***
Angel was walking down the corridor to Cordelia’s apartment door, his coat tails smoking slightly from a very close brush with sunlight and he did not look happy.
Tired and incensed at her behavior, not to mention being in cahoots with his deadly double, Angel wondered if he should just take the girl over his knee like every instinct in his body was screaming or just arm wrestle the girl.
Already Angel was having trouble keeping the possessive impulses on a minimum. The taste of her on the back of his throat was still fresh. And it further enraged him that they hadn’t even been able to talk about it.
Whatever the hell Angelus had in mind with this fiasco, Angel wanted to talk about it.
Now.
It was almost seven in the morning, and after trying her phone countless times in the last hour and getting her answer machine, he’d been about to assume she’d headed out again and go on a mega search of LA regardless of the pesky sun problem – then he’d tried one more time and found the line engaged.
And now he stood, undecided outside her front door. He allowed the doubt to skirt once whether maybe it was completely innocent.
Once was enough. A muscle worked in his jaw. Where Angelus was concerned, innocence was not even a concept!
Raising his hand to rap the door, Angel stopped when the cackling laughter poured from the other side of the door. And then he heard the clear honeyed tones of his Seer – and froze.
“Awww, Buff, don’t be like that- Faith was a really good fuck! How could soulboy resist?” The hint of cruelty in those softly spoken words had Angel’s boot lifting to kick in the door.
Only Dennis took that precise moment to open it wide. Angel stumbled in from the momentum, nearly going sprawling across Cordelia’s rug, his booted foot landing with a loud thump that left no doubt that he was here.
He caught himself when his horrified eyes latched onto the brunette lounging on the big couch with an ‘uh-on’ look on her lovely face. Then her lips parted into a vicious grin.
“Hey Wussboy.”
“Gimme that.” Angel snarled, swooping forward he dove over her coffee table to grab the phone.
“Fuck off, dickhead, I’m not finished yet!” Angelus snarled back.
Angel nearly climbed on top of the struggling girl, trapping her torso under him before he stretched forwards and finally wrestling the piece of squawking plastic from the weaker human woman.
Jumping off the couch, Angel pinned her to her seat with a furious glare. “Buffy?”
“WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!”
“Slow down Buffy…”
“Angel?”
“Yeah, I just got here…”
“Did you have sex with Faith?”
“WHAT?” Angel’s eyes widened in sheer mortification, as his ex girlfriend shot rapid questions at him with deadly precision.
”You actually had SEX with Faith? You told me you didn’t do more that swap spit – and what’s this about you losing your soul not because of perfect bliss but because I was so BAD at it that your demon left in protest? – And is it true that you think I’m a whiny, flat-chested little slut who sleeps with anyone?”
Angel attempted to interrupt but Buffy was on a raging roll and practically growled at him to “SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH!”
“And while we’re at it, how about how you didn’t lose your soul with FAITH cos YOU and your demon enjoyed it so much more with a girl who knows what to do with her mouth?”
The vampire’s mouth dropped open in shock, his dark head swiveling slowly around to stare at the Angelus-infested brunette who sat there casually munching on choc chip cookies, stopping mid crunch to say “Oh don’t mind me, carry on.”
Then his attention was dragged back to the enraged voice of the blonde, whom, he was intensely grateful, right at this moment, was a good two hours away.
“You know, Angel, if all that wasn’t bad enough, finding out that you had secret fantasies about Cordelia and used to jack off before and AFTER you lost your soul? – And then not forgetting that it was the thought of getting back to ‘shag Cor’ that kept you going in hell! Please tell me that Angelus was lying, Angel?”
His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish soundlessly; how the hell could he tell her what she wanted to hear, when all of it was true – accept for the insults and Faith?
“I didn’t sh – sleep with Faith, Buffy- and I hold nothing but respect and admiration for you, and…” He blinked when he saw the snickering brunette leaning closer on the couch to listen, the old T-shirt she wore stretching away at the neckline; the plump globs of enticing flesh distracting him for a minute.
Before he looked into her mocking Hazel eyes and walked away from the avidly listening Angelus/Cordy and lowered his voice, “and that night will always be special to me; you know that.”
He assured her truthfully – well, it was true at the time, anyway. Now he had visions of sugarplums dancing his head all in the lovely shape of one Cordelia Chase.
He was going insane.
A long silence followed his response.
“So the rest was true,” it was no longer a question, and for a second Angel wasn’t sure what was left. He was about to try another reassurance, before Buffy spoke again.
“Look, I’ve got…. things to do; get Willow to call when you’ve done the delousing, okay?”
Before Angel could respond, the connection was severed abruptly.
With exaggerated slowness, he switched the cordless off and turned around to quietly regard the equally silent brunette, searching for any sign of the woman he’d grown to love.
Cold, wickedly mischievous eyes stared back at him, completely clear of even a hint of remorse in those hazel depths, and he sighed heavily. He had to get out of there right now.
He had to go before the urge to kill Angelus meant the inevitable demise of the beautiful, innocent host he at present resided in. Without a word, Angel turned and walked to the door; his shoulders slumped as he opened it and exited with controlled steps.
