{"id":3999,"date":"2015-07-05T23:26:34","date_gmt":"2015-07-05T22:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/?p=3999"},"modified":"2015-07-06T00:59:59","modified_gmt":"2015-07-05T23:59:59","slug":"bad-timing-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/05\/bad-timing-15\/","title":{"rendered":"Bad Timing. 15"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 15<\/b>: Get off The Stage Already<\/em><\/p>\n

Cordelia didn\u2019t need another drink. She didn\u2019t need one, but she sure as hell could use one.<\/p>\n

What the fuck happened back there? What the hell is her problem? And what\u2019s my problem? I just sat there, taking it. When did I become Little Miss Victim? <\/i><\/p>\n

Dawn was on stage, singing her heart out to a ditty by Brittney Spears.<\/p>\n

It was nice of her, to save me like that. But I hate the fact that I put myself in the position of needing to be saved. Looks like three years with Mr. Swoop-in-and-save-the-damsel-in-distress has made me soft. I can\u2019t forget how to take care of myself. <\/i><\/p>\n

The bartender finally noticed her standing there and she ordered a Raspberry Stoli and Sprite. Cordy turned around for a second to check out Dawn, then turned back to grab her drink.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will be $6.75,\u201d the demon bartender said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it on my tab,\u201d came a voice from behind her. Angel. Play it cool Cordy. You can do it.<\/i> Cordelia slowly turned around, leaned back against the bar, and gave Angel a glance before taking a sip of her drink.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t say anything though. She swore she had some cool retort on the tip of her tongue, but that was before she had gotten a good look at his eyes. I\u2019ve seen him day in and day out for years, but I\u2019ve never seen his eyes look like that before. Look at me like that.<\/i><\/p>\n

Angel was trying to call on his inner demon, trying to find vestiges of the sensual, predatory creature he once was. Stuttering idiot wasn\u2019t really working on Cordelia, it was time to try something new. He got as far as one smoldering good look before his plan backfired.<\/p>\n

The mistake wasn\u2019t the smoldering part, it was the looking part. <\/i>God, she made him crazy, crazy with want and need and fear and hope and everything that was good and bad about human emotion. Unfortunately, all that emotion brought Stuttering Idiot back to the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t look nice,\u201d he blurted out.<\/p>\n

Cordelia choked on her drink. She coughed twice. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh shit. What\u2019s wrong with you? <\/i>\u201cI mean, what I said, before, what I said when you came in. I said you looked nice. Well, I take it back. You don\u2019t look nice. You look breathtaking.\u201d He eyed her warily, hoping he had eased over his blunder.<\/p>\n

She rolled her eyes. \u201cI\u2019m breathtaking? Angel, you don\u2019t breath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Good point. \u201cWell yeah. And that\u2019s a good thing, or else I would have passed out hours ago, what with all the breathtaking-ness. You look like a\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia had a sinking feeling she knew where he was going with that, so she cut him off. \u201cPlease don\u2019t say a princess.\u201d I don\u2019t know when I started to hate that word, but I really do.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Not a princess. It\u2019s funny. You were Doyle\u2019s princess. Groo\u2019s princess. Even Lorne lets it slip now and then. But I\u2019ve never really thought of you that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGee thanks.\u201d It wasn\u2019t that Cordelia was fishing for compliments. But she wasn\u2019t fishing for insults either.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrincess,\u201d Angel continued, as if he hadn\u2019t heard her wounded comment. \u201cIt\u2019s just not you. Royalty, that implies something distant, removed\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntouchable,\u201d Cordy added.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d Angel said, in that smooth voice he had adopted ever since she\u2019d brought up the princess bit. \u201cA princess would be untouchable. And you, you are very,\u201d he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, \u201cvery,\u201d he tipped her chin up with his index finger so she was looking him directly in the eye, \u201ctouchable,\u201d then used the same finger to trail down her smooth bare arm.<\/p>\n

Cordelia didn\u2019t smile, didn\u2019t laugh, didn\u2019t move, didn\u2019t think. She did, however, gulp.<\/p>\n

