Victoria is nervous.

She doesn't know what has taken control of her behavior, she only knows that her feet have walked without permission to the nearest McDonalds, they have led her to buy various things —because she isn't sure what it is that Max orders— and have forced her to knock on her bedroom door. She still doesn't know why, but she's still nervous, and that's not something that happens to her very often, much less with someone she has practically just met.

Max doesn't say much more, she just goes into the bathroom to take a shower, but among the few words that none of them speaks to her is "let's tell the rest of the boys", which relieves Victoria to an unsuspected level. She thinks that maybe it's because it's the first opportunity she has to establish a friendship with a girl —she sincerely misses a feminine presence among so many boys— but deep down she knows that the reasons are different: she has seen Max upset, and that has annoyed her, so she has done her best to cheer her up; Victoria, although she doesn't want to admit it, comes up with another reason to go to her room at that time.

The Italian remains standing near the entrance because she doesn't quite know what to do. She remembers that Max has told her to make herself comfortable, like it's her room, but the blonde feels somewhat uncomfortable still doing whatever she wants when it's not her room. She leaves the two bags on the desk in the spacious room, and wipes her hands a bit on her black jeans from a mixture of cold sweats and heat from the food.

"So, how are you doing?" Victoria raises her voice a bit above the silence, and bites her tongue when she hears the water running and knows that Max probably won't be listening. Victoria can't help but feel a little ridiculous.

"Really, it's not that big of a deal," however, Max responds. Victoria nods to herself. "Okay, I guess I was upset, but it's nothing I won't get over. It's not the first time I've been scolded, I'll survive!" Max laughs out loud and Victoria does the same, although she knows that this time Max isn't listening.

Victoria pauses on her pacing around the room, curious about what is everything and the views of the room. Victoria knows that Max is very famous where she is, and that her team probably always wants the best for her, which is why the blonde's mouth forms an 'O' when she sees that the London Eye can be seen illuminated at night from this window. She clears her throat to herself when she realizes that she may be spending too much time watching it, and spends the rest of the time walking slowly, her hands in her pockets.

The water stops running for good, and Victoria looks up when she hears the bathroom door open. She thinks it's a very similar image to the one Max experienced when she took care of her after a big drunkenness, but she can't help but notice the childish pajamas she's already wearing, and the Italian raises an eyebrow at the Mickey Mouse drawing on her shirt. Max catches her eye, and thinks it's probably too childish for someone like Victoria —she plays in a rock band, for god's sake!

"Besides, it helps that you brought McDonalds!" Max adds, following the conversation she had stopped minutes before. She sniffs through the bags and widens her eyes when she sees her favorite food. "How did you know?"

Victoria is very ashamed to admit that she has read several tweets from Max saying how she was fond of some McNuggets, so she responds by dissuading the topic. "I bought a bit of everything because I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I guess I was lucky enough."

Max inhales deeply, letting the smell of food sink into her nostrils and then sighs as if she is truly satisfied. The singer flops down on the bed again, this time with the box of nuggets on her lap, and invites Victoria to do the same. "Come sit, I won't bite," Max taps the space next to her, and Victoria complies, not without her stomach turning a couple of times at her words. "I shouldn't really be doing this, but it can be my cheat day."

"What do you mean?"

"When you become public and famous enough, there are some people hired for you to eat healthy and well-balanced. I know it's stupid, but in this industry the people who run it are obssessed with image. So basically I'm fed with salads, chicken breasts, vegetables and fruit. You don't know how long I've been dreaming about this," Max lets out a chuckle, putting one of the pieces to her mouth. "Hmm, god-sent."

Victoria looks at her with some concern as Max turns on the television and heads to Netflix. "Is that really true? They don't let you eat whatever you want?"

Max turns around like she's said something stupid, and while she knows it's not something that should be normal, she's so used to it that she hardly even realizes it. "I'm not complaning, though. They want us to be healthy and fit for us to be able to perform and keep up with the quick pace of this career. Of course sometimes I can eat junk food, but it also feels good when you know you're eating healthy. Want a nugget?"

The Italian shakes her head and the English shrugs her shoulders as she attacks the box again. She notices that Victoria has no food in front of her, so she frowns. "You haven't brought anything for you?"

"I wasn't really hungry," the Italian responds, when the reality was that she didn't carry much cash with her and didn't understand much how pounds work.

However, Max doesn't quite believe it, so she pushes the two boxes that Victoria has brought her to the center of the bed so that the Italian can take some. "We can share, Vic," Max presses the button to watch the second season of Peaky Blinders and is not aware of the nickname that rolls off her tongue, but Victoria lifts her head to look at her quickly, although Max is not looking back at her. Just for that, Victoria decides to take one. "Are you cold? Sometimes the air-conditioning is too high. Here, come, this blanket is big enough for the both of us."

