Angel was rapidly coming to a conclusion. He hated Giles. No, he didn't really, but he hated hiding his feelings from Willow. He had never been in love before, well, that he could remember, but the point was, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops, to take her in his arms and never let her go. He hadn't even realized that he was in love with her until Giles pointed it out, but the Watcher had effectually prevented any sort of declaration in the same breath.
So instead of getting down on bended knee, he was quietly banging his head against a wall while she got her things from another room in the mansion. It didn't hurt, it was just something to do to keep from going crazy. Of course, not really knowing the mansion layout very well, he wasn't aware that the wall he had chosen was the only thing separating him from the one person constantly in his thoughts...
****
Willow looked up from her laptop at the noise. She had been packing it up to take it home, figuring that Angel's new attitude would mean the end to her stay at the mansion. Shrugging, she looked back down to the cord she had been winding.
This time, it couldn't be her imagination. She waited a moment, and again...
She slowly put the laptop on the floor and crawled in the direction of the noise.
'What on earth?' she wondered. It sounded like it was coming from the wall.
Definitely the wall. She fancied she could even see the spot on thewall where the sound was coming from. If she guessed correctly, then the sound should be coming from...
The main room. Where Angel was. Up until recent events, she would have just called out his name and asked if he was alright. Since he had started acting differently, though, she was hesitant. So, she tiptoed across the room and slid out the doorway.
The sound was fainter since she had left the room, but she could still hear it.
Hardly daring to breathe, she pressed herself up against the hallway wall. Inching ever closer to the end, she finally reached the corner and peered around.
Angel was making the noise.
By banging his head against the wall. It took an enormous effort not to laugh out loud, but she managed it. She quietly snuck up behind him. He would normally have sensed her, but he was somewhat...occupied.
"You know, I don't think that's going to knock any of the memories loose," she said suddenly. Angel whirled around with a gasp.
"Willow, I didn't hear you-- how long have you been standing there?"
She had to laugh at that, but there was concern in her eyes as she put a hand on his arm. "Angel, is something wrong? Because, you know, playing battering ram isn't really normal behavior."
'Oh, don't touch me,' he mentally pleaded. 'It sends sparks up my arm and then it's so hard to think...'
Of course, the fact that he wished she would stop didn't mean it wasn't unpleasant when she did.
"No, nothing's wrong. Just, you know, rough day."
She nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm going to go finish what I was doing. If you need me for anything, just call."
'If I need you?' he thought. 'If only you knew how much I do.'
That was when the phone rang.
****
Giles returned to the library to find Xander and Buffy laughing over the remains of a Hershey Bar wrapper. The sight of her smile brought a lump to his throat.
"Well, I can see that you found some chocolate to tide you over, but I have more. Much, much more."
Buffy and Xander's eyes grew wide as Giles unloaded his purchases. He had managed to find a dazzling array of every chocolate Buffy could have desired. There was everything from M+M's to Godiva, from devil's food cake to imported Swiss chocolate. There was even a jar of Dove hot fudge sauce, complete with spoon.
"Oh, Giles," Buffy breathed. "I'm speechless."
"Your mouth shouldn't be used for talking right now anyway, Buffy," Xander grinned.
In response, she chose a truffle from the gold wrapped Godiva box. After taking a bite, she turned to Giles. "You know what is so weird about this whole thing?"
"Godiva spelled backwards is Avidog?"
She looked at Xander for a long moment, neither blinking nor chewing. Returning to Giles, she continued. "Willow seems convinced that Angel isn't in love with her."
Giles looked away as he nodded. "Yes, well, he isn't the easiest person to read..."
Buffy snorted. "For you, maybe. If there's one thing that Angel reveals, it's who he's in love with. I guess it's just Willow's disbelief that he could have feelings for her. I mean, it's perfectly obvious."
Giles cleared his throat. "Well, yes, perhaps." He stood and walked towards the circulation desk, but Buffy's voice stopped him cold.
"Giles, what do you know?"
"What do you mean?"
"Giles, don't lie to me. You're failing miserably at concealing things from me, and lying is harder. Did you-- do something?"
He sighed and took off his glasses. "I merely suggested that Angel be a little less...obvious in his affection. For your sake," he ended rather lamely.
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Giles, do you know what you just did? Good gracious, it's a miracle he's even speaking to her after that. Well, I guess it's up to me to save the day."
"Isn't that kind of a step down from saving the world?" Xander asked.
"I mean, saving the world is pretty big. Isn't it regressing to just save one day?"
"You keep thinking about that one, Xand. Giles, I need your phone."
****
Willow reluctantly broke eye contact with Angel to look at the ringing phone. "You should probably get that," she murmured. He slowly walked over to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Angel, it's Buffy. How are you?"
"Fine, fine." He began to panic. What if she was going to try and make him love her again? He wasn't sure he could-
"Angel, is Willow there?"
Oh good. She just wanted to talk to Willow. "Let me get her for you-"
"No, I want to talk to you."
Dang.
"Look, Angel, Giles told me what he told you earlier. About hiding your love for Willow."
Hellfire and damnation.
"Anyway, I wanted to tell you to completely forget everything he said, he meant well but it was badly done. The chocolate was excellently done, but the advice, bad."
What? Chocolate?
"So, Angel, not that it's my business, but I figure our sudden amnesia induced breakup makes your business at least partially my business, especially as it concerns my best friend. Anyway, did you kiss her yet?"
Angel froze. "What did you say?"
"Guess that's a big no. Look, don't waste any more time. We wasted a lot of time when we were together, so I have no patience for it anymore. Here's your job: walk over to her, grab her and kiss her till she can't walk straight. Meanwhile, I have more chocolate to eat. See ya."
"Wait-" he cried, but she had already hung up.