:-Heaven Came Down-:
Chapter 4
By Bri
Chapter 5
"So, when are you going to tell Fred you have the hots for her?" Faith asked, aiming her dart carefully. She glanced at Wesley, who was still sputtering, before letting it fly. She smiled in satisfaction when the dart hit the bullseye. "Whatever makes you think that I'm interested in Fred?" he asked indignantly. Faith laughed when the dart he was attempting to aim went wide and barely stuck to the board. "Well, that piss-poor dart shot, for one," she observed with a smirk. "And two, the fact that you've been following Fred around for the last two days. Giving her the world's most pathetic puppy dog eyes." Wesley flushed. All attempts to deny the obvious went out the window. "I rather think Angel is king of the calf gaze," he said snidely, trying to put Faith on the defensive. Faith shrugged. "That's Angel Boy for ya," she conceded, grinning when her next dart also hit the bullseye. Wesley childishly stuck his tongue out at Faith when his next shot missed the board completely and lodged in the wall. The owner cast them a warning glance, but Faith glared back and the owner dropped his gaze. Turning to Faith, Wesley sighed. "I haven't the slightest idea how to approach Fred," he confessed. Faith smiled. "It's easy. You walk up to her, you ask her to dinner, you both drink a little wine, her guard is down, you kiss her. And you keep kissing her." Wesley smirked. "And, being that this is you, should I take it that the next step of that advice is to drag her to my home in caveman fashion and proceed to have my way with her?" Faith's face fell. "No. I'm not about that anymore. I was just trying to help you out, but if you want to do it your own way, do your thing. I'll keep my nose out of it." Wesley touched Faith's arm softly. "Thank you, Faith, I appreciate your input," he said gently. "Being male, I would only manage to screw things up if I tried to do it the way I felt appropriate. Your feminine perspective is helpful." Faith laughed. "You ever realize you talk like you got a stick up your ass?" she asked affectionately. Wesley smirked. "As I said, your input is appreciated. In most cases." Faith laughed and slung her arm over Wesley's shoulder. "That's why you love me." Wesley smiled at Faith as she dropped her arm. "I know that things were awkward between us when you first came, Faith, but I do hope you realize that I value your addition," he added as they walked out of the bar. "Is that your British way of saying we're cool?" Faith snickered. Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Wesley replied, "Yes, that's exactly what I was trying to get across." Faith leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good. Let's go get your props for the dinner with Fred. Because I just came up with an even better idea than you taking her out." "What's that?" Wesley asked warily. Faith grinned. "You're taking her in." Wesley looked at her in confusion. "I don't understand." Faith shrugged. "It's simple. I tell her to get dressed up, I'm taking her someplace special. You have dinner and candlelight and flowers prepped in one of the rooms. I take her up there, knock on the door, tell her she's there, and disappear. Then you open the door, and she's overwhelmed at how much trouble you've gone to. It's a lot better, more romantic and more thoughtful, than taking her to some crowded restaurant. She'll feel special because it's in a setting she's comfortable in, and it shows that you wanted to make an effort for her. She'll be shy at first, you'll draw her into conversation, the two of you will talk for hours, and then you'll kiss her. And you'll be set." Wesley looked at Faith in admiration. "That's very well-thought out, Faith. I must say, I'm impressed." Faith grinned, trying to appear modest but failing miserably. "I just know Fred. She's like a sister to me by now." Wesley smiled cheerfully. "What flowers do you suggest?" he inquired as he aimed them in the direction of a nearby florist shop. Faith paused. "Your choice," she said finally as they stepped inside. "Get her whatever makes you think of her. Then tell her that." Wesley nodded, perusing the selection of arrangements in the refrigerated cases. Finally he stopped. "That one," he said decisively, pointing at an arrangement of white roses and bluebells. "The roses are just like her, pure, delicately beautiful. The bluebells are tiny and fragile and yet wildly colorful." Faith smiled as Wesley paid for the flowers and they walked outside, Wesley bearing his purchase proudly. "I think Fred is a really lucky girl, and I think she's going