Spy Games

Chapter 6

"You're right, Max. This is boring when it's not your boyfriend."

I frowned at my sister, pressing closer to the dark side of the cave. Fang was out on the cliff in front of it where he had been the whole time, pacing around.

"He's waiting for you, Max," Nudge whispered. "How could he not be? He wanted to, you know, get it on."

"Shhh," I hissed. "He might hear us."

We were hiding in the shadows on Fang and my little cliff top. He was out in the clearing where there were blankets and a pillow along with lit candles scattered around. It was kind of creepy, really. Or romantic. Whichever. We had lucked out when we landed further back in the woods by Fang not seeing us. We had to hike some to get up here and when we arrived, we just found him pacing around, muttering to himself. I could hardly make out his words, but could tell whatever was bothering him involved me by the frequent mentions of my name.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Lazy, suddenly up and at 'em."

"And look, Blake, he set the mood."

Fang's head shot up as two women landed on the cliff. We weren't in a position to see who they were, but it wouldn't have mattered anyways. I wouldn't have recognized them. Hearing that name was enough.

"Blake," Fang said simply, staring at what I assumed was her, though I still wasn't able to see her, only him. "You came. Great."

"You did send for us," she pointed out.

"I did. I-"

"Nice shirt," the other one who I assumed was Jenna complimented him. He was wearing a weird shirt. It was a button up one that I knew he didn't possess before. "And pillows. And blankets. And candles. You've been busy, mister."

"I've been trading. Now I needed to ask you guys-"

"Get the condoms?" the voice I recognized as Blake asked.

"That's not-"

"What the hell, Fang?"

"Max," Ella hissed as I came out of the shadows effectively stopping whatever Fang was going to say. He frowned when he saw me, but then brightened.

"Oh, Max, good, you're here. I-"

"Yeah, I am here," I said, looking at him even though I really wanted to get a good look at the redhead and her friend. "And what the heck do you think you're doing?"

"Uh, see, that's the thing." Fang scratched the back of his neck. "I-"

"How could you, Fang?" Nudge suddenly came up behind me, apparently for supportive reasons. "Do you know how much work it took before to get Max to trust you? To love you? To date you? And now you've done this. This…this…cheating-"

"Whoa, wait. I am not-"

"Then what the heck is this, Fang? Huh? Huh?" I guess Ella's on my side too. I frowned as she came up on my other side, her finger pointed at Fang before jerking at his friends. "Do you-"

"Stop it." I shoved her slightly, frowning. "I didn't try to fight your battle."

"Yeah, because Iggy was innocent."

"Wait, you think that we're-"

"You shut up, Jenna," Nudge said, frowning at her. "I thought we were friends."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, I didn't think we were enemies. I mean, what else is there?"

The other girl, the redhead, frowned at Fang. "What did you want, Fang, anyways? Why did you have that kid come get us? For this? So I could hear you get belittle by your girlfriend? I mean, God, I thought-"

"I'd watch who you're talking about," Ella said, frowning at her. "Max is your leader."

This seemed to dawn on the other two girls for the first time for some reason. I mean, I'm sure they knew who I was, but just got caught up in the moment or something.

"I know that," the redhead, Blake, said, frowning at my sister before looking at me. "And believe me, this whole candle thing is wigging me out too. I had nothing to do with this."

"Max-"

"No, Fang, you-"

"I am about fucking done getting cut off," Fang finally growled, frowning at all of us. "This was for you, you big idiot. I trade all sorts of good stuff so that we could have this night. I got candles, I got a pillow, I got blankets. And now you've ruined it."

"Me? You know as well as I do that you didn't do this for me," I said, frowning at him. "I heard you. You were talking to this girls. You said something about sending for them? Right? Why didn't you send for me?"

"Because, Max, Angel- Wait." He frowned, crossing his own arms now. "What were you guys doing back there anyways? Eavesdropping?"

"Spying."

"Nudge!"

"What? It's no secret," she said, frowning at Ella before looking at Blake, Jenna, and Fang. "By the way, I'm in the business of recon. If you have anyone you need to, you know, gather information on, just hit me up. I'm normally over by the huts-"

"Nudge, shut up." I finally shoved her too. God, how did I get stuck with these two? "And yes, Fang, I was spying on you. And with good reason. You're, like, about to hook up with these two chicks in front of our cave. Ours, Fang! On our cliff. How could you do this two me?"

"Ew." Jenna frowned. "I mean, no offense, Max, I know you're our leader and everything, but just girl to girl, there is no way we'd both want to sleep with your boyfriend at the, like, same time. A guy would have to be insanely hot to pull that off. Like Richard."

"Ooh, Richard is hot," Nudge said, smiling at her.

"I know. He asked me if I would hangout with him tomorrow after sundown." Jenna shivered slightly. "He told me I can even call him Dick."

