Angelo and Nathan, Friday morning
Jun. 29th, 2007 09:44 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAngelo gets an early birthday present.
He shouldn't really have been in the office, Angelo knew - he was supposed to be on semi-vacation still. But better anywhere than that empty suite... and apparently Nathan had guessed he'd feel that way, because there was something waiting for him on the desk. A set of keys, with an electronic unlocker attached.
Ten minutes later, he was in the garage, looking around for anything visibly new. But it was a big space, and there was no way to tell, except the one in his hand. He lifted the keys and pressed the button.
The one that responded was off to his left, and his eyes widened as he turned and saw the beautiful red convertible parked there. His steps were slow as he walked towards it, almost unbelieving.
"It's an early birthday present," came Nathan's voice, from back somewhere in the shadows of the garage. He stepped out into a view, smiling slightly at the look of shock on Angelo's face. "And don't you dare even start with the 'I can't accept this'. Or I'll set Moira loose on you. This is from both of us."
Angelo just blinked at him. "I... you bought me a car? Seriously?" Forge would be so jealous of this, was his next slightly dazed thought.
"Isn't that sort of a 21st birthday thing?" Nathan asked a bit awkwardly, shrugging a little. Moira and he had shared a wistful moment, thinking of two boys who'd never lived to see their 21st birthday, and what it might have been like to be the indulgent parent like this, for Tyler and for Kevin... "I mean, I had to convince Moira about the convertible aspect. If it had been up to her, you'd have gotten a Volvo or something safe and boring." He smiled a bit, finally.
"Well, yeah, no, I mean, it is, but I wasn't expectin'..." He stopped stuttering with a rueful but pleased smile of his own, nodding and looking back at the car. "Thanks."
"It's not the level of sportscar that Scott's is, or-" Nathan's eyes flickered towards Forge's car, but he didn't finish the sentence, just went on as if he had. "It's a Mustang," he said, approaching the car. "But, well... it's fast, attractive, and you can take the top off."
"'s more than good enough for me", Angelo said, reaching out to run a hand gently down the car's wing. He cut himself off before repeating 'thanks' for the second time in as many sentences.
Nathan breathed in and then out, the smile coming back, even if it was a little wan. He'd had visions of Angelo being stubborn about it; he was glad he'd been pessimistic. "So. Why do you think I'm giving this to you now, instead of a month from now?"
Angelo paused, then looked up at him. "It's a hint." That came out... somewhere between wry and flat.
"Well, it's more supposed to be a way to facilitate that road trip we were talking about, but yeah." Nathan leaned back against the car behind him, sighing.
"Means it's both." Angelo shrugged. "I was thinkin' I'd go soon anyway. I need out of here for awhile." Now more than ever.
He was very distant, Nathan thought, but that was probably only to be expected. "Well. You can do it in style, then." The lightness in his voice was a bit brittle, but he softened it with a smile. "You'll need to get the insurance straightened out before you go, though."
He'd retreated, for lack of a better word, into himself. It would pass, with time and recovery. He nodded at that suggestion. "Shouldn't take more 'n a few days. Gives me time to square things with the school an' NYU, too."
"Well, yeah, I didn't figure you'd take off without meeting your various committments," Nathan said in that same light tone. "Going to invite Amanda?"
"Already did", he said, managing a smile at her name. "Back in Attilan. She said she'd go, I just need to tell her when."
"Good." Well, there was one wrinkle that seemed to be working itself out, thankfully. Nathan gave him a tired smile and straightened. "You should head west. The scenery's better."
"Take that into consideration", Angelo said solemnly. "We'll probably just start an' see where we wind up."
"Sounds like a plan. Or a good lack of a plan, rather. I should let you get acquainted," Nathan said, inclining his head at the car. "You don't want to be taking off for parts unknown before you get to know each other. She's got a full tank of gas."
Angelo glanced between him and the car, then back to him and then, abruptly, stepped over to give him a quick but heartfelt hug and another "Thanks".
"You're welcome," Nathan said, his voice a little unsteady. But when he took a step back, his expression was clear, and the smile was closer to something more natural.
