Wood Shed
Disclaimer: Well as we all already know I don't own them, I try but my attempts simply form Fan Fiction, whether it is good or not I really don't know.
Author's Note: I am in the middle of my first story and about two others while writing this one, so please bare that in mind. I just have so many ideas that I can't seem to type them fast enough. I haven't really done this before so I am just attempting some therapy.
If you like the character Riley then this is probably not the fic' for you,sorry I just don't like him. Well I hope this makes sense. I am really sorry about the title, but mine always suck, I couldn't think of anything else and didn't want to call it 'untitled' so. I know some parts wouldn't work like, strawberries in winter, but work with me here ok. Oh yeah and it's rather long k, so don't say I didn't warn you.:)
Spoilers: This sort of set in the future and should all be explained in the story once I figure that out, it isn't in anyone in particulars POV. It will spoil the end of the first season of Angel and some of the fifth season of Buffy, not much 'cause I haven't seen it yet.
Rating: If you've seen the Buffy episode 'Amends' then you can read this. By the way for those who are unsure Amends is the episode where Angel tries to commit suicide and he and Buffy have sex in a dream (it turns out badly in the dream) and it's Christmas. Okay? So probably what the shows are rated, which is what; about M 15+.
Feedback Please: west_jelj@hotmail.com
Buffy and Willow had graduated from College last year. Buffy had moved back home only temporarily, she was looking for a place to live and a job. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do yet, other than her destiny as the Slayer she hadn't really worked that much. Willow and Oz had just moved into their new house last week, and Xander and Anya had moved to Los Angeles together a while back. She was feeling rather lonely, the only person she really had to talk to was her mother, who was usually off at the Gallery. Giles and Olivia had gone on holiday to England and wouldn't be back for awhile. Riley had left ages ago, after she caught him cheating on her and he left for his government job she hadn't heard from him, for that she was grateful. It was hard for her to get over but about a week after he left she managed to admit to herself that she didn't really love him. Her heart belonged to another.
Angel, she hadn't said his name out loud for so long and she knew she avoided saying it, but couldn't admit it. There hadn't been a day since he left that she hadn't thought about him. She wondered what he was doing, how he was, if he was happy, if he missed her as much she did him. Lately she had been thinking about him a lot more, with no government take over, or assassins to occupy you, your mind kind of strayed a bit. The Evil that was Sunnyhell had lessened considerably after she had killed Adam and averted the Apocalypse that came about a year after that, almost to the day. Cordelia, Wesley and Angel had helped with that, by doing stuff at their end. Riley had been -she was still dating him then- able to get hold of some classified stuff. But after that their whole relationship had just turned to crap. She hadn't heard anything from Angel since then, Cordelia and her kept in touch but they never spoke about him, she desperately wanted to ask her everything about him but didn't want to spoil there friendship.
Cordelia was attending her last year at College, she had finally saved up enough money from working with Angel. Plus some hefty over-time payments-she knew that he put them in on purpose, she wanted to say that he didn't have to but instead she just let him enjoy the secret. She wasn't taking his money happily but the business had bloomed considerably so it wasn't coming from his pocket-. She was studying to become a Demagogue or Motivational Speaker, which if you think about it, was a laugh considering she spent most of her time with Angel. Cordy knew that Buffy wanted to ask her about Angel but he told her not to say anything since she had her new life with Riley.
Angel had moved off since things went quiet and he had gained his humanity after the Apocalypse. He went to live in a cottage in the woods just off LA and Sunnydale. Cordelia was glad that he was getting into his new life, he was happier than he had been in a while, especially when he was a vampire with a soul. Every time she saw him it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that Buffy was alone now, but she knew that it would only upset him and he was finally starting to smile, often, not just once a month. He would get far away looks in his eyes and she knew that he was thinking about her. It killed her not to tell him, but she knew that in time everything would work out, and if they were meant to be together then they would find each other of there own accord. They were both adults now.
Buffy got up from the computer and to grab her bag, she had just read her mothers e-mail and was heading out to the beach to meet Cordelia and Willow. They were attempting to scope out a boyfriend, well Cordelia and Buffy were. She grabbed her bag and her mother's car key as she headed out the door.
"Buffy hey, over here" Willow called signaling Cordy and her whereabouts. She trudged through the sand, as she slipped off her sandals, so she could feel the sand between her toes. It had been a long time since she had been to the beach that she had missed it. It was windy but too much, just enough for a light breeze, which was good, it was the last few days of summer and winter was slowly heading around their corner.
They sat down and Buffy began taking out her towel so she could sit on it. They sat there in silence for a while then Willow broke the silence.
"God it has been so long since we have all been together like this hasn't it?" She said saying what they were all thinking.
Buffy nodded.
"Yeah it really has" Cordelia replied looking at Buffy.
"I miss not seeing you guys, we never get to see each other often now-a-days, I miss you guys." Willow said admitting a part of herself.
"I do to, I mean I don't have any real female friends in College they are all to interested in other stuff and being the older one, I guess I'm a little more mature, and just can't get interested in there conversations. Besides their personalities are lacking." Cordelia explained about her boring College life.
"Hey consider yourself lucky, at least you didn't have our College experience, I mean that was scarring, and besides this way you'll have more time to concentrate." Buffy told her matter of factly.
"Yeah, she's right, I mean I would trade you your College experience for mine any day." Willow agreed trying to cheer Cordy up.
They smiled and laughed at the honesty of that statement. They chatted for a while and caught up a bit more on what was going on in each other's life. They completely forgot about the man hunting point of the outing.
"So Will how is the new house settling in?" Cordelia asked curious as to what it was like.
"It's great, there is so much to do though. Hey don't get me wrong I didn't think it was going to be all sunshine and roses, but wow. I mean we even have to buy Salt and Knives and Forks. Oz and I went shopping the other day and didn't get back till the shop through us out at closing time, we had so much stuff that they have to deliver it in a truck on Thursday." Willow said cheerfully.
Cordelia and Buffy just raised their eyebrows at her.
"So Oz and I have been living off Pizza and Chinese take-out because you don't require any utensils so that is a plus and there's no washing up." Willow continued.
"It sounds wonderful Will, I am so jealous, but where do you sleep?" Buffy asked curious.
"Oh well we brought my bed from home for a while but we're getting anew one delivered on Thursday, 'cause you know on the floor can be fun for awhile, but is hurts your back and there is carpet burn, especially if the rugs haven't been delivered yet." Willow said with a cheeky grin across her face.
"Oh really Willow, on the floor ha?" Cordy looked quite shocked at her.
Buffy and Cordelia just laughed and shook their heads at her. They were both jealous of the happiness that their friend now had, but they knew she had been through a rough time to get there, and still had some rocky spots ahead. Nothing is perfect and living in Sunnydale all the girls had learned that the hard way.
Buffy drifted off from the girl's laughter and began daydreaming, she didn't do it on purpose, just it was so easy to just dream rather than live with reality.
"Hey Buffy I bet you and Riley did it on the rug once or twice?" Cordelia asked her question as she and Willow giggled, the minute the words passed her lips she realized what she had said, she wished she could take it back but it was too late. She abruptly shut her mouth and Willow stopped laughing. The both looked at Buffy who came out of her daydream when they had stopped laughing. They expected her to be angry or a little hurt. She turned to look at them oblivious to what they had said.
"What?" Was all she said.
