"I'm coming, Marie!" I hollered back, leaping off my huge bed and bouncing over to stand in front of my full-length mirror. I gazed at my reflection and took a deep breath. Hopefully I looked good enough. I had dressed differently than I would at any other "tutoring" session. Usually, for Mr. Giles, my tutor, I would dress in water made me seem smart. But now, for some reason, I was dressing like a woman for this meeting with Angelus D'Aestas.
Ever since I'd first seen him outside of my father's home, when he was going to his car, I'd known there was something about him. Something dark and alluring in a way that I wasn't aware had even existed until now. There was something down in his soul that intrigued me.
When his brown eyes had first glanced up at me in the window, I had wanted to die right then and there. My heart and screamed, and my mind had flown in to over-drive. Ever since, he was all I could think about. Sure, it was probably wrong and naughty of me to have such dark and seductive thoughts at my age, especially of someone of his age-which I could only guess by his face to be about 26. But if I judged by his eyes...I would have thought he was ancient. Inunsuccessfully, to keep my thoughts on boring topics, instead of what he might look like with no shirt on...What he might smile like...Taste like.
My reflection didn't show me a soon-to-be-seventeen girl who was innocent to the world besides what her father had allowed in to her sheltered life. The reflection that stared back at me with eyes darker than usual in a hint of desire-was not the usual girl I saw. Now I looked mysterious (in my opinion) and a bit darker. Like Angelus.
My eyes had been darkened with black eye liner and mascara, and my cheeks had been flushed to a tanner shade with the extra tanning time I'd put in last week at the sun parlor in the beauty salon my mother had installed in to the back of the property.
My outfit was one that I hoped didn't leave too much to the imagination, without giving the wrong impression of being a complete "slut" who chased after every business partner my father had. I was in dark, low-riding jeans that hugged my curves perfectly, in a trite shade of blue. My top was a red, three-quarter that left part of my stomach bare, just below my belly button, and a rather low-cut V-neck in the front.
For jewelry, I had been torn on my decision, but finally I had adorned a pair of silver earrings, with a matching chain around my neck that had a silver pendant that meant "Eternity" in Chinese.
Marie entered the room now and said, "Buffy! Your father warned that you mustn't make Mr. D'Aestas wait for you. He is a busy man, and your father says that his time is hard to come by." Her French accent was clear in her voice when she talked, and she moved like any other woman from France. With purpose. With meaning. And with all the poise her short, stout body could handle.
"Okay, Marie," I smiled at her and left my room next to where she stood by the door.
She stopped me before I left and said, "Miss, I hope you plan to behave yourself. I'd hate to think that you're happy of Mr. Giles' unfortunate accident and surgery." Her voice and eyes warned me, but I was in such a good mood that I couldn't be bothered to be upset about her suspicions.
Plus, she was pretty much "on the button" with them.
"Don't worry, Marie. I'll be good," I assured her, and bounced towards the long, elegant staircase that led down to the front door.
As I descended the staircase, Angelus D'Aestas came out of the parlor, and looked up to me. His eyes caught with my own, and I had to stop moving. I stared back, my face changing in to one pure shock at just how gorgeous and perfect one man could be.
His eyes bore in to mine with a distant, appreciative gaze that I hoped was meant for the extra work I had put in on what I looked like. But still, he showed no emotion on his features otherwise. I found it hard to tell whether he was happy to see me, or whether he was mentally plotting an excuse to get up and leave after ten minutes of talking to me.
It shot me as strange how within ten seconds of seeing him, I was completely under his thrall. My mind was completely owned by the bare existence of his presence before me. The connection that I hoped he felt in return like I did, transcended passion and desire of any known type on this earth. I was quite certain that I would combust on the spot if he didn't stop looking at me like that...Like he loved me...
Suddenly my mind flashed to a vision. A dream. It was of myself, in this exact position at this same moment. I ran down the stairs to him, and he met me half way. His arms pulled me close, and his breath hitched as breath hitched as his lips plundered in to my own.