Victoria thinks that luckily she has already seen the entire series, because she has no idea what happens the rest of the time in it since Max presses play. She does look at the screen from time to time, but she is too focused on the Englishwoman's facial expressions every time she discovers something different, every time she assembles a theory or every time a character she likes comes out. She admits that it is a bit difficult for her to follow the timeline and the events that happen, but she is too hooked on the charisma that Tommy Shelby gives off and immediately stops talking to focus on what is happening.

The meal is soon over, and Victoria makes no comment about sharing it, just falls silent and speaks only when Max asks her a question or reminds her to pay attention or else she won't be able to have anyone with whom talk about the series. Victoria smiles at these comments, realizing how naive Max seems to her admiring gazes.

In the occasional intense scene, Max shuffles under the blanket and inevitably the two girls approach so that they aren't exposed by the blanket. Victoria's heart races inexplicably at times, thinking that Max is going to take her by the arm for the scene, but that never happens, and although Victoria knows that it's highly unlikely, she cannot help but feel somewhat disappointed by it.

There are only a few minutes left until the fourth of the episodes ends, and she knows that neither of them will stay awake to see a fifth, so she lies back on the cushions, and she is afraid that Max will notice her rapid breathing when the brunette leans her head on her. Victoria swallows hard and tries to be as casual as possible. "Are you uncomfortable?"

"Not at all," Victoria responds. "The episode's about to finish. Want to sleep?" The Italian looks sideways at her iPhone, which indicates that it is close to two in the morning. They have nothing planned for tomorrow, but Victoria doesn't want to be an inconvenience.

Max looks up and then two pairs of blue eyes meet. "I'm wide awake," Max's eyes sparkle and Victoria can't help but smile a little, because she didn't want to leave. "What did you guys do today? I'm sorry I interrupted your rehearsal."

"It was no problem, really. We played most of the songs we had to, so we just kind of left after that. We were all worried about you, but we realized there was nothing we couldn't do, and we all thought our presence would only make things worse. We don't know how to deal with these kind of things, so we decided not to disturb you."

"Your presence never disturbs me!" Max protests, and Victoria finds it almost touching. "Yet you decided to come. How come?"

"I was trying to be a good friend," Victoria excuses herself, and ignores Max's seemingly teasing tone of voice. "You looked truly upset and I wanted to help. Now I know the way for you to open the door for me."

Max puts her hand to her chest in a dramatic gesture. "A woman after my own heart," she says as she looks at the empty box next to Victoria.

Victoria laughs a little and tries to bring up another topic. "You mentioned earlier this wasn't the first time you've been scolded. Is it normal for you to be in trouble for this?"

The singer shrugs, but this time she doesn't take her eyes off the television, and Victoria thinks she has touched on a sensitive topic. "I'm usually quite composed. I'm careful and I try to be polite in every situation, but when people cross a line it's very difficult for me to be quiet and just simply accept it. I like to use my voice to speak up for others, and when people try to hurt my friends, family or people I love, I just can't shut my mouth. It's not the first time I say something out of line, but yeah, it's the first time it's been defending someone, and that someone being Louis. That's why Simon was so angry."

"They don't have a good relationship?"

"Not really. Simon had Louis signed under a contract a few years ago and it has expired recently. Simon had quite a few circumstances —if you can say that— planned for Louis, and he wasn't simply going to shut up anymore. He quit, left Sony and now he's planning on creating his own label."

Victoria is hesitant to bring it up, but does so anyway after a few seconds. "I heard you talking on the phone before I knocked, I guess you were talking to him. I don't mean to intrude with this, but have the rumors ever been true? I mean, fans see you so close they ship you. Isn't it normal people in the industry spread those rumors?"

"Oh, no, never. Louis is just a good friend of mine. We have similar interests, so usually we hang out and do nothing, play videogames, playing the guitar, write songs, and people automatically think we're dating. At first it was funny, but now it's getting out of hand, mostly because we have our own lives and the rumours might be harmful to our personal business. Now, enough talking about me! You know practically anything that goes on about my love life. Is there someone special waiting for you at home? You were from Rome, right?"

Victoria is especially fond of two things: first, that Max has made no reference to any specific sex; second, that she has remembered where she comes from. Victoria almost has to hit herself in the face for having such low standards.

"Yes, Rome. And no, sadly no one. I've never had anything special back at home, and now that I look at it I almost prefer it. My life is about to become so messy I'd barely be capable of taking care of a person miles away from me."

"Oh, but you said 'sadly'! Does that mean you like someone there?" Max gets out of bed and Victoria unfortunately loses all the warmth that the girl gives her. The singer turns on the dim lights and heads to the bathroom. "And I've seen it around Twitter sometime, people think you and Damiano are together. Is that true?" Max pokes her head out the door with the toothbrush in her mouth.

"No!" Victoria drags the 'o' and covers her face with the nearest pillow. She hears a soft laugh come from Max and then a weight fall onto the mattress. "Damiano's one of my best friends. I guess it's similar to what happens to you and Louis. And I say sadly because I also like to be spoiled and planning trips and be shown off, you know? I love love."

