BPOV

"Buffy, if you keep smiling like that people are going to think something's going on under this table." Angel warned.

I couldn't help it. I was still riding on the high of Angel's kiss in front of Darla. I was riding on the high of his sweet lips when I pulled him into the unused part of the library and I imagined that for the entire day, I might be on a cloud.

We did not look back to see what expression was plastered over Darla's face but my daydream thought it similar to a cartoon character who was just smashed by an Acme anvil.

While I acknowledged the fact that Darla would be hurt over everything that happened, I certainly did not expect her to do something like that right in front of me mere hours after our argument. What made it absolutely worse was the fact that she seemed to have been waiting for me to do just that.

Angel, being the darling that he is, stood up for me and I hoped to God that I would be able to do something like that for him and even for myself when the time came. I loved having the feeling of knowing that Angel would protect me but there comes a time when you need to protect yourself.

"I'm sorry," I apologised as I leaned in a put a small kiss on the side of his neck, "it won't happen again. No ridiculous smiling. Study. Research."

Angel chuckled lightly, shook his head and turned his attention back to the published thesis he held in front of him. For the next couple of hours, we sat in silence occupied with our individual work and light touches which served to calm oncoming anxiety.

At lunch, Angel relented once more to cafeteria food. He just had the apple pie saying that he would just stay with what he knew would taste good and safe. Although I knew it before I remembered to make a mental note this time, Angel is picky about what he eats. I was a fairly decent cook but time constraints made it sometimes impossible to cook a full meal. My mind wondered briefly if Angel would like my cooking as I did his.

Our lecture that day was uneventful and if Angel was not next to me holding my hand tracing patterns with his thumb, I would have no doubt fallen asleep. Even though Angel was a welcome distraction to most of my thoughts, one kept infiltrating my mind – what was going to happen to me and Darla?

Her actions this morning clearly showed that the situation would not be resolved anytime soon. Seeing her suck face with Parker made me wonder if he even knew if she was using him. Parker was a great guy and sincerely seemed to like Darla and for her to be using him to get back at me would no doubt hurt him in the long run; enough people were involved in this already.

When the lecture ended, we waited until we were the last ones there before making our exit. Neither of us liked crowds and after the uninteresting lecture, many students were ready to get back their freedom and face the weekend.

"Angel?" I asked as we stepped out of the classroom. "Can we make a quick stop back at my room so I can pick some stuff up?"

The worry which Angel kept hidden for the day so far showed immediately. "Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"I'm not ready to face Darla again if that's what you meant. But, she's on the other side of campus at this time so it should be safe."

My reasoning did nothing for Angel's qualms but he agreed to it. He took my hand in his once more and started our walk to my apartment.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Angel asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.

I sighed and reluctantly replied. "Not really, but I think its better that I do. I don't understand it, why would she do that to me?"

"I don't know, Buffy. Maybe she thought that you hurt her so deeply that she deserved some sort of revenge?"

"It sounds harsh, even for Darla. I know that she was tough after my episode with Riley but to do something like that to me. Someone she called her best friend. Someone that has been with her and for her in so many ways…"

"I know it hurts, Buffy, but I promise you that we will get through this, together." As if to make his point, Angel gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go to put his arm around my shoulder and pull me closer to him.

Angel left me to the many thoughts and theories I had about Darla's behaviour for the rest of the walk. While it was true that Darla considered me her best friend, the fact that she felt betrayed and hurt made Angel's theory highly plausible. If that was indeed the case, then I hoped that our friendship was not so far gone that I could not reason with her.

After everything, Darla was still my best friend and beneath the hurt of the current situation, I knew she cared for me still. Once she still cared, there was a chance that we could recover from this position and retain our friendship. My head was flooded with ways that I could confront Darla and make her see reason when Angel stopped in front of my door.

I quickly unlocked the door and stepped in only to be frozen three steps in. Was it really only last night that I stood here at a deadlock with Darla? I heard Angel close the door and walk behind me before his arms wrapped around my waist and he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Whatever you think, you were brilliant and brave yesterday. You fought for what you want."

I exhaled deeply and leaned my head against his. "But at what cost?"

"None at all. This will all be over before you know it. Trust me."

"I do."

We stayed like that for a few minutes before I extracted myself from Angel's arms and went into my room. It looked like a hurricane passed through. Darla had always been the organised one in the apartment so to see the room practically destroyed sent a jolt through my heart. It hurt to realise that our fight was probably the reason this happened but I trudged forward keeping Angel's words in mind.

I picked up all the books I would need for the following week and put them into my backpack. Using another duffle bag I kept in the bottom of the closet, I stuffed any clothes I could get my hands on. Satisfied that I had enough to get me through I started walking out before I remembered my date with Angel that night.

Staring at the closet to find something that would be suitable for the date took me longer than gathering my books and clothes. Finally, I decided on my one little black dress that I remembered Darla saying that it was classic and perfect for anything. I smiled at one of our happier memories and put it carefully in the bag.

