Author: Bri
Email: jaded_cynic@excite.com
Disclaimer: Angel and all the characters from his show are the
property of Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui
Sanddollar, Fox, and whoever the hell else owns them. I don't,
that's all I'm trying to say.
Distribution: Uh, The Library, all list archives. Anyone else want
it? You can have it. Just let me know where you're taking it,
please.
Classification: Angel/Faith, Wesley/Fred
Rating: PG-13 For once, I kept it light on the swearing and there's
absolutely no sex. *falls over gasping for air*
Summary: Faith plays matchmaker, and Wesley comes to a realization.
Spoilers: Uh, this was started after "That Old Gang of Mine,"
so "Fredless" and "Billy" do not apply. I think really the only
spoilers are the Pylea arc from last season-and come on, if you're
aware of Fred, you know those eps already. :)
Author's Notes: My first full fic in absolute ages. God, it's good
to be back. :) Thanks to Jess and Melissa for your constant
encouragement and the late-night IM conversations that keep me
going. :)
"B-b-b-but, A-a-a-angel, y-y-you-"
"Damn! Girl! Please, stop, breathe. Open that hole of yours when
you can say a one-syllable word in *one* syllable."
Angel gave Faith a dirty look. "Faith, give Fred a break. She's
excited."
Faith smirked at Angel. "She's always excited when you're around."
Angel lost his composure for a second as he glanced at the girl who
stared at him adoringly. "Faith," he warned in a low voice.
Faith deepened her smirk and swung her legs over the arm of the chair
she was lounging in. "Alright, alright, Angel. You listen to that
stutter until you're ready to pull an Angelus and snap her neck.
I'll just watch in amusement while you play patient."
Angel rolled his eyes in exasperation and turned back to Fred, trying
to be as calm and understanding as he knew how to be. "Fred, I know
I promised I'd go to the Physics of Metaphysics workshop with you,
but Faith and I have to go fight this monster. You heard Wesley say
how strong it was, right? Faith and I are the only ones who can do
it. We have to go."
Fred's smile wavered and her gaze fell, but she nodded rapidly. "I
understand, Angel. Big ugly demons that hurt people need to be
killed. That's your job. I know. You and Faith. You kill things
that hurt people like me who can't defend ourselves." She quieted
and turned to look longingly out the window. "I guess I'll just go
back upstairs to my room-"
Angel cut her off. "No!" She looked at him in surprise and he
scrambled for something to say. "You don't need to go to your room,
you could…" He trailed off, looking at Faith helplessly.
Faith looked thoughtful for a moment. "You could take Wes," she
suggested. "That boy is way too stuck in paranormal-ville. Get him
interested in something that has an organic explanation."
Angel smiled a relieved thank-you at her, turning back to
Fred. "That's a good idea, Fred. Why don't you take Wesley with
you? I'm sure he'd enjoy an intellectual conversation that has
nothing to do with the supernatural."
Fred flushed slightly and shook her head, her eyes widening. "Oh, oh
no. I couldn't do that. Ask him? No. No, I'll just go upstairs,
and, and, well, I'll work on my theorems." She nodded to herself,
relieved to find an excuse. "Yeah. Yeah, that's it, I'll work on my
theorems."
Faith stood quickly and extended a hand. "Fred, you're going to the
damn physics workshop. I'll ask Wes for you if you won't."
Fred's gaze flew up, her eyes focusing on Faith in a panic. "No!
Faith, no, it's alright. I don't need to go."
Faith dropped her hand, putting it instead on her hip and staring at
Faith speculatively. "How `bout Gunn or Cordy?" she asked casually.
Fred shook her head. "No, s'okay," she said shyly. "I know Cordy's
not the physics type, neither's Gunn."
Faith looked to Angel in exasperation, who stared back at her with
his hands raised in a helpless gesture. "Fred, how bad do you want
to go?" Angel asked softly.
Fred smiled tremulously. "Oh good gosh, Angel, I couldn't even tell
you," she said softly, reverently. "I haven't been to one in six
years. I just know nothing could make me happier. `Cept for being
here," she added shyly.
Faith nodded, a determined look on her face. "Then you're going,"
she said with finality. She took Fred's hand and tugged. "Let's get
you ready, put on your favorite glasses and find a pocket protector
or something, and we'll figure out who's going with you later."
