Please listen to the song "Falling Away With You" by Human Worldwide while reading this.

Story: Guardian Angel

Characters: Max and Nick

Max moved into her suite with a slight bounce in her step. She was glad to be done with work for the day. The week had been long, with one mission after another. She smiled a little at the flashing photo of Nick on her phone. She hadn't seen his face in days, and he hadn't seen hers. It was a busy season for the black market, and they were only together on missions, in costume. It was all business.

After starting up her playlist on the sound-system, she slung a towel over her shoulder and headed for the shower, trying not to rush.

Max didn't bother to dry her shoulder-length, brown hair. It would get wet again soon anyway.

She pulled on a swimsuit, wearing board shorts and a shirt overtop. The phone was still flashing. She scooped it up and collapsed onto the bed, flipping it open to read the text.

Bring dessert

Crossing a leg over the other, she typed back, "What kind?"

His reply came after mere seconds that felt more like hours. She hated the playful pause he gave before answering simple questions. (Although she often did the same to him.)

Whatever kind that goes best with cake

Max rolled her eyes, smiling again.

"It will melt on the way." she sent in response.

Nick's next delay was even longer. Max sighed, knowing she shouldn't be so clingy. She was eager to see him, anxious to get away from the madness at the headquarters. He was the only normalcy she found in her new life.

She rose from the bed and left the room, tucking the phone into her pocket as the music floated behind her.

"Ice cream it is, then." she murmured while opening her refrigerator. After she had grabbed a couple of ice cream bars and stuffed them into a plastic nap-sack, her phone rumbled.

That makes two of us

As always, his romantic replies persuaded her to smile.

Max distantly hummed along with the song, now playing in her earphones. She was walking away from the mansion to the beach, overlooking the ocean. The beach was a bit of a secret hideaway, since her father was used to her spending her free time at the lake instead. But what he didn't know was that she did this on purpose. Her real retreat was at the ocean. Only Nick knew this.

As expected, a pair of fresh footprints trailed through the golden sand. Max was stepping alongside them, singing with the voice in her ears. There was an innocence in his sound. He was almost aching silently, his guitar strumming in the background. His tone was like a sweet surrender, a faithful promise. It reminded her of Nick.

The sun was dipping lower, spreading its honey glow across the beach. Over the eastern coast, the moon was beginning to rise.

Max paused, spotting the island on the horizon. It was only a short swim away, a small sand dune with a few thin trees. Smoke rose into the starry sky, a camp-fire flickered. She could see his silhouette, sitting against a tree. He always looked lonely when she wasn't with him.

Grateful for her waterproof music player and earphones, Max removed the outer layer of clothes, stuffed them into her bag, and stepped into the water.

"You're late." Nick poked fun when she arrived at the small shore, shaking the water from her hair.

Max laughed while dropping the bag near the tree. "You're early."

Nick smiled, wiggling the marshmallow he held over the fire on a stick. "Fair enough."

Max wiped her arms and patted at her hair with the towel he tossed her, still humming to the music.

"What is that?" Nick asked after a moment, his brow furrowed.

"Something I found online, it's old." she smiled, draping the towel over a tree branch.

"It's pretty. Share it." he gestured to the boom box next to him.

"Whatever," she chuckled. "Just don't make me sing along like you did the last time I brought my music."

"I can't make any promises." he grinned, turquoise eyes dancing.

Nick was quietly listening, and extended a hand after Max adjusted the volume. She accepted it and sat down in front of him, scooting back to rest against him. He slid his arms around her waist.

"I'm fallin' away...with you."

Max frowned when he sang along, then laughed while gently slapping his arm. "You knew it all along."

Nick smiled. "I just wasn't sure if that's what you were humming."

"Yeah, I'm kind of tone-deaf like that."

"Please," he laughed, denouncing her self-criticism. "I just didn't want to embarrass myself."

Max's eyes rolled at his lie. "And yet, you could get fired if my father found out about your making a decoy signal for me when I'm really here," she contested with a sly grin, ruffling his brown curls. "You, Axis, his trusted overseer who's supposed to be keeping me in line."

Nick laughed warmly, his voice close to her ear. "Well, I'm willing to risk it…so long as I get to wait for you here."

I came here to stay

"I'm falling away with you, I'm falling away." Nick sang along again. Max couldn't help but smile. He was a good singer, so much that she often asked him to sing for her. But she had to be careful, because he never let her get away without a request of his own.

"I'm falling away with you." she joined in.

Nick chuckled. "See?"

"I can't sing." she sighed. "Don't you love it here?"

Nick nodded. "Definitely. Certainly beats the rowboat, huh?"

Max laughed out loud, recalling the failed date where their boat filled with water. "True." she smiled.

Nick gave a quiet laugh. He loved to see her smile, to hear her laugh. It was rare when she did so. Here at the island, he believed that she was more herself, almost like the Max he met in Gotham almost four years ago. She spoke freely at the island, almost unaffected by the mind control at the headquarters.

"You know what?" mused Max.

"What?"

"Sometimes I think…" she hesitated.

Nick frowned. "What? Go on," he encouraged gently.

Max touched his hand atop her stomach, playing with his fingers. "I don't know. It just…feels like a different place, here," she smiled faintly, setting her head back on his shoulder. "Like…like we're drifting off, away from…everything else."

Nick considered, holding her tighter. "That it does."

Both were silent, until Max snickered. "Marshmallow's burnt."

"Wait, wait, wait." Nick reclaimed the stick after she swiped it.

"What?"

"Dinner first," he explained, rising to grab something from behind the tree. He reappeared with a picnic basket and checkered blanket. "Chicken marsala, your favorite."

Max confirmed with a nod. "But what's this about a cake?"

Nick grinned and reached back inside of the basket, withdrawing a chocolate cake.

"Store-bought?" Max arched an eyebrow in skepticism.

Nick shook his head as they sat across from each other on the blanket.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

The fire continued to glow, and they ate in silence as the mellow song played. The sun had completely set now, and blue moonlight rippled on the black water.

Nick had been singing along again, his voice trailing on the last line as he watched Max look away from him. Her expressive, hazel eyes were sad. For a moment, she looked the way she did when she was in the mansion - unhappy, trapped. Something inside of him ached. He knew what a battle it was for her to fight the serum, as well as the feeling of abandonment. He wanted to make her happy again, he was determined to do so.

What she didn't know was that he had been singing that song to her in his heart for as long as he had known her.

"I'm seeing you through." Nick sang softly, gazing at her.

Max shook her thoughts, rubbing the back of her neck with an apologetic smile. Her eyes shifted back to him. "The food was great. Thanks. You didn't have to invite me."

Nick smiled slowly. Just like that, she was back. He knew that he could be completely invisible to her at times, but he didn't care much. It was enough for him to just be there.

"And come here alone?" he chuckled, then tossed his napkin and stood up. "A dance?" he proposed, offering his hand.

Max smiled again, giving her hand and stepping into his embrace.

In a small circle, they danced, Nick singing the words aloud as Max hummed them in her heart.