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hereforthefluff · 20 days

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Flickers and Memories

A/N: I read the LIS comics and to say they left a deep impact on me is an understatement. I genuinly loved the story, and it's been a long time since I read something so perfectly sad. Therefore I've written a fanfic, solely to cope with them. Enjoy! Link to the comics!

Warnings: Spoilers for the ending of the Life is Strange comics!

Summary: Story takes place after the 6th comic, Settling Dust! It's been a year since Max has been reuinted with Chloe in her own timeline, yet the couple still struggles with the sadness of losing someone they love. Thankfully, them being together is exactly what they need to get through tough times.

Word Count: 3094

“Chloe? I’m home!” Max called out as she closed the front door behind her. She listened for a reply, knowing Chloe had come home earlier than her, and frowned when there came no immediate response. It was evening, and she had no idea where Chloe would have gone if she wasn’t at home.

“In here!” Chloe finally called back from what appeared to be the living room. Relief washed over Max as she made her way over to her girlfriend, smiling as she saw Chloe sitting on the purple blanket on the floor. Her smile faded as she saw Chloe’s sad expression, while staring at one of the pictures Rachel had given her. Oh.

“Hey you. You’ve been looking at those a lot recently. Are you okay?” Max asked as she sat herself down on the floor next to Chloe, leaning her head on her shoulder. Chloe huffed. Of course Max would have noticed.

“There’s no use trying to hide stuff from you, right Super Max?” She asked with a small smile, before looking back at the picture. “Yeah I’m fine, it’s just…”

“You miss her?” Max finished, gently rubbing her hand on Chloe’s back. She nodded.

“Yeah. It’s like an old wound that opened again. I’ve coped with her death for years, and it certainly was a lot easier with you by my side. Knowing that she’s alive out there, living with me in an alternate reality, has made me so happy. But at the same time it also hurts,” Chloe said with a sad smile. Max felt a stab of pain in her chest as she thought about alternate Chloe and Rachel. It had taken over two years to finally reunite with her Chloe again, but leaving the other Chloe had hurt her more than she had been prepared for. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes by merely thinking of her.

“That reminds me. Chloe, there’s something I haven’t told you yet… something I’ve been struggling with on my own since I came back, and I need your help with it,” Max admitted, making Chloe look up at her. If Max asked for help, it was something serious.

“Whatever it is, I’m here for you if you’re willing to share it with me, Max,” She said with a soft smile, taking one of Max’ hands.

“I figured it out a while ago, but… remember when we went back to Arcadia Bay, and we saw my grave in a flicker?” She asked. When Chloe nodded, she took a deep breath. “I discussed this with Tristan the other day. Flickers are mere windows that give you a view into another reality. To be able to walk through a door, into that reality, there has to be a space to walk into. Which means… which means that the reality I went to for two years was the one where Max Caulfield had died.” She concluded. Chloe’s face became pale at the mere thought of that.

“Oh Max, I’m so–” She said, yet stopped as Max shook her head.

“It’s okay! That’s not the part I’m struggling with. The thing is, in that reality I died as a kid. The Chloe from that reality suffered so much because of that, and when she finally found happiness with Rachel, I showed up again. I can’t imagine the pain I must have caused her,” Max said, hugging her own knees.

“Hey don’t beat yourself up like that,” Chloe said, wrapping her arms around Max as she hugged her tightly. “There was no way you could have known, and it’s not like you really had a choice, Max. Those flickers would have destroyed you if you didn’t take action, and you had no idea where you’d end up in the first place,” She said.

“I know that. Chloe also told me not to worry, that they had coped without me for years, and that they were able to do it again. She said that coping would be easier since she now had amazing memories of a life with me in it, and that she wouldn’t trade it for the world. And I think that’s the part that hurts me the most. I somehow always manage to hurt you by leaving you behind, no matter what reality I’m in.” Max said, leaning into Chloe’s embrace as tears ran down her cheeks. Chloe closed her eyes as she held her, gently rocking her side to side.

“Stop blaming yourself for leaving me when you were thirteen, you were a child. And definitely stop blaming yourself for dying in an alternate reality, Max.” She said, placing a kiss on her cheek before looking into her eyes. “You had no control over that. Chl– I was right. Now they have two years worth of memories with you. It might’ve hurt them a lot when you had to leave again, but that’s still priceless if you ask me. Pun intended,” She added with a smirk. Max couldn’t help but smile a little at that.

