A.N… Hey! First time fanfiction writer here! I've really always wanted to write a fanfiction, but I never knew where to start. But I got this idea in my head the other day to write a couple of one-shot "what-ifs?" about the flock (Usually with Faxness, since I'm a sucker for it) and extra scenes that could have been in the book.
So this one takes place between the fourth and fifth books, right before the flock has to start doing the air shows.
What if… The flock goes to a public beach? ... And Max and Fang have a Sunblock war?
Because after the 4th book, everyone knows about the bird kids, so they don't have to hide their wings or anything.
This story has the whole flock, but it's mainly Max x Fang centered.
Oh, BTDubs, I don't own Max Ride, and Jimmy Pats gets all the credit for the characters! I own the plot and the beach, which is completely a made up place!
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Early in the morning, about 10:00, the flock ambled from the packed parking lot of Rosaria Beach in northern California. Dressed in various beach clothes and swimming attire, especially the Gasman who was rocking a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt, strode along the asphalt toward the hot shimmering sand that led to the ocean.
Fang had a picnic basket in one hand and each flock member had their own beach bag to carry their towels and other summer needs in. Aside from Fang, as he was "too manly to carry a 'purse'" as he called it, so he had slung his black towel over his shoulder instead.
Max glanced around nervously, her eyes hidden behind her fancy schmancy dark shades that the CSM, one of her mother's new organizations, had recently provided her and the flock. It was one of many gifts of payment they had received for their recently becoming members, and they would continue to get paid after each air show they participated in.
Yes, air shows. Max was not a happy camper.
But hey! Look on the bright side! She would get to see her mother a lot more often, and to be able to work with her? It was one of Max's wishes come true. But she still didn't quite like the idea of doing public scheduled shows over big polluted cities, as possible snipers would be able to get the jump on them easily.
Max knew she wasn't alone in thinking this; Fang had the same discomforts as she did about the subject. Glancing at him, tall and wearing all black, of course, she saw him scoping out the beach goers from behind his tinted sunglasses as well, just as nervous as she was. Which he, naturally, didn't show, as anyone but Max wouldn't be able to pick up on it.
Angel took hold of Max's hand, and she looked down at the beaming six year old. Max smiled gently, and ruffled her bouncy blonde curls atop her head, making her giggle.
"Max," Angel said, excitedly bouncing up and down. "Do you think that there are dolphins here?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure, kiddo. That would be fun though, wouldn't it?" Max said, grinning at Angel who nodded her head enthusiastically and began skipping beside her, the ruffles on her pink one-piece suit bouncing up and down along with her.
"OMG, Max!" Nudge exclaimed from Max's right, "That would be sooo much fun! I've always wanted to swim with the dolphins! And be able to ride one, and feed one! Max, do you think they like sandwiches? I know they like fish and all, but we only brought peanut butter and jelly. Max, do you think it would make them sick if I gave them peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Because I know they aren't used to that kind of food, and I don't want them getting sick to their stomachs and throwing up all over the place-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down there, girl!" Iggy declared, slapping a hand over Nudge's mouth. "You're making me sick with all this talking!" Nudge licked his palm and Iggy jumped away. "Eew! Gross!"
Nudge stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the flailing boy. "Iggy, it's impossible to get sick from a person talking too much. Everyone knows that. Duh." She rolled her eyes and walked up to the rest of the flock who had waited up for the two at the edge of the parking lot.
Nudge crossed her arms against her purple takini covered chest in agitation. Max squeezed her arm. "It's okay, Nudge. I'm sure that dolphins love sandwiches, even if it is just peanut butter and jelly." Nudge gave Max a small smile, then reached into her hot pink beach bag and pulled out her designer shades, slipping them over her dark brown eyes. Max for one hated peanut butter and jelly, but no one knew that.
