Angelo and Paige Bonding o' Fun!

[x-foliate.livejournal.com]

Yesterday, after the concert and all those posts. You know the ones.

The knock at the door was expected but still managed to shock Paige out of her silent staring at the opposite wall. She unclenched her hands from where they had been twisted around her plush rabbit and called out, “Come in!”

Angelo pushed the door open tentatively and stuck his head into the room. "It's just me. You wanted to talk?"

“Yes, please,” she replied, beckoning with her hand. “I don’t bite.”

Angelo walked further into the dorm, and sat down on the chair by the desk. He looked at her seriously. "I'm sorry if anything I said upset you. It just had to be out in the open, you know?"

Shaking her head, Paige stood, moving to the desk where she had put the tea set. “No, it’s not you. Not really. I just have some solid views in life that seem to become less solid the more I stay here. You had every right to say what you did.”

Angelo bent his head, studying his hands. "I seem to have started a whole trend for true confessions, at least indirectly."

“Not exactly a bad thing.” Paige tried to smile a little, pouring tea into the two mugs. “It’s funny to think of how long I’ve been here and how little I know.”

"How long *have* you been here?" Angelo asked, suddenly realising he didn't know.

“Bit more than three months. Feels like longer.” She added sugar to her mug, stirring it with a ring of china. “And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I love it here; I feel like I belong. Well, most of the time, anyway. What do you take in your tea?”

"Milk and three sugars, please", Angelo answered. "And - most of the time - I feel like I belong here too. Among the people, at least. I can't say the place feels like home yet."

"It's like Marie said."

Paige added his request, handing the mug to him as she nodded. “She’s very smart that girl. We might not always agree but I do respect her.”

"We hadn't really talked before she answered my post", Angelo said thoughtfully. "But she had a lot of sensible things to say. I'll have to make sure to talk with her again."

Settling on the edge of her bed, Paige faced Angelo, mug in hand. She didn’t say anything and hardly moved by for a simple nod and the raising and lowering of her tea. “I’m sorry, I’ve brought you here to talk and now I don’t know what to say.”

Angelo sipped his tea, thinking about what he should say himself. "To be honest, neither do I."

“I just… you’re leaving tomorrow. And I wouldn’t want you to think anything else but that what you’ve done isn’t bad. Or wrong. Unlike how I’m wording this.” She stopped, pausing to sip her tea and collect her thoughts. “You’re a good person, Angelo. Don’t think any less. I guess that’s all I’m trying to say.”

"Hey - I'm coming back on Monday, you know", Angelo joked. "Don't talk like you'll never see me again." Then the lightness left his tone, and he looked down again. "And maybe I've done nothing wrong this time, but you might not be so quick to call me a good person if you knew some of what I did back home."

“Hey yourself,” she said, gently poking him with a socked foot. “Everyone has done or will do something that they’re not proud of. Whether or not they’re sorry about it is how they figure out what kind of person they are. Even if they have to have someone inform them of it.”

"Oh, I'm sorry now", Angelo said, with the slightest note of despair in his voice. "But if I hadn't manifested, nothing would have changed. I'd still be back there with the gang, doing the same things. And what does that make me?"

He raised his head to look at her. "I can trust you, right? This doesn't leave this room until I tell someone else."

“It’s a good thing we don’t know each other very well or I’d have to be insulted,” she said as a way of answering. “But I don’t know, Angelo. I mean… I… I don’t know. I always thought I had all the answers before I came here.”

"Didn't we all?" Angelo answered wryly. "I sure thought I knew it all, back in LA."

Paige smiled, a warmth to it that’s not forced but with underlying hurt. “This place sure has a way of making one realize how little they really know. How little is what they thought it was.”

Angelo registered her hurt, and tried clumsily to make it better. "Hey - the way you thought things were is the way they should be, like Marie said. And it's the way they *are* for a lot of people. You can't be faulted for wanting to think the best."

“It’s very naïve of me is all. I’d prefer not be considered naïve.” She shrugged, her smile still in place. “But really, it’s for the best. Being informed I mean. Being informed is always the best in the long run, even if it’s a little harsh at first.”

Angelo looked at her for a long moment, not convinced that he'd been any help. "Maybe you're right."

“I know I am. You’re good for me, Angelo, much as you seem to think you’re not.” She finished off her tea, setting the mug on her desk. “This place is good for me.”

Angelo drank down his tea in turn, but kept hold of the still-warm mug, cupping it in his hands. "It's a good place", he agreed, unconvinced that he was as good for Paige as she thought, but not saying so.

“All packed for your trip?” Paige asked suddenly, unwilling to think too hard on her earlier words right now.

Angelo blinked at the abrupt change of subject, but went with it. "Yeah. It's not like I had much too pack - a few changes of clothes Mr. Summers bought for me when he found out I didn't have any, and that's all. Just hope they'll be warm enough..."

“I’ll lend you some sweaters if you’d like. No one would know; they’re not very feminine. Much like their wearer,” she said with a playful little grin, surprising even herself with her ability to alter her mood so drastically.

