Here's another fic that I've had up my sleeve for a while. Thanks for the reviews for my last story Addicted.
Angel and Collins may seem a little OOC, but just go with it for the sake of the story.
Please R&R. ANY FLAMERS WILL BE HUNTED DOWN!!
Disclaimer: I don't own RENT, but it doesn't hurt to dream.
February 13th, 3:20 p.m. (less than nine hours until Valentine's Day)
"In the news this afternoon...you guessed it, folks--snow and lots of it! A winter storm warning is in effect. More than twenty-five inches of snow has been predicted for the northeast, so get ready! The flakes have already begun to fall and heavier flurries are expected a little later this morning. High temperature today was twenty degrees. Current temperature is fifteen. Temperatures are expected to drop to ten degrees this evening, with a wind chill factor of fifteen below, so please be sure to bundle up."
"Are you almost ready to go, Ang?" Collins said as he waited by the door.
"Yes," said Angel with an air of distraction. "I'm just listening to this weather report. Did you know that this snowstorm is supposed to bring at least two feet of snow?"
"Yes. That's why I wanted to leave early. I wish I could have had the whole day off from work. It would have been much better if we had left this morning. But if we get a move on, I think we'll beat the worst of it."
"Maybe we should reconsider," she said worriedly. "I have a funny feeling something's going to happen."
"But tomorrow's Valentine's Day." Collins walked up to Angel and kissed the worry lines on her forehead. "Come on, baby. We made all these great plans already. We just have to get there. It's only a four hour trip."
"Okay," said Angel with doubt. She flicked the radio off, grabbed her jacket, and walked out with Collins outside to Joanne's car, which she let them borrow.
3:45 p.m."Can you believe all this traffic? Why aren't these people at work? Or better yet, why aren't they home? Don't they know there's a storm coming?"
"Angel, why are you complaining? You're not even the one driving."
"I'm sorry." She sighed. "I just wanna get there and spend time with you alone."
"We're alone now." An obnoxiously loud car horn, blowing to the right if them, made a lie of Collins' words.
4:20 p.m."You can't possibly have to go the bathroom. We practically just left the apartment."
"I told you...coffee runs right through me."
"Then why did you drink coffee this morning of all mornings?"
Angel snuggled closer to Collins...or at least as close as she could snuggle with her seatbelt on. "But honey, I love your coffee."
"Flattery won't work this time. You're going to have to hold it for a little while."
Angel pouted. "I've been practicing my whining. You wanna hear it?"
Collins grumbled under his breath.
"What was that, honey?"
"I said that I'll pull over to the next rest stop,baby."
Angel smiled in satisfaction.
4:50 p.m.Collins flicked the radio off. Maybe a few minutes of peace would keep his growing headache at bay.
"Hey!" Angel stopped her bouncing to protest. "Why'd you turn that off? I like that song."
"Ang, why are we on this trip?"
"Because you can't throw darts."
Collins was derailed from the point he had been about to make about maintaining a romantic mood. "I CAN throw darts."
"What kind of a stupid idea was it to pick the location for our getaway by throwing a dart at a map?"
"You might recall that it was your idea, Angel."
"Oh. Yeah...Still, I'm not the one with no aim."
"I can aim!"
"Maybe you need to get your eyes checked."
"There's nothing wrong with my vision."
"So what's your excuse? Why are we driving, in February, in the middle of a blizzard, Upstate, where it starts snowing in the middle of summer?"
Collins muttered about gross exaggerations.
"What was that?"
"I said the sun was in my eyes."
"I'd believe that if we hadn't been throwing the darts at night."
Collins turned the radio back on.
5:45 p.m.Angel looked out the windows with an anxious expression on her face. "It's coming down a lot heavier than I thought it would."
Collins reached out and squeezed her knee comfortingly. "Don't worry. We'll be fine as long as we stick to the main roads."
"Watch out, Collins!"
Collins swung his eyes back to the road and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Watch out for what?"
"Never mind. I thought I saw something."
"Angel! You almost scared me to death."
"Sorry. It's really hard being a back seat driver."
"Maybe you should take the wheel. We did say we would take turns, didn't we?"
"I don't know, Collins. I haven't driven in a long time and I never drove in bad weather."
"C'mon Ang, I need a little break. I'm getting a crick in my neck."
"I can give you a nice neck rub," she said hopefully.
"Just drive for a little while. Look, there's another rest stop. You can even use the bathroom."
"I don't know about this sarcastic side of you. It's like you're turning into Roger...What?...Don't look at me like that!...Okay. I didn't mean it."
5:55 p.m."You know, driving in this weather isn't so bad."
"Angel, watch out for the--"
"I saw it," Angel said as she swerved to avoid the large pothole. "Like I was saying, it's not that bad. It's even kind of fun."
"Angel! Don't swerve too--"
"Don't worry, honey." she smoothly steered the car back into the right lane, not noticing the angry driver in the next lane, waving his fist. "I've kinda missed the convenience of not having to rely on buses and cabs for transportation."
"Angel!"
"What? What did I do?" Angel pleaded. Luckily, the state trooper she had passed hadn't notice the car going at 20 miles per hour above the speed limit. He was already preoccupied ticketing another driver with a lead foot.
"Nothing, baby." Collins sighed deeply and put his hands in his head so he wouldn't have to watch. A couple of minutes later, Angel startled him.
"Oh my god! That was close! Where did that tractor-trailer come from?"
10 Minutes Later"Baby, please don't be angry. It's nothing personal."
"But WHY can't I drive?"
"Because you can't drive," Collins mumbled under his breath.
"What did you say?" Angel demanded.
"Nothing. I just feel better when I'm driving," he replied. "And a thousand times safer," he added so Angel wouldn't hear.
"What?"
He turned and gave her a broad smile. "I didn't say anything."
"Oh."
7:00p.m.Collins turned to look with fondness at his lover. Angel had fallen asleep and she looked exactly like her namesake. Her long black eyelashes rested on her soft, mocha cheeks. Her lips were rosy. Collins reached over and gently stroked Angel's face with the back of his hand. If only they could reach their destination soon.
This isn't the end! Next chapter will be up soon!