The temperature instantly raised another five degrees as the flock stepped onto the sand. It was an unbearably hot day out today, the temperature ranging in the high 90's. The sun was shining down on the beach, reflecting off the waves and heating the sand up beneath them.
Earlier in the day, the flock had woken up in their motel, not having any plans or duties lined up for the day, and Max thought it would be fun just to relax and do something exciting for the kids, since they all hadn't had any down time in a while. Max and Fang had searched on Fang's laptop for local recreation sights, and had found many advertisements for Rosario beach, where the flock was currently located.
Max hadn't been too thrilled about going to the beach, but reluctantly agreed to the flock's excited chatter. Even though people knew about their wings now, Max couldn't shake all those past years of living in hiding and keeping their mutant wings a secret. Now looking at the overpopulated beach, Max grew even more anxious.
The hot sand squished beneath their flip-flops as they found a small place that was unoccupied to lay their stuff down. Gazzy, Iggy, Nudge, and Angel immediately threw their bags down the first chance they got, leaving them in a bunched pile as they the dodged people laying out on the sand to make their way to the ocean.
"Well, that was fast." Fang murmured, setting down the picnic basket and unslinging his towel from his shoulder, neatly laying it on the sand next to Max's turquoise colored one.
"Yeah, no kidding." Max said, straightening out the towel before she walked over and began to organize the flock's jumbled pile of bags and spare clothing. Fang joined her, and together they laid out the flock's variously colored towels around their own.
Max kicked off her flip flops and sat back on her towel, surveying the people around the flock with caution. The kids had let their wings out, and there were excited gasps and collective whispers emitted from people around them.
Oh no, Max did not like this at all.
_Max P.O.V.
"Just relax," Fang sighed. "They'll be fine. Plus they've got us to watch them." I reluctantly nodded my head and turned my gaze back to the flock. Angel was caught in a bear hug by Iggy, and Gazzy was attacking her while Nudge snuck behind him and dunked him under the waves. They were all laughing and having fun for once in a long time.
The summery smell of suntan lotion wafted across my nose and I turned my head to see Fang holding the bottle out to me. I raised my eyebrows at him and he rolled his eyes.
"You're going to get burnt, Max." He said and I shrugged my shoulders, taking the bottle from him. I've always kind of liked the smell of suntan lotion, but never really had reason to put it on. It was a strong, easily identifiable smell, and it would have lured erasers towards us in an instant. But there was something… I don't know; relaxing, about the smell, I guess.
I squirted out a big blob of it on my hands and began to spread it on my arms, trying to avoid my t-shirt sleeves, when I thought: 'oh, what the heck.' I stood up and shimmied out of my shirt and kicked off my shorts to reveal my black and white striped two piece swimming suit.
And no, for all you people out there wondering, it was not a bikini. Max + bikinis = definite no-no's. But this one did have an open back, just held together by a string that was tied under my wings. I would have much preferred not having my back exposed, but then my wings would have been confined, and I would have been even less happy than I currently was. I let my wings stretch out slightly, but pulled them tightly against my back again when I noticed some people staring.
I sighed as I sat down and resumed covering myself in that wonderful smelling lotion. Legs, knees, and feet, check. Arms and chest-ish area- check. I had definitely turned away from Fang when I did the chest-ish area. He's such a sexist pig.
When I was done covering myself, I threw the bottle at Fang's t-shirt clad stomach and he let out an 'oof'. He lowered his sun glasses and glared his dark eyes at me, before they widened in surprise and his cheeks flushed a bit. I didn't blame him; he's probably never seen me in anything other than jeans, t-shirts, and combat boots before.
I couldn't help but smirk at him. Ooh, and he's blushing now! I let my sunglasses slip to the end of my nose before winking at him, then pushed them back up and laid down on the towel to soak up the sun. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually get a real tan instead of a fake dirt-covered one.
My moment was interrupted when a large glob of sunscreen plopped on my nose. I sat up, ripping my sunglasses off, and glared at Fang who was smirking at me now. "You never put any on your face, did you." He crooned. Huh, I guess I never did.
