Author's Note/Disclaimer: First of all, the characters of BtVS are owned by Joss Whedon, not me. I'm writing this simply for my own amusement and the amusement of other B/A fans. Second of all, while this won't be a rehash of the entire episode, I did borrow a tiny bit of dialogue from the show to keep up with events that were happening in canon, and that too does not belong to me.
However, everything else is mine.
Enjoy! :)
xoxo
Angel opened his eyes and realized he felt warm. It was an odd sensation at first.
No, he wasn't warm. It was borrowed warmth.
Angel smiled as he looked down at Buffy, still sleeping. Her head rested on his chest, and a possessive arm draped across his torso. Her skin, warm and soft, covered him like a blanket, and Angel was struck with an unfamiliar, and yet, welcome feeling. Was this what love felt like?
His thoughts wandered to last night, and Angel continued to smile, fighting the urge to wake her up and make love to her again, or let her sleep. He eventually settled for a kiss, moving the hair out of her face and lightly brushing his lips against her forehead.
Beside him, Buffy stirred awake, and she gazed up at him moments later with sleepy eyes.
"Hi," she said softly, her lips turning upward into a smile.
"Good morning," Angel said back, leaning forward to kiss those very lips.
"Last night…that really happened, right?" Buffy asked.
Angel smiled at her. "Yes, it really happened. Are you okay?"
"I feel…different. In a good way, I mean," she hastily added. "But…"
Angel's smile fell. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing! I promise. I just…was it totally and completely obvious that I was a virgin up until last night?"
Her eyes averted his gaze. She was embarrassed, but Angel touched her cheek, moving her face so that she was looking at him. "I'm honored you let me be your first. Last night was wonderful for me."
"Really?"
"You want an honest answer?"
Buffy stared at him, nervous to hear what he would say, but nodded anyway.
"I've been with other women before, but you probably already assumed that. But last night? That was the first time I've actually made love to a women. Last night wasn't just about sex for me, Buffy. Last night was a first for me too."
"So I was…good?"
Angel suddenly rolled over on top of her. "I'm fighting the urge to make love to you again. Does that answer your question?"
"Why are you fighting it?"
"Don't you have to leave for school soon?"
"We were having a perfectly nice moment and you bring up school?"
Angel smiled. "I just don't want you to be late."
"What time is it?" Buffy lifted her head and glanced at the clock across the room, then turned back to Angel, smiling. "I have a little time."
Angel pulled her closer to him, kissing her lips softly. Beneath him, he felt her body respond, arching up to meet his, and then...
The sound of the phone ringing interrupted the moment, and Angel groaned, reluctantly rolling back to his side of the bed. He reached over to grab the cordless from his nightstand. "Hello?...Yeah, she's here. Hold on." Buffy sat up as Angel handed the phone to her. "It's Willow."
"Will?...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. We should have called. We had a close call last night and ended up at Angel's place…Yeah, we're fine. I'll tell you about it at school…Okay, I'll see you later."
Buffy sulked as she hung up the phone. "I guess I have to go. We forgot to check in last night. Will was worried."
Angel couldn't help but smile. "We were a little…distracted."
Buffy smiled back at him. "We were a lot distracted." She leaned forward to kiss him, then pulled away, grinning wickedly. "You know…I could play hooky and stay here with you all day."
Angel moved a stray strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "That sounds tempting, but you need to go to school."
Buffy's frown returned. "I know. I've got teachers and pop quizzes and vampires with big blue demons to worry about. Fun."
"We'll find a way to stop the Judge. Don't worry."
"Last night was too close, Angel."
"I know. But don't worry. We'll figure out something. You should go now. You'll be late for class."
Buffy nodded. "Right. I guess I better…" Buffy nodded toward the door, and Angel leaned forward, kissing her one more time.
She smiled at him when he pulled away, then feeling slightly awkward at the thought of walking around with no clothes on, grabbed the bed sheet to cover up.
Angel watched as she wrapped the sheet around her, covering everything that he wanted to see right now. "You know, I already saw you naked," he teased.
The corner of Buffy's lip turned upward, and a slight blush crept up her neck. "I know. I just feel weird walking around with nothing on. I've never done this before. You must think I'm so inexperienced compared to the other women you've been with…"
Angel touched her chin, tilting her face to look at his. "Hey, I love that you let me be your first. I don't think I've ever been anyone's first before. And you're doing just fine."
