Catch and Release
Chapter 18
"You ready?"
He got a moan in response.
"It'll be okay, Carter. These kids'll be your friends. Your best friends."
"Owl come?"
"I told you," he began as they walked down the street, her holding onto his jeans. "I'll be right there, on the sidelines. Okay? You're just hanging out. It'll be fun."
She just kept making these pitiful noises, making Fang just want to scoop her up and run back home, keeping her far away from these potential bullies.
It wasn't unti they were insight of the field that Carter perked up.
"Ball."
Fang frowned as she let go of his jeans. "Carter!"
She took off towards where a few kids from the red team already were, kicking a ball back and forth.
"Ball." She stopped in front of the other kids. "I p'ay."
One of the boys, the biggest of all the kids, kicked her the ball. "You play."
And that was that.
"How'd it go?"
Fang put his finger to his mouth, silencing Max, not wanting her to wake up Carter who was sleeping in his arms.
"Here," Max whispered, getting up to take the toddler from him. After putting her in her bedroom, she came back, frowning. "Was that a good sign?"
"Yeah. I think so. She fell asleep right before we got to the building." He went to go sit down on the couch. "She made friends though. I think. She played very well."
"She didn't whine or anything?"
"No. One kid threw a fit though for some reason."
"What happened?" Max sat next to him, sighing.
"I dunno. He just got upset, I guess." He shrugged. "Carter didn't seem that concerned though. She got along good with this one girl though. Ally. And this boy, Jess."
"Expect that to change."
"What do you mean?"
"Girls always are flimsy on their friends."
Fang interlaced their fingers, holding both hands in his lap. "Not Holden."
"Holden. Hmmm." Max leaned into him. "Take off your jacket."
"No."
"It's hot. Besides, what are you hiding from?"
Carter. He didn't want Carter to ask questions. His scars on his face were nothing in comparison to the ones on his arms.
"I'm just a little cold, that's all."
She pulled her legs up onto the couch, curling against his body. "Then let me warm you up."
Glancing down at her, he decided that was quite alright, letting Max warm him.
"Owl?"
Twenty minutes later, they were joined on the couch by a now fresh and rejuvenated Carter, courtesy of Max leaving her bedroom door open.
"Hey, Holden," he mumbled as she climbed into his lap. Max smiled slightly, glancing away from the television to stare at her daughter.
"Hi, Owl. Hi, Mommy." Carter cuddled into Fang.
"How was your game?" Shifting slightly, Max let go of Fang's hand so that she cold get more comfortable. "Did you have fun?"
"Yes. Yes. Owl?"
"Yeah, I had a great time," he mumbled.
"What, Fang? Why didn't you like it?"
"Oh, I did. Watching Carter was fun," he said, patting the little girl's tummy. "Standing around all that time though? That sucked. It's gonna be a beating, but I have no life, so what else would I do with my days?"
"Don't say things like that," Max yawned.
"I'm joking."
"No, you're not." She leaned up, kissing his cheek and then Carter's head when prompted. "You do have a life. It's me and Carter. Deal with it."
"Wouldn't want it any other way." He leaned down, hugging Carter slightly. "So long as she had fun, huh?"
"Mmmm. Did they win?"
"Not really. No one ever made a goal. The yellow team's goalie pulled his pants down though and peed on the goal post."
Max made a face. "Carter see?"
"No. She, Jess, and Ally were busy eating dirt."
"Jess." Carter snuggled back against Fang. "Hi."
He hugged her again. "You know what tomorrow is, Carter?"
"I be ghost."
"Yep. It's Halloween." He smiled at her. "We're gonna have so much fun, huh? You'll get candy."
"Can'y." She reached up, touching his chin. "Fuzzy."
"Fuzzy." He nuzzled her hand, making her giggle.
"What's up with you, huh?" Max closed her eyes slightly. "Mmm, I work at six. Can you wake me up then, huh?"
"You gonna go to the bedroom?"
"No." She smiled, kissing his clothed arm. "I'm gonna stay right here."
Carter patted her mother's thigh before settling into Fang's arms. Then, glancing at the television and finding what was shown unsatisfactory, she looked back up at Fang. "Car'oons?"