"Nothing." They both said in unison, they looked at each other, oops. Don't make it to obvious that you're covering up.
Buffy eyed them suspiciously. Uh oh, crap, change the subject.
"So Buffy how is the job hunting goin'?" Cordelia smoothly changed the subject. Willow sighed in relief.
"It's not it's at a permanent stand still, I just can't find anything that interests me or I really want to do with my time." She said rather fed up.
"Don't worry you'll find something, and I am sure you'll love it." Cordelia said trying to cheer her friend up.
"Yeah" Buffy said smiling.
"Hay, are you guys hungry?" Willow asked
They both nodded, it was getting late and they had missed out on lunch through their conversation.
"Well why don't we grab a bite to eat." Willow suggested
"Um, why don't we go back to my place and get some pizza, that way we can still talk." Buffy asked hopefully.
"Why don't we pick up some alcohol and have a good giggle." Cordelia said eagerly.
"Sounds like a plan." Willow said smiling.
They all stood up and gathered the belongings and headed off to Buffy's car. They piled inside and headed for the local bottle shop.
Buffy was giggling when she placed the key in the lock. Cordelia had been hitting on the serving guy at the drive in Bottle Shop.
"Are you sure this is going to be ok with your mother?" Willow asked as Buffy let them through the door, and placed the keys and the belongings on the floor.
"Yeah, she isn't even here, she's in LA for a month from Tuesday so she won't even care." Buffy said as she walked into the kitchen and picked up the phone.
"Oh ok then." Willow flopped down on the couch and Cordelia went to put the drinks in the fridge to keep them cold. Buffy called and ordered their pizza. While Buffy was on the phone ordering, Cordelia went and sat with Willow.
"That was close dickhead." Willow said quietly when Cordelia sat in the couch next to her.
"I know I'm sorry it just slipped out, but she didn't notice it so it's alright. Don't worry I'll be more careful next time." Cordelia apologized to Willow for lack of tact.
"It's alright, it wasn't your fault. She was daydreaming again." Willow said softly.
"I know, it was about him." Cordelia said looking her in the eye.
"Mm hmmm, what are we going to do, she's always thinking about him." Willow said sadly.
"I don't know Will. I thought they were both happy but they just seem to belive of each others misery, and it's not lessening." Cordelia said truly concerned for her friends.
"So he isn't getting any better?" Willow asked her worried.
"The last time I saw him was the weekend, I haven't had a chance to see him again since then. I had to repeat myself four different times because he was day dreaming and didn't hear me." She said rather offended, but it softened she was only concerned for them.
"And I was only there for about an hour." Cordelia added.
"Was only where for an hour?" Buffy asked as she entered the room with their drinks and some lemons and salt. They were going to attempt some lip, sip, sucks without cracking up and spraying it everywhere because you're laughing. She placed the stuff on the table and sat next to it on the floor.
The two girls slid off the couch and sat at the table on the floor with Buffy.
"When is the pizza getting here?" Willow asked changing the subject again.
"Soon, about fifteen minutes the guy said. Where were you for only an hour Cordy?" Buffy said still curious as to what they had been talking about.
"I was at this boring college party, and.and I had only been there an hour and.I had already been hit on by four first year boys. It was so funny." Cordelia stuttered a bit at making that up but tried to make it sound realistic.
Willow held her breath. That was a really good cover up but she kind of doubted it would work.
"Wow! Lucky you Cordy." Buffy said as she cut up the lemon and smiled at them both, she was quite eager and happy to be getting drunk with her friends.
"Yeah that's me lucky." Cordelia said as she glanced at Willow to make sure that Buffy wasn't playing her. Willow looked just as surprised. Oh well they shrugged it off and began setting up the shotty glasses and opening their in-between drinks.
Four Stollies, a bottle of Tequila and ¾'s a bottle of Bourbon later the girls were in hysterics and happily giddy. Cordelia attempted another shot but missed her mouth covering herself in it. Buffy and Willow burst out laughing and fell over. Cordelia started laughing as well, honestly she wasn't quite sure what they were laughing at but that thought alone was enough to make her laugh.
After about five minutes of them in hysterical laughter they managed to quieten down enough that they could breath without being in pain from their aching sides.They sat back up and breathed deeply trying to calm down.
Buffy grabbed a piece of remaining pizza and stuffed it in her grinning mouth.
"Maybe we should have eaten a bit before we drank, then we wouldn't have drunk so much." She mumbled through a mouth full of food.
"What?" Willow screeched into her glass. She began laughing when the vibrating glass tickled her lips.
"I said, we should have. eaten. fore." Buffy tried to say it again but was laughing and had a mouth full of pizza at the same time and she couldn't help giggling. Some pizza came flying out of her mouth and she lost it.
Cordelia spat her drink across the two of them when she saw Buffy loosing food left right and center. Cordelia joined in on the hysterics, they were all laughing about different things but were having the time of their life.
After the laughing part of the high had died down they sat there quiet, just enjoying the carelessness, and calming down.
"I really miss him." Buffy said sincerely looking at both of them breaking the silence.
Cordelia and Willow both looked at her, they knew who she was talking about.
"Like every minute. I still love him so much, more everyday. I think about him all the time, sometimes I don't even realize that I have drifted off. ..I don't dream about him any more, I use to all the time, even when I was with Riley. I try to every night, all I think of is him when I go to sleep, but nothing works. I just don't dream any more. Maybe I'm just trying to hard." Buffy said as tears filled her eyes. She looked to them as if they would say yes she was but they just sat there speechless at her revelation.
"I'm just so lonely without him, I just feel like I'm gonna die." She said as they spilled over and down her cheeks. She was crying softly. "I would never be with someone or go in the sunlight again, if it meant I could be with him.. I hate myself for wasting the time I had with him, before he left." She broke down in front of them and sobbed her heart out. She had had that bottled up for so long, she just needed her defenses lowered, the floodgates opened, and all hell broke loose.
Cordelia and Willow had sobered up now and looked worriedly at each other, they both got up and went to comfort their friend. They hugged and soothingly rocked her to try and calm her down, she just cried.
Tears had sprung in both their eyes from seeing their friend in so much pain. As Buffy's breathing slowed and her sobbing ceased she stopped shaking, Willow looked Cordelia in the eye both knowing what to do but not quite sure how they would pull it off. Buffy hadn't stirred yet and they both looked down to find that she had cried herself to sleep, her head was leaning on Cordelia's shoulder and had made a wet patch on her shirt from her tears. Cordelia smiled, she didn't mind, it was better than vomit. They smiled at each other and began the job of getting her into bed now she had passed out for the night.
"A Slayer that can't hold her liquor, that I thought I would never see." Willow said sarcastically as she and Cordelia carried her up the stairs.
They got her into her bedroom and took her jeans off so she would be more comfortable, Cordelia messily plaited her hair back, so if she were to vomit it wouldn't get in her way.
They then decided to stay there the night and got themselves comfortable on the couches down stairs. They didn't speak about what they were goingt o do, they just knew that they had better do something quickly.
"Thanks Gloria, I'll see you next week." Angel said as he picked up his bags and left the store. He began home, walking, he had a car but much preferred to walk, especially during the day.
"Such a nice man." Gloria said as she watched him walk down the street towards the off road track.
"You know Melanie my child, you should ask him out to dinner some night, he is quite the gentleman." Gloria suggestively said to her daughter who was unpacked stock from boxes. Melanie rolled her eyes.
