone as they broke down the fort and laughed softly. “Wowzer, no wonder we're passing out, it's like 2 AM!”

“Well, I actually cleaned my room for once, and my bed's pretty big. You all down to just move our cuddle pile upstairs?” Chloe was particularly proud that she'd gone to all the trouble, but no one else was offering the kind of applause she'd been hoping for.

Kate finished folding one of the blankets and stretched, giving a little squeak. “As long as you're not expecting us to remake the entire fort...”

Of course, when it came to actually going to bed, Chloe certainly wasn't picky. Though she'd made a big deal about her room being clean, her bed wasn't what Kate would consider 'made'. There was a few extra pillows and blankets in case people got possessive in their sleep. And though she'd had her worries about things getting sexy, Kate was pleased to find that everyone was way too exhausted to do little more than climb into the bed and pass out one by one. They resumed their previous order, with the two tinier girls in the middle wrapped around one another with Victoria and Chloe's arms draped lazily over them.

The next morning, as everyone came to, there was a long, lazy period of no one doing much except for softly talking about how things were going, what they'd be up to over break, and how eager they were both for the free time but also about getting back to Arcadia Bay. The conversation was winding down and everyone understood that there was one last big question to tackle. Chloe wrapped herself a little more possessively around Max and looked toward the other two with curious eyes. It had been a good time, a great time even. Even Kate, with whom she had very little in common, had earned her approval. Someone had to say what they were all thinking, and predictably Max was the first to dip a toe in the water.

“So... We... don't have to make any official decision right away or anything, but... I-I feel really good about this. I sorta figure we take winter break to think about it, and next semester we can make an actual decision?” There were a few nods, but no one else really seemed brave enough to take a stab at a better idea. They all rose around noon and pitched in to help straighten up. They were mostly silent, but comfortably so. Even as Victoria gave Max and Kate a ride back to campus, no one said much.

They all went their separate ways from there, but it wasn't long before they started to desperately contact each other during break. Whether they were phone calls to talk about Christmas gifts or random selfies, or even the big Skype group chat they had on New Years, it was clear that everyone was invested, even if they were scared to make anything official.

Max came out to her parents, at least about Chloe, and they were completely understanding, and almost aggravatingly supportive. Victoria's parents couldn't have cared less about her romantic life unless it involved a marriage or a pregnancy. Kate was naturally avoidant about any subjects beyond classes with her parents, but she talked in very vague terms with her sisters about the angel who had saved her in October, and all the “dear friends” she'd made in the fallout.

Dates resumed almost immediately as soon as everyone came back to the small town. Joyce and David finally got a chance to meet Chloe's new friends who were having such a big impact on their daughter. Finally toward the end of January the girls made the decision that it was obvious where this was headed. Even Kate couldn't withstand the relationship they had developed. She would find a way to work this out with her faith and family, some day, she knew.

Just before Valentine's Day, practically the entirety of Blackwell knew, those that didn't already have the inside track or at least a sneaking suspicion about the two couples who spent so much time together. Between Victoria's ferocity and Kate's purity, no one dared question them or call it bizarre. If anyone held such an opinion, they swiftly learned to keep it to themselves.

Each of them had been so alone for so long. They were sad and broken in their own ways. But finally they had something else, something more. And while it was scary to look toward the future, they did so eagerly, unable to imagine how much more they would experience together.

Chapter Text

Chloe was troubled. Well, she was always troubled. That was kind of her deal. It would be more accurate to say that she was worried. Of particular oddity was the fact that she was worried about Kate. The four girls had really only just become A Thing recently, and so far it felt more like a straight line with her on one end and Ms. Goody-Good at the other. Or, if she were being honest, it was like each of them was in a relationship with Mad Max, and they tolerated one another. She did at least find a certain joy in sparring with Victoria from time to time, but that was about the extent of it. When it came to Kate, they didn't have a goddamn thing in common.

And yet here she was in the girl's room. She'd originally come by to bug Max, but she was apparently out with Princess at some fancy shindig. She had gone all the way out to Blackwell, and didn't exactly feel like going back home. So on a whim – and really, wasn't that her whole life in a nutshell – she'd decided to visit Kate. She had the fuzzball out of its cage gnawing on some lettuce, and the cute animal drew her in despite her reservations. It was something at least, a talking point so they could avoid the elephant in the room. Something was clearly wrong. Ever since that fucked up week in October, everyone knew they had to keep a close eye on Kate, and for a time things were golden.

But lately she'd been hanging out less, always afraid to spend money, and she wasn't even hanging with Max as much. Something was on her mind, but she was locked up tight about it. And for all the secrets she herself kept, she didn't like being out of the loop, and she definitely didn't like to see Max upset.

Both girls were seated on Kate's bed, and after its delicious meal of greens, the fuzzball had ended up in her lap. Chloe was idly fiddling with its ears and finally decided to launch right into it. “So c'mon, spill the beans, Angel, what's got you down?”

Kate's face fell and she got that look like she was going to start crying. Shit, Chloe hated that look. “It's noth-”

“Don't you dare tell me it's nothing,” she said, perhaps more sharply than she'd intended. These things happened to her a lot. “You're one of us, so... I don't know, pretend I'm Max or whatever!”

There was a long pause, as Kate did little more than fiddle with her hands in her lap. Chloe feared she had gone too far, but finally Kate's lips parted, she hesitated, and then tried again. “I think maybe this was a mistake. Us. The group... thing. I don't know if it's right.”

“Yeah, it's a little scary, but it's not as if we're hurting anybody. If anything, it's the best thing that's happened to any of us in a while. Max is clearly into you in a big way, and I've seen how you snuggle up to Victoria like a kitten. You're happy, right? Aren't you...?” A dumb question to ask, she knew too late, but these things had a way of flying out of her mouth before she had a chance to wrangle them in.

Even in the midst of her sadness, Kate still managed to look downright appalled at the suggestion. “Of course! Even you, Chloe, you came to see me, you're asking me about this stuff, so I know you care, in your way.” Shit, she was so quiet, Chloe sometimes forgot how observant Angel could be. “No, it's... Well, I started going to that new church, and everything was fine until one day I let it slip to one person that I had girlfriends. Plural. And they looked so horrified, I knew I'd screwed up. Less than a day later and pretty much everyone knew. People were apparently praying for our souls, and the pastor has taken a dig at us at least once per sermon. He'd say shit...” here Kate paused and looked frustrated with herself. “Stuff... about 'We know there are those in this congregation who sometimes stray' or whatever. And then everyone looks in my direction.”

Chloe could hardly believe what she was hearing. Wasn't this place like... her home away from home or whatever? How could they be that awful?? Well, they weren't beating around the bush now, so she figured she might as well dig as deep as she could. “Are they charging you to be gigantic assholes? I know you've been eating in the dining hall more, skipping out on meals with us at Two Whales. Joyce thought it was her cooking!”

“They have a very literal definition of tithing. Everyone knows how much everyone else has, and if we don't give a full ten percent, you get shamed. Bad. I was getting so much sh- stuff from them about you all that I've actually been giving extra each week.”

“I'm coming with you. Sunday. I'm picking you up at 10:30. Be ready.” There was no room for argument, and the bunny was back in Kate's arms before she had a chance to say anything.

And so it was that, as promised, Chloe picked Kate up that weekend at 10:35. This was extreme punctuality for the blue-haired girl. Not only that, but Chloe was clearly trying super hard. Kate would put money down that Chloe owned one dress, probably originally owned by Rachel Amber, and she was wearing it now. Her hair was still blue, her shoes still construction boots, but it was an adorable sight nonetheless. She sat in the passenger seat of the Tank, worried about what exactly Chloe was plotting. She had that impish look, but things were already set in motion, and she was essentially along for the ride.

The truck came to a stop in a parking lot filled with fancy cars and minivans, looking as out of place as Chloe herself did. The stares and whispers were worse than ever, but Kate found that clinging to Chloe's arm helped. Suprisingly, though, things were relatively smooth for the first hour. Relatively. There were a lot of points where it was obvious Chloe had no clue what she was doing, like a lost puppy just trying her best to be a good girl. She stood up too long, or sat down too early, she could only mouth along to the Lord's Prayer. But... she was really trying! Her heart felt warm. She even played along when Chloe stopped her from putting her money into the offering. Yes, she had a plan, obviously.

The sermon was arguably the worst part. The pastor had that glint in his eye when he saw the two girls together, clearly doing the math in his head as to who the mystery guest was. His dig was even more obvious, talking about harlots who marked their bodies with signs of the unrighteous, temptations of the world, and he suddenly seemed convinced that blue was the color of evil. Kate had to jab Chloe in the ribs when she heard her mutter “Subtle...” a little too loud. But they had done it, they had survived the service, and Kate began to wonder if maybe she would make it through this day unscathed. Then, she remembered that it was the first week of the month, and that meant free food after the service. Chloe would be all over that! She tried tugging her toward the door, but it was no use. Mere seconds later, the two were attached at the hip in the fellowship hall, trying to hide off in the corner with a plate of cookies and finger sandwiches, sipping juice and ignoring all the glances cast their way.

The trouble started when the pastor came over, and on impulse Kate released her hold on Chloe and jumped to her feet as a sign of respect to the man of God. “What did you think of today's service, Kate?” She forced herself to sit back down, and Chloe's hand latched onto hers like a magnet. The tight grip told her all she needed to hear. She couldn't even get a word in edgewise before Chloe jumped in.

“Very enlightening! You hit that twenty minute mark, and I thought, surely he can't possibly top himself, and yet you continued on. Forty minutes, that's got to be a record!”

“That was actually one of his shorte-”

“I tend to go on for an hour or so, but I felt it best to keep my remarks brief. I just had to get the chance to meet one of our Kate's infamous... friends...” There was practically venom dribbling from the man's mouth.

Again Chloe's grip tightened and Kate winced. This would not end well. “Your Kate? I wasn't under the impression you all owned her. Though if what I hear is right about your titling process...”

“Tithing, Chloe, tithing...”

“You clearly have a pretty tight grasp on her.”

The pastor looked aghast – a fancy word, but really the only one that fit. “The way I hear it, Kate has a good many owners.” His eyes narrowed. Chloe's eyes narrowed. The bomb bay doors were opened and atomic nuke Chloe was approaching the ground fast. “No one owns Kate. Sir. She's her own woman.”

“Chloe, m-my hand...”

“Not you. Not these self-righteous fuckers. Not even your fucked up interpretation of a moldy book!!” In a blur, Chloe was on her feet, pulling Kate with her, and into a very... very passionate kiss. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the famous Price Bird flipping off the entire room. Their lips finally parted amid over-dramatic gasps. “I'm just the blue-haired temptress who's saving her from this godforsaken shitheap. C'mon, Angel, we're outta here...”

Kate was practically dragged out to the Tank. Everything as a blur and she really didn't know what to think or say. She'd been in cuddle piles with Chloe before, but that was her first time kissing the girl. Had it been a show? Or was it something more than that? Oh, God, she could never come back to this place. But she was finally seeing a little more clearly and was fairly certain that would have been a bad idea anyway. She could only sit there in the passenger seat with her hands folded in her lap, unsure what to think or feel. When she finally snapped back to reality, she realized they were not back at Blackwell, but instead Chloe's home. “Mom and step-douche are out, thank christ. Shit, sorry!” Kate just shrugged as she was taken from the truck and inside.

Next thing she knew, she was sitting on Chloe's bed with a glass of water. She had apparently sipped some of it. She hadn't dissociated this bad since... October. Apparently Max wasn't the only one with a hero complex. Kate was vaguely aware that Chloe had changed out of her dress at some point and was sitting at her computer, furiously typing away and printing the occasional sheet of paper. Kate really had no idea what was going on anymore, but she didn't even have the capacity to question anything yet. She continued drinking her water, focusing on centering herself and slowing her breathing.

Finally the storm seemed to pass, both the one in her mind and the one called Chloe. She moved from her desk to the mattress and sat crosslegged next to Kate. The glass was empty now, and Chloe gently set it on the floor before laying out each printed sheet separately in front of her. She watched in mild awe as Chloe reached out and pulled her hair out of its usual bun, running her fingers through it, looking at her with very sincere concern. “You with me yet? Shit, I'm sorry, you know how I get. Everything gets hot and I start going with my gut. But, I think I-” Kate shook her head and pressed her hands to Chloe's cheeks, pulling her in for a desperate kiss that went on a good deal longer than the one in the church.

“Apology accepted, temptress” Chloe could only stare in utter shock at the mousy girl. Her Angel. This was a day of firsts. She was starting to wonder if she should press her luck and convince Kate to unwind with her, but that was probably going too far just yet. “Cool. So. Um.”

“Chloe Price, speechless? Wow.”

“Shut up... Anyway, here!” She motioned to the papers with an adorably flustered hand. “There's this place, not too far from Arcadia Bay.” She passed her a print-out of the website's front page, followed by one of a cheery looking woman in a black robe. “That's the pastor. She's an ag-whatever.”

Kate looked over the pages as they were passed to her. “Agnostic?” she said, trying to hide the amusement from her eyes.

“Yeah, don't know how it works, but there you go.” The next page showed the same woman presiding over a marriage ceremony for a local gay couple. The one after that a mugshot. “She got a little angry at a Black Lives Matter rally. I figure if you're gonna get preached at by someone, better someone with a wicked rap sheet, y'know?” The rest of the pages detailed the church's work with Planned Parenthood, their queer group, and a totally lame and not at all sweet poem written by one of the members.

“So there you go. Chloe Price might rage and wreck everything, but she helps rebuild too.” She huffed and sat back, and Kate could see just how out of breath and frustrated she was. And Kate really didn't know what to say. She carefully gathered up all the pages, folded them together, and placed them together in her purse. Without a word she lay her head down in Chloe's lap and the eager fingers resumed combing through her hair. “You'll need a ride, I don't think the bus goes that way. I mean, if you want. Not like I do anything on Sundays except wake up at noon and chill.”

Kate smiled and closed her eyes, snuggling up a little more, completely wiped from the morning's adventure. “Promise me one thing?”

“Name it, Angel.”

“Never wear that dress, ever again. Ever.”

Chapter Text

Victoria Price sat on her bed, face cradled in her hands, as Max sat by her side with an arm wrapped around her, trying her best to be supportive, but it wasn't easy. It seemed things were never easy around Arcadia Bay. But in true Victoria fashion, this seemed a bit blown out of proportion. “Come on, it's not that bad. It's just a few of your best shots, and it's only for a week.”

The situation truly wasn't all that awful. Following Mr. Jefferson's departure, a new teacher had been brought in to nurture the photography students, a sweet matronly woman with a wealth of experience and, yes the two artists had to admit, talent to boot. It was no surprise that Jefferson took an unhealthy interest in a select few of his students, much to the detriment of everyone else. And so Ms. Halloway decided that for the rest of the year, each of the students would craft their own gallery show. They were allowed to present it however they wished, and at the end of the week, they would receive both praise and criticism from their fellow classmates.

Daniel got the first week, followed by Kate, and now Victoria was up to bat. And, as expected, she was losing her shit. Max gently traced her hand up and down her girlfriend's back, silently appreciating the amazing feeling of her blouse's fabric. Silk, if she had to wager a guess, but frankly fashion continued to elude her, try as Tori might to put her in anything but a hoodie and jeans.

