First Touch by kargrif (Angel & Xander)
Title: First Touch
Author: kargrif
Summary: Written for Dec. 07 ‘Beginning’ at buffy_and_then Back to the start, Angel gets introduced to the gang.
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Xander & Angel
Season: Beginning of Season 4
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 1,054
Disclaimer: Joss owns all.
Beta'd by: spikeslovebite, ya'll don't know the crap you'd be reading without her. Srsly!
Okay, so I know this has to be a bit confusing since I’m not posting these in the right order but I’ve been writing and posting as the muse hits. So I wanted to add a list of the fics that will be housed in this ‘verse. I’m thinking of calling it the New Beginnings ‘verse *shrugs* nothing else has really ‘hit me’ yet.
1) Dec 07 Beginning at buffy_and_then
2) First Touch (um, that would be this one, lol)
3) The Ride
4) Curses and Dreams
5) Bittersweet (In Progress)
6) Sound of My Heart Breaking
7) Home (In Progress)
....so at least 2 more that I have planned for this 'verse, maybe more if time permits.
~*~*~*~*~
The demon watched the group before him in amusement. His arrival and subsequent announcement had left them stunned. It was times like this when he really loved his job.
Thinking back over the last couple of months, Whistler had to admit the aggravation was worth moments like this. The expression of total amazement on the faces of the Watcher and Slayer was priceless. You couldn’t buy this kind amusement anywhere…at least not without worrying about having your wallet and clothes stolen before the end of the night, leaving you penniless and bare-assed in a run-down motel room. Yeah, this was a much safer, both on his finances and his dignity.
The Slayer stood slowly, still looking a bit dazed. “So you’re telling me that the ‘Powers That Be’-which is like, a group of not good/not evil gods that float around keeping the cosmic balance in place-have sent us a vampire to help keep the Hellmouth safe?” Behind Buffy a masculine cough echoed loudly in the library. “Oh, and keep the rest of us safe, too.”
Whistler nodded, rolling his eyes when he realized that Angel had yet to raise his eyes from the floor. The demon had spent weeks grooming the vampire for his new post. Bathing, haircuts, new clothes, bathing, getting acclimatized to the newest culture…did he mention the bathing? Oh, man, he would never forget that it took more than one bar of soap to kill the smell of Eau de Dumpster.
“Yeah, that would be about the sum of it.” Whistler smirked. “He’s a vampire cursed with a soul. He’s working toward redemption and has pledged himself to keep your little group safe, starting with your trouble with the Master.”
Giles stepped forward, his eyes shifting from the vampire to the hideously clad demon. “A curse you say?”
“An honest to God gypsy curse. You haven’t seen ingenuity until you’ve seen Gypsy’s in action,” the representative for the Powers said, ignoring Angel’s wince. “They take their curses seriously. Although, I have to inform you that this particular curse came with a tiny little loophole which the big guys upstairs graciously decided to remove, to bar any added complications to the safety and health of your little team.”
“What kind of loophole?” Willow asked timidly.
Whistler smiled brightly at the cute redhead. “It hardly matters now does it, doll face? It’s gone, so there’s nothing to worry your pretty little head about.”
Angel kept his head down through the entire meeting. It had been too long since he had actually conversed with humans-let alone teenagers. He felt awkward and shy, unwilling to say the wrong thing and alienate this group of amazing people before he had even gotten to know them. He hated his insecurity, but decades of cutting himself off from humanity had left him socially inept. Even after weeks of watching popular television, hanging out in clubs, and those two days at the dog races that Whistler had insisted was relevant to his reassertion into normal society, he still felt the distance between himself and the humans in the room was an incredibly wide chasm.
“So!” Buffy clapped her hands loudly. “I hate to say it, but this still isn’t the strangest thing to happen to me since I moved here. Giles? Conference?” she asked, tilting her head toward the office.
“Oh! Y-yes, of course,” he answered distractedly, pulling off his glasses for a quick polish on the way.
Xander and Willow continued to stare at Angel curiously. The vampire began to fidget under their watchful gaze as he tried to block out the conversation coming from the open door to the library office. Obviously, the two had forgotten to take into account vampire hearing. Either that, or they didn’t care if they were overheard arguing about the wisdom of allowing a vampire into their midst.
