Now that's what I call firepower (Wren)

It didn’t seem like they were up in the air for very long. Of course to Wren nothing probably would have felt like an appropriate amount of time. She’d stopped looking down at the grounds a while ago, finding her view of Angel much more appealing. Her eyes found feature after feature to focus on. She studied the line of his jaw, the way the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly when he smiled, the way his forehead creased when he thought, the way his heart pounded, the way the feathers in his wings moved in the wind when he pumped his wings. Everything about him was nothing but grace and beauty.

You’re in trouble… she thought.

With a small sigh, Wren resigned herself to curling more into Angel’s chest and giving in to the fact that she was becoming another hopeless victim of unrequited love. The thought clouded her mind entirely. When she’d been told of the Xavier Institute, Wren had been wanting nothing more than a chance to keep going to school. When she arrived, it was a chance to have a place where she felt safe, a home. When she learned everything the Institute had to offer, she knew it would be place that provided escape. She hadn’t expected this place to provide a means of altering her perceptions and giving her something she never thought possible.

To say Wren didn’t believe in love would have been a bit of a stretch, but not too far off. She’d seen too many instances of what was supposed to be love fall apart, splinter, injure, and almost kill. She’d decided a long time ago that what was spoken about in books, plays, films, and countless other mediums couldn’t really exist. She was a doubting Thomas, she was positive about that. But Wren had accepted the fact that love couldn’t really conquer the injustices and cruelty of humanity. But maybe she was wrong. Maybe there was a way to find a person that could alter your perceptions and make you impervious to the harsh realities of life. She couldn’t be sure that that would be Angel, was she was beginning to think he’d at least be someone who could remind her of the good in the world, the love that she heard so much about.

And that was the day that I promised I'd never sing of love if it does not exist. But darling, you are the only exception. she thought, the lyric coming to mind instantly. She could only smile up at Angel as the song he inspired wrote itself in her mind.

Her mind was racing with lyrics when Angel spoke again. “Huh? What? Oh! I’m sorry, I was off in my own world apparently…” she laughed, blushing slightly. “That’s fine…” she said softly, a bit disappointed that their flight had to end, but obviously it had to, they couldn’t stay up in the air forever. Her arms tightened instinctively around him, her emotions fighting with the truth that she would have to let go.

Oh, how Angel loved the feeling of the wind beneath his wings, and of Wren in his arms! He didn't want to land, he really didn't... but they'd have to sometime. If Angel could have stayed up in the air forever, then he most likely... wouldn't. But he'd spend a heck of a lot more time flying, though now he was here at the Xavier Institute, he could fly whenever he wanted, provided it was during school time. The fear of been called a freak for having wings and been able to fly had gone once he had arrived here... the only place he'd ever thought of calling home.

He looked down at Wren when she held him closer, cuddling up to him, but didn't say anything. He was probably just seeing things how they wanted to be... no way would she have those type of feelings for him. He knew Wren was way out of his league, knew he wouldn't have a chance. The heart wanted what it wanted, but it didn't mean it would get it. Angel had a hold on reality, and while he thought Wren and himself would be good together, reality would no doubt have other plans for them both. But as long as he had a friend in Wren, as long as he got to talk to her and spend time with her, then he would be able to keep his feelings to himself. Angel was already resigning himself to the fate of been stuck in the dreaded friend zone, that trap of traps that was impossible to escape.

At first I thought love was only true in fairy tales, meant for someone else but not for me... Angel thought, a smile passing his face as the lyrics to the classic I'm A Believer by The Monkees entered his head. And so far in his life, that had been true enough. Oh, he believed love was real, he knew it was... but just not for him. He'd seen couple after couple as he flew up and down the country, always wondering what it was like to love someone who loved you. It didn't seem like that would be happening anytime soon for Angel.

He chuckled when Wren commented on been in her own world, a blush on her face. God, she was gorgeous.... Snap out of it, Angel! He thought. Stop it, stop it, stop it! Don't delude yourself! What could she see in you? What could anyone possibly see in you?

Mentally shaking the thoughts out of his head, he looked at Wren again and smiled.

"Hold on tight." He said. "This is the fun part!"

