Paka Ahali, Chapter Two
Title: Paka Ahali, Chapter Two
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Angelverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Wesley/Gunn, Angel/Doyle, Cordelia/Various
Summary: As the infection within grows into an animal, Wesley finds himself questioning the meaning of family and fighting to protect those closest to him.
Warnings: Slash. Minor-almost-not-there Het. And character death, only not so much.
Chapter Summary: Gunn waits for Wesley to awaken. Cordelia complains.
previous chapters
The dull ache that resided along his hip and shoulder was the first thing that Gunn noticed upon awakening, the second being the fact that he had fallen asleep in the first place. Jerking his body into a sitting position, Gunn rubbed at his sore neck. He had fallen asleep on the cement floor of the basement, while keeping watch over Wesley. Leaning against the wall, Gunn wiped the sleep from his eyes and turned toward the cage.
A part of him was expecting the worst, that something bad had happened to Wesley during his nap. Sighing, Gunn took relief in the fact that Wesley hadn't moved from the cot. It was obvious that he was still breathing, his chest rising with each labored breath.
Gunn slowly pushed himself to his feet, wondering what time it was. He felt his stomach clench, realizing he hadn't eaten since before Dr. Keebler's visit. After taking a moment to check on Wesley, Gunn made his way upstairs and toward the kitchen. He could hear Cordelia complaining before he even got to the door. He paused.
Did he really want to face the wrath of Cordelia Chase? Taking a glance at the windows, he saw that it was daylight out, possibly a couple hours before the sun began to set. Forcing down a yawn, Gunn decided to take a chance and pushed the door open.
"Can you believe that?" Cordelia was screeching. Doyle sat at the table, a large cup of coffee before him, eyes slightly glazed over.
"Believe what?" Gunn asked, before cringing. He should have known better than to bring attention toward himself.
"My date!" Cordelia exclaimed, throwing up her hands in order to demonstrate how ghastly the whole situation was. "I went through a very rigorous system to make sure he wasn't a demon, and what happens? He tries to feed me to his demon lord!"
"Princess, have you ever thought that you simply have very bad luck with men?" Doyle asked, as Gunn skirted past the irate woman and made for the fridge. He started pulling out ingredients, building himself a sandwich.
"I just don't understand why they always come after me." Cordelia whined, sitting down at the table. "In Sunnydale, Xander was the demon magnet. When did I take his place?"
"It'll be okay, Cordelia." Gunn offered, though that was the only thing he actually had to say on the topic. It wasn't that he didn't care about Cordelia, it was more that she was a bit much for him. He was certain that there were other people in the world that had the ingrained ability to deal with that type of female. Gunn, sadly, wasn't one of them. He often felt it best to simply stand back and let her rant.
"How's Wesley?" Doyle asked.
"Still asleep." Gunn replied. "I almost want him to stay asleep..."
"I know. You can't help but wonder what he's going to be like, yeah?" Doyle took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, I heard Xander was different with his hyena."
"He won't--" Gunn cut himself off, briefly wondering if he even had the right to say anything about the situation Wesley found himself in. It wasn't like Gunn actually had any experience in this sort of thing. Vampires and demons? Gunn was an expert at dusting them, or cutting them into tiny pieces. To actually make an effort to save someone infected with demon blood? The idea was... Awkward, to say the least.
Gunn busied himself with eating his sandwich, which was able to keep him from bringing up Wesley. The Englishman was something that Gunn had slowly adjusted to in life. Wesley was always there. After accepting Angel's offer to help his team out on a regular basis, Wesley became the one who called him in or asked him to get something. Gunn kind of liked it, having Wesley's attention like that.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" Cordelia waved her hand in front of Gunn's face. Gunn scowled. "Just checking."
"Don't you have work to do?" Gunn asked. Cordelia raised an eyebrow, her mouth drawn into a tight line.
"Actually, I don't. Besides, I'm a bit tired after fighting to save my own life last night." Cordelia replied. "No thanks to you people."
"You seem fine." Doyle commented. Cordelia let out an angry snarl and stormed from the room. Doyle's lips twitched as he fought down an amused smile.
