Chapter Text
It’s Friday night, and Angela’s at Amanda’s apartment.
Amanda had invited her over for some wine and a true crime documentary, and always excited to spend time with Amanda, she had said yes. They’d had dinner separately, with Angela having to go back home and take care of Spork, but now she's here.
Angela thinks she should know better by now. It’s been years since she first accidentally dropped at Chanse’s apartment. She knows the signs, when it was close, and after conversations with Chanse, what made it better or worse.
Yet here she is, cuddled up with Amanda on her couch, drinking wine, breaking so many of her own rules for herself when close to an unavoidable drop. And with her having had a terrible headache for weeks, it's inevitable at this point.
Don’t go out, don’t cuddle with people, don’t drink, don’t watch things with frightening imagery. This may not be the entire list, but it’s most of it, and here she is, cuddled with Amanda, drinking, and watching a murder doc.
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Amanda and Angela had clicked instantly, becoming close quickly.
While Amanda was very open about being a caregiver, helping littles around the office sometimes, Angela was not.
She knew better than to push, as much as she wanted to. If Chanse wasn’t worried as Angela’s best friend for years, she shouldn’t be, but she was.
She could see it in her, the way she acted around other littles, almost longingly, but so deeply buried it was only there for those who looked closely, and Amanda did. She saw how Chanse would watch her sometimes, concerned for her, looking at her like she might break.
Every couple months she did look like she might break, she hid it well, but Amanda was always watching. And then after getting worse and worse, she’d come back to work one day, exhausted, but otherwise fine again.
Amanda was already pretty sure that Angela was a little, but two things confirmed it for her in her mind.
First, she learned about Angela’s family, and like most people that knew about her weird behaviour about classifications, put two and two together.
Second, a little moment that happened between little Chanse and Angela. She had been sitting with Angela at lunch when he ran over, hopping into a seat next to his best friend. He seemingly didn’t notice Amanda, because he started talking like she wasn’t there.
“Hi Angie! I missed you. You should come and play soon. Either version. Please?”
Angela looked at her in alarm, but shrugged it off and talked to Chanse like nothing happened, lightly directing him back towards Tommy, who’d offered to keep an eye on him that day.
His comment “either version” was the confirmation she needed. Angela was a little, and it seemed like only Chanse knew.
And as a good friend, Amanda did nothing with this information. It wasn’t her business, she just kept an eye on Angela like she always did.
She had noticed the headaches were back and decided to invite Angela over to relax, not to try and get her to drop, but to relax and spend time together.
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The two cuddle on the couch, watching a documentary on something, but Angela honestly doesn’t know what at this point.
She could feel the drop coming, but felt like there was nothing she could do to stop it. A few glasses of wine in, she couldn’t drive home, and even if she wasn’t, Chanse would be pissed if she drove while basically half dropped.
She didn’t want to run away and worry or scare Amanda, it would cause too many questions that she didn't want to answer, so she had to sit here and fight it back.
Angela puts her glass on the coffee table and sighs, leaning her head on Amanda’s shoulder.
And as opposed to most of the times she’s dropped in her life, she falls slowly. It’s still terrifying, but it’s dulled, taking a couple minutes to slowly slide down.
... -- --- ... ..../.. .../--. .- -.--
Angela being a little wasn’t even on her mind tonight. She was hooked to the trial, an entire family in a massive conspiracy, it was fascinating. She sipped on her wine, smiling softly when Angela rested her head on her shoulder.
A few minutes later, Angela begins to slowly distance herself for her, as if she moves slow enough, Amanda won’t notice.
She does, pausing the show, and looking at her in concern. Angela looks up at her with wide eyes, frozen in place, before scrambling to hide behind the arm of the couch she was just sitting on.
Amanda sits in shock for a moment.
What even was that? That was weird behaviour from Angela, that’s something Court does when they feel shy when they-
Oh
“Hey Ang, it’s ok sweetheart.” she says gently, not moving.
Angela pokes her head slightly over the arm of the couch to look at Amanda, tears welling in her eyes.
