Title: Blinded with Love
Author: Lysa
Posted: 06/03
Rating: NC-17
Email
Category: Smut, Humor
Content: C/A
Summary: Cordelia ends up under Angel’s care after she is blinded by a spell.
Spoilers: BtVS: S1.3 The Witch
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: Anywhere, but please let me know
Notes:
Thanks/Dedication:
Feedback: Want it, love it, need it.
“I’m blind!” Cordelia felt a pair of small hands helping her to her feet. “Oh, God! I can’t see a thing.”
Buffy wasn’t sure what was happening, except that Cordelia had driven through the school fence in the Driver’s Ed car taking Mr. Poole and her fellow students with her. She darted out of the car arms flailing helplessly in front of her directly into the path of a Mack truck. Only Buffy’s enhanced Slayer speed and a quick acrobatic move saved the brunette.
At the nurse’s office, the school RN was frankly puzzled by the white haze that appeared over the teenager’s eyes. It seemed to be fading leaving Cordelia with normally looking eyes, but she remained unable to see. Buffy had her own suspicions. This seemed magical rather than natural. Something weird was going on and Cordelia was obviously the target of someone’s scheme.
Figuring Cordelia Chase probably had a lot of enemies, Buffy had to narrow down the list to the ones that might have something recent to complain about. Amy Madison was the most likely candidate since she was vying for one of the cheerleader positions and bitchy Cordelia was a probable shoo-in. Considering the spontaneous combustion of one of the girls at the cheerleader tryouts, it was possible that these two events were related.
The school nurse explained that they would have to notify Cordelia’s parents and that she needed to see her physician today.
“My parents are in Europe,” Cordelia told her. “They might be in Paris or London right now. Is it Thursday? Maybe it was Lisbon.”
“Oh,” the nurse seemed put out. “Who else do we have listed for an emergency contact?”
Cordelia shrugged. She couldn’t think of anybody except maybe Harmony’s parents and that would not be a good thing. Whatever this was, she did not want the whole school talking about it. Cordy figured she could handle the driving through the fence situation with a story or two.
Sitting next to Cordelia, Buffy let out a long sigh. “Cordelia can stay at my house until my mom can talk to her parents.”
“Good! That’s good. Shall I contact your mother now?”
“No,” Buffy hastened to say. “I’ll deal.”
Leading Cordelia out of the nurse’s office, Buffy kept a hand on her elbow. “Take it slow so you don’t trip over anything. It’s the end of the day, so we can head straight to Giles.”
“To the library?” That made no sense. “I thought you were going to take me to my doctor.”
The school librarian, Rupert Giles, was rather curious about Cordelia’s condition. Buffy seemed to believe that he would be able to find a cure. Cordy knew that Buffy Summers was way strange. Just look at the weirdness at the Bronze the other night where those ugly guys from those rival gangs were fighting for turf. Buffy *knew* them.
Now she was talking to the librarian about her sudden blindness. Cordelia figured he was the faculty for Buffy’s little Crime Club or whatever after-school activity kept Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg and Buffy closeted up in the library for hours at a time. They were into such gross things. Buffy was all into looking at the extreme dead guy found in Aura’s locker.
“Mr. Giles, are you sure you shouldn’t take me to the Emergency Room?” Cordelia called out in the direction she last heard his voice.
From another side of the room the Englishman spoke, “They can’t help you. I believe that your affliction is mystical. Likely a result of magick very akin to voodoo.”
“Huh?” Cordelia could not see his face to tell whether he was joking or not, but the man certainly sounded serious. “Did you say voodoo?”
“My research has thus far proved fruitless,” Giles revealed. “I can find no specific spell that brings on such sudden blindness. Considering the information Buffy provided about Amy Madison, I think we should look to her.”
“Klutzy Amy? The one who nearly blew my cheerleader tryout?” Cordelia was suddenly believing the girl was responsible. “She is *so* jealous of me. Are you saying she’s— a witch?”
“Quite possibly.” Giles insisted upon looking through a few more books, but found nothing helpful. “If it is what I think, the only way to end the spell is to destroy the source.”
“Amy?”
“No. There would be a doll representing Cordelia.”
Finally, Giles offered to drive them to Cordelia’s house. “I can only drop you off. I— have something I need to do tonight.”
“That’s great,” Buffy thanked him. “Saves us walking. I don’t have my license yet or a car and the buses don’t run that frequently at this time of day. It was already past six o’clock and sunset would soon be upon them.
Giles let them off at the gate to the Chase estate. Cordelia held onto Buffy’s elbow and instructed her on the correct code to enter. Once inside, they headed up to Cordelia’s side of the mansion to collect some things for her to stay overnight at the Summer’s house.
