Dead on Arrival 10

Part 10

It was the mutual decision that Angel didn’t spend the night at Giles purely because of the vampiress extremely foul mood. She treated the watcher to smiles and little arm touches and the occasional winks done to purposely make Giles blush. He, on the other hand, had been treated to nothing but her particular brand of punishment.

She couldn’t go for more than five minutes without making a snide comment or two regarding his spineless state or his inability to be a man. Plus there were the comments focusing on him, his history, and generally making him out to be a joke. She’d basically torn him apart piece by piece until he hadn’t been able to look Giles in the eye. He was thankful the watcher had the grace and decency to ignore it.

All of what Cordelia said had hurt in more ways than one. He could understand her being angry at him and the need to seek a little revenge wasn’t unexpected, but she had been deliberately cruel, striking out with a sharp tongue and caustic remarks that hit every single one of his weak points.

She made it no secret of taking great pleasure in making him feel like a sack of crap. It was the only time she smiled at him, and even then it was a wasn’t a real smile. More of a twisted smirk that flashed pink fangs. When she asked if he’d like a personal demonstration of her fight, was the time Angel stood up and at Giles suggestion, quietly left.

He knew the vampiress wouldn’t be feeling guilty over her brutality and he wasn’t sure if that hurt more than the comments and remarks. Or maybe it was the fact what she said and how she said it was exactly how he would have done it. She’d been hurt and had reacted in the only way she knew how.

His thoughts and her words accompanied him all the way to Cordelia’s place and he found himself staring up at her window before he knew it. Maybe 12 midnight was a little for a social visit, but he couldn’t bring himself to turn away. Not after tonight’s activities.

Still, her light was on, and he could see a silhouette moving here and there. Heaven help him if he didn’t find the prospect of going to see her inviting. A quick jump was all it took to get him to her balcony, which he almost fell off in shock when he felt something heavy came crashing down on him.

Angel tried to get up, but another whack to his head prevented that, and he landed heavily on his knees. He grunted with pain.

A door opened and closed fast, and he was left alone to suffer miserably. He waited a few minutes for the dull, throbbing headache to pass before staggering to his feet, which shakily took his weight. The scent of blood told him his head was nicely injured.

Maybe he should have announced his presence.

One hand rubbed his temple and the other knocked on the balcony door, his glazed eyes watched as a pair of frightened eyes peeked round the thick curtain. Angel tried a reassuring smile.

Cordelia frowned as she looked at the bottle of red wine which had miraculously survived the few good hits she got on the intruder. She saw a thin line of red trickle down his pale face and immediately yanked open both the curtain and door. “Oh my God! What happened to you?”

Had he scared off the intruder?

“You,” the vampire grunted out. “You happened to me.”

It didn’t take long for her to figure out Angel was the intruder. She glared hellfire and brimstone at him as she mentally persuaded her heart to resume beating. “Jesus Angel! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Me?” The vampire snatched the wine bottle out of her hand and shook it at her. “You’re the one drinking underage.” Not to mention being five seconds from beating him senseless.

“And drinking underage is evil in comparison to anything you’ve done in the not-so-distant past?” This time it was Angel who glared and he got a one handed shrug in return. “I’m just saying. Gimme that back.”

Taking the bottle back, Cordelia treated him to a final sneer before she sat at a small white table in the far right corner of the balcony. Once comfortable, she slipped out a corkscrew, and began to open it. “What is it now?”

“Huh?”

“You’re here because you want something, right?” She poured herself a glass and sat back, stretching her legs out in front of her. Ahh. This was the life. Just her, a full bodied red, and quiet time. All that was missing was background music, but uh, she’d just sat down.

“Angel, would you mind pressing the large, silver button on my hi-fi, please?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “Thanks. If you’re staying, you can find a spare glass in the second drawer under the hi-fi.”

This is what he came for, wasn’t it? Angel nodded and went inside her bedroom. A soft mango scent hit, making his mouth water and there was warmth he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He found the large silver button, which was promptly pressed and he waited until a crystal clear voice came with the lovely sound of violins and cellos. Then he went hunting for the spare glass so he could help her quest for delinquency.

