The next morning both Buffy and Dawn waited by the door for Angel and Kathy to pick them up. Buffy was as nervous as Dawn was excited. Dawn was practically bouncing up and down whilst Buffy kept checking and rechecking her reflection in the mirror. "Are you sure I look ok, Mom?" She asked looking down at her brown leggings and cream wool sweater ensemble.
"For the hundredth time, you look beautiful, Buffy!" Joyce replied, exasperated.
"They're here, they're here." Dawn screeched as she flung the front door open and bounded down the path to Angel's car. She shouted a quick, "Bye Mom," over her shoulder.
Buffy chuckled at her sister's enthusiasm. Before nerves set in again. "Right, I'm going. See you later, Mom."
"Have a great time, don't forget Rupert and I are going to that gallery opening in San Francisco tonight. And we won't be back til late Sunday evening" Joyce shouted as Buffy all but ran down the path after Dawn.
"I know Mom, have a great time. We'll be fine."
Angel quickly got out and opened the back passenger door for Dawn, and then did the same with the front passenger door for Buffy. "Wow! I love your car." Buffy said, impressed by the big black Plymouth GTX.
"Thanks," Angel said as he got back in the car and began to pull away. "It was kind of a present from my dad."
"Kind of?" Buffy asked.
Angel sighed before glancing at her briefly. "We were all supposed to move over here from Ireland, me, Kathy, Mam and Dad. My dad was offered a job as head of the neurosurgery department at Sunnydale General."
"Your dad is a neurosurgeon?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah," Angel replied. "My parents had been toying with the idea of moving here for years when Dad was offered the job. Mam managed to get an ER nurse position at the same hospital as my dad. They bought a house here in Sunnydale and we were all set up to move."
"Were? What happened?"
"Roisin happened, that's what," Angel said, a touch of anger in his voice.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said, "You don't have to tell me." Buffy didn't want to upset him.
Angel was about to reply when Kathy leaned her head over the rear of the front seats. "Basically my dad was having an affair with his secretary, Roisin. She got pregnant. My dad decided he didn't want to move out here or be a part of our family anymore. My mom kicked him out anyway as soon as she found out about Roisin. Angel here gets angry whenever he has to talk about it." Kathy ruffled Angel's hair before sitting back down in the back seat.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said again. "The exact same thing happened with our dad. He's currently playing house with his secretary too. We haven't seen him in over a year, he didn't even remember Dawn's birthday this year."
"He's not my dad!" Came Dawn's voice from the back of the car. "Giles is more of a dad to me than Hank ever was."
Angel and Buffy shared a sad look before Angel said, "Mam decided that as we'd already bought the house, secured school places for me and Kathy, and herself a secure job, that we'd move and have a fresh start." Buffy put her hand over Angel's as he talked. He looked at their hands and then at Buffy before giving her a small smile and continuing. "This car is bought with Dad's guilt money. I nearly told him to shove it, but then I decided to just take it. I'm never gonna forgive him for abandoning me and Kath or for what he did to Mam, but if he wants to shove money my way, well I'd be a fool to say no." Angel shrugged as he pulled the car into a parking space outside the ice rink.
After putting on their skates and getting settled on the ice, Buffy was pleasantly surprised to see how good at skating Angel was. "I'm impressed," she teased. "I didn't think you'd be any good."
"Oh yeah? And what made you think that?" Angel asked, an amused smile across his face.
"Well I mean you're a drummer in a rock band, it doesn't exactly seem like something a cool musician would do." Buffy gave him a grin.
"Actually I was captain of our local ice hockey team back in Ireland. Coach thought I had what it takes to make it to the nationals, but when my parents decided they were moving over here, I left the team. There didn't seem any point carrying on."
"That's a shame. Couldn't you try out for a team here? Does Sunnydale have an ice hockey team?" Buffy frowned.
Angel let out a small chuckle. "Honestly it wasn't that much of a hardship giving it up anyway. It wasn't really something I was that into, I just kind of fell into playing because my friends did."
"Well, it's nice to have someone who might actually be able to keep up with me now." Buffy teased as she pushed him back lightly before taking off to skate around the rink.
"Might?" Angel shouted as he skated after her.
Dawn and Kathy looked up from their seats next to the rink where they'd sat down for a rest. Angel had grabbed Buffy around the waist and was pulling her back so she was behind him, before taking off ahead of her. Buffy's shouts of, "I'm so gonna get you back for that!" made them both chuckle.
"You know if those two got together we'd be able to spend way more time at each other's houses," Kathy said looking at Dawn.
Dawn looked back at her speculatively, "Yeah? How so?"
