Julio and Nathan, Julio and Angel -- Parent's Day.

[x-rictor.livejournal.com]

Parent's Day. Nathan and Julio run into each other while both are trying to hide. Nathan from the parents and Julio from Angel. The reason surprises Nathan.



If someone had asked him, Nathan would have confessed that he was doing his best to avoid parents. Just because he'd had to grab some last-minute end-of-term paperwork from his mansion office didn't mean that he actually wanted to talk to anyone, let alone aggrieved parents who might be wondering about why their children had gone to Las Vegas and come back traumatized. He wasn't actively scanning for approaching people, just listening with his ears - he'd retreated behind his damaged shields as soon as he'd walked off the plane and he didn't plan to come out again anytime soon.

So it wasn't really much of a surprise that he was somewhat startled by coming across Julio, sitting in the stairwell reading.

If someone were to accuse Julio of being a coward and hiding from his girlfriend and her parents, they would be absolutely right. He figured everyone would think that he was just feeling left out because his father could not attend. In actuality, it was more of a problem that he'd discussed with various members of his family. There was something he felt he had to do, but there was no right way to do it. Especially after the weekend she'd had.

The stairwell was nice and cool, and secluded. So he started badly when Nathan almost stepped on him.

"Sorry, Julio," Nathan muttered, rubbing at his jaw. The beard itched. He really ought to shave. "What are you doing in here?

"Hiding," Julio said cheerfully. "From my girlfriend's parents and anyone else who wants to take pity on Julio-whose-father-cannot-set-foot-in-the-US-without-being-arrested." He waved his novel at Nathan.

Nathan shrugged, then sat down on the stairs beside Julio. "No one's found you before me, huh? Mind sharing the hiding place for a few? I'm old and need to muster up my energy before making a run for the boathouse."

The younger boy shook his head. "Are you hiding from the parents as well? I cannot blame you. This stairwell's pretty secluded, I come here sometimes when things get too loud," he shrugged expressively and leaned back on the stairs with his elbows. "I would like to say I feel bad for not being around this weekend, but... I think I shall take Tia Dolores and the cheek pinching."

"Smart man. Cheek pinching would have been much preferable." And I think you've had your share of traumatic kidnappings. "And yes, I am hiding from the parents. Charles doesn't pay me enough to try and explain this latest and most horrific twist of the field trip curse." The smile he gave Julio was more than a little brittle.

"And yet, being at the school is always more preferable than the outside world. I am not sure how sad that is." Julio turned the book over in his hands. "I know it is safer here for me than it would be at home." He had a brief flash of memory, a gang of thugs standing over a cringing man with red skin. The leader had turned to Julio, and motioned for him to keep walking with a jerk of his head. And to Julio's eternal shame, he had.

"Quite sad," Nathan muttered, somewhat absently. He wasn't quite checking out of the conversation, but the thousand-yard stare was definitely beginning to form. Too much consideration about safety and the school and lack thereof was a bad thing this week.

"You people really need to stop competing with me," Julio said casually. "I fear that someone shall top me and take out Madagascar or something."

"Hush. Think of the lemurs, Julio," Nathan said, part of him reflecting on just how much Julio sounded like his father. It was the same sense of humor.

"Perhaps it will be a lemur then. A lemur with country destroying powers. We'll have to protect this lemur, you know." Julio said, with a mischievous grin starting to form around the corners of his mouth. "He'll come to school, share a room with Mondo."

Nathan cracked a smile, if a brief one, for the first time all day. Damned kids, cheering me up... "Mondo could introduce him to the joys of Sesame Street."

"And Kermit. Of course, being a Lemur, he would eat Kermit." Julio put his hands behind his head as he contemplated this. "Oh yes, it would be a sad day for the Samoan."

"Well, here's hoping the country-destroying lemur sticks around in Madagascar yet. I think Mondo had enough of his illusions shattered last weekend."

"Pah," Julio said. "Ruin all of my fun." As a precaution Julio craned his neck to look down the hallway. "I fear that Angel shall pop up at any moment. Or her parents." He scratched his head irritably. "I tell you a secret?" he looked over at Nathan. "Between men?"

Nathan raised an eyebrow, but then nodded, that faint smile tugging at his lips again. "Be glad you'll never know some of the secrets I've kept for your father."

"He told me about the one time with snakebite," Julio said, peering down the hallway before looking back at Nathan a second time. "I want to break up with my girlfriend."

"With Angel?" Nathan tilted his head at him., careful not to smile this time. Solemn. Solemn was good. "Not working out?"

Julio turned the novel over in his hands again. "I do not think of her as anything more than a friend," he confessed. "A couple of weeks ago I thought she told me she loved me, and that did not sit very well. She does not love me, I do not think. But," he sighed. "I would prefer her as my friend."

"That's not such a bad thing, you know," Nathan said, not quite lightly. "A good strong friendship is worth a lot. It can last a lot longer than more romantic relationships sometimes, too."

"I am such a tool," Julio pronounced solemnly. "Especially for wanting to do this after this weekend. I came back after my cousin's wedding all prepared to talk to her, and." Julio shrugged again. "She's trauma resistant. But I do not know how much."

"Sound her out," Nathan advised, the rusty gears that were his brain starting to move again, if sluggishly. "When you're around her, this week, how is she acting? Is she hanging on you-" He somehow couldn't quite imagine Angel doing that. "-or keeping her distance? Is she wanting to do things with you?"

"She was clingy, but she is clingy to everyone. She is trying to be fine, but I know she's not." Julio tapped his palm with the book, the noise echoing throughout the empty hallway before he put it down with a frustrated sigh. "I want to be there for her. But as her friend, not as her boyfriend. I'm a lousy boyfriend."