"Do you think Wesley will be hungry when he wakes up?" Gunn asked, as though Cordelia had not just thrown a minor hissy fit. "Should I make him something?"
"Is he suppose to eat with that injection?" Doyle questioned.
"I'm not sure..." Gunn admitted. "I guess that means the food can wait." Gunn finished off his sandwich and stood. "I'll see you later, man."
Gunn took a moment to grab a folding chair from the first floor utility closet, before making his way back into the basement. It appeared that Wesley had yet to awaken, so Gunn set up his chair and sat down, his mind immediately turning toward other matters. In order to prepare himself for when Wesley woke up, Gunn tried to recall all of the facts he remembered about the cat demon that had attacked him.
It was a lion demon, Paklin, to be specific. A carnivore that stood on it's back legs. It resided in a pride, much like large cats, and behaved in the same manner that lions did. The only difference, from what Gunn read, was that the Paklin had an extreme level of aggression and a taste for human meat. Gunn secretly prayed that Wesley wouldn't wake up craving the flesh of his coworkers.
Letting out a sigh, Gunn leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. He remained there for some time, possibly even more than an hour, simply thinking, before a sound reached his ears. Frowning, he turned back toward the cage. Wesley still lay on the bed, but his head was moving and arm twitching. A deep sound escaped him, almost a moan but not quite. Gunn pushed himself to his feet, taking a step toward the cage just as Wesley's head lifted.
Before Gunn could blink, Wesley gracefully rolled off the cot, landing on one knee, with the tips of his fingers grazing the floor. Gunn held in a breath. He had never seen Wesley move like that before. Normally the former Watcher was a bit clumsy, as though even in his twenties he had yet to adjust to his long limbs. Gunn took another step forward, his own instincts screaming for him to grab a weapon. Something was telling him that the man within that cage was dangerous.
Wesley's head lifted, nostrils flaring as he seemed to scent the air. Gunn frowned. Something was wrong with his eyes, though Gunn wasn't close enough to see. However, worry about that came to a halt when Wesley spotted him. Wesley's lips pulled back, baring a set of teeth with longer, sharper canines. Gunn gasped, taking a startled step back and nearly knocking the chair over. Wesley watched him a moment, what sounded now like a deep growl emitting from his throat, before tossing his head back and letting out a roar.
It was like watching the end of The Lion King or a show on the Discovery Channel. Gunn couldn't breathe as the roar, purely lion and untamed, filled the room. The cement floor nearly vibrated from it's force. The air in Gunn's lungs caught, his eyes wide, as Wesley suddenly threw himself at the cage door. His shoulder hit it, creating a small bend in the bars. Wesley crouched down next to the door, hands sliding across the dirty floor, then up in order to wrap his fingers around a set of bars. Wesley's nostrils flared once more, his head moving forward and farther into the light.
His hair looked different, with an almost honey tint caused by a few golden-red streaks. When Wesley made no movement, Gunn slowly began to creep closer to the cage. Wesley's hands tightened on the bars, but otherwise he didn't move an inch as Gunn got close enough to truly see him. Gunn had to force air into his lungs, nearly panicking, when he saw what was wrong with Wesley's eyes.
"Wesley?" Gunn whispered. Wesley blinked, head tilting.
His eyes were pure gold, even brighter than that of a vampire's. The pupil, normally round, was now vertical and long, like a cat's. Wesley shifted, and as his face moved in and out of shadow the pupil contracted and dilated in a fast reflex. Gulping, Gunn lowered himself to his knees, so they was face to face.
"Hey, English." Gunn said, softly. Wesley growled back at him, a sound that sent shivers down Gunn's spine. Gunn took a deep breath, before speaking again. "I know you're in there. I can feel it... So, whenever you're ready, English, I'll be here."
Wesley's body tensed, eyes narrowing. Then, he pushed himself away from the cage, moving faster than a normal human, until his back hit the cement wall. He was nearly in full shadow now, but his eyes glowed an unearthly gold. A long, meow-like sound escaped from his throat. It reminded Gunn of his grandmothers' cat, who would jump out from behind the sofa and attack people. Gunn got to his feet and took a step backward. The sound ended.
