As soon as they gathered in the car together Angel felt like the tension between them had finally come to settle in a bit. It had been a very long time since the two of them were actually alone together and in such close proximity. At one particularly long traffic light, Angel found himself really taking the time look Buffy over as she sat beside him. He felt the extra fluttering in his stomach as he took the imagine of her in along with how this whole evening had panned out played out in his mind. He knew without a doubt he'd have recognized her anywhere but there were several differences between the woman sitting there and the teenager he'd once been in love with.

"What?" Buffy finally asked, a slight blush to her cheeks. "You're staring over there."

"Sorry," he offered. "Just trying to wrap my head around tonight and seeing you again." Angel paused for a moment. "You look good by the way. I like the long hair." He had been itching to touch her all night and that had taken him by surprise.

Buffy laughed at the compliment. "Well, thank you. You don't look so bad yourself over there."

"I think I've gotten old," he told her with a hint of a smirk. "I sure feel it some days anymore."

Buffy smiled at him, cocking her head to the side. "You do look older, but I like it. You look distinguished. You've grown up."

"Well, thank you," he drawled out. He caught a glimpse of himself in the rear view mirror and mentally wished he'd put more effort into going out tonight. He was in just thrown on a tee-shirt and jeans, sporting an unshaven for days look. His appearance certainly had some major shifts over the past seven years. He felt on a lot of things they seemed opposite... she seemed to have lost some weight while he'd put some on, worked out more so he was just overall broader and bigger. She had her hair lighter and longer while his was shorter these days. She looked happier, he didn't know if he could exactly say the same for himself. He just thought he looked tired most of the time.

Angel felt her small hand come up to his cheek. "I like the beard. It's kind of sexy."

Angel chuckled, reaching over to take her chin in his fingers for a fleeting moment. "Yours isn't so bad either," he joked.

Buffy swatted him away then slapped at his shoulder. "Shut up. You're still an ass."

"Hey, some things you just can't change."

"Obviously not."

OoOoO

"So..." Angel started as they got in another bout with traffic. "You ever get remarried?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. You?"

"No."

"I was engaged, though," she said after a brief pause. "He and I broke up not long before Cordelia started telling me she was going to set me up with a friend of Jess' actually." Possibly even before he and I split now that I think about it," she added with another laugh at that.

"What happened?"

Buffy sighed, looking out the window. "I apparently wasn't enough for him. I wasn't there for him enough it seems, I wasn't enough girlfriend, I don't know. He had found someone else to take my place when he felt like it. We tried for a short time to even get past that but it wasn't going to work."

"I'm sorry," he told her sincerely.

She shrugged. "It's okay. I mean, it wasn't my favorite thing to have ever happened but I'm glad I found out when I did and have been able to just move right along since."

"I don't think I have even come close," he told her. "I've had some long-term relationships but I've never given the thought of marriage again."

"Not yet."

"Not yet," he echoed. "Maybe someday."

"Do you have any kids?"

"No," he answered. "Thankfully. I don't really think I'd be a good dad."

She waved that statement off. "Of course you would. You've always been great with kids."

"Yeah, maybe... but they weren't mine and around all the time and needing me to support them. I think that may be a different situation."

"I think you'd be fine."

"You always wanted a family..."

Buffy got a little bit of a sad look in her eyes. "I did, but I have come to terms with that is probably not in the cards for me. I'd like to be settled down, happy and in love before I started making a family. Finding someone to have that with and to look at them and think wow I want to make a whole other person with this human being isn't as easy as I imagined."

"I think it'll happen for you," he told her. He'd always hoped she would find everything he couldn't give her with someone else someday.

OoOoO

"Is this the right place?" Angel asked, pulling into the parking area.

Buffy nodded beside him. "This is home."

"Alright," he said, finding a parking spot closer to her exact building. He shut the engine off and got out, going around to the other side and helping Buffy out. "My lady," he greeted, offering his arm to her.

Buffy just looked at him for a moment. "You don't have to walk me to my door, Angel."

"Oh, I believe I do. Your mother made that real clear to me forever ago."

Buffy laughed at that memory. "Oh, fine," she said, hooking her arm in with his. Angel chuckled his own self as her free hand tried pulling her dress down as they walked along together. "Well, this is me," Buffy said softly once they reached her apartment door. Buffy turned around slowly to face him, both of her hands now holding on to his. Angel glanced down at them, then at her. "Thank you for walking me home."

"Anytime," he told her. "I had fun tonight."

She smiled a bit. "Me too. It was nice to see you again." Angel was silent for a long while, just looking at her, his thumb brushing against her. "What's on your mind over there?" Buffy finally asked, leaning back against her front door some.

