“Cordy, can you hand me that?” Willow asked as she held out her hand.
Cordy picked up the bottle and handed it to the red head. “Are you sure?
That color won’t do a thing for you,” she said.
Willow shook the bottle of nail polish. “It’s not for me. It’s for Spike.”
Cordy looked at the blonde vampire stretched out on the couch. “I thought
you only wore black.”
Spike looked up from his task. “What color is that, Red?”
“Passionate Plum,” Willow read the label then held it up for him to see.
Spike shook his head as he returned to his work. “The things I let you
do
to me,” he muttered.
Willow adjusted his foot on her stomach. She unscrewed the bottle and
started painting his toenails purple.
“Fuck!” Spike exclaimed as he smudged one of Willow’s lime green toenails.
Cordy handed him the bottle of nail polish remover. “Thanks.”
Angel looked at his childe as he balanced the open bottle of nail polish
on
his chest. “You’d better not spill any of that on the couch,” he warned.
Spike rolled his eyes. He wiped off the ruined polish and tossed the
cotton
ball in the garbage beside the couch. He repainted the nail and moved
on to
the next delicate toe.
Cordy arched her neck as Angel pulled a brush through her long hair.
She
sat on the floor in front of him and watched Spike and Willow paint
their
toes. She smiled as she watched them. Willow reclined at one end of
the
couch while Spike rested his head against the opposite arm. She didn’t
know how they did it, but they wrapped their legs around each other
so the
other could paint.
Willow noticed Cordy watching her out of the corner of her eye. Her
feet
twitched occasionally as Spike moved slowly from toe to toe. A couple
of
girls at school had asked who did her pedicure and they looked at her
in
shock when she told them it was her boyfriend. She finished Spike’s
left
foot and pulled his right higher on her stomach.
Angel enjoyed the feel of Cordelia’s thick hair through his fingers.
It was
almost as pleasurable as the foot massage she was giving him. He found
contentment in the simple act of brushing Cordy’s hair. He set aside
the
brush and started pulling her hair into a French braid.
Spike swiped the brush across Willow’s baby toe and used his thumb nail
to
clean off the bit he got on her skin. He glanced up to watch Angel
braid
Cordelia’s hair. He hated it when he missed it. Angel’s tongue peaked
out
as he concentrated. Turning his attention to Willow, he wiggled his
toes.
Her green eyes met his blue gaze. She smiled at him as she held his
toes
still.
“All done,” Willow said as she twisted the cap back on the bottle.
Spike tilted his toes up so he could see the deep purple color of his
toes.
“Well, at least I wear shoes,” he said.
“Let me see,” Cordy said as she raised her chin to look. Spike turned
his
foot for her to admire his feet. “Well, I’m glad someone can use that
color. It certainly doesn’t do anything for me.”
“What do you think, Peaches?” Spike asked.
“Just a second,” Angel muttered as he concentrated on getting the parts
in
the right order. He released a sigh as he finished the braid and wrapped
an
elastic band around the end. Angel sat back to look at his work. He
tilted
his head slightly. “Well, it’s only a little crooked,” he said.
Cordy turned her head so Willow could look at the braid.
“You’re getting better, Angel,” Willow complimented.
Angel smiled at her. “Thanks.” He looked at Spike’s feet. “Nice color.”
Willow settled against the arm of the couch. “I love this.”
“What?” Spike asked as he rubbed the ball of her foot.
“This family ritual stuff. Some families have Game Night. We have Beauty
Ritual Night,” she explained.
“It is nice,” Cordy said as she leaned back against Angel’s chest.