City-Pennies

Who: Angelo and Shoshannah
Where: One More Round
When: Past closing time

Shoshannah was fairly proud of herself as she stood in the middle of the empty One More Round with a warm cup of coffee in her hands. She'd gone basically all night without a major slip up. She always looked forward to days like that day, where she could be really, truly normal. Not to mention she'd been able to spend most of the night with Angelo, fluttering along after him. Hopefully he didn't find her trailing him annoying. She had a feeling she'd know if that was the case. But for now, she was simply standing there, sipping at her coffee and surveying the bar after closing.

She felt like the Round had much more character without the people in it, which surprised her. Of course she loved meeting the people there, but there was just something about the way the Round was. It had a history, good or bad she may never know, but one she could investigate happily. She pondered over thoughts about what may have happened in the bar alone while Angelo had gone to talk with his bandmates. Absently smoothing a hand over her dress to try and alleviate any wrinkles left over, Shoshannah wondered if maybe she'd be able to meet them tonight or if that introduction would have to wait until later.

As luck would have it, Shannah was going to get her wish tonight. Angelo had rarely enjoyed hanging around the bar after a set as much as he had tonight; spending time catching up with Elle, meeting Danny, and of course spending the hours with Shoshannah herself. He'd known the night would have to end eventually though, and the slow thinning of the crowd as they were ushered out by the barkeep was a clear sign of that. Eventually, it had been whittled down to Angelo and his bandmates as they packed away their gear, locking drums into hardshell cases, dismantling Angelo's trumpet, and lowering the standup bass into a massive case of it's own.

When it was finally done and Angelo's seat had been returned to the bar? He was lingering at the stage, exchanging quiet words with the drummer and giving a light shake of his head as the other man just laughed. Angelo nodded for him to follow, turning towards Shannah as his smile lit up with real warmth and leading his friend over. "Sho, doll," he called in greeting, "Want you to meet my boy Remmy." He stepped to the side to let the drummer move up, a hand extended Shoshannah's way with an easy grin in place on the younger white guy's face. "So you're the one keeping him here so late tonight?" Remmy asked with a laugh, "Normally we can't get this guy to stay for a second drink."

Shoshannah watched his exchange with his bandmates, the smile never gone from her face. It was nice to see Angelo with his friends, nice to know there were people who supported him and watched out for him. As unsavory the image of Angelo covered in blood and glass still was to Shoshannah (of which she was sure she would never be able to get out of her mind), she took solace in the fact that his bandmates had been there to help.

Perking up out of her own thoughts, Shoshannah stood a little straighter when Angelo came close with his friend. She shifted the coffee to her left hand, a bright smile on her face while shaking Remmy's own. Accompanied with a blush at his words. "It's so nice to meet you, Remmy," She began, mulling over exactly how to compliment someone on their drumming skills. Finally, she settled for, "You were great on stage tonight! All of you were." But she gave Angelo a quizzical look at Remmy's next statement before turning back to the drummer himself. "I'm not so sure it's me keeping him here. He's got you all here still too and I wouldn't be so eager to rush home when my friends were still here."

"I like this one, Angel," Remmy said past Shannah, reaching back to tug at the little bun of hair at the back of his head as he grinned, "Not to say there's a whole host I didn't like? Sometimes Charlie and me think Angel's gunning for a priest's collar or something." He laughed quietly, drawing an echo of the laugh from Angelo as both men shook their heads. "And I'm glad you liked the show," Remmy went on easily, "We keep buggin' Angel to do more nights down here, maybe you can be some help. Think you could put in a good word?"

Angelo had to step in, laughing quietly as he swatted Remmy on the shoulder. "C'mon now, son, don't be stackin' the deck 'gainst me here!" he protested wryly, "'Sides, she's got it right already. We sounded pretty solid, yeah? Can't go dilutin' a good thing." Which was nearly the whole truth, but in this rare instance? Angelo needed the nights he worked at the Kitten for his rent, for his addiction. "An' we'll all be back here real soon, ain't like you gotta wait too long," he teased at his bandmate, leaning into Shannah lightly.

