A/N: I've known this song for quite a while now, and it's always seemed to have "FAX" written all over it. I just never got around to writing it until now.

The dawn is breaking

A light shining through

You're barely waking

And I'm tangled up in you

Yea

In a small cave, six winged children and a dog lay, sleeping peacefully. It was dawn; the trees were splattered with the sun's early rays, and the flock would be waking soon. The sounds of soft, even breathing filled the cave.

Fang opened his eyes slowly, and found himself unable to move. He turned carefully to see Max under his arm, her head resting on his chest. His left leg went over her right one and under her left, and a blanket was tangled carelessly around them both, most likely courtesy of Iggy, who had been on last watch. Fang's back ached and his arm was tingling unpleasantly, but he didn't dare move.

His eyes trailed over Max's sleeping face. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Fang...?"

And that put an end to the peaceful moment.

I'm open,

You're closed

Where I follow, you go

I worry I won't see your face

Light up again

Max had always been the leader. That was just the way it was – she was technically the oldest.

And the bravest.

And the strongest.

Technically.

Lately, Fang had been worried about Max. She hadn't cracked a smile in God knows how long, and the night before he could've sworn he'd heard her crying in her sleep while he was on watch.

A faded image of Max's bright face, smiling and illuminated by the sun, entered his mind.

Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme

Out of the doubt that fills my mind

I somehow find you and I

Collide

Max had to be the best avian experiment out there.

That didn't mean she was invincible.

Fang didn't have enough fingers to count how many times Max had scared him half to death with her stunts and injuries. Memories of her, on the beach, covered in her own blood, filled his mind. He unconsciously cringed.

"Fang?"

He looked up from his laptop to see the very girl he was smitten with sit down next to him.

"Yo."

"What're you writing?"

He turned the laptop to show her a poem he'd been working on.

"That doesn't even rhyme!"

"So?"

She laughed and leaned into him.

I'm quiet, you know

You make a first impression

I've found I'm scared to know I'm

Always on your mind

Fang was tall, dark, and silent.

It was as simple as that.

Max was the one who was able to earn a reputation as the one who "shouldn't be messed with". She always had her sarcasm handy, and was tough enough to tell off a bunch of adults in a conference room.

For that, Fang just didn't have the guts.

Angel smiled up at him suddenly.

"What?" He grinned back, an unusual thing he only saved for Angel and Max.

"Max is thinking about you."

"Oh, really?"

"Yep." Angel started smoothing Celeste's fur. (A/N: What happened to Celeste, anyway? Lol) "Actually,she thinks about you a lot. Almost all the time."

For some reason, this gave Fang an odd twisting sensation in his stomach. Was she thinking good things? God, he hoped so. He hoped she wasn't thinking about how annoying he was, or something.

Hopefully she wasn't thinking about how to tell him she didn't love him back.

Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the stars refuse to shine

Out of the back you fall in time

I somehow find

You and I collide

When Max was hurt, upset, or angry with him, Fang felt as if the stars stopped shining.

"Just leave me alone, Fang," Max whispered, pulling her knees up to her chest and looking away.

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

"No."

"Are you scared?"

Max's head shot up and she glared bullets at him. "Get out!" she hissed, even though they were outside. Fang just shook his head and walked away.

Max came up to him sometime later. She sat down tentatively next to him, obviously keeping her distance, for some reason.

"....I don't know what to do."

Fang wrapped her in a hug. "I know. We'll figure it out."

Don't stop here

I've lost my place

I'm close behind

Fang had offered to go with Max to shop for food, insisting he knew where to find a grocery store.

What a mistake.

Fang found he'd forgotten where to find the store as he trailed his eyes along the trees. Finally, being frustrated, he swooped to the ground, landing gracefully.

"What are you doing?" called Max, following after him.

"I forgot where it is," Fang admitted sheepishly. Max smirked and shook her head. "Follow me, dork," she said cheerfully, and took off into the sky. Fang was right behind her.

Even the best fall down sometimes

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme

Out of the doubt that fills your mind

You somehow find

You and I

Collide

Max didn't like to show weakness.

Fang didn't like to see her weak.

So when she was shot out of the sky by a sniper, you can imagine how horrible they both felt.

"This sucks," grumbled Max. The wound wasn't horrible, but she wouldn't be able to fly for a few days.

"Mmm," agreed Fang, trying to hide how panicked he'd been when it had happened.

Fang remembered stealing a look at Max's serene face. Suddenly, that look of serenity turned to one of pure terror. Her eyes widened and she let out a gasp. Fang couldn't remember hearing the gunshot.

And then she fell.

"We're supposed to visit my mom! How are we gonna get there if I can't fly? And how the heck am I supposed to even go anywhere with you guys? I'm the leader! I -"

Fang wordlessly picked her up bridal style and took off, the flock following immediately, as if they knew this was the plan all along.

"I've got you covered," Fang said with a smirk. Max just blushed and mumbled something about this being "unnecessary".

You and I collide.

A/N: Okay, just so you know: this is centering around Max and Fang, and therefor will not have much flock action. Also, I like to keep my oneshots simple; huge, obnoxiously lengthy descriptions about the scenery will usually not be included.