TW: sexual content ahead

"She's mad at me, isn't she?" Victoria wrinkles her nose as she looks at the rest of the boys, sitting directly across from her.

The three of them look at each other, undecided. Things between Max and Victoria seem to have improved as the days have gone by; since Ethan's birthday party it's clear that their relationship has taken a step forward. But, as usual, Victoria thinks, she's had to screw it up. Mamma mia comes out at midnight, just as the five of them are at the disco, but the music video doesn't come out until a few days later. Social media lights up at the striking subject matter the song seems to be about, and Max inevitably wants to see the video clip.

So the five of them watch it together, sitting on the sofa with Damiano's laptop open on YouTube. The views and likes are going up, so Max congratulates them on it before she even opens the video. She smiles a little when she sees that it's Victoria who opens the video, speaking in English, and Thomas and Ethan accompany her in the vehicle. She is surprised at first by Damiano's absence, but then, after the first scene —the one with Ethan in the bathroom— she understands a little of what the plot will be about: Damiano will be killed in different ways.

The five are left in an awkward and somewhat tense silence when the scene of Victoria flirting with another girl appears and they end up making out in the bathroom. No one says anything, but the four Italians share knowing glances and glance sideways at Max's reaction, but she says nothing, her face impassive and still focused on the plot in the video. Victoria shifts in her seat next to the Englishwoman, fearful that this might be something that will upset Max, and even more so if she hasn't told her before seeing it.

But, she thinks, that was recorded before anything happened between them. Besides, it's not as if Victoria suddenly had feelings for the actress who plays her affair, but even then she already knows about her feelings for the young singer. The Italian doesn't know whether to be even more uncomfortable or relieved when she looks back at the screen, the part of Thomas killing Damiano with his guitar ending the scene in the club. The four of them appear back in the car, closing the video clip and the screen turning black as they all escape in the vehicle.

"Hey, that's cool," Max simply says with a smile. "I would have killed Damiano too. What a pain in the ass."

Then she says nothing more. And all three boys smile, thinking things have turned out better than expected, but Victoria has other suspicions in her heart. Part of the reason Francesca left the relationship was because of her previous video clip, in which the blonde appears with another girl in a bathtub, and the fact that Max won't comment on it makes her feel a little insecure. What if Max was bothered by it? Will that mean turbulence in their new relationship?

"I don't think so," Ethan is the first to speak. "It's nothing new for someone like her. She's been in the industry for a while, she knows what the music videos are like, the performances. I don't think she's taking it into account."

"I think the same thing," Thomas adds. "I don't think she's upset. She might have been a bit taken by surprise, but she hasn't made any comment."

"She's just out walking Chili, Vic," Damiano reassures her. "Don't get the worst of it. You're lucky Max is communicative, if she'd had any problems she would have told you by now. If you're so worried, wait until she comes back and tell her. Have more faith in her, she's not Francesca."

Victoria nods, distracted. She runs her hands over her face and sinks deeper into the sofa, trying not to put herself in the worst way. Damiano is right, she tries to convince herself. Max likes to talk things out, it's been proven, and Victoria knows that if she ever had something to tell her, she'd do it before it piled up. But she can't help thinking that Max has left on purpose so she doesn't have to deal with it, because it's a situation she's been in before, and it hasn't exactly ended well.

The front door opens, and Chili is the first one through. She slips out of Max's grip on the leash, who is staring insistently at her phone, the glare of the screen reflected in her glasses. The dog barks a little when she sees they're all nearby, and Max raises her head, still somewhat engrossed in the phone. "Oh, is this an intervention?" she smiles as she puts the phone in her pocket. Chili stands up to scratch her trousers, and Max scoops her into her arms. "I love this dog. Run, give mommy a kiss. Have you had dinner yet?" The Englishwoman looks at the clock on the wall. It's 21:39.

"No, not yet. We were thinking about what to cook," Thomas replies as he lights a cigarette in the garden.

"Good, good," Max rubs her hands together: it's cold outside. Then she turns to Victoria, tilting her head towards the bedroom. "Can we talk for a moment?"

Victoria nods slowly, noting the tension in her veins, and watches out of the corner of her eye as behind her back the three boys glance at each other, as if silently confirming her friend's suspicions. Max just smiles and starts off to the bedroom, a more private place, and Victoria follows, giving her three friends a tense look and wiping the sweat from her hands on her trousers. Here comes nothing, she thinks to herself.