Shoshannah felt a little burst of pride blossom in her at the approval she'd gotten from Remmy. It meant a lot to her that Remmy seemed to like her; she knew his bandmates meant a lot to him. Their banter pulled a laugh from her, but Shoshannah did her best to support Angelo's lean, reaching down with one hand to wrap hers lightly in his, leaving the choice of whether he wanted to keep holding her hand up to him. The look she gave Remmy was conspiratorial. "I can sure try," She started, grinning still. "But I have to say I'd really like to see you all at the Kitten Club. Compare the different styles. I think it's the mark of a great musician to be able to play so many different styles of music and I already know you blow people out of the water with what you do here. I can only imagine what the Kitten Club is like."

She found herself wishing she had brought her camera, wishing she could convince them to take her up on stage and just see what they saw when they were there, but instead she took another sip of her coffee. "So selfishly, I'm glad you have both places to play at. Gives me more of an excuse to spend my nights watching you all perform."

Shrugging his shoulders, Remmy just grinned a touch. "I only play down here with Angelo," he explained, "That whole 'nice suit and a big smile' thing isn't for me." Angelo had to smirk in kind, shaking his head wryly. "Pays my bills, don't it?" he retorted as he bunched his shoulders in a shrug. "'Sides, it's practice, son. We actually had a decent crowd, right?" He'd been pleased by that fact, and even if the Round hadn't all been here for his show, they'd heard it either way. Remmy had to nod there, loosely tied hair bobbing on his head as he grinned at Shoshannah. "Any time you wanna bug this guy at his real job? Call me up, we'll go dancing," he added mock-seriously.

Shoshannah could tell why Angelo was so keen on being around his bandmates. If Remmy was any sort of indication of how the rest of his band was, she had a feeling she'd have trouble dragging herself away from them too. Remmy was warm and happy and seemingly light-hearted. "I'll at least get to see you all as a group here then." Her cheeks warmed again in the tell-tale sign of another blush, but Shoshannah gripped Angelo's hand more. "I have to admit, I've never actually been dancing so you'd probably be better off with someone who knew what they were doing." She glanced back at Angelo, the corner of her lips pulling up in a slight smirk. Remmy was kind, but she really had no intention of dancing with him. "The offer's sweet, thank you Remmy, but I think I'll be a little too distracted to dance."

"Yeah, boy," Angelo protested with a laugh as he nudged Remmy with an arm, "Get outta my ray of sunshine." It was clear with the laugh; not an ounce of Angelo could be less serious than when he pretended to be aggressive, and Remmy couldn't resist long before he smirked in kind, clapping Angelo on the arm. "Just don't expect me to stop trying," his bandmate warned, winking to both of them and stepping back to grab the last of his drum shells, "And I'll see you down here on Monday, right?" Quick to catch Remmy in a shake, Angelo nodded easily, glancing back to Shannah, then Remmy again. "Sure as rain 'round these parts," he assured his friend, stepping back to rejoin Shoshannah.

The pride in her blossomed again at Angelo's words. She watched his interaction with Remmy from delighted and flattered eyes, waving goodbye to Remmy as he left. Once it was just her and him again, Shoshannah caught Angelo's eyes again. "He's really nice, Angelo. Thank you for introducing us." Remmy was a character, that was certain, but the smile she wore gave her away. Getting to spend this one-on-one time with Angelo was the highlight of the times she got to see him. "I'm serious, though," She said with a slight shift in her eyes, a playful sort of seriousness there. "You'll be at the Kitten Club tomorrow, won't you? I really do want to see you there."

Sliding an arm loosely around Shoshannah's shoulders, Angelo grabbed his trumpet case and upnodded to the barkeep before he started guiding her from the bar, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah, Remmy's good people. So's Charlie, sorry you din' get to meet him," he agreed, "'Course he don' say much, Remmy does all the talkin' for both of 'em." He took a moment as they breached the doorway to finagle his umbrella up to the hand that hung from Shannah's shoulder, giving them both a canopy against the rain as Angelo grinned down at her. "An' nah, tomorrow? Well I got me a Genesis schedule, Sho. Seventh day is when I rest. Monday, that's when I'll be up at the Kitten," he explained, sighing in a quiet sort of contentment, "It'd be cool if you came up, though. Think I'd have to get the boys in on a song for you."