And with that, Angel dived towards the ground, his wings tucked in. He wasn't diving as at steep an angle as he normally would, but he had a feeling that this would be enough for Wren at the moment. He let out a whoop as he felt the wind rushing through his hair, a smile on his face as he laughed. This was one of the best bits about flying, the diving. As they got closer to the ground, Angel snapped his wings back out, levelling off and gliding before he slowly let himself come closer to the ground. Leaning back, he focused on air again to bring them gently onto the ground. He was still grinning from the dive... what a rush! It was better than any rollercoaster, that was for sure.

"So..." He said to Wren. "How was it? And, uh... sorry if the dive was a bit much. I couldn't help myself."

Wren could only grin up at Angel as he smiled at her. She knew he’d caught her blush, but she could only hope he didn’t understand what it was from. In the last few minutes of their time in the air, Wren had a chance to think about the fact that Angel had had his ability to fly for such a long time. It had to have been nice to have been able to have an escape like this, especially after the things he’d told her. Wren knew that an escape could really only relieve the pain for so long, sooner or later you had to return back to earth, but she was glad that Angel had at least had his flight in the life before he arrived here.

She could see just how free Angel felt when flying in his face. And it was more evident when he began their descent. His voice rumbled under her ear and Wren looked up in confusion as he instructed her to hold on tight. “Hold on tight? Why? What are we….” She began. However before she could finish their angle changed and Angel began hurtling back toward the ground.

Wren let out a squeak and clamored to maintain her grip on Angel. The wind blew past them, stinging her eyes slightly since she was too surprised to think to close them. Her eyes were like saucers, and she was sure her knuckles were white, clinging to Angel’s shirt desperately. Oh please don’t let me die…Oh please… she thought frantically. All she could think of was how horrible it would be to die before she’d gotten to know Angel more.

She glanced up at Angel, seeing the smile on his face and couldn’t help but grin in response. His expression erased all the worry she had about their speed and the closing proximity of the ground below. Instead, she just stayed watching his face the entire time. She didn’t even realize that they’d slowed until she recognized that their angle had changed. She looked down, noticing that Angel was using his command of air to aid their landing.

He spoke as soon as his feet touched the ground. Wren turned to give him a warm smile. “Oh no, it was fine…I’m just too easily nervous…” she chuckled. She was sure she should let go and step back onto solid ground again. So after a moment’s hesitation, her arms slowly unwound from around Angel’s middle, and she stepped back onto the ground, swaying slightly as she got used to being on unmoving earth again. She blinked a bit and laughed. “Talk about a head rush…” she mused. “That was fun…”

She watched him a moment, unsure what she should do now. She didn’t want their afternoon to end quite yet, but she wasn’t sure how to make that clear without being completely desperate sounding. “So…um…I don’t want to interrupt any other plans you may have had today…” she stammered, unsure of where she was going to go with that statement. You are unbelievably awkward… she thought, mentally chastising herself.

Angel raised an eyebrow as he felt Wren cling to his shirt during the dive. He cou;dn't help but hope that she didn't rip it with the grip she had on it... living on the streets, Angel had come to treat his clothes like a poor person treated there money... with a lot of respect, hoping that they didn't wear out too quickly. New clothes were hard to come by, after all, when you were homeless. And the slits Angel made in his t-shirt just made it easier for them to rip. Still, he didn't hear any ripping sounds, so his t-shirt was fine. And it wouldn't really matter if it did rip... now he was here, he had plenty more clothes.

He also couldn't help chuckling at the squeak that escaped Wren. Diving was fun, but when it was your first time in the air, and it was someone else who you were holding onto that was diving... he guessed it could be a bit nerve wracking. It was still amusing, though.

As they landed, Wren kept hold of him for a moment longer than she needed to (not that Angel minded it... at all), before stepping off and swaying a little. Angel gave her a worried look, hoping she wouldn't fall over. He let out a sigh of relief when she laughed, commenting on the head rush and it been fun. He grinned at the last part.

"Yep, it is. It's one of my faourite parts of flying, the diving. The rush is awesome, and I bet it beats any rollercoaster." He said, chuckling again. Flying was a sure way to get Angel in a good mood, and he was in one of the best moods he'd been in in ages. That wasn't just from the flying, it was from been at the school and meeting Wren as well. "We should do that again sometime."

