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xp_logsRachel takes Angelo up on his job offer. And then takes him out for a swim.
Restless fingers smoothed over the fabric of her dress, the other hand occupied with carrying a foam cup of delicious hot coffee. The work dress was a far cry from her usual jeans and combat boots set up, and Rachel was pretty sure she didn’t need it, but her mother had insisted on buying certain types of clothes to match certain types of occasions and, well, it couldn’t hurt, really.
“Mr. Espinoza?” She called, knuckles tapping out a pattern on Angelo’s open door. “I’m here for my interview.”
Angelo looked up, stared for a moment, then laughed.
"Are you actually going to make me interview you?"
“Well, you know, transparency and the like.” Rachel waved her hand dismissively as she entered, carefully putting the coffee on his desk before flopping gracelessly into the chair across from him. “Can’t have people accusing you of nepotism. But y’know. Whatever.”
"Ray, this whole place is staffed through nepotism. I only interview if I don't already know the person that wants to work here - and us being still in the beginning, I can make work for anyone." He grinned.
“Aww, and there I thought I was special.” She grinned, tucking her fringe behind her ear. “I got all dressed up for it too.”
Well, not really. Her face was still bare.
"Yeah, I was wondering about the dress. What did Moira promise you to get you to wear that?"
“Hey, I’m not completely incapable of wearing a dress of my own violation, y’know,” Rachel protested. “Mostly. Maybe. I just never owned many before. And mum wanted to shop. And I can’t say no to that woman.”
"She's a very determined woman", he agreed. "If she and my mother ever get together again, we should both run for the hills."
“Honey, these are my hills. But fair point. I think I’d take a plane to Chile. They have awesome steak.”
"I've never been to Chile", Angelo said cheerfully.
“You should! We should! I love South America!” Which probably wasn’t something most people said with such enthusiasm, but she really had had a good time there all things considered. “It’s an amazing place. Beautiful places, beautiful people.”
"We should go there next time we get time for vacation", he declared. "You can show me around, I can frighten off the boys..."
“Excuse you, did you not hear me say ‘beautiful people’?” Rachel arched a challenging brow at him, and pushed the coffee over to him. “I can take care of the boys fine on my own.”
He accepted it with a grin. "It's a big brother's duty to menace the boys that come sniffing around. Whether you want it or not."
“Funny,” Rachel snorted, but the small smile toying at the corner of her lips told him that she didn’t really mind his overprotectiveness. “Wonder what you’d have done with my boyfriend. Fake boyfriend. Whatever.”
"Threatened him into not even thinking about anything that didn't make you happy, of course. Necessary non-personal things aside."
“Well, he died. Does that count?”
"...Ray." She'd managed to leave him lost for words again. "You know that's not what I meant."
“Sorry,” her smile turned sheepish as Rachel carded her fingers through her hair – she really needed to get a haircut soon. “I kinda really miss him. Fake or not.”
"He's not fake in your memory", he said quietly. "You're allowed to mourn for him like a real person, you know, 'cause he kind of was."
“Except he wasn’t. And I’m all mourned out. Tired of mourning. I saw his counterpart at the mansion last year. Completely lost it. Crazy.”
"Being tired of it's a good step to being ready not to", Angelo agreed carefully. "But don't push yourself too fast."
“Awww,” Rachel leaned forward in her seat and stuck her bottom lip out at him. “Did I make you uncomfy? You poor widdle thing.”
"I can still dunk you in the lake, you know."
“I dinnae see a lake around here,” Rachel pointed out matter-of-factly, grin hiding her relief at getting past the awkwardness she seemed to incite in people whenever she spoke of her past without thinking. “But I can appreciate the sentiment.”
"I can carry you a few hundred yards, too. Just you wait and see." But he was grinning back.
“All I see is you talkin’, boss,” Rachel taunted. She winked and performed a quick head toss, mangling her accents so much that it was so obviously fake. “Just cause I’m in a skirt doesnae mean it’ll be easier to take me down, y’ken?”
"Right, then." He advanced from behind the desk purposefully, but it was rather spoiled by his laughing.
The girl just grinned and held out her hands, like a toddler asking to be picked up.
In response, Angelo did pick her up, trying his best not to cause anything unfortunate with her dress as he tossed her over his shoulder and strode casually out of the office.
Rachel did laugh then and tried not to flail her limbs at him. She did poke him in the lower back though, and tug on the waistband of his pants with a whistle. “Nice view you’re giving me, Jellybean.”
"If you're trying to make me blush, I physically can't", he informed her casually. "It gives up about six layers down."
