“Hey, Max,” she said quietly as she pulled the box out of its hiding place. Max waited a few seconds before turning to face Chloe, who was holding her hands behind her back and looking… fearful? The usually fearless Chloe Price was biting her lip nervously, her eyes closed tight.

Chapter Text

March 20th, 2017, 1:28 PM

“Hey, babe, I’m gonna run out for a coffee, do you want anything?” Max yelled down the corridor of her small New York apartment. Her bob hairstyle had grown out a bit, but apart from that, she still looked almost the same as she did when she left Arcadia Bay so long ago. Almost instantly, a head poked out from an open doorway, a smile plastered on her face.

“Hell yeah, get me a large mocha. I’ll pay you back tomorrow,” she said with a grin. Max shook her head smugly and reached into her purse, flashing a credit card that made Chloe’s grin turn into shock. “Hey, what the hell!” She said angrily, stepping out from her and Max’s room. Her naturally blonde hair now reached her shoulders, where the tips still carried some of the dye that was in her hair when she left with Max, now faded into a turquoise-green. Her distinct, colourful tattoo was now almost completely covered up with horizontal lines of black ink. Chloe stomped towards the laughing Max, who was holding the card behind her back with a smirk.

“This is you paying me back for that pack of cigarettes last week,” she said, barely containing a chuckle. Chloe raised a finger and opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it when she stopped to think for a second. Eventually, she sighed in defeat, hanging her head in shame, which only caused Max to laugh harder. “You really brought this on yourself. You’re 23 years old and you still leave your purse on the kitchen counter.”

“Yeah, cause I’m not a paranoid ass! I thought my girlfriend would be considerate enough not to steal my credit card but I guess not.” Despite her arguing, Chloe couldn’t help but smile at Max, who was still looking incredibly proud of herself. She simply planted a kiss on Max’s forehead and turned around to go back to their room. “Make that a small espresso. You better not bankrupt me, Caulfield.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, babe.”

March 20th, 2017, 1:40 PM

With some difficulty, Max opened the door to the apartment with a coffee in each hand and a small paper bag. As soon as Chloe heard the door close, she dashed out to the entranceway to help Max. However, when she saw the bag, her expression turned sour.

“Did you really use my credit card to buy cakes? You’re unbelievable,” she said, taking a sip from her coffee. Max rolled her eyes as she put Chloe’s credit card back in the correct purse.

“They’re for you, dummy. I felt bad about not being able to get you anything for your birthday,” Max went red with shame as she stared at her feet. “I’ll pay you back, I just need to apply to a few more galleries… the one I went to last week seemed to really like my work,” she said hopefully, looking up at Chloe, who wasn’t able to wipe the look of concern from her face quick enough.

“Look, Maxi,” she started, her tone significantly softer after seeing that familiar sad look in Max's eyes. “I know it’s been hard. But, we both know that any gallery that passes you up doesn’t deserve to call itself a real gallery,” she said with a smile, which caused Max to smile slightly. “Besides, it isn’t like we’re doing bad financially. I never knew tattooing paid so well.” Chloe put a hand on Max’s shoulder, squeezing softly. “We’ll be ok, promise.”

“If you say so. I guess I'll just keep doing freelance work while I’m job hunting, some people pay really well for easy shots,” Max said, now bubblier than she was previously. Chloe smiled, wrapping an arm around Max’s waist.

“That’s the spirit, babe. Now c’mon, we still have to finish Stranger Things.”

April 1st, 2017, 10:42 AM

“Why do you think I’m pissed, Chlo?” Max asked exasperatedly, desperately trying to wash a streak of blue out of her hair while Chloe laughed somewhat nervously at her side.

“Chillax, Max. It’s a semi-permanent dye, it’ll wash out in a couple days,” she said, putting her hands on Max’s shoulders. The younger woman just groaned louder at this, however.

“Chloe I'm meeting with a gallery rep tomorrow! If I show up with this in my hair, they'll never take me or my photos seriously!” Max cried, gripping the sides of the sink tightly as she eyed the blue streak of hair in the mirror with frustration. To her surprise, Chloe started laughing harder.

“Oh my god, you do know you’re talking about an art gallery, right? Those hipsters will love it. Hell, they’ll probably ask you to keep it. If anything, I’ve done you a favor,” she said, punctuating her point by crossing her arms with a smirk. Max sighed.

“Chloe Price.”

“That’s me.”

“My lovely girlfriend.”

“Mmhmm?”

“I love you, but you are a smug ass sometimes.”

“I pride myself on it,” Chloe replied, still smirking. Max sighed again, smiling despite herself.