I swiped most of the goop off my nose and tackled Fang, who let out an uncharacteristic laugh at our playfulness. "You know what, F'nick?" I cooed, leaning close to his face and struggling to pin down his arms. "You didn't put any sunblock on either!" And with that, I proceeded to cover his face with the wonderful lotion.
I couldn't help but laugh as some got in his mouth and he sputtered, or when some got stuck in his overly shaggy dark hair.
After his face was entirely covered, and a much lighter shade than his normal olive-toned one, I rolled off him and back onto my towel. I still had a little sunblock on my face, so I gently rubbed it in, grinning at Fang like the Cheshire cat. He narrowed his eyes at me, the lotion stuck in his eyelashes.
"You might want to rub that in," I began. "People might think you did a face-plant into a vanilla cake." Fang sneered at me and began to message the lotion into his skin.
"You know," Fang began conversationally, "I didn't see you put any sunblock on your back, either." A mischievous glint alighted in his eyes as he leaned towards me. "I could always… Put some on for you…"
I tried to get up, but wasn't quick enough as Fang tackled me onto my stomach, my face off the towel as I face-planted in the sand. He held me down and poured half the bottle on my back; all the while I flailed and declared death threats at him. After the bottle was almost empty, he leaned back on his towel and sighed happily, flipping the bottle in the air and catching it, only to blow on its lid like a smoking gun in old western movies.
"Fang…" I panted. I was going to kill that kid. "You are soo dead!" Fang just shrugged and made a 'come at me, bro!' gesture.
I lost it.
I shot up and made a dash at Fang, but he was quicker than I thought and spun out of my grasp. I started chasing him across the beach, trying to grab his t-shirt and strangle him with it, jumping over tanners and dodging the tourists going to and fro. After chasing each other in a huge circle around the beach's perimeter, we finally made it back to our towels, gasping for air and trying to hold in our laughter.
Fang collapsed on his back onto his towel, sucking in deep breaths of air. A blinding smile was stretched across his face, teeth and all. After a few seconds of staring at him, I realized that I was indeed checking Fang out, and quickly looked away. To say that Fang isn't bad looking is a serious understatement. Not like I'd ever admit it, of course. I blushed, plopping down on my towel.
Only to jump right back up again when I heard a squishing noise coming from my butt.
I twisted my head to look at my swimsuit bottoms, only to glare at Fang with a newfound fury. Fang gave me a questioning look, so I turned around and pointed to my butt. After a few seconds, he keeled over in laughter once more, holding his stomach and turning his head to the sky. Okay, when Fang laughs, like as in actually laughs, it's impossible not to join in with him. So I grudgingly started to giggle as I used the end of the towel to wipe the sunscreen off my swimsuit.
You see, Fang had used half of the bottle of sunscreen on my back and neck. And all that running had made the immense amount of sunscreen drip and fall, so now it was covering the back of my legs, as well as my butt. If I wasn't so tired from chasing him around the whole freaking beach, I might have clobbered him.
When I was done cleaning up the mess of sunscreen, I sat down and decided to attempt to rub in the remainder of the lotion on my back. But alas, it's hard to reach your own back, and I probably ended up looking like a deformed backwards seal in trying to reach my upper back. Fang only laughed harder. I sighed in defeat and started to lay down when Fang's warm hands started rubbing the sunblock into my neck.
"You look like you need some help, there," Fang chuckled, spreading the offending lotion into my skin. I tried to fight back a blush as he rubbed my neck and shoulders, between my wings, my lower back… Which, I'm pretty sure I already had rubbed in…
But Fang quickly finished rubbing in the lotion and rolled over onto his towel, picking up his sunglasses where they had fallen in the sand when I had started chasing him. Sliding them on, he gave me a soft smile before stretching his arms underneath his head and facing towards at the sun.
