Challenge #13
Title: One More Time
Author: Elisa or cherie_morte
Feedback: Is fabulous!
Pairing: Collins/Angel, everyone else
Word Count: 1,087
Rating: G
Genre: General?
Summary: Angel just loves Christmas.
Special Thanks: Anyone who reads and comments :o)
Spoilers: This will give a lot away if you’ve never seen RENT. :oP
Warnings: There’s a possibility I won’t be able to respond to any feedback or anything because I’m going on a trip and might not have internet, so don’t feel ignored!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, let alone something awesome like RENT.
Angel smiled weakly as he scanned the room full of faces that watched him with unfaltering concern.
“You’re awake baby! Are you feeling better?” Collins asked from his bedside, Angel could feel his hands holding his and he could see by the lines of stress on his lover’s face that he had been there without sleeping for the entire day.
“What did I tell you about making this boy go home?” Angel asked Roger avoiding Collins’ question.
“We tried!” Roger whined making a gesture that seemed to say “there’s no reasoning with him” in a language only Roger could speak.
“How do you feel?” Collins echoed with even more determination. The nurse had said he would be lucky to make it a weak but he wouldn’t listen to the nurse, he knew Angel would make it through; he had to make it through.
“Better.” Angel lied shifting his gaze to the floor afraid to betray his own suffering. Collins smiled lightly, and reminded himself how strong Angel was and how he would recover and come home leaving this entire mess behind.
A tear began to form in Angel’s eye as he saw his lover’s change in mood at the prospect of his recovery.
“Baby, I’m not going to make it. I know it and you know it. Just promise you won’t be too upset.” He freed his freshly manicured hand from Collins’ and stroked his cheek lightly; he pushed it away wiping the new drops from his eyes and quickly answered with stubborn determination.
“Yes you are. Don’t even talk like that. You’ll feel fine tomorrow and you’ll come home and we’ll be like always.”
Angel shook his head softly. “I’m not going home baby, not this time. I’m going somewhere else now. And I’ll make that place our new home and you’ll join me one day, hopefully not too soon but once you do it’ll be better than it ever was here.” He was smiling now more than anyone else in the room had been able to smile for almost a month. “I’m glad baby, I’m glad to be going. Do you hear me? It won’t hurt anymore, it’ll be better for me, even if I have to be without you for a little while.” He said sincerely. He could feel tears building up in his eyes.
“I just wish I could have lived one more Christmas. I only got to use that damn Santa dress four times!” He added in an attempt to stop the tears with a joke. A small smile broke through the sobs on both their faces and Collins brought a soft kiss to his lover’s delicate forehead, Angel closed his eyes in ecstasy as the lips made contact with his skin and he felt a tear drop onto him from Collins’ eyes.
Collins sat back in his chair for a moment and bit his lip pensively.
“You will live until the next Christmas.” He said matter-of-factly.
“Collins tomorrow is only Halloween and I’m lucky if I make it until then.”
Collins said nothing and the entire group were told to leave two hours later.
The next morning Angel sat in bed feeling worse than usual he could tell he wouldn’t be able to hold on for more than a few hours. He waited patiently for his usual visitors to arrive, they were usually there from nine until the hospital stopped allowing visitors but it was almost noon and no one had shown. Angel tried to ignore that they were gone but it was as effective as trying to ignore the pain ripping at his body.
”Silver beeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllsssssssssss, silver bellllssssssssssssssssss, I hear those silver bells rinnnggggingggggggg…”
Angel sat up and tried to hear what was making that awful noise. He only had to wonder for a minute before Maureen tumbled through the door singing and dressed as an elf.
He wondered if he was dreaming as he watched each of his friends file into the room, all looking equally stupid in their elf costumes, each smiling (with the excepting of Roger who looked as though he wanted to kill himself more than wear an elf outfit) and singing. Only Joanne and Mimi were missing, the rest were holding small presents, they gathered around the bed and made space at the door. Suddenly the all stopped singing and heavy footsteps were heard from the hall. Mimi came in, wearing the famous Santa dress and danced around the room. The routine was so flawless you would have thought they had been rehearsing for months.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Collins said in a ‘told-you so’ way.
“It’s not Christmas, it’s Halloween. You’re all crazy.” Angel said.
“Do you want it to be Christmas baby?” Maureen asked.
“Very much.” Angel said sadly.
“Then Christmas it is! Look it’s even snowing!” She pointed to the window and Angel was stunned to see it really was snowing.
“Presents!” Mimi cried.
Each organized a performance for their present. Mark showed clips of the group in healthier times, Maureen made a monologue about something or other, Roger sang and played Angel’s favorite song and Mimi did yet another dance.
Once the performance was over Joanne poked her head in.
“You guys, are we done? Because I’m all out of powdered dish soap.”
Angel looked back at the window and giggled to see the snow had stopped. Joanne walked in smelling like she had just been put through the best wash of her life. The group played games, sang and talked for hours, it was the greatest Christmas any of them had ever had.
Once the nurse had come in each person left reluctantly, they knew they would never see their Angel again.
“Before you go, I want to know how the hell you got elf costumes in less than a day.” Angel said, it had taken her months to find the perfect Santa outfit.
“Apparently Joanne knows how to make a lot of clothes really fast, as long as she drinks too much coffee and avoids rest.” Roger answered glaring as though he hated her for having made the costumes. Angel smiled at him and tried not to cry, it was the last time she would ever hear Roger be an asshole in his affectionate way.
Collins held Angel for a few more minutes until Angel had fallen asleep; he kissed his lover deeply on the lips and walked reluctantly towards the door. He was only just leaving the hospital when the urgent beeping of a flat line echoed through Angel’s room.