When I came out of the room, I found Angel waiting patiently in the kitchen nibbling on one of the fruit bars he kept in his backpack – he said it was a habit he picked up from his younger sister, Kathy.

"Hey, health nut." I called to him.

Angel scowled briefly and smiled again. "I'm not health nut, trust me. Ready?"

I nodded. "Yep, let's go. I would like to avoid seeing Darla again today if it's possible."

My duffle bag was now held by Angel as we exited the apartment and walked back to the car. On our way back to Angel's apartment, we stopped at the supermarket after Angel expressed how much he was lacking.

We spent all of thirty minutes there – the shortest trip to the supermarket I ever made. Angel swooped in and out of aisles, knowing exactly what it was he needed and where to find it. When Angel picked up a pack of Mrs Fields chocolate chip cookies, I quirked an eyebrow at him inquisitively.

"For you, of course." He said.

Further down the candy lane, I picked up a box of Twix to find Angel quirking his eyebrow right back at me.

"For us, of course." I replied.

We laughed our way down to the check-out and continued back home.

Angel insisted on carrying his things, my duffle bag plus the groceries leaving me with just my backpack. I had to literally snatch my duffle bag and a bag of the groceries and run up the stairs before he could protest.

The rest of our afternoon was filled with merciless comments and laughter at the soap-operas on television.

"Oh!" Angel exclaimed after a couple hours of our mindless entertainment. "We should start getting ready, reservations are at 7."

I groaned, liking my comfortable spot on the sofa curled into Angel's side and his arms around me. Angel laughed and carefully got up from his spot and going into the bedroom. Before I got a chance to miss his presence, Angel returned and scooped me off the sofa and carried me into his bathroom where his tub was being filled with warm water.

I giggled as Angel slowly undressed me making sure that his fingers grazed my skin in a way that made my skin break out in goosebumps. My hands mimicked Angel's, making sure that he would be in the same position as I was. Before I got the chance to remove Angel's boxers, he moved to turn off the water in the tub and proceeded to fill it with bath oils that looked as though they have never been used.

In seconds, the room smelled of vanilla as Angel lifted me into his arms once more and put me into the tub.

"You get the tub, I'll take the shower."

I was more than miffed at the fact that he would not be joining me. Seeing the disappointment in my eyes, Angel knelt beside the tub and rested his palm on my cheek.

"Buffy, you deserve a nice bath after your day." He said and placed a kiss on top of my head as he stood. "Plus, I want my shower jets all to myself tonight." And he walked away laughing, I guess he noticed I fell in love with his shower as well.

Before he stepped into the shower, Angel dropped his boxers giving me a fantastic view of his beautiful ass. I wolf whistled at him before he got in and winked as he turned around to smile and then entered the shower.

When Angel exited his shower with his towel around his waist, I was still revelling in the vanilla scents, reluctant to leave. I was now graced with the sight of Angel's toned and muscular stomach. He left me to the bath as he got dressed. Finally, I decided it was time to get out before I looked like a prune. In any other circumstances I wouldn't mind but this was date night.

By the time I dried off and entered the bedroom, Angel was already dressed. He wore a black blazer with a black shirt and dark jeans. As gorgeous as he was without clothes, he was simply dashing and handsome with them.

"I'll get out of your hair while you get ready." He said, already leaving.

"You don't have to leave, Angel."

He walked back towards me and kissed my lips softly. "Buffy, this is our first date. I want to be…surprised when I see you, as it would be on any other date."

I sighed and nodded, not wanting to argue with his logic. As soon as Angel left the room, I took the dress out of the duffle bag and laid it out on the bed and smoothened out the few wrinkles. Sitting in front of Angel's mirror I applied simple makeup to my face, my style. I decided on wearing my hair up and ended up with a messy but stylish bun and a few hair strands falling delicately.

Putting on the dress with a simple pair of flats was last before I scrutinised myself in the mirror. I looked okay, not Angel's level but passable. Reluctantly, I opened the door and stepped out.

Angel's back was to me but when he heard the slightest creak thanks to my footsteps, he turned around in a flash. He visibly took a deep breath and smiled. "Buffy, you look beautiful."

I couldn't help the blush that crept into my face at his words and I was suddenly interested in Angel's floors. I heard him start to walk toward me and saw his shoes when he stopped inches away from my. Angel placed a finger under my chin and tugged my face up where I saw nothing but passion and love in his eyes.

His delicate fingers brushed along my neck where the strands of hair fell as he leaned in. I felt his nose graze my collarbone and heard him inhale. My breath stopped as he continued to sweep along my neck, finally placing a kiss under my ear.

My breathing resumed as Angel pulled away and kissed my lips. I responded instantly, putting my arms around his shoulder and bringing myself closer to him, moulding myself into his chest. It felt as though Angel resisted from wrapping his hands into my hair and settled instead for running his fingers down my back where my skin was exposed.

We broke away, desperate for air.

"This is the best date I've been on so far." Angel chuckled.

I laughed with him and nodded in agreement. Angel took my hand and led us out of the apartment after helping me put on my coat. On the way to the restaurant, which Angel kept a secret, I had a startling realisation.

