[B]THREE[/B]
Angel's arms were wrapped tightly around Cordelia. She did nothing, just let him hold onto her, hands still softly caressing his neck and up and down his spine, the same thing he'd do to her after a vision. She knew he was asleep, but she wanted to enjoy his arms around her for a just a while longer.
Her head was beside him and she took in a deep breath, the scent of burnt flesh gone, Angel's all male scent filling her nostrils. With a sigh, she untangled herself from his arms. He reached out for her and grabbed onto a pillow, holding it close to him. She rolled her eyes and walked out the door, closing it softly and making her way downstairs.
The Scoobies sat together, talking amongst themselves in the lobby. Wesley and Gunn rested against the counter, watching the group intently. Cordelia walked down the steps and was ready to make her way discreetly to Wesley and Gunn when she heard a wolf whistle.
"Damn cheerleader, if I would've known you were gonna grow up to look like this..." Cordelia turned and glared.
"Spike. Did you forget I hate you?"
"Why? Oh. The torturing Angel thing. You would've found a new boss."Cordelia glared, then turned to Wesley.
"So, why are they here?"
"I guess I should be asking you that, Cordelia."
"Huh?"
"Seems you made a phone call to Willow while we were researching?"
"Oh. Yeah. That."
"Well, Buffy called me back."
"I didn't talk to Buffy. I talked to Willow."
"Yeah. But I was in the room when you were talking to Willow. I called Wesley back. He said Angel was hurt, so-" Buffy was cut off.
"So you came down here, ready to save him?" Cordelia asked. "Why? We've got it under control."
"Apparently not if you needed to call Willow." Giles retorted and Cordelia threw her hands up in frustration.
"Whatever."
"Cordelia." Wesley said sternly. She turned to him, receiving a disapproving stare.
"What?"
"I thought we discussed that we weren't going to involve anyone from Sunnydale."
"I know, but-"
"You called them. We would've figured it out."
"Wesley. We were stuck between two possible causes; we had no way to determine which was right. We didn't have enough time to test both. I did what I had to."
"He would've preferred-"
"He can't make his own decisions right now. It's Angel, Wes. Hell, he can't make his own decisions, ever. I think it's worth swallowing our pride if it saves him, don't you?" He stared at her and, eventually, he turned away.
"You're right."
"Duh." She sighed. "No what do we do?"
"I'm gonna go with research. We don't know much about...anything, really."
"Just that Broody pants is broodier than usual. Didn't even get a small greeting before he insulted me." Xander grumbled. He didn't like being insulted with a word he couldn't even understand.
"He is in a lot of pain Xander." Cordelia defended the wounded vampire.
"So? He's always in some sort of pain. Doesn't mean he should be rude."
"Keep in mind he can't get laid without the possibility of going crazy." Spike said, and then snickered. "Glad I don't got that problem."
"Yeah. We're working on that problem." Gunn said. Wesley and Cordelia glared at him.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked before Buffy could even completely register the information.
"It hardly seems relevant at this time..." Off the questioning look on Willow's face, Wesley sighed. "I found something while researching that could give Angel his soul permanently. It's not for sure yet, so we haven't told Angel. Don't want to get his hopes up. But if all goes well, it should work."
"That's extraordinary." Giles said, staring at Wesley.
"But really irrelevant right now." Cordelia said. Buffy glared at her.
"I think it's important."
"Buffy. Your opinion really doesn't matter. Now, you brought the whole gang, including your ex-jock of a boyfriend here, so, might as well put them to use." She turned to Wesley. "On with the research, yeah?" Buffy just stared and Riley frowned, not liking the young woman's reference to him.
"Cordelia's right. To cure Angel, we have to find out how. And since we don't know much of anything, we should get on it now."
"Yeah. You guys do that." Cordelia said, not so stealthily making her way back to the stairs. "I'm gonna go check on Mister Tall, Dark and Medicated." She made her way up the stairs as Wesley plopped a large stack of books on the coffee table. Xander stared longingly after her. He didn't want to research.