But Max closes the door still with a small smile on her lips, which remains there as she moves in for a kiss. Victoria is a little confused, but she returns it, as always, and the doubts seem to slowly dissipate despite her self-doubt. "Are you all right? You look nervous," Max gives her a brief glance, as she turns to the bedroom wardrobe to grab a coat.

"Yeah, yeah," Victoria replies with a nod. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I hope you're hungry. And keen to go out with me, of course," the Englishwoman smiles broadly. "I thought you and I could go out for dinner, pick up some pizzas from that place you like so much and go to a lookout point. Would you like that? Mind you, it's cold outside, so you'll have to get something a little warmer," Max laughs as she points to Victoria's open shirt.

"So, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

The blonde stammers a little. "Well, I thought that... This morning, the video... I thought you were upset that I was dating someone else. Since you didn't comment on it..."

Max quickly shakes her head. "Oh, no, Vic, how can I be upset? If it's just a video, you're acting. Besides, if you think about it like that, I've done worse, and you've never been angry. I'm not mad, nothing's wrong, see?" The Englishwoman gives her a suffocating hug, but Victoria is grateful for it and takes refuge in the older girl's warmth. "Don't worry about anything, it's all right."

"You could say my previous relationship ended because of something like that. I understand that she could've been a bit jealous, but it's just a concept for our songs, nothing I do means anything. That's why I thought you'd take it the wrong way too."

Max gives her a long look this time. "I promise you it's all good. You do you, I'll understand."

"My God, you're the best," Victoria breathes quietly, and plants a kiss on her lips that she wanted to do calmly. She smiles when she detects Max doing the same. "What have I ever done to deserve you?"

"Just be yourself. Then you're already the best girlfriend in the world."

"Are we really doing this?" Victoria asks with a huge grin on her face.

"I want to. As long as you want to, yes."

"Let me grab a jacket and I'm all set," The blonde pounces on Max, kissing her repeatedly. She decides on a long grey coat and a matching beret. She grabs the keys to the motorbike and drags the Englishwoman out of the room holding her hand, and so they head for the door.

"You're leaving?" Ethan asks sitting on one of the stools.

"Hell yeah, I'm on a date with my girlfriend, so don't disturb," Victoria gives them the finger, so the guys look at each other and laugh, knowing things are fine. The blonde sees Max shrug, still holding her hand, and waves at them. "So, what's the plan?"

"You just have to sit back and look pretty. Think you can do that? First, we'll stop at your favourite place. I've taken the liberty of calling beforehand so they have our pizzas ready. One cheese, one pepperoni, I hope I got that right," from the kiss on her cheek, Max knows she has. "Then we'll go to this place I've seen on the internet. They say it's usually quite empty and today's Wednesday, so it'll be more private for us. And finally I'll take you home hoping you've had your best date ever. Sounds good?"

"It sounds amazing. It's been a long time since I rode a motorbike."

"I'll take us. I've got my ID with me and my arm's perfectly fine. Now, my lady, if you may," Max gives a little bow, handing her the helmet. "We shall be leaving now."

Victoria can't believe how happy she is in this period of her life. Everything seems so much easier with Max by her side, or specifically, holding onto the Englishwoman's waist as she drives through the streets of Rome. Victoria has to shout out on occasion that they are passing a famous site or a place she usually visits, and Max asks questions, taking an interest in her anecdotes. The wind ruffles her hair and freezes her, so she clings tighter to Max, whose posture softens as she feels the Italian's touch, who inhales and feels the Englishwoman's scent penetrate her nostrils.

At that point, everything is fine. More than fine.

They pick up their dinner and Max has to turn on Google Maps, because it's hard enough driving that little motorbike through the stony streets of the Italian capital without having to find her way around when it's dark. It doesn't take them long to get there, mostly because Victoria helps her get her bearings, laughing when Max gets frustrated because she doesn't understand a sign in Italian. They leave the motorbike near them, next to a tree to keep a close eye to make sure nothing happens. Max takes a huge tablecloth out of her bag, where Victoria lays the pizzas, which are burning in her hands, and they settle in, looking out over the small mountain at the view of the city at night.

