Fic snippet

[thebratqueen]

Angelus/Wesley, loosely based off of a spoiler for season 4. Personally I don't think the story itself is going to spoil anything, but I've learned to be on the safe side with these things.

This was going to stand on its own but I'm thinking I might retrofit it into a proper story. I've run out of writing time tonight, though, so y'all get the ficlet to amuse yourselves with. Hope you like!



Wesley heard the basement door close behind him. Just as well, he wasn't really in the mood for company.

The sub-level floor was dim, as it usually was. Desklamps and large, battery-powered flashlights were scattered about. He turned a few on, letting them guide him.

The cage was not far from the furnace, which itself wasn't far from Angel and Cordelia's old practice area.

The vampire was standing in the middle of it. His brown eyes looked at Wesley as though they held all the time in the world.

Perhaps they did.

"Hello, Wesley," Angelus purred.

Wesley ignored him. He stepped forward and studied the area. The cage was large, and the metal sturdy-looking, but *looking*, as he well knew, was not the same as *doing* or *being*. His eyes traced the outlines of the cage until he saw pipes. Pipes traveled away from the bars, turned into wires, and connected to a generator.

Electromagnetic locks? he wondered. He studied the setup some more. No. Morelike shocks. A deterrent to the vampire's attempt to escape.

But surely they hadn't been so stupid as to think electricity alone would take care of it? He angled one of the desklamps to give himself a better view and saw, in the generator, Endivas crystals.

So Fred had changed the electric into magical energy. At least one member of the team continued to show a modicum of intelligence.

It was a refreshing change of pace, all things considered.

That left one last question then. Wesley cast his eyes downward. The dust on the floor had been disturbed in all areas *except* for a handful of footprints by the cage.

So the vampire could reach through the bars then.

Wesley sighed.

It was all so… *boring*.

"Cat got your tongue?" the vampire asked, and not for the first time Wesley noted that this vampire, in *both* forms, wasn't particularly cultural, or original. Not really the sort of fellow you'd be inclined to while away an evening with in pleasant conversation.

Wesley thought about letting his silence go on, but then decided to get it all over with.

Perhaps he could go home early.

"So *have* you changed?" Wesley asked. "Or are you merely faking it like last time?"

Angelus's lips shaped into a smug grin. "I never fake it."

"No," Wesley agreed. He came closer to the cage, but stayed carefully out of reach. "That never was your preference, was it? Ironic how a penchant for lying came *with* the soul."

Smiles. Angelus was nothing but smiles. First smug, now something that seemed almost approving. "Get you with the observing things. That come *after* you got fired?"

"Insults to my ego already?" Wesley said. He looked around and found a chair. It was covered with dust and mildew, but he dragged it over and sat on it anyway, not caring if his jeans got dirty. "All right then. Get it out of your system. Wake me after you've exhausted your repertoire of supposedly cutting remarks about how useless I am and the various reasons why daddy didn't love me. Of course given *your* past the latter is a bit rich, I'd say."

"Somebody's been doing his research," Angelus said. He looked Wesley over. "Kept the pair, I see. Suits you. Scar's nice too."

Wesley shrugged. "You're not the first to say so."

Angelus smirked. "About the pair or the scar?"

"Either."

"Heh," Angelus tilted his head, testing the air. "So how *is* Lilah?"

"Fine, thank you," Wesley replied. "I'm sure she would send along her greetings if I could be bothered to tell her what I do with my free time."

"Actually I was asking about quality."

"No complaints there either, really."

"Mouth like hers? Probably not," Angelus agreed. "Ever think about a threesome?"

Wesley quirked an eyebrow. He admitted to a small amount of fascination regarding what information the vampire could retain after his soul was lost. "You tell me."

The brown eyes grew dark, and almost friendly. "Plenty of British boys make good cocksuckers if you ask me. I wouldn't kick you out of bed for trying to stake me. Plus I like the stubble. Adds friction. Actually trying to grow a beard there, Wes, or did you just get scared shitless of razors?"

"Neither," Wesley told him. He slumped back comfortably in his chair. "Interesting that you'd imagine yourself on top."

"I always am."

Wesley let his eyes travel over the bars of the cage again. "Of course."

There was a flicker of irritation on Angelus's face. "Temporary setback."

"You're rather prone to those, aren't you?" Wesley observed. "Curses, cages, Slayers - oh my. How did they get you in here, anyway?"

Angelus rubbed the back of his head as though it were tender. "Lucky shot."

