Reality Check

AUTHOR: Dannyblue
E-MAIL: dannyblue2@yahoo.com
SUMMARY: It’s Cordelia’s lucky day.
SPOILERS: This story is set in season 1, sometime before “To Shanshu In L.A.” Any spoilers are general ones.
RATING: PG.
PAIRING: C/A implied.
FEEDBACK: Yes, please.
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and you will receive.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own Angel.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Written as a Secret Santa fic for AbbyCadabra over at Stranger Things.






“Cordelia! That’s fantastic!” His dignity forgotten for the moment, Wesley bounded across the office. Catching his co-worker a little unawares, he gave her an enthusiastic hug. “I’m so happy for you!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Cordelia hugged him back. “Well, thanks, Wes. I’m pretty excited myself. Although, not quite as excited as you seem to…”

She was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

“Could somebody tell me why the Berring case was filed under R?”

Wesley and Cordelia pulled apart just enough to look towards their boss. Angel was stood in the doorway of his office, frowning down at a file folder. When he looked up, his eyes fell upon his embracing employees. And the frown deepened.

“Hugging?” he said, his voice flat. “Why is there hugging?”

“Great news, Angel!” Wesley enthused. “Our Cordelia has just gotten a part in a commercial.”

“A small part in a local commercial for a local pool supply store,” Cordelia clarified. “But it’s my first real job. And now, those casting directors can’t ignore my resume because I don’t have experience. This is experience!”

“Oh,” Angel said. His narrowed eyes moved back and forth between his employees, who still had their arms around each other. “Well, congratulations.”

“Thanks!” Cordelia beamed, seemingly unaware of the vampire’s intense scrutiny.

But Wesley was more than aware. In fact, he was starting to feel a tad uneasy.

Letting his arms fall to his sides, the ex-Watcher took a careful step away from Cordelia. When he came to work at Angel Investigations, he hadn’t been handed a book of instructions about what did and didn’t constitute proper employee behavior. So he’d started his own.

Not being an affectionate being himself, it was possible Angel wasn’t comfortable seeing displays of affection between others. And, since he was their boss, it was important to keep his sensibilities in mind. So, Wesley made a mental note in his personal Employee Guidebook.

Rule #47: No overt displays of affection in the office.

“Can you believe it?” Hands pressed to her chest, Cordelia turned to face Angel. “I mean, I’ve been dreaming of this since I was…” she rolled her eyes ruefully. “Well, for about a year. But I’ve been dreaming about this. And, just when I was thinking I should give up, I get my first paying job.” Her grin was so big, it seemed to light the room. “It’s finally happening!”

For one long moment, Angel didn’t comment. He simply stood there, silent and still, expressionless as he stared at the young woman in front of him.

“That’s great, Cordelia,” he finally said. “I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks, Angel.” Still smiling, she headed for her desk. “Of course, it won’t win me an Oscar or make me rich, but my road to inevitable stardom has to start somewhere.”

“Indeed,” Wesley agreed. “Although I don’t know what we’ll do without you once you hit ‘the big time’.”

“Oh, please. You guys will do just fine on your own.” She gave Wesley a teasing grin. “Of course, you won’t come near the computer, and Mr. Brood still can’t use his cell. So this place probably would fall apart without me.”

“Really, Cordelia,” Wesley drawled. “I’m sure we’d survive. Once I’d deciphered your very creative filing system.”

Of course, Wesley expected Angel not to join in the bantering. He usually acted as the referee, watching from a distance, and stepping in only when things got a little heated.

What Wesley didn’t expect was for Angel to, without a word, walk back into his office…and slam the door shut.

“By the way, Wes,” Cordelia said, holding out a slip of paper. “Some guy called about a book you ordered. Like you actually need any more.”
____________________

Half an hour after Cordelia had gone out to get something to eat, Wesley finally decided to beard the lion in his den.

Cautiously, he knocked on the inner-office door. “Angel? May I come in?”

“Yeah,” came the terse invitation. Not the warmest of welcomes, but still…

Opening the door, Wesley stepped into Angel’s office. The vampire sat at his desk, hands clasped them under his chin, a grim expression on his intensely drawn face.

Oh, dear, Wesley thought. He’d seen his employer like this before, of course. It was what Cordelia called ‘classic brood mode’.