Wren seemed to look a little awkward, then stammered out about if Angel didn't have any plans for the rest of the day, triling off. Angel let out a little laugh, not at Wren's awkwardness, but at the plan thing. "Wren, when you get to know me, you'll find I don't plan my days out. I live each day as it comes." After all, you never know when it's gonna be your last.... Part of him said, remembering yet again been on the streets. There had been times where it had been a big rough... Luckily, Angel usually managed to scare them off with his wings or fire ability. But he'd come much too close to been knifed a time or two... "So if you want to hang out a bit longer, I'm totally up for that."

He seemed so free, so joyful once they were back on the ground. Wren couldn’t help but find herself hoping she’d be able to help him feel so happy more often. His brilliant grin was contagious and Wren could feel the muscles in her face straining against the amount her smile wanted to grow. When he suggested doing it again, Wren nodded excitedly. “Definitely! And soon we can both be flying…I hope…” she chuckled, though her stomach sank slightly at the though of flying without Angel holding her which worried her.

As Wren trailed off, she paused, wondering what Angel could possibly say in response to her. She was sure she’d sounded like an utter imbecile. However, he let out a soft laugh and she smiled slightly. As he explained that he rarely planned much of anything, she chuckled. He continued, explaining that he was up for more time together, and Wren’s eyes began to dance. “Oh! Well great then!” she chirped. She took a moment to look around the grounds, to see if she could think of anything to do.

After a moment of coming up blank, she turned back to Angel. “What else should we do? I’m still trying to figure this place out…” she muttered sheepishly. To be honest her mind was simply still trying to clear the fog from her thoughts during their flight. Wren was willing to do pretty much anything if it meant getting to know Angel more. But she was a bit worried that all this stress at restraining her slowly emerging feelings was going to cause her to find a secluded spot to indulge in her worst habit. That was going to be hard to explain if he ever found out….

((Sorry its so short My muse is waking up, but its groggy....*kicks it*))

"I'm sure we will, Wren. In the meantime, I can always take you for a flight." Angel said, after Wren said she hoped they'd both be flying soon. "I guess that's one thing you can practice on.... you might get further than floating soon. It took me a month after I first came off the ground till I could fly properly. That's when I flew away from the orphanage, and now, it looks like that was a good idea. Cos if I hadn't, maybe I wouldn't be here... with you. This place... honestly, it's the first place in my life I've been able to call home."

Angel was looking forwards to flying with Wren again, before she could do it by herself. Why? Well, it would be because he could have a reason to hold her in his arms again... almost any reason for that would be a good one, in Angel's mind. Of course, the flying would most likely be the only time he ever got to hold Wren... Making it even more precious to him. He was glad that Wren wasn't a telepath, otherwise he thought he would be majorly screwed. His head was really the only private place of his, and he didn't like telepaths rooting through his mind like it was a book. It was a violation of his privacy, as far as he was concerned.

"Do you fancy a walk through the woods?" Angel asked. "I didn't really get as good a walk through them as I'd have liked during capture the flag."

Angel liked been in wooded areas... he guessed it was part of his earth abiity. He felt comfortable been surrounded by nature, and at the Institute, he could be. Back before he came to the school, he'd had to stick to cities and towns, because that's where the food was. Now he was here and getting meals everyday, however, any chance he had to be in the woods or the sky was a chance he took. He preferred flying, but a walk in the woods was always nice. Just been surrounded by nature and been away from everyone else was a good excuse for him, and it meant he got to see how far his earth abilities went as well, seeing as he hadn't practised with that element as much as the others. If he hadn't been here, the woods would have also been a perfect place to practice with his other abilities as well.

And... it means you get some more time with just Wren and yourself... Part of him said. Angel didn't deny that. It was true, and even if he had had plans for the rest of the day, he knew he'd have put them off to spend more time with her. After all, to him, making friends was the more important part of his time here. He'd had none before he came, and here he was, with Wren, a friend he knew he'd be able to confide in, and Lex, who he hoped he'd get along with just as well. Well, minus the crush, anyways....

