As always, Co-Written with the amazing Scribes1015!
Lindsey's head was pounding, and his fucking phone was dead, but he'd somehow managed to wake up at the ass crack of dawn on a Sunday no less to help Buffy get some of her stuff moved. He still didn't understand why in the hell she couldn't just hire a couple of movers, but he wasn't trying to start any arguments now that she finally seemed to be listening to what he'd been saying all along.
Pulling up in his old spot, he paused for a second before getting out just to take it all in. He hadn't been back to this house since he helped Angel, who also didn't believe in a damn moving company, though even then she hadn't been here. No, the last time all three of them were together here had to of been at Thanksgiving, and looking back now, that felt like a couple lifetimes ago.
Grabbing his dead cell, he climbed from the car after checking his reflection quickly and trying not to grimace. He had been more than a little tempted to bail out and have them wait another weekend, but then again he didn't want to cause any unneeded stress right now if it could be helped. They'd had more than their fair share of that. Him, too. Thankfully Buffy had already went over the majority of what she wanted to bring right now and it wasn't like she was moving her whole apartment over today so he hoped he'd manage well enough.
OoOoO
Hearing Lindsey's voice and footsteps getting closer, Angel swore under his breath, making Buffy chuckle darkly. Her hand didn't retreat from his pulsating flesh still, and he wasn't going to be one to tell her to stop by any damn means, his eyes squeezed shut and he tried to ignore the fact his best friend had started for the kitchen rather than giving them a little more time of privacy by looking upstairs, or literally anywhere else, for them.
Buffy's fingers waited until the last possible moment to pull away and he felt his body shiver from the loss. "You're killing me,'' he whispered, dragging her body closer to attempt to hide the raging hard on from Lindsey as he greeted the room.
"Hi, Lindsey," Buffy smiled wickedly. He grumbled, walking over to the table and taking a seat, letting his head fall down to the hard wood with an audible thud. "Hard night?" she guessed and he just held up a hand, not bothering to look their way right now.
Angel pressed hard against Buffy which made her bite back a moan and swat at his shoulder. "Mmm, I think I'm going to run and take a shower real quick," he said, his eyes narrowing at his minx of a wife.
Buffy reached over and grabbed a few pieces of bacon. His eyes twinkled as he opened his mouth, taking a quick bite. "I'll have a plate ready for you when you're done," she said softly. "Enjoy."
"Uh huh, this can and will be continued later," he kissed her quickly before she started asking Lindsey if he was hungry.
OoOoO
"Could you explain to me one more time why in the hell it is you don't just pack this place up and move everything back to your house?" Lindsey asked, following Buffy through the apartment she'd been calling home since moving out in the first place. "Just wasting the money and having everything you're not bringing back just sit here all useless doesn't make the most sense is all I'm sayin.'"
Buffy sighed, taking a seat for a moment as she stared around the small place. Truth be told it hadn't been entirely horrible here, she'd made a number of memories - and not all of them bad - in her short time here and those were forever going to be cherished no matter what the other circumstances were. She also wouldn't miss it, though, either.
"Because there's no guarantee that Angel and I are actually going to make things work," she told him. "We're trying, and that's still mind blowing to me, but if we just wind up where we were to begin with then I'd like to have at least some security about that other future. There's not exactly that many great options for housing in this town that are in my price range, are considered safer areas, that are going to be all that open to a young, single, teacher with a newborn..."
Lindsey rubbed his eyes. "Having some sort of back up plan just feels... I don't know. It don't feel right. It's like you expect it to not work out so you just leave this place intact so you can just wave goodbye and run off back here."
Buffy sighed. "We just got back together, Lindsey, and we don't know what's going to happen. We're still figuring this out and trying to prepare for a new child in the mix while working through everything... it's not clear, cut and dry. I don't expect us to fall apart and with everything that I have inside of me I am praying and wishing and hoping that we don't fall into the same cycle as we always have. I want this to work out, to be some magical second chance to be what we're supposed to be. But there's a realist side screaming at me, too. It's small... but it is mighty, Linds. I just don't want to be blindsided at the worst possible time. I'm taking what I need and you know, as time goes on, I will probably be coming over here and grabbing more and more... and eventually, yeah, I'll hopefully feel like I don't need this as some sort of net to caught me from falling on my face or whatever."
Lindsey debated for a moment, his head looking back out into the hall to see where Angel was before looking back at his blonde best friend. "Are you aware of what he did?"
Buffy shrugged.
