Roses are Red...

[ken]

--open

"Roses are red,
violets are blue,
take me to bed,
because I love you too?"

Lucky yipped at her owner, wagging her tail and tapping him with both her legs. Clearly the dog didn't care much for that particular bit of verse. Which Kennedy expected, given how godawful it had sounded, even to his untrained ears.

Groaning, he crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it near a trash can. There it hit several other wads, and fell to the floor.

Lucky took this as a sign to play fetch, and bounded after it, grabbing the wad in her mouth and bringing it over to drop at her owners feet. Wiggling her butt and stump of a tail, Lucky then yipped, and nudged it closer to Kennedy.

"Okay, okay, I get it, less awful rhymes more playing with the cute doggie," joked Kennedy, bending over to scratch his pet on the head.

Lucky took this as she always did, bumping against Kennedy's hand, turning to give him a few affectionate licks. This time, however, she then bounded over to the door, hitting her head against it and yipping at Kennedy.

"Alright, alright," agreed Kennedy, rising to his feet. He walked over to the door, letting the dog out and following her down the hall to the main common area. He could just make out her excited barking, and hoped she wasn't bothering someone too much.

[✿ngela wingrose]

"Oh Lucky!"

It was so reassuring to see a familiar face. Angela swooped the little dog into her arms, burying her tear-stained face into the dog's furry neck.

Tristan was probably still stomping around Masonville right about now. Angela had just flown in and had nearly calmed down before she saw the dog. Lucky reminded her of Kennedy, and she wanted to see Kennedy so badly right now. She just wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything would be okay. Cuddling the animal to her chest, Angela looked up just in time to see Kennedy. Her eyes filled with tears and she hurriedly returned the pup to the floor.

"Oh Kennedy!" Angela cried, closing the remaining distance between them and barreling into his chest. She broke down completely. Any ounce of calm she possessed before was gone. Angela was a panicking, weeping, sobbing, very teary-eyed young woman right now.

[ken]

Since Lucky now had a cuddle buddy, and was close to a face, it was time to do what she did best. Namely make people feel happier. Lucky actively began licking Angela's face, just attacking every available spot.

Kennedy followed his dog in, smiling as he saw just who Lucky had found to bother. He could never see Angela and not be happy, really. Didn't help that he'd just been thinking of her, while he tried desperately to construct something resembling romantic poetry. As they collided, his mind immediately went to a little box he'd stashed in his room.

Then he felt something wet, and heard sobbing. So he reacted in a normal Kennedy fashion, stroking her head and giving her a gentle squeeze.

"Angela, what's the matter?" he asked. He gently shifted her head off his chest, wiping tears with his thumb. Then he leaned in, giving her tear-soaked lips a light, gentle kiss. Concern lined his features as he squeezed her again. "Did someone attack you or something?"

Yes, with Angela that was a valid question. No other girl attracted nearly as much violent attention.

"C'mon, we should probably head out, we can talk and walk," suggested Kennedy, starting to walk them toward the exit. He didn't let go of Angela though.

[✿ngela wingrose]

Angela shook her head, looking up into his eyes. Already she found herself distracted. She knew it was awfully cheesy to think of a forest when she stared into those green eyes of his...

"Hmm? No, I wasn't attacked," Angela shook her head, knowing full well that Kennedy had ample reason to jump to that conclusion first. If he had guessed 'Did you see Tristan today in Masonville and have a gigantic argument?' she might have worried.

Nodding and slipping in beside him, keeping his arm around her shoulders, the devastated girl kept her head on his chest.

"Come on Lucky," Angela cooed, beckoning the dog to follow them out the door. Once in the halls, Angie tried to pull herself together. But the more she thought about it, the more upset she made herself. Soon she was a bawling mess.

"Kennedy I need a hug," She moaned, turning into his solid frame and squeezing him tightly. She sobbed into his shirt again and anything else she said after that was incoherent. While she blubbered, she scolded herself for reacting so violently to Tristan's words. Kennedy didn't need to see her in so much pain, it would only remind him that Angela still wasn't over Tristan. If Angela truly didn't care about the boy anymore, she wouldn't be crying in Kennedy's arms. She would be handling this like a mature young woman calmly speaking of her ex, if at all...

