We~he~el.
Author's Note: This is the last chapter. I swear. The very last chapter...I think.
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"NonononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononononoNO!!!" Angel sobbed, falling against a building unhappily.
He didn't have his key.
It was in the apartment.
Sitting on his dresser by the lipstick.
Angel was locked out of his flat at 2:30 in the afternoon on April 14, 1996.
And it was raining.
"Well," Angel mumbled, straightening himself up and closing his eyes. "At least this day cannot get any worse."
SWOOSH!!
Angel was drenched in puddle water from a passing car.
"THAT WASN'T FUCKIN' FUNNY!!" Angel screeched, before pounding on the door to his apartment.
Vainly.
It didn't open. What did you expect?
He banged on it again.
*And it magically opened revealing Collins standing in the doorway with a bunch of roses!!*
Or not.
"Why me?" Angel sobbed, smacking his head against the wooden door a consecutive ten times. "Why did this happen to me?!"
Silence.
No answer.
Angel looked up, drenched, at the sky. "You know, for one all-seeing God, you sure don't say much."
A bird fluttered over his head, and Angel seriously considered shooting a rubber band at its feathery little butt for being so goddamned happy.
All right, so maybe that would be going a bit far.
Angel kicked his door angrily, and watched as his toes crumpled against the toe of his precious shoe.
Yes that hurt.
No it didn't make him any happier.
Yes he screamed.
"AURGH!!!!!!
This scream echoed past the building, past the park, past the borders of New York, and somewhere far away in Santa Fe a little boy turned to his daddy and said: "What was that strange noise I just heard?"
"It was just an airplane son."
"Oh, okay."
No one in that little town in Santa Fe ever knew that it was actually a drag queen that had just slammed his toes against the hard fabric of his shoe.
Not like they cared, anyway. *snort*
Angel collapsed to the wet ground and drew his knees up to his chest, back against he concrete building. A tear slipped down his cheek, then another. And another. And another.
And so on…
"You need this?"
The deep bass voice broke Angel's reverie, and his head jerked up to see Collins standing over him, hand extended towards the transvestite's face, holding a spare key. Scrubbing the back of his wrist against his eyes, Angel stood up and replied defensively, "No."
Collins almost chuckled, but turned away from Angel, walking off. "If you say so…"
Collins…going…with a key—"Wait!"
He turned around and looked at Angel. "Yes?"
"Maybe…I could use it."
"All right then." Collins inserted the key and turned the knob, pushing the door open with half a smile.
As soon as they reached Angel's flat, Collins burst out laughing.
Angel tore off his saturated wig and set his jaw. "What are you laughing about now?"
"You!" Collins roared with mirth as his eyes traveled over Angel's drenched form. "You look a mess!"
"You try being stuck out there in this weather without a fuckin' key!!" Angel shouted, struggling to fight back the tears like a, (for once), man. "See how you look after it!!"
Collins forced down a smile, covering his mouth with his hand as he walked over to where Angel was standing and put his hands on his shoulders. "Oh, come now, don't get mad at me just because you look like a wet poodle." He playfully cuffed Angel's cheek. "I'm still your little Tomcat, right Angel food cake?" Tom teasingly used the old pet names.
"Yeah," Angel replied, deadpan, "meow." He pushed Collins' hand off of his face. "Get offa me. You said yourself we were over."
"Doesn't mean we still can't be friends." Collins said, walking into the bathroom to collect a stack of towels. "Here."
"Oh yeah, friends." Angel shrugged, and looked at the stack. "I don't need all those."
Collins looked over him, taking a towel off of the pile. "Frankly dearest, you do." He vigorously rubbed the terry fabric over Angel's head to dry the soaked face and neck.
"Why are you here Collins?" Angel muttered, snatching the towel from Collins' grasp. "I thought you were pissed off."
Collins let go of the towel, and turned to the stove where he put some water on to boil for hot cocoa. Makes himself at home, that's Collins. "Well, I was…but then you stormed off and everyone turned on me and made me feel bad, so I figured-"
"Figured you'd just show up and I'd throw myself into your arms crying?" Angel snapped, walking out of the living room and back into his room to change out of the sopping clothes.
"You said it, not me."
"Well I didn't throw myself into your arms crying, so don't hold your breath for it."
Collins followed him, and stood outside of the closed door. "Hey, I didn't say anything."
"Hm." Angel's voice called from the other side of the door.
Collins chuckled, and eyed the doorknob evilly.
Then turned it.
And pushed the door open.
Angel hadn't noticed, his back turned to the door. Collins chuckled again as he saw Angel peel the soaked pants off of his legs, and collapse down onto the bed in his boxers.
"Nice."
"What the-COLLINS!!" Angel sprinted to the door and slammed it. Tom laughed loudly and turned back to the cocoa. Angel emerged five minutes later wearing a loose-fitting pair of black sweatpants that bagged out around the feet and a halfway-buttoned red shirt. "Who said you had free reign on my hot cocoa?"