“You're sweet, Maxine, but I'm going to be freaking out about this until the zero hour, turn it in, and everyone will tell me how amazing and perfect I am. That's how it works.”

In time, Victoria had learned with some amusement that she was actually allowed to get away with calling her 'Maxine'. Only when they were alone, and only very rarely. It was one of life's small pleasures. “But you're very sweet for trying...” She leaned in and kissed her softly on the cheek. That was the other thing that she only allowed in privacy. It was no secret that the quartet of mismatched companions were all seeing one another. But appearances had to be maintained, so Victoria made it clear early-on that PDA was a huge problem for her. Chloe was, predictably, the only one to push her luck on this.

This answer did not satisfy Max, however. She didn't like conflict, and she didn't like to see anyone she loved in distress. Her initial response had been as expected. Hugs, kisses, general affection. But it didn't seem to be working out so well. She doubled her efforts and settled herself in crosslegged behind Victoria and started massaging her shoulders. This seemed marginally more helpful, and she even felt a moment of pride as the blonde beauty gave a satisfied sigh of delight.

But alas! No matter how much she tried, no matter how deep into the tissue her fingers dug, she couldn't wipe the stress from her beloved. “You know I'm here for you, right dumb-butt? Like, the project is yours, but beyond that, your wish is my command. Just tell me what you need!” Okay, that was getting a little overly desperate. But seriously, it was difficult to articulate how much Max hated drama.

Victoria initially felt the old desire in her to get stand-off-ish. I wish you would leave me the hell alone so I could sulk in peace! Sometimes old habits were hard to break. Sometimes her fingers itched to tug Max's pigtails, metaphorically speaking. But once glance at that doofy, adorable, stupid, beautiful face was all the reminder she needed. Victoria flicked through a stack of pictures she'd pulled out and sighed wistfully. “I could point to each one of these pictures and tell you exactly which photographer or artist I'm aping. I could write a ten page paper on each one about composition, color, framing, the works! But...”

Here Victoria paused, and without warning she began to rearrange their bodies with masterful grace. Before Max knew what was what, Tori was laid out on her bed, propped up against her pillows, with Max resting on her side, snuggled up to her, head on her shoulder. “But this stupid requirement, about showing 'who we are'. It's stupid! What does that even mean!”

It was impossible for Max not to be a little amused by her pouty princess. To her, it was so obvious, Victoria was trying too hard. It wasn't a problem that plagued her often, but when it did, it was pretty adorable. Max gave Tori a little nuzzle in the shoulder, not unlike a kitten headbutting affectionately. “Give 'em...”

Confused, Victoria passed the stack of images to Max and watched her with a raised eyebrow. There was a moment of silence, punctuated only by the occasional “mmm...” from Max. What the hell was she doing? What was her process? Was she identifying the composition? Had she found some flaw in her work? God, her heart was pounding like crazy! She was already pre-emptively imagining every negative comment Max could possibly make.

“These pictures...”

“Yes?”

“...they're perfect...”

Okay, now Victoria was truly confused. If her work was impeccable, if her pictures were so good, why didn't she feel she could turn them in? “I don't follow, shutterbug.”

“I know you don't.” Anyone else saying that would have earned a smack across the face. But not only was Max allowed to get away with her snide comment, but she even took the opportunity to kiss Victoria on the lips with an appreciative smile. She held the pictures aloft so they could both see them and flicked through each one. Like Tori, she could immediately give an artistic label to each, or point out some beautiful shadow placement. Finally she passed the stack back to her and sat up, quietly messing with her hair in thoughtful contemplation. “You think too much, Chase. I want you to put those pictures away. You're not allowed to pull them out until you have your first official gallery. Where you will make hella bank for those works of art.”

Victoria Chase was speechless. “So...”

Max pointed a finger at her with a serious look. “And then, you're going to pull together all your photos, and we're going to go through them. And every time one of them makes you smile or want to tell me a story, we'll set it aside. And then we'll choose your pieces for the classroom exhibit.” Max watched as Victoria's eyes began to water and she immediately felt guilty for her choice of demeanor. Oh, shit, she'd overdone it! “Um! But... that's just... I mean, there are other ways... I-I just hated seeing you be so not-Victoria... and I thought...”

Max's manic pixie dream girl act was cut short by a solid kiss from Victoria, eliciting a squeak from the tiny doe. “Shut up, selfie-girl You're a genius and now you're ruining it.” Before Max could babble herself into a deeper grave, Victoria hopped up and, with surprising excitement, fished out her portfolio and flopped onto the bed next to Max.

They were barely three photos in when Victoria gave an excited cooing noise and pointed eagerly at one photo in particular. Like all the others, it was perfectly, artistically composed. But it was the subject that actually drew the eye – an adorable cocker spaniel. “Belinda... We got her as a puppy when I was just a baby. This year was our first Christmas without her.” Victoria began to trail off, and with a very gentle touch, saying nothing, Max removed the photo and held it on her lap like it was a treasure more precious than jewels.

And that was how the next few hours went. Victoria would survey her portfolio until a picture caught her eye. Sometimes she would grace it with a single fingertip and tell some tear-stained story, at which point Max would add it to the growing pile. Other times the photo would get a more eager introduction, accompanied by a story full of laughter. And into the pile it would go.

It was late at night by the time they'd finished. With very little pomp and circumstance, the stack of photographs was set on Victoria's desk, the two girls undressed and climbed into her bed for more snuggles until exhaustion claimed them both. “I'm not sure if I should be thanking you or cursing you, Maxine.”

Max looked up at Victoria from where she had burrowed her way under the comfy-cozy covers. “Murr?”

“I have a better idea of how to do my presentation. But I've got about fifty photos to sort through now. It's like I have more work to deal with than when we started.”

Despite Victoria's chiding tone, Max just grinned from ear to ear, eyes closing again as she resumed her cocooned comfort. “I'm pretty sure it's the unwritten rule that I make everyone's lives more complicated. You love it. Besides, this was fun. I got to combine nerding out over photography with learning more about you. I got to know Victoria Chase better in the last few hours than I have this entire year.”

“Just you wait until it's your turn, Maxine Caulfield. I will annoyingly pester you about every adorable picture you've ever taken. Prepare yourself for The Inquisition in a few weeks.” The way Max was behaving, it was pretty much impossible to resist. She shut off her bedside lamp and joined her in burrowing under the warm blankets. “God, do they have to crank the AC so high? It's mid-spring!”

Tiny waif arms wrapped around Victoria, providing far more heat than one would imagine them capable of. Or perhaps she was imagining it. “Never fear, Mad Max will solve all your problems.”

“I love you, you fucking hipster nerd...”

Chapter Text

Kate checked the text on her phone for the hundredth time. Leave it to Max to send her the most unhelpful invitation ever. 'hey got a big surprise for our latest tea date get your hype face on and come to my room (^_^)/'. What did that even mean? And why were they meeting in Max's room instead of the coffee shop downtown? Well, the only way to find out was to head over and see what the big deal was. Of course, Max could be excited over just about anything, but Kate was letting herself get infected by her girlfriend's eagerness. She could already hear the music coming from her room before she even got her fist in place to knock. Kate gave two polite raps against the door and stood there awkwardly, still unsure what to expect.

Finally, Max threw open the portal and ushered Kate into her room. She was practically jumping with delight as she presented her find to Kate. It turned out to be a ratty little hotplate seated on top of an overturned plastic crate. Seated on the hotplate was an equally worn kettle. Two mugs sat on the ground, one emblazoned with the Arcadia Bay lighthouse, the other a plain white mug that proudly stated its owner to be '#1 Grandpa'. Wait, that's it?? the part of Kate that had learned cynicism from Chloe and Victoria chimed in. But she quickly pushed it back when she saw the look of sheer delight on Max's face.

No, that's clearly not it. Kate sunk down to the floor and seated herself amid the pile of pillows Max had fashioned and motioned for the beaming hipster to join her. Ever the eager puppy, Max latched onto her and stared at the kettle, ready for it to start whistling. “Isn't it amazing?? Chloe and I went to the thrift store the other day and they had this whole thing as a package deal. Fifteen bucks!” Max nuzzled Kate, and again she found the positive vibes impossible to resist.

“That's really cool, Max. So we can save on our tea dates.”

“Not just that! I mean, check it out, I've built us a whole little love-nest and everything. Couldn't you just die??”

Kate blushed furiously, and for a moment she felt genuine guilt for ever letting herself thinking anything but the absolute best of Max's efforts. “I really could, sweetie. This is... I-I can't believe it.”

“I ordered a shit-ton of teas from this cool online store. I was sorta freaked that they wouldn't show up on time.”

How long had she been planning this? The more Kate looked at the set-up, the more it grew on her. The kettle's awful floral pattern, the previous owner's Sharpie graffiti on the hotplate, the #1 Grandpa mug. It was so... Max. So very Max. “I'm glad they did. I'd hate for the surprise to be ruined.” The kettle was soon whistling and Max began bustling around, messing with infusers and loose-leaf tea in little plastic packages. Kate's heart swelled and she fiddled with the cross around her neck. She hadn't seen Max look this perky in a while. While the tea was seeping, Max checked the volume on the soft indie music, turned off the lights, and fiddled with the blinds until the lighting was perfect. Just like a photographer. Even when you're not snapping pics, you still have to set everything just so.

Finally Max stopped fiddling and allowed herself to sink back into the mass of pillows, passing one of the mugs to Kate and offering her sugar and honey. Kate got her tea to where she liked it before grabbing Max around the shoulders and squeezing her tight. “Hey, ease up, dear. You have gone above and beyond here. Now take the time to actually enjoy it...” Max looked at her in surprise before pausing, seeming to take stock of herself, and realized she was practically vibrating with joy.

“Sorry, I was just... I... wanted our tea dates to be a little more... um... intimate.” Both girls blushed in turn and sipped at their tea awkwardly as Max spelled out her intentions. It seemed that no matter how long they dated, they remained the awkward, easily-embarrassed ones. So putting the two alone together in a room was a recipe for a lot of blushing. “I know all the bits and pieces are kinda lame, on their own, but...”

“But together, they make a very cozy set,” Kate insisted, finishing the thought for her.

“And someday, we'll have our own place with a proper stove. And we'll have adorable kettles and dozens of mugs and artisan honey and everything.”

Oof, the future. That was so big and scary and far away (no matter how close they got to graduation) and it honestly kind of freaked Kate out a little bit. She thought she had a good grip on her life until October when everything changed. It felt a little like she was picking up the pieces since then and putting them together in different places. The rooftop, the thing with the church and Chloe, all the pressure. How could Max talk about it like that, like it was all so sure?? She nervously took her hand and laced their fingers together, just staring at the entwined digits for a moment. “You really think so?”

Max had sorta just been talking out her ass, but when she saw that Look on Kate's face, she realized that maybe she'd taken it a step too far. She pulled the clenched hand to her face and kissed her knuckle tenderly. “I do. I guess anything feels possible these days.” Max and Chloe shared a lot of stories that still didn't make much sense. Max was cool, but had she really saved the entire town? All that time stuff, it made her head hurt. Most of the time, she just rolled with it.

“I look forward to it.”

Things eventually lightened after that. Kate realized that she most definitely preferred their new tea-date set-up. There was a great deal of cuddling and kissing and idle conversation about anything and everything. Somewhere in the proceedings, they'd left their empty mugs aside and moved the entire cuddle pile to Max's bed. Tuckered out from over-planning, Kate was presently big-spooning her little doe, their hands intertwined yet again. They weren't really doing anything, just basking.

So it was a bit of a surprise when Kate suddenly heard Max speak again, breaking the incredibly pleasant silence. “Is there something on your mind, Angel?” She'd heard Chloe using the nickname and felt like it was all too appropriate, and decided to adopt it. She had so many titles, it was good to finally use one on somebody else.

Today had been a good day, and Kate was confused for a moment. But she knew Max was an observant one, with a serious eye for mood, as if she could read your mind. It occurred to her that this question may have been in the works for a while. And she could think of only one thing that had been truly troubling her the last few weeks. She chose her words carefully. “Does it bum you guys out? The... abstinence thing?”

“Nah...” The reply was fast, and perhaps Max felt the need to qualify it properly. “Chloe and Victoria are confused by it most days, I think. But they don't hold it against you. But you've got your morals and you stick to them. No one can fault you for being as strong as iron. We respect it.” Kate trusted Max's intuition on these things and her body relaxed again. Feeling that this was probably the kind of conversation one should have face-to-face, Max turned around so that she could look at her girlfriend properly. “You've been thinking about it a lot, huh?”

Kate nodded and looked into Max's eyes. Those curious, trustworthy eyes that told her everything would be fine, that just wanted to know what made the world tick. If there was anyone she could bounce her thoughts off, it was Max. “When you go from being a good Christian girl to a good Christian-ish girl with three girlfriends, you do a lot of research to try and make it all make sense. Thankfully the Internet is a thing.” She could see Max looking at her with what seemed to be a sense of pride.

“Um, so... Well, anyway, I made peace with loving you guys fast enough. Like, I could rattle off hundreds of Bible passages about love. That part came pretty easily. It was less easy to figure out the no-sex thing. I actually started to get worried, because so many people were so excited when I mentioned our relationship, but jumped down my throat when I said I was still abstinent.” She felt Max's fingers began to run through her hair and it helped keep her calm.

“No one in the forums could understand how I had three people in my life but couldn't get further than cuddling. And truthfully, I couldn't make it make sense, ethically. I didn't judge any of you for what you did. And sometimes I even like... well... being in the room...” Here she paused and blushed as a few particularly potent memories came back. “But when I actually try to put myself in the equation, I start feeling ill.”

Max was actually becoming concerned that Kate's story didn't have any sort of happy ending. But after another pause, she continued. “Finally, I got a private message from someone who saw my posts. They asked if maybe I was asexual. I didn't have a clue what that even meant, but one quick Google search later and... and I was sobbing...” Max was drawn into the story now, eyes wide and fearful. Were the three of them torturing Kate? Was she hurting that bad??

“Bad sobbing?”

“No, Max, I finally felt normal again. The problem wasn't an ethical one. I just... I love you guys to death. I'd do anything for any of you. You're this shining beacon of positivity, and Chloe's like this canonball of energy, and Victoria is this fabulous queen. I could go on about how much you all mean to me! But... it's like the urges just don't exist for me. I'd take a bullet for you, just don't ask me to go down on you.”

Max gasped and her worried frown turned into a shriek of delight, followed rapidly by a series of kisses all over Kate's face. “Kate! Listen to you~” Max practically purred with delight and curled in against her Angel. “I really like that you're finding yourself. And I think the others will be a lot more likely to understand if you put it to them like that. After all, you're Kate, our precious cinnamon roll. We'd move heaven and earth if someone so much as looked at you wrong.”

It felt amazing to get everything off her chest, but not nearly as good as it did to hear the way Max supported her.

“Wait, cinnamon roll??”

