Chapter 25

Tuesday Morning

Fang POV

The next morning, I woke groggily in my bedroom, sprawled on my bed. I faintly remembered returning to my room the night before. Through my dark, shaggy hair, I could barely tell that the alarm clock beside me read 5:57. Surely, no one was awake yet.

Rubbing my eyes, I fumbled out of bed, nearly tripping on my sheets. I folded them, setting them on my bed, and slipped out into the hallway. There was dim light filtering in through the windows, leading me down to the kitchen easily. Silently rummaging through the refrigerator and pantry, I pulled out waffle mix and raw bacon.

Now, the hall was more illuminated, and, my eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. That, however, made sneaking into Max's pitch black room even harder. I used my enhanced vision to spot Max, hidden among the sheets, and slung her over my shoulder. She stirred slightly, but, didn't wake until I was halfway down the hall. "Morning," I smiled, watching her alarmed expression switch to a happy, yet confused one.

"What are you doing?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Her toes curled slightly as I wrapped my hand tighter around her waist, and I took the opportunity to tickle them. She squirmed, giggling, making me smirk. "St-stop! Hahaha, stop! Stop!"

"Shhhh," I smirked deeper, setting her down in the chair of the table in the kitchen. Her eyes lit up when they met the plate of food before her and she immediately dove on it. I took my seat next to her, chewing on a piece of her bacon.

Between bites, she spoke, words muffled by the waffles she was stuffing down her throat. "Did I tell you how much I freaking love you?" My heart beat increased, although she had said it several times. As I reached for another piece of bacon, she swatted my hand away, sticking her tongue out.

"My bacon!" She hissed, smiling. I waltzed around her, trailing my fingers across her neck. She turned to me, cheeks tinted with a faint blush. Leaning down, propping myself up on the counter, I pressed my lips to hers with force. She quickly threw her arms around my neck, moaning lightly into my lips. As much as I longed to continue the kiss, I loved messing with her. Once my fingers found what I was looking for; a crispy piece of bacon, I reluctantly pulled away. Confused, Max watched as I ran to the kitchen's entrance, waving the bacon tauntingly in front of me. She leapt from her chair as I winked, sprinting from the room with the bacon stuffed in my mouth. "Come back here!"

Iggy POV

"Iggy, do you want to walk with me to lunch?" Ella asked, shutting her locker door. I shoved in my text books and shut mine as well.

I traced my fingers along her cheek, planting a soft kiss on her lips. I could feel the heat of blush on her cheeks, reacting to the unexpected show of affection. "I'll meet up with you, okay?" She nodded, smiling, and continued down the hall. By the sound of it, she met up with a few friends who had saw us kiss; giggles echoed through the hall.

On my way to the bathroom, I heard the melody of instruments flooding into the hall, from a large room to my right. Curiously, I took cautious steps toward the noise. As I got closer, the music ceased and people shuffled out. "Everyone, practice your pieces and we will play them at the parade this Saturday," a man announced, voice deep and loud. "Don't forget your kilt," he added, placing a heavy gathering of fabric in my arms. Dumbstruck, I remained silent as everyone left. Then, I conceived a brilliant plan.

Max POV

Wednesday Morning

Tuesday passed without much excitement, besides Fang's breakfast surprise. He's so weird sometimes, but, I love it. Who knew he could cook?

After my mother dropped us off at school, our entire science class was gathered in the school's hall. "We will depart in fifteen minutes and meet up at the recycling plant at nine," our teacher announced. "Feel free to take the bus or a separate car, but, I will be taking attendance there so don't bother skipping this opportunity." I rolled my eyes, turning to Fang.

"What does recycling have to do with what we're learning, anyway?" He shrugged, slipping his hand into mine.

"At least we won't be stuck in that damn classroom all day."

I nodded in agreement, gripping his hand. Iggy and Ella appeared before us, and, I was immediately overwhelmed by Ella's enthusiasm. "Aren't you guys like so excited?" she exclaimed, grin wide. "Let's go!"

I groaned, reluctantly following her. "Let's get this over with."

Nudge POV

"Tiffany!" Hannah called from across the cafeteria, waving to me. I smiled, waving back, and turned to get my tray of food. The meal today was a mush that looked along the lines of green oatmeal, but, hey, who am I to pass up a meal?

Spinning around, I collided with Blake, the boy I met days earlier. The poor excuse for food flew off of my tray and splattered over his shirt. "Oh my god, I am so sorry," I apologized, frantically setting down my tray. He reached for a napkin and wiped a fleck of it off of his cheek.

"Don't worry about it," he smiled, tossing the napkin into a nearby trash can. I smiled back, blushing. "Here," he whispered, setting his tray in my hands. "Take mine." I tried to refuse it, but, he left before I could, winking at me.

