Co-Written with Scribes1015!

With seemingly the weight of the world off of everyone's collective shoulders, it sure made the day feel like it was flying by and before he even knew it, their mother had taken off to her home away from home for the evening and it was back to being just the three of them. Lindsey had to admit that there was some weird feeling that brewed inside of him at certain points when it came to seeing Buffy and Angel being all lovey dovey as they couldn't seem but help be toward one another since that all important kiss from earlier, but it wasn't as bad as he kept imagining. And that was at least something.

Maybe in time he'd forget such a thing was even weird or uncomfortable, hell he hoped a number of things would somehow etch their way out of his memory sooner than later. There wasn't much he wouldn't give for that to be something he could just sign up to happen right here and now... But even if it remained strange for him to wrap his damn head around that wasn't the point. He had his sister back in his life, his best friend, and if they had to be dumb and in love with one another he supposed there were so many worse things the world could offer, some he had been dangerously close to living with forever first hand, so, yeah, he could take being weirded out a little.

Feeling a little fuzziness in the back of his head, his eyes getting droopy and itchy, and tired of yawning what felt like every five seconds, he finally stretched his arms around and announced he was probably going to take a shower then head to bed, looking at Buffy to make sure she didn't plan on taking it over.

Buffy looked over at the closest clock then scrunched her face up, "It's a little early for you isn't it?"

"What can I say? The likes of you two has been wearing me the fuck out. Feels like it's been five years since your ass showed up here, and that's me being nice."

"Whatever," she tossed back with another roll of her eyes. "Take your dramatic ass to bed then."

"Dramatic? Me?" he gasped.

OoOoO

"You know, you look a little tired, too," Buffy whispered as they heard the bathroom door lock from down the hall. She hadn't exactly missed the fact he hadn't exactly rested well today, or last night, and doubted that was doing him much good. The most she'd seen was him slightly dozing off every now and then when conversation would lull into a comfortable silence amongst the lot of them.

"I'm okay," he promised. "Maybe not great but I'm okay, I'll probably fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow when I dare though with no issue. I think part of me was afraid to even leave the room," he admitted. "Let alone try going to lay down for a while, like I'd wake up and this would've all been imagined, or that would've made you revert to your lovely state of hatred and anger toward me or who knows what. I just didn't want to chance it if I could help it."

Buffy let her head fall back against him more comfortably, breathing him in. "Do... do you know what we're supposed to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"A-about us?"

"I don't think that's exactly a one sided answer there, Beautiful," he told her, just barely able to hide a hint of a smile on his lips. "I mean in theory we'd have to figure those steps out together right? We just gotta figure out what we want... and I guess go from there..."

"That makes it seem way too easy though, don't ya think?"

He chuckled and agreed it probably seemed easier on paper than really diving into this, but then again skating around this hadn't been a walk in the park either. Turning his head a bit, his lips pressed against the top of her head, his arm, which she'd practically been wrapped around for hours had long ago fallen asleep but he didn't care, not as long as it meant having her against him.

His pulse kicked up a few notches, there was so much he wanted to say to her, so much that needed to be said, and yet a part of him was terrified to start down that road, completely unsure of where it may lead. The absolute last thing he wanted was to upset her or cause some sort of fight again, hell he wasn't sure he would even fucking survive losing her again now, and she wasn't even technically his to lose anymore.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, after a haggard breath. "I know it probably doesn't feel like it, but everything I did, leaving you there, disappearing, at the time it really did feel like it was the best decision… and I know," he started again cutting her off, "It wasn't fair," he paused, struggling, trying to think of how exactly to put everything into words, which admittedly wasn't a strength he was known for.

"And I don't know, looking back it's like I can see a hundred places where I could have made a different decision, maybe one that would have led us down a path other than this crazy one we've all been on…" he paused again, "I've been a fucking wreck without you, and I don't just mean since the actual wreck. Since the moment I stormed out of that house I've felt like a part of me got left there," finally moving his arm he gently brushed away the tear forming in the corner of her eye, then unable to help himself, he slowly closed what little distance was left between them.

Unlike the night before, this kiss wasn't full of urgency or desperation, and unlike all the ones from earlier, there was no motive behind it, no silent message being sent finally declaring his feelings. Within moments the air began to shift, that familiar electric buzz he'd missed so much began encircling them, ignoring his injuries and the protest his body gave at the movements, he gently guided her across his lap, not breaking away until his lungs burnt to the point that he simply had no choice.

