fromdarktolight: Waiting for the Next Salvo
"I never seen a metal like it," Wesley said as he turned the twisted piece of schrapnel over in his hand. Intermittently, light reflected on it from the streetlamps outside the car as Angel drove the Plymouth through the otherwise darkened streets back to Cordelia's flat. "I wish we could afford that testing kit - I'd love to study it and see what it's made of."
The piece in his hand had - until about two hours ago - been part of a rather large cage that had been sitting in the middle of a conference room at Wolfram and Hart. Doyle had got a vision that if whatever Lindsey and the firm had been planning to raise had been allowed to, it would lead to nothing but pain and the end of everything. Not exactly the best news to receive after Wolfram and Hart had fire-bombed Angel Investigations' headquarters, so they had decided to return the favor. He and Angel had gone to the firm offices while Cordelia had stayed behind to take care of Doyle, who was still recovering from the injuries he had sustained in the bombing. Wesley shuddered to think how close he himself had come to getting hurt as well. If it hadn't been for Doyle, he might have very nearly been killed.
Whatever the Senior Partners had been planning to raise, though, it wouldn't be coming back now, Wesley thought as he studied the metal more closely. He was also fairly sure that Lindsey wouldn't be getting that promotion he had been hoping for.
Resting the piece of schrapnel on his knees, Wesley looked over at Angel, wondering if they were finally going to get a break, at least for a while. It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another recently. First dealing with Faith - and that was something that Wesley would never forget as long as he lived - then having to dust that young man Gunn who had been turned by his sister. Now this.
Although one good thing had come out of everything. When Wesley had arrived in Sunnydale the previous year, he had found himself...attracted to the vampire, even though he knew his father would have thrown a fit if he had found out. His father had never made a secret of his disgust at the Slayer's relationship with the vampire who had once been Angelus. So when Wesley had realized what he was feeling, he had done his best to hide it. Especially as he had been quite certain that nothing would ever come out of it anyway.
Then he had ended up in Los Angeles after being dismissed - lovely euphemism that - from the Council and found himself working with Angel, Cordelia and their friend Doyle. And the feelings he had been trying to hide in Sunnydale came back with a vengeance, so once again, Wesley hid them.
Until after Faith had kidnapped and tortured him. After that...something had changed. Angel had changed. Or so it seemed to Wesley. He started paying more attention to him, fussing over him...baking him brownies. That had been lovely. No one had ever fussed over him that way before, not even his own mother. Wesley had never been sure if that had been because his father had told her not to coddle him or because she just couldn't. But it was so nice when Angel worried about him.
When Angel had then asked him out to a showing of that old black and white John Wayne movie, Wesley had been thrilled, not sure what was happening but willing to accept whatever it was so long as he got to spend time with him. He hadn't been sure about Angel's side of things, though, until Angel had kissed him in the office that one night.
Things had been slowly progressing from there, and Wesley was glad for that. Part of him was scared that he might do something to screw this up. None of his previous assignations with men or women had gone well, just like his father had said they wouldn't. He didn't want that to happen with Angel. He liked where he was, working with him, exploring this with him - it was the first time in a long time that Wesley actually felt comfortable with himself and where he was. Angel being a vampire didn't matter at all. Just that he was Angel.
When they reached Cordelia's apartment building, Wesley gripped the schrapnel in his hand as he climbed out of the Plymouth and waited for Angel to lock the car. "I'm sure the Senior Partners are going to try to get us back for this little stunt," he said. "Think we're going to get any time before the next salvo?"
The piece in his hand had - until about two hours ago - been part of a rather large cage that had been sitting in the middle of a conference room at Wolfram and Hart. Doyle had got a vision that if whatever Lindsey and the firm had been planning to raise had been allowed to, it would lead to nothing but pain and the end of everything. Not exactly the best news to receive after Wolfram and Hart had fire-bombed Angel Investigations' headquarters, so they had decided to return the favor. He and Angel had gone to the firm offices while Cordelia had stayed behind to take care of Doyle, who was still recovering from the injuries he had sustained in the bombing. Wesley shuddered to think how close he himself had come to getting hurt as well. If it hadn't been for Doyle, he might have very nearly been killed.
Whatever the Senior Partners had been planning to raise, though, it wouldn't be coming back now, Wesley thought as he studied the metal more closely. He was also fairly sure that Lindsey wouldn't be getting that promotion he had been hoping for.
Resting the piece of schrapnel on his knees, Wesley looked over at Angel, wondering if they were finally going to get a break, at least for a while. It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another recently. First dealing with Faith - and that was something that Wesley would never forget as long as he lived - then having to dust that young man Gunn who had been turned by his sister. Now this.
Although one good thing had come out of everything. When Wesley had arrived in Sunnydale the previous year, he had found himself...attracted to the vampire, even though he knew his father would have thrown a fit if he had found out. His father had never made a secret of his disgust at the Slayer's relationship with the vampire who had once been Angelus. So when Wesley had realized what he was feeling, he had done his best to hide it. Especially as he had been quite certain that nothing would ever come out of it anyway.
Then he had ended up in Los Angeles after being dismissed - lovely euphemism that - from the Council and found himself working with Angel, Cordelia and their friend Doyle. And the feelings he had been trying to hide in Sunnydale came back with a vengeance, so once again, Wesley hid them.
Until after Faith had kidnapped and tortured him. After that...something had changed. Angel had changed. Or so it seemed to Wesley. He started paying more attention to him, fussing over him...baking him brownies. That had been lovely. No one had ever fussed over him that way before, not even his own mother. Wesley had never been sure if that had been because his father had told her not to coddle him or because she just couldn't. But it was so nice when Angel worried about him.
When Angel had then asked him out to a showing of that old black and white John Wayne movie, Wesley had been thrilled, not sure what was happening but willing to accept whatever it was so long as he got to spend time with him. He hadn't been sure about Angel's side of things, though, until Angel had kissed him in the office that one night.
Things had been slowly progressing from there, and Wesley was glad for that. Part of him was scared that he might do something to screw this up. None of his previous assignations with men or women had gone well, just like his father had said they wouldn't. He didn't want that to happen with Angel. He liked where he was, working with him, exploring this with him - it was the first time in a long time that Wesley actually felt comfortable with himself and where he was. Angel being a vampire didn't matter at all. Just that he was Angel.
When they reached Cordelia's apartment building, Wesley gripped the schrapnel in his hand as he climbed out of the Plymouth and waited for Angel to lock the car. "I'm sure the Senior Partners are going to try to get us back for this little stunt," he said. "Think we're going to get any time before the next salvo?"