Something Beautiful
Chapter Six: Dumb Blonde

Harmony was grinning when she entered the office the following morning, swinging her purse and greeting everybody she met and barely noticing the suspicious scowls she got in return.

Pizza had been great, the movie brilliant. She sat down, turned on her computer and congratulated herself. She had known all he needed was time to understand what she did. So it took a psychopathic murderer to get them both to see the light, at least it happened and things were ok now.

And, Harmony added silently. I won't do anything that stupid ever again.

"Morning, Harmony," Fred said, as she crossed the lobby towards Angel's office.

"Morning, Fred!" Harmony replied chirpily.

Fred stopped and turned, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You're a lot happier than you have been for the past few days," she came towards the desk and leaned over. "Have you and Wes made up?"

"Yep," Harmony nodded. "It was only a matter of time before he realised he couldn't live without my fashion sense and sparkling conversation."

"Of course," Fred agreed with a smile. "Hey, what do you say to a drink after work? Unless you and Wes have got some best friend thing going on?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call us best friends," Harmony said, glancing at a pile of files beside her computer. The tatty edge of a Post-It caught her eye and she pulled it towards her.

Fred.

Eve.

The girl from Files and Records

"But," Harmony went on, her mind whirring into action. "A drink with a girl friend would be great," she beamed innocently at Fred. "I can't wait."

Harmony gathered her things together, tidied her desk, rearranged her unicorns quickly and grabbed her jacket and purse ready to meet Fred in her lab.

"Harmony, wait!"

She stopped, turning to see Wesley coming across the lobby, holding a box.

"Hey, Wes," she said. "What's up?

"I just…" he tailed off, looking slightly embarrassed as he lowered his gaze. "Well, Fred mentioned that you were going out together. So I wanted to see you before… I wanted to apologise – again – for what happened with Louise and Harper. And well, I'd been working on this for a while, so I thought I'd give it to you now. Here," he held out the box.

Harmony raised her eyebrows and took the box.

"You didn't have to," Harmony said, giggling in anticipation as she opened the box. "I haven't got you any – Oh my God! Wesley!"

Letting the box fall to the floor, she snatched up the hand held mirror and stared at her reflection.

"It doesn't work with every mirror," Wes explained. "Just that one, it's enchanted. I got thinking about it after you helped me with my, uh, dress sense. You know, one good turn deserves another. I thought it would come in handy. It's not very -" he was interrupted as Harmony threw herself at him; arms tight round his neck, looking into the mirror at the same time.

"You rock," she said. "You rock in so many ways."

"It's not much. But thank you," he grinned as she pulled back. "Anyway; I've got things I need to do. Have a good evening with Fred."

"Oh, I will," Harmony murmured, smirking as he returned to his office. She took a final glance in the mirror. "Wow. My make-up is good for someone who hasn't had a reflection for five years."

Fred sipped her Cosmopolitan and winced. She would have preferred a Southern Comfort, but Harmony talked her into cocktails. Apparently a Screaming Orgasm was second on the list for the evening. Harmony had entered the office, tucking something into her purse as she reeled off the list of cocktails. Thanks to Harmony's wonderful timing, she had said "And then we'll have a Screaming Orgasm," at the exact moment Knox had walked into the lab.

"So, I guess you and Wes aren't hanging out as much since you moved to Wolfram and Hart?" Harmony asked, eyes innocently wide.

"No, I guess not," Fred shrugged. "We see each lots at work. But that's work. We don't have much time to hang out as we did back at the Hyperion. And when we've got time, he's hanging out with you and I'm with Knox."

"Knox?" Harmony said, straightening up and staring at Fred. Oh no, oh please no. Not Knox.

"Yeah," Fred hid her smile in her glass and shrugged as she blushed. "We're dating."

"But-but what about Wesley?" Harmony blurted.