All the emotions she felt hearing his words were quickly transforming into a need she didn't even begin to know how to describe. Framing his face, she couldn't resist running her fingers through the short hairs along his nape. Taking a deep breath, she was trying the best she could to keep it together, in more ways than one.

"I am so fucking in love with you," he finally admitted, his forehead come to rest against hers, letting his words sit between them, while his own fingers lightly dancing up and down her thighs seemingly all on their own accord. He'd almost forgotten how addicting she really was, throughout all their time apart he'd almost had himself convinced that he'd imagined it, or at the very least exaggerated the whole thing. That there was no way she could have possibly fit against him so perfectly, so completely.

She'd felt her heart rate increase with every word he spoke. There was a lot she wanted to say, needed to say, but right then she just needed him. "I love you," she softly gasped, before crushing her swollen lips back to his.

OoOoO

"As much as it's killing me to say this, we should probably stop," Buffy breathed, reluctantly pulling back just a little, though she couldn't seem to stop her hips from rubbing against him, or her fingers from tracing different paths down his shoulders across his chest, or up and down his arms.

He was so lost in her, that all logic was very quickly evaporating. He didn't care about his stupid injuries, that Lindsey was in the next room, the last however many weeks, all he wanted was her, all he needed was her. "What," he asked breathlessly, "Why?"

At some point his fingers had found their way beneath the baggy t-shirt she wore softly gripping at her sides, her back, trying his best not to imagine the way she'd felt that last morning they'd been in nearly this same position, just before everything went to shit.

She grinned, he had that wild look in his eye that she couldn't quite describe, but would recognize even after another hundred years apart. It was the same way he'd looked at her that first night back at home all those nights ago when he'd asked her if she was sure she wanted to dive off that cliff, the same look he'd had that afternoon in San Diego before they had made love for the first time, but mostly it resembled the one he wore in the car that night she'd nearly sent him into oblivion while her brother had been on the phone.

She ever so gently poked close to his incision causing him to wince, "Ow," he startled instinctively bringing a hand to his side, "Not saying I didn't deserve it," he smirked softly, "But what was that for again," he asked somewhat perplexed.

Her brows rose as she gave him a little smirk of her own, "Because right now I want you way too much."

He hadn't thought it possible, but he felt himself harden even further at her words, the universe, fate, God, whoever was in control of everything on this planet sure had one hell of a sense of humor.

"I am not that hurt," he almost pouted, and she couldn't help but laugh a little. "Oh really," she grinned, "You started bleeding, you tore stitches," she corrected, "Just from kissing me last night," her nose nuzzled against his, "You need to heal," she added quieter, albeit more sincere.

He grinned, and that alone nearly made all her resolve fly straight out the window. "We could get creative," he offered seductively, and only half joking, slotting his mouth right back over hers before she could protest. He knew she was probably right, hell as it was he'd already pushed well past his physical limits the last couple of days. He didn't know if it was her, or his some type of chemical reaction to endorphins or whatever, but right then he really was feeling better than he'd felt in ages.

She felt that familiar warmth slowly starting to flow through her, there was nothing she wanted more than to let herself get lost in him, to forget about everything that had happened between them, even if it was only for a little while. There were still things that needed to be said, on her end at least, but if she were being honest with herself she was so damn tired of talking, of thinking, of wishing for some magic way to change things or go back in time. All she wanted for so long was this, "Okay," she spoke so quietly he almost hadn't even heard her, probably wouldn't have if she hadn't been looking directly at him, those green eyes that haunted him in every sense of the word doing her no favors in hiding the collection of feelings she had to have brewing inside.

Obviously not having been expecting that to actually be her reaction, Buffy nearly started laughing at the way Angel's eyes widened, his eyebrows shooting up with the motion, and nearly choking himself on nothing but air. His mouth hung open for several moments too long, dark blinking a few extra times, before slowly repeating, "Okay?" formed as a highly confused question back to her.

Buffy slowly nodded her head, the palms of her hands finding smooth skin to slide across, a hint of a smile playing across her swollen lips.

