Chapter 2: Basements Bring Chaos
Nudge: So to make up for the quite angsty fic that was up last, I decided to write something a bit more whimsical this time. It's set after all of the books happen and the flock is living with Dr. M. The rest of the flock and Ella are tired of Max and Fang's constant bickering, so they decide to take care of the matter. And what exactly ensues? Well it's something along the lines of Max and Fang torture. ENJOY!
P.S. Oh, just to let you know, as far as I'm concerned, Dylan never existed (yes... I know that it's 'wrong' to exclude a character but I just don't like the dude… at all).
Max's POV
"For the thousandth time Fang, turn the damn music down!" I screamed outside of Fang's room while furiously banging on his door.
Usually I wouldn't mind hearing My Chemical Romance, in fact they were among my more recent favorite bands. But considering the blaring headache splitting my skull, I was less than enthused to feel the booming bass of Fang's speakers crashing through the house.
"Fang!" I smacked my fist into the door again, "Are you even paying attention to me? Turn. It. Down!"
Apparently Fang did hear me. But instead of listening to what I said he decided to do the exact opposite and turn the music up. My head nearly shattered into pieces and within seconds I could hear the loud blast of the song "Teenagers" rupture through my body. If it weren't for the pain wrapped around me like a snake I was sure I would have been seeing red by now.
I've had this annoying headache for at least three days, and the rest of the flock knew very well that if they wanted to live, then they would stay on my good side. Fang somehow missed that little memo though.
"Fang!" I shouted over the speakers loud enough to make even Nudge proud.
The blaring music was silenced and within a moment Fang snapped open his door. He had his usual blank stare on his face and yet I could still tell he was enjoying every moment of aggravating me. His black hair fell in a mess across his face and he was still in his all black pajama bottoms. And that was pretty much all he was wearing. Some how I guess he had managed to 'loose' his shirt and instead all I saw was his flat stomach.
Seconds of silence stretched into the air between us and for a moment I had almost forgotten what I was going to say. Just as my mind began to recall what I was about to say Fang interrupted.
"Did you call for me?" Fang said with a cool smirk across his face ignoring the fury boiling through my eyes.
"Cut the crap Fang," I retorted flatly crossing my arms, "And do me a favor. Keep the music down."
"Let me think about that," he paused, "No."
Before I could respond he closed the door and the loud music resumed blasting through my ears.
"Fang I'm gonna kill you!"
Ella's POV
The flock and I were all gathered around the TV like any other Saturday afternoon. Nudge and Angel were both sharing the largest couch directly in front of the television and Gazzy was sprawled out on the floor in the middle of the living room while Iggy and I shared the love seat near by.
Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be going on. At least that was until our Top Chef rerun was interrupted by the only other people that weren't currently in the room. All of a sudden I heard Fang's music scream its way down the stairs and billow all throughout the house.
"Fang!" Max's angry voice screamed quickly following the incessant music. Soon after I heard her fists smashing into what I assumed to be Fang's bedroom door.
"Ugh, not again," Gazzy wined as I saw him roll his eyes.
"This is what? The third time in the past two days, if they go on any longer we're gonna have to send them to therapists," Nudge echoed.
"Nope, actually it's more like the fourth," Iggy corrected. And I couldn't agree with them more. For the past few weeks Max and Fang have been at each other's throats every other moment of every day. When ever the two of them were in the same room together it was like a ticking time bomb and any little thing would set it off.
They argued over everything from music to whose chores where whose. After a while the rest of us just began to clear the room when ever they were together. Heck we even knew all of the signs of their fights by now.
"Fang what the hell is wrong with you!" we heard Max scream.
"Well what's wrong with you!"
"You and your damn music that's what!"
"Oh get over it princess!" Fang snapped back.
As I looked around the room I could tell by everyone's less than happy faces ridden with annoyance that they needed to stop. This was ridiculous and we all knew it.
"Guys," I began getting everyone's attention, "We have got to stop them, this is crazy."
"I agree," Iggy said staring in my general direction.
"Besides it is kind of obvious how much those two totally love each other," Nudge said coolly.
"Yup," I agreed.
"And how would you know that? I mean they're always screaming at each other," Gazzy asked splitting a look of bewilderment between Nudge and me.
"Exactly Gazzy, they don't know," Iggy said putting his two cents into the conversation.
"Yes we do too!" objected Nudge.