~Well, that was entertaining!~ Angelus couldn’t keep the victorious tone out of his inner voice.
~Shut up, Angelus,~
Cordy resurfaced, her eyes filling with regret and guilt as she stared at the closed door sadly, recalling the dejected slump of Angel’s shoulders.
“You’ve done enough.” Before Angelus could protest or stop her, she was off the couch and yanking her front door open.
~Touchie. Running to lick his wounds Cor, I thought you were made of stronger mettle.~
~I hurt him you insensitive prick! That was never the plan.~ Her socked feet skidded across the hardwood floor as she raced down the stairs.
~Such language. You wanted to hurt Buffy though.~
~Yeah, but not at this cost.~
She was to the front door of the apartment building when she caught the barely blanket-covered figure about to step out into very bright and blazing sunlight.
“ANGEL!” Darting forward she grabbed the vampire’s arm firmly and yanked him back, the blanket falling away just before she had hauled him back into the safety of the hallway. Angel glared down into her bright hazel eyes wide with fear and wrath.
“You stupid vampire! What are you; suicidal? You could have poofed!” Leaning up on her tip toes she fingered the tips of his slightly singed hair in place before patting the smoking strands back in place. “Dork!”
A thick eyebrow arched as he saw the woman fussing over him ignorant of the insane, furious, very vampire like gold eyes flashing at her in annoyance. Always did know she liked the hair, he muttered inwardly before stepping away from the heat of her body.
Even in the soft white T-shirt and grey boxers, she looked all tousled and beautiful. His fingers itched to claim and mark. To himself, her and everyone else that she belonged with him.
“Dork?” He repeated her favorite word with an ice in his voice that brought the soft hue of chastised pink to her cheeks.
“Look, I can explain…”
“Can you?” His voice dropped to a hiss, the gold in his eyes fading to scathing chocolate. “Can you really Cordelia, because I don’t see any reason for what you did. What were you thinking! How could you dammit! The running, the stealing from me, and even the stupid jokes with my car,” he grated out the last word with a growl,
“put aside Cordy, how could you do this! How could you let him!”
He saw the guilty wince and he knew the truth as she fidgeted under his gaze. “He’s strong…”
“Bullshit!” He snapped and the guilt in her eyes narrowed into the usual calm of Cordelia’s hazel eyes.
“I’ve seen you handle him Cordy. You sat back and you let him. No; you HELPED!”
“Look, the running away I won’t lie about. I agreed there, but…”
“Why?”
The brunette sighed softly, her arms crossing across her chest defensively. “Just…because Angel…”
“What the hell kind of answer is that!” He leaned closer to her, his voice like sandpaper as her gaze locked with him and there for the first time, Angel saw furious betrayal.
And he was confused.
“You want an answer? Well then hold onto your panties Broody because the answer is that I WANTED to!”
Sparking rage licked at her coppery fine boned features and Angel wondered what the hell he’d done to be on the receiving end of the patented ‘death-glare’ when he was the one who’d been romping all over LA looking for her.
But she wasn’t done. “Because you call yourself my best friend, but you tell me nothing. And I never took you for a coward Angel, so when your demon promised answers instead of you; I took the next best thing.”
His teeth ground together as he resisted the urge to eat her. “You could have asked…”
“No, YOU should have told me.” Her finger poked hard into his chest and his forehead creased when the girl didn’t seem intimidated at all by the threatening growls building in his chest, the sharp jut of her nail digging painfully into his flesh.
“YOU should have told me you didn’t love Buffy anymore – I wouldn’t have had nightmares about you finding shoeshine and leaving us! YOU should have told me I look gorgeous even when I’m rumpled and sleepy –
I could have spared myself the fitful anxiety attacks; not to mention felt happier for my short sad life! And YOU should have told me Buffy sent you to hell instead of Angelus. YOU Angel. YOU!”
The last poke came harder than the rest and he winced stepping back slightly. “So you sic’ed Angelus on her, because she sent me to hell?”
The insane implication of his obvious conclusion made her draw a deep breath as she mentally willed the swelling anger in her belly to die down a little. “No I was still wondering why you had failed to mention it and I was tired and exhausted and FURIOUS!” She glared up into his eyes.
“And before I knew it Angelus had the phone, but yes.” Angel’s brow shot up when the haughty woman’s nose went up in the air with an air of smugness. Did she not know how close he was to actually throwing her over his lap?
“Yes. I sat back and let him tell her.”
“Tell her what? Lies!?” He gave her an incredulous snarl.
A perfectly shaped eyebrow arched as she regarded him with cool deliberation. “They were lies?”
And Angel had the decency to look sheepish. “I didn’t sleep with Faith.”
“No, but you considered it.”
His eyes shot up wide. “I did no such thing!”
She rolled her eyes, her hip stuck out in a blatantly reproachful jut.
“Please – LIVING with your demon here.” She pointed to her head emphatically.
He glared down at her, his own arms crossed. “Doesn’t he ever shut up?”
“No. Thus with the whole lack of sleep in case you’ve missed it.”
