#caution tho that while i will try to put one angelica fic out a day for this week

[mintypothos]

Reneé appreciation week: day 2

Angelica/Maria because it seemed cute and I haven’t seen a lot of fic for it.

[ Day 1   *Day 2*   Day 3   Day 4   Day 5 ]

Maria was over again to visit Peggy and Eliza, which of course meant she was over to visit Angelica as well. No matter what anyone else said, splitting rent three ways with your sisters that you got along with was a brilliant plan. New York rent was disgusting.

“I brought pudding and cake mix!” Maria waved the boxes around teasingly. Peggy laughed and grabbed at them, only for Maria to whisk them away again. “Don't tell me you're so desperate you can't wait a few hours? What've they been feeding you, Pegs?”

“Don't pin this on me,” Eliza crossed her arms. “I don't enforce my healthy eating on anyone. Even though I should.” She narrowed her eyes in a mock glare, scanning the other three.

“So? Oh great ruler of the house, are you to blame?” Maria grinned, full of warmth and promise and teasing. No one besides her own sisters ever teased her- or at least, not the good, kind sort of teasing. Angelica's heart fluttered. Crap.

“The only food rule I enforce around here is the 'snacks between midnight and breakfast', if I were responsible for diets around here, we wouldn't be here anymore.” Not that Angelica's eating habits were so awful- Eliza was the health-nut of the house, not her.

Maria nodded solemnly, like everything had slotted neatly into place. “Total Anarchy? I could get behind that.” The statement was ridiculous, the way she spoke like a wiseman imparting wisdom even more ridiculous. Angelica felt another warmth, a slight hint of affection. More crap.

Angelica was a woman in touch with her emotions. She was also in touch with social standards. If Maria were some random girl in a bar, Angelica wouldn't hesitate, she would walk up, call her cute, and ask her if she liked women. Angelica had seen other women, other men, whine and dally and dither over what amounted to high school crushes, and she liked to think herself above that.

But therein lay the rub. Maria wasn't some girl in a bar, she was Peggy's best friend- and a good friend of Eliza to boot. Good sisters did not pick up their little sisters' best friends. This was elementary grade common sense, and they were all adults here. Which led to the other thing- Angelica had a good several years on Maria. Not enough to normally be outside the range of possibility, but combined with the bullshit Maria was put through in the past- Angelica wasn't privy to the details, it wasn't her business- the situation became undeniably concerning.

Angelica considered her options. One, she could say something to Maria, likely upsetting Maria and almost certainly upsetting her sisters. Two, she could talk to Peggy or perhaps Eliza about it, get her opinion and discuss how to proceed- better, but they would still know Angelica wanted to date their friend, and that would be weird. Three, Angelica could say nothing, be craven like she always mocked the boys for, but no one would know.

Angelica hated herself a bit for the sheer level of hypocrisy, but option number three it was.

A week later, Angelica's phone rang. Maria's contact popped up, and Angelica hesitated just a second before accepting the call. “Hi Maria, everything good?”

“Yeah, of course! What's good with you?”

Angelica didn't bother suppressing the silly grin trying to work it's way up. “Work was a bit of a disaster. Hamilton and Jefferson refuse to leave each other alone.”

“Now Hamilton I can see,” Maria hummed knowingly. “But from what I've heard, Jefferson is supposed to be more professional than that?” It was nice. Most people didn't actually want an answer when they asked whether you were fine, but Maria always wanted to hear.

Angelica scoffed. “With anyone other than Hamilton, which is unfortunately most of the time. They're both children. But that was my day. Yours?”

“Oh, uh, fine,” A hesitation. So she was calling for a reason, not that Angelica was overly surprised. Still, she waited for Maria to speak again instead of interrupting. “Just, uh, you went to college and got a Bachelor's, right? I mean, of course you did, you work for a senator.”

It was Angelica's turn to hesitate. “Yes,” She spoke slowly, “I do. Do you have a question about that?”

