#langfield

One kiss and he's utterly whipped, right?

Ask and ye shall receive and thank you for the wonderful suggestion! btw, I absolutely adore your langfield fics <3

LISR texting with Vinh

Max was exhausted.

In her defense, who wouldn’t have been when, for the third time, the universe had decided to amuse itself by watching her go back and forth through time and merge two realities to save the people she cared about.

Aside from the side effects of being a chronomancer, she had decided to postpone her fatigue and enjoy the last moments with Chloe before their paths would separate again—this time, however, it wasn’t a goodbye.

“I wish you’d keep this,” Max said holding out the Polaroid where just a few days ago, her selfie had been engulfed by flames. “I know I’d probably go back again just to satisfy a little ‘what if’…” the brunette continued smiling guilty.

“Max, I can’t—” Chloe tried to protest, but she couldn’t finish because the other girl had practically smacked the photo into her hand.

“Sorry, but you’re the one who agreed to be my partner in time,” she laughed, lightly tapping on the shoulder before being pulled in a bone-crushing hug.

“Instead of calling you SuperMax, I’m gonna have to start calling you Maximum Guilt Trip,” her usual sarcastic but playful tone warmed Max’s heart (gosh...she had missed her so much), bringing her back to the good old days in Arcadia Bay without the use of her powers

She allowed herself to rest a little in that embrace, following those old memories until Chloe pulled back and cupped her face with her hands.

She was trying to look strong but the grip on max's shoulders that made her knuckles almost turn white told another story.

“Promise me you’ll be okay, and that you’ll start thinking about yourself,” she whispered with concern, then kissed her forehead.

Tears washed over their cheeks and Max could only smile—yes, she would start thinking about herself more, but only after solving one last unresolved matter here at Caledon.

Chloe let go of her walking toward her pickup truck and just as she was about to leave, she saw Fayyad’s lackey approaching—less polished than usual. In fact, he looked like absolute shit.

"For Fuck's Sake" the green haired thought rolling her eyes.

Max noticed it too. Vinh’s usually neat, slicked-back hair was messy, and his shirt under his coat was wrinkled, one side tucked in and the other hanging out.

Max’s stomach twisted at the sight, because despite everything that had happened in the past three days and his involvement in the fire, she had never seen Vinh like this. And yet she should have been furious… well, she was—but something else was creeping in too: compassion.

Not to mention his eyes, usually sharp and full of that spark that made it seem like he was always one step ahead in every conversation, were now red, swollen, and unfocused.

Inside her, every emotion she felt seemed to stab at the others, and the tightness in her stomach grew stronger.

Luckily, she was pulled back to reality by the boy’s voice, as he finally found the courage to speak.

“Can we talk?” A broken whisper slipped from his lips, his eyes still fixed on the ground.

Max glanced at the pickup truck, still parked, and when she met Chloe’s gaze, the punk leaned out of the window with an overly enthusiastic grin.

She pointed at the boy, mouthing: “Want me to finish him off?” her fist raised.

The brunette stifled a laugh and shook her head.

Chloe sighed, raising her hands in surrender, then reversed out of the driveway leading to the cabin, signaling Max to call her if she needed help before driving away.

Max watched the vehicle until it disappeared from her view, then turned her gaze back to Vinh, who stood there silently, waiting.

With a slow exhale, she released the tension in her shoulders and gestured toward the house.

“Let’s talk inside,” she said, walking ahead.

Her words made him flinch, as if struck by a light shock. Without a word, he followed her into the cabin, feeling as though he were wearing a diving suit—each step heavier than the last. And once the door closed behind them, his heart began pounding in his chest, his vision slightly blurring, sounds turning muffled.

He barely heard her when she suggested sitting on the couch.

“Better to get comfortable… I have a feeling we’ve got a lot to talk about,” Max said, dropping onto it.

Vinh sat beside her, watching her. The exhaustion on her face was obvious too. He was struck by how much effort she was making not to lash out at him for what he had done—because this time, it was truly serious. It involved the attempted concealment of a corpse.

“So?” Max said, arms crossed, eyes fixed ahead. “Are you going to explain why you became complicit in concealing a body for someone who isn’t even your headmistress anymore?” she continued, struggling to contain her anger and disappointment.

“And don’t tell me it’s because she gave you a job, Vinh, because I consider you smarter and more conscientious than that—so don’t lie to me.”

Vinh’s face was filled only with sadness and regret. He ran a hand through his hair, defeated, rubbing his eyes as if preparing himself for a storm he could no longer avoid.

“You’re right. I did something horrible… I—” His words caught in his throat. “I thought I was doing the right thing. For once, I just wanted to protect myself, but most of all I didn’t want to lose the last good thing I had left.”

He suddenly stood up, unable to contain the flood of emotions.

“You know what’s funny?” he laughed bitterly, while Max looked at him in confusion.

“That I tried.”

Those words hit Max like a truck.

“I tried to pretend it was fine. That we were… friends.” The last word twisted in his mouth. “That I didn’t care that every time I…” he gestured vaguely “I found ways to dig deeper into that whole thing about merging realities, about us,” he said, becoming more animated. “You always pulled away, leaving me alone with those faded memories, so at some point... I think nothing mattered to me anymore.”

