Title: This Is Unusual For Me
Author: Frazi
Posted: 05-25-2003
Email: storm_fn@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: Light
Content: A/C
Summary: Cordy has a new fashion expert and you'll never guess who it is.
Spoilers: Hmmm. up to season two I'm guessing.
Disclaimer: The characters in the Angelverse were created by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.
Distribution: NF is a given. Elsewhere just tell me where so I can look for it incase I lose mine hehehe.
Notes: Well I made it so Angel's VERY settled with his soul. You know I like a lil Angelus in my man.
Feedback: Hell yeah.
Thanks/Dedication: This goes to gabby....hmmm...again heheh. Sorry babe I tried to work on Fallen Angels but I got this instead so it had to be for you All for you sweets.

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Oh god I need help.
DING! DONG!
YES!
Running out of my bedroom I dashed straight to the front door and yanked it open. "Angel! Oh I'm so glad you're here!" Grabbing his shirt by the chest I yanked him inside.
"Ahhh!" He yelped his eyes widening as he was propelled into my apartment and I kicked the door shut. "Nice to see you're happy to see me Cordy."
"Please you have to help me! I have nothing to wear!"
He blinked and straightened his shirt as I looked up at him imploringly. "You're wearing something now Seer." He smirked. "Although, I admit you'd look gorgeous in nothing."
Every since the stupid vampire has his soul secured and since that night at the ballet, he's been like this. All wicked and slightly Angelusy. It was slightly unnerving, but I was determined. I was going to have a social life or die trying.
"I'm serious! He'll be here soon and I'm not even close to getting ready!" My hair hung limp and wet around my shoulders, my still damp body was wrapped in my favorite black robe and my little bunny slippers only added to me state of disarray.
His eyebrows narrowed. "Who?"
"Thom! He'll be here any minute! Help?"
"That half witted Neanderthal lawyer!? You're going out with him!?" Angel glared. "No way in hell. Not if your life depended on it. Forget it."
I blinked not quite understanding his refusal. "What?"
"Forget it." He flopped into my couch his arms crossed and his face resolved. "As if its not bad enough that I drop in on you and find out that you're getting ready for a date. You have the nerve to ask for my help."
I glared. "Oh come on. I'd do it for you. He sprang the question on me. I didn't have time to wonder whether I had any clothes for a night out. I have no shoes that go with any of the clothes I have. All my good pants are at the cleaners. I haven't cut my hair. I haven't even painted my nails! Come on Angel, just help me decide please. I only have two more hours before he comes knocking through that door. I'm desperate. Please?"
"No."
"Come on you heartless creep. I'm asking for a favor as a friend!" I glared at him losing my patience.
He stretched his arms across the back of my couch and smirked. "Only on one condition."
"Anything."
"Dump the Neanderthal for me."
I scowled. "Oh you're a great help."
"I live to please."
I gave him a pleading look. "Please?"
"Those kitty eyes won't work on me Cordelia."
I bit my lip and scanned the clock. "Oh god! And hour and forty-five minutes! Angel! I....." I thought fast, "I'll return the favor."
"How?" His eyes narrowed and he watched me with cautious eyes.
What the hell was I getting myself into? I mean okay I needed his help, but did I need it desperately enough to agree on payment for his services. My eyes caught the fast ticking clock. Yes I was. "I...um...I don't know. What do you want in return."
He thought for a while and I felt a sense of impeding doom. If he was thinking this over, he'd make it good. For himself.
"A date."
I blinked. "What?"
"A real date. Complete with dinner dancing and kissing."
"No way." I crossed my arms. No way in hell was going to let him romance me for a whole evening. It was bad enough I had put up with his seduction during the day, but on an actual date, I knew he'd pull out the big guns. I wasn't going to dig my own grave in lie in it.
"Fine." He grinned at me. "You have a total of one and a half hour before your dream dweeb arrives."
