(no subject)
Title: Territory
Characters: Sam Winchester & Angel
Fandom: Supernatural/Angel crossover
Prompt: 46 - King
Words: 1245
Rating: PG-13
* * *
Cordelia beamed at them over the top of her over-sized coffee mug, clearly enjoying herself. "Told you it would be fun."
Angel warmed his hands on the coffee that he didn't intend to drink and tried to keep from jumping every time they used the ridiculously noisy foam-making machine (or whatever it was) behind the counter. Wesley cleared his throat noncommittally and Cordelia's eyes narrowed at their non-reaction.
"We are having fun, aren't we?"
Angel and Wesley quickly voiced their agreement until Cordelia was smiling again. It wasn't really that bad, Angel decided, watching Cordelia visibly relax. Even it if was a useless kind of fun for a vampire. But nonetheless... warm building, not too many people, good friends and a smiling Cordelia. It was a good evening.
"See?" Cordelia insisted, sipping at her foamy drink. "The world won't end if we go out sometimes like real people and enjoy ourselves and have a little... vision..."
Angel was at her side in an instant. Wesley sent his drink flying but scrambled around the table a second later. Cordelia was staring across the cafe with a slight frown. "Not me, you dopes." She pointed surreptitiously across the cafe. "That guy. I think he just had a vision."
Angel followed her gaze to a couple of young men at a small table near the wall. Sure enough, the taller boy with the shaggy hair was hunched over, his fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose and his teeth locked in a grimace of pain. The guy with him was leaning across the table, his hand on the kid's shoulder.
"Cordelia," Wesley started, "We don't know..." But she was already on her feet and making her way across the room. Angel hurried after her with an apologetic shrug to Wesley.
"Ice cream headache," the short-haired boy with the charming grin was explaining by the time that Angel caught up with Cordelia. "He's fine."
"I'm fine," the other boy confirmed with a forced smile, his eyes still glazed with pain. These two smelled like family, but the taller kid mainly smelled like fear.
"Here..." Cordelia fumbled through her purse and produced a bottle of pills, shaking one out and handing it to the kid with a sympathetic smile before Angel could even think about stopping her. "These always help me after I have a vision."
Boys both froze before sharing a quick glance and Angel went from cringing with embarrassment to complete alertness within the space of second. Cordelia had been right.
"Thanks," the kid murmured, palming the pill. He was starting to relax just like Cordelia had a minute ago, but the other guy was now practically jittering with tension. "I'm Sam. He's Dean," the vision-boy… Sam… supplied.
Dean moved suddenly, pressing a small crucifix to Cordelia's abdomen without getting up, scrutinizing her for any change. (Angel drifted back a step as casually as he could.) "What are you?" Dean demanded.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow and pointedly glanced down at his hand before folding her arms. "Currently? Little bit annoyed." Dean sheepishly pocketed the crucifix. "I'm Cordelia. Concerned human citizen and fellow vision-getter."
"Who's the spook?" Dean asked, jerking his thumb towards Angel. Angel frowned at him.
"He's Angel," Cordelia interjected smoothly. "Professional hero." Sam and Dean both shot Angel an incredulous glance, but Angel was just thankful that she'd skipped the 'Dark Avenger' bit this time.
“What did you see?” Angel asked Sam. Sam looked askance of his brother.
“Don’t tell him, Sam.”
“Why not?” Cordelia asked, offense creeping back into her tone. Dean was tight-lipped and frowning, and Angel wondered what somebody that young had to go through to become just that paranoid.
“Because we can handle it,” Dean said. “Thanks for the concern, but this is our deal.”
“And this is my town,” Angel shot back, a bit surprised at himself. He knew he could get a little possessive at times, but he hadn’t had the nerve to claim a city as his turf since the days when lace cuffs for men were still in style. Dean practically bristled, standing up with the intention to fight clear in his eyes.
“Super. We’ll just do our job and get out of your very stylish hair, man.”
“Dean…” Sam interjected quietly.
“No, I get it,” Dean continued, edging towards Angel like he was ready to take him on right in the middle of the coffee house. “He’s the king of the castle and we’re the dirty… Wesley?”
Angel glanced over to see that Wesley had come up beside him. “Um,” Wesley said, flushing a little and suddenly looking like he’d much rather go back to their table. “Hello, Dean.”
“Wesley Wyndam-Pryce!” Dean laughed, shouldering past Angel to clap Wesley on the arm. “Dude, glad to see you’re still alive!”
“I take it you guys know each other?” Cordelia asked dryly. Sam shrugged in confusion, but Dean was grinning. (He wasn’t a bad looking kid when he stopped glaring, Angel decided.)