"All this week after work and when he wasn't off diddle daddling around with you, he was packing up his place. And dragging me along in it. He paid out his contract, too, but he moved out. Everything from his condo was removed and it's all sitting in either your guys' garage or it's over in my shed."
That seemed to give her some pause but she still shook her head. "That doesn't mean he's more in this than me, Lindsey. If anything look at it as he has more options if shit goes sideways... including the fact that the house is his."
Lindsey rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'm just voicing my opinion. Take from it what you want. You two worked out all the baby stuff about who's what is going where?"
"Huh?"
"You both got all this shit... you got a crib, he got a crib, you got a stroller, he got a stroller... so on so forth."
"Yeah, for the most part, at least on some of those bigger items we kind of compared and worked it out. Actually having two of some of these things sounds like it'll be kind of helpful like we don't have to switch car seats back and forth between the cars annnnd we were talking about setting a couple things up at your house," she said with a wink.
"You wanna do what now?"
"And maybe we could put some stuff over at the cabin? Just for extras so every time we head out that way we aren't practically taking everything but the kitchen sink."
Lindsey's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Times are a'changin'," he finally said with a shake of his long dark hair.
Buffy smiled at him. "That they are, but you know... I kind of like it. I like thinking about outings as a family, thinking about going and doing some of our favorite things but getting to share them with Connor and this little one. Gives it all a new meaning."
"Yeah, well, I think it's supposed to..."
"Now we just gotta get you all settled down and-"
He held up a hand to silence whatever she planned to say, " Don't even start, I have enough stress dealing with you two and your boat load of issues. I don't think I could handle having to go home and deal with my own."
Her face turned down into a small frown, sometimes she still felt bad that he was stuck so far in the middle of their mess. Not that he hadn't asked for it, but still she knew it probably wasn't an easy place to be. Lindsey had never really been the relationship type, even growing up she could only recall a couple girls who'd ever actually earned the title of girlfriend, and none of them had lasted more than a few weeks.
Lindsey was more the 'what you see is what you get' type. He didn't put up any false pretenses, and every woman he took to his bed knew beforehand that she was never going to become Mrs. Mcdonald. Lindsey enjoyed his space, he'd never really had a problem being alone, and in a lot ways she truly sympathized with whatever woman had to deal with his ocd tendencies, but even though he always brushed the conversation away she still held a little hope inside her that there was still a girl out there just waiting for him to find her.
OoOoO
Thankfully things at her apartment had gone rather quickly once the guys started loading everything into the back of Lindsey's pickup. She'd been a little worried that Angel was going to get upset seeing just how much she was actually planning on leaving, but he hadn't seemed like he'd been very bothered by it, of course his mind also seemed to be occupied on other things even pulling her off with him to the bathroom a few times just to kiss her.
Lindsey let it go for a while but the last time he'd finally come pounding on the door, hollering something about how the sooner they got everything loaded, the sooner they could all go back to the beds they so obviously craved. That had made her blush a bit, as nervous as she was about the night ahead of them, she couldn't help but acknowledge that small tingle of excitement she felt either.
She was fairly certain Angel had been seconds away from picking her up and carrying her back up their stairs all over again, and if she was being really honest, in that moment she wasn't so sure she would of had any objections. He'd been right though, last night when he told her that he knew she would've regretted them making love. It wasn't that she didn't want to, they had always been an extremely affectionate couple, never able to keep their hands off each other for long, and naturally that rolled over into the bedroom.
That's where she guessed all that awkwardness she kept feeling between them was stemming from. He was playing it safe, which she appreciated, but just because she wasn't ready for them to make love didn't mean she didn't physically miss him. Last night standing at that door she'd nearly started crying because of how badly she wanted to go crawl into that bed with him, just to be able to touch him, to feel him up against her as she fell asleep. She never felt safer than when she was in his arms, but it wouldn't have been fair to run after him like, he was only trying to do what she'd asked, what she'd made him promise, and that would have felt too much like setting him up for failure with how needy they both seemed to be at the time.
She watched them make their way back in the kitchen after the last box was unloaded into the hall, after nearly tripping coming down the steps at her apartment she'd been put under strict orders by both of them to stay put once they got back to the house. For a split second a memory from the day she moved out crossed her mind, but she quickly shook it away smiling brightly at the two of them as Angel came to sprawl out on the couch, carefully lying his head across her lap resting it against the ever growing bump between them.