“Nice house, Cordelia,” admitted Buffy gazing around at the rich furnishings. Still, it seemed awfully big and empty. Shouldn’t a house this size have lots of servants. “Where is everybody?”
“There is only Rosaria and me,” Cordy told her. “My parents don’t keep a lot of servants around when they’re out of town.”
“Rosaria?”
“The housekeeper. She comes in and keeps things going.”
“Does she live here?” Buffy wondered if this Rosaria could keep an eye on Cordelia instead of having to drag her home to her house. It was going to be time to patrol soon and Buffy needed to get rid of— uh, get Cordelia settled before then.
“No. She goes home at six,” Cordelia explained. “We probably just missed her.”
Buffy drooled a bit as she walked into Cordelia’s bedroom closet. It was almost the size of a small room and filled with designer clothes. Trying not to sound jealous, she talked to Cordelia about shopping. It seemed a safe subject for the two of them. Soon, Buffy had gathered the clothes and personal items that Cordy needed to bring with her placing them all into a gym bag.
“This should be good for a night or two.”
“I hope this doesn’t last longer than that,” Cordelia looked horrified at the thought. “Are you sure I don’t need to go to the ER?”
“Almost positive.”
“That is *so* not reassuring!”
They called a cab to take them back to Buffy’s house. They waited and waited until finally, Buffy suggested that they walk. She needed to patrol. Not that she was trying to give herself extra time to run into the mysterious guy who gave her jewelry and cryptic warnings, but if she accidentally found him following her— that wouldn’t be so bad.
“We’ll take the shortcut.”
Cordelia was agog. “You plan to drag a blind girl through Sunnydale Park after dark?”
“No,” Buffy answered. “I was gonna take you through Restfield Cemetery. If we cut down the middle it will take almost fifteen minutes off. We’ll be closer to main street then and can grab a cab or hoof it over to my house.”
“The cemetery!”
“Yeah. No big.” Buffy shrugged then realized the brunette couldn’t see it. “I’ll keep you safe.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is not a good idea?” Cordelia grew up here in Sunnydale. It was common knowledge that ruffians hung out in the cemeteries after dark. “Two hotties strolling through gang-infested territory. We should just post the ‘victim here’ signs right now.”
With a sigh of frustration, Buffy tried to convince her, “Nothing will happen that I can’t handle.”
“You may have a black-belt, Miss Karate Girl, but I can’t even see much less defend myself. Unless— you’re planning to meet one of the gang that terrorized the Bronze.”
“What? Is that what everyone is saying?” Buffy still couldn’t believe that nobody realized the attackers were vampires. “Sunnydale is full of blind idiots— no offense.”
“Blonde idiots?”
“I didn’t realize the spell affected your hearing, too,” Buffy’s mouth twisted into a wry smile realizing that she had walked right into that one.
Cordelia caved into Buffy’s ranting since there was still no sign of the cab arriving. They headed off in the direction of Restfield Cemetery with Buffy carrying Cordy’s gym bag and leading her along the sidewalk. About ten minutes into their journey, Buffy’s Slayer senses quirked at the sensation that there was potential danger nearby.
“Shh!” Buffy hushed Cordelia who had been talking her ear off ever since they left the mansion. Picking up the pace, they were walking faster. “I think we’re being followed.”
Whispering furiously, Cordelia ranted, “I told you this was stupid.”
Buffy stopped suddenly, pulling the brunette to a halt next to her. Glancing around, she saw no sight of trouble. She just felt that someone was watching. “I know you’re out there.”
Letting out a hiss, Cordelia demanded she be quiet. “What are you doing?”
Ignoring the cheerleader, Buffy continued to scan the perimeter. Then a familiar form stepped from the shadows. “It’s Angel.”
“An angel?” Responding in confusion, she could only wonder if that was the nickname of Buffy’s scummy gang-member boyfriend or something as otherworldly as the spell she was under. “Of the heavenly variety?”
“Not quite,” an amused male voice sounded in front of them.
Despite the fact that she could not see him, Cordelia experienced a strange shiver along her spine at the sound of his voice. He didn’t sound like a scummy gang-member, but then again he had only said two words— and he was hanging out near the cemetery. That could not be good. If he was one of those guys from the Bronze, Cordelia wasn’t about to let him intimidate the blind girl.
“Too bad. I was hoping you were a Guardian Angel. We could use one about now,” she quipped while tagging on a mega-watt smile.
