Author:
For: violethamster
Pairing: Gunn and Wesley.
Rating: G.
Setting: S1 Birthdayverse.
Words: 491.
Request: Wes & Gunn friendship.
Summary: For fanfic100 001. Beginnings. First impressions are so many things.
When Gunn meets Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, his mind says skinny white guy dressed in a fancy suit, and the burger from McDonalds gives Gunn indigestion. The burger he ate for lunch.
But Wesley's shy and modest. It wasn't until the man shook his hand that Gunn realized that the guy was missing an arm. Wesley had handled a sword better than half of Gunn's crew and currently stood in front of the other man who moved like a panther. Or an Angel.
Gunn's glad it's only him and Rondell patrolling tonight, and he sends Rondell to Anne's where his crew's been living since Alonna died and most of them were picked off.
Angel mutters and turns away. Wesley explains that Angel has social issues and that he'll be fine heading home through the sewers by himself. They have a lot to talk about. Wesley knows that he needs help, just as much as Gunn does; but Wesley's pride is melted further than Gunn's.
They sit down in a booth at the 24-hour Vietnamese Pho restaurant. Slaying demons seems to translate in being okay with slopping soup around as both of them struggle with using chopsticks, which is the half the fun anyway.
"Damn, that's a lot languages," Gunn says after he asks Wesley what he did before working with Angel. "I only have passable Spanish that gets me a discount with Senora Alejandro at Goodwill. Though it helps that she thinks I'm cute."
Wesley shakes his head. It's then that Gunn notices that he's been the only one spilling Pho broth all over the table. Gunn hears his mother saying that she didn't raise her son without manners. But he doubts that his mother ever met someone whose manners were as impeccable as Wesley's.
"I was thinking that we could work out some bat signal if we ever needed each other's help," Gunn says. Wesley's grin tells him that they were thinking the same thing. They trade phone numbers, because hell, everyone and his dog has cell phones these days.
As they walk back to where they left their cars, Wesley looks almost sad. "What would you say about meeting up at a pub next Friday? I know a rather nice place where you play a good game of darts. Of course, I wouldn't assume that you don't have better things to do." Wesley turns away from Gunn as he moves toward the convertible.
"No, Wes, my evenings are free after patrol." Gunn likes that Wesley seems to perk up. "I'll call you around 6 and you can give me directions." He touches Wesley's good shoulder. "I'll see you then."
As Gunn drives back to Anne's, he thinks more about this awkward British guy and how he just might like hanging out with Wesley more than he would've thought.