Wesley allowed his mouth to curve into a tiny grin. "It always was your weakest point."

"Well I thought about blind trust but I realized that one was taken," Angelus shot back.

Wesley chuckled. "I never trusted *you*, ass. Not fully." He thought about it, then admitted. "Just more than I should have."

"Six of one, say hello to half dozen of the other," Angelus replied.

"It's not a mistake I'll make again," Wesley said.

Angelus shrugged. "Then what brings you to my oh-so-stylish neck of the woods?"

Wesley motioned to indicate everyone upstairs. "They did."

Angelus looked dubious. "What? You've come back to the team?"

The bark of laughter was immediate and heartfelt. Wesley let it be his response.

Angelus nodded with approval. "Then why are you doing favors for 'em?"

"Who said I was?" Wesley asked. He thought about it, then clarified. "Well all right, *I* did, but who said I was being honest? They told me about this phenomenal cock-up, asked if I couldn't please perform the curse for them, and I said I'd give it a go just so I could pass along my greetings. I skipped telling them that last part, of course."

Angelus quickly seized on a key point of information. "Why not Willow?"

Wesley made a face of mock-sympathy, not caring that he was about to reveal something Cordelia had begged him to keep secret. "Magic addiction, poor thing. Can't even light a candle. They say her twelve steps are going remarkably well, however. Any day now she'll be penning her letters of apology to the world for trying to end it."

"Chicks have all the fun," Angelus said. "So? Can you?"

Wesley pretended not to understand. "End the world?"

"Do my curse."

"In a heartbeat," Wesley cheerfully told him. At Angelus's questioning look, he explained "You'd be amazed the sort of records Wolfram & Hart have on you."

Angelus's glance flickered upstairs. "They know that?"

"I'm sorry," Wesley said, "I've forgotten the point where I care to give my former colleagues any useful information."

Angelus snickered, then made a gesture of invitation. "So?"

Wesley affected ignorance again. "Yes?"

"Going to do it?"

Wesley stood up. He brushed off his jeans and put the chair back to its former spot. He returned to the cage and this time deliberately stepped inside the circle of danger. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten the point where I owe *Angel* any favors."

A light twinkled in Angelus's eyes. "You know I never tried to kill you."

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Amazingly I *can* retain the list of people who've attempted homicide against me. Tell me, Angelus, were you *always* this stupid or did the rapid cycling of your soul fry the intelligence right out of you?"

"Balls *and* a tongue," Angelus gave him a slow smile. "Nice combination. So, wizard, you offering to give me a brain?"

"Who says I'm giving you anything?" Wesley retorted. "On the other hand, if *you* would care to give *me* - "

"You'd trust me to give you anything?"

"I'd trust you to be yourself," Wesley replied. "It's far more than I could ever trust - well, anyone else to be."

"And what am I getting out of this?" Angelus asked.

Again Wesley's eyes were drawn to the cage. "Besides the obvious?"

"I'm big on thinking ahead."

"Since when?" Wesley replied.

That earned him a laugh, then an almost flirtatious look back. "Since I got a brain?"

Wesley shook his head, refusing to be baited by the look. "Then be patient and do as you're told."

"Which is?"

Wesley thought about it. A great deal of possibilities suggested themselves. "Be patient."

Angelus gestured to indicate his home. "I've got a choice?"

"No," Wesley agreed, "but it's better than trying something stupid."

"That'd be you and Lilah, right?"

Damn him for teasing another laugh out of him. "Perhaps."

"Don't worry," Angelus said, his voice practically a low purr, "I'm not the jealous type."

Wesley threw him an arched look back. "I could be."

Angelus made an exaggerated mime out of holding his hands out submissively. "Gonna punish me if I stray?"

"Oh yes," Wesley said. He started walking back towards the staircase. Once he was safely out of reach of the vampire, he slipped a hand into his pocket, palmed a knife, and used it to cut a slash across his finger. He held the bleeding digit up, making sure the scent of it could carry, then put the finger into his mouth and sucked it clean, his eyes never leaving Angelus's the whole while.

The vampire watched, his body still and his eyes near golden.

Wesley pulled his finger out, then licked it clean. "I'll punish you if you stray," he said, as though he hadn't said it already, "and even if you don't."

Their eyes locked. Wesley saw they had an understanding.

"Same time tomorrow?" Angelus asked.

"Be patient," Wesley told him as he climbed the stairs. "Be patient."