Angelo and Jean-Paul

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Angelo and Jean-Paul conspire against Nate (for his own good, of course).



It took actual debate for Jean-Paul to decide whether or not he was going to bother answering the knock on the door of his suite, but when it seemed that whoever it was did not plan on going away, he finally brushed Jenner and Nicodemus off of his chest and went to go answer. He hadn't managed any sleep the night before and knew he looked it. With any luck, that would be enough to convince whoever it was that he did not need to be engaged in conversation.

Considering the young man leaning against his doorframe had basically been emotionally blackmailed into being there, he might have more luck than he was expecting on that.

"Hey. Nate sent me to see how you're doin'."

"Did he?" Jean-Paul kept his tone carefully neutral. "Merci, Angelo. You can let him know that I'm lying here and contemplating letting the rats carry me off, but that's not getting him off of the hook."

"I don't think the rats are up to it", Angelo said wryly, peering past Jean-Paul at the two little creatures on the floor behind him. "Gettin' him off the hook for what? Bein' watchdogged?"

"He needs watching," was Jean-Paul's reply, "and I know I am not the only one who's noticed. As I told the man, he's gone and made me give a damn about him, so he gets to put up with me."

"No, you're really not the only one who's noticed." There was a grim edge to his tone, now. "He won't tell me what happened, but I'm still gonna look after him."

"Of course he won't." Jean-Paul muttered under his breath in French, the upshot of it being that Nathan was an unreasonably stubborn bastard. "I have scraps, but it only means that I have more questions and still no clear idea of what happened." The mask of annoyance slipped a moment, showing genuine concern. "He has been having nightmares, did you know this? Moving furniture, creaking the house. It's bad enough that he has been projecting -- memories of being trapped in a fire of some kind."

Angelo went completely still at that mention. "He's... projectin' memories about fire? Then I guess I know why he hasn't been lettin' me be there when he was asleep."

Jean-Paul gave Angelo a curious look. "You have issues with fire?" He shook his head. "I got kicked out for the same reason. A surprise all around, really."

"You wouldn't think I'd be roomin' with the firebug, would you?" He shrugged. "But yeah, I had a couple of bad experiences, got a few scars... you got his nightmares too, then?"

"I...am not entirely sure what went on with that. I was having nightmares, though, yes. Bad enough that he decided to kick me out for my own good." The next words were more than half-growled. "Idiot. I will get over nightmares. Whatever is hollowing him out is not being so kind."

"He's like that, though", Angelo noted with wry affection. "His health's not that important as long as nobody else's gettin' hurt because of it."

"That is absurd. Even if none of us mattered so much, he has a family to think of." Jean-Paul scowled. "I'm considering storming the place and dragging him out by his hair."

Angelo shook his head. "Wouldn't work. Like you said, he's a stubborn bastard, an' if there's nothin' physically wrong with him..."

"Maybe I'll dunk him in the lake on the way out, then." Jean-Paul sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Merde...I don't know. Leaving him to his own devices is not an option."

"Trust me, he won't be. I'll move into the boathouse if I have to - an' get someone else in if I have to go away." He grinned crookedly. "Report back to you, too."

Some of the tension left Jean-Paul at that assurance; he visibly slumped. "Thank you. That is good to know. If we get through this without throttling Nathan, remind me to take you out to dinner, with Amanda if possible." A very slight smile. "I still owe her for the radiation purge, after all."

"...man, that's a long time ago." His smile turned a little pensive. "But she'll remember - I'll take you up on that."