Title: Undeniable Attraction
Author: Lissa (Missy Brougher)
Category: Denial/romance



Cordelia sighed in exasperation and knocked once again on Doyle's door.
They were supposed to meet here and go to the office. Something dangerous
was going on and Angel needed them. And WHERE was Doyle? Not answering his
door that's where. Cordelia Chase hated when she had to wait.
She opened the door in annoyance and walked in. She marched toward the
bathroom hearing water running. She flung the door open. "Shaving?!" she
cried in disbelief. "You left me standing outside in the dark for
shaving?!"

He paused and caught her eye in the mirror. "I figured you were smart
enough to let yourself in and...check it out."

Cordelia tapped her foot angrilly. "No one keeps me waiting. ESPECIALLY
someone who is not mature enough to even have stubble. Look at you!" she
exclaimed rubbing her hand over his face. "You have nothing to shave."
He looked at the dark whiskers lining his face. "Really?" he asked not
believing a word of it. "Thanks for the advice." He went back to shaving.
He felt Cordelia's eyes on him. It was unnerving. He winced as he cut
himself.

She sighed. "You're hopeless." She hopped onto the counter in front of him
and motioned him forward. "I'll show you how it's done."

He shook his head. "No, you're crazy."

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward her. "I want to. Don't be such
a baby."

He grumbled and complained. "Cordy, I don't know-"

She grabbed the razor from his hand. "Shh, quiet."

She sat with him between her legs. When he tried to squirm away she hooked
her legs together behind his back. "There is no escape." she joked in a
dark, menacing voice.

He looked completely helpless. "You think I don't know that?"

She giggled. "I hope." She studied his face and sat the razor down. "You
need more shaving cream."

"No, I-"

Cordelia uncapped the can and sprayed some into her hand. She smoothed it
across his face.

He felt ridiculous. "I think that's enough."

She shook her head. "Nope." She grabbed the can and held it up.

"Cordy, no!"

She began to design a nice pile on his head.

"Cordelia!"

"That" she cried mischieviously. "Was for leaving me outside." She went to
add to the stuff on his head when he grabbed the can and spun it toward
her. She squealed as an arc of shaving cream rained down on her hair. She
fought him for control of the can.

After a long struggle, resulting in them both getting covered, Doyle's
hands slipped off the can. Cordelia grabbed it triumphantly. She pointed it
at him with a gleeful giggle. She pressed the button down and the can
sputtered emptily. Cordelia's shoulders fell. "No fair."

Doyle took the can from her foamy hands and tossed it in the nearby garbage
can. He turned back and got a good look at her.

She had shaving cream all through her hair and all over her clothes.
He laughed. He couldn't help it and the angry look on her face made her
even funnier.

"What's so-Oh, my gosh!" she cried as she spun and looked in the mirror. "I
will not be caught dead letting any guy see me like this!"

He shrugged. "I'm a guy."

"You're exempt."

"Why?" he asked, not understanding.

"You're Doyle. You don't count."

He frowned slightly. What was that supposed to mean? Out loud he asked.
"And why don't I count?"

She crossed her legs and looked at him as if it were obvious. "You already
know I'm perfect. Other guys don't. I don't have to worry about looking
stupid in front of you...right?"

Doyle nodded slowly and leaned beside her. What she said, scarily, made
some sense. She trusted him so he could se her when she wasn't at her
finest. Her saying he didn't count was actually a heartfelt compliment.
Only Cordelia would put it that way though.
"Right." he agreed. "You are already perfect in my eyes."
Cordelia's breath caught in her throat as she looked into the depths of
those sparkling blue eyes. That was the sweetest thing anybody had ever
said to her. She was about to tell him so when she saw her reflexion again.
"I need a shower." she said instead.
His eyes widened. "Now?"
"Duh, yes." she said. "We need to help Angel kill a big evil. We can't do
it like THIS. You finish shaving, I shower. You get in I blow dry my hair.
No big deal NO peeping."
He swallowed back the growing lump in his throat. "Okay...what about your
clothes?"
She shrugged. "I have extra in my car. You should never go anywhere without
a 'just in case' set of clothing."