"I'm... I'm going to go get the others, okay?" Gunn said, moving toward the door. He started up the stairs, pausing briefly to watch Wesley curl himself up further into the corner of the cage. Feeling a pang of guilt at locking Wesley up like some animal, Gunn pushed open the basement door and made for the lobby.
"What's got you so freaked out?" Cordelia calmly asked from the front desk. Inside the office behind her, Angel and Doyle were huddled together, speaking softly.
"Wesley's awake." Gunn stated. Angel and Doyle's heads shot up and they made for the door. "He... Uhh, he's pretty feral at the moment. I don't... Man, I don't know what to do with him."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'feral'?" Cordelia demanded, walking around the desk, with the other two at her heels. Gunn closed his eyes. "Gunn?"
"I'm not sure if it's him anymore." Gunn admitted, with a defeated done.
"No, that's impossible." Angel insisted, heading for the basement.
"Angel, man, wait!" Doyle called, rushing after him. As they disappeared through the door, leaving it open, Cordelia stepped closer to Gunn.
"Are you okay?" Cordelia placed her hand on his arm, a small gesture but comforting nonetheless. Gunn nodded. "Hey, Wesley will be fine. I know him. He's stubborn as all hell!"
"I know." Gunn muttered, turning away from her and looking toward the basement door. A roar faintly drifting through the doorway and Gunn debated returning to it's depths.
"You really love him, don't you?" Cordelia asked, her voice soft and in awe. Gunn blinked and turned toward her, shock in every particle of his face. "Don't you?"
"Well, I... I..." Gunn stammered, before glaring. "I don't think that's any of your business, pom-pom."
"Whoa, no need for names." Cordelia frowned.
"Sorry." Gunn mumbled, before storming toward the basement door. Cordelia watched him go, before letting out a sigh and following.
While Wesley had remained rather calm while it was only Gunn in the basement, upon spotting four people in his domain he began to get a bit fussy. Doyle was trying to calm him down, yelling words that were normally used for comfort at him. But Wesley wouldn’t calm down. He kept throwing himself at the cage door, roaring as though he was being backed into a corner, his eyes glowed a bright gold, sharp teeth bared.
"English!" Gunn yelled, unsure of what else to do. Wesley rammed into the cage one more time, before his eyes landed on Gunn. He paused, body tensing briefly, before reaching out and gripping the bars tightly. He lowered himself into a crouch, eyes focused on Gunn's form. Gunn gulped, stepping forward. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you down here alone."
"Maybe we should--" Angel started, taking a step toward the cage. Wesley let out a long hiss, upper lip pulled back further, giving him a near demonic look. Angel stiffened. "Maybe not."
"He doesn't need any more security, Angel." Doyle said, knowing what the vampire had meant to say. "Besides, I don't think you could get in there long enough to tie him down."
"We're not tying him down!" Gunn snapped, moving closer to the cage. Wesley didn't move and instead watched him with wary, cat eyes. Gunn paused a moment, before reaching out and wrapped his hand around one of the bars, barely two inches above Wesley's hand.
"Gunn..." Cordelia said, in warning. Gunn discreetly shook his head at her.
Wesley's eyes locked with Gunn's. Gunn felt his heart nearly leap up into his throat, but not out of fear. Wesley leaned close and Gunn copied his movement without realizing it. Their noses nearly touched. Keeping their eyes connected, Wesley turned his head slightly and rubbed his nose across Gunn's knuckles. Wesley's nostrils flared as he took in Gunn's scent. Eyes dilating, Wesley continued to breathe deeply.
"Wesley." Gunn said, softly, watching Wesley's face for a reaction. Wesley looked at him blankly, before opening his mouth and sliding his tongue along Gunn's fingers. He heard Cordelia let out a gasp, but was too busy trying to control the mix of remorse and arousal both Wesley's expression and action had caused. Gunn's hand tingled.
"Gunn..." Angel said, slowly. "Maybe you should get away from him... I don't think that's Wesley anymore."
Gunn didn't react, instead he continued to stare at Wesley's face. Wesley blinked, before leaning closer and literally bumping him lightly in the nose with his forehead. A shudder passed through Gunn's body. It was like Wesley wasn't even there. He was purely animal.