Angel smiled as Faith led a protesting Fred from the room. He'd been
concerned when Faith showed up, solitary bag in hand and a hopeful,
apologetic, wary expression on her face. Fred had been skittish
enough as it was; she didn't need the introduction of a volatile
person like Faith in her life. Faith, however, had developed a
fondness for the girl who was older in years but younger in life
experience. She was protective of the fluttery, nervous girl who
talked too much when she was excited and not enough the rest of the
time.
Angel shook himself from the memories of Faith's return and left the
room to seek out Wesley. He found him sitting at the kitchen table,
reading a book on… Angel peered closer at the book's cover, unable
to read the title. He broke into a grin when Wesley shifted and he
saw that the book was on Newton's laws. Maybe Wesley would be more
than happy to accompany Fred to the physics workshop.
"Good book?" he asked nonchalantly as he came into the kitchen.
Wesley hardly looked up from the text. "It's fascinating, really,"
he said as his eyes quickly passed over the words in front of
him. "I've always understood Newton's laws, naturally, but I never
really took the time to understand how they came about and look at
the evidence that supports them."
Angel grinned. "Come on, Wes, you're not fooling me. You couldn't
be any less interested in Newton's laws than in listening to Cordelia
babble about Prada versus Versace, could you?"
Wesley
dropped the book and sat back. "It's so bleeding boring!" he
exclaimed. "I mean, really, Angel. I considered myself a rather
educated man, but one chapter of this book has me screaming for
something a little less painful, like repeatedly stabbing myself with
a fork."
Angel blinked. "A whole chapter? You made it through a whole
chapter?"
Wesley nodded. "I attempted to force myself to understand it, as I
would like to understand Fred. But this is just too much to ask."
"Then I take it you probably won't want to accompany Fred to her
physics workshop?" Angel remarked off-handedly.
Wesley looked up at him. "What do you mean?" he asked in
puzzlement. "I thought you were to take her to the workshop."
"It's tomorrow. The same day that the Quagnar demon you researched
is supposed to arrive at Wolfram and Hart," Angel reminded
him. "Faith and I have to be there to take care of it, and we have
no idea when it's going to show up. I can't afford to be following
Fred around at a physics workshop. Faith and I were hoping you'd be
willing to take her, because she won't go by herself. And you know
exactly how Cordy or Gunn would react if we asked them."
Wesley smiled. "Yes, I can quite imagine the horror on Cordy's face
or the blank look Gunn would give us." He thought about it for a
second. "I suppose it wouldn't be so terrible to go. I'd like to be
able to put a smile on Fred's face. Lord knows she hasn't done
nearly enough of it since she's arrived here. And as long as it
isn't a three-hour lecture on the origination of Newton's laws, I
believe I might even enjoy it."
Angel smiled in relief. "Good. She was so disappointed when I told
her I couldn't go. Of course, she pretended like she wasn't, but she
was. And she's so fragile, I hate to disappoint her too often."
"It's the nature of our profession, Angel," Wesley reminded him
quietly. "How many times are you going to make promises that you'll
inevitably have to break? I would advise against making too many
promises to Fred. The rest of us understand when plans change, but
she doesn't yet. Eventually she'll stop trusting you at all if you
continue to break your word about the little things."
Angel nodded slightly. "Which is why I found a replacement for me.
So I didn't have to break my word." He stood up and started to leave
the kitchen. "Thanks, Wes."
Wesley watched as Angel left, a slightly bitter look crossing his
face and then morphing to a wistful one. "Replacement, indeed. What
has changed?"
**********
"So did he go for it?" Faith asked when Angel appeared in her room
later.
Angel nodded. "It wasn't too hard. He wants to get to know Fred
better and I think he saw this as a good opportunity to do so."
Faith threw herself down on her bed, picking up a stake from her
bedside table and toying with it, aiming it at a pretend target and
then dropping it to the bedspread. "To tell you the truth, I think
Wes has the hots for Freddie. That's why I suggested him in the
first place."
Angel's brows rose in surprise. "You're kidding."
Faith rolled to her side and propped herself up on one elbow, gazing
at Angel. "Actually, I'm dead serious. A girl can tell these
things, no matter how psychotic and out-of-touch with reality she may
be," she added with a smirk.