"Well, Angel is always stuck babysitting me because Mam works so much. If those two are getting with the smoochies all the time your Mom would be more likely to let you come over to my house more. You know so we can keep an eye on them." Kathy winked at Dawn before they both fell into giggles.
Dawn stood up, a mischievous grin on her face. Holding her hand out to Kathy she said, "C'mon, follow my lead." They skated over to where Buffy and Angel were having a heated discussion over who was the fastest. "You know Buffy really really likes you, Angel," Dawn said with a huge smile on her face.
"Dawn!" Buffy shouted, her face turning so red she resembled a tomato.
"Does she now?" Angel asked a smug look crossing his face as he watched Buffy who seemed to be getting more embarrassed by the second.
"I don't know what you're looking all smug for Angel," Kathy chimed in. "You haven't been able to stop talking about Buffy all week. Anyone would think you were in love with her or something."
Angel began to blush, something Buffy had never seen him do before and it fascinated her.
"I'm going to kill you later, Kath!" Angel said in a low dangerous voice.
Kathy rolled her eyes, "Yeah sure you are." She grabbed Dawn and they skated away giggling.
"Um...well I er...um" Buffy stuttered.
"Yeah," Angel said as he ran his fingers through his hair. Looking at Buffy, as much as he knew he should stay away from her, he couldn't. He barely knew her and the feelings he had for her were like nothing he'd ever felt before. He wanted her. He wanted to get to know her. He could easily see himself falling in love with her, that is if he hadn't already.
Making a quick decision and before he could stop himself, he grabbed her hand and pulled her so she slid over the ice to him. She gave out a surprised "Oh," before he thread his other hand through her hair. She looked up at him and before she could blink his lips descended on hers.
His lips were warm which was such a contrast from the coolness that she was used to from Angel. But his kisses were as spectacular as they'd ever been and when he slid his tongue into her mouth she let out a soft moan. His hand slid around her waist and pulled her against him. She was lost. Lost in the feeling that was all Angel. The rest of the world melted away, there was nothing else but him. Her arms came up around his neck of their own accord and she pulled herself up further, pressing herself more firmly against him. Eliciting a low groan from him.
Angel was in heaven. He'd never kissed any girl like this before. As his tongue duelled with hers he marvelled at the softness of her mouth. She tasted like mint and coffee. The electricity and desire that were running through him scared him a little they were so intense. So powerful. Like nothing, he'd ever experienced before. When she pressed herself more firmly against him he groaned. He knew if they were to carry on much longer he'd end up embarrassed. He was already so turned on, he was sure she could feel how much she was turning him on already.
Regretfully he pulled away slowly. "Oh," Buffy said again softly as she slowly opened her eyes. And god help him she looked so incredibly sexy at that moment he found himself kissing her again quickly. Before he could allow himself to deepen the kiss again he pulled away. "Wow," Buffy said as she touched her fingers to her lips.
"Yeah, wow," Angel replied not taking his eyes off her.
"So I guess the feeling is mutual then?" Buffy teased as she looked up at him. Angel just gave her one of those lobsided grins of his. The type that made her melt into a little puddle. They stood there gazing at each other for who knows how long before Kathy and Dawn came up and interrupted them.
"Hello," Dawn said waving her hand in front of her sister's face. "Younger sister starving to death here." Giving Angel a smile before she turned to Dawn, Buffy said, "Stop exaggerating Dawnie. Do you guys want to come back to our place and order a pizza?"
Dawn began jumping up and down, "Yes, yes and we could have a movie marathon too! Oh, oh, can Kathy sleepover tonight Buffy? Please? Please? Pleeeeeeeaaaaase?"
Buffy rolled her eyes before laughing at Dawn's enthusiasm. "Is that ok with you guys?" she asked as she looked between Angel and Kathy.
"Sounds good to me, as long Kathy wants to?" Angel replied looking at Kathy questioningly.
"Yes, yes, yes." Kathy squealed as joined Dawn in jumping up and down. Which was actually quite hard considering they were wearing ice skates and standing on an ice rink.
"Will your Mom mind?" Buffy asked.
"Not at all, she's working a double shift tonight anyway. I'll just give her a call before she leaves for work." Angel replied a smile on his face. He was excited at the prospect of spending the evening with Buffy. Even if their little sisters were going to be there too.
Buffy was mesmerized by the happy smile on Angel's face. She'd never seen him look so happy. His face lit up, and he was just so beautiful.
Angel realised Buffy was staring at him and he gazed back at her, getting lost in her eyes.
Kathy and Dawn shared a look before rolling their eyes. "You're going to have to actually come off the ice and take your skates so we can go home you know," Dawn shouted at Buffy as she and Kathy made their way to the benches at the side of the rink.