I shook my head and did the same, resting my arms under my head and closing my eyes. My sunglasses still lie in the sand where they had fallen, but I didn't bother picking them up. I doubt I was ever going to get a tan now, since I had about a whole bottle of sunscreen absorbed in my skin.
After a few minutes, a thought occurred to me.
"Hey Fang?" I questioned, looking over at him.
"Hmm?" He murmured sleepily, not turning his head.
"You do know that you're probably going to get a farmer's tan, right?" Fang didn't move for a moment, still staring at the sky. But slowly, his head swiveled to face me. He inclined his body towards mine and supporting himself with one arm, a small smirk on his lips. Our faces were only a couple inches apart now.
"Wait… Is that your way of saying that you want me to take my shirt off?" Fang whispered teasingly, his eyebrows rose as he gazed at my blushing face.
"What!? No! I don't want to see your nonexistent six pack!" I yelled. Fang raised his eyebrows even higher as his smirk grew. He knew I was lying. He knew that I knew that he indeed, did have a pretty well defined six pack. And I knew that I was lying because part of me really did want to see his lean muscular stomach.
"Hmm…" Fang murmured, a flirty smile breaking out over his lips. "I think you're lying…"
"Am not!"
"Let me rephrase that," He began. Irritation burned through my veins at his smirk. "I know you're lying."
"Really, Mr. Obnoxious?" I said, glaring warily at him. No way was I going to let his closeness, or the way his hot breath washed against my face deter me. Even if his breath did smellminty…
"Believe it or not, I don't give two flying tortoise shells about your stinking abs! Leave your shirt on, for all I care! You're the one whose skin is going to look disproportional!"
After a short pause, Fang spoke. "You do know that you just admitted I had abs, don't you?"
"GAH!" I shouted, covering my eyes with my hands! He is so infuriating!
Fang chuckled from beside me. "Say no more, say no more. You don't have to ask me twice." I groaned in agitation and kept my hands over my eyes. No way was I going to look! That would only prove his point, and it is my life goal to make sure that never happens.
I heard the rustling of fabric before I felt Fang's warm black t-shirt flop on my hiding face.
I hesitated, knowing that Fang was definitely trying to get a rise out of me. But after a short pause, I flung his shirt off my face and glared at Fang. Who was… shirtless. And sweating. And hot. And smirking at me.
"Like what you see, Max?" He purred, leaning back on his arms and looking at me through long dark lashes, his sunglasses hanging on the bridge of his nose. I swallowed. His olive toned skin glinted in the sun, and the sweat on his skin made him shimmer. That in contrast with his dark hair, eyes, wings, and swimming trunks created a very attractive picture. The only thing really wrong with this is that he is my best friend, and I don't think I'm allowed to think these thoughts about my best friend.
"You wish, loser," I teased, hitting him in the shoulder.
He paused, searching my eyes. A slow smile crossed his lips, and my heart started to beat quickly in my chest."And you wish you weren't lying just now, sweetheart," He whispered jokingly.
Chuckling, he laid back down on his towel and pushed his sunglasses up over his eyes again. A smirk was etched on his face as he soaked up the sun. But he didn't know how much his words had bothered me.
The truth was, I've never really thought much about Fang like this. I mean, don't get me wrong, my mind has wandered to what it'd be like if we were more than just best friends more than once before, but I always pushed the thoughts away.
Before, I'd always seen him as my shoulder, my rock. And now, I still see him the same, but… more, somehow. He's strong, he can fight and hold his own in arguments and battles. He's reliable, and accepts me for who I am. Plus he's funny, when he's not being irritating, which I guiltily adore.
I don't know when I'd started to see him differently, and I don't know why. All I knew is that I have some major feelings to sort out, and soon.
I absentmindedly noticed the flock trudging up from the shore, and sighed. Thinking about the bane of my existence will have to wait until later.
