Living with Caroline is easy.

Which is baffling, because Caroline is not an easy person to live with. She is demanding, entitled, and entirely too close for comfort. But Max is happy anyway. She's shoveling horse shit with a smile on her face, okay? Sure at first it was from sheer relief, but it had been months now and the smile still hadn't gone away. Getting to keep Caroline was something Max was still trying to wrap her head around. But now, waking up to her face first thing in the morning? It's better than a hit of cocaine.

Max would know. She can't think of a drug she hasn't tried.

It's not like they couldn't afford a bed, or a better place. They are business owners, after all. It may be Max's name on everything, but she still thinks of it all as Caroline's. Especially because Caroline is the one who makes sure all the bills are paid on time and that their savings account actually exists. She's in charge of their advertisement, the books, and literally everything else their bakery needs aside from the food.

The food is all Max. Caroline has even enrolled her in school for it, so that she can learn to make even more things. She wakes up to make breakfast for Caroline and herself everyday, goes to a job she actually enjoys. Goes to class three times a week, which she doesn't hate, and falls asleep cuddling with the girl of her dreams.

It's-it's more than Max had ever dared to hope for.

So what if Caroline is straight. She's more of a girlfriend to Max than many of her actual girlfriends have been. There is a criminally sad lack of sex. But if Max knows anything at all, it's that sex has fuck all to do with an actual relationship. Caroline loves her cooking, laughs at her jokes, and has yet to pull away when Max leans into her space. It's more than she's ever had before, especially from someone she doesn't spend any significant amount of time going down on.

Asking for more is just stupid. Especially because Max knows it won't last. It's just a matter of time before Caroline realizes that being poor doesn't mean there aren't more men lining up to sleep with her than she would know what to do with. She should enjoy it while she can. Relish Caroline fluttering lashes first thing in the morning, and the way her eyes light up when Max presents her with a new pastry to put on their menu. The way time seems to stop when she smiles at Max sometimes, and the way Max has caught her eyeing her cleavage once or twice.

Even if that last bit is driving her insane. Max's rack is legendary. Girls gawk at her chest just as much as men do, regardless of whether or not they're interested in women. People just like boobs, it's been the one thing she's had going for her since seventh grade. She knows, logically, that it's not an actual sign of interest.

It fucks with her head anyway. Because it makes her think that Caroline might not just be checking out her chest sometimes. It makes her think that maybe Caroline's eyes fall to her lips, her hands, and even her neck, a time or two. That her eyes go dark, or hazy with want, when Max knows, she knows it's just wishful thinking on her part. Sometimes, when she's particularly horny and weak, Max closes her eyes in the shower and lets herself think about all the straight girls she has slept with. They way Max has learned to be gentle with first timers, how she's so sure she could make it good for Caroline. Make it so that it's not just an experiment, not just a one time thing. So that it's something Caroline wants when they're in bed late at night and Max pulls her close.

It's-it's so stupid of her. Outright selfish in a way Max hand't even known she could be.

It's one thing to know that nothing good ever lasts, but it's another to be so sure she's going to be the one to fuck it all up. Because Caroline is everywhere. She's all in Max's space, she can't even want other people when Caroline is there to outshine them in every conceivable way. Max hasn't had sex in two months, the longest she'd ever gone without since having her cherry popped. But she doesn't want to make a pass at the other girl. She has no idea how Caroline doesn't seem aware of how much Max wants her when it's not like Max has ever managed to be subtle. But she doesn't want to be the one to break what they have now. Doesn't want to be the one who makes everything awkward with her stupid feelings.

And she's sure, hand to heart, that having Caroline in her bed like she does on a regular basis is going to be what breaks her.

So she gathers her strength, what little of it remains after two months of rigid self control, and mentions, as nonchalantly as she knows how, "We should probably get you your own bed."

"Hm," Caroline looks up from where she's tugging the covers back. Something she only has to bother with because she insists on making the bed to begin with. "I was thinking of splurging on a new mattress and some better sheets, actually."

"Go for it." Max encourages woodenly,"We can get a Murphy bed or something."

"Not for me." Caroline says, rolling her eyes. "For us. Study's show that sleep is crucial for learning, and we need you to focus in class if we want to open up a second location sooner rather than later."