At Angel’s suggestion, Wren glanced toward the forest. Her eyes ran over the trees at it edge, standing guard for all that was within. She could see light and shadow playing on the ground and the distorted images of other trees deeper into the woods. It looked like a place out of a story book. She’d obviously been in these woods before, for the capture the flag game, but they had a different aire to them this time. This time it wasn’t home to a competition. This time they offered a secluded sanctuary where she could spend more time with Angel. That alone made them seem a bit more magical.

After a moment of studying the trees, Wren smiled and turned back to him. “A walk sounds great…” she said, her voice soft and warm. Things are only going to get more stressful… her inner monologue interjected. Then it’ll be easy to sneak away for a sec and remedy the problem… she retorted mentally, her hand closing around the paper package in the pocket of her hooded sweatshirt. Wren made a slight face to herself, hating once again the habit she’d fallen into, one she shared with her father, and a habit she hoped would be the only one of his she took on.

Wren stepped to Angel’s side, turning towards the forest. Her mind was still lost in the feeling of his touch during the flight. It certainly wasn’t adding to her resistance to her bad habit. She flashed Angel a smile really quickly before taking a few steps toward the trees. Maybe the chance to talk without the need to be held onto would help to reorient her thoughts. Maybe she could figure out it was simply her need to find some form of security here that created these thoughts of Angel. That’s what she hoped, but somewhere deep down, she knew that wasn’t the case.

Approaching the trees, there was a feeling like the silence of the forest was spreading outward. With each step, the ambient noise of the grounds grew fainter, and the throbbing silence from within the trees grew louder. “This place is so peaceful…” she said, feeling the need to whisper in the growing silence. Her eyes flickered over everything, trying to take everything in completely. Wren had always loved places like this…places that she read about in book after book. Forests like this offered so much in the mind of someone who loved literature. In forests you could find magic, other worlds, find yourself, find the change you needed, find love…and countless other things. The thought sent a shiver down Wren’s spine and she grinned. “I can understand what you mean about this place feeling like the first real place that was home…I feel it too…” she mumbled, glancing at Angel again.

Angel saw Wren put her hand in her pocket and heard it close around something that seemed to crumple slightly, but didn't ask anything about it. Asking what someone had in their pockets was just rude, and it was none of his business anyways. Besides, it wouldn't be anything bad, right? Angel knew bad... he'd lived on the streets for three years, so he'd seen people do some stupid things, and unfortunately, a lot of that was drug related. But Wren didn't seem like the type to do drugs at all... Though he knew just because she didn't seem like the type didn't mean she wasn't... However, even from the short time he'd spent with Wren, he could tell she wasn't stupid enough to do anything like that.

As they got closer to the edge of the woods, the sounds from the school seemed to fade, leaving only the occasional bit of birdsong been the only sound. Angel took in a deep breath, almost feeling the nature wash over him. He felt at peace here, away from all the hustle and bustle of everything else. He felt at peace at the school anyway, but this was a different type of peace... It was more than just accepting himself and his abilities, it was like... like... well, like he could just relax and let his thoughts run through his head, instead of having to think about training or worry about how school was going to go, or how he'd get on with people.

He looked at Wren and smiled as he walked into the edge of the woods, feeling the trees on either side of him. He put a hand on one of the trees and shut his eyes. He remembered when Charlie had come to pick him up and wanted to see if the incident there had been just a one-time thing. Focusing on his earth ability, Angel let out a smile as he felt the life running sluggishly through the tree. So it hadn't been a one-time thing... that was good. He wondered how far he'd eventually be able to go with his elemental abilities. He knew he'd find out as the years passed, but it was something he was going to wonder about for a long time.

"Yeah, it is..." Angel replied, his voice quiet. He didn't know why he was been quiet like he was, but it just seemed right. He felt like if he was louder, he'd disturb the peace in the forest, and the serenity it offered would be lost. Angel didn't remember much of the capture the flag game, because it had all seemed to happen so fast, but he knew the woods wouldn't have been as peaceful then, nowhere near it. How could it be peaceful with mutants running around, blasting stuff? "Well, let's go a bit deeper in, shall we? Take a good look around this time. I know this is where I'll be coming if I need a place to just relax and think. The sky's good, but I can't fly all the time, no matter how much I'd like to."

He looked at Wren when she said that she too felt like this was the first place that had felt like home to her as well. The thought of that saddened Angel... Wren had had a family, and yet she hadn't felt at home? That must have really sucked. Been in an orphanage, you're never going to feel at home, but with family... It was only right you should, right? But when your family had been like Wren's had been, from what she mentioned, it didn't seem like much of a family.