"I'm so sorry!" She choked between something that sounded like 'felt horrible' and 'I'm a monster' (or perhaps it was 'want a lobster!'.) Her remorse for everything flooded her. She couldn't stop crying, she couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened between her and Tristan, and she couldn't really look Kennedy in the eye again without feeling guilty.

It wasn't fair to him to have to see her like this, so upset over another boy. She promised herself right this instant that she wouldn't shed another tear for Tristan.

These would be the last.

[ken]

Not attacked. Good, Kennedy could relax, if only slightly, now. No evil mind-wiping vampires. No greasy Hispanic guys with a penchant for stalking blondes. No crazed Fae. So they just had to deal with a normal, everyday problem.

Why couldn't it have been an attack?

Kennedy alternated between watching Angela and watching Lucky as they walked. The former clearly needed to get something off her chest, and the latter would be trouble if not constantly supervised. Kennedy held Angela close, wishing he knew what to say to comfort her.

So he was perfectly ready to be hugged when Angela insisted she needed one. Strong arms wrapped around the girl, holding her in a gentle, protecting circle. One hand went to stroke her hair as Kennedy tried to comfort her.

"Angela, I don't know what you're sorry for," he muttered. Her next words were a garbled mess, and he furrowed his brow as he tried to work over it. Had she just killed a mobster? Was that was this was about? "Take a few deep breaths, and then try and explain. I'm not going anywhere, and I really doubt I'm going to be that upset."

There were very few things that Angela could say that would anger Kennedy. Though one of those happened to start with "I went to see Tristan."

[✿ngela wingrose]

Angela nodded, miserable. Taking a few of the prescribed deep breaths, she found that they helped her grow calm, and soon she was in a state where she could talk like an intelligent person, and not some wonky adult from a Charlie Brown episode.

"I was shopping. Masonville," She started, taking another deep breath, "Tristan was there..." she trailed off, and looked up at him, giving him a meaningful look that would hopefully explain the rest of the story for her. Her eyebrows knit together and she looked away, pulling on her bottom lip with a canine. Her eyes were watering again, and she sniffed. Brushing away a tear and bouncing on the balls of her feet, she finally admitted to what happened.

"We got into a fight. We both... we both said some terrible things," Angela didn't want to get into the details. Kennedy didn't need to know those. She hoped he wouldn't be upset with her for telling him that she was thinking about Tristan while she was with him. That had been one of the promises she made him before they decided to become an item. She wouldn't tell Kennedy when she was thinking of Tristan. But she reminded herself that this would be the last time. The last time she ever thought about Tristan, cried over him. The last time she'd ever let the boy play such a major role in her life when he adamantly insisted he didn't want to be a part of it.

"I'm sorry," Angela apologized again, fresh tears starting anew as she looked up at him. She shouldn't have come to see him first. She should have gone to Kellan. Kellan would have been able to defuse her just as well, without being personally hurt that Angela still held feelings for her ex-boyfriend.

Stupid, stupid girl.

[ken]

Shopping and Masonville hadn't really phased Kennedy, and he'd been braced to hear the worst. Which meant that when Tristan's name finally surfaced, he took it well enough. A momentarily pang of jealousy shot through him at the sound of it. Especially with the emotion that Angela packed into that one word. It was one thing knowing your girlfriend still had feelings for another guy, it was something else entirely to keep hearing about it.

But Kennedy swallowed his protests and pride, simply letting Angela get it out. He could take it now, and vent to one of his friends later. Rae would be more than willing to listen to him complain for a while, probably try to offer him some illicit advice and illegal drinks, but at least he could get it off his chest. Angela should be doing that now, and Kennedy was willing to listen.

