~~First NOTE~~
All disclaimers: See Chapter One
**IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO SPOILERS, I SUGGEST NOT READING THIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU
HAVEN'T SEEN `WAITING IN THE WINGS' YET**
Summary: Angel reflects on Cordy, Wes thinks of Fred... Broken hearts connect.
PAIRING: uh whatever. Like I'd tell you my final pairing... Hell I don't even know yet, and it kinda ruins it, but mostly angsty C/A and W/F/G to follow AtS canon.
******************************
Ok, normally I don't respond to my reviewers individually, but this story caused me lotsa grief and bad juju, damnit. So...
MIRA: Here is what you asked for! Hope you likes.
EMILY: Thanks for the kudos, and there will be more locket, I promise... I just don't know what yet.
BARQUALOUNGER: Thanks for the feedback on Wesley. I've never really done much with him, so I'm glad that my characterizations are pretty good.
MELOHDRAMATIC: Closure you shall have in one way or another. And I love your story `journey'... sorry had to throw that in there.
JENNANDJUICE: I'm glad you enjoyed my off-kilter humor, and yes you can use it in your fics. :)
Ok, so one major round of thank you's to everyone in general, `cause you know... what can I say, I'm a sap! And now I shall continue with my angsty-angst story.
******************************************************
Chapter Three
Broken Hearts Club
Wesley paused at the door, hand poised to knock on the dark wood. Downstairs he had been so eager to get away from the nauseating love-fest that he hadn't exactly thought about what he would say to Angel.
`Sorry chap, but it's for the best'? Or maybe `I know how you feel, would you like me to "stake" away the pain'? He grimaced at his own thoughts, and the cruelty of which they had been said in his mind. All this pain and anger was because of Fred. He wondered how one woman could have such an affect on a man, and how he could let her have such control.
His mind raced back to the events from earlier this evening, when he had unintentionally stumbled upon them. Sitting on the ground backstage in each others arms, he watched from afar as his love made her love known to someone else, and his heart sank and grief overtook him. He didn't know how or why he had found the strength to get them out of that time fold, because everything after being possessed became a blur of motions and distorted shoutings. Everything seemed to swirl all around him and it had made him nauseous. The car ride on the way back to the hotel wasn't much more pleasant. It had been long and humiliating for Wesley. Angel and Cordelia were in the front, being disturbingly awkward towards each other, and Fred was sandwiched between the two men. One of them was pining for her affections at that time, the other tried in vain to make himself sink into the leather upholstery of the convertible without much luck.
After the initial shock of seeing the Groosalugg in their hotel, Wesley had retired himself to his office to "work" but found that he could do nothing except think of Fred. He felt so alone watching the four in the lobby, like an outsider.
Realization finally dawned on the Englishman as to why he was here, standing in front of Angel's suite. He didn't want to be alone. He was a grown man, but at this particular junction he couldn't stand to be alone another second.
He finally mustered enough strength to knock quietly on the door. He waited only a few seconds before trying the doorknob to find that it turned. He slowly stuck his head in the room and called quietly for Angel.
"Angel? Are you in here?" Wesley's eyes found the dark-haired vampire standing beside his bed, his back to Wesley, looking down at something. His feet? The floor? Wesley couldn't see what held Angel's gaze because his back was to him. Cautiously he opened the door further and stepped into the room. Angel didn't even acknowledge that he was there, just kept looking at whatever has at his feet.
Slowly, Wesley closed the door, and moved through the sitting room and into his bedroom. "Angel?" Wesley's voice had barely made it above a whisper, but he knew the vampire had heard him.
Like everything in the room was moving in slow motion, Angel turned his head over his shoulder to look at the former Watcher. Wesley could see him visibly inhale a deep breath and let it out painstakingly slow, like it required all his strength just to manage that simple yet unneeded act.
