(A/N): Oneshot. Fluff.

I sighed. Another perfect night. We were in a forest overlooking the sea, with a town ten minutes' walk away – three minutes flying. It was my watch, and I was on my back gazing up at the stars through an opening in the forest's canopy. I couldn't believe how serene, how perfect things were. They'd been pretty ideal overall lately – we had been safe, we had had a decent meal three times a day for the past week, [courtesy of the MaxRide card], and we were pretty sure the 'bad guys' were no more. What could be better? I sighed again, completely content.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Fang said, startling me slightly. He'd materialised next to me [the bugger was getting better at this whole invisibility thing – he was learning to stay invisible while moving], and was laying on his back, watching the stars just like I was.

"Yeah, they're gorgeous. Know any constellations?" I asked squinting slightly to see if I could make out Orion's Belt, the only constellation I knew of. Fang stayed silent for a moment, and then spoke up.

"I don't believe in star constellations," he said thoughtfully. I took my eyes off the stars and fixed them on his face, but he refused to make eye contact with me. The star lighting made him look godly – the defined muscles along his face were highlighted ever so slightly, making him look like the strong protector he really was. I smiled slightly, and turned back to the stars before he noticed.

"How come?" I asked, finally spotting the three stars in a line – Orions Belt.

"I don't know. I guess it's just that the stars are names after the people who discover them, and the constellations are just made up of what some people see in the stars. Everyone sees something slightly different, so I believe everyone should have their own personal star map."

My mouth opened unwillingly. It was so unlike Fang to say something so deep, so beautiful, and it had completely stunned me. Before I could say anything, Fang had turned on his side to face me, and he stared me deep in the eyes.

"You're in my star map, Max."

My knees melted, my brain went fuzzy and my vision was slightly blurry.

"Come on, let's go down to the fishing pier: we don't want to wake up the kids. It's nearly Iggy's watch anyway."

I had surprised myself by saying this, but I got a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach and I knew it was what I wanted to do. I felt a smile play along my lips and I tried to keep it in, embarrassed.

We stayed on that pier nearly an hour. We were mostly talking, gazing out at the sea and the reflection of the stars in it. At one point we were trying to guess where the horizon was: the black of night completely melted into the darkness of the sea far out.

"I did not!" I exclaimed, smiling at our ridiculous conversation.

"Come on. You know you did." Fang said, grinning.

"I really didn't."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

I stuck my tongue out at him, unafraid of being childish, and his fingers probed my ribs, and just above my hips.

"Fang….Fang…stop! Ohmigosh…tickles….!" I said between breaths, rolling around on the edge of the pier as Fang tickled me. I tried to get up, to tickle him back, but his childishness had left me breathless, and I could barely move.

I rolled to the left as he started tickling my neck, and screamed as I rolled off the edge of the pier and was plunged into the cold, dark water.

"Ohmigosh it's freezing! Ah!" I cried out, treading water. Fang leaned over the edge of the pier laughing at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, and I watched as his face turned to one of fear. He was too late though – I had already jumped out of the water and grasped the front of his shirt. Letting gravity claim me, I plunged back into the black sea, hands still tightly clasped around the front of Fang's shirt.

"You're going to pay for that," he said, surfacing. He scraped his hair back out of his eyes, and launched himself at me. I went under, and he held me there until I struggled with my breath. I kicked his stomach hard enough to make him let go, and broke through the icy skin of the water, spluttering and laughing. He was laughing too, but quietly, thoughfully.

Before I could catch my breath, the most amazing thing happened.

Fang, in all his godly glory, leant down and pressed his cold lips to mine. My muscles immediately went numb and it took all my spare brain cells to keep my floating.

It was the most romantic thing ever, and it was the first time I realised: I was completely, utterly and forever in love with him.

We broke apart, gasping for air, and I clung to him, savouring not only the heat he was giving off, but the feeling of togetherness I suddenly felt.

I had an overwhelming, embarrassing urge to get everything off my chest: for now was the perfect time. I closed my eyes so I didn't have to see his face, and everything came out in one breath.

"I love you, Fang. I'm sorry for all I've put you through, I thought it was for the good of the Flock but I can't bear it anymore. I love you too much."

I brought my lips up to his, making the first move for once. He replied immediately, and I held onto him tighter than anything I've ever held onto before.

I could have stayed like this forever.

(A/N): I wanted to end the fanfic there, but there's a little bit more I wanted to put in. That's the bulk of the one shot, this bit's just an extra alternate ending.

Fang's POV
I clutched Max to my chest, unbelievably glad that it had finally happened: Max had gotten over her fear of breaking up the Flock and had decided to be with me. I could finally call her my girlfriend.

I didn't want to let her go. I was afraid, that if I did, she would change her mind and she would be ripped from me, taking my heart with her.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but sometime later I noticed Max's lips getting slightly blue – the sea was just too cold.

"Come on," I breathed in her ear making her shiver. "Let's go back to camp before you get pneumonia."

She smiled adorably up at me, and I swung my arm behind her knees and used my other one to support her back: carrying her bridal style. I gathered all my energy and jumped out of the water, snapping my wings out and trying not to wince as the bad take off and extra weight took its toll. But I got my rhythm, and flew a complaining Max back to camp in my arms.

Iggy nodded to me, a small smile on his face – how did he know? – and continued his watch as I settled against a tree with Max resting against my chest. Perfect.

I can't have been asleep for ten minutes when I felt something sharp prick me arm.

What the hell…? I thought, and I opened my eyes to see what looked like a tranquillizer dart sticking out my upper arm: never a good thing. I swore in my head, and looked around for the rest of the Flock using only my eyes: I couldn't move a single muscle in my body. Angel: check. Iggy and Gazzy were there, although I could slightly make out a similar dart sticking out of Gazzy's backside. Nudge was there too, making five out of six Flock members.

I felt pressure on my chest lift and my eyes followed as a figure dressed in black lifted an unconscious Max off me and carry her away. I screamed in my head – watching her get taken away, not being able to help her was torture.

Another black figure came and knelt in front of me, and looked into my alarmed eyes.

"Poor Fangy." The figure said, and I recognised the voice instantly: Ari. "It's a shame. But you never did learn how to share: it's my turn with her now."

My blood boiled, but the sensation numbed as the drug started to kick in: my eyes were closing unwillingly.

The last thing before I saw was ten stars, spread throughout the sky, making a heart shape.

The constellation I had named 'Max'.

(A/N): Aww, we like a bit of fluff. Sorry, I'm just in a really weird mood. I miss my friends who are away =]

Sorry for this fic, I just needed to write it. I feel better now.