The boy finally slid off his perch on the table and ambled his way over to the uncomfortable vampire. Angel had to force himself not to step back when the boy stepped painfully close to his personal space.
“A vampire with a soul, huh?” Xander asked, not unkindly, but not overly friendly either.
Angel lifted his head and looked into the boy’s eyes briefly before turning away again. “Yes,” he replied simply.
Xander tilted his head, his dark eyes intent. “A man of few words. We’re not used to that kind of thing around here.”
“Sorry,” Angel responded, thankful that he couldn’t blush.
“The first night we found out that demons and vampires were real, my best friend got dragged off and turned,” Xander explained flatly. “He tried to hurt some people at a club that night and I had to stake him.”
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Angel could sense Xander searching for something but he wasn’t sure what. “I’m sorry,” Angel said sincerely.
Xander blinked, still looking the vampire in the eyes before smiling faintly. “Yeah, me too.”
He turned away, leaving Angel unsure if he had found whatever it was he was looking for. His stomach clenched in fear of being rejected by these people he wanted to get to know so much.
“Okay! So, here’s the deal,” Buffy announced, bouncing back into the library. “Giles will contact some mystical who’s-it’s that he knows to find out if this is for real. If everything’s on the up and up, you’ll be more than welcome to take the pressure off of me…I mean; to help protect and keep the Hellmouth safe,” she amended, smiling innocently at the scowling watcher.
Xander turned back to the speechless vampire. “Looks like you’ve got a job. Welcome to the team,” he added holding out his hand.
Angel clasped his hand, the warmth from the young man’s touch spreading like wildfire along his fingers and up his arm. He was reluctant to release the boy; this was his first human contact in too long to remember and he wanted to relish every moment.
His eyes finally tore away from where their bodies were joined to look at the boys face. He was drawn immediately into the laughing, coffee-colored eyes as Xander gently removed his hand. His body instantly craved the warmth and smoothness of that lightly tanned skin.
Angel swallowed hard and forced his eyes back to the floor.
Author: kargrif
Summary: Written for Dec. 07 ‘Beginning’ at buffy_and_then Back to the start, Angel gets introduced to the gang.
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Xander & Angel
Season: Beginning of Season 4
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Word count: 1,054
Disclaimer: Joss owns all.
Beta'd by: spikeslovebite, ya'll don't know the crap you'd be reading without her. Srsly!
Okay, so I know this has to be a bit confusing since I’m not posting these in the right order but I’ve been writing and posting as the muse hits. So I wanted to add a list of the fics that will be housed in this ‘verse. I’m thinking of calling it the New Beginnings ‘verse *shrugs* nothing else has really ‘hit me’ yet.
1) Dec 07 Beginning at buffy_and_then
2) First Touch (um, that would be this one, lol)
3) The Ride
4) Curses and Dreams
5) Bittersweet (In Progress)
6) Sound of My Heart Breaking
7) Home (In Progress)
....so at least 2 more that I have planned for this 'verse, maybe more if time permits.
~*~*~*~*~
The demon watched the group before him in amusement. His arrival and subsequent announcement had left them stunned. It was times like this when he really loved his job.
Thinking back over the last couple of months, Whistler had to admit the aggravation was worth moments like this. The expression of total amazement on the faces of the Watcher and Slayer was priceless. You couldn’t buy this kind amusement anywhere…at least not without worrying about having your wallet and clothes stolen before the end of the night, leaving you penniless and bare-assed in a run-down motel room. Yeah, this was a much safer, both on his finances and his dignity.
The Slayer stood slowly, still looking a bit dazed. “So you’re telling me that the ‘Powers That Be’-which is like, a group of not good/not evil gods that float around keeping the cosmic balance in place-have sent us a vampire to help keep the Hellmouth safe?” Behind Buffy a masculine cough echoed loudly in the library. “Oh, and keep the rest of us safe, too.”