He smirked. The glass was hidden in her underwear drawer, no doubt put there to prevent parental eyes from spying it. The vampire snatched up from its home between a ruby red scrap of nothing and a deep blue silk pair of shorts. He meant to ignore them, really he did, but they just looked so touchable.

Angel glanced over his shoulder to make sure she wasn’t looking. He ran his fingers over the red panties, eyes involuntarily closing as the soft cotton seemed to float beneath his touch. He wondered what Cordelia would look like wearing it and nothing else. The vision was enough for his hand to pull away as though he’d been burned.

He wondered how many times Angelus had the vampiress swanning around in a similar pair.

Angel smirked. Angelus probably had her in a pair of red killer heels and red stockings, just for his viewing pleasure. That waist length chestnut hair of hers would kiss the band and tempt him into much more perverted things, like peeling the thong off and wrapping the silk tight around his cock.

His hand clenched around the glass as he forced away the images of his Cordelia stripping for him. He was here for some unknown reason, not to get his jollies like some middle-aged horny jackass who frequented topless bars.

“Everything okay in there?”

Her voice worked better than a bucket of cold water. “Yeah,” he swallowed, “Fine.”

“Good. For a minute there I thought you were pulling a Xander and mooning over my stuff.”

The name of Xander in context with Cordelia’s underwear grated on Angel’s nerves. The thought made him frown as he questioned why it grated on his nerves. Xander had every right to leer over his own girlfriend, but… He sighed.

Xander was a teenage boy, and therefore doomed to treating a lady as a sex object for the next few years. He couldn’t be expected to act mature around a young woman like Cordelia Chase.

Eventually replying, “I would never do that.”

“I was beginning to question my decision to be lazy. Of course the idea of you finding anything about me remotely attractive is laughable.”

Angel left the homey confines of her bedroom for the vacation spot she’d made for herself. Since there was only one chair, which said a lot, he lowered himself to the floor. He silently twirled the empty glass around thick digits as he patiently waited to be offered some wine.

Cordelia watched him with an arched eyebrow. He seriously wasn’t expecting her to pour it for him, right? She rolled her eyes and handed the bottle down to him. “What are you waiting for? Christmas?”

They sat in complete silence, with her looking at him like she was waiting for something. The intensity of her stare was frankly unnerving him and he fiddled with his now half full glass.

She broke the silence. “Care to explain why you’re here, or do I have guess?”

There was no sane answer for that, at least not one he could think of offhand.

Cordelia sighed. “How about an easy question. How did patrol go? Was Cordelia food enough for the demons of Sunnyhell?”

The wine got stuck in his throat as horrific visions from earlier became updated. Angel’s gaze immediately went to her abdomen and for a few seconds, he swore he saw a bloody hole where her stomach should be. He blinked and it was gone, replaced by a torso he knew to be flat and tanned a light gold.

“Lemme explain how conversations work. I ask a question or say hello, then you reply and ask a question in turn.” She waited for him to get it. However it appeared she wouldn’t have a long enough life. She put her glass down and offered some hearty encouragement. “Imagine that little train. I know I can. I think I can.”

Cordelia got nothing. “Tell you what. Since I’m so good at it, why don’t I talk and you can jump in any time you like.” And she thought there’d been progress in Angel’s social skills.

“The game went well,” she spoke. “Made it to the playoffs. Maybe the cheerleaders will get new uniforms, cus God knows we need them. It won’t do to wear the same ones we wore two years ago. Doesn’t spell success, ya know?”

The brunette offered a sympathetic wince when the end of it came out in a question. “Sorry. I forgot. Talking, no quizzing.”

More nothing, but she didn’t give up. Cordelia Chase was no quitter. “Tonight is the first time I’ve been in two places at once. Imagine the selling potential.”

Angel leaned back against the white iron railings and just listened to the sound of her voice as it drifted over the song on the radio. He really should say something. “I wanted to see how you were.”

“I didn’t pull a muscle, if that’s what you’re worried about, but something tells me it isn’t.” She studied him and it felt like she was trying to read his mind. It was very uncomfortable.

“Let me take a wild stab in the dark.” Cordelia offered him a refill before she gave him her perspective. “Big giant frown, uncharacteristic panic over my welfare, patrol with a newbie. It’s a toss up between my fangtastic twin or Buffy. Either of which I don’t care to know about.” One was none of her beeswax and the other simply gave her the creeps.

