At First Sight
by Lara

SUMMARY: When Boy sees Girl on Pylea.

RATING: FRC [GF]

SPOILERS: The Pylea track of episodes from Angel Season Two.

DISCLAIMER: I only wish I were as successful as Joss Whedon. He and Mutant Enemy own this; I just write fanfic for fun while waiting for my own big break.

DISTRIBUTION: Permission granted to WNW and Blue Moon Rising. If anyone else wants to archive it, please let me know.

FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated. Please e-mail lara@darling-moon.com. Flames, however, will be used to fuel the fire in Wesley’s next spell casting session.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I had "Hallelujah" (the Rufus Wainwright version though the original is by Leonard Cohen) running through my head, and the lyrics "You saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you." gave me an image that spawned this ficlet. Enjoy.

He sees her standing there, blood dripping down her arm and staining her burlap rags as she draws away the demon that has overwhelmed his friend, and he thinks she must be the bravest woman he’s ever seen.

*****

She sits there later on the cold, hard ground, her voice tremulous as she explains about the ceremony Angel must perform to challenge the Groosalugg. He can see how much she’s been through, but he can also see the sharp mind she still possesses behind those walls she’s built, and he briefly wonders what it would be like to talk with her about science and literature before pushing aside such thoughts. Now is not the time.

*****

She stands slightly in front him, so close they’re almost touching, as they watch Angel fight the Groosalugg. She’s dirty and smelly much like he is, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he realizes that he doesn’t think he’s seen a more beautiful woman.

*****

When it’s all over, he walks through the castle corridor and passes an open door, where he sees her in a large roman bath, squealing with happiness and babbling about getting clean for the first time in a long time. He doesn’t mean to, but he stops and stares, a smile on his face.

*****

He smiles at her as she explains to Cordelia where she went wrong in trying to reopen the portal before, her excitement at the prospect of going home evident in her eyes, the way she clutches the book to her chest and bounces. And he tries to remember the last time he ever felt like that.

Then he realizes, he does now...as he looks at her.

© July 2003

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