Hi ! This is my first fanfiction -ever- and I'm totally nervous about it ! I read everything a hundred times for mistakes, I hope everything is ok. Don't hesitate to leave a review at the end.

He had nodded. A simple little jerk of his head. But it had been enough to convey all he had to say to her. He was thanking her, acknowledging her on how well they had work together. And he was saying goodbye.

She had no idea if they would meet again someday. She hoped they did.

Life went on and they had so much to do at the Citadel. Furiosa knew that they had to keep trading with the Bullet Farm and Gas Town. They needed the bullets and the gas as much as water if they wanted to survive.

With the death of the three brothers, the cities were left without leadership and without defenses. It had been an easy task to take them; the people there were left in shambles and invited her with open arms. She offered water and left the remaining Vuvalini women in charge of the Bullet Farm and Gas Town. They had quickly found equilibrium. Together, they rebuilt, extended and took care of everyone. They all had access to water and food. Everything was falling into place smoothly but she couldn't contain the aching in her soul. She missed him.

She often found herself wondering if he was still out there, breathing, alive. She couldn't understand how they had managed to form a bond strong enough for her to still think of him after so long, when they had only spent so little time together as it was. Was he thinking about her and their impromptu alliance too?

9 months had passed and the Citadel was prospering. She had just come back from restocking their supplies at Gas Town when she saw him again.

She was getting out of her war rig when she spotted a beat up car she had not seen in a long time and knew it was him. And here he was, a little different but still him nonetheless. His hair and beard had grown and she detected a deep tiredness across his frame. The desert would do that to you. He was trying to get the attention of a man, probably about restocking, judging by the empty can of gas he was clutching.

He turned his head in annoyance and recognized her. He seemed startled for a fraction of a second before the ghost of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. He nodded.

She smiled softly and turned to ask a war boy nearby to take care of her shipment. The boy scurried to the back of the rig and she made her way toward her friend. Dare she call him a friend? She hadn't even known his name until the Dag told her. The girl had asked her where Max was, that day on the platform. Seeing Furiosa's confused look, she had explained to her what had happened when she lost consciousness so close to the end of their journey.

Max. His name was Max.

It suited him.

The man he had been trying to talk to looked at her approaching, a relieved expression on his face. She placed a careful hand on his shoulder. "Give him everything he needs." With a nod, the man left and she finally turned to him.

Max.

"You look like hell."

He shrugged with a grunt, always the silent type. His sun kissed face was sticky with sweat and sand, little grains embedded in his hair and beard. The bags under his eyes made him look so much older than he really was and she knew right away that he hadn't been sleeping well. The nightmares were still plaguing him. So much for redemption…

"Come, I will show you around," she said, extending her arm to show him the way. "Do you plan on staying long?" He gave her a non-committal shrug. "You can stay in my room until you decide, if that's ok with you. It will be quieter than the dormitories for travelers." He nodded again.

She lead him through the mountain, showing him the garages where he could get his car fixed, the market place for supplies and the kitchens where anyone could come and get food at any time of the day. They arrived at the sleeping quarters at the top of the mountain and she opened the door to her room, letting him in.

"You can take a nap here. I'm going to let the girls know you are here, they'll be happy to see you. You should join us for dinner tonight."

"Ok."

She nodded. "Good. You can take my bed for now, I'll come back later with a cot for you and wake you up for dinner." She pointed to her left, to a door. "You can wash up in there and fresh clothes are in the drawer."

He didn't say anything, just stared at her, a little fidgety in the middle of her room, like he had no idea what to do.

"All right then, I'll leave you to it." With a little incline of her head, she closed the door behind her and left him to his devices. She took a deep breath, not realizing sooner that she had been holding it until now. Rolling her shoulders, she started towards the girls room to tell them the great news.

Of course, they were thrilled to know he had come back, still alive and well. They spend the rest of the afternoon preparing for dinner, going to the kitchen to order their finest food, borrowing a table to dine in their room to avoid the noise of the dining hall, and making a huge deal of the whole ordeal. It was kind of funny.

Not long before the sunset, Furiosa went in search of a cot. She found one good enough in one of their many cellars and took it back to her chamber.

Max was sprawled out on her bed, shoes and jacket discarded at the other end of the room. He had found clothes that fitted him and he looked cleaner. He was still asleep but she saw him open his eyes when she made a little bit too much noise bringing the cot into the room.

He sprang immediately to his feet to help her and together they deposited it a few feet away from her bed.

"Dinner is ready," she said with a soft smile.

He followed her out of the room silently while she made small talk about the girls and their antics when they had learned of his return. He grunted here and there, sometimes smiling a little. She wondered why she was so nervous around him now that he was here. Maybe because she had imagined it so many times and had had no idea what to expect. And now, he was here and good and she was glad. She felt calmer, grounded.

Dinner was a great affair, the girls had outdone themselves. There was plenty of food and water for everyone and even alcohol. They had found Immortan Joe's stash of wine not long after they took control of the Citadel. They didn't have much, only for occasions, and it was one.

The girls chatted away, not getting many words out of him either but it didn't deter them at all. They talked about the Citadel, and how they had all contributed to its reconstruction and flourishment, they talked about the Dag's baby, a little girl she had named Angharad, and of their plans for the future.

