Three men. One room. Only one will get out alive... but then only one went in that way.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

Spike relaxed just slightly at Wesley's words, although he was still just one rude comment away from launching himself at Angel's throat.

"I don't think I'm ever going to be able to get used to the idea," Angel said. "I know you're upset about what happened, but that doesn't mean you should settle for - "

"You are such an arrogant prick, you know that?" Spike interrupted before Angel could get any further into uncomfortable territory. "I know it's hard to get new thoughts through that thick skull of yours, but one of these centuries you're going to have to face the fact that other people actually like me. Some of them even love me."

"I'm just saying he has a pattern when he's unhappy of getting involved in relationships that can't go anywhere." There was a satisfied gleam in Angel's eyes that Spike didn't like at all.

Comments

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I've given the idea of you shooting him a second thought," Spike said, but he took a deep breath and tried very hard to calm down. It helped if he kept looking at Wesley and ignored Angel's presence. "Just tell me again you're not going to go back to work for him."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I'm not," Wesley said quickly, wanting to give Spike the fastest reassurance possible. "I'm not going back, I swear it."

He was aware that they were talking as if it was just the two of them in the room, but he didn't look in Angel's direction. He only had eyes for Spike.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"All right." Spike offered Wesley a very faint smile and sank back down onto his chair. He still felt tense and ready to strike, but he could keep the urge at bay. "Then I can put up with him being an ass for a little while longer. It's not like it's anything new."

"I knew you had something to do with it," Angel said, still standing on the other side of the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

Spike managed to break away from Wesley's gaze to glance over at Angel. "With him leaving? You did most of that yourself, mate. I just gave him another option."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Taking a deep breath, Wesley said, "Spike didn't talk me into anything. It's true that without him I might have stayed, but I can't honestly say it's because I would have wanted to. As he said, I just didn't feel I had any other options. Without him..." He looked at Spike again, stroking his hand down along Spike's arm. "Well. You don't need all the details, do you."

"I think I'd be happier without them," Angel agreed. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into."

"I do," Wesley said.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Oh, let's give him the details," Spike said, but his teasing had only a little bite as he smiled a bit more at Wesley. Wesley's touch and his reassurance that he hadn't changed his mind about staying with Angel helped some of Spike's agitated energy to dissipate.

Angel sat down heavily in his chair. "I'm definitely going to need a drink. Or five."

"Afterwards," Spike replied. "You don't get out of telling them that easily."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Angel leaned back, looking defeated. "It'd take a dozen to get anywhere close to drunk enough to forget," he said, and Wesley couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Again.

"It's going to be fine," he said. "It will mean a lot to them that you're willing to come clean, I know it will."

"Too bad I missed out on that chance with you," Angel said, his eyes looking into Wesley's with enough emotion that Wesley thought he felt his heart skip a beat.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Your loss is my gain," Spike said seriously, and when Angel met his gaze for a moment he knew that they agreed upon where Wesley would be if Angel hadn't done what he had.

"If you ever want to come back," Angel said, looking into Wesley's eyes again and showing remarkable sensitivity in not listing all of ways things might go wrong for them, "your job will always be open. I'd like to try to make things up to you."

Spike had to look down, unable to watch the connection between them that he knew he'd never be able to touch. As much as he hated that someone else had such a draw on Wesley's heart, it also made his stomach twist not quite in revulsion to see Angel caring about someone so deeply.