"We need to act now,"
"Like, right now?" Cordelia asked.
Angel and Wesley had arrived back at the office with only seconds to spare from Angel being a pile of ashes.
Talk about lucky...though Spencer Glynn hadn't been.
Angel had been fighting a grull demon off of a young woman named Spencer on the left side of the store.
She would have been the fourth victim if he hadn't intervened.
But what that also meant was that the demons- and whoever else was behind this- had timed it for the exact moment that Kingsley and I left the store.
They must have been watching us all night.
Spencer might have been okay, with only minor injuries but who knew how long they were planning on waiting before attacking the replacement fourth victim?
"Yeah," he replied and the four of us exchanged a glance.
"What do we do?" I asked nervously.
"I need you two to guard the store again. Be on guard the entire time, we can't afford to let anything slip through the cracks. Cordelia and Wesley are going to guard the alleys. If anything happens, call me. I'm gonna guard the tunnels," Angel instructed.
"What if we have to fight?" I spoke, suddenly afraid.
I had fought people before, but never demons.
"Then you fight," Kingsley replied for him.
Angel nodded curtly.
"Let's go. Stay in contact if you can,"
"Guess it's you and me again," Kingsley murmured from behind me and I grumbled an incomprehensible reply.
"Still not happy about that hey? I mean why would you be right? Having to guard a store with the most self-confident, irritating, loser of a guy you've ever met?" he spoke and I felt a pang of guilt.
"Kingsley-"
He flashed me a grin.
"Its whatever, Carpenter,"
But I could tell he cared.
I could tell I hurt him.
What I didn't understand was why I cared so much!
"I wasn't going to apologise if that's what you thought," I lied and he shrugged.
"Good,"
"Yeah. Good," I snapped back stubbornly.
"For someone who claims to be mature, you're quite the child," Kingsley commented.
He was right.
No. No, he was not.
"Yeah well," I muttered and he laughed.
"You're pretty when you're angry,"
My eyes widened and I glanced up at him.
Pretty?!
Kingsley smirked back at me.
"What?" he asked.
"N-nothing," I stammered, suddenly losing my nerve.
Neither of us said anything, emerging from the tunnels once again.
"Time to make a run for it," Kingsley told me with a salute, stripping off his leather jacket and placing it over his head and bare, muscular arms.
"Wow,"
He laughed.
"Wow what, Carpenter?"
I hadn't meant to say that aloud.
Whoops.
Blushing furiously, I turned away.
"Wow. Even your arms are stupid," I hissed and Kingsley cackled with laughter.
"Yeah, okay," he replied, before dashing through the patch of sunlight to the shaded side of the thrift store.
I followed him, still highly embarrassed.
What is my issue?
"Snap out of it", I hissed to myself before joining him beside the lamppost.
A beat of awkward silence passed through us, though at one point I did catch him sneaking glances at me. That made me feel marginally better.
"Think we'll be here all day?" Kingsley asked finally.
"Why do you care what I think?" I challenged and he laughed softly.
"That's a good question,"
I smiled with triumph.
"Yeah well. I'm good at those," I replied.
"Good at what?"
"Good questions,"
He grinned and I felt a jolt of happiness at the thought of making him smile.
Oh. My. God!
I did not.
I didn't care what he did or how he looked or whatever stupid thoughts he was thinking in his stupid head.
I didn't!
So why did it always seem like I did?
"The sun looks nice. Nicer than you anyway," I snapped, desperate to drag myself out of the hole I had dug myself into.
Kingsley smiled again, knowing I was paraphrasing him.
"I wouldn't know. Haven't seen the sun since I was twenty-five years old," he replied.
Huh, I mused inside my head.
If he was human, he'd only be two years older than me.
Not that it matters...at all.
"Do you remember it?" I asked.
"The sun? Not really. You go blind if you look at it directly you know," he replied and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, I'm aware,"
Kingsley grinned, looking away.
There was an opportunity for a peaceful moment though it never occurred- a scream echoing from the darkened alleys behind us. I cast a panicked glance over at him, the two of us running towards the cry.
Together.
(A/N: omg omg omg im so so so sorry for the late update, ive been so busy with school and stuff but nevertheless here I am! I hope you guys are liking the story so far and, not to spoil things but the next chapter definitely has some...progression hhehehehe. Stay safe and totally tubular and I'll see you all in the next one! xx)
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Fanfiction*CHARACTERS, NAMES AND PLACES IN THIS STORY ARE OWNED BY JOSS WHEDON AND OTHER CREATORS OF THE BUFFYVERSE. I DO NOT CLAIM TO OWN ANY OF THESE IDEAS AND I RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF THESE CREATORS* *Additionally, quotes, excerpts and names have been used...
