Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride.
Warnings: Mild language.
My God, I hate it when she does this. If mutant bird kids have a God, anyway.
Every time things are going well, Max just goes along and does something stupid, or decides to confuse the hell out of me, or tries to slice open her arms to get that stupid chip, or jumps off a cliff, or flashes a smile that comforts Angel and Nudge and Gazzy, or subtlety helps Iggy whenever he's pointed in the wrong direction, or makes me smile (On the inside. No emotion for old Fang,) or unknowingly comforts me when she's got too much on her plate already.
Wait, I'm supposed to be angry here.
And I am. I'm freakin' pissed! Why the hell would she even think about diving off a cliff without even telling anyone? Without telling me? I'm her second in command, I should know what she's doing at all times! What if she hurt herself? What would I do with the Flock? What would I do without Max?
And that is what pisses me off most. "What would I do without Max?" Would I be able to face another dawn without knowing she would be right there beside me? Would I be able to lead like her, take care of our family without her?
These kinds of thoughts make me feel weak, and I hate it. I hate her for it. I love her for it.
The truth is, I would follow Max to the end. If she decided to up and take a running leap and plummet from the edge of a cliff without so much as a, "Hey, I'm jumping to my doom, if you hear a splat, tell the Erasers their job was done for them," I would jump after her.
Probably why we're falling to our could-be-deaths right now.
I had always feared and will always fear that Max would decide she doesn't need me like I've always needed her. I'm afraid one day she'll wake up, realize how strong, intelligent, and beautiful she is and just leave me behind.
I was coming level with her, having tucked my arms and legs and wings into an aerodynamic diving pose. We made eye contact, and then suddenly, physical contact.
That damn girl was kissing me! You just can't do that! You can't hit me with an unexpected cliff diving and then an unanticipated kiss! It's just...not allowed! I have to be prepared for these sorts of things.
And then, I actually felt her lips working against mine, chapped from flying at high altitudes with wicked wind whipping her face. They were warm, though, and very pleasing. Very pleasing. Suddenly I didn't care about anything. I felt the wind shooting past us, knew that the ocean and all its pointy rocks were coming up very fast, but didn't care at all. I knew that we would be all right, because she had her arms wrapped around me, and mine around her. I kissed her back with all the feeling I could muster.
I knew in that moment that Max would never, ever leave me. Her kiss said it all to me. She needed me, just like I needed her. Max could do some crazy shit some times, but I would always be there to help her out. I was her rock, her solid ground; just like she was the wind that kept me flying, kept me hoping.
God, that whole thought process was cheese. Not even real cheese, the fake cheese product that comes in a spray can.
A/N: I heard the dividing lines weren't working, but they're showing up in editing, so hopefully they'll show up for my lovely readers. Yes, this is the promised and long awaited sequel to Taking a Leap. Nobody remembers, right? Yeah, I know, I'm lazy, and this is more Fang's thoughts than the actual scene, but I'm happy with it. Major props go to Kaya the Hedgechidna for suggesting the plot. Thanks bunches, if not for you, there would be no sequel.
I think that's it. Review, if you feel like it.