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Title: And So Today My World It Smiles
Author: girlfromsouth
Written for: gsyh who requested Wes/Angel and romance. I don't know if this classifies specifically, but it's definitely fluffy cuteness.
Pairing: Angel/Wes
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Set right after "Heartthrob"
Disclaimer: Still playing with Joss' toys.
A/N: The title's from the Led Zeppelin song "Thank You".

"Hey, genius," Cordelia snapped, grabbing hold of Wesley's shoulder and giving it a hard shake. "You're drooling into the books!"

Wesley gave a violent shudder and sat upright. "What? What's happening?" He looked around confused and found that both Angel and Cordelia were staring at him from across the counter. Valiantly, he tried to retain what little dignity he felt he had left. "Everything went well, I trust?" he sniffed, aiming for disdainful disinterest but realized that the violent coughing spasm that shook through his body at that precise moment would probably undercut any such attempt.

"Fine," Cordelia said. "Got chased around some, people trying to kill us. Average Saturday really." She looked up from the bag she was digging through and regarded Wesley with a critical eye. "You look like crap."

"Thanks ever so much," he replied dryly, intending to say more but found himself subsequently coughing again and unable to do so.

"She's right," Angel said quietly. "You're flushed. And you smell—" he stopped, apparently thinking better of himself. "You should go upstairs. Lie down."

"I had things to take care—"

"Yeah," Cordy said, smirking. "You did, like four hours ago. Now problem solved, so get some sleep. Like, in a bed and stuff. Gosh, I'd love to sit up with you and make tea or whatever, but *I* am going dancing." She whirled on one foot and bounded toward the door. "If anything happens, don't call me. I don't even want to know."

As she left, Wesley snorted under his breath. Angel regarded him evenly for a moment. "So," he said finally, "you gonna go do this the easy way or not?"

Wesley looked at him mulishly. For a brief second, he thought about resisting or arguing but remembered that Angel was a lot bigger and stronger than he was. If he could throw a wounded Gunn over his shoulder, he'd have no problem with his smaller frame.

"Fine," he said gruffly, then promptly sneezed twice. So much for dignity.

Wesley shuffled upstairs slowly, changed into pajamas and climbed into bed. He collapsed back against the pillows and exhaled noisily as the room spun around his head. He hoped he wasn't going to be sick; he wasn't sure he was capable of standing upright again for awhile.

There was a light tap at the door and Angel entered, carrying a steaming mug in his hands. "Made some tea," he said softly. "You looked like you could use it."

"I-" Wesley stammered, blushing. "I'm not entirely sure I could keep it down."

"There's a bucket over there if you need it," Angel said nonchalantly.

At that moment, Wesley wished only for death. Or, at least to be struck deaf and blind. This was horrible.

"I'm fine," he said weakly, waving a hand in Angel's direction, indicating that he was free to leave.

Instead, the vampire sat down in the chair next to the bed.

Wesley tried again. "I—I think I'm just going to get some sleep."

"Okay," Angel said. "I'll sit here for a while. Cordy said you shouldn't be left on your own."

"Oh, and Cordelia has a medical degree now, does she?" Wesley snapped, irritated.

"Well, it doesn't take much to know the flu when you see it," Angel said mildly. Thus thwarted, Wesley gave in and leaned back against his pillows.

Several minutes passed in silence. Angel bent over and retrieved a book from the floor near the edge of the bed and thumbed through it. "You're reading this?"

"Yes," Wesley murmured without opening his eyes. "H. H. Munro. My mother used to read it to me when I was younger. Helps me sleep."

Angel snorted derisively and read, "‘The history of an invention, whether of science or art, may be compared to the growth of an organism such as a tree.' Yeah, Wes, sure can see why this stuff helps you sleep."

"They're lovely tales," Wesley argued weakly. "If you read them in the right spirit."

"Uh huh," Angel smiled down at him. He leaned over and ran a hand over Wesley's forehead. "You're burning up," he said, suddenly concerned. "C'mon, get up."

"What?" Wesley said groggily. "Angel, I'm halfway asl—"

Angel grasped his arms tightly and pulled Wesley's body up to a sitting position. "Bathtub. Cool water. It helps."

"Honestly.."

Angel lifted Wesley easily, carried him into the bathroom and turned the taps on in the tub. Wesley groaned with embarrassment as Angel removed his shirt with one hand, then his pajama bottoms, all while holding him upright against his chest. He hadn't the strength anymore to hold his head up and his agony was compounded further.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled and wondered why there was never really a good apocalypse when you *really* needed one. Being in one's underdrawers disgustingly ill with one's vampire boss preparing to give you a sponge bath ranked pretty high on Wesley's list of
Very Bad Things.

"Hey," Angel said very softly. "It's okay. We're family. Don't worry about it."
His hand ran awkwardly over Wesley's shoulder, an apparent gesture of comfort. But at the touch of his fingers on bare skin, an electric shock ran through him and he shuddered because he couldn't help it.

"You okay?" Angel asked, concerned. His fingers titled Wesley's head up to look at him in the face. Wesley was never really sure what made him lean forward swiftly and press his lips against Angel's. As first kisses when, he thought, it wasn't all bad. Surely, these were less than ideal circumstances, and if he weren't half delirious he'd never have done it, but now he was doing it, so it didn't much matter. Angel's lips were cool and dry; it was a strange sensation, but not entirely unpleasant.

When he heard the soft moan that escaped Angel's lips, Wesley decided that perhaps his previous violent wish for death had been a tad premature. Angel pulled back and looked him in the face with questioning eyes. Wesley nodded slowly, tilted his head forward and kissed him again with more force, parting his lips with his tongue. Angel's fingers made slow circles over the skin of his back.

Of course, that was when Wesley had to cough with particular violence. He smiled sheepishly when the spasm had passed, and Angel rubbed a cool hand over his brow.

"You're still really hot," he said.

"I'd take that as a compliment if I didn't know I looked like death," Wesley said gruffly, trying to lighten the moment.

"Well, that too," Angel said slyly. "But I was talking about your temperature."

"Angel, in all seriousness—"

"Into the tub," he interrupted, pointing at the water. "Not a lot of good to me the way you are at the moment."

Wesley stared at him, not at all wanting to remove his boxers and reveal the rather embarrassing erection he had currently. Angel, however, was a step ahead of him, and dropped a hand to rub suggestively against his crotch.

"I'll even get in the tub with you," Angel said, a positively lewd on his face. "Y'know, if that'll help the healing process."

Wesley couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. "I think it might be best to…heal on my own," he said, and held Angel's hand as he stepped into the bathtub. "You might sit with me though. I know Cordelia would be most upset if I were left on my own."

"I'll even read that boring whatever the hell it was for you, if you like," Angel offered, his fingers tightening over Wesley's.

"I think that would be absolutely lovely," Wesley said, smiling. But he didn't let go of Angel's hand.

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