Sighing, he put it on some little kid show before tuning out. Whatever show it was, it was one of those that had the kids talk and sing and count and everything else back to it. Which was great…for Carter.
"Does she have to sing?"
Max moaned, cuddling deep into him. "She likes singing."
"Yeah, I've noticed." Fang patted Carter's head, making her snap up at his hand. "No, Carter. No biting."
"No hit, Owl."
"I wasn't hitting you, silly. I was petting you."
"Doggie."
"Yes, like a doggie."
"Kitty."
"Or a kitty."
"James!" Carter jumped from his lap. "James!"
"Wha-"
"That's Mom's dead cat. Remember?" Max shook her head. "I'm so tired, Fang. Can you…?"
Max just trailed off and Fang was able to find her meaning without words.
"Carter," he called as he stood up, leaving Max behind. "Come here. James isn't…here."
"Owl," he heard her call from Max's bedroom. "Owl."
He found her in there, looking under the bed. "Holden-"
"James." She jumped up. "Owl?"
"James isn't here, silly. Come here." He leaned down, opening his arms to her. "Let's get back in there and watch the show."
Carter glanced around the room one more time, looking for her long-lost kitty, before running to Owl, her arms also open, though they quickly closed around his neck. "Owl."
"You need a bath soon, Carter. You're all sweaty."
"No bath."
He just sighed as she nuzzled into his neck. "Maybe later, huh? Are you hungry? We can have a snack."
"No Owl snack."
"An Owl snack?" He frowned little bit before shaking his head. "You mean fruit? No, we don't have to eat fruit."
"Owl snack." She poked his cheek. "Owl."
After making them some popcorn, Carter and Fang went back to the couch, only to find that Max had now taken it over and was peacefully sleeping.
"Come on," he groaned, sitting down on the ground. "Let's sit down here."
"Owl." She climbed into his lap, sitting up very tall. Fang just looked down at her, shaking his head slightly.
"You always have to sit in my lap, huh?"
"Owl." She grabbed at the bowl at popcorn. "Owl."
"Here you go, silly." He let her have some before setting the bowl on the ground. "You comfy?"
She leaned back against him, her cupped hands holding the popcorn. "Owl."
He hung around with Carter, listening to the television, until five-thirty rolled around. After waking Max up, he bathed and fed Carter before putting her down, hoping that she would sleep through the night.
"Finish story time already?" Max asked Fang as she was heading out the door, finally done getting ready.
"Thankfully," He mumbled as she pulled him in for a kiss. "Mmmm. I'll see you when you get home."
"Yeah, see you then."
Max kissed him once more before heading out. Then it was just Fang, all alone.
Sighing, he went to go find his own dinner before settling out on the counter to watch some television.
"Owl?"
He glanced up to find that Carter had come into the room. He always tried to leave her bedroom door cracked when she first went to sleep, in case she needed anything.
"What?" By this point, Fang was lounging on the couch, only half watching the TV, fighting sleep. "Something wrong?"
"Owl no nigh-nigh?"
"Not yet," he mumbled as she came over to the couch, staring at him. "You need something?"
"Owl."
"You need me?" He allowed himself to smile softly as she reached up, putting her little owl doll, the one that he was named after, on his chest.
"Owl."
"What's this for?"
"Owl nigh-nigh."
"Carter-"
She leaned up towards him, using the couch to pushing herself up, and pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Owl."
Sighing, Fang turned his head, looking at her. "You want up here with me? With Owl?"
"Yes," she said, now excited that he had been able to figure out what she wanted. "Up."
Fang just watched as she clambered up the couch and onto his chest, settling in with the stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh toy next to her. "You comfy?"
"Yes. Yes, Owl." She snuggled into his chest. "Owl."
"You know, Carter, I've been reading this parenting book."
She just stared up at him.
"I know, I know, lame, but I figured it'd be important." Coughing, he quickly moved on. "It said something about how the kid should sleep in their own bed, alone, to keep unhealthy separation anxiety from forming. If it does form or whatever, you might get too dependent on me. I don't want you to be dependent on me."
Carter yawned, closing her eyes.