Amanda smiles softly, placing both her hands flat on her lap. “Hi Angie.” she coos quietly. “I bet you’re scared, huh?”
The little nods slowly, so she continues.
“It’s scary to be little with new people and in new places, but you know me.”
Angela nods again “Manda” she mumbles and Amanda coos again
“That’s right.” she praises “And we’re at my apartment, you’ve been here a lot of times.”
She nods again, lifting her head fully over the arm of the couch, letting Amanda see the conflicted expression on her face.
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to” she promises, “But I’d love to cuddle and watch a movie if you want to.”
Angela tilts her head slightly in thought, before hesitantly climbing over the arm of the couch, clumsily landing on top of it.
Amanda smiles encouragingly, but moves her focus to the tv, switching it to a movie she knows Angela likes, Ratatouille.
She turns back to find Angela a couple inches away, looking at her hesitantly.
“Hi there.” Amanda jokes, moving her arm up to let Angela crawl under it.
Angela looks between Amanda and her arm before slowly moving into Amanda’s side.
Amanda slowly lowers her arm, giving time for the little to move, she doesn’t, so Amanda wraps her arm around her gently.
Angela melts into her side with a small sigh, shifting her focus to the tv. So Amanda presses play, gently rubbing Angela’s side as the little slowly melts into her more and more.
The two watch the movie in comfortable silence, Angela slowly shifting downwards, ending up with her head in Amanda’s lap as she plays with Angela’s hair.
Ratatouille ends, and Angela looks up at Amanda with a small smile.
“Thanks you” she mumbles, reaching up to pat the caregiver's face.
Amanda chuckles, cupping Angela’s cheek gently. “Anytime baby.”
“Not baby” she says with a pout, causing Amanda to laugh.
“Alright, anytime Ang.” she corrects, and Angela nods her approval.
“Uhoh” murmurs Angela
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This is nice
Angela has never been so content so quickly around a new person. There aren’t a lot of people to pull from, but this was still a change. It’s probably a combination of her time spent with Chanse and her love for Amanda.
But no crying, and minimal hiding is great for her. Almost immediately cuddling with her and watching a movie is unheard of.
Chanse is going to be so proud of-
“Uhoh” Angela murmurs
She’s supposed to text him when she’s little, and because of one scary incident, call if she’s little not at her apartment. It’s been a whole movie and she hadn’t called yet.
Angela reaches for her phone in her pocket, pouting when it’s not in there.
“You alright, honey?” asks Amanda, and she looks up at her in surprise, having temporarily forgotten she was there.
“Havta call Chansey” she explains, looking around for her phone, but not moving her head from Amanda’s lap.
Amanda grabs her phone for her from the other end of the couch and hands it to her.
“Thanks you Manda.” she chirps, opening her phone and dialing Chanse.
It rings once and he answers, loud music in the background but getting quieter like he’s moving away from the source.
“Angie?” he asks concerned “Where are you?”
“Manda house” she responds, and immediately Chanse sighs in relief.
“Does Amanda know you're little?” He asks with still a slight tinge of concern.
“Hi Chanse.” Amanda says from above her, the call being on speaker phone.
“Suprise,” Chanse jokes “It's a girl.”
Amanda laughs
“I had a feeling” she responds, running her hand through Angela's hair again.
She sighs happily. “Like Manda, Chansey”
Amanda smiles down at her softly as Chanse laughs happily.
“That's so good Ang.” He responds genuinely, “Are you alright with Manda, or do you need Chansey to come take you home?”
“Stay Manda Please” she replies instantly, and Chanse laughs again
“Alright Angie, have fun and be safe for me alright? I love you.”
“Ya, love you.” She says happily
“Can you hand the phone to Amanda for me?” He asks gently and Angela does, Amanda taking it off the speaker phone.
Angela watches Amanda listen to Chanse, occasionally saying yes, no, or ok before they also hang up.
Amanda smiles down at her, love in her eyes, as she gently runs a hand through her hair.
Angela smiles back up at her, and for maybe the first time, happy to be little