“Does’nae stop you from feeling like you should,” she replied, patting his butt with a grin. It was probably a good thing there weren’t many people around at this time. “And your shoulder’s too bony. S’poking me in the stomach. You need to eat more.”
"Pot, kettle, how often do you sit down for a proper meal?"
“Fine, fine, fine. Be that way. But if I bruise you’d better kiss it better.”
They broke out into the open air an Rachel twisted to drape herself around the back of Angelo’s neck so she could see better as his legs ate up distance across the grounds. “Swimming in winter. Fun.”
"Can you do that firebird thing like your dad?" he asked curiously.
“Throw me in there and find out,” she prodded him in the side of the head. “But you’re coming in with me, just so you know.”
"I can live with that", was the cheerful response.
She let out a small squeak as he hefted her into the air, barely preventing herself from taking his head off. They were some ways out from the lake and she glanced down at his dark hair with a pointed look he could not see. “Launching me from here isn’t going to help you, either!”
"It'll buy me a minute while you catch your breath." He grinned wickedly. "And I can run."
“But Jellybean. You seem to forget what powers *I* have.”
"Not for a second. But using them means you have to be able to focus on something besides 'cold and wet'. And in you go!"
He pulled her off his shoulder, unceremoniously, and tossed her into the water.
There was a grin on her lips as she arced through the air. Some might call it evil, but it really was more of unholy glee. Angelo thought he had time to run, but no. Midair, a hand was flung out, fingers grasping air as she pulled it back towards her and hauled the unsuspecting man towards her with frightening speed.
Just before the two bodies collided, Rachel dropped him and shot skywards, force field shimmering in the sun as she returned him to gravity’s hold. The echoing splash was surprisingly satisfying.
“Oops.”
"Oops, she says", he mock-grumbled as he emerged, dripping and spluttering. "You react too fast."
“Nah, you just didn’t think that one through, boss,” she said cheerfully, lowering herself so he wouldn’t have to crane his neck too much. “I mean if we were actually closer to the water, I probably would’ve just enough time to drag you in with me. I did warn you.”
"Well, I guess it's only fair. You going to fly me out as well, or do I have to swim?"
“What do I get for saving you the exercise?”
"I'll buy you lunch?"
“You’d buy me lunch anyways,” she retorted, but obligingly hauled his sopping wet ass out of the water and propelled them towards land. “And give me the job.”
Angelo laughed.
"...no, yeah, I would."
Restless fingers smoothed over the fabric of her dress, the other hand occupied with carrying a foam cup of delicious hot coffee. The work dress was a far cry from her usual jeans and combat boots set up, and Rachel was pretty sure she didn’t need it, but her mother had insisted on buying certain types of clothes to match certain types of occasions and, well, it couldn’t hurt, really.
“Mr. Espinoza?” She called, knuckles tapping out a pattern on Angelo’s open door. “I’m here for my interview.”
Angelo looked up, stared for a moment, then laughed.
"Are you actually going to make me interview you?"
“Well, you know, transparency and the like.” Rachel waved her hand dismissively as she entered, carefully putting the coffee on his desk before flopping gracelessly into the chair across from him. “Can’t have people accusing you of nepotism. But y’know. Whatever.”
"Ray, this whole place is staffed through nepotism. I only interview if I don't already know the person that wants to work here - and us being still in the beginning, I can make work for anyone." He grinned.
“Aww, and there I thought I was special.” She grinned, tucking her fringe behind her ear. “I got all dressed up for it too.”
Well, not really. Her face was still bare.
"Yeah, I was wondering about the dress. What did Moira promise you to get you to wear that?"
“Hey, I’m not completely incapable of wearing a dress of my own violation, y’know,” Rachel protested. “Mostly. Maybe. I just never owned many before. And mum wanted to shop. And I can’t say no to that woman.”
"She's a very determined woman", he agreed. "If she and my mother ever get together again, we should both run for the hills."
“Honey, these are my hills. But fair point. I think I’d take a plane to Chile. They have awesome steak.”
"I've never been to Chile", Angelo said cheerfully.
“You should! We should! I love South America!” Which probably wasn’t something most people said with such enthusiasm, but she really had had a good time there all things considered. “It’s an amazing place. Beautiful places, beautiful people.”
"We should go there next time we get time for vacation", he declared. "You can show me around, I can frighten off the boys..."
“Excuse you, did you not hear me say ‘beautiful people’?” Rachel arched a challenging brow at him, and pushed the coffee over to him. “I can take care of the boys fine on my own.”
He accepted it with a grin. "It's a big brother's duty to menace the boys that come sniffing around. Whether you want it or not."
