You and Me -- Chapter 9

Disclaimer:  The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Max, Zack, Tinga, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me.  No money is being made off of this fic.  I only own the original characters.

Two days later...

“Are you okay?” Zack asked Max as she walked into the guest bedroom.

Max sighed. “Zack, for the ten millionth time, I’ve been fine for the past day-and-a-half at least. I slept like mad after I had that seizure and I’ve been feeling pretty good ever since. Don’t worry about me.” She gestured to his left leg, which was out of a cast for the first time in about a week. “Have you been walking around a little since we got back here?”

“Yeah, the leg’s all right,” Zack said. “I can walk on it just fine. I’d still want to wait another day before I do any kind of fighting on it, but I don’t plan on having to fight anybody in the next twenty-four hours. I should be as good as new by then.”

“Cool,” Max said. She hesitated. “When are you going to continue on to whichever poor sucker is next?” She attempted to sound teasing, but her voice faltered almost imperceptibly. I wish that he didn’t have to leave. I haven’t felt this happy since I was nine.

“I don’t know. Probably in two days,” Zack replied. He shrugged. “I’d leave tomorrow, but I’ve got one or two things that I want to get done here first. I would like to say good-bye to Jamie, though, and thank her for helping you with me the night of my accident and for helping me the other day with you and your seizure.” He hesitated slightly and Max caught it.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Zack said honestly. He looked at Max and decided to change the subject. “I’m going to need to find a new bike before I leave. Maybe we can do that together late tonight.”

“Oh? Is that a date?” Max teased, though she felt her heart rate speed up.

Zack looked somewhat flustered. “No…I mean, it’s—“

Max laughed. “Relax, Zack, it’s okay. I was only teasing.” Then why do I feel this weird?

“I know,” Zack said. He quickly recovered his composure. “I should pick up an air cast or something for when I see Jamie to say good-bye and thank her for everything she’s done. I don’t want her to get suspicious.”

Max nodded. “That’s a good idea.” She started to turn around to leave the room but found herself hesitating.

“Maxie?” Zack said. “What is it?”

“You’ve got me,” Max muttered. “You’re not the only one who has half a clue as to what’s going on in their own head.” She managed a smile. “I just…” She sighed and walked over and sat down next to Zack on the edge of the bed. They were both quiet for a few moments before Max spoke up again. “Have you ever wished that uncomfortable silences could have a face and a body so that you could either punch or strangle them?”

“All of the time,” Zack said. “Max, I—“ Max’s phone suddenly rang, cutting him off.

Max swore. “Damn.” She started to get up to get it when she heard the answering machine pick it up and then sighed in relief a moment later. “Nobody important. Just a reminder to return the movies that I rented last week.” She turned back to Zack. “What were you going to say, Zack?”

Zack took a deep breath. “Max, I wan—“ He was cut off again, this time by the ringing of the doorbell. He put his head in his hands, exasperated. Not again. As if this isn’t hard enough.

“Why is it always impossible to have a decent conversation with anybody?” Max grumbled. “You know what? Screw it. If it’s important, then they can come back later. What is it, Zack?”

Forget saying it. Zack turned to Max and kissed her softly on the lips. Max almost squeaked in surprise, but quickly found herself responding to the kiss. They remained like that for several minutes until both of them had to breath again. Zack looked into Max’s eyes. “That was what I wanted to say. Maxie, I just…I’ve never loved you just like a sister. You always will be my best friend no matter what happens, but first and foremost…I love you. I’ve loved you for years.”

“Oh my God,” Max said softly. She was blown away. He loves me? He actually is in love with me and that whole dealio? Is this really happening? “That’s…Zack, I just…” She took a deep breath. “This is unreal. I never expected this.”

“I don’t want to force you, but I had to let you know how I felt,” Zack said.

Max smirked. “And my seizure was a big mental kick in the ass for you, huh?”

Zack found himself smiling at her. “Yeah, something along those lines.”

“Wow,” Max said. She looked at Zack almost as if she was seeing him for the first time. Everything that she had ever felt towards him, every memory that he was a part of, from the time she had been introduced into her family when she’d been a toddler up until their kiss, just passed in front of her eyes. He’s always been there. Zack’s always the one that I went to first for something, even more than Krit or Jondy or Tinga. He was always the one who comforted me first after a bad seizure or when those sadists would experiment on me. He was the first one to congratulate me when I would beat everybody on the obstacle course or had the highest score on the range. Zack could always cheer me up, not like the way that Krit or Jondy or some of the others would do by telling jokes or making funny remarks, but just by smiling at me or looking at me with those beautiful blue eyes of his…I just love him so much…holy shit! “Zack, I love you too.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “You do?”

“I do,” Max said softly. She smiled. “I’ve never lied to you about anything important before and I never intend to start doing that. The only thing that I intend to start doing is this.” She leaned in and kissed him.

“Me too,” Zack agreed when they finally parted. “So…what do we do know?”

“I don’t know,” Max said. “We’ll figure it out together.” She reached over and took Zack’s hand in hers. Zack and me…together…wow.