~Note: It has literally been six years since I published this story. I'm not going to lie, I completely forgot about it until recently. I went back in and found it and was like "I never finished this…" So here I am! I was around 13 or 14 when I wrote the first two chapters to this story and now I'm 20 years old. I know, so weird! So hopefully my writing has improved. It's going to be a weird shift from my writing style from that long ago to now! Hopefully I have improved! Going back and reading some of my writings (ex: the first two chapters of this) are actually cringe-worthy for me. I apologize for that! Let's see if we can finally get a proper ending to this thing after 6 years. Hope you enjoy! ~
Chapter 3: Some Things Never Change.
I couldn't help but stare. It wasn't that I was technically gawking at the giant gauzy mass protruding from the middle of his face. His oh so beautiful face. I just couldn't really begin to grasp the possible horrors that would await me when he came to. To my knowledge, Fang had never taken his looks TOO seriously. Which, who am I kidding, he doesn't even have to try. Genetically mutated bird kids, such as ourselves tend to be better looking than your average person. Well, you know, with the extra-added bonus of wings (which is twice the awesome if you ask me). Not to toot my own horn of course.
As of lately I've been noticing his apparent tendency to look, dare I say it, handsome. Or as the ever so verbal Nudge would say, 'a hunky slice of beefcake'. Unfortunately, this has started to happen on a day-to-day basis. Kinda hard to stay focused on any goals when I'm drooling all over Fang.
I jumped straight up as Fang shifted in his sleep. His muscles contracted as he rolled over facing me. For once in his unnatural born life he looked peaceful. No mutated monster was chasing him, no having to beat the snot out of anyone, just calm. He could almost pass for another person while sleeping. Well, while he was sleeping like this. His other tendency for sleeping was a whole other story. One, that could easily give me a headache even thinking about it.
The sun was dipping low in the sky casting shadows around the dimly lit hotel room. If my instincts (and my stomach) were correct, dinnertime couldn't be too far off. And I can assure you, my stomach never lies.
Slowly as I could, as not to disturb Fang, I slid off the side of the massive king sized bed and crept out of the room. The long carpeted hallway outside the room was quiet. Something that I quite honestly wasn't too used to. A cold chill prickled up my spine making my shoulders shudder. My ears went into hyper mode as I crept two doors down to the room occupied by Gazzy and Iggy.
Silence.
"Huh." I grunted. I gave the door a light tap with my knuckles.
Nothing.
"Okay..."
Trying to keep my calm (and obviously failing), I practically leaped across the hall to the door opposite me.
"Angel! Nudge!" I said, knocking on the door now with my entire fist. "Hey!"
Nothing.
And this, my friends, is when I lost the only remaining marbles I had left.
"Um..."
I jerked with surprise. Fists raised and ready, I spun around ready for anything. What stood in front of me, turns out, I was not so ready for. Fang, dressed in well-fitted jeans and a V-neck tee shirt stood cross-eyed from the fist held only inches from his nose.
"Nice to see you too...I guess." He muttered.
"Oh!" I gasped.
"If you don't mind, could you retract the claws please? There's a free buffet downstairs calling my name."
I snapped my arms back to my sides. My face heated up, turning what I'm sure was a not so lovely shade of magenta. His dark chocolate eyes stared down at me with amusement. As he sidestepped around me, I almost thought I could see the edge of his mouth quirk into a smile. I tried to shake off the shiver running down my spine, but to my dismay, it was hard to do. My head craned to the side, watching him practically float down the hall. Yes, I know, I said float. I could see the slight curve where his wings folded into his back as his shirt shifted from movement. This is the point where I should have checked myself for drool, but it was too late. He sensed my gawking and turned around.
"Are you coming?" He said.
"Uh, yeah! But where is everybody?" I asked.
"Where else? It's dinnertime. I can't really think of any place else they would be."
"Oh..." It was at that moment I think I figured out just how big of a pile of sludge I had become. I didn't have one single sarcastic thing to say. In my mind, this was cause for alarm.
I shuffled down the hall where he quietly stood and we loaded ourselves into the elevator. It was at the moment the door closed that I realized just how bad of an idea it was to take an elevator. We, as in the flock in general, tend to stay away from small-enclosed areas. Like for example, just like the one I was currently in. This was for one simple reason. It felt like a cage. That was one thing that none of us wanted to be reminded of. We both stiffened. I pressed the button labeled 'lobby' and the elevator (or should I say metal death trap from hell) started its decent. 90's jazz music played softly in the background. If Fang was in 'freak out mode' like I was, I couldn't tell. There he was, standing emotionless as ever while here I was, flipping out like an idiot. I felt him move closer in order close the gap between us. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and lightly grazed mine. I looked up surprised. He stood there with a reassuring smile. The kind I loved so dearly. He leaned down slowing, pressing his lips lightly against my cheek. "It'll be okay", he whispered close to my ear.
