Max Caulfield (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
mypartnerintime) wrote2025-11-10 10:00 am
mypartnerintime) wrote2025-11-10 10:00 am
Your greatest dreams come true.
[OOC: This takes place during the Gravity Falls event, on the morning of January 19, 2018.]
Max isn’t sure at what point she fell asleep. Knowing that an event was coming up put her on edge, the anxiety keeping her awake, building more and more the fear that she’d be facing the event without any sleep at all.
But before she knew it a familiar scent was wafting through her room, stirring her awake in the soft kaleidoscope of colors- warm and cool and mesmerizing- shining through her window. Even through the haze of her half-awake mind she instantly recognizes the smoky smell of marijuana. And even through groggy eyes she knows the girl sitting on the edge of her bed. Chloe Price in her pajamas, leaning back on one hand, joint in the other, blowing a gentle stream of smoke into the air.
Max inhales and exhales, a long, resigned sigh. Her gaze turns to the ceiling above her, catching at the edge of her vision her picture wall, decorated with dozens of instant photos. Pictures she’d taken down months ago. Her whole room is adorned as it had been during Chloe’s stay in Wonderland- during the best year of her life.
“Hey babe,” comes Chloe’s soft whisper, as the older girl feels her best friend stir. She leans down for a kiss and in a moment Max’s view is all blue hair and eyes, before she turns her head away. Chloe stops, the kiss never connecting, instead raising a hand and placing it gently on Max’s cheek. “You okay? Sorry I woke you.”
Max smiles at the concern in Chloe’s voice and expression- but it’s a bittersweet thing. “No, I…” She takes her girlfriend’s hand and moves it away as she sits up, marveling at the softness of Chloe’s skin. So real. Exactly as she remembers it. And that gives her the strength to face this present moment, to fight down the fear that this event could hurt her. Chloe would never do that.
The two girls sit side by side on the edge of the bed, in the cool morning air, that strange mix of colors still pouring through the window. Max feels the side of her face burning at Chloe’s stare. Butterflies in her stomach. The thrill of feeling Chloe’s hand in hers.
“I can’t do this,” Max says as she stares at her knees.
Chloe scoffs, amused. Her words come quick and light. “What’s that mean?”
“I have to tell you something, okay?” Max pushes on, unwilling to let this opportunity go. She turns to look her best friend in the eyes. Chloe looks happy, as she usually did in the mornings when they woke up together. But beneath that is an undercurrent of confusion and worry, feelings that by now are impossible to hide from each other.
"Oooookay?" Chloe says, more question than answer.
Max closes her eyes for a brief moment, trying desperately to not be fooled by this image in front of her. This event. All the same, when she opens them, she takes the time to study her girlfriend’s face. To watch the muscles there shift into different expressions, the eyes flick left and right as Chloe studies her. To take it all in as the conversation goes on.
“I’m so… sorry, Chloe.”
Chloe’s smile fades, expression now turning to concern. She dumps her joint on the ashtray next to the bed, so she can grip each of Max’s hands. “For what? What’re you talking about?”
“For not saving you,” Max says quietly.
Chloe shakes her head, the corner of her mouth rising into a one-sided smile. “I told you ages ago, Max. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I asked you to.”
Max shakes her head. Her hands grip Chloe’s tighter still. “Not in Arcadia Bay. Here, in Wonderland. I’m sorry I didn’t save you.”
The other girl stares in confusion until a small laugh escapes her. “Are you high Max?”
Max laughs in turn. “No, silly.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about? There’s nothing to forgive.”
Max shakes her head again. She wants so much to wipe the wetness from her eyes, but she refuses to let go of Chloe’s hands. “Tell me you forgive me anyway.”
Chloe scoffs. “Well, shit, Max. I forgive you, you weirdo.”
“Thanks.”
Relief floods through Max and she feels herself leaning in for a kiss, an almost instinctive movement buoyed by Chloe’s words. But instead she stands up from the bed, releasing Chloe’s hands with great effort. She walks over to the door and rests her palm on the cold metal doorknob.