Whistler nodded, rolling his eyes when he realized that Angel had yet to raise his eyes from the floor. The demon had spent weeks grooming the vampire for his new post. Bathing, haircuts, new clothes, bathing, getting acclimatized to the newest culture…did he mention the bathing? Oh, man, he would never forget that it took more than one bar of soap to kill the smell of Eau de Dumpster.
“Yeah, that would be about the sum of it.” Whistler smirked. “He’s a vampire cursed with a soul. He’s working toward redemption and has pledged himself to keep your little group safe, starting with your trouble with the Master.”
Giles stepped forward, his eyes shifting from the vampire to the hideously clad demon. “A curse you say?”
“An honest to God gypsy curse. You haven’t seen ingenuity until you’ve seen Gypsy’s in action,” the representative for the Powers said, ignoring Angel’s wince. “They take their curses seriously. Although, I have to inform you that this particular curse came with a tiny little loophole which the big guys upstairs graciously decided to remove, to bar any added complications to the safety and health of your little team.”
“What kind of loophole?” Willow asked timidly.
Whistler smiled brightly at the cute redhead. “It hardly matters now does it, doll face? It’s gone, so there’s nothing to worry your pretty little head about.”
Angel kept his head down through the entire meeting. It had been too long since he had actually conversed with humans-let alone teenagers. He felt awkward and shy, unwilling to say the wrong thing and alienate this group of amazing people before he had even gotten to know them. He hated his insecurity, but decades of cutting himself off from humanity had left him socially inept. Even after weeks of watching popular television, hanging out in clubs, and those two days at the dog races that Whistler had insisted was relevant to his reassertion into normal society, he still felt the distance between himself and the humans in the room was an incredibly wide chasm.
“So!” Buffy clapped her hands loudly. “I hate to say it, but this still isn’t the strangest thing to happen to me since I moved here. Giles? Conference?” she asked, tilting her head toward the office.
“Oh! Y-yes, of course,” he answered distractedly, pulling off his glasses for a quick polish on the way.
Xander and Willow continued to stare at Angel curiously. The vampire began to fidget under their watchful gaze as he tried to block out the conversation coming from the open door to the library office. Obviously, the two had forgotten to take into account vampire hearing. Either that, or they didn’t care if they were overheard arguing about the wisdom of allowing a vampire into their midst.
The boy finally slid off his perch on the table and ambled his way over to the uncomfortable vampire. Angel had to force himself not to step back when the boy stepped painfully close to his personal space.
“A vampire with a soul, huh?” Xander asked, not unkindly, but not overly friendly either.
Angel lifted his head and looked into the boy’s eyes briefly before turning away again. “Yes,” he replied simply.
Xander tilted his head, his dark eyes intent. “A man of few words. We’re not used to that kind of thing around here.”
“Sorry,” Angel responded, thankful that he couldn’t blush.
“The first night we found out that demons and vampires were real, my best friend got dragged off and turned,” Xander explained flatly. “He tried to hurt some people at a club that night and I had to stake him.”
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Angel could sense Xander searching for something but he wasn’t sure what. “I’m sorry,” Angel said sincerely.
Xander blinked, still looking the vampire in the eyes before smiling faintly. “Yeah, me too.”
He turned away, leaving Angel unsure if he had found whatever it was he was looking for. His stomach clenched in fear of being rejected by these people he wanted to get to know so much.
“Okay! So, here’s the deal,” Buffy announced, bouncing back into the library. “Giles will contact some mystical who’s-it’s that he knows to find out if this is for real. If everything’s on the up and up, you’ll be more than welcome to take the pressure off of me…I mean; to help protect and keep the Hellmouth safe,” she amended, smiling innocently at the scowling watcher.
Xander turned back to the speechless vampire. “Looks like you’ve got a job. Welcome to the team,” he added holding out his hand.
Angel clasped his hand, the warmth from the young man’s touch spreading like wildfire along his fingers and up his arm. He was reluctant to release the boy; this was his first human contact in too long to remember and he wanted to relish every moment.
His eyes finally tore away from where their bodies were joined to look at the boys face. He was drawn immediately into the laughing, coffee-colored eyes as Xander gently removed his hand. His body instantly craved the warmth and smoothness of that lightly tanned skin.
Angel swallowed hard and forced his eyes back to the floor.