Title: Allegiances

Rating: Somewhere around a PG for...stuff, I guess.

Disclaimer: Nuttin' given, nuttin' gained. I own nothin', never have, never will.

Notes: I took French, not Spanish, so I tried to cheat and get away with using as few Spanish-isms as I could. Sorry. This is also a sequel to "Before We Leave This Place." You don't have to read the first one, but I think it might help. :)

******

"Does it hurt?"

Angelo leaned over his friend, inspecting the new object in his brow curiously. Jono only stared at him, keeping his end of the conversation limited.

*I got no bleedin' nerves, Ange. I feel fine.* His forehead creased as he reached up to touch the thin bar now pierced into his eyebrow, wincing as it scraped against his skin. *Felt that one.*

"I used to have one in my eyebrow, too," Angelo started for conversation's sake, watching as the man that had done the piercing rose from his seat and walked to the opposite side of the room. "The hole grew over, though. Havin' too much skin kinda does that to a guy."

Jono raised the newly-pierced eyebrow, then shrugged and sat up, looking around the shop the younger man had dragged him into. He hadn't been aware of the fact that the Latino had planned for him to get pierced.

*Used to 'ave me ear pierced. Gayle liked it for some reason.* From what little could be made of his expression, Angelo was guessing that Jono hadn't liked the earring at all. *Let it go after movin' 'ere.*

The man came back over to join them, rattling off details about tending to the pierced spot, details to which Jono was barely listening. He was instead inspecting a Ministry CD he had found inside the shop, going over the track listing.

"That's a good one."

Jono looked up, for the first time noticing that the man had a nametag reading "Hi, I'm Gor." The Brit didn't want to know nor ask where the name had originated. *I 'ad it, then lost it.*

Gor's eyes widened briefly at the telepathic comment. "Mutant, huh?" Jono was a bit stricken for words, then nodded slowly. Gor shrugged. "Cool. You boys want anything else? You've already gotten everything else we sell here."

Angelo looked down at the shirt he had yet to pay for, then the two CDs and gold eyebrow bar his friend bought, then looked back at Gor. "What else ya got?"

"Tattoos."

Angelo looked hopefully down at Jono, whose dark brown eyes narrowed to thin slits. Angelo coughed. "Um...Well, I guess we'd better quit while we're ahead, huh? I think this'll be enough."

Gor, completely indifferent to the matter, shrugged yet again and walked out of the room to the main part of the building to relieve the co-owner of the store from checkout duty. Jono caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror on the wall when he stood, and he absently scratched at his unruly hair.

*So 'ow much trouble yer think I'm gonna get in?*

"You're an adult. They'll deal."

Jono seemed to consider the thought a moment before nodding his agreement and grabbing the CDs to take out front. Purchases paid for and another quick reminder of how to take care of the new ring, the two left the building, and after a minute of bickering and pleading Angelo succeeded in getting the keys to the jeep they had driven there.

*Are yer gonna stay?*

Angelo seemed caught off guard by the question. "Stay where?"

*At school. After ... I dunno, after yer graduate.*

"Hell no." Angelo didn't hesitate before answering, pulling from the parking lot and heading out onto the road, swearing quietly in Spanish as a herd of daycare kids were led across the street in front of him, causing him to be stopped by a red light. "I mean, I'll miss some of you guys an' all, but it's not like I wanna be some X-Man or nothin'."

*Some?*

"Huh?"

*Yer said 'some' of us. I take it yer won't miss Monet.*

"She helps me with my English papers after kicking my pride down a few notches," Angelo started thoughtfully, turning the stereo up louder, "but other than that, no."

*So who else?*

"Tristan." Angelo gripped the wheel a bit tighter, only partly noticable to Jono. He could understand the feeling.

*Tell me about it. The lil' sod gets on everyone's nerves, I think."

"All of us except Paige," Angelo noted without thinking. He blanched even as he did so, remembering the emotions that had been involved between the two of his friends.

Jono gave a somewhat mangled snort. *Yeah, well...* He trailed off, having lost interest in that particular train of thought. *She can do better than 'im.*

"Yeah." Angelo paused, stopping outside a club and eying it suspiciously. "Tell me somethin', por favor?"

*Wot?*

"How old do I look?"

Jono's brow creased. *Why?* He noticed the Latino staring at the club, one which didn't admit minors, and he shook his head. *No. We're gonna be in enough trouble as it is with this damn thing I let yer talk me into,* Jono snapped irritably, pointing to his left brow. Angelo gave a small grin.

