The Disbanded: Divided We Stand – Chapter 65
By MyNameIsCAL
-Max's POV-
Ted and Cal's wedding was amazing, almost as amazing as they were amazing people, but it was hard to smile and feel like we were enjoying ourselves ever since Nudge had left. Fang even pulled me onto the dance floor this time, trying to distract me from thinking. I rested my head against him as we moved around in a slow circle.
"Don't hurt yourself for me," I muttered, closing my eyes.
Fang squeezed me a little closer, a smile growing on his face. "I'm not, and even if I was, I wouldn't tell you so."
He always seemed to have the right thing to say, and I smiled into his shoulder, watching Iggy and Ella sit in the corner, talking quietly to themselves. Ella caught my eye and gave me a smile.
After a while, Fang was starting to lose strength, now leaning on me instead of me leaning on him. I took his hand, and with some reluctance, he followed me to the tables set up outside. Chuck and Barry were sitting at the far table, kissing in the moonlight, thinking that nobody was watching. We slipped past them and down to the garden that the whole place overlooked. Some of the finest grass you'd ever find in Arizona. There was a bench just a little farther down the path and Fang practically collapsed into it.
"You should have said something before," I murmured, leaning against him, listening to his quickened heartbeat.
"I think you need to stop worrying," he said, putting an arm around me.
His eyes closed after a while, and I could hear his heart rate slow.
"Max?" he muttered.
"Mmm?" I replied, taking his hand."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Fang."
-Angel's POV-
I didn't like knowing things, honestly. But you know, it was hard for me not to listen. I was sitting at a table, alone. Max and Fang had just gone to the garden, probably trying to get away so he could relax. I knew she cared for him, and worried maybe a little bit too much. Mike and Eli had just taken a seat at the table behind me, and I rested my head on my arms, pretending to be asleep.
"Why do we have to talk about this now?" Eli asked.
"Because I need to tell them tomorrow," Mike said, his voice harsh, almost angry.
"I told you, I'm saying no. I can't go back." Eli's voice shook. He sounded terrified and I knew they had to be talking about going back to work.
"But I need you to come back." Mike slammed his hand on the table. "What the hell are you so afraid of?"
Eli stood, his chair being pushed back and hitting the table behind him. "People like Ramirez and people like you."
I watched Eli run past me, looking like he was going to cry. Mike, on the other hand, stomped after him.
"Mike, don't pushed him," I called after him.
He turned and stared at me, snarling, "What do you know?"
"More than you can imagine."
And then he was off again.
-Fang's POV-
"Don't hurt yourself," Ted warned.
We were moving furniture around in his house. He had just gotten back from his honeymoon with Cal a couple days ago. Max wanted to help move the couch, but I couldn't let her, that just wouldn't be right, especially since Ted kept insisting that Cal just sit and relax.
"Fang, I mean it, if you need to stop, we'll stop," he went on.
I sucked in a breath. "Nah, I'm fine."
Besides, we were almost there. But breathing, it was starting to get hard, and I could hear my monitor start to beep. We set the couch down in its place and I collapsed onto it.
"Fang," Max kneeled down next to me. "Fang, are you okay?"
"Fine…" But I knew that was a lie.
"C'mon, deep breaths," she said.
And that's when I panicked.
"Shit," I heard Cal swear. "I'll call 911."
"Fang!" Max grabbed me by the shoulders. "Look me in the eye. You're going to be okay."
-Max's POV-
Fang was stubborn, but he was stubborn like me and we both understood that about each other. He looked tired when the doctor finally let me go in to visit him. Ted and Cal had waited all night with me and they waited outside, urging me to go in.
"Well," Fang breathed out. "That was incredibly stupid of me."
I took his hand.
"Max, please don't cry," he said, pulling me into the bed, next to him.
But I cried anyway, into his shoulder, and he rubbed my back, trying to comfort me.
"I'm…I'm just glad you're okay," I sobbed.
He kissed my forehead. "Me too."
I'll update the next chapter probably around Saturday of next week. I'm going away for 5 days, so I won't have any internet where I am. Oh, but I have written the last couple of chapters after this one, and then there's the end. It's hard to see this fanfic go, but I think it's gone on long enough and it's starting to lose focus.
Thanks for reading!
