It's all James's fault

[thebratqueen]

Okay, too tired for email or Epiphany, but I responded to zortified's songfic challenge.



Everybody Laughed But You
Summary: Wes and Angel ponder their relationship.

Other Notes: In response to James Walkswithwind's songfic challenge, which asked for the following:

Each line (of song lyric) must be used as a sentence (or part of a sentence - you can tweak it to make it properly constructed) in the prose. Dialogue, narration, anything. But it can't be set apart, or 'sung' - it has to be in the story itself in order. The challenge is to change the line as little as possible (to adjust for past tense, or change pronouns or whatever) so that the song can be found - like searching a word search.

***

"C'mon, wake up."

"I don't *want* to," Wesley muttered. He burrowed under the covers even more, pulling his pillow over his head to block out the light. Which was funny, considering that he was the mortal of the relationship.

"You're up," Angel told him, "I've made breakfast and I'm trying to be romantic here."

"Can't you be romantic in perhaps five minutes?" Wesley asked. "Four, even?"

The bed shifted as Angel stood up, taking his weight off of the mattress. "You've got three."

"Goody," Wes mumbled. He closed his eyes again and went back to sleep.

After a time, Angel nudged him again. "Come *on*."

"You know you're positively whiny sometimes," Wesley told him.

"I'm making an effort, validate me," Angel said.

Wes smirked and reached out blindly for his glasses. "Remind me that you are never allowed to listen to Cordy's self-help tapes ever again."

"If it means you get out of bed, I'm all for it," Angel told him.

"Funny - that wasn't your greatest desire last night," Wesley said. He polished his glasses and put them on, blinking as the room - and Angel's puzzled expression - came into focus.

"What?" Angel asked.

"Getting me *out* of bed," Wesley clarified.

"Ah," Angel said. He tossed a robe over. "Yeah, well, times change. C'mon. Bacon's getting cold."

Wesley slipped the robe on and followed his partner into the area that passed for a place to eat.

Angel came out of the kitchen and proudly displayed a plate of eggs, bacon and toast. "Ta da."

Wesley dutifully indicated his gratitude. "Lovely. To what do I owe the honor?"

"I had eggs and bacon," Angel said. He sat down across from Wes and sipped on a mug of blood.

Wes shook his head in bemusement, dropping his napkin onto his lap. "Couldn't think of something a bit more poetic, could you?"

"Oh," Angel said. He thought about it, swirling his mug thoughtfully. "Um - happy anniversary of that thing we did one year ago?"

Eggs halfway to his mouth, Wesley frowned at him. "What did we do a year ago?"

"I dunno," Angel said, shrugging, "But it's a year later now so happy anniversary. Have eggs."

Wes chuckled and began to eat. He made a noise of approval. "Excellent. Quite tasty."

Angel looked proud. "Thanks. I tried this thing where I used salt."

"I can tell," Wesley said. He wiped his mouth and began to butter his toast. He gave Angel a tender look. "Handsome, romantic, *and* a good cook. What more could I ask for?"

"A bathroom that works?" Angel suggested.

Wes steadfastly ignored the thought of the repairs that needed to be done to their shared bathroom ever since the sewage system had backed up into it. "Yes, well - still. An ideal life, minus some tiny bumps in the road. And to think everybody laughed when I told them I wanted you."

"Can't imagine why," Angel said. He finished off his blood and leaned back in his chair. He frowned suddenly. "Wait - are you kidding?"

"Hmm?" Wesley asked. "What? No. Still, I can hardly blame them. I mean, after all - *I* wanted *you*? One has to admit the idea lends itself to humor."

"You told people?" Angel asked.

"Oh yes," Wesley said. He nibbled on his bacon. "With universal reactions all around, really. Cordy, Gunn, the Host - everybody grinned. They humored me. They thought that someone spiked my tea."

"I thought you told me first," Angel said.

Wesley gave him a sympathetic look. "Sorry. You were a bit intimidating. I found I needed advice."

"Some advice," Angel said.

"Indeed," Wesley nodded.

Angel sat forward again, twisting his mug around in his hands. "I get that, though. I talked to 'em myself before we got started and everybody - "

"Screamed?" Wesley suggested.

Angel smirked. "Nah. They told me you would cost the moon. 'course, that was mostly Cordy. She's got ideas about how you used to live in the Council days."

Wesley thought again of the damaged bathroom. "Yes, well, we'll be there soon I imagine, if our lagging credit has any say in the matter. Still - you can't have believed her. Surely you know I'm not so married to my old life that I would demand you - "

"Keep you in the style to which you were accustomed?" Angel said.

"Frankly, yes," Wesley replied.

Angel waved it off. "I thought about it, then I figured maybe you didn't want me to force you to wear suits all the time, work a job where everyone ignores you and then have to go to the hospital once May rolled around." Angel paused, thinking about it. "Not so sure how well I did on the last one."

"It's all right," Wesley told him. He added jam to his toast and munched on it contentedly. "So - you spoke to Gunn and Cordy as I did and they didn't - "

"Oh no," Angel said. "Everybody laughed. Hell, 'till they were blue. They didn't believe - I dunno. Guess they didn't believe my - the words, you know? That they were - that I meant it. That it was true. But nah - *everybody* laughed."

"But you," Wesley said.

Angel looked up at him.

Feeling bold, Wesley reached across the table and squeezed Angel's hand. "It was something I always noticed about you. The fact that you never mocked me, as the others did."

Angel frowned. "Like Gunn and Cordy?"

