Max P.O.V.
A/N If you love sad endings, this is not the story for you.
This song is 'Leave Out All the Rest' by Linkin Park, my favourite band. (Right, in Singapore, we use British English, not American, but I'm using American in the story if not for the sake that Max is from America) You know what? Linkin Park's coming to Singapore! But the sad thing is that my parents won't let me go because I'm below 18. ;(
Chapter 2: Leave Out All the Rest
I found it. The iPod Fang passed me a few days before the Flyboy attack. He said that if he was ever leaving this world, he wants me to listen to the song which he paused at. I had laughed it off, but he kept his serious look. "Look, Max, I'm serious." I never thought I would ever listen to it. I stuck on the ear buds as I returned to my seat beside Fang's bed.
I turned on the iPod and played the song.
I dreamed I was missing
You were so scared
But no one would listen
'Cause no one else cared
What the heck? Fang was never scared. Maybe he was, and that's why he'd rather me listen to this song than tell me what he wanted to out loud just like that.
After my dreaming
I woke with this fear
What am I leaving
When I'm done here
So if you're asking me I want you to know
What was he leaving? Well, I think he was leaving me alone. I would never think him of 'done here'. He would be with me till the end of eternity.
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind
Some reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
No! His time can't come that soon! I've got so much I want to say to him! Tears started filling my eyes. I grabbed one of his lifeless hands, hearing the rhythmic beeping of the machine he was wired to in the background. I can't forget anything he's done. It's all etched in my memory. What did he want me to do? He didn't have to purposely leave behind any reasons to be missed. I just miss him. I just miss Fang. If he ever dies. And I could never hate him. I will keep him in my memory forever.
Leave out all the rest
Don't be afraid
I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
What beating? What's he made? Why should I leave out anything? Why can't I be afraid? I brought his hand to my face, taking in his familiar scent, finally letting the tears fall.
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you
So if you're asking me I want you to know
Why does he have to have that façade on all the time? He might break down sometimes, but if he's ever done that, I've never caught him in the act. Why did he even save me from the Flyboys? I wasn't anything more than a sister, was I? He was perfect the way he was.
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind
Some reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learnt to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself
I can't be who you are
Wasn't he the one who hides all his hurt inside? I let it out only when I'm alone with him. He never does that, like he doesn't trust me with a picture of him crying. Well, he can't be a supermom, but neither can I. Maybe Anne was a good substitute for me if I died? What was I going to do if Fang ever died? Would I be able to keep the flock together? He was my sanity, he was part of me.
When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind
Some reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
Forgetting all the hurt inside you've learnt to hide so well
Pretending someone else can come and save me from myself
I can't be who you are
I can't be who you are
I took off the ear buds and stopped the song where it ended. Tears were flowing freely now. I got up from the chair and took a look at Fang's pale, part blue, part purple, part black face, and completely bruised face and leant down to plant a soft kiss on his still warm lips. Will I ever be able to do that when he's awake, when he's conscious? Will he like it?
I rested my arms on the clean, white bed spreads and put my head on them. I took another look at Fang's face, and then sighed and tried to go to sleep, wondering, Will he pull through the night? Will I ever get to tell him how I feel about him? About us?
I held his hand all through the night.
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Someone patted my arm. Was Fang already dead? Were they coming for his body? Immediately, I tried to assume a position sitting up, pretty impossible when you're all cranky from sleeping.
"Max?" I'd recognize that voice anywhere.
"Fang? You're alright!" I exclaimed in a whisper, overexcited. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He brought his hands numbly to my back, patting me in what was supposed to be an assuring way. I moved a little and he winced. "Sorry!" I said, and then scrambled onto the bed.
"Did I do something to your wound?" I looked at the clock in the room. Three in the morning. I had only slept for four hours. I held him at arm's length. I said, "Fang? I heard the song. I thought you were gone. Why did you save me? Did you know I had almost lost you?" I thought I saw Fang blush and hand his head.
"Did you mean every word? I need to know, Fang. Please." Slowly, he nodded his head, still looking down. "Fang, look at me."
He refused. "This is a direct order, Fang." He still didn't respond. I placed a hand under his chin and brought his face to mine, just to tell him that I loved him and always will. That he meant the world to me. Fang, barely registering what was happening, only reciprocated the kiss after a few second.
He leant in further and ran his tongue over my lips, dancing to an imaginary routine in my mouth. Dancing for me and no one else.
I whimpered slightly under the passion. Fang tightened his grip around my waist and pulled me closer, while I tried to avoid touching his wound, which I thought might still be tender. Slowly, he ran a hand through my tangled blond locks.
"I love you, Max," he said hungrily between kisses.
"I love you too, Fang," I replied in the standard answer, still joined at our mouths. A few moments later, we broke apart, gasping for air.
"Wow," I said.
"Wow," he agreed, then looked at me, finally letting the mask he had so meticulously crafted fall.
"Fang? Again, did you mean every word? I mean, if you actually died you want me to do those stuff?" I asked. He nodded.
"And why did you save me?"
"I couldn't bear seeing you get hurt, I couldn't bear having you feel pain."
"And you think I could do that?"
"I thought you didn't like me that way."
"Well, I think you're the densest person ever on Earth, Fang."
He grinned slightly in my direction, gestured to the chair beside his bed and said, "Sleep." I shook my head and lay down beside him. "I'd rather sleep here."
He smiled and shook his head, obviously amused. I stuck my tongue out at him and continued lying there. "Hey, Max, go out with me?" he whispered softly, stroking my dirty blond hair.
"I thought we were almost always outside?" I raised an eyebrow, knowing what he was going on about but deciding to appear stupid and completely dense.
"I mean like in a date," he said slowly, afraid to get on the wrong side of me.
I laughed silently. "Of course, you idiot!"
He smiled for the millionth time that day and settled down beside me. "I love you Max."
"I know that, ditto here."
He brightened my world again by tying humongous helium filled balloons at the ends of his mouth, turning the ends up, making him smile. I snuggled up to him and sighed contentedly.
I wonder how the kids and Iggy would react to this. (A/N: I know I've used this line in another of my story 'Photographs'.)
A/N The end, unless you want another chapter. DIf you do, review and tell me. Ironically, I'm listening to 'Leave Out All the Rest' now!