“I know you do,” she said quietly. She turned to face Chloe, running a hand through her hair that caused the blue streak to fall in front of her eye. Chloe turned bright red and took a couple steps back.

“You know what, I think I did do you a favor,” she muttered. Max cocked an eyebrow at her, which caused her to splutter more. “I-I mean, you already looked amazing before, but now it’s like. You’re hot in a badass way rather than a girl-next-door way, you know?” Chloe said quickly, fidgeting with the buttons on the sleeve of her shirt. Sensing an opportunity to mess with Chloe, Max laughed slightly and sauntered towards her, purposefully swaying her hips more than usual. Predictably, Chloe backed up slightly at first, but eventually stood her ground. Max wrapped her arms around the back of Chloe’s neck as Chloe slipped her hands into Max’s back pockets. Their lips were mere centimeters apart when Max whispered “You don’t get to kiss me until tomorrow. Payback.” Chloe groaned at this, pushing Max back slightly as the other girl burst into laughter.

“You really know how to blue-ball a girl, huh?” Chloe said, clearly disappointed.

“Watch it Bluebeard, or I’ll extend it to a month.”



May 5th, 2017, 12:03 PM

“I can’t believe you fell asleep your first time watching Star Wars! That should be illegal, Max!” Chloe complained loudly, following a yawning Max out of the bedroom.

“Sorry Chlo, I had to get up early yesterday to get some work done so I wasn’t really ready to stay up till-holy shit,” she said suddenly, rushing towards the front door of their apartment. A white envelope with a “DG” in the upper left corner was lying on the doormat. Chloe eyed it curiously, trying to deduce what the hell it was for, even though Max seemed to know immediately. As she tore open the envelope, she was repeatedly muttering “Come on, come on please”. Chloe guessed that whatever Max was hoping for had come true based on the scream of joy and attack hug from behind that almost knocked the cup of coffee from her hand.

“Woah, easy Mad Max,” Chloe chuckled, swinging Max around slightly on her back. “What’s so exciting?” Max let go of Chloe and went back to the letter, clearing her throat dramatically.

“Dear Miss Caulfield, we at the Danziger Gallery would love to display a collection of your photographs in our gallery. We currently have no exhibits booked for June 8th through July 1st, and we believe this would be a great time to show off your work. Please let us know if this is ok with you, and if so, attach any photographs you would like to have displayed in your return letter.” After she was done reading, both women were silent for a moment before Max abruptly yelled “Chloe they want my pictures in a real photo gallery!” That’s all it took for Chloe to envelop Max in a hug of her own.

“Yes! I’m so proud of my superstar. This is the start of something big for you, I can tell,” she said, smiling brightly at Max, who looked at Chloe through tear-filled eyes.

“I’m just glad I can share it with you. After all the shit we went through in Arc - in Oregon, I never thought I’d end up here, with you,” she said tearfully. Chloe shook her head, wiping the tears from Max’s eyes.

“This was your destiny, Max. Our destiny. Dealing with all that bullshit was worth it just to be here with you now,” she said quietly. Max hugged Chloe again, and they stayed locked in that embrace for a while. Max nuzzled into Chloe’s collarbone as Chloe stroked her hair gently.

“Chloe… thank you for believing in me, even when I was a kid. I…” she faltered slightly, before breaking the hug to look up at Chloe, to look into her eyes. “I love you, Chloe.” As soon as she said it, Max felt tears forming in her eyes yet again as she realised just how much she owed to Chloe. A red flush crept up Chloe’s face, and she was speechless for once.

“I - uh - I love you too, Max. I’m so lucky to still have you,” she said hoarsely. “You could’ve let me die in that bathroom, but you didn’t. I literally owe you my life, babe.” Max shook her head vigorously.

“Don’t even make me think about that, I hate to imagine what I would do without my partner in crime,” she said with a smile, which Chloe quickly returned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll always be here for my partner in time - wait, that doesn’t really work anymore, does it?” Chloe said with a giggle, drawing a laugh from Max. “Do you ever miss it? Being able to fuck with time, I mean,” she asked after a moment, even though deep down she knew the answer already.

“Definitely not. Maybe sometimes when I spill a drink it would be useful to have it back, but it did way more harm than good. I mean, it basically wiped out my home. Our home,” Max said with a slight shudder that made Chloe regret asking her question.

“Yeah, it did... “ she said quietly, shaking her head. “But come on, don’t dwell on that. This is a huge moment for you! Your pictures are gonna be in a fuckin’ gallery!” Chloe exclaimed, bouncing on her heels slightly. Max couldn’t help but smile at how happy Chloe was for her. She went to the counter and picked up the cup of coffee Chloe had made for her, now lukewarm due to how long they had talked about the letter.