Shoshannah placed her coffee mug on the bar before Angelo let her away, slipping into her jacket once they were near the door. For the third time that night, she'd felt the undeniable sense of being the luckiest girl around with Angelo's arm around her shoulders. "You know...I'd offer to hold the umbrella but then you might be forced to move your arm," She said with a smile turned up to him. "Count me in, then. Monday night at the Kitten Club." She felt a little flip in her stomach. He'd play a song infront of all those people just for her? "That won't get you in trouble, will it? Playing a song for me?" Shoshannah was touched and it showed in her eyes. "No one's ever played a song for me like that before."

"Movin' my arm..." he murmured, "Now that'd be a real tragedy." As if to show how serious he was, Angelo's arm settled more solidly, resting on Shoshannah as he tilted his umbrella to let the rain run off. "Trouble?" Angelo asked with a playful grin, "Naw, not even a bit of it. The house don' mind what we play so long as we don' upstage the singer, an' the fellas always have fun when we get to flip the script. 'Sides, I wouldn' mind a spot of trouble if it was f'you." He'd looked away in little flashes, watching the edge of the sidewalk, keeping a wary eye on traffic, but once again he felt his focus shrinking down as he looked back to Shoshannah. "You know, sometimes? I can't help thinkin' you been short-changed by this whole world, Sho. An' I'm lucky to be the man makin' up ground for everyone else."

Good thing someone was watching out for the surroundings, seeing as Shoshannah wasn't about to tear her eyes away from Angelo anytime soon. "I'd be honored," She promised him. "Honored just to see you play there, but especially if there's a song that's for me. Let's hope I can clean up nicely so they'll let me in." She joked, still trying to remember whether or not that black gown in her closet fit anymore. But the thoughts were lost again, her lips widening more into a brighter smile. She certainly didn't want to get him in trouble, but it was nice to know that he wouldn't mind it. "Same goes for me."

She took a deep breath, letting his next words mull over in her mind for a moment before answering. "You should really think of it this way instead. I'm the lucky one to have found you here. I don't see myself as short-changed really, but more like...more like the city's just decided to open up it's bank for me. I can't be short-changed if I didn't have any change to begin with, and the city is being so generous by filling up my coin purse with some pretty great experiences." The best of which consisted wholly of him. "And I'm not only lucky to have found you here, but to be able to share my city-pennies with you." She laughed a little at herself, sure that her analogies sounded ridiculous, especially to someone who had such an art with words.

None of it sounded ridiculous, far from it in fact. Angelo expressed himself with metaphor and simile alike, with airy-headed musings about the city, about dreams, and so often? Well, he never minded hearing people speak more normally, he soaked it in, but it was a surprise to hear Shannah try her hand at it. What she was finding in the city sounded exactly like what Angelo always hoped for with people; a discovery of wonderful people, of hopes and dreams. "Maybe we oughta both jus' admit we's fortunate," he said, eyes flashing as they passed under a streetlight. Angelo gave himself to the impulse, releasing his umbrella and letting it fall away as rain instantly began to splash on his head, compounding the chill racing up his spine as he turned to stop Shoshannah in the street. "I got no problem with it, I know I am," he murmured, leaning down into Shoshannah and kissing her slowly in the rain.

Fortunate was a good word for it. Shoshannah hadn't felt this fortunate in a long time and she knew that the biggest percent of that was because of him. She'd taken another step by the time the umbrella was gone, but she had little time to react to the rain or anything else before she was brought right back to Angelo, lips pressed against his easily. Yes, it was cold, yes it was raining, but what did that matter at all? Despite the rain, all it took was one kiss from him to make her forget about the weather and the chill. Feeling emboldened, Shoshannah stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with a little more intensity than she had before. She didn't want to pull back, not at all, but when she had to she kept herself there, hugging his neck, pressed close to him, still just a breath away from his lips. "It's funny how you think you're the fortunate one when I don't think there's anyone more fortunate than me right now."