"Oh my god!" I whipped around to gape at the clock. It was a darn conspiracy! The dumb clock was moving faster than it had to. I was being forced to concede to his demands, as outlandish as they may be. The clock ran for the 8 o'clock mark.
Tick.
Think of a way out Cordelia and fast.
Tick.
There had to be something.
Tick.
Come on Lord anything!
Tick.
"ALRIGHT!"
He smirked. "Lead me to your wardrobe." He slowly rose to his feet and his brown eyes flashed at me with a predatory gleam. He took my elbow and steered me towards my bedroom. My clothes were strewn across the bed and he carefully guided me towards my ajar closet. "Now Princess. Tell me what you've got."
I bit my bottom lip and looked at my outturned wardrobe. "Pants or skirt."
"Pants."
I blinked. "But I look better in a skirt. You said so."
"You look better in a skirt for me. Not that moron."
I glared. "You supposed to help me. If you're not totally honest about making me look beautiful Angel, the deal is off!"
He rolled his eyes. I could hear him curse under his breath. "Fine you conniving little female. You have this damned skirt in soft suede. Black."
I grinned and ran over the bed and plucked it up raising it to let him see. "Check. Good choice. What else?"
He scowled and snatched it out of my hand. "A blouse not a shirt. Cotton."
I rummaged through the pile of clothing. "What color? Lime green. Red. Blue. White." I looked up holding my shirts.
"Try the green." He plopped into my recliner and nodded at my bathroom door.
I blinked. "What?"
"Try the bloody thing on. Let me see if it goes with it."
I frowned. "You want me to model this?"
He shrugged. "If you want it to be perfect."
With a roll of my eyes I carried the two garments into the bathroom and pulled my robe open. "What about shoes. Sandals or heals?"
"What kind of date is it anyway?"
He sounded so enthusiastic. I shook my head. I almost felt sorry for having to force him to do this for me, but I had no one else on such short notice. He was the only one. Not like Wesley had great fashion sense. After all Angelus did have the leather thing going for him. "He said it was not too formal. Wear something pretty he said."
"Louse."
I glared at the disgust on his face. This was a side of Angel I didn't get to see very often. Usually around the office and the rest of the fang gang he was his usual dorky self, but when he'd gotten his soul bound he'd made it very clear that he wasn't going back to Buffy and that I better run. Faced with the reality of my own inclination towards the man who was owned by one Buffy Summers and the firm denial that he was my best friend and nothing more prompted me to keep him at a distance. Seemed like his demon did not approve. "Hey ease up. It took him a lot of courage for him to come up to me."
"I should have threatened him better."
"Angel!"
"I'm kidding."
Pulling the green blouse over my head I walked out. "Well, green? Or is it too bright?"
He looked up and raised an eyebrow. When his brown eyes swept over me slowly from the tips of my toes to the crown of my head. "Nathan." I prompted him for a response and his eyes finally met mine. I swallowed and shifted nervously on my feet. I didn't like the way he was looking at me. "Green?"
He rubbed his chin letting his eyes run over me again and I couldn't help squirm. "Nice, but he said pretty. Not sexy."
I cleared my throat. "This isn't sexy."
"Comere Princess, I'll show you how sexy." He purred.
I chucked my Pooh bear at him. "Be serious!"
He laughed and caught it his chocolate eyes shinning with wicked mirth. I couldn't hold back my smile. "It's screaming seductress baby. You want to be pretty, try the sky blue one."
"What about the red one? What does this one scream?" I held it over my chest and looked at him expectantly.
Angel winked and let out a low playful growl. "It screams 'Take me'."
I couldn't hold the blush down. I must have looked as scarlet as the shirt I held in my hands. With a clearing of my throat I looked away. "Er....right. Okay....um...white?"
He stood and I felt my stomach take a nose dive to my feet. His eyes were fixed on mine. I had to force myself not to retreat as he approached me. What the hell was he doing and why the hell was my body suddenly frozen in place? Oh god, his eyes were paralyzing. He came and stood in front of me his unneeded breath almost caressing my face. He bent down and I forgot to breathe.
Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.
His hand caught a frilly gray blouse in soft silk with an abstract patter of black lines and yellow and blue contrast. Pulling away he looked down at me and I stared up at him. He grinned in my face. "Try this."
I almost jumped away from him hand catching the silk blouse quickly. "Okay." Feeling suddenly hot I bounded into the bathroom and closed the door.
Oh this was a bad idea. I should never have asked him for help. He was laying it on thick and my stupid body seemed to like the attention his eyes were bestowing on it. Traitorous slab of flesh. With a long sigh I took the green shirt off pulled the gray one over my head. Twisting my red hair into a knot I clipped it with a shark clip to keep the shirt from getting wet. I waited a few seconds to regain my composure and stepped out. "Okay. Tell me."
He was bent over my vanity rummaging through my accessories. Raising his head he looked over at me. I saw the darkening of his eyes and I froze. Oh god I knew that look. "Okay. I'll take your silence as a no."
He reached out and grabbed my wrist. "No its...perfect." H stepped back and looked over me. "It goes well with the skirt." He picked up one of my black strappy sandals. "Try these." With a sigh I slipped my feet into the sandals.
"Let me." Squatting down in front of me he bent down and clasped the thin straps in place. I stared down at the crown of his head.
Okay this was a really bad idea. The worst one I'd had yet.
Why did my vampire boss look appealing suddenly when I was getting ready for another date. Damn his male species. I mumbled a thanks and stepped up to my full length mirror. Both my eyebrows shot up.
Then again this could have been the best idea. The particular gray blouse toned the suede black skirt down nicely and the black sandals revealed just the right amount of skin to make it look elegant and delicate. The straight V-neck of the blouse and the frilled out sleeves looked stylish yet not to gaudy. "Wow. You're right. The combination does go well together."
"I make it a point not to do things in a half-assed manner."
I looked up startled to see him standing in behind me his eyes dancing and his smile infectious. I held back the grin and crossed my arms. "Alright. I admit you're doing a great job. Better than I could have. Nail polish!" I whipped around and run out from under his arm to my vanity. Picking up a sterling gray shade I plopped down on the bed. "Paint my toes?"
He chuckled and sat down on the carpet in front of me pulling my feet into his lap. He put my foot easily in the hook of his lap careful not to let the heal stab him and took the little bottle from me. "If you tell a word of this to anyone Cordelia I swear I'll give them those pictures of you in that Julia Robert's outfit from Pretty Woman."
My eyes widened. "You still have those!?"
"My cherished treasure Princess." He winked at me as he proceeded to spread the liquid over my toes. "Among other things."
"You're going to die a very painful death Angel if you squeal on me."
"Wouldn't dream of it baby."
"Stop calling me that." I glared as he finished one foot.
I looked down at my freshly painted toes. "Wow. Not a single smear."
"I've lived with one women enough to learn almost everything,."
I blinked. "Who?"
He shrugged. "Dru. Crazy little girl couldn't paint her nails without painting her face. So I would help her All trouble. All female."
Putting up my toe I grinned. "I'm impressed."
Sitting back on his hunches he grinned up at me. "Thank you. Can you handle the face paint while I get us something to drink?"
I snickered and stood, feeling beautiful. "Yup. I'll meet you outside in five." With a swivel of my hips I hummed a soft tune and walked into the bathroom and pulled out my cosmetics bag. By the time was done applying lipstick I could smell the soft scent of coffee permeate the air. Giving my open hair a fluff I blew myself a kiss in the mirror. "You look hot."
"I'll say."
Turning I saw Angel leaning against the doorpost of my bathroom and grinning like a Cheshire cat and holding two steaming mugs of coffee. I smiled and took one from him. "Thanks."
"Don't smudge that lipstick."
I grinned. "It's kiss proof."
He glared. "Funny Cordy. He had better not try anything."
