xp_logs | Angelo and Nathan (Reply)

They sit and chat on the back porch, and make plans for self-defense training.

Angelo wandered out onto the back porch, cigarettes already in hand, for his ritual morning smoke. Glancing around as he stepped outside, he spotted Nathan sitting on one of the fold-up chairs there, looking pensive. "Hey", he said quietly, not wanting to disturb Nathan's thoughts, just let him know he was there - assuming he didn't already know.

Nathan shook himself out of his less-than-pleasant reverie, mustering a smile for Angelo. "Hey," he said quietly, the smile growing a little as he saw Angelo pulling out a cigarette. "Nasty habit, you know," he said, making sure to put a teasing edge in the words.

Angelo chuckled. "So everybody keeps tellin' me. Long-standin' one, though", he answered, lighting up. "Guess that means you don't want one?"

"Would you believe I've never once tried one?" Nathan said a bit whimsically, glad to see the flash of humor. "I've sampled just about every other bad habit known to man, but not that one."

Angelo blinked. "How'd you manage that?" he asked, genuinely confused. "I mean, in amongst all the other stuff... how?"

Nathan shrugged, slouching in his chair a little. "Not sure," he admitted. "I suppose I just don't like things that interfere with your breathing..." He stopped, frowning. First time he'd ever put that into words, and he wasn't sure why.

Angelo nodded, eyeing him with some concern and dropping the subject. "Fair enough", he said lightly.

"So," Nathan said, watching him light up. "Shoulder okay?"

"It is today, yeah", Angelo answered. "Little bit sore yesterday, but that's gone now. How 'bout you?"

Nathan grinned, rubbing at his jaw and then tilting his face towards Angelo so that the kid could see the bruised side. "You get one shot next time," he said with a careful chuckle. "Not three." He had no intention of telling Angelo about the cracked rib. He did have his pride.

Angelo winced a little at the bruising. "Yeah, sorry about that, man. But you brought it on yourself, really", he added lightly.

"Sad, but true," Nathan quipped. "But it's good to see you know how to hit, Angelo. To quote one of my instructors, though, it's when to hit that's the part that generally trips people up."

Angelo blinked again, thinking about that. "What did he mean?" he finally asked, confused.

Nathan tilted his head back for a minute, thinking. "It's the hesitation that gets you killed," he said slowly. "That's what he meant. But it's just as true when it comes to bottling things up, I suppose."

Angelo nodded, still thinking it over. "You mean... sometimes you should hit somethin' just to get it out?"

"Or let it out some other way." Nathan grinned at him, still leaning back in the chair. "Although hitting is usually a whole lot more straightforward."

Angelo grinned back. "Yeah. The punchbags downstairs get borin', though. Sarah says it's 'cause they don't resist. Or 'cause they don't bleed, but that might just be her."

Not touching that one, Nathan reflected ironically. "Best to combine the venting with something else productive, though," he pointed out. "If you come look me up next time, like I said, you'll get the short-term benefit of getting some of it out of your system. Long-term, I might be able to teach you something, self defense-wise."

Angelo brightened. "That'd be really good. I'm in Logan's classes, but another person's way'd be good to have as well."

"Always is," Nathan said, thinking about the rotating instructors in the combat classes at Mistra. Damn it, he thought in frustration, trying to push the memories away. He just couldn't seem to shake it off, couldn't move his mind fully in another direction... I swear to God, I've got obsessive-compulsive tendencies...

Angelo glanced over at Nathan, concerned by his sudden silence, and the fact that he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts. "You okay?" he asked cautiously.

Nathan eyed him for a moment, deciding that, under the circumstances, he probably owed him a certain level of honesty. "Had an unfortunate turn of events," he said slowly. "Remember me telling you about the black ops program I was a part of?"

Angelo nodded - Nathan hadn't exactly told him, as such, but close enough. "Yeah..."

"Apparently they know I'm here," Nathan said with a tight smile. "Not that I didn't expect that eventually, but doesn't make it any more fun. And please keep this under your hat, okay?" he went on as Angelo's eyes widened slightly. "There's no threat to the school, or I wouldn't still be here, but I'd prefer it not become common knowledge."

Angelo nodded emphatically. "Sure thing. You're stayin', then?"

Nathan nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and trying to let some of the tension ebb away. "Yeah. I don't want to go," he said with a helpless chuckle, shifting at the sudden wistfulness he felt. "Going would mean leaving Moira... not to mention Amanda and you, and Marie... I don't have that many people that make me want to stay places, you know."

Angelo looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah. Well, 's probably the safest place you'll find, now, with Lee here an' all the systems he's put in an' everythin'..."

"I know." Nathan chuckled again, a little more easily. "Just took me a while to calm down and think about all of that, as opposed to listening to the little voice in my head that was telling me to get out of here."

Angelo grinned ruefully. "Yeah, I know what you mean. After the last time this place got attacked, I'm pretty sure most of the reason I didn't run is 'cause I wasn't in any physical shape to leave. There's a few people here I didn't wanna leave, but I'm not sure that would've been enough, at one time."

"What about now?" Nathan asked lightly.

Angelo paused. "Now... I don't think I'm goin' anywhere. They've upped the security, so no need t'worry about that. An' there's Marie, an' Amanda an' Bobby... an' Paige. Not gonna leave them behind without a real good reason."

Nathan smiled. "Good balance of thinking and feeling there," he said, hoping Angelo would remember the conversation they'd had before Los Angeles. "That's exactly what you need."

Angelo smiled back. "Yeah, I think I'm startin' to figure it out."

Nathan eyed the smoke coming from Angelo's cigarette and reached out playfully with his telekinesis, shaping it into a tic-tac-toe board. "One step at a time," he pointed out. "That's what's important. Or so people keep telling me, at least."

Angelo looked at the tic-tac-toe board, grinning. "Yeah, 's what Samson says. Marie, too. An' I'm pretty sure they both know what they're talkin' about."

Nathan morphed the smoke into a little dancing stick-man. It took a fair amount of control, but he was rather enjoying it, actually. "Yeah, there are much wiser people than us around here," he agreed. "We could both do worse than to listen."

Angelo raised an eyebrow at him. "How is Dr. MacTaggart doin', anyway?" he asked teasingly.

"I haven't managed to drive her totally insane yet," Nathan said wryly. "Not for lack of trying, mind you. And hey... if you get a dirty look from her in the hall, just smile, okay? It's me she's annoyed with, not you."

Angelo looked a little wary. "You told her what happened, then?"

"Only in the most general sense, and only because I had to explain the face," Nathan reassured him. "Didn't give her any details. Everything you said to me stays between us, Angelo, unless you tell me otherwise."

Angelo nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "Thanks. 'preciate it. A few people know most of that between them, but 's not somethin' I want the whole house knowin'. 'specially not the more innocent ones."

Nathan let go of his smoke-construct and pushed himself up out of the chair, wincing a little at the ache in his side. "Well," he said, "I ought to go. Meeting the Professor for another session."

Angelo nodded. "Fair enough. I'll talk t'you later, right? Maybe we can make a start on that self-defense, when your ribs are better", he finished lightly.

Nathan blinked, then laughed, shaking his head at the young man. "Just for that," he said, mock-threateningly. "Your face is getting introduced to Mr. Mat at the first opportunity."

Angelo laughed. "Well, it'll fill a gap now Sarah's gone. I'm ready when you are."