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[Her breath catches, audibly, at his look. A second ago maybe she could have made that promise (yeah, right), but he's making it impossible. She wants this too much.

Dropping his hand in favor of cupping his jaw in both of her hands, she presses a soft kiss to his lips. Sweet, chaste, brief, unless he tries to prolong it.]

I want this so much. And I wish with all my heart that you'll let me into yours. In whatever amount, okay? However long it takes. If you need to disappear again? Do it. But tell me. Send me one message that you need space, and that you'll be back. That you don't... hate me. Can you do that for me? Or, just promise to try?

( his skin is buzzing. the coke in his system makes him feel invincible, like he could do anything, even this. when she kisses him, he feels even higher. alive with something he can't explain.

hormones, he's sticking with that.

the immediate response to her request, something along the lines of 'what are you, my fucking mother?,' dies in his throat at the words 'for me'. the need to be prickly and unavailable comes to him in sharp pangs, but he's better at ignoring them when they're like this. )

I don't hate you. You're a seriously nosy bitch, but... but if anyone can fix the shit in this town, it's you.

( which isn't necessarily a request. he doesn't want her any deeper, and he plans on actively thwarting her attempts at getting to the truth. maybe jefferson will see this as a good thing. maybe he'll praise him for what a good job he's done keeping max off their trails. maybe he'll finally say 'good job,' and nathan can be whole again.

he tips his chin forward and kisses her again, longer, more lingering. he could stay here forever, he thinks. )

So, what, you wanna be... exclusive? Or something?

( because calling her his girlfriend feels too far out of reach. )

[He kisses her again and she feels so calm. For once since she'd discovered her powers, she feels right where she's supposed to be.

Maybe it's the booze.

She's very unfazed by being called a nosy bitch. She gets called nosy by everyone and they're honestly right about that. It feels like a little surge of self-confidence when he suggests she can fix things. God, she's going to try. She has to. Not just for Chloe's, or Kate's, or Rachel's sakes now. But... also for Nathan's.

Returning his kiss, she slips her arms around his neck, thinks about what he's asking her, before she pulls just far enough away to answer.]

Yes. But I... There's something I really need to tell you. But I'm not sure I'm gonna have the time to unless I give Dana a quick call first to let her know I'm good, okay?

[And... maybe ask her to do something about Chloe. Not that Chloe and Dana are that close of friends or anything, though Max was surprised to learn they did actually already know each other. ("Chloe, you did Shakespeare?") Chloe's more Justin's friend in that group.]

( unless max is keying up to tell him that she really is pregnant, he can't imagine what all the suspense is for. still, he begins to untangle himself from her so she can make her phone call is relative peace. )

Sure, yeah. Tell her you're not being kidnapped at gunpoint.

( a comment made in poor taste, but no one has ever said nathan was refined.

since he has a moment to kill, he checks his phone while max busies herself with hers: )

Vic 💋💋💋
ur missin everything!!!
drunk courtney SO FUNNY
such a tryhadr

fuck the drugs
we'll live wo them
just want u here babe

Mr. Jefferson
Behave yourself tonight.
Stick to the script. I can't trust you to go off-book.

Edited 2026-03-08 07:34 (UTC)

[She knows she has to call and not just text Dana, since she'll want to hear her actual voice. It's actually nice of her that she's concerned about leaving her drunk with anyone. At least, she's sure that's it, not that it's specifically Nathan. His commentary as she lets her do her thing is questionable, but she just frowns momentarily before dialing her friend.]

Hey, Dana. Yup, I'm all good. Feeling a little less tipsy. I actually need some extra time with Nathan-- Gawd, shut up... [Clearly, Dana said something to embarrass her there.] No, I'll be okay, but I was wondering if you'd run interference with Chloe? ...Well, that's a long story, but just tell her you saw me head to the dorms to konk out in my room? Thanks... Definitely, Bring It On and froyo at 3. See you then.

[She hangs up, pops off a text to Chloe about meeting her tomorrow evening and how she needs to sleep it off. Then, she sets her phone to Do Not Disturb and returns it to her bag.

Finally, she turns back to Nathan, and sighs, steadying herself.]

Okay, so you probably won't even believe me without some sort of demonstration, but... Ever since I was in that bathroom with you and Chloe, I've been able to... do things, that I couldn't before. [Okay, let's just get it out there, Max.] I can rewind time.