Wesley shook his head. "No, no - not them. Their jokes I could handle. All in good fun. I meant my *old* friends. Co-workers, university buddies, cousins I was perhaps foolishly fond of." Wesley sighed, squeezing Angel's hand once more before letting it go. "Not that I speak with them often, of course. Not these days. It's rather easy to lose touch with all the friends, acquaintances and those you - " Wesley tried to think of a polite way to suggest old lovers without triggering Angel's habitual jealousy.

"Like so much?" Angel said, the twinkle in his eye suggesting that he hadn't been fooled in the slightest.

"Or *liked* so much," Wesley amended. "Still - Council cronies aren't what one would call ideal listeners when one wants to speak about a relationship with a vampire."

"Not many people are," Angel said. He got up. "You want coffee?"

"Please," Wesley said. He dipped his last triangle of toast into the yolk that remained on his plate. He thought back to the days of his former employment. "Of course even then everybody laughed. I might not have been in love with you while I worked for the Council but they couldn't take me seriously. Travers, Weatherby, Giles - even Buffy, for that matter. Not a one saw me as anything but a joke."

Angel came back with two mugs of coffee and handed one to Wesley. He paused to rest his hand on Wesley's shoulder. "Like your family," he said.

Wesley nodded. "Like my family. Although I can't say they were particularly known for laughing. No - they abandoned me."

Angel's hand tightened. "We *sure* I can't kill your dad?"

"Positive," Wesley said. He sipped his coffee and motioned for Angel to sit again. "You know, sometimes I would read of things they'd done in magazines."

"They made the scene?" Angel asked.

"Oh yes," Wesley said. He added sweetener to his coffee and sipped it again to taste. "All part of the singular pleasure of being both old money *and* an old Council family. There's all sorts of publications ready to highlight the latest translation, demonology award won, or party thrown for the Royal Family and Elton John."

"Your family knows Elton John?" Angel asked.

Wes gave him a look.

"Right, not the point," Angel said. "So - what? Everybody left you?"

"Oh yes," Wesley said. "Hardly room for a screw-up like me with them having such important things to do. Best to sweep a black sheep like myself under the carpet and pretend I never happened."

"Again we're back to the me not liking this," Angel said.

Wesley dismissed it. "I know, I know. I can't say it's a highlight of my life, to be certain but - I'm not blue."

"Wes," Angel said, "everybody *left* - "

"Yes," Wesley said, meeting his eyes again. "But you. Don't you see? Everybody left me but *you*."

"Gunn and Cordy," Angel mumbled.

Wesley gave him a grin. "I hardly feel for Gunn and Cordy as I do for you."

"Good," Angel said. He drank his coffee down in a single shot, as though its hot temperature didn't bother him. Which, Wesley knew, it didn't. "You know I get that. Even in the bad old days you had the people you stuck with and the people you didn't."

"Like Darla," Wesley said.

"Yeah," Angel said. "Like Darla. Penn, Spike, Dru, James, Elizabeth - "

Wesley frowned. "Who are - "

Angel indicated he'd tell him later. "Point is, after many years have passed and some have fallen by the way - you know who really means something to you. Who's gonna be in it for the long haul."

"I heard them say," Wesley started, then corrected himself, "that is, I *read* that amongst the more sentient vampires that's a desired trait. The ability to adapt to the years and maintain long-lasting relationships."

"Not restricted to vampires," Angel reminded him.

"No," Wesley said, reaching for Angel's hand again. "It isn't."

Angel threaded their fingers together. "Vamps aren't that different, Wes. *Everybody* dreamed - dreams of being with someone. Even the big evil like me."

"Like you *were*," Wesley said.

Angel didn't appear convinced, but he didn't pursue it either. "But the thing is - those who fell? Not the dead ones, at least not dead *yet* I mean. All of them are sleeping now. They're sleeping now and they don't know that you can't do that. You can't close your eyes and think immortality's gonna come to you on a platter. You've got to try. You've got to reach for something you don't have or else - you're not alive, you're asleep. and then you're not asleep, you're dead."

"Much like the Council," Wesley said. "Everybody there climbed like ivy to the top most branch. Granted without the sort of bloodshed that vampires might use for similar purposes - "

"You're kidding," Angel said.

"Well, not bloodshed in the same *way*," Wesley admitted. "But - it was their chance. Their version of trying for immortality. Everybody grasped their way through the trials and barriers that the Council thinks passes for tests of ability till they were through because it's all they thought that - well, it really *was* all they *could* do. Once you're born to the Council that's the only life in front of you. At that point it's climb to the top or be buried under everyone else. Of course it doesn't work because there's only one man at the top. Or woman, depending on who's in charge that year."

"Sucks to be everybody else," Angel said.

Wesley nodded. "True. But that's life for you. Everything, really, is a struggle to survive, to get ahead. Be it vampires, the Council, relationships - we're all trying to get to the top. Or at least keep our heads above the water. Granted, once you get there it can be rather lonely because - "

"'cause you get there," Angel finished, using his thumb to stroke Wesley's knuckles, "and you find out everybody fell."

"Everybody else fell," Wesley agreed. He held Angel's hand tighter, thinking of the long and difficult roads ahead of them. "Everybody fell, but -"

"Me and you," Angel said, as though he'd read Wesley's thoughts. "I promise. In the end you'll see - everybody fell but me and you."

"We can only hope," Wesley said, wishing it with all his heart. "We can only hope."

"C'mon," Angel said, "finish your breakfast then let's get back to bed."

"An ideal suggestion," Wesley replied. He finished off the last of his bacon and then covered Angel's mouth in a kiss.

End.

Lyrics from Everybody Laughed But You, by Sting. They can be found here