Angel giggled as she plopped down in my lap, wet from splashing in the ocean. The rest of the flock shuffled in, laughing and bantering playfully.
"So," I began, addressing my flock as they all flopped down on their towels. "Did you find any dolphins?"
"Nope!" Gazzy answered as he shook out his spiky hair like a dog next to Nudge, who squealed and smacked him in the arm. "But we did find some fish!"
"No jellyfish, I hope." I muttered. I heard those could be pretty deadly.
"No, but how awesome would that be?" Gazzy replied, grinning ear to ear.
"Why, perchance, would that be awesome?"
"Because," Gazzy started, pausing for dramatic effect. "The only way to get rid of the toxins… Is to pee on the stings!" I made a 'blech-ing' sound, while Angel and Nudge shouted in disgust. Iggy slapped Gazzy a high-five, and Fang rolled his eyes.
"That would have been so hilarious, Gaz!" Iggy exclaimed, laughing. "Next time we're at a beach? Totally going to find some jellyfish!" Gazzy answered with an ecstatic "Man, you know it!", and I shook my head.
"Next time we're at a beach, I'm not going anywhere near you two!" Nudge said, sticking her tongue out at Iggy when he tried to mimic her. Not like he could see it, anyway.
"So, are you guys hungry?" I asked, "Since you've been chasing each other across the whole ocean?" I had seen them playing tag about an hour ago, and they were diving in and out of the water, dunking each other and swimming every which way.
"Are you hungry, Max?" Angel asked, looking up at me from where she was seated on my lap. "Because you were chasing Fang all over the whole beach?" My mouth opened in an 'O' shape, and the flock tried to hide their giggles.
Fang smirked at Angel. "She just couldn't resist me." I turned and glared at him. The flock couldn't help but burst into laughter.
I punched Fang in the shoulder. "Yeah, you wished!" Angel crawled over to Nudge so Nudge could comb through her tangled hair. Nudge stood there shocked as she just realized something.
"ZOMG," Nudge started, her eyes widening as she looked at Fang. "I think that's the first time I've ever seen Fang without his shirt on."
"Yeah, well, we haven't really had much time to sit and soak up the sun much," Fang reasoned, leaning back on his arms once again. My heart dropped a bit, knowing it was true. This was the first day in a long long string of harsh days that we were actually able to relax. Fang noticed. "Not like I'll be able to, though," He continued, and I looked at him. "Because Max insisted on covering me with suntan lotion." The flock all chuckled again, and Nudge whispered something to Angel, who smacked her hands to her mouth to try and hide her giggles. My eyes narrowed. I didn't even want to know what they were talking about.
"Okay, okay, enough." I sent a pointed glare to Fang. He just shrugged and gave me that cute half smile only Fang could pull off. "So, who's hungry?"
"Me, me!" Angel declared, waving her hands in the air.!
"Angel, hold still!" Nudge scolded as she was attempting to run the brush through the six year old's curls. "But yeah, I'm totally famished."
"Want me to get out the sandwiches?" Iggy asked, feeling around for the picnic basket.
"Sure thing, Ig. It's behind Nudge and to the left." I instructed, reaching over to finally pick up my fallen sunglasses from earlier. Youch! They were burning hot from the sun. Iggy handed me four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I thanked him before grudgingly biting into one. Blech. But food was food, and I was pretty hungry.
I looked out towards the ocean again, the waves lapping against the shore and washing away the sand. Fang informed me that it was almost 2:00 now, and I knew we would have to leave soon. I peered around at my flock and saw them laughing and telling funny stories, happily eating their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Some days I really wish that we could spend all day, every day like this. Not have any world-saving obligations, not having to worry about being chased or hunted all the time. To just be together. A flock.
And Fang and I, being able to tease each other and have fun together. We hadn't had that in a long time. I glanced over at him to find him watching me, slowly biting into his sandwich. I tilted my head at him in question, and he leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"It's okay… I don't like Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches either." How did he…? I glanced back at him as he pulled away, winking at me. I smiled. Fang really got me, in a way nobody else did. He knew me, accepted me, was there for me… Hmm.
