Part 9
Present Day
"Oh god." Buffy groaned from the bathroom floor. Angel appeared in the doorway and handed her a glass of water.
"Thanks. I still think you're a jerk." Angel rolled his eyes and turned into the office, while Buffy slowly got up from the floor and followed him.
When Buffy got to the office, she leaned heavily in the doorway. She was still sort of woozy, so she used the frame to support her weight.
Angel was sitting at his desk, furiously scribbling down notes in files, just to distract himself from Buffy.
Not liking the tension, Buffy decided to start small talk, "So you and Cordelia huh?" She took a gulp of her water.
Angel quickly looked up at her and went back to the files, "Yup."
"That's...nice." She took another sip.
Without looking up, Angel started to talk, "What about you? Break anymore hearts?," he asked coldly.
She glared at him. "I can't BELIEVE you're still accussing me of doing those things."
Still not looking up, "If the boot fits."
(AN: I didn't know if it was boot or shoe. I was confused. Ok sorry.)
In a fit of anger, Buffy threw the glass of water at the wall behind him. Suddenly forgetting about her dizziness. He ducked and then shot up out of his seat.
"What the Hell's your problem?!," he angrily yelled at her.
"I have a problem?! I'm not the one being a jackass!," she yelled back.
"Why are you mad at me? It's not like I slept with someone else."
"I'm MAD because YOU left me for some fucking ridiculous reason!"
He just looked at her angrily. they stared at each other for a couple of moments.
Buffy continued in a calmer tone, but still firm, "You didn't let me reason with you before, now's my chance. So you're gonna sit there and listen to every God damn word I say, and any comments you have, you can keep to yourself until I finish. Got it?" In response, Angel sat down in his seat, still glaring at her.
"Good," she continued, "Now, I'll admit, I was attracted to Spike, but I'd never let go further than that. I loved you," she paused for a beat to look into his eyes. He softened a bit, but the anger still stood, tears were now streaming down her face, " I TRUSTED you," she paused for again.
"Tell me Angel, 'cause I'm damned curious. Did I give off ANY reason to make you lose your trust for me before this?"
Angel's facade faded as realization swept over him. "Oh-Oh my God. Buffy..." He looked up at her with apologetic, sorrowful eyes.
A sob escaped her lips and she buried her face in her hands. He got up and stood in front of her, gathering her in his arms.
"I am so sorry. Oh God. I messed everything up."
She looked up at him sadly, "Why Angel?"
He wiped away a tear that was sliding down her cheek. "I-I don't know. Paranoia got the best of me. Darla screwed me up, she made me ruin the best thing that ever happened to me." He looked down and for the first time noticed the ring dangling on her chain. It was his. He held up the ring with is palm.
~Funny when you stop and think
Time goes faster than blink
Nothing's ever like it was
But girl we got a special thing
All the happiness it brings
Is more than enough
I know it's hard to believe
You're still the biggest part of me
All I'm living for
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"I-I guess I didn't wanna let you go. I couldn't get rid of it. I didn't have the heart," Buffy explained.
He was speechless.
~It's hard to breathe when we're apart
You're like the sunshine in my heart
I keep you here inside
You've been everything to me
You've been and always will be
The apple of my eye
And I know it's hard to believe
You're still the biggest part of me
All I'm living for
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"Angel? Can I ask you a question?" He looked up at her and nodded. "If you wanted nothing to do with me, then why'd you move to a city where you KNEW I was from and someday would come back to?" A trace of a smile was on her lips.
He let out a little chuckle, "Probably because a part of me thought you'd come back to me. I guess I couldn't let you go either."
~If oyu love me
Look into my eyes and say you do
I've been waiting all my life
For someone just like oyu
Baby all that we've been through
Girl I'm still in love with you
And I want you to know I do, I do
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"I never stopped loving you, you know," she said matter of factedly.
"Me neither. I'll be in love with you until it kills me." They started leaning in for a kiss, when it came to Buffy.
She backed away from him. "Wait. Angel, we can't. I love you, but Cordelia's my best friend. I can't do that to her. You're hers now."
Guilt built up in Angel. "You-you're right. I also love you, but I have Cordelia and you have...who do you have exactly?"
