Ramblings of a scientific mind [_fallingout_]
I walk into Wesley's office with the news and smile as I see him standing at his desk, organizing books and papers. Always the bookman, "I just got off the phone. Looks like the kids are coming out of their stasis."
"Oh...good. I think we did some excellent work back there." I can feel my heart racing, in a good kind of way.
"I think you're right." I say taking a few steps forward and smiling broadly.
"And now..." He grabs his coat and I try to think of something to say, something, and anything to get him to stay just a few minutes longer.
"And now..." Is all I can manage. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach almost making me feel sick, but in a good kind of way.
"We'd better get some rest. No telling when the next crisis will strike." I sort of frown as he starts to walk towards the door. I can't let him just walk away, can I? I mean, if he doesn't make the first move, then...
"You're just gonna go, aren't you?" I tell him, stepping in front of him, cutting him off before he can reach the door.
"Fred-" I look at him nervously. I'm gonna have to be the one to do this, aren't I... after all this time of him sending me all kinds of signals, he was the one that was missing them all.
"Haven't you been... sensing anything lately... about me... coming from me?" I say searching his expression. "Uh... didn't occur to you that... something might have changed? That- I'm looking at you in a different- Oh, screw it." I put my hands on either side of his face and kiss him on the lips. For a moment I forget to breathe and finally when our lips part I take a step back, and look into his eyes hoping for a reaction or anything.
"Um..." Not quite the reaction I was looking for... but it was something.
"That was a signal. Okay? Is that... clear enough for you?"
For two seconds I didn't know what to think. But then, just like that, he drops his blazer, and looks into my eyes and smiles, "Not even close."
This time he's the one that pulls me in, and kisses me passionately, putting his arm around me. I forget about everything... and finally, after all this time, we are truly close.
....
I opened my eyes, and gasped. Sitting up, I could see the red numbers of the clock cutting through the darkness. Squinting slightly, the numbers come into focus and I could see 5:45 blinking back at me. And the sound of the alarm beating loudly at my ears. I turned it off and rest my head against the headboard and smile, my mind taking me back to my dream and that first kiss. I touch my lips and wonder if it actually happened the way I remember. Of course it did, silly. I think to myself.
I couldn't quite remember when or how my feelings had changed for him. It had been a long time since I had felt this way for anyone. For the past few months I had been immersed into my work, the lab, hardly had time for anything else that didn't include a case file. Lucky for us, Angel had to go all puppet man; gave Wesley and I the opportunity to finally work together, and I guess for me to realize what I... no, who I truly wanted in my life.
I got out of bed and went about my normal morning routine. After an hour or so I was ready for another day at Evil, Inc. Although, it didn't seem like such an evil place anymore. Not since the kiss anyway. Sure, our work was marginally questionable at times, and most of our clients were... evil, but all aspects considered, it wasn't always so bad. We all did real good things with our resources. And I had a few important projects I was working on back at the lab. Speaking of which, if I didn't leave now, I would never get to work on time. With all the morning traffic, it would take a miracle to get me to work at eight.
Finally, after forty-five minutes of bumper to bumper traffic I was able to make to the firm's parking structure with five minutes to spare. My face had a permanent smile plastered on it. I didn't think I had ever been this excited about coming in to work. Walking through the lobby doors, I headed straight for the elevators that lead to my lab. I smiled, nodded, said hello to a few people and thing, he, she, or its, as I passed them by, and then headed straight to my office. I wondered what kind of excuse I could come up with to visit Wesley. I mean, I had a lot of things to get to, a lot of research to go over, plus some new specimens that had come in that needed some dissecting.
Maybe we could do lunch, or take a few minutes to get some breakfast, although, I already had some breakfast so the lunch idea was probably the best idea after all. I looked at the phone, the time on it read 8:17, maybe he was in his office right about now... maybe not, or maybe he had stopped by Angel's first. Maybe he was down at files and records-- maybe I was thinking about this way too much.
"Oh...good. I think we did some excellent work back there." I can feel my heart racing, in a good kind of way.
"I think you're right." I say taking a few steps forward and smiling broadly.
"And now..." He grabs his coat and I try to think of something to say, something, and anything to get him to stay just a few minutes longer.
"And now..." Is all I can manage. I can feel the butterflies in my stomach almost making me feel sick, but in a good kind of way.
"We'd better get some rest. No telling when the next crisis will strike." I sort of frown as he starts to walk towards the door. I can't let him just walk away, can I? I mean, if he doesn't make the first move, then...
"You're just gonna go, aren't you?" I tell him, stepping in front of him, cutting him off before he can reach the door.
"Fred-" I look at him nervously. I'm gonna have to be the one to do this, aren't I... after all this time of him sending me all kinds of signals, he was the one that was missing them all.
"Haven't you been... sensing anything lately... about me... coming from me?" I say searching his expression. "Uh... didn't occur to you that... something might have changed? That- I'm looking at you in a different- Oh, screw it." I put my hands on either side of his face and kiss him on the lips. For a moment I forget to breathe and finally when our lips part I take a step back, and look into his eyes hoping for a reaction or anything.
"Um..." Not quite the reaction I was looking for... but it was something.
"That was a signal. Okay? Is that... clear enough for you?"
For two seconds I didn't know what to think. But then, just like that, he drops his blazer, and looks into my eyes and smiles, "Not even close."
This time he's the one that pulls me in, and kisses me passionately, putting his arm around me. I forget about everything... and finally, after all this time, we are truly close.
....
I opened my eyes, and gasped. Sitting up, I could see the red numbers of the clock cutting through the darkness. Squinting slightly, the numbers come into focus and I could see 5:45 blinking back at me. And the sound of the alarm beating loudly at my ears. I turned it off and rest my head against the headboard and smile, my mind taking me back to my dream and that first kiss. I touch my lips and wonder if it actually happened the way I remember. Of course it did, silly. I think to myself.
I couldn't quite remember when or how my feelings had changed for him. It had been a long time since I had felt this way for anyone. For the past few months I had been immersed into my work, the lab, hardly had time for anything else that didn't include a case file. Lucky for us, Angel had to go all puppet man; gave Wesley and I the opportunity to finally work together, and I guess for me to realize what I... no, who I truly wanted in my life.
I got out of bed and went about my normal morning routine. After an hour or so I was ready for another day at Evil, Inc. Although, it didn't seem like such an evil place anymore. Not since the kiss anyway. Sure, our work was marginally questionable at times, and most of our clients were... evil, but all aspects considered, it wasn't always so bad. We all did real good things with our resources. And I had a few important projects I was working on back at the lab. Speaking of which, if I didn't leave now, I would never get to work on time. With all the morning traffic, it would take a miracle to get me to work at eight.
Finally, after forty-five minutes of bumper to bumper traffic I was able to make to the firm's parking structure with five minutes to spare. My face had a permanent smile plastered on it. I didn't think I had ever been this excited about coming in to work. Walking through the lobby doors, I headed straight for the elevators that lead to my lab. I smiled, nodded, said hello to a few people and thing, he, she, or its, as I passed them by, and then headed straight to my office. I wondered what kind of excuse I could come up with to visit Wesley. I mean, I had a lot of things to get to, a lot of research to go over, plus some new specimens that had come in that needed some dissecting.
Maybe we could do lunch, or take a few minutes to get some breakfast, although, I already had some breakfast so the lunch idea was probably the best idea after all. I looked at the phone, the time on it read 8:17, maybe he was in his office right about now... maybe not, or maybe he had stopped by Angel's first. Maybe he was down at files and records-- maybe I was thinking about this way too much.