Furiosa joins the Sisters and Leif after some time. Nightmares return spontaneously to her, with visions that haunt her through the day, becoming unbearable under the heat of the sun. She joins them one night when she cannot return to bed, and afterwards, they swear she will sleep with them until Max returns. They cuddle around her as they did the day they returned from the Fury Road and she almost cries from the overwhelming emotion that floods within her.
She creates a cemetery. Many elderly leave to go to their own Green Place and everyone agrees the Citadel deserves a place to honor their dead. They continue to lose some of their young as well, due to the illnesses the world gave to them. Placing it south of the Citadel, she watches as the Sisters add it to one of their many responsibilities.
They spend even more time with the people and the War Boys. There is heavy debate among the War Boys whether they should drop their name, seeing as their leader no longer wishes death sentences upon them and they are slowly losing their belief in Valhalla. Furiosa hears one day that they have decided to keep the name, as they want to protect the Citadel and everyone inside.
"We will be your protectors!" One War Pup pipes up, looking up at the Sisters with soulful eyes and Furiosa finds it in herself to allow this. They do not ache to kill and die, but ache to protect now.
xXx
On a clear morning, she wakes instantly to the sound of a knock on the door. Toast is the only one to shift and open her eyes, but she sleeps again when she sees Furiosa stand.
A War Boy stands before her, she thinks his name is Bark from her time down in the garage. There's a nervous energy in his stance and when she nods her head, he speaks.
"Your Max is here…he won't say anything but your name."
She hasn't realized how much she's missed him until she hears his name. Immediately, she's running down the many levels of their tower, followed by the War Boys who are awakening for their day.
When she runs out, she sees a crowd of War Boys and Pups surrounding a hunched up Max. Two War Boys are helping him from falling to the ground in exhaustion. He does not appear wounded, but he looks exhausted and when he lifts his eyes to meet hers, she notices a new fear that was not there before.
"Furiosa" he whispers and tries to move to her, but almost collapses trying to move.
She has both arms around him in a moment, helping to lower him down to a seated position as she quickly orders the boys to find him water and food.
"I'm here, Max. I'm here," she tells him softly, placing her lips to the top of his head as he leans into her.
Water is brought and Max practically inhales it. At one point, she tries to ask him where his things are so she can bring them up, but he remains silent. Her question does provoke the War Boys to run back to his car and collect everything he has. She then tells them to bring it to her room, letting them know she will bring Max up herself.
The water and food revive him and soon she's able to help him walk back up the tower. Despite the dirt and grime all over him, she doesn't care, letting him cling to her as she only feels happiness that he has returned and worry of what has happened to him in his time alone.
With some extra time, they make it to the washroom. She leads Max to one of the larger waterholes, his grip on her arm excruciating. At the edge of the water, she tries to release the hold and looks up to him when he refuses to budge.
"Stay," he grunts, not looking at her as he stares at the water hungrily. She can do that.
He finally lets go and she moves to find a shaving blade and other soaps and lotions that she can offer him, trying to ignore the sound of his clothes being thrown to the side as he undresses. Moving slowly, she waits until she hears him enter the water before turning, chuckling a little when she hears his little moan of pleasure as he finally feels water upon him.
She avoids looking at him when she reaches the pool, instead sitting at the edge and putting out everything she has grabbed. Despite the fact that Max has asked her to stay, she doesn't wish to intrude on his nakedness. Such a vulnerable part of him.
"Furiosa."
It's low and rough, sending excited shivers down her body. Looking up, she sees he has descended completely into the pool, only his head atop as his fingers try to detangle his messy beard.
He carefully smiles at her (whatever his worry was seems to have gone for now, forgotten with his happiness at the water) and wades over to where she sits.
"None of that now."
He speaks of her embarrassment. She shakes her head, as of brushing it off, and turns to her collection.
"Wash up, Fool," she chides, handing him a cloth and a bar of soap. He grabs them with that rare grin and begins to clean, scrubbing at the hardened dirt on his arms and chest.