But he wasn't right. It was in no way okay. It was even worse. I was now half way into a full-blown panic attack. But I'll give him one thing; I definitely was no longer thinking about the elevator. It was at that moment that the elevator door opened. He swiftly moved away from my side, stepping out into the lobby entrance. He turned, realizing I wasn't behind him. "Let's go! I'm starved!" He said, stretching his arms over his head. I managed to croak out an "okay" as I followed out after him. Now Iwas the one that was floating. Again, that's right ladies and gentlemen, I said floating. However, this was a kind I was very unfamiliar with. I was used to the literal meaning of the word. Floating in the air, heck, even on clouds! That was easy! This was a whole other ball game.
To my relief, the whole flock was seated at one of the tables in the large dining room that the hotel offered. Right away I could see piles upon piles of food stacked on each one of their plates. The aroma of the food from the long buffet wafted our way. I had to tone down my immediate urge to turn into an uncivilized ravenous bird kid. Fang and I grabbed our plates and headed quickly to our table. Out of the corner of my eye I could see other people gawking at the amount of food being consumed at our table. Some actually seemed amused, others disgusted. I could naturally care less. It wasn't like we hadn't been stared at strangely before. I glanced over as Angel dropped a large piece of bread into her backpack. I was about to question it until I noticed the tip of a furry ear pop out of the top. "Thanks! More of that please. Oh, and if you have any of that casserole left, pass it my way too." Whispered a voice from her pink bag. My eye roll was far less than subtle.
Fang seemed to notice this too. I heard a low chuckle come from across the table where he was seated. My attention was again directed towards Fang (for like the billionth time today). Something was strange. It dawned on me that the middle of his face actually looked normal (and who are we kidding, completely flawless as usual). There was no longer a pile of gauze pads plastered to his face! I don't know how it never occurred to me about our specialties in fast healing. His face must have healed while he was sleeping. But my question was, why hadn't he asked about that yet?
"So! You and Fang sleep well last night?" Gazzy chimed with complete innocence. Iggy, seated next to Gazzy, sat staring blankly in my direction with his eyebrows wiggling up and down. I cursed the fact that Iggy couldn't see the fear inducing terrifying look I was sending his way. "Ouch! I feel the daggers!" Iggy said jokingly.
"Fine, it was fine." I managed to grind out.
Fang shrugged, "I think I slept well for the first time in a long time."
"Yeah, I bet." I muttered.
Not long after, and several empty plates later, we all sat slumped in our seats quickly fading into food comas.
"Well, I'm going to bed!" Gazzy announced. Iggy nodded as they both stood up and headed towards the door. I watched skeptically as they leaned closer to each other. I could have sworn I heard the words 'toilet bomb' come out of Gazzy's mouth as they made their swift departure.
"Night guys! We'll be going too!" Chimed Angel. She turned to look at me and flashed me one of her brightest smiles along giving me a thumbs up. 'Good luck!' She mouthed. I didn't even have time to ask.
"We? I'm not tired, I'm going to hang out with Max and Fang." Nudge said.
"No Nudge, I think you're tired." Angel said staring pointedly into Nudge's eyes. "Plus! You can tell me all about that cute boy you saw at the pool today! Remember?" Angel persisted.
Before she could even open her mouth Angel grabbed Nudge's sleeve and with surprising strength for her petite size, dragged Nudge away from the table, backpack in tow. "Ow! Watch the tile floor!" Total groaned from inside the bag. Their whispers and giggles drifted behind them.
'Holy Crap' I thought. I was alone with him, again. I dared myself to look across at Fang who sat silently studying my face. I could feel that ever so familiar feeling of heat creep back up onto my face. He was the first to break the silence.
"Wanna go flying? It's nice out tonight." He suggested. His eyes bore into me. How could I say no to that?
"Sure, yeah that sounds great." I said, and I genuinely meant it.
We headed back up to our room, this time taking the stairs. The doorknob clicked as he slid the card into the slot. We both walked straight to window-covered doors, pulling them all the way open. The gentle breeze flowed in through the opening. I inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp scent of the fresh air that flowed around me. It felt like home. Fang was the first to leap up onto the railing that separated the ledge of the balcony.
"Ready?" He said looking down at me.
"Always." I said, reaching up to take his hand.
He hoisted me up onto the railing and down we flew. My wings stretched out to full capacity, a feeling of which I hadn't had the pleasure of experiencing for what felt like ages. We glided over the forestry that surrounded the area not far from the hotel. Time flew by as we circled over the treetops, the sun almost completely hidden beyond the horizon of the endless sea of trees. The tip of his wing brushed against mine to get my attention. He did an impressive turn and slipped upside down underneath me.
"So, what's up with you today? You're acting strange. Everything okay?" He asked, flipping back over and gliding over next to me.
"Yeah of course!" I lied in the most convincing way I could muster up. Just the sight of him was making me blush now. This was bad.
"Okay.." He said. His brows creased with worry. "You know you can talk to me right?"