Angel leaned in, so his mouth was right up near her ear. \u201cSometimes,\u201d he confided in a low sexy voice that literally made her quiver, \u201cI can\u2019t NOT touch you.\u201d And then he was leaning down and Cordelia\u2019s heart was going to explode out of her chest and she clenched her hands into fists and it was really going to happen and\u2026<\/p>\n

Once again, fate was a cruel mistress. Gunn and Fred walked up. Too late, Fred saw that they were interrupting and tried to tug her boyfriend away. Too late.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey can I get two Bud Lights,\u201d Gunn called out over Cordelia\u2019s head, to the bartender behind her. \u201cYo, dawg,\u201d he said, sidling up to Angel, \u201cI think someone is trying to get your attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was like Angel hadn\u2019t heard. He had quit leaning in, but he was still staring down at Cordelia. She was staring right back at him. Fred noted their preoccupation with each other. \u201cGunn, I\u2019m not really all that thirsty. Maybe after another song.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAngel, man, hey. Pay attention. I think your girl is dedicating this song to the one she loves.\u201d Somehow the words penetrated Angel\u2019s mind, though the haze of Cordelia. He was confused. What the hell is Gunn talking about? <\/i>Then the music kicked in and all four of them turned towards the stage, where Gunn had been pointing to.<\/p>\n

There was Buffy. Alone on stage. Staring at Angel.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Buffy wasn\u2019t entirely sure about her actions. A few minutes ago, the Karaoke had seemed like a good idea. After all, so far the night had not been going her way. She had gone too far when they were all sitting down. Cordy hadn\u2019t been fighting back, so Buffy had come off looking like a real bitch. She had taken a few minutes to regroup and by the time she was focused again, Cordy and Angel were standing way too close over by the bar and Spike was sitting next to her.<\/p>\n

This is all Spike\u2019s fault. If he had just kept his stupid mouth shut. But no, he had to go on and on, about how great \u201cCordy\u201d was and how she was irresistible. I just wanted to make Angel see me. What better way to get his attention than standing on stage, opening up my heart to him.<\/i><\/p>\n

But on stage now, Buffy was definitely beginning to regret her decision, especially the song she had chosen. It was cheesy and corny and obvious. But she really needed the message to be clear. So that Angel would get the message. So that Angel, and Spike, and Cordelia would get the message. Maybe, just maybe, so I\u2019ll get the message too.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cLooks like we made it,
\nLook how far we\u2019ve come my baby,
\nI\u2019m glad we didn\u2019t listen,
\nLook at what we would be missing\u2026\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Spike\u2019s breath, unnecessary though it was, had caught in his throat the moment the Slayer opened her mouth. He knew what was coming, he thought he had prepared himself for it, but it was still like being kicked in the gut. Fuck it <\/i>he thought, and walked out the door. He may be love\u2019s bitch, but he wasn\u2019t a glutton for punishment.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re still the one I run to,
\nThe one that I belong to,
\nYou\u2019re still the one I want for life\u2026\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Cordelia stood silently watching Buffy. She looked good up there. She was so tiny and blond and her voice wasn\u2019t too shabby. The words of the song reverberated in her mind. \u201cThe one that I belong to\u201d. Cordy closed her eyes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true. Buffy does belong to Angel and Angel belongs to Buffy. Always and forever. So what the hell am I doing?<\/i> She couldn\u2019t compete with Buffy because there was no competition. This whole ordeal, it was so\u2026tired. Cordelia was tired. I\u2019m tired of trying to distract Angel. Tired of coming close and always having something happen. I\u2019m tired of comparing myself to the Slayer and always being found wanting.<\/i><\/p>\n

It was time to stop. Cordelia grabbed her drink and glanced at Angel who stared, apparently entranced, at the stage. Then she walked away.<\/p>\n

