The X-Project

Julian humbly begs an audience with one very hurt pyrokinetic.


Flowers: check. Box of expensive chocolates: check. Expression displaying humility and regret: check.

Julian was armed and ready for the most difficult situation he'd probably face this year: Angel.

With a sigh he knocked on the suite door- hoping that she would be home. Last night hadn't exactly inspired hope that she was even going to come back, let alone that she'd open the door to him.

Angel glanced up from where she'd been sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and watching cartoons on the TV. It was comforting and she hadn't moved since she'd shuffled out earlier that morning. "Who is it?" she called, not willing to just tell them to come in. Not after last night.

Even through the door, he could tell Angel's voice. "It's Julian...I need to talk to you." He shifted the flowers a bit in his hand, leaning against the door frame.

She scowled at the door. "Go away, Julian," she snapped, gathering the blanket closer to her so that when she stood up she brought it with her. Angel shuffled over to the door and glared daggers at it. "I don't want to talk to you or see you or anything! I'm totally sending you Forge's dry cleaning bill, too."

"Forge's what?" He shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Not important. Look, I'm not leaving until you talk to me." He leaned forward and rapped on the door again with the hand that held the chocolates- given that they'd be more forgiving to jostling.

Angel smacked the door back in irritation. "I'm allowed to not be mature right now," she retorted, sniffling back a fresh surge of tears. "You can sit out there until the cows come home for all I care."

"Fine, I will," Julian said firmly. He could hear the waver in her voice and knew that she was getting close to crying. "I didn't want to hurt you, Angel- I mean that. I didn't even want to kiss her." 'Yes you did, you god damn liar,' he added to himself.

"Of course you did," Angel said, scrubbing at her eyes. "Look at her - she might be a bit creepy at times but she's pretty. Maybe that's why you told Manny no at the start. I mean, I'm hot but she's ... Esme. And maybe you didn't mean to but you did hurt me, Julian." Suddenly tired again, she sank to the floor and leaned up against the door, wrapping the blanket around her. "I'm tired and I don't want to talk to you."

"Angel, please, don't shut me out." Okay, that sounded better in his head, aloud it was just corny. "I know I hurt you and I'm so, so, SO sorry I did. But you have to believe me, I didn't want to kiss her." He sighed and slid down to the floor, his own eyes starting to get a little misty. "And she's not half as beautiful as you are, Firefly- not on her best day."

"It was just a stupid dance," Angel said, voice muffled as she buried her face in her knees. "And I was trying to do something nice for someone. Naive and stupid. Serves me right." Her words dissolved into fresh sobs even as she gathered the blanket to try and muffle them.

Her attempts were useless- Julian could clearly hear her through the door. Kneeling down he sighed, knowing that trying to do this right now would only hurt her more. "Okay..." he said, his voice defeated. "I'll go...but, look, I'm leaving something outside the door. Even if you hate me, just...think that someone else left it or whatever. They're for you." After setting down the red roses- accented with bright yellow and orange daisies, Keller stood up and rested a hand against the door. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her- why this whole thing was leaving a black hole in his heart...but now was not the time for that. "When you can...I'd love to hear from you."

Julian turned and walked back toward his suite, defeated.