Her fingers easily found their way into his hair while they watched as Lindsey first chugged one bottle of water, before taking another one out and going straight for the medicine cabinet. "Uhh," Buffy grimaced. "You might want to check the expiration on all that stuff," she tried to warn, but Linds just shrugged his shoulders and popped two of the capsules in his mouth. He was getting too damn old to party all night and still be expected to act like a functioning member of society the next day.
"Well since the two of you wouldn't let me do hardly anything," she started, glaring between the both of them. "I figured the least I could do was make the two of you dinner, so say the words and I'll make whatever you want." She glanced back at Linds, "Even those stuffed shells you love so much that I absolutely loathe making."
She wasn't sure she'd ever actually seen anyone turn green before, but that was the only thing she could think of to describe the look on his face. He took another sip of the cool water before shaking his head, "As much as I'm probably going to hate myself for saying this Buf, I think I'm going to have to pass. The thought of all that sauce and cheese coming back up just don't very pleasant."
"Gross."
"At least I'm honest," he smirked back at her. "I actually think I'm going to head out, gotta big day with your boy there in court tomorrow, don't think the judge would be too pleased if I showed up lookin' like this… I need some time to sleep this shit off," he added as he searched for his keys on the counter.
Angel tossed them his way, after shifting around so he could pull them from his pocket. "Might want to try a shower too," he teased, just as Lindsey's fingers wrapped around the metal.
They went back and forth for a couple more minutes, but Lindsey didn't waste much more time before telling them goodbye, his bed calling his name. "Any particular thing you want me to make," she asked, looking down as she lightly traced around his brow. From what all she'd heard from Connor he hadn't been eating right or taking the best care of himself these last few months.
"Take outs quicker," he smirked, wanting nothing more than to pick up where they'd left off this morning when they were so rudely interrupted. Not that he hadn't thoroughly enjoyed the way her tiny hands slipped inside his boxers so unexpectedly, but his ego was having a hard time dealing with the fact that he still hadn't had a chance to touch her, not in any of the ways that mattered anyway.
"Mmm, nice try," she giggled, "But burgers and pizza are not always the answer no matter badly you wish that they were."
"Says you," he tossed back, earning another grin and a shake of the head from Buffy in the process.
OoOoO
Finally having decided on an easy sheet tray meal to toss in the oven, Buffy had done most of the work for dinner but Angel had insisted on the clean up afterward. Once upon a time the two of them had a standing rule about such but it had been one of the many things that had fallen to the wayside over the years and had been all laid on her to handle. It was nice to have a break, that was for sure, and she hadn't even had to utter a word about it either.
Once everything was squared away again and the two of them had gone through the house switching any lights off as needed, Buffy found herself wrapped up in Angel's arms once again as they stood in front of their bedroom door. "Are you sure about this?" he asked one final time.
Her head nodded. "I know there's a lot we have to work through still, and not rushing absolutely everything is for the best here, but I've spent too many nights away from you already and the idea of you so close but so far away is not helping a thing."
"I know all too well what you mean," he whispered.
OoOoO
Angel found himself mimicking the previous evening, lifting her up against him and carrying her inside their bedroom, easing he down on the bed as his body hovered above, his hands and lips roaming her body... although he was a bit more in control, a little less desperate than he was last night.
He was bound and determined to rectify all issues that he was carrying around inside of him when it came to no longer knowing every last detail of her changing body. Last night had not been enough, seeing her through a small screen of a telephone was nothing more than a tease compared to seeing her splayed out before him, being able to reach out and touch her, commit every new change to memory.
Beyond that, Angel knew he needed more than just words between them. He poured every ounce of himself into every kiss, every touch, every dark look her way. He needed her to know beyond words how badly he had missed her, how endlessly sorry he was for everything that had happened between them, to promise her everything was going to be different, better, now.
His fingertips fell in love with the softness of her skin underneath them as if it was the first time he'd had the pleasure of touching her all over again, exploring every new curve that came with this miraculous pregnancy, learning how his touch effected her differently these days... Buffy would already start shivering with the slightest brush of his hand or as his breath would tickle against her skin and he could only imagine how far he could take things with her tonight, and hopefully in the future.
He couldn't for the life of him understand how he'd even survived the past six months, let alone the idea of having her again just to have to go through that again in the end.
OoOoO
Buffy found that morning came all quickly, the blaring alarms going off together for the first time in what felt like forever. Buffy groaned, snuggling closer to the warm body beside her. "Mmm," was all she could manage, sure she was still nothing but a puddle after last night. Getting up and having to function like a normal adult seemed impossible, she just wanted to lay here, enjoy the floating feeling she still had swirling inside of her, and repeat it all over and over while the rest of the world faded away.