"Not that I won't always be there, Carter, because I will. You can depend on me, you know. You just need to be independent in some areas too, like your mother. And aunts. Uncles. Or your grandmother. Yeah, surely you can look up at what she's done and see what it means to be dependent. …Except for the whole Whitecoat thing. Yeah, besides that, she's a pretty good person."
When Carter began to suck her thumb, Fang decided to just bring the conversation to a close.
"The point was, Carter, that we can't make a habit of you sleeping with me or your mom."
Her snores sealed the deal and Fang finally shut his mouth. He felt like all those years of not wanting to speak or not understanding how to express himself had just been saving up for now, for when he couldn't keep his trap closed. It was only around Carter though, so that was fine.
"Goodnight," Fang mumbled, stroking her back gently. "Holden."
"Boo! I be ghost!"
Ella smiled at Carter before reaching into her candy bowl and putting some pieces in the little girl's outstretched bag. "You're supposed to say trick-or-treat, sweetie. Can you say that?"
"Smell me feet!" She looked up at Owl for confirmation. "'ight?"
He patted her on the head. "Right."
Max shook her head as she pulled on Fang's hand, pulling him back as Carter bid her aunt goodbye and headed over to the next house.
"Don't forget to say thank you, Carter," Max told her daughter, but she just whined.
"She's fine, Max," Fang said, holding Max back at the sidewalk this time as Carter climbed up the porch steps to the next house. He kept an eye on her as always as he said, "I wanted to ask you something."
"Then ask," Max said, also being very vigilant of her little ghost. God…ghost… Next year, Max was getting her cutesy girl costume if it killed her!
"It's just, uh, well…I want to get a couch. For my place. So I can still sleep over there when Angel's around."
Max blinked, finally breaking her gaze from Carter. "You don't want to stay at my place anymore?"
"What? No. I just meant- Good job, Carter," Fang began as the little girl walked up, holding up her bag as proof of her accomplishment. "Onward."
Once Carter was marching up the next set of steps, Fang started again.
"I meant for napping purposes. I mean, I'm not…getting good sleep. I don't hardly sleep at night and then in the mornings, when I get off, Angel's still in bed because she doesn't get up until noon and when I go to your place, Carter's already up and rambunctious. I need common ground."
Max wanted to point out that Angel wouldn't even be around that much longer, but knew it was pointless. Besides, what did she care? They weren't living together, by any means. Fang still had his expenses and she had hers. And most importantly…the guy really did need a couch.
"Well, I suppose we can go couch shopping next-"
"Max, I was just thinking of going with a used one. One at a garage sale or something."
Giving him a very pointed look, she said, "Fang, I am not letting you get some flea ridden, lice infested couch."
"I'll have it cleaned.
With a shake of her head, she added, "Besides, everyone knows that only haunted things come from garage sales."
"Haunted?"
"Y-"
"Owl!" Carter came back to them once more, still beaming. She was so good at being a ghost. There should, like, be an award for it or something. Really. "Can'y."
"Good job," he said, before leading her to the next house. "You're very good at this, Carter."
Halloween with Carter was short lived, as it was with most toddlers. The last place they took her was Dr. Martinez's house, where the vet took pictures of her granddaughter before sending them on their way.
"That was fun," Max whispered to Fang some time later, after Carter had gone to bed after getting two pieces of candy. "Don't ya think?"
He nodded before sitting down on the couch. "Come here."
Max cautiously sat down next to him, but Fang just wrapped his arm around her shoulders, sighing.
"Let's watch a movie," he mumbled, reaching out to grab the remote with his other hand. "Huh? A horror movie? Seeing as Carter's in bed?"
"Only if you take off your jacket and cuddle with me," Max bargained, snuggling up to him. Fang quickly obliged.
"All you had to do was ask." He moved to lean towards her now, rubbing his fuzzy chin against her head as Max surfed the channels for a suitable movie. "That's all you ever have to do."
"So how are things with Carter going?"
Fang rubbed his wrist nervously, like he usually did around his therapist. He hated it in there. He hated his therapist. He hated everything.
"Good."
Maybe not everything.
"She…She was a ghost. For Halloween? Like she wanted to be? Max let her." He coughed. "I worked last night, so I didn't get to be with her this morning, but I'll see her today. Like usual. We do better that way, when we get to see each other at least once."
