TITLE: Loving Brother Angel
AUTHOR: the_woods_ (neverlookback)
RATING: M
SUMMARY: Buffy has been passed from foster home to foster home her whole life. It's been three months, and Buffy has been living with a family she has finally come to call her own. Things between her 'brother' Angel start getting hot once Buffy realizes she has feelings for him. Will she put their desires in check? Or go behind everyone's advice to get Angel? Some people do not want them together...and those from both Buffy's present and her past will stop at nothing to keep the couple apart.
DISCLAIMER: I obviously don't own any of the characters listed in this story. Why write fan fiction when I could control minds on tv?

x.x.x

For a moment, all was calm within the house. Buffy stretched out on the couch and yawned. Faith turned off the television before tossing the remote onto her sister's lap. Buffy released the tension in her limbs and sagged into the couch, a content and sleepy look on her face.

Summer was coming to an end, but Buffy felt as if she'd been in the family for much longer than that. It still got tense and occasionally awkward during some moments, but like all moments, those times passed without damage.

"You comin' to bed, B?" the brunette asked.

"I'm going to wait for Angel," Buffy answered with a hint of compassion. She picked up her book off the carpet and snuggled back into the couch. Faith chuckled and said goodnight as she made her way up the stairs.

The two sisters didn't bond immediately. Buffy assumed it was because Faith might have been uncomfortable adopting a year-older female. Luckily, past similarities established a connection between the pair and each found the other to be a great sister and friend, after all.

Buffy turned a page and tried to focus on the words in front of her. Her thoughts, however, would not hold onto the story of forbidden love between a vampire and a slayer. She kept drifting back to Angel.

He was mature for his age. Only seventeen and already commanded the house while their parents were away on separate business trips. A soft smile played on her lips as she thought of the brotherly role he assumed so naturally with Faith. When he was around Buffy, it was a different kind of relationship; something between them she couldn't quite place. She enjoyed his company more than anyone else's.

Tonight, he had decided to skip out on the Lifetime movie Buffy and Faith watched in their pajamas out of boredom. He told them both he'd be at the Bronze, a local club—or rather, the only local club—in Sunnydale. Faith usually would beg to come, if only to meet a few of the older guys, but Angel always said no. Buffy didn't really care for hanging out with Angel's friends, seeing as they weren't exactly smart. Or nice, for that matter. She'd often hear remarks about her appearance in regards to her relationship with Angel and Faith; something meant to tease, sure, but it still left her feeling awkward and unsure of her position in the family.

That first meeting with Spike and the rest of Angel's friends had been incredibly awkward. His friends had assumed she was his "hot date" for the night at the Bronze. When they finally discovered she was, in fact, the new adopted member of the family, Spike made it even worse.

"You look nothing like Angel," Spike had told her, a red plastic cup filled with alcohol in his hands. He smirked, obvious to the fact that she was newly adopted to the family. "In fact, you two look nothing like kin. Don't people adopt for looks?"

Buffy shivered and pulled the blankets closer to her. While Faith and Angel both had deep, dark brown hair and eyes, Buffy's hair was a sun-kissed blonde and her eyes varied from emerald to dark blue. In a way, Spike's teasing was a constant reminder of something she couldn't have: Angel. Unless she was willing to leave the family when she turned eighteen, she couldn't have any sort of relationship with Angel, other than the familiar kind.

Buffy closed her eyes and shifted her back, finding comfort in the pillows. Night after night, she'd wait for him to come home. As always, she'd fall asleep without seeing him walk through the door. Buffy placed the book upon her stomach and let her mind float into sleep.

She was having that same dream, again. It was only when she drifted off to sleep that she thought of him. Buffy never wanted to bring up her past life around Faith or Angel because the entire thing was too much of a coincidence to think about.

His maniacal laugh sounded off in Buffy's head as she slept. She briefly wondered what Angel would think. Would he turn her away, knowing what she knew about her past? Would he still accept her? Could he find it in his heart to still love her?

The dream was always the same. There was a chill filling her entire being. The room was all too familiar; dark and isolated, she could hear his footsteps coming. Suddenly, she realized she was only in her underwear. Buffy tried to cover herself and went to go hide in a corner. She had always felt this way around him: like a little girl, unable to defend herself, unable to get away.

The door opened. He couldn't be more than a few years older than her. Buffy couldn't remember where they had met, how they had come to be. She only knew that somehow, before she knew Angel or Faith, she had gotten herself into this despicable situation with a sadistic man.

It was always in her nightmares that she could feel him. Feel him watching her helpless form, getting closer to her hiding spot. The creaking of the old room, his voice in the distance—for a moment, it all stopped. Buffy gathered her strength and stood. She looked down and noticed she was fully clothed again. She decided, in that instance, to run.

Bolting down the dark staircase, Buffy tore away from the treacherous man's presence. She saw his form at the top of the staircase. She ran into a new room, one she had never seen before. Tripping over a rug, she stumbled, landing off balance and hitting the cold hardwood.

She turned around, facing his silhouetted figure. He slowly stepped into the light, walking towards her and out of the shadows. Buffy expected to see his sadistic face smirking down on her as he inched closer—

"Buffy!"

Opening her eyes, she found herself in Angel's hold. She sighed and smiled weaky. "You're home."

"I just walked in," Angel said, slowly taking his hands off of Buffy's shoulders. "You were throwing a fit in your sleep, again."

Buffy looked down at her book, which had fallen on the floor. Her nightmares had done more than simply wake up the family during late hours, but disrupted the peace of the house. She hated to do undo the comforting silence, even if it was an unconscious effort.

"Buffy." She loved the way her name sounded on his tongue. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to tell someone about these nightmares."

"They're not nightmares," Buffy argued limply, trying to sound brave. "Just…really bad dreams."

Angel gave her a sad smile…the same smile Buffy had learned to love. "Right. Even still, if you want to tell someone about it…" Angel wandered off, looking away from Buffy's face. "I'm here. Faith is, too. We just want to help."

"I'm alright," Buffy said softly. "I…I think I'll be able to tell you, soon. When I'm ready."

Angel's eyes reflected his understanding. Both he and Buffy stood up and he offered her a hug. She accepted, feeling safe in his arms; safe from the past and anything looming in their future. When they pulled away from the embrace, Buffy looked up at her older brother. They shared a moment of silence, each watching the other, before Angel chuckled and patted Buffy on the head. They exchanged good-night's. Angel walked up the stairs to his room as Buffy looked on.

Was that my imagination, Buffy thought as she picked up her book off the floor, or was Angel ready to kiss me?