Buffy smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again. Then, holding the sheet in place, she gently scooted to the edge of the bed. She gathered her clothing scattered on the floor, then quickly shuffled to the bathroom to dress.
Angel, realizing he should probably get dressed too, grabbed his shirt from the floor and put it on. Normally he'd sleep for a few hours, but he was too wired to sleep as images of last night kept him wide awake, as well as another part of his anatomy. Perhaps he'd do some tai chi exercises.
He finished dressing, and a few moments later, Buffy came out of the bathroom, her clothes from last night finally dry.
"So um…I guess I gotta go now. Maybe I could…you know, stop by after school to see you? Would that be okay?"
Angel walked across the room and put his arms around her. "You can come over any time you want. You're always welcome."
"Even if it's bedtime for you?"
Angel smiled. "Especially if it's bedtime for me." He learned forward and kissed her, soft at first, then a little more passionate as he backed Buffy into the door, pressing her against the frame. This scene seemed very familiar…
He finally broke away, realizing at some point, Buffy needed to breathe, and she smiled at him. "So I'll see you this afternoon?"
Angel nodded.
"Oh, and Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I know last night wasn't exactly planned…but that was the best birthday present ever."
Angel smiled. "Well, you said you liked surprises."
They kissed again, then reluctantly broke away, realizing if they didn't, Buffy would never leave. She reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door, then finally left.
Angel closed the door behind her and leaned against the frame. He stood there for a while after she was gone. She may have left, but her scent lingered everywhere in his small apartment, and Angel sighed. It would be hours before he could see her again, and it would be torture.
The kitchen was quiet as Buffy let herself in. She had just made it to the stairs when she heard her mother's voice from the other room.
"Buffy?"
"Yeah, it's me, Mom."
Joyce walked out from the living room and gave her daughter a smile. "Did you have fun last night?"
Buffy turned around, hoping the surprise wasn't evident on her face. "What?"
"Let me guess…you girls studied for ten minutes and then spent the rest of the night talking about boys? Am I right?"
Buffy smiled nervously. "Something like that." For a moment, she thought her mother had suspected, that maybe the fact that she'd had sex was written on her face. But her mother didn't know a thing.
"I know what it's like. I was a teenage girl too once, believe it or not."
"We had fun."
"Well I'm glad you have friends here, and I think Willow's a very nice girl. But promise me something, Buffy?"
"What's that?"
"You'll take your studies seriously?"
Buffy nodded. "I promise."
Joyce smiled, satisfied with that answer. "Good. Well, I hate to run, but I've got to get to the gallery early this morning. Don't have too much fun at school."
"No chance of that happening," Buffy said as her mother walked out the door.
Buffy sighed as she headed up the stairs. She had just enough time to shower, dress, and grab a quick bite to eat before she had to head to school.
Eight more hours until she could see Angel.
It was going to be a very long day.
"Well, the bus depot was a total washout," Xander announced as he walked into the library. "And may I say what a lovely place to spend the night. What a vibrant cross-section of Americana."
"No vampires transporting boxes?" Giles asked.
"No, but a four-hundred pound wino offered to wash my hair." Xander glanced around the room, seeing Willow, Cordelia, Giles, and Jenny, but no Buffy. "Where's Buffy?"
"She's on her way," Willow answered.
"What'd she say? Nothing on her end?" Xander asked.
Willow shrugged. "All she said was that she and Angel had a close call last night. She didn't elaborate."
"Does that mean the Judge has already been assembled?" Xander asked, glancing at the worried looks on everyone's faces.
"It does," Buffy announced, hearing the tail end of their conversation.
"Damn it," Giles muttered as he took off his glasses.
"He nearly killed us. Angel got us out though."
"Why didn't you call? We thought—"
"I'm sorry, Giles. I didn't mean to worry everyone. We, we had to hide out in the sewers for a while. I forgot to call."
Giles put his glasses back and moved closer to Buffy. "Tell me everything that happened last night."
Buffy's eyes widened in surprise before she started speaking. Fortunately only Willow seemed to notice the look on her face. "Well, I kicked him. It was just like a sudden fever. If he'd got his hands on me…"
"In time, he won't need to. The stronger he gets, he'll be able to reduce us to charcoal with a look."
"Also, not the prettiest man in town."
