He didn't want to be there, he didn't want to watch all the people laughing and having fun, stocking up on booze and cigarettes before they left for war. There were plenty of girls to go around, two on each soldier except for him.

Fang sat in a secluded corner of the cabin with his arms crossed over his chest as a warning for anyone to approach him if his expression hadn't already scared them off. He wasn't supposed to be there, he had a life, he had dreams but now they had all been crushed and his family ripped away from him the day he was called for duty. He should have been sitting in the lounge helping Allie with her math homework but instead here he was surrounded by strange people in an army base camp which he hadn't been allowed to leave in three weeks. Three weeks, the thought sickened him. That was the amount of training they had received. Three measly little weeks to prepare them for war. There was no doubt in his mind that he wouldn't make it through the first week. The bile burned the back of his throat at the thought and he ran a hand through his hair again, feeling the unusual shortness of it which only made him sourer. He hadn't had his hair this short since he was nine when he'd tried to cut his hair himself but in the end he'd messed it up so badly his mother had no choice but to chop off most of his glossy black hair. Since then it had always been quite long. Not long enough to put in a ponytail or anything, but it brushed passed his eyes. That's how he liked it but he didn't even have a choice in what his hair was like now. Everything had been taken. Freedom of choice my ass. He thought bitterly clenching his jaw when Iggy – a bubbly man he'd met on the bus from Arizona stumbled over with a huge grin on his face, a cocoa skinned girl blushing furiously and giggling right beside him.

"Fang, man!" He boomed dropping into the chair beside him and holding out a beer, "Come on, have some fun! This might be the last chance you'll get." Iggy nudged Fang's side playfully but he just rolled his eyes and refused to take the beer. Iggy's smile faltered and he sighed, "Listen, none of us want to be here alright? You're not the only one. But we can't change the fact that we are. Make the best of it, have some fun, get drunk out of your mind! Chat up a few girls! I highly doubt there'll be any out there." He winked at Fang and clapped him on the shoulder before he got up and went to join the girl again.

Fang was so lost in mentally ticking off the long list of reasons why he should just kill himself now before he died painfully like he no doubt would out in the field that he didn't notice the dirty blond that sat a chair away from him. He glanced in her direction when she mumbled something under her breath and shook her head but quickly looked away. Not quick enough though because her eyes met his and she cocked an eyebrow.
"Why you sitting over here?" She questioned looking thoroughly disinterested and bored out of her mind.

Fang gave her an incredulous look silently asking why he shouldn't be sitting there when by that time the next day he'd be in the middle of a warzone.

She waved him off and turned to face the crowd of people in the hall.

He didn't know why he replied or when he'd even decided to do so but before he could stop himself he was speaking, "This isn't my kind of thing." He said it very softly but she heard him and turned her attention back to him again.

"Me neither." She admitted wrinkling her nose in disgust at a wall where several couples were kissing heatedly.

It was Fang's turn to raise an eyebrow at her. for the girls it was totally voluntary, they were all single girls who travelled from all over to 'wish the boys good luck' before they were deployed never to be heard of again. It was as simple as that, a one night stand with no stings attached so why was she even there if this wasn't what she'd come for?

Noting his questioning glance she shrugged, "See the girl over there." She gestured towards the cocoa-skinned girl with Iggy, "She's my best friend. Has been since forever. A couple of days ago she decided that she was 'going to do her part' as she put it and come make some soldier happy and I somehow managed to get brought along too."

He nodded in understanding and they sat in silence again.

"Did you volunteer?" She enquired conversationally but felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her head the second he turned his frigid gaze on her. "Sorry." She whispered realising how stupid a question that was. There was no one left to volunteer, that's why all theses men – no, boys were here because anyone that had volunteered had already been sent in. and slaughtered. So the government had no choice, compulsory military service was their only hope but what did they really hope to achieve? All they were doing was killing thousands more before their lives had even begun, for what? A war they were going to lose anyway when they eventually ran out of soldiers? Eventually killed off an entire nation because their pride was more important than the lives of hundreds of thousands? They were all too young, they didn't deserve it. She felt shame wash over her as he continued to stare at her intensely before he shook his head and turned away again.

In an effort to change the subject she offered the only thing she knew wouldn't be offensive, "I'm Max."

It took Fang a while to reply, he'd been caught between not answering her at all and hoping she'd just go away or telling her because, really? What did he have to lose?

"Fang." He said eyes flickering over to her again.