Author: Elisa or cherie_morte
Feedback: Is fabulous!
Pairing: Collins/Angel, everyone else
Word Count: 1,087
Rating: G
Genre: General?
Summary: Angel just loves Christmas.
Special Thanks: Anyone who reads and comments :o)
Spoilers: This will give a lot away if you’ve never seen RENT. :oP
Warnings: There’s a possibility I won’t be able to respond to any feedback or anything because I’m going on a trip and might not have internet, so don’t feel ignored!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, let alone something awesome like RENT.
Angel smiled weakly as he scanned the room full of faces that watched him with unfaltering concern.
“You’re awake baby! Are you feeling better?” Collins asked from his bedside, Angel could feel his hands holding his and he could see by the lines of stress on his lover’s face that he had been there without sleeping for the entire day.
“What did I tell you about making this boy go home?” Angel asked Roger avoiding Collins’ question.
“We tried!” Roger whined making a gesture that seemed to say “there’s no reasoning with him” in a language only Roger could speak.
“How do you feel?” Collins echoed with even more determination. The nurse had said he would be lucky to make it a weak but he wouldn’t listen to the nurse, he knew Angel would make it through; he had to make it through.
“Better.” Angel lied shifting his gaze to the floor afraid to betray his own suffering. Collins smiled lightly, and reminded himself how strong Angel was and how he would recover and come home leaving this entire mess behind.
A tear began to form in Angel’s eye as he saw his lover’s change in mood at the prospect of his recovery.
“Baby, I’m not going to make it. I know it and you know it. Just promise you won’t be too upset.” He freed his freshly manicured hand from Collins’ and stroked his cheek lightly; he pushed it away wiping the new drops from his eyes and quickly answered with stubborn determination.
“Yes you are. Don’t even talk like that. You’ll feel fine tomorrow and you’ll come home and we’ll be like always.”
Angel shook his head softly. “I’m not going home baby, not this time. I’m going somewhere else now. And I’ll make that place our new home and you’ll join me one day, hopefully not too soon but once you do it’ll be better than it ever was here.” He was smiling now more than anyone else in the room had been able to smile for almost a month. “I’m glad baby, I’m glad to be going. Do you hear me? It won’t hurt anymore, it’ll be better for me, even if I have to be without you for a little while.” He said sincerely. He could feel tears building up in his eyes.
“I just wish I could have lived one more Christmas. I only got to use that damn Santa dress four times!” He added in an attempt to stop the tears with a joke. A small smile broke through the sobs on both their faces and Collins brought a soft kiss to his lover’s delicate forehead, Angel closed his eyes in ecstasy as the lips made contact with his skin and he felt a tear drop onto him from Collins’ eyes.
Collins sat back in his chair for a moment and bit his lip pensively.
“You will live until the next Christmas.” He said matter-of-factly.
“Collins tomorrow is only Halloween and I’m lucky if I make it until then.”
Collins said nothing and the entire group were told to leave two hours later.
The next morning Angel sat in bed feeling worse than usual he could tell he wouldn’t be able to hold on for more than a few hours. He waited patiently for his usual visitors to arrive, they were usually there from nine until the hospital stopped allowing visitors but it was almost noon and no one had shown. Angel tried to ignore that they were gone but it was as effective as trying to ignore the pain ripping at his body.
”Silver beeeeellllllllllllllllllllllllllllsssssssssss, silver bellllssssssssssssssssss, I hear those silver bells rinnnggggingggggggg…”
Angel sat up and tried to hear what was making that awful noise. He only had to wonder for a minute before Maureen tumbled through the door singing and dressed as an elf.
He wondered if he was dreaming as he watched each of his friends file into the room, all looking equally stupid in their elf costumes, each smiling (with the excepting of Roger who looked as though he wanted to kill himself more than wear an elf outfit) and singing. Only Joanne and Mimi were missing, the rest were holding small presents, they gathered around the bed and made space at the door. Suddenly the all stopped singing and heavy footsteps were heard from the hall. Mimi came in, wearing the famous Santa dress and danced around the room. The routine was so flawless you would have thought they had been rehearsing for months.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” Collins said in a ‘told-you so’ way.
“It’s not Christmas, it’s Halloween. You’re all crazy.” Angel said.
“Do you want it to be Christmas baby?” Maureen asked.
“Very much.” Angel said sadly.
“Then Christmas it is! Look it’s even snowing!” She pointed to the window and Angel was stunned to see it really was snowing.
“Presents!” Mimi cried.
Each organized a performance for their present. Mark showed clips of the group in healthier times, Maureen made a monologue about something or other, Roger sang and played Angel’s favorite song and Mimi did yet another dance.
Once the performance was over Joanne poked her head in.
“You guys, are we done? Because I’m all out of powdered dish soap.”
Angel looked back at the window and giggled to see the snow had stopped. Joanne walked in smelling like she had just been put through the best wash of her life. The group played games, sang and talked for hours, it was the greatest Christmas any of them had ever had.
Once the nurse had come in each person left reluctantly, they knew they would never see their Angel again.
“Before you go, I want to know how the hell you got elf costumes in less than a day.” Angel said, it had taken her months to find the perfect Santa outfit.
“Apparently Joanne knows how to make a lot of clothes really fast, as long as she drinks too much coffee and avoids rest.” Roger answered glaring as though he hated her for having made the costumes. Angel smiled at him and tried not to cry, it was the last time she would ever hear Roger be an asshole in his affectionate way.
Collins held Angel for a few more minutes until Angel had fallen asleep; he kissed his lover deeply on the lips and walked reluctantly towards the door. He was only just leaving the hospital when the urgent beeping of a flat line echoed through Angel’s room.