Title: Sharing the Burn
Author: Foxhunt2blue
Summary: If the burn gets to much
to bear can it's heat be shared? 
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: "Unleashed" Season 5 Angel
Disclaimer: Joss and all his little Mutant
friends own Angel and all his friends!
Feedback: Please! It makes a girl happy.
E-mail: foxhunter2blue@yahoo.com
 
~~~
 
She had thought she had the perfect
life, but then maybe she was a fool.
 
Nothing's perfect.
 
Sitting on the window ledge Nina Ash
felt the fear rising back from the dark
little box she had locked it in almost a
month ago. Her gaze lifted to the night
sky where the waxing moon counted
down what time she had left. Each night
another sliver thicker, she thought.
 
Eyes drifting shut she rested her head
against the window frame as the sounds 
and scents of a Los Angeles night filled
her. Eucalyptus and orange blossoms
mixed with exhaust from the nearby 
freeway. Somewhere down the street
someone was playing the Adagio from
Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty' while
crystal glasses tipped in salute.
 
It was beautiful, amazing, and terrifying
rolled all into one.
 
Like being reborn.
 
Beneath her on the second floor she
could hear the soft breathing of her
sister Gill and her niece Amanda. The
scent of their blood strong and sweet.
 
A sob caught in her throat as her eyes
flew open---her vision a smear of light
and shadow. The closer the full moon
came the harder it was to fight the
call of the wild. A burning in her blood
so hot she thought sure she would
explode into a ball of fire.
 
"What do you want?" She whispered
into the darkness.
 
"How are you doing?" 
 
She turned her head just enough that
she caught a glimpse of pale skin and
dark eyes hidden in the foliage of the
tree outside her window.
 
"Okay...I guess." 
 
Before she could take another breath
he was setting on the roof ledge---long
legs dangling over the edge. His scent
was unique, she thought, leaning closer
as he glanced over at her.
 
"It's close...I thought...," 
 
For a two hundred-plus year old vampire
he was bad at the whole talking thing.
 
"You've been here almost every night
Angel...so don't bother. You're a bad
liar...has anyone ever told you that?"
 
The corner of his mouth twitched as
if he were trying to smile. "Yeah...you
would think as old as I am I could do
better by now. How did you know?"
 
She choked back a snort. "Oh, I
don't know...maybe it has something
to do with being a werewolf? Being able
to scent you from at least a mile away."
 
If she didn't know better she could have
sworn Angel was blushing. Did vampires
blush? Hell...could they blush?
 
"You're getting the hang of this quicker
than I would have thought," he whispered.
 
"It's either that or go crazy. I don't have
much choice do I?"
 
"I'm sorry." His soft apology annoyed her.
 
"It's not your fault...really Angel...Loren
was right."
 
"What did Judy Garland the Emerald 
songstress have to say." Angel snorted
as he caught a leaf that drifted past him.
 
Nina's brow furrowed. "That you're the
original guilt boy...," another snort, "...that
you have the hots for me."
 
Angel's head snapped around his dark eyes
flickering with gold. "I do not...," he hissed
between his clenched teeth.
 
"Whatever." She waved him off as she 
slipped back inside her room.
 
Moving across the room she flicked on the 
bedside lamp and reached for her brush. As
her fingers released her ponytail she glanced
up. Angel was peering through the window
at her as if he wanted to say something.
 
"Why are you lurking out there?" She raised
a brow as she began to run the brush through
her hair.
 
"I'm a vampire." He stated it as if it should
mean something to her.
 
"Duh! I know that." 
 
"I have to be invited." Angel sighed.
 
"Oh...," Nina smiled, "...are all the legends
true about vampires then?"
 
"Depends."
 
"Holy water?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Crosses?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Garlic?"
 
"It stinks."
 
Nina began giggling. "Please tell me that you
don't sleep in a coffin."
 
Angel's face pruned up.
 
"I guess that's a no?"
 
"No." His eyes rolled as his mouth spread in
a wide smile. "So are you going to invite me
in or not? It's not exactly easy clinging to the
edge of a roof."
 
"One more thing." She stood moving to the
window.
 
"What?" Angel shifted nervously.
 
"Are vampires as good as they say."
 
Outside Angel frowned in confusion.
 
"Come in," Nina whispered in exasperation.
 
Angel glided through the window---graceful
and slick---like a big cat. When he finally 
stood in front of her he spoke. 
 
"Good at what?" He asked.
 
"Use your imagination." 
 
Her hand drifted up to cup his cool pale
cheek, drawing him down until their fore-
heads touched.
 
"Nina...," he whispered her name as his 
own hand rose to tangle in the gold strands
of her hair. "We can't."
 
"Can't what?" Her lips drifted to his.
 
"There are things you don't know." Angel
tried to pull away, but she was stronger
than she looked. Werewolf...stupid, he
thought.
 
"Then tell me...we have all night."
 
A look of anguish passed over his face,
tears shimmering in his dark eyes. "I'm
cursed...that's why I have a soul. I could
lose my soul again."
 
"Again?" She tugged his arm until he moved
with her setting on the edge of the bed. 
 
"Trust me you don't want to find out." His
shoulders slumped as her arm curled around
him.
 
"Exactly what would be able to take your 
soul away?" 
 
"True happiness." Came his soft reply.
 
Nina laughed then causing Angel to lift his
head---eyes filled with confusion. 
 
"What?"
 
"Angel don't tell me you've never had 
sex without losing your soul. You can 
have sex...right?"
 
This time she was sure he blushed. "Sex?"
 
"Yes silly. Sex. Just pure lust-filled mindless
sex." Nina's soft laugh sent a shiver through
Angel's body.
 
"Well...yes...once with Darla, but...,"
 
"Who's Darla?" She met his dark gaze, her
fingers twisting in her hair nervously. Why 
did it matter, she wondered.
 
"She...was...my sire." His voice was filled
with a sad longing as he answered.
 
"Your sire?"
 
"The one who turned me into what I am."
 
Angel's eyes drifted back to the window. His
body might be here, but his mind was a 
thousand miles away. For what ever reason
mention of his sire reminded him of something
heartbreaking and Nina had a feeling it wasn't
Darla that had broke his heart.
 
"You know...I owe you Angel."
 
He shook his dark head in denial. "You don't
owe me anything Nina...nothing at all." He 
stood to go, but her hand stopped him in his
tracks.
 
"Stay," she whispered.
 
"I can't." 
 
"Just let me comfort you...I swear no hanky-
panky. I won't lie to you. I want you bad
enough to drive me crazy, but I suppose you
already knew that...didn't you?"
 
Angel smiled. 
 
It was obvious that she wanted him---her scent
was intoxicating---that's why he had started to
leave. He had hated it when Loren had teased
him about Nina. The others had even got in on
it when Wesley discovered he had been going
out each night to check on the young werewolf. 
He knew that they were only trying to get him 
to let go of Cordy, but it was hard.
 
"Okay...," he sat back down on the bed.
 
"Okay?" Nina looked into his eyes questioning
his reply.
 
"Yes...I'll stay."
 
Reaching out she pushed his jacket over his
shoulders, then tossed it across the room. He
kicked off his shoes with a faint smile and 
crawled onto the bed until he was laying on his
side. His gaze never left hers as she stretched
out next to him---her head coming to rest on
his shoulder---one arm draping across his 
chest.
 
"You're cold," she whispered.
 
"I'm a vampire," he laughed in reply.
 
"Can you ever be warm?" He glanced down
to see a bittersweet sadness in her eyes.
 
"Sometimes...after I feed."
 
"I'll keep you warm Angel," her whisper sent
another shiver through his body. One of her 
legs lifted to drape across his hips.
 
Angel shifted as she lifted up on one arm 
shutting off the bedside lamp. In the pale 
moonlight that was left he could almost 
believe that instead of Nina it was Buffy
that curled around him. It wasn't fair to
her, but he needed something to feel 
right---if only for one night.
 
"I'm scared," Nina whispered against his
chest---her breath soft and warm. "What
if I can't work everything out...what if...,"
 
"...wishes were horses then beggars could
ride." Angel smiled as she looked up through
golden lashes. "There's never any guarantees
in this world Nina."
 
"I know," she sighed snuggling closer to him.
 
"So have you decided whether to tell your
sister or not?"
 
A soft snicker drifted up from the woman
in his arms. "Even if I did I don't think Gill
would believe me. Christ if you had ask me
a month ago if I believed in werewolves,
vampires, or demons I would have laughed
in your face. Gill would probably have me
committed."
 
With that final comment the silence closed
in around them as they lay curled in each 
other's arms. 
 
