Feedback: Yes, please :-)
Distribution: If you want it, just ask and it's yours.
Rating: PG, although it does contain some swearing, because Spike and I both have gutter mouths.
Pairing: W/A
Disclaimer: All is owned by the great Joss, I merely use the characters for my own sick purposes <g>.
Summary: Angel wants to ask Willow a question
Timeline: Takes place early during the final season of Angel. No real spoilers.
Author's note: This is for Elisabeth's birthday. Elisabeth, I hope you enjoy it. I wish I could be there to take you out, but I'll just have to send Willow and Angel instead. Elisabeth wanted something with W/A, and no angst. While anyone who has ever read my stories knows that they're usually dark and angsty, I decided to give it a try
Another Author's note: Just pretend that Willow came to L.A. to help out when Spike showed up at W&H as a ghost. Pretty please?
Oh, one last note (and then I promise, you can read the story). Big thanks to Lisa Kelley and Gabrielle for the betas. What would I do without you?
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"She's not going to say yes. How could she possibly? I'm a vampire. I'm not a *bad* vampire, but I'm still a vampire. And a vampire with a curse, which is even worse."
"For fuck's sake, Peaches, now you're rhyming. Would you just shut the hell up and ask her already? You're right, she's too good for you, and she'll probably say no, but *anything* is better than listening to you go 'round and 'round like this. Wearin' a hole in the bloody carpet too, you are."
Angel stopped his pacing, looking down at the aforementioned carpet. "Am not," he muttered, shooting his ghostly childe a look of disgust. "Besides, why do you care anyway? Not like you have a stake in this."
"Huh, nice choice of words, gel-boy." When Angel's only response was to glower back at him and resume pacing the floor of his fancy Wolfram and Hart office, Spike continued. "Not much else I can do here; might as well watch the star-crossed lovers play their games. 'Cuz you know, even if she turns you down flat, at least I can get a good laugh out of it."
The taunting was too much for Angel, and he grabbed one of the heavy law books that seemed to clutter his office and chucked it right at the image of the blond vampire.
They both watched as it sailed through the air, pages waving madly, until it hit the couch next to Spike with an awkward thud, bouncing twice before coming to sit on its spine, pages fluttering a moment before settling.
Spike looked at Angel, a sly grin on his face. "Red likes books, ya know. She'd be right angry if she knew you'd been mistreating one. Might have to have a little talk with your girl, let her know what you do to poor, defenseless books, just takin' up space, mindin' their own business..."
"SHUT UP," Angel roared, his eyes wild as he sought a means of escape. The sad fact was, anywhere he went, Spike was sure to follow; goading, picking, and heckling him all the way.
As much as he hated to admit it, Angel was trapped. Giving up, he threw himself into his desk chair and lowered his head to his desk, banging his forehead rhythmically against the blotter that covered it.
"Aw, hell, now you're just trying to bore me," Spike whined, getting up and walking a couple of steps before sliding through the west wall with ease, leaving one very frustrated vampire alone in his office, wondering how the hell he was going to get rid of his headache.
----*---- ----*---- ----*---- ----*---- ----*---- ----*----
"What'cha doin', Red?" Spike asked, startling the young woman sitting behind the large maple desk. She jumped slightly and he chuckled, wondering what kind of daydreams he had interrupted.
"Damn it, Spike!" she yelled, lowering her voice with a concerted effort. "I asked you not to do that."
His grin was unrepentant, but his words mollified her. "Sorry, pet. Hard to knock on the door to let you know I'm here if I can't actually touch anything."
"Hrmph," was all the response he received.
"So, what were you thinking about?"
"Huh? When? Just now? Nothing. Nothing at all. Just, I was thinking about.stuff. Just stuff. Work stuff."
He laughed at that, watching with glee as her face began to suffuse with color. 'Nothing,' my ass, he thought.
"Now try it again, but make me believe it," he suggested, watching the temper flare in her eyes. He loved teasing redheads; they had so much fire. Fred was always good for a laugh, but Willow-when she really got her dander up-there was nothing like it.
"Did you have a reason to be here?" she asked him flatly, trying to control her anger.
"Can't a bloke come and visit every so often? Not much else I can do around here."
Willow sighed. He could see the pity in her eyes and knew that she felt bad for him. Saved the world, he did. And this was his reward. Stuck haunting the law offices of Wolfram and Hart. Not quite the afterlife he had envisioned, he had to admit.
"Peaches just tossed me out, mean old bastard. Had to find something else to do."
Willow thought it unlikely that Angel had kicked Spike out of his office, especially since none of them were actually able to kick Spike at all, but she got what he was saying, more or less.
"What's he doing right now? Angel, I mean?"
Spike turned his head a bit, listening to the rhythmic thunk, thunk, thunk, of Angel hitting his head against the desk. "Hear that?"
Willow was still for a moment, and then shook her head.
"Never mind, I think he just stopped."
"Oh." Willow wasn't sure exactly what the point of this bizarre conversation was, but she didn't feel like working at the moment, so she might as well keep Spike entertained.
"So what were you doing to him?"
Spike's face went from annoyed to incredulous before finally settling on wounded. "Why do you think I was doing *anything* to him?" A quick glance at Willow told him she wasn't buying a word of it. "Besides, it's not my fault if he's got the courage of the cowardly lion," he added.
A quick glint in her eyes confirmed that he had her interest now, and he endeavored to keep it. "Calls himself a vampire; bloody coward, he can't even come up with the balls to ask a simple question."
"What sort of question? Like, a magical question? Oh-or something about a prophecy?" Her curiosity was piqued now, as the possibilities ran through her mind.
"No, just a simple question about-"
"SPIKE!" Angel's angry voice reached them clearly, even though he was obviously still in his office.
"Oops. Forgot how thin the walls were in this building, luv."
Willow watched in astonishment as her door flew open, crashed into the wall before bouncing off the doorstop, admitting Angel, before it slammed shut behind him.
"Wha-huh?" she asked, slightly stunned by the turn of events.
"Peaches, here, has a question he wants to ask you," Spike said smugly, giving them both a smirk. "Go on, ask her. Unless you'd rather I do it for you?"
Angel glared briefly at his childe, and then stuck his hands nervously into his pants pockets. His gaze, when it finally reached Willow, was nervous and uncertain.
"I-Willow? Would you." his words trailed off and he ducked his head down, staring at the floor. "Never mind," he muttered.
"For fuck's sake, you broody bastard, ASK HER."
"Willow, wouldyougooutwithme?"
Willow was relatively sure he had asked her a question, but it took her several seconds to pull the words apart and figure out what it was.
When she finally figured it out, her face broke into a wide smile, dazzling in its intensity. She looked across the room at the embarrassed vampire, and said one single word.
"Yes."
The End.