Live The Question
Mar. 3rd, 2007 09:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunPairing: Various (None this chapter)
Rating: NC-17 overall (PG this chapter)
Warnings: None this chapter
A/N: This is a short chapter. I need to transition a bit, so this doesn't take as long as the more character intensive sections. I'd like to thank the people who commented on the last chapter. I was convinced of its intrinsic suckiness, but your comments made me feel much better. As always, your words are appreciated! :)
“Wow,” Oz said as Angel wound down. “A kid, a god, and drinking the blood of the personification of evil.”
“Yeah,” Faith concurred. “I can see that screwing with your perspective.”
“Plus, puppet Angel? I'm kinda excited,” Oz drawled.
“Me as a puppet excites you,” came the bewildered reply.
“Yeah,” Oz smiled lazily. “The ultimate chew toy.”
“Oooooz!”
“Sorry, Wills. Just the thought of gnawing on Angel's felty goodness and I get kinda tingly.”
“You want we should leave you two alone,” Faith snickered. “Not that watching a good gnaw doesn't make my day, but it sounds like a private moment.”
“Nah,” Oz assured her. “Angel's not really my type. I have this heartbeat kink.”
“We're moving on,” Will said fiercely. “We're moving on because...”
“The thought of Angel and Oz going mano a mano is exciting,” Faith suggested.
“Or maybe because Angel's soul is in peril? After all, he's been pretty happy lately,” Willow leveled a thoughtful glare at Faith.
“Hey, not that happy!” Faith raised her hands in surrender. “I'm not really a happy-maker. I dish out misery only.”
“You know, I kinda wonder about that,” Oz pondered. “Everyone focuses on the naughty part of Angel's happiness. I mean, sure, a good orgasm is a thing of beauty. But, still, perfect happiness doesn't always come in naked packages. Angel's had a few down and dirty moments since Buffy, right?”
“Can I point out how much I don't want to discuss my sex life,” Angel groaned.
“Feel free,” Oz nodded. “So he's had a few happies, but they didn't make him happy. It isn't the sex, it's the feeling behind it. And while I'm sure Faith knows her stuff, she and Angel aren't all doomed romance. Unless I'm missing some subtext here...”
“Well,” Faith stumbled, gaze traveling around the room. “Angel did tell me he loved me.”
“I did?”
“After the big battle,” Faith explained, eyes still wandering. “You asked me if I loved you and said you'd love me always.”
“Huh,” Angel thought. “I...Faith, I was pretty out of it and I must have meant as a...friend. I said I'll love you always.”
“Yeah,” Faith affirmed. “You said, 'will love you always'.”
“Oh,” Angel murmured, lapsing into a brooding silence.
“Not much help there, though,” Oz spoke up. “If Angel was happy, I think we'd know by now.”
“Angel, I'm pretty sure you still have your soul,” Willow began. “I mean, Oz is right. If you were soulless and loving it, we'd know by now. So, I guess the question isn't about your soul.”
“Well,” Faith said slowly, “maybe it is. Maybe we're asking the wrong question.”
“So, what's the right question,” Willow asked, curious.
“If it isn't the soul, maybe it's the demon, “ Faith shrugged. “Maybe whatever's happened involves the demon and not the soul.”
“It's possible,” Willow deliberated. “Not that the demon is gone, but maybe just napping or busy? Not that soul restrained demons have huge social calenders or anything. But if there was a spell or some form of...”
“The demon's still there,” Angel added abruptly. “I feel...more demonic. The soul isn't.... I don't know how to explain. Imagine that you have two voices in your head, arguing all the time. All of sudden, they don't argue anymore. They don't talk at all. They're still there. The soul and the demon, I mean. But, it's like they're...in agreement or bound together.”
As the other three pondered this statement, Spike came bolting down the stairs. He ran pell-mell for the basement, disappearing just as quickly as he'd appeared. Glances were exchanged, and Faith turned to look at Angel.
“I had such a crush on you, ya know? I wanted to be important to you. Wanted to matter to someone,” she began conversationally. “I figured that if you loved me, and we were...ya know, close...that it would mean something. Turns out, winning isn't everything.”