Entranced by that smile, Angel found himself staring. A stunning beauty, the brunette’s fit frame had curves that wouldn’t quit and legs that went on forever. The long waves of her chestnut hair fell loosely beyond her shoulders looking so soft and touchable that he got the urge to bury his hands in it. At least until he moved on to cup those luscious breasts. He imagined burying his face in the cleavage her top just hinted at. Not like he needed to come up for air.
Raising his gaze back to her face, Angel finally realized that while she was turned in his direction her gaze wasn’t really focused on him. It seemed to shift around as if trying to pinpoint his location. Slowly, it came to him that the girl was blind and he felt a burst of feeling in his chest at the realization. To be so beautiful and not be able to see it— that was a tragedy.
“If you need a Guardian Angel, I’ll volunteer for the position for tonight. Where are you ladies headed?”
“My house,” Buffy answered still frowning. Catching herself pouting at the attention he had garnished upon Cordelia, she made an effort to pull her lower lip back into place. “We don’t need help, but feel free to tag along.”
She started moving only to realize that she left Cordelia behind when the other girl called out her name. “Buffy? Hello— blind person here.”
A hand was instantly at her elbow to lead her safely forward, but it did not belong to the petite blonde. The hand was large, strong and decidedly male. Cordelia felt his arm brush against hers and got the impression that he was tall.
“Thanks,” she gazed into the darkness wishing she could tell if this tall guy was as scary ugly as the other gang-members Buffy seemed to know. “Your name is— Angel?”
He nodded, and then realized that she couldn’t see it. “Yes.”
“I’m Cordelia.” Best not to mention she was a Chase. That might flash a few dollar signs around this potentially dangerous man, even if he did go around volunteering as Guardian Angel to blind girls and blonde weirdoes.
Within a couple of minutes after that Angel knew that she was a cheerleader at Sunnydale High School, loved dancing at the Bronze and was recently blind due to a spell cast by a jealous witch.
“But it’s only temporary,” Cordelia assured him. “That’s what Mr. Giles says.”
“The Watcher,” Angel connected the name.
“The what? He’s a librarian.”
Angel glanced over at Buffy who gave him a silent warning. Cordelia did not know anything about her status as a Slayer, but Buffy found it interesting that Angel obviously knew about Watchers and Slayers. He knew the drill. He’d been trailing after her during the past week or so keeping an eye on her Slaying duties. Hinting at upcoming trouble as if he had an inside scoop.
“Uh— librarians watch their books,” Angel rushed to fill the void.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “Don’t be a dumbass! Is Watcher the title you’ve given Mr. Giles as the head of the Crime Club? I know Buffy and her little cronies have something going on with him in the library. They try to keep it secret, but I am just too observant for that.”
Buffy and Angel exchanged another look. The blonde cupped her hand over her mouth trying not to laugh at Cordelia’s conclusions. Changing the subject, Angel offered to carry the gym bag that Buffy had over her shoulder.
“Let me carry that.”
A guardian angel *and* a gentleman? Impressed, Cordelia figured that he was no ordinary scummy gang-member. Had to be the leader of the gang. Unless, “Are you in the Crime Club, too?”
“Not directly.”
Cryptic much? Cordy never realized how much a person’s face gave away until now. “Hmm.”
They were halfway through the cemetery when Buffy sensed danger. Before she could say anything, Angel’s head turned to look to their right catching movement amongst the gravestones.
“Buffy—,” he started to issue a warning, but the Slayer was aware of the problem.
“Stay back, Angel,” Buffy gave him a nod toward Cordelia. “I need to take care of this. If I’m not back in five minutes, would you make sure Cordelia stays safe?”
Angel nodded.
Cordelia had no clue what was going on except that she seemed to be leaving her with this Angel guy. “Where are you going?”
“Uh— she’s already gone.”
“That girl has a lot of nerve dragging me into a cemetery and just leaving me with you—
some stranger.”
“You can trust me,” Angel promised and the truth of his words carried to her ears. “I’ll never let anything harm you.”
“So what now?”
“We wait five minutes.”
About three minutes later, the Slayer reappeared outside the crypt she had entered. Its steel door had been broken off the hinges. Immediately following her into the open was a large red and black demon with a horned browline and spiky fur lining its back and haunches. Even from this distance Angel knew that Buffy needed help.
“What’s that growling sound?” Cordelia asked. “Did Buffy find a big dog? Is that why she ran off— to catch it.”
“Sort of.”
“Cordelia, I need you to sit here,” Angel gently pushed her down onto a tombstone. “Don’t move. I have to help Buffy with that de— dog.”
Sitting blindly, Cordelia could do nothing except await their return. Off in the distance, she heard the occasional growl and what sounded like the serious mistreatment of animals. Then, much closer, the sound of shifting earth caught her ear. Was there another dog? Scratching at the dirt? Burying a bone?
