xp_logs | In the small hours of Monday morning... (Reply)

It's late, and Sarah makes her way upstairs, a half-eaten piece of pizza in her hand. She barely takes notice of the sleeping figure curled up on the couch when she plops down in an armchair and grabs the television remote. It flickers on, and she begins to search for something appropriately mindless and violent enough to watch at 1:30 in the morning.

Angelo doesn't wake up until the noise from the TV gets loud enough to disturb him. Then he raises his head sleepily to see what's going on.

"You may want to go upstairs to sleep," she says offhandedly, not really looking away from the television.

Angelo blinks. "Tell that to Alex and Shiro", he mutters.

She looks at him, curiously. "What's this got to do with.... oh." When she realises what probably happened, the slightest flicker of a smile appears. "They kicked you out?"

Angelo, not yet awake enough for complex thought, even if he'd wanted to, just answers, "Yes."

"Well, it happens." She shrugs, and flips the channel. "I'd invite you to the basement, but I think two is about as many as we can fit in there. Plus, there's enough blood on the floor in there without you and Jono trying to kill each other over my old roomie."

"I'm okay in here", Angelo replied, trying to work out if what Sarah had just said qualified as "nice" or not.

"I slept in here for a while. When I first got here. Wasn't too bad, except for when people who didn't sleep decided to come in and watch television." She smiles, and continues switching channels.

Angelo doesn't tell, or even ask, her to turn the TV off, aware of just how far that would get him. "Did that happen a lot?"

She shakes her head. "Not really. Mostly just Jono."

Angelo stiffens momentarily at the mention of Jono's name, then forces himself to relax. "Right..."

Sarah nearly laughs. "I think he's busy in the basement. You're safe, unless you're still here after he finally beats Grand Theft Auto."

"Don't know where I'll be", Angelo tells her. "But I don't think I have to worry about him right now. The moment's passed..."

"'The moment' has passed?" She raises an eyebrow, and looks back at Angelo.

"When he *really* wanted to kill me." And with that, he clams up again.

"I can't say I'd blame him." She doesn't offer any explanation, just scratches idly at her leg.

Angelo glances over at her. "He told you." It's not a question.

"Yeah. He did." She mutes the television, and throws the remote to the floor below her.

Angelo nods, suddenly wary. He says nothing.

Sarah stretches in her chair, letting a bone-encrusted hand hang over the arm. "Well, come on. You've got something to say, so say it."

"Nothing to say here", Angelo answers quietly. "Jono was right. I deserved it."

"I'm not going to argue there," she says. She pauses and then adds, "But I wouldn't worry about it too much. We're all fuck-ups here."

Angelo almost smiles, before teasing gently, "Why Sarah, are you trying to reassure me? That was almost nice."

"Yeah, well, I think you're beginning to sound the way everybody says Jono and I sound. And since there's only room for two in the basement, somebody has to tell you to get the hell over it." She shrugs. There may be a smile, but it's hard to tell.

Angelo looks at her for a moment longer, then turns towards the television, saying quietly, "Thanks. I think."

This time, she does laugh. "You're welcome."