"Urgh. Look mum how many times do I have to tell you to give it up, he isn't interested in me, he's just being polite. You've got to stop trying to get us together and quit embarrassing me and him, or he'll stop coming here." Melanie told her mother, fed up with the persistent pushing she got from her mother. "Stop hounding the poor man, just let him be and quit with the matchmaking."
Melanie said as firmly as she could to her mother without getting 'the look'.
"Fine then, you do what ever you like." Mother said defeated.
"Thankyou, finally I have control of my own life. Besides he's too caught up in someone else." She said sadly, but not jealous. She just thought it so sad to see such an incredible man like that to be alone.
Angel walked steadily along, his package wasn't heavy and he didn't have anywhere to be, so he just enjoyed the scenery. It was quite a walk back to his house, but through the woods it was worth it. It wasn't trekking through the bush, he just walked down the dirt track.
He was glad he managed to get hold of this land, he had always wanted to live in the woods, he loved it out here. He could be by himself if he wanted to be, and do what ever he wanted to do without anyone breathing down his neck. It was quiet and less than crowded since it was a five-mile walk to the nearest store from his house. He enjoyed being out in the day more than he had imagined he would, the sun warmed his body and made every inch tingle. It was a wonderful feeling and he never tired of it. Though every time he was in the sunlight he was always a little sad. He thought of her more when he was in the light, he thought about how much he had wanted to share this with her. Be able to walk with her on the beach -not that he went to the beach- or anywhere during the day like any other couple in love would do, without a care in the world. He thought about her all the time, it was really hard thinking about her, in another mans arms, happy. He had never made her happy, every time he tried to it only ended up hurting her more. The only time he had really seen her happy was the time he was human and they were together, until he realized it just wasn't to be like that. Even then he had managed to break her heart again. He carried on walking, not breaking stride, he was still daydreaming about her as he came up to his driveway. Almost unconsciously he unlatched the large metal gate and latched it behind him. The gate wasn't like those ones you see on castle fronts, it was more like what farmers have to keep there cattle in, yet nicer.
He climbed the steps up to his front door and slid the key in the deadlock. It unlocked with a clunk and he walked in, through the living area and into the kitchen. He put his keys on the table and put the package down. He began unloading it, he pulled out his nails and the screws he needed and placed them on the table. He the pulled out some strawberries that Gloria had persuaded him to buy, they had just come into season. Some chocolate, washing up liquid, coke, orange juice and other food that would last him until next week, but not much. After putting everything away he headed towards the garage, his workshop. He had taken up Carpentry when he became human, he enjoyed doing it and never found it boring. Besides, he was really good at too. He made furniture, anything really, he could sell it for really good money too. Not that he needed to sell it, he didn't need the extra money, it's just that he just had no more room left in his house to put all the stuff. He ran his fingers along the smooth finish on the headboard of Willow's and Oz's new bed and smiled in satisfaction, it was ready for them to pick up tomorrow he couldn't wait, he hadn't seen Willow and Oz for a long time and there last stop had been great. They had talked and laughed for hours, Willow was a lot more comfortable around him now that he was human and Oz was his usual laconic self.
He walked out of the large double garage and out the side of his house to the woodcutter's block. Winter was coming and he wanted some wood for the fire, it got cold up here and he didn't fancy on doing late at night so he could freeze his arse off.
Buffy groggily walked down the steps and into the kitchen for some orange juice, she found a similarly groggy Cordelia and Willow sitting at the kitchen table sipping down strong coffee. They looked up and weakly smiled at her.
"Hey, how are you feeling this morning Buffy?" Willow asked concerned, she wasn't sure whether she would remember last night's confession.
"Like I drank too much, ate way too much Pizza and cried myself into unconsciousness! How are you guys?" She said flatly rubbing her eyes.
"Feeling your pain. Except for the crying part." Cordelia said nodding softly.
Buffy put the juice back into the fridge making sure she didn't look at any of the food in there, or she would rearrange her stomach allover the kitchen floor. She nodded carefully at them and sat opposite them at the kitchen table, gulping down most of her drink.
"Guys I am really sorry for the way I behaved last night, you shouldn't have had to see that." Buffy sincerely apologized.
"Hey no Buffy it was ok, that's what friends are for right." Cordelia said.
Willow nodded.
"Thanks." She was still a little embarrassed.
There was a long silence between the three of them as they finished their drinks.
"Do you still really love him?" Cordelia asked seriously, she had to make sure that she wasn't about to ruin anything.
Buffy looked at her and smiled slightly. "Honestly, I can't remember a time that I didn't." She finally answered. She was a little unsure as to why Cordelia wanted to know this.
"Good." Willow a little too cheerfully that she got dizzy, and almost lost yesterdays lunch. They all giggled a bit, and then went to get freshened up.
"How the hell are we supposed to do this with out setting them up like blind dates." Willow asked incredulously.
"I have an idea, it is a really bad and lame idea but it just might work. But I have to go and see him again first." Cordelia told Willow.
"What why?" Willow wasn't sure what the hell she was going on about.
"Well if I can go and see him again and I just might accidentally take something of his by accident, and then I can't return it because I have College. You can't return it because, umm your getting things delivered ands o the only person left will be?" She explained proudly to Willow of her scheme.
"Gee, that one is original." Willow said rather disappointed in the plan.
"Hey, come up with a better and less death related scenario, then by all means I am open for suggestions. But as it is it's the only plan." Cordelia said a tad annoyed.
"Well what are you going to take?" Willow asked worriedly
"I have no idea." Cordelia looked wide eyed at her, she really didn't know.
Part Two
"Hey Cordelia, I'm out here." Angel called to her as he heard her car pull up to the house.
Cordelia turned off the engine and walked around to the side of the house. She got to the garage, there was Angel he was varnishing the latest thing he had made.
"Hi, how are you?" Came Cordelias 'act casual' greeting.
"Good, you?" Angel said as he picked up the varnish and put it away in the cupboard and the brush in a bucket of water.
"Great, um can I use your bathroom for a tick?"
"Of course, the verandah door is unlocked so." Angel said wiping his hands on a cloth.
"Thanks" Cordelia said as she walked up the steps into the house. She felt dirty, she was nervous now about trying to lie in front of him and act casual at the same time, he was like her best friend and it wasn't going to be easy. But it wasn't lying as such, she was just keeping something from him that's all. If it wasn't brought up then there was nothing to worry about. She walked up stairs to the second level of the house, she could have used to bathroom on the first floor but Angel's stuff was up here and she still had to find something to take. She loved his house, no one in their right mind wouldn't. It had a verandah/balcony surrounding the entire house on both stories and trees surrounding it. Most of the house was made out of hardwood, which was absolutely gorgeous and gave it a beautiful color. The furniture, he had made and it was modern even with the olden day feel. At the top of the stairs there was a corridor and the first door lead into his bedroom, it was massive and had large glass doors instead of a wall on one side of the room. It was east facing so the sun rising would shine into his room, how cute? It was a large room and it had a beautiful dark red Jarrah bed in the center of it, with matching bedside tables and a wardrobe in the corner. Off to the left he had doors that opened out to a balcony that was over the stairs, in the house so you could look down onto the first floor living room/area.
She walked in and looked around for something that was significant enough for him to need returned immediately, well not immediately but soon, and that it meant quite a bit if he thought he had lost it. What? What? What can I take?
