Why We Dance
Chapter one
Angel clutched the phone receiver tightly in his hand. He hated himself for wanting her to stay so much. Buffy had moved on. Buffy had someone else. Buffy had someone other then him to hold her at night and fight with her and - as much as he hated to admit it god forbid think it - to kiss her; to make love to her. That was one thing Angel could never do. He could never make love to Buffy. And Riley could. She was with the better man. Man - ha! - Angel wasn't a man, he was a demon. Granted a demon with a soul, but still, just a pathetic demon. How had Buffy ever loved him? Angel wasn't worth loving. Yet another reason why it was good she was in Sunnydale, and he was in LA and she was with Riley, and he... was doomed to forever be alone. Nevertheless, it hurt knowing that after this past week of her being close enough he could sense her presence in the city, she would leave. Of course he knew she had to leave, Sunnydale was her town, LA was his and they had to be in their separate cities, but until now, until she had called to tell him just now, he wouldn't consciously admit it to himself. Now he had to, "So you're leaving?"
He heard Buffy sharply intake a breath, "You know I have to Angel. Giles called and told me monsters are doing the bad thing in a major way down there and they need the slayer stuff." She explained. God, Angel felt like a baby. Here they were a twenty year old and a two-hundred-and-fifty year old, and she had to explain why she had to leave to him. They weren't dating, they hadn't been for over two years now, and this shouldn't bother him. But it did. And she wasn't even leaving him, she was leaving LA. Correction Buffy and Riley were leaving LA. Angel didn't really care Riley was leaving, Angel didn't really care Riley had come.
"Right of course." He said cryptically. Angel wanted to cry, he was talking this way just to get her to say something. To yell at him or keep explaining or... something. He just wanted to hear her voice. Lord, he was pathetic! Angel sighed and let go of his attempt to keep her melodic voice on the line, "You're the slayer, and Sunnydale's your town. You always have to protect it first."
Buffy's voice raised an octave, "Yes I do!"
"I know!" Great, now they were fighting again, this was just great.
Buffy sighed softly and her voice went back to normal, "I'm sorry, Angel. It's just... well it's hard to hear you say that. I know it's true, but- Well, when you say that it makes how separated we are now all real, and that's..."
"Hard." Angel supplied for her. Any other person her would have offered the word, but with Buffy, he just knew.
"Exactly. It makes it seem like we're in two different worlds..." She continued only to be interrupted by Angel again.
"We do Buffy." He swallowed back a sob that was threatening to escape his throat, "You told me exactly that last year. We live in two different worlds." He glared at nothing in particular and mumbled, "And you love Riley." Angel's last words were low enough he'd thought Buffy hadn't heard him.
He was wrong.
"Angel I..." Angel could see her face clearly in his mind, grimacing over what to say to him. Trying to pacify her words for him, "I... I... I have to go." He heard her mumble something incoherently.
"Okay. Goodbye Buffy."
"Bye Angel." Angel loved the way she said his name. It wasn't just his name, it was almost an endearment.
"And Buffy..." he heard her inhale sharply, "Don't... don't stay away so long next time. If there's ever a weekend where the demons are particularly light and Spike could take over patrol, come down and stay for an hour." He let a tear fall down his cheek, "You and Riley." His voice cracked. Saying that was unbelievably hard for him. He actually made it sound like he accepted their relationship.
"You have no idea how much that means to me Angel." He heard a delicate sob come through the receiver, "And Riley can take over patrol while I come down for the weekend Angel." With that he heard her hang up the phone. Angel smiled faintly through his tears, Buffy knew very well he didn't except her relationship with Riley. And didn't push it.
"Buffy? What's wrong, honey?" Riley Finn's deep voice asked Buffy as he saw tears silently fall down her face, "Buff?" he pressed.
Buffy sighed inwardly. At the moment, she really wished she were alone at the Holiday Inn she and Riley were staying at in LA. She had just gotten possibly the most wonderful news she had heard all year: Angel was going to make an effort to have Buffy in his life again. Not only that: Angel was going to make an effort to except Riley. The past two years had been hard for her. She still missed Angel desperately. He had been the most important part of her life for three years and she had to just let go of him. No, she would never let go of him, she had to ignore the pain of him not being there, lurking in the shadows of the Bronze silently protecting her, no questions asked, or walking; fighting next to her during patrol. That pain for a long time was excruciatingly obvious, aching; throbbing within her womb. The Riley came and the pain dulled to a soft, almost calming roar. Buffy smiled through her tears: that sounded weird: pain being calming. But it was. It became a reminder of the better days when Faith wasn't a person in her life, Angelus had never come back through one night of passion, and Buffy could pretend to be a normal seventeen year old girl with her two-hundred-and-fifty year old creature of the night boyfriend, instead of a reminder all of that could never again be her reality. Riley gave her someone to depend on again.
