Guy, Will & Angel

[palaceangelina]

"So you're really gonna do it, eh?" Will leaned back on his elbows, grass tickling his skin and looked sideways at Guy, who was similarly comfortable. "Be the 'Face of Palace', I mean." He grinned and glanced aside at the view down across the back lawn. It was Sunday and that meant ragged football games and people strolling through the gardens, the flowers brilliantly lit by the bright sunshine. "I thought Jim was kidding when he told me."

Guy shrugged, "Yep. Be interesting, an' it's not like everything is gonna change over night. I mean- Sean's still Sean- he's always gonna be 'that guy' - no matter how much they put me to the front. Gives me something to do to keep busy, and I get to dial back my clients again. Sounds like a good plan on the whole."

Angel walked past a bush that had some kind of yellow flower. She glared down at it, looking for bees. "Fucking things." She mumbled, wiping her hands on the hem of her cutoffs. 'Okay that doctor had said fresh air was good.' She took a deep breath. 'There.' Glancing across the area at the people sitting around, she decided to walk to the far entry.

Will nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And takes some of the pressure off the poor bugger. This place has grown so big, so fast. It's only fair that others cop to some of the load, eh?" There was a woman strolling in their general direction and when Will narrowed his eyes against the glare, he recognized her as the same person Marton had pointed out to him. Deciding he should be friendly, he began to sit up again, ready to hail her when she was close enough, saying absently to Guy as he did so, "Still, rather you than me, mate. Glad I wasn't on his list." The woman came almost even with where they were sitting and Will brushed the grass from his hands by swiping his palms down his thighs. "Angelina, isn't it?" he asked.

Angelina turned, squinting. She saw two men sitting on the grass, pretty men. Smiling she nodded and stepped toward them. "Yeah, but everyone calls me Angel. And I have no idea how I would have met you and then forgotten you." She said, cocking her head.

"Ooh- this one's charming, isn't she?" Guy grinned, sitting up straight. "Hello there, Angel- I'm Guy, an' that's Will." He turned to Will. "See- when we meet someone who we've not met before, we introduce ourselves. 'S called manners." He said in a lordly tone, and then turned back to Angel. "Sorry 'bout him. Have a seat, stay awhile."

Angel lifted an eyebrow and pointed a finger tipped in a long red nail toward Guy. "You I like." Turning to Will she winked. "You I'm prepared to like. You mind?" She waved her hand at a patch of grass next to them.

"Please." Will shifted to let her past. When she'd gotten comfortable, he explained his recognition. "We haven't met." He told her. "Marton pointed you out to me. He and I . . . we're, umm . . ." Friends? Lovers? Friendly lovers? How did you define it to the woman carrying your lover's child?

Angelina tilted her head. "You’re umm'ing. Fabulous um'mer. Isn't he?" She said and laughed. "Well, it's nice to meet you now. So what's all this?" She waved her hand toward the football game in progress.

"Yeah, they do that every Sunday. Meself, if I'm gonna get all sweaty and out of breath, I'd just as soon be fucking as running about in the dirt." Guy said, deciding not to get involved in the conversation about the fabulousness of Marton's 'umm'.

Angelina nodded. "Not a huge fan of the sweaty. Fucking’s nice though." She leaned back on her elbows, shirt riding up on her slightly rounded belly. "The sun feels fucking fantastic."

"You'd just as soon be fucking as doing anything else!" Will commented, teasing Guy. "Which is why I still don't get the 'Face' business. Is gonna cut down on your nookie opportunities, isn't it?" He grinned, resuming his former position on the soft lawn.

"No- better damned well not anyway." Guy grumbled. "It'll take away time I would have been spending on the extra clients- 've hardly fucked off the books in ages anyway. It'll be mostly happening in the day time, I think, and most everyone's working then anyway, so they're not available for me to pounce."

Angel stretched her head back listening, enjoying the sun.

"Guy's the new 'Face of Palace'." Will explained to Angel. "He's gonna be all famous and won't talk to us plebs any more." He was studying her as he spoke, wondering at the same time what he could conceivably talk about in front of Guy in relation to Angel's pregnancy and deciding that, even though Marton hadn't laid any ground rules on it, Guy was a good and trustworthy friend, as well as being averse to gossip. So he asked her, "How's everything going with the baby?"

Angel looked over at Will. "Well tell you the truth, it kind of sucks. It’s gonna be worth it and all, little baby, but the list of things I can't do and the even longer list of things Bubba here is gonna do to me. Fuck man." She laughed and scratched her fingernails across her stomach, leaning her head up and looking at Guy. "Ohh so all famous and shit? Very nice. I'll be able to say I met you before, huh?"