She was maddeningly close, hovering just out of reach and curled around him, and Angelo's senses swam with all the facets of Shoshannah that were washing over him like the rain. "S'all perspective," he whispered, dotting her lips with another kiss, "I mean... what I do satisfies, yeah? But you... you's proof that it matters." She'd found a personal meaning in his work, both painted and spoken, it had resonated with her. And most amazingly? He was getting a direct view of someone discovering the city, learning about themselves like they could only do without a safety net. "'Course, I don' think either of us'll feel too fortunate if we catch a chill," Angelo added as he felt rain bead down his forehead, laughing at the passage of a drop down his nose, "Trus' me, I make awful chicken soup."

Grudgingly, Angelo took enough space between them to grab his discarded umbrella before the wind couldp ull it off into the night, shaking his out and raising it overhead again. But grudging or not, there was a heat in his smile that defied the cold of their surroundings as Angelo beamed down at Shannah. "So, where we headin' anyway?" he asked, laughing again, "You know you're welcome to towel off at my spot."

"What you do more than satisfies, Angelo," She smiled again at him, kissing him back quickly then smiling more as he pulled away. "There wouldn't be anything for me to find connections with if you didn't provide the stories and the art." But she was content to let it drop for now. They could go on for hours in this kind of conversation and never really change their own perspective or have one of them relent taking the last compliment. And they were in the middle of some pretty awful weather even if Shoshannah had forgotten about it until they stopped kissing. "I could make us matzah ball soup, but I bet it's worse than anything you could cook up." Her culinary skills were far from stellar and she glanced down at the underside of her hand, watching the array of small scars there from accidents just like cooking when she was younger. "But if you want to try some, I'll make you some sometime."

She glanced down the road before answering. "Your place is probably the closest, isn't it?" Not that she had any geographical sense of where the Drake was in relation to the street they were on. It was really just an excuse to invite herself over. "If you don't mind me there, I'd like to go back with you." She feared that returnig to the Drake, even with her approaching trial job the next morning, would leave her in such a state of loneliness that it wouldn't do her much good anyway. Oh! The trial offer! "That is, if you have an iron I can borrow. I need to look respectable tomorrow when I show up for my trial day at the bookstore."

"Trial day at the bookstore?" Angelo echoed, delight settling in his expression as he processed the words, "You got a job that quick, huh?" He didn't seem to waste any time thinking on her request to come over, instead just starting off with Shannah again towards his neighborhood. "An' one surroundin' yourself with stories, even," he went on, clearly liking the idea. He imagined it would give Shannah some leeway with her condition, not to mention endless opportunities to find all sorts of wonders in the books around her. And maybe he liked the idea of going to visit her, of doing more with his afternoons than laying around in an opium haze. Well... some of his afternoons. "Gonna have to show me where it's at," Angelo insisted, "An' yeah, I got an iron. I normally jus' bring the work suit down to Mr. Luoyang's shop in Chinatown? But 'fore I knew enough of the language, I bought me a press-iron for my shirt an' slacks."

Shoshannah told herself she'd be careful with his iron. That she wouldn't burn her dress or burn the ironing board or, worst or all, burn her hand, but she knew that promise was just as easily broken as made. She was clumsy at the best of times, so hopefully having Angelo around would help her be less inclined to lose her focus and burn herself on his iron. Turning her eyes up at him again, Shoshannah nodded. "Of course I'll show you where it is! It's a little store called Prophet's Pages and it's pretty close to the Drake." Her eyes turned playful then. "If I get a real job there, are you going to come see me sometimes? It's not as interesting as your work, but there's at least a little orange Tabby cat to see." And me... She tried to clear her head, though, and not press upon him an obligation to come visit her at the store. "I just hope that, at least tomorrow, I don't fall asleep on the job."