Angel sat down on the bed with her. "You're not psychotic," he
scolded sternly. "Quit talking about yourself like that. You
haven't been the old Faith since the day you stepped inside the
Hyperion's doors. I don't want to hear you talk like you're still
that same girl."
Faith sat up and slid herself into Angel's lap. "There's still parts
of me that are the old Faith," she said with a wicked grin, leaning
in to nip at Angel's jawline.
Angel groaned. "Faith, come on, you know better," he said in a
strangled voice. "I can deal with a million different kinds of hell
torture, but I can't handle it when you start playing with me like
that."
Faith laughed as she swung one leg up, her ankle just clearing the
top of Angel's head, bringing it back down and wrapping them both
around Angel's back. She looped her arms around his neck and kissed
him. "Sorry, lover," she said with a grin. "You know how torture is
one of my fortes. And I love seeing how long you can hold on to that
iron will of yours."
Angel laughed and kissed Faith again. "Evil temptress," he said
teasingly.
Faith unhooked her arms and legs from Angel and scooted backwards,
out of his lap. "You know it!" she said cheerfully. She rolled off
the bed and headed for her closet. She disappeared inside and came
back out holding up a low-cut halter top. "What do you think? Too
daring?" she asked with a laugh.
Angel groaned. "Faith!" he complained. "You can't keep doing this
to me!"
"Why not?" she asked as she pulled her shirt off and slid into the
top.
Angel closed his eyes against the sight of Faith's bare flesh and
swallowed hard. "Curse, evil Angelus, lots of death and carnage?" he
reminded her. "Quit teasing me. You won't like who comes out to
play."
Faith paused in her dressing and looked at him steadily. "I won't
let Angelus out," she said seriously. "As much as I love you, Angel,
I'll never chance him. I can wait until you become human again. If
you don't become human in my lifetime, I'll at least have known what
it's like to be loved by you. But I'll remember *your* love, not the
fear of Angelus or my pain when I stake *his* ass and watch *your*
face crumble into dust."
Angel swallowed again. It never ceased to catch him off-guard when
Faith said she loved him. She'd only been at the Hyperion for four
months, but everything that had happened between them, Buffy's death,
and Faith's change in behavior and determination to atone for her
past sins, all of that had forced them closer and opened their eyes
to the feelings that had always been there between them. Faith had
finally admitted to Angel that she loved him a month ago.
He was thrilled to have found love again. He never thought he'd love
after Buffy. And as odd as it seemed that Faith was the one he'd
fallen in love with, somehow, it was right. She understood him
better than anyone, even Buffy, ever had. She knew what it was like
to be swallowed up by the darkness, and have to fight to escape it.
She knew what it was like to spend every day fearing that she'd fall
into it again.
The only thing that scared Angel was that she would be the one to
make him fall.
"Angel? Babe?"
Angel shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled at Faith, who was
looking at him in concern. "Just thinking," he said quietly.
"Not too hard, I hope," she joked. "I've heard it's bad for you."
She disappeared into her closet again and emerged wearing a pair of
leather pants. "There. I didn't dress in front of you. Happy now?"
"No," Angel said petulantly. Faith laughed. "But for the sake of
all our souls, it's a good thing you didn't."
Faith searched for the stake she'd dropped earlier. She finally
found it underneath the edge of the bed, where it had fallen when
she'd rolled over. "So what are we going to do about Wes and Fred?"
she asked when she'd grabbed the stake and stood up.
"What do you mean?" Angel asked in confusion.
"Well, it's obvious that he's interested in her," Faith said with a
shrug, sitting back down on the bed. "And I think she likes him a
little, too. But she needs to get over her crush on you before
she'll see it," she added with a smirk.
"Jealous, Faith?" Angel teased.
Faith glared at Angel. "Hardly. I just don't like that she dotes
all over you. It isn't healthy, and we both know nothing will ever
come of it. And I really don't want to see her hurt."
Angel frowned. She'd struck the one sore spot in their
relationship. "Well, if you'd let me tell everyone that we're
together, Fred would have to see that there's no chance of anything
happening between us."
Faith sighed in exasperation. "Angel, you know why I don't want
everyone to know!" she cried. "They all think I'm B Junior, anyway.
