Hey.

New story!! Woo!

I really wanted to practice playing with expressing emotions better... I always love stories that make your heart just like, hurt when you read them because the author describes the emotions so well. And I was jealous, so I wanted to try. :D

Tell me how you think I did with the emotions, and leave suggestions on how I can improve on expressing them, please.

Disclaimer:I do not own Maximum Ride. I do own the plot, however, so back off. :D

This Time, on the Swings

I stared up at the darkening sky, feeling strangely passive. My mind was still and calm for the first time that I could ever remember.

I inhaled deeply, smelling the fresh scent of the grass, the woodsy smell of the earth, and the crispness of the evening air. My bare toes traced random patterns in the wood chips underneath me. I stretched my arms up and gently pushed the swing that was above my head. I was lying underneath the swing set in the back yard, taking a break from our hectic lifestyle.

Sometimes, life needs a pause button, I thought. Times like this are just perfect.

I pushed the swing again, watching as it swung hypnotically back and forth across the sky. The creak of the chains and chirping of crickets and cicadas were the only sounds that I could hear.

My eyes drifted lazily over the sky as I picked out pictures in the stars.

There's a fish… and that is an… eagle, I decided drowsily. The eagle is attacking the fish.

I frowned.

New pictures.

As I searched the sky listlessly, I distantly heard the sound of the back door opening.

"Max?" a soft voice called.

I let my eyes drift shut, sighing as I hooked my knees over the swing in front of me. "Out here."

The door shut with a soft click, and I heard feet padding over the grass toward me.

"What are you doing?" Fang asked, slight curiosity in his voice.

"Nothing." I opened my eyes to see him standing over me in his black T-shirt and cutoff jean shorts. "Hello."

"Hey," he replied, sounding slightly amused. "Mind if I join you?"

I made a noncommittal sound, which he took for agreement. He sat on the swing beside mine, gliding back and forth slowly.

I grabbed the chains attached to my swing and pulled myself off of the ground so that I was sitting on the swing beside him.

We swung back and forth in comfortable silence. Eventually, Fang hooked his bare right foot around my left so that our swings moved together.

I felt an inexplicable flush rising on my neck. I wanted to pull away from him; it felt too much like holding hands. Except with feet, I thought to myself, feeling foolish.

I didn't pull away though.

My mind had slipped away from its passive state and was racing at one hundred miles an hour. About me, about the flock…

About Fang.

I was desperately frustrated, confused, miserable, and (dangerously) happy. My instinctive and uncontrollable reaction to any hint that there was anything between us was to remove myself from the situation.

I.E. – run.

I knew Fang was frustrated too, but there was nothing that I could do about it. It was like playing the waiting game constantly; we were holding out until one of us eventually broke.

And before that happened, I had to make a decision about him.

There were three choices.

Option one: I liked him (I don't even want to think about that) and I told him, and he liked me too. Possible happy ending.

Option two: I liked him and I told him, but he didn't like me. Guaranteed miserable-ness and possibility of losing my best friend.

Option three: I didn't like him. Still nothing good and possibility of losing my best friend. Again.

The odds were not in my favor.

"Penny for your thoughts," Fang's voice cut through my musings.

I started, glancing over at him. His gaze was fixed on the horizon.

"Doesn't matter," I muttered, "my thoughts aren't worth anything anyway."

Fang's head snapped around to look at me sharply. "Maybe not, but I was never a person to be a stickler for money's worth."

I groaned inwardly. In other words, shut up and tell me what is bothering you.

"Look, it's nothing, OK?" I mumbled, dropping my head to my knees. "Drop it."

"No." Fang stopped the swings, releasing my foot from his hold. "Max, if something is bothering you, then we –I – need to know."

"How come?" I asked dryly, my face still in my knees. "Isn't that my business?"

Fang hopped off of his swing, coming to stand in front of me. I raised my head to look at him. My heart fluttered at his expression. It was concern, frustration, and a look of knowledge almost hidden behind a blank mask. I frowned to myself in irritation at my reaction.

"Because you are my business."

My eyebrows shot up.

Fang knelt in front of me so that we were eye to eye. His dark orbs bored into mine.

"Tell me."

My heart betrayed me again, going into wild palpitations at the combination of his husky voice pleading with me and his eyes fixed on me. My hands fiddled awkwardly with the chains of my swing.

I suddenly found myself wanting to tell him everything. Even though I didn't know the answers to everything myself, I always confided in Fang.

But this time, I couldn't.

Fang saw that I wasn't going to answer, and his expression fell slightly. In a split second he had controlled his facial muscles and he was impassive and stony as usual.

I immediately felt bad for keeping anything from him, but I still wasn't going to tell him.

Fang's chin dropped to his chest for a split second, jaw clenched and hair falling over his forehead. Then he snapped it back up, and there was fire and ice in his eyes.

"Why do you have to be so freaking stubborn?" He growled, in an echo of the last time that we had been alone like this.

And, just like last time, he leaned in close and kissed me.

I froze, shell-shocked. My heart stopped, then stuttered to a start.

Out of the immediate, panicked reaction, I pulled away with a gasp, leaped to my feet, and spun to flee as fast as my feet would carry me.

Again.

This time, though, Fang wasn't having any of that.

He grabbed my arm and towed me roughly back to him. "No," He snarled, his voice wild with hurt and determination, "you are not running away from me this time."

I twisted frantically, trying to get away as the hysteria began to overtake me. Fang's grip on my arm was strong as iron. Eventually he made a low sound deep in his throat, and jerked me to him. I landed against his chest, and his arms folded around me gently, but still unrelentingly.

"Max. I haven't pushed you, but this has gone on long enough. You and me are going to figure this out right now. It's not good for the kids, it's not good for you, and it's not good for me."

I stopped struggling, my breath coming unevenly. Just being with him like this was beginning to calm my nerves, even though he was the one that had caused my emotional uproar in the first place. I wanted to scream and yell and punch him, but I didn't. I sagged against him and gripped his shirt tightly in my hands.

Something finally clicked in my head and I finally made the realization.

I needed him.

And, from what I was seeing, he needed me.

I could feel the tension in his body. I realized that he was freaking out just as much as I was, he was just better at hiding it.

"Okay," I said softly.

"What?" His arms loosened around me.

I waved a hand at him. "Give me two minutes."

I sorted through my jumbled thoughts, trying to decide what to do next. Finally, when my mind was clear, I explained everything (and I mean everything) to Fang with clear, concise sentences.

When I was done, I could see the expression of shock on his face. He mentally sorted through what I had said, analyzing it for truth.

"So, you trust me now?" He said finally.

"I always trusted you," I said with a shrug, my adrenaline finally leaving me. "I just didn't know what to do," I admitted.

Fang still looked puzzled. "How could you not figure it out?"

"Well, you're not exactly the easiest guy to read, Fang," I teased him lightly, trying to break the tension that was still lingering.
Fang smiled a little bit, the slightest flush of embarrassment reaching across his face.

He looked at me calmly, then slowly inched forward. He hesitated.

"You won't run this time, will you?" he asked softly, his breath tickling my nose.

I shook my head wordlessly, almost shyly entwining my fingers with his.

"Not this time."

So, how do you think I did? Were they too OOC? I don't know... oh well.

Review!