At hearing the two had gotten into a fight, Kennedy was actually pleased. He immediately felt guilty for feeling that way though, as if he shouldn't be wishing someone ill. Particularly not the guy who's girlfriend Kennedy had stolen. Hopefully that sin would be atoned for eventually.

"Angela, you don't have to apologize to me," confessed Kennedy. He meant it, though he was inwardly pleased that she acknowledged how much this hurt him. "These things happen, and you've got to work through them. Don't apologize because you're trying to get to grips with your feelings. Please."

He smiled at her, giving her a gentle squeeze, "It sounds to me like the only one who you should be apologizing to is Tristan. You didn't hurt him too bad, did you?"

Yes, he sounded concerned and was trying to be big about it. Angela clearly wanted to talk, and Kennedy was willing to listen. He just kept telling himself that...

[✿ngela wingrose]

She didn't think he'd ever understand how much it meant to her that he was here, comforting her. It was going to get her through this so much easier... at least she hoped. She wanted to believe that he was okay with this, that it didn't hurt him. She wanted to believe that Kennedy was some sort of superhero who could handle this like no other man could. So she did.

"He told me he still loves me," Angela murmured into his shirt, and she didn't know what else to say. Tristan was still hurting, and there was nothing Angela could do to make him feel better. In fact, she was certain that if she tried anything, it would make things worse. Try as she might to cut herself away from him, there were always those lingering emotions that kept reaching out for another pair of arms with familiarity that went back for years. And because of this, she was constantly hurting Tristan and Kennedy, as well as herself.

She hugged him tighter.

This was the shoulder she chose to cry on.
These were the arms she chose to fall into.
Here was the boy she loved.

Why was that so hard to accept? Tristan had given her what she wanted. Tristan had told her he hated her. But now, as she tried to force herself to make Kennedy her one and only, Angela realized that it had been a lie, and that Tristan really didn't hate her. Couldn't.

This epiphany made the waterworks start up again, and the blonde became another hysterical mess attached to Kennedy. She just needed to cry herself to sleep, wake up in someone's warm arms, and she'd be fine.

As she reached the deep-breathing stage of trying to calm down, she noticed that Kennedy smelled really nice today. She nuzzled into him a bit closer.

[ken]

Oh did this ever hurt.

More than words could really express.

Kennedy knew full well that Angela still loved Tristan, in some way. He'd accepted that, knowing it was part of her. You couldn't very well take only portions of a person and love just that. No, instead you had to accept the person in their entirety, and love them for the broken, messed up package that they were. Kennedy firmly believed that, and it was what carried him through all this Tristan love.

But did he really have to hear that Tristan still loved Angela?

It made Kennedy hold her tighter, as if he suspected that she'd bolt off running if he let go. He let her cry into him, still stroking her hair, still holding her. Letting all those tears, those tears born mostly from confusion and strange emotions, pour onto him. It soaked his shirt, but still he held her.

Finally she started breathing more calmly, and her motions turned from burrowing to nuzzling. Then Kennedy looked down, his face gentle and serene.

"I love you, Angela," he said. The words felt right, really. And Kennedy felt he should stake his claim to. Yes, he too loved Angela, and he was the one who was there for her now. Then again, he'd been the one who'd put her in this situation, so he'd better be the one to hold her when she needed to cry. Besides, he was the boyfriend, that came with the job description.

"Sure you don't want to cry some more?"offered Kennedy. "I'm not going anywhere, and I think there are still some dry spots on my shirt. Let it out of if you need to, I understand."

He didn't like it, but he understood.

[✿ngela wingrose]

His words warmed her. Angela was always a sucker for those three little words. They made her feel beautiful and something that deserved to be admired. And Kennedy never failed at making her feel loved.

"I know," She replied, looking up and sneaking a hand between their bodies so she could wipe away the tears from her cheeks. She sniffed. "I love you too."

When he joked about his shirt, Angela let out a hysterical giggle before she had to take the deep, calming breaths again. No, no more crying. She had to cool off, and later she'd be laughing over how trivial this all was. It wasn't important, the way an ex-boyfriend felt about you! Not when you had a boy as fabulous as Kennedy Cavan.