“I miss her, Chloe. I know it’s selfish. This is my home, and you are my home, and I love you so damn much, I wouldn’t trade you for anything. I know this is where I belong, and I’m truly happy here, yet at the same time it felt like I left a friend behind. A best friend I’ll never get to see again. It doesn’t make sense since you’re literally the same person, but–”

“You don’t need to explain it, Max, I understand what you’re saying. It was a different me, but still me. Of course it hurt you leaving me behind,” Chloe said, placing a kiss on her temple. If Max wasn’t already crying, she would cry by how understanding Chloe was.

“Thank you,” Max wiped the tears from her eyes with a smile. “She knew about you, you know. Rachel. Not you from the alternate reality, but you. My Chloe,” Max said, taking one of Chloe’s hands in her own. Her girlfriend just stared at her.

“Rachel knew– did you tell her about me? About us? About what happened?” Chloe asked, her mouth suddenly dry.

“Yes. Rachel knows you loved her in this timeline too, and she knows that she… didn’t make it. I told her that you and I are together, and believe me when I say that she was so relieved to know that you’re happy here too, and not alone. That’s the reason she was so set on getting me back home in the first place, I think. Because she knew you were suffering without me, and she didn’t want that. Rachel loves you in every reality, Chloe, no matter where she is,” Max said, pulling a sobbing Chloe in for another tight hug.

“Oh Max! Oh I miss her so much!” She cried into her shoulder, and Max felt her own tears run down her cheeks again. Meeting Rachel had changed her life and they had become close friends, alternate reality or not. Friendship runs thicker than blood, after all. For Chloe to have actually spent time with Rachel in this reality, only to lose her? She couldn’t, no, didn’t even want to imagine the pain Chloe had felt, and was feeling now again.

“I miss her too, Chloe. We’re both lucky to have met her. Let’s treasure her letter and pictures, knowing that she’s alive and still loves us from far away,” Max said, brushing a hand through Chloe’s teal hair. They remained like that for a while, until Chloe pulled away from the hug with a sniffle.

“Hey Max?” She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. She still looked sad, but not as broken as before.

“Yeah?” The brunette said while sitting up straight, looking closely at her girlfriend.

“Can you tell me more about her? About the Rachel you met?” Chloe asked with a tearful smile. Max leaned in to gently wipe the tears from her eyes with her thumb, before patting her lap for Chloe to rest her head on.

“Of course,” Max said with a smile of her own. For the next hour or so, she told Chloe everything she could think of about the two years she spent with Rachel and Chloe, from their reunion until their goodbye. They both laughed and cried at the memories, but most importantly they smiled brightly at them. Eventually the sadness faded to the background, and happiness filled in its leave. The moments Max’d shared with them were priceless indeed.

“I never met your Rachel, but the Rachel I knew definitely knew how to handle you,” Max said with a playful smile, booping Chloe’s nose. Chloe laughed at that.

“Oh yeah, Rachel knew how to handle me here too,” Chloe grinned. “That was one of the first things I noticed about her. I always thought she was prissy and stuck-up, but I was so wrong. She was one of the most badass yet also kindest people I ever met,” She said with a soft smile.

“She sounds just like you,” Max winked, gently running her fingers over Chloe’s blacked out arm.

“Oh I'm a badass for sure! That'll never change,” Chloe said with a cackle, sitting up to flex her arms while making a tough face. Since she started working at the garage she had become visibly stronger, so she had a point. Still, Max couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Bossy, sassy and badass. That’s Chloe Price for you, in every reality,” Max teased while ruffling her long, teal hair. Chloe shook her head with a giggle and swatted her hand away.

“Careful Maximus, I’m still the Captain! And ye don’t mess with yer Captain’s hair without consequences!” Chloe playfully threatened with the best pirate accent she could muster, her hand forming a claw at Max while wiggling her eyebrows. Max only smirked at her.

“And I’m still your first mate who needs to bring you down from your ego trip from time to time. I may not be Rachel, but I definitely know how to handle you too!” Max said with a mischievous grin, hooking her hands under Chloe’s arms as she dragged her towards herself. Chloe let out a squeal of laughter.

“MAHAAHAX!” She laughed, hugging herself as she sat in Max’ lap. Her girlfriend chuckled and lightly drummed her nails up and down her ribs.