"Hey, Cordelia are you alright, you didn't fall in did ya?" Angel asked as he came inside the house. Crap, he's in the house, oh god he's coming. Think, think, think Cordy.
"Hahaha, real funny, no I just wanted to use the one upstairs, jese can't you give a girl a minute, sheesh." Cordelia said sounding angry.
"Yeah sorry, I was just worried, you had been gone for a long time so.."
Angel apologized, as he climbed the stairs to meet up with Cordelia on the landing. (The top of the stairs)
He walked past her and into his room. Cordelia followed him in. He walked over to his bedside table.
"Are you happy here Angel?" Cordelia asked as she watched him. He took off his necklace and placed it down on the table.
"Well yeah, I'm happy. I love what I do and it's not too crowded here, I have friends and no 'minions of hell' to ruin everything. Besides I have cable to keep me company." Angel replied half-heartedly, not realizing that Cordelia was studying him. He was happy enough, I mean it could only get better right. He turned and faced her as he began to unbutton his shirt. She chuckled at his joke.
"Why?" He asked.
"No reason, I was just, you know, wondering whether I was the only lonely person on the face of the earth, that's all. No Biggy." She said saddened by the truth.
"Oh, I'm sorry Cordelia. Don't worry about that, the right someone will come along, just give it time. I mean look at me, it took me almost three life times to find truelove, and only one lifetime to lose it." Angel said as he placed a caring hand on Cordy's arm. That said they both thought for a while about what he had just said.
"Was that supposed to cheer me up." Cordelia looked worriedly at Angel.
"Sorry, that wasn't really good advice. Look, what I mean is that, there is someone out there, just perfect for you, you just can't give up." He said sincerely. "Look at Buffy, she found happiness with Riley even after everything she's had to go through." He said trying to hide the hurt in his eyes.
Cordelia looked him in the eyes for a long time after he said that, she was surprised he had.
"Yeah." She said not really paying attention to their conversation now.
"Well we'll see." She said, she was rather cut by the hurt in his eyes. He wasn't really happy and she couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before.
"Look, I'm going to take a quick shower, I'm all hot and sweaty from working this morning. Then we could talk if you like, or drown our sorrows and pass out on the floor, either, up to you?" he said smiling.
"No, that's ok. I was just stopping by, there is something I have to do for a friend so I have to decline to the 'drowning'. But thanks." She said cheered up a bit by the offer.
"Oh, if you're sure, you just got here. Look of you ever want to talk." He said softly.
"I will. But really I am ok. Go shower, I'll let myself out." She said with her resolved face.
"Are you sure cause we can talk now if y"
"Go Shower, you stink and you're all sweaty, and sexy-" She said pointing towards the bathroom, a giving him a once over just as a joke.
"I'm Gone." He cut her off so she wouldn't continue. He smiled as he left the room and entered the bathroom. That was Cordelia, tactless and bossy, she was fine.
She knew that would work on him, he was still incredibly self-conscious, especially about his body, it was mainly not being strong enough not how it looked. If it was possible though it looked better than when he was a vampire.
She watched him go into the bathroom, and waited for the door to close and the shower to turn on. She headed towards his bedside table, sheg rabbed his silver necklace and put it in her purse. Then crept out of the room.
She yelled her goodbye through the bathroom door and then left as quickly as she could. The sooner this was over the better she would feel.
"Wow Willow where did you get this from? It's beautiful?" Buffy asked amazed at her best friends beautiful, new, king size bed.
"An- an old friend made it for us." Willow said avoiding looking at Buffy, she really sucked at lying.
"Old friend? Who?" She asked curious.
"O.One of Oz's." She said unsure.
Buffy ran her fingers over the smooth wood of the headboard and smiled, it was a masterpiece for a bed. That was some friend.
"So tell me again why I have to do this, I'm no delivery girl." She asked Willow questioningly.
"You're the only one who can. I mean, I'm busy and Cordelia has College and well you are presently not detained." Willow said, carrying on with the lie Cordelia had said before.
Buffy was worried about this. If, if she saw Angel again, she may not be able to leave the room. Just the simple thought of seeing him again made her heart beat faster. Why did Cordelia take this thing anyway? Why she should I be the designated driver, the messenger always gets shot. She didn't take anything why should she have to return it, and why 'immediately', I mean what was it that was so important anyway?
"What is so important that he has to have it back today anyway?" She was a little annoyed, annoyed at the fact that just the possibility of seeing him still had such an effect over her.
"Um, I'm not sure, Cordys going to bring it over in a minute." Willow said.
A necklace. That was it, a necklace, and that had to be in his hands today. Why the hell did Cordelia have Angel's necklace? I mean it should stay around his neck right, how did it end up in her purse?
Around his neck, his neck.. Oh God what I would give to kiss it right now, to feel his skin, smell it, to taste the soft smooth skin. Kiss around his Adams apple and down his jaw line, up to his perfect ears, where I could smell his hair and then across his face, kissing his nose and then his lips.
His lips, that tasted so good and were so good at kissing hers in the exact way every time that made her body quiver and her knees go weak. They were soft and smooth and fit with hers perfectly, and made searing hot spots on her skin wherever he kissed her..Tree? What?
"Argh Crap!" Buffy screeched as she swerved back onto the so-called road.
"Oops, got a little carried away there in my fantasy." She said trying to calm her self down as she drove down to Angel's new house.
Cordelia said she would hate it, that it was really old and stuffy and kinda ugly. Good, she didn't want to like it. Though she was having a hard time believing that of her self.
She turned left, Cordelia said it was the first left, it was the only left by the looks of it. She stopped the car and went to unlatch the gate. Once she got back in the car, she paced herself.
"You're a grown woman now Buffy, not a girl. You can handle this, it's just a guy, man. Same diff. shut up. All you have to do is give the necklace back to him and then leave, quick, simple, painless." She psyched herself up trying desperately. But in hard reality nothing was painless, quick, simple and least of all easy when it involved Angel.
She slowly drove the car up the short but sort of long driveway and gasped when she saw the house.
"Oh God. It's beautiful, it's bloody perfect." She said, as she couldn't take her eyes from it. It was like one of those dream homes that you see in those expensive house brochures.
She stopped the car, making sure it wasn't to close to the house. If it was close, it was like they were close, like good friends, but if she kept it away a bit, then it was safer all around if she did that.
She walked up the front steps slowly looking around. More or less having a nosey. She knocked on the hard wood door. Waited. There was no answer, so she walked down the steps again and began the journey around the house to see if he was there.
'The sooner you find him the sooner you can get out of here.' Was all she kept telling herself.
She walked around the large house it was no cottage.
And then there he was. just standing there. Right in front of her, standing in the daylight. Her heart was beating fast now and she had that wonderful tingly feeling in her gut that he always created. The sun glistened off the smooth sleek skin of his back and the muscles in his arms were flexed, she knew he didn't look any different. He wasn't wearing a shirt and his back was to her, she could see the muscles in his back moving, and the Tattoo on his right shoulder moved as well, it was the sexiest thing she had ever seen. His hair wasn't as dark as she remembered, the advantages of natural light. He looked so good, she wouldn't have thought it possible to look better than he had the last time she saw him but he did. She simply stood there gaping at the incredible sight before her. He was doing something but she wasn't quite sure what it was.