"I better continue researching. Must look for a weak spot. The rest of you should get to your classes."
The group nodded and began to file out of the library.
"Buffy, wait up!" Willow said, catching up to her at the door. "Did something else happen last night?"
The bell rang, and Buffy looked toward her classroom, distracted. "I'll tell you later," she promised, then smiled.
Buffy glanced at the clock, which read 9:32, and tapped her pencil on her desk. She decided that if time went any slower, it was going to go backwards. Six more hours until she could see Angel again.
She supposed, if Giles' mood was any indication, that she should be worried about this whole Judge situation. And she supposed that she should be paying attention to Mr. Pope's lesson on linear equations. But Buffy found herself unable to concentrate on any of that.
Instead, all she could think about was Angel's mouth on her body. He had been so gentle, so tender with her. She could almost still hear him whispering in her ear as he made love to her. I love you, Buffy.
Buffy shivered involuntarily, imagining his hands touching her, imagining his lips kissing her. Who cared about the Judge? If it was indeed the end of the world, she wasn't leaving it until she made love to him for a second time. She couldn't wait until she was his arms again.
A tap on her shoulder pulled her out of her reverie. It was Willow, and she was passing her a note. Buffy took the folded paper, looked up to see that Mr. Pope had his back to the class, and unfolded the note.
Willow's note contained only four words:
Did you and Angel…?
Buffy couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. Just thinking about it made her feel tingly all over. She reached for her pencil and scribbled something underneath Willow's question, then discretely handed it back to her.
Willow, for once, was excited about something other than math. She quickly unfolded the note and read Buffy's reply:
Yes! We seized the day!
Willow fought the urge to squeal out loud, then quickly wrote a response back.
Buffy soon felt Willow tap her shoulder again and took the note back. She unfolded it to read Willow's enthusiastic reply:
WOW!
Buffy smiled, and was just about to write another reply when she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked up, seeing Mr. Pope standing over her.
"Miss Summers, did you not hear me calling you?"
"I'm sorry. What was the question?"
"The answer to problem number four."
"I-I'm not sure."
"Well, then perhaps we should work it out together. Why don't you go to the board and see if you can figure it out?"
Buffy reluctantly stood up and headed to the board. She glanced back at Willow, who gave her an apologetic look and mouthed, "Sorry!"
As she turned back to the board, she caught a glimpse of the clock above it. Yep, time was definitely going backwards.
At the end of class, Willow literally pulled Buffy into the bathroom.
"Okay, tell me everything! I mean, you don't have to tell me anything that's not any of my business, but I haven't experienced that yet. I'm living vicariously through you. Help a girl out! What was it like?"
"It was—"
The bathroom door opened, and a girl walked into one of the stalls.
Buffy nodded toward the door, and she and Willow walked out into the hall.
"It was really good. Better than good actually."
Willow squealed. "Wow! How did it happen?"
"We were trying to get away and Angel's apartment was nearby, so we ended up at his place. It was raining. We were wet. I was cold and Angel went to get me something to wear. Only one thing sort of led to another and before either of us knew it…"
"Oh wow."
"You said that already."
"I know, I'm so just happy for you! And it didn't…you know, hurt or anything?"
Buffy shook her head. "Not really. Angel was very…you know, gentle. He didn't rush or anything. He just sort of took his time."
"Oh wow."
"Yeah." Buffy headed to her locker and gathered her books for her next class.
Willow leaned against the other locker with a dreamy expression on her face. "Wow."
Angel found sleep nearly impossible. His body was tired, but his mind was still wide awake. If he wasn't thinking of Buffy, he was thinking of the Judge. He knew there was great cause for concern now that the Judge had been assembled, but hadn't they faced danger before? It certainly wasn't their first potential apocalypse, and it wouldn't be their last. Somehow though, he had a feeling they would pull through in the end.
Pushing thoughts of the Judge aside, his thoughts returned to Buffy. More specifically, images of Buffy. Here, in his bed. In his arms. God how he missed her. When did school let out again?
He held on to the pillow she had used and buried his nose in it. Buffy's scent still lingered on the pillow. He tried to imagine Buffy here now, in his arms, but her lingering scent on the sheets was a poor substitute for the real thing. Eventually though, Angel did succumb to sleep. And when he did, he dreamed of Buffy.
Buffy sat at her desk and kept her eyes on the clock. The minute hand was going painfully slow, but finally, it moved a millimeter and the dismissal bell rang.