"It's good to finally have somewhere to call home..." Angel whispered back, a small smile on his face that had just a hint of sadness in it. It was hard to feel sad when he was with someone as awesome as Wren. "To finally have somewhere where I you feel you belong and where you can live your life... I've been looking for a place like this all my life, always hoping for it to pop up, but it never did. Not until Charlie got me."

Passing into the forest itself was like putting on earmuffs. The silence blanketed Wren, stifling her ears from sound. There was almost a frightening relief in the lack of noise. It allowed one to think, but it allowed one to hear their own thoughts, and Wren wasn’t sure about others, but her thoughts weren’t always safely heard. As they walked into the treeline, Wren saw Angel move out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see what he was doing, and saw that he’d stopped, his hand gently pressed to the trunk of a tree. He had a calm look of concentration on his face that broke into a pleased smile after a moment.

Wren had stopped to watch him, staring at him and smiling along with him when his expression changed. She wondered what he was doing. It could have been anything really. She could guess that it might have had to do with his elemental abilities, or he could have simply been enjoying the forest on a deeper level. Either way he was completely enrapturing. He reminded her of those ads she’s seen on the billboards of Times Square. The ones meant to make environmentalism more of a fad than a lifestyle, with photoshop sculpted models ‘appreciating nature’ in unnecessarily suggestive positions. But Angel looked like what the advertisers had tried to achieve, and it sent a flutter through Wren.

She shook herself from her trance before he could realize she was staring at him. Recovering her composure, Wren smiled at his comment on finally belonging. Wren nodded. “It certainly is a much better place. I tended to make myself a social outcast at school. Children ask too many questions, and I never wanted to have to answer any, because inevitably they’d end up being about family and home…” she muttered. She began walking again, her pace slow and easy, her steps muted by the braken and mulch under her feet.

Once again, the silence bore down on her and she was left with her thoughts as she walked beside Angel. Her attempts at lowering her stress level were failing completely, and her hand went to her pocket again, getting a tighter grip on the paper package there. You’re not gonna get out of here without at least one… she realized, making a slight face. Might as well slip away and do it now, maybe he won’t notice before you get back and he’ll never know… she thought.

With that in mind, Wren’s steps slowly began to angle away from Angel, her pace casual, hoping he wouldn’t notice her gradual direction change. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a thickening of the trees, and knew that’d probably be the best place to get this monkey off her back. It didn’t take long for her to reach the spot, and she frantically reached into her pocket, wanting to hurry up before Angel realized she’d wandered off. She pulled out on of the slender white sticks, placing it firmly between her lips before reaching for her lighter.

She found it, pulled it out and gave it a quick flick, producing the small flame, and bringing it to the end of the cigarette. She took a long drag, as the end lit and exhaled a large plume of smoke, shutting her eyes and sighing. She hated the fact that somehow she’d been introduced to smoking, and what was more, couldn’t really stop completely. But what was worse was just how much it really did seem to relieve her stress, at least for a little while. You can’t die, why worry about anything deadly?

"I never went to school..." Angel told Wren as she mentioned about kids asking too many questions which usually lead back to family. "I had a tutor at every orphanage I went to. I guess it suggested it in my files, seeing as I was bullied enough there, and school would have been hell for me. So I guess I never had to answer any of those questions... not that it would have mattered. Like I said, before coming here, I never had a family or a home."

Angel elt out another happy sigh as the walked deeper into the woods. His abilities were definitely developing, even in the short time he'd been here. Maybe it was because he'd used them more... He could feel the life of the trees and plants flowing through the woods. He didn't think he'd be able to tap into that and use it for himself, though it was an intriguing idea. He knew he could probably use it in some ways, though he didn't know what. The furthest he'd ever gone with hisearth power was healing a tree the day Charlie had come for him.

Angel walked along, lost in thought, and didn't notice Wren starting to walk away. He reached a clearing in the woods after another minute of walking, and looked around, realising it was quiter now than it had been with Wren there. "Wren?" He called out, looking around him. "WREN?" Angel was now slightly worried, wondering where the lass could have gotten to.

