Work Text:
Max has been back in Chloe's life for just over a month. They're both busy, Max with college and a part-time job, Chloe with a job and an apprenticeship, but they always find some time to share with each other a few times a week. They're hanging out in Chloe’s apartment tonight, Chloe sketching at the kitchen counter while Max reads on the couch. Chloe prefers their explorations of LA, or movie nights spent sharing popcorn and a blanket. But it's still...nice, even when it's like this: quiet, the two of them focused on their own projects.
Not that it's all that quiet tonight. Max has been sighing and wriggling around on the couch with increasing frequency. After hearing a particularly vexed exhalation, Chloe gives up on pretending she's working. She looks over at Max and finds herself smiling fondly.
Max is hunched up on the couch, clutching a slim paperback in her hands. She’s flipping between the front and back of the book and occasionally scribbling down notes. She's wearing a baggy grey hoodie, nondescript jeans and another in a seemingly endless array of deer-related t-shirts. Her hair’s a mess, her lips are pursed and her brow is creased in frustration. There's even a smudge of ink on her cheek, somehow.
She's really pretty.
Chloe clears her throat. "Homework kicking your ass?”
Max starts guiltily, drops the book and slumps back on the couch with a groan.
The girl’s got variety, give her that.
"Sort of. Why did I think a book group would be a good idea? I just want to be a good photographer! Not read ancient poems about birds."
Chloe ambles over to the couch and drops down beside Max, scooping up the offending volume in passing. The title reads The Parliament of Fowls.
"Hmm, let’s see. One, you’re a tragic hipster. Two, you are a good photographer, you’re just Maximising your skills right now. And, three…uh, see point one? You should be all over this shit!”
"Well, the history is actually pretty interesting,” Max grudgingly admits.
"Called it. Buuut?”
And now Max is blushing and mumbling and avoiding Chloe’s eye.
"Hey, for real, what’s up Max?”
Max makes one of her periodic, doomed attempts to shove her hair into some kind of order. Then she twists around to face Chloe, bringing her legs up onto the couch and hugging her knees.
"The poem’s about…love.”
Max hesitates then reaches out and grabs the book out of Chloe’s hands. She starts idly riffling through the pages. Rarely has the Caulfield Effect resulted in such a majestic crimson hue across the canvas of her face.
Chloe should really say something helpful.
"It’s a bird…love poem? Like, bestiality?”
"No, you ass! It’s about romantic love. It’s…it’s set on Valentine’s Day. And the birds are trying to find their soul mates. And the thing is….” Max is getting quieter again, talking to her knees. “It just got me thinking that, well, I’ve never actually been on a real date. Or even been anyone’s Valentine." She wrinkles her nose. "Except for my dad’s.”
She starts to hide behind the book. “Which…you know what, nope, never mind. Hey, did you know Chaucer’s actually one of the first people to link St. Valent-”
"Max!” Chloe plucks the book out of Max’s grasp and tosses it onto the table. “Ease up on the full-auto lecture mode for a minute.”
"Uh, right. Sorry.”
"Max, I need you to listen to what I have to say, okay?”
Max rests her chin on her knees and looks up at Chloe. Her blue eyes are wide and earnest. “Okay. I’m listening.”
Chloe moves a little closer, leans in so that they're on the same level. "Valentine’s Day is really, really dumb.”
Max rolls her eyes and lifts her head up. Before she can turn away, though, Chloe pounces and grabs her hands.
"Max. Maxine. Maxiavelli. Valentine’s day is so lame, not even Jesus can cure it. It’s so unbelievably hella stupid it makes pardoning a turkey look solemn and dignified. It sucks hard enough to devour black holes. It, uh, it’s…."
"Forgetting the point it’s trying to make?” Max laughs, sending a warm tickle of breath across Chloe’s face. She gently frees her hands. “You were on such a roll, too.”
"My point is that you’re worrying about nothing. The real stuff, the romantic stuff? That’s going to happen for you. Valentine’s is just an excuse to sell candy and flowers and book out restaurants.” Chloe hesitates, aims at as casual a tone as she can manage. “Speaking of which, I’m going to make the ultimate sacrifice for you.”
Max sits up straight and gapes at her. “W-what do you mean?”
Chloe leans against Max's shins, rests her arms on her knees. “Jeez, chill. I just mean I’ll take the night off on Valentine’s Day. It's no big deal. I’ll miss out on some killer tips, but we can hang instead.”
Max sighs, and flops back against the arm rest. She stares up at the ceiling. “Oh. Right. That could be…nice.”