to realize it too, the second she steps inside that room," she said softly. Wesley looked at Faith. "Thank you, Faith, for everything you've done for me." Faith shrugged a little awkwardly. "It's the least I could do," she said quietly. She looked in his eyes for a moment, and he nodded. She smiled gratefully and he reached out to take her hand, holding it tightly. "You are very dear to me, Faith. Despite our shaky past, I now number you among my closest and most trusted of friends." Faith swallowed the tears that wanted to form and nodded silently. "Let's call Angel and have him make dinner, sound good?" she asked lightly. Wesley nodded as well. "Sounds wonderful," he responded. Faith pulled out her cell phone and made a brief call, one that ended with a quick "I love you" that made Wesley smile. "Check. He's on the culinary train as we speak," she laughed. Wesley looked at his flowers. "Would a present be too much?" he asked thoughtfully. Faith nodded. "Yeah. Don't overwhelm her. Just show her how much you like being with her. Flowers should be good enough for now. Just make sure there's lots of candlelight." "What kind of candles do you recommend?" Wesley asked worriedly. Faith laughed as she tugged him down the street to a candle shop. "Cordy really should be here for this, it's so her forte." Wesley groaned. "I can only imagine what Cordelia would do to me if she realized my feelings for Fred." Faith grinned. "She'd torture you unmercifully and then do the same thing I'm doing. Only with better taste, I'm sure." She pulled him into the closest candle shop and started pulling various candles from the shelves. She made sure to get a pair of crystal candle holders for the pair of tapered, sandal-wood scented candles she selected with care. When she'd loaded about seventy dollars' worth of candle paraphernalia into his arms, Wesley was led to the counter. As the clerk rang up his purchase, Wesley turned to Faith with a pained expression on his face. "I can only hope that this will have the desired effect," he sighed. Faith smiled slightly. "I guarantee it will."
Wesley surveyed the room nervously. Faith was supposed to have Fred upstairs any minute, and he wanted it to be perfect� He looked around. The table was set with a pure white linen tablecloth, silverware and china and covered dishes of food, the tapered candles, and his bouquet of flowers. There were other candles set at various points around the room, glowing brightly. The paintings on the wall were soothing, nothing dark and dramatic or bright and overly cheerful. Subtle, muted colors. He glanced at the door that was propped open slightly. It was a warm, balmy evening and the breeze across the top of the roof was pleasantly cooling. He'd picked the room at the very top, the one that had a set of three stairs on the inside that led to a door that led to the roof. All they had to do was walk outside after dinner and there was a spectacular view of the city. There was a slight knock on the door and Wesley could hear Faith's voice saying, "Okay, you're here, have fun, don't do anything I wouldn't do," and he would have laughed if he wasn't so petrified that he was going to get laughed *at* in approximately ten seconds. Taking a deep breath, he crossed the room and pulled the door open. His knees nearly buckled when he saw the vision in front of him. Fred had discarded her glasses in favor of the contacts that she disliked wearing except for on special occasions. Her hair had been pulled up into a mass of curls that were gathered at the crown of her head and then spiraled down her back. Her dress was a midnight blue color, held up by thin spaghetti straps attached to a simple wrap- around bodice, and fell in silky folds to her ankles. Her huge eyes blinked at him, and he caught himself. He was staring. "Fred, don't you look absolutely lovely," he breathed as he gestured for her to come inside. Fred looked around at the table, the candles, the moonlight that was visible through the partially opened door, and her face crumbled. Wesley, alarmed, rushed to her and put his arm around her. "Fred, what's wrong?" he asked in concern. "It's just that it's all so beautiful," she whispered. "It should be for someone else." Wesley closed his eyes and pulled her closer to him. "Fred, Fred," he sighed. "You deserve all this and more. I can't believe you don't understand how absolutely breathtaking you are." Fred pulled back and smiled shyly at him. "When I'm with you, you make me understand it," she confessed. Wesley smiled lovingly and led Fred to the table. "These flowers are for you," he said