xXx

"Oh come on, Max! You can't just leave me with them!" Nudge whines, sending a big splash my way as I wade through the water. "Fine then, just abandon me but I'm keeping Fang!" She calls and I turn just in time to see her launch herself on Fang's back.

The look on his face is absolutely priceless, I can't keep the laughter from escaping. I climb out the lake and flop down on the towels to watch Gazzy and Iggy disappear beneath the water again.

Nudge squeals loudly, tightening her grip on Fang when out of nowhere Iggy's hand shoots out to grab her foot, yanking her down.

Fang loses his balance when Nudge jerks back and they fall with a big splash.

"Iggy Griffiths!" Nudge sputters, coming up a few paces away with her chocolate curls plastered to her face. "You are the world's biggest douche!" She announces, crossing her arms over her chest to pout. "Do you know how long it takes to get this – " she points at her hair, "to behave? Well, you will by the time I'm done with you, you stupid – " the rest of her sentence is cut off with a squeak when she's scooped up from behind and tossed into the air. My eyes widen slightly, my mouth popping open to find that Fang did it. My Fang who has the social charm of a lump of clay.

"Fang, dude you are awesome!" Iggy guffaws from the other side of the lake, laughing so hard that he forgets to tread water and quickly sinks.

"Maaaax!" Nudge cries, surfacing again. "He's supposed to be on my side!" She accuses, "I hate boys." She grumbles, ignoring Iggy when he swims over and starts circling her lazily.

"Awe, no you don't, Pudgey." He cooes, wrapping his arms around her in a bear hug.

"Get off me, you big oaf!"

I quickly lose interest in their bantering when Fang decides he'd had enough fun in the water.

I lean up on my elbows to get a good look at him, taking in the wet black hair sticking up in every direction from when he'd run his hand through it and bottomless eyes framed by thick lashes made all the more striking by the water droplets clinging to them that glint like diamonds in the sunlight. I watch as a droplet fell to his cheek and makes its way steadily down across his jaw, neck and gorgeously muscled chest, disappearing into his shorts.

"I should take you swimming more often." I hum, my eyes locking with his again.

He smiles crookedly at me, taking the chance to let his eyes run over me in return. "I could say the same."

I snort, "Oh please, corny pick-up lines don't work on me buster."

"But my insanely hot body does?" He flashes a grin that makes butterflies take over my stomach.

"Of course, you should know by now that I only keep you around for your looks." I say with a shrug. I open my arms in invitation, leaning back against the rock behind me. He lies with his head on my stomach, his wet hair cooling my warm skin.

I note the way he relaxes completely into me, his eyes drifting shut as I play with his hair. I'd never seen him so at ease. "You're happy." I muse, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

He says nothing for a long while; just takes my hand in his and presses it to his lips.

"Hey, Max!" Iggy yells, charging up the bank and shaking himself like a wet dog.

"Ig." I groan as I wipe the water he'd splattered all over me from my face. "Do you have to be such a pain?"

He grins, "It's my job, Maxie-pie. Lets face it, life would be so boring without me."

"Whatever, now was there a reason you had to come over here?"

"Yep, actually. Nudge is intent on dragging your butt shopping and I figured since no red-blooded male would ever want to go through that kind of hell that Fangy could hang out with the Gasman and me."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." I hedge, feeling Fang tense ever so slightly. "With Fang's knowledge of the city and your pyromania I doubt there'll be much left to come back to."

Iggy chuckles and winks, "Oh Maxie, you know me so well."

"Iggy, get your butt back over here so I can give it a firm kick." Nudge huffs, smacking the water to get his attention.

"Coming, Pudgy dearest!" he chimes, spinning on his heel to dash for the water again.

I laugh at the lunacy of my friends, shaking my head. "So, what do you think? You up for another few hours or are you ready to commit suicide?"

His lips tip up in a smile, "I think I can manage."

xXx

"Ooh!" Nudge gasps, her hand shooting out to grab yet another shiny object from one of the stalls. "How perfect is this?" She squeals, jumping up and down with the shimmering black scarf clutched in her hands. "Ohmygod, I have to have it!"

"Nudge, if you buy anything else you're going to have to get a second house to store it all in." I chastise, my eyes running over the five bags she carried, filled to the brim with her various purchases.

"You're one to talk." She snorts, pointing accusingly down at my own five bags. "You're set to furnish an entire house."

I shrug, "That's 'cause I am." With that I march purposefully away from the stall.

Nudge jogs to catch up, seriously hampered by her bags. "He won't like that at all." She warns, already clued up on everything Fangish – besides what he'd revealed to me in the cellar; that I'd take to the grave.

"I'm in the process of remedying that. Right now is the perfect excuse to slip in a few things, even if it is just a few pillows. I can play the 'I'm-here-for-a-while-and-I-won't-suffer-because-you're-a-stubborn-moron' card."

Nudge chuckle and hooked her arm through mine, more as a way to slow me down than camaraderie. "You, my friend, are evil."

"Why thank you." I nudge her side, "I can't believe he's actually hanging out with Iggy and Gaz. It's completely unreal."

She hums in agreement, "Me neither. I was more than a little surprised myself but it's good, I think he could use someone like Igs to lighten him up a bit. He's way too broody for his own good."

"Agreed." I chuckle. "Is there anywhere else you want to go or can we head back to your place?" We'd agreed to meet the boys back at Nudge's house when they were done destroying whatever it was they had chosen to target.

It takes them a further two hours to return after us so by this point Nudge and I are bored out of our minds and I'm actually sewing. Yes, you read right, sewing. I'd expected taunts and teasing from Iggy and Gaz but when they stumble through the door the most that passes their lips are groans and whimpers.

Fang on the other hand looks oddly smug but the only sign of it is the shine to his eyes.

I jump up almost instantly to see what's wrong only to find them collapsed in front of the door, sprawled out with their heads lolling to the sides. "Fang?" I hedge, "Please tell me you didn't just kill my friends."

He snorts and comes up to pull me to his chest, "All self inflicted." He assured, nuzzling my neck.

"Nuuuuudge." Iggy moaned, weakly reaching out towards the lounge where Nudge stood by the door. "Nuuuuuudge."
Rolling her eyes Nudge didn't move an inch. "Nuh uh, I refuse to be your personal nurse." She disappeared into the kitchen while Gazzy and Iggy continued to whine.

"Damn, Max, he can't be human. No one can do what he does. Trust me, I tried. Repeatedly." Iggy sourly grumbled, slumping back against the wall.

"Right, well, since you're in Nudge's capable hands we're going to leave you before your ego is bruised anymore." I patted Iggy's head as I stepped over him, intentionally leaning heavily against him making him grunt with pain and irritation.

Heeey! Wow, it's been forever! I'm really sorry guys but I've been more concerned with finishing up my original book (WHICH HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR PUBLISHING!). this has been the longest I haven't written FF for…so I hope it's still ok…

Please review! Or I might be forced to return to my non-updating funk. Bribery, I know ;-)

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