“Yes my dear Chloe?” She smiled into Chloe’s neck, lightly blowing air on her skin to send her into another giggle fit.

“Aahahahaa!! It tihihihihickles!” She cried out in laughter, her hands wrapping around her ribs to hide them. Surprisingly, Chloe wasn’t really fighting to escape at all, she just leaned against Max and laughed loudly while accepting her fate. It was almost as if she had provoked her on purpose, knowing how Max would react. The brunette smiled widely at that.

“That’s kind of the point,” She teased, placing kisses on her neck while moving her hands down to gently drill her thumbs into her hips. Chloe was sinking further and further into her embrace while laughing her heart out, a blush covering her cheeks.

“Oohoho shihihihit! Mahahax! Max please I cahahahahan’t!” She laughed, almost fully laying down in Max’ lap at this point, yet still didn’t fight back. Max was sure of it now.

“Aww what’s the matter Chloe? Did you miss my tickles? My my, how the tables have turned~” Max teased with a wide grin, causing Chloe to blush harder. She playfully clawed at her sides, which finally made her girlfriend give in as she arched her back.

“Mehercy mehehEHEHERCY!” She wheezed, and Max stopped with a chuckle, gently patting her hand on Chloe’s side while looking at her panting girlfriend, who looked breathless but happy. She could tell that Chloe had needed a moment where she could just laugh her heart out and forget about her worries or sorrows. And they’d already had enough worries and sorrows for a lifetime, Max realized with a frown.

“I think I figured out what we need to do now,” She said, leaning in to place a kiss on Chloe’s forehead before standing up. When Chloe gave her a confused look, Max smiled and offered her a hand.

“And what exactly is that?” Chloe asked, taking the hand as she stood up.

“Chloe and Rachel didn’t help me return to my own timeline so we would mourn over them. They did it to reunite us. They’re the main reason I was able to come back home, minus Tammi and Tristan. We can miss them, but we shouldn’t let our sadness control us. We should live our lives and have fun instead. Together, just like they are doing right now,” Max said, placing a hand on Chloe’s cheek, who leaned into the touch. She stared at Max for a moment, before nodding with a smile.

“You know what Max? I really like that idea,” Chloe said, placing her arms on Max’s shoulders as she looked at her shorter girlfriend. When did she get so wise?

“There’s so many things I still want to do with you. Snuggle under a blanket in the middle of the night while looking at the stars. Dance with you underneath those same stars. Going to the beach to have a rematch for our “epic pool battle” from a few years ago. Improve my guitar skills so I can play music for you by the campfire. Have a roadtrip with no real destination in mind. There’s still so much I want to do, and I want to spend the rest of my days with you, Chloe Price,” Max said, taking a step closer to press her forehead against Chloe’s. Her girlfriend closed her eyes and leaned in to place a tender kiss on her lips, which she happily returned.

“I love you, Max. Let’s do all of those things together, and so much more,” She uttered after pulling away, placing both hands on Max’ face as she gently held her.

“I love you more,” Max said, placing a hand on her tattooed arm. Sometimes she felt like both her and Chloe were broken, but being in each other’s company was always enough to heal and get them through anything. Who needed therapy anyways, if they could simply hold each other like this.

“And I love you most,” Chloe finished with a grin, playfully sticking out her tongue at her little ‘victory’. Max rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Do you know what I want to do most of all, right now?” She asked with a suggestive smile. Chloe felt her cheeks heat up as her eyes widened a little.

“Uhm, I–” She stammered, only to be interrupted by a pillow smacking against the side of her head. Max had stooped down and picked up the pillow she’d been sitting on earlier.

“This!” Max let out a gremlin laugh as she darted away from her girlfriend, running into their bedroom as she jumped on the bed. Chloe felt like she’d been staring a lot at Max this past hour, but she could only stare at her with a surprised smile and an open jaw. Out of all the things she had expected, this was last on the list. Max had successfully caught her off guard.

“Max Caulfield, you did NOT just smack me in the face with a pillow!” Chloe playfully growled, wasting no time as she made her way over to Max, very much looking like a predator stalking her prey. Max yelped in anticipation as she looked at Chloe with a huge grin, holding the pillow in front of her as defense. Chloe had successfully taken the bait, as expected, yet that didn’t make it any better for Max, who was about to die.