Chloe lays her head on her arms. "You sound so enthused.”
"You’re assuming I don’t have any plans at all. I am in college now. I could be having all the hot dates.”
"Uh-huh. Sure.”
Max glares at Chloe accusingly. "Hey! You don’t need to sound that cynical.”
"Max, I totally believe there are hot dates in your future. You’re the most adorable pocket-sized hipster nerd in the county.”
“Thanks. I think.”
Chloe lets her gaze wander over to the table. ”So, uh. Anybody in particular you have your eye on?”
Max squirms a little and mumbles something. Chloe takes her weight off Max, flings herself against the opposite armrest so that they’re facing each other.
"C’mon, Max. Use your words.” Chloe stretches out her legs and puts her feet on the table.
"Actually, there’s a...girl I like.”
Chloe tries not to react, even though her heart’s suddenly beating like crazy.
"Huh. Well. Maybe you should ask her to be your Valentine’s date.”
"I get the feeling she doesn’t really like that stuff.”
Max sighs again, then stretches her legs out, her feet ending up in Chloe’s lap.
Chloe grunts, shifts a little so they’re both comfortable. "Well, no need to over-think it. You should just ask her out some time.”
"Yeah, like it’s that easy.”
Chloe laughs. “It doesn't have to be hard. And she’d be crazy to say no. While you're working up to it, though, more Max for me. Is Operation Val-not-tines a go?”
"Wowser, the grief I get for my puns and this is what you come up with?” Max absentmindedly starts picking at the toe of Chloe’s sock. “Well, I guess it’s a date. Or, uh, some kind of not-date?”
"Sure. It’s a Nate.”
"That isn’t better, Chloe.
"You love it. Platonically, of course.”
"The things you’ll say to tease me.”
"You should be more worried about the things I’ll do, Max.”
"Y’know, I think I’m busy on the 14th, after all?”
”Too late! You can’t break a Nate. You’re stuck with me."
Max gently grips Chloe’s foot.
“Well, I guess I'll just have to suffer through it, then.”
They’re quiet for a while after that, just thinking and enjoying each other’s warmth.
Mitch hears her out, smiling benevolently. When she's done, he takes a moment to consider, then nods. “Absolutely no chance in hell can you have Valentine’s off. Anything else?”
Chloe’s bares her teeth in what a passing customer might mistake for a grin. “Mitch. Who covered all the extra shifts over Christmas and New Year?”
He scowls. “Yeah, okay, but-”
”And when have I ever asked for any favours?”
”What? All the time! You always want to duck out early or come in late so you can go to that tattoo place.”
”I'm a tattoo padawan, that's how it works! And I always make up the time! C’mon, Mitch. I’ll work the day shift, but I have to have the night off.”
”Hmm. Date with the girl you’ve been seeing since New Year?”
”Well, kinda…hey! I'm not seeing anyone! What makes you think I'm seeing someone?”
”Well, after the model dumped you-“
”Fuck you, we split up! Mutual decision!”
”And that’s the Chloe I got close to firing after the, uh, ‘split’. You’ve only really become tolerable again in the last few weeks. Figured it had to be a new girl that got you over the old one. If you even are over her.”
”It…that’s not the...there are knives within easy reach, here!“
”Fine. If it’s in the interest of making this a safer work environment, you can have the night off. You’re working the day shift, though. And pulling a double on the 13th.”
”Ugh! Okay, fine. Thanks. Jerk.”
"See? You're a much happier person these days." Mitch smiles and waves towards the front of house. “Now go do some damn work.”
Max looks like a much happier person when she's taking photographs. There's something serene, certain in her expression when her eye's behind the viewfinder.
They're at a little skate park Chloe spotted a while back but never had the chance to try out. Chloe's been chipping the rust off her board skills while Max has been in full on photographer mode. When she's finally had enough of falling, Chloe joins her on the sidelines and they watch the other skaters in the fading light.
Chloe likes watching Max work.
Obviously she likes exploring places with Max, bullshitting and teasing and laughing. But she loves those little moments when Max's head tilts, her body stills and her expression changes. She'll trail off mid-sentence and everything else will just...fade out while she lines up her shot. And then she'll watch the Polaroid develop, or scroll back through the images on her SLR, lost to the world.
When Max comes back from wherever it is that she goes, she'll look around with this big goofy grin and beckon Chloe over to see the picture.
Chloe loves that part best of all.
This time, though, when Max snaps a shot and looks at Chloe, she blushes and asks, "What?"
Chloe quickly looks away. "Nothing! Just admiring a professional at work."
