Vulnerable.

Quickly Max looked away, getting up, and walking towards the bed. Her eyes caught mine as she glimpsed at me again, and she blushed, quickly pulling a blanket over her face. Her beautiful, heavenly face. I was suddenly overcome with a cold feeling, frosty and grey. I needed to be by her.

Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped inBecause it's cold outside, cold outside, it's cold outside

Slowly, so slowly I could see the seconds racing past, I wandered to her side. I turned to her, wanting her to look me in the eyes, but dreading her gaze. I needed to know the truth. I'd finally said it, I'd finally uttered my feelings to her, and this was the reaction I knew was coming; denial, rejection, rebuttal. I stared at her, waiting for her own feelings to come out, waiting for her to tell me that it wasn't mutual. My love was only one sided. Waiting for her to tell me her secrets.

Share with me the secrets that you kept inBecause it's cold inside, cold inside, it's cold inside

I sat down beside her, facing her. Trying to look her in the eyes. Trying to get some answers. "Max…" I whispered, the sound of her name made her head shoot up, shock placed plainly on her face, as if she expected no such words. "Max…I…" but she cut me off, her finger moving towards my lips, in an attempt to seal them shut, quivering, uncertain, scared.And you're slowly shaking finger tipsShow that you're scared like me

Her hand was shaking, but she tried to look confident, moving it softly to my cheek. I leant my face into her hand, finally glad she was making the move. Glad that she was trying to show it. I wanted to say her name again, to show her that it was her, always her, but the silence was too perfect.

So, let's pretend we're alone

It was just me and her, alone in the world.

And I know you may be scared

And I know we're unpreparedBut I don't care

I looked at her, her name stuck in my throat. Her eyes held onto fear and anxiety, "Fang," she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper, but I was able to hear it. She exhaled deeply, "Fang, don't…"

Her rejection stung like a bitch. I could almost feel myself falling, feel my soul breaking, feel my heart shattering. This girl was my world, she meant everything to me, and she was destroying me. "What?" I mumbled, trying to stop the tears showing in my eyes, trying to stop my world crumbling around me, trying to stop this feeling of torment that had so quickly taken over.

"It's not how you feel, you just think that because I'm the only one around." She mumbled.

Tell me, tell meWhat makes you think that you are invincible?

My eyebrows raised, in spite of everything, I managed a smirk to play on my lips. "Are you telling me that I'm not in love with you?"

I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure

She nodded, slowly and confidently. "You can't be."

My heart instantly sunk, "Does that mean, that you can't feel that way about me?"

"I'm the leader of this flock Fang, you can't expect me to feel that way, you can't expect me to fall in love with you. It's not possible."

Her words rung in my ears like my own funeral bell.

Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerableImpossible

"Max," I pronounced, "Look at me." My eyes bore into the back of her head until she finally turned around, almost cringing under my stare. "Max, you can tell me that you don't feel the same why, you can tell me that each heavenly kiss we've ever shared has meant nothing to you, and you can tell me that I'll never be more than your friend, such, it'll hurt like hell, but I can glue my splintered heart back together." She looked away, frowning, and shaking her head.

"However Max," I asserted, "There is no way, that I'm going to stand by and let you have the cheek to say that I'm not in love with you. I was born loving you Max."

I was born to tell you I love youIsn't that a song already?I get a B in originality

"It's true, that the only cause my heart has to beat is the because you breathe. The only reason I have to be alive, is because you exist. The only reason I feel anything is because you walk this Earth, and you may not have the same feelings, but there is no way I'm going to stand by and let you think my love for you is nothing, because it's not. It's everything to me Max. The only reason I fight, the only reason I live, is because I love you."

And it's true I can't go on without youYour smile makes me see clearer

She tried to walk away from me, "Fang, stop…" but I couldn't let her go, I'd started now. I couldn't let her leave without knowing the full extent of my feelings. I saw a flicker in her eyes. A spark of hope ignited in my body. I grabbed her elbow, and in her hesitation turned her to face me. A smile sparkled across her lips as she saw the intensity of my own stare.

"You're beautiful Max,"

If you could only see in the mirror what I see

She looked at me, actually properly looked at me. "And I'm in love with you." I whispered, my lips brushing at her ear. Her shiver causing my to loosen my grip slightly, knowing that she wouldn't leave me.

And you're slowly shaking finger tips

Her fingers outlined my eyes, slowly and unsteadily trailing down my face, to my chest. Drawing circles in my shirt. Her eyes refusing to look anywhere but into my own.

"I can't Fang…"

Show that you're scared like me so

"I'm scared." She whispered.

Let's pretend we're alone

I moved my face closer to hers. Our breaths mixing in the closing gap between us, nothing but us, frozen in time, our moment.

And I know you may be scaredAnd I know we're unpreparedBut I don't care

"We're all scared Max," I murmured, inching ever closer. "It's just one, more, risk." Our breaths just short and quick, unable to grab enough air.

I stopped. Barely a centimetre away from her lips and I almost felt her whole body sigh. "I love you Max, and there's nothing I want more than to kiss you right now, to explode those incredible feelings I have building up for each time we kiss, but it's not fair on you, I love you enough to respect that."

Tell me, tell meWhat makes you think that you are invincible?

I moved away, cursing myself for letting her go, but knowing I had to. I stepped back, as Max just stood there, her face dropped to her shoes, as if they somehow held the answer to everything she wanted. Finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, she looked up. "Fang…"

I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure

I stared at her. My gaze questioning and intrigued. "I'm sorry…" she muttered. My face dropped, my stomach plummeted, my heart plunged into the darkness.

Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerableImpossible

I saw that flicker in her eyes one more time, before she quickly looked away and I knew I had one last try. One last try to make it work.Slow down girl - you're not going anywhere

"Max," I said, "Wait…" she hesitated, before turning round to face me once more. In that one moment I could see every emotion plastered onto her face, she was terrified. She was upset, she was hurt. It broke my heart to see her that way. It destroyed me.

Just wait around and see

"Max, please" I stepped towards her, holding out one of my hands to hold onto hers, hoping it to be reassuring. "Try…"

Maybe I am much more you never know what lies ahead

"I'm scared Fang, I don't want to lose you."

I promise I can be anyone, I can be anything

I chuckled almost silently, slowly streaming my hands up to her face, softly holding it in place so she looked into my eyes. "Max, I'd shift the whole universe just to see you smile, there is no way you're going to ever lose me."

Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed

"It still hurts that you left me Fang…" she virtually whimpered. "I can't live with that again."

I inwardly cursed. How could I convince her I was going to be here, all the time? How could I convince her I would never leave?

I can be anyone, anything, I promise I can be what you need

"Max, I promise you, I will never leave you again, I'm in love with you Maximum Ride, come rain or shine, come hell or high water, I love you. I love you now, and I will love you until I die, and if there is life after that, I'll love you then.""I can't do it Fang." She looked away.Tell me, tell meWhat makes you think that you are invincible?

"Max, I can see it in your eyes, I can see that flicker of excitement when I'm near you. All you have to do is say. Just say, the, words." I said, leaning closer to her lips once more, until only the briefest of gaps remained.

I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure

Her eyes where starting to close, she was trying to act confident. "Fang…" she whispered, bringing her arms and snaking them around my neck. Her eyes, half shut where looking into mine, I knocked down the wall behind my eyes, shrugged back the veil, let everything I felt for her show in my eyes. Let her see into my soul.

"Say the words Max," I sighed.

She pulled back.

Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable

"I'm sorry Fang, I can't. It's too hard."

Impossible…