Max felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

“Vinh—”

“No, really,” he said, meeting her gaze. “Do you know what it feels like to be the only one left stumbling in the dark?” There was anger in his voice now.

Max lowered her eyes for a moment. Those words cut into her without mercy (and part of her felt she deserved it). She had taken for granted that she hadn’t really left an impact on someone like him, that those few moments between them were just blurry memories.

“Yes,” she murmured, staring at the fireplace.

Vinh frowned.

“I suffered too when I walked away,” she said, covering her eyes with her hands. “You have no idea how much…”

“Then why?” he asked.

Max hesitated for only a second, then let go.

“I was afraid,” she said faintly.

“Of what? Of me?” he stepped closer, confused.

“No. Of myself,” she said, pointing at her chest. “Every time I get close to someone...no matter how hard I try, something ends up going wrong. Someone gets hurt.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“I didn't want you to go through this pain”

Vinh was shaken. All the resentment seemed to dissolve in an instant, replaced by something harder to handle.

“So you decided for both of us,” he finally said

“Yes.”

“and ended up hurting me anyway… not exactly a well-calculated choice"

“God I'm so bad at math....” she whispered more to herself.

He sighed and sat back down beside her.

“Fantastic,” he said, burying his face in his hands.

“This doesn’t justify what you did,” she reminded him.

“I’m not trying to justify it,” he snapped, then went silent again. “I just wanted you to understand why I did it”

Max didn’t respond.

She watched him as tears ran down his face, as he sat there exposed, defenseless. And something inside her broke.

She moved before she even realized it and hugged him.

Vinh reacted with a choked sound, his hands finding her hips, gripping her, almost in disbelief. Max pulled away only for a moment, his breath ragged, tracing down her jawline. His lips brushed the skin of her neck, then lingered there, slower, more deliberate. Her hand rose to his cheek, then tangled in his hair, sinking in slowly. Vinh held his breath, instinctively leaning into her. “Max…” he whispered, but his voice lacked strength. She didn’t stop. She pushed him back just enough for his body to yield against the sofa, and a moment later she was already over him, straddling him, her breath short, her gaze alight with something she no longer intended to hide. For an instant, she looked at him. Truly. As if deciding to cross a point of no return. Then she leaned down over him. Her lips found his with urgency, without hesitation. Her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him gently towards her as the kiss deepened, grew more ravenous. She felt him stiffen beneath her, and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Vinh Lang, former leader of the Abraxas, a silver-tongued devil, was there beneath her, crying out and panting for something more, with a tenderness in his voice, a need that only intensified the heat building in the girl’s groin. Her hands slid from his face to his chest, until she reached his hands, guiding them towards the opening of her jeans. Vinh swallowed slowly, then grabbed the waistband of her jeans and pulled them down, a gesture more confident than he truly felt. The fabric slid slowly down her legs, leaving behind a trail of bare skin that seemed to burn under his gaze. Max held her breath, feeling the bulge in Vinh’s pants contract against her soaking wet panties, and instinctively closed her eyes, capturing the boy’s lips in another intense kiss, grinding her hips forward to alleviate some of the desire that was now devouring her from within. With a guttural groan, Vinh embraced the girl above him, pulling her suddenly closer, taking advantage of Max’s panting to slide his tongue against every inch of the girl’s mouth, smiling when he felt her body against his practically collapse against him. She was like clay in his hands, hands that molded their way, caressing her goosebump-adorned inner thigh, until they reached and pushed aside that single piece of fabric that still prevented their union. And in a few seconds, he was inside her, filling her completely.

Her breath hitched in her throat, feeling how hard he was, and she had to throw her arms around his neck fearing that if she didn’t, she would risk of melting away.

“Oh my god,” she sighed, resting her cheek against his forehead, holding him tighter.

He, in response, tried to muffle his moans against her neck as he pushed his hips in and out of her in a way that was almost painful in its slowness. They kissed again, this time more desperate and “chaotic” as Vinh’s thrusts became faster and deeper inside her, caressing that perfect spot that was about to send her over the edge. “Melt into me Miss Caulfield,” he whispered before gently biting her lower lip. With that last thrust, Max swore her world stopped for a moment, her body at the mercy of tremors, her heart beating so hard she feared it would leap out of her chest. She buried her fingers in Vinh’s hair, pulling those brown strands from the roots and pleasantly scratching his scalp with her nails, gasping to try and regulate her breathing. He reached her almost immediately; the sensation of Max’s walls tightening around his member spasmodically as he plunged inside her was too much to handle, so he simply let go with a grunt. A wave of hot liquid filled the girl, while he left a trail of kisses with his swollen lips, moving from her face to her sensitive neck, also trying to catch his breath. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted this moment,” he told her, stealing one last kiss and looking at her intensely with what was… Desire? Love? Love. Not trusting her voice, she decided the best way to answer him was to cup his face. She observed him for a few moments, noticing how damn handsome he continued to be with his soft, red lips, the veil of sweat that graced his forehead, and his tousled hair, before starting all over again.

They had a lot of catching up to do.

---------------------------------------------------------------