Maybe thinking about him wouldn't be so hard after all.
Third Person P.O.V.
Later that night, Max stared at herself in the bathroom mirror as she towel dried her damp hair. She had just stepped out of the shower and changed into her flannel pajamas. Even though it was summer out, the hotel room was really chilly, and Max had come prepared.
The shower had been nice and refreshing, the perfect escape from spending the whole day in the hot afternoon sun. Plus she had to wash all of the sunscreen out of her hair and her feathers, which was not an easy task. Thanks, Fang.
The flock had left the beach around supper time, since they had eaten all of their sandwiches, and made their way back to the hotel. They had two separate rooms, one for the guys and one for the girls.
They had gone out for pizza, and now everyone was in the girl's room watching T.V. and eating the unlimited free popcorn they had gotten from the lobby.
Max grinned to herself as she looked at her reflection. Despite Fang practically covering her with sunblock that afternoon, she had somehow gotten a tan! Granted, it was barely noticeable, but Max could tell. She threw the towel down on the floor- because she is organized like that- and took out her toothbrush and toothpaste from her backpack.
A knock sounded at the door just as she was about to start brushing her teeth. .
"Max?" Fang questioned, "You almost done?" Max rolled her eyes and placed the toothbrush in her mouth, scraping the bristles against her pearly whites. Every time she took a shower, she always got ridiculed for taking too long or not hurrying up fast enough. Granted, she did take hour long showers, and the hot water was usually gone when she was done… But she was the leader, and dang it! She could indulge if she wanted too.
"Jut ah secant!" She said around a mouthful of toothpaste. Fang waited patiently by the door while she spit and rinsed, then packed everything back up in her pack. Slinging it over her shoulder, she couldn't wait to gloat in Fang's face about getting a tan.
Opening up the door, Max came face to face with Fang. "Fang, guess what! Despite your efforts to completely cover me in sunblock, I actually got a tan…" Max trailed off as her eyes lingered down Fang's shirtless torso and back to his face.
"Yeah. So did I." Fang muttered sarcastically.
Max doubled over in laughter, holding her stomach and pointing at Fang. Childish, yes. But she couldn't help it. Fang was burnt to a crisp, not having put on sunblock anywhere but his face (courtesy of Max). And his face…
Max had to lean against the wall to stop from falling over, cackling. His face hadn't gotten burned at all. The contrast of Fang's normal olive-toned face and his now dark red body was comical. Tears gathered in Max's eyes.
"Oh, Fang!" She squealed between fits of giggles. "You look like you put beauty powder on your face!" More laughter. "You know, like the ones they used in ancient China?" Fang glowered at her as she dropped to the floor, her stomach feeling numb from laughing too much.
"I'm so glad you find this funny." He stated, shaking his head at her. Truth be told, Fang was having a hard time not chuckling along with Max. She had this laughter that Fang found… Utterly contagious. Fang couldn't help but feel like he was instantly in a better mood.
"Hey, I told you to put sunblock on!"
"Yeah. Thanks for that, Sherlock."
"Just remember next time-"
"Yep. Way ahead of you."
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A.N… Sooo…. How'd you like it? This chapter was really fun to write, with Max and Fang's playfulness. But What'cha think? Good? Bad? In-between? Just okay? Well, I guess that is the same thing as 'in-between', in'nit?
I want to know what you guys think about my writing style, too. I always find it hard to do first-person writing, so tell me what you think!
I tried to make it slightly in character. I know I didn't nail it, but I hope I got somewhat close!
Also, if you have any ideas for more 'What-ifs', feel free to send them to me! I have a list of ideas, but I would love to have your input!
Please Review! Constructive Criticism would be very much appreciated! And thanks for reading!