Title: Secret Window, Secret Garden
Author: Foxhunt2blue
Email: foxhunter2blue@yahoo.com or
Kitsunegari2001@aol.com
Rating: R

Pairing: Angel/Cordelia
Improv: Improv #49 Stephen King Title Challenge (Aug 16 - Aug 30)
Spoiler: There is a small spoiler for the season finale of "Angel" at
the ending of this story so be warned!!!
Author's Note: The song Cordelia sings is entitled "Sorcerer" written
and recorded by Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow on the album "Trouble
in Shangri*La" recorded in 2001. 
Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a guy named Joss who dreamed
of vampires, monsters and messed up love lives OH MY! Guess what I'm
not him, though I do like to play with his characters on occassion. I make
no money from this & when I am done I will return them to the toybox! ;)

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Secret Window, Secret Garden
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After Buffy he had thought his hopes would never blossom.
Who else could love a demonic creature cursed for his own darkness?
A vampire that was almost, but not quite human.
So he secreted his heart away into a place where no one else could
discover it's existence. At least that had been the plan, then she had
come into the picture.
He had always appreciated her physical form. Tall, curvacious and
well toned, her skin a smooth tanned sheath beneath which each
muscle moved with grace. A waterfall of rich thick hair with the sheen
of mink, dark as twilight velvet. Her dark eyes held something that 
none of the others seemed to see.
A chance.
A chance for growth in the deepest spiritual way.
But then she had been shallow...self-centered.
When he had ran into her at some upstart Hollywood producers
party, he had almost walked away, but fate had other ideas. He 
offered her a job, she had accepted, but made sure he knew it was
just temporary.
Over the years she had evolved, become more than Sunnydale
would have guessed. More than Buffy would have ever thought.
Hair, clothes, yet the eyes never changed.
The light he had saw all those years ago had flared, turned into
a burning fire. Dangerous and beautiful at the same time. 
When he had fallen in love with her he wasn't sure, but it
might have been that day in the garden.
The Hyperion had a courtyard, both back and front. Everyone 
used the front courtyard, but his other companions didn't
seem to know the other existed, hell he hadn't either until
late one night.
Above Los Angeles, that night not so long ago, the full moon
had shimmered with a silver haze. A soft breeze had managed 
to find itself lifting the leaves of the tangled roses that had
taken over the courtyard. Why he had decided to explore
the far reaches of the hotel he wasn't sure, but he had ended
his exploration on the second floor balcony overlooking that
silver highlighted darkness.
"I'm tierd...I'm thirsty...I'm wild eyed in my misery..."
The sound of her voice had been filled with a secret pain as
she sang softly. Searching the shadows, his preternatural
vision located her sitting on what had once been the center
piece of the garden.
A reflecting pool.
She was barefoot, her long slim feet dangling in the moonlit
water. Her once dark luxurious hair now curled around her
pale face, streaks of golden red smudging it's once flawless
surface. A tiny smile creased his face as he thought of how
annoyed she had been at Wesley, Gunn and himself when 
they had seen her new haircut.
"...timeless in your finery...it's a high price...for your luxury..."
He had been mesmerized by the sound of her voice, by the
words that seemed somehow sad and desperate to his 
immortal ears. In all the time he had been with Buffy he
had never heard her sing...well not like this.
He sat hunched hidden by the shadows in the window,
a secret from her mortal eyes and he let himself feel
for the first time since he had left Sunnydale. Eyes 
closed he could almost hear the sound of music faintly
tracing her words.
How long he sat there hidden from her dark firey eyes
he couldn't say, but he knew whatever would come to
pass he couldn't let this happen again. Besides how
could she possibly love him after the darkness she had
witnessed within him.
"Angel!"
At the sound of Wesley's call his eyes flew open, a 
moment of terror gripping his aching heart, she 
couldn't know he was here. Slipping through the 
window he found Wesley half way down the hall.
"Yes?"
Wesley jumped a look of annoyance flickering
through his azure eyes. "By the horns of Azagoth
don't sneak up on a body like that!"
Crossing his arms Angel drew up to his full height
knowing full well it would intimidate Wesley.
"So what is it?"
"I was wondering...ummm...I thought maybe...," his
voice was unsteady as Angel raised one brow.
"Yes?"
"Have you seen Cordelia?"
Angel smiled as the sound of her voice came 
back to him. "I believe she went home Wesley it
is midnight after all. Maybe you should be heading
home as well?"
Nodding Wesley turned, vanishing down the 
hall in record time. If Angel had been the type 
he might have laughed at the way he could spook
the Englishman with but a look. Cordelia would
have given him the what for if she had known he
had done it though.
Back at the window he slipped through into the
cool breeze and the embrace of her voice once
more. Leaning against the balcony he watched
with curious eyes as Cordelia stepped from the
pool, her voice rising with the wind.
"...all around black ink darkness..."
She tugged her tee shirt over her head, the 
moonlight painting the bare swell of breasts
with diamond dust. If he had needed to breath
he would have stopped at that moment, his
inner voice saying he shouldn't be here, seeing
this. 
Seeing her.
Like this.
He couldn't walk away though, the sight of her
body as she slipped out of her jeans, to much
for his throbbing body. His aching heart.
"Cordelia...," he whispered to the silent garden.
Her skin shimmered as she stepped back into 
pool, the water rippling out with each step she
took. Slipping beneath the dark mirror of water
she vanished, a trail of bubbles marking her
descent.
From that moment forward he would throw 
himself into his work, trying to drown the desire 
he had felt rise in his soul.
Angel wanted that moment to last forever.
Water splashing drew his eyes back to the 
garden below. Cordelia met his wide dark eyes
with her own burning stare and he felt the world
begin to slip away, fade with each rise of her
chest, each beat of her heart.
Beads of moisture flashed against the coco cream
of her skin, tiny sparks of light against the dark. He
felt a stirring deep inside he hadn't felt since Buffy
had first touched him. For a moment he had thought
she would be indignant, curse him for a pervert, but
not a word passed her lips.
Slowly she turned giving him the full show.
Swell of full breast, tight dark nipples erect with
desire or maybe the cool breeze. 
Expanding rib cage revealing each erractic breath 
as she moved aware of his dark eyes on her body.
A slim waist moving into the curve of ripe full hips
disappearing into slim muscular thighs. The sheer
wetness of lace panties stretched across the 
shadowed apex that held the heat of her desire.
He drew back sure that he could feel the flush of
arousal burning his cheeks. As he turned to flee
he caught a glimpse of a seductive smile that 
halted his retreat. The sound of her voice drifted
on the breeze once more to his burning ears.
"...who is the master...man and a woman on a
star stream...in the middle of a snow dream..."
Inside his mind a vision of her astride his body.
back arched with the passion that lovers shared.
"...sorcerer..."
He returned her smile as he slipped through
the window knowing her own smile had been an
invitation to join her. A secret that they both
could share with no earthly ties.
A secret window into their secret garden.
As Angel felt his tomb settle to the bottom 
of the harbor he fought to keep that vision
of Cordelia close. The only comfort he might
find in the cold darkness, the light of his own
personal angel.
THE END??