(Untitled)

[_wes_pryce_]

Continued from HereIt was... refreshing, to have a conversation with Willow Rosenberg. Especially if one considers our history. This is after all, the girl I condemned to death once. Her or thousands of others. But we didn't talk about that now. We talked about...normal things

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[_wes_pryce_]

"Oh, uh." I grouched down on the floor and rummaged through the cupboard. Why hadn't I put those things in a higher one? Probably because the last time I went in search for some candles, the contents fell on top of me and nearly knocked me unconscious. Live and learn, isn't that what they say?

"I'll doubt you'll be setting me on fire any time soon." At least not with the candles. Calm down old chap. Now is not the time. You two hardly know each other really. At least not any more. Sighing, I got out the package of candles and rummaged through the drawer to find the matches when lightening filled the room again.

"I've always suspected that we get demonic storms up here. We never do get any light ones. But I've not been able to prove my theory yet," I joked. Well, joked. I did have that theory. I mean, the storms we get here are not normal. Striking a match, I lit one of the candles and put it in the holder.

Glancing over at Willow I smile at how lovely she looks in candle light. All soft and... and I'd better be careful before I run off into some artistic blathering, which will turn utterly sappy quite quickly. "Well. Here we are." I gave her a shy smile and reached for another candle. "No discovery channel I'm afraid." Good lord, I really had to stop looking into the double meaning of every bloody thing I say.

[red_rosenberg]

Hee. Discovery channel. That silly song started up in my head, you know, 'you and me baby ain't nothing but mammals'? Yeah. Me, immature? Sure. But Wesley didn't have to know that, though I did almost hum the stupid song. "We'll figure out stuff to do instead," I said, trying to keep the almost too innocent smile off my face.

Taking one of the now lit candles, I glanced around the apartment. If we lit a few more, put them around the apartment, the setting could be almost romantic. I liked candles, all ways have. Like, when Xander and I were around ten and we used to light them and put our hands a few inches above the flame and see how long we could last. We always pulled away at the same time.

Amused at the memory, I placed my hand about four inches above the flickery flame, feeling the heat of the flame blossom against my skin as I very slowly lowered my hand. As soon as it got too hot, I pulled away and smiled to find Wesley watching me, probably thinking I was strange. "It's a game," I explained. "You just put your hand over it and see who can last the longest. It's kinda like 'chicken'. Stupid game," I added, even as I tried again. I had lasted a mere five seconds last time, so I tried for six. "Ouch. Yeah. Very immature," I said lamely, soothing my hand by rubbing it against my jeans.

He looked... really nice by firelight. His glasses cast interesting shadows, but his eyes looked... really nice, and friendly. I almost wanted to touch his jaw, which was complimented nicely by the light, but I restrained myself.

[watcher_pryce]

"Yes," I nodded, "I'm sure we'll figure out something." Or go to bed early. That's starting to sound more and more appealing. Just go to bed...alone, and calm the bloody hell down. Sounds like a good plan to me. Perfect. Except, I really don't want to. Go to bed just yet. On my own. Makes me feel lonely again.

Sighing, I lit some more candles, spreading a soft glow of light through the living room. The storm was still ragging outside, and it didn't sound as though it was going to let up any time soon. I could see the trees in the park across from me fighting against the wind to stay upright.

Which reminded me, perhaps I should call Cordelia. That is, if the phone connection, or even the cell phone connection still works. Getting a bit worried about them now. I mean, they wouldn't be stupid enough to drive through this storm to get here would they?

I glanced over at Willow and blinked at what she was doing. "That's a game?" I asked. I frowned at what she was doing. Seemed like a silly game to me, and I really didn't see the appeal. Curious now, I put down my own candle and put my hand above the flame. It reminded me of the little tests father used to have, or they had at the academy. 'A watcher must be prepared for everything and anything'. Load of bull if you ask me, but they would probably never change. How can you be prepared for everything and anything, impossible.

Moving my hand away from the flame slowly, I blinked down on it as I turned the palm toward me. "Did I win?" I asked confused. I really ought to not get lost in my own thoughts while playing with fire. One can get easily burned. Rubbing my hands over each other, I smiled over at Willow again. "Well, that game might be a little painful. Do you know any other games we could play in the dark." And the moment those words left my mouth I could feel myself blush pink and I groaned.