There was a long pause, and then a short, nervous laugh. “Yeah, nothing gets past you, huh? I just, Pegs got her mechanics license, and I know Eliza got a diploma for ECE. I just.. wanted to ask a few questions about that.”

Angelica raised a brow despite herself. “Maria, do you want to go back to school?”

“I'm thinking of it,” Maria's words were quick. “I mean, I know what went wrong the last time, and I think I found a program I like better, and I know I can do it, just..” Quick, and defensive.

“I'm not judging you!” Angelica said, hurriedly. That was the last thing she wanted Maria to feel. “That's great news, actually! What would you like to know?”

And then, the flurry of questions. So many that even Angelica struggled to answer them all. But she couldn't stop the grin on her face. That Maria was making such a big decision was amazing, and her excitement was infectious. Maria had always been good at spreading her joy, that way.

“Sorry for that,” Maria apologized, when she was finally done. “I don't mean to take all your time. It's just, really impressive how you've gotten a degree already and in such a good job, and you always have the best advice.”

The compliment did more to Angelica's heart than she'd like to admit. “You can take as much of my time as you want!”, she found herself saying without thinking. Angelica clicked her mouth shut forcefully, thinking quick. “Rather, if I answer the phone, it's because I'm not busy. And education is important. So, I can spare whatever you need.” The save was acceptable, but Angelica cursed herself for slipping in the first place.

“Uhm,” Maria mumbled through the phone. Angelica cursed inwardly again for making her uncomfortable. “Sure thing. Thanks for your help again!” The sentence ended in a squeak. A pit of self loathing dropped down into her stomach, as Maria practically scrambled to hang up.

Angelica was not very good at this whole pining thing.

The next time Maria came over to visit, Angelica expected to not hear a single mention of school. Maria was clearly sensitive about it, with how hesitant she had been before nearly vomiting her questions. For the most part, Angelica was right. Then, at the end of the visit, Eliza left to bring the car around to the front of the apartment, and Peggy left to her room. Maria turned to Angelica and opened her mouth.

“Hey, thank you for the other day.” Her smile was strawberry-sweet, as always, but still Angelica was taken by surprise. “You're the one who inspired me to look at school again. It means a lot that you think I can do it.”

Angelica blushed. She thanked the heavens that her blushes weren't particularly visible, because otherwise she would have revealed everything here. Maria's eyes were bright, open and inviting. Her curls bounced as she shifted her weight back, waiting for an answer. “Right, no problem!” Oh god, her brain was turning to mush.

Maria's smile turned then, a shade less innocent and a touch more determined. Something flashed behind her expression. “Could I, maybe, pick your brain again, sometime? Maybe in person, instead of over the phone?”

“Yeah, no problem!” Angelica felt like hope, but squashed it. Maria only wanted to talk about school, for goodness' sake.

“Maybe.. one on one, sometime?”

Angelica hoped again, but wrassled it under control. Of course she wouldn't want to talk about the subject with more people than she had to. Still, Angelica nodded rather than spoke, just in case she spilled something she shouldn't.

“Um, do you,” Maria's eyes skirted Angelica for the first time, down and to the side. “Do you like cafe's? We could get a coffee sometime.” Her gaze flickered up to gauge Angelica's reaction, then back down again.

There was no killing that hope. “I'd love to!” Angelica found herself smiling, a bubbling giggle barely under her chest. “That would be- that would be great!”

Maria almost jumped at the words, something like awe in her own expression, before it transformed into joy. “It's a date, then?”

Angelica's heartbeat skipped and stuttered and stopped. “It's a date, then.” She was gone.

Maria nodded, grinning so wide it seemed like her face might snap apart. It was the best sight Angelica had ever seen. She flounced out the door, bouncing her way down the hall. The door closed behind her. Angelica didn't move.

“So, Maria finally asked you out? It's about time, honestly.” Peggy's smug voice rang from the hallway.

Angelica would never admit to the resulting shriek of surprise.