Explosions and Love Songs

Gazzy/Universal POV:

The Gasman was watching TV in the Martinez home, just wasting the day away while Iggy was at school. He was "sick" right now. But it would have been to suspicious if he and Iggy were sick at the same time.

But anyway, as Gazzy was watching TV, he noticed something new was on. It was a movie, called "Ten Things I Hate About You", and it looked pretty funny, from the opening scene. So Gazzy decided to watch it. Little did he know, it was a romance...

(two hours later, the movie is over and Iggy is home):

"Whoa. Gaz, what are you watching?" Iggy questioned in bewilderment, hearing the ending music of the movie. What happened to that kid? Ten things I hate about you? Isnt that a romance movie?

"Oh--uhh, nothing." Gazzy quickly clicked the off button on the TV remote.

"Uh... okay then. Hey, I picked up some C4 after school... you know, illegally, of course. Wanna go mess with it?" Iggy was totally distracted in his excitement, and the Gasman let out a sigh of relief. He also let his eyebrows shoot up, even if Iggy couldnt see it. C4?

Hell yes.

Fang POV. (888888888888888One hour later, Iggy and Gazzy are in the backyard88888888888):

I sighed. Silently. But a sigh, still.

"What are they doing now...?" I asked to no one in particular as I heard a huge boom! come from the backyard. Iggy said something hurriedly this morning about C4...

Crap. Well, Max was officially going to kill me. I just hoped Gazzy and Iggy had survived so she could take her wrath out on them too.

I walked, more like stomping, I was just that lazy with picking my feet up after the hell that was school, out back and gazed in amazment at the crater that was now our yard. Well, there goes Angels trampoline... speaking of which, pieces of black shiny fabric were seemingly falling from the sky. I wonder how those got there.

"You still with the living?" I jabbed Iggy in the back; I wasnt worried, I could see him and Gazzy breathing and grinning at each other.

"Sir, yes sir!" Igs stood up and thumped his chest like a gorilla or something. I rolled my eyes. Surprisingly, Gazzy was silent, and not going completely bonkers about that awesome blast of a fire ball. Iggy noticed this too. "Hey, Gazzy? Are you still here? Are you okay?!" He asked with worry, reaching back to wear he'd last heard him. His hand met Gazzys shoulder.

"Yeah. Uh..." Gazzy cleared his throat. Iggy frowned.

"Whats up? Is this about the lighting thing? I wouldve let you, but C4 is really dangerous. Like, really, really--" Iggy was cut off by the Gasman asking a question that nearly made me want to fry my brain. Maybe I should get a hold of some of that C4.

"Do you love Max?"

I spluttered. And Iggy raised his eyebrows until they were concealed within his hair. "Er, Gaz, of course he does, we all do--" Gazzy cut Ig off again.

"Not like that. I am a little older than Angel, even if I dont act like it. I know you know what Im talking about." He gave me a hard gaze. I raised an eyebrow.

"No, really Gazzy, its like Iggy said--" God, this kid wouldnt let up!

"Fang." He gave me a patronizing stare, and I looked at Iggy. He was smirking, but not looking at me or Gazzy.

"What do you find funny about this?" I muttered so quietly I knew only he would hear it.

"Hey, Gazzy, why dont you go and clean your room; as soon as this is seen by Max shes already going to be pissed. So go make your death bed." At the glare Gazzy gave Iggy, Iggy just rolled his eyes and shoved the boy toward the door. Gasman humphed and began walking in the house, glancing back every few seconds at the two of us.

"You owe me, man. I dont like doing that to Gazzy; ordering him around like he is actually a little kid." Iggy sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I knew something was up. When I got home he was watching some chick flick. Maybe it got him thinking. Has he got you thinking?"

I grumbled under my breath. "No. In no way has he gotten me thinking. So shove what I know youre about to say; I have an angry Flock leader to deal with." Ahh, saved by the car-horn.

I really hope she didnt hit that pole again. I also hoped Gazzy wasnt quizing her like he was me...

Max POV (Shes home, the groundings have been dealt out, the bomb supplies taken, and shes tucking everyone in for bed.)

"Goodnight Angel!" I heard a small shout back and some giggling. Her best friend Bree was staying over for the first time. Angel had "accidently" let her see her wings, and now they were the best of playmates. Bree even helped Angel with pruning.

Weird.

"G'nite Iggy, Fang, Nudge!" Iggy and Fang had been in their room for hours now. I wonder what they were doing...

Nudge, on the other hand, had her boyfriend over. She was only thirteen, though. I knew she wouldnt do anything. Just as long as I dont catch them making out again. Geez...

Gasman had been locked up in his room since Id been home. I was honestly a little worried about him; I knocked firmly on his door.

"Come in." I heard. As I walked calmly in I saw him throwing a soccer ball at his ceiling. Well, what was left of it. He'd recently blown up his room; the holes were covered with trash bags and plastic wrap.

"Hey Gaz. Whats up? You didnt even get that bad of a grounding this time..." I trailed off as I saw he had watery eyes.