She was out the door before anyone else had gathered their books. Once in the hallway, she made a quick stop to her locker to drop off some books, ran to the women's restroom to freshen up, and then made a beeline to the door.
She didn't make it. Giles, who had suddenly appeared from seemingly out of nowhere, appeared directly in her path.
"Ah, Buffy, I'm glad to see you're in such a rush to get here. We have a lot of research we need to do and not a lot of time."
Buffy stared at him, confused for a moment, and then remembered. Right, the Judge. Giles was still worried about that. And she was the Slayer. It was sort of her duty to stop it and all.
"Come on, we've not got much time to waste," Giles said as he ushered her into the library.
Buffy sighed. So much for seeing Angel after school.
Angel peeked out his window and cursed the sun. If it weren't for the sun, he could leave freely and go see Buffy, even if it was only to help her and the gang research. And yes, that was very important, and Angel was certainly not opposed to research as he found it quite enjoyable. But he had to admit that he had been looking forward to her dropping by his place after school. He had wanted to continue what they had started this morning.
Too bad Giles was holding her hostage. Things hadn't gone exactly as they had planned.
He glanced at the clock, noting the time. He was grateful it was winter. The days were much shorter in winter, and sunset would arrive much earlier.
So why did time seem to be moving so slow right now?
When Angel was nearby, Buffy could feel him. She couldn't explain it. It was like a little tingle up her spine. Her Angel sense, she called it. Buffy looked up, seeing the very vampire in question standing in the library.
She couldn't help the smile on her face as she pushed her chair back and went to him. "Hey."
Angel took hold of her hands. "Hey."
Feeling eyes on her, Buffy turned her head to see Willow smiling at the pair of them. When she was caught, Willow quickly averted her gaze and turned back to her book.
Buffy nodded her head towards the library door and they stepped out into the hallway for some privacy.
"Alone at last," Buffy said as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
They kissed for a good long moment, and when they finally pulled away, Angel smiled at her. "I've missed you all day."
"Me too. It's been the longest day ever. I'm sorry I couldn't come over after school. I really wanted to. I was hoping we could pick up where we left off this morning."
"That's okay. Giles is right to be concerned. The Judge is dangerous."
"You want to join our research party?"
Angel nodded, then followed Buffy back into the library.
"He's been defeated before," Angel said. "There has to be a way to disassemble him again."
"Xander has an idea."
Angel raised his eyebrow at Buffy. "Xander has an idea?"
"Remember that crazy Halloween where everyone turned into their costumes?"
"Yeah. What does that have to do with the Judge?"
"Nothing, but Xander was a soldier, and so now he has all of this crazy military knowledge. And also, they have a lot of cool weapons."
"But no weapon forged can destroy him," Angel reminded her.
"Well sure. Stakes and knives aren't going to cut it, but how long ago was that? Centuries ago? I'm willing to bet that Big Blue hasn't had a taste of our modern weaponry."
Angel smiled, seeing where she was going with this. "Modern weapons. It might work. But how would we get our hands on something like that?"
Buffy shrugged. "Xander said he had a plan. I think he's going to break into the army base and he needed Cordelia and Oz's help."
"Oh, that reminds me, it's about time for me to go!" Willow closed her book and got up from the table.
"You're going with them?"
"Well someone has to keep Oz company in the van," Willow said with a smile. "See you later."
Willow rushed out of the library, leaving Buffy and Angel alone again. Though Buffy knew it wouldn't last. Giles was coming right back any moment.
"Do you really think Xander's plan could work?" Buffy asked him.
"Surprisingly, yes, I think it could work. Let's just hope he can pull it off."
Xander pulled it off, and after giving Buffy a crash course on how to use the rocket launcher, which Buffy decided felt right in her arms, the gang headed to Spike's factory.
"No one's here," Buffy said.
"Do we have any idea on where they may have gone?" Giles asked.
Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. Somewhere crowded maybe? The Judge needs bodies, right?"
"Buffy's right," Angel said. "We need to find a place with a lot of people. That's where the Judge will do the most damage."
"The Bronze?" Willow offered.
Xander shook his head. "It's closed tonight."
"Well there's not a lot of places to go in Sunnydale," Cordelia said. "Except for the mall."
Everyone stared at Cordelia for a moment.