He started walking back the way he had come, when he smelled something he hadn't smelt in a long time... cigarette smoke. Following his nose, Angel made his way through the trees until he came to a dense cluster. The smell of the smoke was stronger here, and no doubt whoever was smoking was around these trees. Angel walked around, wondering who he'd find. He wasn't fussed about who was smoking, just as long as he found Wren. He was surprised as to who he found smoking there...

"Wren!" Angel exclaimed, slightly shocked. "What the heck are you doing?" Feeling a little dumb at asking such an obvious question, Angel brushed it off. "Never mind that.... since when did you smoke? I mean, I know it won't hurt you... but still...."

Angel shook his head, letting out a little sigh. He couldn't really have a go at Wren for smoking... it was her own choice after all. That, and Angel.... well, he was a curious person and had been wanting to try a cig for a while, just to see what it was like. But he didn't really have the guts to ask. After all, cigs here at the school were no doubt hard to come by. Still, Angel had to admit - he was shocked. Wren really didn't seem like the type who'd fall into smoking.

Wren couldn’t imagine life without school. Yes she hadn’t had many friends while she’d been there before, but she’d always loved it. She supposed the one reason she liked it so much was because what was taught rarely changed. Everything was linear and logical and had reason behind it. Wren was always secure in logic. The one thing that kept her stable was her ability to maintain logical thought, rationality, strategy.

When your life lacked solid structure, you created your own. This was what Wren was good at. So when Angel mentioned that he’d never gone to school, Wren wondered how that had felt for him. She could understand why, if you could keep a child from being hurt you would, but keeping a little boy out of school couldn’t have been an easy choice for anyone to make.

Things were becoming more and more similar between the two, and Wren could only guess that they would always be able to find countless things in common. That was one thought that had her blood pressure rising, and the first one that seemed the fade into the background as the nicotine reached her brain. Wren must have been too caught up in the relief of her cigarette to notice Angel shouting for her.

He’d noticed she was missing, probably from her lack of response to his comment about school. Either way, she didn’t realize she’d been caught up to until she heard Angels voice ring out in the silence of the trees. At that point she had just finished flicking off a bit of ash and returned the cigarette to her lips, taking another drag.

She was in mid-inhale when the sound of her name reached her ears. Her eyes snapped open wide and she stood up straight from the tree she’d been leaning against. The hand holding the cigarette instantly went behind her back, hiding her secret in vain. She’d been caught and there was no real way to deny it. So instead, she avoided eye contact and blushed violently, ashamed of herself entirely.

“I…uh…I well…” she stammered unsure how to even begin answering Angel’s questions. She took a deep breath and tried to start again. “I guess you caught me then…” she mumbled. “I’d say I’m trying to quit, but I guess I’m not…I’m not a chain smoker, but I have one every now and then….for stress and such…” she explained. “It started like a year and a half ago, and I hate that I do it…but for some reason it helps…”

Angel raised an eyebrow at Wren's blush, then let out a sigh as he heard her talk. He didn't get why she was acting all embarrassed about it. Some people smoked, others didn't. It was a personal choice, and Angel wasn't one to judge someone on whether they smoked or not. Normally, he'd have said he can't say anything, as it's their choice, and their body, but they're slowly and painfully killing themselves. But he couldn't say that to Wren, because she healed, so it wouldn't do anything to her, apart from relax her, which she said it did.

"Wren... calm down, lass!" He said, as she rambled. "Look, you smoke. I don't care. I was just a bit surprised, that's all. I never thought you'd be a smoker. I guess the reason a lot of people don't like it is because what it does to someone's body... but it's not going to really affect yours. As for the relaxation thing, I think that's something to do with the nicotine in it. It satisfies the craving, that bit of nicotine on your brain... though I'm not sure how you can get that, seeing as you heal... I guess you don't need to be addicted. A habit is a habit, at the end of the day."

Angel stopped talking for a minute, thinking of what to say next. He didn't ant to go on about the smoking, because it would probably make Wren uncomfortable.