Author: frk_werewolf
Fandom: Angelverse
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Wesley/Gunn, Angel/Doyle, Cordelia/Various
Summary: As the infection within grows into an animal, Wesley finds himself questioning the meaning of family and fighting to protect those closest to him.
Warnings: Slash. Minor-almost-not-there Het. And character death, only not so much.
Chapter Summary: Gunn waits for Wesley to awaken. Cordelia complains.
previous chapters
The dull ache that resided along his hip and shoulder was the first thing that Gunn noticed upon awakening, the second being the fact that he had fallen asleep in the first place. Jerking his body into a sitting position, Gunn rubbed at his sore neck. He had fallen asleep on the cement floor of the basement, while keeping watch over Wesley. Leaning against the wall, Gunn wiped the sleep from his eyes and turned toward the cage.
A part of him was expecting the worst, that something bad had happened to Wesley during his nap. Sighing, Gunn took relief in the fact that Wesley hadn't moved from the cot. It was obvious that he was still breathing, his chest rising with each labored breath.
Gunn slowly pushed himself to his feet, wondering what time it was. He felt his stomach clench, realizing he hadn't eaten since before Dr. Keebler's visit. After taking a moment to check on Wesley, Gunn made his way upstairs and toward the kitchen. He could hear Cordelia complaining before he even got to the door. He paused.
Did he really want to face the wrath of Cordelia Chase? Taking a glance at the windows, he saw that it was daylight out, possibly a couple hours before the sun began to set. Forcing down a yawn, Gunn decided to take a chance and pushed the door open.
"Can you believe that?" Cordelia was screeching. Doyle sat at the table, a large cup of coffee before him, eyes slightly glazed over.
"Believe what?" Gunn asked, before cringing. He should have known better than to bring attention toward himself.
"My date!" Cordelia exclaimed, throwing up her hands in order to demonstrate how ghastly the whole situation was. "I went through a very rigorous system to make sure he wasn't a demon, and what happens? He tries to feed me to his demon lord!"
"Princess, have you ever thought that you simply have very bad luck with men?" Doyle asked, as Gunn skirted past the irate woman and made for the fridge. He started pulling out ingredients, building himself a sandwich.
"I just don't understand why they always come after me." Cordelia whined, sitting down at the table. "In Sunnydale, Xander was the demon magnet. When did I take his place?"
"It'll be okay, Cordelia." Gunn offered, though that was the only thing he actually had to say on the topic. It wasn't that he didn't care about Cordelia, it was more that she was a bit much for him. He was certain that there were other people in the world that had the ingrained ability to deal with that type of female. Gunn, sadly, wasn't one of them. He often felt it best to simply stand back and let her rant.
"How's Wesley?" Doyle asked.
"Still asleep." Gunn replied. "I almost want him to stay asleep..."
"I know. You can't help but wonder what he's going to be like, yeah?" Doyle took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, I heard Xander was different with his hyena."
"He won't--" Gunn cut himself off, briefly wondering if he even had the right to say anything about the situation Wesley found himself in. It wasn't like Gunn actually had any experience in this sort of thing. Vampires and demons? Gunn was an expert at dusting them, or cutting them into tiny pieces. To actually make an effort to save someone infected with demon blood? The idea was... Awkward, to say the least.
Gunn busied himself with eating his sandwich, which was able to keep him from bringing up Wesley. The Englishman was something that Gunn had slowly adjusted to in life. Wesley was always there. After accepting Angel's offer to help his team out on a regular basis, Wesley became the one who called him in or asked him to get something. Gunn kind of liked it, having Wesley's attention like that.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" Cordelia waved her hand in front of Gunn's face. Gunn scowled. "Just checking."
"Don't you have work to do?" Gunn asked. Cordelia raised an eyebrow, her mouth drawn into a tight line.
"Actually, I don't. Besides, I'm a bit tired after fighting to save my own life last night." Cordelia replied. "No thanks to you people."
"You seem fine." Doyle commented. Cordelia let out an angry snarl and stormed from the room. Doyle's lips twitched as he fought down an amused smile.
"Do you think Wesley will be hungry when he wakes up?" Gunn asked, as though Cordelia had not just thrown a minor hissy fit. "Should I make him something?"
