Manny and Angel

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Manuel seeks out Angel to talk about her and Julian.



Angel was completely wiped. Not only from the whole thing with Julian but also because she'd been pushing herself pretty hard with the trainee thing and the firefighters. It had helped to distract her, all right, to the point of exhaustion. She'd been set loose, told to go get some rest, but she hadn't wanted to go back to her room to sleep. She'd done enough of that already.

So she'd grabbed her bathing suit and had headed down to the pool for some time to herself. A few laps had cleared her head so she was now floating on her back, staring up at the sky, mind comfortably numb.

Manuel walked along the poolside, staring down at Angel until he stopped, setting his cane aside and sitting down. He dipped his feet into the pool and leaned down, brushing his hands in the water and genuinely smiled.

"Usually it is Lilian and Camilla that are hammering down on me," he commented airly.

"I think I've got good reason not to be holding onto my emotions with an iron grip," Angel groused, grimacing when water washed across her face from the action. "Sorry, Manuel, didn't realize I was quite so loud."

"I was not complaining," he countered and sat up, rubbing his wet hands together. "Are you now considering my proposal?"

That got a laugh out of her, right before she twisted sideways and disappeared under water with only a slight splash. A moment later and Angel surfaced closer to Manuel; she reached up to anchor her arms to the side of the pool and leaned her head against them.

"It's, you know, looking better and better," she told him, smiling tiredly.

"That is because I am European and women cannot say no," he teased, releasing his long hair from it's tight restraint.

"Oh, you charmer, you," Angel chuckled, sticking out her tongue. She stared up at him before sighing. "Did you come to talk to me about Julian or just to charm me into forgetting about him? I'm just doing my best impression of a drowned rat right now, so..."

"Age is only a number," Manuel smiled faintly. "I was in a similar situation as you, except I did not see what happened, I felt it. I realize it was unpleasant to witness, however, you should not hold onto it. Jealousy is a difficult grudge to stomach and it may make you sick years after."

She snorted. "What about now, though? It feels pretty good right now." Though it kind of didn't. Angel was tired and hurting and tired of hurting. And she felt stupid. Overall she felt so incredibly dumb and young.

"Do not allow him to come to you, grovelling as I have seen him doing, likely to repeat his mistakes. You go to him. Command his full attention and come to a compromise. He needs to understand that you are a woman and you will never let this go." He teased her because he could but he was also partially serious.

"What kind of compromise is there? He was making kiss faces with Esme!" The water around them warmed suddenly - it wasn't unpleasant but Angel didn't feel the temperature change or notice the lazy pulse of anger or powers. "I don't even know what I want anymore, you know?"

Manuel removed his feet from the water, taking great effort to cross his legs. A sharp pain laced down his leg and he gritted his teeth, rethinking the position. He dropped his bad leg back into the water, folding his good one into him and leaned back on his hand, regarding her. "You know what you want, you do not want to take him back without retribution. You want proof that it was just that, a foolish kiss and nothing more."

Angel eyed him for a moment, uncertain if that was experience talking or the weird mental woobies that he could pick up. "Pretty much, I guess. I suppose it makes sense that he didn't want to take her if he liked her because he was afraid this was going to happen - but, ugh, he could have argued more then. It just makes my head hurt. I don't know how long it'll take for me to stop being angry and hurt." She looked up at him with a frown.

"Is that okay?"

"It could be that he wanted to please you," Manuel shrugged without a care. But his gaze flickered to her, calculating her reactions. "You could start by talking to him first and foremost. I believe everything else will fall into place, except your trust. That will come with time and only time, something he can earn while he continues to tip toe around you."

"Do I have to talk to him now?" Angel sounded horrified and put out all at the same time. The last thing she wanted was to do that specific thing. Avoidance had worked so far.

"You do not have to do anything you do not want to do, however, the longer you wait, the angrier you will be. Besides, he will be miserable being with you than without, as you can have every opportunity to remind him of what a mistake it was."

She grumbled a little under her breath. Angel didn't want to make Julian miserable, she just didn't want anything to do with him right now. "I'll think about it, okay?" she sighed as she hoisted herself up and out of the pool. "I'm gonna wait it out for a bit, though. Too tired to do much of anything else."

"Very well. Until then, you may humor me by going to dinner with me. Say, Saturday night, after your trip? I believe Valentia would be pleasantly surprised to see you." He smiled briefly and slipped into the pool himself.

Angel couldn't help herself, laughing as she flared briefly, leaving her dry if a bit frizzed. "Sure, Manny. Let's see how long it takes before I actually accept your hand in marriage, hmm?"