Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock. No matter how much I want to. James Patterson does.
Claimer: I do, however, own all four books!
Max POV
"No Fang, I can't take this anymore! Let. Me. Fall!"
It was three years after Nudge, Angel, Total and I escaped from the Itex in Germany. After reuniting with the rest of the flock in America, numbers fell. First to go was Angel. She went mad from the voices in her head.
Next was Iggy. He couldn't take being blind anymore and walked in the middle of a busy New York street.
The Gasman was struck by lightning and he and Total fried, not a year ago.
Nudge drowned a couple weeks ago, after her wings collapsed over the ocean. Fang and I weren't there; she was out alone.
Now Fang held on to me, for I was the one wanting to go. Me, the strong stoic leader. Me, Maximum Ride.
No matter how much I pleaded, Fang held on to me. "Please, please, please…" I begged. "My flock is gone! How will I continue to live?!"
"I am here; is that not enough?" Fang screamed. I trembled in his grasp. "I was always in love with you, since I first saw you in that freaking dog cage back at the school. And you always ignored me, save those kisses where you ran or I was dying! So no, I will not let you leave! I need you, dang it, Max!"
"You love me? Why the h did you not say anything before?"
"Because you always ran away before. Don't jump, please Maxi!" Fang begged. He never begged. Could I leave him like this, with no one but the empty world? I could. I knew I could. If he needed someone, he could always look up the Red Haired Wonder from Anne's. Fang didn't need me.
Before I could pull out of Fang's grasp, he tugged me closer by my captured arm. His free arm came up behind my head and pulled my face closer to his. Fang's lips captured my own. With no thought on my part, I reached my arms up and twisted my fingers in his hair.
Fang POV
I kissed her, hoping to dissuade her from jumping off the roof of this very tall building. I never thought she'd respond. Max never had before. So I held tight to Max in my moments of aloneness and pleaded with her lips to stay with me. Max pressed against me and I released my grasp on her arm and wrapped my arm around her back, pressing my hand against the soft spot between her wings.
I pulled back for air and whispered "I love you" against her lips.
Max replied "I love you too Fang." I gasped and pulled her close. Max buried her face in my neck and sobbed. I comforted her best I could but I was still the unreadable Fang. I picked the love of my life up from the ground where we had fallen to go inside, away from the horrors of the roof where I almost lost Max.
I walked down a floor to the room we rented with her limitless credit card from the last trip to New York. I opened the door of the fancy hotel room and carried Max's still sobbing form to the bed, where we lied down with her held against me. Soon, Max's tears stopped and she fell into oblivion.
I stayed up all night knowing she would leave me forever if I slept.
Max POV
Sometime in the early morning hours I woke up. I was pulled tight against Fang. I rolled in his arms to peer at his face. Fang was asleep. I almost pulled away but stayed, instead studying the hard features of his face, relaxed in sleep.
I had loved Fang forever, although back then it wasn't love, just the pleasure I got in having a friend who would listen throughout everything. And at that moment, I knew I couldn't leave Fang alone, not for all the Red Haired Wonders in the world. He really did need me and I know Fang would soon die if there were no members of the flock in his world. So I wiggled closer to Fang and felt his arms contract in sleep around me.
I dozed off in the arms of a bird-kid like me.
Fang POV
I slowly blinked myself away. Max was in my arms still, facing me in sleep. I carefully pulled away from her and mentally cursed at myself for sleeping in her moments of distress. I quietly crawled out of the bed and watched as Max burrowed deeper in the crevice I left in sleep. I covered her with the blankets and turned to the bathroom.
After showering and brushing my teeth, I returned to the main room to see Max sitting in the bed with her arms around her knees.
She gave me a shaky smile and I returned it as I sat beside her, pulling her into my arms. "Don't ever leave me," I murmured into her hair.
Max replied, "Never."
I leaned in and kissed her.