Outgrowing old habits

Summary: Dealing with Max never was easy. Dylan, of all, would know. But he doesn´t know Max the way the others do. Yes, Dylan. Have some pity for the poor guy.

Warnings: No Fang. Consider that a major warning! Nope, I don´t want Dylan to take his place. But for one fic, just put aside your fangirl-instincts (I had to, too) and wait what happens. If the obvious lack of Fang is enough to make you back out, here´s your last chance to run.

Disclaimer: I can´t wait until February 2011. I´ll have to wait forever if I actually believe I´ll own Maximum Ride one day.

„Hey, Max."

It is late. Darkness surrounds them, darkness colored by the last silver streaks of the setting sun. On the rooftop, a little breeze is fighting for attention. When Nudge greets her, Max jumps so hard Nudge gives a frightened yelp. She hasn´t expected such a violent reaction to a simple greeting.

"Hey – it´s only me!"

"God, Nudge – you startled me. I´m sorry."

"It´s okay. What´s up?"

There is a short silence. Then Max asks: "Have you seen? Dylan is back."

"He is?" Nudge straightens. "That´s great! He´s been away for too long."

"It´s not as if we still were children who aren´t allowed to stay out for too long, Nudge", Max reminds her. Her friend smiles.

"I know we´re all busy with saving the world and all the other stuff. But we rarely see each other these days. Angel, Gazzy and Iggy will be back tonight, too. We´ll be all together once again, like…"

She closes her mouth when she realizes she´s heading straight for forbidden terrain. But Max doesn´t explode. She just sights quietly. Nudge gives her an odd look.

"Who are you and what have you done to Max? What the hell is going on with you?"

Max chuckles – a low sound without amusement.

"You really want to know?"

The younger woman sits down next to the older one.

"If it makes you feel better."

Another laugh, bitter this time.

"Remember you asked."

Two hours earlier

"Oh, God", Max breathed and unsuccessfully tried to stop laughing. "And he really did that?"

Dylan, equally trying to calm his laughter, started all over again. "Yes! And then… Then he said…"

He was taken with another burst of laughter before he could finish his sentence.

"What?"

"Then he said "It´s more likely people will sprout things before that happens!""

Both burst out laughing again. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Max brushed them away and held her side, panting.

"Oh, Dylan, we missed you. We´re glad you´re back again."

Her second-in-command leaned back on the sofa in the living-room of the house that had been the flock´s home for seven years now. They were the only ones to be seen.

"Yeah. It´s good to be back."

His eyes – blue as turquoises – held her gaze and he sobered. Max felt the laughter drain from her as well.

"Did you miss me, too?"

She wasn´t good with words. Max drew back.

"The others will be back soon. Angel and Gazzy left to meet up with some guys of the CSM, Iggy is on a date with Ella and Nudge went shopping. She promised to bring back some food, and…"

"Max", he interrupted her and held out something. "I brought this for you."

Something inside of her jammed. She crossed her arms before her chest.

"You don´t have to give me presents, Dylan."

"I know. But I wanted to."

He was good with words. He was good with everything she was bad at, he was all she could wish for. He was her perfect other half: if she went left, he went right. If she was unable to watch over the flock, he did it. If she didn´t know what to do and what to say, he knew. He was good-looking, strong, a great fighter, he had her back no matter when and where. She´d learned to trust him, utterly and completely.

"You know how I feel about you. I have waited, Max, you know I have. But it has been seven years now. So… will you at least accept it?"

Max was unable to deny his wish. Numbly, she stretched out a hand and took the little box from him. Inside, there was a ring.

That made it.

"It´s not like that", he said quickly, as soon as he saw her expression. "It´s just… I saw it and I knew it was for you. It doesn't have any special meaning."

Nevertheless, her lips came crashing down on his.

Surprised, he fell backward, until he was lying flat on his back, Max on top of him. The first moment, he was overwhelmed. He had loved her the first second he had set eyes on her. It wasn´t just because he was created to love her – it was her, Max, this beautiful, strong, intelligent girl, who stole his heart. He knew he had been created to be her other half – he was glad, because that meant he could really be of use to her. And be together with her. He didn´t expect her to feel the same way about him – after all, he was like 14 years younger than she was, even though he looked the same age, and he knew there had been something going on between Max and Fang, the one who´d been her last second-in-command – his predecessor. But seven years had passed, and he never stopped hoping. He never stopped loving her. And now she was kissing him.

He kissed her back.