"Would you? That would be great", Angelo answered, having wondered where he was going to get warm clothes, since stealing them from his room-mate really wasn't an option.

“That’s why I offered,” Paige said cheerfully, sliding down to the ground to reach under her bed for the box luckily marked “Sweaters”. “Any favourite colours?”

"Er..." was Angelo's intelligent contribution to this part of the conversation. "Not really?"

“How helpful of you,” she teased, opening the box with a minor amount of dust and pushing it towards him. “I’ll just have to let you choose on your own then.”

Angelo grabbed the edge of the box and pulled it in his direction, then began looking through the sweaters. He soon had two or three picked out, figuring it was better to take more than he'd need, than run out. "Thanks, you're a star".

“Not a problem.” Paige tried to prove her general organization habits wrong by repacking the box and shoving it under her bed before climbing back on her bed, pulling her legs up to cross them. She paused a moment, biting her lip. “You’re happy here, aren’t you?”

Angelo paused, taken aback by the suddenness of the question, and thinking about his answer. "...Yes. Most of the time, I really am. You guys are great, and you've all been so good to me. But I was talking to Lorna about the SATs, and she mentioned my mom. That's all that brought on that miserable post the other night. I was homesick, I guess you could say, and it just all felt so much worse because I can't *go* home. But yeah, mostly I'm happy here." He forced a smile. "Try not to worry."

Paige resisted hugging him right then, and settled for resting a hand on his knee with a soft look. “I can’t help it, Angelo, you know that. For some reason I’m rather fond of you. No one deserves what you have been through and I’m sorry. I wish things were easier for you and that you could be happier.”

Angelo looked at her affectionately and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I know. I'm fond of you too. And things will get better for me, I promise. I will be happier. Just... give me time to get used to things, OK?"

Grinning, Paige ducked her head out of a moment of ruffling, shaking back her hair. “I can handle that. Just don’t take *too* long or I’ll be forced to harass you. Ask Sarah and Jono, they hate me already.”

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Angelo asked, surprised. "I can't imagine Sarah agreeing to stay sharing your room if she hated you. And as for Jono... well, I was there. He couldn't wait to get me out of the room, but I didn't notice him trying to get rid of you."

“Okay, so maybe they don’t quite hate me, but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind throwing dinnerware at me occasionally.” Paige grinned, showing she was joking to some extent. “Oh, and don’t mind Jono. He’s rude to everyone initially. Almost hospitable after at least two screaming matches.”

"I'll keep that in mind", Angelo answered, grinning back. "Although we haven't actually had *one* screaming match yet. Is that the key to getting through to him, then?"

“Between that, slapping him on the cheek and mysteriously appearing out of professors baths.” Paige continued her grin, tilting her head. “In retrospect, the bath probably did nothing in my favour. Not to mention I really should not have said that and it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

"You slapped him? When? And why?" Angelo asked, intrigued. "And don't think I'll let you get away without explaining about the bath, either."

“I did, outside Professor Summers door, a month or so ago, because he was being a horrible person,” Paige replied, ticking them off her fingers as a flush came up on her cheeks. “I’m not as proud of it as I’m making it sound. I really shouldn’t have hit him, it was childish of me, but he was being incorrigible and I was really quite angry.”

"And... the bath?" Angelo persisted, determined to get an answer out of her.

Paige blushed a little harder, shifting her gaze just to the right of Angelo. “I asked Scott, Professor Summers, to use his bath since the students don’t have one and he was in class. Ends up that Jono had an appointment with him and… well…”

Angelo looked expectant, and when she didn't continue, prodded, "And? Well?"

“And… well… he sort of walked in on me. Well, actually, I walked in on him, but I happened to only be wearing a towel at the time, I had just come out of the bath after all and he thought rather rude things about my morals and that’s when we ended up yelling at each other and I hit him,” Paige said in a torrent of words.

When he'd made sense of Paige's last babble, Angelo raised an eyebrow. "I see", he said, deliberately leaving it there to tease Paige.

“Oh, you brat. I have no idea why I’m telling you this.”

"Because I'm a good listener?" Angelo suggested hopefully.

Paige gave him a look through her fingers as she had raised her hands to cover her face in embarrassment. “Well. Maybe.”

"Maybe?" Angelo echoed, mock-hurt. "Only maybe?"

“You’re not very good at not making me feel like an idiot which is part of being a good listener, you see,” Paige explained, removing one of her hands from covering her face to pat him on the shoulder. “I’m sure you’ll learn.”

"...OK, point taken", Angelo admitted. "I do my best, though."

Paige laughed suddenly, gently chucking his jaw with a fist. “It will do.”

Angelo smiled, meeting her gaze straight on, with warmth in his eyes. "Good", he said simply.

“You know,” Paige said, leaning back to rest her hands in her lap. “We’ve picked a horrible time to do this bonding thing. Now I’m going to have to miss you and stuff.”

"I guess it's too late for you to book a place on the trip, isn't it?" Angelo asked.

“Considering you’re leaving tomorrow? Yeah, I think so,” Paige smiled. “Certainly not from lack of sweaters, though.”

"No", Angelo laughed. "How many have you got in that box, anyway?"