“Catch me if you can!” Max taunted playfully, getting ready to smack Chloe again. It took Chloe less than five seconds to disarm and tackle Max to the bed, tickling her until she begged for mercy. Chloe had gracefully decided to show mercy after reducing Max to a blushing and giggling mess, pulling her close to her chest. They cuddled on their bed in a comfortable silence until they were slowly falling asleep. The emotions, tears and laughter had left both of them exhausted.

“Hey Max?” Chloe yawned, fighting to keep her eyes open as she looked at her smaller girlfriend with a smile.

“Yeah Chloe?” Max smiled back, opening one eye to take a good look at the woman laying next to her. Chloe truly was her home, Max realized.

“You’ll always be my partner in time,” Chloe mumbled sleepily as she placed a kiss on Max’ hand, intertwining their fingers as she started to drift off.

“And you’ll always be my partner in crime,” Max finished with a smile, giving Chloe’s hand a final squeeze before falling into a peaceful sleep. That night she had an unusual yet comforting dream. She dreamed about Rachel and Chloe, but it almost didn’t feel like a dream, it felt like she was spectating them from afar. Her eyes shot wide open as she realized she was experiencing another flicker. This time it felt different, however. It didn’t hurt or pull at her, it simply felt as if she was looking through a window into their reality.

She could see Chloe and Rachel cuddled up underneath a blanket in Gladys – they appeared to be in the middle of another road trip – looking at pictures from the three of them. Chloe looked sad yet happy as she held the selfie Max had taken of the two of them close to her chest. Rachel briefly tickled Chloe to make her laugh, yet even though Rachel could hide it better, Max could tell that she was sad too by the way she stared at the pictures. For a moment Max was overwhelmed by that same sadness, knowing that they missed her as much as she missed them, until she noticed a small detail that immediately filled her with joy. Both Chloe and Rachel had gotten new matching tattoos, Chloe on her left wrist and Rachel on her right wrist, and Max couldn’t believe her eyes at first as she looked at it. It was a tattoo of a polaroid camera, more specifically her polaroid camera. This time she was overwhelmed by a warm feeling as she realized what that meant.

They were never going to forget her. They were moving on with their lives, yet they would always treasure the two years they’d spent with her. Just like she was doing. And if she could somehow still visit them in her dreams, maybe their realities weren’t that far apart after all.

#im dying fr fr #please #please read this

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hereforthefluff · 20 days

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Cuddles and Therapy

A/N: The LIS brainrot continues, so it was the original game's turn. I'm still in love with Chloe and Max so I simply had to write for them. Art belongs to this amazing artist! Enjoy!

Summary: It's been six months since the events of Arcadia Bay and Max still struggles with nightmares and guilt. Chloe is determined to make her feel better.

Warnings: Spoilers for Life is Strange ending, hurt/comfort and fluff/tickling!

I'm not sure if it's still a spoiler since the game came out in 2015 but oh well

Word Count: 2822

“Chloe!” Max cried out as she shot up straight, startling both herself and Chloe who had been laying next to her on the bed.

“Woah Max! Are you okay?” Chloe asked, sitting up straight as she looked at her girlfriend. Max, like all the previous times when she had either awoken from a nightmare or had been yeeted back to reality after time traveling, immediately threw her arms around the teen and hugged her tightly.

“Oh Chloe!” She nearly sobbed, burying her face into Chloe’s shoulder. It had been six months since the events of Arcadia Bay, and for the entirety of those six months Max had been plagued with guilt, anxiety and fear, which resulted in some of her worst nightmares of her life. Even without her ability to rewind time, which she swore never to use again unless it meant saving Chloe, she was forced to relive the same horrible day over and over again in her dreams. Jefferson kidnapping and drugging her, the tornado swallowing Arcadia Bay whole and everyone in it. Everyone who she had doomed to die. But worst of all? The overwhelming feeling of loss when she thought about Chloe being killed. All that she had endured was nothing compared to the thought of living without Chloe.

Chloe was used to Max’ nightmares by now, and while she herself didn’t really suffer from them, she really hated seeing Max in such pain. So she gently wrapped her arms around her smaller girlfriend and rocked her back and forth while gently running her fingers through her brown hair. It took a few minutes, and plenty of sobs, but Max eventually calmed down. She buried her nose in the crook of Chloe’s neck one more time to inhale the comforting scent before pulling away. Chloe was alive. Chloe was here with her, and they were safe. Everything was okay.

