xp_logs | Monday night - Paige visits Angelo

It was chilled in the house, even with all the winter fixing up Cain and his team had done. Paige had slipped her duvet over her shoulders, a giant, pale blue, puffy cape, and it trailed behind her as she made her way down the stairs. She'd be wearing socks to bed these days, big floppy ones that she had stolen from her brother, and it made her silent as she walked through the long, dark corridors. Not bothering to turn on the light Paige entered the rec room and crossed over to the back of the couch. She stood there, looking down at Angelo for quite some time, judging whether he was asleep yet or not.

After this continued for some time, Angelo became aware of her presence, opening his eyes to peer up at her. He smiled slightly. "Hey."

The smile she offered in return was warm and soft, much like the flannel pants she was wearing. She bent over to rest her elbows on the couch, her voice quiet. "Hey yourself. You should be sleeping. Preferably in your own room but sleeping none the less."

Angelo looked vaguely uncomfortable. "Yeah... I was just thinking about stuff. And if I should be sleeping, so should you."

"You know better than that," Paige replied with obvious amusement. Her seldom seen glasses were still on her nose, she'd forgotten about them, and only now realised as she could see the oh-so-tiny flecks of colour in his eyes. "I don't sleep."

Angelo blinked up at her. "You should, though. Unless that's some secondary mutation I don't know about."

"Probably. But it's so hard when there are so many other things I could be doing. Maybe my secondary mutation is an overactive mind." She smiled again, holding her face in her hand. "And what have you been thinking so hard about that's been keeping you up, Mister Espinosa?"

Angelo stopped smiling, at that. "Just stuff", he answered quietly.

"Ah, say no more. Sorry." Paige tried to get him to smile again, lifting a corner of his mouth with a finger.

Angelo pulled his legs up to make room for Paige on the couch, gesturing for her to sit down. "No, I... I want to talk to you."

Pulling her hand away Paige walked around the couch, settling beside him. She flipped the blanket over so that it covered his knees at well, pulling her shirt down over her fingers. "Talk away."

Angelo fell silent for a moment, working up his courage. Em told me I have to say this, and she was right. Come on... "First, I want to say again I'm sorry I hurt you. And..." He trailed off, before continuing softly, "This isn't easy for me to say, so I'm just going to... say it." He took a deep breath. "Paige... I love you." He waited anxiously for her reaction, talking nervously to fill the silence. "You don't have to do anything - you don't even have to say it back - but I just wanted you to know..."

There was a pause, longer than she would have liked, as her mind turned over those words. "You... why would you?" She stopped his quick, angry reply with a hand, trying to form coherent words to continue with. "I have done nothing to deserve anything even resembling love from you, Angelo. Nothing."

Angelo looked at her sadly. "Nothing? What world are you living in, Paige? You've done nothing *but* deserve love from me. You're good, and kind, and beautiful. You were my friend when I first got here and needed one. I've never *met* anyone like you..."

"And I do horrible, horrible things to the people I care about. Let's not forget that." She shook her head, trying to avoid the hurt in his eyes as she looked down at the stitching on her sleeves. "I don't deserve your love, Angel and you deserve someone much better than I."

"Doesn't work like that", Angelo said softly, pain audible in his voice. "Remember?"

"I know, I know but..." Paige sighed and looked up, unable to pretend anymore. Moving over she rested her head against his. "I need to stop listening to myself, I give bad advice. Thank you." She let out the breath she'd been holding, upsetting his hair.

Angelo reached up automatically to smooth his hair back into place, hesitating as his hand brushed her temple in passing. "There's nothing to thank me for."

"Yes there is. You put up with me. You love me even through my abnormally huge faults. I figure that is worthy of more than just a thank you, but it's all I can offer at this moment," she replied. "For now."

"And again I say, there's nothing to thank me for", Angelo replied quietly. "Anything I've done... is the only thing I *could* do." He let the last part of what she'd said pass, afraid of what she might say if he questioned it.

Paige nodded, resigned. "Then I'm sorry. I have to be something. I'm so sick of trying to be nothing, of not being able to do or say anything in case it comes out wrong." She paused, adding quietly, "Or right..."

"Be what you are", Angelo told her gently. "That's the girl *I* love..." He trailed off, leaving his intended words about Jono saying the same unspoken.

"That's a good thing to be," she answered simply. It's just not the only thing I can be...

Angelo let the silence continue for a time, unsure of what to say next. Finally, he twisted to look at her, worried. "You okay?"

Paige smiled at him with nothing behind her eyes but that smile. "Yes. A little bit pulled but okay."

"Good", Angelo answered, relieved. "You... you can talk to me, you know? I promise not to get upset. Or if you don't want to, then promise me you'll go find Alison when you need someone to talk to."

"That's not a very wise thing to promise, but it is very sweet. I'd prefer if you promised to quit holing yourself up, though." She poked him in the chest, spreading her smile into a grin. "But I will speak to someone if need be, don't worry yourself."

Angelo hadn't missed the fact that, as he had feared, she had not returned his confession of love at any point. Dismissing that thought for later, he managed an almost-convincing grin in return. "No promises on that score. But I'll try."

"That's my boy." It's simple enough but speaks the volumes that she cannot. Leaning over, Paige kisses his cheek. "Good night, Angelo. I'll see you in the morning."

Angelo grabbed her hand impulsively, then stopped, ducking his head in something like shame, before he could do whatever he'd intended next. "Goodnight", he muttered.

Paige squeezed his hand and stood, pulling her duvet up and close around her against the cold. She half circled around the couch to the door and paused, hand resting on the frame. "Oh, and Angelo? I love you too," she said, before making her way down the hall and to the stairs.