"I-I-I mean-mean...Uhm...Erm...I...never mind. I really put my foot in my mouth there."

[red_rosenberg]

I was enjoying his little Fruedian slips way too much. It's not like I can talk - I accidentally groped the man. And... I kinda wanted to do it again. Hee. Really shouldn't go there. Giggling, I nodded. "You did," I agreed supportively, and before he could, I don't know, apologise or something, I steered him out of the kitchen. What we could do in the dark. Aside from the obvious? Oh dear. "Well, there's always ghost stories or murder hide and seek or dark marco polo or... wow, I really can't think beyond elementary school, can I?"

Wall, meet forehead. I rolled my eyes in the dimness as we got back to the loungeroom. Setting my candle down on the coffee table, I sprawled on the floor, hands resting on my knees as the wind and rain rattled the glass in the window panes. "I'm out of ideas. Can you come up with anything?" I asked. "You know, something more interesting than murder hide and seek." God, I'm so lame. It's a wonder that Wes invited me back.

"Oh, there's always shadow puppets," I added. "Not that that's not lame too, but it's not too bad. There was a candle Wesley had placed beside the couch, which I leant over to blow out, casting a little more darkness over the room, through twitchy orange light up mainly to the ceiling. "It's better with a torch," I said, before I placed my hands again above the flame, and made a crab shadow that flickered on the ceiling. "Huh. Not too bad. Hee, it has cute claws."

[_wes_pryce_]

Well isn't that nice of her to agree with me. At least I wasn't the one who was actually *doing* it. Unlike a nice redhead girl who put her hand on my arse. And sat in my lap, which granted, was where I pulled her in, but still. Right. Moving on, lets not dwindle around there too long shall we?

I gave her a confused look when she mention things one could do while having a power outage. Power outage, sounds so much better then 'in the dark'. I think I shall refer to it as such from now on. But those things she mentioned? Does one actually do that in elementary school. "I've no idea," I shrugged, trying to keep my candle steady. "We most certainly didn't play those. Then again, I never did go to elementary school."

Sitting down across from her, I put my candle next to the sofa and glanced at the windows for a moment. This certainly was some storm, I don't remember ever having such a bad one. It would almost make me suspicious as to its nature. "Shadow puppets sounds nicer then murder hide and seek. I think." Depends on the shadow puppets I guess. I blinked when she blew out the candle and then started up at the ceiling when she did. "That almost looks like the logo Cordelia made for Angel Investigations," I said amused.

[red_rosenberg]

"It's not so much that we did it at school," I explained. "Just around the age group. I went to a school camp one time, and got bitten by so many mosquitos that the teachers took pity on me and let me stay in the tent instead of play spotlight with all the other kids. My friend Jesse hung out there too and we played shadow puppets." Okay, stop rambling now. I moved my hands, making a duck, flapping it's wings and opening its beak.

"Murder hide and seek is fun. Scary, and no one gets murdered obviously. It's just like hide and seek, only it's in the dark so you can hide in what would usually be plain sight, but you can't see 'cause it's dark. And when someone finds you, you have to scream real loud. I don't know who made that rule, though. It sort of ends in tangles and giggling and knocked over furniture. At least, it does when you're eight years old."

I made another shape (Jesse used to rule at this game, so I tried to remember what he did), and it looked sort of like a dragon. Only not. "Hmm. I'm out. You try one." I pushed the candle towards Wesley with a grin. I was probably scaring him with my oddness, but... hey, the man needs to get educated on silly things, right? Right.

[_wes_pryce_]

"It is?" It's an age group thing? I must've missed that at that age. Then again, I probably missed a lot at any given age. Too much studying had that tendency, I've found out. Sometimes I'm to naive for words. At least according to Cordelia and Gunn. And probably Angel. And no doubt, Will will think so to now. Great.

I looked up at the ceiling again, somewhat in awe. I had no idea you could do all that with your hands. I mean... Good lord, I wish my mind would stop making all those bloody u-turns. Was that a bird? "I don't think my neighbors would appreciate a lot of loud screaming right now." Oh god, u-turn again. Bloody hell, maybe should just try to call Cordy and then go to bed.

Blinking at the candle she pushed toward me, I looked up at her and gave her a blank look. Which could be interpreted as 'I am stupid, whatever do you mean?' Because I had no idea how to make shadow puppets or the likes. Frowning, I brought up my hand and tried to copy the bird I'd seen her make and glanced up at the ceiling. Looked like a couple of ungraceful hands to me. "It would seem I don't have your talent."