“Puppy? Nice puppy,” she hoped the creature would respond to her positive tone and be a good dog. “There’s no need to bite me. No need to bite Cordy.”
“Bite you? I’d say its going to happen,” a stranger’s voice sounded in front of her.
Instinctively, Cordelia let out a blood-curdling scream that pierced the night. Buffy and Angel saw what was happening even as they dodged the demon they were fighting. “I have to finish this,” Buffy told him. “Just get Cordelia out of here.”
Angel was already running at breakneck speed across the distance separating him from Cordelia. The vampire in front of her was a fledgling, newly risen and hungry. No match for Angel who shifted into game face and attacked. “Get away from her.”
“Saw her first,” the fledgling complained as he hit the ground.
“Like hell,” Angel grabbed onto his head and twisted it sharply until a snapping sound immediately preceded a cloud of dust. He stood over the small pile on the ground and glared at it. Possessively, Angel told the remains of the vampire, “She’s mine.”
*Cough! Cough!* Cordelia waved her hands in front of her face trying to get the flying dust out the way. “Gross! What happened? Is that you, Angel?”
“It’s me,” he confirmed just before snatching her from the tombstone into his arms. “Are you okay? Did he bite you?”
Before Cordelia could answer, Angel’s hands were moving over her body checking for injuries. At least, she assumed that was what he was doing. Although it seemed that he spent a lot of time at her throat.
“Was that the dog catcher?” Cordy asked. “Did he take the dog to the pound?”
“Uh, he’s gone.”
“Where’s Buffy?”
Angel looked over toward the crypt, but there was no sign of the Slayer or the demon. “I think she ran after the other one.”
Still holding her within the circle of his arms, Angel pulled back to run his hands down from her shoulders to take her hands in his. “Cordelia, I know that you don’t really know me, but I need you to trust me. I have to get you out of this place.”
“Take me to Buffy’s. The address is in the phone book— unless you already know it.”
“Revello Drive,” he indicated that he did know. “It’s too far. There is no time for that. I need to get you to safety quickly because I need to get back to Buffy.”
“So where are we going?”
“My apartment. It’s just on the other side of the cemetery,” Angel explained.
Realizing that she really had no choice in the matter, Cordelia agreed to go. Besides, there was just something about Angel that made her feel safe when he was at her side. “So— is this what Buffy does in the Crime Club? Chase stray dogs in the cemetery?”
Angel gave a moment’s pause before answering, “Something like that.”
“I knew she was weird.”
A short time later, Angel led her into his apartment building in such a way that she would have no clue that it was otherwise abandoned. “Just plunk me down on the couch in front of the television and I’ll be fine,” Cordy told him. “Oh— and show me the bathroom.”
“Uh— I don’t have a television,” Angel admitted.
“What? Are you a space alien? Everybody has a t.v. these days.”
“Except me, apparently. I prefer to read the newspaper.”
With a grin, Cordelia pointed out, “There are other things on television besides the news.”
He was giving her such a different picture than the one she first conjured about being Buffy’s scummy gang-member boyfriend. That had another question popping into her head which she immediately asked, “Are you dating Buffy?”
The query caught him off-guard. “N-No.”
Geez! The guy stammered like he wasn’t sure about the answer. “Just asking.”
“Look, I need to get back out there. Let me show you where the bedroom is located. You should be comfortable enough and I have less stuff in there to trip over. The bathroom is connected.”
Angel guided her around orienting Cordelia to the room. “I’m putting your gym bag here on the edge of the bed.”
“Okay. I’ll be fine,” she assured him. Touching his forearm, Cordy fought off the insane urge to wrap her arms around him and kiss his worries away. It seemed obvious even to her sightless self that Angel was concerned about Buffy’s wellbeing and her own safety. “Go my Guardian Angel.”
His mouth quirked into a smile at the playful expression on her beautiful face. Palming her cheek, Angel leaned forward and pressed his lips against her forehead. Cordelia let out a little gasp of surprise immediately followed by a soft moan from her throat. Angel tilted his head noting that hers instinctively raised to give him access to her lips.
Angel’s mouth hovered in the space above Cordelia’s slightly parted lips for moments that seemed like forever. Gaining control over his urge to kiss her, he pulled away not wanting to take advantage of her situation or scare her. “I better go.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Cordelia heard the front door open and close realizing that she was now alone in Angel’s apartment. She found her way back to the bathroom to wash off any traces of remaining dust from the cemetery. That activity took some time as she had to feel around the walls to find the towels. Afterward, Cordy wandered back into the bedroom and crawled into the middle of the bed flopping over onto her back.