He thought on it as they walked, barely watching for traffic as he crossed the street with Shannah, but Angelo had never heard of the store. It wasn't surprising, really; that was a neighborhood he seldom visited and was rarely welcome in, so all the upscale shops and eateries there were a mystery to him. "Shannah, you's gonna have to tell me not to come visit," Angelo promised, "I'll have to watch myself so I don' get you in trouble, but count on me bein' there. I like thinkin' a'you surrounded in stories... how much trouble would you get in if I showed up with an easel?" She had to be some kind of exception to this city's often-harsh rules, she just had to. Everyone else got stepped on, the people he cared about drifted, but Shoshannah? She was moving between the city's feet, finding her own steps, and they were close to him.

"I'm not sure how much trouble I'd get in but if it's for you, I wouldn't mind a little trouble." She could see the lights of Chinatown approaching, but all she cared about was the light in Angelo's eyes. "I don't think you'd be in much trouble, though, but let me actually get the job first? That might help." Laughing, she stepped in time with him, hoping for the rain to stop one of these days so the two of them could just go walking without a need for an umbrella. As the blocks closed the distance between them and his apartment, Shoshannah found herself eager and a little nervous about the upcoming situation, specifically about the matter of wet clothes. If she stayed in this dress, she could pretty much guarantee herself a cold in the morning, but how was she supposed to ask him for a pair of spare clothes? It had never been a problem before, not a question she'd ever asked someone. Maybe it would work itself out. Before she knew it, she was walking down the stairs to his door, stepping out of the way to give him the room he needed to open it.

He twisted the lock in the door quickly, stepping into the chill of his apartment and clicking on the light with a shiver. The cold had definitely seeped into the ground, and Angelo wasted no time inturning on the heater, cringing at the rattle it gave him. "So, uh," he began, glancing back to Shoshannah and trying not to smile scandalously at her, but this? This was a delicate topic with her and her seeming inexperience, and the last thing Angelo wanted was for her to take him wrong. "I got some clean stuff you can wear," he offered, "We can get your dress on a hanger an' let it dry? S'better than catchin' a chill." And that thought definitely motivated him to move for his kettle, setting it under the faucet as he raised the handle and flinched at the groan issuing from his pipes overhead.

Shoshannah was already pulling off her jacket, holding it close to her to try and alleviate the mess the water would make on his floors. She moved instantly to go stand infront of the heater, shivering from the cold of the rain, but not regretting it one bit. With a slightly chattering mouth, she smiled at Angelo. "That'd be great! I was going to ask, but if you don't mind, I'd really like some dry clothes please." She noticed the creak of the pipes, the groan from the heater, and it worried her about the condition of them for Angelo's sake. What if they cut off? The idea of him stuck in a cold apartment with no running water didn't sit well with her at all. Hopefully nothing like that would happen.

It had happened, more than once even, and the reason he'd survived the cold winters of years past was plain as Angelo moved for his bedroom, turning on the light and waving for Shannah to follow him. Heaped high at the foot of his bed, folded but ready to be drawn across the mattress, was a stack of blankets. Several were meager things, well-worn with time and patched in spots, but with enough of them? Angelo could aways manage a warm night's sleep. Still, he didn't linger at the bed, moving for his small closet and picking through a few hangers. "S'all gonna hang a lil' loose," he warned with his back to her, "But this oughta do." He turned, smiling somewhat sheepishly about the worn garments; a faded flannel shirt and a pair of longjohns, but offered both to Shannah quickly. "Bathroom's right back there," Angelo went on with a nod to the only other door in the apartment, "I got a towel too, so... take your time? I'll dry off out here an' have a mug waitin'."

Her smile was telling. It all sounded so perfect. A warm mug of tea, pajamas, and Angelo's company. She reached for his clothes with one hand, still holding onto her jacket with the other. "Thank you," She took this opportunity to slip out of the heels on her feet and pad to the bathroom barefooted. When she re-emerged, she had the towel from the bathroom in one hand, rubbing her hair as dry as possible, and while she felt like she was swimming in his clothes, she was completely comfortable. The pants were long, yes, and pooled around her feet on the floor, but she'd tightened the drawstrings to keep them up. His shirt, too, was long, reaching almost to her knees with sleeves that went down over her hands. "I must look like a little kid, huh?" She asked as she came to Angelo's side, a laugh in her voice. "Thanks again, this is really comfortable. Did you know that pajamas are my favorite clothes?"