And since everyone knows about your curse, they'll do everything they
can to keep us from being happy or comfortable with our relationship
in order to keep you from going Angelus. I don't want to live with
them breathing down our necks all the time!"
Angel shook his head. "I don't think you're giving them enough
credit," he protested. "They know me better than that. They know
that I won't risk it."
"Yeah, just like they knew that you would never betray them and risk
everything in order to defeat Darla and Drusilla," Faith
snapped. "They knew you would never fire them because they were too
close to your conscience. They knew that you would never allow the D
and D duo to feast on a ton of people, whether they were lawyers or
not. Yeah, they knew *all* that. And look how right they were."
Angel stared at Faith in disbelief. "But you know that I won't risk
Angelus coming out," he said angrily.
"Yeah, *I* know," Faith admitted. "But they don't." She stood up
and headed for the door. "I gotta go patrol. See you later."
Angel got up and strode out of the room. He either needed to talk to
Wesley or he needed to polish off that bottle of tequila in his
office. Right now he wasn't sure which one appealed more.
**********
"So you think Angel and Faith have killed that Quagnar demon yet?"
Fred asked shyly as Wesley opened the door the to the pavilion the
workshop had been held in, and led them outside.
Wesley laughed. "It's quite possible, unless they killed each other
first."
Fred joined in his laughter as they walked down the street. "Why
were they so angry at each other? They were in such good moods
yesterday, and then they weren't. Faith always yells at me, but she
smiles or laughs after she's done. This morning she just yelled at
me and scowled."
Wesley sighed. "You know, Fred, I haven't a clue why Angel and Faith
were in such foul moods. But I'm sorry if they took their tempers
out on you," he said sincerely.
Fred offered Wesley a small grin and pushed her glasses up on her
nose. "Oh, it's all right, Wesley," she said. "I know Faith wasn't
*really* mad at me, and she'll be all better later, so I'm not too
worried about the whole thing, because Faith strikes me as the type
of person who'll really tell you when she's mad and she didn't tell
me she was mad so she must not be-"
Wesley smiled as he raised a finger to her lips. "Shh, Fred. I'm
sure you're correct. If Faith was mad at you, for whatever reason,
she would certainly tell you." He lowered his hand and Fred gazed at
him in awe.
"Y-you touched my l-lips," she said shyly. "With your f-finger."
Wesley smiled again. "I believe I did," he agreed. He looked around
at their surroundings, which had gone unnoticed as they
walked. "Say, would you care for some ice cream?" he asked. "I know
it's your and Angel's special treat, but since Angel isn't here
today…"
Fred smiled up at him eagerly. "I'd love some ice cream," she said
enthusiastically. "Y'know, Angel always gets the same thing. It's
so dull! Chocolate peanut butter, every time. But me, I like to
experiment. One day I might try peach, the next I might want mocha
swirl. It's always so interesting to me how I can have all these
different cravings. Ice cream is ice cream, it's made up of the same
components; sugar, milk, ice, stuff like that. But I always want a
different kind, even though essentially I'm eating the same thing.
And I always wonder how my stomach can be fooled into thinking it's
different if my brain knows it isn't…"
Wesley laughed as Fred chattered all the way into the ice cream
parlor. He scanned the offerings, glancing from time to time at the
lively brunette standing next to him. He grinned as the kid at the
counter asked Fred what she wanted, and she was off on another
ramble. Finally she decided on raspberry chocolate chip and the kid,
grateful, made her cone and handed it to her.
When the kid looked at him, Wesley, his mind still on Fred's special
style of rambling, unthinkingly replied, "I'd like a scoop of Fred
with chocolate sprinkles on top."
He only became aware of what he'd said when the kid laughed and he
glanced to his side to see Fred staring at him, wide-eyed, her ice
cream cone frozen halfway to her mouth. Flushing darkly, he
hurriedly amended his order. "What I meant to say, is that I would
like a scoop of what Fred's having, only with chocolate sprinkles on
top."
The kid shook his head and made Wesley his cone. Wesley shoved some
money at him and ushered Fred out of the parlor.
He found it difficult to make eye contact with Fred, so he fell into
step with her, but remained silent. They'd walked two blocks before
Fred finally spoke up.