"Uh-huh. So there's no mischief brewing in there at all?"
"You wound me, Max! When have you ever known me to plot mischief?"
Max squints into the distance and her lips move soundlessly as she counts.
"Okay, don't answer that."
Max laughs. "So what foul things are you planning for Friday?"
"Friday? What's Friday?"
Max swats at Chloe's arm with all the ferocity of a newborn puppy. "Valentine's Day!" Uncertainty creeps into Max's voice. "We're still on for that, right?"
"Darn tootin'. I had to agree to cover a ton of shifts for the time off though, so honestly? A quiet night in is probably all I'll have energy for. Maybe mock some cheesy movies at my place? Is that too boring?"
"No, it's cool. I, uh, I'm looking forward to it."
Max looks pretty down, though, and Chloe feels suddenly uneasy. "Sorry, Maxster. Turns out I'm a lame Nate."
Max looks up, a shy smile balanced on her lips. "No, it's cool. A quiet night in sounds good. I was just wondering..."
"What?"
"What did you and Rachel used to do for Valentine's?"
"Oh."
Chloe shivers. The sun's almost gone and there's sweat drying on her body.
Max has a guilty look on her face. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up."
Chloe snorts. "It's fine. Let's head back to the car, though. It's getting chilly."
They collect their respective gear and, once they're moving, Chloe starts talking.
"Rachel was always about going with the flow and avoiding labels. We weren't really officially a couple till just before we left for LA."
"Were you okay with that?"
Chloe shrugs. "It all seemed worth it at the time."
Max shoots her a worried look. "Well, what about now?"
Chloe manufactures another shrug. "We only really had one Valentine's together. Rachel had an audition in the afternoon and I was working the evening. We had breakfast in bed, snuggled a little. Neither of us were really bothered about it."
They reach the car and fall silent as they load their things into the trunk. Chloe catches Max looking at her, eyes full of worry.
"Chill, Max. I'm fine. Really."
Max nods slowly and they climb into the car.
Max turns on the engine, but leaves it in park. She bites her lip, then turns to face Chloe. "You must miss her."
Chloe looks out into the lowering night. "Yeah. I do."
"I know it's not the same thing, but...you've got me, Chloe."
Chloe turns round in her seat and finds a smile for Max. She doesn't have to look too hard for it, either. "Eh. You'll do, I guess."
Max rolls her eyes and puts the car into gear. But she's smiling, too.
This is the worst idea yet. But it's something she has to do. Chloe stares at the screen for five whole minutes without moving, then decides abruptly to abandon this plan. It's only going to end badly.
She grabs her phone from the table, wakes up the screen and hits the call button.
Shit.
The phone rings long enough for Chloe to experience, for the first time ever, the hope that she'll just get voicemail. But she's not that lucky.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"...You deleted my number?"
There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. "Chloe".
It's not a happy word, and it stays lonely long enough that Chloe thinks she's going to get hung up on.
"Hey, Rachel. I don't want to...is this a bad time?"
Words come back reluctantly, one by one. "Well, I'm in makeup right now. I've...got a few minutes."
"I saw you in the mall the other day. Your ad, I mean. Work's really taking off, huh?"
"I'm doing okay. What do you want, Chloe?"
Chloe wonders if this call will last long enough for her ear to get frostbite. "Just to talk. Jesus, Rachel, what happened to 'We can still be friends'? I know things didn't end well, but-"
"It's been months, Chloe. Without a word. And you were so angry. So pardon me if I'm surprised that...no. Not doing this. Goodb-."
"Wait! I'm not trying to give you a hard time. That's not why I called."
A slow, irritated breath. "Why did you call?"
"I've been trying to figure some things out. And I miss you. I...I miss you, Rach."
There's a pause, the sound of muffled conversation, another pause. Then: "Chloe...you can't...we're never getting back together. Okay?"
Chloe feels the heat rising inside her, like it did so often towards the end. "I know that! I'm not...we were friends longer than...fuck, Rachel! Stop being an asshole for a minute and talk to me."
"Fine! What are you 'trying to figure out'?"
"I...met someone. And it just...I still think about us and I wanted to clear the air, or whatever."
Rachel's evidently by herself now, if her rising voice is anything to go by. "You're seeing someone? That's what you wanted to tell me? And I'm the assho-"
"It's not like that! We're not even...I haven't told her how I feel. I can't, really. I'm not trying to rub your face in anything. I just...I need to talk to you."
Her voice is a whip. "What, was Max Caulfield busy or something?"