"She's right, these things just come with being a girl. And since you two are guys," I paused staring Gazzy and Iggy down with a look of triumph, "you are too blind to see the obvious."
"Fine then, but tell me. How exactly are we going to stop them?" Iggy retorted sarcastically.
"I," I paused desperately grasping for an idea, "don't know."
"But we have got to figure out something, I'm going insane listening to the two of them," Nudge said hopelessly.
"Ugh you're so annoying!" Max's voice split through air.
"And like you're so perfect!" Fang angrily spat back.
Max and Fang's argument plowed on only proving Nudge's point further. We listened to the two love birds argue for a few more minutes and were on the verge of giving up on our little venture when Angel, who had been sitting with a thoughtful look on her face for most of the conversation, chimed in.
"I have an idea," she said innocently and immediately grabbing all of our attention.
"What?" we all asked leaning in curiously.
Max's POV
"Ugh just forget it!" I screamed at Fang and angrily stomped my way back to my room as I heard him slam his door shut behind me. Angry couldn't even begin to explain how absolutely aggravated I was right now. Hell I could have sworn that by now there were fumes of smoke billowing behind me as I walked down the hall.
When I reached my room I charged my through the door and plowed into my bed carelessly. I had no clue when or how this started happening but that boy has gotten to be the most irritating creature I had ever seen. Every little thing he does seems to only annoy me. And the worst part is that I just know he enjoys it.
Damn flying idiot…
I laid face down on my bed sulking and mentally cursing Fang's name for the better half of an hour before I realized it was finally quiet. Before I could secretly cuss him out again I thanked him a little bit and finally began to feel my headache subside just the smallest bit.
"At least he managed to do something right today," I silently whispered under my breath. I had definitely spoken too soon though.
We are breathing, while you're sleeping, go, GO! And leave us alone!
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?" I shouted out loud into my empty room as I felt crimson film into my eyes.
"Max?" someone asked me.
"What?" I snapped while just trying not to completely spas out. That's when it finally occurred to me that I should probably pay attention to who was in the room. When I allowed the red coating to slip away from my vision I looked up and saw a frightened Angel staring at me with a wide eyed deer in the headlights expression.
"Oh I'm sorry," I told her trying to regain the reigns on my anger, "What do you need sweetie?"
"It's Fang," she said in a panicked tone.
"Yeah right, I'm sure the imbecile in black is just fine," I retorted under my breath while trying to down play the small pit of worry forming in my stomach.
"No he's not Max! He's in trouble and I need you to help us please!" she pleaded with her big doe eyes singing a song of sorrow.
"What happened?" I demanded springing up from my bed ready to leap into action, "Erasers? The school? What?"
"It was one of Iggy and Gazzy's bombs. Fang found one and it went off before he could get out!" Angel said with enough conviction to make me truly panic myself.
"Well where is he now?"
"The basement Max and hurry please!" she cried after me as I began rushing down the stairs and towards the basement. The walls and the house as a whole mashed into a gigantic blur as I tore through the halls in a mad dash. I had no clue why I cared so much about that bird boy with how much hell he put me through. But as much as I wanted to deny it there was a small part of me that couldn't imagine life without my fellow partner in bickering.
After the longest two minutes of my life I found myself wrenching open the basement door and staring down the rickety wooden stairs of the basement. I stopped for a moment, confused. I was sure that after what Angel told me I would have at least been able to see someone down there, but instead all my eyes could see was the usual expansion of darkness.
"Angel what's going on? There's no one down here," I asked looked behind me at the small eight-year-old.
"Now Iggy!" she shouted and out of no where I saw Iggy's body come flying towards me like a locomotive. Before I could even begin to defend myself Iggy slammed into me and shoved me down the basement stairs. In a natural reaction I unfurled my wings and let them catch up enough air to stop my descent before I could collide with the cement floor.
When I regained my bearings I snapped my head back up towards the top of the stairs. Angel and Iggy were staring down at me with almost sorry glances but I knew very well that the look I was giving the two of them could kill.
"Sorry Max," Angel said innocently.
"But it's for your own good," Iggy finished and closed the door behind him. I raced up the steps in a flash and pulled at the knob furiously trying to reopen the door. But just as I expected Iggy was smart enough to lock the door before he left. A bit defeated, I sauntered my way back down the stairs and sat down on one of the old lazy boys that exhaled a plume of dust as I flopped down.