"So do you think I should talk to Faith?" she asked suddenly. "Maybe
she and Angel had a fight. Although I can't imagine why anyone would
get mad at Angel," she mused.
Wesley sighed irritably. "Angel is not near as perfect as you have
imagined him to be, Fred," he said, somewhat sternly. "He's bound to
disappoint you. Why, look at the fact that it's *me* here with you
today, and not him."
Fred's smile faltered and Wesley cursed himself. "I know he's not
perfect, Wesley," she said softly. "But he saved me."
Wesley reached out and took her hand. "You saved *yourself*, Fred.
You lived in Pylea for five years before Angel ever arrived, and you
saved yourself every single day."
Fred's eyes brightened. "I did, didn't I?" she said, a hint of pride
creeping into her voice. She pushed her glasses up again and smiled
warmly at Wesley.
Wesley smiled back down at Fred affectionately. "You're very
extraordinary, Fred," he admitted. "I find that I admire you very
much."
Fred blushed, casting her gaze down. Her eyes locked on her hand,
still entwined with Wesley's. Her mouth opened, but no words came
out. She darted a look upwards, blushing more when she saw that
Wesley's gaze was still steadily fixed on her.
"Oh, look, we're here," she said, exhaling in relief, when she looked
up and saw that they'd reached the Hyperion.
Wesley smiled slightly at her eagerness to get inside. "Maybe Faith
and Angel are back. Should we go see how things went?" he suggested.
Fred smiled, relaxed once again. "We should," she agreed. The
opened the doors and were greeted with the sounds of Angel and Faith
shouting.
"God damn it Angel, when I tell you to get out of my way, then get
the hell out of my way!" Faith screamed.
"Maybe if you didn't say it with every other break you take, it would
be easier to know you mean it!" Angel yelled back.
"I always mean it!" she hollered, slamming something.
Wesley and Fred looked sideways at each other, identical worried
frowns appearing on each of their faces. The followed the sounds of
the fighting until they saw Angel and Faith in the kitchen, glaring
mutinously at each other, Faith armed with a knife. The two were
completely oblivious to the arrival of Fred and Wesley.
"You always mean it, because you always want to take care of things
yourself!" Angel insisted loudly.
"Because everyone else will just screw things up!" Faith shouted
back. "I'm the only one I can depend on!"
Angel scowled so darkly that Wesley and Fred were afraid that his
face was going to cave in on itself. "You can depend on me, Faith,
and you know that!" he exploded. "I won't ever let anything happen
to you!"
"That's what they've all told me!" Faith screamed. "Right before
they all left!" She broke down into tears, but turned away from
Angel, hunching her shoulders over and trying to shut him out.
Angel's face fell. He walked over to Faith and turned her around,
pulling her into his arms. "I won't leave you," he promised. "I'm
just so damn scared that you're going to get yourself killed, Faith.
How do you expect me to live if you're not?"
Faith sobbed into Angel's shirt. "I told you to get out of my way
because I was afraid that demon was going to decapitate your ass,"
she explained tearfully. "Angel, I've never had to worry about
anyone else when I was fighting. I never cared if the other person
lived or died, just as long as I kicked some ass and got the hell out
in safety. Angel, god, how was I supposed to watch you get killed
right in front of me? Of course I wanted you the hell out of the
way, so I could take care of it myself."
She pulled back and Fred and Wesley watched in amazement as Angel
leaned down and kissed her. "We're a team now, Faith. You have to
let me take some chances, because I can't let you take all of them."
Faith smiled, getting a hold of herself, and nodded. "Just as long
as you let me watch out for you," she agreed.
Angel smiled and held her tighter. "I wouldn't expect anything less
of you," he affirmed.
Wesley and Fred glanced at each other and by silent agreement,
tiptoed quietly away from the now non-explosive atmosphere of the
kitchen.
"Well. That was…" Wesley trailed off, unable to voice a comment.
He wasn't sure his brain had settled on just one. Suddenly, concern
for Fred took precedence above all else and he turned to her, a
worried expression on his face. "Fred, are you all right?"
Fred looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Sure, why wouldn't I
be?"
Confused, Wesley searched for the most tactful way to say what was on
his mind. "Well, we had all assumed you had a certain, err,
attachment to Angel…"
Fred nodded. "I did. But I know he doesn't see me that way. And
I'm happy that he and Faith are together. Really," she insisted when
Wesley cast her a doubtful glance.
