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It's Always Sunny In LA - PG
Title: It's Always Sunny In LA
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2225
Summary: AU during S2 of Angel. Giles comes to LA to seek Wesley's help.
AN: Weeks ago, theferretgirl requested a drabble with the prompt wheelchair. As you can see, it's not a drabble, and I barely got the wheelchair in it. ;)



The plane touched down in Los Angeles an hour behind schedule. It’d been a long flight, and Giles was glad to be out of the air. After a quick run through customs, he found himself walking toward the rental car counter, wondering if maybe he should just get a taxi. Of course if he had a car, he could easily escape if Wesley told him to bugger off.

He was there because he needed help, and he needed to keep telling himself that. Giles wasn’t there to revive the relationship he’d had with Wesley two years before in Sunnydale. Too much time had went by, and they hadn’t parted on the best of terms. No, he was there to persuade Wesley into helping him with Dawn, and Glory. Nothing more.

With a set of keys in his hand, Giles walked out into the Los Angeles sun, cursing himself for not purchasing a pair of sunglasses. He’d spent the past week in England, where there was a lack of sun, and plenty of rain. And now he was in sunny California again, the heat of the sun making him sweat, and feel uncomfortable.

Giles studied the map he’d gotten from the rental car place, trying to decide where Wesley’s flat was. He knew the other man now worked for the vampire, but Giles wasn’t in the mood to have a reunion with Angel, and figured if Wesley wasn’t home, he’d occupy himself until the other man returned.

Once he had the directions figured out, Giles started the engine and navigated his way out of the parking lot, and through the streets of Los Angeles. He missed his turn-off twice, and spent a good potion of the drive cursing under his breath at how bad California drivers were. It was a surprise that most of them were allowed licenses.

When Giles arrived at Wesley’s building, he parked in front of it, and stared. He knew he didn’t have to do this. He could easily drive home to Sunnydale, and tell Buffy he couldn’t find a way to stop Glory from using Dawn to open up a portal to Hell. But his obligation to both girls overshadowed any doubts he had over seeing Wesley again.

He forced himself out of the car, and in to the building. Finding Wesley’s door was easy, but knocking on it wasn’t. Raising his hand, Giles steadied himself to knock, but didn’t have to since the door flung open and he was suddenly face-to-face with a woman.

“Err, is Wesley about?” he asked her.

“Your dad’s here, Wesley,” the woman said before pushing her way past Giles, and heading toward the stairwell.

Giles watched her leave before peeking into Wesley’s flat. The other man was currently trying to stand from the couch, and not doing a very good job at it. “I’m not your father, Wesley,” Giles said as he stepped through the doorway.

Wesley stopped moving, relief washing over his face. But, the relief was short-lived when he noticed Giles standing there, and he started to flail on the couch again, trying hard to stand. “Rupert,” he grunted out in pain. “What-what are you doing here?”

Giles watched Wesley for a moment, trying hard not to laugh at how the other man reminded him of a fish flopping about. “I, um, I need your help with something,” he said, moving further into the flat. He waved his hand toward the hallway. “Charming girl. Are you dating her?”

“No,” Wesley quickly said before adding, “We were but not anymore.” He looked at Giles for a moment. “I never expected to see you here, especially after the nice send off you gave me in Sunnydale.”

Giles actually rolled his eyes at that. The two men had spent many nights ‘discussing’ what happened after Wesley had been called back to England by the Watcher’s Council. Giles thought he was doing the right then, while Wesley felt as if Giles didn’t want him in his life anymore. There was never going to be a solution, at least not in Giles’ mind.

“Yes, my little send off, which you took the wrong way,” Giles muttered, tired of having the same conversation with Wesley. “And you paid me back quite well by working for Angel and--”

“He fired me.”

Giles’ eyebrows rose at that. Angel had fired Wesley? The childish part of him wanted to taunt the other man, but he pushed the child down and gave the other man a sober look. “I’m sorry,” he said.

“I’m sure you are,” Wesley dryly said. “Now, you needed my help with something since apparently coming here just to see me is out of the question.”

“I…for christ sake, Wesley, don’t give me that look. I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t important,” Giles grumped.

“And once again you’ve proven your prowess at saying the right thing, at the right time,” Wesley muttered before adjusting himself on the couch. “What do you need help with?”

Giles decided to ignore Wesley’s remark. Instead, he told him about Dawn being the key to open a portal, which would allow Hell dimensions to bleed into their own. As he was telling it, Giles furrowed his brow, suddenly realizing how mad it all sounded. “And I need your help with a scroll I found. You’re the best linguist the Council ever had, and I’m hoping you can disprove what I found out in England,” he finished.

“Let me see it,” Wesley said, holding his hand out. Giles pulled the scroll from his jacket pocket, and handed it over. “You could sit down.”

“I rather stand.”

“Right.” Wesley unrolled the scroll and started reading the text. After a few moments, he rolled it back up and held it out for Giles to take. “The translations you received in England were right.”

“Are you sure?” Giles asked, taking the scroll from him.

“Yes,” Wesley said, yawning a bit. “Now, if you’re done using me, perhaps you could leave.”

Giles slowly blinked as a pang of hurt ran through him. “Yes, well, I suppose you do have better things to do - like laze about in my dressing gown, which you apparently stole when you left Sunnydale,” he said as he slipped the scroll back into his pocket.

Wesley eyed the dressing gown, and looked at Giles again. “I always wondered where I got this ratty old thing,” he said. With quite a bit of effort, Wesley stood from the couch, and shrugged the dressing gown off. “Here,” he said, holding it out for Giles to take.