Another silence followed this and finally when Max couldn't take it any longer she spoke again, "I hear the beaches are gorgeous." It was the first thing that had come to mind, she remembered the conversation she'd had with Nudge the day before about how the military station was set up right on the most beautiful beach in the country. Or so Nudge said. Max figured this would be a good topic, something light and not serious.

Fang shrugged, "Wouldn't know."

She couldn't help it, her eyes widened and she stared at him in utter horror.

This didn't go unnoticed by Fang who frowned.

"You can't be serious!" She gasped, "You've been here al this time and you haven't even checked out the beach? Dude! That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of in my life!"

Fang didn't appreciate her comment and crossed his arms again. "It wasn't something I was exactly concerned about." He snapped but Max was having none of it.

"Well guess what? I really don't care. Before you leave you are going to that beach – scratch that, you're going now." She ordered him forcefully standing up and placing her hands on her hips.

Fang's anger flared at her commanding tone, he'd had enough orders the last month he didn't need it from some girl.

He glared up at her, taking in her determined stance and set jaw. He wasn't getting out of this and he knew it. Deciding to save his ears the pain of whatever she would say next he stood up and pushed through the drunken mass in the mess hall. Max right on his heels. He didn't stop as he weaved his way through the camp sight, passed the virtually abandoned cabins all the way down to the single gate that separated the camp from the beach. He pushed it open and stepped onto the sand walking about halfway to the water before stopping.

Max was puffing by the time she cam up beside him, "Geeze, how fast do you walk?" She muttered more to herself.

"I've been to the beach." He told her turning to leave again.

"Whoa! Oh no you don't!" Max called grabbing his arm and spinning him around. "No way buster." She poked his chest, "You need to relax. God, what is with you? I've never seen someone so damn tense in my entire life!" She threw up her hands in exasperation.

He bit back the retort he so badly wanted to release and just stood there still for a few minutes.

Max seemed to give up then and her shoulders slumped but only for a second before she leaned down and yanked off her shoes, smiling when her toes buried in the sand. "Mm." She hummed and then turned serious again, "Off." She commanded pointing to his standard black army boots. "Do it." She added when he stared at her like she was mad.

Sighing in irritation Fang finally relented and took off his boots and socks dropping them on the sand. It was strange but it felt so nice to do that, like he was shoving the military away, getting them back for taking his life away from him. He felt the sand sliding beneath his feat and relaxed slightly.

When he looked up at Max she wore a triumphant grin, "Brilliant." Then before he knew what she was doing she had grabbed his hand and pulled him down towards the water.

He stopped just short of it and Max huffed. "Seriously? It's just water, Fang. It won't eat you, I promise."

He didn't know why he was listening to her, he should have been in bed catching as much rest as he could because god knew he wouldn't be getting any when he was out there. He took another step forward to allow the cool water to lap at his feet and he gazed out at the ocean. The moonlight flickered off the rippling surface that reminded him of a thousands stars. He tipped his head up more and looked at the sky, feeling the gentle breeze caress his face. Millions of stars dotted the pitch black sky and the light he'd originally thought was coming from the moon he then realised was coming from the stars. He hadn't taken the time to look up at the stars since the day he'd arrived. He'd figured what was the point? Stars reminded him of what he and his mother always used to do when he was little. They'd lie in the back yard and try and get as close to the stars as they could, whoever got the closest won. He remembered asking her if he'd ever be able to actually reach them and she'd said very softly that anything was possible. She'd always encouraged him to dream, to never give up and to fight for what he wanted. It al seemed rather pointless when his choices had been taken.

"Fang?" Max whispered, tugging gently at the hand he hadn't even realised she was still holding.

He broke out of his memories and looked down at her. Now without the heels she was a good head short than him.

She offered him a smile and he felt the edges of his lips tug up into a small smile in return.

Pleased with her reaction a sly grin replaced the reassuring smile and before he knew it warm water was splashed across his face.

He took a step back in surprise and wiped his hand over his face, "Hey!" He protested when Max laughed and flickered more water at him with her foot.

Fang growled before kicking water at her too making her scream and gape down at the long strip of dark running down her body. "Fang!" She yelled stomping her foot which wet her more.

He tried hard to bite back a laugh at the sight but when she stormed off along the beach he couldn't help it the laughter escaped and once it started it didn't stop.

Max stopped dead in her tracks at the sound and turned to him in shock. He was laughing. He was actually laughing!

