Chapter 2: Discussions

Max's POV

We sat at a table in some restaurant called something cheesy like 'The Atlanta Bar' or something like that. Fang and I sat opposite each other, and I didn't miss the concerned glances he kept giving me through our meal. The waiter had – as always – looked startled at the amount we had each ordered, but thankfully, we were given our food without any questions. We each inhaled our food, me the fastest – the brain attacks really drain it out of me. I tried to reassure everyone that I was back to normal by speaking like I would usually.

"Angel, in answer to your question before about why I won't wear a bikini: it's because I don't like that kind of thing. Maybe Nudge can wear one, but nothing too skimpy, and I don't suit girly stuff."

"I hate to tell you, Max," Iggy smiled. "But you are a girl."

"So glad you've noticed."

The younger ones started to giggle, and I rolled my eyes at them. Gazzy picked up his coke bottle and started to guzzle it all down in one. Gas bubbles and the Gasman; not a good combination.

"Gazzy, take your time," I warned him.

He put the bottle down, and it was almost half empty. "Why?"

"Because Iggy has to share a room with you tonight."

Iggy's eyes went wide as he stared at me. "What was he drinking?" he asked.

"Coke," Fang replied.

"Oh, God save me," Iggy went pretty alarmingly pale. I just laughed at him like the best friend slash leader slash mother I am.

Fang and I said goodnight to the others before going to our own room, and I half collapsed on the nearest bed, not caring if that was the one I had picked or not. Apparently it wasn't, as I next felt strong arms around me, and they carried me bridal-style to the other bed. I felt the bed dip slightly beneath his weight as he sat down next to me.

"Ya know, you usually get changed before you go to bed," he said gently.

"Spoil sport," I complained, getting up and grabbing my night clothes. I went into the bathroom to change, quickly splashing water over my face. I took a look at my face in the mirror and groaned when I saw huge bags under red, bloodshot eyes.

"Max?" Fang's voice came from the room, and I could tell he was right by the door. His voice sounded very slightly worried, which is a step for him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just look a mess," I called back. Then I smiled. "You worry about me too much, Fang." I knew he could hear the smile in my voice.

"Yeah, but with good reason," he countered, and I could hear him smiling as well.

"Which is?" I pressed as I dried my face.

"It's you; Maximum Ride."

I chuckled at the truth buried beneath his words, and opened the door to go into the room again, face still buried in the towel. I didn't realise he was right outside the door, and I bumped into him, making me jump, but, of course, he seemed to expect it. I took my face out of the towel to say sorry, but the sentence got stuck in my throat. He was half naked; his tight, tanned, and absolutely ripped chest was right in front of my face, the top of my head just up to his nose. And I was staring at his abs. The word 'awkward' comes to mind.

I swallowed my embarrassment, trying to ignore Fang's smirk – doesn't miss a thing, that kid – and placed my clothes on the end on my bed.

"Are you suggesting that I'm a magnet for danger?" I asked him, trying to sound indignant and make him forget that incident.

"Previous evidence says so; just take a look at your life," he replied, still smiling, and leaning casually (and rather smugly) against the wall, arms folded.

I rolled my eyes, accepting his logic and trying not to look at him again. But that failed when he walked over to me and turned me gently to face him. His midnight wings were pretty much hidden behind his broad shoulders from the angle I was standing. I decided to be brave and save myself from more embarrassment by staring at his face, into his eyes. Bad move: now I couldn't look away.

"I feel really protective of you," he almost whispered. "Because I don't know what I'd do without you."

I nodded, swallowing again, and answered with the first thing that came to my mind. "You can't be a good leader without a right-hand man, and you can never be a right-hand man without a leader. We need each other." And boy, did I mean that! Every time he has some sort of injury I flip out, trying to convince myself that he will be alright. And we all know what happened in the beach incident with Ari.

"Just…" he spoke again, and seemed to try to find the right words. "Just keep yourself safe, and make my job a little easier."

I smiled at him and nodded. He smiled back, then seemed to hesitate, still staring down at me but looking like he wanted to say more. Then, so quickly I barely saw it, he bent down and pressed his lips to mine once, short and sweet. But that kiss, no matter how short, lifted my emotions from the black abyss I had buried them in before, and I suddenly realised that I hadn't known my feelings because I hadn't wanted to know.

He started to walk away, but I grabbed his hand again, making him turn back to me. Even before he had turned fully, I took that one step towards him, stood on my tiptoes and locked my mouth onto his. He took a sharp breath in surprise, but then returned the kiss eagerly. We encased each other in our arms, mine around his neck, his around my waist. This continued for all of five seconds…then someone knocked on the door.

But Fang refused to let me go; he seemed determined that, now that he had got me, he wasn't going to lose that easily. And I certainly had no will-power to pull away from him; he was so addictive. But I was tensed about the door: what if someone was in trouble? What if one of the flock was ill?

