Title: Friends and Lovers
Author: Jen
Feedback: Adored greatly!
Pairing: None, Mimi/Angel friends, mentions of Collins/Angel
Word Count: 1428
Rating: PG
Genre: Angst
Summary: Mimi and Angel talk about how she's been feeling lately
Notes: None
Special Thanks: Electrakitty74 for reading it over
Spoilers: None, some foreshadowing
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Rent isn't mine no matter what I wish.

"Angel," Mimi said quietly as she crept to her best friend's bedside. "Angel, sweetie, wake up."

Angel stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Mimi standing before her. "Mimi, what are you doing here at...nine in the morning?"

"I came to see you." She sat on the edge of the bed. "Where's Collins?"

"Work." Angel sat up and stretched. "He has an early class today and a meeting. So that means it's you and me for breakfast." She grinned, leaned over, and kissed her cheek. "Want to eat here or go out and find something?"

"Angel, baby, I love you and all, but I don't trust within five feet of a stove."

"You're so smart, Mimi." Angel laughed and got out of bed, groaning slightly as she stretched her stiff leg. "Give me a few to shower and get dressed."

"Getting all dolled up for me? I feel honored!" Mimi giggled and clapped her hands together.

Angel laughed nervously. "No, sorry, sweetie." She smiled at her confused look. "Someone has to make sure you look taken. Don't want you being stolen out from under us."

In reality, she really didn't have the strength to pull on the tights, the skirt, the tight, stretch top, the wig, and the shoes and then spend 25 plus minutes putting on make-up. It was too much work lately but she still tried her best to act if everything was normal. Today, however, her energy was lacking severely.

"Ok, Angel. I'll let Roger know you have his back." Mimi lightly shoved her in the back. "Go shower. I'm starving."

Angel rolled her eyes and headed into the bathroom. After a quick shower, she headed back into the bed room, pulling a pair of slightly tattered jeans, a simple dark green t-shirt, and a faded blue hooded sweatshirt. As much as she loved dressing up as his feminine alter-ego, she did enjoy the simplicity of just slipping on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Besides, this was Mimi, one of only two people she was willing to let her guard down with and show another side of her life.

She had to crawl under the bed to find her shoes. They were old; she'd gotten them as a birthday gift before she'd left home years ago, but comfortable, at least compared to six-inch platforms. She pulled them on without untying them and headed out into the other room of the apartment her and Collins' were currently squatting in that served as a kitchen/living room/ dining room. Mimi sat on the ratty lounge chair Angel had found in a dump just a few weeks ago. She and Collins had dragged it home and cleaned it up. It was so comfortable, the two often fell asleep in it after spending a late simply talking to each other.

"Ready, Mimi-love?" she asked, leaning over the chair to kiss the top of her head.

Mimi tossed aside the three day old newspaper she'd been reading and got to her feet. "Ready and willing." She held out her arm and Angel quickly linked her arm with it.

The pair headed out into the slightly cool April air. Spring was there, but the edge of winter hung over the city, threatening the residents of the East Village with that last bit of cold weather.

"I love spring," Mimi said, sighing as she leaned against Angel.

"Me, too. I want to get some potted flowers for the apartment, make it feel more like home, you know?" She put hers arm around Mimi's shoulders and steered her towards a small breakfast cafe. "Can't wait to open the windows and let the fresh air in."

They entered the cafe and found a seat by the window, allowing them to people watch, one of Angel's favorite pastimes.

"Feel odd being out of your..usual attire?" Mimi asked as she sipped her coffee.

Angel shrugged. "Not really. It's hard to keep that up after a while. Lord knows I love it and so does my Collins. Oh, you should've seen him yesterday when I was wearing that tight little blue number I made last week. I swear, he was about to explode right there."

Mimi chuckled. "Sweetie, Collins would explode from looking at you no matter what you were wearing."

Angel blushed and looked down at her mug. "Maybe. I know I can barely keep my hands off him."

"Angel," Mimi said, cautiously. "Is everything ok?"

"What do you mean?" Angel asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"Well, I mean..." She sighed. "Collins stopped by the loft the other day. He told us you've been more tired lately, sleeping in, crashing early. That you've seemed to lost the energy and...and spunk to get all dolled up. He's worried so...are you ok? I mean, do you feel alright? And please, baby, be honest."

"He's worried so he sent my best friend to quiz me on my health?" Angel asked bitterly.

"It's not like that, baby." She reached out and took her hand. "He's worried about. And he knows you won't tell him so he asked me. He had me worried anyway so he didn't even need to ask really."

Angel sighed, leaned back in her seat, and starred out the window. "Have you ever felt like something as simple as a cold will just kill you? And I don't mean back when you were little and just felt miserable. I mean really kill you?" She glanced over in Mimi's direction, her eyes meeting her friend's for a fraction of a second before looking down at the table.

"Sweetie, what's wrong? Are...are you sick?"

Angel pulled her hand free, tucked them under the cuffs of her sweatshirt, and crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know what's wrong, Mi," she whispered sadly. "But I do know that lately...since Valentine's Day, I feel like I'm this close to ending up in a hospital bed with no hope of leaving."

"Oh, Angel..." Mimi stood up and pulled a chair up beside her friend, wrapping her arm around Angel's shoulders. "Sweetie, I...you know you can talk to me, to Mark, to Collins, hell, Roger even when you need us. We love you. We'll be there for you no matter what."

Angel rested her head on Mimi's shoulder. "I know, but I'm supposed to be the one there for everyone else. I don't like switching positions."

"Hush, baby. You can't do that all the time. No one could." She slowly rubbed her back, noticing how skinny she'd gotten, feeling nearly every bone of her spine. "Let us pay you back. Maybe we can see a doctor and he can fix your meds. Just because you're feeling run down doesn't mean you're going to die tomorrow." She kissed her cheek and lightly ran her fingers through her short hair.

Angel sighed. It was no use fighting. She'd told Mimi how she felt. She'd go and tell Collins, Mark, and Roger. Before she could blink, she'd have all four of them holding her down, forcing her to relax and see a doctor.

"What do you say, sweetie?" Mimi whispered.

Angel nodded as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. See wasn't used to being in this position, being the weak one. Though she knew feeling like this would have come sooner or later, she had hoped to have some more time with her friends, her i family /i , and above all her Collins. She had a sinking feeling that nothing would help her and she would soon wind up another statistic on some doctor's board. "I just don't want to leave you guys."

"Don't worry about that right now, honey. Just focus on getting better." She pressed her lips to Angel's forehead. "Let's eat, then why not head down to the school and see Collins. Let him know what's going on ok?" She wiped away her tears as he nodded. "He loves you, baby."

"I know. I love him too." Angel hugged her as tightly as she could. "You're the best friend I could ask for, Mimi." She pulled back and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too, honey. Now, let's eat. You're all bones."

Angel nodded as Mimi returned to her seat. Maybe she was getting sick, maybe she would die soon, but she knew she'd have Mimi and Collins by her side. And somehow that made it better.