Iggy POV

The recycling plant was an old building nearly forty miles from our school. The land surrounding it was bare, besides a dense forest, half a mile from the main entrance. Our teacher led us into a wide room, divided us into groups of ten, and sent us each to different sections of the plant.

Luckily, Ella, Max, Fang and I were put in the same group and sent to the same section of the plant. As the tour guide went off about the structure of the building, the four us spoke to each other quietly. "Hey, did you guys see that guy in the hall yesterday that flipped out over the thunderstorm?" Ella whispered, smiling.

"Yeah, it was about the same reaction Max had when she walked in on Iggy dancing and singing along to Sexyback," Fang smirked, leaning against a rail.

We all laughed, receiving a glare from the tour guide and a few attentive students. As we entered another, more claustrophobic room, Max's face contorted in disgust. "I need some air, guys," she pleaded, grabbing Fang's hand. I nodded, waving goodbye as Fang secretly escorted Max outside.

Fang POV

Max and I snuck around the building, easily ducking behind piles of aluminum and plastic. In no time, we had shot into the sky.

I glanced at Max, who was laughing. Her wings, fully unfurled and flapping gracefully, held her afloat in an angelic stance. Uncontrollably, I smiled; the smile only Max could make me have. Just in that second; maybe it was the way her dirty blonde hair whipped around her face or the way her perfectly pink lips formed in to the grin I loved with all my heart.

I leapt towards her, wrapping my arms around her waist, sending us plummeting to the ground below. "What the heck, Fang?" She shouted over the rush of wind, struggling to push me off of her. I caught us gracefully, landing softly on the damp ground.

Rolling over, I pinned her to the ground, holding the satiny skin of each arm gently. I began kissing her neck, making her blush heavily. Between each kiss, I spoke. "Max," kiss. "Will you," kiss. "Marry me?" I asked, not really aware of what I had asked. We both froze, blush rising to my cheeks.

Max POV

"Max, will you marry me?" Fang proposed, kissing my neck. Each peck sent electricity racing through my veins, sending a crimson blush to my cheeks. My heart fluttered as he fumbled over his words in the most adorable way.

"But, I mean, I know we're young- and, we wouldn't have to get married until we are older- I know I can't give you much but, I couldn't last a day withou-" I cut him off but pressing my lips to his lightly.

"I'd love to," I smiled. He grinned, kissing me again. Tracing my jaw line with his slender fingers, he stared into my eyes with deep concentration. Suddenly, he lifted me up bridal style, spinning me around happily in his arms. I closed my eyes, chuckling at his giddiness. Normally, Fang + Giddiness = no freaking way.

I noticed the steady beat of footsteps, which let me know that Fang was moving. When I looked again, we were surrounded by a pristine pond, water still and clear. A quiet waterfall to our left, between two boulders, cascaded elegantly. The dim sunlight that filtered through the trees reflected off of every surface, creating a magical glow. I gasped, receiving a satisfied smirk from Fang. "Isn't it amazing?" he breathed, obsidian eyes lit with wonder. I nodded as he stroked my face, tracing my lips.

He leaned down, lips brushing my ear. "I'm going to make you so wet," he whispered seductively, smirking. I had barely enough time to react to his innuendo before he tossed me into the chilly pond. I crashed through the surface, into the depths of the sparkling pool.

Eventually, I resurfaced; rising from the water with a deadly look in my eyes. My hair, soaked and tangled, hung around my face. My damp clothes clung to my body. Stepping out of the shallow water and on to the dirt, I circled Fang, clenching and unclenching my drenched fists. He look genuinely scared, but, pleased with himself at the same time.

Then, I held my arms out, motioning for him to hug me. I plastered a fake smile onto my face, smirking with my eyes. As I took a step closer, he backed away, holding his hands up in protest. "Oh, no you don't."

"Come on, Fangy. Give Maxie Poo a hug," I pleaded, using the best puppy dog eyes I could produce. He backed farther away as I pushed on, just as planned. With one final step backwards, he lost his footing and splashed into the pond.

I waited for him to return to the surface, but, minutes passed with no sign of Fang. My breathing hitched, heart constricting. "Boo," Fang whispered in my ear from behind me. I let out a yelp of surprise, whipping around. He became visible again, soaked. He chuckled, bolting in the opposite direction.

"You're going down!"

I hope you all had a great Spring Break! I'm very sorry this update was postponed but, I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it... :D

Random side note - I accidentally got my Ipod stuck on a Japanese setting today...and, I only speak English...it took me a while to fix it, lol.

Thanks for reading and reviewing and favoriting... I couldn't do it without you guys :)