Time passed.

First it was a week, then two, three three. An entire month.

An entire month passed since Max attended her last Madhouse concert. An entire month passed since Max had seen Chloe. An entire month passed since they texted or talked together.

It was slowly becoming unbearable for Max - despite having Dana there for her.

Their relationship was also… starting to distance itself however.

They were still together - sure - but they only saw each other once every few days, only talked here or there. Sometimes Max would go to Dana's room to hang out, sometimes Dana would go to Max's room instead.

Max felt guilty. Max felt guilty of a lot of things. It sucked big time.

There were doubts - a lot actually - and they ate away at Max, day and night. She'd lie in her bed some days and just stare at her ceiling, her head off on a tangent - mind wondering. She'd think about how she could do something differently - perhaps this little thing, or that, or perhaps this-

It didn't really matter anyway because Max had already made her decisions and was now living with the consequences. She felt bad about it all.

Dana noticed, but she wasn't surprised. She expected it.

As another week passed by uneventfully, Max found herself in her room - working on some piece of homework or other.

It was mostly quiet - though her hifi was on and it was playing some of her indie stuff. Something to help her relax. She'd grown very fond of punk music ever since she started listening to Madhouse but her roots would always be in the softer, more serene sounds. Conor Oberst, Sufjan Stevens and all that.

That was probably because it reminded her of her youth a bit, before there was Blackwell, before Seattle - when it was Long Max Silver and Captain Bluebeard, out to conquer the seven seas and Arcadia.

Max smiled when the thought cropped up.

Then she frowned when she realised that Chloe still hadn't said a word to her since the last time they saw one another. You know - that time that her and Dana kissed right in front of her.

Ugh.

Just as Max dove back into her books, there was a knock on her door.

She listened for a few seconds. It didn't sound harsh - nor did she hear pacing outside; maybe it wasn't Rachel. Max would know if it was Chloe, because Chloe would probably be tearing down the door rather than be knocking on it.

So it must've been someone else.

"Max."

Dana. Of course.

Max slapped her hands over her face and screamed silently. Not now. Life had a real funny thing for giving Max a hard time it seemed.

"C'mon pretend girlfriend, open up."

Again there was a silence as Max simply shook her head. She was not in the right headspace to talk right now, not when everything from the past month was piling on top of her.

Yet Dana was kinda her girlfriend.

Agh.

Max's phone rang. Of-fucking-course. She just couldn't win.

"Max - you're inside your room," Dana said and there was an audible, yet slightly muffled, sigh from the other side of the door. "Please, can you open the door? I want to talk with you."

Staring at her phone, Max considered destroying the damn thing. It betrayed her.

"Max-"

"-alright, fine! Jeez!" Max finally broke and called out, grumbling as she pushed herself out of her chair. She closed her book, pushed it away and then lingered beside her desk.

She took in a breath, shook herself off and then walked across the room - opening the door. She smiled at Dana and leaned in against her door a bit.

"Hey," Dana said and looked over Max's shoulder before glancing back at the girl herself. "Can I come in?"

"Uh, yeah - of course," Max mumbled - stepping aside. She closed the door after Dana and then followed her in further. "Whats up?"

Turning to face Max, Dana smiled and looked her up and down. She stared and stared before finally rolling her eyes and grabbing Max's hand. "I was thinking we could go grab something to eat. Breakfast on me," she suggested, watching Max.

After just a moment of deliberation, Max scrunched up her nose and then shook her head. "I'm not that hungry Dana, really-"

She was interrupted by a deep rumble from her stomach. Betrayed. Again.

Et tu, stomach?

"Ehm. Actually, you know… breakfast doesn't sound so… bad right now…?" Max whispered and gave Dana her best smile before she blushed, looked away and cleared her throat in embarrassment.

Dana just laughed and let go of Max's hand. "Good. Get dressed, c'mon girl," she spoke and made her way to Max's door, taking a step outside before she pulled her head back in. "I'll be over in a sec, I need to grab a jacket."

Then, just as quickly as she had came, Dana had left - leaving Max in her room, standing in the middle. She sighed and collapsed back on her bed, staring at her ceiling.

She didn't feel so great.

Well. Maybe some Two Whales food would make her feel better.

Who was she kidding - it would make her feel better.

Dana drove them over to the Two Whales, the journey taking less than 15 minutes. Once parked, Max gave the parking lot a cursory glance and sure enough there was no truck. Chloe wasn't there.

She hoped anyway.

But she kinda hoped she was there somehow.

Sigh.

"C'mon Max," Dana said as she slipped out of the car, looking back inside toward the brunette. "Waffles await."

Max smiled briefly and then finally stepped out of the car herself, pulling her hoodie closer around herself - it was chilly. She waited until Dana locked the car and then felt her hand slip into her own, smiling again at the simple contact.

