xp_logs | Angelo and Alex

They watch a football game in the rec room, talk about Alex and Lorna's reunion, mansion melodrama, and college, and then appoint themselves PE teachers for the mansion's younger children. There is a lot of giggling (yes, actual giggling) and a minimal amount of angst.

Some time after his sparring session with Amanda, having warmed down, changed clothes, and all the rest, a bruised but happy Angelo wandered into the rec room for some relaxation. Spotting a familiar blond figure on one of the couches, he called, "Hey, Alex!"

Alex looked up from where he was watching football and grinned. "Hey Angelo. You look please, what's up?"

"Oh, just been doin' some basic sparrin' with Amanda. She needed a distraction - it was fun, an' she's a real quick learner." He paused, taking in the grin, and added lightly, "You seem a fair bit happier, too."

"Sounds like you provided a good one." Alex's grin only grew bigger. "Let's just say Lorna and I aren't fighting anymore."

Angelo took that in and grinned broadly. "For real? That's great! Just "not fightin'" or "back together"?" he asked slyly.

"Back together and happier then ever!" Alex fell back into the cushions. "I feel like a load has been lifted ya know?"

Angelo flopped back onto his own couch, shooting Alex a smile. "Yeah, I know. Good to hear you two've sorted yourselves out."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I don't know if we've sorted ourselves out but we're getting there. So how are you man? "

"Well, more than you were before", Angelo qualified, before smiling. "I'm... pretty good, all things considered. Seems like things are finally startin' to fall into place, y'know?"

"Oh I definatly know..." He sighed happily. "it's nice things are actually starting to go well for people in this crazy house."

"Long may it last", Angelo agreed, crossing his fingers.

"No kidding! Watch Magneto attack next week with the excuse that it's too quiet around here." Alex laughed at the thought.

Angelo chuckled wryly and said, teasing, "Oh, now you've done it. You watch, he will now."

"Let him come, we can deal with the likes of him! It's just the angst that comes with something like that will make us all melt into a pubble of teenage hormones.." Alex said all of this in mock seriousness then burst out into giggles.

Angelo couldn't help laughing too, not least because the perfectly normal - to a certain value - teenage boy sitting next to him was giggling. "That does seem to be the pattern around here."

"Isn't it?" Alex was so happy right then he didn't care that he was giggling.

It was infectious, actually. Angelo was struggling to keep his laughter below the level of actual giggling, but wasn't always entirely managing it. "You should have heard Jamie, last week, after me an' Illyana had that little fight on the journals, doin' impressions of both of us. An' he was so right. It's all just melodrama."

Angelo giggling only made Alex giggle harder. "Next Week On All My Mutants..." He made a serious face complete with serious announncer's voice, then just burst into giggles again.

Angelo, at this point, just gave up the struggle and concentrated on not falling off his couch, laughing hysterically - which was clearly much needed. "That should be one of Jamie's TV shows..." he managed.

"Jamie's creating TV shows..." Then Alex shook his head, remebering a journal comment, "Oh right, his Seinmutantfel thing. I just hope he doesn't get it into his head to make us act them out." He laughed at the thought, not that he wasn't already.

"Could be fun", Angelo answered. "Pass a borin' Sunday afternoon doin' that. I'm already gonna be checkin' over his dialogue for him, when he needs me to."

"Since when is anyday boring around here? And he's writing dialouge?" Alex rolled his eyes playfully. "The cast list is next I know it,,,!"

Angelo grinned. "I think it's great. He's got a plan, an' he's workin' on it. Speakin' of which, you thinkin' about college at all?"

"Scott's taking me to see the University of Hawaii soon. Thier Geology program is awesome, especially with the volcanos and all...plsu it means I can go back to Hawaii!" Now that the plan actually seemed like it would be fufilled, it added a certain sparkle to Alex's eye whenever he thought about it.

Angelo's grin broadened. "Oh, that's really great. I know how much you've missed it, an' since the Professor sorted out the legal side of things, there's no reason not to. You'll be missed here, though, man."

"The legal things made me so worried I'd never get to go back, and now that I can...it's a dream come true. And yeah...this place is going to be hard to leave..." Alex sighed a bit, looking around the room with a small grin. "Kind of got attached to the place."

"Ahh, but you can keep in touch", Angelo reminded him. "Phone, e-mail, whatever. An' visits - come back to stay in vacations..."

"Oh I have feeling I'll be seeing alot of the Blackbird in the coming year. I know Scott's going to checking in a lot and Shiro wouldn't leave me alone I'm sure...yeah it wouldn't be so bad."

Angelo laughed. "If Shiro could find an art school near Hawaii U, he'd be there an' you know it."

Alex grinned before bursting into giggles again. "oh definatly, I almost felt bad telling him is planning on moving half way around the world." Alex bit the inside of his lip, remembering what had happened after that comversation. "I think he give live without me for a few months, at least i hope so!"

