Their First and Last Dance
By: Chriz
Angel sat alone in his mansion, staring deeply and sadly into the brightly lit fire. He was still upset about the choice he had made hours earlier; but he did it for the best. She knew that right?
It all started with a girl. Buffy Summers. She was his love; his destined enemy and his whole world. He loved her more than he would ever love anything in that entire lifetime.
Buffy was beautiful, perfect to him in every possible way. He loved the way she would smile triumphantly when she defeated the evil she was fighting. He loved the way she would smile sheepishly when she lost. When she was happy, her green eyes would sparkle and she would smile so that she would almost glow. He loved the way that her smile could make his dead, decayed heart warm, and his knees buckle. She made him feel like a human being.
He had met her three years before-in an ally. She had thought that he was an evil vampire stalking her. Well, she was only partly right. Angel was watching her, but to make sure that she was safe, to learn a little more about her. And he was a vampire-but not evil. He had a soul-given to him by the gypsy clan as punishment for feeding off of one of their family nearly 93 years ago, when he had been Angelus; a thing of pure evil and hatred.
He was a vampire with a soul. Alive but dead. Feeling, yet unfeeling. For nearly 90 years he lived on the streets, filled with grief for all the pain he had caused from when he was evil. But only one person recognized him for what he was-and the good he could do. Whistler took him in and nursed him back to health, teaching him to fight.
Angel then went to Sunnydale, to fight evil alongside the slayer: Buffy Summers. He fell in love with her the first time he saw her, but they could never be anything because of their opposite fates. Vampire and Slayer. But eventually, realizing that they couldn't both be in Sunnydale and stay away from each other, they started dating. Their relationship grew stronger, and stronger with every day. Everyone that knew them knew nothing could come between them. Angel finally knew that when he was with her, they could never have true happiness, because then he would loose his soul and become a killer again. He was pulling her down, drowning her in his dark world of shadows, because being a vampire; he couldn't go out into the daylight. He wanted Buffy to be happy, or at least be with someone who could make her happy.
He made the decision to break up with her, and leave town. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. The look in her eyes tore him up inside and he was miserable. Angel felt his eyes burn as he recalled their last conversation.
"I'm trying to do what's right here, okay? I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart. "He had said to her.
"Heart? You have a heart? It isn't even beating!" she had replied, hurt.
" Don't." he had said quietly.
"Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know that I got a choice in that. I'm never gonna change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you."
Angel had said the two hardest words he had ever had to have said in his entire life: "I don't."
" You don't want to be with me? I can't believe you're breaking up with me." She had slowly said.
"It doesn't mean that I don't ..."
" How am I supposed to stay away from you?" She said, her eyes beginning to water.
" I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go." He had said, looking into her eyes with pain.
" Where.?"
" I don't know."
" Is this really happening?" She had said.
Angel sighed, now back in the present. He glanced at his watch. There was still time to make it to the prom, after all, Buffy would be there alone and he wanted her to have at least one perfect high school moment. * Angel walked into the back of the Sunnydale high school gym, decked out in a tux. He was a bit nervous. What if Buffy was angry with him? He had talked to her earlier, after the breakup and she seemed pretty.hurt and cold.
He didn't have any trouble finding her in the crowd. She was the first thing he saw when he entered the gym. Her back was to him. If he had had been breathing in the first place, he knew that all the air would have went out of his lungs just then. She was breathtaking. She was wearing a strapless fuchsia gown and was talking to Giles, who nodded slightly at him over her shoulder. He took something that she was holding from her and slowly walked away. Good old Giles. Buffy turned to come face to face with Angel. They looked at each other for a second. "I never thought you'd come." She finally said. "It's a big night. I didn't want to miss it. It's just tonight. It doesn't mean that I ... "He said slowly. "I know. I mean I understand." "Dance with me?" Angel asked her. And so they danced. Buffy rested her head against his chest, and Angel held one of her hands, and put his other arm around her waist. He could feel her rhythmic heart beat against his quiet chest, so it felt as though his heart was also beating.
Lyrics '... wild horses.couldn't drag me away.'
Angel knew he had made the right decision. It would hurt everyday without Buffy but he would be strong. She would always be a part of him, until the day he died (if he dies. if not then forever). He would be strong. For his Buffy. And they danced their first and last dance.
Angel sat alone in his mansion, staring deeply and sadly into the brightly lit fire. He was still upset about the choice he had made hours earlier; but he did it for the best. She knew that right?