“Angel,” Wesley began as he lowered himself into a chair. “Forgive me for being presumptuous but…is there something wrong?”

The vampire didn’t answer. In fact, he didn’t even look up. Just continued to frown at the coffee mug (which said “I won’t bite…unless you want me to!” in bold, red letter) Cordelia gave him last week.

“Is this about a case?” Wesley asked. Although they didn’t have any cases that involved a vulnerable and/or fragile young woman in desperate need of their help. Those were the ones Angel usually brooded over.

As Wesley recalled the other thing that was likely to upset his employer, he hesitated. It was a very touchy subject. But Wesley straightened his spine and soldiered on. “Did you, perhaps, hear from someone in…Sunnydale?”

Finally, Angel looked up. His expression gloomy, he sighed. “Wesley, do you think I’m…huggable?”

For a moment, Wesley couldn’t speak. His brain was too busy spinning to form a coherent thought. He opened his mouth several times but, when no sound came out, he simply closed it again. He imagined he looked like a stunned carp.

Finally, he resorted to saying, “I beg your pardon.”

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Angel looked at some point over Wesley’s shoulder. “It’s just that, Cordy got some good news today. She was obviously excited. And she hugged you. But she didn’t hug me. Even though I was standing right there!”

Realizing he hadn’t misheard after all, Wesley felt oddly lightheaded. Pressing his fingers to his temples, he closed his eyes. “Angel, I don’t understand…”

“Neither do I,” Angel said. Standing from his desk, he began to pace around the office. “I mean is there something about me that made her think she couldn’t hug me? Do I put out a no-hug vibe?”

And, suddenly, Wesley wanted to laugh. Under the circumstances, what else could a person do? Of course, he wouldn’t. Angel so rarely opened up to people, laughing might discourage him from doing so in the future.

So, Wesley tried to keep a straight face as he said, “Well, you do have this way about you, Angel. An aura that let’s one know you might not appreciate having your personal space infringed upon.”

“I don’t,” Sighing again, Angel sat on the edge of his desk. “Usually. But Cordelia’s different.”

He looked so crestfallen, Wesley had to bite his lip to keep from chuckling. It was several moments before he could trust himself to speak. “In my experience, Cordelia wouldn’t let herself be put off by those invisible barriers of yours. In fact, I’ve seen her hug you in the past, Angel.”

“Well, yeah. After I’d saved her life or something.” Angel shrugged dismissively. “And, okay, I’m not exactly a touchy-feely guy. But I don’t want Cordelia to be afraid to…I mean, she’s my friend, and I don’t want…”

“Angel,” Wesley interrupted, finally deciding to put the poor man out of his misery. “Would it ease your mind to know that Cordelia didn’t exactly hug me?”

Angel’s frown was puzzled. “What? But I saw…”

“I hugged her first.”

“You did?” Angel said, seeming to perk up. As if the fact that Cordelia hadn’t hugged Wesley either made him feel better.

Then, mere seconds later, his expression darkened. “You did?”

Feeling uneasy for some reason, Wesley was quick to explain. “It was very exciting news, Angel. And I just…”

“Guys!” a shrill, excited voice interrupted. “Guys!”

Their conversation forgotten, the two men hurried into the reception office.

Cordelia was there. And she looked frantic. Her hair was mussed. She was panting for breath. And there was a huge grin spread across her face.

“Cordelia,” Angel began. “What happened?”

“You won’t believe it,” she began, gesturing wildly. “Jolly Burgers is having this contest. You know those cards where you scratch and win.” She held up a small, cardboard card. “And I won!”

Startling both men, she ran across the room…and jumped right into Angel’s arms. “I won!”

And, of course, Angel instinctively stiffened at the contact.

“I just can’t believe it,” Cordelia gushed. “Two hundred and fifty dollars!”

“Well, congratulations,” Wesley said. “This must be your lucky day.”

The ex-Watcher watched as Angel relaxed by degrees. Finally, the vampire wrapped his arms around the excited young woman and hugged her back. He even smiled a little.

“That’s great, Cordelia,” he said. And his smile grew. “I’m really happy for you.”

Shaking his head, Wesley wondered if things would always be this strange around the offices of Angel Investigations.

Probably, he thought.

Smiling at the prospect, he made a mental note.

Amendment to Rule #47: No overt displays of affection in the office…unless our employer is on the receiving end.



THE END

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