He could feel something in the pit of his gut, something he hadn't felt in awhile. It was a nice feeling. He felt a pair of eyes on him and turned expecting to see Cordelia standing there. But it wasn't Cordelia, it was Buffy.
They both stood there staring at each other for quite some time, just taking in the others appearance. Buffy's hair was still quite long, blonde, and her eyes had lost some of the sparkle they always seemed to have. She was all grown up. She was a woman now, not a high school girl any more. He didn't think it would be possible, but she was more beautiful than he had remembered.
He still had his spiky hair and big beautiful soft brown eyes. Some how his stomach was tighter, and he brandished a beautifully carved abdomen, his arms were smooth and flawless, and his chest was still perfect. His skin was a little browned, and his face was just as handsome as it had been the day he'd left, he didn't look any older what so ever.
They just stood there looking at each other, both completely lost for words at the sight of each other, neither capable to say anything.
After a heart breakingly long moment Buffy gathered the very last strength that she had, deep down inside of her and slowly walked towards him not once losing eye contact. She stood in front of him, they could both feel the electricity and longing between them, time and separation hadn't dimmed it.
She grabbed his hand roughly, and placed the necklace in it, turned around and began walking back to her car.
'Don't cry in front of him, just get in the car and go. Then you can cry.'
Angel looked down at his hand and placed the necklace in his pocket. He looked up in time to see her walk around the corner.
"Wait, Buffy please, wait." He called desperately as he tried to catch up with her. She was angry and he knew it.
She walked faster when she heard him say her name, she hadn't heard him say it in a long time, she didn't want to go but she couldn't think. Walking so fast she wasn't looking where she was going and she slipped on a twig and fell, as she did she managed to stab her thigh with a branch that was sticking out of a larger fallen branch. As she went down she banged her head on a rock and knocked herself out cold. Angel ran to catch her but wasn't there in time.
"Buffy!!!" He called as he raced up towards her. Once he reached her he saw that she was injured. He gently picked her up and carefully carried her into his house.
He carried her up to his bedroom and placed her down on the bed, then ran to the bathroom for some first aid supplies. He wasn't sure whether he should but he couldn't tend to the wound in her leg if he didn't take her jeans off. So he reached up and undid the button and zip and slowly pulled them off, careful not to look at anything let alone her face. He bandaged her leg up making sure it was clean. It was a deep gash and was going to be painful when she woke up, it bled a lot and she would be weak for a few days. She wasn't bleeding at the head, she would just have a nice bump on the back of it for about a week. He lay her head back on the pillow after checking her, and wrapped the covers around her. He needed a drink. Something strong, perhaps some Scotch or Whiskey, maybe both.
He returned five minutes later to find her sprawled across his bed, comfortable as could be. Great, before I thought 'it'll be ok you can sleep on the other side for the rest of your life, it won't smell of her' but now my whole bed is going to smell of her forever and it's going to drive me mad. He moved softly in the room and sat in the chair just across from her.
She had rolled over to his side of the bed and was lightly snoring, she was gone to the world.
The bed was wonderful, it smelt like him, it was just like being in his arms again, except it wasn't, it was the covers, but she considered it to be a good enough substitute. She had missed this smell, she loved it, it was; him, his hair and after-shave mixed in, the proper proportions of course. The smell made her feel safe and sort of at home at the same time. She breathed it in deeply as she hugged at the pillow.
Angel watched her for a while, then realized something. Willow, I had better call her so she isn't worried.
Angel picked up the phone from his bedside table and quietly dialed her number.
"Hello." Came Willows cheery voice on the other end.
"Willow it's Angel." He said quietly as not to wake her, but I think a nuclear explosion wouldn't wake her.
"Angel hi, how are you, I mean is everything ok." Willow was nervous.
"Um actually no, nothing is ok." Angel said honestly.
"Why what's happened." She asked trying to sound worried but she already knew.
"Well for starters Buffy is, well how should I put this. Here, she is here."
He said as he tried not to look at her.
"What, Buffy is there with you?" She put on her best-surprised voice on, but she was grinning like an idiot to Cordelia, she nodded everything had gone to plan. Now they just needed a little help from some sexual tension, which when they were together was so thick you could cut it with a knife, even if you were in the other room, and the rest was inevitable. But nothing was going to happen without a little help from their scheming friends.
"Yeah, um what was she doing here, and why did she have my necklace when Cordelia took it?" He said remembering about it. He took it out of his pocket and put it down on the table.
Cordelia was listening in, and looked a little shocked at the fact that he knew she had taken it, then she was embarrassed. What must he think of me?
"I told you guys not to tell her where I was, it could ruin everything she has with Riley, she's happy now, that's why I stayed away before." He was angry now, the walls he had so desperately built up around his heart were crumbling from the mere sight of her.
"I didn't tell her anything Angel, I swear she doesn't know about you being human. We didn't even know where she was." Willow said lying through her teeth, well except for the first part.
"That's probably why she ran off." Angel said more to himself than to Willow.
"You mean she's gone?" Willow said disappointedly, Cordelia was going nuts.
"No she's still here." Angel said looking down at her hugging his pillow and sleeping peacefully. "She's asleep." He continued.
Willow and Cordelia looked shocked at each other. Wow that was faster than they thought.
"She is?" Willow asked curious as to what had happened.
"Yeah, as she was walking away, she fell and hurt her leg, then banged her head knocking herself out cold." Angel said.
"Oh my, Is she okay?" Willow was worried now, that was not part of their plan.
"Yeah, she's fine, but she won't be able to walk for a while, without causing herself a great deal of pain." He told her.
The two girls raised the eyebrows at each other both thinking the same thing.
"Oh right, so she won't be able to walk or drive for that matter, for like.a couple of days?" She asked smiling, at the perfect circumstances.
"Uh hu." Angel said slowly, the daunting realization turned to fear.
"Oh well, she keeps an emergency over night bag in the boot of the car, if you could get that for her I am sure that she would be grateful." Willow said smiling, the bag she packed for her would be used after all. Cordelia had sneaked it in the boot when Buffy had gone for a last minute pee.
There was silence on the other end of the line for a while.
"No. Willow she can't stay here. Look why don't you just call Riley and he can come and pick her up. Then he can look after her. Not me, I can't do it." Angel said pleading to Willow for an excuse.
Willow looked to Cordelia, what do I say. Cordelia shrugged she didn't know either.
"Riley can't come." Willow said hopelessly.
"Why not, I mean he must be worried tha?" Angel said curious as to why he hadn't come into it before.
"She isn't with Riley anymore. She hasn't been for a long time." Willow said sadly cutting him off.
"What. But I thought th." Angel was cut off.
"He left her, she caught him cheating on her after . and she's be alone ever since. Since, well, you know." Willow knew he would be shocked but he would understand what she meant.
"Oh. Okay." Angel said as it sunk in. That bastard.
"Look Angel I have to go." Willow said trying to end the conversation quickly and keep Buffy there with him.
"Bye." She hung up before he could say anything else.
Angel put the phone down slowly with out saying anything. He slowly brought his eyes to look at her face. He sat down on the chair again and let in all sink in. Buffy didn't have anyone, I am human, and we could be together, forever. No he couldn't, she didn't love him like that anymore, she had moved on. He had realized that he hadn't along time ago, but he just had to live with that. But, no don't think 'buts'.
Angel just sat there watching her sleep. He sat that there all night.
The next morning he came back up the stairs with some water. She hadn't woken up still and he had gotten thirsty.