Thirty seconds later there was a tap on her shoulder. Cordelia turned to find Fred. Fred was yelling.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere are you going? You can\u2019t just walk away. That girl on stage is trying to steal Angel. Fight for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia sighed. \u201cFred, what are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook Cordy, you and Angel, you know that there is something there. Something was about to happen back there, before me and Gunn interrupted and before\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore Slayer Night at the Apollo?\u201d Cordy offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. You need to go back there and finish that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFred, sweetie, there was no moment. Nothings going to happen between me and Angel. No matter how much you shout kyerumption and moira in my face. Don\u2019t look at me like that. Fine, yes, I admit it. I have feelings, certain feel\u2014Look, I like Angel. A lot. In ways that I shouldn\u2019t.\u201d Cordy stopped for a breath and watched Fred\u2019s face blossom into a huge goofy grin.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot so fast there.\u201d She set down her drink and used both hands to spin Fred around so she faced the stage. Buffy had just finished the song and was soaking up the crowd\u2019s applause. \u201cLook at her. It will always be her for him.\u201d Cordelia spun her friend back around to face her. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me to fight. I don\u2019t want to fight. I shouldn\u2019t HAVE to fight. I don\u2019t want to MAKE someone love me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCordy, he does lo\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFred, it\u2019s done,\u201d Cordelia said, swallowing and running a hand through her hair. \u201cI\u2019m just going to stop. I\u2019ll forget these feelings and we can all go back to normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

There. That should get Fred off my back. That will solve everything.<\/i><\/p>\n

Fred snorted. \u201cOh wow. And people think that I\u2019m the crazy one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cordelia couldn\u2019t stop herself from arching an eyebrow in response. But that wasn\u2019t about to stop Fred from saying what needed to be said. \u201cCordy, how clueless are you? You can\u2019t just wake up one day and snap your fingers and say \u2018today I\u2019m not going to be in love with Angel anymore.\u2019 It doesn\u2019t work like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, I didn\u2019t say that I was in love,\u201d was all Cordelia could bite out before Fred held up her hand, effectively telling her to shut up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy turn to talk. Look, it\u2019s like, um, it\u2019s like a flat tire.\u201d Up went that eyebrow of Cordelia\u2019s again, this time accompanied by the rolling eyes. Fred was undaunted. \u201cMy cousin Lindsay, she\u2019s one of the Louisiana Burkles. Anyway, she once got a flat tire. And she just ignored it. She didn\u2019t have a spare, she was way too broke to afford a new tire. SO she just pretended that it never happened. She drove around on a flat tire for three days! Eventually it got so bad that she couldn\u2019t steer and she ran right off the road and hit a tree and totaled the car!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a point to this story?\u201d Cordelia honestly wasn\u2019t trying to be mean. She really just didn\u2019t see the point.<\/p>\n

\u201cLove is like a flat tire. There\u2019s never a good time for it, you never plan on it happening, and it almost always screws up your schedule. But most importantly, you have to deal with it. You can\u2019t just ignore it or pretend it isn\u2019t happening or think that it will just go away, or, or\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOr I\u2019ll run off the road and get totaled?\u201d Cordy asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething like that,\u201d Fred said quietly.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook Fred. I appreciate your concern. I even appreciate the analogy as helpful as it wasn\u2019t. But we\u2019re done here. I tried and I failed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow have you tried Cordelia? Have you even told him how you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cordelia Chase I know and love, the woman who helped drag me back into reality, she wouldn\u2019t give up on something she wanted, not without having done everything in her power to have it.\u201d Cordelia couldn\u2019t help but smile at that.<\/p>\n

Fred did have a point.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow,\u201d Fred said, reaching for Cordelia\u2019s drink and raising it to her friend\u2019s lips. \u201cTake a big sip, square your shoulders, go find Angel and you tell him that, that, um, that if he isn\u2019t smart enough to realize how perfect you are for him, then, then he and the Slayer with the bad highlights deserve each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fred really was a genius.<\/p>\n

Part 16<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 15: Get off The Stage Already Cordelia didn\u2019t need another drink. She didn\u2019t need one, but she sure as hell could use…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-completed-fics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3999\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goteamfiction.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}