"You've adjusted to her very well, Fang."
Was that a compliment? All he could think of was when he kept telling Carter about how good of a trick-or-treater she was. And he had been lying. Did that mean that the doc was lying? Huh? Huh? How could he know? Huh?
Dr. Martinez was waiting for Fang after his counseling session to take him out to lunch. Who else was with her but Carter? Oh, and Evan, but Fang was mostly concerned with Carter.
"Owl! Hi!" Carter waved from the backseat. "'ait for Owl!"
He watched her wave in the review mirror for a moment before reaching a hand back and letting her grab it.
"Where are Nudge and Ella? Why do you have them?"
"Seb got in trouble at school," the vet told him with a shake of her head. "Where do you want to go for lunch, Fang?"
"Well…Max is at her waitress job today…Until three…And it's twelve…"
"Let's go then," she said with another sigh.
"Hi," Carter called out as they walked into the burger place. She had been to Mommy's work tons of times. Everyone loved her there and over at the grocery store. She was a superstar in the making, after all.
"Aw, Carter," Lindsey, one of the waitresses, said when she saw them. "Are you coming to eat with your Mom?"
"With Owl." She looked up at Fang. "Owl?"
He just patted her on the head as he led Dr. Martinez over to Max's section. When Max saw them, she was less than thrilled.
"Fang-" She began as she came over.
"You're not even busy." He sat down at a table. "Evan's gonna need a highchair, Max."
"I know, idiot."
"Don't make me complain to management."
Rolling her eyes, Max picked up Carter and sat her down next to Fang. "You wanna sit with Fang, Carter?"
She nodded, leaning as far up as she could so she could see over the table and wave at Dr. Martinez, who was sitting across from her. "Hi, G'anny."
Max shook her head a little bit, heading off to get Evan a highchair. When she got back, she asked why Ella didn't have the kids, as it was her day.
"Seb got in a fight at school. She had to go down there and I was already out, about to pick up Fang, so I just picked them up too."
"Seb." Carter looked at her mother. "Sp'ite?"
"Water," Max told her, making the little girl frown. "What do you want to drink, Fang?"
He wanted a coke, but… "Sprite."
Rolling her eyes, Max got her mother's drink order too before walking off.
"Why doesn't Max like for you to come here, Fang?" The vet asked.
"I dunno." She was probably embarrassed by him. He would be embarrassed by him. "Just makes her nervous, I guess."
"Owl." Carter patted his leg before setting Robbie, who had come in with them, on the table. "Robbie."
"Yeah, I see." He patted her head, sighing. "Do you have to bring that everywhere you go? Can't you take someone else? Like…Lockheed?"
"Lockheed."
"Yeah. Lockheed." He patted her head again, watching as Max came back with their drinks.
"Here you guys go," she mumbled, passing them out. Sitting up a little bit taller, Carter looked straight at her mother.
"Robbie wan' sp'ite."
"I said no, Carter." Max shook her head. "Are you guys ready to order?"
"Robbie wan' sp'ite."
"Carter, I just said-"
"Watch your tone, Max. We're your customers," Fang said, patting Carter's head again. "Carter wants chicken strips. And gravy."
"I know what my daughter wants, Fang."
He just shrugged. "I want a burger with everything on it."
"Sp'ite!"
"Carter-"
"Shhh, Carter." Fang looked down at her. "Mommy's mad."
"Mad Mommy." She reached out, grabbing Robbie. "Hi, Robbie."
After taking her mother's order, Max went off, leaving them alone.
"Here you go," Fang said, helping Carter take a sip from his drink. "Sprite."
"Fang," Valencia warned, but he just shook his head.
"She can have a little soda."
"You're not her parent."
What was up with everyone and reminding him of that?
"You want me to what?"
Ella sighed. "You really think that I would ask if I had any other option?"
Fang frowned, staring at the boy next to her. "He's not a little kid, Ella. He can stay home on his own, can't he?"
"He could, if he wasn't grounded. And since your little stink hole has no amenities-"
"You really-"
"-this is the perfect place for him."