"Aw… was making it fer you."
"Yeah I'm sure." Angel rolled his eyes and pushed Collins away from the pot. "Listen, you've done your good deed, made me feel bad, and looked in on me while I was changing. Will you go now?"
Collins frowned. "I was only trying to help. Forgive me for letting you into your apartment."
"Just go away Collins! I don't understand why you're even here now. Thank you for the key, I thought we had come to the agreement that we weren't seeing each other anymore."
"We had."
"Then why the fuck did you feel like it was such a good idea to open my door?"
Collins blushed, and shrugged, sitting down at the table. "Seemed kinda funny." Pause. "Listen, I just came to see whether you were all right. I figured you weren't having the best day…so I-" Collins looked down at the tabletop, tracing the grain of wood with his finger.
Angel did not feel bad.
He definitely didn't feel bad.
Oh Jesus, this was Collins for God's sake! Of course he felt bad!!
Angel collapsed to the chair across from Collins, holding two cups of cocoa. "Here. There was enough water in the pot for two, so…well…here." He pushed the mug over to where Collins' fingers were absently running over the wood.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
Chirp chirp.
Angel glanced up at Collins, who's brown eyes were raptly watching whatever interesting show the table was putting on for him that no one else could see.
God he's cute…adorable…handsome…hot…sexy… The words that ran through Angel's head to describe Collins intensified as he continued to drink in the broad shoulders, muscular form, finely-chiseled arms and torso, manly goatee, liquid brown eyes…
Oh damnit Angel!! Say something!! He mentally kicked himself.
And it hurt too.
"I'm…uh…sorry for yelling at you earlier."
"Yeah…" Collins murmured, before looking up and quirking a sheepish smile.
Angel melted into a puddle of Angelgoo on the floor while his heart danced the bunny hop. Ya ever seen Bambi-where Thumper gets kissed by that girl bunny and his foot starts slamming against the floor at a' hundred and fifty miles an hour?
That was Angel. Thump thump thump thump thump!!
Collins looked down at his hot cocoa, and then at Angel. He repeated this process many times. To this day we do not know what connection he made between Angel and the cup of melted chocolate and water mixed and boiled. *Shrugs* Ah well…
Some things will always be a mystery. Like why they'll never give the rabbit those Trix™. I mean, isn't that sort of discriminating? Wait a second…that's off-topic, isn't it? *sheepish smile* Whoops.
Anyways…Angel took a sip of his hot cocoa and sighed. "I guess you can tell I've been having a pretty shitty day…"
"Yeah, I noticed that." Collins shifted, uncomfortable in the uneasy silence.
"It's just, it seems like everything that could go wrong today has, and Sasha can't fly in for my birthday because of his new fuckin' boyfriend…Shelby something-or-other, and what with you-" Angel stopped, and shrugged slightly.
Collins reached forward and buttoned a loose button on Angel's shirt gently. "And what with me, what?"
"Nothing. Just, with you not, you know, being with me anymore, I just…"
"Angel Dumott Schunard, do you miss me?!"
"I do not!" Angel spat, rising up from his seat defensively. Collins smirked, and laid a hand on Angel's arm, easing him back down to a sitting position.
"Easy there tiger, I didn't mean to offend you."
"Well I don't miss-" Angel looked at Collins. Oh hell. He sighed, and averted his eyes elsewhere. "So maybe I do…a little."
A little. What a laugh.
Collins let his hand slip from Angel's arm to his wrist, then down to his hand. There he took it in his own, and caressed the back of Angel's hand with his thumb. "Maybe I miss you too, a little."
"Well then, we both miss each other a little. Where does that get us?" Angel mumbled, looking at the laced fingers and pressing hands.
"Hm…" Collins smiled, and leaned forward over the table to kiss Angel.
Angel did the same.
You knew it was gonna happen.
The hot chocolate when reeling, splashing all over the two of them.
Collins jumped back, hands scalded with the burning liquid. "Aw shit!"
Angel
cursed silently to himself. Damnit!! I almost had him! We were so close!
It's not faaaaaairr!!!!
"Oh Jesus Collins, I had no idea that was gonna-"
"It's…okay…" Collins blew helplessly on his hand, and Angel quickly went to go get a cold towel. Once he had it, he gently pressed it against Tom's hands. "Ow!!"
"I'm sorry Collins, but-"
"It burns damnit!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"You spilled it!!"
Angel's lower lip quivered as he threw the washcloth down at Collins. "You do it yourself then damnit!!" The day had made his sensitivity levels skyrocket, and this was the thing that sent him over the edge.
And with that, he ran into his room crying, the door slamming behind him.
Collins sighed guiltily as he laid the cold cloth on his scalded hand and looked after Angel. "Aw hell…"