"Hey, Wes." A quiet greeting was all he could manage to croak out of his aching throat. Finally, Angel managed to lift his feet from the carpet, which felt like quicksand to his body, and resignedly dropped himself onto his bed. He dropped his head into his waiting hands and rubbed at his burning eyes.
Wesley didn't know what to say or do to help the solemn vampire; that was usually where Cordelia would step in. But now, she was the object of his brooding and Wesley was at a complete loss. He cleared his throat, forgetting about his own pain and focused on the shell of a man that sat before him.
"Would you like to talk?" Wes moved forward, closing the gap between himself and Angel, but stopped a few feet from the edge of the bed. He hoped Angel would say yes, or at least say nothing at all, instead of telling him to leave him be.
After what seemed like hours, Angel finally shook his head, and Wesley's eyes dropped to the floor. He sighed sadly before speaking, "Ok. I'll leave you then." and turned to go.
"Wait. You don't have to leave." Angel looked at Wesley, and nodded at the chair in front of him.
Without another word, Wesley quietly obliged and slumped into the soft upholstery of the chair, and removed his glasses from his face, setting them on his thigh. Slowly he rubbed the bridge of his nose, getting little comfort from the usually relaxing ministrations. "Well, tonight certainly was... something..." Wesley looked to Angel, not expecting a reaction from him and was shocked to see him open his mouth to speak.
Angel slowly closed his mouth, then opened it again, trying to find the words. Trying to find something to break through the heavy silence. "I..." Angel looked as though he would burst into tears at any moment. Instead he sighed, trying to calm his shaky voice. "I lost her... I never had her to begin with, but now it's too late. I waited too long." That was the first time Angel spoke of his feelings willingly for Cordelia, and Wesley remained silent to let him finish his thoughts.
Another lengthy pause enveloped the room before Angel continued.
"Tonight I wanted to tell her so badly. She was just so beautiful and we almost... I just thought we had a chance tonight... I was trying to tell her, but the words just wouldn't come out right... Why couldn't I just say it?" Angel jumped off the bed, growling his question. Wesley knew it was one he couldn't answer so he remained silent.
Angel's sadness was swept away into anger and he paced furiously at the end of his bed yet again. Except this time it wasn't anger towards Groo or anyone else but himself.
Angel stopped abruptly and looked to the man still sitting quietly in the chair, unmoving. His features immediately softened as he realized the pained and tired look on the Englishman's face for the first time.
"I'm sorry, Wes. There's something wrong isn't there?" Angel sat back down on the bed in front of him trying to forget about his own pain, and concentrate on whatever it was that obviously bothered Wesley enough to bring him up here.
Wesley lowered his head and if it was at all possible, his face seemed to slacken even more, and his frown deepened.
"I, like you, waited too long. Now she is gone as well." Wesley looked back up at Angel, who's jaw would have dropped to the floor had this been a slapstick cartoon.
"I- I didn't know, Wes. I'm sorry. I was just going on and- what happened?" Angel stumbled through his words, genuinely confused. He had been too involved with Cordelia tonight to notice anything or anyone else.
Wesley filled in the details of the night's events that occurred while Angel and Cordelia were missing in action. He occasionally stopped to take a calming breath, or to regain his composure while replaying the night's horrors in his mind, scene by bloody horrific scene.
Angel didn't just see the pain in his face, nor just hear the agony in his voice, but he felt it in the room. It surrounded them and it was in the heavy air they breathed wearily, squeezing the life out of them. Slowly suffocating. Both men just sat facing each other lost in individual thought, but coming to a quiet understanding with each other in their pains.
Wondering how one night could change so many things.
Between himself and Wesley they were a regular Broken Hearts Club.
`Now accepting new members. Join Today...'
*********************************
Don't worry, I don't think this is the end so *don't worry* Emily and Jenn! I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. Let me know what you all think. Toodles mi amigos.
-Kat!