~~~
 
Angel opened his eyes as he sensed the
sunrise approaching. For a moment he was
still caught in the silken strands of a dream.
 
He could still smell her perfume.
 
"Buffy?" He mumbled as he blinked the
sleep from his eyes. Glancing down at
the honey blonde head against his shoulder
the dream began to fade. "Nina." Her name
tasted sweet on his lips as he brushed her
hair from her sleeping face.
 
She mumbled as she shifted in his arms.
 
"Nina." His voice rose.
 
Nina rolled over scrubbing at her eyes. 
 
"Angel?" Smiling at him she sat up---her
fingers running through her tangled hair.
"You stayed...even after I fell asleep?"
 
"Well...I sort of fell asleep too." He grinned
sheepishly at her. 
 
"You...fell asleep?" Nina raised one brow.
 
Standing Angel slipped into his shoes,
then turned back to Nina his eyes glittering
in the shadows. "You know something I think 
I found a new way to get warm." Leaning
in he claimed her lips with a gentle kiss.
 
Pulling back he studied her expression with
dark eyes waiting for a response. All Nina
could do was smile.
 
"I'll see you in two days Nina." Angel turned
away slipping through the window.
 
Jumping up from the bed she ran to the 
window. Her gaze followed Angel as he 
crossed the lawn, then vanished around 
the corner into the fading night.
 
Maybe she wouldn't be incinerated by the
burning in her blood after all. Now she had
someone to share the burn with.
 
"Two days," she whispered as she turned
away from the rising sun.
 
The End