“I guess this means I should start picking out what pictures I want them to have,” she said thoughtfully, before her eyes lit up suddenly. “We need to get the photo album!” Max hadn’t even finished the thought before she put down the mug and rushed off to their bedroom, leaving Chloe standing in the kitchen alone, somewhat dumbfounded.

“Yeah, I guess we do,” she said to the empty space where Max stood just a second before. In record time, Max was back in the kitchen, slightly out of breath but holding a thick photo album. Smiling at Max’s enthusiasm, Chloe made her way to the couch in the middle of their apartment’s small living room, gesturing for Max to sit down next to her. The couple put the album between them and opened it to the first page, which was covered in polaroids of Chloe, much to Max’s embarrassment and Chloe’s entertainment.

“Hey, look!” Chloe said, pointing to a photo of her 19 year old self lying on the hood of a rusted car, pointing a gun in the air. “I remember that, we were shooting bottles and you passed out, then Frank tried to scare us and you shot him! Well, tried to shoot him,” she added teasingly.

“I was scared! That creep pulled a knife on you, I didn’t know what to do,” Max muttered, embarrassed. She stared at the photo of Chloe, waves of admiration washing over her. Chloe’s short, electric blue hair was tucked into a beanie, her jacket partially covered the colourful tattoo that was now a source of shame and sadness for Chloe. “God, you looked so good…” Max said without thinking, drawing a slight scoff from Chloe.

“What, you think I should dye my hair again?” She asked, a tinge of hurt in her voice, to which Max shook her head softly.

“No, no I really like how it is now,” she said quietly, taking the photo out of the album. “I think I wanna give them this one, it’s a really good shot.” Chloe raised her eyebrows at this, looking from Max to the photo and back to Max.

“You wanna give them a picture of me? To display in a gallery?” Chloe said slowly, causing Max’s eyes to widen in concern as she fumbled to put the photo back in the album.

“S-sorry Chloe, I wasn’t thinking. I just-” she started, but Chloe cut her off with a laugh.

“Max, it’s cool. It’s just surreal thinking about those weird art people judging a photo of me, that’s all,” she said softly, placing a hand on Max’s. “I’d be honored to be part of Maxine Caulfield’s gallery exhibit extravaganza thing.” Max bit her lip nervously before she put the photo on the coffee table in front of them. The couple spent almost an hour going through the album until they had a stack of thirty photos on the table, ranging from photos taken during that week in October, to a photo Max took just a few days ago. Unsurprisingly, most of the photos featured Chloe.

“They should be calling it the Chloe Price exhibit,” Chloe said with a smirk, which caused Max to turn bright red.

“You’re a good model, I guess,” she mumbled.

“Or you just wanted to take a bunch of photos of me because you had a massive crush on me,” Chloe teased. Max attempted to argue but couldn’t seem to think of any rebuttal that would prove Chloe wrong, so she simply closed the photo album as Chloe laughed.

“Thought so. Hey, I have a client coming in at 3, but after that we could go get a celebration dinner if you want,” Chloe said, pulling out her phone to check the time.

“You sure you don’t just wanna order a pizza?” Max asked, but Chloe waved the suggestion away before Max was even done speaking.

“No, I wanna celebrate my girlfriend being a badass. Come on, we could go to that new hipster burger place, my treat,” she said, taking Max’s hands in her own. Max sighed a little before nodding with a small smile, causing Chloe to cheer loudly. “I should probably get ready, could you call David and tell him the good news and let him know we’re ok?” She asked, which made Max groan slightly.

“Chloe, he’s your d-” Max started before being quickly cut off by Chloe.

“Maxine, please? While I shower? Tell him I’ll call him myself tomorrow,” Chloe said seriously, looking into Max’s eyes. With a defeated sigh, Max nodded. “Thanks babe,” Chloe said happily, planting a kiss on Max’s cheek before standing up and heading for their bedroom. As Max dialed David’s number, Chloe quietly shut the door to the bedroom, taking a deep breath. She crept over to her bedside table, opening the main drawer and rummaging around the very back corner for a moment before pulling out a small, velvety box.

“Better tonight than ever,” she whispered to herself as she opened the box and eyed the gold and silver ring inside with a small smile.



May 5th, 2017, 8:23 PM

By the time Max and Chloe left the small, cozy restaurant, it was almost pitch black outside, the only light coming from the cars whizzing past them, streetlights, and other buildings. The two women were laughing about something as the door swung shut behind them, walking arm-in-arm down the quiet street.