The medium sized basement was just like any other. A thick coating of damp musty air and dry dust covered the atmosphere like dense fog. The walls were made of a dark grey stone that was simply covered with cobwebs and a single light hung limply on the ceiling barely managing to maintain a small consistent glow. All off the discarded forgotten junk that my mom had accumulated over time was sent down here and cluttered at least half of the room.
I sunk myself deeper into the chair and sulked while a steady stream of frustrated mumbles slipped from my mouth.
"It's for your own good my ass," I huffed under my breath while slowly thinking of all the possible ways I could get out of here and not get caught for bird-kid murder.
Fang's POV
"Ugh just forget it!" Max screamed in my face before stomping off in the direction of her room. I couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at her anger before shutting my door behind me and walking back to my bed.
I leaned back on the head board and resumed staring at my computer screen when another brilliant idea popped into my head. I set my computer down and leaned over to grab my ipod from the desk top speaker. As I flipped through the songs I slightly smirked at myself for my own evil genius.
Perfect. I thought as I stopped at "Perfect Weapon" by Black Veil Brides, a personal favorite of mine. I maliciously snapped the ipod back into the speaker and made sure to turn the volume all the way up before pressing play. Immediately I heard the loud bass boom through the walls and I knew for sure that Max could hear it loud and clear.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
I heard Max's voice scream over the music and I was more than sure that she was talking to me. Another chuckle slipped through my mouth as I imagined Max's expression right about now. With my little prank over, I ignored her, grabbed my laptop and began mindlessly surfing the internet.
Quite frankly I could figure out why I enjoyed annoying Max so much. Or when it started for that matter. But after a while I found I couldn't help it. It was never done out of spite or to truly hurt her. Besides I couldn't do that even if I wanted to. Part of me knew that it was probably wrong but on the same hand the lesser than noble part of my mind soon figured out how hot Max looked when she was mad.
Between how lost I was in my own thoughts and Black Veil Brides' booming music, it took me a solid ten minutes before I noticed someone banging on my door. I half way expected it to be Max but nonetheless I tuned down the music and directed my attention to my door.
"My I help you?" I called out.
"Fang help its Max!" I heard Gazzy cry from the other side. Before my brain could process anything any further I sprang up from the bed and wrenched the door open.
"What? What happened? Is she ok?" I asked Gazzy in a panic. Instead of answering my though, I saw his face contort into an expression somewhere between disgust and confusion before he spoke.
"Dude. Ummmm where's your shirt?" he questioned me looking at me sideways.
I rolled my eyes at him and grabbed the nearest shirt to me before hastily shoving it on.
"You said Max was in trouble. Now what's wrong?" I asked him quickly loosing patience as my mind flurried over every horrible thing that could have happened to Max.
"Oh yeah!" he said, "It was –."
"Erasers? A mob of fly boys? What man tell me!" I screamed louder than I think I ever had ready to burst.
"No! She fell down the basement stairs and landed on one of my old bombs! We need your help before –,"
I cut Gazzy off before he could finish and sprinted down the stairs. I was twisting through the halls and at the basement door within a second. Without a moment of hesitation I ripped the door open, almost taking it off of its hinges.
"Max?" I shouted into the darkness and began stomping down the stairs. I was about half way down when I heard the door shut solidly behind me.
"Iggy the key!" Gazzy shouted and before I knew it I heard the door click as it locked.
"What the?" u whispered and rushed back up the stairs and jiggled on the doorknob trying to open the door back, "What are you two doing?"
"Fang we're sorry but it had to be done," I heard Nudge say from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, you and Max argue way too much!" Ella chimed in soon after, "So we're leaving you two in there until you can get it together."
I heard the flock's footsteps fade away and I was about to try opening the door again when I was interrupted.
"And don't kill each other!" Iggy finished before I heard him walk away.
Max's POV
After the longest fifteen minutes of my life I heard the basement door open. I was about to make a dash for it when I heard my name, followed by an all too familiar scenario.
"Max?" I heard Fang scream. Not a second later I heard the door slam behind him. Apparently the entire flock was here this time. I listened to them bicker with Fang for a couple of minutes before they did to him exactly what Iggy did to me. The door snapped loudly as the lock clicked. Not a minute later did I heard Fang cursing while trying and failing to open the door again.