That vampiress had disturbed her equilibrium quite enough for one day. All Cordelia had been able to think about was Angelus and what she meant by the words you would have been his. His what? His wind-up toy? Personal slave? All of the above? She doubted Angel was the best person to ask, but it wasn’t like she had anyone else too go to about this.

“I talked to her today,” to clarify the subject, “The other me, I mean.”

Angel finally met her gaze. “Thought you didn’t want to know about her.”

Cordelia shrugged. “I’ve got nine lives. May as well use them.” Besides, “Whoever can make an honest man out of Angelus has to be interesting, right?”

Ah. So that was the reason for her change of mind.

He savoured a mouthful of wine, swishing it around his mouth until his taste buds tingled with the fruity flavour. The forefinger of his right hand tapped against the glass rim as he tried to figure out what was going to come out of her mouth. This was nice. Just sitting here, on her balcony floor, having a drink with company.

Angel watched her for a moment, hundred percent positive she expected him to ask what was said. Who was he to deny a lady? “What did she say?”

“Oh you know, the usual. How I was, where I got my shoes, the latest weight loss fad, and what would have happened if you hadn’t been dragged off me.” There was a shake to her hands that wasn’t there before and a spark of panic lit those hazel eyes right up.

For the life of him he couldn’t bring himself to feel guilty for being the cause. Didn’t stop him from saying it. “Sorry.”

She looked at him and he swore he heard a hiss. “For what?” Cordelia demanded as a year’s worth of nightmares and other dreams bubbled over the niceties she displayed. Her glass was slammed down so hard, the windows rattled. “Wanting to kill me? not apologising before now? Or for not getting what you wanted?”

His jaw flexed with tension as he purposely avoided her gaze. He hated her in that moment. Hated the perceptive stare that never faltered, hated the bitter smirk on her lips. Mostly he hated himself.

Angel answered with the honesty she wanted. “All of the above. You wouldn’t have been dead long.”

“That’s what she said. I would have been yours.” There was a pause. “At the risk of my own sanity, what exactly does that mean?”

He drained the rest of his drink and stood, fully intending on leaving, only he didn’t get to as she was immediately there with a hand on his arm. His eyebrows rose. Wow. That was pretty firm grip she had going for her.

Cordelia refused to let him escape. “No. You don’t get to walk out on me. Everyone else might be shying away and walking on eggshells, and acting like nothing happened, not me. You were going to kill me!”

Angel dodged the hands that went flying into the air. “You were to going to make your personal little love toy!”

If there was one thing he’d learned about women over the last couple of centuries, was that sometimes all they needed to do was vent and a few minutes later, they were fine. Unfortunately Cordelia wasn’t like every other woman he’d met and so wasn’t entirely sure how long or harsh she’d be at this for.

He patiently waited until she was done before speaking. Withheld rage flushed her cheeks and nose pink, eyes kept narrowing and widening, and hands made flourishing gestures which threatened to knock out an eye. Her hair, in a messy ponytail, bounced up and down, and her mouth moved a mile a minute.

God, she was gorgeous when she was angry.

A frustrated sigh snapped that thought cleanly in half. “I am not a love toy and certainly not yours. Are we clear?”

The vampire sagely nodded, the rest of what she said lost under the weight of a demanding stare. “Crystal.”

The scrutiny he was now under had a bead of sweat trickling down the nape of his neck. She stared at him long and hard, as though to make absolutely certain he understood what she was saying.

Angel knew he needed to respond and so he went with the first thing that popped into his spinning head. “Why would it be laughable?”

It only a second for total confusion to replace the annoyance on her face. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Me finding anything about you attractive. Why would it be laughable?”

Cordelia blinked, then laughed a pretty laugh that brought a smile to the vampire’s mouth. She pointed to her bouncy little ponytail. “Do I look blonde to you?”

He made a show of examining her hair. “No,” Angel drawled. “Not a blonde strand in sight. You’re right. Totally laughable.” It was anything but laughable.