She rolled around on his bed lying on her back, then on her chest, on this side of the bed then the other. Angel watched her all day nervously, he was worried, what was he going to do when she woke up. What would he say. She slept right through that day and he sat there as it slowly turned tonight.
It was late in the middle of the night now and she had rolled over, so she was lying next to his chair, facing him. He had fallen asleep a while ago and his head was resting on the side of the chair.
Buffy slowly stirred awake and opened her eyes, to see him there by her bedside, asleep, well, his bedside. She didn't move, she wanted to saver the moment. She watched him, the moonlight from the glass doors cast a beautiful silver light allover his skin and his face. He was so peaceful, she realized that he had been sitting there by the bedside the entire time, he was still wearing the same thing as he had when she arrived. She didn't even remember about her leg.
He began to stir and just before he opened his eyes she quickly closed hers, not wanting him to know that she was awake and had been watching him. So she pretended to be asleep still.
He sat up properly, and rubbed his hands over his eyes, to get rid of the need for sleep. He sat there. Then slowly he moved closer to her.
"You are so beautiful." He said softly, as he ever so gently brushed a strand of hair back from her face. He knelt down in front of her and thoroughly studied her face. He softly ran his finger tips over her forehead, and then softly into her hair, careful as not to wake her. Her hair still smelt like apples, even if it was just shampoo, he didn't care.
"I know I never said it to you. I couldn't. Every time I saw you I wanted to tell you, but just as soon as my mouth would open, the words just didn't seem to make any sense. Some how words just don't seem to do you any credit.I wish I had said it to you. Every time I saw you, you'd make me speechless again, and I couldn't think." Angel admitted sadly to her. It was the only time in which he could, when she was asleep. He took his hand away from her face after a while, and stood up again and sat back in the chair, he looked at her sadly. Everything he had ever wanted lay right in front of him, in his bed, but all he could do was merely touch it. He could never really have it.
Buffy wanted to cry at what he had said to her. He had been so warm and soft when he touched her face, he had been so close to her. It had taken everything in her not to cry, not to lose herself in his beautiful eyes, not to tell him that she still loved him, to not kiss him.
She slowly fell asleep again.
Part Three
"Mmm" the smell of bacon and eggs assaulted her senses. She smiled and rolled over to see Angel coming in the room with a tray of food. She had forgotten where she was and the sight of him smiling at her was like a slap in the face as a reminder. He was changed this morning, wearing a white shirt the top few buttons undone and black pants and boots.
"Morning sleepy head." Angel said as he walked around to her, she painfully sat up and Angel placed the tray in front of her.
"Thanks." She said as she stared down at the food. "You cooked?" she was surprised.
"I cooked." He answered her and sat down. She looked at him curiously shocked. "Don't worry they're edible." He said smiling, making fun.
She smiled in return and tried some. Oh god, she hadn't tasted anything like it, they redefined her definition of delicious. She grinned at him. Then carried on eating, man she was hungry.
At the enthusiasm of her eating he asked. "Good?"
She nodded eagerly in response, she had a mouth full of eggs, and it was quite a funny sight.
She had finished eating and there was an uncomfortable silence between them, they couldn't even look at each other.
"I called Willow and told her you were here and that you're ok. I got your bag out of your car for you." He said motioning to it next to the bed.
She looked at it.
"Thank you." She didn't even remember having a bag.
"Is your leg sore?" he asked looking her in the eye.
"It's alright, I could probably walk on it." She said avoiding his concerned gaze.
"You should probably stay in bed for a while longer. I don't want you to hurt yourself." He said standing.
"No, I would like to get freshened up, if that's ok. I've been sleeping for like two days, I don't think I could sleep anymore." She said moving more in the bed.
"Sure, I'll get some stuff for you, and you can go take a shower, or a bath is probably better. That way you won't have to stand." He said as he picked up the empty tray off the bed and put in on the table, so she could get out of bed.
"That would be nice, thank you." She said softly, she was so nervous around him.
"Just stay here, while I go and run your bath, and when I come back I'll help you." He said grabbing her bag to take in there with him.
She looked up at him questioningly 'cause of what he had said. He realized what he had said and turned sharply to look at her.
"Get there." He said quickly rectifying his slip up.
He walked out of the room, she watched him leave. He was nervous around her, so was she. She wasn't quite sure how to act around him, she hadn't seen him for so long, but it was starting to feel like it was yesterday. She really hated that. She heard the water running, she tried to get out of bed. She turned her leg with her hands and threw back the covers. She gasped in surprise when she saw she didn't have her jeans on. He had bandaged her thigh up really well. She didn't like being helpless so she tried to stand on it.
"Oh God." She cried as the shooting pain coursed through her leg.
She fell back onto the bed clutching at her leg, she closed her eyes trying to ease the pain. She felt a pair of warm hands on her skin and she suddenly opened her eyes, to see Angel knelt down before her. He was gently rubbing her leg, soothing the pain away. It worked, oh yeah it worked. She just sat there and watched him tend to her leg with absolute tenderness and care, she didn't ever want him to stop, he had made her entire leg tingle. But he did, and he stood up. She couldn't say anything. She was glued to the spot by the feeling he had invoked that ran through her entire body.
"Are you ok now?" He asked concerned that she had hurt herself.
All she could do was meekly nod. He bent over towards her and easily picked her up in his arms. She tried desperately to not let the close proximity to him distract her, it was getting more and more difficult every second, especially with the ever reminding fact that she was only in her top and undies.
He carefully carried her into the bathroom and put her down on the flat tiled area that was next to the now full bath. He had put a towel down so she wouldn't have to sit on the cold tiles. He looked around uncomfortably, so did she.
"Um here are some towels for you and there is soap and stuff over there, take as long as you want. If it isn't hot enough you can run another one or whatever. Um. If you need anything, just give us a yell, I'll be close..by."
Oops another slip up. He managed to say that sounding the most uncomfortable he had ever sounded before, and completely avoiding looking down at her. She sat there looking up at him. He wouldn't look at her and she knew it.
"Thanks." She said looking back down at her leg.
"Oh, I'll help you take that off you'll need to wash it." Angel said kneeling down to help her remove the bandage from her leg. She went to say he didn't have to but the minute he touched her she shut her mouth. She sat there just watching him again, not even paying attention to the pain in her leg, it had become painless the minute he had touched her. She enjoyed the feeling of him touching her, his hands on her skin, she hadn't felt that in a very long time.
He was finished and he looked up, to see her staring down at him, there eyes met and suddenly nothing mattered. They lost themselves in each others eyes, for long time they stayed that way, nothing was spoken, their was too little and too much to say.....
"Your bath is getting cold." Angel stated not taking his eyes from her.
"I know." She said flatly.
"I better leave then." He said as he stood and exited the bathroom.
He closed the door behind him and Buffy just sat there staring at the door he had just closed. Tears had sprung in her eyes, she tore them away from the door as she got undressed. They never spilled over, she didn't want to cry over him anymore, she was sick of doing it. She slowly slid into the scolding hot bath, she winced as the hot water hit the wound in her leg. The pain slowly died and she relaxed lying back in the enormous dark blue bathtub. She took this time to look around. It was a large bathroom, with a massive bath, which she was presently lying in, a shower in the corner a toilet (of course) in the other. The entire room stank of his after-shave, it was wonderful. It was tiled with a dark navy blue clean tile and it had matching towels. The bath was built into the room with a ledge surrounding it. It was simple, neat and really, really nice. She sat back and relaxed in the bath, just enjoying it.