He didn’t take it though since he was too busy eyeing the bandage on Wesley’s abdomen. “What happened?” Giles asked.

Wesley’s eyes ticked down and he gave the other man a shrug. “I was shot,” he merely said.

“Demons carry guns now?”

It was Wesley’s turn to roll his eyes. “It wasn’t a demon per say. It was more of a cop, who had been brought back from the dead,” he explained as he leaned against the arm of the couch, the dressing gown still held out for Giles to take.

“Oh. Are you all right?” Giles asked. He finally took the dressing gown from Wesley.

“I’m quite all right,” Wesley answered as he tried to stand up straight, just so he could show Giles just how all right he was.

Giles watched as Wesley struggled in front of him. This was the man he had been in love with at one time, and still was. Looking at Wesley, knowing he was trying hard to mask the pain he felt, made Giles want to help him. Even if Wesley annoyed him at times, Giles could never lie about his feelings for him.

“Here,” he said, stepping forward. He draped the dressing gown over Wesley’s shoulders and watched as he slipped his arms through the sleeves. “Do you need help to your bed?”

Wesley raised his eyebrows at that.

“So you can rest,” Giles said.

“I’m actually not suppose to walk,” Wesley answered, his hand motioning toward the wheelchair in the corner.

Giles nodded, and retrieved the wheelchair for Wesley. He then helped him get into it and started to push him toward what he hoped was the bedroom. They were almost to the door when the wheelchair suddenly stopped moving. Both men looked down and saw part of the dressing gown was caught in one of the wheels.

“Bloody hell,” Giles muttered. He got down on his knees and attempted to pull the material out. It wouldn’t budge, and out of frustration, he yanked on it until it tore. “I’ll get you a new one,” he said when he saw Wesley perking an eyebrow at him.

“I happen to like this one,” Wesley said as Giles stood from the floor.

“Why? It’s quite old, and a bit worn.”

“Because…” Wesley meekly stated, his cheeks flushing. “Because it reminds me of you.”

“Oh,” was all Giles could muster at the moment. “Per-perhaps we can fix it later.”

“Perhaps,” Wesley answered.

Giles pushed the wheelchair into the bedroom, and after some effort, he had Wesley in the bed. “Are you comfortable?” he asked.

Wesley nodded and picked at the sheet he’d pulled over his body. There was a sense of determination on his face, and Giles waited for whatever he wanted to say, or ask. “Are you staying?” he asked, his eyes fluttering up to met Giles’.

Giles knew he could easily fall into the bed with Wesley. He could crawl into Wesley’s arms, and allow himself to be held for the rest of the day. Part of Giles knew he deserved as much. He’d been working himself too hard lately, trying to help Buffy save her sister. And he knew if he wasn’t allowed a moment to breathe, he might end up hating all of them because of it.

Yet, Giles had an obligation to fulfill, and he couldn’t back away from it. He was taking a chance by what he was about to say, knowing they may not succeed in Sunnydale, and the world could easily end. “I can’t. Not now, but perhaps after things are settled…”

“I understand,” Wesley said, struggling to hide his disappointment. “Give…give them my best.”

“Right, I will,” Giles said, backing away from the bed. “If you need anything, just ring me.”

“All right,” Wesley said as he turned his head so he wouldn’t have to look at Giles anymore. “Good luck with saving the world, I suppose.”

Giles continued to back out of the bedroom, until he got to the living room. “Thank you,” was all he said as he turned toward the door. He heard Wesley sigh and he wanted to go back, and wanted to forget about what was about to happen, but he couldn’t.

And, instead of doing what he wanted, Giles left Wesley’s flat and went back to Sunnydale to do what he needed.

***

The LA sun didn’t seem to bother him this time around as he entered the city limits. Giles figured it was because of the numbness he felt, or perhaps it was the utter surprise of how he’d ended up there once again. Maybe it was both.

After leaving the cemetery that afternoon, he made sure Dawn was all right before getting into his car, and driving. He didn’t know where he was going, and decided to allow his subconscious to lead him. And when he saw the sign announcing he was a few miles from Los Angeles, Giles almost laughed.

Seemingly on auto pilot, he pulled his car in front of Wesley’s building, remembering how he’d been there just weeks before. He had told the other man he’d come back - he just didn’t think it would be this soon, or under these circumstances.

Giles stood in front of Wesley’s door, his hand posed to knock, when it opened. Instead of being plowed over by some woman like the last time, it was Wesley who answered the door. Giles stared at him, trying to find the words he wanted to say. He needed comfort but didn’t know how to ask for it.

Yet, Wesley seemed to know without hearing the words. “I’m so sorry, Rupert,” he quietly said before pulling him forward and wrapping his arms around him. “When Willow told us, my first thoughts went to you. I was about to ring you, and see if you needed anything.”

“Thank you,” Giles told him as he pressed his forehead against Wesley’s shoulder. His fingers dug into the other man’s back as he relished in the comfort he was receiving. Giles had been hugged plenty of times since Buffy’s death, but this was different. The other ones were him hugging someone, offering them comfort, but none of them had returned the favor.

“Is there anything you need, Rupert?” Wesley asked. He pulled back so he could see the other man’s face.

“May I…may I stay this time?” Giles asked. He gave Wesley a pleading look, knowing this was where he needed to be.

Wesley’s hand reached up and he carefully stroked Giles’ cheek. “Yes,” he answered before pulling Giles into his flat.

The door closed behind them as Giles gratefully took Wesley’s hand. And as he allowed Wesley to lead him to the couch, Giles knew he was finally where he needed, and wanted to be.