Fic: Team Spirit (Buffyverse, Dawn, Harmony)
Title: Team Spirit
Author: Brigdh
Ratings/Warnings: PG. Vague spoilers for early Season 5 of Angel.
Summary: "Can we hug now?"
Notes: Written for slartibartfast in femslash_minis, who requested Dawn/Harmony and "Adult (or vampire) Dawn, accidental flirting, roses". Alas, this turned out more gen than femslash.
You can also read this story on AO3 here, if you prefer that archive.
Team Spirit
The freakiest thing about Angel being a C.E.O. of a law firm, Dawn thought, was that Harmony was his secretary.
Okay, the image of Angel as a lawyer was a pretty close second, but he'd been evil. It made a sort of sense. And he had the shoulders to look impressive in a suit. But Harmony filing? A person needed a warning for that.
So Dawn was pretty surprised when Harmony turned out to be actually helpful. She gave good directions. And she didn't sound annoyed when Dawn called her back after getting lost on the way to Wolfram and Hart's offices, not even the fifth time, which, Dawn had to admit, was pretty impressive. But maybe she was used to it. There was no way anyone really understood L.A.'s highway system.
Dawn was starting to feel okay about the whole unsouled-Harmony-works-for-the-good-guys thing. After all, she was down with the power of redemption. So she was totally unprepared to step out of the elevator and find Harmony launching herself at her.
Dawn stumbled back, her hands coming up automatically, but Harmony stopped a few feet away, her arms still spread.
"Do you not hug?" Harmony put her hands on her hips, which were clad in a very pink and, Dawn had to admit, secretary-ish skirt. "No one here hugs. They're so closed off. But I thought Buffy was all about, you know, team spirit and supportive womanhood."
Dawn blinked. "Yeah, I guess." She didn’t think of Buffy as particularly gung-ho about hugging, but she had to agree that Sunnydale probably saw way more touching than anyplace with Angel. "And I do hug! It's just, well…"
"It's because I'm a vampire, isn't it?"
"It is not." Dawn crossed her arms defensively. "You know, the last time I saw you, you kidnapped me."
Harmony shrugged. "That was only for, like, an hour. It totally doesn't count."
"Well, Willow always hated you. And that was before you were a vampire."
"Willow hates me?" Harmony said, sounding genuinely shocked. She turned back to her desk and flopped into the chair behind it. "But I thought we were friends! I treasured my memories of Sunnydale."
She was actually pouting. Dawn felt oddly guilty, and searched for something nice to say. "Well, um, I like your flowers?"
Harmony had a huge bouquet of bright red roses on her desk, the sort of thing a politician might send his wife after the color photos were released. "Thanks," she said shortly. She glanced at Dawn out of the corner of her eye. "You can have one. If you want."
"Oh. Uh, thanks." Dawn drew one out, awkwardly trying to keep it from snagging on the others, or tipping over the whole vase and spilling water across Harmony's disturbingly clean and organized desktop. She found herself tempted to sniff at it, even though she knew better; the most colorful roses always had the least scent. It was oddly charming to have a rose, even if Dawn wasn't sure what to do with it. "Who're they from?"
"What, a girl can't treat herself?" Harmony said, lifting her chin.
"No, of course you can." Dawn blushed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have assumed-"
"It's fine." Harmony waved her hand, sweeping the mistake away. "I'm not seeing anyone right now. I need to take some time to focus on me, you know?"
Dawn found herself nodding, though she was pretty sure that she did not, in fact, know. "Right, sure."
"By the way, Dawn," Harmony said, leaning forward. "I've always wanted to tell you this: I really like your hair."
"Um," Dawn said, coherently.
"I mean, sure, it's not my style, but brown is very in right now. And it goes great with your coloring." Harmony tilted her head to one side, staring intensely at Dawn.
"Thanks. I like your hair too. It's very… blonde."
"You are so considerate," Harmony said seriously. "Angel never notices when I change my hairstyle. You'd think he would appreciate the difficulties of keeping up with fashion without a mirror."
"Well, you look great," Dawn said, nodding emphatically.
"So do you!" Harmony grinned. "Can we hug now?"
"Okay," Dawn started to say, then glanced down at the rose still in her hands. "Wait. Are you trying to seduce me? Is this all a blood-of-the-innocent type thing? Because I can tell you, I am totally not so innocent."
"Hey!" Harmony said. "I resent that. I don't eat people anymore."
"Really?" Dawn said, a skeptical look on her face.
"Really. Angel won't let me."