"So you're not upset that you can't be with Angel?" Wesley persisted.
Fred grinned shyly at him. "I really haven't been thinking about
Angel today, so I guess I'm not *too* upset," she confessed.
Wesley smiled brilliantly at her. "Then may I suggest we go tell the
happy couple that their cat is out of the bag?"
Fred stood up and waited for Wesley to follow suit. "I think that's
a really good idea."
**********
"So, when are you going to tell Fred you have the hots for her?"
Faith asked, aiming her dart carefully. She glanced at Wesley, who
was still sputtering, before letting it fly. She smiled in
satisfaction when the dart hit the bullseye.
"Whatever makes you think that I'm interested in Fred?" he asked
indignantly. Faith laughed when the dart he was attempting to aim
went wide and barely stuck to the board.
"Well, that piss-poor dart shot, for one," she observed with a
smirk. "And two, the fact that you've been following Fred around for
the last two days. Giving her the world's most pathetic puppy dog
eyes."
Wesley flushed. All attempts to deny the obvious went out the
window. "I rather think Angel is king of the calf gaze," he said
snidely, trying to put Faith on the defensive.
Faith shrugged. "That's Angel Boy for ya," she conceded, grinning
when her next dart also hit the bullseye.
Wesley childishly stuck his tongue out at Faith when his next shot
missed the board completely and lodged in the wall. The owner cast
them a warning glance, but Faith glared back and the owner dropped
his gaze.
Turning to Faith, Wesley sighed. "I haven't the slightest idea how
to approach Fred," he confessed.
Faith smiled. "It's easy. You walk up to her, you ask her to
dinner, you both drink a little wine, her guard is down, you kiss
her. And you keep kissing her."
Wesley smirked. "And, being that this is you, should I take it that
the next step of that advice is to drag her to my home in caveman
fashion and proceed to have my way with her?"
Faith's face fell. "No. I'm not about that anymore. I was just
trying to help you out, but if you want to do it your own way, do
your thing. I'll keep my nose out of it."
Wesley touched Faith's arm softly. "Thank you, Faith, I appreciate
your input," he said gently. "Being male, I would only manage to
screw things up if I tried to do it the way I felt appropriate. Your
feminine perspective is helpful."
Faith laughed. "You ever realize you talk like you got a stick up
your ass?" she asked affectionately.
Wesley smirked. "As I said, your input is appreciated. In most
cases."
Faith laughed and slung her arm over Wesley's shoulder. "That's why
you love me."
Wesley smiled at Faith as she dropped her arm. "I know that things
were awkward between us when you first came, Faith, but I do hope you
realize that I value your addition," he added as they walked out of
the bar.
"Is that your British way of saying we're cool?" Faith snickered.
Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Wesley replied, "Yes, that's exactly
what I was trying to get across."
Faith leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good. Let's go get your
props for the dinner with Fred. Because I just came up with an even
better idea than you taking her out."
"What's that?" Wesley asked warily.
Faith grinned. "You're taking her in."
Wesley looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand."
Faith shrugged. "It's simple. I tell her to get dressed up, I'm
taking her someplace special. You have dinner and candlelight and
flowers prepped in one of the rooms. I take her up there, knock on
the door, tell her she's there, and disappear. Then you open the
door, and she's overwhelmed at how much trouble you've gone to. It's
a lot better, more romantic and more thoughtful, than taking her to
some crowded restaurant. She'll feel special because it's in a
setting she's comfortable in, and it shows that you wanted to make an
effort for her. She'll be shy at first, you'll draw her into
conversation, the two of you will talk for hours, and then you'll
kiss her. And you'll be set."
Wesley looked at Faith in admiration. "That's very well-thought out,
Faith. I must say, I'm impressed."
Faith grinned, trying to appear modest but failing miserably. "I
just know Fred. She's like a sister to me by now."
Wesley smiled cheerfully. "What flowers do you suggest?" he inquired
as he aimed them in the direction of a nearby florist shop.
Faith paused. "Your choice," she said finally as they stepped
inside. "Get her whatever makes you think of her. Then tell her
that."
