Love and Other Silly Things
"What are you getting Max for Christmas?"
Fang just laid on the ground for a moment, not speaking. Then, finally, he pushed himself slowly up to look at the little blonde girl in front of him.
"Nothing."
"What?"
"Nothing, Angel."
"How come?"
Slowly, he laid back down. "You know, I come up here to be alone."
"Nudge says that you and Max come up here to kiss," she said with a slight giggle.
"Do you see Max around? No. So why are you?"
She just moved to lay down next to him. "You've been really grumpy recently."
"Have not."
"Have too." She smiled at him. "So really, what are you going to get her for Christmas?"
"Nothing, Angel."
That brought that smile right back down into a frown. "But Fang, you have to get her something."
"No I don't."
"I don't think you understand what being girlfriend and boyfriend is."
"And I don't think you understand that Max and I are more than that."
"Then what are you?"
He almost hesitated before deciding it was just Angel; might as well tell her.
"We're everything to each other."
"Oh."
"So we don't give each other stupid gifts on holidays. If we're celebrating the holiday, it's for the real reason. Not for the gift reason. That's what love is."
"You love Max?"
He smirked slightly, rolling on his side to face the little girl. "Yeah. Just don't tell anyone, huh?"
"Not even Max?"
"Especially not Max."
Giggling, Angel stared into his eyes. "I love her too."
He poked her nose gently. "Yeah, I know."
Angel giggled again, something she did a lot when she and Fang were alone. Since they began living on the island, he favored her enormously compared to the others. Max told her once that it was because he lost her that time in France, but Angel knew better. Fang always loved her more than the others. Always. He just got more of a chance to show it now.
"We're supposed to meet Iggy for lunch soon."
"We?" Fang frowned at her slightly. "I don't remember making any lunch plans."
"I made them."
"For who?"
"Me, you, and Iggy."
"What? Why? Just the three of us?"
"I wanted to," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "'cause I love you and Iggy and you guys never have lunch just with me. He's either with Ella or you're with Max."
"They're our girlfriends."
"But remember when we used to have tea parties? Back in Colorado? Me, you, and Iggy? Before Max found out and teased you?"
"You know we don't talk about that."
"We do when we're alone, huh?" She poked his nose now. "Fang?"
He just smiled at her. It wasn't really a smile, not for a normal person, but coming from the guy that couldn't be bothered to even grin at his girlfriend half the time, it was.
"So come on." She jumped up then. "Let's go meet Iggy."
"Angel-"
"Please, Fang? I don't ever ask you for anything, do I?"
Yes. Quite frequently. Too frequently if you asked him. Still, Fang just nodded as he stood up, opening his wings.
"Race you," Angel yelled out as her own white ones opened. She quickly jumped from the cliff, having no second thoughts about Fang ditching her. And he didn't, not really. He just stood there for a moment, watching Angel fly away, before pushing off the cliff as well and gently gliding down to the beach below.
Because no matter how old Angel got, Fang would always let her win. Always.
"I beat you," Angel announced the second he touched down. "Did you see?"
"I saw," Fang told her, patting the girl on the head as he passed. She'd really calmed down some since they moved to the island. This was probably mainly due to the fact that there were so many other kids her age to play with. It took away some of the stress, Fang was sure. "Come on, let's go find Iggy."
"Okay." She bounced along after him, smiling at all her friends they passed. In her mind, their looks were of envy. Angel got to hangout with the Fang. Cause he was almost like her brother. And he loved her. How many of them could say that? Huh? None. Not really. So there.
"Does Iggy even know about this lunch yet?" Fang asked, glancing down at the blonde. "Angel?"
"Hmmm?" She looked up at him before nodding. "Uh-huh. I told him before I came to find you. He said he'd get us some fruit and then meet us in front of our huts."
"'kay."
Angel went back to watching their surroundings as Fang stared straight ahead, not speaking. He did that a lot, not speak. Especially when they weren't alone, up on the cliff top. Even with Max sometimes he'd get real quiet. It annoyed her to no end, as she reiterated to Nudge and Ella multiple times. Angel just always smiled though as she eavesdropped on them, glad to know that Fang liked her more than stupid Max.
"Hi, Iggy."
"Hey, guys," he greeted as Fang and Angel sat down next to the pile of fruit he was cutting up. "I didn't catch any meat for obvious reasons."
"I will for dinner tonight," Fang said simply, grabbing an apple from the pile. Angel just sat between her two favorite guys, smiling brightly.
