Sorry for being so long. This chapter is short, but it is a game changer

Disclaimer: You get it by know

Not to Be Expected

Max's POV:

I took a deep breath before knocking on his door again. Yeah, I am pretty sure he heard what I said, but does it honestly matter? We are only friends and I refuse to look at this from a different angle. I maybe, possibly, should have gotten the message though when he shut the door in my face. Oh well, I never was one for taking a hint, or at least acknowledging one.

I waited by the door for five minutes before knocking again. Or more like before I started pounding on the door screaming at him to open up. Loki is the type to hold a grudge, and if I don't manage to talk this out now then he may not give me a chance.

He opened the door and the irritated look on his face almost sent me running in the opposite direction. I always preferred shying away from conflict if it is an option.

"Can I please come in?"

"No."

I am already irritated.

"Look, I understand if you are upset with me, but be rational."

"Rational?"

"Yes! You are going to make a big deal out of this! I can already tell!"

"How so?"

I gritted my teeth, Loki is normally so articulate, and hearing him talk like Fang is grating on my nerves.

"Does it matter?"

He cautiously opened the door. This is how I found myself spending Valentine's Day at Loki's house. For a while I worried about the flock, wondering if they knew where I was at. I slowly started to unwind and push the idea to a small corner of my mind as Loki and I talked in an amiable manner. At least until we went back to previous topics.

"So, am I really that bad that you could not present me as your partner at dinner to your family?"

I spluttered out the water I was drinking at his use of the word partner.

"No, but I consider you a friend, not anything of romantic interest."

Loki nodded in what seemed to be understanding. Before the room was covered with heavy silence I changed the topic.

"Not to be intruding, but would you like me to order pizza? I planned on having dinner with the family, but they didn't want me."

Loki grinned without answer and walked into the kitchen. Not knowing what to do, I trailed behind.

"I actually planned to try a hand with cooking, would you care to help?"

My mind waged an internal war on itself, indulge in this learning experience and risk burning down his house, or simply watch and avoid the incoming catastrophe.

"I'll pass. I have this terrible skill that makes me burn anything I touch."

Twenty minutes later and I was positive that Loki did not know what he was doing any more than I did. He had chicken in a pot with water and green beans laid out on a pan, cooking in the oven. When he took them out the chicken looked soggy and the green beans were charred.

"Pizza is always an option, you know?" I teased with a smile.

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Two months and some odd days later

Max's POV

I sighed. Pizza at Loki's house is looking like a very good option tonight. Iggy has been good for nothing ever since he started dating that German model. He can barely spend five minutes without his lips attached to hers, and it only became worse when he found out she plans on going home this week. The constant affection those two show is sickening. I can barely stand seeing couples share quick kisses on the street. I literally hurled up my lunch the time I caught the two in a heated make out session. Carie's hands were pulling up his shirt and his hands were groping a rather inappropriate place. I had the right to lose my lunch.

Now, I am heading off to Loki's place. I don't care that he has no warning of my arrival. I rarely do. At least I thought that, until I saw a woman heading up to his front door and not much sooner entering his house. That was when I hesitated. She was a pretty blonde with bouncy hair, and she was wearing clothing that showed far too much skin in the cold weather. She returned no more than five minutes later; I wish I had not been outside the door when it opened.

"Max?" Loki's voice questioned as a sly smirk slid across his features. That was when I realized I had been glaring at the girl who was hastily trying to push past me.

"Hmm?"

"What purpose have you graced me with your presence for?" The sarcastic tone in his voice was not lost on me.

"I don't know. Who was that girl?" Any smile he had before was instantly tripled.

"Why does it matter?"

I almost growled my response at him, no matter how innocent it was.

"Just curious."

His smile dropped in a split second, and I had no clue why.

"You should come in."

He led me to the living room and the whole time I was silently panicking. Why did his house look so empty? He sat down on the love seat and I fell onto the space right next to him.

"That lady is the woman who is moving into this house."

"Ohh." I kept my response short to avoid showing any amount of sadness showing. The invincible Maximum Ride does not know the definition of sadness, yet alone does she show it.

"So, when are you moving then?" I do not believe there is a thing that could of shocked me more than his answer.

"Tonight."

"Where?"

"I honestly do not know Max, but I could not tell you either way."

That hit right below the belt.

"You didn't even plan on telling me you were leaving, did you?" Anger found its way into my voice, I was all too familiar with this situation. "Your bags are already packed and you were going to leave with nothing more than a useless piece of paper in your place!"

My eyes started to water as my anger increased, I could hardly stand to look at him with the unpleasant feeling built up in my stomach. He was becoming my closest friend and now he is leaving me like I am the scum on the bottom of his shoe?

"Well, I intended it to hold some pretty important information. Like, Max, do not come over to my house anymore, I believe you may scare away your new neighbor."

It felt like a slap in the face. So obviously the only reasonable response was to slap him in the face. I stood up to leave, to leave him before he could leave me, to leave the house, to leave the ground. I need to be in the air, right now. I was not able to do so because he grabbed my arm and yanked me back onto the couch.

"Do not touch me in such a way again or you will regret being born with two hands."

For the first time ever I felt genuine fear of Loki. Not just fear as in the look he gave me was scary, but the type of fear in which I was scared he was going to physically harm me. His face was no more than five inches from mine and a sneer graced his features. He had an arm blocking me from standing up and as I pushed on it with two hands the thing would not budge.

Loki's POV:

The insolent brat just slapped me! Before she knew what happened I had her trapped on the seat again. If she thinks she can be so disrespectful and just leave, then she has another thing coming. It was moments after I had her trapped that I realized how frightened she was. Her eyes all wide as they started to become watery and her lips slightly parted in shock, her hands were shaking as she pushed on my arm. I was surprised as I felt myself have to fight against the force she was emitting. As her struggle to break free became more frantic I realized she is not just frightened, but the first person I have truly had to consider as a friend is frightened of me.

I was confused on whether I should be angry with her, or myself. I moved my arm out of the way, and to my great disappointment she scrambled up as quickly as she could. Right before she slapped me and ran, actually ran, out the door. I am positive it is her I should be angry at.

So there you have it, Loki is leaving, and on a really sour note too. There are not many, or any, happy ways to look at this story.