After I soaked up enough water to last me on a trip through the Sahara, I dried off and slipped into the clothes Fang had left me. They were even warm from the dryer. Mmm, happy thoughts for Fang.
I stumbled as quietly as I could up the stairs, but paused on the second level. On an impulse, I opened each of the doors, looking in on the sleeping forms of the younger ones. Angel and Total lay back to back, both curled in similar positions on their sides. She had kicked the covers off. I crept in and drew the covers up over them both. Angel's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. She blinked up at me sleepily.
"Don't let her out. She's not the real you," she mumbled with her eyes half closed.
I had no idea what she was talking about. I just agreed and she subsided back to dreamland nodding in satisfaction. I smoothed her hair, kissed her forehead and crept back out.
Gazzy was still up when I peeked in. His eyes were glued to a computer screen and his fingers moved at the speed of light over the keyboard. I coughed.
He jumped and whipped around, eyes as wide as saucers. I couldn't help but giggle.
"Shouldn't you be in bed?" I asked him, raising one eyebrow in an inquiring manner. I regretted it immediately, because my face was still a mass of cuts and bruises.
He shook his shaggy blonde hair out of his gorgeous blue eyes and looked guilty. "I was just trying out some new codes that Nudge gave me for WarCraft and I couldn't stop." He straightened and narrowed his eyes. "What happened to you?"
I pointed toward the bed and he reluctantly shut down his computer and got under the covers. "Nothing much. I promise it will be gone by morning." God, the boy had grown. I still couldn't believe that he was eleven, much less exactly my height. Which is five ten, in case you didn't know. Three years and I only grew two inches. I'm okay with that though. I don't want to look like a freak, do I? Oh, wait…
"You look like crap," he said, ever the tactful one. I pushed him.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I said with an eye roll.
He corrected me. "Um, that would be Captain Terror." I stared at him for a second and then we both burst into giggles. Oh, that hurt my face.
" I just wanted to say goodnight, and sleep well and all that good stuff," I said. He finished getting comfortable and gazed up at me with those big glue eyes. "I'll see you in the morning." I held out my left fist and he smacked his own down on top of mine with a grin. I tapped the back of his hand and ruffled his hair. "'Night, Captain," I said.
"'Night, Max," he replied. I winked at him, but his eyes were already closed and he was out. I stifled a giggle at his soft snoring as I closed the door.
I cracked open Nudge's door, just as she flipped off her light. "Hey, Nudge," I said quietly.
"Hey, Max," she mumbled. I sat on the edge of her bed and flopped across her legs. She giggled. She sat up and peered down at me. "Ouch."
"Yeah. It'll be gone tomorrow, though." I ignored the stiffness seeping into my muscles and rolled onto my side to face her.
"Oh, good. 'Cause it's so annoying to have to explain things like that. Angel and I are taking you out tomorrow. We thought that we could go shopping and show you around and maybe hit a salon?" The last bit she said in a rush, even for her self, and really quiet.
I put my hand to my hair. "What are you saying, Nudge?" I asked, acting offended.
She snorted. Oh, yeah. Real ladylike. Not like I can say anything, though.
"I just saying that you could use a bit of sprucing up for normal living. You know, work the goods." She eyed me critically. "You got 'em, you just need to learn how to use them."
Oh, my god. She did not just say that. Where was my sweet little Nudge? "You know, I think I'm going to leave before you continue. I don't think I could handle it." I grinned so she would know that I was kidding. "We both need sleep so…'night, Nudge." I held out my fist.
It sounded like she sniffed before putting her fist on mine and tapping it. "Good night, Max."
"See you tomorrow," I whispered and kissed her head on my way out.
In the hallway, I leaned against the wall next to her door thinking about what she had said. Sprucing up? Goods? Things I had NEVER thought about EVER in my life. Maybe I could relax enough now to think about them. Sam had been fun before he turned all Eraser-y.
I cleared my head of those thoughts and realized that I would get to sleep in a real bed tonight. A bed I could call my own. I ambled up the stairs, daydreaming about sheets and pillows and a mattress. That is heaven, right there.
The door swung open as my fingers touched the cool metal of the doorknob and Fang stood in the doorway, framed by soft lamplight and glowering at me. I blinked stupidly at him. Did I get the wrong room? I turned to look at the other door. Nope, that one was on the left, my room was on the right. I just wanted to lay down. Is it so impossible for me to relax for more that two freaking minutes?
I must have looked pathetic because his eyes softened and Fang took my hand to lead me inside. When he turned around to shut the door, I saw a neatly arranged collection of first aid supplies on the desk near the window. Iggy sat on my bed. He turned toward me as the locks clicked and smiled, though I could see worry lines in his forehead.
He got to his feet and let out a big breath. He moved close to us and touched Fang's shoulder again. His eyes actually moved back and forth over my face like he could see.
"Wow, the purpling is already fading. You're healing faster," he said.
"Not really," I yawned. "These will be gone by morning. They usually disappear after a few hours. Is that a bed?" I leaned over exaggeratedly so that I could see the bed and hopefully, they'd get the idea.
Iggy's lips twisted up and even Fang had a ghost of a smile on his face.
"Yeah, all right. We'll let you sleep," the blind one grumbled. I heaved a huge sigh of relief and staggered forward a few steps. Feeling like an idiot, I stopped and turned back around. In my last burst of strength, I held out my fist and kept it steady. Kudos to me. Whooo.
Fang stacked his on top and Iggy followed suit.
I blinked back the shadow of moisture from my eyes. "It's good to be home," I murmured and tapped the backs of their hands.
"Yeah," Iggy said just as quietly. Fang just stared at me with a gaze that sent heat rippling over my skin. I know that my face was at least three times as pink as it normally was, but I couldn't look away.
Iggy coughed and I regained my senses, my eyes snapping to the floor.
"So, sleep tight, Max. I'll see you tomorrow," Iggy paused. "Well, you know what I mean." And he headed off to his own room.
"Good night, Ig," I called and gave a half hearted smile to Fang before crashing on top of the covers.
He had the audacity to laugh as he lifted me enough to pull the covers down. He became my method of transportation because I was all out of my own steam. He guided me back down and made sure I was all comfortable and snuggled in.
He pushed renegade strands of hair from my face and touched my cheek with his hand. "You better be telling the truth about these."
"Promise," I muttered, or at least I think I did.
"Good night. Max. Sleep well." He kissed my forehead. "Dream of me."
I jerked into semi-consciousness at his last whispered words looking for him to ask him what the hell was that, but he wasn't even in the room. Too tired to pursue it, I drifted back to sleep.