Notes: Ah, and so the soap opera grows more involved. Also, sorry for these next few parts being so late and far from the first chapter, but I've been busy lately, if you can believe it. Among those busy things that kept me from posting, I managed to snag Godsmack tickets for 3/12. *cheers* Sorry, had to share. On with the story.

******

Jono considered it no small miracle that Angelo had kept his mouth shut the entire drive home, at least until they got out of the car. He took one look to the left and noticed that the small Plymouth Tristan favored to drive around was parked inside the garage, and he sneered.

"Well. It's nice of him to bring Paige home, huh?" Jono stared at him, obviously not understanding the reference. "Took her out to dinner earlier. Noble, wasn't it?"

Jono chose to remain quiet on the issue, getting out of the car and pulling the passenger side door open. *C'mon, Angelo. You need sleep.*

"What I need, mi amigo, is to see that rat get pinned to a wall," Angelo corrected with a pointed glance to the car. "Wanna help me run 'im down?"

*I want yer t'shut up before someone hears us.*

Angelo stared up at the older mutant with bleary eyes, then pulled himself out of the car and accepted the arm offered him. "I wrote 'er a letter, y'know."

*Who?*

"Paige. Wrote her this letter earlier today 'bout how I like 'er and everything. Then she told me she was goin' out with whasshisname."

Jono's raised eyebrows were the only indication he had even heard Angelo. He tightened his grip around the Latino's shoulders and struggled to get him inside the school before someone noticed them outside. While he had experienced on many occasions the task of trying to carry a drunken friend inside, it had still been ages ago. That would explain why he accidentally ran Angelo into a table that sat beside the door.

"Ow!"

*Sorry, mate,* Jono apologized sheepishly, grabbing Angelo's thin shoulders and guiding him to the stairs. *Think you can make it from 'ere?*

"Ye...yeah." Angelo had to pause halfway through after being interrupted by a sharp intake of breath. "Muchos gracias."

*Don't mention it.* Angelo grinned. *I mean that in the most literal way.*

Angelo watched as Jono walked down the hallway and entered the door that led to the basement, then looked up the steps, debating on whether or not he wanted to take the effort to walk up them.

That was when he had the brilliant idea that he would much rather go find the girls' dorm.

******

Paige looked down at her physics text book, yawning over it. She began flipping through the pages in search of an old study guide, stopping short when she came to a previous chapter. She had been tutoring Jono at the time, though whether he really needed the help or simply wanted the company, she didn't know. Nonetheless, there was a small note written in her book overtop a picture of Newton that made her slam the book shut. The words kept repeating themselves over and over again in her mind, though, causing her to sniff.

"Thanks for the help, Sunshine. It's appreciated. :) -- My surrogate grin."

She rose, walking to the window and parting the curtains enough to look out at the still, moonlit night. While not exactly as clear as the nights had been in Kentucky, she still had to admit that it was beautiful in a rather scenic way.

She wasn't aware that someone else was admiring the scenery as well.

"You look nice, Country Mouse."

Paige whirled, struck dumb by the comment. Angelo stood in her doorway, leaning against the frame with long, thin arms folded across his chest.

"Angelo? What are you doing in here? It's ... almost one!" She stated after a quick look to her alarm clock. Angelo shrugged, taking a step into the room.

"I know. I was just...thinkin'. 'Bout us. Jono. Rat-boy."

Paige's eyes narrowed. "If that's what you came up here for..."

"I came up here to tell you that I like you."

Paige stepped a bit closer, sniffing tentatively and drawing back immediately after. "You've been drinking!"

"Jus' a little," Angelo blatantly lied, neither expecting nor caring for Paige to believe him. He edged forward, eyes glittering as if he were hiding some treasured secret. "But I do like you."

"You're gonna wake her up." Paige dodged the remark by pointing at Jubilee. Angelo laughed.

"You're joking, right? A bomb could drop beside her an' she'd never hear it." He paused thoughtfully, rethinking his words. "Even though you probably wouldn't be hearin' much if a bomb dropped beside you."

Paige huffed, looking down at her plain sweat pants and oversized t-shirt, then back up at Angelo. "If you wanna talk, then at least wait 'til we get out of here."

Angelo was ready to argue before sense managed to get through the alcohol-induced haze that had taken over his brain. He nodded mutely, backing out the door and poking his head back in just as Paige thought it was safe to breathe again.

"Outside the library good for you?"

"Yes, now go!"

Angelo held up his hands in defense and shut the door behind him.

******

Paige walked with the force of one treading on glass, her footsteps light and barely detectable in the silence provided by the early morning. She hadn't bothered changing clothes, opting to slip on a pair of her jogging shoes and a blue sweater.

Angelo, she noted, hadn't even thought to wear a sweater. She could see him shivering faintly in the shallow light provided by the moon, smoke from a newly-lit cigarette trailing around him, and she sighed. Why had she even agreed to come out here?

"I was beginning to wonder if you forgot about me, chica."

Paige sat down beside her friend, using the trunk of the tree as a backrest. "I had to find my shoes." The strained silence continued to the point she could no longer stand it. "Ange, are you just drunk and rambling, or..."

"I know what I'm doin'. Jono seems to feel the need to mother me, but you know how he is. Such a damn loner, he has to coddle everyone he actually gets close to."

Paige looked away, back to the campus. "Actually, no. I wouldn't know that."

Angelo winced. "Sorry, chica." He reached out and touched her hand, causing her to jump. He drew back his hand, resting it on his knee. "You know, I don't mean to talk bad about my best friend, but he really should have treated you better than he did." Paige didn't reply, only kept looking away, trying to ignore the way the simple words caused spikes to be continually driven into her heart.

Angelo took another drag off the cigarette before stubbing it out against one of the tree's roots that came above ground. "Are you happy, Country Mouse? With ra...Tristan. Tell me you are an' I'll forget any of this happened."

Paige remained silent, turning her face down to stare at her lap.

"Is he really what you want?"

Paige looked up finally, blue eyes watering slightly. "I don't know, Ange. I'm so confused right now, I don't really know what I want." She gasped sharply, struggling to keep her emotions under control. "I really don't." She let herself be wrapped in her friend's arms, feeling a bit awkward as some extra skin wrapped around her in an attempt to bring her further comfort.

Angelo remained silently holding her, cheek resting against her hair. He murmured quietly, his words an eclectic blend of both Spanish and English. Paige didn't care; she wasn't listening anyway. Just being held for once and knowing someone cared enough to do it was all she needed, and so she was content to sit there on the cold ground with her arms linked around Angelo's waist.

She pulled away when she could feel her arms falling asleep. The moonlight shining down cast an eerie and yet somewhat graceful light on the Latino's face, causing her to look away suddenly. She had already lost Jono; she wasn't going to lose Tristan. Unfortunately for her, the brief eye contact had been enough for Angelo; he touched her chin lightly, turning her back to face him. She started to move away again until Angelo refused her the chance. He leaned forward and gently, softly captured her lips with his own, gratified by feeling her struggling for only a moment longer before sinking into the kiss, returning it with every bit as much fervor as he could hope.

Neither of them saw Tristan watching them from his bedroom window.