Now that she was alone in this ultra-quiet apartment and staring into the blackness before her eyes, Cordelia felt the impact of the day finally hit her. Fear crept up from the place she had pushed it to encompass her. She started to cry and then couldn’t seem to stop as her sniffles became sobs.
***
“So— nobody else lives here?” Buffy was asking as she looked around the building halls.
“Just me,” Angel confirmed.
“Hmm.”
Angel opened the door to admit Buffy into his apartment. He had found Buffy at the far end of the cemetery in the process of finishing off the demon. Afterward, they talked about what happened with Cordelia in more detail.
“I’ll just get her bag and we’ll be out of your hair,” Buffy told him glancing around the empty living room. “Where is Cordelia?”
“I put her in my bed— room. Less cluttered in there.”
Buffy found that Cordelia was in Angel’s bed. On top of it, anyway. She was fast asleep and it looked like she had been crying. A twinge of pity surfaced as Buffy looked at the sleeping teenager. Then Angel swept around the side of the bed with such a quiet move that Buffy jumped at the sight of him bending over Cordelia. Using a hand to gently brush away long strands of chestnut hair, Angel softly called out her name to awaken her.
“Cordelia,” he repeated a little louder finally eliciting a response. “We’re back.”
She reached out to confirm his presence with the touch of her hand over his. A contented sigh sounded at the contact as Cordelia realized how relieved she was to be within reach of him. “You’re here.”
“I’m here,” Angel confirmed as his eyes swept over her tear-stained cheeks. The thumb of his other hand brushed along one striped trail to the point where it dropped off her jaw to the still damp spot where her shirt met her collarbone. He wanted to follow that same trail with his mouth, but stopped himself with more reminders that this girl barely knew him.
“We’re here,” Buffy corrected reminding him that she was also in the room.
Cordelia flinched almost imperceptibly at the sound of irritation in the blonde’s voice. “Hi, Buffy. You’re okay?”
“Yes.”
Pulling the hand cupping her face into her lap, Cordelia gave it a soft squeeze. “And you, Angel? You’re okay, too?”
“Not a scratch.”
“Good,” she smiled. “I guess I fell asleep in your bed.”
Angel curbed his tongue at the sudden urge to respond that she could sleep there anytime. “You should stay here tonight, Cordelia. This has been a stressful day, it’s late and there is still a long walk ahead of you.”
“Okay,” Cordelia was quick to reply.
Buffy was not so happy with the idea. Asking Angel, “Where will *you* sleep?”
“On the sofa.”
The Slayer could not deny that normally she wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to be in Cordelia’s place— minus the not being able to see—, but the truth was, “I don’t really know you that well, Angel. I’m supposed to leave Cordelia here? Giles would say that was highly inappropriate.”
Grmph! Cordelia didn’t really care what the old fuddy-duddy librarian would say about this. She wanted an opportunity to get to know Angel better and if Buffy dragged her away, that was unlikely to happen.
Buffy let out a big sigh. “I forget that other people get tired faster than I do.”
“Hey!” Cordelia sat up a little straighter. “This body is in top shape, detecto-girl.”
“I’m just saying that I agree with Angel,” Buffy put her hands on her slim hips. “Not that I wanna challenge you to a mud-wrestling contest.”
Angel suddenly found himself smiling at the image that popped into his head— until he felt a hand slap at his chest. Cordelia turned her head toward him, “Stop grinning like an idiot.”
“Can you see?”
“No. You’re a guy. I know what you’re thinking.” Cordelia felt certain she was right and rolled her eyes as if to say his thoughts would be obvious even to a blind girl.
“Going back to the point I was trying to make,” Buffy cleared her throat. “Cordelia, I can tell that this has been a hard day on you. Maybe it was dumb to drag you through the cemetery. It’s further away from home than I realized.”
Reluctantly, Cordelia suggested, “You could call your mom to pick us up.”
“Uh—,” Buffy realized that her mother would have to be told about Angel and how they came to end up at his otherwise abandoned apartment building. “Probably not a good idea, Cordelia. Maybe you should stay here tonight.”
“Okay.”
Sensing Buffy’s hesitance, Angel suggested, “If you are concerned why don’t you stay here, too? I’ll be out on the sofa.”
“Can’t. My mom would freak.”
Cordelia couldn’t believe that Buffy was giving up that easily. “Just tell her you’re staying at my house.”
“She’s never met you before,” Buffy pointed out.
Cordelia was agape. “Like that matters? What? Your mom needs to know my medical history and bank balance before allowing her daughter to grace my presence?”
