xp_logs | [Angelo, Marie] Sometimes I get this feeling... (Reply)

Angelo runs into Marie while she's doing her laundry and they catch up with each other and Marie finds out about Nathan's unique therapy techniques.

Angelo wandered along to the laundry room, carrying his clothes from the last week or two. He should really have washed them before now, but had been putting it off. Pushing the door open, he immediately saw Marie sitting off to one side, bent over her work while she waited for her load to finish, and called out a greeting.

Marie looked up at the sound of Angelo's voice and smiled. It was good to see him up and around and taking care of himself.

"Hey, honey. Great minds think alike," she said warmly. "How're you doing?"

"Not too bad, actually", Angelo answered honestly. "How 'bout you?"

"A little frazzled, but what else is new?" Marie shrugged and gestured at the notes in front of her. "Exams are less than a month away and I have to make sure I've taught everything on the exams I'm giving. It'll ease up soon enough."

Angelo nodded, moving further into the room, shoved his clothes quickly into a machine and set it going, then sat down in a free chair. "Yeah, 's goin' really fast."

"Are you done after this term?" Marie looked up at Angelo, pen paused over a sheet of notes.

He shrugged. "Probably not. Missed way too much back home, so I might take another year to get college credits. Don't know if I want t'go to college yet, though. Still tryin' to get it through my head that I can."

Marie gave him a smile and nodded, turning some of her attention back to the paper in front of her. "I sure know that feeling. I spent a huge amount of time this week scrambling to get applications out and registering for courses for the summer. I sure wasn't expecting to get to go this year. I think you should start looking around now," she suggested. "You know, see what's out there for you."

Angelo nodded. "Probably an idea. I don't think I'll be applyin' this year, whatever happens, but at least then it won't be a mad rush..."

"You don't want that, trust me." Marie tucked her hair behind her ears and looked Angelo over. "So you're doing better then? For sure?"

Angelo smiled. "For sure. Been talkin' to Nathan a lot lately."

"Good. I like Nate," Marie said firmly. "He's got... well, I'd say he has a good head on his shoulders but it does seem to give him a lot of trouble. He's a smart man, though. Good people."

Angelo nodded firmly. "Yeah, he is. He really got how to help, the other day. Even if he could probably've thought it through a bit more - don't think Dr. MacTaggart's too happy with him for the way he chose, even though it really worked."

Marie tilted her head curiously. "Dare I ask?"

Angelo squirmed, not having intended to tell her this. "He, uh... kinda got me angry an' let me hit him. Three times."

Marie laughed at that. "Good for him," she said approvingly. "It's about time you got angry. Too bad you didn't do it at someone with a healing factor, that's all. Did it help straighten your head out, figuring out how angry you really are?"

Angelo shrugged. "He was there, an' he was pretty dead set on gettin' that reaction." He paused before answering her question. "Y'know, I think it did. He said anytime I want, we can spar properly, if I need to. So I'm not turnin' it all inside."

"Good." Marie nodded, looking satisfied. "You're pretty damn angry, as I'm sure you've now noticed, and with good reason. I'm glad you're not turning it on yourself anymore, Angelo. You don't deserve it."

Angelo grinned wryly. "Nor did Nathan. But he said some things that... well, if he'd meant them, he would've deserved it. An' I guess I needed to hit somebody, an' he knew that. So he made me want to."

"It was his choice," Marie pointed out. "Nathan's been in the business of hitting things and getting hit long enough that he knew what he was getting into. Serves him right for not thinking it through better, but it got the job done, and about time too. I hate seeing you hurt yourself."

Angelo nodded, meeting her gaze. "Yeah, I know. Used to feel like it was better that than hurt someone else, when it didn't feel like someone else'd hurt me if I didn't do it for them, but since Nathan's volunteerin' to let me at least try at him..."

"It's a start. And it'll let you blow off some steam, safely, which is exactly what you need."

Another nod - there was certainly no denying that, not anymore. "No argument here." He smiled at her. "I was makin' a start, with Sarah, but that was only once before she went away."

"Yeah." Marie looked distinctly unhappy at that. "I hope they're happy out there, wherever they are. I can't blame them a bit of taking off. It's not like it hasn't crossed anyone else's minds and they've got the money to make good, at least. Look, I do have some extra space in my training schedule with Piotr away, if you need something more than just working out with Nate. Are you going to be working with Logan?"

"Yeah, I'm in his classes, an' we might do some one-on-one stuff. But the more people the better, really, I think."

"And the more fun," Marie said impishly. "It's not all serious, you know. You can have a good time with it."

Angelo grinned suddenly. "Oh, I know. Wasn't 'til I got that one spar in with Sarah I remembered how much fun it could be."

"That's my boy." Marie felt a small knot of tension she hadn't even quite been aware of start to unravel as Angelo's mood continued to be steady and positive. "Well, you know I'm always up for it."

"When d'you usually train?" Angelo asked. "Maybe I'll stop in one of these times."

Try the gym around ten in the morning or so, I'm usually there around then, for the second time of the day. Normally, I'd be in with Piotr, but the time is mine while he's away and I'm always up for company. You're welcome any time," she offered.

Angelo smiled. "Thanks. I'll be by probably sometime this week then, I think."

"Good to hear. I'm so happy to see you looking better, honey," Marie said with a deep sigh. "I was right worried about you Monday."

Angelo nodded. "Yeah. Monday... was a bad one. 's been gettin' better since then. 'specially now Amanda's awake."

"I haven't had time to see anyone," Marie confessed. "I feel just terrible about it and yet, I don't think I'm any good to anyone at the moment, so it's best I get my work done. The extra classes were a surprise, as was having to register for classes this summer, so it's just as well."

"You've gotta see to your own life as well", Angelo reminded her. "The rest of us, we'll survive. One way or another."

"I've noticed that." Marie smiled at him and swept the papers in front of her into a file folder. "It makes me feel good to be sure of it. I have faith in y'all, that you'll get through with or without me."

Angelo smiled back. "Yeah. Don't go sacrificin' the things you want for us, okay? Be around, but see to your stuff first."

"I think that's the best idea. My stuff's dry so I should head back, I need to make some phonecalls. I have to figure out when my Mamaw and Essielu are planning to come up." Marie stood and offered Angelo a hug. "They're being sneaky about it and I think Logan's more afraid of Essielu than he is of me so I can't count on him to tell me."

Angelo hugged her back, laughing. "Logan, afraid of someone? I think I want to meet her."

"This is the one I apparently get 'it' from, whatever that means," Marie said, moving to get her laundry out and tossing her paperwork into the basket with it. "So maybe he's got reason. I'll make sure you do meet her, I promise. I'll see you later, Skin. Take care of yourself."

"And you", Angelo replied. "Don't work too hard."

Marie laughed at that. "Well, I'll see what I can do."