Max headed into the living room, a few days after the Big Storm, as newscasters were calling it, had taken place. The day was gloomy and overcast, and though she'd never admit it, she had just finished a mystery novel called The Aviary that had somewhat creeped her out.
She felt the need for "human" contact.
"How about we have a flock-over?" she proposed to them. Nudge, only nine, brightened considerably from her spot on the rug overlooking a dozen magazines.
"Yes, yes, yes! We can do nails and braid hair and talk about hot celebrities! And we can do facial masks-"
"I am so in," Iggy said and crossed his legs femininely over one another, placing his folded hands over his knee. "Can I do your makeup, darling?" he said, turning to Fang. Before the dark shadow could open his mouth, Gazzy replied in Fang's voice.
"Totally," he said in a valley-girl-Fang impression.
Angel, only four, giggled in understanding. Jeb had told the Flock about Angel's mind reading powers a year or two back, and she spoke very well for a four year old. She stayed quiet most of the time, just watching.
Max laughed too, and rolled her eyes with Fang.
"We won't be doing any of that. Let's just play some games, have some fun."
Max observed the Flock. Iggy and Gazzy were reading an instruction guide for something Max was better off not knowing about, and Fang was watching Animal Planet. Angel sat beside Nudge, looking up at Max with a smile.
"I say we play Clue!" Gazzy said. Max, knowing it was a mystery game, was slightly less enthusiastic as everyone else, and Angel caught her unease.
"Let's play with partners," Angel suggested, smiling up at Max. She blushed slightly at her dumb fear. It's not even real fear, she told herself.
"Well, it'd be pretty hard to play by myself." Iggy said.
*banannabee and kitkat*
Later, when Gazzy was asleep on the loveseat and Nudge and Angel were dozing on the couch, the three older teens were awake and bored.
Max stared into the dolphin lamp that Nudge had brought out from her room.
"Sometimes it makes you dizzy and tired, and others," she paused to yawn, "you could stay awake and watch it go round and round for hours."
"Yeah," said Iggy, "I totally get ya."
Max lamely punched him in the arm, not having enough energy to do much else. Fang stayed quiet. Perhaps he'd fallen asleep?
Max looked to Iggy, his chin rested on his crossed arms in front of him, and he blinked back a sneeze. Fang was facedown on his pillow on her other side, and she rolled her eyes, smiling.
Then, Max's head started to hurt, and it was getting progressively worse as she tried to rub the pain out of her temples.
Max got up and walked to the bathroom so that she wouldn't alarm the others, closing the door softly and leaving Iggy's no-response-needed chatter (that was often accompanied by the late nights) in the living room.
Grabbing a towel from the shelf to her left, Max turned on the faucet and wet the towel. Looking up into the mirror. She looked fine.
Once Max felt calm enough, she stepped into the living room. She felt dizzy for a moment, but got over it quickly.
Max sighed and stepped over the dolphin lamp, sitting in between the two boys. Fang was up.
"You alright?" Fang said, sitting up a little.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Max reached for her blanket, but Iggy had it wrapped around him in a cocoon. Max growled softly, and turned to Fang.
He lifted his blanket up, and Max wearily climbed under the covers with him. Snuggling in close for his heat, she wasn't too tired. She still had a million thoughts buzzing around her head. Her fears of tomorrow were still up and running. Max rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"You okay?" Fang asked again. Max inwardly rolled her eyes.
"I said I'm fine," she said. "I just have a little headache, and I'm cold."
"Oh."
At this, Fang moved closer to Max. Fang would never admit he had feelings for Max. Max was so oblivious to anything at the moment that it wouldn't do much anyway, aside from add more to her list of things to worry about. Fang knew that she had a lot on her mind. He would help her if she wasn't so adamant on feeling like she could lead them. He knew she had to feel strong, and if that meant taking care of five other kids, so be it. Fang would do all he could to help her get through.
That's what being a right hand man meant, after all. It wasn't about helping her take care of the flock, it was about helping her as she lead the flock. Helping her get through the day while everyone else was under her responsibility. "Right hand man."
That's exactly what Fang was. He knew that for a very long time, possibly even forever, he would never be "boyfriend," even if he wanted to be. He wasn't sure he was quite ready for that, but it was obvious to himself that he was going to be something some day.
"Fang?" Max said.
"Mm?"
"What are you thinking about?" she asked. Fang had no idea what to say. He stayed quiet for a few minutes, thinking.
"This. Us," he said truthfully.
Max nodded as if she knew what he meant. But Fang knew she didn't, she only thought about the flock, and Fang was okay with that.
He'd just have to wait for her. He'd wait as long as it took for her. As she tucked everyone in every night, and kissed their foreheads, he'd be the one putting Max to bed.