Wesley sat down in his desk chair and threw his glasses onto his desk. He rubbed his temples, trying to calm himself. With a sigh, he threw open a book and began reading.
Angel knocked softly on Wesley's door. "Wes?"
"Please, just...go away." Wesley answered, digging deeper into his books.
Angel walked in. He closed the door and sat in a chair across from Wesley.
"Why is it that you can't come in unless invited when it applies to a house...but not an office?" Wesley said, not looking up from his book.
Angel shrugged and sat back. "What's got you so disturbed? I mean, besides the whole vamp chick thing."
Wesley looked up, tears threatening to spill over the edges of his eyelids. "You." He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes, putting his glasses back on.
"Me? What the hell did I do?" Angel stood, offended.
"Yes, you. You...you..." Wesley sighed. "With you around, I've got no shot at her. She's completely enamored with you. Not me. I'm just a buzzy little book man who used to have a dignified profession." He leaned back, closing the book.
"I know you're in love with her. Cordelia told me. I'm not trying to do anything like steal her--"
"But you are. You can't help it, but you are. She's obsessed with the idea that you're her prince charming. I've tried. I've tried my hardest, but nothing seems to work." Wesley had to wipe his eyes again. "I give up. I'll be in love with a woman who loves you...forever."
"Wesley, I..."
"Please leave, Angel. Please." Wesley stood and opened the door, showing Angel the way out.
Angel hung his head and walked out. He had to find a way to help.
Cordelia sat in Fred's room with her, dabbing some dried blood from Fred's sleeping face. She sighed and stood up. A book fell out from underneath Fred's mattress, loosened after the struggle in the room the night before. Cordelia stared at the leather-bound book, then at Fred. She stole glances at each, pretending not to see the book for a while.
As she dumped the water in the sink of Fred's bathroom, Cordelia leaned back, looking to see if Fred was still asleep. Quickly, she ran into the room, picked up the book and sat in a chair across from Fred. She opened to the latest entry, just a few days ago.
"As I sit here in the dark, I wonder if he's thinking of me. He never seems to be. Busy making himself smarter, out to save the world. That's who he is...my hero. My heart flutters every time I see him, like it's got a bunch of bees in it or something. When he goes away, the bees sting me. They hurt my heart, breaking it into pieces. It's never been like this before. I thought I was in love with Angel...but now I know. It wasn't love. Not like this is. I'm in love...with Wesley."
Cordelia gasped, closing the book. She bit her lip with a smile, looking at Fred. They were both obsessed with each other...the only trick was to get them to realize it. It would take some time, but she'd do it.
A week passed, still no sign on what was up with the wicked vampire. Fred's scars were healing nicely, her bruises gone. She was almost her cheery self again. There was just one problem. There was something off about her, something missing. She seemed happy at once, then sad. It always occurred when Wesley was around. They'd look at one another, share an uncomfortable glance, then turn away.
His blue eyes always looked sad, also longing for his love. He was enveloped in his books, almost never leaving his office. Cordelia noticed the dark bags under his eyes, the way he always looked tired. She swore that he was sleeping at the Hyperion now.
"Hey Fred?" Cordelia asked, walking into Fred's room one day.
"Hello, Cordelia." Fred smiled. She closed the book in which she was writing and put it under her covers. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah..." Cordelia sat down in a chair and scooted closer to Fred. "Remember that dinner party I talked to you about?"
"Of course." Fred capped her pen.
"Well, I'm going to try to have that, powers willing, tomorrow night." She grinned. "Still interested?"
"Sure!" Fred smiled for a moment, then it faded. "Wait, who's going to be there?"
Cordelia thought fast. "You, me, Angel, Gunn, and Wes. Maybe. He's not sure yet."
"Oh. Okay then. Should I dress up?" She stood and walked to her closet, looking through her clothes. "I don't know if I have anything really nice to wear."
"That is why you and I are going shopping for something to wear tomorrow afternoon." Cordy smiled, standing up. She stood in the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon?"