A crooked grin, and Angelo turned back to the - his - car, and got in.
He shouldn't really have been in the office, Angelo knew - he was supposed to be on semi-vacation still. But better anywhere than that empty suite... and apparently Nathan had guessed he'd feel that way, because there was something waiting for him on the desk. A set of keys, with an electronic unlocker attached.
Ten minutes later, he was in the garage, looking around for anything visibly new. But it was a big space, and there was no way to tell, except the one in his hand. He lifted the keys and pressed the button.
The one that responded was off to his left, and his eyes widened as he turned and saw the beautiful red convertible parked there. His steps were slow as he walked towards it, almost unbelieving.
"It's an early birthday present," came Nathan's voice, from back somewhere in the shadows of the garage. He stepped out into a view, smiling slightly at the look of shock on Angelo's face. "And don't you dare even start with the 'I can't accept this'. Or I'll set Moira loose on you. This is from both of us."
Angelo just blinked at him. "I... you bought me a car? Seriously?" Forge would be so jealous of this, was his next slightly dazed thought.
"Isn't that sort of a 21st birthday thing?" Nathan asked a bit awkwardly, shrugging a little. Moira and he had shared a wistful moment, thinking of two boys who'd never lived to see their 21st birthday, and what it might have been like to be the indulgent parent like this, for Tyler and for Kevin... "I mean, I had to convince Moira about the convertible aspect. If it had been up to her, you'd have gotten a Volvo or something safe and boring." He smiled a bit, finally.
"Well, yeah, no, I mean, it is, but I wasn't expectin'..." He stopped stuttering with a rueful but pleased smile of his own, nodding and looking back at the car. "Thanks."
"It's not the level of sportscar that Scott's is, or-" Nathan's eyes flickered towards Forge's car, but he didn't finish the sentence, just went on as if he had. "It's a Mustang," he said, approaching the car. "But, well... it's fast, attractive, and you can take the top off."
"'s more than good enough for me", Angelo said, reaching out to run a hand gently down the car's wing. He cut himself off before repeating 'thanks' for the second time in as many sentences.
Nathan breathed in and then out, the smile coming back, even if it was a little wan. He'd had visions of Angelo being stubborn about it; he was glad he'd been pessimistic. "So. Why do you think I'm giving this to you now, instead of a month from now?"
Angelo paused, then looked up at him. "It's a hint." That came out... somewhere between wry and flat.
"Well, it's more supposed to be a way to facilitate that road trip we were talking about, but yeah." Nathan leaned back against the car behind him, sighing.
"Means it's both." Angelo shrugged. "I was thinkin' I'd go soon anyway. I need out of here for awhile." Now more than ever.
He was very distant, Nathan thought, but that was probably only to be expected. "Well. You can do it in style, then." The lightness in his voice was a bit brittle, but he softened it with a smile. "You'll need to get the insurance straightened out before you go, though."
He'd retreated, for lack of a better word, into himself. It would pass, with time and recovery. He nodded at that suggestion. "Shouldn't take more 'n a few days. Gives me time to square things with the school an' NYU, too."
"Well, yeah, I didn't figure you'd take off without meeting your various committments," Nathan said in that same light tone. "Going to invite Amanda?"
"Already did", he said, managing a smile at her name. "Back in Attilan. She said she'd go, I just need to tell her when."
"Good." Well, there was one wrinkle that seemed to be working itself out, thankfully. Nathan gave him a tired smile and straightened. "You should head west. The scenery's better."
"Take that into consideration", Angelo said solemnly. "We'll probably just start an' see where we wind up."
"Sounds like a plan. Or a good lack of a plan, rather. I should let you get acquainted," Nathan said, inclining his head at the car. "You don't want to be taking off for parts unknown before you get to know each other. She's got a full tank of gas."
Angelo glanced between him and the car, then back to him and then, abruptly, stepped over to give him a quick but heartfelt hug and another "Thanks".
"You're welcome," Nathan said, his voice a little unsteady. But when he took a step back, his expression was clear, and the smile was closer to something more natural.
A crooked grin, and Angelo turned back to the - his - car, and got in.
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