Angelo had changed as fast as he could while she was in the bathroom, tugging on a dry shirt over his undernourished body and hopping into mostly-clean pants, then running to catch his kettle before it overflowed. He'd set it on the stovetop, turning the record player on low, and when Shannah had finally emerged? Good to his word, Angelo had the tea bags steeping in the mugs on the kitchenette's counter as he lingered close by, and the sight of Shoshannah in his clothes? Was priceless. "Not quite like a kid, but there's somethin' adorable 'bout this," he answered, shaking his head at her, "An' I'm glad you like it. PJs is my favorites too, actually. Nothin' quite like clothes so soft that you can sleep in 'em." He got a little kick out of his suit, but it wasn't comfortable in the least. But the bits Shannah wore? They captured his languid life perfectly, and he'd slipped through plenty of days just sleeping because of them.

She was glad to hear he thought she looked cute because she definitely felt cute. Her pajamas weren't oversized, but she figured that maybe she'd invest in a big t-shirt if it was bound to be as comfortable as what she was wearing now. "Well, I've spent my whole life in pajamas. I figured if I had to be stuck inside, sleeping all the time, then I might as well like the clothes I got to sleep in. Probably why I dress so boring now." She admitted, torn between trying to dry her hair more and picking up the mug so it would warm her hands. "I just don't know how to dress most of the time so I stick to black or navy, neutral colors." The temptation of the mug was too much to handle. Shoshannah placed the towel on the counter, folded up, and reached for the mug to let the warmth seep into her. She realized that this was a deadly combination. Warm tea, cozy clothes, and the record player in the background. "Don't be surprised if I don't last for much longer," She warned with a little smile. "I've been able to avoid falling asleep all day so I'm afraid it's going to happen sooner rather than later."

For a woman who didn't know how to dress, she could've fooled Angelo. Of course, it could've just been one of those elusive aspects of womanhood, the way that even Shannah's nervous smiles held a beguiling charm to them. Angelo wasn't sure, he just knew that he liked having her here, for all the shortcomings of his home. "You make 'em anythin' but neutral colors," he teased, "An' try some earth tones, maybe. They'd set off your eyes somethin' fierce." He took up his own mug for a sip, sighing quietly and making a note to try and remember to buy more from the Chinatown markets tomorrow. Those people, unlike him, never seemed to take a day of rest.

"If you're feelin' like sleep is close? We oughta get you comfy," he insisted, nudging her in the direction of his sofa even as a plan formed. She could take the bed once she was asleep, Angelo felt confident about his motivation being enough to carry her to it, and once she was there? He'd take the time to remember how to use his iron for the sake of her dress. Tomorrow, after all, was a big day for Shoshannah, and he wanted it to go flawlessly. And if he got it all done? He might even be able to find the time for a private puff or two beyond his front door.

Earth tones. She'd never thought of that before, but if Angelo suggested it, it had to be right. Who else could know more about colors that worked together than him? "Next time I go shopping, it'll be for something earth toned." She promised before a sip of her own tea. "But I'll have to show you them and you can be the judge of whether they set off my eyes."

Before she knew it, she was being ushered toward the sofa that she was already very fond of. Laughing again, Shoshannah settled down in a cushion, pulling her legs up underneath her and making sure to leave enough room for Angelo to be comfortable. "Do you have an alarm clock?" The very practical problem of actually waking up for her trial tomorrow had just hit her. She'd been informed that she could ask the reception at the Drake for a 'wake up call', whatever that was, but she wasn't at the Drake now.

"Like a fire alarm," Angelo assured her, smiling proudly. It was one of the few items he'd managed to hang onto over the years that had passed, a keepsake from his father's pawnshop, and even when it had broken he'd paid to get it fixed again. Sure, places like the Drake had clocks that didn't need winding, but his had never failed to wrench him from sleep. "What time you need to be up by?" he asked, settling down on the sofa next to Shoshannah and patting his lap in an unspoken offer for her to stretch her legs back out.