Fang sensed this tension and pulled away slightly, breathing hard, to whisper in my ear.

"Leave it a little longer and they'll think we're asleep," he breathed, making me shiver.

"I heard that, Fang, and I can also hear your match of tonsil tennis," Iggy's voice came from the hallway. "I just left my pyjamas in the rucksack, so let me in. Then I'll be out of your love life forever and you feel free to have all the fun in the world –"

"Iggy!" I warned him, still embarrassingly breathless. "You'd better hope to God that Angel isn't listening to you."

"Look, are you gonna let me in, or what?"

I sighed, deliberately reluctant, then released Fang's hair from between my fingers and fumbled through my backpack for Iggy's night clothes. I found them, then unlocked the door and passed them out to him. As I did so, Fang stayed in the bedroom area of the room, and Iggy knew this. How, I have no idea. But he flashed me a bright smile and mouthed 'Well done' so Fang couldn't see. I was pretty sure that he could hear my lips part in my own grin, and he winked at me before walking off back to his own room.

As soon as I had shut the door, Fang took no time; he grabbed my waist again, spinning me round so he could kiss me passionately. I let him have his way for another few minutes, but then, after many attempts, I finally managed to pluck up the strength to push him gently away.

"Fang," I stopped him. "We need to get some sleep."

He sighed, realising I was right, but wishing I wasn't. "Yeah, okay."

"And you also wanted to talk about my Voice and the images."

"Oh, yeah. I…ah," he cleared his throat sheepishly. "…forgot about that."

I smirked at him, relishing in the effect I could have on him, that I could make him open up, that I could make him forget things. Fang barely forgets anything. He mock-glared at me, not really wanting to be angry at me for hope that there might be more make-out sessions.

"You're no better," he retorted. Then he smirked as well. "I could feel you trying to build up the courage to stop me during that, and every time I did, I just kissed you harder so you wouldn't." He grinned full on now, his unfairly-white teeth gleaming, even in the darkness. "And boy, did that work."

"You cheat!" I scolded him, smacking his arm slightly.

"Can you blame me? I was making out with you, for crying out loud. You of all people. If it was Lissa I was kissing, I couldn't have pulled away fast enough."

I stopped dead, and stared at him, only half noticing that we were still holding each other, and, consequently, very close. We explored each other's eyes and expressions before I finally got the courage to speak again.

"Why? If that's the case, why did you kiss her?"

His eyes lidded shamefully, and he glanced at me every so often as he answered. "She was just a distraction. I thought you didn't like me in the same way, and I just tried to find something else to take my mind off you. When she first kissed me, the first thing that came into my head was 'Get off me! You're not Max, and I only love her!' But I replied to that thought, saying, 'But does she love you?' And that thought, that one sentence, cut so deep into me that I actually winced in that moment. Surely you saw that?" he asked me. I shook my head, as I only remembered the hate I had seen that accompanied that moment.

He placed his hands gently on the side of my face, and stared deep into my eyes. "Max, I have only ever loved you. Before you kissed me on the beach, I had reigned in all my emotions; I had learned after Jeb disappeared, that if you showed your emotions, your feelings for someone, the next bad fortune you have could target them next. I had loved Jeb as a father, but then he left and that hurt so much." His jaw clenched and he glared off into the distance. "Then when we found out he was a traitor, that hurt even more."

I listened with awed fascination and surprise to his sudden heart pour-out. I continued to stare into his eyes, the darkest orbs encapsulating me in their power. He flicked his eyes and attention back to me.

"But just now, as I was looking down at you, I saw a lost little girl who was very much afraid. I knew I couldn't live without her, and that if, and when, she ever got hurt, I would and always have freaked out completely. And I had to kiss you quickly, otherwise I would never be able to let you go. Then you kissed me again," he whispered the last bit, "and I couldn't let that go even if I wanted to. I found out that you loved me, in the same way I loved you. After all the confusion, all the waiting, it finally paid off, and I got what I wanted from the very start: you."

I stopped him there by placing my hand on the side of his face. "You remember that time on the beach where I tried to cut the chip out?"

He flinched then muttered, "Don't remind me."

"But how it had felt, that's what I remember. When you came along, it was like a depressed suicidal just being interrupted before they killed themselves."

"That's what it basically was, Max," he whispered angrily.

"And then you said things," I continued like he hadn't spoken. "You told me that 'You die when we die'. And I realised you were right; what reason had I to be so weak when a six-year-old was doing better with this life than I was? And the way you held me; I had felt so lost and vulnerable before, but the way your arms were around me…it was like a cage, a protective, maximum security sanctuary that would never break for the world. You're my best friend, my sanctuary, and I love you."

We stared in silence at each other, both absolutely astounded by each other's speeches, then I pulled Fang's mouth down to mine and sealed the rant with the sweetest kiss I could give.