Max & Chloe's Hella Shitty Coffee (Life is Strange)

Chapter 14

Max and Chloe giggled through the night, neither one wanting to sleep the time away, both girls shaking with adrenaline as they stared into the enlarged pupil of the other. While they were in their home town, Arcadia Bay, Max and Chloe felt like they were hidden from reality in their own personal cocoon (currently taking the more literal form of a duvet fort) – a feature of the town Chloe had once hated, but now she was here with Max as their friendship was entering unknown territory, she never wanted to leave.

They each took turns tracing the other's body, feeling every inch of skin with new desire, but careful as they did; neither sure where they could touch and where was too much. Max focused on running her fingers along Chloe's sharp cheekbones and jawline, while Chloe softly caressed Max's arms. They each left the other yearning for and yet nervous of what more entailed.

Max was certain that she was the one with the least experience, not to say she had no experience at all, but she had never been with a woman, and from what Victoria had said about Rachel, that wasn't the case for Chloe. Despite this, it was Chloe who seemed more nervous about what Max and Chloe had started on that November night in their hometown.

"Are you okay?" Max whispered. Chloe nodded.

"I just, I think I've wanted this ever since I was old enough to understand it. I don't want to fuck it up." Max placed her hand back on Chloe's cheeks and kissed her, gently and reassuringly.

"Neither do I." Max replied. "Though I wouldn't mind hearing about when you became old enough to know you wanted this." Chloe playfully shoved Max's shoulder, but she answered anyway.

"I guess it was a few years ago, I thought about you all the time, I would write to you in my journal. No Max you cannot read it," Chloe said in anticipation of Max's interest. "One day I stopped to consider why I couldn't let you go, and everything just became clear." Max tried to give Chloe a smile, but her cheeks ached too much from an evening of joy. Instead she yawned, and Chloe was the one to smile. "Get some sleep Max."

"I wanna stay awake with you, besides it's only... what time is it?" Chloe checked her watch.

"It is well past your bedtime miss Caulfield." Max scoffed and grabbed Chloe's watch to check for herself. It was well past two, and officially the anniversary of William's death. The change of expression on Chloe's face told Max she had also realised this. Max gave her an empathetic smile. "It's ok Max, as long as you're here it's ok."

"Good, because I'm not going anywhere Chloe. Partly because I'm too tired to leave, but mostly because I don't want to." Max snuggled in closer to Chloe and fell asleep to the sound of her heartbeat.

Max's sleep was deep and fulfilling, it took her a moment to recall the events of last night but when she did, she felt like an excited schoolgirl with an uncontainable crush. It briefly dawned on her that maybe Chloe had changed her mind in the night, that she hadn't meant the things she said, but as she raised her head to see Chloe looking down at her smiling, these fears vanished.

"Hey you," Chloe said.

"Hey you," Max replied

"You've developed a snore over the last five years miss Caulfield." Chloe teased. Max played along, lightly throwing a pillow at Chloe, before denying the claim. "Chill, I surrender. Besides, it's cute." Chloe said, planting a quick kiss on Max's cheek. "Come on I smell pancakes."

Dazed and blushing, Max followed Chloe downstairs where Joyce was indeed frying off pancakes, and David was sat at the dining table with a newspaper and a glass of milk.

"Morning girls, I thought I'd make you a nice breakfast, who knows what you two eat when you're left to your own devices." Joyce said, the joy in her voice seemed understandably forced. Lots of pizza Max thought but didn't voice.