"Give it up man," I said a bit boredly as I got up from the chair and began walking up the stairs, "been there, tried it all. That door is not going to budge."
Fang turned towards me and I stopped about half way up the stairs.
"Seriously?"
"Yup," I answered walking back to my lazy boy and resuming my slouched position in the chair. Fang followed not too far behind me and took a seat in another discarded sofa across from me. An awkward silence wafted through the air for an uncomfortable five minutes before Fang broke the silence.
"Can you believe this?"
"Yeah, we don't exactly argue that much," I answered.
"Yeah," he said lamely.
"Besides it's not even my fault. I can't help that someone here is too annoying for his own good."
"What ever, its not like you're the easiest person to live with," be retorted back looking away. Considering the circumstances I would have normally cussed him out before he could blink twice. But if anything I knew the bird-boy sitting in front of me, and ever since we were kids he could never manage to lie to me to my face.
"Yeah right liar," I told him coldly. I scoffed quietly and watched his every action prove me right. Even the way he avoided looking me in the eye told me the truth.
In silence soon began to suffocate us again and a cool fifteen minutes washed by as the awkwardness only seemed to grow thicker. After forever of not putting two and two together, a prodding question pushed its way to the very front of my mind.
"Hey Fang."
"Yeah?"
"How's they get you down here?" I asked him quizzically. Fang paused for a moment and his facial expressions changed ever so slightly, letting me know he was thinking over his answer.
"They told me you were in trouble…" he said a bit more bashful than I had ever seen him. I couldn't help but feel touched by the way Fang came for me. Over the last few weeks I kind of forget that part of him. The part that I knew I could never loose trust in, and now that I rediscovered it, I almost found myself missing it.
"Oh…" I responded uncomfortablely while awkwardly running my hand through my hair.
"What about you?" he asked me, "How did they get you down here?"
I paused the same way Fang did when I asked him that very question before I found the words that would fit.
"They told me you were in trouble…." I repeated to him the words he said to me.
When my whisper left the air I expected him to take me seriously but instead I heard his light chuckle float through the air.
"Why are you laughing at me?" I demanded feeling a bit offended.
"I'm not laughing at you Max," he said slipping me a small smile, "I'm laughing at the both of us. We've spent who knows how long arguing over nothing when it was all pointless. I mean it just makes no sense to fight with the only person I really love."
When he finished my eyes grew into dinner plates and from the look on Fang's face I knew that he had let one too many words slip. My heart was beating in the most rapid and involuntary way while my mind completely surrendered to shock and shut down. I leapt from my seat unable to sit that close to Fang at the moment and began pacing back and forth searching for the words for this moment that didn't exist.
"Did you just say you love me?" I said stopping to look at him. I studied Fang's eyes and saw them cross the emotions of hesitation and sincerity before he answered.
"Yes," he took a deep breath and stood up until he was about a foot away from me, "Maximum Ride, I love you."
When I searched his eyes I could see all of the passion in the world stored in them. I had never seen this side of Fang and by all means I would definitely not mind keeping it. My thoughts were completely lost in his eyes when I suddenly felt his lips on mine.
My normal instincts told me to pull away from him, but the longer the kiss lasted the less I was able to hold onto reality. All common sense flew out of the window and before I could think my arms found their way around Fang's neck. I felt Fang's hands slide to rest lightly on my waist and it soon became apparent to me that his kiss was definitely my kryptonite.
When he ended the kiss I found myself breathless and lightheaded. His face was only inches away from mine and as I stared into his dark eyes I felt myself loose every little piece of… everything. And at this moment my mind had still run away without any sign of ever coming back.
"I love you too," my mouth whispered without my consent and yet, I knew I didn't ever want to take it back. As soon as the words fully left the air Fang smiled a full on grin that brightened up the room. He tightened his grip on my waist and pulled me into the biggest, securest hug I had ever felt.
While in our own little world we never noticed the basement door open. It wasn't even brought to our attention until we heard a precession of 'awws' from the peanut gallery we call the flock.
Fang and I sheepishly smiled back up at the group at the top of the stairs. When they had all finally trickled away Fang turned to me and gave me another electric kiss.
"I love you," Fang whispered again allowing another elated smile burn brightly onto my lips.
Nudge: so I hope you liked it! and I'm sorry if it wasn't exactly up to expectations but either way tell me what you thought and R&R pwease!