[red_rosenberg]

"I don't think my neighbors would appreciate a lot of loud screaming right now."

I bit my lip and tried not to chuckle. The slips were making up for my hand on his ass, so I wasn't about to discourage him. "That's okay, I don't picture you to be a screamer," I said helpfully, and gave him a quick grin when he looked at me. What? I was allowed to do the innuendo thing, and he couldn't see me blush in the dimness. Living with Buffy taught me much, anyway, and Xander didn't exactly refrain from pointing out my own Fruedian slips.

I watched the ceiling as he attempted a shadow puppet - that was cool, I was almost expecting him to turn me down. The shadow was a mess of fingers, though, it reminded me of my first tries. Jesse had helped me out, though, so I was happy to do the same.

"Here," I said, kneeling up and putting my hands over his, moving and shaping them accordingly. "Just put this hand on top of this one, and just put your fingers like this-- up a bit, there, like that. And just move these two... and see?" I pointed up at ceiling, letting go of his hands. "Turtle. Turtles are good. I knew you'd be great with your hands." Wesley hands. My mind went on a tangent and I tried to get a grip.

[watcher_pryce]

I risked a glance up on the ceiling to watch my lame attempts of a puppet again. Which is what it was, a lame attempt. It still didn't even come close to resembling a puppet. They looked like what they were. Hands, with a lot of fingers. I was just about to give up, when Willow shifted and put her hands over mine.

Swallowing, I tried not to think about how warm her hands were, or how close by she was again. Or how good she smelled. Roses? I think so, it's a flower smell. She moved my hands into the form of a puppet and I had to force myself to concentrate on that. I glanced down at that she was doing, actually trying to make sense of it.

"What? Oh, right." I was staring again when she pointed at the ceiling. Stupid fool! She'll think you're the moronic git Cordelia keeps saying you are. Giving her a small smile, I'm eternally grateful that it's so dark. Then I look up at the ceiling and blink.

"It's a turtle," I say stupidly. Really, she just told you that was a turtle, you sod. I wiggled my hands a bit and it seemed to be moving. "Amazing." I could feel the smile on my face growing by the second. "Do you know any more? This is actually amusing." Come see the ex-watcher, turned rogue demon hunter make shadow puppets on the ceiling. The demon world is quivering in their boots now.

[red_rosenberg]

I grinned. He actually seemed to be enjoying himself, or at least, was being amused by it. "Sure I do." I scooted around the coffee table to perch on the couch beside him, legs brushing his. I was glad for the shadows puppets. They sort of broke whatever tension we'd created since I had first fallen on Wes. Or at least, I was thinking the tension was broken. Maybe I was just being oblivious.

Again, covering my hands with his, I helped move and shape them, crossing them, touching more than I had to. His hands were smooth and elegant, so pleasant to touch. Then there were patches or rougher, harder skin, worn down by weapon weilding, and I liked that too. He had really... really nice hands. And eyes. And smile. And thighs. I sighed. Tension, hi, meet awkwardness.

"And, voila and all the French stuff," I said, taking my hands away and pointing at the flickering ceiling again. "It's a bat." I made my own and made it fly, watching it dip in an out of candle light. There was something spooky and ethereal about shadows.

[watcher_pryce]

Oh, she does know more of those shadow puppets. And I really shouldn't concentrate on how well her hands feel over mine. How big my hands look compared to her small delicate hands. How much softer they are. How much warmer. How much power there can be in those hands as well. Yet they are very gentle and caring most of the time.

Nope, not thinking about that at all.

"Oh...right," I nod, chuckling a bit. "French...stuff." Good lord, could you be anymore stuffy? I thought you'd learned by now not to do that, Pryce. Didn't Cordelia teach you anything? Bloody hell, it's a wonder Willow hasn't called a floating cab yet to go over to Cordelia. Who, now that I'm thinking about her anyway, I should call.

I keep looking up, grinning when she makes a bat as well, letting it fly around. There's a loud crash of thunder outside again, nearly making me jump. This storm is getting very strange. "I don't remember ever getting a storm like this here," I mutter craning my neck to look out the window. Odd. I'm just being paranoid again, no doubt.

[willocwen]

Continued Here.