“Sorry about that,” She mumbled, slightly embarrassed by the sudden outburst now that she had calmed down. Chloe playfully rolled her eyes.

“Of course you would say sorry for having a nightmare. C’mere,” She said, suddenly wrapping an arm around Max’ shoulder as she pulled the two of them down to the bed, spooning her from behind.

“Chloe!” Max giggled, the sound making Chloe’s heart flutter with joy. When Max tried to sit up again, two strong arms wrapped around her and trapped her in the hug.

“Nope, not happening. You’re staying right here with me,” Chloe declared, her breath tickling Max’ neck which made her giggle again.

“Oh no, what ever shall I do now?” She said sarcastically, yet smiled widely. She turned her head to place a kiss on Chloe’s arm, who hummed approvingly.

“Want to talk about it? About your nightmare?” Chloe asked, and Max’ smile faltered slightly. Even though she had calmed down and was happily laying in Chloe’s arms, the dream still left a bitter taste in her mouth. It was the same thing over and over again, however, and she didn’t want to bother Chloe with it. Again. So she shook her head.

“Nah. I’m fine,” She said, causing Chloe to huff in disbelief.

“Who do you think you’re fooling?” She said, and while Max couldn’t see it she could practically feel the roll of her eyes. Chloe released her from the hug, only to settle down on Max’ hips so she could look down at her. While her girlfriend was smiling at her, her eyes were still puffy and she could see the worry and sadness. So she merely raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t want to bother you with it. I struggle, that doesn’t mean you have to,” Max mumbled, avoiding eye-contact with the blue haired teen.

“Maxine Caulfield, you have about five seconds to tell me, or else…” Chloe smirked, reaching down to softly poke the front of Max’ ribs. The brunette yelped in surprise and couldn’t hold back her choked giggles, her hands immediately grabbing Chloe’s wrists. It was futile, however, as Chloe was much stronger than her.

“Okay okay I’ll tehehehell!” Max laughed, and Chloe stopped to look at her with a smug yet soft smile, to encourage her. She sighed. “It’s the same nightmare I always have. It starts with Jefferson… shooting you in the head, then kidnapping me to the dark room, and it ends with the town being destroyed.” Chloe’s jaw clenched as she thought of her mom, before quickly shaking her head. She’d mourn later, Max needed her now.

“I’m sorry you have to go through that again and again,” She said softly, not sure what else to say.

“No matter how you twist it, I’m still responsible for that storm. I’m the reason the entire town got wiped out. And while I took peace with my decision a while ago, I still feel so guilty for all those people that got killed by the tornado. But at the same time, if I didn’t use my powers or chose differently you would have died and I simply cannot have that, I can’t–”

“Hey shhh, it’s okay,” Chloe cooed, leaning in to press her forehead against Max’ while gently cupping her cheeks. It was so unfair that Max still suffered like this, especially after everything she’d been through. She couldn’t imagine being in Max’ position, having to make such terrible and difficult choices.

“It’s not okay, Chloe,–” Max sighed, yet before she could continue spiraling down that negative way of thinking, Chloe laid herself on top of her. This never failed to calm her down.

“You know what’s not okay? The fact that you had to make decisions like that. You’re 18, Max, you shouldn’t have been given a responsibility like that. You didn’t ask for your powers, but you got them anyway and know what? You handled it the best you could. You used them to help people and do good. You’re a good person Max, and you’re amazing. Don’t you ever forget it,” She said, cuddling into the younger teen.

“... Thank you, Chloe,” Was all she could say, wrapping her arms around her. Sometimes she really needed to hear those words out loud, especially after a nightmare like that. They cuddled in a comfortable silence for a while, until Max gently tapped Chloe’s side.

“As much as I love your cuddles, I can’t feel my legs like this,” She said lightheartedly. Chloe could immediately tell that Max was feeling slightly better, and smiled.

“Hmm I don’t know, I’m quite comfortable like this,” She grinned, earning a playful slap against her tattooed arm.

“So that means I’m going to be trapped in this hug-prison forever?” The brunette questioned with a raised brow. Thinking about it, it didn’t sound that bad after all.