( meanwhile, nathan sends something vaguely disarming to victoria, 'soon grgeous, juts keep the party goin 4 me,' while remaining as deferential as possible to jefferson, considering his current state, is too difficult. an emoji response feels inappropriate, but no way can he type full sentences. in the end, he simply leaves the message on read and opts for gazing out the window instead, head dropping back against the headrest, as max assures her friend that she's fine. his eyes don't catch on anything in particular, drifting from the moon, to the trees, to the drunken partiers stumbling in the distance.

part of him revels in his reputation, that he's so feared that people feel the need to be careful in his presence.

it's also deeply isolating.

he snorts hearing max's embarrassment alongside her plan to keep chloe in the dark. they're really doing this, huh... )

Why the fuck are you bringing that up, Max?

( he doesn't listen to much before of after that, admittedly. chloe, bathroom, gun, danger, drugs, all those words hit ears like an accusation, some of which she hadn't even said. when he turns to face her, his expression is hard. his skin feels too tight. this is a bad idea, like a set-up. he should leave, go back to what he knows. )

Gonna bring your boyfriend here so he can jump me again? Try it, bitch. I dare you.

( at some point, he gripped the steering wheel. so deep in his own thoughts of persecution, he entirely misses the bombshell she's just dropped. )

[She's doubting herself. That's not unusual, she doubts herself a lot. Nathan is volatile, unstable. There's something softer at his core, and she knows that, she's seen it. But whatever darkness he has in his life has him in a fucking stranglehold, and only part of it has anything to do with toxic masculinity. Part of it is his family, his reputation, drugs... There's still a missing puzzle piece, though.

No. She has these powers, was given them or whatever, for a reason. They weren't just meant to save Chloe. They're also meant to save Nathan. She's had several days and nights to think about that. To dream about it. Have nightmares about it.

I need to tell him this, before we can even think about continuing whatever the hell is going on between us. (She's also telling Chloe tomorrow evening, because lying to her about it all doesn't sit well with her. She's not looking forward to that conversation. There's no way Chloe could possibly understand without having experienced and seen things that she has. In the end, she's going to have to rely on Chloe's blind faith in her to keep them from separating entirely. As it is, there will definitely be an argument, probably at least a day of Chloe not speaking to her.)

She could rewind, though she has a feeling it will hurt. But she needs to figure out how to handle Nathan's moodswings without relying solely on her powers. That's another thing they have to figure out before they can continue with this thing.

First thing she's going to try is speaking calmly and rationally, while addressing his points of concern.]

I brought it up because it's when it happened. Warren isn't my boyfriend, and I'm not out to hurt you. Please don't threaten me, Nate. I'm trying to share a huge secret with you. I need you to know this. It's incredibly important. Please.

[While speaking softly, she holds her hand out, palm up. Please take my hand, Nathan.]

( max offers her hand out like he's some scared, wounded animal. like she's jane and he's tarzan. his hands don't budge from the wheel as fights the urge to recoil from her kindness. no one like her ever calls him nate. he might've forgotten it was ever his name. )

Say it, then. Don't treat me like I'm stupid, or like I'm some little kid.

( she must know what a bad idea it is to tell him anything. he's not trustworthy. he's a monster. his skeptical expression is more about her judgement than his own; does she really know what she's getting herself into? )

[Of course she has no idea what she's doing. She hasn't known anything she's doing one second since she'd gotten her powers. Honestly, she feels like Alice flung into Wonderland with how much her life has changed, and how quickly. Nathan only amplifies that feeling sometimes.

She curls her hand and drops it with a small frown, before bringing it back up to brush her hair from her face with a sigh, gaze dropped.]

I wish I'd gotten a picture of you, when you were standing at the windowsill in my room, holding Lisa like she might have all the answers to the universe. That shot... [She shakes her head and lifts her chin again. She repeats herself, since it's clear Nathan missed it the first time:] I can reverse time. But only up to several minutes.

[One thing about sharing a secret like this... Once she can even get Nathan to believe her, who would believe him without some sort of proof, even if he told them? There's like. Some built in insurance with a secret this crazy out-there.]

—You can reverse time.

( he says it flatly. he'd been watching her lips as she spoke, he still feels as if he's misheard her. everything before feels just as foreign, the idea that he could be a muse for her photography. )

What, like your boyf— like Warren built a time-machine in the back of the physics classroom? Maxine McFly?

( it's a joke and he's laughing. the tension leaves his body, at least, and he lets his hand slide off the steering wheel and into his lap. whatever she's on, it's not about him. she's not about to go after him for hurting her friend, which is where he'd assumed this line of conversation was going. )

[He stopped himself before calling Warren her boyfriend. That alone brings a small smile to her lips. Feels like progress. Like this little hint that he does want to try and do the things she says she needs him to. Not cross her boundaries.]

Maxine McFly, huh? Okay first, never Maxine. [She shudders.] Second, I didn't take you for a Back to the Future fan. We should definitely watch the trilogy. I bet you shit-talk all the way through the third one. [Her tone is just as amused, even a little fond, until she has to go back to the matter at hand.] But no, I'm serious. No DeLorean or Plutonium needed. I just have to focus and I can do it. And I can prove it to you.