It all started with a girl. Buffy Summers. She was his love; his destined enemy and his whole world. He loved her more than he would ever love anything in that entire lifetime.
Buffy was beautiful, perfect to him in every possible way. He loved the way she would smile triumphantly when she defeated the evil she was fighting. He loved the way she would smile sheepishly when she lost. When she was happy, her green eyes would sparkle and she would smile so that she would almost glow. He loved the way that her smile could make his dead, decayed heart warm, and his knees buckle. She made him feel like a human being.
He had met her three years before-in an ally. She had thought that he was an evil vampire stalking her. Well, she was only partly right. Angel was watching her, but to make sure that she was safe, to learn a little more about her. And he was a vampire-but not evil. He had a soul-given to him by the gypsy clan as punishment for feeding off of one of their family nearly 93 years ago, when he had been Angelus; a thing of pure evil and hatred.
He was a vampire with a soul. Alive but dead. Feeling, yet unfeeling. For nearly 90 years he lived on the streets, filled with grief for all the pain he had caused from when he was evil. But only one person recognized him for what he was-and the good he could do. Whistler took him in and nursed him back to health, teaching him to fight.
Angel then went to Sunnydale, to fight evil alongside the slayer: Buffy Summers. He fell in love with her the first time he saw her, but they could never be anything because of their opposite fates. Vampire and Slayer. But eventually, realizing that they couldn't both be in Sunnydale and stay away from each other, they started dating. Their relationship grew stronger, and stronger with every day. Everyone that knew them knew nothing could come between them. Angel finally knew that when he was with her, they could never have true happiness, because then he would loose his soul and become a killer again. He was pulling her down, drowning her in his dark world of shadows, because being a vampire; he couldn't go out into the daylight. He wanted Buffy to be happy, or at least be with someone who could make her happy.
He made the decision to break up with her, and leave town. It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. The look in her eyes tore him up inside and he was miserable. Angel felt his eyes burn as he recalled their last conversation.
"I'm trying to do what's right here, okay? I'm trying to think with my head instead of my heart. "He had said to her.
"Heart? You have a heart? It isn't even beating!" she had replied, hurt.
" Don't." he had said quietly.
"Don't what? Don't love you? I'm sorry. You know what? I didn't know that I got a choice in that. I'm never gonna change. I can't change. I want my life to be with you."
Angel had said the two hardest words he had ever had to have said in his entire life: "I don't."
" You don't want to be with me? I can't believe you're breaking up with me." She had slowly said.
"It doesn't mean that I don't ..."
" How am I supposed to stay away from you?" She said, her eyes beginning to water.
" I'm leaving. After the Ascension, after it's finished with the Mayor and Faith. If we survive, I'll go." He had said, looking into her eyes with pain.
" Where.?"
" I don't know."
" Is this really happening?" She had said.
Angel sighed, now back in the present. He glanced at his watch. There was still time to make it to the prom, after all, Buffy would be there alone and he wanted her to have at least one perfect high school moment. * Angel walked into the back of the Sunnydale high school gym, decked out in a tux. He was a bit nervous. What if Buffy was angry with him? He had talked to her earlier, after the breakup and she seemed pretty.hurt and cold.
He didn't have any trouble finding her in the crowd. She was the first thing he saw when he entered the gym. Her back was to him. If he had had been breathing in the first place, he knew that all the air would have went out of his lungs just then. She was breathtaking. She was wearing a strapless fuchsia gown and was talking to Giles, who nodded slightly at him over her shoulder. He took something that she was holding from her and slowly walked away. Good old Giles. Buffy turned to come face to face with Angel. They looked at each other for a second. "I never thought you'd come." She finally said. "It's a big night. I didn't want to miss it. It's just tonight. It doesn't mean that I ... "He said slowly. "I know. I mean I understand." "Dance with me?" Angel asked her. And so they danced. Buffy rested her head against his chest, and Angel held one of her hands, and put his other arm around her waist. He could feel her rhythmic heart beat against his quiet chest, so it felt as though his heart was also beating.
Lyrics '... wild horses.couldn't drag me away.'
Angel knew he had made the right decision. It would hurt everyday without Buffy but he would be strong. She would always be a part of him, until the day he died (if he dies. if not then forever). He would be strong. For his Buffy. And they danced their first and last dance.