"Is he suppose to eat with that injection?" Doyle questioned.
"I'm not sure..." Gunn admitted. "I guess that means the food can wait." Gunn finished off his sandwich and stood. "I'll see you later, man."
Gunn took a moment to grab a folding chair from the first floor utility closet, before making his way back into the basement. It appeared that Wesley had yet to awaken, so Gunn set up his chair and sat down, his mind immediately turning toward other matters. In order to prepare himself for when Wesley woke up, Gunn tried to recall all of the facts he remembered about the cat demon that had attacked him.
It was a lion demon, Paklin, to be specific. A carnivore that stood on it's back legs. It resided in a pride, much like large cats, and behaved in the same manner that lions did. The only difference, from what Gunn read, was that the Paklin had an extreme level of aggression and a taste for human meat. Gunn secretly prayed that Wesley wouldn't wake up craving the flesh of his coworkers.
Letting out a sigh, Gunn leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling. He remained there for some time, possibly even more than an hour, simply thinking, before a sound reached his ears. Frowning, he turned back toward the cage. Wesley still lay on the bed, but his head was moving and arm twitching. A deep sound escaped him, almost a moan but not quite. Gunn pushed himself to his feet, taking a step toward the cage just as Wesley's head lifted.
Before Gunn could blink, Wesley gracefully rolled off the cot, landing on one knee, with the tips of his fingers grazing the floor. Gunn held in a breath. He had never seen Wesley move like that before. Normally the former Watcher was a bit clumsy, as though even in his twenties he had yet to adjust to his long limbs. Gunn took another step forward, his own instincts screaming for him to grab a weapon. Something was telling him that the man within that cage was dangerous.
Wesley's head lifted, nostrils flaring as he seemed to scent the air. Gunn frowned. Something was wrong with his eyes, though Gunn wasn't close enough to see. However, worry about that came to a halt when Wesley spotted him. Wesley's lips pulled back, baring a set of teeth with longer, sharper canines. Gunn gasped, taking a startled step back and nearly knocking the chair over. Wesley watched him a moment, what sounded now like a deep growl emitting from his throat, before tossing his head back and letting out a roar.
It was like watching the end of The Lion King or a show on the Discovery Channel. Gunn couldn't breathe as the roar, purely lion and untamed, filled the room. The cement floor nearly vibrated from it's force. The air in Gunn's lungs caught, his eyes wide, as Wesley suddenly threw himself at the cage door. His shoulder hit it, creating a small bend in the bars. Wesley crouched down next to the door, hands sliding across the dirty floor, then up in order to wrap his fingers around a set of bars. Wesley's nostrils flared once more, his head moving forward and farther into the light.
His hair looked different, with an almost honey tint caused by a few golden-red streaks. When Wesley made no movement, Gunn slowly began to creep closer to the cage. Wesley's hands tightened on the bars, but otherwise he didn't move an inch as Gunn got close enough to truly see him. Gunn had to force air into his lungs, nearly panicking, when he saw what was wrong with Wesley's eyes.
"Wesley?" Gunn whispered. Wesley blinked, head tilting.
His eyes were pure gold, even brighter than that of a vampire's. The pupil, normally round, was now vertical and long, like a cat's. Wesley shifted, and as his face moved in and out of shadow the pupil contracted and dilated in a fast reflex. Gulping, Gunn lowered himself to his knees, so they was face to face.
"Hey, English." Gunn said, softly. Wesley growled back at him, a sound that sent shivers down Gunn's spine. Gunn took a deep breath, before speaking again. "I know you're in there. I can feel it... So, whenever you're ready, English, I'll be here."
Wesley's body tensed, eyes narrowing. Then, he pushed himself away from the cage, moving faster than a normal human, until his back hit the cement wall. He was nearly in full shadow now, but his eyes glowed an unearthly gold. A long, meow-like sound escaped from his throat. It reminded Gunn of his grandmothers' cat, who would jump out from behind the sofa and attack people. Gunn got to his feet and took a step backward. The sound ended.
