Disclaimer: Don't own.

Pos/Neg

By Donna

Chapter One: It's Over

Roger nearly spat his coffee across the table. "What!"

Mark pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You've heard right. Angel and Collins are over."

"...Why!" Roger yelled, "Weren't they all, 'Oh my God! I love you! I love you!' only a matter of days ago!"

"I know! I know! Roger, come on," Mark mumbled.

"What's wrong?" Roger asked.

"I don't know... I just figured... it's a little shocking, you know? I mean, it's... I thought they were real."

"Yeah? So? Relationships fall apart," Roger said, "What are ya gonna do? Maybe it's for the best."

"How?" Mark asked, "Roger, they're dying!"

Roger stared, his eyes a little cloudy.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Roger, I didn't mean that! You know I didn't!"

Roger grumbled, "Yeah, sure."

"They're going to have to get separate apartments, I guess... it'd be too awkward to be in the same living quarters as a guy you used to go out with..." Mark mumbled.

"What are you suggesting?" Roger asked.

"Nothing," Mark whispered. "I just... I feel bad! Do you think we had something to do with it? Were we just too hard on them."

"Mark, we never were," Roger said, sounding almost like he cared.

Mark sighed. He looked out the window and noticed the rain running down the windows. "Of all the days..." he mumbled.

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"And now... I have hit rock bottom," Angel announced, hiding under the overhang of the bagel nook. She looked around, wiping at the running mascara clinging to her cheek. She sighed. "It figures. Give a kid their soulmate, and they find some way to fuck it up."

She looked around. She felt gross. It was just disgusting out and her whole body was soaking wet. She watched her legs shift against her translucent-white skirt. She looked at the door, tempted to walk in and warm up. But it looked too... friendly. She sighed. No one loves the freaky ones. Ever.

She threw up her hands and walked in. She looked around and tried to find a familiar face. She didn't find any. Whimpering, she sat at a booth and curled into a ball. This was just disgusting. That was the only word that she could use.

Then it got worse. She saw... Mark.

"Dammit! Hiding in a bagel place with a Jewish friend in the bowels... nice," Angel mumbled.

Just then, Mark stepped in. Angel tried to make herself smaller. It didn't work. Mark ran over to her and screamed, "Angel!"

Angel looked up and gasped. "Oh... hi."

Mark screamed, "Oh my God! Why are you all wet? C'mon!"

He grabbed her and said, "You must be freezing..."

Angel shook her head. "I'm fine, honey..."

"Come on. You're going!" Mark yelled.

Angel sighed, getting up and clinging to him. "Only because you asked."

"Oh wait! Food, duh," Mark said, making a beeline for the counter.

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Angel looked at the bag of bagels left on the table as Mark rummaged through the room. "You don't have to do this," she mumbled.

"But I am," Mark said, "And you're not going to stop me. Use that towel."

Angel grabbed the canary yellow towel and wiped off her neck. She wiped away her make-up and breathed in the slightly-smelly towel. At least she wasn't as cold as she was before...

Mark found some sweats and threw them at her. "Use these."

Angel started, "But..."

"Don't fight me, Angel," Mark threatened. It wasn't empty, nor was it very frightening, but Angel obeyed. She padded to the bathroom, her eyes wide. Roger saw her walk past and looked up. "What's going on?"

"Angel was out in the rain," Mark said, "I'm letting her stay here. I don't know what's going on. Just don't give her a hard time, okay?"

Roger shrugged. Then he whispered, "Is she going to stay here?"

"Look, Roger," Mark said, "I am going to let her stay as long as she has to. I'm not going to kick her out. I can't."

"Mark, this wasn't your fault..." Roger started, raising his voice a little.

"Just... drop it," Mark snarled.

Roger flinched. "What got your panties in a bunch!"

"...What!" Mark yelled, "I... never!..."

"Uhm... hi?" Angel asked, peeking through the door.

"Hey. They fit you," Mark said.

Roger started, "They're mi..."

"Thanks," Angel murmured. He wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Really. This was humiliation.

"Well, we got some bagels!" Mark exclaimed, "Let's eat!"

Angel's eyes lit up. "Oh... good!"

Roger watched, suspiciously. "Okay."

They walked to the bag of bagels and each took one. They didn't talk. Mark wanted to quiz Angel to death. What happened? Was it for good? Was there a fight? Did they cause it? Was it just a ticking timebomb!

Mark nearly choked on his bagel. This was not going to end up very well, was it? Well... maybe that was a little too mean and pessimistic. Things were definitely going to end up... different.

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