"Yeah. Sounds like fun." Fred grinned.
Angel knocked softly on Wesley's door. "Wes?"
"Please, just...go away." Wesley answered, digging deeper into his books.
Angel walked in. He closed the door and sat in a chair across from Wesley.
"Why is it that you can't come in unless invited when it applies to a house...but not an office?" Wesley said, not looking up from his book.
Angel shrugged and sat back. "What's got you so disturbed? I mean, besides the whole vamp chick thing."
Wesley looked up, tears threatening to spill over the edges of his eyelids. "You." He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes, putting his glasses back on.
"Me? What the hell did I do?" Angel stood, offended.
"Yes, you. You...you..." Wesley sighed. "With you around, I've got no shot at her. She's completely enamored with you. Not me. I'm just a buzzy little book man who used to have a dignified profession." He leaned back, closing the book.
"I know you're in love with her. Cordelia told me. I'm not trying to do anything like steal her--"
"But you are. You can't help it, but you are. She's obsessed with the idea that you're her prince charming. I've tried. I've tried my hardest, but nothing seems to work." Wesley had to wipe his eyes again. "I give up. I'll be in love with a woman who loves you...forever."
"Wesley, I..."
"Please leave, Angel. Please." Wesley stood and opened the door, showing Angel the way out.
Angel hung his head and walked out. He had to find a way to help.
Cordelia sat in Fred's room with her, dabbing some dried blood from Fred's sleeping face. She sighed and stood up. A book fell out from underneath Fred's mattress, loosened after the struggle in the room the night before. Cordelia stared at the leather-bound book, then at Fred. She stole glances at each, pretending not to see the book for a while.
As she dumped the water in the sink of Fred's bathroom, Cordelia leaned back, looking to see if Fred was still asleep. Quickly, she ran into the room, picked up the book and sat in a chair across from Fred. She opened to the latest entry, just a few days ago.
"As I sit here in the dark, I wonder if he's thinking of me. He never seems to be. Busy making himself smarter, out to save the world. That's who he is...my hero. My heart flutters every time I see him, like it's got a bunch of bees in it or something. When he goes away, the bees sting me. They hurt my heart, breaking it into pieces. It's never been like this before. I thought I was in love with Angel...but now I know. It wasn't love. Not like this is. I'm in love...with Wesley."
Cordelia gasped, closing the book. She bit her lip with a smile, looking at Fred. They were both obsessed with each other...the only trick was to get them to realize it. It would take some time, but she'd do it.
A week passed, still no sign on what was up with the wicked vampire. Fred's scars were healing nicely, her bruises gone. She was almost her cheery self again. There was just one problem. There was something off about her, something missing. She seemed happy at once, then sad. It always occurred when Wesley was around. They'd look at one another, share an uncomfortable glance, then turn away.
His blue eyes always looked sad, also longing for his love. He was enveloped in his books, almost never leaving his office. Cordelia noticed the dark bags under his eyes, the way he always looked tired. She swore that he was sleeping at the Hyperion now.
"Hey Fred?" Cordelia asked, walking into Fred's room one day.
"Hello, Cordelia." Fred smiled. She closed the book in which she was writing and put it under her covers. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah..." Cordelia sat down in a chair and scooted closer to Fred. "Remember that dinner party I talked to you about?"
"Of course." Fred capped her pen.
"Well, I'm going to try to have that, powers willing, tomorrow night." She grinned. "Still interested?"
"Sure!" Fred smiled for a moment, then it faded. "Wait, who's going to be there?"
Cordelia thought fast. "You, me, Angel, Gunn, and Wes. Maybe. He's not sure yet."
"Oh. Okay then. Should I dress up?" She stood and walked to her closet, looking through her clothes. "I don't know if I have anything really nice to wear."
"That is why you and I are going shopping for something to wear tomorrow afternoon." Cordy smiled, standing up. She stood in the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow at noon?"
"Yeah. Sounds like fun." Fred grinned.
