Fang's compliments--pointless

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, running a hand through my clean hair (unbelievable, huh?). It didn’t look like me. We’d been too busy with that funky saving the world business to take care of ourselves. But we were having a break at Mom’s house, and it was doing good for everyone.

I smiled at myself and turned to the door whistling some weird commercial tune when I realized that Fang was staring at me from the doorframe. I felt the heat rush to my cheeks.

“Hey. ‘sup?” I said smiling, hoping for the blush to be invisible. I wished my cheerful mood would distract him.

“Not much.” He answered with a quick, imperceptible shrug.

We stayed looking at each other for a while. Ugh, was it an uncomfortable silence! I started moving again to get out of my room, when he spoke again.

“You look pretty,” he said. “With… the clean hair and your new clothes.”

What? Was I becoming deaf, too? I mean, apart from having my father speaking in my head 24/7…

“Wow, thanks, Mr. Complimentum Guy.” Complimentum Guy? My snazzy-snappy responses needed to be practiced—fast.

He sighed. For a moment I thought he looked annoyed, but he covered his face with a mask of indifference before I could make sure.

“I’m serious, Max.”

I stuck out my tongue at him and went into the living room. It was the best escape I could think about.

But, what a surprise, he thumped a hand down on my shoulder and whirled me around.

“Ow,” I said, rubbing my shoulder. “What’s your problem?”

“You know better than anyone that my compliments are scarce,” a quick smile spread over his face, then disappeared. “Why can’t you take them seriously?”

I shrugged. “It’s very weird for you to say that stuff.”
As Fang he as he was, he only raised an eyebrow as an answer.
“You… you never say stuff like that without a good reason,” I kept explaining myself. Wait! Was this what he’d been intending? For me to admit all this? I felt a sudden urge to punch… no, it was more like an urge to kiss someone. Ack… never mind.

“And?”

“Well, you must’ve had a good reason for saying it…” I said, looking at the floor.

I looked at Fang, expecting him to laugh in my face or something. But instead of that, he leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on my—you guessed—lips.

I should let Fang compliment me more often.