Carefully first, then lovingly, testing, finally hungrily, wanting more. Max went along. Her lips were sweet and soft and tasted like coffee and cream and sugar. He cupped her head with one hand while his other one ran down her spine, scratching the soft flesh between her wings, and she moaned into his mouth and pressed herself against him even harder. Her hands were in his hair, then behind his back, and then…

Dylan groaned softly and kissed her neck. His hands moved again, slipped under her shirt. Her skin was so soft. He moved upwards, touched her breasts, ran his hands over them and felt her shiver.

Max closed her eyes as his lips travelled farther down, kissing her lips, her neck, her breast. She couldn´t remember how it had started, all she knew was she didn´t want this feeling to stop. Her whole body was on fire, burning her from the inside, and all she could do was touch him, feel him, totally and entirely. His hands raked up and down her body and she knotted her fists into his hair – it was soft and silky and black – blond. Blond. Dylan´s hair was blond. Dylan.

Dylan felt her stiffen and immediately looked up at her. Her eyes were closed. A single tear ran down her cheek. He felt his heart sink.

Oh, God.

"Max?", he asked carefully. "Are you okay?"

She didn´t move. He drew back instantly, pulling down her shirt carefully to cover her. Suddenly, his whole body felt numb.

"Max…"

Finally, after a time that felt like eternity, she opened her eyes. Misery was written plainly on her features.

"Dylan, I… I´m…"

His mouth tasted ashes. "Please don´t tell me you´ve been thinking of him."

Max was a good liar. But he knew her too well. Seven years had been enough to get familiar with every single one of her character traits. And flaws. And he loved her for all of them, even if she never would be able to love him back.

"No! I…"

He carefully pushed her aside and got to his feet, his shoulders slumped. Pain made it hard to breathe.

"Okay."

"Okay?", she whispered. "Dylan, nothing is…"

"Okay", he repeated. "I get it."

His eyes bore into hers and Max knew she had hurt him, hurt him badly. She felt miserable, she felt the same pain he felt. He was a great friend, her second-in-command, he had been there for her, had made her laugh… And still, she couldn´t love him back. Tears burned hotly, but she refused to cry.

"I´m so sorry", she managed to whisper. "Dylan – please don´t leave."

She was a coward. She actually was pleading him to stay – even though she knew how much it would cost him. He shook his head. His eyes were sad.

"I won´t leave", he said and managed a painful grin. "I´ll just wait another seven years."

"Who´s there? Oh, Dylan. Welcome back."

Iggy stepped into the kitchen and immediately noticed someone was there. Sometimes Dylan marveled at the blind man´s ability to sense things.

"Hey, Ig. How was your evening?"

"Great. You had dinner?"

"I´m not hungry, don´t worry."

"Not hungry?", Iggy frowned but didn´t question him. "Are the others back already?"

"Nudge is. Angel and Gazzy will be back soon."

The blond man put down a bag and pulled out a chair for himself.

"What´s the matter? You sound down."

Dylan laughed without humor.

"My evening wasn´t too good."

Iggy sure knew how to interpret the signals others sent him. Right now, Dylan was practically screaming frustration – and there was the faint smell of Max on his skin. Iggy decided to tread carefully.

"Is it about Max?"

"I brought her a present. A ring."

"You did?"

There was a soft undercurrent in his deliberately neutral tone. Dylan groaned softly.

"I knew it. I messed up."

"You didn´t", Iggy contradicted. "How on earth could you have known the only present Fang ever gave Max was a ring? It´s not your fault she still loves him. And you can´t help about how you feel about her."

He sighted.

"So what happened? Did she throw herself out of the window?"

Dylan looked shocked. At least that´s what Iggy interpreted from the signals he caught.

"No! Why should she do something like that?"

"We´re bird mutants, remember? We don´t die from a fall. Oh, I guess you´ve never seen her do it, have you? She used to jump off whatever we were on or out of whatever we were in and take off as soon as she was confronted with too much emotional stress."

"She kissed me and suddenly stopped dead and just stared at me when I told her it was fine."

Looking as if I just destroyed her world.

"Really? Well, I guess she finally outgrew some of her old habits. It was quite annoying having to get her back down every time she freaked."

Dylan leaned back.

"Well, I guess that is a good sign. What a great way to be welcomed back home."

"Hey. We really missed you."

"I missed you too."

Angel and Gazzy burst through the door, Max and Nudge in their trail.

"Dylan! Welcome home!"

Immediately, the kitchen was filled with chatter and noise. Dylan smiled at his fellow flock members.

"It´s good to be back."

His eyes focused on Max, who smiled. A pained, small smile, but she actually smiled at him.

"It´s good you´re back."

Another seven years wouldn´t hurt, he decided; his heart did a small flip at her sight. The taste of her lips still lingered on his. More time. Maybe she´d outgrow some other old habits, too.

Max wasn´t as optimistic as he was, but she smiled nevertheless. Her flock was complete.

Almost.