Title: To Love

TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Author: Beloved Slayer

Rating: T

Summary: She despises him to the bone, but Buffy realizes in the end that she can't live without Angel. Will it be too late for her to confess her true feelings before he leaves her behind? One-shot.

Author's Notes: I don't write a lot of fan fiction stories inspired by real life, but I decided to change that for this little one-shot that is loosely inspired as I believe there's no better way to translate that but into a Buffy and Angel story. It's possible I may continue this as long-term later on, but nothing is definite. This is for sure alternate universe and all human; some of the elements from my Pretty In Black story will also be included here, though it is not a sequel. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter One

She looks out into the next door neighbor's open window, her eyes glinting with a look of malicious glee that would startle those closest to her, most especially her best friend, Willow Rosenberg.

She unhooks the telephone cord that was entwined between her fingers, a grin that was not exactly a welcoming smile plastering on her face as she plopped herself near the window sill, her legs folding underneath her. Sunlight streamed through the window, signaling that today would be yet another beautiful day in the small town of Sunnydale, California.

To her inner relief, she felt herself relaxed, though not completely as her shoulders rose in tension, leaving her to bristle.

"So, did he leave or is he still there?" Willow asks on the other line, her voice lacking of her usual enthusiasm but full of disapproval. How anyone could be so full of joy at the fact that Angel Liam would be gone for the next two years was something that Willow would never understand. Usually Buffy was never the type to be so vindictive, but in Angel's case, it was the unfortunate fact that Willow had come to realize, no matter how many attempts she had tried to knock some decency into her stubborn friend.

Despite the attempts, Buffy had never budged.

"Yep, he's still here, Will. Still packing his bags. I can't wait to see him go, "Buffy's voice beamed, flashing her wisdom teeth at nothing in particular as her eyes continued to monitor Angel's movements of entering and exiting his home with various suitcases.

"Buffy, how can you be like this? What did he ever do to you?"

"You mean besides the fact that everyone in the world practically worships him like he's some kind of invincible rock god? When I watched him parading around on TV that one time, I had the urge to slap him upside the head. Let's not forget the fact that whenever he's around me, he acts like a pompous, self-important ass. I'm not impressed, no matter how many accomplishments he's made; no matter how many women out there believe that he's handsome or that they want to marry him. The list just goes on, Will. Do I really need to explain myself any further?"

"Seriously, Buffy, everyone knows that you're in love with him. Even Cordelia sees it. All that complaining is only hiding how you really feel about him, so why do you have to keep denying it?" Willow interjected, disdain laced in her voice.

Buffy's eyebrows heightened in unison.

"Will, I am so not denying anything. Me denying how I feel would be like denying that pepperoni doesn't go with pizza." She stood to her feet, feeling the quickening pulse of her heart in her wrists and throat, the fresh words of her best friend swimming through her mind, leaving a trail of memories that she would rather not remember.

"Oh, really? Is that how you feel then? 'Cause I'm not buying it. But I'll tell you what. I'll be at your house in twenty minutes, and we'll both say our goodbyes to him. No pressure to confess about anything else, but you can't keep lying to yourself. I've seen the way you look at him, Buffy. You try so hard not to let anyone see because you're scared of falling for someone. But you have to realize that love is not always going to be so terrible. It can be really…nice. It's not always gonna be like what you had with what's his face."

Unbeknownst to Willow, Buffy rolled her eyes, trying to stifle a snort at her expense. "Easy for you to say. You have Oz," she retorted with an impish grin.

"Oh, stop it. I'm on my way. See you in a few." The telephone line clicked, ending the conversation while leaving a disgruntled Buffy to her thoughts.

Twenty minutes had passed uneventfully and both Willow and Buffy were standing in front of her house, engaging in a moment of conversation with Angel while Buffy continued to ignore him entirely, her arms folding across her chest. She could feel Willow's elbow hitting directly in the ribs, causing her to scowl.

"Will you quit it, Will? I thought you said you weren't gonna pressure me into saying anything," Buffy mumbled, trying not to attract Angel's attention, her eyes solely focusing on the person beside her.

"To say what?" Angel intercepted, curiosity written on his angelic face. For a moment, Buffy had to remind herself to steer her eyes away and avoid all eye contact. "Oh, it's nothing really. She just forgot to take her medication," Willow cajoled, false innocence in her expression.

"Willow!" Buffy cried, eyes narrowing into slits.

"What? I had to say something that wasn't about…you know."

Packing the final bag into a chrome tour bus that was parked near the curb, a strange look flitted Angel's face. His eyes and Buffy's were finally meeting, and this time, she couldn't turn herself away.

In the last moment that they would share for the long time coming, it was as if the world around them was being frozen in place, with the two of them left remaining for nothing else but each other.

Buffy held his gaze firmly, her lips pursing, her throat and heart clamping at the devastating realization that today would be the last time she would see him. It wouldn't matter of his frequent media appearances through either the sordid television, radio, or magazine. The distance, the separation, the idea that they could not be together physically, would always be there when the day comes to the unavoidable end.

The last day of being neighbors, of somewhat friends but not strangers, was coming to that end. Tomorrow would be the opposite. She would be left behind while he would go to explore the world alone, her being just the one in a million that he would encounter. The thought was killing her more than she wanted to admit, even to herself.

"I guess this is it. Time for me to leave. See you around," Angel announced, leaving an air of sadness to waft between the three of them.

Willow nudged Buffy, this time on the shoulder. "Don't you want to say something?"

"I..I don't think I can, Will. I can't do it. How can I with the way I've treated him?" Buffy responded wistfully, watching Angel trotting towards the bus, his back to her.

"Buffy, he's almost by the bus. When he gets inside, it's gonna be too late to say anything. When it leaves, he'll be gone. And you'll be here, with regrets of what could've been. He doesn't hate you. You have to believe that. But this is your last chance to do something, before he's out of your life." Tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, Buffy reached for the single piece of paper that was embedded within her pajama pocket, remembering the words that she had written there from the previous night. She turned towards Willow, slowly nodding her head.

In the corner of her eye, the bus was carefully beginning to take off. "Wait!" Buffy cried, sprinting towards it, walking towards the sidewalk as she caught the image of Angel peeking through the tinted window.

With the paper in hand, she raised the parchment high, hoping that it would grab his attention. The words "I love you" were boldly written across the lines. "Angel, I love you!" Buffy cried. Angel tilted his head, his darkened eyes peering through the very window as he looked at her from above. His eyes widened as he read and heard the words she was confessing to, his expression turning to one of love.

In the end, Willow was right.

Angel placed his hand gently against the glass. "Wait for me?" was written across his palm. For the first time, his eyes were drenched in hope. It was a look that Buffy had not seen before.

"I will," Buffy mouthed, swiping a tear away as she reluctantly waved goodbye, her heart tearing itself into two as the bus drifted until it was no longer in sight.

No matter the circumstances, no matter the distance, no matter how long it would take, she would wait for him.

She would make things right. When he returned, she would love him.

Forever and always.