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DISCLAIMER: Were it up to me, they'd have never been torn apart.
But it wasn't up to me, was it?
SUMMARY: S2. Angel goes shopping. I like that scenario a little too much, I
believe. *G*
WORDCOUNT: 848
SHOPPING FOR GIRLS
Take II
by Leni
Angel didn't dare raise his head. If he did, he was sure he'd find the blinding smile
of that saleswoman. Nice woman, really, very patient with the multiple questions of a guy
who understood nothing of this particular department.
Until she began with the personal questions and the hen mother attitude.
Scary. Angel had no qualms admitting to himself that he was scared. But he was also
helpless in this piece of hell. It was supposed to be easy. Just to pick something for a
girl, pay for it and probably have it wrapped. In purple. Or beige. But that had been his
plan before assimilating that there was a plethora of options and only one gift to
choose. Easy?
No.
That's when Janice came in. All bright smiles and kind looks, she convinced him to accept
her help. Not that there was much convincing to do. Janice had touched his arm, asked if
he needed anything, and Angel had thanked heaven for it.
"So, it's for a girlfriend, right?"
He nodded.
"Good, I'd have no idea if it were a boyfriend. Especially if he preferred something
from the ladies' section." She looked assessingly around the room. "A perfume?
We have a wide selection."
Angel thought about it, then shook his head. "Buffy is very practical. She'd think it
too... sophisticated and fancy."
"With that name," Janice whispered, "no wonder she'll take it like
that."
She was helping him, Angel reminded himself, deciding to ignore that comment. She
suggested on thing after another, dragging him through the store and showing him this and
that. Nothing was what he wanted, nothing 'said' what he wanted this gift to say.
After the tenth excuse ("Buffy thinks my music taste is antiquated" to the CD
suggestion), Janice just threw her hands in the air and faced him determinedly. "What
do you want, son?"
His hand went frustratingly through his hair. "I don't know." Angel looked
around, his gaze flicking through everything Janice had pointed to him.
"Something..." He remembered the things closest to Buffy's heart. Mr. Gordo. The
way she held to Kendra's stake. Too much sugar in her coffee. Willow. "Cute.
Something cute."
Janice was surprised. "Cute?" Her eyebrows arched high on her forehead. "I
didn't realise college girls went for cute anymore."
"She isn't in college."
Her eyes widened, slight accusation in them.
He coughed, suddenly uncomfortable. "Yet?"
Janice pursed her lips and stared down at her hands. "O-kay," followed by a
"Not my business anyway." she had no way to know Angel could hear.
Shifting uncomfortably, he tried a smile and thanked her for her advice. Janice shrugged,
sighing at the lost cause he was. For a moment Angel feared she'd pat his head and wish
him luck in his quest. But she just smiled one last time and watched him go.
Once outside, he wandered aimlessly through the mall again. Maybe Janice had been right
after all, he needed to focus on one good moment he'd spent with Buffy and go from there.
The lack of good moments scared him for a second, before it struck him.
The ice rink.
Yes, it had ended abruptly and rather unpleasantly. But as Angel&Buffy dates went, it
had been a very good one. The place had been perfect, and the hour before being attacked
had been quiet and relaxing. Now, where did that leave him?
Ice skates? No, Buffy already had her own.
Take her to a show? Joyce would never let her go on her own. By the time Buffy had
explained that her boyfriend was going with her, her mother would have finished packing
her bags.
Another date, somewhere she'd love. Angel went through the things he knew she liked.
Skating, shopping, swimming. Swimming!
He remembered those cute little two-pieces he'd overlooked some stores ago. Then pictured
Buffy in one of them. In purple. Or beige. Maybe it didn't need to be strictly 'cute'.
Good idea.
Buffy did love swimming. She often mentioned that Willow was not as shy as expected
in a bathing suit. They went to that public pool, which Angel happened to know how to
access at night. Just to see if vampires were nesting there, of course.
He pictured taking her there one night, the whole pool just for the two of them.
Better idea.
With thoughts like this, Angel could learn to love swimming too. In fact, he had the
suspicion he was starting to.
Then he pictured her going with her friends. In the afternoon, when he couldn't follow.
With dozens of strangers around her. Male strangers. Or, god forbid, Xander.
Xander Harris ogling his girl while she was wearing his gift.
No no no no. Bad idea. Bad idea! That was not what he wanted. Besides, bathing
suits sent the wrong message. He needed something else.
His eyes turned to the shop window of the store next to him.
Something like...
And fixed on a small detail glinting under the neon lights.
...a heart, a crown and two hands.
Yes, that was exactly the kind of message he wanted to send.
The End
14/07/04
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