His arm received a light pat or two. “Glad we straightened that out. Now I’m going to bed, feel free to sit around and finish the bottle, or take it with you. Whatever you want.”

The muscles in his left arm experienced a light squeeze and soft stroke, and then it was gone with a single word. “Goodnight.”

Angel listened to the sound of her dressing gown swishing against her legs. He only turned around to look at Cordelia when the balcony doors never closed. An expression he’d never seen before, on any woman, was on her face. “What?”

She frowned. “I…” Whatever she was going to say would forever remain a secret. She shook her head. “Nothing.” One teensy, tiny smile was the consolation prize for her not satisfying the curiosity that was going to be burning a hole through his head for the rest of the night.

He watched her go, his eyes involuntarily traveled down to the firm rear suggestively swaying under her robe. His lips flickered as his mind took away that robe. It was all too easy to picture his hand landing a hard slap on that dear little rump.

The amusement rapidly disappeared as he thought of how many times Angelus did that very thing. Of course, he wouldn’t stop at a few playful swats. He wouldn’t stop until her cheeks were wet with tears and her skin was apple red with thick finger marks cutting into her ass.

A tension Angel ignored built between his legs, something inside his stomach clenched and burst as Cordelia pulled the curtain across the windows. He followed her shadow as she went about getting ready for bed.

It was so very wrong of him to stay and watch as the robe dropped off her shoulders, but the sight of full breasts tipped with nipples was too much of a temptation. Next was the loosening of hair, and God, he groaned as she worked the kinks free with slender digits.

He really should go now, but he didn’t. He didn’t move a muscle until the light went out, and an even heartbeat wiped all of the vampiress’ cruel taunts.

***********

The next day proved uncomfortable for more than just Buffy. The vampiress, though long healed, still found herself moving sluggishly as the rest of the demon’s poison slowly left her system. Giles fought against the sympathy welling up as he watched Cordelia shuffle here and there around his apartment.

He also fought against the urge to send her packing back off to bed. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, and the squeaking of the mattress had filtered through the walls to keep him up. Not that he was as restless as she was, considering he wasn’t the one who got injured.

Still, despite his internal war, Giles placed a steaming hot cup of tea in front of her and received a grateful smile in return.

“Aw Rupert, I didn’t know you cared.” Cordelia batted her eyelashes at the watcher. “There’s something so satisfying about taking warm liquid from a human.”

Her smile melted into a grin that bordered on lecherous and he cleared his throat. “Yes, I imagine it would be.”

She took a long deep drink, sighing as the tea did its job. She held the cup to her lips for a moment, simply enjoying the hot steam as it rose to sweep over her lips and nose. “This is pretty damn good, watcher man. Can I take you home? I know a hot blonde who would love to get her claws into you.”

Oh yeah. Rupert Giles was definitely Darla’s type. He was classically handsome, behaved like a perfect gentleman, and had a very dry wit that only came with old world English charm.

Unfortunately, Cordelia already had her hands full with trying to get home and matching Cordy up with Angel, although that last one was still up for debate considering last night’s events. He had a hefty amount of uh-oh’s to make up for and as for Buffy?

The vampiress rolled her eyes in disgust. That girl needed more help than even she could give. Getting all bent out of shape cus Angelus wasn’t her playboy in every world going? It was sad. Sad and desperate to believe in fairytale romances and princes riding up on white steeds while wearing shiny armour, carrying a lance ready to defend her very honour.

In Buffy’s case, the fairytale and prince must have some weighty issues she could traumatize over.

“If you’ll excuse me, I must make a start on getting what’s needed. That is if you still want to go home?” And back to Angelus. Giles didn’t verbally add that as it would only lead to questions and answers Cordelia would undoubtedly find lovely.

The vampiress simply had to give him one look. “What’s the alternative? Staying where I’m doomed to live out of a human’s pockets, where I have no sire or siblings, no House, and more importantly, drinking pig’s blood forever?” Cordelia pointedly raised her eyebrows.

Giles gave her a pat on the head. “I thought as much. Although I have to say, you have been the perfect house guest.” All bar the incident with his wardrobe, and even he had to admit he didn’t look the tweed slob he usually did when slumming it at home. In all honesty, he felt better about it.