"Yes, yes of course." I said. But he couldn't have realized just how much I wanted to talk to him about it. How much I wanted to tell my best friend that I was absolutely undeniably in love with him. But I just couldn't find the words; or the courage for that matter. Beating evil guys to a bloody pulp, sure, I could handle that just fine. Confessing my undying love for someone? Nowhere near as easy.
I glanced over at Fang. His jaw was set, almost as if he was grinding his teeth. His face also looked strained. It was almost as If he was nervous about something. I shook my head trying to cast away the thought. Fang didn't get nervous. Well, at least I didn't think he did. Fang felt my stare and we locked eyes. His eyes widened, startled that I had been watching him. He broke my gaze and shifted his watchful eyes away from mine. I couldn't shake that feeling that he was hiding something as well.
We went on in silence for the rest of our time flying. It was just what I needed. Our wings beating in sync, the wind ruffling through my feathers; I couldn't ask for a more relaxing way to calm my nerves. Even with him right next to me, like this, it was all okay. We started to head back towards the hotel. The shape of the rooftop grew larger and larger as we drifted closer. The sun had set hours before, the stars now shown down brightly in its place. I drifted down lightly onto the surface our balcony. Not hearing a similar sound from Fang, I turned to see him hovering right in front of the balcony.
"What are you doing Fang? Come on, it's late." I said, leaning on the cold metal railing.
"Max, I need to tell you something." He said. His usual placid face was now strewn with an expression that I couldn't identify.
"Here, come in and we'll talk. People are going to see you if you stay out there like that."
"I don't care." He said seemingly frustrated. "I've got to say this now."
"Okay." I said, slowly crossing my arms. "Shoot."
Fang ran his fingers through his hair; he nervously looked down refusing to meet my eyes.
"Max.." He took in a deep shaky breath. "I like you."
"That's it? I like you too Fang, you know that. Now let's go in, I'm pretty tired." I said taking a step back, about to head inside.
"No, you don't understand Maximum." He beat his wings forcefully, causing a whirlwind to sail around my body. Fang swooped in, crouching down on the railing in front of me. His wings folded down behind him. "I love you Maximum Ride." He breathed out. His face was only inches from mine. It had finally sunk in. An overwhelming feeling of shock and joy spread through my entire body. The intensity of his stare sent a shiver all the way down to my toes.
I don't think I even remembered my thought process during all of this. The fact of the matter was, I probably didn't have one. That could be the only logical reasoning to justify doing what I did. Propping myself up on my toes, I forcefully filled in the gap that separated us. My lips slammed against his as he let out a surprised gasp. It only lasted moments before he pulled back slightly. "Good answer" He exhaled. His world famous half smile appeared and sent me practically reeling. One of his hands ran through my hair as the other cupped the base of my head. He lowered his head once more and lightly brushed his lips against my forehead, making his way down to my lips. He kissed me again, tilting his head slightly to the side. My arms found their way up around his neck. I pulled him gently down from the railing as our kissing picked up pace. It quickly escalated, our breathing becoming heavy and heated. He pulled back again, "So, I have to ask." He leaned his forehead against mine. We both were breathing raggedly. "Is there a reason you were playing arts and crafts with my face last night?" He asked, his eyebrow lifting up. I could see the humor reflected in his eyes. My whole body went white hot. 'Crap.' I thought. Frantically I grabbed the sides of his face and brought his back down to mine. He didn't seem to mind.
He started to push me backwards into the room, kissing me more forcefully still. I stammered backwards, tripping over my own feet and landing on the bed in the center of the room. Fang's voice was low as he chuckled softly. He sat down next to me and caressed the side of my face. I placed my hand on his face as well, dragging my thumb over his cheek. I wanted to make sure I took in everything I could. This was it, I could officially die happy now. I sighed.
Fang flashed me a wonderfully dazzling smile and dropped down backwards onto the bed. He held out his hand for me to join him. Flying always made us tired. He looked just as exhausted as I felt. I slid myself over and laid down next to him. I laid my head on top of his chest, his arm cradling me protectively to him. I inhaled a deep breath and took in the clean smell of the soap he used. This was all I could have ever wished for. I was happy, blissfully happy. I curled up closer to him, tucking my head under his chin. His other arm laced over on top of mine. The familiar sound of his breathing caused my entire body to relax as I drifted off to sleep.
A resounding slap against my face woke me loudly from my sleep. "OH MY GOD!" I choked. When I realized what had happened, I managed to calm myself down from hyper attack mode. A hand lay smack dab in the middle of my face. I looked at it, going cross-eyed as I took in my surroundings. Lightly lifting Fang's limp arm off of me, I sat up. Fang's leg was thrown over my stomach; his body twisted in an odd shape that you never could have imagined was natural. I leaned down and planted a light kiss on the cheek of my crazy bird boy. At least I could honestly say, with all of the weird, awful and just plain crazy stuff that we had been through in our lives. It was good to know, some things never change.
~A Night With Fang~