Chapter 5 of 7: Foreplay to Synchrony
(c) March 3, 2002, last update June 22, 2002
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It had been four days since they last talked. That was ninety six hours of shell-shocked bewilderment. Five thousand seven hundred sixty minutes of leaping tall buildings, and pounding and killing evil hell-scum. Three hundred forty five thousand, six hundred lengthy seconds of angst-ridden, woefully miserable, solitary agony.
And Angel wouldn't have preferred anything less.
He lay flat on the Hyperion's sloping rooftop, his long frame stretched out on his black trenchcoat and his hands supporting his head. Connor's baby monitor rested on a groove in the roof beside him, next to his cell phone. Above him, the sky was alight with a full moon and joyous little stars. Angel inhaled with a deep and purposeful breath, smelling the succulent evening air.
Needless to say, it was a beautiful night. One that he could revel in it alone.
Case-wise, it had been a slow day. Seeing the light work-load, Fred and Gunn had left early, holding hands. Wesley had opted to stay and pore over his copious volumes of demon-lore until he received a mysterious phone call late in the afternoon. He had hastily scribbled some notes and then rushed out the door without so much as a glance goodbye. Angel couldn't really care less; he was used to the eccentricities of the English man. Doubtless, he was on the trail of some pesky demon and would return to describe the episode in great detail. Similarly, Lorne had high-tailed out the hotel doors as soon as night had fallen.
So, only Connor remained in the place, sleeping soundly. With the doors locked up tight, the window to his son's room opened a crack and directly underneath him, he was well assured that all was well with the world.
At least on the surface.
Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the Milky Way
Drowsiness was overtaking him; he should have expected it. For the past few days, he had relentlessly tracked and hunted down terrorizing monsters, been mercilessly violent with every demon that had dared step into his path, and had gotten in the faces of every victim who had wrongfully decided that paying for services rendered was no longer necessary. He made sure he inspired fear everywhere he went.
Oh yeah, I still got the touch.
A slightly malicious smile danced on his lips. He was definitely enjoying this walk down the danger-filled memory lane, not to mention really feeling the old juices flowing again. Warning bells rang in his head and he frowned.
So what if regaining that liveliness had been one of my reasons for leaving last year?
The frown on his unmarred face deepened. Initially, he had regained the old voracity but that had quickly faded. Eventually, the devilment had led down an insane spiral all the way to the depths of a hell-tinged, fiery vacuum. Something he very much regretted.
Why does that bother me?
The consequences weren't so bad. After all, he had gotten a son out it, which was never remotely considered possible.
I got something good out of the naughty deed.
Of course, he also had to rebuild the trust and confidence of his friends, working at something he had never bothered with before. And with more effort still to redeem himself in Cordy's eyes.
But she forgave me. I got her back. And we became even closer than ever. Guiltily, he realized the desperate logic behind his recent actions.
I won't relive the past anymore. It's time to move forward.
Immediately, his mind was flooded with visions of Cordelia. What are you doing right now? Are you thinking of me as I'm thinking of you? He sat up and drew his knees to his chest. Are you out there enjoying a worry-free life? Or maybe you're inside because you were in all day, every day of your vacation, doing things with someone else that would kill me to imagine if I weren't dead already. Yet I still imagine it because that's the only way I can see you. He put his chin on his knees.
If only to see you.
Angel's brown eyes softened, as he gazed at the stars twinkling in front of him. All my life, I've been waiting. A shooting star whizzed by his steady, watchful eyes. I never dreamed of finding someone to understand me. To truly see my wants and needs.
Why is it you always know what I'm thinking and feeling? Except when it concerns you... except when it concerns the matters of my heart?
Through wishful thinking or by the grace of the Powers That Be, his cell phone rang.
He gaped at it for what seemed like hours. Seconds dragging on, as the phone pleaded with him. His throat was dry. He was afraid.
Then the lady of the moon winked at him again; this time, out of affection. As if she promised to shelter him. He wasn't fearful anymore. He would have his resolution.
With one smooth movement, he picked up the phone and spoke into the mouthpiece. "Angel." His name carried in waves on the passing wind, all around him.
"Angel." the name was thrown back at him, but it was a gentle throw. Pensive. Womanly. With drops of Jupiter emanating from her throat. "We need to finish our talk."
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there