Spike drained the last of the blood in his mug and sighed. He should've stopped her leaving, now he wouldn't have time. Before he knew it she'd be flitting off back to Europe.
"Spike?" Angel poked his head round the door.
"Relax. She's not here." Spike guessed what he was looking for.
"Sorry I just smelt her and I wasn't sure." Angel sat down next to Spike's bed.
"Whatever." Spike shook his head.
"Was it because of me?"
"Well I have to admit, bursting in on us did shake her a little but...I don't know. She doesn't want to put you in an awkward position I think, seeing your ex with someone else in your town, made sure you staked your claim to it, good and proper didn't you?" Spike reminded Angel of when he'd kicked Buffy out of 'his city' a few years prior.
"She tell you all this?"
"Not in so many words, but I know Buffy."
Angel nodded, as much as he hated to admit it, Spike did know Buffy. "We weren't doing anything you know. Just hugging, we weren't gonna...you know. We do have some self control."
"I know. I guess I just freaked." Angel admitted.
"Why? You knew about me and her."
"I know but, I guess I didn't totally understand to what extent."
"You thought we were just sleeping together." Spike surmised.
"...Kinda." Angel awkwardly shuffled in his chair.
"I was in love with her, as in love as a vampire without a soul can be anyway. And she was going through some stuff and yeah we started sleeping together."
"You don't have to tell me all this.." Angel fidgeted.
"I know but I will. It was not a good relationship...violent, degrading and led to the worst thing I've ever done in my life." Spike's eyes darkened. "But then I got my soul and it got a little better."
"So you got into a real relationship?"
"Not really. We kinda built up a working relationship first but the feelings were still there. She believed in me, knew I could be a better man. And then she had a really, really difficult night and I was there for her. And more importantly, she actually let me be there for her." Angel's eyes flitted away from Spike, embarrassed and Spike hurried to correct his mistake. "I don't mean there for her...like that...We didn't...I didn't...Oh sod it! We didn't have sex alright? No it was way more...personal than that." Spike scoffed at himself calling sex impersonal.
Angel nodded solemnly and Spike finished his story. "You know, then I burned up in a pillar of fire in the Hellmouth, classic rom-com." Spike chortled.
"I'm sorry. Sorry I got all...uncomfortable and weird."
"It's fine. I expected nothing less." Spike rolled his eyes.
"I wasn't gonna bring her here you know." Angel revealed.
"You weren't?" Spike raised an eyebrow at him.
"I didn't know if you'd want her here, I figured you would've called her yourself before now...I don't know."
"You actually considered what I'd want?" Spike comically placed a hand to his chest.
"Yeah, weird right?"
"Is this the day of Fred being right or what?" Spike laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"She said me and you were like brothers and I shrugged her off. But I guess she was right you know."
"Yeah. I mean I've never killed you and I had plenty of opportunities."
"Same, actually." Spike realised.
"I mean there's the obvious, Sunnydale. You were in a freakin' wheelchair and you hated my guts I coulda killed you with one hand."
"What about the submarine back in 1943? I found out about you playing both sides, making good with the soul and I swam to shore anyway."
"I know we've been through a lot and someone somewhere is clearly just getting their kicks out of forcing us back together."
"Damn right." Spike interjected.
"And I..I..oh god don't make me say it too."
"It's just three words, Liam."
"I'm not saying it." Angel shook his head.
"Awww come on.."
"You say it first, you're the poet."
"I'm not saying it first."
"You're so stubborn you know that." Angel insulted him.
"Oh you're one to talk!"
"You know what? You need to get some sleep anyway. They're discharging you tonight." Angel stormed out of the door.
"Angel?" Spike called to him and he spun around. "I love you, man."
Angel smiled almost in annoyance, "Love you too." And he hurried out of the door in embarrassment.