“You know some old fart is gonna lose it at the fact your selfies are in a gallery,” Chloe said loudly, causing Max to laugh harder. “If only those assholes in the Vortex Club could see you now. Max Caulfield, featured photographer at the Danziger Gallery!” Chloe shouted these last words, which drew a cheer from Max.

“Can we go see the gallery? I’ve only ever really seen it once, when I submitted my portfolio,” Max asked after her laughter petered out. Immediately, Chloe knew it was the perfect spot to enact her plan.

“Yeah, of course. How far is it?” She asked as Max pulled out her phone. After a few seconds of typing, the words Danziger Gallery - 0.8 Miles appeared on Max’s phone. Chloe scoffed, draping an arm around Max’s shoulders.

“That’s nothing. Lead the way, Super-Max,” she said, earning a wide grin from Max. After about ten minutes of laughter-filled walking, the couple stopped in front of a relatively small building. There was no sign, no indication that this was the correct building, but Max knew right away that this was the right place.

“There it is,” she said simply. Chloe cocked her head to the side skeptically, as if the non-existent sign was only visible at a certain angle.

“It doesn’t look like an art gallery,” she said, more to herself than to Max. But Max shook her head and stepped closer to the gallery windows, peering inside. The inside of the building was shrouded in darkness, but there were clearly pieces of art lining the white walls. A smile crept across Max’s face as she imagined her own photos on those walls, being critiqued and admired by hundreds of people. With a deep breath, Chloe stepped back a few paces, rummaging around in her jacket pocket while Max was occupied.

“Hey, Max,” she said quietly as she pulled the box out of its hiding place. Max waited a few seconds before turning to face Chloe, who was holding her hands behind her back and looking… fearful? The usually fearless Chloe Price was biting her lip nervously, her eyes closed tight. Max stepped forward, concerned, before Chloe opened her mouth.

“Max, I’ve known you for almost my entire life. You were always one of the only people I could turn to, one of the only people I was comfortable with,” she trailed off, her eyes fixated on her shoes. “And… I hate to say but I was jealous of you for years. You were smart, funny, you always knew exactly what to say and I… I was this abrasive, misbehaving jackass. When you left for Seattle, I turned that jealousy into anger and hate. But when you came back to Arcad - um - came back to me, 4 years ago, I forgot all that bullshit. From that week on, you became my entire world. You became the only thing I really care about. You became…” she took a deep breath. “You became the love of my life.” Max covered her mouth with her hand, shocked by Chloe pouring her heart out like this. “You’ve given me the best 4 years of my life, and I don’t want that to end, so...” Chloe took another deep breath. Then she knelt down, and moved her hands from behind her back. There was a small box in her hand. Max’s eyes immediately filled with tears.

“Chloe, if this is a joke-”

“Come on Max, I wouldn’t joke about this. I’m serious. Maxine Caulfield, would you marry me?” Chloe opened the box and revealed a stunning gold ring with silver accents all around, reflecting in the light of the streetlamp. There was a beat of stunned silence before Max ran toward Chloe, who stood up in time to catch Max and lift her up into a massive hug.

“Yes, yes of course I’ll marry you! Oh my god, Chloe, I love you! I can’t believe this!” She shouted as Chloe swung her around, cheering. After what felt like forever, Chloe gently set Max down and slipped the ring onto her finger, relieved that it fit perfectly. Chloe laughed softly, wiping tears out of her own eyes.

“I love you too, Maxi. Not a bad day for you, huh?” She said quietly, looking from the gleaming ring to Max’s eyes brimming with tears.

“The best day,” she replied in a whisper. Chloe brushed a strand of hair out of Max’s eyeline, before cupping her face in her hand, stroking her cheek with her thumb. Chloe leaned down slightly to kiss Max, their lips touching gently. As the kiss continued, Max stood on the tips of her toes so she was the same height as Chloe, and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s midsection. If Max still had her powers, she would have rewound back to this moment over and over again. She could smell the shampoo she and Chloe shared, taste the cigarette Chloe had stomped out shortly before they arrived at the gallery. When they finally broke the kiss, both women giggled softly, unable to take their eyes off each other.

“Wait,” Max said suddenly, her eyes widening. “We have to tell my parents. And David. And everyone in Seattle,” Chloe simply smiled and held out her hand, which Max took immediately, squeezing Chloe’s hand tightly.

“Let’s get back to the apartment and take some pics then. Maybe if you get a good shot you could use it in your exhibition,” Chloe joked, running her finger along Max’s ring.