Wesley nodded, perusing the selection of arrangements in the
refrigerated cases. Finally he stopped. "That one," he said
decisively, pointing at an arrangement of white roses and
bluebells. "The roses are just like her, pure, delicately
beautiful. The bluebells are tiny and fragile and yet wildly
colorful."
Faith smiled as Wesley paid for the flowers and they walked outside,
Wesley bearing his purchase proudly. "I think Fred is a really lucky
girl, and I think she's going to realize it too, the second she steps
inside that room," she said softly.
Wesley looked at Faith. "Thank you, Faith, for everything you've
done for me."
Faith shrugged a little awkwardly. "It's the least I could do," she
said quietly. She looked in his eyes for a moment, and he nodded.
She smiled gratefully and he reached out to take her hand, holding it
tightly.
"You are very dear to me, Faith. Despite our shaky past, I now
number you among my closest and most trusted of friends."
Faith swallowed the tears that wanted to form and nodded
silently. "Let's call Angel and have him make dinner, sound good?"
she asked lightly.
Wesley nodded as well. "Sounds wonderful," he responded.
Faith pulled out her cell phone and made a brief call, one that ended
with a quick "I love you" that made Wesley smile. "Check. He's on
the culinary train as we speak," she laughed.
Wesley looked at his flowers. "Would a present be too much?" he
asked thoughtfully.
Faith nodded. "Yeah. Don't overwhelm her. Just show her how much
you like being with her. Flowers should be good enough for now.
Just make sure there's lots of candlelight."
"What kind of candles do you recommend?" Wesley asked worriedly.
Faith laughed as she tugged him down the street to a candle
shop. "Cordy really should be here for this, it's so her forte."
Wesley groaned. "I can only imagine what Cordelia would do to me if
she realized my feelings for Fred."
Faith grinned. "She'd torture you unmercifully and then do the same
thing I'm doing. Only with better taste, I'm sure." She pulled him
into the closest candle shop and started pulling various candles from
the shelves. She made sure to get a pair of crystal candle holders
for the pair of tapered, sandal-wood scented candles she selected
with care.
When she'd loaded about seventy dollars' worth of candle
paraphernalia into his arms, Wesley was led to the counter. As the
clerk rang up his purchase, Wesley turned to Faith with a pained
expression on his face.
"I can only hope that this will have the desired effect," he sighed.
Faith smiled slightly. "I guarantee it will."
**********
Wesley surveyed the room nervously. Faith was supposed to have Fred
upstairs any minute, and he wanted it to be perfect… He looked
around. The table was set with a pure white linen tablecloth,
silverware and china and covered dishes of food, the tapered candles,
and his bouquet of flowers. There were other candles set at various
points around the room, glowing brightly. The paintings on the wall
were soothing, nothing dark and dramatic or bright and overly
cheerful. Subtle, muted colors.
He glanced at the door that was propped open slightly. It was a
warm, balmy evening and the breeze across the top of the roof was
pleasantly cooling. He'd picked the room at the very top, the one
that had a set of three stairs on the inside that led to a door that
led to the roof. All they had to do was walk outside after dinner
and there was a spectacular view of the city.
There was a slight knock on the door and Wesley could hear Faith's
voice saying, "Okay, you're here, have fun, don't do anything I
wouldn't do," and he would have laughed if he wasn't so petrified
that he was going to get laughed *at* in approximately ten seconds.
Taking a deep breath, he crossed the room and pulled the door open.
His knees nearly buckled when he saw the vision in front of him.
Fred had discarded her glasses in favor of the contacts that she
disliked wearing except for on special occasions. Her hair had been
pulled up into a mass of curls that were gathered at the crown of her
head and then spiraled down her back. Her dress was a midnight blue
color, held up by thin spaghetti straps attached to a simple wrap-
around bodice, and fell in silky folds to her ankles. Her huge eyes
blinked at him, and he caught himself. He was staring.
"Fred, don't you look absolutely lovely," he breathed as he gestured
for her to come inside.
Fred looked around at the table, the candles, the moonlight that was
visible through the partially opened door, and her face crumbled.
Wesley, alarmed, rushed to her and put his arm around her.
"Fred, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.
"It's just that it's all so beautiful," she whispered. "It should be
for someone else."
Wesley closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. "Fred, Fred,"
he sighed. "You deserve all this and more. I can't believe you
don't understand how absolutely breathtaking you are."