A soft moan escaped my lips, and I the ache between my legs increased ten-fold. I pressed closer to the hardness of his pants, my body telling me that what lay between those few layers of clothing, was the key to relieving the ache between my legs and the insistent need growing deep in side of me.
My stomach started to tingle as I thought of it, and for a moment, the passion and want was so intense that I thought I may lose my lunch and fall faint. I was so hot. So wanting...
My mind slipped back to reality, and I surfaced from my dream just in time to see Angelus shake his head as well, as if shaking off the exact thoughts and dreams that I was having.
But surely I was only seeing things...
**
I shook my head to rid myself of the mutual dream that I knew she had felt just now. The vision of her running towards me with such passion in her eyes...The feel of her soft body pressing closer and closer to the growing need that was held back from her through a few barriers of clothing.
It called upon over two hundred years of self control to keep from running to her and fulfilling the fantasy.
The way she looked, told me right away that she had felt something for me as well. After being around women for so long, especially when you looked like I did, I had grown very accustomed to the usual seduction tactics of the every day woman. But Buffy...She was seducing me with her presence alone.
Her innocent approach to catching my attention made me smirk for a moment, if only for a moment. The low cut neck, however much it did tempt me, made me wonder why she would go to such efforts. The available stomach told me it wanted to be loved, worshipped. But I ignored those emotions with all the control I had left.
I knew that this was going to be a very...very...very long day. And the way she looked at me with desire she probably wasn't aware she could have, was not going to make it any shorter.
I stepped forward and spoke, trying to break the intense mood between us before she turned and ran from me in fear of the darkness that I knew she could see. She was so brilliant that I knew she saw through my mask of calm collection and monoslavic demeanor.
"Buffy," I smiled slightly at her, and she started down the stairs again towards me. For a moment I could picture her coming down the stairs in the dream again, to rush towards me and...
"Good day," she smiled back, knocking me from my thoughts with her dazzling grin. Her own mask had returned, but I saw through the polite smile and words to what lay beneath. A woman waiting to be discovered...
"I trust you are well," I said, moving close and offering her my arm.
She smiled, "yes. And yourself?" Her small hand wrapped around my muscular bicep, and I wanted to kill myself on the spot from the feelings and emotions she could stir in me.
"I've never been better," I assured her, and then wanted to smack myself for coming off as a flirt. At this rate, she'd think I was a child molester by the time we made it to the library.
**
His words inflicted a blush upon me, and I wanted to die. I was sure that he could tell I was dying to see him without his shirt off. I was positive that by the time we sat down in the library, he would think I was a wanton slut...Especially if he could read my thoughts as well as I thought he could.
"I hope you didn't trouble yourself too much in coming," I tried to change the subject. "I was very looking forward to seeing you again."
He smiled again, that perfect half-smile that made my knees tremble. "It was nothing. Having someone to share and discuss my monomania for the Celt Traditions is some what of a new experience. I'm very interested to hear what you have learned."
We turned in to the library, and I rushed to reassure him, "I haven't learned that much, which is probably why you've intrigued me so much." I knew I was lying, but I didn't care. I could lie if I wanted to. Hell, I'd already condemned my soul to Hell with the dirty thoughts of Angelus that I had. Why not have fun on the trip down?
"I think we'll very much enjoy eachothers company, Buffy," he smiled at me again, and I wondered why he seemed to be teasing me so much and looking like he hated himself for it. Perhaps he felt the attraction too...Well, a girl could dare to dream, I suppose.
~~
Watching Buffy as I spoke, I believe I was more fascinated by her reactions to what I told her, than she was by what I said. Her eyes were wide in the most adorable way, and she seemed completely consumed by her desire to know more about what I knew so much about.
