Remember?
"Are you okay?" were the first words I heard after the blinding headache.
I looked up at Fang, the only reason I was still standing, and told him, "Yeah."
Concern shined in his eyes. He seemed slightly...teary?
"What happened?" I asked him.
Had I screamed? How bad had it looked like?
Bad enough to make his eyes well up a bit. Apparently.
"You screamed. Thrashed around. Punched me--" Fang broke off.
"I'm so sorry," I said. "I know it must have looked bad, but I'm fine. Really."
Then another headache came. I clutched my head, afraid it would blow up, and I fell. Almost.
Fang's arms were still holding onto me, but I was hardly aware of that.
What I was really, acutely aware of was the pain.
Again, almost literal fireworks were detonating like bombs inside my head.
I heard a scream. Mine?
I needed to do something, get my mind off the pain. How?
Another scream.
My foot kicked something - Fang? - and I fell down.
I unfurled my wings by accident. Very painful when you're on your back. I struggled to get myself up, but seconds later I was flying.
I wasn't very high; somehow flying, though very dangerous right then, made it better.
Slightly.
Fresh air created by the flapping of my wings cooled me down.
My head burst with pain. It was even stronger than before.
I fell, folding my wings barely in time.
Fang caught me.
He held onto me, and slowly the pain lessened.
I lay my head on his chest.
I had no energy left; none.
Except to mutter something I regretted later.
The first thing I remembered when I woke up was what I had said.
Oh. My. God.
Mortification filled me instantly.
I knew, just knew, that my cheeks were pink.
Fang had rolled out from underneath me - cue more blushing - and was still asleep. He was just inches away from me.
I dropped my head into my hands, getting myself ready for some more embarrassment when he woke up.
Fang stirred.
No time to brace myself for it. I would never live that down.
Ever.
"Max," he said. He sat up and blinked a couple of times. He was awake. "Max, you okay?"
"Yeah, much better," I replied. Mmm. That was a pretty bad headache. I could pretend to not remember anything. "Although last night is very hazy. I can only remember pain."
He grinned and I knew he knew I remembered perfectly well what I had said.
Oh God.
"So," Fang started, much more serious. "Bet you were hopin' those were your final words."
Oh yeah. I'd given anything to have woken up in heaven.
Or hell.
Although being humiliated by Fang came pretty close.
"One more word," I threatened, "and I'll make sure those were your last words."
One eye blink later and Fang's face impossibly close to mine.
I swallowed, opened my mouth.
He stopped me from talking.
How?
He didn't use his fingers, or hands.
No. An entirely different part of his body.
Way up.
His lips.
I wasn't going to complain, though.
Who wouldn't want soft, warm lips on their own?
A mad person, that's who.
And yes, this was coming from the mutant freak with wings and killer headaches.
He pulled away and said exactly what I had said the previous night.
"I love you."
Author Note: I'm going to shamelessly advertise another story of mine, on fiction press.
Her smile
Charlotte and Billie are caught up in a whirlwind romance. Neither one of them has ever felt this good, this in love, and they're both enjoying every second of it, savoring every moment. Yet, Billie feels this nagging doubt at the back of her mind, surely it can't last?
Unfortunately she's right. Family secrets and problems rise on both sides. Billie finds out she will have to overcome her one and only phobia to save someone's life and Charlotte will have to face both her father and an old flame.
Will their love survive this rough journey? Is it as strong as they believe it to be?
www. fictionpress. com/s/2659372/