Angel was confused. Oh boy was he confused. He was pacing around the room.
"What am I doing?" He quietly said to himself.
He couldn't take much more of this, being so close to her, it was driving him crazy, and he didn't know how much longer he could keep it up. He looked over to the bed, he walked to it and began to strip it. He remade the bed in fresh sheets and put the others in the wash. He had to occupy himself so that he wouldn't think about her. So he went downstairs to the kitchen. I'll make us a late lunch that's what I'll do.
God this felt so good she almost fell asleep. Once the water started to get cold she pried herself out and began to dry herself off. The towel wrapped around her she began searching through her bag for something to wear. She tipped everything out onto the bathroom floor, and sorted through it all. There was underwear, thank god. A hairbrush, toothbrush all her toiletries, some shirts, some pants, two sundresses, even shoes. Wow she had thought of everything. There were even some CD's. She scoffed at them, there was no way she would have packed CD's.
"CD's?" She asked herself incredulously. She sorted through the few. "Oh I love this song." she said turning over the copy of 'On a Winters Night With You' by Sarah McLachlan and Jewel over to read the back, then she realized something.
"Hey do I even own this? Wait this is Willows CD. What I am doing with it"
She finally realized.
Willow had packed this.
"Why would Willow pack me a ba-?" She said asking herself.
That sneaky little bitch.
"I'm gonna kill her." She said as she quickly got dressed. Willow had packed this expecting me to be staying here. Ugh. I bet Cordelia was in this as well, I knew she would never have taken his silver necklace, she was more of a golden girl. What did they take me for, some slut, or just some pathetic lovesick puppy. What do think Angel and I are just helpless slaves to passion. Well I am not going to give them the satisfaction.
"Well they just don't know the strength of my will power." She said as she straightened her dark blue sundress. She had decided that it would be less painful than pants.
She packed everything back in her bag neatly so she could find stuff, did her hair, she had washed it and brushed her teeth. She didn't bother with make up, she couldn't be bothered and her skin was clean. She left the bag in the bathroom and started to hobble out.
She got to the stairs, it was rather painful but she had made it, she wasn't going to be an invilid. How am I supposed to get down these stairs? The rail, of course I could slide down.She lifted herself up onto the railing that was smooth and would take her straight down.
Angel could hear her moving up stairs and walked out of the kitchen to see her sliding down the rail of his stairs.
She hadn't thought of how she was planning on stopping herself, she was hoping it would just come to her, she had picked up some speed now and the floor was getting closer.
He ran to catch her just as she came off the rail, she grabbed on to him, but with the speed she had picked up the momentum was too much. They both went down, Buffy on top of Angel, she was still holding on to him as they went down. They landed on the hard wood floor with a thump, and lay there, their bodies entwined in a rather intimate way.
Buffy opened her eyes to see Angels face only centimeter's from hers and his lips even closer. He was so warm underneath her, she could feel him breathing she could feel his hard body underneath hers. They were locked in that embrace for a while, her on top of him. Neither wanting to move.
"Sorry." She apologized not breaking eye contact
"Are you okay?" Angel asked, they hadn't moved yet.
"Yeah, I landed on something soft." She said with a slight smile. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I had something soft land on me." He said smiling back.
They were still so close, they could both feel the tension and longing between them, it was unbearable. They were breathing heavy from the fall and that was not helping.
Buffy started to move, she was trying to get up but from the position they were in it was difficult, especially with only one good leg. She moved her hands down to push off from the floor.
"Ooh ahh." Angel said has he squirmed underneath her. She had placed her hand in a rather vulnerable spot.
"Oh god I am so sorry." She said as her face went tomato red. She scrambled off of him and stood up. She avoided looking at him she was so embarrassed.
"It's okay, forget it." Angel said sheepishly as he stood up in front of her.
She could barely look at him.
"I made us some late lunch/early dinner." He said trying to lighten the incredibly tense moment. He walked off to the kitchen, and she hobbled over to the couch.
Wow that was intense, that was, wow. Oh God and I can't believe I did that, I could have put my hand anywhere else. I am such an idiot.
"Way to go dickhead, nice way to lighten the mood, by sexually assaulting the guy, yeah that'll work. Ugh!" She covered her still red-hot face with her hands, and tried to slow her breathing.
Glasses, we need glasses. She was so close, on top of me, no don't think about that.
"Glasses." He said trying to preoccupy himself.
She smelt so good, like strawberries, and all I had to do was move a little closer and we would have kissed, Oh god I wanted to kiss her, to smell her skin, to kiss her skin, to feel it.
"This is unbearable." He sighed as he put everything he needed on the tray and carried it out to the living area, where she was sitting.
Just calm down, you can handle this, I mean we were together for like months and you managed to not do anything, just imagine it's like that. Buffy tried to convince her self. She could smell his skin, his lips, that tasted so good and were so kissable, all she wanted to do was, no don't think about that, you can't.
Yes you can. Screamed her heart. There is nothing holding you back now.
"No I can't." she said silencing her self.
"No you can't what?" Angel asked as he came from behind her and placed the tray down on the coffee table in front of her.
"I, I can't believe that you're really human." She said covering up, even though it was true.
"Oh, Yeah, um neither could I for a long time." He handed her some food and sat in the lazy-joe, so he wasn't too close to her.
"Well I'm really happy for you, I always knew you wouldn't give up on your dream. You never give up." She said.
"It wasn't easy, I came so close to giving up all together." Angel said as he sat back in his chair with his lunch, he loved food.
"What kept you going?" She asked.
"You." He said looking at her. She looked up at him. He meant it too, she could see it in his eyes. She felt like dying in his eyes.
They ate their food in silence the only noise was the chewing. After Angel had taken everything away he came back and they sat there in uncomfortable silence. It was getting late now, their lunch hadn't really been at lunchtime.
"Would you like a drink?" Angel carefully asked getting up and walking over to the cabinet in which he stored his alcohol.
"I would love one thank you." Buffy sighed, relaxing a little. 'Thank God'
Angel came back with some bottles and two glasses.
"Wow you have quite a collection, Buffy observed as she shifted to get more comfortable.
"I didn't use to, but I cut myself working a while back and didn't have anything to ease the pain, so I decided I would keep some around for emergencies." He sat the things on the table and began pouring after Buffy had decided what she had wanted.
"Emergencies ha?" She asked not quite sure what he meant by that.
"Well Gloria talked me into buying most of it, I told her I don't really drink but she insisted I would need it." He avoided her direct question, he wasn't quite sure what he meant by that either.
"Gloria, so is she your wife, or girlfriend?" Buffy asked curious, she covered the hurt she felt at the mere thought of him being with someone else.
"Oh No, Gloria is the lady that works in the store down the road, she's sweet but keeps trying to set me up with her daughter." He said smiling at the thought of it all.
Buffy raised her eyebrows at him, Angel being set up, match makered, put on a blind date, that just didn't compute.
"Shame, she is a sweet girl and she hates it when her mother does that, but she knows that I'm just a friend." He said taking a long gulp of his drink.
"Why not, I mean she could be nice, why don't you give her a chance." Buffy said not looking at him, she was lying through her teeth.
"I'm happy as I am." He honestly said.
She nodded understanding what he meant by that.