Paige mock counted on her fingers before finally giving up and shrugging. “An abnormally huge amount. My mother enjoys knitting a little too much sometimes, not to mention I got all of Sam’s old sweaters once he outgrew them.”

"That must be a lot of sweaters", Angelo observed. "It must be nice."

Paige tilted her head, giving him a knowing smile. “Oh yes, the ability to stuff three mattresses if need be is very reassuring late at night.”

"At least you'll never be cold", Angelo answered quietly, before visibly shaking himself out of his sudden gloom. "Anyway... what classes are you taking this semester again?"

Paige let him change the subject this time. “Oh, just name it, I’m probably taking it, even if it is only informally.”

"Are you allowed to do that? I would have thought there was an upper limit on the work they let us do", Angelo said.

“There is. I just kind of skirt around it or go talk to one of the doctors or Ms Frost. They’re all nice if not a little frightening sometimes,” Paige replied.

"I think Ms Frost is great", Angelo said seriously. "She doesn't patronise us, even if she does call us 'children'".

“I agree. Have you met Pete Wisdom yet? I think you’d like him. They’re very much alike, although I feel they’d deny it quite a bit if asked. He speaks to me like he assumes I will understand. It’s very refreshing.”

"I don't think I have met him yet", Angelo answered. "Is he in the mansion at the moment?"

“No, he’s off in London again. Another person I have to worry about at long distances,” she said with a not entirely joking smile.

"You mean there are people you *don't* worry about?" Angelo asked teasingly.

“Drat. I can’t even argue that. I’m such a hen,” Paige said with smile.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of", Angelo told her sincerely. "We all need to know there's someone worrying about us, sometimes."

Paige’s smile brightened. “Thanks, Angelo. I shall worry about you with an eased mind, now.”

Angelo smiled back. "You do that", he said affectionately.

Paige caught sight of her watch out of the corner of her eye and had to double-check it to be sure, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Is that really the time? So much for being a good hen, I’ve kept you up way past your bedtime.”

Angelo laughed. "I suppose I was asking for that, giving you permission to worry and all. Still, you're probably right, although I think I'll sleep on the plane."

“If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to start up your first screaming match with Jono by walking out of my room at an unseemly hour,” Paige teased, shaking a finger.

"Who says I'm not?" Angelo said, deadpan. "If that's what it takes to get his attention..."

“You could always try a little dance in a pair of my show trousers since we seem to be getting so good at borrowing clothes. Though I’m not sure if he’d go for that sort of thing it’d certainly get his attention,” Paige replied, meeting his deadpan.

"In your... show trousers?" Angelo asked, uncertain what she meant.

“For horse jumping. Where is your mind, chickpea?” Paige replied innocently.

"Back in the city", Angelo retorted. "And not anywhere for horse jumping. Anyway", he couldn't resist adding, "I don't think they'd fit."

“Yes, you and your jutting hipbones,” she said with a sigh. “It’s really too bad, though. You would’ve been quite the hit.”

"No doubt", he agreed. "Still, I'm sure the world will survive without seeing me in your clothes. Although apparently not for long, if Lorna has her way."

“Oh, Lorna. She’s all bark and throwing spoons. Just run away and you should be okay. I’m sure Em will let me hide you in our closet if need be,” Paige said with a wise look.

Angelo answered, trying to keep a straight face, "I'll remember that. Thanks."

“You’d do well- oh crickets! There you go, getting me chatting again. Come on, up up, before you keel over on my floor and I have to go get someone to haul you out.” Paige stood, grabbing at his arm to haul him up.

Angelo groaned, but let her drag him up off his chair. "OK, OK, I'm going. If only because I don't want to make Alex carry me back to the room."

“You’re so kind,” Paige replied with a heavy dose of sarcasm that didn’t really suit her. She pushed him firmly in the direction of the door, hands on both shoulder.

Angelo unwillingly allowed himself to be shoved towards the door, and pulled it open, realising that he was in the way.

“You’re creating such chaos, Angelo dear,” Paige said, hauling him back just enough so that he could get through the door.

"It's what I'm good at", he answered, and walked through the open door, then turned to lean against the frame.

“Parting is such sweet sorrow,” Paige recited, a teasing grin lighting up her features.

Angelo grinned in response, unwilling to admit he didn't recognise the quote, and raised a hand in a lazy wave goodbye.

Paige poked him in the chest with an accusing finger. “Now, you keep in touch, y’hear? Or there will be a very nasty surprise in your sheets when you get home for the amount of sleep I’ve lost.”

"I won't be gone that long!" Angelo protested. "But I promise to post about the trip at least once. After all, don't want to risk... whatever it is you're threatening to do."

“When you’re over protective a week is a very long time,” Paige pointed out. “But have fun. Now shoo.”

"I will", Angelo promised, and finally began to walk down the hall, with a final wave goodnight.

Paige waved herself, waiting until he was inside his room and out of sight, before retreating to her own room, door closing with a soft click.

OOC: Kate says she'll post a log one day. Today is not that day. Today is the day where we spend all afternoon/evening logging because it's fun.