Angel looked in disbelief at the phone he still held in his hand. Had Buffy honestly said what he thought she had said?
He must have looked upset, because Willow walked over to him. "Angel, what's wrong? Who was that? Is there evil brewing? Are you okay?"
He stared at her silently for a moment. Then, he gingerly replaced the phone in its cradle. "That was Buffy," he said quietly.
Willow paled. "Really? What did she have to say?" She was trying to look disinterested. She was trying very hard, but she didn't have Angel's acting ability, and her eyes conveyed her emotions wordlessly.
'She looks frightened,' Angel thought. 'But why would she be frightened?'
"Do you think you're going to fall in love with her again?" she asked suddenly.
That was about the time that Angel realized he wasn't the only person who had fallen in love, and suddenly, concealing his emotions became an impossibility as he laughed out loud.
"Fall in love with her again? Willow, haven't you been paying attention?" He moved towards her, and for a moment Willow thought she could practically see him as he had been in the past-- sensual and confident and utterly charming.
"I may have lived a long time, sweeting, but even I haven't learned how to love two people at once." His arms slowly slid around her trembling waist. His hands may have been cool, but they felt like fire to her as they clasped the small of her back.
"Two...at...once?" Willow whispered.
"Can't be done," he replied, determined to have the final word before they ended the conversation. Of course, it wasn't that they stopped communicating. It was more that they stopped using words.
As his lips first brushed hers ever so softly, the thought flashed through her mind that there was no way he could be comparing her to Buffy, the love of his life who he couldn't remember. Then all thoughts fled as her brain gave up in its effort to shout above the clamor of the rest of her body.
The kiss was begun with a sweetness that rivalled that of the chocolate being consumed back at the library. Something about finally requited love will always have that effect, but it was compounded for Willow and Angel due to their long and trying day of denial. Angel would always remember his very first taste of her mouth, and Willow her delight in being tasted.
There is probably no one circumstance that changed the kiss from tender to passionate. It was more likely a heady combination of different factors. Part was certainly Willow's delicate hands making their way up Angel's chest, eventually reaching around to curl in the hair at the nape of his neck. Another part had to be Angel unconsciously lifting Willow off the ground in his embrace.
Then there was that true love thing. It was certainly involved in the transition.
The point is, that neither of them had ever needed someone else so much.
****
Buffy lazily pulled the spoon out of her mouth. "Oof," she eloquently groaned.
"I second your 'oof'," Xander muttered.
"Indeed." Giles replied. "I don't think I'll ever move again," he said a moment later.
"You know, I think I can actually hear my arteries clogging," Buffy said conversationally.
"Nice image, Buff," Xander rolled his eyes.
"Still, it was good chocolate. Very good chocolate. The sort of chocolate dreams are made of."
Xander finally managed to stand, with great effort. "Hoo boy." He looked around the library, his eyes landing on an object underneath a chair.
"Uh-oh," he said.
"What? Not evil, I hope. The only way I could vanquish evil at this point would be by sitting on it," Buffy reflected.
"No, not evil. But Willow left her purse here."
"So?"
"So she might need it."
"Xander, Willow is at the mansion with Angel. She isn't going to need her purse."
"But what if she needs her wallet?"
"She will not be shopping tonight, if Angel paid any attention to me."
Giles frowned at that remark. "Paid any attention to you?"
"Well, what about her keys? So she can get inside her house?" Xander insisted.
"Xander..."
"I could drop it off at the mansion. It's no problem."
"No, it is a problem, which is why you will give me the purse and I will give it to Willow tomorrow."
"But...keys..." Xander repeated.
Buffy sighed in exasperation. "Look, if there's one thing Angel can do, it's keep a girl occupied. Just give me the purse."
"Fine. I'll just call her to tell her we found it," Xander sighed.
"NO!" Buffy scrambled out of her chair to prevent Xander from touching the phone. "Don't interrupt them!"
Giles cleared his throat. "Buffy, am I to understand that you will be living vicariously through Willow from now on, and will therefore be doing everything in your power to further her relationship with Angel, in light of the fact that your own relationship with him has ended? Am I to further understand that you are hereby making it your duty to spare their relationship of all the difficulties you yourself experienced with Angel?"
"Yup," she replied.
Giles stood up purposefully, remaining silent for a full ten seconds.
"Very good." With that, he began to pick up the remnants of their chocolate banquet.