She asked questions only when she didn't understand the terminology I used, or who I was speaking of, but mostly she just stayed quiet to listen to me speak. I could tell that she enjoyed my presence, and even moreso, she enjoyed the sound of my voice. Vampires were like that. We could tell when a human enjoyed something. Usually we avoided that aspect, but ofcourse I was inclined to steer towards complying with every wish that Buffy's internal heart desired.
I told her stories of the ancient Druids from Ireland. I told her of the rise of one particular Dried Priest named Roarke, and of his apprentice, Connor. She was fascinated with the stories of Roarke. Of his quests for greatness, and how he tried to expand his powers without the knowledge of the church as the Catholics started to make their rise to power of the land. Buffy tilted her head to the side innocently as I explained that the Catholics-despite their denial of powers existing-believed that Roarke was a threat to their lives, especially with all of the followers that he had gathered, so they decided that they must kill him.
Her eyes widened with horror as I revealed that one day, Roarke's apprentice, Connor, unknowingly revealed Roarke's location to a disguised catholic priest. The priest then called to all in the land of Ireland, that if Roarke was not killed by his own people, that he-as well as his followers-would be put to death with no prevail.
Upon hearing this, Buffy asked nervously, "what happened to Roarke?"
"His people loved him with all they could desire in their hearts," I explained, "but at the same time, they cherished the gift of life. Roarke had taught them, not knowing that it would one day lead to his demise, that the life and soul of a being, should be most important to them. With this knowledge, Roarke's people decided to drown him. Ofcourse, with his advanced powers, Roarke knew what his people intended to do, so he began a spell.
His people found him in the forest, practicing an incantation that would allow him to 'slip through the ring of life' and be reborn the moment that he died. He also cast a spell, that would be put in to motion every time on of his minions died. When they died, they had to stay with him, in spirit, and they were never allowed to leave him. It would be their punishment for killing him, because wouldn't you fear above all, the man that you had killed?"
Buffy nodded. "So, what happened? Did they kill him?" she asked, getting more and more excited with every passing word. Her passion for knowing about these things that I loved to discuss, was infectious. I felt myself more anxious to tell this story than I had ever been before.
"Roarke's people were numerous, and they were able to catch him easily. Roarke was drowned in a river in the middle of a forest called D'eRoarke. It is named after him now. When he took his last breath, he spoke the last words of his incantation, and the moment that he lost the last of his breath, his life essence-his soul-slipped in to another time and place, being born in to a baby that is predicted to have been born in 1985," I told her. "Eighteen years ago."
"Was it true? Was the baby born?" she asked.
"The baby was born, but only a collect few know about him. There are eighteen people all over the world, that know what he knows. Three of them are descendents from the catholic priests of the time he was killed."
Buffy was silent a moment as she processed the story, and then she asked thoughtfully, "what happened to his apprentice? Connor?"
I smiled, pleased that she had remembered. It felt good to know that someone was indeed listening to me of their own free will, and not from fear. This was intrigue. Delight. It thrilled my being to the core.
"Connor fell in love with Deleina, she was the daughter of Roarke. Roarke's wife had died when Deleina was born. But one day, Deleina discovered from a priest when she went to confession, that Connor had been the one to reveal the whereabouts of her father. She was so enraged that she tried to leave Connor. Connor would have none of it, so he killed her, and he killed himself."
"That's terrible," Buffy said.
"No one ever said that the Celtic Passages were kind, Buffy," I smiled slightly at her.
She blushed and whispered, "true."
"Deleina was reborn again as well," I continued. "She was born as Roarke's sister, so he could protect her and watch over her. Connor, since he had murdered, was not allowed to come back to earth. He was a spirit. A demon of sorts. He appeared to Deleina when she was a baby. He would speak to her, and when she was older, he tried to convince her to kill herself so that they could be together. But Deleina's new mother stepped in, and had some catholic priests perform a ceremony to put up a block around the little girl. After this, Connor wasn't allowed to see her anymore."
"Angelus, who are they? Roarke and Deleina? Do you know who they were born as? Are you one of the eighteen?" She tried to act calm, though her heart was pounding so fast.