“Yeah, sorry, I've been spending too much time on Tumblr lately~”

Chapter Text

Victoria stepped hesitantly into the house. It wasn't her first time here, but it was her first time alone with Chloe in this place. When it was just them, things had a tendency to get explosive. The only question was which kind of explosive. Sexy explosive good, argument explosive bad. Sexy explosive when her parents were around, super bad. Victoria also had a serious dislike when it came to being outside of her territory. And today in particular, the deal they'd made left her at Chloe's mercy. Victoria Chase did not bottom.

But a bet was a bet, and she had lost. Who could really blame her for being so certain that sweet innocent Kate had a wild side? She was sure that her and Max were fucking on the reg, and then she had to go and come out to them as ace?? That had been an incredibly tough day, wanting to be supportive and understanding, all the while having to look at that smug, shit-eating grin on Chloe's face.

The rules had been simple enough. If Victoria won, she'd get to decide Chloe's ensemble for an entire week. Oh, how she relished the mental image of putting that blue-haired monster in a cardigan and skirt. Chloe Price in heels. Just thinking about it did... things to her. But she'd lost, and now she was forced to sit there while Chloe gave her whatever dye job she wanted. Same rules applied, she had to keep the look for a week. Ugh, this was going to be murder on her outfit options, no matter what Chloe chose.

Chloe's eager voice shocked her out of her thoughts. “C'mon, Chase, I know it's a little dumpy, but nothing bad is gonna happen!” Victoria closed the door behind her and followed Chloe upstairs. Victoria found it even harder to step foot in Chloe's room, but she knew deep down she was just reverting to old ways as a defense mechanism. She wasn't stupid. Chloe apparently noticed the worry on her face, because she suddenly turned on the charm and pulled Victoria in for a gentle cuddle and a brief, sincere smile. “Hey, this is all just in good fun. If this is really screwing with you, we can stop, no harm, no foul.”

The offer was appreciated, but the Chase name was on the line here. As much as she might have appreciated the 'get out of jail free' card, she just couldn't take the deal. It was hard to be the old, bitter Victoria when Chloe was looking at her with that face. “No, it's okay. I... know you'd never do anything to actually ruin my reputation. You know what you're doing. ...but tell anyone I admitted that, and I will end you.”

“You're so sexy when you're threatening my life...” Chloe grinned and drew Tori into a tight kiss. But there was work to be done, and the embrace ended to soon. “Now, I know your wardrobe is precious to you, so I'd recommend stripping.”

Fuck. She was still a tad fuzzy from the tonal shift, and her hands seemed to be moving of their own accord, pulling away her sweater and blouse before she properly thought through what was happening. It was a constant problem on their end of the relationship. Putting two natural tops together meant they were never not struggling for supremacy. But the very nature of the afternoon's plans meant that Victoria was under Chloe's spell, whether she liked it or not.

Okay, so she kinda liked it.

It occurred to her that even the underwear she'd worn that day was precious. After much humming and pouting, she caved and got completely nude before wrapping herself in a towel, to Chloe's very obvious delight. It was hardly the first time Chloe had been privy to her bare body, but this was the first time she'd seen her looking so awkward about it.

As with before, she knew full well how vulnerable she was at the moment, how easy it would have been for Chloe to dig in. But the punk rock princess was showing admirable restraint and simply led her into the bathroom by the hand where everything was already set up. A well-worn chair sat with its back against the sink and she was directed to sit. The whole gentle atmosphere was going a long way to easing Victoria's worries. Sometimes she forgot just how much tenderness Chloe was capable of. So often she was bouncing off the walls like her entire life was a mosh pit.

As Chloe launched in, Victoria slowly began to gain an appreciation for the bullshit that went into maintaining that mane of colorful hair. All the little details, all the time it took. She spent so much time on so many other aspects of her aesthetic, she couldn't imagine adding the trouble of coloring her hair so constantly. “I'm guessing I'll have to wait until this is all over to find out what exactly you're doing to me?”

“Naturally, Princess. That's half the fun, the sudden reveal, she squeal of delight, the way you tell me how amazing and brilliant I am. I really think you're gonna dig it...” Chloe's voice was still soft, her hands gentle. Clearly the bet they had was little more than a front anymore. They were far enough into this relationship that she didn't actually have any intention of making her girlfriend look ridiculous.

Victoria's eyes closed slowly as they continued chatting. “What do you think our little ones do on their tea dates anyway?”

“Well, we know what they're not doing now, don't we?” Both girls got a good laugh out of that, not so much at Kate's expense as the shared realization that sometimes nothing about them as a group made sense. Rumors aside, there was no ignoring just how much Chloe and Tori had slept around. Max was understandably pretty exclusive with her affections. And Kate tended to funnel her energies into other means of connection. But it worked, somehow. “Really, I'm sure it's exactly what you think it is. Max plays some of her hipster garbage and they talk about classes and cuddle up together and goddammit I wanna just squeeze the shit out of them they're so adorable!!”

Victoria winced as Chloe's cuteness overload caused her to pull her hair a little. “Hey! Save that shit for the bedroom Price.”

“Just helping you adjust, sweetness, the bleaching process could be fine, or it could sting like hell. Sorry, I probably should have warned you sooner...” Again, the earnest way Chloe apologized was a surprise.

“It's fine. I'm a big girl, I can take it.”

“Should I be instituting a safe-word?”

Victoria wanted to be angry about that, but she couldn't stop the smirk from gracing her lips. Despite the warning, the process was ultimately pretty painless. Time-consuming, yes, but that was sort of to be expected. Finally Chloe gave her the all-clear.

Feeling daring, Victoria opted to press her luck a little bit. “I could probably use some help washing this stuff out...”

Chloe's face lit up with a mixture of surprise and excitement. They'd done quite a bit together, but this was new. “My dear, I would be delighted~” In moments, both were free of their clothing and crammed together in the shower. The added benefit was that she was able to see the final look of Victoria's hair before Princess did herself. And yes, it was a masterpiece. And yes, it was very hot.

Victoria, for her part, did take note of the color draining from her hair and staining the water. Or, more accurately, the lack thereof. She didn't know much about this stuff, but she was fairly certain the water was supposed to look like an alien crime scene, depending on the choice of dye her girlfriend had opted for. She could see some lovely shade of light blue, but there wasn't much of it.

Both were tempted to use the shower as a chance to get out some of the sexual tension, but they were also stubborn. Victoria wanted to know what the damage was, and Chloe wanted to see the girl's face. The shower remained shockingly chaste, and before she knew it she was back in the middle of the bathroom clad only in a towel around her chest. The mirror was fogged, and she could feel her heart thumping a little harder as Chloe tenderly dried her hair and made sure it was back in its perfect state. It had to be perfect. “Okay, Princess. Go for it.”

Victoria approached the mirror and reached out a perfectly manicured hand to wipe away the gathered condensation. She had really been trying to keep the drama to a minimum, but she couldn't keep herself from letting out a little gasp. Almost immediately Chloe's arms were wrapping around her stomach and she peppered her exposed flesh with kisses galore. “I felt like it was time for our Princess to get an upgrade to Ice Queen~”

Her hair was already pretty light, but now it was about as white as could be, the tips shaded a light blue. Her lips curled into a smile that was equal parts childish delight and seductive wickedness. “Chloe Price, you are...” Shit, she couldn't even find the words. Luckily, she didn't really have to. She gave a perfect ballerina spin so that she and Chloe were face to face, a fire building in her eyes. “Bedroom. Now.” Clearly, any previous hesitations about going in Chloe's chambers were now gone.

“Your wish is my command, M'lady.” Chloe effortlessly lifted Victoria in her arm and escorted her, with only minor stumbling, down the hall and back into her bedroom. The towels were discarded in a flash and they tumbled down onto the mattress, locked in each others' arms. Victoria guided Chloe onto her back and straddled her hips atop her knees. The Ice Queen looked down at her with that smirk that never failed to drive her wild. Hands pinned hands into place and Victoria took what was rightfully hers as ruler.

She had no doubt she was overdoing it a little bit, though she wasn't hearing any complaints from her bedmate. But after all her fears that she was losing control for an afternoon, finding out that the truth was anything but, she just couldn't seem to help herself. And watching Chloe struggle as she had to beg and plead for every scrap was just so cute.

The Ice Queen was a fair ruler, of course, and when their playtime came to an end, she cuddled Chloe fiercely and told her what a good girl she was and played with her hair. There had been a lot of tension to work through, and the afterglow seemed last almost as long as anything else. The blue haired beauty was emerging slowly from sub-space, but eventually she seemed to come around, her breathing slowing, her cheeks losing their reddish tinge. “Gonna be honest, that was a surprise. Like, I'm always down to clown, but I really didn't think you'd react so... I mean, goddamn, Chase!”

Victoria could only laugh as she placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Me neither, Price.” They were back to last-name basis. This was normal for the two, a way to completely avoid the subject of how crazy they were for one another. “But you rolled with it like a champ.”

They continued to cuddle and spoon and whisper sweet-ish semi-nothings when the sound of the front door snapped them back to reality. “Shit, Joyce,” Chloe hissed.

Trying to keep Chloe from losing her cool, Tori just shrugged, wanting to build her back up to her usual 'couldn't give two shits' attitude. “Guess I'd better stay for dinner so we don't raise any alarms...”

“Actually, I was kinda thinking we should go crash Marshfield's tea party, drag them out somewhere for dinner that isn't The Two Whales. I wanna see their reaction to your new 'do.”

Victoria squealed and gave Chloe a playful shove. “Marshfield. God, you're such a secret nerd! I'm telling them. They'll know the truth that Literally Too Cool for School Price ships her own girlfriends.”

There was a long pause before Chloe spoke up, “...how the fuck do you know what shipping is?”

“...fuck.”

Chapter Text

When Victoria and Chloe finally managed to get their asses in gear to go crash Kate and Max's tea date, they really hadn't expected to walk in on the two of them spooning. She recalled with some amusement Chloe's minor rage earlier in the day about how cute the two could be together, and here was the proof. Judging by the baggie of tea sitting there next to the incredibly dorky hotplate and kettle, they'd indulged in some Sleepy-Time Tea and proceeded to collapse in Max's bed for a nap.

Victoria wanted to keep the moment from being spoiled, mostly by Chloe, and held a finger to her lips. Tip-toeing carefully to the bed, she sat beside them and rubbed each of their arms in turn. “Hey. Sleepyheads~”

Their rousing was naturally as heartwarming as their sleeping. Kate came to first, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before gaping at Victoria's altered hair. She pawed at Max's shoulder a few times. “Max... Maxie...”

“I swear to Dog, someone or something had better be on fire, because I was in the middle of an amazing dr-” Max stopped short, halfway toward a seated position when she caught sight of it as well. “Well, you're not on fire, but this qualifies as an excuse to get up. I didn't know what to expect, but seriously, Chlo, you've outdone yourself!”

Both girls took turns running their fingers through her icy hair, cooing and commenting on how amazing it was. Victoria was soaking up the attention and Chloe just stood there looking smug and basking in the compliments on her work. They seemed to finally be coming around to the waking world, Max stumbling about like a fawn while Kate gave a few stretches and squeaked when her spine popped slightly.

“You losers wanna get some grub? Victoria's treat...”

“I never agreed to that, Price!” Her tone changed almost immediately when she found herself staring down three sets of puppy-dog eyes. “Oh, this is the epitome of unfair! Fine, but I get to pick where we go.”

The four bustled around between rooms as Max and Kate changed up their outfits to match the undoubtedly classy establishment Victoria would undoubtedly pick. Despite winning the bet, even Chloe allowed herself to get talked into borrowing some clothing – jeans that weren't ripped along with a shirt and tie. She drew the line at heels though, despite Tori's pouting, and stubbornly opted for a pair of kicks instead. Well, at least they're not steel-toed boots, Victoria consoled herself quietly. She took solace in the face that she looked stunning as ever in her little black dress ensemble. “C'mon, we better make sure Marshfield look respectable enough.”

Chloe smirked, “Secret nerd.”

“You love it.”

Surprisingly, the tinier pair had really outdone themselves. Max, like Chloe, was the more fashion-challenged, and apparently owned nothing in the way of girly clothing. So it was that the four found themselves in two separate pairings. Chloe in her dashing tie, and Max in a collared shirt, plaid naturally, with black pants.

Then there was the perfect Victoria with her black dress and newly dyed hair, and Kate... Well. Kate. Kate had... transformed. Even after things in her life had calmed down, Kate had the kind of face that made her look like she was always tired, always on the verge of crying, despite her generally upbeat attitude. But when she emerged from her room, she was like a new woman. Her normally frumpy hair had been removed from its bun and now hung around her face in wavy curls. The Angel of Blackwell was dressed simply enough in a white floral sundress with a pair of sandals that had just the slightest heels to them. Victoria was grateful that everyone else was also staring in awe so that no one saw the incredibly embarrassing wide-eyed look on her face as her heart leapt into her throat.

She had seen Kate as she so often was, and that was something special enough. She had seen Kate at her worst, and she prayed she would never have to go through that again. But she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen the girl at her best before. And it was a sight to behold. She attempted to speak and felt her voice hitch in her chest. She gave an awkward cough to clear her throat before trying again. “H-Hey, Maxie, you have your camera, yes? We have to make sure someone can take a picture of us tonight. We may not all look this fabulous together for a while. And no hiding behind that camera!”

It was moments like this where they all remembered separately how this happened in the first place. Each of them had become wholly invested in their own way. Chloe chuckled as she threw an arm around Max, and with surprising bravery Kate grabbed at Victoria's hand and they made their way out of the dormitories to the parking lot. It was understood that the Tank really wasn't going to cut it for a night like this. So Max and Chloe piled into the slightly crammed backseat of Victoria's fancy-ass ride, Kate took shotgun, and Victoria climbed in behind the wheel.

As Tori put on some agreeable soft music and pulled the car away from Blackwell, she noticed that her nervousness really hadn't died down just yet. Everyone understood that this was essentially their first true date as a group, but no one really knew what to say about that fact. Still, now was hardly the time to really delve into the dynamics of their relationship or whatever. She was just looking for a nice way to end this shockingly endearing day.

Kate had apparently caught sight of the cuddlers in the back, because Victoria suddenly felt the girl take her hand. Not exactly the safest driving practice, but it wasn't as if they were taking the most treacherous roads. So she let Kate continue to hold her hand adorably as she drove. Everyone seemed equally perplexed as to where exactly they were headed. Wherever it was, it was a ways out of town. The sun had just sunk below the horizon as she pulled up in front of the stately club house of the local golf course. It always amused her that these places had such an unassuming name, considering this was where the biggest names in the Bay came to be fancy and show off. Her family, the Prescotts, the mayor, the business owners, everyone who was anyone.

Chloe's face popped up through the seats from the back of the car, one hand resting on Victoria's shoulder, the other on Kate's. “Holy shit, Chase, you gotta be kidding me. Is this like a joke before you take us wherever you were really planning to go?”

Max's voice piped up “Yeah, Tori, you're not... seriously going to treat us here, are you? Isn't it like... a million bucks a plate or whatever?”