"Carter is here. If he's some sort of bully, I don't-"
"I already called Max. You have to."
"I don't have to do anything, Ella."
"But oh, Fang, I think you do."
"Why can't Nudge-"
"She indulges him too much."
Carter, who had been doing tumbles around Fang's living room, jumped up and came rushing over.
"Hi, Seb!"
He just mugged her, not saying anything. It was the next day and the nearly teenaged boy was pissed. Not so much about being suspended, but definitely about being grounded. Now, here he was, being sentenced to Fang's apartment. A brain aneurism couldn't be much worse.
"Fine," he growled, taking a step back. "But I'm going to look at couches later, so he's gonna have to come along."
"What? Mom-"
"That's fine with me." Ella then looked at Carter. "Hi, sweetie. How are you?
"Apple."
"That's great. Well, have fun, Sebastian. I mean, don't have fun. But don't cause any trouble."
After she was gone, Seb just stood there for a minute or two, looking around. "Your place is a dump."
Fang resisted the urge to hit him on the back of his head, like he would Gasman when they were young. Instead, he just picked Carter up, not really knowing what to do with the boy. That's all he was, really; a boy. Not even a boy that Fang could punish or correct.
How did Fang keep getting in these situations? Taking care of other people's kids? It's really starting to get old.
"Carter and I are going to take a nap. You can stay out here, do whatever you want. I don't care. Just don't bother us."
"Bye-bye," Carter called to her cousin as Fang took her into his bedroom. Angel's laptop was sitting on his bed, but he just sat it down on the ground before dumping the toddler in its place.
"Owl," she jokingly complained with a small giggle. "Owl."
"You'll never be bad like him, Carter," Fang mumbled as he got into the bed with her, wrapping his arms around the little girl. "You know that? You're always going to be good."
"Owl." She kissed his sleeve. "Owl."
"Mmmm. I haven't slept yet today. This is like my bedtime, Carter." He rubbed his chin against her face, making her giggle loudly. "Let me sleep."
She moved closer to him, resting her nose against his. "Owl. Hoo."
Fang smiled in spite of himself, staring into her brown eyes. "Goodnight, Carter."
The next time he opened his eyes, he found Carter still in bed with him, but playing with her stuffed animals instead of sleeping. When she noticed him awake, she reached over and patted his face.
"Owl."
He just groaned a little bit before letting out a loud yawn, making her laugh again. "You hungry, silly? You wanna go eat something?"
"Yes!" She reached over again, grabbing at his nose. "Owl!"
"Come here." He pulled her to him before standing up. "Let's go eat."
When they got to the living room, Fang found that Angel was back, talking on the phone. Sebastian, for his part, was in the kitchen, raiding the mini-fridge for something to eat.
"You don't have crap in here."
"Who would eat crap anyways?"
He just got an evil look for that.
"All you have is stupid fruit and stuff. I don't want to eat any of that."
"Yeah, well," Fang began going to sit Carter down on the kitchen counter. "I was told to watch you, not feed you."
"Seb." Carter put her fingers in her mouth, making noises the whole time. "Owl."
"I'm making lunch, Carter. You want sandwiches?"
"Yes, Owl."
"Peanut butter and jelly?"
"Yes!"
"Okay then."
Fang went around the kitchen, mostly ignoring Sebastian the whole time. After he had made both his and Carter's lunch though, he finally put a little bit of his pride away before asking, "Do you want a sandwich…kid?"
"I'm not kid and I can freaking make it myself."
"Be my guest," Fang said, setting Carter on the ground before grabbing their plates and heading back to his bedroom. "We're leaving after lunch. Come on, Carter."
"Owl." She quickly patted her cousin's hand before running after Fang.
"Owl big. Big Owl." Carter glanced down from her mother's boyfriend's shoulders and stared at her cousin, who was following along behind. "Seb small. Small Seb."
"Shhh, Carter," Fang mumbled as they walked along. They had just finished negotiating for the couch, which Fang now would own tomorrow, once he got a truck to pick it up. He had sent a picture to Max through his phone and she approved of it also, along with Carter, so all was good. Now, all he needed was a bed for Carter's room and they would be all set.