They hurried over to the diner and entered.

Almost immediately Max had to pause and take in the variety of smells - all of them delicious. She couldn't help but lick her lips slightly, following Dana over to a booth on the far side of the diner; away from her and Chloe's usual one.

"Gosh," Max began quietly as she settled down, "I could stay here forever. Everything always smells so good."

"Well thank you Max," Joyce spoke as she approached, wearing her usual warm smile on her face. "I'll make sure to give you a discount for the kind words."

Max smiled back at her. "Hey Joyce."

"Hello there honey, what'll it be?" Joyce asked, looking at Dana and then Max.

"A coffee," Dana said, "and a belgian waffle."

Joyce hummed, looking back toward Max. "And you, sweetie?"

Max knitted her eyebrows, scrunching up her face before finally making up her mind. "I'll have the same."

"Two coffees and two belgian waffles, coming right up."

Watching as Joyce walked back over to the kitchen, Max sighed slightly. She wondered if Joyce knew what happened between herself and Chloe. Probably not. Chloe and Joyce didn't have the greatest relationship from what she remembered the last time she was in the Two Whales with her.

"What are you thinking about?" Dana asked, interrupting Max's thoughts.

"Oh. I was just… thinking about Chloe," Max admitted, then winced slightly when she realised what it sounded like. "I mean I was thinking about Chloe and Joyce. They… don't get along well."

Dana chuckled, watching Max - her head tilted slightly. "It's alright Max. I'm not going be jealous because you're thinking about Chloe, I realise how important she is to you. No sweat."

Max just hummed at that, turning back toward her girlfriend. She stared out of the window and watched as people walked by, cars drove past. She focused a bit on the ocean just beyond the waterfront - seeing a few fishing vessels sailing.

"How do you feel?" Dana eventually asked, causing Max to give her a look.

"I'm fine," Max replied, "just fine."

"I meant us. How do you feel about us so far? We've been together a while now. Well, a month. That's a while in Blackwell though."

Max chuckled softly and looked down at the table, thinking. "I… I don't mind. I like it," she whispered and focused back up on Dana. "I've never been with anyone so… it's… different? But it's nice."

"I understand."

They shared a smile before reaching over to hold hands. Dana squeezed Max's and Max squeezed back, then they both separated when they noticed Joyce making her way over.

"One belgian waffle," Joyce murmured, placing a plate in front of Max. "Two belgian waffles," she continued, placing another plate in front of Dana. She leaned back and then sighed slightly. "I forgot your coffee. One moment."

It was difficult to make out what Joyce had said once she placed Max's plate in front of her. The waffle - as usual - looked heavenly . She didn't waste any time in digging in, savouring the first bite.

"These are so good," she spoke, her mouth partially full. She then blushed and covered her mouth. "Sorry," she added, swallowing.

Dana laughed as she herself took a bite. She hummed and closed her eyes, pausing for a few seconds before she chewed and swallowed. "I never realised they were this good. I always got a small breakfast from here, but after this… it's going to be hard to say no to a belgian waffle."

Max giggled between bites, watching as Joyce walked back toward them with a pot of coffee in hand.

She laid out two cups on the table and promptly filled them, giving both Dana and Max another smile before walking back to serve other patrons in the diner.

They ate mostly in silence, sharing a few words here or there - laughing occasionally.

Max felt the worries of the past month fade away when she was with Dana.

She was finally able to relax.

"Where to now?" Dana asked once they left the diner.

Their breakfast finished, they were both sated for a while. Hell. Max would argue they were sated for the rest of the day - Two Whales food just had that effect it seemed.

"Oh. I don't know. Blackwell?" Max suggested, hands in her hoodie as they walked across the parking lot to Dana's car. "Unless you want to go somewhere else?"

"Blackwell is fine," Dana replied and bumped shoulders with Max, looking down at her with a smile. "We'll watch something, how about that?"

Max furrowed her eyebrows before nodding. "Sure. As long as I get to pick what though."

"We'll see."

Moments later Max grunted slightly when Dana slapped her arm. "Ow, hey!"

"You're it!" Dana shouted as she suddenly bolted forward, laughing.

Max was confused for all of a second before frowning.

"That's not fair!" she yelled out, but took off after Dana anyway.

Max managed to catch Dana rather quickly. As a reward she got to pick a movie later.

Also a kiss.

Kiss es , actually, which was more than Dana figured Max would want. Who knew?

"What did ya pick?"

Max looked up from Dana's couch, seeing the girl enter the room. She smiled and then glanced back down to the laptop on the small coffee table in front.

"Breaking Bad."

"That's not a movie, Max," Dana pointed out with a grin, making her way over. She flopped down beside Max, pulling her legs up onto the table.

