Max's POV
5 days. It's been 5 days since the day Angel left us. It's taken that long for us to accept that she might not be coming back and return back to a semi-normal state. If we were even normal to begin with.
In case you're getting tired of the number five, here's a new one. Seven days. It's been seven days since the day Fang kissed me. Now I know what you're all probably thinking: What? Angel left and the world might be ending, but you're thinking about the next time you get some! For those of you who ARE thinking that, well it's not like that. Since that day we found out about Angel's betrayal, it's been like she died. Everyone has been kind of empty. Even me. And Fang? He's just been there. That's the only way I can describe him. He hasn't made any move to speak to me. Or anyone. He just nods his head, shrugs his shoulders, and watches the rest of us silently. Maybe he is waiting for us all to crack. Well whatever it is, that's why in the very back of my mind there is a channel where my thoughts are permanently glued on Fang. Fang. And more Fang. Does he no longer like me? Was the kiss just an in the moment thing? Do I smell? I'm pretty sure I don't have a disease! I know I'm not the best looking, but am I downright repulsive? Deep breaths. Sigh. See? I think I might be going crazy.
"Max!" Nudge calls, pulling me from my daze. Why are people forever yelling my name?
"That's my name, don't wear it out." I say and look at where she is standing in the doorway with 'What do you want?' expression on my face.
"Can we go somewhere? Do something? I'm tired of just sitting here completely depressed and wasting away my valuable free time," she whines.
"Mhm. Then what do you propose we do Nudge?" I ask. Her face breaks into a grin.
"Weeelll…" she drawls out and I prepare for my ears to bleed.
"Dreslin and I have been talking about going shopping for a while and we heard that there's going to be a carnival not too far away from here and we think that'd be a whole lot of fun so can we go shopping today and then spend the day at the carnival tomorrow? Please, please, please Max! And you have to let us get you something too! So could you go talk to Fang please?" she says and gives me bambi eyes.
"You've got to be kidding me." I mutter.
"Nope." She says, still working magic on me with her eyes.
I let out a huge breath and run my fingers through my hair, "Ok, but I have some conditions.
I say.
"Okay," she responds, nodding eagerly.
"We all go and if you get me ANYTHING pink, I will hurt you. So where's Fang?" I ask casually.
"Thank you Max! This'll be awesome! Uuum…I'm pretty sure he's in the gym." She says.
I nod and hop off the bed to make my way to the elevator, "Oh and make sure you tell Iggy and Gazzy." I say before I go.
"Please don't make me go in their room. They're working on some freaky new bomb," she pleads with me in genuine terror.
I'm almost tempted to laugh. "Then don't touch anything." I say and close the elevator door.
So when Nudge said Fang was in the gym, I expected him to be doing some intense workout while, preferably, shirtless. When I walk in though, he is lying on the mat, head turned away from me. What's up with him? I lean against the doorway for a second and look at him. His dark silky hair, tan arms, and well defined muscles. I walk to where he is and around so that I'm looking down on his face. He's sleeping! I stare in disbelief. He looks like a little kid. An insanely cute kid, but a kid nonetheless. There's none of his hard mask when he's sleep. I almost hate to wake him up. Almost. An evil smirk crosses my face as I pull my leg back and kick his rock hard abs, sending him sliding across the floor. Well he doesn't really slide across the floor. He just moves a few inches, but either way it wakes him up fast. His eyes snap open and he hops up. Good 'ol assassin reflexes. His eyes narrow at me once he sees my evil smirk.
"I think you've got a bit of drool on your lip," I say.
His face flushes in embarrassment as he wipes at his lip. Wow, I should be around when he wakes up more often. He's slow to put on his mask. Seeing him blush has to be the most amazing thing I've ever seen. He sees me watching him and lifts an eyebrow in innocent curiosity. "What?" he asks.
I shake my head and ask back instead, "What's been up with you since Angel's been gone? You speak less than usual. Or rather, not at all. Not even me. You're more…empty." Oops. Masks back up.
He sighs and the mask drops. I think we're making progress. He runs his fingers through his overgrown hair and says, "It's just that everyone has been upset after what happened with Angel. I needed this week to…think." His eyes avoid mine.
I scarcely dare to breathe after he says this. "Oh, I see." I say in response.
He snaps his eyes to mine when he hears the rejected tone I let slip into my voice. Now it's my turn to look away.
"Max…" he breathes out.
"No it's fine. Really. I just wanted to tell you that Nudge and Dreslin want to go shopping today and then spend the day at the carnival tomorrow. You know you're our preferred mode of transportation." I cut him off and ramble on, sounding more like Nudge than I ever have before.
I turn to walk away right after when he grabs my arm. When I look up, his eyes are pleading with mine as he says, "No. It's not you Max. Don't think that. I still…I still…" he struggles for the right words to say for a second before I see him make a decision with his eyes.
He moves his hand from my arm to my cheek. He comes closer to me and my breath hitches when he places his lips gently to mine. I feel his concentration as he wraps his arms around me and tries to convey with the kiss what he couldn't say aloud. It's slow, sweet, and loving. I could really get used to this. It has to be unreal, but when Fang pulls away and I open my eyes, he's still there.
I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks as Fang looks at me, "Sooo…uum…I should…go get ready to go…shopping." I say awkwardly and pull out of Fang's arms. I see quickly masked disappointment flash over his face before he covers it with an amused smirk.
"You're actually going to go shopping with Nudge and Dreslin?" he asks.
"Well more like they'll drag me around unwillingly. It just depends on whether they let me go or not." I say with a slight shrug of my shoulders. He chuckles in response.
"So I'll tell everyone to be ready in thirty minutes?" I ask him and he nods.
I turn and am almost out the door when he says, "Oh and Max?"
I turn around to see that he somehow silently managed to get right behind me. "Whoa, silent much?" I tease and he smirks before he bends down and quickly pecks me on the lips. I blink in surprise.
"I don't know when I'll be able to do that again." He murmurs softly before turning me around so I can continue my walk out of the door.
My thoughts on the ride back up the elevator linger on Fang's last words to me. That he's thinking about kissing me again. Well, at least I broke his silent streak. When the elevator door opens to the top floor, I hear what sounds like an explosion followed by a shriek from Nudge. I hurry toward the shriek which is coming from the bathroom. I walk in to see toothpaste splattered across Nudge's face, hair, and shirt.
Torn between outright laughing and trying to be concerned, I settle for asking, "I thought I told you not to touch anything?"
"Well I'm sorry if it LOOKED like regular toothpaste!" she snaps at me.
"Gazzy! Iggy!" I call. They walk in. Gazzy grinning sheepishly and Iggy just flat out grinning.
"No bombs in ordinary looking objects." I say.
"Yeah," "Sure." They respond then turn to go.
"Be ready to leave here in thirty minutes!" I call after them. I think I hear them high five each other and I roll my eyes.
"You think you can be ready to go by then?" I ask Nudge.
"Yeah sure if I skip a whole other shower." She says, practically twitching from irritation.
"Do that," I say and walk out to go find Ashley and Dreslin. They are sitting on Nudge's bed talking.
"Hey, shopping in thirty minutes," I say. Ashley raises an eyebrow at me, but nods in agreement. Dreslin shouts, "Awesome!" then starts bouncing up and down in excitement.
Iggy or Gazzy might have spiked her orange juice this morning just for shiggles. I leave them to go change into some clothes and brush my hair.
AN: I originally planned for this to be longer but I lost what I had written and I'm going to continue looking for it for at least the next two days, if I can't find it ill rewrite it so I'm not requiring anyone to review since this is my fault it's not the whole chapter I wanted. Sorry..