At the moment though, they were headed out to one of Carter's practices, her big cousin having to come along for the walk, albeit begrudgingly. It was kind of chilly out though and Fang really didn't feel like going, but knew he had to. Damn him, deciding that Carter needed to get out more. That meant he had to get out more too, which sucked. Bleh.
"Now what?" Sebastian asked, addressing Fang for the first time in, oh, about an hour. Not that Fang really wanted him to.
"We wait," Fang told him simply, taking a seat on the ground, watching as Carter went to go greet her teammates. "There's some basketball goals, further down, closer to the park. If you're back in two hour, I won't say nothing."
"Anything," Seb mumbled, walking away. "You won't say anything. That's a double negative."
"If you're so smart, how come you couldn't even stay in school?"
"I just got suspended for a few days, okay? Besides, at least I went to school."
"So did I," Fang muttered also, not really speaking to the boy or at least not for his benefit. "So did I."
After Sebastian was gone, Fang picked at the grass while half watching Carter. He didn't fit in well with the other parents. Not that he had trouble with them necessarily, but he hadn't made any friends so far. That was okay though, seeing how he wasn't in need of friends. Friends were never a good idea. Ever. …Except in best friend cases. His best friend worked out pretty well for him. In the most important ways.
"Owl!"
Fang glanced up as a soccer ball came rolling up to him. He saw Carter and one of her teammates standing there, staring at it.
"You want it back?" He pushed it gently with his foot. "There you go."
As it came rolling back to them, Carter and the little boy separated, going back to kicking the ball back and forth to each other, practicing some sort of drill or something. Now that Fang was keyed in on them, he was listening to their conversation.
"Car'er's daddy?" The boy asked, kicking the red soccer ball back at his new friend.
"No," she said as the ball missed and she had to get it. "Car'er's Owl."
"Thanks for volunteering me for babysitting. Or should I say teensitting."
"He's not thirteen yet," Max said, leaning up to kiss Fang. "Not even twelve. He's not a teen."
"He's not a baby either."
"No," Max agreed, stepping around him. "He's not."
Fang closed the door after her. "Carter's sleeping in my room. Sorry. She kind of just crashed after practice."
"That's fine," Max said, looking around. "So…where's the couch?"
"When Ella came to pick up Sebastian, I told her that I would need her truck tomorrow to go get it. You wanna help me when I pick it up?"
"I can. I don't work in the morning, so I'm free then."
"Okay. Thanks." He shifted slightly, his jacket feeling a little too hot for comfort. Still, Carter was about to be up and he had to hide from her. Not to mention that he had no idea when Angel would be back.
"Come here." Max grasped his hand before pulling him into the kitchen. Once in there, she jumped onto the counter to sit, facing him. He stood there stiffly as she brought him into her hold, leaning up to kiss his neck.
"What's wrong with you?" She mumbled against his flesh as she pulled back. "Huh? You sure were into this, the other night."
He just grunted, staring down at her. Max always looked so playful and frisky when she was trying to start something. Fang knew, though, that it was going nowhere, and refused to let himself be led down a road with no end. Max had made it clear that she wasn't ready for anything too deep, which was fine. Really. But why did she have to keep freaking toying with him?
"Cut it out," he mumbled when Max moved to kiss him again.
"Fang-"
"If we're not doing that, then I don't want to do anything."
"Are you that much of a freaking pig?" Max sat back, disgusted. "We can just make out, you know."
"We could, if we weren't coming up on thirty."
She pushed him back before jumping down. "You know what, Fang? I think it's time for me to go."
He just watched in silence as she went to go get Carter from his room, both of them not wanting to wake the child.
"Are you coming home?" Max whispered as she went to get the toddler's diaper bag.
Fang slowly went to go get Robbie and Lockheed from his bedroom to add to the diaper bag. "This is my home."
For a second, she just stood there, giving him a smoldering glare. Fang stood there, taking that, before trying again.
"It could be your home too. Sometimes. We don't always have to go to your place." He nodded at Carter, who was still sleeping in her mother's arms. "She can sleep here, in bed with us. She likes that, you know. I…like it."
"Angel will be-"
"When she comes in, I'll give her the key to your place. She can stay over there tonight."