"Iggy," Angel began, turning her grin on him now even though it was obviously lost on the blind man.
"What?" he asked before shoving a piece of fruit in his mouth.
"What are you getting Ella for Christmas?"
He swallowed. "Is it December?"
"It's December," Fang assured him. He was typically pretty current with the dates, as he helped Max so much with foreign relations. "Christmas is in about a week or so."
"Oh."
"So are you gonna get her nothing?" Angel asked. "'cause Fang's not gonna get Max nothing because they're in love or something."
"Angel," Fang said with a frown.
"Are you then, Fang? In love with Max, eh?"
"Shut up, Iggy."
"Iggy," Angel whined. "What are you gonna get Ella? Nothing?"
"Of course I'm gonna get her something, Angel."
"What?"
"I'll probably trade someone on the island stuff to get her a necklace or bracelet or something like that."
"But why are you gonna get her something if you love her? Are you guys not in love."
"Oh, no, we are."
"So you love her then, Iggy? In love with Ella, huh?" Fang repeated those words back to him, more spiteful that the other boy had been.
"I am. And I'm not ashamed to admit it like some of us here." Iggy shook his head. "I love Ella, Angel. I'm in love with my girlfriend. That's why I'm going to get her something. We're soul mates."
"Oh," Angel said slowly, nodding. "Like Dylan and Max."
"No!" Fang's anger was at top level now. "Nothing like Dylan and Max, Angel. That is disgusting. Max and I are soul mates, not-"
"Is that what we are?"
His blood ran cold as suddenly he heard Max's voice from behind him. He just stared straight ahead for a moment, getting his breathing in check, before glancing behind him.
"See, Max?" Nudge was with her, pointing accusingly at the three of them. "They ate lunch without us!"
"You're such a little brat, Nudge," Iggy grumbled.
"How can you guys eat without us?" She immediately sat down in between the blind boy and Fang. "I mean, gosh, that's just so rude."
Angel narrowed her eyes at the other girl before turning her attention on Max. The two of them were ruining everything! This was supposed to be Angel's day with the boys. Now here these two were, messing everything up.
"Don't get quiet now, Fang," Max taunted as she took her place between him and Angel, just like always. Angel could have mauled her in that moment. Seriously. Why was Max always taking things from her? All she wanted to do was play with Fang for the day. It wasn't fair.
"I'm not," he told her, finally finding his voice as Max settled in next to him, moving to wrap her cold fingers around his neck, squeezing slightly. Fang shivered as she released him before moving to hand her a piece of fruit. "Angel was just talking about Christmas is all."
"Ooh!" Nudge bounced slightly, the pitch of her voice making Iggy grimace. "What are you getting me, Fang?"
"Absolutely nothing."
"You're no fun."
"Would you have rather it been a surprise?"
"Knock it off," Max said, leaning against Fang now. Angel just glared at her before turning to Iggy. At least his stupid girlfriend knew when to stay away and let Angel enjoy her time with the boys. Unlike stupid Max. All she ever did was come around when she wasn't welcome and-
"Ow!"
Max frowned, turning to look at Angel, who had somehow managed to cut herself. "Angel, how many times do I have to tell you to let someone else cut up your fruit? Iggy would have been happy to do it. And where did you get this pocket knife? Is this Gazzy's? Did you take the Gasman's-"
"I'm not a baby," Angel told her darkly, clenching her fists. She winced though, unclenching as that just made the blood from her lacerated palm flow faster. "I can do things on my own."
"Oh, sweetie," Max sighed, moving to take the knife. Then, without much care, she turned to Fang and moved to cut his shirt.
"Hey!"
"I just need a strip of it. I'll get you a new one for Christmas, huh?" Once she had the piece of cloth, she turned back to her baby. Grabbing the water bottle Iggy had at his side, she quickly squirted some of the water in there, washing out the wound before moving to wrap it up.
"Hey, I'll have you know I traded good boxers for that water bottle."
"And?"
"…Buy me a new one for Christmas?"
"In your dreams," Max said, still intent on taking care of Angel. Once she had wrapped it, she even kissed the cloth before smiling at Angel. "There. All better."
"I could have done it myself," Angel mumbled, not meeting Max's eyes.
"Well, now you didn't have to." She took the knife too, pocketing it. "No more playing with these. I hardly like Gazzy having one."
"But-"
"No buts."
