xp_logs | Angelo, Paige and Joyita

Backdated to Thursday morning. Paige comes to drag Angelo out of bed and give him his birthday present.

It was late. Late for Paige, anyway, which meant it was around nine in the morning. There was the regular, drawled hustle of movement in the hallways for those few who decided that sleeping in was for the lazy. Paige, for some reason, thought it necessary to creep across the hall to the opposite door, although, no one would have given her a second glance. The door wasn't locked, and when she opened it there was only one lone figure in the room, snoring softly. Jono had been easy to convince to get up a little earlier and go amuse himself until later. Perhaps he was airing out his leather pants, that was a nice thought. Where ever he was, it meant Paige and Angelo had the rooms to themselves, which gave her more than enough opportunity to close the door behind her, dash across the room and jump onto the bed yelling a very giddy, "Happy birthday!" once she had connected with Angelo's warm body.

Angelo jerked awake, startled, then relaxed with a sleepy smile when he realized who had just landed on him, reaching up to slip his arms around her. "Hey. Thanks."

Not able to help herself, Paige brushed a quick kiss against his lips, grinning brightly. "Welcome, sleepyhead." She balanced herself on top of him with her hands on his shoulders, more than comfortable. "Sleep well?" she asked idly, delaying the inevitable.

"Pretty well, yeah", Angelo answered, arms still looped lightly around her waist. "Nice way t'get woken up, too."

"I would have made it a bit more..." Paige paused, drawing out the word as she shifted, "Gentle, but. I'm excited." Understatement of the year, Paige was this close to bouncing up and down on the bed.

Angelo chuckled, shifting near-unconsciously in response. "Oh yeah? About what, or just because it's my birthday?"

Now she was tempted to just go 'to-hell-with-it' and have his birthday present be created on the spot up here. "Darn you and your wiley ways," she replied to Angelo, as though he had been part of the debate in her head. "Your birthday. And the wonderful present I got you that you will love me forever for."

Angelo looked up at her, intrigued. "Sounds interestin'. Where've you got this wonderful present stashed, then?" he asked, glancing around the room.

"Not here," she answers, mysteriously. "And you might have to put on some pants to come get it, disappointing as that is."

Angelo chuckled, reaching up to kiss her quickly. "Oh, I think I'll live. Gotta go find out what you're bein' so secretive about, after all."

Paige laughed, just a little, and literally bounced off the bed. "Yes, yes you must. Come on, chop chop. I promise, your gift won't care if you're all dirty and whatnot. And I won't care if you're shirtless."

Angelo clambered out of the bed with an ostentatious stretch. "Okay. Comin'."

It was all Paige could do to not tap her toe, and she'd probably managed about four watch checks before Angelo had finally managed to get to the door, clothed. She took his hand and literally dragged him down the hall, humming to herself.

Angelo wasn't complaining - in fact, he was highly amused. "You gonna tell me where we're goin'?"

"Outside," Paige chirped back at him, pausing her humming. "Anything more and I'll have to kill you."

Angelo chuckled. "Wouldn't want that. Fine, outside it is, then."

Paige shook her head as they practically ran down stairs, taking them three and four at a time. "No, then all my gift picking out fun would be wasted." They'd finally made it outside, Paige dragging him down the little hill to where the stables were.

Angelo raised an eyebrow as he saw what direction they were heading in. What could she have stashed in the stables? "Fair enough", he answered lightly, trying not to fall over as she dragged him down the slope.

"And stop!" Paige cried suddenly, letting Angelo collide into her back. She looked over her shoulder and gave him an impish grin. "I said stop." Entering quietly, Paige made her way past the horses stalls, pausing a moment to give Nem a quick pat, and pointed to what appeared to be an empty stall. "In there. Don't shriek like a girl too much, we have horses here."

Angelo mock-glared at her. "I do not shriek", he replied, before heading into the stall, glancing down and practically squeaking in delight (which he'd deny, if anyone ever asked him), dropping to his knees beside the cardboard box sitting there - and the puppy inside it.

Paige crossed her arms, looking quite smug indeed. Leaning against the stall wall and she looked down at the two of them, the little chocolate lab with the red ribbon around her neck (she couldn't help the cliche) and Angelo with a wide grin plastered across his face. "I figured what better gift for my puppy than a puppy? The really obvious hints might have helped as well."

Angelo had by now scooped the puppy out of the box, and held her as she squirmed, trying to lick his face. "She's so cute. Thank you!" He got back up and took two strides back to Paige's side to give her a quick kiss.

Not able to keep from giggling a little, Paige blushed. "You take her outside and play. She's been cooped up and probably wants to go run, don't you sweetheart?" she said, rubbing noses with the puppy. "And while you're doing that, you can come up with a name for her."

Angelo nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, she needs a name, of course. You comin' with us?"

"No, this is bonding time between daddy and his little girl. Besides, I have things I need to do," Paige answered with an edge of mystery. She gave them a wave over her shoulder, heading back up the slope before pausing, turning around and shouting down, "Oh, and Angelo? Your gift from Alison is her loaning me her back issues of Cosmo!" It was at that that she took off towards the house at a dead run, laughing.