“Winning,” Willow stated blankly.
“I wanted what B had, Wills. She was perfect. Perfect Mom, perfect friends, perfect boyfriend, perfect life. I had nothing and nobody. If I died, who'd care? So, I guess Angel was part of my win. I do care about you, Angel,” she added hastily. “I just...You're too much, babe.”
“I know,” Angel sighed. “You aren't the first one to notice. Buffy said something similar once.”
“Wow. Me and B on the same page. Yep,” Faith concluded, “this is definitely a crisis situation.”
Willow coughed and asked Faith for some help. With a sweet smile, Willow pointed to the courtyard. Faith grimaced, then nodded quickly, following Willow out the door.
“I forget, sometimes,” Angel murmured. “I forget how hard living can be. At Wolfram&Hart, I didn't live. I just...mouldered. Stuck up at the top of the world, I was so isolated. I took on the Senior Partners because it was the only way to escape. But, I forgot how hard this is.”
“Looks like Will forgot, too,” Oz answered.
“Willow? Doesn't seem like she's having too much trouble,” Angel said easily. “In fact, I think she and Faith might...”
“Not Willow,” Oz clarified solemnly. “Will. I remember, Angel. All those years ago, sitting in the library. Giles told us that Spike was originally known as William the Bloody. I guess he probably went by Will at some point.”
With a final contemplative look at the dark vampire, Oz walked away. Taking the stairs two at a time, he moved out of Angel's view. The dark vampire cursed softly under his breath, and grabbed a sword. He figured Spike had gone one of two places and both of those places required a sword. What the hell, Angel told himself. Maybe Spike had the right idea and mindless violence was the answer. It beat sitting around worrying about his soul and the end of the world. It also gave him a chance to forget that he'd admitted his love for someone he couldn't ever have again.
Rating: NC-17 overall (PG this chapter)
Warnings: None this chapter
A/N: This is a short chapter. I need to transition a bit, so this doesn't take as long as the more character intensive sections. I'd like to thank the people who commented on the last chapter. I was convinced of its intrinsic suckiness, but your comments made me feel much better. As always, your words are appreciated! :)
“Wow,” Oz said as Angel wound down. “A kid, a god, and drinking the blood of the personification of evil.”
“Yeah,” Faith concurred. “I can see that screwing with your perspective.”
“Plus, puppet Angel? I'm kinda excited,” Oz drawled.
“Me as a puppet excites you,” came the bewildered reply.
“Yeah,” Oz smiled lazily. “The ultimate chew toy.”
“Oooooz!”
“Sorry, Wills. Just the thought of gnawing on Angel's felty goodness and I get kinda tingly.”
“You want we should leave you two alone,” Faith snickered. “Not that watching a good gnaw doesn't make my day, but it sounds like a private moment.”
“Nah,” Oz assured her. “Angel's not really my type. I have this heartbeat kink.”
“We're moving on,” Will said fiercely. “We're moving on because...”
“The thought of Angel and Oz going mano a mano is exciting,” Faith suggested.
“Or maybe because Angel's soul is in peril? After all, he's been pretty happy lately,” Willow leveled a thoughtful glare at Faith.
“Hey, not that happy!” Faith raised her hands in surrender. “I'm not really a happy-maker. I dish out misery only.”
“You know, I kinda wonder about that,” Oz pondered. “Everyone focuses on the naughty part of Angel's happiness. I mean, sure, a good orgasm is a thing of beauty. But, still, perfect happiness doesn't always come in naked packages. Angel's had a few down and dirty moments since Buffy, right?”
“Can I point out how much I don't want to discuss my sex life,” Angel groaned.
“Feel free,” Oz nodded. “So he's had a few happies, but they didn't make him happy. It isn't the sex, it's the feeling behind it. And while I'm sure Faith knows her stuff, she and Angel aren't all doomed romance. Unless I'm missing some subtext here...”
“Well,” Faith stumbled, gaze traveling around the room. “Angel did tell me he loved me.”