~~One last thing, I want you to tell me if I should go more drama or shoot for fluffy. It's 50/50 in my brain so I need you guys to tip the scales :) ~~~
All disclaimers: See Chapter One
**IF YOU'RE ALLERGIC TO SPOILERS, I SUGGEST NOT READING THIS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU
HAVEN'T SEEN `WAITING IN THE WINGS' YET**
Summary: Angel reflects on Cordy, Wes thinks of Fred... Broken hearts connect.
PAIRING: uh whatever. Like I'd tell you my final pairing... Hell I don't even know yet, and it kinda ruins it, but mostly angsty C/A and W/F/G to follow AtS canon.
******************************
Ok, normally I don't respond to my reviewers individually, but this story caused me lotsa grief and bad juju, damnit. So...
MIRA: Here is what you asked for! Hope you likes.
EMILY: Thanks for the kudos, and there will be more locket, I promise... I just don't know what yet.
BARQUALOUNGER: Thanks for the feedback on Wesley. I've never really done much with him, so I'm glad that my characterizations are pretty good.
MELOHDRAMATIC: Closure you shall have in one way or another. And I love your story `journey'... sorry had to throw that in there.
JENNANDJUICE: I'm glad you enjoyed my off-kilter humor, and yes you can use it in your fics. :)
Ok, so one major round of thank you's to everyone in general, `cause you know... what can I say, I'm a sap! And now I shall continue with my angsty-angst story.
******************************************************
Chapter Three
Broken Hearts Club
Wesley paused at the door, hand poised to knock on the dark wood. Downstairs he had been so eager to get away from the nauseating love-fest that he hadn't exactly thought about what he would say to Angel.
`Sorry chap, but it's for the best'? Or maybe `I know how you feel, would you like me to "stake" away the pain'? He grimaced at his own thoughts, and the cruelty of which they had been said in his mind. All this pain and anger was because of Fred. He wondered how one woman could have such an affect on a man, and how he could let her have such control.
His mind raced back to the events from earlier this evening, when he had unintentionally stumbled upon them. Sitting on the ground backstage in each others arms, he watched from afar as his love made her love known to someone else, and his heart sank and grief overtook him. He didn't know how or why he had found the strength to get them out of that time fold, because everything after being possessed became a blur of motions and distorted shoutings. Everything seemed to swirl all around him and it had made him nauseous. The car ride on the way back to the hotel wasn't much more pleasant. It had been long and humiliating for Wesley. Angel and Cordelia were in the front, being disturbingly awkward towards each other, and Fred was sandwiched between the two men. One of them was pining for her affections at that time, the other tried in vain to make himself sink into the leather upholstery of the convertible without much luck.
After the initial shock of seeing the Groosalugg in their hotel, Wesley had retired himself to his office to "work" but found that he could do nothing except think of Fred. He felt so alone watching the four in the lobby, like an outsider.
Realization finally dawned on the Englishman as to why he was here, standing in front of Angel's suite. He didn't want to be alone. He was a grown man, but at this particular junction he couldn't stand to be alone another second.
He finally mustered enough strength to knock quietly on the door. He waited only a few seconds before trying the doorknob to find that it turned. He slowly stuck his head in the room and called quietly for Angel.
"Angel? Are you in here?" Wesley's eyes found the dark-haired vampire standing beside his bed, his back to Wesley, looking down at something. His feet? The floor? Wesley couldn't see what held Angel's gaze because his back was to him. Cautiously he opened the door further and stepped into the room. Angel didn't even acknowledge that he was there, just kept looking at whatever has at his feet.
Slowly, Wesley closed the door, and moved through the sitting room and into his bedroom. "Angel?" Wesley's voice had barely made it above a whisper, but he knew the vampire had heard him.
Like everything in the room was moving in slow motion, Angel turned his head over his shoulder to look at the former Watcher. Wesley could see him visibly inhale a deep breath and let it out painstakingly slow, like it required all his strength just to manage that simple yet unneeded act.