Considering how often Victoria had eaten brunch here over the years, it was easy to forget what kind of status The Schooner had. She didn't want to completely rub her queen bee status in their faces, but she could hardly help the smirk that came to her lips. “Ladies, you are dating a Chase. It's time you saw the true benefits besides getting to stare at my amazing ass.”

They all climbed out of the car and stretched before approaching the intimidating building. “And no, we're members, so we eat for free. As do guests. Come. Tonight, we are all Queens of Arcadia Bay.” Despite the rousing speech, the others were still nervous about walking inside. They had all done their best to look appropriate, but now they saw the seams in their looks. But Victoria's confidence was contagious, and before long they were all striding in time, looking like quite the quartet.

A mustachioed man in a tux with a stick incredibly far up his ass apparently named Francois showed the girls into the dining area. Just to ensure him there were no hard feelings, Victoria made sure to throw a tip his way. “The Chase family appreciates your discretion~” With his mood significantly lightened, he acquiesced to her petition for one of the corner booths. This way the four were able to seat themselves together, with Max and Kate in the middle, Chloe taking her spot possessively next to Max leaving Victoria to cuddle up to Kate.

After the initial shock passed from the gathered diners, things settled down. Only Max's hand placed firmly on Chloe's knee kept her from making a scene. Kate was fairly certain the intense scowl from Victoria helped too. It was hard to stare when those eyes were piercing you right back!

Victoria's glare eventually switched off, and out came the charm to take its place. From there, the benefits just kept rolling in. They managed to get themselves a bottle of champagne on little more than a wink and a nod. Despite the potential Health Department trouble, Chloe managed to get her steak “mooing” as she so elegantly asked their waiter. Somehow they were given a second bottle of champagne. Somewhere in the midst of their meal, Kate did her best impression of Chloe yelling at her old pastor, but with the alcohol in her system she actually managed to be louder than the real Chloe. Max boasted to the others about Victoria's photo exhibit for class, and only shut up when Tori physically clamped a hand over her mouth. Their waitress actually seemed to appreciate the life they brought to the otherwise stuffy establishment, and was more than happy to snap a picture for them.

And all the while, everyone pretty much ignored the table of loud teenage girls. It was far easier to grin and bear a bit of youthful mischief than have to deal with a drunk, angry Chase. Again, she did at least try and make up for it with another hefty tip left on the table. But considering the amazing night they were having, it was far cheaper than going to any normal restaurant. They walked out of the joint arm in arm (in arm in arm), and between the four of them, managed to make one semi-graceful human conglomerate.

Thankfully, of the four, Victoria was the one who drank the least and could arguably hold her liquor the best (though if pressed, she damn sure wouldn't challenge Chloe to a drinking contest). It wasn't the best idea in the world to drive, but they hadn't cracked the code of breaking Victoria's pride yet. “Hush, I'll drive nice and easy, we'll stick to the back roads, no worries...”

As she was pulling away from the parking lot, she realized that they hadn't really decided where to go yet. Blackwell was easier to get back to, but Chloe did have a more sizable mattress fit for cuddle piles. “So what's the plan? Shenanigans or crashing?”

The duo in the backseat both chimed in with a “Crashing...” in the half-hearted voices of two young women close to passing out. “Yeah, I should probably check in on Alice.” Well, Chloe's truck was back at Blackwell. Perhaps that would make a good pit stop at least. The drive back was a good deal more mellow now that their bellies were full of delicious food and expensive drink. Tori attempted to get back to campus as quick as possible without driving dangerously, as she could tell the two in the back were fading fast. Only Kate seemed to be surprisingly wide awake. She didn't really have the ability to look at her intently yet, but she could swear she seemed almost anxious.

Finally the crew returned, and with some difficulty managed to get themselves inside. Clearly, Chloe's bed would have to wait for another day because no one looked capable of walking another ten feet. Almost on reflex Max pulled Chloe into her dorm, waving goodbye and goodnight with a sleepy mumble that was impossible to translate. Victoria gave Kate a tight hug and a broad smile. “Night, Angel... Tonight was amazing...”

She went to pull away only to find that Kate's arms were still tightly fastened around her torso and her grip wasn't loosening. Oh shit... Kate's face wasn't really visible at the moment, but she could hear the girl's voice – soft, trembling, tentative, nervous.

“Can we talk?”

Oh shit.

Chapter Text

Kate really had no idea why she had to go and be a big weirdo about this. Admittedly everyone gave her a pretty wide berth when it came to odd behavior. Sometimes trauma took a while to heal. But even she knew this was over the top. Sure, there was alcohol involved, and she was exhausted from doing so much stuff that day. But there was so much more to it than that. She was really only vaguely aware of Victoria's surprisingly gentle touch as her keys were taken from her and they shuffled together into her room.

The icy haired girl moved with such caution, it was as though she was terrified Kate might shatter. Granted, everyone sort of treated her with kid gloves, no matter how much time passed. But still, this felt different – not pity, but genuine concern. It was a nice change of pace, even if it wasn't particularly dramatic. Without even bothering to turn on the lights, she was guided to her bed and pulled in for some affectionate snuggling. The room was lit only by whatever managed to filter in through the window, and it really felt kind of romantic. Kate was still trying to determine if that was good or bad.

As Victoria gently played with her hair and gave her the space she needed, Kate forced herself to slow her breathing. She had no clue how much time had passed, or even what time it was when they first reached the dorm. The clock on the bedside table was out of view, and frankly she didn't have the energy to move the few inches necessary to check.

Why did this always have to happen to her? Why did everything have to morph into such a huge deal? Why couldn't she process things like a normal human being? “I'm sorry, Tori...”

“That's okay, Angel.”

That honestly surprised her. She was usually told she didn't have anything to apologize for, or she'd be pressed on why exactly she was apologizing. Usually it was just reflex, and those responses always felt so condescending. It was nice to just be forgiven, even if the truth was that it really was nothing. “Thanks. I just wasn't ready to be alone yet. Which is weird for me, I normally crave alone time.” There was another pause as she continued to put together the various pieces scattered about her mind. “And I had no desire to butt in on Max and Chloe. But... It wasn't a respect thing. Like I didn't want to somehow become a third wheel, just the background to their thing.”

“I get the feeling they'd be launching into some pretty heavy stuff at the moment, anyway. I can't imagine how hard that would be for you.”

“Yeah, it would be weird. But what I mean... what I'm trying to say... Um...” Her face scrunched up, and even in the low light Victoria couldn't help but think how cute it was. “Do you ever feel like we're still just background characters in their grand adventure?”

“They were childhood friends, and then they suddenly met up again in the midst of that whole... Thing. I'm still iffy on a lot of the details, and dubious about the superhero-y stuff. But I guess it's natural that their connection would be the deepest.” Victoria pulled at her as she spoke, and Kate accepted, until they were face to face. She felt a hand at her cheek and she absentmindedly nuzzled into it. “It's alright if your thoughts come out a little scattered. Just try your best to throw it all out there and see what sticks...”

Kate swallowed and looked back at her, smiling nervously. “I've learned so much these last few months, mostly just self-taught stuff from various articles and forums. It's a force of habit. I want to know what I've gotten myself into. Max and Chloe, they're primaries. Given the choice, they'll always stick to each other first.”

There was an outline of an idea forming here, and Victoria could kind of see where this might be going, but she didn't want to steal her little saint's thunder.

“And maybe... I'm a little tired of being secondary. Max saved my life, but she's saved Chloe's at least five different times. Chloe freaked out at my old church and rescued me from that place. But y-you...” She paused and took a deep breath, shuddering and full of doubt. “By Halloween, you were my one-woman defense squad. No one dared mess with me anymore. I was a made woman. And when we joined Max and Chloe, we finally made up properly, over the whole tape chaos. But I was only able to do that because you were like my guardian angel already.”

The urge to reply to Kate, to say anything and everything, was growing stronger by the second. But miraculously, Victoria Chase held her tongue.

“I've gotten to know the real Victoria these last few months.” She could still recall all the little things that finally made sense, only after the fact. How much Victoria was hurting inside. How clearly terrified she was of losing control, of being ditched by all her friends. The thing that always stuck out most in Kate's mind was Victoria's faith in Nathan Prescott. In much the same way, Tori stuck by Nathan's side no matter how difficult things got. That was the moment she began to wonder if the two girls might actually be friends some day. But she never imagined she would make it so far, so quickly. The question was if she could make that final push to the finish line, so to speak.

Kate seemed to retreat into her mind again for a moment, and Victoria gave her a gentle nuzzle, forehead to forehead. “Katie?”

“Sorry, I'm... I'm almost done. I promise...” She laughed nervously, and she was glad to see Victoria smiling back at her, even if she was still clearly confused. “The real Victoria Chase is no ice princess, no queen bee. She is precise, thoughtful, careful, open... She's sweet and beautiful. And I'm finally at a point where I'm able to put things back together in my own way, at my own pace, however I want, not by anyone else's rules. Kate Marsh is leaving the background. And... I want you by my side. I want to be able to depend on your strength.”

You can do this, Kate. It's only been on your mind for weeks now. “I want... what those two dorks in the other room have. That certainty.” Finally she forced herself to stop talking so that Victoria could actually get a word in edgewise. A feeling of peace passed over her. She'd said it. Even if it wasn't really meant to be, she would still gladly continue what the four of them had. Things might just be a little weird for a bit.

There was a brief silence as Victoria studied her. Okay, maybe she wasn't completely at peace yet. There was always the possibility that this could blow up in her face. But she was really trying to let herself believe things again. She could only lay there and wait in the meantime.

Very slowly, very carefully, Victoria shuffled forward until there was no more room left between them. Her arms wrapped around Kate's neck and she felt her face flush. Her eyes shut tight, and she found herself pressed into the most intimate kiss of her life. It wasn't deep or passionate, there weren't any fireworks. But it was steady and it lingered for ages. And when it ended, she found Victoria was still pressed as close to her as ever.

“Katie, that... The whole thing. With the video. There's something I never admitted, even to you. Not even to myself. I couldn't believe the obvious truth, that you would never act that way, that you had been drugged. I was blinded by my friendship to Nathan. I was at that party, I saw you firsthand, suddenly coming out of your shell, tongue-kissing all those guys. And I was mad, more than anything. I was... jealous. All those people, and you never kissed me.”

Kate's mind was blown. This was definitely not something she had seen coming. It felt like her heart had stopped beating entirely.

“I wanted to hurt you so bad. So I told everyone about it. I spread that video to every place I could. And for a while, I thought, you know, mission accomplished. You'd been taken down a peg. But then you... t-the roof... and... and I... I-I-I put you there.” Victoria took a shuddering breath, and Kate became aware that both of them were in tears at this point. She had tried to play this conversation out in her head a hundred different ways, and she never imagined she'd hear this kind of confession.

“I wasn't your guardian angel. I was just a jealous bitch who felt guilty for letting her revenge turn into straight-up attempted murder.” The icy haired beauty took another unsteady breath. There was another long pause where neither of them spoke. Everything was so up in the air at that moment. “That Victoria you're talking about, she's a recent development. I fucked up so hard, and I wanted to be better. I wanted to be like you.”

So... was that a yes or a no? It was a stupid thing to think in that moment. Both of them were so freaking fragile. A light breeze could have broken either girl into a pile of shards. But perhaps together they could make a decent attempt at being more than scatted pieces held together with duct tape. “As iron sharpens iron...” Kate whispered, mostly to herself.

Victoria looked at her quizzically. “What?”

“Sorry, Bible passages still flutter through my mind without warning. Old habits are hard to break. What I mean is... maybe it's okay... if neither of us is exactly who people think we are. My health, my sanity, my faith, they're still totally all over the place. Every day is like a gamble, I never know what to expect. But I'm trying. I'm really trying. And you're trying too. So all that mushy stuff aside, what I really want to know is if you want to... try together. All four of us, but also, sometimes, just the two of us. We missed the apocalypse and now we're back to life as normal.” Slowly Kate's eyes closed and she nestled in against Tori with a little sigh. “I thought I was just being a love-sick dork. But... we're more alike than either of us could have imagined. So what do you say?”

Once more, there was a disturbingly long pause, though Kate at least tried to take solace in the hope that this meant Victoria was weighing all this information as carefully as possible. “As long as you don't mind me thinking you're a perfect angel once in a while, I guess I can stand the idea of you worshiping the ground I walk on...”

Kate giggled, bright and bashful, and it was like music to Victoria's ears. More so as her little saint buried herself into Victoria's chest even more, trying and failing to hide. “Tori~! I'm trying to be serious here...”

Her bashfulness was no match for the hand that cupped her chin and pulled her away from her hiding spot. “So am I, Marsh.” Kate could see that Victoria had managed to compose herself and regained her regal face, her eyes like ice. There was still a lot that Kate had yet to understand about herself and how her attraction worked, but she was fairly certain that this was what they called 'hot'. “I can be demanding. But I think you're up to the challenge.” Kate saw with some amusement that her Ice Queen was a little too tired to maintain this facade for very long, her face melting back into a look of sheer affection.

“Yes, I think it's time we gave Pricefield a run for their money in the adorableness department. I would be happy to call you my... what was it you said...? My primary.”

Kate couldn't contain herself and gave a squeal of joy, her grip on Victoria tightening once more. The embrace was short-lived as she realized they were both still in their formal attire, and it was quite clearly time to catch some sleep. “We can work out the rest. For now, I'm about five minutes from crashing. Is it safe to assume you'd like to bunk with me for the night?”

“Of course, Angel.” While Kate had every intention of getting out of the bed and changing into her pajamas, it seemed that Tori had other ideas. She felt hands moving slowly to pull her dress away from her body, and linked eyes with the other girl. “Is this alright?”

“Yes, thank you. I'll be sure to stop you if you overdo it.” Kate appreciated that more than words could accurately describe. She'd only just started to figure out her needs and barriers, and Victoria was already quick enough to ask and move with patience. With the all-clear given, her dress was pulled away, her shoes removed, followed quickly by her bedmate's attire. This was most definitely her most intimate cuddling session so far, but there weren't any red flags going off in her mind. She was happy and warm and safe.

With her back pressed against Victoria's chest, arms around her stomach, she drifted off in an instant. The last thing she felt was a pair of lips pressing themselves to her cheek. “I... love you Angel. I really do.”

“...I-I love you too, my Queen...”

Chapter Text

Kate's worries were understandable but ultimately unnecessary. Max escorted Chloe into her room where the two managed to get as far as undressing and collapsing into bed, and that was about it. There was a touch of drunk, sleepy pawing, but they were still too full of food and drink to do much else. Things were soon peaceful and silent, and they had absolutely nothing to do in the morning, which meant an opportunity to sleep in and then resume their private time.

Well, that was the plan anyway. Chloe should have known that things were never so simple. Instead of waking up to sunlight and birds chirping, she was pulled from her deep sleep by the sound of Max crying out in fright. She shot up to a seated position, fast as lightning, and looked to see what the trouble was. Her natural inclination was to assume that there was someone in the room with them, and she had to hit the breaks to keep from reaching under the bed for a baseball bat. No, idiot, this is Max's room. There aren't any weapons within a hundred yards. She's not a paranoid weirdo like you.