"Hey! Come on, tell me whats wrong." I sat beside him on the bed and caught the soccer ball when he threw it at me. He sniffed the snot up his nose, a little grossly, and wiped his eyes.

"Max, I can ask you anything, right?" For a second, I had about a million flashbacks of when the Flock was little, and they all put their trust in me. That had been right after Jeb left.

I cleared my own tears, forcing them to go away, and ruffled his hair. "Of course. You can always trust me, Gaz."

Frowning, Gazzy asked me a question that made me wish I had bomb materials with me, just to distract him. "Do you love Fang?"

I gulped inwardly. "Of course, I love all of you--"

"Yeah. Thats what Fang and Iggy said, too." He sighed. "Maybe Im just being stupid."

I blinked in shock. It wasnt like Gazzy to give up like that, or to, well, sigh. At all.

Something was definitely wrong...

"Uh, Gazzy, why do you ask?" He shook his head, hiding his face.

I put my hand on my shoulder. "Gaz. I wont judge you. But just help me, I wanna help you... I want to understand. If I can." There. That sounded fairly motherly, hopefully.

He turned back round again, and his lip was quivering, though he was trying no to show it. "Are you and Fang going to split again? Because..."

"...yeah? Because what?" I asked. What made him think we were going to split up again? My mind, being mine, of course, jumped to the worst possible conclusion: Fang mustve said something.

"I-" He took a shuddering breath, and miraculously, his possible-tears disappeared completely, and when he spoke again his voice didnt shake one bit. "I dont think I could handle choosing between my mom and dad again, Max."

It was deathly silent for a second. Really. Like, cricket chirping, single cough, a gay baby is born, silent.

"Max? Why do you look like your eyes are watery!? Im sorry! I didnt mean to upset you..." His tears came back into his eyes. I sniffled and wiped mine, a somehwat happy smile on my face.

"No, Im not upset Gaz. It was kind of a shock to hear that..." Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, did I just tell him the full truth and nothing but? No! I cant do that! Im supposed to lie, and put on a brave face, no matter what Im feeling! Im not supposed to turn into weepy-sappy-Max in front of the Flock! Or, the kids, at the very least.

"But, to answer your earlier question: no. Not if I can help it. As long as I have some say, that will never, ever, happen again." I let out a breath Id been holding. Surely Fang would think about the rest of the Flock, if he had even been talking about leaving.

"Ok." And there was the flashback again; the kids just accepting what I said, without protest, because my word was all they knew. I hoped I lived up to that trust.

Max POV (One hour later.)

I was sitting in the family room, messing with the iPod Id gotten for Christmas from the whole Flock last year, when I heard creaking on the stairs. I looked at the clock; it was 1 am.

"Hey." Fang said. He walked in and sat on the couch next to me. I could practically feel myself bristle; what if he was going to ask me to leave, right now? What would I do?

"Hi." Even to me my voice sounded meek, and, quite frankly, a little scared.

Fang frowned, and looked like he had something on his mind. "Whats up? Did Gazzy get to you too? I swear, he was a little annoying when he kept going on and on after I told him that. I didnt mean it like that, really."

"Too?" I said in disbelief, and I could feel a little bit of rage bubble up inside me. "So he asked you if you were really leaving and you didnt even have the decency to comfort him? You just thought, 'Oh, Maxll get it. Im far too important to even be involved with this poor kid.' You didnt think of what that would do to him? What it is going to do to me? What the hell, Fang!" I stood up and glared heavily at him, ignoring when my iPod fell on the carpet with a soft thud.

"What? No, Max, I--" I cut him off.

"What? You were going to wait a few months? Or maybe a week. Then again, why even that long. I bet youre leaving in the morning!" I threw my arms up in the air, and growled in anger.

"Max! Please, let me explain--"

"Theres nothing to explain. In fact, just leave now." My eyes opened wide in shock; crazy girl with a Voice in her head say WHAT!?

"Err, Fang. Uh, I didnt mean that, really, I..." ..trailed off hopelessly because I knew he was now pissed. Great. I probably just sealed the deal. Hes definitely not even going to eat breakfast and say goodbye tomorrow. Perfect.

"So you dont really want me to leave? Because it sure seemed like you had something against me explaining." Fang grumbled. He also stood. Looking into my eyes he grabbed me by the shoulders and glared into them. "I promised I wouldnt leave. I wont. What I meant was that this afternoon after the explosion, Gazzy asked me some things that were a little perturbing." He let go of my shoulders and I rubbed them a bit.

"Oh." I muttered. I gave him an apologizing glance, and he nodded once, sitting back down. "Well, yeah, he 'got to me' too, as you put it. He asked me if we were going to split up again. He also told me he didn think he could choose between his mom and dad again." I literally fell on the couch, my head on Fangs leg. "What did he ask you?"

Fang was quiet for a minute. I looked at him in confusion. "Hey. Earth to Fang. Did that radio message come in loud and clear?"

"He asked me if I loved you. For some reason, Iggy said he watched some chick flick earlier, he wouldnt quit badgering me about it." Fang offered no explanation as to what his answer was. That hurt a little. I locked the pain away.

"He asked me if I loved you, too." I murmured. Fang frowned.