“Funny,” Rachel snorted, but the small smile toying at the corner of her lips told him that she didn’t really mind his overprotectiveness. “Wonder what you’d have done with my boyfriend. Fake boyfriend. Whatever.”
"Threatened him into not even thinking about anything that didn't make you happy, of course. Necessary non-personal things aside."
“Well, he died. Does that count?”
"...Ray." She'd managed to leave him lost for words again. "You know that's not what I meant."
“Sorry,” her smile turned sheepish as Rachel carded her fingers through her hair – she really needed to get a haircut soon. “I kinda really miss him. Fake or not.”
"He's not fake in your memory", he said quietly. "You're allowed to mourn for him like a real person, you know, 'cause he kind of was."
“Except he wasn’t. And I’m all mourned out. Tired of mourning. I saw his counterpart at the mansion last year. Completely lost it. Crazy.”
"Being tired of it's a good step to being ready not to", Angelo agreed carefully. "But don't push yourself too fast."
“Awww,” Rachel leaned forward in her seat and stuck her bottom lip out at him. “Did I make you uncomfy? You poor widdle thing.”
"I can still dunk you in the lake, you know."
“I dinnae see a lake around here,” Rachel pointed out matter-of-factly, grin hiding her relief at getting past the awkwardness she seemed to incite in people whenever she spoke of her past without thinking. “But I can appreciate the sentiment.”
"I can carry you a few hundred yards, too. Just you wait and see." But he was grinning back.
“All I see is you talkin’, boss,” Rachel taunted. She winked and performed a quick head toss, mangling her accents so much that it was so obviously fake. “Just cause I’m in a skirt doesnae mean it’ll be easier to take me down, y’ken?”
"Right, then." He advanced from behind the desk purposefully, but it was rather spoiled by his laughing.
The girl just grinned and held out her hands, like a toddler asking to be picked up.
In response, Angelo did pick her up, trying his best not to cause anything unfortunate with her dress as he tossed her over his shoulder and strode casually out of the office.
Rachel did laugh then and tried not to flail her limbs at him. She did poke him in the lower back though, and tug on the waistband of his pants with a whistle. “Nice view you’re giving me, Jellybean.”
"If you're trying to make me blush, I physically can't", he informed her casually. "It gives up about six layers down."
“Does’nae stop you from feeling like you should,” she replied, patting his butt with a grin. It was probably a good thing there weren’t many people around at this time. “And your shoulder’s too bony. S’poking me in the stomach. You need to eat more.”
"Pot, kettle, how often do you sit down for a proper meal?"
“Fine, fine, fine. Be that way. But if I bruise you’d better kiss it better.”
They broke out into the open air an Rachel twisted to drape herself around the back of Angelo’s neck so she could see better as his legs ate up distance across the grounds. “Swimming in winter. Fun.”
"Can you do that firebird thing like your dad?" he asked curiously.
“Throw me in there and find out,” she prodded him in the side of the head. “But you’re coming in with me, just so you know.”
"I can live with that", was the cheerful response.
She let out a small squeak as he hefted her into the air, barely preventing herself from taking his head off. They were some ways out from the lake and she glanced down at his dark hair with a pointed look he could not see. “Launching me from here isn’t going to help you, either!”
"It'll buy me a minute while you catch your breath." He grinned wickedly. "And I can run."
“But Jellybean. You seem to forget what powers *I* have.”
"Not for a second. But using them means you have to be able to focus on something besides 'cold and wet'. And in you go!"
He pulled her off his shoulder, unceremoniously, and tossed her into the water.
There was a grin on her lips as she arced through the air. Some might call it evil, but it really was more of unholy glee. Angelo thought he had time to run, but no. Midair, a hand was flung out, fingers grasping air as she pulled it back towards her and hauled the unsuspecting man towards her with frightening speed.
Just before the two bodies collided, Rachel dropped him and shot skywards, force field shimmering in the sun as she returned him to gravity’s hold. The echoing splash was surprisingly satisfying.
“Oops.”
"Oops, she says", he mock-grumbled as he emerged, dripping and spluttering. "You react too fast."
“Nah, you just didn’t think that one through, boss,” she said cheerfully, lowering herself so he wouldn’t have to crane his neck too much. “I mean if we were actually closer to the water, I probably would’ve just enough time to drag you in with me. I did warn you.”
"Well, I guess it's only fair. You going to fly me out as well, or do I have to swim?"
“What do I get for saving you the exercise?”
"I'll buy you lunch?"
“You’d buy me lunch anyways,” she retorted, but obligingly hauled his sopping wet ass out of the water and propelled them towards land. “And give me the job.”
Angelo laughed.
"...no, yeah, I would."
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