"You had me worried when you disappeared then." He said. What else could he say without bringing up the cigarrette thing? If there was anything else, it was eluding Angel's grasp. "Well... Now I know you smoke. I'm not going to go round telling people about it, Wren. And you can smoke in front of me, cos it doesn't fuss me at all. Just.. try to make sure no one else catches you. You don't want them getting took off you, do you? And I guess you'll get in trouble... I don't know for sure. Over in England, we can smoke at sixteen, but we're not allowd to buy them til we're eighteen, which is weird, really. Ah well..." Angel finished speaking with a shrug.

((Sorry about it taking so long, and for the horrible quality of the post... my muse has been dead DX ))

Wren could hear herself babbling, rambling on and on as her face heated to an unbelievable degree. She wasn’t sure why she was so embarrassed to be found out by Angel. Under normal circumstances, Wren would have made no apologies, smoking was her decision and people could judge how they wanted. However, there was some reason unknown to her that horrified her at the thought of Angel thinking less of her so soon after meeting him. So with that thought controlling her actions, Wren gushed excuses and jibberish that probably made no real sense.

The words flowed from her mouth and only ceased when Angel made it a point to emphasize the fact that he wasn’t judging her. His words managed to calm her even more than the cigarette seemed to, at least in this moment. As he spoke, she let out a breath, feeling her shoulders relax. Angel wasn’t ashamed or disgusted by his recent discovery and that was a greater relief than she’d expected.

His reasoning was correct, Wren had figured out sometime ago that her powers didn’t make her body react to things like cigarettes the same way as normal people. She would get the instant sensation like anyone else, but her ability to heal prevented the chemicals in the cigarettes to harm her physically. She couldn’t say she wasn’t addicted, because smoking to calm herself was as close to a definition of addiction as any. But she wasn’t addicted like most people would be, and technically if she made the firm decision to stop, it probably wouldn’t be any problem for her.

As he mentioned that her sudden disappearance had worried him, she blushed slightly, ducking her head bashfully. “Sorry…I just…I didn’t want to make you think badly of me. I know I don’t have any right to assume how you would react to my smoking, but you’re the first friend I’ve made here….well anywhere actually…I’d hate to do something that would mean I’d lose a friendship.” She murmured. After a second she laughed to herself. “I sound like a crazy person don’t I?” she chuckled, blushing slightly, her eyes dancing up at him.

((Finally replied! Sorry it took so long! My muse kept cutting out in mid post... :/ I'm going to try and start my version of the Angel/Wren fanfic and maybe that'll help my Wren muse!))

Angel noticed Wren's blush, but decided not to comment on it. After all, it seemed like this was something Wren really didn't want anyone else to know about. He had to admit, though... the rambling was quite cute. Wren seemed to clam down as Angel spoke, pointing out that he wouldn't judge her on her choice. There was one other thing he noticed, as well...

"You might want to flick your ash, Wren." He said, pointing to the still smoking cigarette. Angel had no doubt that it would be a pain in the cherry from her cig fell onto her hand. It would probably burn a bit, and the ash itself was a bit of a pain in the butt if he got all over the place. Or so he presumed - he'd never smoked before, so how could he know? "And don't be silly, lass. I'm not gonna think badly of you. It's your choice, and I guess smoking is a part of who you are. If you're ashamed of it, then quit. Don't make excuses to anyone for it if you're not, though. It's your choice, so you stand by it."

A smile crossed Angel's face as Wren laughed at herself, saying she must sound crazy. "No, not at all. But a person who decides not to be friends with someone just cause they smoke isn't a proper friend at all. You accept your friends for who they are, and that includes any habits or faults of theres, as well as all the good stuff. Besides, haven't you ever heard the term, 'don't knock it til you've tried it'? I've never tried a cig before, so I can't preach at people who do smoke. Besides... everyone has a vice of some sort."

Angel knew what his vice was - it wasn't anything like smoking or drinking (though he had hada bit to drink in previous years, while he'd been on the streets...). His vice was fear. Fear of not been accepted, and so he flew away. And he carried on flying, trying to escape from everything, even if he knew it would catch up with him. Though... why he thought that, he didn't know. He wasn't running from anyone in particular, just the reactions he got from people who saw what he was. The sky was the only place he could really be himself and relax. But it seemed like it was, in fact, not the only place. He could be himself here at the Institute as well, couldn't he? Surrounded by all the other mutants, no one judging him on his wings and abilities, no one calling him a freak... it looked like he'd finally found his home.