He didn't know how he managed it, but he mustered up the last up his strength, and dragged his dying body over to her.
She was lying on the wet pavement. She wasn't moving.
"Buffy," he called out, barely more than a whisper.
"Angel," she breathed. "What are you-" she started, but couldn't finish.
It hurt so much to speak, it hurt to breathe. That wouldn't be too much of a problem for much longer.
I'll be dead soon.
"I came to help you," he whispered back to her.
He sounds just about as bad as I feel.
"Thanks," she answered with effort.
She still didn't see him. It sounded like he was trying to make his way over to her. It was taking him too long.
"Angel? What's wrong? I don't see you. Why are you moving so slowly?" she asked worriedly.
He didn't answer, he just asked her a question instead. "Can you get up, Buffy?"
"What happened to you, Angel?" she says, replying with a question of her own.
"I'm dying. They got me with that poison, again," he says, providing an answer. "Can you get up?"
"No," Buffy whispered, defeated.
There was no one else around. The rain poured down, hard, but the flames still burned bright.
He was beside her now. The energy was gone, he just collapsed next to her.
He turned on his side so that he could see her face. That's what he wanted to see as he would finally leave the world.
She was bloody, and not just a little bit. A pool of blood that kept getting bigger was seen right next to her. It was coming from all over: her head, her stomach, her legs. She was dying too.
He reached for her hand.
She felt the contact, and forced her body to turn on its side, so that she could look at him one more time.
"How did you know we needed help over here?" she asked him with great effort.
"I've got people," was his answer. "What did they do to you? What happened?" he asked her quietly, holding tightly to her hand.
"I got swarmed and I got beat. Their swords are poisonous to slayers. Fatal... They decided to be extra nice and slice into me three ways. Couldn't let me go in peace. God forbid that," she said sarcastically.
Angel managed a sad laugh. Buffy was still being sarcastic, even at the end.
They didn't say anything, they just stared at each other. They were going to die together. It seemed like something out of an epic story.
Angel finally spoke. "So how's life?"
Buffy let out a laugh that hurt like hell. "I'm glad you're here, Angel. Not at all glad that you're dying, but I'm just glad you're here with me right now."
"Ditto," Angel choked.
Soon. Very soon. He'd be gone. There wasn't much fight left in his body.
After all this time, and after all that had happened, Buffy wasnt shocked when she felt Angel's lips against the skin of her hand. Somehow, this always felt right. And never more so than right now.
"Still love you, you know?" she whispered.
"I know that feeling," he said with a smile.
Here they were, dying, and reminiscing. These two couldn't do anything without it going back to the both of them. To love.
"God knows I want you to live forever, but this part of me is glad you're leaving this world with me," Angel said quietly..."We had some good years."
"We did. And I'll always be thankful... But I wanted more. Things, though- there was always something in the way for us."
"If we weren't dying right now, and I asked you if you were ready for me, if you wanted to be with me again, what would your answer be, Buffy?"
"I don't know if I would be ready...This world isn't so good to us, Angel" Buffy rasped. "But as always, it would be yes to wanting to be with you," Buffy answered him.
"We'll be together now. No world to screw it up for us. No such thing as vampire and curses when we're dead," Angel choked.
Buffy squeezed his hand. "I'll see you there," Buffy said, with a single tear running down her face, as she breathed her last breath. "I'll be waiting for you."
And then her eyes closed. Didn't re-open.
"I'll see you soon, Buffy... I'll be with you soon," Angel said, as the last round of pain racked his body.
Not two minutes after Buffy died, Angel did the same.
Fire burned, as Buffy and Angel died, hand in hand.
All was quiet. Nothing moved, save for the dancing flames.