I smiled, "that, Buffy, I can not tell you."
She pouted like a child and batted her eyelashes. "Please?"
It was then that we both realized how close we had moved to eachother. I was sitting on a large couch in the library, and Buffy had moved right up next to me, facing me. She was so close. I could smell her every scent. Her perfume, that delicate vanilla scent of it. Her hair, a citrus and vanilla aroma. And her other scents. When I looked at her, I caught the scent of her arousal, and I tried to inconspicuously inhale it.
She noticed me move, and her eyes locked on my own. Deep brown stared in to gentle green. She was so delicate down to the last strand of hair. Even her eyelashes seemed innocent.
Suddenly, my lips moved of their own accord, and did something that my conscious brain of rationalization told me was stupid and immoral. I asked her, "will you accompany to dinner this evening?"
She didn't respond verbally, as her eyes continued to seep desire in to my own. It was so much to handle. How could one small girl make me feel so crazy with want?
We were interrupted from our lock, when someone entered the room. "Miss. Summers," a short, young girl said politely.
Buffy turned to look at the girl, and she stared at her for a moment until it seeped through to her reality, that someone was speaking directly to her. "Yes?" she asked, and followed shortly with, "Lacey?" I assumed it was the young girl's name. The Summers' residence was very informal, but the names all seemed so old amongst the staff. So basic and old fashioned.
"Miss, there is a call for you. It is a Miss. Willow. Shall I have her call back at a later point and tell her you have company?" Lacey asked, glancing over at me to take a long look.
**
Lacey's look at Angelus sent my entire being in to a frenzy. Something inside of me was screaming that he was mine, and that no woman should have the right to look at him in a way of lust that condemns her own soul much like my own was at that moment.
I stood up abruptly, causing her gaze to shoot to me. Mission accomplished. But now to get rid of her. How? Sure, Lacey was just a hand maid around the house, but perhaps Angelus would want her because she was so pretty. I thought of something quickly that would get her gone. Angelus had invited me to dinner. Hadn't he? Had it been a dream? Hopefully not. If it was, I was about to make a grand fool of myself.
I paced back and forth once and put a hand to my forehead. "Lacey, um...Tell Willow I'll call her later, and...Tell Marie that I won't be attending dinner this evening, so not to worry about serving anything."
"Might I give Marie a reason?" Lacey asked politely.
**
She turned to look at me then, and I hoped that the excitement and anticipation of her possibly accepting my invitation was not evident in my eyes. She smiled in an adorable way. "I have other plans."
~~
Dinner with Buffy was different than anything I could have expected. But then again, I hadn't really been expecting anything, for then I would be forced to believe that I had indeed made the foolish mistake of revealing that I had an interest in her. It was idiotic. It was moronic. It was just one more thing on my long list of deeds that would condemn my soul to Hell. Well, it would be an interesting trip down, I guessed.
Dinner was quiet but enjoyable between us in a small, French restaurant that barely anyone knew about. This was one of those exclusive places that only a select few "liked" billionaires could go. Being known as the one with the "angelic face" I was rather liked. I enjoyed coming here, but I usually went on my own, like everything else I did. But oddly enough, it felt right to have brought Buffy here with me.
We discussed little things over our dinner. We talked a little of the Celtic Passages-only the things that Buffy shamefully admitted she still didnt understand. We talked about my schooling on the matters, on why I had chosen that training and changed my direction to business. Ofcourse, everything I said was edited. I couldn't simply tell her that I knew all of the Celtic Tales, because I'd lived through most of them, and even been included in a few.
"What about you?" I asked, smiling for a change. I found myself oddly inclined to do such strange things around Buffy. Like smile. Listen with intrigue. State my true opinion.
"What about me?" she asked, taking a delicate bite of her dessert; something the French called Chocolate Desiree. In my opinion, it could much simpler be described as chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce and shredded truffles laced throughout. However, the French were definitely different. Affectionately, I could call them "special".
