Iggy was confused. Very confused. Not that this was in and of itself anything special of course. It was the cause of his confusion that was...well, confusing. He just couldn't get that feeling of soft lips under his hands out of his head, the small quirk to them as he could literally feel the smile playing against his skin.

Damn Ella. Damn her and her kindness and her soft lips and…

Iggy groaned rather loudly, hands coming up to drag over his face slowly as he did so. Why did he have to open his big, stupid mouth about smiles of all things? All he had wanted was a goddamn drink but now all he wanted was those soft-

Okay. So his night had escalated quickly. Being pushed up against a kitchen counter by a pretty girl (was Ella pretty? She sounded pretty. Her voice was nice and gentle and-) was always a fun experience blind or not. And she had been close. He guessed that now he knew how Max and Fang felt all the time, heart pounding like it wanted to jump out his chest, stomach flipping like pancakes in the morning…

She smelled good as well. And no, not in that weird way you probably think Iggy meant. Being that close to someone with a nose like Iggy's, it was like refusing to breathe. It just couldn't be helped.

Choc-chips in case you were wondering. And the good ones, not the cheap, crap ones from the shop.

Iggy wondered if this was how Max felt around Fang all the time. Jumpy and hyper-aware of every little movement, noticing every little detail and only realising later on how bloody obvious you were. It felt like you were an open window, a breeze just drifting in whether you liked it or not. You just...didn't get a choice.

This is who you like, that wind whispered. This is why you like who you like. This is you at your most vulnerable. Enjoy!

Iggy didn't like that vulnerable feeling. He figured why it was Max kept running from Fang whenever he kissed her. It was scary, like willingly jumping off a cliff and not opening your wings. Alright. Ella had got under his skin and she was there to stay. He could swear and moan and groan about that all he wanted. He could be a useless, angsty git about it or he could-

Oh who was he kidding? How the hell was he meant to kiss her if he couldn't see her?

"Iggy," A voice growled from Fang's bed. "I swear if you groan one more time..."

"Oh, don't mind me," Iggy growled right back. "I forgot you're the only one here allowed to have girl problems." So maybe snarling like that hadn't been his best idea. But, damn, it felt good to direct all that confusion somewhere.

There was silence for a second and part of Iggy thought (hoped?) Fang had gone back to sleep. Then he heard covers shifting as Fang rolled onto his back.

"Ella?"

"How the-"

"Me and Max saw you in the kitchen. Figured you were pretty distracted." Iggy didn't know what to say about that. Didn't really have anything to say. Could've been worse. Could've been Gazzy. "You kiss her?"

"You kiss Max?" Iggy's voice was hushed in case he woke Gazzy but his tone was sharp.

"Point taken." Fang grunted after a small time. They lapsed back into silence, more comfortable than awkward. Then Fang, Fang of all people started talking first about whatever was on his mind, no prompting needed.

World really was going to hell.

"She kissed me though."

"Really?"

He made a quiet affirming hum. "On the cheek. Only a little one but still-"

"You can't stop thinking about it." Iggy finished for him. "You start thinking about all the little details that you never actually noticed in the moment."

"Oh my god, you're a goddamned romantic."

"You think I get by on my stellar good looks and dry wit?"

"Not really. I think you get by with lots of explosions and sarcasm."

"Well, explosions are pretty to look at and dry wit may as well be sarcasm. Honestly, I'll take what I can right now." He heard Fang snort quietly.

"...She likes your wings. Can't take her eyes off them."

"Fang, I swear if you're winding me up..."

"I'm not. Every time you go flying, she glances at them, like she can't help herself. Not in disgust or anything. She just genuinely likes them." Iggy could hear Fang scratching at the back of his neck. "Figured you might like to know."

More silence. If he listened carefully, Iggy swore he could hear someone snoring in the room next door.

"Why haven't you kissed Max again Fang?

"Oh, I am going nowhere near that one."

"I'm serious. If you kiss her now, I've got good money that says she'll happily kiss you right back."

"Not talking about this Iggy. Go to sleep."

"Literally, good money. You kiss Max, she kisses you back before the month's out and I'm sorted for bacon for the next month."

"Fang?"

"Fannnnngggg?"

He heard a long, drawn out sigh from the boy's bed.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic."

"Look," Fang hissed out (he did a lot of that). "I won't kiss Max first because every time I have, she's freaked out and run away. I don't care that it's likely she'll kiss me back, I care that I don't freak her out and scare her off because I'd rather be her best friend than kiss her once and lose her forever. It's Max, Iggy, she'll kiss me when she feels comfortable with it. If she feels comfortable with it."

"...Wow."

"Shut up."

"You said I was the romantic? Goddamn boy, I've never heard you speak so much in my life. Shakespeare eat thou heart out. That was poetry right there."

A pillow hit his chest and Iggy couldn't help the shit-eating grin spread over his face. Nothing like inflicting a bit of misery to make a lad feel better about himself.

"You know, Iggy, one of these days that mouth of yours is gonna get you into some deep trouble."

"If it wasn't for my big mouth, Fangy boy, I wouldn't be in this mess with Ella."

He heard more shifting from Fang's bed, as if he was rolling onto his side.

"Look, Iggy, you want my advice? Don't even try to fight it. If it's the real thing, you won't have a chance and it'll make everything ten times harder. Just...roll with the punches."

"Did you just compare our hopeless love lives to a fight?"

"Goodnight Iggy."

"Really? A fight?"

"Goodnight Iggy."

A/N-Shortest chapter yet, but hopefully the quality makes up for it. Tried to focus a bit more on dialogue at the expense of description this time, considering the importance of voices and sounds to Iggy's character (in my head anyway). This might be going on the backburner for a time as the holidays just finished, but I'll try to keep a semi-regular schedule in regards to updating.