This time, his eyes seemed to narrow, looking rather stunned and trying to wrap his head around what she was saying here. Finally, his eyes drifted to the ceiling for just a moment, then he looked back at her. "Pretend I'm stupid and clarify what that is supposed to mean… exactly."

This time, there was no way around it or attempt to hold it in, a bubble of laughter burst from deep within her, almost to the point of making her sides start to hurt right alongside his.

"Angel, I promise you that I don't have to dive deep into my imagination for that one," she barely managed to get out. Angel didn't find it even half as funny as she did, but she couldn't help it, and to his credit he sure let her ride her moment there out before she got back control of at least some of herself.

"I don't have all the answers here... I wish I did. I just know that I miss you and I am in love with you and I am so very tired of this day in and day out misery, of being angry and hurt and upset and everything else under the sun. I need to stop feeling the way I have since that night, I need a break from it," she told him, her voice becoming more serious and quiet the longer she went on.

"I just want to let go. I want to remember what it feels like for my whole world to not be upside down, I just want to remember how it was before... how it was all supposed to be."

Angel seemed to pause again, letting her words sink in right along side everything else ready to make his head spin, but then his head dipped back down and his lips found their way back to hers.

"How about a little bit of that and a lot of how it can be," he whispered, then not waiting for any sort of answer, he melted back into her.

OoOoO

Every single time Angel touched her it was with a gentleness nearly enough to make her want to cry, it was as if every movement he made had been well thought out, was entirely deliberate, taking great care every time his lips, his fingertips, his palms explored any given inch of her.

Uncovered now from the waist up, his dark eyes seemed to drink her in as if he was imprinting the image into his memory forever, and as though this were the very first time he'd seen this side of her all over again.

Buffy couldn't help but laugh again as he nearly pecked probably fifty quick kisses all over her stomach and sides, she squirmed under the pads of his thumbs lightly pressing down against her nipples, standing tall with an urgent sense of need. Then as he began the familiar play of making small circles, testing different speeds and pressures to see what he could bring out of her, she let out a soft moan of plea's, needing more.

She really didn't know how far they could manage to take this little show but whatever was being offered she'd greedily accept being a part of. It had been too fucking long since anything in her life felt this right, it'd been too fucking long without him.

"Angel," she moaned again, feeling his fingertips being replaced by the feeling of his tongue against one of her sensitive peaks, neon signs flashing in her head about the emptiness she felt in some currently more important regions of her body.

OoOoO

"What are you doing?" Angel couldn't help but ask when Buffy slapped his hands away, and took over undressing herself the rest of the way on her own. Nearly letting out a frustrated huff as she tossed her underwear off to the side.

"I was trying to take my sweet time getting to that, thank you very much."

"And I appreciate that, I truly do," she shot back, her hands back to slapping and pushing at him to get him into the position of her choosing. "And you are more than welcome to use that type of logic again, but some things are needing to be hurried the hell along for the sake of sanity."

"Uh huh," he mumbled, his hands reaching for the softness of her hips, helping aid in lining her up before daring to take a taste at her glistening center, the contact making both of them groan loudly into the otherwise quiet room. As many times as he'd been blessed with access to her in this manner, and with as much time as he spent living in memories of her just like this, he still managed to find himself surprised at how perfect all of this felt. How much she tasted like coming home, how responsive she could be, and how that only edged him the hell on. The memories were great, they truly were, and detailed better than anything had the right to be, but they sure didn't come close to properly portraying reality.

OoOoO

She couldn't have told you where it started from, deep within her core, or at the tips of her toes, tingles running up and down the curve of her spine. But her body didn't take much to get those first trembles rumbling throughout her, and even less to become a full blown quivering mess, barely able to stand another touch. Her hips couldn't seem to make up their mind, jerking away from him one moment, only to practically grind her sex against his face, seeking more the next.

Any reservations she might have ever had when it came to being intimate with this man seemed to have tucked its tail and hit the road because none of that was alive and well inside of her tonight. Not that she knew if that was entirely a good or bad thing at the moment, but she also didn't have it in her to care one way or the other either.

OoOoO

For a moment there, Angel started to worry about which one of them was going to give out first from some of their favorite activities here. He wasn't exactly running at one hundred percent and Buffy seemed bound and determined to, well, honestly he wasn't entirely sure... drive them both fucking insane, make up for lost time, swallow him fucking whole. Fingers tangled in her hair, he tugged on her until she released him.