Fred pulled back and smiled shyly at him. "When I'm with you, you
make me understand it," she confessed.
Wesley smiled lovingly and led Fred to the table. "These flowers are
for you," he said softly. "The roses are just like you, pure,
delicately beautiful. The bluebells are tiny and fragile and yet
wildly colorful," he said, repeating what he'd told Faith when he
first saw the bouquet.
Fred blushed but smiled magnificently as she trailed a finger over
the tightly curled petals of one of the roses. Wesley pulled out a
chair and she sat down quickly, allowing him to push the chair in for
her.
Dinner progressed just as Faith had predicted it would. Conversation
was slow at first, but as Fred relaxed, it flowed. They talked
animatedly about everything they could think of. When they were
finished eating, Wesley led Fred up the stairs and onto the roof.
She gasped at the sight of the city spread out below her, the skyline
unblemished by glaring neon lights from this height.
"It's absolutely beautiful," she breathed, staring out at the
panoramic scene in wonder.
Wesley smiled at her softly. "I agree," he said, never taking his
eyes from her face.
Fred blushed, but Wesley was happy to see that it was only slightly.
She turned to face him, her hand at her side, nervously playing with
the folds of her dress. Wesley gently reached out and slipped his
hand under her chin, tilting her head up as his descended.
Her eyes closed and her breath escaped her in a soft sigh as his lips
met hers. They were warm, soft and gentle and with only the
slightest bit of pressure. Her arms came up around his neck as if
they had a mind of their own, and she deepened the kiss. Her lips
parted, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.
The kiss was beautiful, sweet, patient. Fred knew in that instant
she was falling in love. She'd been kissed before, by inept high
school boys who were more anxious about getting their hands up her
skirt or blouse than in wooing her with tenderness. Wesley's kiss
was everything she'd ever dreamed of. Sighing again, she pressed
herself closer to him, his arms wrapping tighter around her slim
frame.
They broke apart, and Wesley tucked Fred's head under his chin. "Do
you know that I've been falling in love with you every day since
you've arrived here?" he asked in a strangled voice.
Fred pulled back, looking into his eyes frantically. He had to be
telling the truth. If he wasn't, she knew she'd just die from the
heartbreak. His eyes held only warmth, sincerity, and love.
"How do you know?" she whispered. "We haven't known each other all
*that* long."
"Sometimes it only takes an instant to know," he said softly,
reaching up to caress a curl that had pulled loose and was brushing
the side of her face. "I've had many such instants over the course
of the last few days."
Fred nodded before laying her head on his chest. "I can feel your
heartbeat," she said quietly, trailing her fingertips over the left
side of his chest.
Wesley wrapped his arms around Fred and held her close. "From now
on, it beats for you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"Well, actually, it beats because there's a flow of blood pumping
through your veins, and it's all an intricate system where arteries-"
"Fred?"
"Yes?"
"Hush."
Fred snuggled deeper into his chest and smiled. "Okay."
*****
Faith snuggled deeper into Angel's arms as she flipped through the TV
channels. "What do you think's going on with Wes and Fred?" she
asked Angel, her eyes leaving the screen to glance into his gaze.
Angel's grip on her tightened as he thought about their friends. "I
have no idea. Hopefully by now they're done with dinner and looking
at the view from the rooftop."
Faith grinned wickedly as she reached up to kiss Angel deeply. "I
can think of a few other things I hope they're doing besides looking
at the view," she laughed once she broke the kiss.
Angel chuckled and pulled her out of his lap, holding her suspended
in the air as he lay down on the couch. Once he was comfortable, he
brought her down next to him, and she curled up with him, pulling the
blanket over them as she lay her head on his chest. "Whatever they
do, I hope they find love like we have," he said softly, stroking her
hair away from her face.
Faith closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of Angel's cologne as her
fingers came up to splay over his chest, her palm centering over his
heart. "No one can find love like what we have," she murmured as she
drifted off. "But I hope they find the closest thing to it."
Angel glanced at the top of the stairs, where Fred and Wesley were
standing, smiling from ear to ear, and entwined about as much as he
and Faith were. "I don't think you have to worry about that," he
whispered into her ear. "It looks like heaven just came crashing
down."
The End
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