Angel's lips found her forehead, brushing against her gently, his hands roaming over her body, only a thin sheet covering her... the two of them having been too exhausted and caught up in one another to bother with clothes after. Maybe it had been just too long without him, maybe it was the pregnancy hormones, but she was pretty sure she'd never came so hard as she did last night. Angel had worshiped every inch of her body with his far too talented fingers, his warm mouth, and she was pretty sure the neighbors' had heard her moans and cries for him the entire time.
Her hands had shook and trembled the entire time she had reached for him, craving the feel of him in her palm again, needing him to be on the same high he'd taken her to. When she had guided him to her center, her hands stroking up and down his length, the angry head of his manhood just barely pushing against her she wasn't so sure how long she was going to hold on to any fraction of the logical reasoning. And she knew damn well how much she was tempting fate on his end, but she ate every bit of it up, how he had forced himself still, his jaw clamping shut, teeth grinding together, his uneven breathing matching hers as her small hands worked him.
Being rolled to her back then feeling Angel back on top of her, Buffy moaned, her hips rising against him, pulling her out of memories of last night very much into the present. His lips trailed down the side of her neck, across her collarbone, and she warned him they would both be late if he kept this up.
"Mm, why does it have to be Monday already?" he mumbled.
"That is a very excellent question," she told him, smiling once he was face to face with her once more. "I'm not so sure I am going to be the most focused I've ever been today."
"You got minds to mold, woman. You can't live with your head in the gutter!" he joked, dodging out of the way just in time before she playfully smacked at him.
Looking at his naked form she raised an eyebrow. "Easier said than done."
OoOoO
Getting dressed seemed like it took an extra hour when you had a sexy, half naked, pregnant wife sharing the room with you. It seemed as though every time he finally got his pants zipped and buttoned, her fingertips would reach for him, undoing all that hard work, getting him all worked up again. He didn't know how many times he'd carted her off to sit her atop the sink counter, found a wall to pin her against, thought about calling into the office and using any excuse to not come in today.
And just the same, he'd help her zip the back of her dress up only for her to fix her hair then he would slowly lower it again, tasting each newly exposed inch of flesh as he went.
When he had just about - finally - gotten completely dressed, Buffy straightened his tie and smoothed out his shirt. She seemed to be teasing with the idea of undoing them when she asked, "A-are you going to be home for dinner?"
Pulling her to him, his hands skimmed her thighs, slipping beneath the smooth fabric of her dress, his fingertips dug into the soft flesh of her hips, lifting her clear off the ground again he blindly guided her back to the familiar counter top.
Dinner felt like an eternity away, "Let's call in," he pleaded, barely pulling away from her long enough to get the words out. Fuck it, he didn't give a damn about anything he was supposed to do today, all he wanted was her. Those few short hours they had got to spend together last night becoming reacquainted with one another not nearly long enough. Especially not with the way she kept insisting on driving him absolutely mad this morning, he could already feel that familiar ache building in his groin, it was sure to make one painful day if he didn't get some relief.
She giggled, slipping her tongue back between his lips teasing him for a moment longer. "You know it's too late to get a substitute," she reminded him, her fingers brushing against him, working his rigid outline through his slacks.
"Tell them the car won't start."
She hadn't even realized how much she missed this, how much she missed him all crazy and full of need.
For the first time in a long time that heavy cloud of sadness didn't grab hold of her the moment she got lost in those mahogany eyes. It was definitely a hard line to toe, knowing how far was too far and such when you were husband and wife was no easy task. Though she had to admit, it was nice to feel like his again, to know there were more than just words between them. She didn't want to fall back into old habits, but she couldn't very well ignore this need inside of her forever, and she couldn't expect him to either.
"It's Monday," she reminded him again. "You know Lindsey will kill you if you stick him with all the pro bono stuff."
He groaned again as her tiny fingers slipped inside the opening of his zipper, there was no way he was going to be able to make it through the damn day. Securing her in his arms, he waited until her legs instinctively wrapped around him to lift her up and carry her the short distance back to their bed.
Depositing her on the bed, he smirked as he watched her full breast bounce when she fell back. He was quickly learning how much he enjoyed her body swollen, and pregnant with his child. He went to work pulling at his tie, his belt, racing to undo everything, cursing himself for already having wasted so much time.
The corner of his mouth ticked up, flashing her one of those little half smiles she loved so much.
"We're going to be late."