"Come here."

Climbing up his good side, her fingers found their way around his silky flesh before she even reached his lips.

"I need you," he breathed when she pulled away, head falling back against the pillow, he squeezed his eyes while he searched for any remnants of control.

His words reignited a fire deep within her soul. Even though he had done nothing short of torture her, edging her over that cliff into oblivion until even his breath was too much for her to bare, she couldn't deny the longing she felt to feel him back inside her, completing her. Though she knew he had probably already been pushed well past his limits, and despite how much she wanted him, she couldn't stand the thought of hurting him more.

"Are you sure," she asked. "I don't want to hurt you. "

Angel chuckled, though he was already pulling her hand away from him.

"Creative… remember?"

Chewing her lip, she debated for only a second before nodding, "Okay… but I have no idea how to–".

Pulling her to him, his lips captured her swollen pout, teasing the small slit, he shut out every thought, every worry, and tried to convey without words every single thing he'd told her earlier. He wasn't sure if he could handle making love, but there also wasn't a force in this fucking world that was going to stop him from trying.

"Get on your knees," he whispered, his lips barely grazing her ear.

Even though they had very obviously done this before, she still felt a fresh wave of nervousness roll through her. Doing as he said, she rose up to her knees, then following his command, she eased her way across him until she could feel his hard length pressed between them. A whole new set of sounds filled the air around them as her warm center brushed against him, one hand braced against her hip guiding her motions, his other slipped between them to align himself with her hot center. Eyes rolling back, he silently begged the universe for some sort of pass on this one.

Even though he was near ready to explode, his balls heavy with unfulfilled release, when her tight walls enveloped him, he could have sworn he felt himself swell even further. With no choice but to let her have control of this show, he resigned himself to her mercy. Once he was sure he wasn't going to put an early end to all this by spilling inside her, he gripped her wrist, guiding her hands to rest on top of her own thighs.

Forcing his eyes open, he couldn't help but get lost in everything that was her. All the mornings he'd woken up devastated from some fantasy his dreams conjured, the nights he'd had to force himself to sleep without her by his side… he would go through it all again if it meant he got to spend the rest of forever inside her just like this.

A deep sigh escaping her, her heavy eyes fluttered open to meet his dark depths which already seemed to be drinking her in. As much as wished she could trap this moment, lock it up somehow so it would never have to end, she craved him too much. Lifting her hips, she set about exploring different movements and motions, loving all the small sounds she was managing to draw from him in the process.

Watching her soft mounds move above him, his thumb circled around one of the pert points all the while thinking how this was a position he could definitely use too. Though it was taking every fiber of his being not to take over, dig his fingertips into her hips, and pound into her until both of them were tumbling together. As it was, he was using every ounce of self control he possessed not to meet her movements, which was quickly becoming a losing battle.

The pain in his side a distant thought, he began testing his limits, softly moving against her, gripping her thighs to grind her against him. It wasn't long before she was panting, knees quaking against him.

"I love you," she heard through the fog of bliss consuming her, but before she could even form a response, his fingers danced over her clit, causing a warmth to start somewhere deep in her stomach. Not wanting to hurt him she made sure to keep her hands from his chest, but it felt like no matter how hard she fought against it, reality kept slipping away.

Ignoring any protest his body made, he rolled the two of them until he was cradled above her. Letting his head fall to hers, he stopped fighting against himself, relinquishing all control, he slammed against her until the first waves of release rolled through him.

As the world slowly crept back, a sense of panic flooded her. Angel still heaved with heavy deep breaths above her, most of his weight braced on his good side. Touching her lips on the sticky skin of his neck, she placed soft kisses all along the trail up to his ear.

"You okay," she asked, her own breathing still unsteady.

Rolling to her side, he could do little more than nod as he settled against her, one arm draped lazily across her waist, his fingers already back to teasing her pink nipples.

Shifting in his arms, her own fingers threaded through his now damp hair. "I love you."

With those words his eyes snapped open. "I love you more beautiful."

Snuggling closer against him, she didn't stop until their breath tangled together, the tips of their noses barely touching. So many emotions swirled, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Her heart still ached for everything they had been through, but laying right there with him, all the things they had been through took on a whole new meaning. Where before she had all sorts of insecurities, worries about what the future might have in store for them, right then she felt like every single thing they had gone through had led them to here.