As if to read his mind, “I hear ya. If you feel good, you look good. If you look good, you feel great.” The vampiress frowned. “Or something to that effect. Anyway, I learned that from Casey, my stylist. She swears by that motto.”

He wasn’t surprised to hear she had a personal stylist in the least. “Then I’d better get started. Enjoy your tea.”

Cordelia shot him a beautiful, beaming smile that lit up her entire face and he found it hard to turn away. Giles gave a small pat on her shoulder as though to reassure her he would get her home. He really didn’t want to let her down.

The vampiress watched him disappear into the library office and pick up the phone. She was quite happy to sit in silence, but the door opened to let her humanitarian of a twin inside. Cordelia caught the faint scent of Angel hanging around the girl and smirked.

That’s where Angel went after he left the watcher’s house. Couldn’t get attention from one, so he went to another. The thought was almost amusing as it didn’t seem as though the vampire knew he was attracted to Cordelia, both of them.

He was so much like Angelus it wasn’t funny. Except Angelus wouldn’t let a few comments, albeit mean ones, damage his chakras. Oh no.

Angelus would have bound, gagged, and done whatever was necessary to make her love him again, not that Angelus would have let her get hurt in the first place. This Angel still had demon blood, but dear God, where was it?

Probably drowned under the weight of the world resting on the tiny shoulders of the slayer.

Cordelia jostled her shoulder bag into a more comfortable position and shifted under her own gaze. Silence reigned as the cheerleader wondered what to say.

The vampiress broke it. “Good morning, Starshine.”

“If you say so.” The human one moved to a chair not too close to the vampiress and sat down, eyes closing in relief when the bag hit the floor. She slipped off a shoe to give her toes a relaxing wiggle. “Free periods suck. Sure there’s no class and no boring drone, but there is the studying.”

Cordelia nodded sympathetically. “I know all too well. My sire has me studying history, and not just the usual, but the history of Aurelius. Like I need to know the name of every vampire dusted since the dawn of time.”

“Yeah, the Master. Angel told me he was your sire.” The brunette paused and bit her lip, wondering if she had the guts to ask about Angelus with Giles being in close proximately. “He also told me Angelus is your companion.”

Angel huh? The vampiress mulled over her statement as she swirled tea with her tongue. “You two seem to be hitting the chummy big time lately.” When it appeared she was going to deny it, “I can smell him on you. Not enough to implicate naughtiness, but a lingering scent that signifies touching.”

“So I touched his arm. No big.”

“Then you certainly touched the wrong place.” Cordelia couldn’t stop the cheeky, suggestive grin and wink if she tried. She leaned forward as though to share a classified secret, but before she got the chance, the doors opened again to allow Buffy in.

The slayer paused on seeing the vampiress happily sitting there with Cordelia. It was disconcerting to see them together. “Giles around?” She didn’t particularly fancy making small talk with either one.

The one with the shorter hair nudged her head in the direction of the office. “Well?” She urged, sick of people using kid gloves around her.

Buffy pretended not to listen as she walked to where her watcher would be. She was definitely not looking forward to the lecture she knew she’d get. Giles mad was one thing, but Giles disappointed? She hated seeing that look on his face.

So she made a mistake last night. It was only human to make mistakes. It just happened that her mistake could have cost someone their life.

“Morning, Buff.” The vampiress lounged in her chair, using her feet to hook another to rest on. “I’m fandabbydosey, thanks for asking.”

Cordelia’s gaze went from one girl to the other. Looked like she was going down to eight lives. “What’s up?”

Buffy stiffened, but refused to let herself feel ashamed for what she didn’t do.

The vampiress smiled lazily. Now this was a good time. “You shoulda been there. I was on fire. Sent the demon to it’s knees.”

Cordelia’s attention went back to the other her. “You fought? I thought you were supposed to be bait?” That’s what they got for using a rookie.

“Got a little bruised and battered for my trouble, but what the hell. I had fun. When’s the next time I’m painting the town red?” She remembered Angel cleaning up pretty quick. No doubt to remove the stench of his own idiocy.

The sarcasm left stinging cuts all over Buffy, whose mouth became set in a tight line. The last thing she needed was for Cordelia to hear about it. More to the point, she didn’t need reminding of it.