"Okay, you were right. This was a horrible mistake-"
"Oh, God, it is Max, isn't it? She's the girl."
Chloe isn't sure she's ever heard so much pain in Rachel's voice. "What? I...shit. Yeah."
"Why would you call me about this? It was bad enough...I mean, you accused me of not talking, but sometimes you just wouldn't listen. This is...Fuck you, Chloe!"
There's no anger anymore, just shame sitting leaden in Chloe's gut. "Rachel, I...totally deserve that. I suck. Sorry."
Silence. Then, warily: "Huh. That was unexpected."
Chloe chuckles softly. "I know, right? I think I've been growing emotionally or something."
Suddenly, it's Rachel Amber on the other side of the line. "Poor thing! This must be a terrifying experience for you."
"Hey! There's only so many free shots you get, you know."
"Pfft. I'm nowhere near the limit."
Chloe sighs. "No, probably not."
"You're scaring me now. What's that girl been doing to you?"
"Dude, I'm not ready to joke about her."
"So. What's the problem?"
"Uh, you sure you want to hear this?"
She snorts. "Now you ask? I'll need to go soon. Spill."
"I like her. I really do. But...what if I scare her off? What if I just screw everything up again? I don't want to lose her like-"
"Oh, Chloe." Chloe's surprised by the tenderness invested in the cadence of her name. "You didn't mess it all up. We both contributed, okay? We were good for each other, for a while. And we had some really good times but, I wasn't...I'm not who you need. I'm sorry."
Chloe's suddenly aware of how hard it is to breathe. "Yeah. Me too."
Another pause. In the background, the sound of knuckles on a door. Rachel ignores it. "I actually do miss you. I just didn't think you'd ever want to talk to me again."
"Come on. You know how I get. All hot-headed. I mean, I'm still..."
A hint of amusement in Rachel's voice. "Yeah. Me too." A pause, and then wistfully: "But, maybe we could...sometime...?"
"That'd be good, Rach. I think. When we're both a bit more..."
"Emotionally developed?"
"Ha! Right."
"Chloe?"
"Yeah?"
"I...wasn't as good to you as you deserved. Stop kidding yourself about that."
Chloe shakes her head, knuckles white where's she's gripping the phone.
"And don't you dare make me an excuse for not going after something you want. You hear me?"
"Rach-"
"Go get her. I believe in you, girl blue."
Chloe's exhausted, unable to think of what to say. So she just whispers: "Thanks, Rachel."
"That's okay. 'Bye, Chloe."
Then she's gone and Chloe's crying over her for the last time.
It's Valentine's Day and the omens are, at best, completely fucked.
Chloe manages to navigate purchasing a heart-shaped box of chocolates without quite dying of embarrassment, which makes a good start to the day.
It all falls apart after that, though.
The shift's a nightmare more-or-less from the start. It's stupidly busy, even during lunch. Mitch chews out the new girl for screwing up an order and Chloe's the one who has to talk the sobbing girl down afterwards. She winds up having to stay late to help get everything set for the dinner service and by the time she's done, she's sweaty and drained. Then she misses her train, and the next one is so packed she gets squeezed and jostled all the way home. When she gets free of the train she checks her bag, and, yep, the chocolates are crushed, too.
Oh, and she's been rehearsing all day and she still has no idea what she's going to say to Max.
Not that she’s stressing, or anything. She just needs everything to be perfect tonight, that’s all.
She's jogging to her apartment building, cursing under her breath, when a strange woman waves at her.
Chloe almost runs past her, then slows, stops and stares.
She's wearing a black dress. Her hair is almost immaculate. There's carefully-applied makeup. Perfume! Her camera bag's at her feet and she's nervously fiddling with an envelope as her face slowly scrunches up in worry.
"Hey. Uh, I think I'm early?" Max looks down at herself, shyly looks back up. "Is this too much?"
Chloe's panting a little and suddenly painfully conscious of how dishevelled she is. "Yeah...I mean, no! You look...amazing, Max. Damn!"
"I thought I'd make a bit of an effort. You deserve...well, uh, should we go up, or...?"
"What? Go...? Oh, yeah!" Chloe unlocks the door and they make their way to her apartment. "I should get changed. Not that I'm going to look anything like...uh...So, I got stuck in work, and you're not early, I'm late. Which sucks, sorry. Anyway, I'm...babbling?"
Max giggles. "You so are!"
In her apartment, with the lights on, it's easy to see how pleased with herself Max is. It's hard to stop staring, too.
Hard to stop herself thinking out loud: "I really wish I'd planned something better for tonight..."