“It was rather a long time ago…” Wesley started.
“Me and dad had to rescue him from a zombie in Yosemite,” Dean laughed. “Remember the ‘rogue demon hunter’ I told you about, Sammy?”
“I assure you, the situation was under control,” Wesley insisted sheepishly, glancing at Angel.
“Dean?” Sam interrupted, looking bemused by pointing to his head. “Vision?” Dean seemed to remember himself, snapping back to attention like a well-trained soldier, and Angel’s respect for the guy crept back up a notch. Dean shot another suspicious look at Angel, but Wesley’s presence had defused him more than a little. Angel made a mental note to ask Wesley for the rest of that story when they were alone again.
“Listen,” Dean said, “We’ve got this. Zombie-killer here can tell you that I know how to fight.”
“On the other hand,” Sam said quietly, rubbing his temple, “Some extra firepower wouldn’t exactly hurt. This is going to be… nasty. Lots of teeth.”
“Angel’s much better at killing things than Wes is,” Cordelia added helpfully, evoking a muttered “Oh, thank you…” from Wesley. Dean appeared to consider the proposition and Angel couldn’t help but feel a little curiosity about these two. Maybe it was more than a coincidence that brought them to L.A. To this exact coffee shop. When Dean’s appraising stare passed over him, Angel did his best not to loom.
“Yeah, alright,” Dean finally agreed, with a shrug. “Sammy?” Sam got to his feet beside his brother.
“Some kind of… crocodile thing. It’s going to come up out of the sewers.”
“Crocodile,” Wesley mused. “Dark scales? Perhaps about ten feet in length?”
Sam nodded. “With a serious overbite.”
“Ah. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?” Wesley asked.
“Bad news,” Angel and Dean chorused. Angel frowned and Dean rolled his eyes.
“This particular breed always hunts with a mate.”
Cordelia made a little noise of annoyance. “I’m not going to get to finish my mocha, am I? Good news now, please?”
Wesley smiled with grim humor. “I know how to kill it.”
Within a couple minutes, they were heading towards the parking lot as a group, Sam and Wesley ironing out the details of the beast of the week, while Dean… finally starting to relax around them… alternately talked battle strategy with Angel while unsuccessfully attempting to flirt with Cordelia.
Against all rationality, Angel almost found himself smiling. Cordelia had been right. This might turn out to be an interesting evening after all.
Characters: Sam Winchester & Angel
Fandom: Supernatural/Angel crossover
Prompt: 46 - King
Words: 1245
Rating: PG-13
* * *
Cordelia beamed at them over the top of her over-sized coffee mug, clearly enjoying herself. "Told you it would be fun."
Angel warmed his hands on the coffee that he didn't intend to drink and tried to keep from jumping every time they used the ridiculously noisy foam-making machine (or whatever it was) behind the counter. Wesley cleared his throat noncommittally and Cordelia's eyes narrowed at their non-reaction.
"We are having fun, aren't we?"
Angel and Wesley quickly voiced their agreement until Cordelia was smiling again. It wasn't really that bad, Angel decided, watching Cordelia visibly relax. Even it if was a useless kind of fun for a vampire. But nonetheless... warm building, not too many people, good friends and a smiling Cordelia. It was a good evening.
"See?" Cordelia insisted, sipping at her foamy drink. "The world won't end if we go out sometimes like real people and enjoy ourselves and have a little... vision..."
Angel was at her side in an instant. Wesley sent his drink flying but scrambled around the table a second later. Cordelia was staring across the cafe with a slight frown. "Not me, you dopes." She pointed surreptitiously across the cafe. "That guy. I think he just had a vision."
Angel followed her gaze to a couple of young men at a small table near the wall. Sure enough, the taller boy with the shaggy hair was hunched over, his fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose and his teeth locked in a grimace of pain. The guy with him was leaning across the table, his hand on the kid's shoulder.
"Cordelia," Wesley started, "We don't know..." But she was already on her feet and making her way across the room. Angel hurried after her with an apologetic shrug to Wesley.
"Ice cream headache," the short-haired boy with the charming grin was explaining by the time that Angel caught up with Cordelia. "He's fine."
"I'm fine," the other boy confirmed with a forced smile, his eyes still glazed with pain. These two smelled like family, but the taller kid mainly smelled like fear.
"Here..." Cordelia fumbled through her purse and produced a bottle of pills, shaking one out and handing it to the kid with a sympathetic smile before Angel could even think about stopping her. "These always help me after I have a vision."
Boys both froze before sharing a quick glance and Angel went from cringing with embarrassment to complete alertness within the space of second. Cordelia had been right.