Angelo chuckled. "Oh, he'll be fine. Even if he has to borrow Clarice every once in a while for a last-second trip to see you."

That caused Alex to snort while still giggling. "Oh I have no doubt I'll walk into my dorm room and find him waiting for me. Can't wait to explain that to my friends!"

Angelo became a little more serious, asking curiously, "Would you tell them you're a mutant? Not everybody, that'd just be stupidly risky, but your friends?"

That caused Alex to swallow hard, his mood suddenly becoming somber. "I don't know...I'm trying very hard not to think about. I'm just afraid if I do, they'll link me to the blow up..." He shrugged a bit. "I really don't know what I'm going to do."

"Don't tell 'em to start with", Angelo advised. "Wait an' see which ones you can trust."

Alex nodded. "That's probably best..." He shook his head again. "Don't really want to think about it now...what about you? When do you start the college hunt hmm?" He asked trying very hard to change the subject.

Angelo let him, not particularly wanting to talk any more about reactions to mutants himself. "Not startin' till next school year, but I should probably start lookin' soon. Not sure if I'll go, though - costs are kinda high."

"I was worried about that too, but the Professor said not worry. He wants to help us suceed, even if that means helping with tution." Alex sat back and raised an eyebrow. "Starting early is good so i'm told. Whatcha interested in, maybe I can help?"

Angelo looked vaguely unhappy with that notion. "I dunno... he's given me an' Mom so much already, not sure it feels right to take money for tuition from him too." Moving onto the question of courses, he smiled faintly. "Well, my favorite classes are languages, history an' the physical ones."

"Think about it as he's helping you get the opportunitys so you can pay him back someday. Or even to help someone else...just like he helped you. " He gave Angelo a reassuring wink before thinking a moment. "Lanuages and History huh? well if you don't want to go far from home, University of New York I here sas good departments in those areas."

Angelo grinned. "Definitely want to stay around here if I can. Everybody I care about's in New York State, an'... well... Paigeisgonnabeontheteams."

Alex blinked before grinning. "Oh I know what you mean. Lorna and I already talked about this and she wants to see if her credits will be excepted by U. of Hawaii...I don't know if I could go if she didn't come with me."

"What's she want to study?" Angelo asked curiously.

"Geophysics, same as me really. Works out wonderfully."

Angelo nodded. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Maybe the Professor knows someone there, so he can pull strings for you?"

Alex frowned a bit. "I'd rather he didn't, I'm kidn of hoping to get in on my own, though I guess I'll need him to explain why my high school credits are so odd."

"Didn't mean that so much as gettin' Lorna's credits transferred. But, yeah, you'll probably need some kind of coverin' letter from him, at least."

"Both of us will need his help a bit to explain things. But I hope that's all." Alex smiled. "It would be awesome thought, me and Lorna in the most beuatiful place on earth...I can't wait."

Angelo smiled warmly. "Sounds like you've got it all worked out - hope it goes to plan."

"I hope so too...It would be a refreshing change, that's for sure." He glanced back at the TV, checking the score of the Cowboys and Skins game before turning back to Angelo. "And I hope the same for you...when you figure out what that plan is."

Angelo grinned. "Thanks, man." Jerking his head towards the TV, he asked, "Which is your team?"

Alex shrugged. "Don't pratically like either, but this rivalry has always been a classic plus seeing the amazing Joe Gibbs at work is always fun."

Angelo chuckled, leaning back in his seat. "Sounds good."

"I love fall...There is nothing like chillin back with college games on Saturday and a full day of Pro games Sunday." Alex leaned back, his hands behind his head. "Nothing better for a sports nut like me."

Angelo grinned a little sheepishly. "Never was much one for the sports, but it's fun to watch sometimes."

"Really? Wow..." Alex grinned, happy to share his passion with someone. "Yeah it is fun to watch, even more fun to play. It's too bad we don't have like a simple PE class for the little kids,"

"Yeah... I think Marie used to do one, but since she left it's kind of stopped. Maybe we should start takin' them out in the grounds a couple of times a week..."

"Hey I'm up for it if you are. I think teaching them alittle Basketball, Football, Soccer...would do them some good, remind them they are kids before mutants."

"Let's do it, then", Angelo answered with a grin. "Need to ask permission, but I can't see them sayin' no. The munchkins should get to be normal kids as much as they can."

"Exactly, and who better to teach them then two active teenagers? I'll ask Scott if ya want, use my influence alittle." Alex grinned, obviously kidding.

Angelo grinned back. "Couldn't hurt. What's the best days for you?"

"Tuesdays are really the only one that's bad, thankfully I ddin't need to many more credits to finish high school. What about you?"

"Can do most days, after class at the very least. Should still be light enough to go outside after classes."

"Oh definatly! This is going to be awesome!" Alex was practically jumping in his seat now.

Angelo couldn't help laughing a little at his friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, it really is."