Max smirks. "Why, Miss Price! Am I making you nervous?"
Chloe busies herself dumping her keys and her bag, before risking another look at Max. "You have been for a while, actually."
Max's expression shifts, less certain now. "Oh?"
"Max, I...this isn't how I planned this, but I've been thinking and-"
Max holds up her hand. "Wait! Um. I brought you something. Open it.” She closes the distance between them, puts the envelope she's been carrying into Chloe’s right hand.
Chloe opens her mouth, but Max quickly shakes her head. "Trust me. Please?"
She's shaking. Okay, maybe they both are.
Chloe opens the envelope and finds a Polaroid inside it. It’s a selfie of Max, of course, puppy-dogging into the camera with weapons-grade cuteness. There’s three words written on it: Be my Valentine?
Chloe looks up and Max is pulling the exact same expression at her.
She can’t help it, she bursts out laughing. “You ridiculous nerd!”
It’s perfect.
Chloe snorts, swipes at her eyes. “Sure, whatever, I’ll be your Valentine.” Chloe abruptly turns and grabs her bag. She roots frantically inside it until she finds the misshapen cardboard heart and presents it to Max. "Hey, uh. Wanna be mine?"
Max laughs. "Such romance! How could I say no?" Her expression becomes a little more serious, though her eyes are so, so bright. "Hey. You don't make me nervous. I mean, this stuff definitely does! But not you, Chloe. You make me feel like I'm finally home."
Chloe can't quite seem to find where she normally keeps all her words.
"Oh, dog! Is this too fast?" Max laughs nervously, then shakes her head. "Sorry. I've been thinking about this...us...for a while. But...is it too soon for you? I know that you and Rachel were really close, and I don't want to make things-"
Chloe frantically shakes her head. "Rachel and I are history. And I'm ready to get on with my life. I'm just...scared I'll screw it up."
"Chloe Price, scared of an adventure?"
"Ha! Never!" Chloe takes Max's hand, quietly marvels at the feel of her skin, at the little tremble that shoots through her body at the contact. She looks down at their linked hands. "Kinda terrified of losing you, is all."
Max reaches up and touches Chloe' s cheek. Runs her fingers down Chloe's skin, to her jaw. Gently tilts her chin up, so they're eye to eye. "We lost each other before. And it sucked. But...I think we're pretty good at finding at each other, y'know? I'm willing to take the risk."
Chloe laughs shakily. "When'd you get so bold?"
"Chloe, listen to me."
Chloe looks down into wide, earnest pools of blue light. Can't think of a single good reason to look away again.
Max grins. "I had to get bold because you're so bad at romance, you...think it...ended with the Romans?"
Chloe suspects there's a seriously stupid grin on her face. She shakes her head, aims for a severe tone. "Needs work, Max."
"Well, I'll just have to put more effort in."
"Me too. That's a promise."
Max nods "So, uh?" She's blushing and her voice noticeably changes pitch. "Kissing? Is that a thing we do now?"
Chloe's definitely grinning now. "I dunno. Let's find out."
Chloe reaches out very carefully, brushing Max’s hair back, cupping her cheek. She leans in slowly, giving Max time to protest. Instead Max rises up to meet her and then their lips meet, gently at first, then with increasing hunger.
And, okay, they're both nervous and Max is new to this kind of thing. So maybe it's not the best kiss Chloe's ever had. But it's the worst she's ever likely to share with Max, and that's a thought that almost makes her knees give out.
Their lips break apart at last, though they're still holding each other.
Max sighs. "We should do that more. A lot more." Chloe has heard a lot of variations of the Caulfield sigh. This one's new, though, and one Chloe could stand to hear more often.
She smirks down at her. "Right. We need to perfect our technique before we get really gross with the PDAs."
"Shush. Less talk, more practice."
Chloe's happy to oblige.
Much later on, after there's been time for Chloe to shower and change, for food to be eaten and movies to be mostly ignored as they embark on the first round of a million promised kisses, they're wrapped up in a blanket and each other on the couch.
Chloe doesn't know if she's ever felt so full: of peace, of joy, of love. She's not really sure how to say that, though, so she just laughs, suddenly. Then kisses Max again, just because she can now, and it seems like a waste not to. "Hey, Max? This has been awesome. You're awesome. Happy Valentine's Day."
And even though there's part of her that rails against the lameness of that sentiment, there's a larger part of her that's just fine with being lame for Max.
Max kisses her back, then snuggles into Chloe and observes from somewhere near her collarbone: "Hella Happy Valentine's Day, Chloe."