“Are you going out in your PJs?” Chloe asks with a laugh and a mischievous smirk. She stands and walks to Max, her hands coming to rest on her girlfriend’s waist. “I could totally help you change.”
Max laughs, quiet and choked. She looks up into Chloe’s eyes and barely forces the words out. “Do you... mind if I leave you here?”
Chloe frowns. “Huh?”
“I just… have to be alone now.”
The other girl stares at her, no longer concerned but fearful. Her hands come up to cradle Max’s face. “Max, what the hell is going on? Did I fuck something up?”
Max closes her eyes. She counts the seconds in her head as they tick by, as she tries to find words that can express what she wants to say.
They come slowly, and with difficulty. “You didn’t do anything bad, Chloe. But I can’t… stay right now. I did something wrong, and I just need to deal with it. That’s all. But… without you.”
The last words hit Chloe hard, and her hands drop to her side. “Are you leaving me?”
Max turns the doorknob, edging the door open, though she continues to stare at Chloe’s face. Her words come with more confidence than she’s been able to muster this whole time. “No. You know I’d never do that. I just need to be alone for now. But I love you. I’ll always love you.”
“You’re so fucking cheesy,” Chloe says, though the words are tinged with confusion and fear. She pulls Max into a hug, and Max hugs her back tightly. “I don't understand half the shit you say sometimes, but I love you too.” The embrace goes on for several seconds- but Max feels Chloe’s love the most when the older girl lets her go. When her trust in Max beats out her selfish desire to hold on possessively.
"I'll see you around you big dork," Chloe says, squeezing Max's hand one more time.
Max smiles at her. "That sounds... really nice."
And, for a moment, as she pushes open the door, Max feels her gut sink. What if she’s actually walking away from the best year she’s ever had, from the person she’s loved the most, from her one chance to reset things? The thought is made all the more frightening by Chloe’s hurt and confused expression as Max steps through the door, looking back to take in her girlfriend’s image one last time.
But the fear fades as Max steps out not into the third floor corridor, but into a bizarre land of overwhelming colors and vistas. The door clicks quietly behind her, and Max walks away without daring to look back, assured now that a crazy event is in full swing.
And, though she might never realize it, Max’s foremost desire for closure was fulfilled.
Max isn’t sure at what point she fell asleep. Knowing that an event was coming up put her on edge, the anxiety keeping her awake, building more and more the fear that she’d be facing the event without any sleep at all.
But before she knew it a familiar scent was wafting through her room, stirring her awake in the soft kaleidoscope of colors- warm and cool and mesmerizing- shining through her window. Even through the haze of her half-awake mind she instantly recognizes the smoky smell of marijuana. And even through groggy eyes she knows the girl sitting on the edge of her bed. Chloe Price in her pajamas, leaning back on one hand, joint in the other, blowing a gentle stream of smoke into the air.
Max inhales and exhales, a long, resigned sigh. Her gaze turns to the ceiling above her, catching at the edge of her vision her picture wall, decorated with dozens of instant photos. Pictures she’d taken down months ago. Her whole room is adorned as it had been during Chloe’s stay in Wonderland- during the best year of her life.
“Hey babe,” comes Chloe’s soft whisper, as the older girl feels her best friend stir. She leans down for a kiss and in a moment Max’s view is all blue hair and eyes, before she turns her head away. Chloe stops, the kiss never connecting, instead raising a hand and placing it gently on Max’s cheek. “You okay? Sorry I woke you.”
Max smiles at the concern in Chloe’s voice and expression- but it’s a bittersweet thing. “No, I…” She takes her girlfriend’s hand and moves it away as she sits up, marveling at the softness of Chloe’s skin. So real. Exactly as she remembers it. And that gives her the strength to face this present moment, to fight down the fear that this event could hurt her. Chloe would never do that.
The two girls sit side by side on the edge of the bed, in the cool morning air, that strange mix of colors still pouring through the window. Max feels the side of her face burning at Chloe’s stare. Butterflies in her stomach. The thrill of feeling Chloe’s hand in hers.
“I can’t do this,” Max says as she stares at her knees.
Chloe scoffs, amused. Her words come quick and light. “What’s that mean?”