To be honest Angel had been standing here fighting off the urge to reach down to the bottom of her little black dress, cup her bottom with his two hands, hoist her up against him and pin her to the wall. It was a thought that came on fast and strong and was making his brain get all fuzzy the longer he stood there with her. He didn't exactly think that would be entirely appropriate to say to her, however. He didn't know what else to say either though as that was all he had on his mind in that moment.

"Earth to Angel?"

Angel blinked a few times. "I don't know," he finally said. "I was just thinking I hope we run into each other again sometime. I feel like I might just miss you a little again after tonight."

Buffy's face brightened a little. "Well, who knows? Maybe we will cross paths again. It seems we have more in common than we had realized and we do have a few of the same friends in our little circles."

"Right," he half whispered, letting his hands untangle from hers. "It was good to see you again, Buffy," he told her. "I hope you have a good rest of your evening. Tell Willow hi for me, okay?" At the look on her face he had to smile. "Don't act like you aren't going to call her and talk about this."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Drive safe on your way home, Angel," she told him.

"I'll try." Angel took one step away then stopped, just looking at her. Before he knew it he was stepping forward again and bent down slowly. He heard her suck in her breath quickly, he waited as she closed her eyes and leaned into him before lowering his mouth to hers. He couldn't even remember the last time he had kissed her yet it was familiar as soon as they had touched. Both of her hands made their way to the sides of his face, he heard her moan low in her throat. He broke away a moment later, kissed her on the forehead then took several steps away. "Goodnight, Buf."

"Goodnight, Angel," she whispered back.

With that, Angel turned to head back to the parking lot and head home. Tonight had thrown him entirely through a loop.

OoOoO

Buffy had taken a moment to pull herself together, gone inside and taken a shower, changed into some comfy pajamas then she replied to Cordelia's string of texts to let her know she had made it home safe and sound and agreeing to go over absolutely everything come tomorrow. Next she smiled, crawled into bed and started dialing her best friend.

"Hey!" Willow's cheerful voice greeted. "Your date not go so well?"

Buffy frowned. "Why do you assume that?"

"Well," Willow paused, "If it had gone super well I'd have thought you'd be, uh, busy the rest of the evening?"

"It was a first date, Will! I don't typically go around sleeping with just anyone, let alone some guy I might have just met."

"I know, I know... but sometimes... things happen... Did you at least actually go on the date?"

"That I did," she told her best friend. "And you will never believe who Cordelia had set me up with."

"Oh, now that sounds interesting" Willow's voice rose a tad bit higher. "Was it someone I know?"

"You could say that."

"Oh! Oh! Wow... hmm... was it... oh... well, hell, I don't even know who to guess. I kept wanting to say Brad Pitt."

"I don't think you know Brad Pitt, Willow."

"No, but I do know of him?"

"This was someone you actually know, or well, knew maybe I should say. She set me up with Angel." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Will?"

"Angel? Like, the Angel? Your ex-husband Angel?"

"That would be the one," Buffy confirmed.

"Cordelia thought she'd found your soul mate and it turned out to be your ex husband?"

Buffy laughed with her. "She would not have been the first person to make that mistake, but yes..." And with that Buffy began going through the events of their evening.

"Wow," Willow commented, her voice a little dreamy. "That had to be so wild for the two of you," she said. "What was it like seeing him again?"

Buffy took a deep breath on that one. She did her best to explain her feelings... from it being a shocker to just something fun, to how gorgeous he still was and everything else in between. Buffy went over the dinner then how he had offered to drive her home. Willow was hanging on every word she said and Buffy found herself getting goosebumps as she spoke, still feeling the crazy mixture of emotions running through her. Buffy almost whispered the bit about the end of the evening when he surprised her with that kiss. She could still feel him.

"Oh, my gosh," Willow squealed like a teenager again. "Oh, Buffy, what if you and Angel were to get back-"

"Oh, no," Buffy cut in. "Don't you even put that out into the universe, Will."

"Why not?"

"Because that is ridiculous! It was just a weird night and we got caught up in the craziness. Of course old, weird, feelings might have been brought to surface and we did something stupid with that kiss but it wasn't the start of anything. It was just two people who once had feelings for one another getting caught up in a moment. It was fun, it doesn't need to be ruined with any of that nonsense." Buffy wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, her or Willow. But she didn't want to get those wild thoughts in her head as it were, she didn't need to even put those type of thoughts together in the first place. She tried changing the subject some with telling her friend he had said to tell her hi and grumbling over the fact she was going to have to replay history come tomorrow with Cordelia. She knew the brunette would want all the details after all this crazy mess.

Buffy had yawned about seven times during their phone call before they finally decided to bid one another goodnight. She was tired, though unsure if her body was going to let her actually fall asleep given how wired it still was.