                                   * * *

Doyle leaned toward the mirror, razor raised. He heard Cordelia step into
the shower behind him. He froze as he heard an article of clothing be
thrown over the shower door and hit the floor. He took a deep breath and
began shaving.
When he was almost finished his gaze landed on the glass shower door
through the mirror. Because of the type of glass he couldn't see through
but he saw her silhouette as she rinsed shampoo from her hair. He could
imagine the bubbles running over her smooth, silky skin.
He jumped out of that thought and quickly finished shaving He couldn't deny
the extreme attraction he had to her but she liked him as a friend. It was
wrong to think of your friends that way. Plus he had promised. No peeping.
He wasn't a peeper.
He finished and was wiping his face off with a towel when the tentative
voice interrupted him.
"Doyle?"
His face shot up and he dropped the hand towel.
"Yeah?"
"Can I have a towel?" she asked a shiver in her voice.
He quickly grabbed one from the bathroom closet.
"You're going to have to come out to get it."
There was a moments pause then a meek voice answered him. "You promise you
won't peek?"
"Hey" he asked softly. "Do you trust me? I wouldn't do that." He closed his
eyes holding the towel open toward her.
She peered around the side of the door and smirked seeing him being so
gentlemanly. She stepped into the open towel and wrapped his arms around
her, wrapping the towel around herself.
He slowly opened his eyes to look at her. His gaze never went lower than
her eyes and she appreciated that. "Told you I wouldn't peek. You trust me
now?"
She gave him a small, intimate smile. "I already did."
He stared into her eyes amazed at what she had just confessed.
After a moment Cordelia moved out of his way so he could get in the shower.
"Besides," she threw over her shoulder. "Do you think I would take a shower
here if I didn't?"
Doyle just smiled.

                                   * * *

Angel paced the office. "Where are those two? An apocalypse is happening in
less than two hours and I can't find them." He punched his desk. "If
something happened to them...I'm going to Doyle's. They were to meet there.
And by God if they are doing something stupid and I'm all worried..."
He threw his coat on and grabbed a stake. He strode out the door into the
night. He shut the door behind him. Seeing a message taped to it he
stopped, turned around, and read it.
In Cordelia's scrawly handwriting it said.

Angel Investigations. We're out stopping an apocalypse so we can't help you
right now. Please go home and leave a message. We'll get back to you when
we're not so busy.
Angel groaned and ripped the paper off the door. If something else wasn't
killing those two he was going to.

                                   * * *

Cordelia stood in front of the mirror blow drying her hair. She felt a warm
glow inside of her. She was smiling brightly and didn't know why. It must
be the dryer.
She brushed out her hair with Doyle's brush. "I think it's time for a new
hair brush." she advised.
"What was that, Princess?" he asked trying to hear over the shower and blow
dryer.
Cordelia spun around to answer but found herself speechless seeing his
shadowy figure through the glass.
All she could see was a shadow but her imagination could fill in the rest.
She watched his surprisingly muscular shoulder blades move. She swallowed
mesmerized.
Cordelia jumped as he repeated his question.
"Nothing." she breathed quickly turning away and closing her eyes. She had
made him promise no peeking but there she was peeking and thinking... this
was so wrong. Doyle was her friend. Her friend she would gladly hop into
the sack with for a night. She gripped the counter top and yelled inwardly
at herself. That was not true. It was just being in the same bathroom and
accidentally turning around. They were strictly friends. So what if he had
nice, strong shoulder blades, so did Angel...but she had never wanted to
grope Angel.
She grabbed the dryer and flipped her head upside down drying the bottom of
her hair. It was just his shadow. That's what caused those thoughts. Anyone
would be thinking the same thing in this situation.
She had just gotten her heart rate back to normal when someone tickled her
stomach. Surprised she jumped. "Don't do that!" she cried.
Doyle pouted fakely. "But you were so unsuspecting. I had to."
Cordelia smiled and rolled her eyes."Whatever!"
There. Doyle was just being friendly. They were friends...in towels
together...in a bathroom...FRIENDS!
Doyle began splashing on aftershave.
She glanced at him. "You know what? For once you smell kinda good."
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Me mom sent it from the
homeland."
She nodded. "How is England anyway?"
He sighed and turned to her in amazement. "I'm from Ireland."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "How long did you plan on hiding that piece
of information...you have the English accent down perfectly. No one would
guess you're not from there."
He wondered if she really were crazy. "My accent is Irish, darlin'. Sorry
to disappoint you."
She studied him as if wondering if he were lying.
"I thought the demon thing was your big secret?"
He grabbed her and pinned her to the wall tickling her. "You are too much!"
he cried.
She squealed trying to escape his grasp.

