Loving Home by Hestia Ember

This is a Giggy oneshot. Yes, you read correctly. Giggy. As in, Gazzy and Iggy. I've been interested in it for awhile, because if you think about it, they kind of need each other. I mean, what better way to have them fall in love? So, I'm just going to go with the flow on this one.

Rated K+

Disclaimer: I do not, have not, will not, nor EVER own Maximum Ride. I never would have written it anyway, because I happen to be more into fantasy when I write. Plus, I'd be a great deal richer, and I probably wouldn't have to go to school. I'd ask my parents to get me a tutor, because I'm socially challenged. Also: Not an old person. Sorry James, but it's true. Your old. A guy as well. I'm a girl so, I don't see myself as the author of that ever amazing and suprising series Maximum Ride.

A note to the readers: I happen to be very supprised that there are so few Gizzy stories out there. If you've been to my profile, you knew that already. But don't ask where I'm going with this. Even I don't know where I'm going with this. And also, if you read this: PLEASE review. I'd like to know how I did with it. Thank you! I'm just going to shut up now and get on with the story.

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Third Person Omniscient, talking from Gazzy's side of things

He'd known for a while now. That he was different from Fang and Iggy. In fact, if he was really being honest with himself, he'd known four years ago, when he'd left the flock with them. He remembered the day clearly. They were in California somewhere. He didn't remember the name of the city. Of course, he didn't tell the others that. They'd just stare at him in disbelief. Because obviously, as a human-avian hybrid experiment, he had to remember everything. Ha, he thought bitterly. There's so little that any of them actually do know about me. It's so pathetic. They didn't take the time to make sure little Gazzy was functioning normaly. Just thought I was fine, never thought to look below the surface. But of course, I've never acted differently. Because then they'd be all, "Gazzy, trust us. You know you can trust us, right?" Well, Max woud say that anyway. Fang would just be more... polite, I guess? Nudge wouldn't stop bothering me, and Iggy'd be all akward. Angel wouldn't do anything different, though. After all, she has kept my secret for four years. He drifted back into the memory, regardless of where it had taken place. They were strolling along a beach, a very crowded one. Fang was whispering to Iggy, whose eyes kept widening. And widening. For a while, he hadn't payed them any mind. But then he'd started to get annoyed. Jerks, he'd thought. Why don't they let me in too? Without me asking, for once! As watched his friends, he noticed that Fang would be looking at particular girls. And then he would whisper to Iggy. Gazzy'd naturally (or at least, naturally for an eight year old boy whom happened to be an experiment) concluded that they were in some sort of danger, and that the older kids didn't want to tell him. So he tried to play it cool.

"What'cha talking about?" He asked notuantly.

"Nothing, Gazzer." Fang said, just as Iggy said,

"Just observing the beach bunnies." Imeadiatly, Gazzy pulled a face. He didn't have an interest in girls, and hoped that he never would. How ironic now, is that! What I'd give to be interested in them. Thought the teenager of the present. Then he recalled what had happened next. And how wrong Fang had been.

Fang noticed Gazzy's non-interest in the female gender, and laughed, a touch of bitterness hidden inside of it.

"Sorry man, but someday you'll be just like us. Mark my words, little guy."

Just then, he heard a soft knock on the door. They were staying in a hotel in Vermont. Max was trying to find some land to buy so that they'd have a home again. A year ago, Max had finally sucseeded in saving the world. The Flock been trying to find a home ever since then.

He got up, walked across the room, and opened the door. He knew it was Angel. Every one but Max and her just yelled if they wanted him to open the door. And Max knocked on doors hard and loudly. Angel walked in quietly, looking more somber than usual.

"What's up Angel?" He asked, trying to sound upbeat. The girl might have been only ten, but she knew him like he was Celeste. Who, he noticed, happened to be in Angel's arms. Uh oh. He thought. This is important.

Yes Gazzy, it is. She walked over and hugged him sadly.

What's wrong Angel? He asked as he sat on the bed.

You're going to have to tell them. Very soon.

What do you mean? Why?

Iggy's begining to understand. He won't hesitate to tell Max and the rest.

Oh.

I think she'd rather you told her yourself than Iggy telling her for you without your permission.

Yeah. I kind of figured. You haven't told him that-

No. It doesn't partain to me, and it's not mine to tell.

Good. I'm sorry Angel. She blinked.

Whatever for?

For getting you involved in this, maybe? Maybe because I can't be normal? Or because I-

Gazzy, you can't help being who you are. Anyway, it's not like your just gay for all guys. Its only-

I know that, Angel. I just feel bad anyway.

Oh.

Will you have Max set up a Flock meeting? Just tell her that I have to tell the Flock something important.

Of course. Bye Gazzy. She went to leave.

And Angel- Thanks for telling me. She hugged me, and then she left. And I sat there, thinking about the mind conversation I'd just had with her. One thing in particular began to chew at my brain. Just how much has Iggy guessed?

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Third Person Omniscient, talking from Angel's side of things.