“Depends. Are you going to turn back into Super Max, or remain Sulky Max?” Chloe teased as she sat herself on top of Max’ hips again, earning a gasp from the younger girl.

“I’m so going to hit you! I’ll have you know that I’m not sulking. And even if I was sulking, it’s not like I want to be in a sad or sour mood, y’know, my brain just doesn’t listen to my demands,” She huffed.

“Well, then maybe I should have a little chat with your brain,” Chloe said with a playful eye-roll and a smile. Max couldn’t help but laugh at that. At this point she was concerned Chloe’s eyes would roll out of her head if she kept it up.

“How do you think you’ll convince my brain if you don’t have one yourself to begin with?” Max smirked, making Chloe’s jaw drop.

“Oh getting sassy are we? Now I’m definitely having that chat! Say your prayers, Caulfield!” She grinned, wiggling her fingers in the air as she loomed over the brunette. Max gasped as she realized what Chloe was going to do.

“Wait! Chloe wait! No dohohon’t!” Max giggled as she held her hands up in defense. Chloe shook her head at her fondly.

“Max you’re so fucking adorable, I’m not even touching you yet! After all these years, you’re still you,” She smirked, easily slipping past Max’ defense to tickle her sides. The teen arched her back and immediately let out a steady stream of giggles.

“Chloehehehhe! Stohohop!” She cried out, grabbing hold of Chloe’s arms. Similar to before, it didn’t help her at all.

“Stop? Oh but I’m just getting started,” Chloe smiled widely, playfully clawing at her stomach. Despite wearing her pajamas, the thin cloth of her t-shirt provided zero to no protection at all.

“Aahhahahaa!” Max squealed and kicked her legs on the bed, trying to find a good grip so she could buck her girlfriend off. Oh who was she kidding, even without being a giggling mess it was impossible to beat Chloe in strength. She had no chance.

“All I need to do is flood your brain with happy thoughts, right? So I just gotta keep tickling you! I know you loved being tickled when we were kids, so I’m pretty sure you still love it now, right?” Chloe teased. That little!

“You’re sohohoho meehehehean!” Max whined at the teasing, hiding her blushing cheeks behind her hands. Chloe had always been too good at reading her, even without super powers. Chloe grinned at that.

“Oh you think I’m mean yet? Just you wait~” She promised, sending butterflies straight to Max’ stomach. Since Max had raised her arms to hide her face, she took the opportunity to flutter her nails under her arms.

“Nohoho! Not thehehehere!! NO! OHOHO CHLOEHEHE!” Max wheezed and immediately slammed her arms to her sides, trapping the invading hands in place. This was, of course, all part of Chloe’s plan, as she simply kept wiggling her fingers.

“Not there? But Max, my hands are stuck! I can’t move on if you keep them like this,” Chloe teased, wiggling her nails a bit faster into her hollows. Knowing she didn’t have any other option, Max gathered all her strength and lifted her arms up so Chloe could pull her hands free. To her surprise, she did pull her hands away, only to grab Max’ wrists and pin them down over her head with one hand.

“Oh come on! You tricked me!” She playfully cried out as quickly caught her breath, looking up at Chloe who smirked right back at her.

“Max, Max, Max. Not only are you just as ticklish as before, you also still fall for the same tricks I used when we had tickle fights as kids. Or maybe you fall for them because you know what’s coming, hm?” Chloe asked with a knowing smile and a raised brow. Max could swear she was blushing even harder than before.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” She mumbled while looking to the side of the bed to avoid Chloe’s stare. It really didn’t help that Chloe still remembered all those details, AND all her tickle spots. So unfair.

“Oh really? Because I think you still love being tickled by me, and I don’t think you want to win this fight,” Her girlfriend said smugly, her free hand slowly forming a claw while descending towards Max’ ribs. Said teen started to giggle in anticipation, yet her struggles were only half-hearted. They both knew Chloe was right.

“You suhuhuck! NononoOHOHOHOO!” Max quite literally jumped out of her skin as the hand gently shook her ribs, making her arch her back again. Oh god that tickled!

“Even if you don’t admit it, we both know it’s the truth. Luckily for you, I don’t need you to admit it, I just need you to laugh!” Chloe declared with an evil laugh.

