The Morning After

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Continued from here.

Wesley woke up slowly, dimly aware of a dull throbbing in his temples. He was sprawled on his side in bed, a blanket mostly over him, although it was tangled as if he'd been restless in his sleep.

He curled up and pulled the pillow over his head, letting his thoughts settle into something that made sense. The dual memories of the day before -- the disturbing ability to see both timelines superimposed over each other -- had faded into one set, and he could clearly remember Connor. What on earth had happened to take away their memories? Had Angel been part of it? It seemed as if he had to have been, or else he wouldn't have had the sense to keep quiet about his own memories being different from theirs and would have given away the game much sooner.

Where was Connor now?

His memories of the rest of the night were hazier, almost dream-like, but he did remember having sex with Spike. The vampire was no longer in the bed with him, though.

A glance at the clock proved that it was thirty minutes earlier than his alarm usually went off, not that he'd set it last night. Wesley got up, pulled on the pair of jeans he'd been wearing the day before without bothering with underclothes, and went immediately to the bathroom, where he downed some aspirin and drank two glasses of water. Then, blearily, he wandered into the living room, where he found Spike asleep on the couch.

Comments

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Only barely dozing, Spike heard Wesley come into the room, and he forced himself to open his eyes and face whatever fall-out there would be. It was better to know.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley ran a hand through his hair and smiled tentatively. "Are you all right?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike blinked and sat up. "Think I should be asking you that," he said.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Sinking down into the nearest chair, Wesley shrugged. "A bit hungover, but I've been worse. Did you spend the whole night out here?"

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Couldn't sleep." Spike rubbed his fingers over a seam on the arm of the couch. "How's the head apart from the hangover?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Not bad," Wesley admitted. "The memories seem to have... settled down, for lack of a better phrase. I..." He hesitated, watching Spike's expression carefully. "I hope I didn't... coerce you into anything. I mean, I was very drunk, not to mention confused and upset, but I wouldn't want you to have done something you didn't want."

To be honest, the very end of their encounter was rather a blur, and Wesley couldn't quite recall how Spike had seemed afterwards. The fact that he'd spent the night on the couch...

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I could've said no." Spike met Wesley's eyes gravely and asked the question he was most afraid to have him answer. "Should I have?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley didn't look away. "I'm not... I don't regret what happened."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike wasn't as relieved as he would have liked, because he still felt - knew - that he had taken advantage of Wesley's situation, but if Wesley wasn't upset then Spike wouldn't worry about it. It had been a bit of fun, a bit of comfort for them both. He relaxed slightly and nodded. "Going into the office this morning?" he asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"I suppose I have to." More memories of the night before came back to him -- gun in his hand, Spike's stronger one stopping him.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Be sure not to skimp on the soap in the shower," Spike said. "My scent's all over you, and Angel won't ignore that like he can the smell of blood."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley sighed and leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. The though of confronting Angel was... unpleasant, to say the least. "Maybe I'll go in late," he said.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Or don't go in at all," Spike said, watching him and frowning slightly. "You wouldn't be lying if you said you were under the weather."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"No, but it needs to be done. Putting it off won't make it any easier."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Going to confront him?" Spike asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"It's the only way to find out what really happened. And if I don't give him the opportunity to explain..." Wesley sighed again.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"You really think he'll come clean?" Spike asked. "Suppose you could confuse him enough to make him slip if you use words with more than two syllables."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"It's only fair that he know," Wesley said. "I'm not interested in perpetuating the deception, pretending not to remember... I suppose what he chooses to do with the information's out of my hands."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Hope he's got an explanation for you," Spike said, trying very hard to be kind when he really wanted to tear Angel limb-from-limb if he was in fact involved.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"So do I," Wesley said quietly, sitting back again. He wasn't particularly convinced that Angel would, of course, but part of him had to continue to hope. His fingers plucked restlessly at the edge of the bandage on his arm, then he glanced up at Spike with a small smile. "I do remember offering to sign something."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"What did you sign?" Spike asked, struggling to follow Wesley's train of thought.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Last night," Wesley clarified, knowing that he'd jumped from one topic to another. "I offered to sign something to reassure you that it wasn't just the alcohol talking." He shrugged slightly, suddenly aware of his half-dressed state.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Oh. I..." Would it have been true? Spike wanted to ask. He settled on saying, "Good."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley's lip twisted into a little grin. "It's not my fault that we had so much trouble finding a... pen."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Here I am, a guest in your home. It would've been rude of me to mention the pens lying on your desk if you were looking for a different one," Spike said.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"And not being rude is of particular concern to you?" Wesley asked, his grin widening.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"You had let me drink your liquor cabinet dry the night before," Spike said, no longer able to stifle his own grin.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"But that was doing me a favor," Wesley pointed out. "Er, as last night seems to have proved."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"You going to keep it empty, then?" Spike asked.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Not if the other events of last night are a direct result of keeping it stocked," Wesley answered, then flushed slightly. "Sorry. I think my ability to self-censor is a bit impaired this morning."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"It's better to be blunt, don't you think?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley looked at Spike uncertainly, not sure where this line of questioning was headed. "Sometimes?" he hedged.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I'd rather know what people are thinking than try to guess," Spike said. "So don't censor yourself on my account."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Wesley nodded slowly. The ache in his head was beginning to subside thanks to the aspirin, and from somewhere he found the courage to say, "What I'm thinking is that I'd like it if last night weren't a one time occurrence. I know you don't intend to stay in LA long..."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"I think something could be arranged," Spike said lightly, trying hard not to show his surprise.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

Something that had been tight in Wesley's chest loosened. "Then I think the next thing I'd like," he said, getting slowly to his feet, "is some more water." He started into the kitchen.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike waited for a moment before following after him. He leaned against the counter as Wesley pulled out a bottle of water. "I met this wizard once who swore he had come up with a magical cure for hangovers," he said. "Said it was so easy no one had ever thought of it."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Oh really?" Wesley raised his eyebrows and waited.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. He said to go back in time and not drink so much the night before." Spike smirked, but it quickly turned into a smile.

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Yes, thank you," Wesley said, rolling his eyes. "Brilliant advice."

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike shrugged. "That was pretty much my reaction, yeah. And then I ripped his throat out, but that part's a given, right?"

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"Right," Wesley said slowly. He took another drink from the bottle in his hand.

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Spike shrugged again and wondered why he hadn't just stayed on the couch. He pushed a hand through his hair. "Mind if I use your shower? Won't be long."

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

"No, no of course, feel free." Wesley wondered what he'd said wrong. Was he actually expected to have react with some kind of pleasure at the idea of Spike ripping out a man's throat?

[flaming-muse.livejournal.com]

Continues here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/reality_bends/9321.html).