Chapter 6
He laid her down on his bed and didn't know where to start bandaging her wounds. There were cuts and gouges everywhere, as well as burns and bruises. He gently propped her up with a few of his pillows and set to work. He cleaned and dressed all of her cuts starting with her face. He worked like a machine until an hour until dawn, when he was finally finished. He had to undress her to get to some of the burns and cuts, but had left her in her underwear. Quite a few times, he found himself tracing the curve of her barely clad body. Her skin was soft and warm. He had to shake himself from the memorization and continue working. When he was done, he gently tucked a blanket around her shoulders, shut off the light, and sat in a chair and watched Serena sleep. The moonlight from the open balcony door cast onto her face, making her seem dark and mysterious. He could smell her blood that had long since dried. A hunger grew inside of him, not for her blood, but for her. He got up and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He poured himself some pig's blood into a mug and turned toward Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia, who sat with worried expressions on their faces. Angel sipped his blood, then said, "She's fine. She's sleeping now."
"Good. Damn, I was worried." Gunn muttered under his breath. It echoed in the large room. Everyone stared at him. "What! She looked really bad! I don't want human beings to die! And she's a human being, that's all!" Gunn defended.
"I'm going to check on her, to make sure she's all right." Wesley reported.
"No!" Angel said forcefully. Wesley raised an eyebrow. "She's sleeping. She shouldn't be disturbed." He explained.
"Fine, I'll check on her later. But I think that we all need some rest, so everyone should meet here in about five or six hours." Wesley told everyone, who nodded, then left. Angel finished his cup of blood, then went back into his room. Rose colors began to tinge the night sky. Angel gave the sky a longing look, then pulled the drapes shut, plunging the room into eerie darkness. He sat and watched Serena sleep, remembering the way she had been at the graveyard only a few days ago. He knew that he saw a side of her that not many people see. Most people just see the Slayer, the fighter, and the ego and sarcastic remarks that go along with it. He didn't see the Slayer that day. He saw Serena, a young girl who had endured a lot of pain and loss in her life. He saw a person much like himself and it scared him. He knew, to the depths of his soul, that he was falling in love with her.
Serena stirred, and began to mumble. Her voice rose as if scared. Angel stood quickly and seated himself next to her, watching her face as it creased with pain and fear. He carefully shook her shoulders, but she didn't wake. Her head tossed back and forth and she struggled against him. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she called out, "Mom! Buffy!" She called out blindly to them.
"Serena, its Angel. It's okay." Her eyes met his and recognition lit her face. She stopped struggling and collapsed against him as tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"Angel, I saw them here. They were in this room and they came to see me, but then they went away. I didn't want them to go. I felt empty without them." The words came stumbling out into his neck. He held her tightly, and she clung to him as if she would never be able to let go. She looked him in the eye, her eyes still watery. "Angel, I have no one in the world left. All I have is Dawn, but she's not my real sister, right? She's some sort of key. I have no family, no Watcher, no friends, no love.nothing." Their foreheads touched and they gazed at each other. Angel wiped the tears from her face and stared into her eyes. Then, his lips were on hers. It was the softest kiss; tender, unsure.
Angel, Angel, Serena sang inside, her dream long forgotten. Everything else fell away: being the Slayer and being seventeen and being anywhere but in Angel's arms kissing Angel's mouth.
They both tensed as the kiss became more passionate. Yes. She gave herself to the moment, held tightly in his arms as she kissed him fiercely and he kissed her back with increasing intensity. His hand gripped her arms pulling her closer, then gently broke the kiss.
"Now, you have me." He breathed, and brought her into a warm, fiery embrace.
"Now, I have you." She agreed, and they continued the kiss. After a few minutes, Serena, who was exhausted from the torture a few hours before, fell asleep on Angel's shoulder, where she felt the most comfort. He carefully tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and then climbed next to her. He fell asleep soon after, listening to the sound of her steady beating heart.