[She glances around the cab of the truck, considering, before her eyes land on the radio. It's clearly set up to be able to play Nathan's iPod or whatever, expensive tech. But it can also still pick up FM and AM, if the dash is anything to go by. She points to it.]

Go through three random FM radio channels. I'll listen to a little bit of each song, and then I'll rewind and tell you what will play each time. You'll then go through the channels to see if I'm right. Deal?

[She could have him do the pocket thing like she did with Chloe, but... He might not feel comfortable with her knowing what's in his pockets. Hard to say.]

Everyone's seen Back to the Future. You don't need to be a twee hipster nerd to see them; they're like Baby's First Films.

( watching a movie with her feels so normal, so domestic. a regular person pastime, unlike whatever he gets up to. he's not sure he could stand it, but he thinks he'd be willing to try. )

What is this, some kind of magic trick? David Blaine shit? ( he's amused by the absurdity of it, looks around the car as if he expects there to be hidden cameras. ) You're seriously weird, girl.

( but what does he have to lose by playing this game? she seems sincere, non-threatening. if this is all a ploy for him to lower his guard, it might be working.

he sinks the keys into the ignition and turns them to click on the truck. the preset saved station is a classical one, the last thing nathan was listening to. )

...Beethoven's 8th Symphony. One of the middle parts, they all blend together. Tempo di menuetto, or whatever the fuck.

( from there, he seeks forward until he finds something more modern. ) And this is that Fetty Wap song. Vortex Club plays this shit into the fucking ground. It's called 679. Barely even counts as music.

( and to round it off, he lands on a college radio station. ) Grimes. You know her? Seems like you're kinda chick. Super weird and indie. Vic likes her... Don't know the song, but the whole album is called Visions. Will that work for your trick?

[She laughs a little as he looks around like she's hidden cameras inside his truck. That she's never been in before. Or was even aware he drove. Cute, Nathan. Super cute.

A nod, and she closes her eyes and listens intently as he not only goes through the stations, but also shares his own commentary on each one. Perfect. She's gonna abuse the heck outta that and tell him his own words... Why is she suddenly so keen to impress him? Almost moreso than she'd been with Chloe. Maybe partially because Chloe already knew her well enough to be inclined to believe her? If she can convince Nathan...

Well. She tries to commit it all to memory before reaching a hand out and focusing, working past the alcohol still in her system to rewind to the point he's taking out his key to place in the ignition. She opens her eyes and delicately rests her hand on his arm. Her head twinges, just a little.]

Wait. Beethoven's 8th Symphony. Tempo di menueto... Then, Fetty Wap, "679." You hate how much the Vortex Club plays it and consider it barely music... Third... Grimes. You don't know the name of the song, but know it's from her "Visions" album. You think her music is my type because she's "weird and indie" and you told me Victoria listens to her. And for the record... It's "Oblivion."

[She drops her hand, and motions for him to continue.]

Edited (lbr she wouldn't call her vic at this point LOL) 2026-03-10 04:05 (UTC)

( he'd just finished commenting on how weird she is when she begins. he hovers over the radio's dial, unable to divorce himself from skepticism as she parrots his own words back to him. she's right, of course. his brows furrow as he clicks through the stations. beethoveen, hip-hop, electronic indie. she'd been right about how much he hates fetty wap, and how victoria has this album on repeat. )

You've been in my car?

( she set the radio stations ahead of time... somehow...

he brings his fingers to his forehead, rubs away the headache that threatens to form there. )

What the... fuck are you doing, Max?

( he must be drunker than he thought. )

[She figured it might take at least one more display for Nathan to be fully convinced.

Is this smart? Even if she can convince him, how is he actually going to react? Especially if he's reminded again about when she says the powers kicked in. If she tells him he actually did shoot and kill Chloe...]

No, I didn't even know this was your car before tonight. [As for what she's doing... She speaks softly, the vulnerability in her voice clear.] I'm trusting you with my secret, Nathan...

[Because it's unfair of her to ask him to trust her if she's not going to do the same, right? Maybe now... There's just a part of her that wishes there was a way to show him she's a safe person for him. But another part of her is fully aware that may not even be possible.]

( when he drops his hands from his face, he's looking at her intently. there's no hostility, only focus. he's trying to will her words to make sense. eyes swimming, limbs swaying, he's going to solve this puzzle if it kills him.

eventually, he straightens up and turns to face her, one knee resting on the seat. )

Okay. Hot Tub Time Maxin— Max. Just Max. ( he's learning. ) What am I thinking right now?

That one I might have let slide purely for being the perfect pun, honestly. Kudos.