“She’s overprotective.” Had been ever since Hemery where she burned down the gym. Not that Buffy could blame her for it. Joyce Summers did not know that she was the Slayer or anything about her mission here in Sunnydale. Buffy wanted to keep it that way.
Buffy suddenly worried that Cordelia would let something slip to her mother about the reason for her blindness or the encounter in the graveyard tonight, even if the brunette had a totally clueless take on what really happened. Besides, she had no reason *not* to trust Angel. He’d been watching out for her, helping her with his cryptic messages.
“You know— maybe Cordelia should stay here,” Buffy suggested. “I’ll be at school in the morning and mom will be at work. What about you, Angel. Are you going to be home during the day?”
“Uh— yes.”
“So you’ll be okay, Cordelia?” Buffy wanted to make sure she wasn’t pushing the other girl into this just to keep Mom from finding out.
“Fine. You’ll call tomorrow, right? To let me know what happens with Amy?”
Nodding her head, Buffy asked Angel for his phone number. He had to admit, “I don’t have a phone.”
Cordelia wore a strange expression. “No phone or television— you are lacking essentials, Angel. How do you survive without a phone?”
“I haven’t been in town long,” Angel told her. “Just haven’t bothered to set it up.”
“Oh.” Cordelia knew she would go through withdrawal if her phone was taken away. “I’ll give you my cell number, Buffy. Use that.”
Buffy left soon after that still wondering if she was doing the right thing by leaving Cordelia Chase with this admittedly hot and helpful almost-stranger. He was supposed to be here to help. This was helping. Wasn’t it? Still, Buffy felt a twinge of jealousy as she left the apartment despite her concerns.
“I better turn my phone on,” Cordelia told Angel after Buffy’s departure. “I turned it off because I knew Harmony and Aura would be calling about the accident in Driver’s Ed. Can you grab my phone from my purse?”
“You want me to open your purse?”
Laughing, Cordelia promised, “Nothing in there will bite.”
“Good,” Angel sounded doubtful. Opening the zipper, he fished around until he found her cell phone. Pulling it out he saw that there were a lot of buttons not only with numbers, but also symbols.
Putting the phone in her hand, Angel hoped she could figure out how to turn it on. Cordelia took two seconds to find the appropriate button. “I’ve used this thing in the dark so a little blindness isn’t gonna get in my way now.”
She leaned over and felt for the nightstand Angel had told her was there and placed the phone on the edge. Angel asked her, “Are you still tired? Do you want to go straight to sleep?”
“Actually, I’d like to put my stuff away and take a shower.” Cordelia felt him move off from the edge of the bed where he had been sitting since returning with Buffy. “Could you help me?”
Help you shower? The silent question popped into his head. Definitely. “With your stuff? Sure. You don’t have much with you. Come here to the dresser and choose the easiest drawer.”
Cordelia got out of bed and followed the edge around to the other side. “This way?”
“Turn left and go about four steps forward,” Angel instructed
Feeling in front of her, Cordelia had to take a fifth step before she came into contact with the wooden high-boy dresser. There was a ridge separating the second and third drawers. Pulling at the handles of the third drawer, she told Angel, “I’ll take this one.”
Angel quickly cleared out his neatly paired and folded socks moving them into another drawer. Then he helped her to take her things out of the gym bag and place them in the drawer. He latched on to the last piece of clothing in the bag and pulled out a nightgown of hot pink silk and matching lace.
“Is this what you’re wearing to bed?” There was a choking sound accompanying Angel’s question.
“What is it?” Cordelia asked, curious at what had brought on that reaction. “Buffy just grabbed stuff at random.”
“It’s a short pink thing— with lace.”
“Oh,” she knew the one. “I don’t suppose the matching robe is in there?”
Angel peered into the bag already knowing it to be empty. “No. I have an extra robe. You can use it.”
With a snort of laughter, Cordelia held out a hand for the nightdress. “If you’re concerned about drowning in your own drool, then let me borrow a t-shirt.”
“No, I can handle it as long as you wear the robe.” Angel figured having her dress in his clothes would be even worse.
Cordelia felt around in the drawer planning to grab a pair of clean underwear while Angel was distracted, but he was apparently following her actions. He snatched the panties out of her grasp and gave her a second pair. “Not those.”
“Why not?”
“The other ones were emerald green,” Angel explained. “These have little pink flowers that match your— uh, nightgown.”
Certain that she was turning red, Cordelia requested, “Can you take my other stuff into the bathroom? I need you to show me where everything is.”
Angel gathered her shampoo, conditioner, brush and comb, toothbrush and lotion into one armful, guiding her with the other into the adjoining bathroom. “Stand there for a second,” he instructed while putting everything in a location he thought she could find. Grabbing his extra robe from the hanger behind the door and some clean towels from the cupboard, he placed them on the towel rack just outside the shower.
