smileyRated: G
Posted: July 14, 2000
Chronology: A companion piece to "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Close Your Eyes".
Notes: Short and cheesy - these things happen sometimes :)
"Try to focus on a topic you might have in common."Cordelia sighed. Her enthusiasm bounced off the blank, disbelieving face in front of her, and died with a sniffle somewhere over in a dark corner.
"Okay, you might start with some basics, like.... Nice weather today! or Great outfit!."
Angel swallowed and continued to wait, silently anxious.
"Fine. That’s a good start," said Cordelia, encouragingly. "Now, you be the girl and I’ll be the guy."
"Wait, shouldn’t that be the other way around?"
"I just want to give you some ‘for instances’," Cordelia said reassuringly. "Besides, you got to be the man when we were waltzing." Cordelia stumbled over Angel’s expression. Constipation or was he trying not to laugh? "This is just an exercise so I can give you a couple of examples - okay?"
"Right. I don’t have to get into character or.... anything ... embarrassing, do I?"
"Well....," Cordelia mused, just enough to tease. "Nah!"
Angel tried to relax back into his armchair. He was learning that if he looked relaxed Cordelia wouldn’t try to put him at ease and the whole disconcerting episode would be over more quickly. Angel graciously admitted to himself that he had brought the whole interactive socialising nightmare on himself. Well, nightmare might be an exaggeration, there had been highs and lows and some rather ... good ... moments. Angel was redefining his personal, inside, interpretation of ‘good’. An armful of Cordelia was ‘good’ - soft fingertips on the back of his neck were ‘good’ - he was even beginning to think that arguing with Cordelia had ‘good’ elements.
"Mmmm, you bring new meaning to the word ‘edible’," Cordelia crooned.
"What!" Angel shook off his relaxed mode. What did he miss?
"Or even ‘I’m very, very lonely and I was wondering if you would talk to me’. Sometimes honesty can be just too depressing, you know?"
Angel was struggling to catch up. "So... these are comments I should ... avoid?"
"Duh? Were you drifting off when I was explaining? I thought you looked too mellow. Please, don’t let tonight be a total Mr Doom and Gloom disaster!"
Angel wondered briefly if he should be offended. Admittedly, last night’s rooftop exchange had had some rough patches, but surely.... "I thought the waltzing was... um, good."
"Alright, yes, I guess that was bearable," Cordelia conceded - after all, it had been her daydreaming that brought the lesson to an abrupt end - she could hardly blame him for being an attractive piece of solemn un-death. "Right, you get the point about not being ‘cheesy’?"
"Yes. Don’t be honest."
Cordelia took a moment to rub her temples. "Not exactly, Angel. You can be honest - you should be honest... but not honest honest... understand?"
"I don’t tell them I’m a vampire - well, I know that! I don’t tell them I’m lonely? I don’t say how intoxicating their necks look?" He was labouring for more ‘do not’s’. "I don’t ..."
"Angel, making conversation doesn’t have to be all negative," Cordelia interrupted gently. "You talk to me, don’t you? ... and yes, fine, it's easier because I know all about you..."
"You don’t know all about me Cordelia."
"True, because when I ask, you won’t tell! Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that you can participate in a conversation. You need practical field experience."
"I do?"
"Yes. We could go to a bar or a club or other mingly type places."
"No. Uh-uh. I’ve done that before - when I had to help Tina and then Kate." He was shaking his head forlornly. "Not fun, Cordelia."
Cordelia sat back, crossed her arms and wondered if it was time to give in.
"Don’t," he asked quietly.
"Don’t what?"
"Look at me as though I were a hopeless case. I know I am - but it’s ..." Angel’s excuse faded away.
"Right, I know .... difficult for you to change." Cordelia rose briskly to her feet. Time to try a different approach. A hand was held out to Angel, commanding. "Come on, Smiley!"
"Pardon?" Angel eyed the hand suspiciously.
"I said ‘come on’." Cordelia waggled her fingers encouragingly.
"What did you call me?" Angel slowly pushed himself up from the chair, ignoring the outstretched hand.
"Oh that! Smiley." Angel remained suspicious, waiting for elaboration. Cordelia obliged. "Well...Broody Boy doesn’t seem very positive or conducive to inner growth, so I thought I’d call you Smiley - then you might get the hint...one day...and smile more!"
"Smile," said Angel, and he did. Not because it was a Cordelia request, but, well - sometimes he just couldn't stop a smirk, or smile or even a laugh from sneaking out when Cordelia was around.
"You see? Working already!" Cordelia exclaimed, a satisfied grin on her face, "Get moving. I don’t want to be out too late."
"Where were you thinking of going?"
"To a club ... that got rid of your smile... and before you cringe, yes, I know you don’t want to mingle, but there’s no reason you can’t go to a club, get used to the noise, crowds - even pick up some new songs and just talk." Cordelia picked her bag from the floor and looked up to see Angel nervously tapping his fingers together.
"Angel, it’s okay. I might be tough on you - only for your own personal development - not because I’m bossy - and I would never make you go solo before you were ready.... so enough with fidgety fingers, huh?"
"I don’t have to talk to anyone?"
"Well it would be kind of nice if you could spare me a few words, otherwise you’ll be listening to a monologue of my life story - including the LA update,"' Cordelia threatened.
"You? I can do that," relief obvious in his voice.
"Good to hear," said Cordelia as she swung her way to the door. "Move your butt, Smiley."
And he did.
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Disclaimer: The characters are Joss Whedon's, Mutant Enemy's and probably a heap of other people about
whom I know nothing.
I lay no claim to ownership of the characters, I simply like to ask them out to play now and then.