Though the scream had been brief, she turned to see that Max was still sitting there, hand to her chest, her breathing rapid and uneven. Shit, this hasn't happened in weeks. I thought she was doing better. With practiced movements she wrapped her arms around her little fawn and held her. Her fingers worked their way through sandy locks and she whispered to her softly. “Easy, Max, easy. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. You can do this.” She repeated the various mantra over and over, knowing there wasn't a whole lot either of them could do except weather the storm.

“I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We were... We... We were doing so good. Shit. I'm sorry. No. I-I'll be okay. Sorry.” Max just kept apologizing, and her girlfriend could only squeeze her tighter.

“You're golden, Mad Max. Hey. C'mon. Breathing contest. Heh. Bet you can't breathe better than me.” No matter how dire things got, Chloe always had a way of turning things into a joke or a game. The secret, she had discovered, was to do so in a way that was proactive instead of just ruining everything. She took overly belabored and deep breaths, moving her hand like a conductor to guide the other girl into joining her. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. She could feel the hipter waif slowing down against her until they were breathing in time. She gave another squeeze and nuzzled her softly. “You win, you always do...”

She finally heard Max give a nervous laugh and she released a sigh of relief. “Same dream?” It was particularly bad right after that shit week in October. When you watched the girl you loved die a hundred different ways, that kinda shit didn't go away. It took some time to wrap her mind around it, all that alternate universe stuff. The thing was, it wasn't that Max had fixed her, no harm no foul. If she understood correctly, that part of her still existed in some other world. This Chloe was alive only because those other Chloe's were dead. At least one of them had been killed by Max's own hand. Shot, stabbed, crushed, strangled. It was agreed from then on that Chloe needed to be careful.

“Same dream...”

Chloe would punch the fuck out of any motherfucker that dared mess with her girl. But you couldn't haymaker a dream. You couldn't dropkick a panic attack. She hated to see Max upset, but what else could you do when Max was the one making Max upset? Eventually the sunk back down against the pillows and drew the blankets up tight, forming their own little coccoon to shut out the rest of the world. Any more sleep would come with extreme difficulty, but at least they were together. Max was clinging to her for dear life, head pressed to her chest, and for a while things were silent as peace settled over them once more.

“Chloe, I love you.”

“I love you too, Max, I always have, I always will.”

“No, I mean...” here Max seemed to puzzle over her thoughts a moment. “I love you. I love Kate, and I love Victoria. I'm so glad that we all fit together in our weird, silly ways. But at the end of the day, it's still you. Just you. That's what Kate and I were talking about today, while you were working on Victoria's hair. And Kate was just so perfect about it, and understanding. She said that kind of thing happened sometimes, depending on the relationship. Something about primary affection or whatever. I don't know, I know you're not always great about labels. Kate said she and Victoria had some things to work through, but that she understood, and she got this look and...” Max apparently felt she was getting off topic and attempted to wrangle herself back around. “Anyway, I know it doesn't actually change anything. I just want you to know you'll always be my captain...”

Max was right, of course, that Chloe had no interest in changing a single thing about what they did or how they acted. It was tough enough for her to use the word 'girlfriend'. What was very important, however, was the fact that Max said what she said. That was generally all she needed in these situations. It was extra rad when it was something she didn't know she needed until it was said. Even after her rewind powers disappeared, Max had a way of saying the right thing. “Aye, first mate. I know exactly what you mean. And I love-love you too. It makes sense, how long we've known each other, all the antics, all the drama. We know now that there's inexplicable shit out there, so no matter how different we are, we're like... linked.”

Wait, what was that other thing? “Kate and Victoria, huh? I honestly did not see that coming.” She chuckled. It did make a kind of sense. Kind of. A little.

“I did. Even after they were already dating us, there was a lot of little looks and touches and secrets. It was very sweet to watch it play out, and I think Kate saw today as her chance to hit it out of the park, go big or go home, that sort of thing.”

“You think she hit it outta the park?”

“We'll probably have to wait until tomorrow at the earliest to find out. But I suspect they'll work it out. Victoria talks a big game, but she jumped on the 'Protect Kate' bandwagon megaquick. I mean, honestly, beyond the obvious exceptions, they're a little like me and you...”

At that, Chloe found a number of images flashing in front of her mind, and her head became filled with ideas. Not all of them were necessarily safe for work.

Max recognized the look instantly and turned to look at her with a mix of worry and curiosity. “I know that look, Ms. Price. What've you got rattling around in your noggin?”

“My noggin is a place of purity and innocence, Caulfield, and I am appalled that you would make any suggestion to the contrary.” It was good to see just how quickly Max could bounce back. Admittedly it sucked that the subtext meant that she had grown used to having panic attacks. But life refused to ever be totally normal for any of them. You played the cards you were dealt.

“...dork...” Max said before burrowing more into Chloe and the bed. She had managed to work through the speedbump and was apparently being overtaken by sleep once again. Chloe gave a little yawn and joined her in falling back asleep.

Chapter Text

For many, spring break meant going somewhere exotic to get away from reality for a little while. Teenagers and college kids would trek to beaches and resorts, get plastered, have sex, that sort of thing. For four nerds from Arcadia Bay, it was in many ways a chance to get more in touch with reality. The three Blackwell students had all applied to various art schools in Portland, and Chloe had no intention of sticking around in her home town any longer than she absolutely had to. So with all eyes set to the future and life in the hipster capital of the world, they decided on a road trip – if one could call being just two hours away from home a 'road trip'.

There was a great deal to be done and they were all itching to get on the road. The moment classes let out, they were back in their dorms throwing together luggage, cameras, sketchbooks and more, and heading out to meet Chloe. Arguably the most eager, Chloe was already waiting for them in the parking lot with a gigantic grin. “Come on, losers, let's get this show on the road!”

Max pouted as she haphazardly tossed all of her various bags into the bed of the truck. “Jeez, chill out Chlo, we're not even doing anything until tomorrow. Today is all about relaxation, so slow your roll...”

“Yeah, calm your tits” Victoria said with a grin and a peck on the cheek as she added her things with the others. “Not that it matters to me. Maxine's the only one who's gonna be stuck in this heap with you for two hours~”

Delicately, as she did everything else, Kate finished off the pile with her modest supplies and clung to Victoria's arm. “You be nice, Victoria Chase! This is supposed to be like... a family vacation.”

“I hate to break it to you, but from my experience, this is pretty much exactly what family vacations are like. You go somewhere fun, and you argue, and you make up, and you try the local grub, and pretend to care about the museums or whatever. I'd say we're doing pretty well so far!” Max snickered and hopped into the passenger seat of the Tank. Chloe joined her behind the wheel and smirked over at Victoria. “I drive pretty hardcore, Chase, you think you can manage?”

“My baby can outpace your truck anytime, anywhere, Price!” Victoria called back, practically dragging Kate to her plush luxury car.

“T-Tori, you're not seriously gonna try and drag race her all the way to Portland, are you?”

“Chloe, so help me, if you try and race her for two hours, I'm stealing the wheel from you and driving myself...”

All button-pushing aside, once the two were separated, the drive was much more civil. Chloe and Max proceeded to battle over music supremacy, leading to a bizarre mash-up of easygoing hipster music and loud punk thrashing. Victoria's car was far more peaceful, but only because Kate was asleep for much of the ride. She would have been upset, but her angel looked so peaceful that it worked in her favor. Kate had been keeping her hair down a lot more often, and Victoria greatly appreciated that. Her own hair had since been going back to its usual color, though there was still some blue in and among the blonde hairs. She rather liked it.

Chloe and Victoria got a thrill from pushing each others' buttons, but they wouldn't dare put their little ones in danger. The two hours passed swiftly enough and they had entered Portland. As much as Max had tried to get the group to get into some adorable B&B, Victoria insisted on making use of her family's money to get them a suite at a four-star joint. It was hard to be upset about that.

It was even more difficult as they finally checked in and got a good look at their home for the week. There was a kitchen that was larger than it had any right to be, a central area with a giant television, a couch, and two more chairs. And two entire bedrooms branching off from there! Chloe dropped her duffel from her shoulder and looked at Victoria with her usual mix of amusement and genuine affection. “Well, it's not the Ritz, but I guess it'll do~”

“Hey, I'm not a fucking heiress or anything. This is splurging for me too! Now, Kate gets first pick for the cuddle bed. The other room for sexy fun-times. Objections?” Trick question, of course, no one would dare stand against Kate. At least among the four girls, this had less to do with Victoria's angry face and more with Kate's sad face.

“So, basically, Chloe's bed” chirped Max, amused with herself even if no one else was. The comment earned her a sharp, pointy elbow to the ribs.

“I would resent that remark if it weren't like 95% true.” She grinned and moved behind Kate to give her a gentle squeeze. “C'mon, Angel, let's get this sorted out.” The two discovered that each room was itself the size of a Blackwell dorm (though with much more sizable beds) but totally indistinguishable from one another. So it was decided the early riser would take the room with windows, and the remaining room was left to those who wanted it. Of course there was bound to be a fair deal of trading over the coming days, but it was good to have at least a few labels and distinctions in place. Besides, pretty much everyone's number one favorite thing was spoiling Kate.

Naturally, Victoria joined Kate in her room and the two girls worked on neatly putting all their things away in the various drawers. Max and Chloe opted to live out of their luggage and, as the week progressed, the floor, inevitably swapping their clothes in the process.

Everyone had been convinced that they would want to hit the town that night and check out a club or something. After all, it had only been two hours, but the entire preceding week had been filled with tons of papers and tests. The three Blackwell students were exhausted. Chloe, meanwhile, finally seemed to catch on that maybe she could only be a slacker for so long, and let Joyce give her a job at the Two Whales. She was okay at it, provided customers didn't give her too much grief. Her feet were always killing her, and pretty much anything that involved not-standing was okay by her.

Max immediately found a place that delivered chinese food and placed an order for all their favorite foods. Kate got to work setting up a cuddle pile in front of the couch before pulling Max down next to her. Chloe took her place behind Max, Victoria behind Kate, and the two watched as their girlfriends cuddled. No doubt anyone who knew their situation might have found it difficult to process, especially since the main relationships seemed to be between Chloe and Max, and Victoria and Kate. But for the two girls on the couch, there was nothing that made their day quite like watching the younger two snuggle up together. Primaries aside, they were still in it together.

Eventually the food arrived and there was a bit of moving and shuffling as everyone grabbed up their own dishes. Chloe also hooked her computer up to the hotel's TV, allowing them access to Netflix. Even two hours of travel could be exhausting, and they all seemed grateful for the downtime before a very busy week. This was as much about preparation as it was relaxation.

A comfortable silence passed over the group as they fed themselves and one another – scallion pancakes, dumplings, lo mein, and more. Kate and Max's heads slumped together, and Victoria reluctantly snuggled up to Chloe as they fell into a collective food coma, the images on the screen all but forgotten.

Only through sheer willpower did any of them manage to keep from completely passing out. After all, they had two big beds and they were currently in danger of sleeping on the floor and a couch, respectively. None of them were particularly in the mood, so they all agreed to pile onto the 'innocent cuddle bed' for their first night in the palatial hotel. After some shifting about into various states of dress, they brought in extra pillows and blankets and formed a rough but very comfortable pile on the mattress and fell asleep together.

Chapter Text

Kate was, predictably, the first one up. Even on vacation, she couldn't help but be an early riser. She moved with surprising stealth to snag a quick shower, and managed to get dressed in the small amount of light filtering in through the window. None of the other girls stirred even once, and she allowed herself a private smile of pride. Perhaps it was time for the mantle of Blackwell Ninja to pass to her? She jotted down a quick note to her girlfriends and posted it to the inside of the bedroom door before making her way down to the lobby to check out the continental breakfast.

She took a seat next to a large window with some tea and an english muffin, staring out at the pool on the other side where children were playing. She'd barely been in this city a day and already she felt a sense of calm and familiarity. She could only hope the rest of her day would go as well. With her attention drawn elsewhere, she didn't notice Victoria's entrance. The girl used the opportunity rest her hands on Kate's shoulders and massage them slowly. “You are such an early riser. I adore it...” Kate had to suppress a squeak and munched on her english muffin to shield her embarrassment. The blonde returned a moment later with some assorted fruit and a cup of coffee. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Mm-hmm... I forgot how much I missed sleeping like that. All huddled up together. Warm and cozy...” She smiled and sipped at her tea, looking back bashfully at Victoria. No matter how close she got to everyone, she never totally lost her nervous demeanor.

“As much as I hate to admit it, I love it too.” Victoria still hated being seen as anything but a stone-cold bitch, but yes, she had a cuddly side too. Like a teddy bear with a switchblade. “Those two really are something. And you, well. You're Kate Marsh. What else is there to say?” She just couldn't help herself, could she? Needling and pressing buttons. It drove Kate crazy – both good and bad.

The two continued discussing their plans for the day as a very sleepy Max, still dressed in pajamas, barely conscious as she sat next to Kate. She managed to mumble out something that sounded like “good morning” before digging into her waffles, alternately taking long, drawn-out sips of coffee. Kate looked back toward Victoria and the two shared a secret look of amusement. “What's the status on girlfriend number 4, Maxine?”

“Mmm, smoke break, naturally. She'll be inside soon...”

“Well, I understand she's kinda doing her own thing today anyway, so it's not a big deal. I'm not sure I understand exactly what the hell she's up to. Is it a job interview?”

Max laughed and shoved another bite of waffle in her mouth. “Mff... Um, it's one of those weird technicality things. She's got some bro-friend who owns a tattoo place. She says she's a shoe-in for a job there, that her thing today is just a formality. But I'm never sure when it's just her being cocky and when she's actually got something up her sleeve.”

Kate had to agree, she was bad enough at reading people already, but Chloe remained incomprehensible to her. She smiled when she was sad, she pouted when she was excited. She joked no matter what her mood was. She tended to depend on Max to translate sometimes. Although, curiously, she was finding Victoria to be much easier to sort out. But perhaps that was just one of those ineffable things that happened the closer you got to someone? “She'll be alright. I've seen her art, it's... different. Good different. Special.”

“But she doesn't know the first thing about tattooing! Or at least, not proper tattooing.”

Max interjected with a little smirk. “Okay, so maybe one corner of her sleeve was done with a kit she MacGyver'd herself. But apparently on-the-job training is included. And when she finds something she actually enjoys doing, she throws her all into it. I'm confident too!”

The sound of stompy boots drew everyone's attention to Chloe's entrance as she snagged some bacon and a glass of orange juice, twirled the remaining chair around and straddled it. “I knew it. Whenever I'm out of the room, all you can do is talk about me!”

“Only sometimes, Chlo.”

“Max is the main culprit, of course~” Victoria said with a smirk.

“Says the girl who asked about her interview in the first place!” Well, on the plus side, Max was finally starting to wake up. The problem was that now she was ready to be good and combative with Victoria. Even if it was all in good fun, it seemed so strange to Kate. She was less fragile now, but she still didn't fully grasp the idea of poking and prodding the ones you loved. Though... it was kind of funny, from an outside perspective. And everyone seemed to respect that she had no interest in trading blows for fun.