They are then content in silence. Furiosa takes his concentration as a time to look at him, so happy to finally have him again. He has grown tanner, she notices as he washes his arms, perhaps from his shortened clothes in such heat. No sign of new bruises or cuts, meaning his earlier shakiness was not due to a physical trauma. She takes note to ask him later about it, once he has fully relaxed to the Citadel once more. For now, she continues to watch as he washes, her eyes coasting over the hard muscles of his arms and back, the smooth hairs on his chest. She wonders if he knows his beauty, but quickly shakes the thought away.
This world made him feel ugly, just like me.
He shifts down in the water, to work on his lower half in the water. In a sudden fit of unease, she flickers her eyes away from him, giving him the space he doesn't seem to mind not having. She lets her mind wander off to the Sisters, who must have heard of Max's return. They'll be ready to mob him with questions the second they lay eyes on him. Dag may even plop Leif back into his arms. Furiosa may not show it as often, but she is definitely the greediest of the group, as she is immediately thinking of ways to keep Max to herself.
He breaks the silence when she hears him let out one of his grunts. He's holding what remains of the soap, finally finished the difficult task of washing.
"Used all your soap," he mumbles, looking a little shamefaced as he wades over to drop it down next to her.
"There's more where that came from," she replies. It's half a lie. There's more, but not a lot.
She leans over and threads a finger through his beard. "Now this," she hums and reaches over for the blade and a mirror. He watches curiously as she hands him the blade and grabs a mirror with her flesh hand, holding it up in front of him.
"Get to work." She smiles at his amused expression, before he begins his procedure.
He's slow and methodical in his work. She finds herself watching him in a little awe despite the fact she's been watching men shave ever since she came to the Citadel. Joe would always force her and the other Wives to shave almost all the hair from their bodies, beside the ones from their heads. They were always thankful they did not possess face hair like the men, for Joe would have surely forced them to shave that off as well.
When he's finished, she hands a fresh towel to him (another piece of Joe's hidden trove). She cleans to distract her from a very naked Max as he dries, but she appreciates how he keeps himself removed from her, respecting her nerves.
She moves towards one of the windows and takes a peek out, noting how the sun has fully risen. In the distance, she can see the War Boys packing up some cars, but no sight of Toast and Capable. She knows they are staying behind to see Max.
"Done?" She asks after a moment, realizing she couldn't hear the rustling of his clothes anymore.
He grunts in reply and she turns to find he's patiently waiting for her, the worry now back in his eyes.
There's also another look. One full of love and hunger and admiration…it's stronger than before.
"Time for food," is all she says and without thinking about it, she walks over, takes his hand in hers, and leads him out.
When she realizes what she's doing halfway to their room, she's quite thankful Max has remained silent.
Somehow, Leif is back in his arms by the time they are all gathered around. The Sisters all chatter to him in turns and he listens patiently to each and every one of them. Toast tells the story of a new scar and she laughs about her silly mistake that led to it. Dag sits close by to watch over Leif and apologize every time Leif starts to teeth on Max's fingers. He can't find the words to tell her he loves it.
He can tell Furiosa is impatient for his news. Her flesh fingers tap in an irregular rhythm against her leg, her eyes drifting at him every time she thinks he's not looking. He will not shed the news about what he saw now. Even though Leif would not understand a word, Max does not want to taint the baby or even this moment with his bearings.
"Some of the people make bets on when you will come back, Max," Toast teases as she pushes a bowl of grain paste for Leif across the circle. "It's a rather fun game for them…'when will Furiosa's Max came back?' they say. We will have to see tomorrow who won."
He shakes his head with a hum, grabbing the bowl to ignore their teasing smiles. Funny how all he wanted was to remain invisible, and yet here he is as a source of hope and amusement.
xXx
Eventually, the Sisters begin to rise and Dag takes a sleeping Leif from his arms, muttering to him how he's already so spoiled with attention. He catches Furiosa's eye, standing and heading towards their room, intent to finally tell her everything.
