*Reposted because the site went crazy. People were having issues reading this. Random paragraphs were missing and such.*
Disclaimer: I disclaim all characters. Concept, however, is entirely mine.
Iggy stood near the edge of a cliff , eyes closed and pale wings pressed tight against his back. He felt the warm wind blow his blond hair to the side, tickling his face. He took a deep breath and took one calm step toward the edge, his bare feet stepping on the small rocks that littered the ground. His breath was slow and steady as he took another step, his sensitive ears picking up the sound of an incoming storm. The air smelt different, he thought, when it was about to rain.
With another deep breath, Iggy took two more slow, calm steps toward the edge, feeling his toes suspended over the 4,000 foot drop to the bottom. The wind picked up just a tad, and Iggy tilted his head up toward the night sky, his face showing no emotion. His expression could only be described as serene, one who doesn't have a care in this world. A hint of a smile played on his face at the thought of being someone carefree.
There were times he wished he could cut his wings off with a butcher knife, because then the scientists would have no use for him. But just as quickly as those thoughts came, they disappeared in the same manner. If he didn't have his wings, he wouldn't be Iggy anymore. He would just be your average blind kid with better than average hearing, something Iggy didn't like the thought of.
His wings brought their problems, which he righteously paid for every day, but they also brought they brought just as many good things as well.
Lately though, he had been dealing with one particular problem, the reason for his recent midnight meditations on a cliff. No, it wasn't the scientists or the school. No, it wasn't the fact that he had near death experiences almost everyday. And no, none of the flock members were sick with a life threatening illness. It had nothing to do with his wings at all.
The problem he had been dealing with for quite some time had a name. A name Iggy wished to God he could stop thinking about.
Fang.
Iggy's blind eyes snapped open and he mentally cursed himself for breaking his delicate concentration. It was funny how just the thought of one name could so easily break through him. He let out a frustrated sigh before squeezing his eyes shut again.
He hated him. It was that simple.
Iggy hated Fang.
At first, Iggy told himself that what he was feeling was merely the same as he felt for the entire flock. He didn't let himself believe there was anything more to it. He cared about the entire flock, and Fang was no exception. There wasn't anything special about it. However, Iggy's delusions only took him so far.
Denial was the word that chanted repeatedly in his mind whenever he was around that dark haired bird brain. He refused to acknowledge that any feelings Iggy harbored for him were anything more than strictly platonic. It just wasn't possible. It would never happen anyway. At least, not in this universe.
Iggy's breath wasn't as slow and steady anymore. Instead his lungs felt like they were tightening, making it harder for him to breathe properly. He clenched his fist in irritation. He came out here to relax and clear his head in an attempt to temporarily forget that he had a problem in the first place.
Iggy sighed, unclenched his fist and ran a hand through his hair. He opened his eyes to reveal a look of sadness, something he never dared to show to anybody.
It wasn't fair. Why did it have to Fang? Of all people, why did it have to be the weird, silent freak who hardly even recognizes his existence? If it was anybody else, he wouldn't mind nearly as much. Hell, if it was anything female it would have been far easier on his sanity.
It confused him. It frustrated him. It irritated him. He didn't understand why Fang occupied his thoughts almost every second, and he sure as hell didn't know if he liked it.
All he knew was that his feelings for Fang were slightly different than those for everyone else. But by the time he realized that, it was far too late to change anything. He tried his best to hide it, to deny it, but that just wasn't working.
It wouldn't go away.
He didn't even know when he started feeling this way. Did he always care about him like that? Had he always been so hyper aware of Fang's actions?
Did he even want to know the answer?
Iggy took a deep breath, leaning dangerously close over the edge of the cliff. As he was leaning forward, he let a sad smile slip on his face. He could never have these feelings for Fang, because he knew he could never return them. It was obvious Fang was in love with Max, The Happily Oblivious Woman.
Of course Fang would never see him like that. It was pointless to even think about. They were both male, after all.
"God really has a cruel sense of humor," he whispered, his sad, pained smile still glued to his face. Without a second thought, Iggy pushed himself off the cliff, adrenaline hitting him like a truck as he found himself free falling.
As gravity was pulling him back to earth faster than you could imagine, he let out a short laugh. Maybe it was for the sake of his sanity, or lack thereof, but at the moment, he could think about nothing except the way it felt falling to earth at 120 miles per hour. It was invigorating, it was insane, it was heart pounding. But most of all, it was just plain fun. Iggy thrived off this feeling. Nothing could even come close to free falling, feeling the wind violently rip through your hair and having your mind completely cleared in the process.
It was as if everything around him disappeared, fading into nothingness as he enjoyed this brief moment in mid air. This peaceful moment was all he had until he returned to the rest of the flock, and then his feelings would return, hitting him like a ton of bricks.
No, they weren't "feelings." Those feelings didn't exist.
He didn't like Fang.
He hated him. He despised him. He wanted him to vanish into the depths of oblivion. It was his fault he couldn't relax, even around the flock. It was his fault he couldn't sleep at night. And it was his fault for being so damn likable.
God truly was a cruel being.
Three hundred feet above the ground, Iggy swiftly snapped out his wings, feeling the slight protest in being stretched out too quickly. He glided toward the ground in a graceful manner, expertly landing on his feet. Stretching his arms over his head, he let out a sigh of relief. With a small smile that didn't quite reach those pale eyes of his, he dropped his arms back to his sides, the adrenaline starting to wear off.
He steadied his breathing and his heart rate returned to normal. He lifted his head up toward the sky once more as he felt rain drops fall on his face. His wings twitched in excitement. Flying in the rain was dangerous, sure, but it felt almost as great as tossing yourself off a cliff.
Next time, he'll fall even lower before snapping his wings out. That was the goal. Each time he pushed himself off a cliff, he would fall lower and lower until he was as close to the ground as he could be.
It was all he could do to temporarily erase the world around him and forget those forbidden thoughts, if only for a moment or two.
After all, everyone has their own escape.
A/N.
I have no idea how this came to be. I was laying in my bed, about to go to sleep when this randomly popped into my head. I'd LOVE to know how I did. I don't have a proofreader, so I hope I didn't miss anything important.
Is it believable? Are the any grammar/spelling mistakes?
Please review. Also, I'm not afraid of flames. :)