The handful of food Chloe had brought over was gone in an instant followed in swift succession by the coffee, which had been overly diluted with ample sugar. “Speaking of which, it's probably gonna be kind of an all day thing, so I should hit the road.” Chloe popped up and spun the chair around once more, kicking it into place. She delivered a kiss to the top of each girl's head, though Max caught her off-guard by leaning back and capturing her lips instead. This drew a soft “awww” from the others. “Hush with that nonsense. I'm cool. And badass. I don't do adorable. Ever. At all.” Flustered and embarrassed, Chloe made an effort to storm out and failed miserably.

The remaining girls giggled softly and finished up their own meals as they continued to chat with excitement about the day ahead of them. They'd all applied to Portlandia University, and they intended to use their break to take a spin around the campus and see what their potential future held. Max and Victoria were, naturally, hoping to get into photography professionally. Kate was a little more uncertain, since much of her life seemed to be rooted in uncertainty these days, and she'd been eyeing both art and religious studies. It sucked to think they might not be in the same classes anymore, but even being at the same school would be amazing. And they had other plans in the works as well.

All agreed that public transit seemed a bit too terrifying for a bunch of first-timers and opted to take Victoria's ride. Kate looked over a stack of papers she had with a wistful sigh. “I wish I'd started going to Blackwell sooner. It feels like we'll be leaving before we know it...” The other two clearly had no idea how to reply. It had been foolish to say that. Max wouldn't have been there, Victoria would have been more embedded in her queen bee status, and there likely wouldn't have been anyone around to keep her safe. Going to Blackwell sooner could have been as dangerous as it could have been wonderful. “A-Anyway, um, so there is a guided tour at 11:00. We could do that, or we could just go off on our own.

“I am in the mood for an adventure! If we get in, we can always take some stuffy old tour during move-in or matriculation” Max piped up from the back seat. She heard Victoria snicker softly.

“I think I'm with Maxine on this one. A guided tour's just gonna show us the dining hall, the dorms, the basic classrooms and stuff. We won't be living in dorms, we'll be cooking for ourselves, and I am chomping at the bit to get a peek at the graduate photography program.”

And so it was decided that they would wander about PU for a while, puttering about as it suited them. Considering they weren't a part of any of the tour groups, they occasionally got some rather odd looks from the students, but far less than they'd really expected. One guy did start making eyes at them, and Victoria immediately put her arms possessively around the other two, glaring at him until he moved along. They shared an immensely unsympathetic laugh about that.

They checked out some of the main academic buildings, the student union, the art school, the student gallery, and more. At Kate's insistence, they took a visit to the University chapel too, which proved to be much more comfortable than they'd been expecting. There was a lot of information to soak up. Kate and Victoria were grabbing up every pamphlet and flyer they could get their hands on, and Max basically never stopped snapping pictures. Somewhere in the process they also snagged lunch at one of the local joints, and while Victoria was rather worried that everything would come soaked in grease, it turned out to rely a lot on local farmers for produce and meat. “Right, Portland” she mused, with just a hint of humble embarrassment.

Around 3:00, Max got a text, and gave a squeal of delight. The others looked a her with quizzical faces. “Um, I'm not allowed to tell you, but Chloe's got good news and she's swinging over here.”

“Aw! I actually was gonna go sit in on a class...” Kate looked a little embarrassed about putting together a plan all on her own and now it was upsetting the surprise.

She felt Victoria's arm wrap around her and hold her close, and immediately some of that anxiety dissipated. “You go congratulate your beloved on her completely mysterious and not at all predictable news. I'll escort my angel to her class, make sure she has a ride back to the hotel. We'll figure out dinner when we get back~” Kate looked back to Victoria to tell her that it wasn't necessary, but a finger was pressed to her lips before she could say anything. “Clearly this is important to you. I wanna come along. It'll probably go way over my head, but I don't care.”

Sure enough, the Tank rolled up and Max waved goodbye as Victoria and Kate made their way to one of the academic buildings. They walked hand in hand, silent for the moment, until Victoria gave Kate a little nudge. “Angel? Are you okay?” Kate hardly even seemed to be aware of the fact that she was being so quiet.

“This stuff... I mean, I know it might seem inexplicable that I care so much about religion and all. And I know it's not really you guys' thing. So the fact that you're coming with me just means a lot. T-That's all...” Kate's hand tightened slightly as they entered the building.

“My parents grew up at a time when you were either a wealthy catholic or a wealthy protestant. Neither of them cared for it, and it was decided that the Chase family wouldn't bother with something like that as a status symbol. It made them feel... icky. Sacrilegious, I guess. And for the most part I was right on board with them. Not like Chloe with her upside down crosses and whatnot, just... unconvinced.” The two stopped in the hallway outside the classroom and stood together, watching all the students go about their business. “I still don't really get it. But it matters a lot to you, and I guess... maybe I admire you. Your dedication, I mean. Even now, you have these deep wells of belief without shoving it in anyone's face. Even the abstinence thing. And I know stuff is scary, but you're really trying, and it's so cool and... I'm going to stop talking now before our faces get any redder.” Victoria grinned from ear to ear and pressed a kiss to Kate's forehead.

“If it's any consolation, this class is about buddhism and eastern philosophy...” Kate said, grinning just as wide.

“Then why did you let me go on like that!!” No matter how hard she tried, Victoria no longer had the power she once did over Kate. Her iciest words just made her look like a child having a tantrum. And Kate ate it up.

“Because it was so sweet~ Now c'mon, I wanna get a seat in the back so I can avoid actually talking to anyone.”

Chapter Text

The girls had one more day of business to attend to. As if by providence, the night after Chloe's interview and the others' visit to Portlandia University, they all received the good news simultaneously that they had gotten in. As long as they were in town, they wanted to cover one final detail. They needed somewhere to live. A lovenest. A crashpad. A home. Perhaps it was too soon to be planning such an important step, but none of them seemed scared of the idea. It was logical and exciting.

So Chloe and Max snuggled up with some tunes and the bluenette's laptop to research what kind of apartments the area had, how expensive they would inevitably be, all the usual. Though Kate and Victoria were eager to help, there wasn't much for them to do. As the pair on the suite couch dove in to the process of apartment hunting, Kate very nervously grabbed at Victoria's hand and pulled her away into the bedroom she had claimed, shutting and locking the door. Though the fear in her eyes was clear, so was the slight glimmer of... something else, something no one had ever seen in their Angel before.

“K-Katie...?”

“Tori. I've been thinking about a lot. Of stuff. Lately.” Their hands were still linked together and she focused her glance on their connection, perhaps a tad afraid to actually look her own girlfriend in the eyes. Victoria knew how to be patient, and she got the impression that she would need all her skills to deal with whatever was going on here. Would it be another deep confession? Would there be drama and tears? No, Kate's eyes glimmered, there was a sheen to them, not of fear or sadness, but...

No, that didn't make sense. She would have to wait.

“Whenever you and Max and Chloe would go off on your own, I always thought, y'know, whatever. I could hang around, or I could go do my own thing. It was never a problem. I mean, it's still not! This isn't a problem! Sorry. Unlike normal, I couldn't really sort out what I needed through clever Googling.” Victoria smiled and leaned in, gently cupping her girlfriend's chin and kissing her softly.

“Baby steps, as always. You're worth it, no doubt about it. Just speak in the plainest terms.”

“Right. So, there's this moment I can't shake. The other week, when you agreed to be my primary. You said this thing, and you made this face. You said... you were a demanding queen. That I would worship the ground you walk on...” Victoria watched as Kate's face began to burn bright, brighter than it did when she was normally embarrassed. She realized her hand was still gently holding Kate's face and she slipped it up slightly, brushing her cheek with her thumb.

“And you find that exciting? Being my... subject?” A sense of extreme joy welled up inside her when Kate nodded her head, her eyes closing slowly. “I imagine that must be very confusing for you, Angel~”

Still with that dreamy look on her face, Kate nuzzled Victoria's hand and nodded again. Her hand came up to rest on top of the blonde's, as if urging her not to move it yet. Perhaps that simple touch kept her grounded? “I could be in the same room as you, Max, and Chloe. All of you completely nude, and it wouldn't do anything at all for me. No offense, you're all very beautiful.” At this she gave a light laugh and her eyes finally opened again, though she refused to let Tori pull the hand away. “But when I think about how you're like this royal figure, and I imagine myself as your... I don't know, it-it's stupid...”

Victoria was so drawn in, seeing this side of the other girl that no one had ever been privy to before, not even Kate herself. So when it seemed like she was shying away, she felt a tiny bit of panic well up in her and she immediately wrapped her free hand around, running her fingers through the girl's hair, grateful that she had gotten out of the habit of keeping it so tightly wound behind her head. “D-Don't stop. It's not stupid!” Great, now she was the one blushing.

Finally her hand was released so that Kate could press herself against Victoria's chest, taking a deep breath. “You're this... this queen. And I'm your handmaiden. Tending to your every whim.” Her breathing was becoming shorter now, rapid and uneven. “Every. Whim. And I think... I could do that. I don't care about getting off, really. Or I guess I don't? Certainly not from what little I understand about other peoples' sex lives...” The blonde could feel the heat radiating off Kate, not to mention herself. Was this happening? Was this real? It seemed impossible. She had been certain that intimacy between herself and Kate would always be some distant thing.

Had little Katie actually discovered the solution inadvertently? Victoria felt so proud of her, and she unexpectedly pulled her up, placing dozens of kisses all over her face, eliciting a surprised squeak from the girl. “Katie, darling... Do you trust me? I know I've had a long way to go and I understand if you don't, but-” Victoria was hardly able to finish her question before a passionate kiss was delivered to her lips.

“I do! I absolutely do! You've done nothing but prove how trustworthy you are since Halloween.” Victoria knew she shouldn't have been caught off-guard by this reply, but she still was. A little. Just a bit. Her heart certainly wasn't threatening to burst through her chest at that moment or anything.

“Okay, we're going to take this slow. Until I say otherwise, you do as I order. You are only allowed to refer to me as Queen – and any variations, if you're feeling clever. You will be my Angel. As a more outstanding rule, the others aren't allowed to call you that anymore. I'll make sure of that. Finally, I want you to let me know the second you start to feel uncomfortable and we'll stop. It can be helpful to have a safeword too, though I doubt we'll need it. Let's say... 'strawberry'.” She didn't want to pile on the rules or anything yet. This was still essentially a test phase, a chance to see where the boundaries lay.

“Queen... Angel... Strawberry... I can remember that. A-Anything else...?” Kate still had that very odd yet endearing look between fear and excitement. It was a good look for the wide-eyed beauty.

“You can only do something you've been ordered to. Otherwise, you must ask for permission. The more allowances I make, the more you'll have to beg and plead. Can you handle that?” Kate's nodding reply was fast and eager. “Then we begin now. Unless you give me the safeword, we'll continue until I say we're done.” She gave the girl one last tender kiss to the forehead, dedicated to walking her through this every step of the way.

Though she'd gone to the trouble of creating a safeword, Victoria wasn't an idiot. This was little more than dipping a toe in the water. Any sign at all that Kate was getting freaked out and she would put an end to the game. All she ever cared about these days was making good art and keeping Kate Marsh happy. First, to get into character. She stood straighter, shoulders back, face as haughty as possible. She slipped out of her cardigan and passed it to the dumbfounded girl. “Well, it's been a long day, and your Queen requires a massage. Best help get her undressed, if you're so eager to please...” Ohh yes, she could get used to this. A perfect match, the chance to be bitchy and loving at the same time. It didn't get much better than that.

Kate treated the cardigan like it was made of the finest material and hung it up with such care. Damn, she was getting into the role fast. Those drama nerds wished they had her acting chops. Without a word, looking serious and dedicated, Kate moved in front of her and began unbuttoning her blouse, pulling it back from her shoulders, allowing just the tip of her finger to graze Victoria's skin, sending a pleasant shiver through her body. Her brief playtime with Chloe couldn't hope to match that single moment. The blouse was added to the luggage they were using for laundry.

Kate returned before her and knelt down, showing a grace that Victoria honestly didn't know she had in her. The trouble, she could now see, was keeping her own self under control as much as Kate. Nimble, though trembling, hands unbuttoned her skirt and it dropped to the floor. “Step please, ma'am...” The voice was so soft and fit the mood so perfectly that Victoria hadly even processed it at first. Victoria did as requested and moved over, sitting on the side of the bed. The skirt joined the blouse and Kate was back again on her knees, undoing each of Victoria's shoes in turn and taking them away to be set aside. Each time the girl removed an article of clothing, there would be a slight moment of contact. Totally plain, completely boring, and utterly electrifying.

As her lovely handmaiden helped to undo her bra, there was a moment of fantasy-breaking humor where Kate fumbled with the clasp. It was only a second, and not enough to actually shatter the tension. If anything, it was oddly cute. She watched with further amusement as the bra was pulled back, and Kate actually began to stare, before her face bloomed and she quickly retreated to add it to the laundry. I thought you weren't sexually attracted to me, Kate Marsh. Well, I suppose the question is whether this handmaiden has the hots for her queen. Had there been even a moment of hesitation or fear, she would have said that this was more than enough.

But Kate was showing extreme dedication, and without missing a beat she began pulling away her underwear. This too was discarded with care, and Victoria finally moved to actually climb on the bed, resting on her stomach, propping her head up on her arms. She was expecting to feel the pressure of Kate joining her, but there a pause instead, followed by that soft, lilting voice. “My Queen, would you... like me to undress as well...?”

Victoria's breath caught in her throat and she found she couldn't look directly at her. Luckily, she had her own persona to maintain that she could funnel her embarrassment into. “Very well, if you think it necessary.” There was a series of sounds from nearby, and finally she felt the pressure of another body joining the bed. And then she felt... Oh dear...

Kate truly had let herself become another person. There was no fear, at least not the obvious kind she usually portrayed. She had the whole 'nervous servant' thing down, and she idly wondered how long she had been thinking about this, her imagination running wild, as she tried to process how in the world these thoughts could coexist with her asexuality. Victoria was glad to help, naturally. The girl's bare body settled comfortably on top of her own, straddling her hips on her knees. Warm, tender hands rested against her shoulders. For a moment her Angel just held the touch, soaking in the tension.

Then she got to work in earnest. And it was amazing. Not that her Angel was a pro at it or anything, but all the other details worked in her favor. Her love, her dedication, the simple pleasure of skin-on-skin contact. It seemed she actually did have quite a few muscles that needed work, because it felt like the massage went on for a good half hour or so. Anyone else trying to draw things out so long would have bored Victoria to death. But as Queen, she was drinking this in, and she could only imagine how much this was impacting Kate. The massage wasn't nearly full-body, but Kate was more exploratory than she would have expected.

So far, so good. Victoria felt limber and relaxed and marvelously at peace. Gently, she rolled over, and Kate took this as a sign to stop. Sure enough, their eyes met and the blonde felt the kind of spark she had been wanting ever since... well... for quite some time. Who would have thought precious little Kate would have been the one to initiate this?

Now to press her luck just a touch further. “Angel, darling, you deserve a reward for such good work. Is there a boon I may grant you?” She let her hand rest suggestively on Kate's knee. For her part, however, Kate would have none of it and she tenderly took Victoria's hand and laced their fingers together, drawing it up to her face to kiss it gently.