"What?" she asked, not realizing what she had said and suddenly feeling self-conscious at everyone staring at her.
"I think that's where I'd go if I were the Judge," Oz said with a shrug.
The mall was filled with smoke as the smoldering remains of the Judge lay scattered everywhere amidst panicked mall patrons.
Buffy immediately ordered everyone to find the scattered pieces and keep them separate, then she and Angel went to chase down Drusilla and her lackeys.
"Did you see which way they went?" Buffy asked Angel, scanning the crowd.
Angel shook his head. "I'll check out this hallway. You check out that one."
Buffy nodded and headed off in that direction.
The smoke in the air eventually triggered the mall's sprinkler system, and rain began to fall inside. Buffy felt her clothes being plastered to her body as she searched the crowd for Dru. Too many people were running towards the exits though, making her job impossible.
Ten minutes later, Angel met up with her, looking just as soaked as she was.
"No sign of them?" she asked.
Angel shook his head. "Looks like they got away."
"I guess we'll have to get them next time." Buffy involuntarily shivered as her wet clothing was making her cold.
Angel, seeing her shake, went to her and wrapped his arms around her. "You're cold."
"Yeah, that happens when I'm wet. I have no idea how I'm going to explain this to my mom."
"Just tell her the truth."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Tell her there was a fire at the mall and the sprinkler system went off. It's the truth."
Buffy laughed and placed her cheek against his chest. It felt so good to be in his arms, even if they were both fully clothed and soaking wet. It made her think of last night all over again.
"You know, you could come to my place and dry up first if you want," Angel said.
Buffy turned to look up at Angel. "As tempting as that sounds…"
"But you have to go home."
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. My mom is waiting for me."
Angel looked disappointed, but he understood. "That's okay. You should probably go home. I wouldn't want your mother to worry."
"Yeah, she has a tendency to do that sometimes."
"In that case, would you like for me to walk you home?"
Buffy smiled at him, then planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "That would be lovely," she whispered.
As they walked away, arm in arm, Buffy smiled at Angel again. "Maybe I could get up early and come see you in the morning before school. I could tell Mom that Will and I are studying for a quiz or something. She'd love that."
The smile to Angel's face returned. "That would be nice."
"Yeah. And you know, I like seeing you at bedtime."
Angel looked at Buffy, and clearly, her words had a different meaning this time.
Buffy lay in bed, wide awake. All day long, she had thought of Angel. Unfortunately, Big Blue had ruined her evening plans with him. Oh how she would have loved to have gone back to Angel's apartment and fall asleep in his arms again. As well as other things…
Buffy sighed as she once again thought about them making love last night. She wanted him again, and briefly entertained the thought of sneaking out to go see him when she heard a noise outside her window.
Buffy sat up, looking toward the window. Someone was climbing up the trellis, and she smiled when she saw Angel.
She jumped out of bed and rushed to open the window. "Angel," she whispered, a smile plastered to her face. "You're here! What are you doing here?"
"I just had to see you," he admitted.
"Me too. I was seriously considering sneaking out of the house to go to your apartment."
He leaned toward the open window and kissed her. When they pulled away, Buffy smiled at him again.
"Can you stay?"
"Is your mother here?"
"She's sleeping."
"I don't want to get you in trouble with your mother."
"If you do, it'll totally be worth it."
Angel still seemed reluctant.
"Don't worry. She could sleep through anything. We just have to be quiet just in case she's still awake."
Angel relented and accepted her invitation. He shucked off his jacket and placed it over a chair.
"Remember the last time we had a sleepover in my room?" she whispered in the dark, taking his hand and leading him toward the bed.
Angel smiled at the memory. "I don't have to sleep on the floor this time, do I?"
"What do you think?" Buffy sat on the bed and looked up at Angel expectantly.
He joined her on the bed, cradling her face in his hands as he kissed her mouth. As he did, he felt Buffy reach around him. Her hands roamed his back before moving back to the front. She felt around for a button and slowly began to undo them.
Angel had the same idea, and he too began undoing the series of buttons on Buffy's pajama top, his lips never leaving hers for a moment. And just when he had the last button undone and caught a glimpse of flesh underneath, he smiled.
Buffy, thinking he was laughing, pulled back and stared at him. "What?"
"I was just thinking. I like seeing you at bedtime too."
Buffy smiled back at him, then resumed kissing him.
THE END