"This is the first date I've been on since Riley." I said quietly.

Angel squeezed my hand and brought it to his lips. "All the more reason to make tonight extraordinary."

And that it was. We pulled up to a French restaurant simply named 'Bon'. Knowing nothing of French cuisine, I let Angel order for me and he did not disappoint. Whatever it was that he ordered was mouth-watering and simply delicious. The name of the restaurant was an understatement. Angel steered our conversation in such a way that I forgot about my worries and just had fun.

At the end of the night, it had hardly felt like a date at all. There was no awkward tension and lingering silence which would normally happen. In fact, the night felt as though Angel and I were together for ages and which made me feel no guilt in breaking my rule of no sex on the first date.

**********

APOV

~*~ One week later ~*~

Buffy and I fell into a comfortable routine after her fight with Darla. The morning after our first date Buffy insisted on making me breakfast. I insisted that it was highly unnecessary but she had an omelette ready for me when I entered the kitchen. I remember her telling me that she was an okay cook, but her omelette was so far from okay and bordered on heavenly that I shamelessly asked for more.

We spent our days on campus, in class and in the library. Our mutual assignments were now finished in half the time with each other's help. When I awoke early for my daily runs, most of the time Buffy would join me. She confessed that she was never the exercise type but the running cleared her mind.

I worried needlessly about Buffy being alone while I had to attend classes but she seemed to grow much self-confidence in the time we spent together. We continued to pass Darla different places on campus but there were no more raucous displays on the corridors. She continued to be with Parker and their hands were always linked, but as were ours. Buffy no longer showed any apprehension when we passed Darla casually.

One day however, we spotted Darla and Parker sitting on one of the benches in the garden. Her head was rested upon his shoulder and his arm was wrapped around her middle.

"Darla likes him." Buffy said that night.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know, even after all of this. Darla has always been a secretive type with any of her relationships; something's different about this one. When I first met Parker I knew that he really liked her, I guess she realised that as well."

"That's a good thing, right?" I asked seeing a slight frown on Buffy's face.

"It's brilliant. The fact that I've never seen her like this with a guy clearly means that she's happy. And unlike her, I'm happy that my best friend is happy."

Buffy quickly changed the subject to something on her philosophy notes and I had the sense not to bring it up again. I knew that Buffy missed Darla and often wondered what was going to happen to their friendship, the look on her face while she ran gave it all away. It had already been a week, the longest they have not spoken according to Buffy.

It did not escape me that Buffy's things were growing in the apartment. I had already given her two drawers and some space in my closet which I did not mind. I concluded that Buffy had been making trips to her room when I was occupied with classes and did not mention it to me. I did not care to venture a guess as to why she would do that.

The night of our first date, Kathy called while Buffy was getting ready.

"Angel, I just got your email but if I waited for you to call me, I would be dust and bones."

I laughed ruefully at her comment. "Very funny, Kathy, but I did have all intention of calling you when I could."

"When you could…you are so buried in your work I knew better. So what's going on?"

I sighed, knowing that Kathy would not give up. Annoyingly persistent, that one. "Buffy's staying with me right now and we're about to leave on our first date."

I had to hold the phone an arm's length away to avoid Kathy's squealing on the other end. "Oh, Angel, that's wonderful! But wait, why is she staying with you right now?"

"It's complicated but all I can say is that she had a fight with her roommate and she had no where else to go."

"Oh, that's horrible. Is she okay? Can I speak to her?"

"Yes, she's okay and no, you can't speak to her. Not yet anyway."

"When?" Kathy pleaded.

"Soon, Kathy. I have to go, I hear her coming out. Bye."

"Bye, bro."

Kathy still had not gotten her opportunity to talk to Buffy but it was not for a lack of trying. Everyday since our conversation she tried to persuade me to let her talk to Buffy, I conceded that I would like for her first conversation with Buffy to be in person. That however, spawned new questions as to where and when until Kathy suggested the sibling dinner. Things had been going great with her boyfriend, Xander, and she whined at how long it was since she saw Faith. I told her that I would think about it.

I would have been lying if I said the idea of Buffy having dinner with my siblings was a bad one. I wanted her to meet my brother and sister ever since they got me to confess her existence. Even though it was still a week away, I decided to give Buffy the choice instead of making it for her.

"Buffy?" I asked while we had our breakfast one Sunday.

She looked up from her section of the newspaper with a questioning glance.

"What do you think of having dinner with my brother and sister next week?"

Buffy looked stunned at my question and said nothing.

"You can say no, Buffy." I reminded her.

"No, no, not at all." She recovered. "I mean, yes that sounds great. I've wanted to meet Kathy since you first spoke of her."

"Then you two would have something in common because she feels the same way." I leaned over to kiss her at her acceptance. "Thank you."

Buffy smiled and returned to her reading. There was no doubt in my mind that my siblings would love Buffy as I did.

Thanks for reading please review and tell me what you think. Again tell me if ive made mistakes.