Chapter One: The Coice
"Max," Fang said to me, gently shaking me. "Max."
I groaned and opened my eyes, looking right up into his dark irises.
"Someone had better be dying," I said, "for you to wake me up."
Fang frowned, saying, "No one is dying… I just wanted to talk to you."
"About what?" I snapped, "Can't it wait?"
"No, it can't. I wanted to talk about… you, me, us." Fang said, his eyes almost pleading with me to listen.
"What about us?" I said, softly this time. He looked worried, like he was afraid that I would leave or it would split the flock up. I hated seeing him like this.
"I miss us… I miss everything about us… and I don't know how the flock would take it if we… you know…" his voice trailed off feebly. I took his head in my hands and gently kissed him on the lips.
"They would support us," I said reassuringly, "you know they would. They love us, just as we love them."
"You're right," he said, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight, "they would… and then we could be together… always." He sounded mystified, as if he hadn't expected me to react like that and it was possible for him to always be with me. "I think I would like that."
"I would too," I mumbled into him- my face was pressed up against his chest. Not that I was complaining. "That sounds perfect… but I wonder about the flock… what if they want someone to love them like we love each other?"
Focus on this right now, Max, I heard my voice say. Oh, perfect. It was back. This is what you need. He will support you. You need that very badly. The flock will learn to accept it.
"Max," Fang said, "I think that we'll conquer this eventually… the School… everything, and then they can learn how to love. For right now, we need to focus on the mission." He kissed me on the lips, gently, tenderly, lovingly. Oh, God, how I hoped he was right… not only for our sakes, but for the flock, too. They needed us right now, and we needed each other. Oh, God, I hope he's right. Please, please, let him be right.