"Thanks," the kid murmured, palming the pill. He was starting to relax just like Cordelia had a minute ago, but the other guy was now practically jittering with tension. "I'm Sam. He's Dean," the vision-boy… Sam… supplied.
Dean moved suddenly, pressing a small crucifix to Cordelia's abdomen without getting up, scrutinizing her for any change. (Angel drifted back a step as casually as he could.) "What are you?" Dean demanded.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow and pointedly glanced down at his hand before folding her arms. "Currently? Little bit annoyed." Dean sheepishly pocketed the crucifix. "I'm Cordelia. Concerned human citizen and fellow vision-getter."
"Who's the spook?" Dean asked, jerking his thumb towards Angel. Angel frowned at him.
"He's Angel," Cordelia interjected smoothly. "Professional hero." Sam and Dean both shot Angel an incredulous glance, but Angel was just thankful that she'd skipped the 'Dark Avenger' bit this time.
“What did you see?” Angel asked Sam. Sam looked askance of his brother.
“Don’t tell him, Sam.”
“Why not?” Cordelia asked, offense creeping back into her tone. Dean was tight-lipped and frowning, and Angel wondered what somebody that young had to go through to become just that paranoid.
“Because we can handle it,” Dean said. “Thanks for the concern, but this is our deal.”
“And this is my town,” Angel shot back, a bit surprised at himself. He knew he could get a little possessive at times, but he hadn’t had the nerve to claim a city as his turf since the days when lace cuffs for men were still in style. Dean practically bristled, standing up with the intention to fight clear in his eyes.
“Super. We’ll just do our job and get out of your very stylish hair, man.”
“Dean…” Sam interjected quietly.
“No, I get it,” Dean continued, edging towards Angel like he was ready to take him on right in the middle of the coffee house. “He’s the king of the castle and we’re the dirty… Wesley?”
Angel glanced over to see that Wesley had come up beside him. “Um,” Wesley said, flushing a little and suddenly looking like he’d much rather go back to their table. “Hello, Dean.”
“Wesley Wyndam-Pryce!” Dean laughed, shouldering past Angel to clap Wesley on the arm. “Dude, glad to see you’re still alive!”
“I take it you guys know each other?” Cordelia asked dryly. Sam shrugged in confusion, but Dean was grinning. (He wasn’t a bad looking kid when he stopped glaring, Angel decided.)
“It was rather a long time ago…” Wesley started.
“Me and dad had to rescue him from a zombie in Yosemite,” Dean laughed. “Remember the ‘rogue demon hunter’ I told you about, Sammy?”
“I assure you, the situation was under control,” Wesley insisted sheepishly, glancing at Angel.
“Dean?” Sam interrupted, looking bemused by pointing to his head. “Vision?” Dean seemed to remember himself, snapping back to attention like a well-trained soldier, and Angel’s respect for the guy crept back up a notch. Dean shot another suspicious look at Angel, but Wesley’s presence had defused him more than a little. Angel made a mental note to ask Wesley for the rest of that story when they were alone again.
“Listen,” Dean said, “We’ve got this. Zombie-killer here can tell you that I know how to fight.”
“On the other hand,” Sam said quietly, rubbing his temple, “Some extra firepower wouldn’t exactly hurt. This is going to be… nasty. Lots of teeth.”
“Angel’s much better at killing things than Wes is,” Cordelia added helpfully, evoking a muttered “Oh, thank you…” from Wesley. Dean appeared to consider the proposition and Angel couldn’t help but feel a little curiosity about these two. Maybe it was more than a coincidence that brought them to L.A. To this exact coffee shop. When Dean’s appraising stare passed over him, Angel did his best not to loom.
“Yeah, alright,” Dean finally agreed, with a shrug. “Sammy?” Sam got to his feet beside his brother.
“Some kind of… crocodile thing. It’s going to come up out of the sewers.”
“Crocodile,” Wesley mused. “Dark scales? Perhaps about ten feet in length?”
Sam nodded. “With a serious overbite.”
“Ah. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?” Wesley asked.
“Bad news,” Angel and Dean chorused. Angel frowned and Dean rolled his eyes.
“This particular breed always hunts with a mate.”
Cordelia made a little noise of annoyance. “I’m not going to get to finish my mocha, am I? Good news now, please?”
Wesley smiled with grim humor. “I know how to kill it.”
Within a couple minutes, they were heading towards the parking lot as a group, Sam and Wesley ironing out the details of the beast of the week, while Dean… finally starting to relax around them… alternately talked battle strategy with Angel while unsuccessfully attempting to flirt with Cordelia.
Against all rationality, Angel almost found himself smiling. Cordelia had been right. This might turn out to be an interesting evening after all.