"Why not get us both new stuff then? Don't you miss sleeping alone?" Max offers desperately. Mechanically making her way under the covers.

"Nope." Caroline says, burrowing happily into her side of the bed. Tortuously close, "When I first saw your room I'd thought for sure I wouldn't be able to sleep at all in these conditions, but it turned out to be really comfortable, even with the holes in the comforter."

Caroline cuddled closer, "Why? I thought you didn't mind sharing."

"I don't." Max said, arm snaking around Caroline's waist without her permission. That was the problem. A problem Caroline aggravated by turning her head so that her lips where in kissing distance. Max dragged her eyes from Caroline's mouth to her dazzling blue eyes.

"I'm sorry if I'm reading this wrong," Caroline said, and then she kissed Max.

Max melted into the kiss, lips parting as Caroline grew brave slipped her tongue into her mouth. It was better than she'd ever imagined. Sweeter than she'd ever hoped for. When Caroline started to pull back Max chased her lips. Leaving a series of ardent closed mouth kisses before she could bring herself to open her eyes and stop. She still couldn't believe Caroline had been the one to start this.

"You kissed me." Max, murmured, breathless.

"I did." Caroline acknowledged, pupils blown and breathing hard. "It's never been like that before."

"It's never been with me before." Max said cupping her cheek softly. She would make this so good for Caroline. Too good for her to ever regret it. She leaned in with every intention of blowing Caroline's mind with the many joys of lesbian sex, when Caroline's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

Max blinked at her, confused, "Isn't this the part where we have sex."

She felt the shudder that wracked Caroline's body at her words at the tips of her fingers, but the former heiress shook her head."This is the part where we talk about it and then have sex."

"Are you sure about that?" Max asked with her best bedroom voice.

She could hear Caroline's breath stutter, but Caroline's head was tilted in that stubborn way that usually got them deals on supply shipments so Max gave in with ill grace. She didn't want to talk about it. She wanted to savor it, to enjoy being with Caroline before having to face that it was a one time thing and that she was going to have to deal with having her so close having truly had her only once. "Ok. Let's talk."

"I think I'm in love with you." Caroline said, hand coming up to clasp the hand Max still held to her cheek. Smiling sweetly as if she hadn't just shattered the entirety of Max's world view with seven words. It was hardly the first time she'd done it, but knowing that didn't really help Max cope.

"I-I." Max tried valiantly, brain trying desperately to reboot, "that."

It was hardly the most heartfelt declaration, but that didn't seem to bother Caroline who's smile had gone smug, "I thought so."

Caroline kissed her again, a short and sweet peck, turning Max's brain into further mush."I couldn't figure out why you would help me the way you did. I couldn't figure out how having you here with me made everything that happened...not okay, but bearable. I could breathe when you were with me. And smile, and move on with my life. It's stupid, it was so obvious in retrospect. But it wasn't until I saw that Deek guy from your pastry class giving you heart eyes that it dawned on me. I wanted to slam his head in the oven door for looking at you like you were amazing. Even though you are, because I'm the only one who can look at you like that. Then I thought about it, about how I didn't even think about getting a bed of my own because it would mean I would have to stop sharing with you. Or an apartment with more than one room. I just-I didn't want to give up a second of the time we spend together and I knew. I had to love you. And you just-you let me. You let me stay-you never push me away, you make me breakfast, and walk Chestnut. I thought-I thought maybe you might love me too."

"I do." Max croaked out past the knife in her throat. Truly, madly, passionately, "I really do."

"Good." Caroline said, gracing her lips with another peck.

"This is the part where we have sex, right?" Max asked, just to be sure.

Caroline grinned,"Right."

This time, Max kissed her.

x

Ok, so happiness is your OTP making out at the end of a fic right? Don't tell me if I'm wrong. I'm happy living a lie. I want to thank you guys so much for sticking this story out with me. For giving me reviews to reread for inspiration and all of the support I needed to see this through to the end. I really, truly want to thank all of you guys for reading this. I wish I could just start a new one right off the bat, but that's just not possible at the moment.

Long story short I do have other Maxoline stories running, but they're mostly one shots. Between school and work I find it very hard to write. There's just no time, so I don't want to commit to another multichapter story and leave you guys waiting for moths or years at a time. I feel bad enough about doing just that for my other fandoms, but I am making a genuine attempt to be better.