"No one." She raised her hand and showed him the claddaugh ring that still pointed in, "You ruined me for other men Liam McCall."
Angel dropped his head in shame, "Oh." The guilt was rising.
She bit her lip in thought and then stated, "I still want to be your friend, though. Will you be my friend?"
He looked up into her eyes and answered with the one word they loved to say to each other 3 years ago. "Forever." He reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"I love you Angel," she said into his chest.
"I love you too Buffy." He kissed the top of her head.
"Buffy? Angel?" They heard Cordelia's voice rang through the hotel. They slowly pulled apart and then she entered the office. "There ya guys are." She looked at Buffy, "Ready to...Why is there a big wet spot on the wall?"
The new friends turned to look at the wall behind them and then back at Cordelia.
"We were disscussing *ahem* Andy and Buffy got mad and threw her glass of water at me," Angel explained.
"Oh." She looked at Buffy who was looking at her sheepishly and she looked back at her smirking, "That explains it. Did you get all your throw up out of your system or do I have to roll down the window like I did with Xander?" Cordelia handed Buffy her purse.
"No. I'm good." Buffy said and grabbed the purse.
"You coming Angel?"
"No. I'm gonna clean up a little and then lock up," he answered.
"Okay. Night Sweetie." Cordelia hugged him and kissed his cheek and turned to leave with Buffy.
Before Buffy followed Cordelia she said, "Goodnight Angel."
"Bye Cordy. Bye Buff."
When the girls left, Angel opened a hidden safe behind a painting. He pulled out a small, black velvet box and sat in the chair. He opened up the box and it revealed a diamond ring. The ring that he was going to propose to Buffy with.
It was cut into a pointed oval shape and there were little diamonds surrounding it. It was on a white gold setting.
He was a dumbass. If he hadn't had made that stupid accussation about Buffy, he would be married to her by now; probably even have a baby. But he ruined it. How could he?
After the brooding session, he closed the box, walked over to the coat rack, and slipped it into the pocket of his leather duster. He got a dust pan and began to sweep up the shards of glass that his blonde love threw.
Â
Present Day
"Oh god." Buffy groaned from the bathroom floor. Angel appeared in the doorway and handed her a glass of water.
"Thanks. I still think you're a jerk." Angel rolled his eyes and turned into the office, while Buffy slowly got up from the floor and followed him.
When Buffy got to the office, she leaned heavily in the doorway. She was still sort of woozy, so she used the frame to support her weight.
Angel was sitting at his desk, furiously scribbling down notes in files, just to distract himself from Buffy.
Not liking the tension, Buffy decided to start small talk, "So you and Cordelia huh?" She took a gulp of her water.
Angel quickly looked up at her and went back to the files, "Yup."
"That's...nice." She took another sip.
Without looking up, Angel started to talk, "What about you? Break anymore hearts?," he asked coldly.
She glared at him. "I can't BELIEVE you're still accussing me of doing those things."
Still not looking up, "If the boot fits."
(AN: I didn't know if it was boot or shoe. I was confused. Ok sorry.)
In a fit of anger, Buffy threw the glass of water at the wall behind him. Suddenly forgetting about her dizziness. He ducked and then shot up out of his seat.
"What the Hell's your problem?!," he angrily yelled at her.
"I have a problem?! I'm not the one being a jackass!," she yelled back.
"Why are you mad at me? It's not like I slept with someone else."
"I'm MAD because YOU left me for some fucking ridiculous reason!"
He just looked at her angrily. they stared at each other for a couple of moments.
Buffy continued in a calmer tone, but still firm, "You didn't let me reason with you before, now's my chance. So you're gonna sit there and listen to every God damn word I say, and any comments you have, you can keep to yourself until I finish. Got it?" In response, Angel sat down in his seat, still glaring at her.
"Good," she continued, "Now, I'll admit, I was attracted to Spike, but I'd never let go further than that. I loved you," she paused for a beat to look into his eyes. He softened a bit, but the anger still stood, tears were now streaming down her face, " I TRUSTED you," she paused for again.
"Tell me Angel, 'cause I'm damned curious. Did I give off ANY reason to make you lose your trust for me before this?"
Angel's facade faded as realization swept over him. "Oh-Oh my God. Buffy..." He looked up at her with apologetic, sorrowful eyes.