"Well, what do you plan to do?" I asked. "Do you want to take over you father's business? Go to school and major in world history? I mean, you can do anything you want."
She smiled and licked her lips for the remaining bits of chocolate unconsciously. That simple act made my thoughts turn dark so fast. The way she affected me was impossible, and it seemed that with every breath she took, her inner darkness-though completely denied of existence and presence-was screaming to me to be embraced.
"World history?" she frowned. "Never. History is not my thing at all. The Celtic Passages and such, that's different. That's interesting because it's just like hearing stories of a beautiful time where things were easier, and prettier. It makes me so envious of all that they had back then...Even though I can't imagine living without running water and a hair dryer." She looked down at her plate, and then back up at me. Wrinkling her nose slightly, she asked, "I'm not making any sense here, am I?"
I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant. "You make perfect sense to me." I longed for the days of my childhood for how simple life could be, but then again there were so many wonderful things about technology and modern advances that made me almost forget how wonderful it could be to just lay on my back as a boy and gaze up at the stars with Faith.
It was strange how just being around Buffy almost made it possible for me to remember that I had once had a loving family, and a real life. I guess my thoughts of my past showed on my face, for Buffy asked in a concerned way, "are you okay?"
I looked at her for a long second, and my breath caught in my lips. She was so genuine. So beautiful. Perhaps I should take her home now, before this got any worse. Before I let myself give in to the urges of pretending that I was human. That I was normal. That I was remotely close to her age.
"In the library," I began, letting my words come straight from my mouth, rather than my head. "In the library, you jumped to make Lacey leave us...Why did you do that?" It had really made me wonder, and now I was desperate for something believable to talk about before I started spilling my entire life and non-life story.
She started to blush, and she seemed to be fumbling around her vocabulary for some words that made sense and explained her actions without making her vulnerable to me. "I, uh...I just wanted to have you-I mean, I wanted to be alone with...God, this really isn't coming out right. Or at all, actually. I mean, when I first saw you when I came down the stairs, it was like I had this vision," she looked up and a look of fondness entered her eyes,
She stopped suddenly before she could reveal what I already knew. She had felt the same things that I had, and desired the same reaction from me that I so wished for from her.
"I can't believe I just started saying that," she shook her head. "I don't know. Being around you makes me want to be...honest. Which is unusual, because around businessmen, that's probably the last thing that anyone in their right mind would want to do. But I guess I'm not exactly in my right mind around you," she looked at me then.
I froze, hoping she didn't see through me. The warmth was tugging at the hinges of my cold sweater, and it was making me squirm in my seat. I could only pray to whatever powers existed, that I wasn't noticeable as I squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked after a moment, sounding so calm. It was like suddenly the tables had turned, and I was the sixteen year old with no experience in life.
I nodded numbly, keeping my gaze and exterior dark and hopefully unreadable to her.
She looked down, and then to me, "why'd you really ask me to dinner? I know it's not so you can discuss more of the Catholic Religion's rise to power in Ireland in the 1800's, because you've barely mentioned that, so...Why did you really want to...?" She trailed off, hoping in her mind that I would fill in the rest of the question for her.
I spotted an eyelash that had come loose from her eye lid, on her cheek. It was the perfect excuse to steer conversation from answering the question she had asked, because in all honesty I didn't have an answer for her.
I leaned over the small table, and with my finger, I picked up the eyelash from her cheek. She looked down at my finger, and smiled. "Make a wish," I whispered.?
Her eyes shot to me, and she smiled once more. Then she blew the eyelash off my finger. I lowered my finger once more and I asked her, "what did you wish for, Buffy?"
A playful tease gleam shot in to her eye, and she said, "no no. You know I can't tell you, or else it won't come true."
"Do you think it will anyways?" I raised an eyebrow at her curiously.
She looked at me and said, "I can always dream, can't I?"