I stuck up my nose in the air and breezed past him. "And why not? I look good enough to eat."
"I'll drop a truck on him."
"He is rather yummy."
"A big truck."
"Rich AND handsome. All in one."
"A REALLY big truck." He growled and I turned to him with an affectionate smile.
"You can't keep fighting all my men."
"I'll fight every last one of them." He took a sip of the coffee and sat down on the couch laying one arm one the back so that I'd have to sit close to him. "I'd have him begging in two shakes."
I chuckled and sat down next to him. "I'm not for you."
"Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?" He winked and sipped his coffee.
I frowned and hugged the hot mug between my fingers. "Enough with the innuendos."
"They're my breathing air."
I sighed. "You're exasperating."
"You're dating. I have to be."
"The trick is to make me like you." I glared at him.
"You're liking me Cordelia." He smirked and leaned over in my face wiggling his eyebrows. "I am slowly drilling into your life until you can't push me out without leaving a gaping hole. I'm going to become so essential to you, you won't know how to breathe without me. I'm going to spoil you so bad that no man is ever going to be good enough. I'm going to love you so much that you'll never need anyone else in your life besides me. You are so liking me."
I stared into his warm brown eyes and swallowed the gulp of coffee that had stopped in my mouth and took a breath. "Angel..."
No don't say it!
Angel I...
"Cordy?" He whispered his eyes falling to my lips.
I held my breath watching his eyes watch me. "What?"
"You're not wearing perfume yet are you?"
My eyes narrowed and I glared. "WHAT!?"
"Not that you smell bad." He purred. "You smell wonderful. That Cordelia smell. All sporty yet feminine. Although, with that ensemble you need something special."
I blinked as he put his mug down on the table then took mine from me. "Ck? Tommy Girl?"
"No." He grinned and grabbed my wrist pulling me to my feet and pulling me along into my room and to my closet. With a soft tug, he pulled it open and grinned. "You're going to wear 'Pleasures'."
"I'm saving that."
"I know. Today's the day." He chuckled and pulled the long bottle out. Popping the top off he held the nozzle towards me. "Okay. Head back and lift your arms."
With a huff I closed my eyes and lifted my arms. First I felt nothing. Then it started. A soft tingle up my spine as he stepped towards me. A shiver and there was a soft spurt. My breath escaped me when I felt cool spray tickle my collarbone and neck. The fragrance enveloped me. His hands slid down my arm pulling them down and I felt the cool spray on my wrist. With my eyes still shut the spray felt like butterfly kisses on my skin and I swallowed. Had I said this was a bad idea? My bad. This was a great idea.
The gasp escaped my control as I felt the same spray at the back of my knees. Unable to open my eyes I shivered as two fingers came to touch the soft skin at the base of my ears and I couldn't stop letting the breath I was holding out in a soft shudder. Then the finger brushed my nose in a loving caress that was intimately sexy. "What's the point in wearing perfume if you can't smell right?"
He remembered. I was a goner.
"Cordelia?"
My eyes opened and I found them captivated by his. Damn him. Why'd he have to be so good to me? "Hmmm?"
"You smell good enough to eat."
"Oh."
In that instant I made my decision.
Without another thought I grabbed his arm. "Come on."
He frowned as I dragged him out of the room. "Where?"
"You're taking me on a date."
His face spread into a smugly victorious grin as I handed him his coat and grabbed my mobile and my purse. I dialed the number on my mobile as I locked my front door.
"Oh Cordy! What about dweeb boy?" I looked him in the eye and he had the decency to at least look sheepish. "Hey. I told you I was good."
I rolled my eyes as Thom's voice came one the other end. "Yeah, Thom? Hi. Something's come up. I'm sorry I won't be able to make it tonight. I'm sorry. This is unusual for me. I'll see you later. Bye."
Angel smirked at me as we entered the elevator. "What is unusual?"
I met his eyes and smirked back just as the door closed. "Grounded flight."

End.