A sob escaped her lips and she buried her face in her hands. He got up and stood in front of her, gathering her in his arms.
"I am so sorry. Oh God. I messed everything up."
She looked up at him sadly, "Why Angel?"
He wiped away a tear that was sliding down her cheek. "I-I don't know. Paranoia got the best of me. Darla screwed me up, she made me ruin the best thing that ever happened to me." He looked down and for the first time noticed the ring dangling on her chain. It was his. He held up the ring with is palm.
~Funny when you stop and think
Time goes faster than blink
Nothing's ever like it was
But girl we got a special thing
All the happiness it brings
Is more than enough
I know it's hard to believe
You're still the biggest part of me
All I'm living for
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"I-I guess I didn't wanna let you go. I couldn't get rid of it. I didn't have the heart," Buffy explained.
He was speechless.
~It's hard to breathe when we're apart
You're like the sunshine in my heart
I keep you here inside
You've been everything to me
You've been and always will be
The apple of my eye
And I know it's hard to believe
You're still the biggest part of me
All I'm living for
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"Angel? Can I ask you a question?" He looked up at her and nodded. "If you wanted nothing to do with me, then why'd you move to a city where you KNEW I was from and someday would come back to?" A trace of a smile was on her lips.
He let out a little chuckle, "Probably because a part of me thought you'd come back to me. I guess I couldn't let you go either."
~If oyu love me
Look into my eyes and say you do
I've been waiting all my life
For someone just like oyu
Baby all that we've been through
Girl I'm still in love with you
And I want you to know I do, I do
I still think about you
I still dream about you
I still want you
And need you by my side
You're still the one
You're still the one~
"I never stopped loving you, you know," she said matter of factedly.
"Me neither. I'll be in love with you until it kills me." They started leaning in for a kiss, when it came to Buffy.
She backed away from him. "Wait. Angel, we can't. I love you, but Cordelia's my best friend. I can't do that to her. You're hers now."
Guilt built up in Angel. "You-you're right. I also love you, but I have Cordelia and you have...who do you have exactly?"
"No one." She raised her hand and showed him the claddaugh ring that still pointed in, "You ruined me for other men Liam McCall."
Angel dropped his head in shame, "Oh." The guilt was rising.
She bit her lip in thought and then stated, "I still want to be your friend, though. Will you be my friend?"
He looked up into her eyes and answered with the one word they loved to say to each other 3 years ago. "Forever." He reached out and pulled her into a hug.
"I love you Angel," she said into his chest.
"I love you too Buffy." He kissed the top of her head.
"Buffy? Angel?" They heard Cordelia's voice rang through the hotel. They slowly pulled apart and then she entered the office. "There ya guys are." She looked at Buffy, "Ready to...Why is there a big wet spot on the wall?"
The new friends turned to look at the wall behind them and then back at Cordelia.
"We were disscussing *ahem* Andy and Buffy got mad and threw her glass of water at me," Angel explained.
"Oh." She looked at Buffy who was looking at her sheepishly and she looked back at her smirking, "That explains it. Did you get all your throw up out of your system or do I have to roll down the window like I did with Xander?" Cordelia handed Buffy her purse.
"No. I'm good." Buffy said and grabbed the purse.
"You coming Angel?"
"No. I'm gonna clean up a little and then lock up," he answered.
"Okay. Night Sweetie." Cordelia hugged him and kissed his cheek and turned to leave with Buffy.
Before Buffy followed Cordelia she said, "Goodnight Angel."
"Bye Cordy. Bye Buff."
When the girls left, Angel opened a hidden safe behind a painting. He pulled out a small, black velvet box and sat in the chair. He opened up the box and it revealed a diamond ring. The ring that he was going to propose to Buffy with.
It was cut into a pointed oval shape and there were little diamonds surrounding it. It was on a white gold setting.
He was a dumbass. If he hadn't had made that stupid accussation about Buffy, he would be married to her by now; probably even have a baby. But he ruined it. How could he?
After the brooding session, he closed the box, walked over to the coat rack, and slipped it into the pocket of his leather duster. He got a dust pan and began to sweep up the shards of glass that his blonde love threw.
Â