"I need to catch up before the new season," Max mumbled and leaned over to start the episode, leaning right back. She felt Dana's arm settle around her shoulder and she sort of just melted into her in turn. "Besides, you didn't say it had to be a movie."

Dana snorted when Max stuck her tongue out briefly. "You got me there."

Max smiled and relaxed.

And on the episode went.

They watched intently, but they did share conversation a few times. There was a few laughs and a few tense moments.

The first episode was knocked out in a breeze and Max immediately turned on the second. Again they stayed focused.

By the third, things began to get a bit… close.

Max would shiver slightly whenever Dana's hand ran up the side of her neck and Dana would smile whenever Max's hand would squeeze her knee just a tad. The little things almost made Max melt, then and there.

But it wasn't until a few minutes later when Max felt Dana's gaze settle on her. She ignored it for all but a few seconds before she met her in the middle - the two just staring.

Then they leaned in, the moment seemingly right in both their heads. Their lips met in a chaste encounter that lasted all but a second. Then they met again. And again. And again, and again and again.

Soon enough Max was lying down, Dana looming above her as they made out. Hands wondered but kept themselves above the clothes, yet they both yearned for more, more .

Max's heart hammered against her chest as she did her best to follow Dana's lead, but she managed to surprise herself when at one point she heard Dana let out a quiet moan. It only further stoked the fire in her gut as her hands wrapped around Dana's neck, pulling her down again.

Time passed quickly and much to their chagrin they both realised they still had school tomorrow, early morning classes. After a few more kisses, Dana was the first to finally pull back but keep herself above Max - their eyes half lidded, staring over one another.

"...wowser," Max whispered.

It took all of a second for Dana to burst out in laughter.

Max fucking blushed and quickly hid her face in her hands, groaning loudly. She couldn't help but smile however, taking a slight joy in the sound of Dana's laughter.

"Okay, I think that's enough, huh?" Dana teased, pushing herself up and off Max - holding her hand out. She pulled her up and sat down beside her again, putting a hand on her knee. "...so… how was it?"

After a few seconds of staring at Dana, Max cleared her throat. "Good. Uhm. Really, really good. Like. Wowser."

Dana giggled. "You weren't too bad yourself. You actually... surprised me a bit…" she admitted and rubbed the back of her neck, her usual confident self melting for a moment. "I almost don't want to believe you hadn't had a girlfriend before with how well you kiss."

Max gaped her mouth, thinking over the words, processing, wheels turning in her head. She then let out a goofy grin and dropped her head onto her shoulder. "Thanks," she whispered, her chest welling up with a bit of pride.

She relaxed and felt Dana's hand run up her back gently before drifting back down - the two of them letting their bodies cool. Things got quite heated back there, truth be told.

"I'd love for us to continue but we have morning classes," Dana finally broke the silence after a few minutes. "So maybe another time, hm?"

Watching Dana, Max nodded after a second, speaking, "I'd like that."

They shared another look and then a chaste kiss.

She'd by lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy this day a whole lot. A lot a lot actually, so much so that the thoughts of Chloe and the previous month were nothing but a white noise in the back of her head.

Max was back in her dorm room after only a few minutes. She immediately locked the door behind her, taking a moment, a breath, before she felt the tug in her gut again.

Ugh.

That makeout session definitely did a number on her.

She smiled to herself like an idiot, then bit her lip, her hand trailing just short of her waistband - waiting. She thought about it for a hot minute, remembered the way Dana felt, the touches they shared and-

God fucking damnit.

Her jeans were off in seconds as she laid down on her bed, doing her best to take it slowly. But she couldn't resist, not right now, not after what happened and what they were just short of doing.

Hand down her panties, Max gasped quietly and bit down her lip to try and stop herself from being too loud. She had no interest in letting the dorm know what she was up to.

Then, just as her fingers trailed down near her core, reached the heat-

bzzbzz.

What the fuck!

Max screamed internally, almost jumping when she heard her jeans vibrate on the floor. Her fingers hovered briefly as she went over it in her head. She could just ignore it but-

bzzbzz.

"God, fucking, shit, fuck-" she went off, grumbling under her nose as her hand withdrew and she leaned over the side of her bed. She pulled her jeans over and grabbed her phone.

Her heart nearly froze over right then and there as she read her notifications.

Chloe: hey

Chloe: u awake?

Chloe: wanna talk

Max stared and stared, eyes wide. Just when she thought she was over what happened, it all came crashing down on her again.

She waited.

Waited.

Waited, thinking, though her mind was going a thousand miles a second-

bzzbzz.

She almost dropped her phone.

Chloe: max

Chloe: pls b awake

After a moment of deliberation, Max unlocked her phone and proceeded to tap away at the screen.

Max: whats up?