"Max, leave her alone, huh?" Fang shook his head at his girlfriend. "You always treat her like child, babe. Maybe you should lay off some or-"
"Don't yell at Max," Angel said, moving to snuggle up against the older girl who immediately wrapped her arms around her without a thought. "That's not nice."
He frowned before shaking his head while Nudge giggled a little. After all, it was one thing when you insulted your mother. It was a complete other when her stupid, mean boyfriend did it. God, who did Fang think he was anyways?
"Stop glaring at me," Fang said, frowning at Angel. "I did just give my shirt up so that you could-"
"No! Max did that. You just sat there and got all mad about it."
"It was still my shirt."
"And?" She smiled up at Max. "Thank you for wrapping my hand."
"Of course, sweetie," Max said, brushing her lips against Angel's blonde curls. "Just be more careful, huh?"
"Okay."
"Do you want me to cut you some fruit now?"
Nudge rolled her eyes at Fang who just shook his head. It got to all of the Flock, really, how Angel could go from plotting against Max to being her little baby in no time flat. It was really annoying too.
"Yes, please."
While Max cut her the fruit up, Angel asked, "Hey, Max? Are you going to get me something for Christmas?"
"Of course, sweetie."
"Even though you love me?"
"What do you mean?"
Fang cringed before she even had the words out. The little narc. He'd get her for this later. He really would.
"Fang said that he wasn't going to get you anything for Christmas because you guys were in love and everything to each other and that he didn't have to."
Max frowned at her boyfriend who had shoved a piece of banana in his mouth an in attempt to seem preoccupied. That didn't fly with Max.
"You said that? Fang? Answer me!"
"I was chewing," he complained as she hit his shoulder. "And yeah, I said that."
"How could you think that that would be okay?"
"Because, Max, presents aren't the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus is."
"And here we go," Nudge mutter to Iggy who just nodded his head.
"What? Since when are you religious?" Max tried to hit him again, but he dodged her.
"Uh, since forever?"
Or try since he went to do his weekly work in the lab with the scientists and Dr. Martinez started talking about it nonstop and about how Max might be the leader of the Flock, but he was important too, and the younger kids would follow his lead and if he acted in a religious way, they would follow along. She just kept talking and talking. He really had no choice, but to listen.
"Oh whatever, Fang."
"It's true, Max. About the Jesus thing anyways."
"So you're not going to get me anything for Christmas because of Jesus? Then I hope you like being single-"
"When I told Angel that, I just meant that I wouldn't be getting you something big or whatever. Something flashy. I'd be getting you something from the heart. Not something shallow. And then I'd tell you all about how Jesus was born on this day and how we should honor his birth by loving one another."
"Aw, Fang. That's so cute." Max moved away from Angel to wrap her arms around Fang's neck, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"Bleh." Nudge made a gagging noise while Iggy put a finger to his head and pretended to kill himself.
Fang just sat there stoically, but on the inside, he was gloating. How dare Angel think for a second she was Max's favorite? Trying to play the woman against him. No way, no how. Fang and Max had been in it together since they were babies. Babies! Angel had nothing on-
"Max," Angel whined when she saw the teen wasn't going to be letting go of her boyfriend anytime soon. "My hand hurts. Can you kiss it again?"
"Of course, sweetie," she said, shoving Fang away as she turned to face the little girl again. Fang frowned, rubbing his chest while Nudge just giggled. "Come here."
Angel climbed into her lap even though she was way too old for that these days, holding her hand up to the teen's mouth. Max of course kissed it, which caused Nudge to gag again. This time though, it was more due to the fruit caught in her throat than anything else.
"Has anyone seen the Gasman?" Iggy asked. "Or Ella? Or Dylan? I mean, isn't it kinda wrong to be having lunch without them?"
"None of them are ever central to anything going on anyways," Nudge told him as she finally got her breath back. "Like ever. Who has ever cared about Gazzy's opinion or Ella's? They could, like, die or something and no one would care. I mean, at least that would explain why they're never around when something's happening. Like ever. Ella's not funny and the Gasman's not interesting. They're not needed. And does anyone even like Dylan? At all?"
Fang nodded in agreement. "It's true." When Max hit him, he quickly added, "I meant about the Dylan thing!"
"Max, it still hurts," Angel whined, quickly shifting the concern back to her. Angel just smiled inwardly as Max gave her hand another kiss.
Max might win Fang, but Angel would always win Max.
Mmmm, wasn't sure I'd ever done a Christmas oneshot, so there you go. Meant to work on Spy Games today, but you guys got this instead. Maybe I'll work on it later.