Victoria's eyes sparkle when they see the Colosseo lit up and silent, lonely but beautiful. "We better eat or they'll go cold."

Victoria tells her a little about her childhood, and Max listens attentively, completely immersed in her story. Victoria has Danish roots on her mother's side, so she is fluent in that language —Max doesn't even try, she has enough to do with learning some Italian, and Victoria laughs— which amazes the Englishwoman, knowing that at her young age she is able to master up to three different languages. Max knows that Victoria normally lives with her father and her little sister, Nica, in Rome, and that the four of them go to the villa only when they go to rehearse or when they are at concerts, which is a lot of the time lately. From her voice, Max detects that the Italian woman misses them, especially since the loss of her mother, of whom she speaks in a dreamy and somewhat sad voice.

For the first time in a long time, Victoria feels heard and cared for, and also understood, because Max has also lost her father and knows how it must feel when something like this happens. The Italian feels that she could talk for hours, that Max would be listening to her attentively and taking an interest in her. Victoria looks at her and doesn't understand how lucky she has been: this girl is an angel from heaven, she says to herself. She looks after her, cares for her, respects her and understands her, and when she sees her blue eyes, she knows that, even if she doesn't say it yet, she loves her, and that's much more than Victoria thinks she deserves.

She kisses her, and kisses her, and kisses her, far from the eyes of others. They are both a little afraid of being discovered, but the area is not too brightly lit and there are no people around, so they let themselves get carried away in the moment. They chat, eat, drink, kiss some more and laugh together, and Max realises that she is having the best months of her life since she met the Italian band. As much as she sometimes loathes Simon, she will have him to thank for the rest of her life for introducing her to Victoria de Angelis.

"I have something to show you," Max confesses at one point in the evening, tucking her hair behind her ear. She opens her bag and pulls out a small notebook, and instantly Victoria knows she's looking at the continent of her song lyrics. "I've spoken to Jack a lot these days. Let's say I've got a lot of inspiration since I'm here, so I've been able to send him some lyrics. Well, turns out he's helped me finish another song."

"That's awesome, Max. I'm happy for you. Wait, are you going to let me see it?"

Max shrugs. "It'd be only fair. This one's for you."

Victoria is surprised. "For me? You wrote me a song?"

"I could write you many more songs. Maybe I will," Max smiles. "But this is the first one I finished. Do you want to read it?"

"Are you kidding? I'd love to."

Max smiles a little, a little more shy all of a sudden, and purses her lips into a thin line, waiting for Victoria to read what she's written.

I never thought that I would find a way out

I never thought I'd hear my heartbeat so loudly

I can't believe there's something left in my chest anymore

But goddamn, you got me in love again

I used to think that I was made out of stone

I used to spend so many nights on my own

I never knew I had it in me to dance anymore

But goddamn, you got me in love again

Show me that heaven's right here, baby

Touch me, so I know I'm not crazy

Never have I ever met somebody like you

Used to be afraid of love and what it might do

But goddamn, you got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again

Again

So many nights, my tears fell harder than rain

Scared I would take my broken heart to the grave

I'd rather die than have to live in a storm like before

But goddamn, you got me in love again

Show me that heaven's right here, baby

Touch me, so I know I'm not crazy

Never have I ever met somebody like you

Used to be afraid of love, and what it might do

But goddamn, you got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again, again

I can't believe, I can't believe

I finally found someone

I'll sink my teeth in disbelief

'Cause you're the one that I want

I can't believe, I can't believe

I'm not afraid anymore

Goddamn, you got me in love again

I never thought that I would find a way out

I never thought I'd hear my heartbeat so loud

I can't believe there's something left in my chest anymore

Oh, goddamn, you got me in love again

I can't believe, I can't believe

I finally found someone

I'll sink my teeth in disbelief

'Cause you're the one that I want

I can't believe there's something left inside my chest anymore

But goddamn, you got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again

You got me in love again

"So... What did you think?"

Max looks at her when she sees that Victoria's eyes are wet. "Max, you've written me a song. This is... I don't know what to say. Do I really make you feel this?"

"Of course. I write this from the heart, Vic. I know this hasn't been happening for a long time, but with you I already felt these things. It's taken me a bit more to realise, though. I hope many of my songs carry my real feelings, for you and for everything else".