As she walked down the corridor, she pondered on things. Many things, like:would she ever have known if she hadn't been able to read minds? Would Gazzy have told her? Why hadn't Iggy noticed sooner? After all, he was supossed to be Gazzy's best friend. How would Max react? Did Fang guess already? You'd think that she already know the answer to the last one, but Fang's mind was hard to read, somtimes she got headaches from concentrating so hard on his thoughts, as though trying to hear them better. But, she suppossed, Gazzy needs my help, every drop. So she attempted to listen. However, they were rather inapropriate for a ten year old girl to be hearing, and were centered around Max. So she quickly tuned him out. She then decided to listen to Max, just to make sure that she wasn't doing.... things, with Fang. Fortunatly, Max was just thinking about popcorn. Angel sighed. Listening to people's thoughts was like, her hobbie. And making sure that her family was all in working order. She remembered the day that she had found out that Gazzy was gay. It had been two years ago, and he and Iggy had been working on a bomb.

Wow, he's so into it. It's so weird. He likes blowing things up as much as I do, and yet he can only feel the explosions, rather than see them. Though he insists that the force of the explosion is the best part. Of course. And he's so nimble and quick with the wires, and he can't even see them. I think I love his fingers best. Wait... what?

Angel remembered being cast into reeling shock. And then disbelief.

And then wondering how she hadn't noticed it before.

Now, as she walked the corridor, looking for the room that belonged to Max, she remembered how she had promised herself to listen to each member of the flock's thoughts each day with out fail. Just incase she stumbled across something life changeing, like the fact that Gazzy was gay. So, next she listened to Nudge. She froze instantly.

... I wonder why Iggy's been acting so strange lately. Like, whenever I even metion Gazzy's name, he'll freeze, make up some excuse, and leave the room. It's so weird. Did they have a fight? I don't think they had a fight! When they're in the same room together, they act just as normal as always, but when he's not with Gazzy, he acts all weird about him. Gazzy never acts all weird about Iggy though... Oh, look! Tacos!

Angel then procceded to walk straight into Iggy.

"SHIT-ACKIMUSHROOMS!" He shouted, with a glance at Angel, who smiled innocently at him. "What the hay, Angel! I mean really! You could watch where your going once in a while, you know." Crap. Angel thought. He's all preocupied. Not good. Did he already tell Max? A quick scan of his brain said that he hadn't.

"Sorry Iggy. I just had a talk with Gazzy." Just as Nudge had said, he froze.

"About what?" He asked catiously.

"His crush." She watched Iggy blink. Once. Twice. Thrice.

"Who?" Iggy asked.

"It's top secret. Even I don't know." Angel lied. She noticed that Iggy looked quite relived. "Where are you going?"

"To be honest, I was looking for Max. I can't remember what color her door was. I'm kind of lost, actually. You?" Oh, crap. He was going to tell her.

"Iggy, you CAN'T tell her! Just give Gazzy time!"

"What?"

She lowered her voice. "I know, Iggy. I figured it out about two years ago. I KNOW Gazzy's gay. And I was looking for Max too. So we'll just have to go together." Iggy looked like he'd been slaped in the face.

"But-"

"We've planned to have a Flock meeting. Today or tommorow. Thats why I need to see Max. Ig, Gazzy needs to tell her himself. He needs to tell everyone himself. He told me that he'd been trying to figure out how." Kind of... She thought guiltily.

"Oh. Ok. Um, tell me. Is he just gay for one person, or is it all guys?"

"Just his crush. But he never liked girls in the first place."

"Oh."

"You seem to say that a lot."

" I- so? Lets go find Max. I found a place that I think would be good for us to live." Angel smiled. She had a good feeling about Gazzy and Iggy's relationship, suddenly.

"Ok." And so they continued down the corridor, the child leading the blind man to light.

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Third Person Omnicient, talking from the side of Max

They were all gathered in her room. It would have been both Fang and her's, but the Flock said that they didn't want them sleeping together until they'd got engaged. At least. Gazzy said that he didn't want them sleeping together until they had gotten married. Speaking of Gazzy, Angel had said that he'd wanted to tell the flock something. Also, seeing as Iggy might have found them a home, a Flock meeting was swiftly arranged. Everyone was on the bed. Gazzy was looking nervous. They sat in scilence for a while, and then she spoke.

"Gazzy, Angel said you had something to tell us!" She chirped. But her happy stance quickly faded as she saw him gulp and turn to Angel.

"Don't be silly!" Angel muttered to him. Everyone swiveled their heads to look at the siblings. "They're going to find out eventually. Wouldn't you rather it be you who tells them?" Looking frightened, he nodded. Max suddenly felt a surg of anger. What could have happened to him that made him so scared?

"Okay. Um... I really don't know how to say this gently. So I'm just going to ask you all now. Are any of you guys prejudice to gay people?" All but Angel (and not suprisingly, Iggy) stared at him.

"Um... Gazzy?" Nudge asked, suprisingly gentle.

"Yeah?" He asked, with an unmistakable quiver in his voice.

