A/N: YAY Maximum Ride! -dances in circles- So... I'm not a HUGE Fang/Iggy shipper, but after I saw these lines in TAE, I couldn't NOT write this.
"Gazzy looked from... Fang to Iggy, clearly thinking he was sunk..." (page 399 of my copy), "Iggy had one finger on Fang's belt loop." (page 409)
So you see. I was like... inspired. And I figured... since it's 3 AM and I have to be up in a few hours, why the hell not write. Not like I'm gonna sleep. XD And besides, I just insanely claimed the flock on fanfic100. Now I have TWO claims I'm never gonna finish... lol, so this goes with prompt 38; touch. There are gonna be two more chapters, going with prompt 39; taste, and prompt 10; years. Then I'll have 5 of my MR fics done. woooo. I also have an idea for a really long story continuing on from my one for prompt 23; lovers, though whether that'll fit with any prompts is doubtful. And just now I got inspired for prompt 68; lightening. -starts to write like a maniac-
Quick message: For the record; I only own a copy of The Angel Experiment, and I've only read School's Out Forever once. (OK that's SO a lie, I read the Max/Fang bathroom scene a million times while I had it out.) I don't even know the TITLE of the third one, let alone anything about it. Therefore, this is only canon following TAE. Also, it is never stated, but I've always thought that Fang and Iggy shared a room in the big E house, Nudge and Angel shared another, Max had her own room, and Gazzy slept in a small cuboardesque room off Max's one. Don't ask, that's just how I picture it.
EDIT: I now know: Maximum Ride three is called Saving The World And Other Extreme Sports. I should check websites. I is smart.
Warnings: So this is not only slash, but pre-slash as well. Slash means BOYxBOY love. This roughly translates in regular terms to faggots, or gay men. If you have a problem with that, kindly partake in the kissing of my ass.
Contact - Touching
"Get off me, Iggy!" Fang yelled, shoving the boy. Iggy stumbled, tripping over Angel, and almost fell down the stairs.
"You idiot!" Max yelled, her voice high pitched and childish. "You almost killed Iggy!" She shoved Fang hard, where he hit his head on the wall.
Gazzy looked from Iggy to Fang and Max, who were now tussling, and burst into tears.
"Stop it, you three!" Came the firm voice of Jeb Batchelder, as he appeared, tall and imposing in the door. Ten-year-old Max quickly let go of almost-ten-year-old Fang, who in turn stopped trying to rip her hair out. Even Iggy looked up ashamedly from where he sat after his fall.
"Now. What happened?" He asked sternly, frowning at all the kids.
"Fang pushed Iggy." Max jumped in. "He almost fell down the stairs!" She pointed for emphasis, and Fang punched her in the arm.
"Tattletale!" He cried.
"At least I don't push blind people!" Max cried back, glaring at Fang. To everyone's surprise, the black-haired boy did not come up with a quick retort; instead, he looked downwards, ashamed.
Jeb sighed. "Come on boys, it'll be okay. Max, why don't you help the girls get settled in? Their room is the one in the middle. Yours is to the right. Fang, you can help Iggy get used to your new room. It's the one to the left. Gazzy, come here..." Jeb scooped Gazzy into his arms, carrying the boy into the kitchen, presumably for some food. Scowling, Max led the goggle-eyed Nudge and quietly sniffling Angel away, taking them to what was to be their room. Once they were gone, Fang turned to face Iggy.
"Need a hand up?" He offered the boy his hand shyly and, after a minute's groping in thin air, Iggy grasped it, and Fang hauled him to his feet. "Come on, our room is this way." Fang headed to the hallway door, turning back when he realised Iggy wasn't following him.
"What, are you deaf too? Come on!"
Iggy glared at him. And the glare of a blind person, even one that's nine years old, is much scarier than that of someone who can see. "I can't. I don't know where you are. You have to hold my hand or something, or I won't know where I'm going." Iggy stated coldly, and Fang would have sworn he was looking at him with malice. Quickly he walked back over and took Iggy's hand, leading the blind boy through to their room.
"Slow down." Iggy frowned, being dragged along. "I have to touch things, get a feel for where I am."
"Fine." Fang grumbled, slowing down so Iggy could feel his way there. Once they finally arrived at the room, Fang was feeling decidedly awkward with the whole hand-holding thing.
"This our room?" Iggy asked casually, turning his head around as though looking.
Fang nodded. Then, remebering that Iggy was blind, he quickly added "Yep."
"Which one's my bed? Can you walk me over there?" Iggy asked politely, stretching out his free arm, and Fang walked him slowly over to the bed, where they both sat down.
"I'm exhausted." Iggy smiled, stretching. "How about you? All that flying..."
Fang nodded. He couldn't help noticing that Iggy was still clutching his hand loosely, even though they had sat down, and he was safe now.
"I'm gonna have a nap. Can you stay here, so I don't have to wait for help when I wake up?"