"That's actually beautiful," Max yawns a little, and Victoria knows she will have to go soon, no matter how much she may not like the thought. "I'm sure some day it will come to you. It finds you when you least expect it. Are you sleepy? I am sleepy," Max adds the last sentences as if it doesn't really matter to her. "I'll let you borrow something to sleep."

Victoria's heart skips a thousandth time that night, and she really wants to stop feeling so vulnerable around this girl. She's only known her for a week! She doesn't understand what is wrong with her, she only knows that from the beginning she's been attracted to her, but now that she knows her a little more, Victoria knows that it's inevitable that her feelings for Max will grow, unless something happens that makes her stay away from her.

But Victoria wants anything but that, inexplicably.

So although in other circumstances she would say that it isn't necessary, that she will return to her own room, now she is silent and heeds, because the truth is that she prefers to sleep there than alone in her large room. Max throws her a baggy T-shirt and long trousers, because she's right, the air conditioner is too high and she realizes she has goosebumps on her arms.

Victoria lies on the bed with her heart pounding against her ribs, because Max turns off the light and only the dim light coming from outside illuminates the room. The singer arranges her hair on the pillow so as not to hurt herself, and she stares momentarily at Victoria, who notices it after a few seconds, and thinks that, if this were a movie, now Max would lean in to kiss her.

But this is reality, so instead of doing that, Max just smiles. "Thanks for coming, Victoria. I thought I needed to be alone, when I just needed good company. I appreciate it."

"It's no problem. It has to get hard sometimes, lonely even, right?"

Max smiles sadly. "You can't even begin to imagine it. But don't you worry," the girl sits in front of Victoria. "You have nothing to worry about as long as we're here. I'm sure the boys will remind you of home, and I'll be here to listen to you if you ever need it."

Victoria is grateful that it's already night time, because that way the girl won't see her cheeks light up.

The Italian doesn't know what time it is, but she wakes up when it's still dark outside, so she thinks that she hasn't slept more than two hours, although she doesn't remember the moment when she closed her eyes for good. Her surprise is enormous when she tries to move and notices that she cannot, because there is a body on her, specifically a dark head resting on her chest, and although she wants to get up, she also doesn't want to wake Max up, who is sleeping peacefully on her, and that satisfies her somehow.

She gently brushes her hair away from her face, leaving the strands behind her ear, and that causes a slight sigh from the Englishwoman, something that Victoria interprets as a gesture of satisfaction. The blonde tries to reach her phone on the bedside table, and manages to pick it up after several attempts and some grunts from a sleeping Max. She points to the scene from a perspective in which she cannot see herself, only her hand tangled in the disheveled hair of the Englishwoman, whose face is also not fully visible, and the rest of her body covered with a blanket. The dim light from the streetlights illuminates the picture slightly, and Victoria takes it when she likes the result.

Victoria falls asleep a little later, not without first appreciating the scene in front of —or rather, on— her.

The next time Victoria opens her eyes, she's alone in the room. She has a hard time getting used to the bright light coming through the window, but she discovers that it's already close to nine thirty, so she assumes that Max has gone out for breakfast and is following her daily exercise routine. Victoria, with her eyes still half closed, follows her own routine: checking Instagram and Twitter, and then answering WhatsApp messages. She sees that Max has posted a story, and what she expects to see —her in front of the mirror in the hotel gym— is very different from what she sees.

It's the same photo that she has taken that night and that she had sent to the girl before going to sleep. Victoria smiles instantly, and it seems that she isn't so asleep anymore, but a little more awake. She admires the story for a few more moments —she's ashamed to admit how many times she repeats it or stops it to see it— every detail of the photo she'd taken herself, and notices a little white heart in the corner.

She opens Twitter knowing what to expect: hype for the photo Max has posted on Instagram. And although she cannot say publicly so calmly that it's her who has taken it, she is somewhat disappointed to see that what her fans comment the most are theories about who the photographer could have been. Most people think it's Louis, given the argument the girl had the day before over him —"they must have met to comfort each other," many reason— some even venture new names, like Shawn Mendes, but no one gets close to the truth, so Victoria decides to let it be.

She sees notifications from the group of boys, but they are from the night before, so Victoria doesn't give more importance and doesn't respond because she does not see anything urgent. She frowns a little when she sees that Max has left without saying goodbye, but thinks she probably didn't want to bother her.

She sits up with a yawn and stretches her arms, and when she reaches out to put down her phone, her fingers touch a piece of paper and Victoria can swear it wasn't there the night before. She takes it in her hands, and Victoria knows then that she is one step closer to letting Max do whatever she wants to her.

"morning! u were 2 cute sleeping, so I thought I'd let you sleep some more. please feel free to stay as long as you want/need, tu casa es mi casa —not really sure that's italian, I believe it's spanish. either way, you're welcome to have a shower, grab clothes or do whatever you want. I'll probably be having breakfast or in the gym when you wake up but my phone is on in case or need anything.

ps: loved that picture! hope u don't mind i posted it, it was 2 cute 2 be hidden."