'How? When? In sunnydale? I had no idea, none! really? When? How? Did everyone else know? How did I miss it? When did this happen? For how long'
Cordelia wasn't aware that the British were capable of such displays of emotion.
And his impression of a windmill was quite entertaining.
'Calm down Wes, you'll hurt yourself.' Angel tried desperately to keep from laughing at the Englishman who was working himself up into a state.
Who knew he would react this way.
Angel and Cordelia sat side by side on the couch watching the irate man pace back and forth, like they were watching a game of tennis. He would walk to one side of the room throwing his arms around wildly, stop, look confused for a little while, think of something new and then pace back the way he had just come, all the while muttering.
'Wesley if you calm down I'll explain everything' Cordelia tried.
It became obvious that Wesley was a long way from calming down.
She turned to Angel 'Doyle handled it waaaay better'
It was way past her curfew, besides the club was dead, drunk frat boys passed out in corners, girls in too much makeup and not enough clothes were bumping into things, some with great determination. The things they were bumping into seemed to enjoy it . Cordelia Chase was out of there. Her date had been a bust anyway. Charlie the "college guy" had turned into Charlie "grabby hands" something Queen C had had plenty of training in, and dealing with him had been no problem. Once he had regained the feeling in his hands he had turned into Charlie "the big bore" droning on and on about his fathers money, the club, the polo matches and his summer in the Hamptons. All things that at one time would have had her batting her eyelashes and checking for bad breath. But now it just bored her. Xander Harris had a lot to answer for. Not only was she a social leper at school due to the complete mental breakdown she apparently suffered in order to have ever dated someone so far down the evolutionary ladder as him. But he had ruined dating for her all together. Cordelia, deciding that the safest route would be to give up dating high school boys completely in case she ever slipped again (not likely) She had moved on to college men. Which was turning out to be as equally disastrous. Charlie wasn't the first date that had failed miserably. In fact he was her eleventh. Eleven dates that all left her feeling lonely, confused and down right pissed off. She was the "boyslayer" what the hell was wrong with her, why couldn't things go back to the way they were before? If she was honest with herself, she knew. She knew that deep down nothing had changed; it was just becoming more difficult to hide. Even from herself.
The facade that she had hidden herself behind was slowly loosing hold, not crumbling so much as becoming transparent. Yes, she could now see, really see out from behind; the pathetic high school hierarchy, the false friendships, the desperation and pettiness that was high school life and beyond that, her life, her parents life, everything that had held importance to her. For the first time she was seeing things for what they really were.
And if she could see out, then that meant that others might be able to
look back and see through her carefully maintained and manicured image.
And
that was what was pissing her off the most. Snatching her bag from the
table, she didn't even glance at her so called date, as he was happily
trying out the "grabby hands" move on some other girl and didn't even
notice her leave.
Pushing
her way through the exit, the cold night air chilled her, but was also
refreshing after the dank hole of a college bar she had spent the
better part of her night in. She was standing alone enjoying the night
air when she first saw him. At first she wasn't sure if it was him or
not. What in the world would Buffy's creature of the night ex-boyfriend
be doing in this part of town? For that matter what was she doing here?
Looking around she realized that she was alone, standing on the
sidewalk outside a club, at 2am in the morning in Sunnydale. "Way to
make yourself a victim Cor" What the hell was she thinking! Where was a
cab when you needed one?
She was looking through her handbag for her cellphone when she saw him again. He was disentangling himself from an obviously drunk college girl, who didn't seem too happy about it. Cordelia absently noticed that the girl was pretty, tall with long red hair tumbling down her back in soft waves. He was trying to push her back inside the door to a building Cordelia realized was a small apartment block, it was also then that she realized that the girl wasn't wearing that much clothing either. 'Oh, so that's what he's doing' He finally succeeded in getting her to go back inside, but only after she had thoroughly kissed him goodbye Finding her phone she dialed a cab company from memory. This wasn't the first time that she had found herself needing a ride home after a failed date. Ignoring the groping couple she looked for a well lit place to wait for the cab to show up.
'Cordelia?' he approached her cautiously. He remembered what had happened last time he had startled her.
'Hi Angel' She said quietly with a soft smile that didn't reach her eyes.