There was a moment of silence.
"So work ha, What do you do?" She changed the subject.
"I'm into Carpentry now, I gave up my demon fighting a while back." He said smiling.
"Same. I mean the demon part, it's been so quiet.. Carpentry, I never would have had you down as a Carpenter." She smiled back.
"I love it, and it's beautiful out here so I get some peace and quiet for awhile." He said looking around.
They chatted long into the night, not getting too tipsy but happily relaxed. They were able to catch up with out feeling too uncomfortable. They both knew they weren't even close to drunk but used the alcohol as an excuse to be able to talk again comfortably. They talked about what they had been doing and interesting stuff that had happened throughout the years that they hadn't seen each other. Buffy got a good laugh at Cordelia being pregnant, and Angel got a good laugh from Spike and her being engaged. He couldn't stop laughing for awhile. Which was nice, she had never seen him laugh like that, in fact she had never seen him laugh. His laughter was the intoxicating kind, which made you laugh whether you liked it or not. He also liked the story when Giles got turned into a Demon and Spike had to help him, they both found that funny though. Though she found the thought of him singing Barry Manilow Karaoke absolutely hilarious, she couldn't help herself. After her laughter fit had ended, she found herself to be quite tired.
Buffy yawned, causing Angel to do so.
"It's late we should really call it a night." Angel said finishing off his drink.
"Hmmm." Buffy yawned her reply.
"I put fresh sheets on the bed, so I'll help you up the stairs." He offered standing.
"Oh No, I would rather sleep on the couch, it's your bed, I'll be fine down here." She said protesting. She couldn't take it in his bed again.
"NO, your injured, really it's ok I don't mind." Angel argued with her, she was always stubborn.
"No. Really I want to sleep down here." She said silencing the argument.
Angel sighed, she wasn't going to budge.
"If your sure then." He said defeated.
She nodded.
"I'll go get your stuff." He said heading up the stairs.
She turned back to face the coffee table. She sighed a 'thank god' sigh. Then when she thought about it, going through her bag she didn't remember seeing any pajamas. Her eyes widened in horror. She didn't pack any, oh this is just perfect. She stood up and slowly walked to the stairs painfully climbing them. She had to do her teeth any way.
She got to the top and sat on the end of his made bed waiting for him to come out of the bathroom.
He came back out and wasn't exactly surprised to see her there, he handed her her bag. Though seeing her there sitting on the bed did unnerve him. We walked over to his wardrobe to get his pajamas out for bed. She feebly searched through her bag hoping she had some in there and just hadn't seen them, nope nothing.
"I'm just going to go do my teeth." She said walking off to the bathroom.
Angel got some blankets and some pillows and went to make up a bed on the couch for her, hoping to distract himself. He had changed into his pjs when she went into the bathroom.
What am I going to do, I can't sleep in my clothes, or my shirt they aren't long enough. Buffy muttered to herself as she brushed her teeth.
Angel was finished and began to walk back up the stairs, he got to his room as she came out of the bathroom.
She sheepishly looked at him.
"Um, I don't have any pajamas." She said embarrassed.
"Oh, okay umm, well here." He said as he slowly began to unbutton his shirt.
She stood there speechless, all she wanted was him.
He walked over and handed it to her, his large body towered over hers. She was breathing heavily now she could smell his skin, everything else disappeared all she could see was him. She couldn't do anything.
"My other pair is in the wash, I'd give you the pants but, I need those." He joked at the tense moment, he knew he was making her uneasy.
She smiled at his joke.
"Thanks." She moved past him and began down the stairs.
"Oh there's a bathroom downstairs, that way you won't have to treck up here every time." He didn't move to help her, she didn't need it. He escaped to the bathroom to do his teeth.
Buffy sat down on the couch breathing heavy, not from the stairs but from being near him. She looked down at his pajama shirt in fear. She brought it to her face and smelled it. Oh God it smells just like him. He took off his shirt right in front of me, and he didn't even falter. I hate that, he's always so calm.
She got dressed in the shirt and brushed her teeth, turned off the lights and got into the bed he had made for her on the couch. She rolled over so she wouldn't be able to see him from her vantage point. She heard him come out of the bathroom and turn out the lights and pull back the sheets and sit. He slowly slid into bed and lay still.
Don't listen to him, just think about something else, ignore him. She tried to focus on something else. But she found herself rolling over so she could see him. He rolled over so his back was to her, the covers were only pulled up to his waist. She could see his bare back clearly, she watched him breathing, it looked like he was falling asleep. She took this opportunity to stare at him.
Angel had rolled over because if he hadn't he could see her, he could feel her eyes on him, she was watching him. He decided he would pretend to be asleep. 'God how old am I?' He thought.
They were going to get a whole lot of sleep tonight.
Buffy and Angel didn't sleep much at all, only when they couldn't keep there eyes open any longer did they finally succumb to sleep.
Angel was up at the crack of dawn, he crept down the stairs to the kitchen for some strong coffee. He headed towards the verandah, as he passed her sleeping form on the couch, he avoided looking at her.
"Angel" A moan escaped her lips, he turned thinking she was awake only to see her still asleep. She arched her back into an invisible body, and another moan escaped her lips, a smile crossed her face. Angel looked at her, she was dreaming, of me no less. Then a horrible thought crossed his mind as he watched her moan in ecstasy again. She was probably dreaming about that day. His features saddened as he thought of that day again. He walked out of the house and sat on the verandah, to watch the sun rise.
He sat there for a long time thinking about that day, he was starting to brood just as he heard something behind him.
"You're up early." Buffy said as she came and sat with him, still in just his pajama top.
He turned to look at her, her hair was slightly rumpled and her cheeks were red and her skin flushed slightly. She looked good in the morning, she always looked good.
"What was your dream about?" He casually pried.
She had never seen him look like this, his hair was nicely rumpled and he had a slight 'five o'clock shadow' that accentuated his beautiful face even more. She had never seen him unshaven before, god he looked good either way.
She smiled at his features, he realized she was staring at his face. He self-consciously put a hand to his face, feeling the prickly stubble.
"The joys of being a human, the hair grows faster than it did when I was a vampire." He smiled.
"Dream? I don't dream any more." She answered his question sadly, finding it hard to tear her eyes from his face. She sat down next to him. Stared out ahead of her.
They sat there watching the sunrise slowly.
"There will probably be a storm tonight, if we're lucky." Angel said as he studied the sky.
"That will be nice, I haven't had a good storm in a long time. You know it hasn't rained in Sunnydale since m-" She stopped herself realizing what she was about to say. Her birthday, it hadn't rained since that night, the night they made love.
She was quiet.
"Birthday." He finished for her. They didn't look at each other just softly nodded, they both knew exactly.
"I'm going to the store, did you want anything." He lightened the mood.
"Shampoo and Conditioner." She said. "I only had a little bit left."
"Sure." He said then got up and left.
Buffy dropped her head into her hands. Strike two for the dickhead in the arena, today.
Angel returned a while later showered and dressed. He was wearing light brown leather pants, a deep green shirt and a brown suede jacket. He looked good in any color
"You sure that's all you want?" He asked to check.
She nonchalantly nodded.
He turned and began the walk towards the store. She watched him until he was out of sight, she liked him in the sunlight, then she returned into the house again. She didn't want to, but couldn't help herself not to snoop, she wouldn't pry into anything she just wanted to have a look around.
On to Part Four