She tried her hardest to look stern but knew that her tone didn't come out nearly as cross as she'd intended, "You think this is funny?" She gestured to her wet clothes walking back over to him until they were only a few centimetres apart. They held each other's gaze for a long while, neither wanting to give in but eventually Max looked away.

"You're an asshole." She told him stepping away and folding her arms over her chest.

Fang's laughing had stopped and there was no smile on his face but Max could see something twinkling in his eyes and she knew that she'd finally broken through the brick wall she'd met earlier.

Fang shrugged, allowing the comment. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, savouring the fresh air for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Max watched him while he did this but then a thought struck her. Why not have a little fun with him? The sly grin returned and she picked up a handful of wet sand stood up on her toes to get a little higher and dumped it on his head.

His eyes shot open in surprise, his hand shooting up to his head where the sand was sticking in the short cropped style.

She released a giggle and Fang's eyes flashed with something. Not anger or anything remotely close, she realised, but something gentler, more teasing.

She didn't realise her fatal mistake until it was too late. He swept her up from behind her knees and she shrieked, pounding on his chest, "Fang! Don't you dare! I swear to god I will kill you if you-" she didn't have the chance to finish her sentence before there was a splash and water surrounded her.

She came up spluttering, her dirty blond hair sticking up all over the place and her eyes as wide as saucers. Her sheer shock soon turned into anger and she grabbed a hold of Fang's hand yanking him down too.

He didn't resist and let her pull him down. He'd known it was coming. They both lay in the water laughing the cool water refreshing. Once they had both calmed down and Max started to get cold they exited the water and lay on the warm sand to heat up again. Max could feel the salt in the water making her sticky all over and the sand was absolutely everywhere. She wrinkled her nose, imagining Nudge's face when she saw her, she'd probably be confined to the boot because if there was one thing Nudge loved it was her car and there was no way she was letting sand and seawater all over the seats.

The now familiar silence covered them once again but when Max started shivering again Fang did the only thing he could think of since his jacket was also soaked so that would be no use, he pulled her into his side and rubbed her arm to warm her up a bit. "We should go back." He whispered but he truly didn't want to. He wanted to stay on that beach forever laying in the sand in silence no sound besides the waves crashing.

Max settled easily into his chest, her eyes growing heavy. Whether it was from the salt water or from Fang she didn't know. They lay there for hours neither moving from their position. Max dozed off several times but when she woke up she was still lying with her head on his chest and his fingers running up and down her arm.

"Hey,Fang?" She slurred into his camouflage shirt.

"Mmm?" he hummed fingers still dancing over her arm.

"I'm sorry."

His fingers paused and he sat up slightly to look at her questioningly.

"You don't deserve this. I might not know you very well but I know that this should never have happened to you." She gestured to his uniform and the dog-tags he'd wrapped around his wrist.

Fang's eyes softened considerably and a smile ghosted over his lips.

She didn't expect him to say something, after all if he'd spoken fifteen words the entire night it was too many.

She was right, he didn't say anything. He did however bring his hand up to twirl a lock of her sandy hair around his finger, his eyes trained on her hair.

He released it and his heated stare travelled up to her eyes. her breathe caught in her throat as she took in his open onyx eyes that had a few hours before been so harsh and cold but now showed nothing but gentle emotion and fear. The fear was evident. It hit her like ton of bricks right then, just how petrified he was, how much he truly didn't want this to happen to him.

She felt tears spring to her eyes at this. She needed to do something, anything, to make him less scared. She brought her arms around his midsection and buried her face in his chest, hugging him as tightly as she could.

He hesitated for a split second before he was returning the comforting gesture, desperately clinging to her pressing his cheek to her damp hair. He hadn't let his emotion show through since the day he'd gotten the letter telling him of his required service. He needed to be strong. For his mother and sister. They couldn't see him break down but now on that beach with the stranger who had been able to bring his walls down in mere hours be couldn't bring himself to fight back anymore.

He hadn't realised the tears had stared falling down his cheeks until Max moved away and wiped them off his cheeks gently, "It's ok." She cooed softly coaxing him to rest his head on her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his cropped hair, and just held him since there wasn't anything she could think of that could help him. How do you cure incomprehensible fear?

Finally when he had shed all the tears he could shed and released all the pain and sorrow he'd kept bottled up for the last three months he pulled away from Max's comforting embrace. His eyes spoke the words he couldn't say right then, his silent 'thank you' was louder than if he'd screamed it.

She smiled at him and nodded in understanding.