Then stepping behind Cordelia, Angel led her around the bathroom to show her where everything had been placed. Cordelia never knew that a tour of a person’s bathroom could be so exciting. The feel of his tall frame leaning against her back as he moved her from place to place made her want to sink into him.
“So, a couple of steps from the door is the sink,” Angel moved her forward until her hips touched the edge of the counter. “Reach for the handles. Hot is on the left. Cold is on the right.”
“As usual.” Cordelia found the water faucets and gave them an experimental twist, turning them back off after she heard splashing water hit the ceramic bowl of the sink.
“Toothbrush is hanging on the wall holder to your left. Mine is there too. I put yours on the left.”
Cordelia repeated, “Toothbrush and toothbrush holder on the left. Got it.”
“Toothpaste on the counter just below.”
Angel continued with the orientation, showing her where her brush and comb had been placed. Then moving down the space beyond the sink. “Toilet ahead on the left.”
“That reminds me,” Cordelia interrupted. “You’re out of toilet paper.”
“Oh.” Angel hadn’t thought of that. “I’ll run out and get some later.”
Come to think of it, Cordelia would probably want food at some point and he had none of that in the apartment either. He had been so quick to suggest she stay with him that he had forgotten she might need some human necessities.
Moving forward again, “Three steps to the shower stall. Towels and robe on your right. Uh— give me your night things. I’ll hang them here too.”
She had bundled the panties and nightie into a ball and kept it in the crook of her arm, so he had to straighten things out in order to drape them over the towel bar. “Angel?”
“Yes?” He stared down at the beautiful face with its unfocused hazel eyes.
“You’re being so patient with me,” she smiled. “I just wanted to say thanks for putting up with me. I mean— it’s not like you had to help. Unless the Guardian Angel thing is some mandatory requirement for you night owl types.”
“Night owl?”
Cordelia shrugged. “Just figured. First off, you were roaming around the neighborhood cemetery. Not exactly Sunnydale Park if you know what I mean. Second, you suggested that you’d be home all day to take care of me.”
“I do prefer the nighttime,” Angel admitted. “Kind of allergic to sunlight.”
“Oh. I think I’ve heard of that,” Cordelia thought she had seen something on t.v. about it. “Photosensitivity?”
“Similar,” Angel figured he wouldn’t go into the details of bursting into flame. “Come here. Let me show you the shower.”
Cordelia held her breath as they stepped into the shower stall together. They were sandwiched up against each other and it was all too easy to think about being in there minus their clothes. She kept reminding herself that Angel was a virtual stranger, that these were dangerous thoughts, but she felt so safe in the circle of his arms and her whole body tingled at his closeness.
“Soap is here. I took out a new bar,” Angel lifted her hand to the soap holder. “Your shampoo and conditioner are straight ahead on the shower caddy. Yours is on the—”
“Left?” She guessed.
“Yeah. Just keeping things consistent,” Angel smiled into her hair as he leaned close to look at the two bottles. “You know which one is which?”
Feeling the containers of shampoo and conditioner, Cordelia correctly identified each one. As she put them back in place, Angel found himself reaching down to her waist to touch the hint of bare skin peaking from her midriff top.
She felt so good, her skin so smooth there. He imagined she would be smooth all over. Just touching her silken flesh, soaping her wet silken flesh with his hands. Cupping those tantalizing breasts and washing them until they were foamy with soapy bubbles. Then letting his hand wander down the flat surface of her belly to the curly forest at the apex of her thighs, his fingers brushing through it to find what secrets lay between. Touching her there, making her cry out his name with the pleasure she received. Feeling the wet curve of her lush bottom against his groin just as he positioned himself to take her.
With his eyes closed, Angel could picture it all. It was a fantasy he would give anything to make reality, but that was not going to happen. Cordelia was here for his protection, not to sate his lust. Forcing himself to pull away, Angel realized he needed to put some distance between them before Cordelia felt the proof of his lust— he was so hard and engorged it was close to being painful.
Sensing him move back, Cordelia turned around to face him. Angel couldn’t have gone far since the shower stall was small for two people. “Angel, this may be a strange place to ask, but suddenly I’m curious.”
“About what?” Angel managed not to groan aloud as she took a step toward him.
“What you look like.” Cordelia had been wondering about it, thinking at first that he had been one of the ugly guys from the Bronze. Now she wasn’t certain he was involved in the gang at all, just an acquaintance of Buffy’s through the school Crime Club. “What color is your hair?”