“The only thing I wish is to see you happy.” She looked toward Victoria's face again and bit her lower lip as her nerves threatened to take over.

You've made so much progress, Angel. You can say it any time you want. You can say stop, or strawberry, or even just no thank you. But you won't, will you? You're too proud. In too deep. You'll do it, won't you? This whole thing was moving beyond Victoria's control. As always, people tended to get in the way of her perfect plans. In this case, she had to hope that it would be for the better.

“Which is to say... my Queen... that I would very much like to finish my duties before bed. Would that please you?” Victoria's heart stopped and she began to sit up.

Safewords worked both ways. “Strawberry! In the name of all that is good and right in this world, strawberry!” Victoria squeezed Kate's hand and the girl seemed to come slowly back to reality. “Katie... darling... You don't have to do this...” Kate drifted forward and soon both of them were tangled up in one another's arms as Victoria began stroking her hair. “There are a lot of things I would be willing to do with you, Kate Marsh. But I will not let you sacrifice your morals for the sake of a game.”

Kate curled up against her and nuzzled into the crook of her neck. “I know you wouldn't. And I guess that's why I'm okay with it. More than okay. I want to. Even if it's only once. To know what it's like. Come on, don't make me get all sappy, with the puppy-eyes. I'm not backing down on this one.”

There was a slight pause as Victoria composed herself. Her hand remained against Kate's head, and she carefully started to push her downward, ever so slightly. “Then you had best make yourself useful, Angel. If you wish to make your Queen happy, then hop to it!”

Kate had to stifle a delightful giggle as she dutifully moved back on hands and knees until she was positioned between Victoria's legs. She figured it would take some careful movement and direction, and she was more than happy to provide, as in-character as she could manage. The old, shitty Victoria could have pointed out several flaws in Kate's technique, of course. But for a first attempt by an asexual goody-two-shoes, well... it was heavenly.

“Ah, I am trying... really... really hard to not take the lord's name in vain here, Katie darling. I hope you appreciate it...”

Kate was giggling as she sat back and carefully wiped at her lips. “More than you can imagine.”

“Good, now get the hell over here so I can spoon you. We have another big day tomorrow.” Kate was eager to comply, and before she knew it she was falling asleep in Victoria's arms, feeling closer to the vicious blonde than ever.

Out in the suite, Chloe shut down her laptop and gave a little stretch, gently prodding her snoozing girlfriend. “Hey, we have two perfectly good beds, I'm not letting you fall asleep on a goddamn couch.”

Max stirred and began to stretch as well. “Sorry, I didn't realize looking for a place to live could be quite that taxing. But at least now we have something to guide us tomorrow.” She sat up and seemed to notice that it was still just them. “Kinda early. Did Kate and Tori go to bed already?”

Chloe gave an unassuming shrug and pulled Max along to go investigate. “Not like they'd be doing much else, right?” Her attitude changed when she reached for the handle and found the room locked. “The fuck? No. No fucking way. Did we miss a thing? Did a thing happen while we were doing all the hard work?? I'm going to murd-”

Chloe felt a tug on her arm in the direction of the other room and looked to see Max with a vaguely knowing smile. “C'mon. We'll have all day tomorrow to pester them about the details. And forever to get our payback for not inviting us to join in.”

Chapter Text

Max only knew that something had happened. She and Kate had discussed it once or twice, the strange feelings she had that somehow intersected with her sexuality that made no sense. She tried her best to be open and understanding, but it made even less sense to her than it did to poor Kate. The only thing she could really do was to give her the obvious advice of talking things out with Victoria. The locked door the previous evening told her all she needed to know for the time being. It would be Vic and Katie's job to tell the rest of the story. Though it was damn near impossible to pull off, she refused to tell Chloe anything. She wouldn't even respond when she made guesses – and she made a LOT of guesses.

It wasn't until the next morning when they even had their first chance to get the gory details. True to form, Chloe and Max had trouble getting up early. This was as much a vacation as an important trip to check out college and apartments. So by the time they woke up, the other two had already vacated to the breakfast downstairs. As soon as the hipster and the punk appeared before them with their food, Kate and Victoria immediately turned red simultaneously and looked toward one another. Chloe was as tactful as ever. “Spill nerds. I want the play-by-play” she declared as she took her seat. Max slapped the back of her head and sat next to her.

“Jesus, Chlo, you're awful.”

“Hey, they're our girlfriends too! Primetime or not~”

“Primary, Chloe” Kate whined in deep embarrassment. “She's my primary. And it's not really a fit conversation for the setting...”

“Wooooowwwwwww” Chloe said, trying to play her usual cool self, though obviously she wanted to squee like a fangirl. That would have to be enough to sate her desire for details. “I will have further questions at another time, but I can respect you need some privacy, I guess” She let it go and things went back to normal for the time being. They ate their breakfast over some peaceful conversation, but Max did feel herself occasionally wondering about what specifically had happened. She could be pretty nosy herself sometimes.

“So uh... apartment hunting” chimed in Kate?

Max perked up and pulled a few scribbled notes from her bag and nodded eagerly. “Yup! We found five decent-looking places last night, so we'll check them out today and try to make a decision if we can. We don't have to, of course, but... I-I guess we're all on board, right?”

No one was exactly jumping to confirm her supposition, but no one was denying it either. Chloe had never been great at anything beyond the daydreaming stage of planning, and Kate was still recovering from all the changes in her life. She could hardly blame anyone for being scared of such a huge move.

All terror aside, they were eager to at least explore some more of the city and check some places out. They piled into Victoria's car, with Max navigating, and Chloe snuggled up to Kate in the back seat. Perhaps she figured if she couldn't pester the answers out of her, she could sweet-talk her into it. Not that Kate seemed to mind, Chloe had her own hidden depths of cuddliness.

The first place they checked turned out to be rather different from the pictures they'd seen, as it was currently home to a pack of frat boys from Portlandia University. Of course it fit Chloe's style, but Max wasn't sure she had the willpower necessary to clean this place of dude-stank, weed smell, and beer stains. It had seeped in too deep. She could only imagine the anxiety the other two felt just stepping foot into it. It was, much to Chloe's disappointment, a big no.

The second apartment was flashy enough. It was agreed that this was probably outside their budget – except perhaps for Victoria, but they were too proud to make her pay more than the rest of them. It was one of those places that almost felt... too nice for a quartet of young adults. It was the kind of place a family would move in to, one with a wealthy patriarch and stay-at-home mom or something.

Third on the list was quite an oddity, almost something out of a movie. Purely on a whim they decided to check it out. It was little more than an old factory that had been converted into a series of apartments. Max absolutely loved the open floor design and the grunge feel. But no one else seemed to be as enthusiastic about the lack of rooms or walls or the concrete floor.

The girls were running out of places, and the next one didn't really help to raise their spirits any. That first apartment actually had some promise to it that was ruined by thoughtless jerks. This one made them all nervous, like it was threatening to fall apart in no time. “No fucking way. We won't make it a month before the water heater explodes and kills us all or something” Chloe warned. They didn't even have to get out of the car. They just carried on to their final destination.

“Just... one more...” Everyone sighed in agreement with Max's depressed comment. Of course, if they didn't manage to find a place, they knew they could still work something out over the next few months. Victoria came to a stop in a little residential neighborhood. The place at the address looked like it was practically a house, or at least modeled to appear as one. It immediately put all the girls at ease and they approached the main door. What it turned out to be was three floors of four room apartments that was designed to match some of the surrounding houses.

“Clever. I'm liking this...” Victoria mused as they stepped into the first-floor apartment and looked about. It was charmingly decorated by a plethora of mismatched styles. They were greeted by an eager young woman who looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties.

“Max or Chloe?” she said toward Victoria.

Before she could respond, Chloe's blue hair popped into view and she gave a little wave before offering a hand. “That's Victoria. I'm Chloe, and this is my Max. Oh, and that's Kate over there. I'm glad you guys were okay with such a last minute e-mail. So these losers wanna live relatively close to Portlandia U, and I think you mentioned one of you guys went there?”

The woman laughed brightly and took Chloe's offered hand. “Yeah, that's me. Well, I'm a grad student, but yeah. So, everyone's kinda in their rooms right now doing their own thing, but we've gotten used to folks coming through and checking out the space. Don't be shy. The public transit ain't bad, I guess, but you better get used to walking.”

It was perfect, almost sickeningly so. Max and Kate were geeking out over the kitchen and the back porch where they could have tea. Victoria was admiring all the architecture and the adorable neighborhood. And Chloe was just glad to see that one of the current residents was a pothead so she knew it was a safe space to get high now and then. They all made their way into the small living room and settled in to chat a little more. “So... Look, you can tell me if I'm way off-base here, but I gotta ask, why are you guys looking for four-room places? Call me presumptuous but you could probably get a steal on a two-bedroom.”

Kate was the only one to get visibly embarrassed by this. Max could feel her pressing in closer and smiled understandingly. This was finally becoming the norm for her, and now she had, for the first time in a while, been pegged by a total stranger. It wasn't hard to follow her train of thought. If someone they'd just met could figure it out, how long before her parents did too? Even if it was just Victoria, there would be some serious drama. “Except for one of us” she said, glaring at Chloe “we kind of like our privacy now and then. I'm sure you can understand that. Sometimes it's good to have a cave you can call your own.”

That apparently satisfied the nosy tenant and she gave a 'whatever' shrug. Thank goodness they weren't likely to run into much judgment in a place like this. It was somewhere on the list of reasons to move to Portland. “Well, you seem like good kids. We've had a couple other nice folks come in, and some... slightly suspect ones. But I have a good feeling about you.”

“Is it alright for me to bring a pet along? I have a rabbit that I'd rather not push onto my parents...” Victoria threw an arm around Kate, patting her on the shoulder lightly.

“Sweetie, if blue-hair can toke, I think you can keep a rabbit.”

Their host seemed amused by their antics and was clearly being swayed toward the college-bound hopefuls. And Max was glad to see that they were on the same page. Of course, they still had to make the final decision and doubtlessly fill out a million pieces of paperwork. But wheels were in motion and that felt amazing.

They left the apartment in high spirits and decided to go somewhere for some simple grub, all chatting excitedly about their find, and their potential future home. Portland felt... nice, and even cool-as-ice Chloe was getting hyped.

They were back in the hotel, enjoying a movie before bed, when finally Max noted a look pass between Victoria and Kate. What in the hell is that about...? She didn't have to wonder long as Victoria roughly grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her off toward one bedroom and Kate simultaneously snuggled in close to her.

“Um... So... I don't want to completely wreck you guys' mental image of me, but Victoria and I were... intimate last night?”

Max raised an eyebrow at the statement. Mostly because it sounded more like a question. She and Kate talked idly sometimes about her asexuality, but never too much in-depth. She didn't want to make her uncomfortable. But it seemed she needed some debriefing beyond what Victoria gave her. “Do you wanna walk through it?”

“I um... I told her about some of the stuff going through my mind. She was really sweet and understanding. Before I knew it, we were naked together. I gave her a massage and then... I... pleasured her...” Max, shamefully, wanted to giggle at Kate's inability to talk about sexual stuff. But it seemed like maybe her girlfriend needed her right now. “But that was it. I didn't really want anything in return. I just liked... being of service... We had nicknames and a safeword and... I-I dunno, it was amazing, but I'm kinda starting to feel like a weirdo again?”

Max shook her head and cuddled Kate fiercely. She was starting to learn bits and pieces about how Kate worked. She needed words, terms, definitions, guidelines, and more. Thankfully, for once, Max actually had some idea of what was going on here. She guided Kate's head to rest against her chest and she played with her hair. “You're a bottom~”

“But I was mostly on top...”

Okay, this time Max couldn't help herself, and she laughed softly at Kate's comment. “Sorry, that's not really a literal term... Victoria is dominant, you're submissive. It makes sense. I guess Chloe and I are kinda the same...” Now it was Max's turn to get a little bit bashful. Generally speaking Kate didn't care to know what went on behind closed doors. But they had found something that they could all potentially share in. It was certainly intriguing.

“But you're also ace, so that's hard to sort out. You like submitting, but you don't like sex. All we have to do is keep being careful, never overdoing it, always checking in. When you feel like you've got the guts to do it, I would suggest very carefully looking up some information on BDSM or something. Um, stay away from the porn though... And make sure to keep talking it through with Tori. And me. Maybe not Chloe. She's more... excitable.”

That seemed to be all that Kate could handle. Luckily, they heard the sound of Chloe shouting from the bedroom and began giggling. It went from gleeful shouting to angry shouting and Kate smirked, nestling in more against Max. “I guess Chloe just got the bad news she's not allowed to call me Angel anymore.”

Chapter Text

The first couple days in Portland had been quite the whirlwind, but everyone agreed that it was for the best to deal with the boring stuff first. This left them with several days to explore and enjoy the city and not have to worry about anything at all.

Sometimes they went places as a group, exploring parks and museums, and getting all kinds of delicious meals – from fancy restaurants to food trucks. There were pictures and drawings and more to commemorate the various events. Max was starting to worry that she would never have enough room on her wall for all these new pictures. Perhaps it was time to invest in some proper scrapbooks or something.

But there were also various excursions into the city for more personal reasons. Max and Kate spent almost an entire day just examining shops for tea and used books. It took every ounce of self-control to not buy every single thing they came across. But they still managed to escape with a replacement kettle and some mugs, and more tea and books.

Victoria went off in search of beautiful clothing and decided to bring Chloe along. What she hadn't expected was to be dragged to a thrift store afterwards, some kind of locally owned joint that she wouldn't have dared step foot into on her own. She hated to admit that she was having a pleasant time, and she did have a few pieces of clothing in tow when they got back to the hotel that day.

Together they looked at the pile of treasures they'd snagged and seemed grateful they had two vehicles to tow it all home. The trouble would be finding a home for it all in their rooms. But soon... some day soon they would have a home all their own. Somewhere they could rest their weary heads and decorate however they pleased. Yet, for the time being, Portland would have to remain their future, they needed to get back to Arcadia Bay.

Both vehicles were quiet, their drivers moving slowly along the interstate, dragging their feet, metaphorically speaking. Blackwell and the bay were their home, but the city felt pretty homey too. They didn't wish to return to normal life, to classes and tests and graduation and parents. They wanted to get on with their lives. But time was no longer at their beck and call. It continued to play by its own rules. The week in Portland lasted a second, the two hour drive back to Arcadia Bay five hours. Max was snoozing on Chloe's shoulder, and she at least had the good sense not to blast any music. Kate was curled up in Victoria's passenger seat, and the blonde allowed herself multiple glances to check up on her sleeping Angel.

It took some work, finally waking up the sleeping girls, but eventually the Blackwell students managed to get to work bringing everything in. Juliet emerged from Dana's room with an embarrassed stretch and leaned up against the door jamb. “The prodigals return...”

Dana's head popped up from behind her, arms snaking around her stomach. “I thought Biblical allusions were Kate's thing.”

Kate tossed her bag onto her bed and snickered as she went back out to greet them properly. “In Juliet's defense, she didn't really use it properly. We'd only be prodigals if we ran off to Portland, 'never to return' and then, y'know, suddenly returned.”