'What are you doing here'
'Waiting for a cab'
'No,
I meant what are you doing here?' he asked still cautiously, but now
for different reasons. There were conflicting waves of emotion
radiating from the girl
'I had a date' She answered lamely. 'Oh' he was never very good with
small talk, and was finding it particularly difficult tonight. 'What
are you doing here?' She asked feeling bolder because she already knew
the answer
'I um I ah'
'Had a date?' she helped him out 'it's okay, I saw you two saying goodnight'
'Oh' Angel said throwing a look across the street towards the building he had just exited.
Deciding it was best to change the subject at this point. Not wanting to discuss his sex life with one of Buffy's friends.
'Do you want a lift?' He asked
Looking around, she weighed her options. Stay and possibly end up on some vamps dinner menu or getting a ride home.
'You're not evil are you?'
'What! No'
'Just checking'
'Why
would you ask that?' 'Well last time you got some you turned evil' She
said matter of factly following as he lead the way to where his car was
parked.
His big black boat of a car was docked half a block down, and in the space of the quick walk her emotions had calmed, some of her usual spark returning.
'It's huge.' Was her blunt statement when he stopped next his pride and joy.
'Thank you' he couldn't help the slightly evil grin 'I was referring to the car'
'So was I' "Oh.' Her embarrassment was short lived as another thought came to her
'How come I didn't know you had a car? How long have you had a car?' she questioned him
'Since 1968'
'You've had a car all this time and I was the only one who had the pleasure of chauffeuring around the stake happy slayer and her band of dweebs'
'Hey.' She was about to retract her statement, thinking he had taken offense to her putting down the slayer and her friends.
'.. Do you really think I would let any of them in my car? It's a classic'
Before She had a chance to reply, or even process all this new information he was opening the door for her 'Get in'
They drove in relative silence, the radio playing softly in the background. The scenery flying by as he drove back towards the centre of town 'How long have you been seeing her? Cordelia asked unable to suppress her curiosity any longer
'Who'
'Oh, I don't know, how about the girl who had her tongue down your throat and her hands in your pants'
'You noticed that did you' he said with a bashful, yet very manly smile '
Kinda hard not to' Sensing his reluctance 'so?' she prompted
'She was just someone I met.' He said keeping it vague
'Oh. You gonna see her again?' She wasn't sure why she was so curious about Angel's love life. God knows she wasn't interested in his previous relationship, well that was until he turned evil and tried to kill them all.
Or maybe it had more to do with keeping the conversation on him and off her.
'What about you'
'I doubt I will see her again' She joked deliberately missing the point.
Deliberately missing her avoidance tactics Angel asked again 'You said you had a date. You going to see him again'
'No.' was her only reply. Angel was going to press the point, because something was off with the girl tonight, even he could see that. When she lent forward and turned up the radio proclaiming that she 'loved this song' and effectively ended that line of questioning.
The song finished and she reluctantly turned the volume back down
'So seen any good movies lately?' he asked She just stared at the usually laconic vampire 'I'm changing the subject Cordelia'
'Really' she bit. Letting some Queen C out
'You obviously don't want to talk about whatever's going on, and I get that, I really do'
'How do you know that there's anything going on with me? She snapped, but only half heartedly there was no real venom behind it. Angel just gave her a "don't even try that on me" look.
'Sorry.' And she really was. 'Things have been a little crazed lately' He didn't say anything just let her talk. 'Have you ever had that feeling, where you didn't know where you fit in anymore?'
He gave her another look, this one said "you have no idea" but what he said was 'Every day'
'Really?'
'Cordelia I am a vampire with a soul. I don't fit in with the demons and I sure as hell don't fit in with the humans.' He said it matter of factly, without a hint of bitterness or resentment. It was just the way things were. Cordelia wondered how long it took him to achieve that.
She thought that was going to be it. He surprised her by continuing.
'When I was with Buffy, it was the first time in a really long time that I thought that I might be able to find a place where I fit in.' he paused lost in a not so distant memory. 'And we all know how well that ended.' He added with a derisive laugh. 'But I was wrong. Yes she, they, all knew what I was but there wasn't a day that I wasn't reminded of that, of how I didn't fit in with the group.
'Yeah' Cordelia added remembering her own struggles to be accepted into the tight knit group
'always being on the outside, being there but never being completely included' He offered her a soft smile, because in this they were not alone. They both knew what it was to be the outsider.
'We're here' Angel announced sliding the car to a stop outside her house.
She hadn't even realized. 'Thanks.
'No problem'
'Hey, how'd you know where I live?' She asked leaning back in once she had closed the car door
'I lurk'
Ok, so I've had this sitting around for like, EVER and found it again today, blew some of the cobwebs off and posted it here. Whatta ya think?