“I did?”
“After the big battle,” Faith explained, eyes still wandering. “You asked me if I loved you and said you'd love me always.”
“Huh,” Angel thought. “I...Faith, I was pretty out of it and I must have meant as a...friend. I said I'll love you always.”
“Yeah,” Faith affirmed. “You said, 'will love you always'.”
“Oh,” Angel murmured, lapsing into a brooding silence.
“Not much help there, though,” Oz spoke up. “If Angel was happy, I think we'd know by now.”
“Angel, I'm pretty sure you still have your soul,” Willow began. “I mean, Oz is right. If you were soulless and loving it, we'd know by now. So, I guess the question isn't about your soul.”
“Well,” Faith said slowly, “maybe it is. Maybe we're asking the wrong question.”
“So, what's the right question,” Willow asked, curious.
“If it isn't the soul, maybe it's the demon, “ Faith shrugged. “Maybe whatever's happened involves the demon and not the soul.”
“It's possible,” Willow deliberated. “Not that the demon is gone, but maybe just napping or busy? Not that soul restrained demons have huge social calenders or anything. But if there was a spell or some form of...”
“The demon's still there,” Angel added abruptly. “I feel...more demonic. The soul isn't.... I don't know how to explain. Imagine that you have two voices in your head, arguing all the time. All of sudden, they don't argue anymore. They don't talk at all. They're still there. The soul and the demon, I mean. But, it's like they're...in agreement or bound together.”
As the other three pondered this statement, Spike came bolting down the stairs. He ran pell-mell for the basement, disappearing just as quickly as he'd appeared. Glances were exchanged, and Faith turned to look at Angel.
“I had such a crush on you, ya know? I wanted to be important to you. Wanted to matter to someone,” she began conversationally. “I figured that if you loved me, and we were...ya know, close...that it would mean something. Turns out, winning isn't everything.”
“Winning,” Willow stated blankly.
“I wanted what B had, Wills. She was perfect. Perfect Mom, perfect friends, perfect boyfriend, perfect life. I had nothing and nobody. If I died, who'd care? So, I guess Angel was part of my win. I do care about you, Angel,” she added hastily. “I just...You're too much, babe.”
“I know,” Angel sighed. “You aren't the first one to notice. Buffy said something similar once.”
“Wow. Me and B on the same page. Yep,” Faith concluded, “this is definitely a crisis situation.”
Willow coughed and asked Faith for some help. With a sweet smile, Willow pointed to the courtyard. Faith grimaced, then nodded quickly, following Willow out the door.
“I forget, sometimes,” Angel murmured. “I forget how hard living can be. At Wolfram&Hart, I didn't live. I just...mouldered. Stuck up at the top of the world, I was so isolated. I took on the Senior Partners because it was the only way to escape. But, I forgot how hard this is.”
“Looks like Will forgot, too,” Oz answered.
“Willow? Doesn't seem like she's having too much trouble,” Angel said easily. “In fact, I think she and Faith might...”
“Not Willow,” Oz clarified solemnly. “Will. I remember, Angel. All those years ago, sitting in the library. Giles told us that Spike was originally known as William the Bloody. I guess he probably went by Will at some point.”
With a final contemplative look at the dark vampire, Oz walked away. Taking the stairs two at a time, he moved out of Angel's view. The dark vampire cursed softly under his breath, and grabbed a sword. He figured Spike had gone one of two places and both of those places required a sword. What the hell, Angel told himself. Maybe Spike had the right idea and mindless violence was the answer. It beat sitting around worrying about his soul and the end of the world. It also gave him a chance to forget that he'd admitted his love for someone he couldn't ever have again.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
on 2007-03-04 03:22 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-03-05 05:55 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-03-05 06:05 am (UTC)no subject
on 2007-03-04 03:53 am (UTC)*frowns at Angel*
no subject
on 2007-03-05 05:56 am (UTC)*hollow laugh*
Yeah, cuz he has such a way with words...silly Lili, what fun would that be?
Smooches!
no subject
on 2007-03-20 04:10 am (UTC)