__I Fall in Love Too Easily__
By Ashley
"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!" A
handsome, dark haired, blue-eyed man proclaimed.
His eyes were full of love, as he gazed upon the
woman who-
-shut off the TV. Cordelia sighed, and pulled
herself off the couch. It was just another night in
the
May-Queen-turned-aspiring-actress-turned-demon-investigator's
apartment. Instead of parties with starlets, it was
infomercials with hasbeens.
She looked around the room, desperate for something
to do. Cordy smiled, thinking of Xander. What would
that smartass say now? "Stop this whirligig of fun,
I'm dizzy!" She giggled. Was it that long ago that she
had overheard him in the Bronze? 'Ugh! Stop thinking
about Sunnydale!' She scolded herself. This is not how
she wanted to spend her night.
Cordy's eyes fell on the phone. 'Right. Who am I
going to call? Angel? Oh yeah, broody boy is *really*
going to cheer me up. Wesley?' She paused. 'Well? What
about Wesley?' She had no reason not to. They had
become close friends recently, and she was surprised
how much she enjoyed being with him. He joked around
with her, and could even take *her* joking, without
getting *too* flustered. They even talked seriously,
like when she was debating prostiting herself to David
Nabbit. Cordy grinned. 'Wes sure got excited about
that one.' For more than a week he tried to convince
her not to prostitute herself. She had brushed the
idea away long before that, but it was nice to pretend
she hadn't, just to hear him flatter her. She really
did lo-
The TV switched on. "Dennis!" 'What was his
childhood tram-oh yeah. Nevermind.'
The ghost held a hand written sign up:
IT'S MONDAY NIGHT. THINK, CORDELIA.
She grabbed the sign out of what she guessed was
his hands. "YES, I know! Football night." Dennis
turned the volume up, and proceeded to ignore her. A
book fell off the coffee table as he put his ghost
feet up.
Cordelia growled, grabbed her purse, and made a
quick decision. "I'm going to see someone who *hates*
football!" She yelled, trying to bug him. Dennis
continued to ignore her. She threw open the front door
and stepped out into the hall. Before she shut the
door, Cordelia grinned. "And I'm going to have *sex*
with him!" She slammed the door, and walked off, head
held high in victory.
Inside the apartment, an extremly jealous Dennis
threw the remote at the wall.
****************************************************
***
Fifteen minutes later, Cordelia knocked on Wesley's
door. He opened it, dressed more casual than earlier
that day. In other words, his shirt was untucked.
Putting on a dazzling smile ('Which isn't very hard
to do around Wesley.'), Cordy tilted her head to the
left, bounced in her shoes and said...
"Hi Wesley."
He smiled broadly. "My, Cordelia, this is quite a
surprise. Is there anything wrong?"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. 'Would I be smiling like
an idiot if anything was wrong?' "Would I be smiling
like an idiot if anything was wrong?"
He laughed. "Your smiles are beautiful, Cordelia.
Uh, I mean, you don't...well right now you, ah..."
She touched his arm, grinning. "Thanks, Wes. Now,
are you going to invite me in?"
Wesley's mouth opened, but no sound came out, as he
stared at her hand on his arm. 'Stay calm, act suave,
Wesley. She just being friendly, in a friendly,
*friends only* type manner...' He smiled, and looked
back up at her. "Yes, of course, I'm sorry. Do come
in...."
Cordelia bounced into the apartment, and
immediately flopped herself onto the couch. "Thanks!
It's Monday Night Football at my place, so I thought
you and I could do something." 'Another dazzling
smile....how can he resist me?'
"Well, I'm afraid I may not provide much, ah,
entertainment, but you're welcome to stay." He smiled
warmly.
"Great." Cordy nodded.
Wesley nodded.
Cordy tapped out a tune with her fingernails on the
couch.
Wesley rocked back and forth on his feet. 'Say
SOMETHING! Do SOMETHING! You are ALONE with the
beautiful woman that you *adore* IN YOUR APARTMENT!
THINK!'
"Would you care to dance?" 'IDIOT IDIOT IDIOT!'
Cordy smiled, surpirsed, but nonetheless pleased.
"Sure! What to?"
Wesley was caught off guard. "Uh..."
She got up, and started to investigate his small CD
collection. "Here's one!"
He gulped. 'Please be slow, please be slow...'
She'd probably leave when she found out how badly he
danced. But she knew already, didn't she? At her
party-'
"Wesley? Will this do?" She held out a jazz CD.
"Yes, of course." He quickly put the disk in the
stereo, and found a slow, romantic song. 'Romantic?
Maybe that's not the best idea....'
Cordelia put her arms around his neck. His body
tensed. "Are you ok?" She looked concerned. This
wasn't really going as planned.
"Yes, I'm fine." Wesley put his hands on her waist
and relaxed, a little. She pulled herself close to
him, forcing the ex-Watcher to wrap his arms around
her. He squeaked. 'She's so close!' He forced himself
to loosen up.
Cordy smiled, as and rested her head just below his
shoulder. 'That's better...'
The music started, and they danced slowly. 'Not
really what I call dancing, but why am I complaining?'
Wesley thought. She had never touched him like this
before. She was so completely trusting.
//I fall in love too easily//
// I fall in love too fast//
Snuggling into Wesley's protective arms ('This
feels so good, so right.'), Cordelia found her mind
drifting. She thought back to late last year. Doyle.
'If he didn't die, I probably wouldn't be here right
now.' She cursed herself for being so morbid. Was she
happy about it? No, of course not. She had cried when
he died, 'but was it out of friendship or....love?'
After, she had thought that it was true, that she
loved him. But she knew now. It wasn't true.
//I fall in love too terribly hard//
//For love to ever last//
It was just like Xander, wasn't it? Cordelia had
thought that maybe, just maybe she loved him. But she
was just very...attached to him. Even after he cheated
on her. But he was simply a high school sweetheart.
//My heart has been well schooled//
//'Cause I've been fooled in the past//
Wesley looked down at her, and smiled.
'He looks like the guy on the TV, *eyes so full of
love*,' she thought. 'Could it be...?'
//But still I fall in love so easily//
//I fall in love too fast//
"Penny for your thoughts." Wesley voice was barely
more than a whisper.
Cordelia sighed. "It may cost more than that." She
put her head back down, just below his shoulder. 'A
perfect fit.'
They danced in silence, as the trumpet and piano
solos played. Both trying to sort out the confusing
mess that was their relationship. Both coming to the
same realization....
//My heart should should be well schooled//
He stroked her hair. She looked up at him.
//'Cause I've been fooled in the past//
She removed his glasses, letting them fall gently
to the floor. Those eyes....
//But still I fall in love too easily//
He bent his head downward. She closed her eyes, as
thier lips touched softly...
//I fall in love too fast//
* * *