                                   * * *

Angel walked into Doyle's house to hear Cordelia squeal. He ran up the
stairs to the bathroom. He slammed the door open to see Cordelia pull Doyle
close and smell his neck. "Good." she said inhaling again.
He froze seeing their towels. Cordelia, Doyle, shower.
He thought he was going to be sick.
Cordelia glanced up casually. "Hey, Ang. Sorry we're late but Doyle and I
got so dirty we had to shower."
Angel's eyes widened. "Uh...I'll be in the living room."
Cordelia nodded. "We'll get dressed and help you with your world shaking
issues."
Angel walked away without another word.
Cordelia looked at Doyle. "What's his problem?"
Doyle shrugged. "Beats me."

                                   * * *

Angel sat on the couch his head in his hands. He had just heard things that
no human or demon should be subject to knowing about his friends. What they
did was their business..just friends. He shuddered. He looked up as Doyle
walked into the room. "You two dirty...it disturbs me."
Doyle raised an eyebrow. "It wasn't like we were really dirty it was just a
can of shaving cream."
Angel's eyes widened. He opened his mouth as Cordelia walked up.
"Ready?" she asked.
Angel nodded in a daze. "Y...Yeah."

                                   * * *

The threesome walked into the demon lair. Angel, disturbed as he was, tried
to focus. "Okay, mission easy enough. Find big demon, kill it."
"Sounds easy." Cordelia chirped.
"Finding it may be the hard part." Doyle said. As he said this the demon
grabbed him and slammed him into a wall.
Angel grabbed a sword from his weapon bag but the demon didn't seem
interested in him.
It was charging after Cordelia. It pinned her to the wall by the throat. "I
shall take your race down by killing off the weaker and move my way up," he
growled.
Cordelia's feet came off the ground as he raised her against the wall. She
clawed at his hands. She gasped for breath kicking her feet against the
wall.
"Hey, buddy. Weren't you ever taught not to hit girls? It's very wrong."
The demon turned around to be punched by Doyle.
It released her and Cordelia slid to the ground wheezing.
Doyle hit the guy again and threw him to Angel who began repeatedly
stabbing the thing. Doyle croutched by her. "Cordy, girl, you alright?"
Cordelia looked up into his caring blue eyes. "You saved me. You defended
me from that demon."
Doyle looked confused. "Well, yeah-" He was interrupted by Cordelia kissing
him.
There was an undeniable attraction between them and she wasn't ignoring it
anymore. She wrapped her arms around his body gripping those strong
shoulder blades. He pulled her to him and ran his hands through her hair.
He kissed her like he would never let go.
In the background Angel continued to fight the demon. The demon picked him
up and threw him into the wall by Cordelia and Doyle. They continued to
kiss each other oblivious to the world.
Angel picked himself off the ground and charged at the demon. He blocked a
punch and kicked the thing in the back. He wrestled on the floor with the
demon.
Cordelia let Doyle press her against the wall his arms around her waist,
traveling up her back.
Angel crawled toward the sword, trying to beat the demon to it. He reached
it and brought it through the thing's chest. It fell down dead.
Angel climbed to his feet. He looked at his friends. "Hey, guys. Thanks for
the help in killing that thing."
Cordelia regretfully pulled away from her new found love. "No problem." she
chirped happily.
Angel sighed. "I'm going to brood at the office for awhile."
Cordelia nodded encouragingly. "Have fun." She turned to Doyle. "What do
you think about getting some ice cream tonight?"
He grinned. "That sounds like a lot of fun."
Angel's head jerked up. "What?!"
Cordelia looked thoughtful. "Maybe he's right. Whipped cream is starting to
sound good."
Doyle kissed her cheek. "Anything that's soft, sweet, and involves you."
Cordelia wrapped her arm around him. "I can hardly wait."
Angel looked freaked. "What is wrong with you?!" He rushed off. "I need to
be away. Far away."
Doyle stared at where their friend had disappeared. "What's his problem?"
Cordelia shrugged. "Maybe he's just not ready to handle things of today."
Doyle nodded. "He's stuck in the ways of the seventeen hundreds."

The End