"How come Cordy doesn't have to read through this crap."
"She's tending to Angel. She keeps him calm and comfortable."
"I can make Deadboy comfortable."
"Man, that is Scarface limping around up there." Gunn said. "And he don't like you as it is."
"I don't want-"
"Xander." Wesley said sternly. "It's either research or coffee and donuts boy. You take your pick." Xander sighed.
"What are we looking for?"
"Anything possibly useful on Venarzous demons. Possibly cures, spells, whatever you can find. Write it down. We'll compare what we've found when we're through."
Cordelia opened the door as quietly as possible and crept into the room. Angel was lying on his stomach, the wound noticeable on his side. Her eyes drifted up his muscular back to the tattoo on his right shoulder. That tattoo had always intrigued her. She sat beside him, fingers involuntarily reaching out to trace the A at the gryphon's feet.
"It's for Angelus." His voice was hoarse, pain obvious when he spoke.
"I know."
"I just can't bring myself to get rid of it."
"Don't. It's sexy." He raised an eyebrow, though not visible to her.
"But it's for Angelus."
"It can be for Angel too." She traced up the gryphon and he let out a soft sigh of pleasure. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I woke up when you left." He had held the pillow, and then woke up, knowing it wasn't her.
"Why?"
"Don't know." He turned around, lying on his back with a growl of pain. She lay on the opposite sire of his cut, so she wouldn't hurt him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her flush against him. "Whenever I'm with you, it's like I'm enveloped in a cloud of peace and comfort." She smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah." He looked at her. "What is that?"
"I don't know." She frowned, not wanting to think about that route when Angel wasn't guaranteed the rest of the week. "You should get some sleep."
"I know. So should you."
"I know." He smirked at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Angel..." Her tone held a warning, one he paid no mind to. She let out a surprised squeak as Angel changed his position so he was laying on her. She let out a cough as his weight knocked the air out of her. "Ow! Hi! You're heavy!"
"You're comfortable." He mumbled, head using her chest as his pillow. He felt her tense, then she relaxed. Her body was flush against his and he breathed in her scent, letting her heart beat and warmth lull him to sleep.
"What am I? Your body pillow?"
"You're mine Cordelia." He muttered, then fell asleep comfortably. She tensed, but her hands kept running through his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. Soon, she joined him in slumber, mind racing with thoughts of his mumbled, possessive words.
Cordelia woke up and went to stretch, only to realize she couldn't move. Angel's arms were wrapped tightly around her, face buried into her pulse point. Her butt was pressed against his groin, their legs tangled. She basked in the feeling for a few moments, before trying to slip out of his embrace. The task was not a simple one. His body was as hard as marble and breaking from his hold was not easy.
Cordelia slipped from his hold and he, once again, reached out and grabbed the nearest pillow in reach, holding it tight. She smiled, then went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, hoping he'd still be asleep when she got out.
She finished her shower and pulled on her panties, bra, then the sweats and t-shirt she took from Angel's drawers. When she walked out of the bathroom, she was relieved he was still asleep.
Angel needed his rest. That was a given. But she also didn't know how to face him after his possessive statement last night. Cordelia pulled up her hair into a quick ponytail and made her way downstairs. Everyone was already awake and continuing their research from the night before.
"Hey guys. How's it coming?"
"Not well." Wesley said solemnly. Every optimistic bone in Cordelia's body snapped.
"What?" Cordelia went to him. While everyone's attention was on the words about to come from Wesley's mouth, Buffy made her way up to Angel's room.
The room was dark, the only light from the low-watt lamp beside his bed. She furrowed her brow as she stared at the empty bed. A door opened and she turned to see Angel walk out, towel around his waist.
"Buffy? What are you doing in here?"
"I came to see how you're doing. I'm gonna go with fine." He gave her a quirky grin at her flirtatious tone, went to his dresser and pulled out a pair of black boxers then went into the bathroom, door still open.