"Hey, Wes." A quiet greeting was all he could manage to croak out of his aching throat. Finally, Angel managed to lift his feet from the carpet, which felt like quicksand to his body, and resignedly dropped himself onto his bed. He dropped his head into his waiting hands and rubbed at his burning eyes.
Wesley didn't know what to say or do to help the solemn vampire; that was usually where Cordelia would step in. But now, she was the object of his brooding and Wesley was at a complete loss. He cleared his throat, forgetting about his own pain and focused on the shell of a man that sat before him.
"Would you like to talk?" Wes moved forward, closing the gap between himself and Angel, but stopped a few feet from the edge of the bed. He hoped Angel would say yes, or at least say nothing at all, instead of telling him to leave him be.
After what seemed like hours, Angel finally shook his head, and Wesley's eyes dropped to the floor. He sighed sadly before speaking, "Ok. I'll leave you then." and turned to go.
"Wait. You don't have to leave." Angel looked at Wesley, and nodded at the chair in front of him.
Without another word, Wesley quietly obliged and slumped into the soft upholstery of the chair, and removed his glasses from his face, setting them on his thigh. Slowly he rubbed the bridge of his nose, getting little comfort from the usually relaxing ministrations. "Well, tonight certainly was... something..." Wesley looked to Angel, not expecting a reaction from him and was shocked to see him open his mouth to speak.
Angel slowly closed his mouth, then opened it again, trying to find the words. Trying to find something to break through the heavy silence. "I..." Angel looked as though he would burst into tears at any moment. Instead he sighed, trying to calm his shaky voice. "I lost her... I never had her to begin with, but now it's too late. I waited too long." That was the first time Angel spoke of his feelings willingly for Cordelia, and Wesley remained silent to let him finish his thoughts.
Another lengthy pause enveloped the room before Angel continued.
"Tonight I wanted to tell her so badly. She was just so beautiful and we almost... I just thought we had a chance tonight... I was trying to tell her, but the words just wouldn't come out right... Why couldn't I just say it?" Angel jumped off the bed, growling his question. Wesley knew it was one he couldn't answer so he remained silent.
Angel's sadness was swept away into anger and he paced furiously at the end of his bed yet again. Except this time it wasn't anger towards Groo or anyone else but himself.
Angel stopped abruptly and looked to the man still sitting quietly in the chair, unmoving. His features immediately softened as he realized the pained and tired look on the Englishman's face for the first time.
"I'm sorry, Wes. There's something wrong isn't there?" Angel sat back down on the bed in front of him trying to forget about his own pain, and concentrate on whatever it was that obviously bothered Wesley enough to bring him up here.
Wesley lowered his head and if it was at all possible, his face seemed to slacken even more, and his frown deepened.
"I, like you, waited too long. Now she is gone as well." Wesley looked back up at Angel, who's jaw would have dropped to the floor had this been a slapstick cartoon.
"I- I didn't know, Wes. I'm sorry. I was just going on and- what happened?" Angel stumbled through his words, genuinely confused. He had been too involved with Cordelia tonight to notice anything or anyone else.
Wesley filled in the details of the night's events that occurred while Angel and Cordelia were missing in action. He occasionally stopped to take a calming breath, or to regain his composure while replaying the night's horrors in his mind, scene by bloody horrific scene.
Angel didn't just see the pain in his face, nor just hear the agony in his voice, but he felt it in the room. It surrounded them and it was in the heavy air they breathed wearily, squeezing the life out of them. Slowly suffocating. Both men just sat facing each other lost in individual thought, but coming to a quiet understanding with each other in their pains.
Wondering how one night could change so many things.
Between himself and Wesley they were a regular Broken Hearts Club.
`Now accepting new members. Join Today...'
*********************************
Don't worry, I don't think this is the end so *don't worry* Emily and Jenn! I wouldn't leave you hanging like that. Let me know what you all think. Toodles mi amigos.
-Kat!
~~One last thing, I want you to tell me if I should go more drama or shoot for fluffy. It's 50/50 in my brain so I need you guys to tip the scales :) ~~~