Victoria kisses her again, because she can't find words that do justice to what she truly feels. She pulls her to herself, taking her gently by the neck and bending slightly to avoid the frame of the brunette's glasses, who sighs contentedly when she sees that her song has had the desired effect. Max gently bites her lip, inciting a low growl from the blonde that manages to speed up the Englishwoman's heartbeat even more.

Neither of them know exactly how long they spend like this, but they both know it's getting late, and that they might as well keep doing this at home, more sheltered from the cold and from people who might cross their path. Max reaches out to pull the Italian woman up, pulling her close and giving her one last kiss that only makes Victoria want another, and another, and another. The blonde can only sigh when she sees Max's silhouette pick up all the things and put them back in her backpack, only to put her helmet back on, and when she gives her an innocent smile, Victoria wants to freeze that moment forever because she knows for sure that she is in love.

They return home, once again riding through the streets of Rome to celebrate their love. Victoria is once again wrapped around Max's waist, resting her head on her back as best she can without the helmet getting in the way. She hears only the roar of the engine, the scattered voices of passers-by, and the soft howl of the wind that crashes against the girls as they move. She sighs, again and again, feeling that she doesn't know what she has done to deserve someone like this in her life.

And she tries not to think about anything else, because underneath all the happiness there are still issues to be resolved, issues that Victoria has no say in, and maybe not even Max.

But she decides that tonight she's not going to think about that. In fact, tonight she doesn't want to think about anything. It's she who takes Max's helmet off when they arrive at the villa, surprised that the lights are already out, as it's only midnight and the three boys have been known to stay up watching Netflix until the early hours of the morning. Suspicious of their absence, Victoria is grateful anyway, because only then can she take Max by the hands and kiss her deeply without anyone uttering cries of mock disgust.

"Have I mentioned how pretty you look tonight?" Max murmurs against her lips, inciting shivers in the Italian. "I took many pictures of you, but none of them do you justice."

"You may have said it once or twice, yeah," Victoria replies in the same tone of voice. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?"

"You may have said it once or twice," mimics the Englishwoman, who lets out a giggle. "And I love you too."

Victoria's heart almost explodes with joy. Max leans down to cover her mouth with hers, with renewed strength, as if her confession has filled her with energy. She feels the Italian respond with the same intensity, wrapping her arms around her neck, and Max lifts her against herself, knocking her beret off at the sudden movement, and earning a gasp from Victoria, who wraps her legs around the Englishwoman's waist and kisses her again.

Finally Max sets her down, and without a word, takes her by the hand and immediately Victoria knows where they're going. Suddenly her body is all nerves: she knows it's Max's first time with a girl, with her, and she wants to be up to it. What if they're not compatible? Or if Max doesn't like her? Hundreds more questions come to mind, but one by one they dissipate when Max opens the door to her room and Victoria sees that it is dimly lit with candles, placed randomly on the floor and with special care not to damage the carpet.

"The boys have helped me, I must admit. I guess that's why they went to bed early...," she justifies herself with a small smile. "I want you to know how serious this is to me. Never have I ever been the one to make the first move, or set up things like this, but you deserve this and more. You mean a lot to me."

"I'm so happy. I could get used to this."

"Let me make you happier," Max murmurs in her ear, and helps her take off her coat. Victoria swallows, new insecurities returning to her head that are quieted because Max kisses her slowly, making her momentarily forget everything. She has to admit that Max kisses too well, playing with her lower lip as she runs her tongue across it, making the Italian moan, only to be silenced with another kiss. "I love you," Max reminds her as her lips stray across her mouth, her lobe and her neck, moving lower and lower.

Victoria rolls her eyes from the pleasure she feels as the Englishwoman bites down on a part of her neck that makes her go crazy. She quickly undoes her shirt, her pupils dilating when she sees Max so close to her, and with a movement she indicates that the Englishwoman's jumper should go to the floor as well. Hundreds of memories come to the Italian's mind when Max is simply in her bra, inevitably remembering the first night, when she got so drunk that when she woke up she threw up on her and forced her to take off her clothes. But now the circumstances are much better: now Max keeps telling her that she loves her, and if she is so drunk, it is out of love.