"I'm fine Riley." She patted the hand he had set on her shoulder, "Really, I just become emotional Buffy when Angel's involved that's all." She was lying to Riley and herself and more importantly she knew it.
"Okay." He smiled one of those ten-karat toothy smiles, that at first had Buffy charmed, but slowly became an annoying reminder of how innocent Riley really was. She ignored the sadness that flared in her belly and smiled back, "Do you want to leave for Sunnydale now, or do you want to wait 'till morning?" Riley asked sitting down next to her cross-legged position on the one king size bed in the small clean room and nuzzled Buffy's neck in an attempt at seducing her into bed. A very bad attempt.
Buffy playfully shouldered him off her neck and answered, "I think you're answering for me Tiger," she laughed good naturedly, "Or at least putting in your vote on the subject. I'll make you a deal, we'll stay here the night, but no sexing tonight okay?"
Riley gave a sigh filled with regret but nodded just the same.
"You know actually, Riley, it's still early, why don't we go out for dinner?" she asked recognizing hunger throughout her system.
Riley shook his head through closed eyes as he laid back against the pillows, "I'm tired Buffy. Sexing is the only thing I'm up for other then sleep." He opened one eye as if saying she could reconsider. Buffy suppressed a giggle and smiled at Riley.
"That's alright, I'll just go to Wendy's all in my lonesome," she pouted playfully, only to find Riley already asleep, "That's okay, Tiger." She whispered kissing his head.
Buffy stood up and grabbed a long black velvet dress, a pair of high healed shoes with straps that wound around her ankle and some fresh underwear. She would certainly never admit this to him, she barely admitted it to herself, but a simple phone call with Angel like just now sent heat blazing through her and made wetness form on it's own attire. She slipped the clothing on and tied on the shoes before calling Angel Investigations again.
As she'd hopped Cordelia picked up the phone, "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." She sounded bored.
"Hey Cordelia, it's Buffy." Buffy said whispering so Riley wouldn't hear her.
Cordelia sighed loudly and said, "Oh, it's you. Hold up, I'll get Angel. Cordelia started to call Angel's name, but stopped abruptly when Buffy interrupted her.
"Wait, wait, wait. Cordy that's not why I called." Buffy said frantically, she didn't particularly want Angel to know she was calling, "See, Riley just went to sleep, but it's only like eight o clock, and my legs are itching for something to do before patrol, so I wanted the name of a good dance club and since this is LA I figured you'd be the one to call."
Cordelia laughed, "Oh, no prob Buffy. Would you like the name of the club Angel's going to be at or another one?"
Buffy almost choked on invisible food. Angel dancing? She never would have pictured him getting his grove on. "Angel dances?"
"Only when I talk him in to it." She paused, "Or threaten him into it." Cordelia and Buffy shared a giggle. Buffy hadn't realized how much she'd actually missed the former Queen C until just now.
"What do you think Angel would prefer?" Buffy asked slowly. Her entire body called to be dancing with Angel right now, but she could barely finish that thought to herself not to mention voice it to Cordelia.
"Truthfully? I think he'd love to be grinding in to you, but he'd probably kill me if I told you... oh what the hell. It's called The Swinging Beaver and despite the terrible name, it has the best bands in town. It's in the corner of this district which is impossible to find if you haven't been there in a while, so I'm going to have Angel swing by your hotel okay?" without waiting for her answer Cordelia continued, "Okay. See you then!"
Oh great.
Oh shit!
No, no, no, no, NO!
Buffy could not be dancing with Angel tonight. Sure she could go out without Riley, maybe even dance with some guys without him, with another random guy she could promise that nothing would happen, but with Angel there was no way to be sure. And part of her wanted something to happen.
No! No it didn't, none of her wanted it to happen. She loved... okay so maybe she didn't *love* Riley, but she cared for him a lot, and well that was beside the point he was her boyfriend.
Well, whether or not she wanted something to happen when she and Angel danced and whether or not something was going to happen when she and Angel danced was more then Buffy could say, all she could say was that she and Angel were going to dance. And if she didn't want Riley to wake up to Angel picking her up in a-barely-there-dress, then she better wait for Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley downstairs in the lobby.
TBC~ R&R Please!