Comprehension dawned on the vampiress when she saw the look on the slayer’s face. “Oooohhhh,” the word was deliberately drawn out. “I get it. You don’t want her to know, do you? Afraid she’ll resign and you’ll have to do the job yourself?”

Cordelia had long since known it was one of her talents to read people and situations, and this one was easier to read than Jack and Jill. “Lemme guess, you had caught a late showing of the Buffy and Angel show? What did they do? Get caught up in the look of longing burning in each other’s eyes?”

The vampiress’ eyes darted to her human counterpart and grinned widely. “They got, and I quote, distracted.” Angel had already suffered the majority of her anger, now it was the slayer’s turn, and boy did she have a few choice words for the mythical one.

“Here’s a thought,” Cordelia snapped her gaze back to Buffy, who was taken aback by the intense hatred flashing in golden orbs. “Why don’t you…”

She didn’t get a chance to start when Giles, hearing and seeing tempers flaring, left the safety of the office to put himself once more in the line of fire. “I believe Buffy learned her lesson.” He peered at the blonde over the rim of his glasses until she gave a weak nod. “I think you unburdened yourself quite enough last night.”

It was the first time his heart went out to Angel, who had simply sat there and took everything the vampiress dished out. Some of it had been so cruel, so uncalled for, that even he felt the hit to the gut. God only knows what the vampire felt like after he left. It had been nigh on a verbal crucifixion.

“I really don’t think so.” Rage was bubbling up and there was nothing anyone could do about it. “Cus ignorance really says sorry you got skewered and as for Angel…”

“Yes.” Giles raised voice shocked everyone but the vampiress. “I know very well what you think of him and his actions.”

“Do any of you get what could have happened to her?” Cordelia pointed at an open mouthed cheerleader. “Lemme spell it out for you. D E A D.”

Buffy, unable and unwilling to hear anymore, lashed right back. “You can spell? What’s next, learning to count?” It was the only way she could deal with the reality of the situation.

A chair squeaked against the floor as the vampiress shot up so fast, Giles and Cordelia flinched. The atmosphere was growing increasingly tense as the air thickened with something neither had experienced.

“I’m not afraid of you, slayer. I’ll gladly throw down.” She was ready, so fucking ready to smash the bitch’s skull in. She wouldn’t do it fast. No. That’d be too easy. She’d do it slow enough to make the slayer feel what it was like when eyeballs exploded out of bleeding eye sockets. Or maybe she’d twist the neck so slowly, Buffy would hear the crack right before it broke.

Either way, Cordelia wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of being drained.

“Any time, any where,” was the challenging response.

Cordelia vamped out and both humans truly felt the seriousness as it bore down in invisible waves of heavy tension. “Now’s good for me.”

The cheerleader rolled her eyes when she saw the expression of sheer fear on Giles’ face. A man, one who went after Angelus, was scared of a female pissing contest. “Oh for crying out loud. Will you two give it a rest?”

Annoyed hazel eyes pinned Buffy into place. “You. If it wasn’t for Angel, I’d be worried about her virtue, and you.” She looked to the vampiress. “So you got hurt. Big whoop. Get over it. You were bait and bait is meant to be on the front line, so to speak. You weren’t forced into it.”

Everyone fell silent and all for different reasons. To Giles, it sounded as though Cordelia had been expecting to get hurt, which didn’t sit with him at all. To Buffy, it sounded as though the cheerleader was having a dig at her relationship with Angel.

To the vampiress, “This is the slayer’s form of foreplay?” Off everyone’s look, “What? I was gonna add Cordy has a point.” She hated whiners and hated it even more when she got whiny, which happened occasionally. She usually put it down to the dead version of PMS.

The watcher leveled a look at the human brunette. “Yes, she certainly does, and you won’t be doing it again from this point on.”

Buffy agreed, if only to save face after the farce of last night’s patrol. “Fair enough.”

Cordelia stared long and hard at the vampiress. “I’m stuck with research,” she took a deep, calming breath, “Thanks so much.”

Cordelia beamed, happy she got her way. She slapped both hands on her hips and stood proudly tall. “You’re welcome.”