"Well, alright. One hug."
*****
Author: Brigdh
Ratings/Warnings: PG. Vague spoilers for early Season 5 of Angel.
Summary: "Can we hug now?"
Notes: Written for slartibartfast in femslash_minis, who requested Dawn/Harmony and "Adult (or vampire) Dawn, accidental flirting, roses". Alas, this turned out more gen than femslash.
You can also read this story on AO3 here, if you prefer that archive.
Team Spirit
The freakiest thing about Angel being a C.E.O. of a law firm, Dawn thought, was that Harmony was his secretary.
Okay, the image of Angel as a lawyer was a pretty close second, but he'd been evil. It made a sort of sense. And he had the shoulders to look impressive in a suit. But Harmony filing? A person needed a warning for that.
So Dawn was pretty surprised when Harmony turned out to be actually helpful. She gave good directions. And she didn't sound annoyed when Dawn called her back after getting lost on the way to Wolfram and Hart's offices, not even the fifth time, which, Dawn had to admit, was pretty impressive. But maybe she was used to it. There was no way anyone really understood L.A.'s highway system.
Dawn was starting to feel okay about the whole unsouled-Harmony-works-for-the-good-guys thing. After all, she was down with the power of redemption. So she was totally unprepared to step out of the elevator and find Harmony launching herself at her.
Dawn stumbled back, her hands coming up automatically, but Harmony stopped a few feet away, her arms still spread.
"Do you not hug?" Harmony put her hands on her hips, which were clad in a very pink and, Dawn had to admit, secretary-ish skirt. "No one here hugs. They're so closed off. But I thought Buffy was all about, you know, team spirit and supportive womanhood."
Dawn blinked. "Yeah, I guess." She didn’t think of Buffy as particularly gung-ho about hugging, but she had to agree that Sunnydale probably saw way more touching than anyplace with Angel. "And I do hug! It's just, well…"
"It's because I'm a vampire, isn't it?"
"It is not." Dawn crossed her arms defensively. "You know, the last time I saw you, you kidnapped me."
Harmony shrugged. "That was only for, like, an hour. It totally doesn't count."
"Well, Willow always hated you. And that was before you were a vampire."
"Willow hates me?" Harmony said, sounding genuinely shocked. She turned back to her desk and flopped into the chair behind it. "But I thought we were friends! I treasured my memories of Sunnydale."
She was actually pouting. Dawn felt oddly guilty, and searched for something nice to say. "Well, um, I like your flowers?"
Harmony had a huge bouquet of bright red roses on her desk, the sort of thing a politician might send his wife after the color photos were released. "Thanks," she said shortly. She glanced at Dawn out of the corner of her eye. "You can have one. If you want."
"Oh. Uh, thanks." Dawn drew one out, awkwardly trying to keep it from snagging on the others, or tipping over the whole vase and spilling water across Harmony's disturbingly clean and organized desktop. She found herself tempted to sniff at it, even though she knew better; the most colorful roses always had the least scent. It was oddly charming to have a rose, even if Dawn wasn't sure what to do with it. "Who're they from?"
"What, a girl can't treat herself?" Harmony said, lifting her chin.
"No, of course you can." Dawn blushed. "Sorry. I shouldn't have assumed-"
"It's fine." Harmony waved her hand, sweeping the mistake away. "I'm not seeing anyone right now. I need to take some time to focus on me, you know?"
Dawn found herself nodding, though she was pretty sure that she did not, in fact, know. "Right, sure."
"By the way, Dawn," Harmony said, leaning forward. "I've always wanted to tell you this: I really like your hair."
"Um," Dawn said, coherently.
"I mean, sure, it's not my style, but brown is very in right now. And it goes great with your coloring." Harmony tilted her head to one side, staring intensely at Dawn.
"Thanks. I like your hair too. It's very… blonde."
"You are so considerate," Harmony said seriously. "Angel never notices when I change my hairstyle. You'd think he would appreciate the difficulties of keeping up with fashion without a mirror."
"Well, you look great," Dawn said, nodding emphatically.
"So do you!" Harmony grinned. "Can we hug now?"
"Okay," Dawn started to say, then glanced down at the rose still in her hands. "Wait. Are you trying to seduce me? Is this all a blood-of-the-innocent type thing? Because I can tell you, I am totally not so innocent."
"Hey!" Harmony said. "I resent that. I don't eat people anymore."
"Really?" Dawn said, a skeptical look on her face.
"Really. Angel won't let me."
"Well, alright. One hug."
*****