Nudge broke into rant central.

" Are you telling us you're gay? I don't care if you're gay. I don't know about the others, except for Angel, because obviously, she's known, but-" Iggy put his hand over her mouth.

He and Gazzy looked at each other for a brief second, then Iggy nodded. " I don't care either."

Gazzy turned to Fang next. We were all shocked when he reached over to hug him. We were even more suprised when Gazzy burst into tears.

"Shhhh....shhhh... it's okay Gasman, it's okay."

Gazzy snuffled. " I- I wanted to te-tell you, but I ju-ju-just thought that you wou-would ha-hate me."

"Calm down, Gazzy! Just because one of my predictions was false doesn't mean they'll all be!" Waait... Max thought. Fang had made a prediction about Gazzy? With a girl? Then she snapped out of it, because her little trooper was looking at her. She too, reached over and hugged him.

"Gazzy, Gazzy, Gazzy..." She sighed. "I don't care what your love prefrences are!" Then she pulled back to look at him. "As long-"

"I don't like Fang, okay!" He inturrupted. He looked at Fang. "There. Now you don't have to worry. Or you Max." She reached over and hugged him again. Then Iggy interupted.

"As touching as this is, let's stop consoling Gazzy because we didn't guess that he was gay so we can get on to discussing my idea, okay?" Everyone burst out into laughter. Even Gazzy.

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Three weeks later

Thrid Person Omnicient, from Iggy's side of things.

Lovely, he thought as he watched his best friend unpacking. I've been dared by Angel to tell Gazzy I love him. Which, suprisingly, is true. I can't believe I figured it out around the same time I realized he was gay. Sad thing is, Angel wasn't thinking about something. I'm eighteen. He's twelve. This is going to be so akward. And I know I'd find it creepy if my best friend who happens to be six years older than me (in my case, I guess the "me" would be twenty four years old...) was in love with me. I'm pretty sure I'm Gazzy's crush, seeing as I'm the only other boy that he's been in contact with, besides Fang. He said to them that he didn't like Fang. And Angel keeps telling me to go for it... the knewly turned man lost his train of thought as his best friend's ice blue eyes gazed into his own sea blue ones.

"Iggy?" Gazzer asked, oblivious to the fact that his crush had been thinking about him... that way only a few seconds before. "Did you hear what I said?" Suddenly struck buy an idea, he shook his head.

"No." Then he sighed patheticly. Then he heard Angel, giggling in his mind. That's a perfect idea, Ig! Go for it. He'll take the bait. "I was thinking about someone." Gazzy blinked in suprise.

"How so?" The teen asked. Yup Angel, he fell for it; hook, line, and sinker.

"Romantically so." He watched Gazzy blink again.

"Who?" Once, more, he sighed in a pathetic, dramatic way. Once more he heard Angel's giggles. Shhhh! wait for my next line. Then you can laugh!

"I can't tell you!" He said in mock outrage. "If I do, then we'll both be cursed!" He heard Angel laugh outright in his head. He ignored her and gazed at his best friend (and now potential lover) intently. Gazzy looked around shiftily.

"Bye who, Ig?" The younger whispered, looking for an instant like an eight year old child again. The older felt his heart swoop.

"Bye Cupid."

"Uuuuh... Cupid, Ig?"

"Well yeah! He'll make the person I like fall in love with someone else! And you'd never be able to like anyone, ever!" He said it with wild, dramatic hand sweeping motions. Then he swung his arms around randomly for a few seconds, until he noticed Gazzy was looking at him like he'd been yodeling. "Sorry...but the powers cupid has over those in love are intense, dude. He works for Aphrodite, who's the goddess of love and beauty, and she lets him do whatever..." Gazzy was giving him the look again. "What??"

"There's no such thing as Cupid, Ig. You're just a chicken." Cheesy Grits!! he thought, dismayed. A little help, Angel? She replied instantly. Now you tell him. Ask him what he means, let him explain, then tell him you love him. It makes perfect sense. She paused. Unless you're a chicken...

Angel!

"What do you mean by chicken, Gazzer?"

"You're afraid to tell me who you like!" He then got slightly annoyed, and proceeded to tell Gazzy exactly who he liked...

"Am not! I like you!" He noticed that Gazzy had suddenly turned very pale, and was backing away from him slowly.

"That isn't funny, Ig. Not funny at all." He noticed that Gazzy's voice was shaking.

"I'm not joking, Gaz. I'd be a cruel person to joke like that to someone who's just officially come out of the closet." Gazzy stared at him.

"But... you're obsessed with women!" Iggy blinked.

"Was... like, ages ago. I've grown up a little bit." Gazzy nodded.

"And if I, say, liked you back..."

"Then we'd kiss. And then go tell the flock."

So they did.

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It took me ages to do this. At home, I've got a limit on my computer time, so... anyway, I thought it turned out pretty well! Review and tell me what you doth think! And read Tamora Peirce books, because they're awsome. Heh...

REVIEW PLEASE -bambi eyes to the readers- Heck, even flames would be great!