Title: Outsider ~ A Darkness Within ‘Beige Short’
Author: Samsom
Posted: Jul 06
Email
Rating: R
Category: Angst/Angel Pov
Content: Angel Pov… just read
Summary: Angel observes a quiet moment between Wes and Cordelia, and gets jealous.
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution:
Notes: This takes place in S1 but I figured if the beige is a state of mind rather than a time period, it might be allowed here (DW). I saw an icon and got a bunny on my back.
Thanks/Dedication:
Feedback:Is like crack, baby.
He hears the door open and shut.
Wesley made it to work.
Angel pauses in the shadowed doorway of his office and watches as Wesley stands by the front door, nothing but fragrant bruises and barely healing cuts.
He’s favoring his right arm.
Faith did that to him, for hours before Angel located them, and he remembered thinking how much like Giles Wesley had looked when he’d burst in and found them.
Maybe Wes could call the other ex-Watcher and they could commiserate about the monsters that had done those things to both of them.
But he’s sure Wesley understands what he’s trying to do. Had nodded when Angel explained they couldn’t involve the police, that they had to help her themselves.
Then he watched Wesley and Cordelia take in each other’s battle scars.
The silent fury in Wesley’s eyes and the sheepish dip of Cordelia’s head.
Angel frowned, understanding that they were having some sort of unspoken conversation.
He watched Wesley walk across the short distance and take Cordelia’s chin in his hand, tilting her face up to survey the damage. Not so much compared to his, but Angel knew what the Watcher thought. He had thought it himself when he found Cordelia barely waking up on the floor of her apartment, Dennis shaking the dishes in the cupboards in helpless distress.
Cordelia allows the touch and that pokes uneasily in Angel’s gut.
When had she allowed Wesley such familiarity?
When he’d gotten back to her apartment last night to check in and explain his plan, something in her face had changed. She’d nodded and made agreeing sounds with her mouth but her eyes had gone distant on him.
Not so much now with Wes.
Wesley gets shy grins and her unique brand of reassurances.
Wes gets to touch her skin and run his thumb down her jaw line, underneath the bruise blossoming around her eye and cheek.
Angel got her back when he tried to greet her this morning.
Something bone deep in Angel bubbles up past the surface, something that wants to pull Wesley’s hand from Cordelia’s face, push Wesley back and get between them.
He wants to be the one in front of Cordelia, examining her bruises and telling her it shouldn’t have happened.
Getting her smiles and assurances.
But he can’t because he’s harboring the woman who did that to both of them.
He can’t because he’s the champion, and they, somehow when he was too busy saving souls, became the friends who comforted and was comforted.
He watches Cordelia brush Wesley’s arm with a soft touch of her hand, and turns to go check on Faith before he gives in to his urge to punch the wall beside him.
~*~