"I'm in one piece...kinda." He came out in the boxers only.
"I see." Her eyes on the large gash. "You're very pale." She said, noticing that his skin was lighter than normal.
"Yeah. Thank you."
"I just meant, I can tell you're sick." Angel looked at her and wanted to yell "Duh!" but just gave a small shrug.
"I'll be fine."
"Optimistic."
"Have to be."
"Since when?"
"Talking about your own death tends to destroy the friendly atmosphere. And I've kind of grown accustomed to having them around."
"I see. Very friendly atmosphere. Almost like-"
"A family. I know." And there was a smile, one so bright it lit the dark room. "It's new. But I like it."
"Well, you seem happy."
"I am. It's weird. I smile. I laugh, I crack the occasional joke. Cordy says they're not funny, but I think they are." He said, lying down.
"Wow." Her word held no enthusiasm.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just, you have a life. A real life and I'm not a part of it."
"If I remember correctly, that was your decision."
"I-"
"You wanted your life with Riley and you didn't want me to be a part of it."
"I know. And I thought I meant it. But-"
"But what?"
"But I don't love Riley."
"And what drove you to this miraculous revelation?" He didn't feel good and the last thing he wanted to do was try to sort through Buffy's mixed up thoughts.
"I realized we can be together. Wesley said-"
"I don't care what Wesley said. What's that have to do with you and me?" Angel didn't like where she was going with this.
"Well, now that there might be no curse issues-" Angel had no idea what she was talking about.
"Buffy, you and I didn't just end because the curse."
"But that was part of the issue."
"But not the whole issue. Last year you were in love with Riley. You told me that, threw it in my face-"
"I only did that to make you feel bad."
"Proving the curse was not the only thing wrong with our relationship."
"But I don't love him."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just don't. I thought you'd be happy. I love you Angel, still, always. I could never love Riley like I loved you."
"You didn't love me Buffy."
"The hell I didn't. I know what I felt."
"You were in love with the idea of being in love."
"Stop. You don't know what you're talking about."
"You never loved me. You couldn't."
"You're wrong."
"I'm not. You were in love with me until you learned who and what I was."
"That's not true." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
"It is. As soon as Angelus hit, it woke you up. Blew your fairytale right out of the water. You didn't love me. You couldn't. You knew too much."
"Stop it. Please."
"What?"
"It hurts." She said, nearing a sob.
"How do you think I felt Buffy? I loved you with everything I was. Then I'd look back at you and wouldn't see the same. It ripped me apart inside."
"Maybe I didn't show it. But I did love you. Still do."
"No. You don't. You're just afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of true love."
"I'm not afraid of it Angel. I felt it. When I was with you. Maybe you're just guilting me because you didn't love me. Is that it Angel?"
"Buffy, I loved you with everything I was." He repeated.
"Then why are you making up some lame ass excuse why we can't be together?"
"I'm not. But I won't be with you."
"Why?"
"I won't be the reason you're miserable, the reason you don't find happiness."
"That's bull shit Angel, and you know it."
"It's not Buffy."
"It is. You've moved on, you got your own little clique out here so now you have no room for me." Her tone was bitter, but Angel couldn't help but snort in amusement, causing her to glare at him.
"Buffy, you need to understand something. I loved you. I still care about you. But I won't be with you. I won't be your reason to avoid love. My life is here now, with my friends, my family. What you and I had was everything to me at the time. But it's over. It has been. You can hate me for it if it makes you feel better. Give yourself another reason to avoid love. Or you can thank me for letting you go and letting you move on. Your pick. But know, I won't be coming back to Sunnydale with you. Ever." Buffy stared at him, dumbfounded.
"I, I need to get away from you." She moved to the door, then stopped and turned to him. "Why is it every time I come to LA to see you, I always leave crying?"
"I guess that's another thing wrong with what we had, huh?" She looked at him for a second, then left. Angel sighed, feeling as though he not only set Buffy free, but himself as well.