It had been a *long* time since Angel had thought about his coloring. He was always scrupulously aware of his clothes and hair, but having not seen himself in a mirror for nearly two and a quarter centuries he wasn’t certain how to describe it. “Brown.”
“Brown hair,” Cordelia nodded. “Eyes?”
“Brown.”
“Brown hair and eyes. Complexion?”
“Uh— pale. My family is Irish.”
“Also allergic to sunlight,” Cordelia remembered. “Can I touch you?”
“What?!” Angel’s thoughts immediately descended into his pants.
“Your face,” she clarified. “To see you Helen Keller style.”
“Oh, my face.” Angel cursed himself silently for letting his brain fall into the gutter. He wasn’t certain that letting her touch him anywhere was a good idea, but could not deny her anything she wanted. “Go ahead.”
Reaching up, Cordelia’s hand moved up uncertain of its destination until Angel lifted it higher pressing it to his face. She had to step a little closer to reach the top of his head where she felt the short spiky hairstyle. “You use mousse?”
“Uh— yeah.”
“You’re how tall?”
“Six-foot-two.”
Cordelia’s mouth quirked into a smile as she let her fingers wander over the angular features of his face. Feeling the shape of his nose, she moved outward to his cheekbones and then traced her fingers over the curves of his ears.
He let out a laugh, squirming a bit. “That tickles.”
“Sensitive ears?”
“Apparently so.”
Then her fingers moved down the curve of his jaw, meeting at his chin. She licked her lips in anticipation of touching his. Angel watched the sweep of her tongue over her lush mouth fighting the intense need to taste her, to cover her mouth with kisses until she was so out of breath that she saw stars. Then her thumbs softly touched the curve below his bottom lip moving along its sweeping length to the corners. She repeated the action with his upper lip before both thumbs together pressed his lips closed in a mock kiss. He pursed his lips to caress the pads of her thumbs.
Cordelia’s hands dropped to his chest as a silent gasp left her throat. Had she imagined it? That soft kiss? Then her thoughts were diverted by the feel of a hard sculpted torso under the cloth of his shirt. My, but Angel was certainly well made. Her hands wandered over his chest and up to his broad shoulders.
Suddenly, Angel snatched her hands away holding her wrists to the side. He could read the arousal in her eyes and knew that he let this go on too long. “Do you know what you are doing to me, Cordelia? This needs to stop.”
His abrupt move jerked Cordelia up against him. Her full breasts were pressed hard into his chest, their pointed nipples aching at the contact. As her hips connected with his it became rather obvious exactly what she was doing to Angel. His large hands immediately fell to her hips holding her there for a moment as she instinctively wiggled against his tumescent arousal.
Setting Cordelia away from him, Angel turned and stepped out of the shower stall. She was looking embarrassed by what happened. In fact, Cordelia hurried to apologize, “I am really sorry, Angel. I didn’t mean to—”
“Turn me on?”
His voice was so husky that Cordelia’s insides curled with tingling pleasure at the sound. “I just wanted to feel— see you.”
“I know.”
“Maybe it was a mistake to convince Buffy to let you stay,” Angel admitted.
Cordelia did not want to admit that he was right. She was greedy and wanted to be around him. “You mean at the end of the day, when you hang up your Guardian Angel attire, you are really just a—”
Just a leering vampire with lustful intentions? Angel’s thoughts whizzed by in his head.
“— a normal guy?” Cordelia finished. “I shouldn’t have touched you. My bad.”
“Cordelia, you would tempt a saint,” Angel wanted to make certain she knew he was not rejecting her. “I’m no saint. Take your shower. I’ll be outside until I hear the water turn off and then I have to go out for a while.”
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’ll be back soon. There is an all-night supermarket nearby,” Angel explained. “We need a few things. I wasn’t as prepared for overnight guests as I thought.”
“Sorry to be a burden,” Cordelia now felt like she was intruding.
Angel cupped her face, his thumb roving over her cheek. “Don’t think that. If I didn’t want you here, I would have sent you away with the Slayer.”
“The who? You mean Buffy?”
“Uh— yeah. That’s her name in the Crime Club.” Angel hated lying to Cordelia, but he knew that Buffy’s status was supposed to be a secret.
“So, Mr. Giles is the Watcher and Buffy is the Slayer?” Cordelia thought she had it right. “What are Willow and Xander? Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum?”
“Erm! Secret identities. You have to be part of the club to know that.”
“Party pooper!” Cordelia was smiling again flashing him her megawatt grin. “So who are you, the Dark Avenger?”
“Guardian Angel, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved a hand at him shooing him out of the bathroom. “So go guard the door from the other side. I’ll see— talk to you later.”
Continued