"It'd be a long time coming. Years, if ever."
I had been a long time. Four years almost to the day, but she was ready. Done baking. She just hoped he was still hungry…metaphorically of course.
They hadn't lost contact completely during those years. They hadn't actually seen each other but had still grown closer. It wasn't even all that often that they talked. A phone call every couple of months, usually when something bad had happened. During the calls the issue was dealt with and/or comfort given but the future was never discussed. Every now and then Angel would receive a letter giving details of the latest averted apocalypse and sometimes even a few photos of Buffy and Dawn. He always replied with the latest happenings of L.A. and maybe a sketch or 3.
A knock at the door sounded just as he dialed the number for the eighteenth time. He hadn't actually called yet. He was nervous. He didn't want to push her or make her feel bad for still needing time. The last thing he wanted was for her to be hurting jus because he got his Shanshu. He sighed and put the phone back into the cradle went to open the door.
She was rocking on the balls of her feet. Anxious, nervous, scared , happy, excited- All these words currently applied to her. It seem to take forever for the door to open after she had knocked. She couldn't turn around and leave though. No matte how much she wanted to, she was paralyzed. As the door opened she immediately noticed something different about him….she just couldn't place it. Deciding to let it lie for a moment, she determined to be the first to break that awkward silence that had befallen them.
"Hey, can I come in?"
Angel seemed almost shocked when she spoke, like he was a deaf man hearing for the first time and not quite believing it.
"Uh, sure, yeah, of course." He stuttered, moving out of the doorway and leading her to the couch.
"So, how've you been? Why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you…" Angel once again stumbled over his words.
"I'm good. Great actually. I'm here cause I just…uh…wanted to tell you…I'm ….I'm ready…done baking…I'm cookies!" she finally concluded with such a smile he almost melted.
"I came to find out if you were…um…still….hungry. I mean if you'll have me…I still…" He stopped her ramble by holding up his hand.
"Sorry." She apologized, thinking it was a sign she was moving too fast.
"How are you?" She asked, replacing her previous question.
When he hadn't replied a few moments later, she stood to leave, disappointed.
He followed her and grabbed her hand, spinning her around to look in his eyes. The first thing she noticed was his hand. It was no longer cold and clammy but warm. She gazed at him, interrogating him with her eyes.
In a simply wordless reply, he moved their connected hands to his chest, resting hers over his fast-beating heart and his over that.
"H…how?" It was all she could muster.
He leaned down to her ear.
"Shanshu." He breathed before kissing her ear, then her neck where his mark remained, then he came to her lips.
"I love you." He whispered.
"I love you."
A/N: So there you have it…My first ever finished Buffy fic…I have a End of Days/Chosen companion fic in the works…sorta. But yeah, let me know what you thought…if you'd like to hear more from me I'd love to oblige…let me know how I did!