A/N: So I came across this song called "Hey Girl" by boy pablo, and this one-shot kinda came to me. I have an idea another Life is Strange one-shot in my head, but I actually have to write it and that's where the problem is. I hope you like this one.
She isn't sure how she managed to land a date with Rachel Amber, let alone ask her on a date, but here she is, trying on multiple outfits to try and impress her. She's never cared about what anyone has ever thought, or tried to impress them, but this is different. She's never met anyone quite like Rachel, had never even looked at someone like she looks at Rachel and she doesn't want to fuck it up.
Chloe sighs in frustration and pulls the shirt she's currently wearing over her head, tossing it on the floor with the other twelve disapproved outfit changes. She knows what her mom would say if she were home: "If she likes you, it won't matter what you wear." She's never seen Rachel, and if she did, she would probably agree that Rachel would still look perfect if she was only wearing a trash bag.
Does she really like me? I guess that's a stupid ass question, considering she agreed to go on a date with me.
She stares at her reflection in the mirror and crosses her arms. Why did Rachel agree to go on a date with her? Sure, she knows a lot of people at school, but that doesn't mean she's popular. Before her dad died, she was a nerd; she always had the best grades in school with a special interest in science and always looked forward to classes. Now, she did the bare minimum to keep from being expelled without dropping out. She did still love science, though. Blowing shit up was fun.
Her phone vibrates on her desk, and she glances at the screen. Yo, Price, are you still alive? from Rachel. Her eyes dart to the time and she panics a little, realizing she was supposed to pick up her date ten minutes ago. Another text comes through: Take a breath, I'll still be here.
Chloe shakes her head and grabs the shirt on the floor by her feet without looking at it. Pulling it over her head, she responds to Rachel's texts. Sorry, kinda lost track of time. Omw now.
Can't wait.
Shoving her phone in her back pocket, she hurries out of the house, locking the front door behind her, and takes off in a jog toward Rachel's house. She wishes she had a vehicle so that she could have taken Rachel somewhere better than just hanging out in Arcadia Bay, as though they don't get enough of this damn town.
Rachel is waiting in her driveway when Chloe's vision includes the Amber house, and she approaches her. She notices a smug smirk twitching at the corners of Rachel's mouth and rolls her eyes playfully. "Couldn't decide what to wear?" Rachel points out, and Chloe looks down, noticing that her shirt's inside out.
"Shit," she murmurs and pulls it over her head to fix it.
"Yeah, sure, let's flash the neighbors."
Chloe yanks the shirt down and shrugs. "If anyone's watching us, it's because of you, not me." Rachel laughs. "So, are we ready to go?"
Even though Chloe is completely nervous for the first half of the date, Rachel seems to have fun, and it makes her happy, despite having to walk. They talk about themselves, school, home life, past events in their life, including Chloe's sad tale of losing her father and Rachel's tale of her mother who left her, and their plans for their individual futures. She gathers the nerve to reach for her date's hand and cheers internally when Rachel doesn't pull away. Lost in her thoughts, she doesn't realize that Rachel has been casting glances at her nearly as much as she's been looking at Rachel, and when Rachel pulls her into the photobooth at the mall and kisses her cheek as a model for one of the pictures, Chloe feels as though her heart is sure to explode and the blush on her cheeks is obvious in the false lighting.
She takes a slow breath and turns her head to catch Rachel's lips with hers, which catches Rachel off-guard and she smiles. After the final picture snaps, Chloe's hand cups Rachel's cheek, keeping her in the kiss but also allowing her to back out, and Rachel's hand rests on Chloe's knee.
Both blushing profusely, they exit the photobooth and glance around, unnoticed by people walking by. Rachel reaches for Chloe's hand as they walk this time, and Chloe's sure she's never smiled this hard in her life, at least not since before her dad died. She hears a whistle off to her left and she sees Justin waving to her. She nods back and Rachel rolls her eyes with a smile. "I see someone's rooting for us," she points out.
Chloe smirks. "I may have talked about this non-stop to him for the last week," she responds.
"Holy shit!" Rachel laughs. "If I had known you were obsessed with me—"
"I am not!"
"—I would have asked you out when I first saw you." Chloe's head turns so fast she nearly gives herself whiplash. "What? You think I didn't notice your cute ass when I moved here?" Rachel smiles. "It was my first day at Blackwell. You were with the skater boys, focused on doing some trick, and you looked frustrated. I guess you were, considering you damn near broke the board in half."
Chloe gasps. "I remember that fucking day! Justin had bet against me landing it, and I almost twisted my fucking ankle. I can't believe you saw that."
Eight months pass, and they're cuddling on the bench at the lighthouse, Chloe's arm wrapped around Rachel's shoulders, and Rachel's arms around Chloe's waist. The sun sets in the distance, a perfect end to their latest date, and Chloe internally argues about whether this is the time. She had fought off the feeling that Rachel would eventually get bored of her, like she was sure everyone else did, but she was still scared that Rachel would leave for some reason or another.
Chloe had never been in love before, much less had a crush on anyone, except of course Pris, so she wasn't sure what to do. Did she just say the words? Was she supposed to come up with a whole monologue to woo Rachel? Would Rachel say the words back, return her feelings with or without hesitation?
"Chloe."
Chloe pulls out of her thoughts and glances at her girlfriend. Rachel's staring at her intently, biting her bottom lip. "Yes?"
"Your heart's beating so hard I can't even think. What are you thinking about?"
Chloe sighs. "Do you like me?" Here we are again with that stupid ass question, Chloe.
And Rachel laughs; not just a giggle or a chuckle, but a full belly laugh, and Chloe's unsure what to make of it. Her laugh becomes a chuckle, and upon seeing Chloe's concerned forehead crease, she kisses her softly. "We've been dating for eight months, Chloe, I'm pretty sure I like you. I thought it was obvious."
"I love you."
The words escape her before she even attempts to get the courage, and now she's scared as hell that Rachel isn't ready for those words yet. Rachel just stares at her for a moment. Say you want me, say you love me, say something.
The corners of Rachel's lips twitch, and she leans in to kiss Chloe, one hand reaching up to cup her cheek. Chloe remembers their first kiss, in the photobooth, and tries to focus on anything other than her growing anxiety. She can't tell if Rachel is nervous, if she's kissing her one last time before she leaves, or if she's just overthinking, and when Rachel begins pulling away from the kiss, her heart almost drops until Rachel speaks. "I love you too."