"Wesley?" Fred wrinkled her nose in confusion, then comprehension dawned in her eyes. "Oh. Well, there was something," she lowered her eyes, a little embarrassed. "Last year. But that was just one kiss and some… tension. We weren't… thinking about dating each other recently."

"What?" Harmony blinked, seeing Wes's perfect girlfriend slipping away. "But he's totally in love with you!" Fred glanced up sharply at that, her eyes wide, disbelieving and slightly horrified. "I mean, he really likes you."

"He did once," Fred said. "But we're just friends now."

"But why Knox instead of Wesley?" Harmony pressed. "Wesley's the perfect guy. He's English, which is always a turn on. He's fun, has a brilliant sense of humour and dresses so well since I gave him a few pointers. And his eyes! Have you not noticed the eyes? I would kill for those eyes, not to mention the eyelashes. He has this adorableness that makes you wanna hug him, but he's got that sexy dangerous thing going on. He works out, he kicks ass, where's the bad here? And he's hot," Harmony added as an afterthought.

"Yes, Harmony." Fred said slowly, smile tugging at her lips at Harmony's insistence. "I know all that. But I'm seeing Knox."

"But Wes is great boyfriend material!"

"Then you date him!" Fred cried in exasperation, getting up to order the next round of drinks.

Harmony blinked after her.

"Me?"

Harmony yawned her way through the next morning, having been unable to sleep because of what Fred had said. It was just a throwaway comment, just something Fred had said to close the conversation. Which it effectively had, but Harmony had been pretty poor company after that.

Until Fred had asked the killer question.

"Harmony, you don't… like Wesley, do you?"

"What? No! No, don't be stupid! He's so not my type."

And that's what Harmony had been mulling over. What if Fred was bang on with her question? What if Harmony's quest for Wesley's perfect girlfriend had been borne out of Harmony's own feelings for Wesley?

No. No, that was ridiculous. Wesley was her friend. Wesley was someone she hung out with, talked to, even fell out with on occasion. Wesley was not someone she had a crush on.

"Good morning, Harmony," Wes greeted, stifling a yawn and running his fingers through his hair. "You have a good night?"

"What?" Harmony blinked herself clear of her close scrutiny of Wesley. "Oh, yes. It was good. I got a bit drunk."

Her gaze had been speared the moment Wesley entered the lobby. He was more unkempt than usual. He hadn't shaved and his hair was in disarray. He looked sleepy, but he looked presentable, thanks to his now usual combination of suit and shirt – which today was violet. The last two buttons on his shirt were undone and his suit jacket was thrown over his arm. He placed it on her desk and did up the last two buttons.

"I wish I could have gotten drunk," he said as he did so. "Instead I was here 'til two thirty working on some stuff for Angel. You've not got any painkillers, have you?" he rubbed his head.

"Sorry, no," she shook her head. "Maybe Gunn's got some."

"Yeah, I'll go ask him. See you later."

She nodded, watched him take his jacket, straighten the collar of his shirt and allow his arm to drop heavily back to his side with another yawn. He attempted to flatten his hair with a quick swipe of his hand which made Harmony want to tut and smooth it gently for him.

Wesley was definitely someone Harmony had a crush on.

"Wes!" she called out, as the realisation crashed upon her, he turned, eyebrows raised in question above sleepy eyes. She twisted her fingers, feeling like a love-struck teen again. "What do you say to a game of Grand Theft Auto tonight? I've got a feeling I might be good at it."

"I'm afraid I can't," he replied. "I'm going out with Angel and Gunn. Gunn felt we hadn't been hanging out much, so we're going for a Chinese. There might even be a game of pool. It's all very manly."

"Oh," Harmony sank back into her seat, not having realised she had started to rise in anticipation of his answer. "Ok. Don't worry."

"No hard feelings?" he asked, one side of his mouth quirking up in a smile.

She shook her head and slumped dejectedly at her desk as he carried on in the direction of Gunn's office.

"Apparently not," she mumbled.