Chapter one
Angel clutched the phone receiver tightly in his hand. He hated himself for wanting her to stay so much. Buffy had moved on. Buffy had someone else. Buffy had someone other then him to hold her at night and fight with her and - as much as he hated to admit it god forbid think it - to kiss her; to make love to her. That was one thing Angel could never do. He could never make love to Buffy. And Riley could. She was with the better man. Man - ha! - Angel wasn't a man, he was a demon. Granted a demon with a soul, but still, just a pathetic demon. How had Buffy ever loved him? Angel wasn't worth loving. Yet another reason why it was good she was in Sunnydale, and he was in LA and she was with Riley, and he... was doomed to forever be alone. Nevertheless, it hurt knowing that after this past week of her being close enough he could sense her presence in the city, she would leave. Of course he knew she had to leave, Sunnydale was her town, LA was his and they had to be in their separate cities, but until now, until she had called to tell him just now, he wouldn't consciously admit it to himself. Now he had to, "So you're leaving?"
He heard Buffy sharply intake a breath, "You know I have to Angel. Giles called and told me monsters are doing the bad thing in a major way down there and they need the slayer stuff." She explained. God, Angel felt like a baby. Here they were a twenty year old and a two-hundred-and-fifty year old, and she had to explain why she had to leave to him. They weren't dating, they hadn't been for over two years now, and this shouldn't bother him. But it did. And she wasn't even leaving him, she was leaving LA. Correction Buffy and Riley were leaving LA. Angel didn't really care Riley was leaving, Angel didn't really care Riley had come.
"Right of course." He said cryptically. Angel wanted to cry, he was talking this way just to get her to say something. To yell at him or keep explaining or... something. He just wanted to hear her voice. Lord, he was pathetic! Angel sighed and let go of his attempt to keep her melodic voice on the line, "You're the slayer, and Sunnydale's your town. You always have to protect it first."
Buffy's voice raised an octave, "Yes I do!"
"I know!" Great, now they were fighting again, this was just great.
Buffy sighed softly and her voice went back to normal, "I'm sorry, Angel. It's just... well it's hard to hear you say that. I know it's true, but- Well, when you say that it makes how separated we are now all real, and that's..."
"Hard." Angel supplied for her. Any other person her would have offered the word, but with Buffy, he just knew.
"Exactly. It makes it seem like we're in two different worlds..." She continued only to be interrupted by Angel again.
"We do Buffy." He swallowed back a sob that was threatening to escape his throat, "You told me exactly that last year. We live in two different worlds." He glared at nothing in particular and mumbled, "And you love Riley." Angel's last words were low enough he'd thought Buffy hadn't heard him.
He was wrong.
"Angel I..." Angel could see her face clearly in his mind, grimacing over what to say to him. Trying to pacify her words for him, "I... I... I have to go." He heard her mumble something incoherently.
"Okay. Goodbye Buffy."
"Bye Angel." Angel loved the way she said his name. It wasn't just his name, it was almost an endearment.
"And Buffy..." he heard her inhale sharply, "Don't... don't stay away so long next time. If there's ever a weekend where the demons are particularly light and Spike could take over patrol, come down and stay for an hour." He let a tear fall down his cheek, "You and Riley." His voice cracked. Saying that was unbelievably hard for him. He actually made it sound like he accepted their relationship.
"You have no idea how much that means to me Angel." He heard a delicate sob come through the receiver, "And Riley can take over patrol while I come down for the weekend Angel." With that he heard her hang up the phone. Angel smiled faintly through his tears, Buffy knew very well he didn't except her relationship with Riley. And didn't push it.
"Buffy? What's wrong, honey?" Riley Finn's deep voice asked Buffy as he saw tears silently fall down her face, "Buff?" he pressed.
Buffy sighed inwardly. At the moment, she really wished she were alone at the Holiday Inn she and Riley were staying at in LA. She had just gotten possibly the most wonderful news she had heard all year: Angel was going to make an effort to have Buffy in his life again. Not only that: Angel was going to make an effort to except Riley. The past two years had been hard for her. She still missed Angel desperately. He had been the most important part of her life for three years and she had to just let go of him. No, she would never let go of him, she had to ignore the pain of him not being there, lurking in the shadows of the Bronze silently protecting her, no questions asked, or walking; fighting next to her during patrol. That pain for a long time was excruciatingly obvious, aching; throbbing within her womb. The Riley came and the pain dulled to a soft, almost calming roar. Buffy smiled through her tears: that sounded weird: pain being calming. But it was. It became a reminder of the better days when Faith wasn't a person in her life, Angelus had never come back through one night of passion, and Buffy could pretend to be a normal seventeen year old girl with her two-hundred-and-fifty year old creature of the night boyfriend, instead of a reminder all of that could never again be her reality. Riley gave her someone to depend on again.