He laid her down on his bed and didn't know where to start bandaging her wounds. There were cuts and gouges everywhere, as well as burns and bruises. He gently propped her up with a few of his pillows and set to work. He cleaned and dressed all of her cuts starting with her face. He worked like a machine until an hour until dawn, when he was finally finished. He had to undress her to get to some of the burns and cuts, but had left her in her underwear. Quite a few times, he found himself tracing the curve of her barely clad body. Her skin was soft and warm. He had to shake himself from the memorization and continue working. When he was done, he gently tucked a blanket around her shoulders, shut off the light, and sat in a chair and watched Serena sleep. The moonlight from the open balcony door cast onto her face, making her seem dark and mysterious. He could smell her blood that had long since dried. A hunger grew inside of him, not for her blood, but for her. He got up and walked downstairs to the kitchen. He poured himself some pig's blood into a mug and turned toward Gunn, Wesley and Cordelia, who sat with worried expressions on their faces. Angel sipped his blood, then said, "She's fine. She's sleeping now."
"Good. Damn, I was worried." Gunn muttered under his breath. It echoed in the large room. Everyone stared at him. "What! She looked really bad! I don't want human beings to die! And she's a human being, that's all!" Gunn defended.
"I'm going to check on her, to make sure she's all right." Wesley reported.
"No!" Angel said forcefully. Wesley raised an eyebrow. "She's sleeping. She shouldn't be disturbed." He explained.
"Fine, I'll check on her later. But I think that we all need some rest, so everyone should meet here in about five or six hours." Wesley told everyone, who nodded, then left. Angel finished his cup of blood, then went back into his room. Rose colors began to tinge the night sky. Angel gave the sky a longing look, then pulled the drapes shut, plunging the room into eerie darkness. He sat and watched Serena sleep, remembering the way she had been at the graveyard only a few days ago. He knew that he saw a side of her that not many people see. Most people just see the Slayer, the fighter, and the ego and sarcastic remarks that go along with it. He didn't see the Slayer that day. He saw Serena, a young girl who had endured a lot of pain and loss in her life. He saw a person much like himself and it scared him. He knew, to the depths of his soul, that he was falling in love with her.
Serena stirred, and began to mumble. Her voice rose as if scared. Angel stood quickly and seated himself next to her, watching her face as it creased with pain and fear. He carefully shook her shoulders, but she didn't wake. Her head tossed back and forth and she struggled against him. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she called out, "Mom! Buffy!" She called out blindly to them.
"Serena, its Angel. It's okay." Her eyes met his and recognition lit her face. She stopped struggling and collapsed against him as tears spilled onto her cheeks.
"Angel, I saw them here. They were in this room and they came to see me, but then they went away. I didn't want them to go. I felt empty without them." The words came stumbling out into his neck. He held her tightly, and she clung to him as if she would never be able to let go. She looked him in the eye, her eyes still watery. "Angel, I have no one in the world left. All I have is Dawn, but she's not my real sister, right? She's some sort of key. I have no family, no Watcher, no friends, no love.nothing." Their foreheads touched and they gazed at each other. Angel wiped the tears from her face and stared into her eyes. Then, his lips were on hers. It was the softest kiss; tender, unsure.
Angel, Angel, Serena sang inside, her dream long forgotten. Everything else fell away: being the Slayer and being seventeen and being anywhere but in Angel's arms kissing Angel's mouth.
They both tensed as the kiss became more passionate. Yes. She gave herself to the moment, held tightly in his arms as she kissed him fiercely and he kissed her back with increasing intensity. His hand gripped her arms pulling her closer, then gently broke the kiss.
"Now, you have me." He breathed, and brought her into a warm, fiery embrace.
"Now, I have you." She agreed, and they continued the kiss. After a few minutes, Serena, who was exhausted from the torture a few hours before, fell asleep on Angel's shoulder, where she felt the most comfort. He carefully tucked her in, kissed her forehead, and then climbed next to her. He fell asleep soon after, listening to the sound of her steady beating heart.