Do. Not. Smile. "Why do you say that?"

"Uh," Julio said. "I am not sure how much my father has told you. But I suck with women." So very, very much.

Nathan nodded slowly, the urge to smile fading. "He told me, before I came down to... uh, well, just before I was supposed to pick you up." He fell pensively silent, giving Julio a sideways look. "Angel does need a friend right now. Probably more than she needs a boyfriend."

"Yeah," Julio blushed ever so slightly. The back of his neck going red. That was something that was still hard to talk about. It was completely and totally unexplainable, really. "I think I shall tell her soon. She deserves me to be honest, at least."

"You obviously care about her, Julio, and that's what's important. Whatever name you put to it." It struck him that he ought to try and find a non-patronizing way to point out that there were things Julio ought to take seriously here and things he shouldn't, but he was too damned tired for that level of diplomacy. Besides, Julio's heart was clearly in the right place, and that was what counted. "My wife and I were friends for eight years before we were anything else. Did I ever tell you that?"

"I don't think so," Julio said, looking over towards the man sitting next to him. "Were you ever a complete tool to her when she was going through a hard time?"

"Regularly. I used to toss her in the North Sea as a therapeutic measure."

"Oh, well then. She also could not set you on fire, que no?" Julio said. "I think she'll take it well, I know she will. She's Angel. Just, timing sucks. Because, of course, it is all about me." Julio said mockingly.

"Go talk to her," Nathan advised. "She might surprise you. Or she might set your shoes on fire. Either way, it's best to be upfront about these things."

"What, now?" Julio looked around himself and then fixed Nathan with an accusatory stare. "Are you just trying to take my stairwell? I was here first, you know."

Nathan made little shooing gestures with his free hand. "You'll feel better if you go and talk to her about what's bothering you." Hypocrite... "And besides, there's a minimum of hiding a man can do before he starts having difficulty looking at himself in the mirror."

"You are totally stealing my stairwell," Julio sighed, picking up his book. "All right. But I demand Tuesdays and Thursdays here between the hours of 3 and 5. That is my quiet time." He pointed the book at Nathan for emphasis.

Nathan gave him a half-salute. "Good luck, young Richter. If she turns you into a pile of very brave ash, I'll carry stories of your valor home to your father."

"To which he will more than likely effect your brutal murder." Julio said cheerfully. He paused, scratching at his goatee. Nathan did seem lighter than when he had first started talking. So, his work here was done. "And if you wife asks, shall I tell her you are hiding like a girl in my stairwell?"

"Yes. Do. That way, you'll see how much mockery marriage involves and be even more confident in your 'let's just be friends' decision," Nathan said gravely.

"Bueno." Julio said. "Gracias, old man."





Later, Julio seeks out Angel. She doesn't light him on fire.



There was a tree and there was also a dress but it didn't matter too much. Angel scrambled up to a low level branch as best she could without flashing anything beneath her--luckily, it was empty for now, which was why she was there. As much as she loved her parents, the Parents Day thing had just become...clingy.

But she blamed that more on her aunts who kept calling her mom's cell phone, demanding minute updates on their niece.

"Hey, Angel!"

Startled, she flailed about for a second, nearly sliding sideways before snaking her arms around the tree limb. "Julio, gah!" Angel paused for a second and then grinned, trying to right herself. "If I break a leg, I'm totally blaming you."

"Oh, you can fly," Julio waved a hand dismissively. "Therefore, if you break your leg, it is your own fault." He looked down and scuffed a shoe in the dirt before looking back up at Angel. "Can I talk to you about something, possibly?"

That got her attention and she patted the branch next to her. "Grab a seat and come on up," she replied. "What's up?"

Julio paused, looking at the branch warily. Well, if she threw him out of the tree it wouldn't hurt that bad. He clambered up to sit beside her. He tried to collect himself, running a hand through his hair nervously. "It is... gah, this is lame. But it is about us. I'm... Angel. I am sorry, but I only see you as ...a friend?"

"Oh. Oh. Huh." Angel looked down to see her skirt bunched neatly between her knees as she straddled the limb, legs swinging back and forth. She glanced up at him sideways and reached out a hand to muss up his hair. "Um, okay. Unless I'm supposed to do something now like scream or wail or...or. I dunno, girly. Am I? But that'd be lying because, yeah, I'll miss the kissy stuff--hee--but you're totally one of my best friends before all of that."

The boy let out an audible sigh of relief. "I would have no idea what you are supposed to do either, I have never broken up with anyone either." That matter had been rather taken out of his hands the first go round. "Just, um, please do not set me on fire?" He winced.

"Ew, no, you'd totally smell. It's bad enough when I set Kyle on fire and he grows his skin back. Though not his pants and that'd be the best power ever." She squinted a bit. "I mean, you're still totally cute but, yeah, best friends, right? And the lack of dramatics probably means we're doing this the right way. Yay us!"

"Well, I for one am glad there are no dramatics," Julio said firmly, with a nod. "I am not sure if there is a right way to break up with someone." It wasn't that he didn't find Angel attractive, he just didn't want to kiss her anymore. Which was terrible, but honestly, why stay with someone if all they are to you is a friend?

Angel nodded, leaning back against the tree. After the kidnapping and everything, this was just...normal. She could do normal even if it wasn't the happiest thing in the world. But it didn't really change her feelings, she still cared for him a lot and that translated right back to where they'd been before.

She couldn't help but grin, though. "Still...Julio, tell me I'm pretty," Angel said suddenly, pretending to sigh deeply.

Julio snorted, but then grinned. "How does it go? 'Were I unwed, I would take you in the manly fashion.'"

A giggle. "'Cause I'm pretty?"

"'Cause you are pretty."