“Even brilliant journalists have trouble thinking clearly, after so much... physical activity...” Dana quipped, causing Juliet to spin around, pouting and smacking her arm.

“Not in front of Kate, idiot!”

Victoria was walking past, arms full of bags of clothes, and she gave her girlfriend a lingering kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, she's a precious Angel, after all~” Kate's face immediately went red as a beet and the lovebirds in the doorway turned to look in confusion.

“Victoria Chase, you are evil evil evil!” she cried and quickly shoved her toward her room, closing the door behind them. Once they were within the safety of the posh girl's room, Kate moved with grace to pull the bags out of her hands and setting them aside before immediately pressing Victoria up against her door. “Evil... evil... evil...” she said, as she peppered her lips with kisses.

The sound of knocking at the door caused them both to jump, and Max's voice could be heard from the other side. “You two are very cute, but I still have like 50 pounds of just clothes, so you'd better let me in or I'm dumping them out all over the hall for the vultures to pick at!”

Victoria rolled her eyes and moved away from the door. “You always say the meanest things about Taylor and Courtney, darling. I'm going to tell them you called them vultures~” The door was opened to reveal a stuttering Max who seemed flustered by these accusations.

“I didn't! I didn't call anyone a vulture explicitly! It's just a phrase! You're putting words in my mouth...”

Max immediately regretted her choice of phrasing as Victoria leaned in close until she was nose-to-nose with her. “You would prefer I put something else in your mouth?”

“So anyway Chloe realized she needed to go home because Joyce only sorta knew what we were doing up in Portland and she wants her to know she'll have a job and more than likely somewhere to live next year and she knows that will make Joyce and David happy and then I guess she'll be back later!” Max said all this in one breath, and was panting by the time she was through. She never could get used to the way Victoria could just... speak words all... sexy-like. It fried her a little bit. Kate smiled on empathetically at least. She stuck out the handful of bags still left, and Victoria took them gently, giving Max a soothing kiss on the cheek.

“Easy there, Maxine. There's steam pouring out of your ears. Dr. Chase recommends you come in and lay down. Kate, be a dear and help her out. I could be putting these clothes away for a while.” She turned and began going through the first and closest bag.

Though Tori's bed looked welcoming enough, Max found that she felt a little bad. She'd interrupted the two , and now she was being pulled into their time. Kate apparently caught wind of her anxieties and took her by the wrist, closing the door and dragging her over to the bed to collapse in a pile of pillows and soft blankets. “Whatever you're thinking, Max Caulfield, you'd best forget it.” The sandy-haired hipster could barely even get a word out. This wasn't exactly a new side of Kate, but she did seem to be flexing it more comfortably. “Just because Victoria is my primary doesn't mean I don't occasionally feel the need to hold you all night...” A tender kiss was placed just on the underside of Max's jaw and she gave an embarrassed groan, trying to wrap herself up in a cocoon of blankets and sheets to hide from her embarrassment.

“Hey! Those are expensive. If you two wanna do some weird German dadaist theatre blanket cocoon, you can do it in one of your rooms.” Except for very specific settings, it was downright impossible for Victoria to speak with the venom she used to. The truth was that she adored watching the two play on her bed so innocent and sweet. But predictably, they took the hint, carefully making her bed – or at least what Max considered 'made' – before resuming their snuggles.

Every now and then Victoria would pause as she was putting away some particular piece of clothing and one of her girlfriends would comment on it. It wasn't long before the process of organizing was completely forgotten and the pair was watching as she tried on each dress, skirt, and sweater for them amidst applause, cheering, and wolf-whistles.

This lengthened the process of putting her clothing away significantly, to the point that Chloe returned and quickly joined the audience gathered on the bed. Others would occasionally pop their heads in as new outfits were shown. And Victoria was flawless as ever, even when Taylor and Courtney burst in without any warning while she was mid-strip. They shared whatever important Vortex business it was they'd come to discuss while Victoria slipped into her next outfit, red-faced and fumbling. “Ciao, bellas! Don't keep each other up too late now!” The pair giggled brightly as they closed the door behind them.

The desire to show off seemed to finally leave the blonde and she changed into something less formal so she could join the pile on the bed, curling up somewhere between Chloe's legs and Max's shoulder, pulling Kate into her lap to pet her gently. For a while they just lay there together not doing or saying much of anything. They were wiped out and would no doubt be useless at class and work tomorrow. Kate was the first to break the silence, eyes still closed in delight as Victoria's ceaseless fingertips massaged her scalp.

“Am I allowed to be a gigantic sap?”

Victoria giggled softly. “We might groan at whatever you have to say, but I think you know that's only because we're all thinking it. So you may as well.”

There was the briefest hesitation as Kate went through the usual motions and fiddling before finally finding her words. “I thought Portland was like... this amazing city, like it would be perfect for us. But I guess maybe it kind of only... sort of was? But I was still so happy to be there. With you all.” Her eyes shut a little tighter and she curled up more against Victoria, grabbing one of Max's hands. “You're my home...”

The chorus of “Awwww!” was almost defeaning, and no one could really find it in themselves to make fun of her sappy statement.

Chapter Text

“I am supposed to stand before you and say something smart because I have the highest GPA. That's all that being valedictorian means. And I'm not sure I can do that. All I really did was study as hard as possible and work my butt off.” A small chuckle from the gathered crowd helped to put Victoria at ease. “A lot can change in four years, or one year, or one week.” This caused a number of serious nods and a few understanding smiles. “We make plans and they don't pan out. We think we know the people around us, and then they go and surprise us in a million different ways. Our memories trick us, and that photograph that's worth a thousand words loses all its power if it's burned in a fire. Nothing is what it seems.”

Somehow, someway, they had made it. Graduation day. Practically the entirety of Arcadia Bay was there, plus assorted families of the graduating class of 2014. The Victoria of one year ago probably would have hated this speech, and that gave her a strange sense of peace.

“Nothing is set in stone, and nobody has a clue what they're doing. We make it up as we go along. We stick to our convictions until they don't serve us anymore. Sometimes the most we can do is find something that makes us happy and cling to it like a plank of wood in the middle of the ocean. So follow your passions. Go to college or get a job or backpack through Europe, so long as you're living for yourself, your dreams, your desires. And keep in touch. The internet exists for a reason.”

Victoria dismounted from the stage amidst applause and cheers from the gathered crowd and took her place among her fellow students. Clearly her plan to cut the bullshit worked like a charm. She was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Principal Wells moved things along to the final part of the ceremony, and one by one the students were called up to receive their diploma. And every time one of her girlfriends' names was called, Chloe Price would cry out obnoxiously, thoroughly embarrassing all involved. Max, Kate, and Victoria were just glad she'd managed to keep from shouting any obscenities.

It was the next part that no one was particularly prepared for. Meeting the parents...

Of course, things were a little easier on Max and Chloe's end. Poor Joyce had to put up with everyone all year, though she did so with a motherly smile and a firm hand. She was so excited to see the Caulfields again and immediately pulled them both in for a tight hug. “Ryan! Vanessa!”

They both gave an uneasy but happy laugh when she finally released them. “Joyce. I hope Max hasn't caused you too much trouble this year.”

“Not at all! Hell, I'm just grateful she was around to keep Chloe in line...” They all looked toward the bluenette, who was almost but not quite dressed up in a shirt and tie with her usual steel-toed boots. She immediately wrapped a protective arm around the sandy-haired graduate with her trademark grin.

“She's a regular task-master. Max has been a blessing on all of us” Pressing her luck, Chloe placed a gentle kiss on Max's cheek, while she stood there blushing dumbly.

“Yeah, well, now it's your turn to watch out for her. Taking our baby girl away to the big city and all~” If there was any hesitation or worry in Max's parents, neither girl noticed it. They knew the two balanced each other out, for the most part anyway. The only thing they couldn't seem to adjust to was the blue hair and tattoos. If they didn't have field reports from Max, they would have been much more dubious about her influence.

Things were going far less well for the other two. They stood there and watched the visible tension that threatened to ignite any second. Kate was, frankly, grateful her mother hadn't shown up. That woman was a powder keg all by herself. But even the more understanding members of the Marsh clan looked toward Victoria's parents with disdain. These were the creatures who had spawned the blonde monster that drove their precious Kate to nearly do the unthinkable. Victoria's parents, on the other hand, were still processing her speech. No great thinkers or philosophers, just a bunch of drabble about uncertainty and happiness? They were, naturally, concerned less for their daughter herself than the legacy of their name at the prestigious school.

There wasn't much that could be done to prepare anyone for what came next, and the girls had decided that their only option was to launch into it. Kate took Victoria's hand, showing that deep well of courage that so few ever got to see. She flushed and squeezed it tightly.

“Dad, you guys... I-I'm sorry I couldn't find the words to tell you sooner... Victoria and I...” She was starting to falter, and Victoria took the baton with flawless grace.

“We're together. We have been since January.” Victoria's voice didn't carry nearly the weight it used to, but she put all her conviction into those words. Her own parents looked shocked, but that was hardly important to her anymore. They had expected to give her away like some princess with a dowry, and she was done with that archaic nonsense. At this point, she was more concerned with Kate's family.

Her sisters just squealed and immediately launched forward to hug her tightly. They didn't realize they were currently hugging the very girl who had been complacent in putting her into harm's way in the first place. Not that they would have cared. Kate was back to her old self, and if this was who put that smile there, that as all that mattered. Richard Marsh seemed to take longer to process the information. He knew enough to know who the blonde was. But not even he could deny the joy he saw. He joined the hug too, and Victoria felt a sense of warmth that was wholly new.

“We will talk about this later” droned her father, and the two departed, sticks remaining firmly up their asses.

With one of the big announcements out of the way, Kate felt free to actually rest again Victoria as they continued to talk. Her father knew she'd gotten into Portlandia University, but she still had to break the news that she would be sharing an apartment 'in sin' with her girlfriend, as well as Max and Chloe. His face spoke volumes even as he gave her his full support. He would be breaking this news to her mother carefully. Well, Kate knew to take what she could get these days. Her mother and her extended family might not be so proud of her, but, as Victoria had said, what mattered was their happiness.

Tentatively, the four girls brought their families all together, sans Victoria's, and they all seemed generally pleased to hear that their daughters were getting along so well. Chloe had to stifle the urge to laugh or even smile at this. No sense completely blowing all their minds any further. Kate's sisters clearly remembered the stories they'd been told about her 'guardian angel' and pulled Max into a hug similar to the one Victoria had received. She wasn't used to siblings, so this was a bit of a treat for her.

“Y'all must be starving, why don't you come on over to the Two Whales? Ol' Joyce will hook you up” the waitress said with a happy wink.

Chloe gave a soft cough and looked at the other girls then back to the gathered families. “Actually, we already have plans, but you kids go hang out, have fun. Tell embarrassing stories about us and all that.”

They collectively slipped away before their families could try and haul them back. There was a Vortex Club party to get to.

It was still a strange experience for all of them to go to a Vortex party, but Courtney and Taylor had really been outdoing themselves lately. There was still booze and dancing, but a lot of people had been co-opted into working as proper bouncers rather than just scary muscle. Any shady shit and you were out on your ass. Try to start something, and you'd be going home with bruises everywhere.

But it was more than just that. Victoria had, in a way, left her position. She was still in the Vortex Club, but she was no longer the queen. So she was basically just another VIP student. On her arm was Kate, who had pretty much refused to attend a single party for months – no one could blame her. Chloe had been equally dubious about the club, considering her own experiences at their parties, and her status as a drop-out. And Max, well, no one ever knew what to make of her.

But it was graduation, and Victoria had delivered a rousing speech, and everyone was a little enchanted by the quartet's whirlwind romance. Each girl took a shot, even precious Kate, and made their way out to the dancefloor. Unlike Dana's Halloween party, they no longer had to keep up some silly pretense about pairing off. With nothing to hide, they were able to dance freely. Max was predictably uncoordinated, Chloe had to constantly remind herself moshing wasn't really an option, Victoria was actually a bit timid and seemed to prefer slower dances, and Kate's grace was a surprise to most everyone except her girlfriends.

Soon enough they would be moving to Portland, and there would be so much to do. Fighting over rooms and kitchen space, decorating, signing up for classes, getting jobs, paying bills. It was pretty fucking terrifying, but that was for the future. For tonight, they were Blackwell graduates – well, most of them – and they intended to enjoy themselves.

Chapter Text

“I appreciate that she's down to party, but it severely ruins the point of beer pong if one of the contestants doesn't drink beer!”

“Well... But... Chloe, c'mon, it's Kate!”

“I-I don't have to play. I just thought it would be fun. I'll just stand here and watch instead...”

“That's just not even fair, look at how adorable she is. But it's also not fair if she's not imbibing! It gives their team a major advantage.”

Like Katniss Everdeen, Victoria stepped forward bravely. “I'll drink for both of us...”

Kate gave an overly dramatic gasp and latched onto her. “Baby no! You'll never make it.”

But the blonde just cupped her chin and kissed her heroically. “And when I fall, you will be there to carry me, my love...” She could practically hear Courtney rolling her eyes across the room.

“Hurry up, nerds, there are other people who want to play!” The elbow from Dana wasn't quite fast enough to silence Juliet's jeering. “Ow! What, we were all thinking it. They're adorable schtick does tend to wear out it's welcome over time...”

The argument could have gone on a good deal longer, but Victoria had spoken and there was no hope changing her mind. So the game got underway.

Of course Chloe was a beer pong champ and sank her first shot. Victoria knocked back the drink and immediately retaliated with a matching shot, forcing the bluenette to drink as well. Max's first shot whiffed, but Kate managed to sink a shot as well. The pattern went on as it usually did, ping pong balls into cups, drinking, and significantly more missing over time – except for Kate. She wasn't a pro, but the lack of beer in her system meant that her hit-ratio was higher.

Poor Victoria was starting to look a little green, but there were still three cups left on each side. Her girlfriends had all been very understanding, but she knew her time had come to be a big girl. “Go take a seat, sweetie, I'll handle this. I'll drink the rest.”

“Katie, no! I-I-I cin do ittt... You're a pure, preshus simanim roll an'...”

Kate giggled brightly and motioned for someone to escort her to get some water. She turned back to face Chloe and Max looking at her from across the table. “Our little baby's all grown up, Max...”

“I'm so proud, Chlo'~” she replied, wiping an invisible tear from her cheek.

“Come on, we have to finish before there's a riot.” Before she could say any more, Chloe launched a ping pong ball into one of the cups with an eager grin. “Right...” With a brave grimace, Kate swallowed the contents in one go, trying not to heave. The effect was immediate and she missed her next shot. It didn't take long for the combined efforts of Max and Chloe to finish up their remaining two shots. She wasn't happy about it, but to everyone's amazement she did it, slamming down the third plastic cup like a drunken dwarf with a stein. The party erupted in cheers, though no one was totally sure if it was for the others' victory or Kate's drinking.

She went to the couch where Victoria was hanging out and sat in her lap, kissing her passionately on the lips. “Di' we win??” Victoria was still concerned, and it was incredibly sweet.

“Nope!” Kate replied with a wide grin and kissed her once more.