In and Out of Love – Chapter 23
By MyNameIsCAL
"Max," I began. "We've had our share of hard times. When I needed you most, you were always there for me, ever since we found ourselves in those cages. You know be better than anyone else, better than anyone could ever know me. For a while, we've been restless and unsure of ourselves, but now, I'm ready for this and I know you are too. For everything that we have waiting ahead of us because I love you, Max. I always did and I always will. So wherever you go, whatever you do, and stand for, and believe in, I will be by your side, always."
I was never good with words, but the fact that Max was smiling back at me, eyes teary, it was good enough for her.
"Well, Fang," she sucked in a breath, trying not to cry. "You've been my best friend for a long time. The nights you stayed awake with me to distract me from worry when we were in cages, or even now. And all that I've been through, I'm glad that you were always back me up, even if you didn't agree. I couldn't be luckier to have you now be my husband, to be my partner for life."
And I smiled back at her. But it wouldn't have mattered what we said, even if we had said nothing at all. There would always be that understanding between us, that unspoken language that only we knew.
It was nearly midnight now as we soared through the sky, heading towards the one place I always wanted to go back to. The one place I planned to bring Max back to when the time was right.
"Where are we going?" Max asked me for the hundredth time.
"You'll see," I grinned.
She rolled her eyes.
And then there it was. I started to descend and she followed, close behind. It had been years since I'd been back to this old place, the place that started our troubles with Itex. The place I had waited for Max to return with Nudge. This was the place where we flew with the hawks, the place where we really refined our flying skills.
"Oh, wow, Fang…" She was speechless for a moment as we set our backpacks down.
"I was thinking about being in cages and talking to you," I told her, taking her hand. "And I couldn't think of a more perfect place to bring you."
And we stood there, for a while, staring out at everything. Nature was beautiful. No one should ever mess with it, including human nature. We might be an example of that, but I guess we really wouldn't be anything without wings.
Eventually I unrolled the sleeping bags and we settled in for the night, a small firing burning for warmth. Not that we needed it when we had each other.
The hawks were still here. Sometime in the afternoon, we spread our wings and flew with them again. I wondered if they were the same hawks, or at least maybe their descendents. Perhaps we owed a lot to them. Our flying wouldn't be anything without them.
"I used to miss being on the run," Max admitted as we sat on the cliff.
"Why?"
"Because as much as we suffered, there were some magical times we had, some amazing times we all had together," she answered. "And when you and I were apart, I missed it because I didn't have you like I did back then."
"You have me now," I said.
She gave me a smile. "I know I do."
And I leaned into kiss her.
So I shall leave you here, for now. I'll probably have another chapter or two to wrap things up. I know this chapter was short, but I didn't really want to add anything else here. This chapter was all Fang and Max. More soon! It's not the end quite yet! Btw, if you read Fang already, I was sorta thinking about the end and Fang's letter to Max. Going back to the place where they flew with the hawks was inspired by that letter. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And if it wasn't all that you wanted it to be, then I am truly, deeply sorry. Thanks for reading!