He cupped her cheek with his warm calloused hands and locked eyes with her, his endless black eyes seemed to be looking right into her soul as he closed the distance between them and brushed his lips ever so lightly over hers.

Her eyes fluttered shut and her hand fisted his shirt as he slowly pressed his lips to her cherry red ones. Warmth flooded her every sense, she felt like she was drowning in him, his tender kiss, his strong arms holding her to his chest pressing them up against each other as much as possible. Her lips parted at the sensation as his tongue swept across her bottom lip asking for access. She held in a groan when his arms tightened slightly and his tongue dipped into her mouth. Her head was swimming, it was all just too much at once. How had it come to this? If you had told her she would end up having the most earth-shattering kiss on the beach with the man she'd met in the hall she would have scoffed and told you you were mad. Yet there she was lost in the sensation of him exploring her mouth and his unique taste as his tongue brushed hers. He lowered her back down onto the sand and hovered over her, one hand on her hip to bring her closer while the other supported him. She had her arms wrapped securely around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair there.

They broke apart breathless and flushed, their breath mixing together as they tried to get their breathing back to normal.

"Fang…" was all Max could say, her voice filling with raw emotion. There was something about him, something so special that she never wanted to let him go. She didn't know anything about him, she didn't know where he had grown up, if he had any family members. Heck she didn't even know his favourite colour! None of that seemed to matter though, all she could think of was having to let him go tomorrow and the extremely high likelihood that she would never see him ever again.

Fang gazed down at her flushed face, her chocolate brown eyes swirling with awe and shock and sadness. A pang hit his chest when he realised why. He was leaving tomorrow. He was as good as dead tomorrow. He pushed the thoughts away. No, this wouldn't be ruined, he would enjoy this time because it would no doubt be his last happy memory. He concentrated on the pink tint to Max's cheeks and her parted swollen lips and her mess of dirty blond hair that framed her face beautifully. He traced her nose and the almond shape of her eyes and the breathtaking brown that broke down the walls he'd carefully constructed.

He lay on the sand once again and pulled her to him, wrapping her securely in his arms.

She nuzzled his neck and sighed contentedly. If only it didn't have to end.

They both drifted off to sleep then pressed as close together as they could, sweet dreams behind their lids.

xXx

The next morning however wasn't anything like the night before, after showering a quickly changing into a fresh pair of clothes and collecting his duffel Fang found Max waiting by the bus. She was wringing her hands together nervously, her eyes scanning the crowd of men and their loved-ones that surrounded her.

Fang broke through easily and when he reached her he dropped his bag by his feet.

Max chewed on her lip nervously and took a deep breath before she held out a small slip of paper to him. "When you can, write to me." She told him as he took her address from her.

He nodded and put it in the small pocket on the shirt and buttoned it for good measure.

He never had been good at goodbyes but this was like a new extreme because this was going to be his last goodbye. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. He eventually came to a decision and unclipped his dog-tags from his wrist, placing them in her palm.

Max instantly shook her head and tried to give them back, in most cases the dog-tags were all they had to identify the bodies and if that was Fang's fate then she would never deny his family the chance to have his body.

Fang refused to take them back and knowing why she was reacting to them so badly be untucked a second pair that was hung around his neck. She paused for a second and nodded, clipping the tags around her own wrist. Suddenly Max couldn't take it anymore more and she threw her arms around his neck, sealing their lips together in a fiery kiss. "Write to me." She panted in his ear when they parted. She gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. She so badly wanted to see him off but she couldn't for a number of reasons; one being that she wouldn't be able to let him get on that damn bus and the other that she had to get home now before her mother put two and two together and realised she'd snuck out to the army camp.

He knew this was it and pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead. "I will." He promised and blinking back the tears she backed away from him. He was soon swallowed up by the crowd and she spun on her heel to dash for Nudge's car.

Fang stood staring in direction Max had disappeared in for a further five minutes before he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Iggy grinning knowingly. "See? Now you have to stay alive." He shot Fang a wink before climbing aboard the bus.

A hint of a smile tugged at Fang's lips and he realised that Iggy was right. He would see Max again.

…I don't know why I wrote that, I've wanted to write a war fic for ages but I just didn't know how to go about it. What do you think? I know it was extremely mushy! Lol! Did I keep them remotely in-character besides the whole sappy thing? Please review and tell me your thoughts! Oh and did anyone cry even get just a little misty-eyed? I'm trying to figure out if my writing affects my audience the way it's intended to.

If you loved it REVIEW!
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