“Now that’s settled, can I get some work done?” The cheerleader never thought she’d be so happy to have revision to do. Then again, if an apocalypse stopped what was going on, then she’d be happy about that, too.

“Ooh, what subject?”

“History.” Cordelia, determined to keep her equilibrium by pretending she did not just tell herself off, spoke with a peace to make the Dali Llama jealous.

The vampiress grinned to herself. Perfectamundo. Didn’t matter if she thought Angel far from deserved Cordelia, it was preferable to what she witnessed between him and the slayer. “You should ask Angel. He goes way back.”

“That would be great if Mrs. Destroyallyouth didn’t have the pop quiz scheduled for this afternoon.”

Cordelia tapped her fingers against her waist. “Tell you what. You buy the munchies and I’ll help you ace the test.” Who’d have thought her sire’s education kick would come in handy? “I could really use a soda.”

The cheerleader shrugged. Whatever worked. “Lemme guess, Coke?” If the vampiress had her likes and dislikes, then Diet Coke would be well and truly off the menu.

“If you are what you eat, then I’m sweet all the way.” Sugar always worked when prying information out of someone and Cordelia wanted to know what the cheerleader’s conversation with Angel entailed.

The two shared identical smiles that Giles had to look away from. It was beginning to get incredibly disturbing.

**************

Lunch came and went, and soon it was the end of the school day, which found the three original Scoobies sitting outside on a bench simply enjoying the fact there were no more classes until Monday. Since it was Friday, that spelled one thing.

“So,” Buffy grinned at both her best friends. “Are we Bronzing it tonight?” She really could do with blowing off some steam.

Willow avoided Xander’s gaze for the millionth time today. “Oz and I are going bowling…” Seeing the disappointment on the slayer’s face, “But we could go to the Bronze after.” Eep. Talking about Oz to Xander was making cracks in her nothing-is-going-on shell.

“I’m taking Cordy to the Bronze, so I’ll be there.”

Buffy was totally oblivious to the exchanging of guilt ridden looks between Willow and Xander. “No doubt the spawn of satan will be there, too.”

The mentioning of the vampiress had everyone of them shutting up. The silence lasted for a few moments as they each recalled their own experiences with her, except Willow, who hadn’t talked to her yet.

“What’s she like?” The witch asked.

“Like Cordelia, only worse.” Xander sarcastically muttered.

“I second that,” Buffy agreed. “Centre of the universe.”

“Oh.” Willow sort of smiled. “Cordy as a vampire? I can’t think of anything more terrifying.”

Both the slayer and Xander gave her a pat on the back, only his lingered a little longer than was correct for a boy with a girlfriend. Willow stiffened as she caught sight of familiar spiky hair heading her way.

Xander’s hand immediately fell to his side.

“Hey.” Oz greeted with a straight face. “We still on?”

Willow subtly gave a sideways glance at Buffy. “Maybe we could go to the Bronze after?”

The werewolf gave a cool nod. “Sure. There’s a band on with a late set. Be good to check out.”

She smiled way too much, but Oz never noticed. “Great! There we’ll be. Checking out the late set. Like a couple.” Willow inwardly cringed. Did she sound too excited? Maybe he knew she was putting it on. Panic began to bubble up. Help.

Xander slapped his thigh and sported his own extremely enthusiastic grin. “That’s settled. We’re accepting the call of the wild.”

Oz looked to Willow, “You need a ride home?”

She resisted the urge to look at Xander to see what he thought. She couldn’t help it. Green eyes slid to the boy on her right, and to her disappointment, his face showed nothing.

“Okay.” Was it wrong of her that if she couldn’t have one, she would have the other? Probably. She was bad. So very, very bad. Oh God, she was going to hell. Cordelia would kill her if she found out.

Before Willow cracked under the intense pressure of secret keeping, she was off the bench and standing next to her boyfriend. The one called Oz. “Bye guys.”

Buffy rolled her eyes, smiling indulgently at the red head now walking away with the werewolf. “It’s good to see her happy.” Especially after watching her crush on Xander go up in flames.

Xander didn’t reply straight away. He was too busy focusing on the hand he’d been holding under the dining table earlier, which was now wrapped in another man’s touch. “Yeah.”

Yeah.

Part 11

Posted in TBC

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