"Why would he care, though, is whats bothering me. I mean, maybe Angel knows about... but no one else does, as far as I know." I continued. Fangs eye twitched, for just a second, and it looked like he cringed, but then the emotion was gone. What was he hiding from me?

A few minutes of comfortable, if a little tense, silence passed. I missed this. Just sitting with my best friend, not doing much, but having an almost silent conversation. This one happened to be about what Id been doing with my iPod. Fang glanced at it questioningly, then back at me. I rolled my eyes. Picking it up, I showed him the new band it contained.

Fang also rolled his eyes when he saw some of the song names. "What is with society today and rebellious boy bands? Well, besides that, Dirty Little Secret? Paper Heart? What kinds of songs are those?"

I huffed, and mocked hurt. "Hey! Some of us, girls, that is, happen to like corny guys singing about broken hearts and bad things others have done!" I could tell immediatly I shouldnt have said that. The eye twitch and cringe came again, but they stayed this time.

"Fang. What is with you? Apparently this isnt all that bugged you today. So whats up?" Time to help the best friend. Since I cant help myself get with that best friend.

(A/N Guess this turned songfic. Woops. Ill explain what this oneshot was origionally about at the bottom, if youre interested...)

Fang was silent again, the cringe stuck on his face, the iPod in his hand. All of a sudden he moved, flicking through the albums and artists on the little piece of machinary. He put the ear buds on full blast and something pumped out of them.

"Please just dont play with me! My paper heart will bleed! This wait for destiny wont do, be with me please I beseech you. Simple things, that make you run away. Catch you if I can..."

Thats all he let play. He unplugged the ear buds after that.

I was shocked, to say the least. He still felt that way?

"So bottle up old love, throw it out to sea, watch it away as you cry. A year has passed, the seasons go..." I sang softly, looking at him, and raising my eyebrow questioningly. His eyebrows raised also, apparently involuntarily.

"My lips are sealed for her. My tongue is tied to the dream of being with you. To settle for less is not what I prefer..." He was leaning closer, just murmuring the words to me quietly. My eyes fluttered shut a second before his, and two before his lips hit mine. Fangs hands came to rest on my shoulders again, a lot more gently this time, and mine went around his neck.

(A/N No french! Sorry people who like that kind of thing--I dont believe in that stuff til youve been together for a long while. Plus, Id just make it sound disgusting :P)

It was with our lips moving softly in sync and Fang slowly pushing me against the couch armrest that Gazzy walked in, rubbing his eyes. He stepped on a creaky floorboard and Fang and I jolted apart. Thankfully Gazzy was still looking down at the floor. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.

After we had readjusted ourselves, so we were just sitting next to eachother, I cleared my throat. "Oh! Fang? What are you doing up?" He looked slightly frightened; probably because it looked like I'd been yelling, since my face was red. (Even singing lovey-dovey songs to his other half and then getting caught kissing doesnt make Fang blush? Grr.)

Fang gave me a weird look, and then grasped my hand. "Talking. Youre right, by the way," Fang gave Gazzy a small, but truly genuine, smile. Gazzys eyes lit up, and he grinned. Looking at my red face he smirked.

"Well, Im glad." He smiled at us, and with one last glance at our hands, turned right back around and marched up the stairs to his bedroom.

"Oh god, that was embarrassing." I muttered when I heard the door close, burying my face in Fangs black hoody. He started playing with my hair. Playfully swatting his hands away, i got up and stretched.

"Er, Max... this isnt like the Incidents, is it? Because, I dont think I could handle that again." Fangs voice was worried and hurt, and he looked at me longingly. I stuck my hand out.

"Silly Fang. Dont you know it takes two to sing a love song?" I said as he grabbed it. I pulled him up, and started leading him up the stairs. When we got to his rooms door I pushed him against it softly. Kissing him gently on the lips, I murmured, "Summertime, the nights are so long. The leaves fall down, and so do I into the arms of a friend. Winter nights, my bedside is cold, for I am gone. And spring blossoms you to me."

Hugging him as hard as I could, I put my chin on his shoulder. "But it isnt just a friend. Its more than that, Fang, and it always will be."

(A/N Whew! 3100 words, people. My fingers hurt.

(Dont be so melodramatic! Dont you think my head hurts? Listening to all your incessant drabble, all day long, all the time)

Lillith, this is your fault, and how would you escape that, anyway? You... well, live in my head. So sucks for you.

(Well, i for one, have a crick in my neck, and am desperately in need of some Bryers.)

Alex, I think I cant do something for ya there. Lillith, want some?

(-Grumbling- Yeah, yeah..)

Hope you enjoyed this. Oh! It was orgionally a What-if-Gazzy-wasnt-always-portrayed-as-a-little-kid-who-believed-in-cooties story. I just thought Id put a new spin on how people think of him; so far I havent read a single fic of Gazzy actually being the one pushing them together. Please tell me if you know of one!

Then again, in this one, its been two years, so Gaz is 10. Oh well. Same point...

\/ Reminding you of your friendly neighborhood review button. Yknow, if you feel like pressing a button now. Seeya! :P)