xp_logs | Sam and Angelo, backdated

Sam catches up with Angelo to make his apologies.

Since it was a nice day, if a little cold, Angelo was once again sitting on the end of the dock with a cigarette in his hand, the puppy curled up at his side. They'd just finished a long walk and she was tired out. He'd probably have to carry her back inside when it was time, but for now, he was happy just to sit a while.

Flying was still Sam's release from the day-to-day drudgery, and he'd been slowly improving his control. Lately, only about one in three or four landings wound up with furrows in the lawn. He was always very good about filling them in so that Cain never got too mad at him. As he made a lazy pass above the lake, he spotted Angelo sitting on the edge of the dock smoking while his puppy snuggled up to him. Swooping down, he decided to cut his flight a bit short. He'd been meaning to speak to Angelo for a while, but never had quite found the time for it. Truth be told, he was maybe a touch nervous. Landing on the lawn, he walked slowly out to the dock, waving at Angelo. "Hey," he called.

Angelo looked up, giving him a slight smile and waving lazily in return. "Hey, Sam. What's up?" He had a good idea what Sam had come for - they'd agreed to talk things over, after all - and this seemed as good a time as any.

"Out for a fly," Sam said simply with a smile. "And then Ah saw you, and since Ah've been meanin' to have a chat with you, Ah figured now was as good a time as any..." He sat down a short distance from Angelo and reached over to scratch Joyita behind the ears.

Angelo smiled back as the puppy, apparently recovered from the walk, bounced to her feet to lick Sam's hand. "Yeah, I figured it might be that. Now's good for me too - 's a nice day an' I've got nowhere else special to be, so yeah."

Sam grinned down at Joyita as the puppy clambered up over his leg to curl up in his lap, tongue lolling out to lick at his hand some more. "Yeah, it is a pretty day," he agreed, leaning back on the hand that wasn't being attacked by Joyita. He paused for a moment, schooling his thoughts. Better to just jump right in, he supposed. "Ah owe you an apology," he began simply.

Angelo looked up at him with a quick nod of acknowledgment. He didn't speak yet, suspecting that it might be easier for Sam to say what he'd come to if he wasn't interrupted at this point.

"Ah...Ah didn't react very well when you and Paige started datin'," Sam continued at Angelo's nod. "Ah acted like a damnfool, to be honest. I was bein' an overprotective older brother instead of bein' happy that my little sister had found someone who made _her_ happy." He sighed. "And then we had some fights about it, and we haven't been talkin' much since then. And with everything that's been goin' on, Ah realized how sorry Ah was, and how important family is. And Ah went to try and patch things up with her, but she told me Ah owed you and Jono apologies before anything else." He shrugged rather helplessly. "So here Ah am."

Angelo nodded again, slowly, smiling slightly but genuinely. "Apology accepted, then. I figure... you thought you were actin' for the best, then. An' you know now I'd never purposely hurt her... right?"

"Ah know that now," Sam replied. "Ah didn't give you much of a chance at the beginning, though, and that's what Ah'm sorry for. It's plain to see, how much you care about her, and how much she cares about you." He reached over and squeezed Angelo's shoulder. "Just keep makin' her happy, is all Ah ask," he said softly.

Angelo looked at him sincerely, and answered, voice equally quiet, "I'll try. With everythin' I've got."

Sam nodded seriously. "That's all Ah can ask, Angelo." And with that, he sat back companionably, content to watch the wind rustle through the trees around the lake.