~~
After dinner, I directed the limousine chauffeur to take us home, and the ride in the limo was basically silent. It wasn't that we had nothing to talk about, or that we were uncomfortable around eachother. But it was more that we were content to be in a comfortable silence around eachother. This was something rare that I had never experienced with any vampire, or human for that matter. I used to ask Darla if she could stand to just sit with me and enjoy the world as it passed us by, but she would usually quit within a minute if she agreed at all. She would need to speak, or to do something to keep her mind going.
Darla wasn't exactly the brightest star in the skies.
The limousine parked in front of the Summer's estate, and Buffy looked out the window at her home. "Weird," she said after a moment. "All of that space and size, and I use only a small portion of my wing of the house. Makes me wonder just why we have such a big place that we don't use. I mean...We have saunas that never get used. We have bathrooms that I don't know about, I'm sure. We have a full servant's quarters with twenty bedrooms, and only four servants. Why do we have all this space if we don't use it?"
"Perhaps your father is a man that likes to flaunt his wealth and power, and enjoy it while he has it. Perhaps he thinks one day he won't have the means to own such a glorious home," I suggested nonchalantly.
She frowned, "or maybe he's just making up for smaller things."
My eyes widened. Had she really just said that? I was in complete shock. I looked at her, and the realization of what she said dawned in her eyes. She started to blush furiously. "Sorry, I'm just...Around some of my friends there�s dirty jokes and I guess I kind of just got..."
I saved her by saying, "it's okay, Buffy. I'm glad you can relax like that around me. I want to be your friend."
Her eyes and entire mood darkened, and she asked in a low voice, "just my friend?" Her eyes blinked up to look at me.
I paused in anything. Reaction. Words. Movements. I couldn't think of what in the Hell to do. My internal instincts were telling me to run. To get her away from me as fast as possible. But the warmth that was nipping playfully at the cold resting around me, was telling me how good it would feel to simply pull her in to my arms. I knew she wouldn't object. But would it be right to take advantage of such a beautiful creature?
My mind suddenly stopped, and I moved of my own accord, letting my body guide my movements instead of the usually-controlled parts of my brain. Something inside my body with the IQ of a shellfish, had decided that worries could wait.
I moved closer to her with the remembered grace of a jungle cat. After so many years, I had nailed my movements down to fluid motions, and everything just seemed to flow with me.
My hand reached out to cup her face. Her skin was so warm, and I could feel her hot breath coming shorter now against my skin. It was warming me down to the cool of my toes. It was perfection. I could feel my cold heart melting beneath her breath.
Her eyes shut, and for a moment I took the time to catch this image, so that it would be a memory forever. And then her lips came out to meet my own, as if she was tired of waiting for me to decide whether or not I would take the risk and jump with her.
The kiss was sweet, warm, and for some reason making me feel hotter than I had ever felt in my neutral temperature body. Somewhere in my mind, someone was screaming for me to stop, but the rest of me body and soul were telling me how right this was.
I pulled her that little bit closer, and she sighed contentedly against my lips, and allowed her mouth to part slightly in to an invitation that was to sweet to refuse. My tongue licked over her lips and I dipped in for a taste of the sweet taste of her. It was just as I could imagine. Paradise. She tasted faintly of chocolate from her dessert, and that vanilla scent that drove me insane was engulfing my mind and my senses. All of them.
I tried to savor the moment, knowing despite what my body told me, that this couldn't go any further, no matter how much her body was calling to me for consumption. I broke off the kiss in a tender way that told her we had to stop, though I didn't want to.
I gazed in to her eyes, which were almost grey now with the desire and passion she was feeling. "I'll walk you in," I whispered.
She nodded out of her head's own will, and licked across her lips. I doubt she knew how much that simple gesture made me want to tell the limousine driver to get out of the car and come back in a few hours. But something inside me resisted the possibilities, and I allowed my body to move towards the door.
**
I stepped in to my room, and shut the door behind me. I leaned back against it, hearing and feeling my head go THUMP! against the mahogany wood. Wow, was all that my brain could come up with since Angelus had kissed me.