"'Ew. Why?"

"Because, Nudge, that's his nickname."

"Dick?"

"Yes."

"I don't get it-"

"I was serious about shutting up," I said, frowning at her. "Dick is short for Richard."

"In what world?"

"This one!"

Nudge huffed. "I'd cheat on her too, Fang. Rude much?"

"I'm not cheating on you, Max." Fang's voice was softer now as he just stared at me. "How could you think that?"

"What am I supposed to think, Fang? You're hanging out with two girls up here all alone-"

"I have friends."

"Okay, but-"

"And if you wanted to hangout with us too, that'd be fine."

"Well-"

Blake elbowed the other girl. "Leader, Jenna."

"Oh yes, Max, you should totally hangout with us." She nodded enthusiastically. "We can talk about…uh…"

"Dick."

"Nudge." I shoved her again.

"I was talking about the guy," she defended, rubbing her arm.

"Max, look at me." Fang stepped forward now so he was right in front of me. "This? This was all for you, silly. I thought that you were mad at me so we were going to make up. I traded for all this for us."

"Then why-"

"Let me finish." He moved to cup my cheek now, but I turned my head. "Angel came up here and told me that she tattled on me or something to you. So I sent some kid to find Blake and Jenna and send up here to explain to them what had happened and maybe so they could, you know, talk to Angel and assure her that nothing was going on."

"Yeah, because just, ew."

"Thanks, Jenna," Fang said without glancing at her. "So calm down some, huh? How could you think I was cheating on you? And spying on me? Really, Max?"

"What else was I supposed to do?"

"Telling me would be nice. Talking things out."

"You hate talking."

"I hate you thinking I was cheating on you even more. I hate the thought of you breaking up with me even more than that." He finally got me to let him hold my face in his hands. "When are you going to get it through your thick skull, Max, that you don't have to do it all on your own anymore? I'm here for you. I have you, I've had you, and I'm keeping for you. Forever."

"Aw." Nudge elbowed me. "Another happy couple, eh?"

"Shut up, Nudge," Blake said for me this time, frowning. "So that what it then? Because we were eating dinner, Fang. You said it was important. Are we done here?"

"Yeah," he told them, still staring at me. "More than done. Thanks a lot."

"We still need to talk to that little girl for you?"

"No, I think Max and I can handle it," Fang said. The second Blake and Jenna had flown off, he said, "Nudge, Ella, handle it."

"Us?"

"You," he said. "If it wasn't for you knuckleheads, Max wouldn't have been spying on me 'cause she wouldn't have believed I was cheating on her."

"I believe that was Angel's-"

"So go. You owe me."

"Fang, we were being good friends," Nudge told him.

"If you're not gone in ten seconds, I'll make you good as dead."

"Fine." Nudge opened her wings. "But I-"

"Nudge, we have to walk," Ella whined. "I don't have wings."

"Then you walk back down on your own."

"It's night!"

"So?"

"The woods are scary. You have to go with me."

"I do not."

"Do too."

"Do not."

"Do-"

"Get out of here," Fang told them both. "I mean it."

Nudge huffed before brightening slightly. "Bye, Max. And just remember, Fang never answered the condom question. Safe sex is the best sex. Or something like that. Ella, come up with a rhyme."

"I am good at rhyming. Did I ever tell you about my p-"

"Go," I told them finally, frowning. "And no spying."

"Trust me, Max, the last thing we want to see is the things the two of you will be doing."

Once they disappeared into the forest behind the cave, Fang released my head, sighing slightly.

"Anymore questions?"

I nodded. "What's with the candles?"

He smiled crookedly at me. "Iggy and I thought that maybe, last night, you were mad 'cause you were, you know, horny."

I blinked. Then I blinked again. "Oh."

"But now I know it's just 'cause you thought I was cheating on you."

"Oh."

"I'd hate to let all my hard work go to waste though."

"Shut up, Fang."

We both just stared at each other for a moment. Then, slowly, Fang started to unbutton his shirt.

"I don't know how people wear this kind of shirt. It's uncomfortable," Fang told me.

"Then why'd you trade for it?"

"I was trying to be romantic, Max."

"It's your color though. Black."

"Lucked out, I guess."

"Would you have worn another color?"

"For you? My girl? 'course I would have."

I blushed slightly as I looked around at the candles. "I'm sorry, Fang, for thinking-"

"Let's not talk about it anymore."

"It was wrong of me to-"

"You thought something. You were wrong. It's over."

"It was just…when I found out she was a redhead or whatever…I just thought…'cause you like that so much better than…"

"Than…?"

"Than, I don't know, every other hair color I've ever had."

And just like that, I was lifted in the air by my boyfriend. Fang's shirt was still on, though unbuttoned, and I could feel his chest under me. He was all sweaty.

