Part 25
"Buffy?" Angel asked quietly. She'd been silent for so long, but she
was no longer crying at least.
"Yeah, I'm still with you," she answered. "I'm sorry I lost it like
that."
"You don't have to apologize," Angel said. "Tonight didn't end up the
way I planned, that's for sure."
"Still... I'm sure you're in quite a bit of pain after my beating on
you." Buffy said, pulling away then and looking at him. She was
relieved to see that his knife wound wasn't bleeding again.
"I'm fine," Angel shrugged. "I actually haven't thought about the
injury in several minutes. I'm taking the 'ignore it and it'll go
away' tactic."
Buffy chuckled at that, "Yeah, well, how about I get you some aspirin
instead?" She made a move to stand up, and Angel jumped up, offering
his hand. She took it, as he helped her up, then she waved him over
to the couch. "Sit. I'll be back."
She went to the bathroom medicine cabinet and found the aspirin, and
filled a paper cup with some water. She glanced at herself in the
mirror and made a face. "Yuk." she said, her eyes were puffy and red,
there was no salvaging that, but she ran a hand through her hair at
least. She sighed, and went back out to Angel.
She handed him the cup and pills. "Thanks," he said with a smile,
taking them.
She nodded and sat next to him. She knew she should go back to her
hotel, but she didn't want to. She was so tired of being alone.
*Exactly why I should go* She looked up at Angel when she heard
mutter a curse. She saw him wince, and knew he was feeling more pain
than he was letting on. "Angel?"
"I'm fine," he said again, but less convincingly this time.
"Maybe, but you need to rest," Buffy said, standing. "I can help you
upstairs to your room--"
"I'll be fine here," Angel said. "Too tired to climb all those
stairs."
"Fine then. Lie down," she said.
He did as ordered then looked up at her. He knew she was planning to
leave, but he didn't want her to.
"I'm staying," Buffy answered his unspoken question. "I have to make
sure you're okay."
"If you want to," Angel shrugged, trying to hide how thrilled he was.
She sat down next to him, and he scooted over a little to give her
room.
"Angel...would you...." Buffy shook her head. "Forget it."
"What?" Angel asked.
"I was just gonna ask if you'd hold me for a while," she whispered,
looking away. "We came so close to one or both of us dying tonight..."
"Come here," Angel said, moving back further against the couch,
reaching for you.
"But you're hurt--" she looked at him worriedly.
"I'll be fine," Angel replied. "I want to hold you."
Buffy nodded, and before her head could talk her out of it, she'd
laid down next to Angel, her back to him.
He pulled her back against his chest, wrapping one arm around her
waist. He smiled when she finally relaxed against him. "Try to get
some sleep, Buffy," he said.
Some minutes later, Angel thought Buffy had at last fallen asleep. He
realized she hadn't though, when he felt her roll over on her other
side and snuggle up against his chest. He smiled and finally let
himself drift off to sleep, feeling hope, for the first time in
weeks, that maybe she did still feel the same way about him as
he did about her. And if that was the case, maybe they would be able
to find their way back together again after all.
***************************
"Buffy?" Angel asked quietly. She'd been silent for so long, but she
was no longer crying at least.
"Yeah, I'm still with you," she answered. "I'm sorry I lost it like
that."
"You don't have to apologize," Angel said. "Tonight didn't end up the
way I planned, that's for sure."
"Still... I'm sure you're in quite a bit of pain after my beating on
you." Buffy said, pulling away then and looking at him. She was
relieved to see that his knife wound wasn't bleeding again.
"I'm fine," Angel shrugged. "I actually haven't thought about the
injury in several minutes. I'm taking the 'ignore it and it'll go
away' tactic."
Buffy chuckled at that, "Yeah, well, how about I get you some aspirin
instead?" She made a move to stand up, and Angel jumped up, offering
his hand. She took it, as he helped her up, then she waved him over
to the couch. "Sit. I'll be back."
She went to the bathroom medicine cabinet and found the aspirin, and
filled a paper cup with some water. She glanced at herself in the
mirror and made a face. "Yuk." she said, her eyes were puffy and red,
there was no salvaging that, but she ran a hand through her hair at
least. She sighed, and went back out to Angel.
She handed him the cup and pills. "Thanks," he said with a smile,
taking them.
She nodded and sat next to him. She knew she should go back to her
hotel, but she didn't want to. She was so tired of being alone.
*Exactly why I should go* She looked up at Angel when she heard
mutter a curse. She saw him wince, and knew he was feeling more pain
than he was letting on. "Angel?"
"I'm fine," he said again, but less convincingly this time.
"Maybe, but you need to rest," Buffy said, standing. "I can help you
upstairs to your room--"
"I'll be fine here," Angel said. "Too tired to climb all those
stairs."
"Fine then. Lie down," she said.
He did as ordered then looked up at her. He knew she was planning to
leave, but he didn't want her to.
"I'm staying," Buffy answered his unspoken question. "I have to make
sure you're okay."
"If you want to," Angel shrugged, trying to hide how thrilled he was.
She sat down next to him, and he scooted over a little to give her
room.
"Angel...would you...." Buffy shook her head. "Forget it."
"What?" Angel asked.
"I was just gonna ask if you'd hold me for a while," she whispered,
looking away. "We came so close to one or both of us dying tonight..."
"Come here," Angel said, moving back further against the couch,
reaching for you.
"But you're hurt--" she looked at him worriedly.
"I'll be fine," Angel replied. "I want to hold you."
Buffy nodded, and before her head could talk her out of it, she'd
laid down next to Angel, her back to him.
He pulled her back against his chest, wrapping one arm around her
waist. He smiled when she finally relaxed against him. "Try to get
some sleep, Buffy," he said.
Some minutes later, Angel thought Buffy had at last fallen asleep. He
realized she hadn't though, when he felt her roll over on her other
side and snuggle up against his chest. He smiled and finally let
himself drift off to sleep, feeling hope, for the first time in
weeks, that maybe she did still feel the same way about him as
he did about her. And if that was the case, maybe they would be able
to find their way back together again after all.
***************************