After a few moments had passed, their breathing returning to normal, she watched Angel's eyes suddenly pop back open. "You didn't happen to stop taking your birth control… right?"

Her own eyes widened, the thought of protection hadn't even crossed her mind. "I… Of course not… I mean, I've been on it 'cause of my periods for so long..." Covering her face with her hands, she couldn't believe she had forgotten something so important. "I'm sorry," she then rushed out. "I didn't even think about grabbing a condom. Not that I have any or have ever had to be the one to worry about that sort of thing before."

Moving her hand away from her face, he couldn't help but laugh a little despite the pain it caused him. "Trust me I am not complaining," he told her. "We just need to be careful, 'cause pretty sure that's the one thing your brother might still hunt me down over."

She knew he was right but it didn't stop her from rolling her eyes, the mere thought of going round two with Lindsey over anything right now too much to even step into. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked instead, earning a groaning noise as any type of response. Kissing him once more, she gently guided him from the comforts of her body and back onto his back so she could get a better look at what the damage might be.

Smacking at his shoulder and cursing the two of them, she hurried to get upright and decent enough to face beyond these walls. "See, now you're over there bleeding again, you seriously need to learn to respect your limits," she grumbled at him.

"I'm fine," he shot back, wincing as he reached for his boxers she'd thrown back his way. "I was respecting my limits, and I had reached my limit of being away from you."

Rolling her eyes again, she told him to hurry up so they could try and patch him up, threatening if it looked as bad as she was expecting once she got him cleaned up there would be no ifs, ands, or buts about going to some sort of urgent care. "And you can just go explaining how you got in this situation yourself," she'd added.

OoOoO

A shower, change of clothes, and what felt like forever of being poked, prodded, and bandaged back up later, plus Buffy shoving as much medication as he could possibly take without it becoming worrisome at him, he didn't feel quite as bad as he was expecting to. Sure, their activities there had caught the fuck up to him but he was pretty certain he'd not created any extra long term damage or anything.

And even if that had been the case, there wasn't a thing on this planet that could've made him regret it.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Buffy turned around, just finishing up with brushing her hair. "Always." Crawling her way to join him in the bed where he was propped up, she snuggled up to his warm body before, "But I will warn you now, if you're going to ask if I'm ready to go again with you between the sheets the answer is very much no at this moment."

He couldn't help but chuckle a little but assured her that wasn't where he was going. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't think I could even come through on that. So no... I was just... I guess before sleep wins out on me, I just wanted to make sure you and me are really okay. I mean I don't think we have to have everything sorted out right here right now but just trying to get a feel about us moving forward maybe? Shit, does that even make any kind of sense?"

Buffy nodded her head and promised that she knew what he was trying to say. "I don't know what exactly tonight means, what you want it to mean... We can say we're just taking things one step at a time, we could say we're, I don't know, back together but still working through ever-"

"I very much vote for that, for option B," he cut her off.

Buffy slowly tilted her head back enough to be able to look at him. "Just like that?"

"What do you mean, just like that? Woman, I have been through hell and back missing the shit out of you!"

"I understand that!" she said between laughter, "I just mean are you sure you want to jump right back into saying we're actually together as a couple or whatever after everything rather than-"

"Yes," he quickly answered. "If you're not on the same page with that I understand and respect it and all of those things, but that would be my answer.

Buffy chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, mulling that over. "I really hate not being your girlfriend, being able to call you mine, living in a world of wonder that doesn't seem to have any sort of end. Like, I'd like at least something tangible to hold on to."

OoOoO

"I love you," Buffy whispered, her fingertips dancing across his visible dark eyebrow. Angel was well passed out at this point, but she'd been happy to just lie here entangled up with him, feeling safe and loved in his arms, listening to him breathe. She was almost afraid to go to sleep, too, if she was being honest with herself... afraid she'd wake up and all of this having been a cruel dream and nothing more, or even she'd wake up and all those nasty feelings she'd been toting around the last several months would come do a knock out drag out fight with her current state of happiness and come out victorious.

She wanted to wake up in the morning and still see that bright light of a better future ahead of them, but part of her worried she'd wake up and panic, mess everything back up.