xp_logs | Angelo and Forge, Tuesday afternoon

Angelo gets the truth of what happened from Forge. Angelo is not pleased. Jono, you've got some 'splaining to do.

"So", Angelo said conversationally, stepping into Forge's room and closing the door behind him, "we know Kyle didn't do it, 'cause he doesn't lie about stuff like that. You gonna tell me who did?"

"Would 'tall, paranoid, and psychotic' be a good clue?" Forge groaned, lifting the ice pack to check out the bruise along the edge of his jaw in the mirror. "It appears not everyone's over the moon with glee to see me back in one piece."

"Well, except for the tall, that could be at least... one person in the house. It wasn't Logan, was it?" Angelo leaned against the closed door, watching his friend.

Forge shook his head, then winced and downed two aspirin from an open bottle, dry-swallowing them. "Hah, if Logan decided to punch me out for thinking about his girlfriend, I'd probably be down in the medlab. Thankfully that's not a risk anytime soon. No, young Lord Starsmore decided he was going to try making demands and dictating terms. It didn't go well."

Angelo's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Jono did that?" It wasn't so much incredulous as just seeking confirmation. "What, was it just standard 'stay away from Paige' stuff, or was he lookin' for somethin' else?"

"Ah, had some demands about 'help fix me poor bleedin' face wah wah', and didn't want to take no for an answer." Forge shrugged and tossed the mostly-melted ice pack onto his desk. "He assumed my reasoning had something to do with Paige, and I had no problem letting him think that. But yeah, the 'stay away' message was pretty implicit." He indicated the bruise on his jaw and shrugged again. "But then again, if I bent over for every jackass who substituted pugilism for diplomacy, I'd never have made it past the sixth grade."

"Was that after you said no?" Angelo persisted. "Or after Paige came up?" He had every intention of taking this up with Jono himself. Nobody bullied his friends.

"Well," Forge managed to look a bit sheepish, "I suppose I happened to be thinking rather loudly. It seems the English Dope's got himself something of an insecurity complex. Curious, really. All the empirical evidence in the world, and he's still convinced that I'm some threat to his conjugal bliss." He chuckled softly, then winced. "I almost hate to disappoint him."

"Fuckin' Jono", Angelo muttered. "Four years on, an' he's still goin' in fists first? So much for growin' up."

Forge held up a finger. "To be fair, he's spent a significant part of it in a nonphysical form that... wait, am I making excuses for him? Fuck that, the guy's a ... what does Amanda say all the time? Wanker? He's that."

"Wanker, tosser... uh, what did she used to call Piotr? Pillock. That's the one." Angelo grinned slightly, though he was still angry. "You know, I call him a friend an' all, but this... this just isn't on."

"It's also between me and him," Forge said fiercely, looking over at Angelo. "I mean, thanks and all, but... he's got a problem with me and Paige being partners in the lab, then it's his own fault for being a paranoid moron. I'm through letting other people try and force the choices I make," he nodded, then smiled weakly back at Angelo, "but I'm also through expecting other people to stand up for me."

"I wouldn't be doin' it because you expect me to", Angelo retorted. "An' I know you'd never have asked it. But someone needs to learn to pick on people his own size. Metaphorically", he added wryly, glancing down at himself.

A spark of realization flared in Forge's brain and he nodded. "This isn't new, is it?"

"What'd you think I meant by 'four years on'?" was the sardonic response. "Yeah, when me an' Paige were first gettin' started, he found us in the gym. Sent me into a full on trauma flashback."

"Interesting," Forge mused, tapping his fingers together. "I mean, believe me, I've no interest in trying to establish what you and Paige and Jono had going - as far as I'm concerned, she made her choice. No one said she was perfect." He grinned and looked back in the mirror. "But I think I know where things stand now."

"That time was a long time ago", Angelo added. "We were kids, an' it's forgiven." If clearly not forgotten. "But we're not kids anymore, an' if he's still goin' to take any threat to him an' Paige that way, especially if there isn't really one there... someone needs to have a word with him."

"If you think so," Forge said with a dismissive shrug. "Me, I'll just settle for not leaning into another uppercut. But thanks, Angelo. I mean it. And I'll be fine. Really."

Angelo nodded, with not a trace of doubt. "I know you will."