The Italian woman loses track of time as well as control. Max holds her against her with such force that they could become one. Their kisses are passionate, deep, and ever faster, and Victoria senses that she is very nervous. She adores the girl in front of her and wants to let her know it. She repeats the actions of that day at the disco, bending down in front of her and placing kisses all over her belly until she reaches the button of her trousers, and Max gasps when she sees the Italian girl make a move to unbutton them.

"Fuck, I admit you're making me hot. Come here," the brunette takes her by the waist and lays her down on the bed with less care than she normally does, and Victoria begins to get seriously aroused. Max invites her to lie down on the bed, and she lies on top of her, leaving soft kisses all over her body. This time it's the Italian who digs her fingers into her hair and sighs, feeling that she can't take much more without her hands travelling up and down her body. "Non mentivo quando ho detto che la ragazza più bella era la mia fidanzata."

"I swear I won't be able to control myself if you speak Italian," Victoria gasps, feeling the straps of her bra go down her shoulders, and Max undoes it with a slight movement.

"I can speak some French to you, if you wish...," Max teases her, and laughs darkly against her skin as she nibbles gently at her cleavage, playing with her breasts. "Vous crierez mon nom, Victoria."

Victoria grunts, clearly holding back the urge she has to rip the rest of her clothes off the Englishwoman, who is having fun as she causes the Italian to shudder. "I want to touch you."

"I'm not finished," the brunette straddles the blonde, who still has her back against the wall and her mouth ajar at the sight before her. Max tilts her head to press her lips together and feels herself going crazy. "Tonight's just for you, Victoria."

"If you say my name like that I will come right now," Victoria feels Max stop for a few seconds, but so few that she almost thinks she imagined it. But she knows it was real because the Englishwoman pulls slightly away from her only to remove her trousers as quickly as she can. The brunette can't help but stare at the girl in front of her, her cheeks flushed with pink, her blonde hair dishevelled and her eyes darkened with arousal. Victoria feels herself being watched and swallows hard. "What?"

"You're beautiful. I got really lucky with you."

Victoria stifles a smile and replaces it with a moan as Max moves closer to her and bumps her knee against her. Victoria radiates heat, and Max takes advantage of it, pushing aside her panties and bringing her fingers to her thighs. Normally Victoria would have no problem with teasing and making Max suffer, but when she's the one experiencing it herself, she doesn't have such a good time.

Max gets a taste of what's to come, so she presses her lips against Victoria's, who savours the kiss as the brunette slips her tongue into her mouth, and moans loudly as the Englishwoman's fingers slip inside her, though her moan is drowned out by another kiss from Max. The Englishwoman knows she'd enjoy it more if she heard her moan and scream her name, but she also knows she doesn't want to wake the boys up, and that it would almost have been more productive to do it in the soundproofed studio, as Victoria's gasps are heard every time Max's fingers move inside her.

The brunette knows how to make the Italian shudder, her fingers digging into the sheets and biting her lips to keep from making a sound when Max stops attacking her lips to focus on her breasts, specifically her nipples, flicking her tongue over them and inciting the occasional expletive from the blonde. She takes advantage of a quiet moment to insert another finger inside Victoria, who this time doesn't hold back and lets out a moan at her name that reactivates Max's senses.

Max feels Victoria contract around her fingers, indicating she's about to come, so she moves her hand faster against the Italian, helping her free herself from the knot in her stomach, and swears she feels like a goddess when she sees Victoria with her eyes closed, her mouth open and her body naked in front of her. "Max, I'm— I'm close," The Englishwoman smiles a little as she curves her fingers so that Victoria moves from her spot and speaks again between her whispers. "Don't stop."

"I won't, amore," Max replies in the same tone of voice, and by the look on Victoria's face she knows she won't take much more. "Come for me," and nothing more needs to be said, because the Italian takes a deep breath after letting out a moan, and Max feels her fluids on her hand.

"Care to explain where you learned any of this?" Victoria's chest rises and falls in rhythm, her breathing hitching, but her eyes locked on Max's figure.

"I'm good at listening to your body, I guess," the girl winks at her. "Do you need some rest?"

"The only way to make tonight even better is for you to stay with me tonight."

Max looks at her lovingly. "I'm not going anywhere, Vic."