cornerofmadness

Angel had a lot to say on this prompt having done the breaking and having been broken over the decades.

Angelus/Darla - Snapping the Ties

All three of them lay there like broken dolls. This was power beyond his imagining; it was exactly what she had promised. Liam felt Darla’s hand skimming up his back as he surveyed what was left of his family. He turned slightly, gazing down at her. She smiled with approval and he smirked back. He felt no regrets, except maybe an annoying twinging about killing his sister. He felt free. No longer did he have to worry about disappointing anyone, wouldn’t have anyone acting superior to him. Darla had given him a great gift. He kissed her in thanks.

Angelus/Darla & Drusilla -Fracture

Breaking a mind took skill and patience but Angelus had a taste for it. Each moment of Drusilla’s agony reminded him of honey, heavy and sweet on the tongue. The tiny erosions of her will, all the self doubt he had planted, each little twist of the knife fed the proud flesh of his loins, something Darla appreciated. She was less impressed with his plans to snap Drusilla’s mind. She thought the girl’s visions would be more helpful if Drusilla could actually communicate them rationally. It was too late for that logic. Angelus regarded the whimpering nun with pride.

Angelus/Drusilla & William - For Fun

The broken look on William’s face was exactly what Angelus had been hoping for. He could get drunk off such distilled pain. After having to suffer through the younger vampire’s blathering about how Drusilla was so perfect for him, his one true love and all that shameful hearts and flowers shite, Angelus knew he had to put William in his place. Getting Dru flat on her back, heels in the air had been just the trick. Of course, he’d need to watch his back now. William might get ideas on making him suffer. Angelus would love to see him try.

Angel/Buffy - For her own good

As much as Angelus had thrilled to seeing Buffy broken, Angel despised it. He knew he was breaking her heart because he was breaking his own. Surely in time she would come to see the wisdom in him moving away. He couldn’t be with her, not truly, and being in her orbit without being able to touch her, to love her like she deserved hurt more than either of them could bear. With time, maybe they could actually be just friends but they couldn’t do that now. Desire was stronger than willpower and sooner or later they would stumble.

Angel/Buffy - She’s Gone

Even the peaceable chanting in the temple couldn’t sooth his broken soul. She had been his touchstone, the first person to ever make him believe he could be redeemed and now she was gone. He had sacrificed his humanity for her but he hadn’t asked the right questions of the Powers That Be. He had only bought scant months and now Buffy was dead. Try as they might, his friends couldn’t console him or motivate him to live the way she had. Even as he healed, Angel knew something would always remain broken inside him without her. It wasn’t fair.

Angel/Cordelia & Connor - Fires of Betrayal

He hadn’t thought he could be broken like this. Even when Connor had sealed him into that coffin and dumped him like trash hadn’t hurt like this. While the way she fluttered from him to Groo had left doubts in his mind at to how true Cordelia’s love for him was, Angel had never expected this. How could she have seduced Connor? And he was sure she was to blame. Connor had grown up innocent of such temptations and yet here in his heart was a blaze of hate for his betraying son. For a moment, he wanted to break them.

Angel & Connor - Shatter

This was punishment for all those lives he left shattered and ruined. Angel wept watching as his son broke in front of him. He didn’t know how to pick up the pieces. Connor’s soul was pouring through all the cracks and rents. Sanity had broken and all his child wanted was an end to his suffering. It was killing something inside of Angel to see it. There had been times he had wanted Connor punished for the things he had done but nothing like this. It was too much and when his son’s blood warmed his hands, Angel broke.

Angel & Connor - the end

He hated seeing a broken expression on his son’s face and the flicker of it in those blue eyes cut like a knife. Angel rushed to assure Connor he was sending him away from this, most likely his final battle because he wanted Connor to live, to carry on, to be happy at last. Angel was shocked when Connor didn’t fuss much. No matter happen, Angel was glad that his last words to his son were ones of love and encouragement and that even though he might die, he knew Connor had wanted to be with him. He felt healed.

Angel & Connor - new beginning

Everything hurt. He couldn’t guess at all that was broken inside of him. Angel vaguely remembered a burning sensation but time had gone liquid since then. He heard the sound of stone on stone and a great weight lifted off of him. Haze filled the sky, obscuring the moon. The air was sour with scents of death. Connor’s grimy face gazed down at him.

“Tried to get you out earlier but the sun was up.” Connor reached down and drew Angel out of his grave.

Sun? Well, he wasn’t expecting a shanshu, not really. At least it wasn’t quite the end.