"Fang-"

"Oh, Max, I- Arg!"

"Hey!"

He dropped me suddenly, moving to hunch over, clutching his back. "God. It hurts so bad. I'm sorry, baby. I forgot."

I just dusted myself off before moving to help him lay down…away from those pillows and blankets.

"Raven?"

Fang just curled up on the ground as I moved to try and massage his back after slipping his shirt off. "What?"

"Just FYI, we won't be using that pillow or blankets."

"Why not?'

"It was a nice gesture, Falcon, but those could be dirty. You should have washed them first."

"I didn't think of that. Sorry."

"Shhh." I kept stroking his back. "Roll onto your stomach, Falcon."

"Mmmm." He did as asked, moaning slightly as he did so. "I hurt, Max."

"I know."

"I'm sorry for making you think I was cheating on you."

"You do like those girls."

"What? N-"

"Fang."

"They're hot or whatever. There's not a lot to do on this island, you know."

"I know."

"I'd never mess around on you though, babe. I'm your shadow. I'm nothing without you."

"And the sun."

"Or candles."

"Those too."

I kissed one of his wings, causing him to flutter them. "I guess I went a little overboard."

"Just a tad."

"You did too though, thinking I wanted to…do that."

"Yeah, well, I was a little drunk at the time."

"I told you and Iggy to pour that alcohol out."

"We are, slowly, but surely."

"Yeah, right into your mouths." I kept massaging his back, sighing slightly. "Ella and Nudge told me that because we're not doing…that, you were getting it from somewhere else."

"Yeah, baby. My hand and imagination."

"Fang…"

"Oh, Max," he sighed, shaking his head. "I hated you not sleeping up here with me last night. You know that? I thought you were upset or something."

"I was. Just over something dumb."

"What started this stupid spying stuff anyways?" He rolled onto his back finally, stretching his wings out. I just moved to lay down next to him, having to lay on the wing to do so. Fang just laid there, staring up at the sky.

"Ella thought Iggy was cheating on her."

"Oh."

"Let's not talk about it anymore." I smiled up at him, snuggling against his side. "Hawk."

"Mmmm."

"They thought it was weird that I call you things like that."

"Huh?"

"I told Nudge and Ella that I call you Raven and Hawk and Falcon."

"Oh."

"They thought it was weird."

"They're stupid."

"Yeah."

"They're jealous too. Of what a great relationship we've got."

"Is it great?"

"It's great, babe." Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly. "On another note though, Max, what do you think of my hair?"

"Your hair?"

"Yeah."

"Are you mocking me? 'cause I thought you liked that girl because-"

"No, silly." He kissed the top of my head. "I love you. I love whatever you love with your hair. And besides, Max, you'd look horrible as a redhead."

"So I'd look horrible as the one thing you love the most."

"Yes, Max, you'd look horrible as ice cream."

"Shut up. You do not love ice cream more than anything. I meant red hair."

"I kiss one chick with red hair and you never let it go. I swear." He looked down at me. "Have you ever considered the fact that I just liked Lissa? Ever? Not for any specific reason? Not one more than any other one? Just like how I'd like any girl? I was fourteen. A boy."

"A boy."

"Now I'm a man."

"A man."

"Exactly."

Closing my eyes, I said, "So, we were talking about you."

"Right. What do you think of my hair?"

"What do you mean?"

"You like it?"

"As much as usual. Did you do something to it?"

"No. Iggy just thought that maybe-"

"Iggy says this, Iggy says that. Iggy can shut the heck up."

"So can Nudge and Ella."

"That's exactly what I've been saying." I shook my head. "The whole hike up here, she kept talking and talking about some guy she's meeting in the morning-"

"Guy?"

"Yeah. Peter or something. They're going to eat breakfast together or-"

"What? Where?"

"I don't know. I-"

"Max, how could you just lay here while Nudge is off planning some date with a guy we don't even know?" Fang frowned at me, I'm sure but I had my eyes closed and didn't plan on opening them again anytime soon.

"It's an island, Fang. One that I control. Trust me, there's nothing to worry about."

"When you thought I was hooking up, it was something to worry about."

"Nudge is too young for that kind of thing."

"I don't think so."

"So what's your solution then?" I did unclose my eyes now just to look at him. "What are you going to do? Tell her no? You can't stop her, you know."

"I know," Fang said, leaning down to kiss me again. "Go to sleep, Max. I'll take care of it in the morning all on my own. I love you."

"Love you too," I mumbled, frowning.

What did he mean he was going to take care of it on his own?

"…Hey, Max?"

It was about ten minutes later and I was practically asleep. "Hmmm?"

"Which one of us is going to blow out all the candles."

I patted his chest. "I'll give you one guess."

"I'd rather not…"