“No I didn’t miss it.”
The distinct husk in his voice reminded her of the afternoon in his bedroom and she held back a shy tilt of her lips.
“Well.” Rubbing the bridge of her nose nervously, she went back to her defensive stance, with her arms crossed and her nose in the air. “Anyway, I didn’t think anyone would believe him.”
“Buffy did.”
“Lo and behold.” Her mouth twisted into a smirk. “Goes to show she is as dumb as she looks.”
“Cordy…” The warning was potent in the stoic glower of his chocolate eyes. She nearly smiled when she noticed the murderous rage was gone, now he only looked mildly irritated.
But that was normal in her presence. He wore the look so well.
~GAH! CHOKE! WHEEZE!~
She nearly laughed at Angelus’ disgusted tirade before she regarded her vampire with a tell tale smile.
“Whatever. Truth is Angel, I was pissed. At you for not telling me –for never really considering me your friend…”
“Cordy…”
“Nuh uh!” Reaching out she grabbed his mouth with the soft pinch of her fingers, effectively holding his lips shut. She tried not to grin at the dumbfounded widening of his eyes. “Not done platypus mouth.”
She fixed him with an even glare instead until she’d had her say. “I was pissed at you for not letting me be a part of your life and at her for hurting you. I mean GOD Angel!”
With a stamp of her foot she let go of his soft mouth to see him lick his lips as she looked away; trying to gather her thoughts before meeting his gaze with a disappointed tinge to hers.
“If I could know about the bloodbath and massacre did you really think that I couldn’t handle a little compassion and empathy? Newsflash – Not all that vain anymore.”
Clearing his throat, Angel nodded. “I know, I…”
“SHHHHHH! Still not done.” She wagged a finger at him before her eyes softened. “I love you, you big unnaturally old dork! And it drove me half mad that she sent you to hell and put you through that pain. And don’t!”
She pointed a warning finger when he starts to protest. “Don’t belittle your pain Angel. I know exactly what you went through and you may not believe it, but Cordelia Chase does NOT let best-friend-bashing go unpunished –
I’d say the slayer got off easy before I unleashed my seer-like powers on her.” She ‘hmph’ed; grumbling cutely.
~You’re so damned good at this Hazel.~
~Let me know if you need lessons, but shut up for now.~
~Yes mother.~
Angel had been watching her trying not to smile. All remnants of anger gone as he basked in the concern and acceptance of his best friend and the woman he’d fallen fangs over heels in love with.
“Last I checked I was still the champion of the PTB Cordy. I’m supposed to protect you remember?”
As expected; the young woman bristled at the unashamed display of male ego. “Hello! Arrogant much you egocentric pig! I was the one who put the whammy on the kissbutt demon; ME!”
“Technically…”
She rolled her eyes, one hand swatting through the air in a gesture of indifference. “Yeah yeah. Pfft! Wes helped. So HAH!” She gave him a snooty smirk.
“You don’t do all the championing all the time. You can’t.” And then Angel felt unfamiliar shivers skidding down his spine at the depth of emotion in his Seer’s eyes as she met his gaze without hesitation.
“Someone needs to watch your back buster and I just happen to be one of them. You’re not alone whether you like it or not Broody. You’re stuck with me.”
Hiding the darkening of his own chocolate brown eyes, Angel took an unneeded breath to calm his nerves. “You still didn’t to need call…”
“Look, if she’s as smart as you think, she’ll get over it and by the way while Angelus was all Angelus-y, she didn’t feel at all sorry shacking up with Rambo-boy!”
“Riley.” His mouth quirked up from one corner.
“Whatever.”
Resisting the urge to gather the beautifully fiery woman in his arms, Angel contented himself with running his index finger gently across her chin. “Cordy, I may not be in love with Buffy anymore, but she is…”
“Your first love, blah blah woof woof, I get the whole tragic significance of it. Doh! I’m not completely stupid Angel. And also, I know you like me so don’t bother denying it!”
Lost and apparently jealous of the fuss Angel was making over poor little Buffy’s feelings Cordelia ignored the obvious signs being thrown her way as she proceeded to be ignorantly Cordy.
“How can I; you haven’t let me complete a sentence yet.” His eyes sparked with wicked humor.
And she blushed when the implication sank in. Oh. “Right. Well.” Mustering all her courage and aided by the reassurance of Angelus’ taste in women, she shrugged. “Here’s your chance Broody.”
He couldn’t help the teasing grin. “Shouldn’t we take this to your apartment, sans the peanut gallery?”
It was then that Cordelia noticed the avid audience peeking at them from across the hall and various doors that had opened to the ruckus. “Oh. Well color me red and call me Willow.” Grabbing his arm she glared at her neighbors as she dragged him up the stairs and to the privacy of her apartment.
“Yes folks, our lives are complicated and high-powered, but still private!” With one last scowl at the old woman eyeing Angel’s ass, Cordelia slammed her apartment door shut before turning around to the snickering vampire.
“Okay so ta-murph!” Her eyes widened as his mouth devoured hers and her back hit the door.