True, it hadn't been my first kiss, but then again it had been. I had been "kissed" by other boys before, but not like that. That kiss was passing the stage of simple "lip locking" in to the stage of a complete physical and mental completion that I doubted I could ever feel with anyone else in such a way after this night. That was the gold standard by which any other kiss would ever be measured. For that matter, so was Angelus.
I had to talk. I had to get my brain to work, and then I had to just talk. Usually I would call Lacey in and gush to her, but since she seemed to like Angelus, I decided not to-despite the fact that it may warn her off for good. I went to my closet, willing my thoughts to start again.
As I changed in to some silk pajama bottoms and a tank top, my mind started up very slowly, to a point where thoughts were coming in half-way. As I brushed my hair out, washed my face, and brushed my teeth, I gathered more and more of myself so that I was basically a person.
I sat down on my bed twenty minutes later, and picked up my phone. Willow. I had to call Willow. Plus, she had called earlier so there was another reason that she was the perfect person to call.
She picked up on the third ring and said, "hello?"
"Hey Wil, it's me!" I said with a bright smile playing across my features. I couldn't seem to stop smiling.
"Buffy! Oh my God, what happened? Lacey said you were going out to dinner with someone. Who was it? Your parents are away, so it has to be a boy, seeing as how your nearest relative is five hundred miles away, and I'm your only girlfriend."
I laughed at Willow's rambles. "It was a guy," I said, laying back on my bed. "But not a boy."
"Not following," Willow was frowning, I could tell. "You went out with a drag queen?" she offered.
"No, Wil," I laughed. "Remember that business deal my dad made that I told you about briefly that's going to get him away from home a lot more?"
"Oh yeah! I remember. And let me add 'yippee'!" She shrieked.
I laughed, "I know. I think so too."
"But what does that have to do with the date?" she asked.
"That's just it...I went out with my dad's new business partner," I blushed as I admitted it.
"What?!" Willow was shocked. "Buffy, isn't he like fifty if he's your dad's business partner?!"
"No, Wil," I rushed to reassure her. "He's like twenty six or something."
"That's still pretty old, Buffy. But tell me what happened. You know this is dangerous, don't you?" she asked.
"I know. I mean, if I got him pissed at me, he could call of the thing with my dad, and it would be a living Hell here with my father for a few days..."
I was silent a moment, and then Willow and I both shrugged and said, "oh well. Too bad."
"So what happened?" Willow asked, and I could tell by the background noises that she was moving to cuddle up in her bed and listen to me. We did this a lot. Sometimes we'd fall asleep, still on the phone with eachother.
"Oh my God, Wil," I sighed dreamily and stretched my stomach muscles. "I can't imagine anything better."
**
"I can't imagine anything worse, Spike!" I groaned, pacing back and forth in front of one of my latest business partners. Spike was my new assistant, and he was the only person I could think of that would be half-interested in listening to me rant and rave. Usually I could just brood, but now that Buffy had happened... Things were changing.
I was changing.
"Calm down, Peaches. Im sure it's not all that bad," Spike said in a muffled voice as he lit his cigarette. He took a long draw of it and then said as he let the smoke fly out his mouth with practiced ease, "I mean, you obviously like the poof, right?"
I sighed as I paced. "She's not a 'poof', William, and for Christ's sake, will you put that cigarette out!"
He rolled his eyes and stamped it against my antique, mahogany table. "Well, do you like the bit or not?"
"She's different," I stopped moving. "I've met lots of people in my time, Spike, and...She's just..." I couldn't think of what to say.
"Perfect?" Spike offered.
"Possibly," I conquered, nodding softly as it sunk in that perhaps Buffy was the most perfect thing in the world.
Spike stood and came over to me, "well, Angel, if you love her, then what are you worrying about so much?" His crisp accent floated around his tongue like it didn't exist.
"That she'll love me back," I said quietly.
~~