"Wrong. You'll be yelled at, not me. You're the older one between us, remember? And if you're gonna get yelled at, then I might as well do somethin', too." He pointed to the club. "An' besides. I just wanna go in, see if I can maybe meet a few chicas."

*Liar. Yer gonna go get drunk.*

Angelo had the look only a mischievous child could manage.

Jono stared at his friend, the rational part of him screaming at him to put a swift end to that certain idea. Then again, he really didn't want to be the only one to be dragged into Emma's office... *Go with nineteen. Maybe twenty. Don't push it.*

Angelo grinned again, tossing Jono the keys and getting out of the jeep. "Gracias, amigo."

*An' don't expect me to cover for yer arse if Frost finds out!*

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Jono continued to stare at Angelo, then shook his head sadly and walked around to the driver's side. *I'm givin' yer a couple 'ours, Ange. Don't push it, all right?*

"Si, si. Go on. You're cuttin' in on my two hours." He turned and walked away without a glance back, leaving Jono wondering just how long this was going to get them grounded to campus.

******

There was only one conclusion to be drawn from the entire mess, and it had to be that alcohol, in any form, was extremely evil.

Angelo stared at the shot glass before him, then to the small pyramid he had started to build with his other ones, and let out a drunken moan. Though not in particularly bad shape at the moment, he knew he was going to feel it in the morning. That was enough to make him slow down.

Unfortunately, it was enough to spur him on, causing him to continue to ramble to the bartender.

"So what should I do, hombre? Should I just...y'know, let her go, or what?"

Liam, as told by the tag on his shirt, gave a faint shrug of his shoulders, beginning to dismantle the stack of glasses Angelo had accumulated. "The girl at school?"

"Si."

Liam looked thoughtful. "Well, it sounds like a helluva situation to me, but I say go for it. I mean, you never know, right?"

Angelo didn't comment on the man's thick Boston accent, figuring he had no right to do so, as the alcohol only served to make him burst into unintelligible Spanish rants now and again. "Si. But what about her boyfriend?"

"If he's as big a jerk as you say he is, then I wouldn't worry about it. The girl'd thank you later."

Angelo nodded in agreement, barely glancing up as he noticed Jono coming to stand beside him. "Hola, Jono."

*Hi.* Having dealt with Angelo in that shape before and knowing he wouldn't answer truthfully, Jono turned to the bartender. *'Ow many 'as 'e 'ad?*

Liam was somewhat surprised at the telepathic speech, even further surprised at the fact it was undoubtedly British in origin, then pointed to the still-standing pyramid of glasses. "Mostly Jack Daniels, but he's had a couple tequilas."

Jono's nose wrinkled in distaste as he tried to coax Angelo off the barstool. *Dunno wot it is with yer Spanish an' yer horse-piss tequila.* The attempt at a joke went unnoticed by Angelo, and Jono rolled his eyes. *Don't do this, Ange, please? Not when I'm the one that let yer come in 'ere.*

"You didn't *let* me go anywhere," Angelo snapped suddenly, sliding off the stool and standing on unsteady feet. "You're not mi madre."

*I didn't say I was, but I should o' used more sense than to give yer free reign o' this place.* Jono gestured to his watch. *And I've given yer an extra half 'our. Frost's already gonner 'ave us bloody hung. Now come on.*

Angelo seemed prime to argue again, then thought better of it and slapped a bill down on the bar. "That should cover it, derecha?"

"I have no idea what that meant, but hold on. You'll get a couple bucks back."

Angelo shrugged. "Keep it. Tip."

Liam stared down at the bill. "Hmph. Well, thanks, kid."

"No problem." He let himself be led out the door by a slightly aprehensive Jono, settling himself in the passenger seat and muttering softly in Spanish, aggravating his friend.

*Stop that.*

"Stop what?"

*The mumbling. If yer gotta do it, at least do it in English.*

"You're one to talk!" Angelo chuckled, turning to better see the older mutant. "Last time we went drinkin', I couldn't understand a word you said." Though his words were beginning to slur a bit, Jono clearly understood what his friend meant. He had been upset over failing an important physics test and ready to try out a new aspect of his telepathy that he had been made aware of, one that would allow him to be a virtual mental hacker and tap into others' senses. Consequently, he had went out and relied on Angelo to get drunk for both of them, and then he had started ranting in a Cockney accent so thick Angelo had been forced to stop listening.

*That was a long time ago, Ange. And at least I was talkin' in English.*

"If you can call whatever you were saying English."

Jono looked at his friend, then directed his attention back to the road, continuing the drive in silence.