Max's POV

You know what's really fun for bird-kids to do when it's hot outside during the summer and you really need to release some bound-up energy?

Go swimming.

Which made the random pond in the area is very convenient.

That was where we were today. It was a little pond. It wouldn't normally draw the Flock's attention like it did during the summer. This summer especially. This summer, we were getting temperatures of over 100 degrees. We needed to cool off somehow, right? There were a bunch of trees around it, supplying shade, even though the shade only covered about half of the pond. It was just a pond in a little field. There was grass, not many animals at all, none that bothered us.

Early on today, seeing as it was hot already at 10 in the morning, Fang, Iggy and I had decided we'd bring the kids down here. So we'd gathered up towels, and found something to swim in. We didn't really have any use for bathing suits…The boys were just in boxers, and the girls were honored enough to have found actual bathing suits.

Nudge and I were lounging in the grass on our towels in the sun. I didn't see why she needed a tan, but that's Nudge for you…I was just watching everyone else, making sure no one drowned or was drowned…

Angel and Gazzy were in the water, splashing each other. Iggy was around them, just kind of there, interacting with them when he could.

Iggy…

I'd made everyone put on sun block this morning. No excuses. I tried to recall Iggy putting any on…

"Iggy needs lotion, Max!" Angel yelled to me.

Gazzy gave her a weird look. "That was very random…"

"No! Max was thinking about it…I didn't see Iggy put any on, and he looks guilty now that we mentioned it cuz he wanted to get away with it!"

I glared at him, even though he couldn't see it. He did look pretty dang guilty…

"Iggy? Is this true?"

"…No…"

"All the answer I need." I told him. "Here. Now. 11 o'clock."

He sighed and came directly at me. I reached out to stop him before he ran me over. He stopped with my hand on his shoulder.

"Holy crap, Iggy…"

"What?"

"It's almost 3. You've been out here since 10 this morning and you're still pale as a ghost…How do you do that?"

He shrugged and put his hand out. I handed him the bottle of lotion. He glared at me once more then put some on before getting back in the water. He hated me. Didn't matter. Couldn't have that fragile skin of his red, now, could we…

"I didn't see Fang put any on either." Nudge said, on her stomach with her face hidden in her arms.

I glanced over at Fang. He held my eyes for a moment. He was stubborn…

"Fang's a big boy. If he doesn't want to put any on, that's his problem when he gets burned."

"Exactly. Thank you for the respect, Max." He leaned back again.

"Why didn't I get any respect…?"

"Stop complaining, Iggy."

He mumbled a little bit, but returned to his game with Angel and Gazzy.

"But, I'm warning you, Fang." I told him. "If you get burned, it's your own dang fault."

"Uh huh…"

He was so stubborn…

I sighed and decided to leave him. Leaning back, I tried to ignore him and relax, but then I saw his position in the pond.

Fang wasn't much of the type to play water games with the kids. He was on the edge, on the shallow end. His legs were stretched out in the water with his ankles crossed. He was leaning back in the grass, on his elbows. His head was back a little bit and his eyes were closed. He had his wings stretched out, flat across the grass. The sun was right on him, and I would say it made him glow if it didn't sound corny. But the sun did reflect off of his black hair and feathers.

It was, by far, the sexiest position I'd ever seen Fang in.

Angel gave me a weird look.

Oh, shit…

I grinned at her, blushing…

Sorry, Angel…Forgot…

I didn't need to hear that.

No, you didn't…Sorry…

She looked at me, then at Fang, and back at me.

I will admit that that's a good pose for him…

She glared at me, then turned back just in time to jump out of the way as Gazzy dive-bombed into the pond.

I warned him to be careful because even the deep end of the pond wasn't that deep.

***

By the time we were ready to go back home, we'd all been here for about 6 hours. Of course, we'd taken a break for lunch, and a few of us had gotten tired and taken small naps while the others continued to play. But, pretty much, we'd been swimming non-stop.

No one argued when I said it was time to get home.

Fang especially didn't argue, because he'd fallen asleep an hour ago and was still asleep. He'd leaned back and put his hands behind his head. His breathing was even, and he was completely relaxed.

"Should we wake him up?" Nudge asked me. She pointed to Fang.

I thought for a moment. "Nah. He'll wake up when he's hungry, realize we left, and come home. He'll be fine."

"True." Iggy said. "We'll just keep some food ready for him."

"My thoughts exactly."

***

It was a few hours since we'd gotten home. No one ended up getting sunburned. That made me happy, since I'd made a big deal about the sun block…

"Where's Fang?" Gazzy asked. He still hadn't returned.

"Knowing him," Iggy said, "he's probably taking his time, enjoying the peace and quiet."

I nodded. "Knowing him, that's exactly what he's doing."

***

Almost 3 hours after we'd gotten home, I heard heavy footsteps approaching the front door.

"Fang's home!" Angel shouted. She ran to the front door just as it opened and Fang's familiar shape entered the living room. Angel jumped into him and threw her arms around his stomach, her usual greeting.

Usually, Fang would pick her up in that not-going-to-show-my-weakness-but-not-going-to-ignore-you kind of way. But this time he pushed her away and patted her on the head.

"Welcome home." Gazzy said, not that enthusiastic.

"Yeah." He headed upstairs.

There was something about him that caught my eye…Something about the way he moved…

"Hey, Fang?"

"Yeah?" He stopped with one foot on the third step.

"Come here." I told him.

He hesitated.

"Now."

He gritted his teeth and listened, approaching me then stopping just out of arm's reach.

"Do I have to ask?" I crossed my arms across my chest and looked him in the eye.

He didn't answer, and flinched when I moved my hand fast toward him.

I laughed, then nonchalantly shoved his chest.

He shouted out.

The room froze and everyone looked to him.

"He got sunburned, didn't he?" Iggy asked.

"Let's see…" I reached up and pulled the chain on the ceiling fan to turn on the light. I crossed my arms again, eyebrows raised at Fang. "Take off the shirt."

He raised his eyebrow back. "Do you want my pants off too? Underwear, perhaps? Maybe you want me in a room alone with you then?"

"That's dirty…" Iggy commented, snickering.

"No, just the shirt will do." I said, straight-faced.

Fang sighed, but took off his shirt, grimacing as he pulled it over his head.

There was a moment of silence before every bird-kid in the room was laughing their heads off.

Angel had obviously transferred the image to Iggy, so he could laugh at Fang too.

Fang blushed, and grimaced again as he crossed his arms across his chest, trying to hide.

He was completely red. His entire chest, stomach, shoulders, and now that I looked, his face looked pretty damn red too.

I almost fell over laughing. It was about a minute before I could breathe again.

"Shut up…" Fang said quietly.

I struggled to calm down. "No, I will not, but only because I warned you!"

He turned around and stalked up the stairs. I heard his bedroom door slam.

***

The next day, Fang was peeling like crazy. Gazzy sat there for about an hour peeling dead skin off of his shoulders. It kept Gazzy busy and Fang was embarrassed in the only way Fang is ever embarrassed. He glared at me for the entire hour. I made him even angrier by completely ignoring him.

Sadly, because of our quick healing, we could only make fun of him for a day or two before the sunburn was gone.

The good things that came out of this? Fang never left the house without sun block, and we got to make fun of him for days, which rarely ever happened. It was worth it.