Frank and Angelo- Make Amends

[x-pinnochio.livejournal.com]

In which Frank apologizes and Angelo is amused.

Frank had found himself making a lot of apologies since he'd come back to the mansion. This one was going to be particularly uncomfortable. Still, more then anyone else, Angelo had looked out for him. He owed him this much at least.

Although that didn't make it any easier to knock on his office door. Frank had been standing there for about five minutes now, and his hand was still hovering on the handle.

"You know, Frankie", came from the other side of the office door, "the last person who came to see me told me you were here. You gonna come in?"

Frank froze. Oh God. He was in there. For a moment, he debated running away. Then he pulled himself together. Frank did not run away. Not even when he was about to get fired. He squared his shoulders, drew himself up proudly, and opened the door.

"Just testing your situational awareness," he said flippantly, sitting down in the chair. "So. I'm back."

"So I see." Angelo looked him over, eyebrows rising. "And larger than life as usual. You doing okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm..." he was about to say fine, but suddenly it didn't seem appropriate. "I'm better," he said instead. "Dad... talked me down. In the end." After a moment, he hunched down a bit. "So... last time we spoke..."

"Last time we spoke, you punched me in the face and ran off", Angelo said calmly. "But I was asking for it, pretty much literally. You were bottling."

Frank winced, but didn't look up. "That... yeah." There was a pause. "My head was... all over the place. It was just... bad timing. Really bad. There'd been the stuff in the cave, and-" he was making excuses. "Look. I'm guessing you don't want me back. That's cool. I just... I thought I should try and clear the air." He looked at Angelo at last. "Figured I owed you."
"Frankie, what have I said since you came in this room to make you think that?" It was somewhere between exasperated and exaggeratedly patient, but all with affection. "I would have contacted you while you were gone, but I figured it was probably the last thing you wanted."

Gobsmacked would have been a good description of Frank's face. It morphed swiftly into incredulity. "I... Really? But.... Angelo, I punched you in the face. I mean, that's at least a written warning, isn't it?"

"X-Corps isn't your average organization. And anyway, I'm the boss, I can give my employees a pass if I want to. I did tell you I punched Nate in the face once, right? Because he goaded me into it. Like father, like son - not literally", he added hastily, "he sort of fostered me."

"...Oh." Frank sat back. Considered this. "...So... I can stay?" he asked tentatively. "Because... I'd like to. I like working here. If you need me, of course."

Angelo laughed.
"Yeah. Yeah, you can stay."

"Awesome!" Frank jumped out of his char, grinning like a lunatic. Then he realised what he'd just done, and who he'd done it in front of. "I mean... um... Thank you Angelo. Sir. Angelo, Sir."

He burst out laughing this time.
"You're welcome. Am I putting you to work right now?"

"Um... Are you?" Frank looked at him. "I mean, you're in charge here, man."

"Only around your school work. Them's the rules, or I'd have your teachers after me."

"Well, I'm pretty up to date. I mean, there's some back stuff from while I was away, but... I have most of my projects and stuff done."

"Then... yeah. I'm putting you to work right now." He grinned. "Somebody in the main office will have something for you to do."

"Cool." He got up, and darted to the door. He paused long enough to glance over his shoulder. "Um... Thanks."

Frank grinned again and left. It was only after he'd closed the door that he realised he still hadn't apologised. Still. Things had gone well.