"I'm... I'm going to go get the others, okay?" Gunn said, moving toward the door. He started up the stairs, pausing briefly to watch Wesley curl himself up further into the corner of the cage. Feeling a pang of guilt at locking Wesley up like some animal, Gunn pushed open the basement door and made for the lobby.
"What's got you so freaked out?" Cordelia calmly asked from the front desk. Inside the office behind her, Angel and Doyle were huddled together, speaking softly.
"Wesley's awake." Gunn stated. Angel and Doyle's heads shot up and they made for the door. "He... Uhh, he's pretty feral at the moment. I don't... Man, I don't know what to do with him."
"Wait, what do you mean by 'feral'?" Cordelia demanded, walking around the desk, with the other two at her heels. Gunn closed his eyes. "Gunn?"
"I'm not sure if it's him anymore." Gunn admitted, with a defeated done.
"No, that's impossible." Angel insisted, heading for the basement.
"Angel, man, wait!" Doyle called, rushing after him. As they disappeared through the door, leaving it open, Cordelia stepped closer to Gunn.
"Are you okay?" Cordelia placed her hand on his arm, a small gesture but comforting nonetheless. Gunn nodded. "Hey, Wesley will be fine. I know him. He's stubborn as all hell!"
"I know." Gunn muttered, turning away from her and looking toward the basement door. A roar faintly drifting through the doorway and Gunn debated returning to it's depths.
"You really love him, don't you?" Cordelia asked, her voice soft and in awe. Gunn blinked and turned toward her, shock in every particle of his face. "Don't you?"
"Well, I... I..." Gunn stammered, before glaring. "I don't think that's any of your business, pom-pom."
"Whoa, no need for names." Cordelia frowned.
"Sorry." Gunn mumbled, before storming toward the basement door. Cordelia watched him go, before letting out a sigh and following.
While Wesley had remained rather calm while it was only Gunn in the basement, upon spotting four people in his domain he began to get a bit fussy. Doyle was trying to calm him down, yelling words that were normally used for comfort at him. But Wesley wouldn’t calm down. He kept throwing himself at the cage door, roaring as though he was being backed into a corner, his eyes glowed a bright gold, sharp teeth bared.
"English!" Gunn yelled, unsure of what else to do. Wesley rammed into the cage one more time, before his eyes landed on Gunn. He paused, body tensing briefly, before reaching out and gripping the bars tightly. He lowered himself into a crouch, eyes focused on Gunn's form. Gunn gulped, stepping forward. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you down here alone."
"Maybe we should--" Angel started, taking a step toward the cage. Wesley let out a long hiss, upper lip pulled back further, giving him a near demonic look. Angel stiffened. "Maybe not."
"He doesn't need any more security, Angel." Doyle said, knowing what the vampire had meant to say. "Besides, I don't think you could get in there long enough to tie him down."
"We're not tying him down!" Gunn snapped, moving closer to the cage. Wesley didn't move and instead watched him with wary, cat eyes. Gunn paused a moment, before reaching out and wrapped his hand around one of the bars, barely two inches above Wesley's hand.
"Gunn..." Cordelia said, in warning. Gunn discreetly shook his head at her.
Wesley's eyes locked with Gunn's. Gunn felt his heart nearly leap up into his throat, but not out of fear. Wesley leaned close and Gunn copied his movement without realizing it. Their noses nearly touched. Keeping their eyes connected, Wesley turned his head slightly and rubbed his nose across Gunn's knuckles. Wesley's nostrils flared as he took in Gunn's scent. Eyes dilating, Wesley continued to breathe deeply.
"Wesley." Gunn said, softly, watching Wesley's face for a reaction. Wesley looked at him blankly, before opening his mouth and sliding his tongue along Gunn's fingers. He heard Cordelia let out a gasp, but was too busy trying to control the mix of remorse and arousal both Wesley's expression and action had caused. Gunn's hand tingled.
"Gunn..." Angel said, slowly. "Maybe you should get away from him... I don't think that's Wesley anymore."
Gunn didn't react, instead he continued to stare at Wesley's face. Wesley blinked, before leaning closer and literally bumping him lightly in the nose with his forehead. A shudder passed through Gunn's body. It was like Wesley wasn't even there. He was purely animal.