“I have to tell you something, okay?” Max pushes on, unwilling to let this opportunity go. She turns to look her best friend in the eyes. Chloe looks happy, as she usually did in the mornings when they woke up together. But beneath that is an undercurrent of confusion and worry, feelings that by now are impossible to hide from each other.
"Oooookay?" Chloe says, more question than answer.
Max closes her eyes for a brief moment, trying desperately to not be fooled by this image in front of her. This event. All the same, when she opens them, she takes the time to study her girlfriend’s face. To watch the muscles there shift into different expressions, the eyes flick left and right as Chloe studies her. To take it all in as the conversation goes on.
“I’m so… sorry, Chloe.”
Chloe’s smile fades, expression now turning to concern. She dumps her joint on the ashtray next to the bed, so she can grip each of Max’s hands. “For what? What’re you talking about?”
“For not saving you,” Max says quietly.
Chloe shakes her head, the corner of her mouth rising into a one-sided smile. “I told you ages ago, Max. There’s nothing to be sorry for. I asked you to.”
Max shakes her head. Her hands grip Chloe’s tighter still. “Not in Arcadia Bay. Here, in Wonderland. I’m sorry I didn’t save you.”
The other girl stares in confusion until a small laugh escapes her. “Are you high Max?”
Max laughs in turn. “No, silly.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about? There’s nothing to forgive.”
Max shakes her head again. She wants so much to wipe the wetness from her eyes, but she refuses to let go of Chloe’s hands. “Tell me you forgive me anyway.”
Chloe scoffs. “Well, shit, Max. I forgive you, you weirdo.”
“Thanks.”
Relief floods through Max and she feels herself leaning in for a kiss, an almost instinctive movement buoyed by Chloe’s words. But instead she stands up from the bed, releasing Chloe’s hands with great effort. She walks over to the door and rests her palm on the cold metal doorknob.
“Are you going out in your PJs?” Chloe asks with a laugh and a mischievous smirk. She stands and walks to Max, her hands coming to rest on her girlfriend’s waist. “I could totally help you change.”
Max laughs, quiet and choked. She looks up into Chloe’s eyes and barely forces the words out. “Do you... mind if I leave you here?”
Chloe frowns. “Huh?”
“I just… have to be alone now.”
The other girl stares at her, no longer concerned but fearful. Her hands come up to cradle Max’s face. “Max, what the hell is going on? Did I fuck something up?”
Max closes her eyes. She counts the seconds in her head as they tick by, as she tries to find words that can express what she wants to say.
They come slowly, and with difficulty. “You didn’t do anything bad, Chloe. But I can’t… stay right now. I did something wrong, and I just need to deal with it. That’s all. But… without you.”
The last words hit Chloe hard, and her hands drop to her side. “Are you leaving me?”
Max turns the doorknob, edging the door open, though she continues to stare at Chloe’s face. Her words come with more confidence than she’s been able to muster this whole time. “No. You know I’d never do that. I just need to be alone for now. But I love you. I’ll always love you.”
“You’re so fucking cheesy,” Chloe says, though the words are tinged with confusion and fear. She pulls Max into a hug, and Max hugs her back tightly. “I don't understand half the shit you say sometimes, but I love you too.” The embrace goes on for several seconds- but Max feels Chloe’s love the most when the older girl lets her go. When her trust in Max beats out her selfish desire to hold on possessively.
"I'll see you around you big dork," Chloe says, squeezing Max's hand one more time.
Max smiles at her. "That sounds... really nice."
And, for a moment, as she pushes open the door, Max feels her gut sink. What if she’s actually walking away from the best year she’s ever had, from the person she’s loved the most, from her one chance to reset things? The thought is made all the more frightening by Chloe’s hurt and confused expression as Max steps through the door, looking back to take in her girlfriend’s image one last time.
But the fear fades as Max steps out not into the third floor corridor, but into a bizarre land of overwhelming colors and vistas. The door clicks quietly behind her, and Max walks away without daring to look back, assured now that a crazy event is in full swing.
And, though she might never realize it, Max’s foremost desire for closure was fulfilled.