"I need to be there by 11. '11 to 3 or 4' is what he said. I hope it doesn't ruin your plans for sleeping in, because I guess that means I should wake up by 10 at least." She could feel the nervousness in her, even if it was slight. Overcompensating for time just in case, hoping that she could actually wake up at that time and get moving. But there he went again, doing just a little something to take all the worries away. Shifting, she stretched her legs out and draped them over his lap, laughing at the fabric that encased her feet. As she sat there, comfy and extremely happy, Shoshannah realized something between sips of her tea. "Hey....you owe me one story, Mister. I never did get to hear your story..." But now was probably not the best time as she covered a yawn with her arm.

"S'true," Angelo agreed, smiling easily over the edge of his mug as he took one more sip and set his mug aside. "'Course, I could save that for another night, keep a reason to see you again on hand... feelin' like I might not need a reason 'sides wantin' to keep seein' you." With his hands free, he reached for Shannah's feet, laughing as he reached into the loose ends of the leggings she wore and sliding a hand around her heel. "An' I think I could offer a different tale for tonight," he said, gently rubbing at one of Shannah's feet, "Long as you ain't ticklish and 'bout to kick me."

Oooh, she was not about to kick him. Not at all. Instead, the instant he started rubbing her foot, every ounce of tension she unknowingly had was gone. Her mind was muddled. She knew there'd been something she should have responded to, something he'd said, but it was lost somewhere far, far away and all she could think about was how nice the attention to her feet felt. So nice that it was even hard to keep sitting upright. She leaned into the couch's back, head against the cushion there, an indulgent smile on her lips. "Not ticklish, no..." She promised, having shut her eyes for just a moment. "You're spoiling me." She said after another sip of the tea, opening her eyes to fix him with a look that was soft and slightly dreamy. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't have told him that he didn't need a reason to see her at all, just showing up would have made her day better..not now, at least.

He had to laugh, a soft and low roll of it that slipped out as Angelo worked his fingers down the arch of Shoshannah's foot, coaxing tension from her arch and heel, then rubbing carefully at the bottom of her calf. "Spoilin' you? Not quite," he protested, "With all this tension I'm feelin', you're lucky you ain't lost a foot in the streets yet. Jus' consider me a mechanic, 'cept I specialize in feet." He loved seeing the reaction he got from Shoshannah; a blissful settling of her body against the sofa, an ease and restfulness that didn't stem from her narcolepsy, as far as he could tell. "Any time you think I am?" Angelo went on, working back along her foot once more before taking the other in his hands, "Jus' remember; you filled up two canvases for me. Inspiration like that's somethin' worth payin' back with interest."

Shoshannah was powerless. Completely powerless. She shifted a little, moving so she could rest her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes once more with the mug of tea still in her hands. When she laughed, it was softer, but nonetheless very real. "You're the best foot mechanic I've ever seen." The only foot mechanic she'd ever seen, too. "But don't you think that getting to see the paintings is enough payment? Not that I need payment, I really love seeing your art. That's more than enough for me. Not to mention how flattering it is being a part of your artwork." She gave a long sigh, adjusting her head until it found the perfect little spot on his shoulder to use as a pillow. "If you're not careful, I'm going to fall asleep on you..." She warned.

Nearly as helpless against the promise of comfort, of learning how her body might feel curled against him, Angelo could only smile down into Shannah's hair. "Then I know I'm not gon' play it careful," he murmured, "You could use the sleep, an' I don't know the last time I been so comfy." He could've guessed, sure, but even times with Lenore hadn't been like this. She and Angelo had been drawn to each other because of... he still wasn't sure. An absence of things the other possessed, maybe. She'd craved his vitality, he'd been awed by her clinical perspective. But this? This wasn't yearning to fill an absence, this was a kinship. "I think that maybe we don' owe each other nothin," he went on, keeping a hand working at her foot and settling the other across her legs.

"S'like... I like this, Shoshannah. You bein' here, walkin' in the rain, seein' how much you live when all the rest of them just existin'," Angelo explained quietly, hoping it wasn't too much to hit her with when she was already drowsy, "An' for me? I'm kinda used to givin' folks an out, to payin' em back so they don't feel like it's charity or nothin'. But here and now? You don' owe me nothin', an' I know I don't either, I just wanna keep at this. I wanna see where tomorrow goes."