"Ignore Will- god knows I do," Guy grinned at Angel, cocking his head to the side and taking a peek at her stomach. "And you're pregnant, eh? Congratulations. Wouldn't have guessed it, to be honest. And if you know me now, you'll know me later. Honestly, mate- can you see me letting fame go to me head? If it even happens- I still think Sean's working off a bit of wishful thinking that the public gets completely distracted away from him to paying attention to me."

"Well, Sean'll always be Sean. Agree with you there. He's prolly just after a lessening of the workload, no?" Will looked at Angel and she was looking at him. He nodded and said to Guy. "Angel's having Marton's baby. She's living on Royal."

Angelina nodded. "Yep, Marton's been real sweet. He's taking good care of the little guy and I." She said winking at Will.

Will smiled back. "He's a good man." He said quietly.

Noticing the slight coloring of Will's face, Angel nodded her head. "Uh huh."

Guy blinked, momentarily shocked. "Well- didn't expect that one either. I'm sure Marton's thrilled though- he's got six, seven must just be gravy," he said, grinning. "And speaking of Marton, just what exactly did he think of your fracas down in the cafe. Can't imagine you'd be able to keep that from him- even if he didn't hear about it, I'm sure your knee was bruised all to shit," he said, wincing.

"Oh tough fella huh? Who's ass'd ya kick?" Angelina said with an excited grin, running her tongue over her lip.

Will colored and ducked his head, still a bit angry with himself over his loss of self-control. "I didn't tell him." He confessed, glancing up at Guy. "And I don't think anyone else has either. He didn't notice the bruise." He looked over at Angel and his smile hardened. "Some asshole making smart remarks about his monarch." he told her. He might be ashamed of his lack of control, but no way was Will regretful about the actual fight.

"Who would be fucking stupid enough to talk about Marton?" Angelina squinted; lip lifted a bit, her voice lowered. "I hope you taught em better manners?"

"Talked about Marton, Will, Christian, half the Royal family. Hell, cunt even through me into the mix, 'though who really gives a damn about that," Guy said, leaning forward to fill Angel in, since he knew damned well Will wasn't gonna do it. "Will kicked his arse. Well, technically he took the wind out of him, broke his nose, and choked him purple, but I'm sure you get where I'm coming from," he said, cutting the wink to Angel.

Angel sat up, rubbing her hand over her stomach. "Oh fuck man, I'd have given anything to have seen that. Bastard. Wish I'd been there." She said in a slight snarl before turning to Will. "So, can I sign you up to teach Bubba here how to fight? In case anyone talks shit about his family and you aren't there to be a knight in shining armor."

"Sure." Will grinned. "I'm a firm believer in holding your own." He shot Guy a look. "Don't say it." He warned.

Angel barked out a laugh.

"Oh c'mon- give me a little more credit then that to not leap on the obvious joke, mate. 'Sides- can't see that you'd have a whole hell of a lot of time or need for that, between work and 'off hours'." he said, smirking.

Angel lifted her eyebrow. "C'mon spill. I'm starved for gossip and entertainment. 'Off hours'?"

"Umm . . ." He was doing it again but he couldn't seem to just say it! Will sat up, his stomach rumbling and looked to Guy for help.

Angel leaned and looked at Guy. "Does he have a speech problem, or is he hiding something really good?"

"Will is Marton's 'personal libertine'." Guy said, trying to find something that was in the middle, but didn't incriminate Will's real feelings. "And despite outward appearances, Will is just shy. Trust me, when he feels like it, he can talk... can't get him to shut the fuck up usually."

"Gee, thanks." Will managed to control his blush at the look Angel gave him. "We're, umm, lovers." he said. "That's how come I knew who you were. Marton told me." His stomach gave a loud growl and he found his smile again. "How 'bout we find ourselves some food." he suggested. "Might not be able to shut me up, but we can do something about my stomach. Angel? You fancy joining us?"

"Food? Hell yea. I stay hungry these days. Lead on Defender of the Crown, and you too Face." Angel said with a laugh and held her arms up. "But first help a pregnant lady off her ass?"

"Face? Well, that's a change from the norm I s'pose," Guy sighed dramatically, getting to his feet and giving Angel an arm up. "Usually people are only after me body. Some day some one'll be after me mind too."

Will snorted his amusement, taking Angel's other arm and tucking it under his own as they began the stroll across the lawn and back inside. "They go after your mind, mate and they'll not only be in there a while, searching, they'll need a good hot shower to get the muck off once they find it!" he chuckled. "Filth, filth and more filth." he told Angel. "You have no idea." He opened the door for them and held it ajar. "Why those good manners of his are only surface. Underneath, he's all . . . ."