[She shifts to face him fully as well, actually bringing her scrawny legs up onto the seat with her to sit cross-legged. (She's even kind enough to toe her sneakers off first just so she doesn't get any dirt on the seats.) The seats weren't exactly made for this position, but whatever.

She smiles at him.]

You are aware you have to tell me what you're thinking first before I can rewind and tell you, right? Time mechanics. Not mind-reading abilities. The second time around you won't have to tell me. But then you won't remember me telling you this either. So why am I still telling you?

[She laughs a little. Clearly there's still some alcohol having effect here. But this has been kind of sobering already, and she's probably less fucked up in general than Nathan is. No drugs, for one thing.]

C'mon, you're fucking with me.

( that explanation is so long and detailed, it has to be a joke. a weird, nerd joke. he doesn't get her humor, apparently, but that's not a bad thing. it's nice to laugh at something beyond the misery of others. )

You're being serious? ( ... ) I'm thinking about you.

( which he wouldn't admit quite so freely were it not for the aforementioned drugs and alcohol. he wouldn't mind a re-up, if he's being honest with himself. sobering up feels like allowing the night to end, and he's enjoying the novelty of this weird, extended prank about time travel too much for it to die here. )

Oh.

[Well, that shut her up quickly. Her face has gone a little red, but her smile softens. Her eyes study her expression as she shifts a little closer. And holds her hand out again. Palm up. That's becoming a thing.]

...have you been thinking about me a lot?

Yeah. All the time. ( she's been in the forefront of his mind, especially during those days he'd decided that being away from her was best. when she offers her hand this time, he takes it and curls his fingers between hers. )

Now you're telling me you're like a... space-time witch, or something. I'm thinking about that, too. I think you're crazy, girl. You're doing some crazy shit.

( he still can't explain it, but he's drunk, and soft, and fascinated. )

Do it again, something else.

Space-time witch. [She repeats it, a little amused, but...] I like that.

[The hand in her own feels so nice, like a reassurance. She lightly squeezes Nathan's hand as he's telling her to do something else. And she has to think for a second, before...]

Okay... [She leans even closer to him, like she has to whisper to share this secret. Her free hand finds his knee.]

I can kind of use it to teleport. [Not beating those space-time witch allegations any time soon.] Because if I move, and then rewind to before I moved, I'll stay in the new position and to you it will look like I teleported. You wanna see?

( max caulfield, nosy bitch time slash witch extraordinaire. he thinks it suits her, too.

when she leans in to whisper to him, he listens intently. teleportation via time travel doesn't sound any less insane than teleportation all on its own, but that's not the concerning part. )

So, what, you'll just disappear? Go someplace else? No... stay here with me.

( vic sees him like this on occasion, sickeningly sweet and able to admit that he needs her. if only he were the one with the ability to reverse time... )

[This sweetness is doing her in. It does occur to her that maybe Nathan is on something serious, besides just alcohol or weed. Which begs the question of if he'll even remember any of this tomorrow. He'll probably think he made up any thing she does to show him her powers.]

Okay. [She whispers, moves to kiss him on the cheek.

She had only been planning on stepping outside the truck. But now she doesn't even want to go that far, either.] Should we watch people instead? I could tell you what they're going to do.

[Except she kinda doesn't want to. She kind of just wants to be as close to him as possible, to kiss him. To lay in bed with him and forget about everything else, like the weight of responsibility that comes with this power.]

( he thinks about it, a slow, sleepy consideration. he generally loves to people watch, especially people mock, but he's feeling similar to max. he thinks he'd rather turn radio back on and talk until they fall asleep in each other's arms, like something out of a movie. )

I'd be easier if I believed you, right? So I'll just believe you. If you say you're being real, then... then I guess you can time travel.

( at least for now, he'll believe her. the morning is sure to be a different story. )

Sorta sucks that you're stuck using it here. Shouldn't you be, like, buying lottery tickets? Or stopping wars?

[Oh. Right. She hasn't told him yet about saving Chloe's life.

For a moment there everything had felt next to perfect, and so quickly reality is snatching that away. Her body has noticably tensed. She has a choice here. Ruin the moment witho what she knows now... Or wait until tomorrow to do that.

Fuck it, she'll wait until tomorrow.]

I can only reverse time by a few minutes. So unfortunately lottery tickets and stopping wars are off the table. But I am still trying to put it to good use. I do want to help people.

[A smile pulls at her lips as she thinks of something.]

You know the broken window at the front of the dorms? That's my fault. Well, technically Zach's. But a football he threw hit Alyssa in the head. So I rewound and told her to move, and just in time the ball missed her but cracked that window instead.

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what a cool way to show her powers!!

why thank you!!! I like coming up with stuff like this

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