I took a deep breath. There was no turning back from this.

Once I told her, those words would be out in the open for anyone to hear. I don't know if I could handle that.

I glanced to the side, making sure that she was still next to me. Her short blonde hair fluttered around her face

It's too late baby, there's no turning around

I've got my hands in my pocket and my head in a cloud

Flying has always been my favorite thing to do. It is the only time that I feel truly free. I fell back a little, wanting to watch her without her noticing.

Well, she probably noticed, but it's not real if you can't see it, right? Right, pardon my sarcasm.

God, she's beautiful and she totally doesn't know it.

That's my favorite thing about her. Yeah, maybe the thought has crossed her mind a couple of times, but it hasn't ever stuck.

I am so gone.

This is how I do

When I think about you

"Hey," her voice broke me out of my preoccupied train of thought. She was pointing to a flat space on the ground below us. "Want to stop there for a bit? I'd like to take this trip slow." Her green eyes flickered over me questioningly, but shifted away quickly.

I shrugged. "Sounds like a plan."

That's me, the talkative one. It didn't seem to bother her usually. I knew she hated it when I didn't say anything and I was hurt, but she seemed to find my silence comforting.

We tipped sideways and began spiraling down, landing easily in the spacious clearing.

She jogged a few steps and stopped, folding in her wings and doing a 360 sweep out of habit. I slid my pack off my shoulders and pulled out our lunch.

I never thought that you could break me apart

I keep a sinister smile in a hole in my heart

I watched her bite into her first sandwich and for some reason her date with that kid Sam popped into my head.

Had she smiled at him the way she smiled at me? Different, more affectionate?

I mentally growled and ripped away a section of my sandwich with unnecessary ferocity.

Her eyes focused on me in confusion.

"You okay?" she asked.

I am always okay. I shrugged.

She sighed. "Do you think that they'll be happy to see us?" I looked at her. Her face was twisted into some kind of apprehensive wistfulness.

"Of course. Why wouldn't they?"

I knew plenty of reasons why they might be a little upset, but none of them were reasons not to want to see us.

Leaving them behind may be one of them.

You want to get inside

Then you need to get in line

But not this time

"Max?" I said. My courage was about as strong as it was going to get and I wanted to tell her while we were still alone.

She looked up from the last bite of her sandwich. Those huge green eyes focused directly on mine.

I guess something in my voice tipped her off that this was something important.

I could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to figure out what was going through mine.

I broke eye contact first, my gaze dropping to her mouth.

Memories of the time she kissed me flooded into my head. I had never ever dreamed that she would have done that. Especially to me. Bittersweet moment.

Her lips moved slowly, forming some word, but I was too far gone to figure it out.

I leaned in and kissed her.

Cause you caught me off guard

Now I'm running and screaming

Kissing her was just like flying. I could feel the freedom through her mouth.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine

I pulled back quickly and stared at her in shock at my own behavior and apprehension at her reaction.

She stared back, wide eyed and breathing rapidly.

She hadn't reacted at all, except surprise.

I tried not to show that my heart was breaking. There wasn't enough air out here.

I started on my second sandwich. That's right. Nothing happened.

I won't try to philosophize

I'll just take a deep breath and I'll look in your eyes

Yeah. Fuck that.

"I love you, Max," I said. I looked straight at her, daring her to laugh in my face.

Her eyes were so pretty in surprise, all open and shining in the sun. Her perfect mouth hung open a little, making a charming little 'o.'

I wanted to kiss her again.

This is how I feel

And its so so real

"Fang," she whispered. This was one time I couldn't read her.

I got a closet filled up to the brim

With the ghosts of my past and the skeletons

I knew that I wasn't good enough for her.

She is positively the strongest and most genuinely caring person I know. Hell, she took care of all of us, protected us, nearly died for us, when she was just fourteen.

Looking at it like that, how could I not love her.

And I don't know why

You'd even try

But I won't lie

Next thing I knew I was flat on my back with Max's arms wrapped around my neck. Her cheek was pressed against mine and I could feel her lips on my neck.

You caught me off guard

Now I'm running and screaming

Needless to say, I hadn't expected this. This was a nice unexpected, though.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine

Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

I brought my arms around her and squeezed her tight. "I love you, too, Fang," I heard her whisper to my neck.

And I feel a weakness coming on

Never felt so good to be so wrong

A deep bubbling feeling welled from deep inside me. I wanted to laugh hysterically.

She totally would have freaked.

Lying in that field with her in my arms, I never felt so vulnerable nor so powerful. I had always kept this locked behind all kinds of walls, but it felt so good to finally tell her.

Had my heart all locked down

And then you turned me around

She lifted her head from my shoulder, bracing her arms on the ground on either side of my head.

Her hair hung around her face in lovely tousled waves. I rubbed a lock between my fingers.

Something warm and wet fell on my face. I looked at her closely, framed by the sun above us.

She was positively glowing, looked like a real angel. An angel with tears in her eyes.

I dropped her hair and slid my palm along her jaw, using one thumb to wipe away the trail that the tear had made down her face.

I'm feeling like a new born child

Every time I get a chance to see you smile

Her gaze wavered and she glanced away and back in a very un-Max-like nervous action. Then she smiled.

It's not complicated

I was so jaded

I think I went blind. Or I should have gone blind. She definitely has the kind of beauty that strikes men blind.

Thank god I'm a genetically engineered superhuman-avian hybrid.

I had to kiss her again.

And you caught me off guard

Now I'm running and screaming

I rolled us over so that I was holding myself up over her.

She looked even better this way. I'm going to have a hard time deciding on a favorite look.

I'll just go with the one in her eyes.

I feel like a hero and you are my heroine

Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?

I slid my hand beneath the back of her head and kissed her again.

This time was an explosion of sensation. Kissing has occurred a few times in my past, but not a single kiss before this one ever made me so alive. Hmm, note to self: tongues are good for something. Tongues are great for something.

And I feel a weakness coming on

Never felt so good to be so wrong

The sun was going down by the time we regained our senses. I just watched her for a little while. I loved how I could make her breathless.

She was breathing a little choppily, but to be fair, so was I. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips had swollen a little bit. I have never seen her so enrapturing.

Had my heart all locked down

And then you turned me around

"Fang," she said breathily. I wanted her to say my name like that again.

"Yeah?"

"Let's stay at a hotel tonight."

I'm feeling like a new born child

Every time I get a chance to see you smile

The most beautiful words in the English language. Other than what she said next.

"Okay." I told her. God, was I actually shaking?

"I love you," she murmured softly.

It's not complicated

I was so jaded

I kissed her again, softly. She was definitely my heroine. "I love you, too."