"I'm fine Riley." She patted the hand he had set on her shoulder, "Really, I just become emotional Buffy when Angel's involved that's all." She was lying to Riley and herself and more importantly she knew it.
"Okay." He smiled one of those ten-karat toothy smiles, that at first had Buffy charmed, but slowly became an annoying reminder of how innocent Riley really was. She ignored the sadness that flared in her belly and smiled back, "Do you want to leave for Sunnydale now, or do you want to wait 'till morning?" Riley asked sitting down next to her cross-legged position on the one king size bed in the small clean room and nuzzled Buffy's neck in an attempt at seducing her into bed. A very bad attempt.
Buffy playfully shouldered him off her neck and answered, "I think you're answering for me Tiger," she laughed good naturedly, "Or at least putting in your vote on the subject. I'll make you a deal, we'll stay here the night, but no sexing tonight okay?"
Riley gave a sigh filled with regret but nodded just the same.
"You know actually, Riley, it's still early, why don't we go out for dinner?" she asked recognizing hunger throughout her system.
Riley shook his head through closed eyes as he laid back against the pillows, "I'm tired Buffy. Sexing is the only thing I'm up for other then sleep." He opened one eye as if saying she could reconsider. Buffy suppressed a giggle and smiled at Riley.
"That's alright, I'll just go to Wendy's all in my lonesome," she pouted playfully, only to find Riley already asleep, "That's okay, Tiger." She whispered kissing his head.
Buffy stood up and grabbed a long black velvet dress, a pair of high healed shoes with straps that wound around her ankle and some fresh underwear. She would certainly never admit this to him, she barely admitted it to herself, but a simple phone call with Angel like just now sent heat blazing through her and made wetness form on it's own attire. She slipped the clothing on and tied on the shoes before calling Angel Investigations again.
As she'd hopped Cordelia picked up the phone, "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless." She sounded bored.
"Hey Cordelia, it's Buffy." Buffy said whispering so Riley wouldn't hear her.
Cordelia sighed loudly and said, "Oh, it's you. Hold up, I'll get Angel. Cordelia started to call Angel's name, but stopped abruptly when Buffy interrupted her.
"Wait, wait, wait. Cordy that's not why I called." Buffy said frantically, she didn't particularly want Angel to know she was calling, "See, Riley just went to sleep, but it's only like eight o clock, and my legs are itching for something to do before patrol, so I wanted the name of a good dance club and since this is LA I figured you'd be the one to call."
Cordelia laughed, "Oh, no prob Buffy. Would you like the name of the club Angel's going to be at or another one?"
Buffy almost choked on invisible food. Angel dancing? She never would have pictured him getting his grove on. "Angel dances?"
"Only when I talk him in to it." She paused, "Or threaten him into it." Cordelia and Buffy shared a giggle. Buffy hadn't realized how much she'd actually missed the former Queen C until just now.
"What do you think Angel would prefer?" Buffy asked slowly. Her entire body called to be dancing with Angel right now, but she could barely finish that thought to herself not to mention voice it to Cordelia.
"Truthfully? I think he'd love to be grinding in to you, but he'd probably kill me if I told you... oh what the hell. It's called The Swinging Beaver and despite the terrible name, it has the best bands in town. It's in the corner of this district which is impossible to find if you haven't been there in a while, so I'm going to have Angel swing by your hotel okay?" without waiting for her answer Cordelia continued, "Okay. See you then!"
Oh great.
Oh shit!
No, no, no, no, NO!
Buffy could not be dancing with Angel tonight. Sure she could go out without Riley, maybe even dance with some guys without him, with another random guy she could promise that nothing would happen, but with Angel there was no way to be sure. And part of her wanted something to happen.
No! No it didn't, none of her wanted it to happen. She loved... okay so maybe she didn't *love* Riley, but she cared for him a lot, and well that was beside the point he was her boyfriend.
Well, whether or not she wanted something to happen when she and Angel danced and whether or not something was going to happen when she and Angel danced was more then Buffy could say, all she could say was that she and Angel were going to dance. And if she didn't want Riley to wake up to Angel picking her up in a-barely-there-dress, then she better wait for Cordelia, Angel, and Wesley downstairs in the lobby.
TBC~ R&R Please!