"Why do you even need it? You can feel!" Fang glared at him, biting his lower lip slightly.
"People move things." He said exasperatedly. "Angel or Gazzy or Nudge only have to leave a toy lying around, and I could fall through a window. So I can't be alone, at least not for awhile."
"Oh." Fang sighed, watching Iggy curl up and close his eyes. Despite his best efforts, a tiny smile broke onto Fang's face when he realised Iggy still hadn't released his hand.
000
Iggy woke up a couple of hours later to find a hand in his, and a head resting on his hip. Touching the hair and the cheek, he realised it must be Fang... the boy had fallen asleep with him. Iggy smiled. That was adorable, in a strange fang-ish way. Nonetheless, flying was taking it's toll, and Iggy was hungry. So, he gently nudged Fang until he jumped slightly, snorting and looking around blearily.
"Wha? Huh?" Fang eyed Iggy, who was laughing slightly.
"You fell asleep on me. We should go get some food." Iggy explained, smirking slightly.
Fang nodded, stretching. "Come on, let's go see if Jeb can cook something." He climbed out of the bed, and offered Iggy a hand without a second thought.
Something had changed overnight. Some dynamic had shifted between the boys, and now they seemed perfectly comfortable and natural with each other, like two pieces of the same puzzle.
"Good morning boys." Jeb smiled. "Settled your differences, I see. Ready for breakfast?"
A smell of bacon and eggs was wafting over to them, and Iggy breathed deeply. "Yeah!"
Fang nodded too. "All that flying to get here made me really hungry."
"Well come on. I see you two aren't fighting anymore.
Iggy shook his head. "It's okay. Fang just didn't like me touching him. We're okay now."
Fang nodded, smiling very slightly. "What's for breakfast."
"Bacon, eggs, toast, and juice. And yes, there's a lot." He smiled lightly, gesturing to the table. Fang led Iggy over, and helped him get into his seat.
Jeb brought over the food and, as though it was practised, Fang took Iggy's wrist, and touched his fingers to the edge of each dish, stating what it contained at the same time. "Bacon. Toast. Eggs. Your juice. Your plate." Fang recited, and Iggy smiled, taking up a fork and clumsily getting himself some food, before beginning to eat. After making sure Iggy was okay, Fang got himself some food.
"Morning..." Came Max's sleepy voice from the direction of her room. "What's for breakfast?"
"Bacon and eggs, as you can see." Iggy said, with the barest hint of disdain.
"Yeah." She rolled her eyes, taking a seat opposite Fang. "Is Fang still being stupid?" She asked Iggy, ignoring the black-haired boy completely.
"Yes, he's been the perfect gentleman now." Iggy smiled, looking up from his plate. "He helped me get to sleep last night..." At this, Iggy blushed, and returned to his food. Max raised an eyebrow at Fang, who promptly ignored her. Annoying girl. Instead, he just continued eating, and making sure Iggy didn't acidentally stick his fork in his orange juice or something.
000
After breakfast, everyone was too tired to do much so Iggy and his apparent guide of choice went back to their room. Iggy lay down on his bed again, and Fang sat curled up on his own.
"So... I guess we should get to know each other or something." Iggy suggested, turning his head to face Fang. It made no difference, but it was a habit of vision, and made him seem more attentive, at any rate.
"Something like that." Fang shrugged, eyeing the blind boy smiling blissfully on the other bed.
"So... What do you think of Max?" Iggy asked, seeing nothing better to talk about.
"She's annoying. She always tries to be the leader just because she's the oldest... like she thinks she's our mummy or something." He snorted, twitching a wing. "What about you?"
"I don't know, I think it must be hard playing the mummy role. She does a good job helping out with all of us, and defending me." At this, Iggy raised an eyebrow, and tilted his head slightly in Fang's direction. Fang blushed and looked away, even though he knew Iggy couldn't see him.
"I'm sorry about that, I just got kinda creeped out when you were touching me all the time." Fang mumbled, staring at his feet.
Iggy smiled. "Don't worry about it. I need to touch someone, otherwise I'll get lost. Sorry if I seemed too clingy. New environment and all that." He rattled off a list of excuses, and heard Fang barely holding in snickers.
"Oh go ahead. Laugh. I'll just sulk." At this, Iggy folded his arms and rolled over, facing the wall. Fang outright laughed now, giggles and chuckles escaping his mouth. After he was done and Iggy still hadn't so much as twitched a feather, Fang crossed to his bed, shaking the boy's shoulder. Iggy glared roughly in his direction, turning slightly to face Fang. "What."
"Sorry for laughing. It just seemed kind of funny... all those excuses."
"You didn't need to laugh at me though. It's true. I do need to touch someone pretty much all the time." Iggy rolled his eyes.
Fang blushed. "Well... you can touch me whenever you like." He smiled, hugging Iggy, and watching the smaller boy drift asleep in his arms.
A/N: AWW