Furiosa couldn't help watching him from the corner of her eye. One of his legs was pressed against hers and his warmth enveloped her like a blanket. She felt at peace with him there. She never wanted him to leave.

After dinner, they bid good night to the girls and made their way back to Furiosa's room. The Citadel was eerily silent.

"You did well here."

It was the longest sentence he had uttered all night and it was one that made her smile. It was the best compliment she could ever hope for.

"I wasn't alone. You helped make it all happen in the first place."

He smiled slightly and hummed a little at that.

Furiosa fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She was awakened by grunts and trashing next to her.

He was having a nightmare and a bad one at that. Getting out of bed, she approached him slowly, calling out his name in whispers.

When her hand brushed lightly his shoulder, he awoke with a start, his rough hands going for her throat.

"Max," she croaked, snapping him immediately out of his stupor.

"I'm so sorry," he said, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment.

She didn't say anything, just lied down next to him in a soothing gesture. She looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Are you ok?"

She saw something she couldn't recognize passed through his eyes before he gave her one his 'hmm' and settled on his back to watch the ceiling. She sighed, watching him close his eyes and she didn't move a muscle until his breathing even out. She fell asleep by his side a second after. He didn't have any nightmares again that night.

The next day, she awoke before him, one leg wrapped around his. She got up slowly as not to awake him and prepared herself for the day. She left him to sleep and walked out to attend to her business.

She didn't see him at all during the day but found him back in her room in the evening. She had brought him a plate of food still warm from the kitchen with her own and he grunted in thanks when she handed it to him.

They ate in comfortable silence, stealing a glance at each other here and there. She wanted to ask him so many questions but decided against it. She readied herself for bed and slipped under her cover with a soft 'good night' his way.

She listened to him move around the room for a time, doing who knows what, until he stopped near her bed. He was hesitating. And then, she felt the corner of her blanket move and her mattress shift under his weight. She turned around and looked at him. He angled himself toward her, a confused look on his face.

"I can't find it." His voice was rougher than usual, fatigued.

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Redemption."

Furiosa could see the turmoil in his eyes, especially the guilt. She had no idea what had happened to him but he was obviously blaming himself for it. She took one of his hands in her own and gave it a little squeeze.

"You can find it, only if you let yourself believe you are worth it and let go."

He kept looking at her as if she had all the answers and she felt that she needed to show him that he deserved to be redeemed. He was a good man, even if she had her doubt upon meeting him. She thought at first that he would keep her from fulfilling her mission she had planned for so long, but she had had to trust him and it had been the best decision she had ever made. He had been a huge help, moving with her in sync against Immortan Joe's army. She was forever grateful for him. He deserved to be at peace.

Moving closer to him, she let go of his hand and touched her fingertips to his shin, his beard rough and soft at the same time. She traced the contour of his mouth then moved to his jaw and cradled the back of his head with her hand. She touched her forehead to his and he exhaled in relief and it was everything she needed to go forward. She placed a soft kiss to his lips.

She had no idea why she had done that; she just knew she had wanted to in that moment. It felt right and it was clear to her now that she wanted it, wanted more, so much more.

He didn't move, and she stayed there, a millimeter from him, her mouth so close to his it hurt. She clearly saw the look of guilt vanish from his eyes to be replaced by wonder and his big hands found her face and he was closing the distance between them and kissing her.

It was slow, tentative and oddly sweet, like he was trying to remember how it was done. He smelled like sand and tasted like it too, with something male that belonged only to him and it was perfect.

She moved closer to him, he breasts against his chest and her hand roamed around his shoulders, his back, trying to find her way to his skin. She found it, soft and rough, like everything about him, from the many scars she could feel under her palm but didn't care about.

He was kissing her with a passion now, his tongue seeking hers in a fiery dance and he was letting out small grunts with each stroke. She wanted to hear more of that. One of his hands had found the curve of her hip, moving dangerously close to her breast and the anticipation was killing her. She grabbed his shirt and yanked it over his head, then divested herself of her own.

His hands and mouth were all over her now, to her thighs, her breasts, her neck, worshipping her. Her hand went on its own exploration of him, finally stopping to what she wanted most and she cupped his erection through his pants. He growled low in his throat and bit gently on her lower lip.

Shedding the last remnants of their clothes, she guided him to her entrance and he entered her slowly, as if fearing he would hurt her. He stayed there, unmoving and she wrapped her legs around him, urging him with a thrust of her hips to move. He did. And it was glorious. They clutched at each other in a passionate embrace, letting go of all their defenses.

She grabbed his ass, arching towards him, sensing her release coming and he picked up his rhythm, holding tightly at her hip. The low burning in her exploded in a big fire, her contractions around him sending him over the edge with her.

He rolled out on his side with a deep sigh and she snuggled into his warmth and closed her eyes. She slept fitfully in a very comforting dreamless state, warm all over.

She was awoken by the cold. Opening her eyes, she couldn't find Max anywhere. His boots and leather jacket were gone. She sighed.

He was gone.

Ignoring the pain in her heart, she got out of bed and crossed over to her little bathroom to wash for the day.

She was almost out the door when she saw it. Her wheel. The one they had lost at the canyon. He had found it and got it back for her. It was the best message he could have given her. He was saying goodbye for now but he would come back to her, once he had battled his demons. Maybe there was hope after all.

With a soft smile playing at her lips, she exited her room and faced another day, her heart lighter.