She just stood there for a moment, staring at him. Then she turned and headed to the door. "You had your chance, Fang. I came in here, happily going along with whatever you wanted. Then you had to go and be a douche. I love you and I love being with you, but there's a reason it's called dating. We need time apart sometimes. Goodnight."
After she was gone, Fang walked around his apartment for a little while, aimlessly looking for something to do. It wasn't until he sat down on the living room floor to stare at the walls some and listen to the radio that Nudge gave him that he noticed something in the corner of the room. Crawling over to it, he found that it was Owl. Not him, but the one he was named for.
"Carter," he mumbled, holding the toy in his hand. Slowly, he sat back on his butt as some classic rock song played out on the radio station hosted by a guy that probably wasn't even old enough to appreciate the music. It wasn't even until Angel walked in about an hour later that Fang looked away from the little toy.
"God!" She jumped as she saw something dark sitting the corner. "Fang? You freaking scared the hell out of me. What are you doing, sitting in the dark like that?"
"Do you make out?"
"With you? God no. Why?" She went into the kitchen to get a drink.
"I meant you and your…you know."
"Girlfriend. Melissa is my girlfriend."
"Yeah, sure. Do you-"
"No, Fang, say it. Be mature. Girlfriend."
He took a deep breath. "Do you and your girlfriend ever make out?"
"Sure."
"Without sex? I mean, whatever you substitute for sex?"
Angel took her own breath. "What do you mean 'substitute'?"
"Angel, answer my question first."
"No, not really. I mean, if we're both drunk and, like, at a club or something, we might, but it always leads somewhere later that night." Angel came to sit down in front of him, a coke in her hand. "Why?"
He stared at her, amazed for a moment to find a grown woman. How did Angel go from trying to take control of the Flock to having a girlfriend? Sighing, he just shook his head a little bit.
"Max won't…have sex with me."
Angel took that one very well, swallowing the coke in her mouth instead of spewing it at him. Ew. Just ew.
"Okay," she said slowly. "Well, is it because you're bad at it?"
Watching her for a second, Fang slowly said, "No, I don't think it's that. Would I even go to you if it was that?"
He just got a shrug. "Then how come she won't screw you?"
"I don't know."
"You want me to find out?"
"No. I already got what I wanted."
"To have an awkward conversation?"
"To find out if you ever just make out. I'm gonna have to take a poll," he weakly joked.
"No need. Max has no sex, Nudge has nothing, but sex, and Ella couldn't get laid if she tried. Want guys too? Iggy will screw anything and everything, Dylan is still stuck on Kelly-"
"Who-"
"-and the Gasman is a manwhore. Well, he would be, if he could. But he can't. So."
"Who is Ke…never mind."
"While everything thought you and Max were…dead…Dylan moved on to some chick named Kelly. They were together until Max got out. Then Dylan left her because you know he has a one track mind. Then Max turned him down because she was so broken up by your…death. Dylan tried, but Max wouldn't budge, so he tried to get back with Kelly, but, hey. Who wants to go back to a guy that's obsessed with someone else?"
Fang looked off, squeezing the heck out of the owl doll. "Max says she's not ready."
One thing Angel never wanted to be privy of was Max's sex life. Nor Fang's. Never. Speaking slowly, she said, "Are you?"
"I…I want to," he mumbled, looking down now, embarrassed. God, getting sex advice from Angel? Then again, they both were sleeping with women, so maybe that was the way to go… Okay, ew. Fang shook his head, wanting to get that thought far from his mind. "I don't think what I want matters."
"Not if she's not ready. And you never said if you were or not."
"I'm not a little kid. I've made multiple commitments to Max in the past. She's…the only one I've ever been with. Do you know what that's like? Only having been with one person?"
"For a little while, yeah."
He groaned. "You don't get it. Max is me. She's just…everything I am. Only better. I need her."
"Maybe you do, but she's doesn't need you on that level. Not yet anyways." Angel stared at him in the darkness. "If it helps, Fang, I'm rooting for you."
As she got up and walked away, he just mumbled under his breath, "Helps very little, Ange…but every little bit counts."
Late update, I know, but I've had a hell of a week. Cut me some slack? No? I figured…