softly. "The roses are just like you, pure, delicately beautiful. The bluebells are tiny and fragile and yet wildly colorful," he said, repeating what he'd told Faith when he first saw the bouquet. Fred blushed but smiled magnificently as she trailed a finger over the tightly curled petals of one of the roses. Wesley pulled out a chair and she sat down quickly, allowing him to push the chair in for her. Dinner progressed just as Faith had predicted it would. Conversation was slow at first, but as Fred relaxed, it flowed. They talked animatedly about everything they could think of. When they were finished eating, Wesley led Fred up the stairs and onto the roof. She gasped at the sight of the city spread out below her, the skyline unblemished by glaring neon lights from this height. "It's absolutely beautiful," she breathed, staring out at the panoramic scene in wonder. Wesley smiled at her softly. "I agree," he said, never taking his eyes from her face. Fred blushed, but Wesley was happy to see that it was only slightly. She turned to face him, her hand at her side, nervously playing with the folds of her dress. Wesley gently reached out and slipped his hand under her chin, tilting her head up as his descended. Her eyes closed and her breath escaped her in a soft sigh as his lips met hers. They were warm, soft and gentle and with only the slightest bit of pressure. Her arms came up around his neck as if they had a mind of their own, and she deepened the kiss. Her lips parted, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. The kiss was beautiful, sweet, patient. Fred knew in that instant she was falling in love. She'd been kissed before, by inept high school boys who were more anxious about getting their hands up her skirt or blouse than in wooing her with tenderness. Wesley's kiss was everything she'd ever dreamed of. Sighing again, she pressed herself closer to him, his arms wrapping tighter around her slim frame. They broke apart, and Wesley tucked Fred's head under his chin. "Do you know that I've been falling in love with you every day since you've arrived here?" he asked in a strangled voice. Fred pulled back, looking into his eyes frantically. He had to be telling the truth. If he wasn't, she knew she'd just die from the heartbreak. His eyes held only warmth, sincerity, and love. "How do you know?" she whispered. "We haven't known each other all *that* long." "Sometimes it only takes an instant to know," he said softly, reaching up to caress a curl that had pulled loose and was brushing the side of her face. "I've had many such instants over the course of the last few days." Fred nodded before laying her head on his chest. "I can feel your heartbeat," she said quietly, trailing her fingertips over the left side of his chest. Wesley wrapped his arms around Fred and held her close. "From now on, it beats for you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Well, actually, it beats because there's a flow of blood pumping through your veins, and it's all an intricate system where arteries-" "Fred?" "Yes?" "Hush." Fred snuggled deeper into his chest and smiled. "Okay." ***** Faith snuggled deeper into Angel's arms as she flipped through the TV channels. "What do you think's going on with Wes and Fred?" she asked Angel, her eyes leaving the screen to glance into his gaze. Angel's grip on her tightened as he thought about their friends. "I have no idea. Hopefully by now they're done with dinner and looking at the view from the rooftop." Faith grinned wickedly as she reached up to kiss Angel deeply. "I can think of a few other things I hope they're doing besides looking at the view," she laughed once she broke the kiss. Angel chuckled and pulled her out of his lap, holding her suspended in the air as he lay down on the couch. Once he was comfortable, he brought her down next to him, and she curled up with him, pulling the blanket over them as she lay her head on his chest. "Whatever they do, I hope they find love like we have," he said softly, stroking her hair away from her face. Faith closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of Angel's cologne as her fingers came up to splay over his chest, her palm centering over his heart. "No one can find love like what we have," she murmured as she drifted off. "But I hope they find the closest thing to it." Angel glanced at the top of the stairs, where Fred and Wesley were standing, smiling from ear to ear, and entwined about as much as he and Faith were. "I don't think you have to worry about that," he whispered into her ear. "It looks like heaven just came crashing down." End
