FicWad

Someone to Live For
Save From Devastation Our Brains

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In which Angel has a really bad week, but things improve a bit from there.

DISCLAIMER: Not mine; just borrowing. Will return when finished.
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Something's wrong. Mark wants to call it a disturbance in the Force, but that's just because he's a geek; something's felt off all day, in any case. So the minute his classes are done, he heads out to visit Angel.

Angel's roommate answers the door. "Oh, hey."

"Hey, Steve. Is Angel around?"

"Yeah. Had a rough day, though. Come on in."

Angel's asleep, with a troubled expression on her face, and Mark winces when he sees her. "She didn't even change."

"Tell me about it. Wouldn't say what happened, I think it's just been a long week, but still."

"Didn't realize things were getting this bad." Mark sits down on the edge of Angel's bed, brushing a lock of her wig out of her face. "Angel, love?"

"Mmm?" Angel smiles the tiniest bit when she sees Mark. It's almost painful, but under the present circumstances it's something of an honor. "Oh. Hey."

"What happened? More of the same?"

"Yeah. And I think my parents have finally figured out something's up. Just what I needed, on top of everything else."

Mark pulls Angel into a hug, and isn't very surprised when Angel clings. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Get me the hell out of here?"

"You got it. Might want to change first, though - your skirt got a bit wrinkled."

Angel smiles slightly again. "Point. Won't be long at all."

While she's out of the room, Steve looks at Mark and says, "Tell you what, it's a damn good thing you're around. Don't know what Angel would be doing without someone to fall apart on. I mean, Angel's pretty resilient, but this is ridiculous."

"I don't plan on finding out what would happen. Angel needs me."

"Good. You'd need your head examined if you wanted out."

Angel comes back, tosses the wrinkled skirt in her closet, and sits down on her bed, pulling on a pair of shoes. "So. Getting the hell out of here?"

"Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

"Not really. I'm kinda hungry, but mainly I'm fine with anywhere that's not this damn campus."

"Let's go get dinner, then. We can make it up as we go from there."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

While they're eating, Angel says, "How the hell did you know to come over, anyway?"

"Dumb luck? Instinct?" Mark shrugs. "Got no idea."

"I'm not arguing, whatever it was."

"Neither am I. You should've mentioned you were having such a hard time of things, I didn't realize."

"Only a few weeks left - I think that's part of the problem, but it also means there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I'll survive."

"Wish I could do more."

"You're doing plenty, honey. Just don't run out on me and I'll be fine."

"I couldn't do that to you. Anything else you want to do while we're out?"

Angel shrugs. "Let's go visit Collins. I'm starting to think that place does me some good."

So they go, and when Collins opens the door, he says, "I don't think I've ever seen the two of you looking this somber before."

"Had a rough week," Angel replies. "It's not supposed to be rubbing off on Mark."

"Can you blame me for worrying?"

"Well, no, but still."

Collins just shakes his head. "Come in, you two. There's not much happening at the moment. You could help me grade papers, if you want."

"Please. I'm in bad enough shape without having to wade through philosophy, especially since some of that stuff's even more depressing." Angel's grinning, though, and Mark's starting to think she was on to something with that theory about the loft doing her some good.

They carry on talking, and Collins reads them bits and pieces of some particularly bad papers, in the hopes of getting Angel to laugh. It works, somewhat, and Mark finally relaxes.

"Now, if you really want a laugh," Collins says, "you should read some of Mark's old papers."

"Hey!"

Angel shrugs. "Odds are good I've already seen them."

"Point. You sure you're gonna be all right?"

"God, now I've got two of you mothering me. I'll be fine, I promise. I just need to get out of there, and I'll be able to do that in a few weeks. Granted, the end of the semester probably isn't helping right now, but still, I'll pull through."

"Maybe we should get drinks or something."

"Or maybe you should go get something and bring it back here, since neither of us are old enough to buy our own just yet."

Collins shakes his head, grinning. "That's right, I keep forgetting you two are younglings."

"Give it a few months," Mark says, ignoring that it's more like seven in his case.

Collins goes off to buy something, and then Angel says, "Living here's gonna be fun."

"It is." Mark kisses Angel. "Love you."

"Love you too. Glad I haven't scared you off."

"Why would you do that?"

Angel shrugs, leaning on him a bit. "Extra stress. Just because you're liking college doesn't mean it's any less running around for you."

"I can handle stress. It's worth it if you end up better."

"Good. I really don't want to know how bad this would be without you."

"You won't have to find out."

"Who's not finding out what?" Collins asks, returning from the shopping expedition. "No, actually, don't tell me. Either it's incredibly sappy or I really don't want to know. Or possibly both. Now, I'm not going to ask Mark this since I already know his answer, but would you be up for watching a movie, Angel?"

"Sure, as long as it doesn't require too many brain cells. Between one thing and another, I don't think I'll have them at my disposal."

"Mindless entertainment? That can be arranged." Collins pours the drinks and picks out a film, and they settle down to watch.

Neither of them drink very much, just enough to get a little buzzed and for Mark to find the world more amusing than usual. Angel gets rather friendly, but he doesn't mind having her in his lap. Or kissing her. And really, the film's only so much background noise anyway.

"I should tell you two to get a room," Collins says, eventually.

"Doesn't have a bed," Angel points out.

"There's an air mattress."

"But is it inflated?" Mark doesn't think the problem would be coordination so much as the bit where he really doesn't want to let go of Angel, and the feeling seems to be mutual.

"I think so. It might even have sheets."

Angel giggles. "Ooh, fancy."

"You're being silly, love," Mark says, resting his head on her shoulder.

"So? Think that's a good thing, at this point."

Collins grins. "She's got a point. Crash out here, if you want, just don't make a mess." With that, he turns off the TV and heads for his own room.

Mark grabs a blanket from a nearby chair, and pulls it over both of them. "Don't wanna move."

"Neither do I. He's gonna be a pain, in the morning."

"Doesn't matter. Love you."

"Love you too."

Angel falls asleep first, looking much more content than she did that afternoon. Mark just watches her sleep for a while. He's finally really starting to think this will get better.

He kisses Angel's cheek, then drifts off to sleep himself.