“I CAAHAHAN’T! AAHAHAHA! CHLOEHEHE STOP! STOHOHOHOP!” Max howled with laughter as she finally couldn’t take it anymore. Chloe had let go of her wrists in favor of yanking her shirt up so she could tickle her stomach with both hands, her long nails raking up and down the exposed skin. While Max truly loved Chloe’s tickles, she really couldn’t handle this specific tickle attack right now. The older teen smiled and finally pulled her hands away.

“You okay there, Super Max?” She asked, brushing the hair out of Max’ face. The brunette panted yet held her thumb up, a smile present on her face.

“You still suck,” Max giggled, almost immediately shrinking under Chloe’s playful glare.

“Still sassy huh? You never learn, do you?” She said with mock disappointment as she shook her head, before leaning down to gently nibble at her girlfriend’s collarbones.

“Nohohoho! No! I’m sohohorry! I take it bahaahhack! I give I gihihihive!” Max was dying with giggles as Chloe placed ticklish kisses and nibbles all over her collarbones. Her blue hair only added to the playful attack as it brushed side to side against her neck, making her tap out instantly.

“That’s what I thought,” Chloe replied smugly as she pulled away, laying down on her side so she could look at Max with a softer expression. “Truce? I won’t tickle you anymore, I just want to hold you for a while,” She smiled, holding her arms open as an invitation.

“You’re a mean person, Chloe Price. Lucky for you I love you, so you’ve been forgiven for all your crimes,” Max said with a giggle as she crawled into Chloe’s hug.

“Oh lucky me, what would I do without your mercy?” Chloe chuckled, idly tracing her fingers over Max’ back. “Can I ask you a question? It’s… it’s kinda serious though,” She added, which made the brunette look into her eyes.

“You can ask me anything,” She assured, placing a hand on Chloe’s arm.

“Well it’s just… I’ve seen you struggle time and time again with all that has happened, and I just keep wondering, what if you hadn’t been put under so much pressure back then? I mean, not that I’m not grateful or anything, it meant the world to me! It’s just that–” One moment Chloe had been asking the question while hugging her girlfriend, next moment said girlfriend was on top of her.

“Chloe Price, tell me you’re not about to ask me what I think you’re about to ask me.” Max said sternly, looking into her eyes.

“I–, uhm, maybe?” Chloe said, her cheeks heating up slightly. She wasn’t used to seeing Max like this. “I just can’t help but think that all those people in Arcadia Bay deserved a chance to live, more than I did. Hell, I almost died like four times in one week. So… if you could go back in time, knowing what you know now, would you make a different choice?” She asked. This question had been burning inside of her for a long time now, and she simply had to ask.

“Chloe, I want you to know that even though I suffer from the consequences, I do not regret a single choice I made. You’re my first priority, Chloe, you’re all that matters to me. Yes of course I feel horrible for everyone that got caught in that storm, but… but you’re simply more important to me. I’d sacrifice the world to save you, I don’t care what I’d have to do. We’re meant to be together, you and I. And if I had the opportunity to make a different choice, I wouldn’t. I want to be with you, and only you,” Max said, gently holding the sides of Chloe’s face as she looked into her blue eyes. Chloe remained silent for a while before pressing her forehead against Max’, closing her eyes as a single tear ran down her cheek.

“I’m yours for however long you want me, Max. I’ll be by your side forever. I promise,” She said. The brunette leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek, her thumb gently rubbing the tear away.

“I’ll keep you to that promise, girlfriend,” Max said with a smile.

Another comfortable silence as they cuddled, with the occasional sniffle from either of them. This was their way of healing over all the traumatic events they’d been through. Therapy was way too expensive. Max broke the silence again, this time with a chuckle.

“I didn’t know you were this mushy,” She teased, earning yet another eye-roll from the blue haired teen and a flick to her forehead.

“I’m not mushy, shut up. If anyone’s mushy, it’s you,” She mumbled, yet smiled.

“Well in that case we’re both mushy then. Speaking of mushy,” Max sat up next to Chloe, looking at her with the most mischievous expression Chloe had ever seen. “It’s about time I had a chat with your brain.”

“Wh– wait, Max no!” Chloe cried out, yet didn’t even have time to defend herself as her girlfriend pounced on her. Max was determined to remove all the self-doubt out of Chloe, and get some revenge while she was at it.

Life was still very much strange, but at least it was also good for now.

#omg......#omg #life is strange tickles #please #i love this

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