If It Weren't For You – Chapter 14

By MyNameIsCAL

-Max's POV-

Ava seemed to be sleeping well tonight, so I finished the last of my coffee and started down the hallway. I needed to check on Fang too. He had spent an awfully long time in the bathroom. Iggy was right, I was going to upset him with the house. But I think we needed somewhere fresh to be, that it would help Fang move on from his demons.

His bedroom door was opened though, and when I peeked in, he wasn't in his bed. My heart started to race. This couldn't be good. I should have waited for a different day to tell him about the house. Maybe I had pushed him over the edge.

"Iggy!"

I headed down the hall and to Iggy's room. The light from the hallway lit up Iggy's bed where he and Fang lay together. Leaning against the doorframe, I gave a sigh of relief. Iggy had his arm around Fang, and Fang had his hand over Iggy's.

"Well, Ig, I guess things worked out," I said to myself, shaking my head as I smiled. "Goodnight you two."

The first traces of spring arrived just as we finished moving into the house. Iggy was still trying to get used to his surroundings and the new furniture, but Fang did a good job of keeping an eye on him.

Speaking of Fang, he seemed to be doing better now that I knew about him and Iggy. I felt like there was less limp in his step and more light behind his dark, intense eyes. If that was even possible. And he no longer had to take sleeping medication, which I think he was actually pretty happy that he didn't have to take any medication anymore.

We were getting ready for everyone to come over, and thankfully, Ava took her nap without fussing.

I was going to go into the kitchen to ask Iggy and Fang if they needed help, but I came to a standstill in the doorway.

"Fang, will you stop worrying for once?" Iggy wrapped his arms around Fang from behind, burying his face into Fang's neck.

Fang resisted him. "Ig, Max is going to see us."

"Max isn't going to give a damn if she sees us." Iggy pulled him closer. "And neither are the others when we tell them about us.

"You don't know that."

Iggy let out a breath of frustration. "Then it shouldn't matter. What matters is that you've made it this far, that Ava and Max and you and me are okay. And that I love you, Fang."

"I love you too, Iggy."

The doorbell rang, and I disappeared quickly away from the doorway before Fang could turn around and see me.

"Wow, Max. The house looks great!" Angel exclaimed.

I hugged her and then led her to the kitchen. Iggy and Fang had gone back to preparing dinner. The smell of food was filling the house already.

We sat in the family room later after dinner. Fang was holding Ava, trying to get her to talk.

"C'mon, who am I?" he asked her. "You said it this morning when Max and I fed you."

She blinked and then grabbed his nose. "Da-da."

Fang smiled now. "Can you say Mommy?"

"Da-da."

"Alright, you, let's get you to bed." Fang rose from the couch.

"Da-da," Ava repeated, grasping onto Fang's hair now.

He tickled her, and we listened to her laughter as they disappeared up the stairs.

"Iggy, you said you had something to tell us?" Gazzy questioned.

Iggy nodded. "Wait 'til Fang gets back."

"Wait, hold on, you're not..." Gazzy cleared his throat. "Dying or anything?"

"No!" Iggy let out a laugh. "It's nothing like that."

Gazzy looked relieved.

Fang returned, already digging his fingers into his sleeves. I put a hand on his arm and he stopped, biting his lip.

"So Fang and I have something to tell you," Iggy said. "And well, we thought you deserved to know."

Fang had his eyes fixed on the floor.

"So this really shouldn't be a big deal," Iggy went on. I had a feeling he said that for Fang's sake. "But Fang and I are gay."

He paused for a moment. Angel kept her expression neutral and Gazzy spit out his water. Nudge sat there, avoiding looking up from her lap.

"And well, yeah, that's what he had to tell you," Iggy let out a breath, waiting for someone to say something.

"Thanks for telling us," Angel said, giving them a smile. "I'm happy for you two."

Iggy gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me," Gazzy said. "But you know, that's cool with me. I don't want you to think that I'm going to like start avoiding you or anything."

"Thanks, Gazzy."

Fang was still staring at the floor. He muttered something under his breath, but I think only Iggy made it out because Iggy nodded and Fang got up and left. There was nothing but more silence after that.

"I better go check on him," Iggy said after a while.

And then he was gone too.

"Wow." Gazzy shook his head. "How long have you known, Max?"

"Since the end of January," I answered.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Angel questioned.

"You'd pick up on something like that." Gazzy smoothed back his hair. "And how's it been working out so far, Max?"

"I think they're good for each other." There was no denying that.

"Fang seems happier," Angel agreed. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Shortly after, I left to check on Ava. I got this off feeling about Nudge, but it wasn't my place to ask. Gazzy would deal with it.

Angel stuck around for a while, but Gazzy and Nudge left because he had filming and she had work. No one was saying it, but Nudge had pushed him to leave, for reasons that were obvious. Iggy brushed it off jokingly, but Fang was withdrawing back into his old self, and Iggy was desperately trying to stop him.

"Let's go out to dinner tonight," I heard him suggest to Fang. "Just you and me. Angel can help Max with Ava. Or we'll go early and you can come back to put Ava to bed."

Fang grunted.

"C'mon, Fang."

"Alright."

Angel let out a laugh and covered her mouth. We were sitting in the kitchen though, so Iggy and Fang didn't notice our eavesdropping.

"Sorry, I just think they're cute," she whispered.

It was my turn to laugh. They were, in their own way, I had to agree.

"So have you met your other neighbors?" Angel asked. "Things seem nice here."

I nodded. "A couple of them stopped by to say hello. They have kids Ava's age. I think it'll be good."

"Gazzy was supposed to ask Nudge to marry him last night."

"What?"

"Yeah, and he planned to stick around to do it tomorrow, but she wanted to go."

"How come you stayed around?"

"Because I knew it would make Fang feel a little better. Besides, school won't miss me for a few days. Gazzy said he'll swing by to pick me up in a few days." She glanced over at Fang and Iggy who now had Ava. "I won't tell them that though about Gazzy and Nudge. Don't worry."

I should have said something, but she got up and started to busy herself with some homework. Even though she was the youngest, Angel always had a way of getting things better than everyone else. She never got angry about anything, nor did she ever argue. Sometimes it was hard for me to see her grown up because I still remembered her as a little kid, lost and scared after our parents were gone.

The day continued on slowly. Around five, Fang and Iggy were ready to leave.

"Da-da!" Ava screamed.

He took her from me for a moment, and she calmed down.

"Daddy will be back in a little while." He kissed her forehead. "You be good for your mom and Angel."

"Da-da!"

Fang gave Ava back to me and she started crying again. It looked like it tore him to leave.

"Daddy will be back soon," I told Ava. "In time to put you to bed."