Wesley watched Angel for a few moments, enjoying the slight discomfort the uncertainty was causing his lover. There were few moments when Angel looked less secure than Wesley. Right now, he looked like so many things that one just wouldn't use to describe Angel � young, shy, lacking in the confidence that oftentimes intimidated enemies and reassured friends. "You can come in, you know. The invitation works for the whole flat, not just the sitting room."
"Do you want..." Angel took a few steps, glanced at the tea, and offered it carefully to Wesley without spilling any on the t-shirt or boxer shorts Angel had on. For a second, he looked younger than Wesley and nearly as uncertain as Wesley tended to look.
"You have no idea how much." Wesley rubbed a towel over still damp hair, sniffling every few seconds. A building cold had given him a stuffy nose, but a hot, long shower had turned it snuffly and itchy. Tea would be a kindness; having Angel with him was more than that. "Come sit."
"I know. I just... here. You look like you need it." Angel handed the tea to Wesley and sat down next to him on the bed. "Sure you don't mind me staying with you?"
"Mind?" The first swallow of hot tea was like heaven. Hot, honey sweetened, properly brewed heaven. Cordelia had been over that afternoon, and although Wesley appreciated the cold medicine and tissues she got for him, he suspected she didn't let the water come to a boil before pouring it over the tea bag adn dumping suger into the mug. Angel did it much better. "Not at all. Unless you'd rather not?" Sniffling once more, Wesley held his index finger beneath his nose, rubbed vigorously, then turned away as the sniffles and tickles led to sneeze. He put the tea down just in time as the it burst out, wet and tickly. "heh...h'ISH! eiiishhSHH!" A moment of tense stillness and then, 'hutschushhSH!' Wesley rubbed his nose again, harder this time. "I'd understand. My cold... Not very inviting."
Slowly, Angel took the towel from Wesley's lap. He reached over to the night stand and took gauze and medical tape to re-bandage Wesley's injured hand. "No. I'd rather be here than anywhere else." His eyes didn't meet Wesley's as he spoke, then lowered as he worked with the gauze. Angel finally looked up after Wesley's hand was bandaged and when his nose started running a bit more aggressively. "Got to take care of you," he murmured, patted Wesley's hand, and reached over to take the tea from Wesley. "I can take that."
"Oh. I..." The half-smile on Angel's face held Wesley's eyes for a few moments. Sniffling, Wesley rubbed his nose into the sleeve of his pajama top, careful not to slosh the tea about. "I ... sniffSNIFF! I appreciate it... snff..." A wetter, more ticklish sniffle had Wesley handing the mug back to Angel and pulling a tissue from the box. "heh...hetschhushh! chushh!"
"Bless you."
"h'huhchushh!" Wesley sneezed in reply, leaning into the arm that wound itself around his shoulders. "hutchshhuh!" A fierce tickle had crept into Wesley's nose; it had worked its way from the back of sinuses, where it make the back of his throat itch, to his nostrils, where it was coaxed out further by the repeated, wet sniffles. "chushh! huh, huhCHSSH!" Wesley drew back, nose quivering with the need to sneeze again, injured hand clumsily getting more tissues from the box, and eyes flittering shut as the need escalated. "oh... ohhoh.... huh...huh! h'hrrrUSHHHhuhh!" Strong, the sneeze bent Wesley forward and kept him snuffling until the tickle built again. "h'chushh! chush! uh...chUSSHhoosh!"
"Bless you." Frowning, Angel handed Wesley a tissue and started to rub the back of his neck. "How are you feeling? Okay? Do you need something more than tea? Like... something?"
Shaking his head, Wesley buried his nose into the tissue and gave wet, snuffling blow. "Another tissue, actually..."
Angel provided the tissue, still rubbing Wesley's neck.
"I feel like I ought to be utterly miserable. No new glasses yet, still banged up and aching from the explosion, and to add insult to injury, coming down with a heavy head cold." He snuffled into the tissue. "But I ... chshh!" The smaller, softer sneeze was enough to convince Wesley to grab a few more clean, dry tissues. "I can't seem to find it in myself to feel quite that bad." Wesley ducked his head and muffled a blow into the tissues, at once shy and grateful that Angel was hugging him while he did so.
"Must be doing something right." Angel's arm tightened around Wesley's shoulders. He pulled Wesley closer, until Angel was near enough to kiss his neck, and added, "for once."
"Angel..." Soft, cool lips grazed the shallow cuts and faint burns on Wesley's neck. There was safety and comfort in that touch and in how it stayed constant, Angel's lips pressed to Wesley's skin as he turned in Angel's arms. "You've already done so much for me."
"If I lost you..." Angel kissed Wesley's ear, lips still gentle as the embrace became tight, almost fierce. "Don't know what I'd do."
"Then I suppose you'll have to be more mindful from now on." Hopeful, Wesley looked up at Angel. The office and flat Angel had been living in were both destroyed � if any good was to come of that, it would be Angel staying here, with Wesley, for as long as he could. "That is, if you were thinking along the lines..."
"Right along the lines of minding you, your cold..." He caught Wesley's lips with his own and kissed him a few times. "Other things. Later on."
"How much later?"
"Not much."
Reassured, Wesley took the handful of tissues Angel pulled out of the box and set about getting rid of the snuffles. Not much could mean very soon indeed.
