The Loophole

A Special Moment

"So uh...are we still on for that dinner date Cordi?" Doyle asked, a fresh amount of hope in his voice.

"Absolutely. Doyle, we thought that you were dead....do you really think I'd back out now." Cordelia replied with a warm smile.

Before either of them could say anything else, Angel returned from the kitchen with two beers and a pint of blood.

"Gross!" She exclaimed, eyeing the blood that the vampire was knocking back.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Angel asked, noticing their hands touching on the desk.

"Actually, you kind of are....so if you don't mind." Doyle informed his boss, making a go away sign with his free hand.

"Right. Sorry. I'll just go fetch you two a pizza or something. Be back shortly." He stated, placing the blood bottle down and exiting the room.

"Now where were we?....Ah yes, you were saying that..." Doyle resumed the conversation, willing her to finish her last sentence before they were interrupted.

"Seriously. Yes. I'm still in if you are." She confirmed, which to him, was music to his ears.

He knew that Cordelia was a tough girl to impress and no matter how subtle or unsubtle his hints were, she'd never taken notice. That is....until he became a hero.

"Absolutely! Wouldn't miss it for the world." He grinned, intertwining their fingers.

"But Doyle don't you dare sacrifice yourself again!" She warned, her eyes looking into his and pleading.

"I'll try not to." He jokingly said, breaking the ice a little.

"Good." She concluded.

For the next few minutes, there was just the two of them stood in silence. Finally though, he gave into temptation, leaned over and kissed her. At first she was surprised by his actions, but that quickly wore off and she closed her eyes. She began to enjoy the feeling of his lips on hers. They were not dry and crusty but not slimed with his saliva either. His kiss was perfect. It was different from all the other kisses she had experienced because this time it ignited a spark in her heart.

Both were lost in the kiss, the sound of a tap on the opposite side of the wall startled them instantly and they quickly broke apart. Though their hands were still tightly linked. Doyle smirked as he realised that it was Angel who was stood in the archway. Then began the awkward rambling. Angel trying to apologise at the same time as Cordelia and Doyle were trying to shrug the kiss off as nothing, hoping that their boss - and friend - would believe it.

Though he saw right through their wall, he chose to say nothing. He would not ruin their moment.

"Pizza anyone?" He asked, pointing behind him to where a fresh pizza box lay in the middle of the table.

"Hell yeah! I haven't eaten since well before I was supposed to have died. I'm starving." Doyle stated, walking over to the table, opening the box and grabbing a slice of pizza without waiting for Angel to pull out the plates.

"Oh Angel...it's such a shame that you can't eat anything. Isn't there any food that you miss?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"Sometimes. But what's done is done. There's no point pining to be human." He answered, his eyes following her as she joined Doyle, who was now on his third slice of pizza, at the table.

"Oh food, sweet food!" He cried, his voice muffled since his mouth was stuffed with pizza.

Cordelia could only laugh at his eagerness.

"No two best friends quite like a man and his stomach." She joked tucking into her slice before Doyle ate it all.

"Angel...I have a present for you." Doyle informed the vampire.

"Doyle that really isn't necessary, you shouldn't..." Angel began to protest but was cut off when the demon leaned in close to him before letting out a massive, echoing burp.

"Eww." Cordelia squealed, almost choking on her second slice of pizza.

"Lovely." Angel complimented sarcastically before getting up to move the now empty pizza box since Cordelia took the final slice.

"Tomorrow is going to be a busy day." Angel called out before adding, "I'm gonna get an early night." Then he trailed off out of the kitchen, and down the hall.

"Wanna go back to mine and pop in a movie?" She suggested, not quite feeling ready to end the night yet.

She was enjoying Doyle's presence way too much and was half afraid that if she went to sleep, she would wake up and it would all just be a dream.

"Sure." He agreed happily, a smile plastered on his face as he looked at the girl stood beside him.