Every time she wanted to say something, she knew Angelo could say it ten times better than she could have ever hoped for. Now was no different. She forced her eyes open again, watching him as he spoke, and leaned away for just one moment to put her mug down on the floor. Then she was back there in the nook of his side again, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek, both hands resting on his free arm. "I like this too, Angelo. A lot. I feel...accepted here and I can only hope that you feel the same way." Pressing her head back into his shoulder, she sighed once more. "So we can see where tomorrow goes together, because if you're there, I know it'll be a good day. A very good day."

He couldn't help smiling warmly, curling in closer to Shoshannah and withdrawing his hand from her foot. Both arms slid around Shoshannah loosely on the sofa, holding her close with a sigh of contentment. "You ain't gotta be no one but who you are," he promised her when she spoke of acceptance, taking her own willingness to embrace him to heart. Would she feel the same if she knew about his habit? How one lungful of blue smoke would leave him staring off spacily for hours? Angelo had to hope, and to promise that he'd deal with that burden on another day. Not tonight, tonight was too perfect. "A day so fine we jus' might see the sun," he agreed, "An' whether we do or not? Gonna be a good day, you've got that right."

Slipping her arms around him, Shoshannah settled in closer to him, head on his chest, eyes barely open, trying her hardest to listen to what he said and respond. "Mmhmm," She agreed, giving a little nod but not much more. "I hope it stops raining tomorrow..." She murmured, letting her eyes shut for a moment before forcing them back open once more. "I like the rain...but it's just not ending..." It was pretty obvious she was losing the ability to keep up conversation, even if she was trying with all her heart to not fall asleep.

Even if Shoshannah was trying to stay awake? Angelo was trying to lull her to sleep, knowing she needed it. They'd spent hours at the Round and Shannah hadn't zoned out once that he'd seen, she had to be exhausted by now. "It's gonna stop," he promised in a soothing voice, stroking a hand over her hair in slow repetition, "Even if it's jus' while you shut your eyes? Gonna be sunlight for a while, Sho." She needed it, and he needed her to get it. It was worth believing in, even if it was a long shot in a city like this. Though he wouldn't attribute the quote to Elle in a moment like this, Angelo remembered something she'd told him on the day they met. "Maybe we jus' need to believe it, an' if there's enough of us? Blue skies tomorrow..."

She squeezed him tighter just a bit, but even that couldn't keep her awake. Her grip on him slipped just a little, head pressed into his chest a bit more, and her eyes were closed for the night. Surely all of his talk of sun and blue skies would carry over with her into her dreams, because she so desperately wanted to see it. He was right, she was exhausted and he'd done a fantastic job of lulling a stubborn girl to sleep, as even with her deep, even breaths, there was a small, gentle smile on her lips. Unconsciously, she matched her breathing with his, head rising with every breath he took and falling with every one he let out.

For long minutes, the only sound was the whisper of the record player and the eventual hiss as the needle reached the end, but Angelo was afraid to move. He didn't want to shatter the moment, he wanted to let her slip deeper into the grip of sleep. When she finally had, or at least when Angelo thought his chances were good, he slowly sat upright as he worked to keep her close, slipping one of Shannah's arms around his neck. Carefully, like she might have been made of glass, Angelo got his feet under him and rose with Shannah in his arms, savoring the weightlessness of the girl as he took slow steps to his bedroom door.

She was eased into bed gently, bundled under blankets with an appreciative grin from Angelo, and finally he grabbed a pair of blankets for himself and clicked the light off, leaving the bedroom behind. Sleep would come eventually, and he'd be prepared when it did, but before then? There was work to do. Somewhere in here, he had an iron. He had an alarm to wind and set. Maybe a dream to smoke down and channel onto a canvas. "One step at a time," he murmured to himself in the silent apartment, looking around and wondering where he might have hidden the iron. "Mr. Luoyang? Here's hopin' you passed somethin' on to me..."