Unfortunately she couldn't quite believe this. Angela pulled away to look up at him, and gave him a timid smile. It was sort of a test. How mad was he really? Did this upset him? If she detected even the slightest bit of discomfort from him, it might set her off into a blubbering, apologizing mess. Cupping his jaw with the palm of her hand, and lifting herself up on the balls of her feet, Angela pressed a tentative kiss to his lips. Hers were soft from the tears, and maybe a bit salty, but it was just a quick peck and shouldn't leave behind the flavour of her sadness.

"I really am sorry, Kennedy," she said, surprising herself with a hiccup. So much emotion was overwhelming her, and she felt a little tired, "I shouldn't be this upset. It was just... unexpected, you know?"

I thought he loathed me. He was supposed to think I was a monster. How can anyong love a monster?

Her brow was weighted with her confusion and her sorrow as she tried to understand. It was just so complicated! Letting go was supposed to be easier than holding on.

[ken]

Kennedy tried valiantly not to let any of his displeasure or anger at the current circumstances show. Certainly not as Angela looked directly at him. And he felt that salty kiss, the leftover taste of her previous suffering. Just another reminder of just how shaky she truly was. And how he needed to be strong, ever strong. This time, he could certainly do that.

"You never do see these things coming, huh?" Kennedy chuckled dryly. A forced chuckle, though he didn't know how it sounded. "You're human, Angela, it's alright to let these things get to you. It's going to happen like that. If you didn't react, something would be wrong."

He gave her another reassuring squeeze and smile. Yes, he was the one holding her. No reason to be upset. Nope.

Lucky barked, reminding them both that she was in the room too. She nudged Angela's leg, nipping at her leg, trying to get her attention. Another headbutt, another yip.

Kennedy bent over and kissed her lightly on the lips, swaying their bodies slightly. "You want to go get something to eat or something? We could talk over coffee or something."

[✿ngela wingrose]

Kennedy's bravado was not wasted; Angela was so ready to accept that he was above all this that she believed him unconditionally when he didn't appear hurt. He was so understanding, and he even made her feel a little better about herself. Yes, she was only human. Her lips curled up ever so slightly.

Angela jumped when Lucky barked. She had completely forgotten about the little animal, and when it continued to vie for her attention, Angela giggled just loudly enough for Kennedy to hear her laughter.

Kennedy's suggestion to eat distracted her from little Lucky, and she looked back up at her lover. "Food sounds... wonderful," Angela hadn't realized how hungry she was until Kennedy mentioned it, and now it was sort of all she could think of. Wow was she ever starving. It felt like she hadn't eaten in a couple days.

"Let's just go to the Antechamber and grab something there?" Angela proposed, not thinking she could wait for coffee downtown.

[ken]

Okay, so Kennedy's act had worked. Now they can move into the fun, easier parts of the relationship. Filled with smiles, laughter, and kisses. Hopefully lots of kisses. Kennedy liked those.

Following this train of thought, Kennedy kissed the edge of Angela's lips, giving her another gentle squeeze. He slid his arms from around her, running down one of her arms before interlacing their fingers. Thus connected, he started toward the stairs down.

Not before glancing down at Lucky, dog wonder. The little corgi took this as "I want to give you love, affection, and attention." So she hopped over to Kennedy, headbutting his leg. Kennedy did bend over and scratch his dog a bit, before patting her on the butt and urging her to plow onward.

Kennedy turned back to Angela, ready to talk. When something suddenly fluttered across his mind.

"Man, you're hungry, and no, we don't have to wait to head downtown. We can stomach the food here," he answered her thoughts, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze and heading on.

OoC: want to continue elsewhere or keep going here?

[✿ngela wingrose]

"I'm not that hungry," Angela muttered, though hardly aiming to be 'convincing'. She wasn't going to argue though, and she squeezed his hand back, walking with him and Lucky down the hall.

_{Guh. This is how pinched I am for rp time right now. I'll post in the Antechamber.}