He changes and waits for her on the edge of the bed, picking at the loose strings at the end of the blanket. Through the door, he can hear her checking in on the Sisters, making sure they can settle in for the night.
'Mother Hen', he thinks and chuckles. He better keep that to himself.
She walks into the room a few minutes later, pausing when she sees his position. He pats the seat next to him, and he sees the curiosity spring back into her eyes as she moves to sit next to him, positioning herself so her arm is close to him.
Bringing his hands up, he works on removing the prosthetic, loosening the stronger binds Furiosa had put together to create a sturdier arm. He moves to put it aside the bed, but returns to put his hands on her shoulders and begin kneading the twisted muscles of her shoulders. She responds instantly, dropping her head down and sighing happily as he works his fingers deep but not too hard into her skin.
"Good?" He asks, his voice still a little rough from misuse.
She hums. "You're trying to distract me, Fool," she bums her shoulder into his chest. "Speak."
So he speaks.
He talks slowly and she listens patiently. He feels her stiffen when he explains the horrifying image of the bodies and he wonders if something similar happened to her family that day she was stolen. He rubs his hands down her arms in order to soothe her…and perhaps himself as well. When he has finally recounted every detail he can, she turns to him, a serious look in her eyes.
"What direction did they leave in?" Her voice has fallen, as if forcing herself to keep steady.
"East. But Furiosa…" he grasps onto what little speech he has left. "…they'll come. They will eventually come here, as so many others have come."
She meets his gaze and he knows she understands. People seem to hear news of the Citadel everywhere and if these raiders have not already heard of them, they soon will. And they would be idiots to not try and take a valuable treasure such as their home.
Her hand comes up to cup his face, rendering him speechless as she appears to think of something. He tries to focus on what's important here and not think how often they have been touching lately. How intimately close they've been. He doesn't think he would mind at all if she were to lean closer and tilt her face just a little and…
"How many days has it been since you saw the wreckage and turned back to the Citadel?"
He almost thanks her for speaking when she did. "28 days."
"So we have that much time to prepare. You better not leave during that time," she says with a little smile, but he can read the fear easily in her eyes. He can already see her tomorrow, spending her entire day with the War Boys, preparing them in every way she knows how.
"I wondered how long this utopia would last…" Furiosa hums, turning away from him to look towards there door, where the Sisters lie on the other side.
"It will live on," he manages to reply, his hand coming up to cover her own. You killed Immortan Joe and his followers and won, you will win this as well."
He says it more for his own comfort, but he is as scared as she feels. He has learned from her and the Sisters, however, that all they can do is hope. So that's what he will do.
They fall into silence for some time before Furiosa shifts and he knows that conversation has ended for tonight. Tomorrow will no doubt be full of work.
She pulls her body up to the back of the bed, then reaches out for him. A little hesitantly, he takes her hand and she pulls him up until he's next to her. He's about to curl up on her, but she surprises him when she lightly pushes him down and moves her body so that she's hovering a little over him.
His breathing has almost stopped entirely and he wonders if she knows what this looks like, but with a long pause and a heavy sigh, she lies her head down on his chest and curls herself into a comfortable position.
"I missed you."
He can't find anything to say. He puts his fingers through her hair, so soft under his skin.
"I always miss you."
She says it softly, a hint of a crack in her confidence, and he knows of the helplessness she is feeling. The helplessness that comes with love.
It's the same helplessness that drives him away from her, his fright over such a feeling. He's not sure if he can ever stop hurting her and himself in this way.
Thank you for waiting for this chapter and for your continued support. I hope you're enjoying the slow burn just as much as I am. You'll be satisfied very soon, I promise.
Updates are getting harder, as I am starting classes soon and I'm finishing up my other story offline, but I'll have chapter 11 up as soon as I am able!