Buffy POV
After some heavy spell casting from Ariana, we managed to get Angel out of his prison and into the van. Ariana sped to the Hyperion, the address of which Angel had given to me a while before. In case of an emergency. I sat with my beloved's head in my lap, a towel wrapped around him. I knew that he wouldn't have drowned because he didn't need to breathe, but the blood loss had obviously left him greatly weakened, and, I think, damaged his eyes. Thankfully though, he was still unconscious, so the ride was quiet.
As soon as we got to the hotel, Ariana and I carried Angel up to his room while Dawn tried to explain to Fred and Gunn what had happened and Willow sat and stared. Once Angel was lying down, I sent Ariana down for some blood while I peeled off his destroyed shirt and shoveled him into his bed. What at another time would have been a very intense situation was instead filled with worry and fear.
"Here you go, I brought them all and sent Gunn out for more. Once we start giving him the blood, he'll start to get better. The more blood, the faster he heals." Ariana sat down and started feeding Angel before she was even finished talking.
At a knock on the door, Ariana handed me the blood motioning for me to continue and went to the door. She and the other person muttered to each other for a minute, then Ariana left, shutting the door behind her. As Angel finished the tenth bag, his eyes blinked open at me and he slowly sat up.
Without a word we stared at each other and then his lips slowly curved up into his little half smile. He reached down and helped himself to another bag, still glancing at me every few seconds. I settled down and just watched him, noticing how he had filled out and once again had that air of strength about him. After he finished his bag, he glanced down and noticed he had no shirt on.
I stood up and went around the bed in case he needed any help as he eased out of bed and over to his chest. So I stood there, feeling like an idiot, with one hand in the air to steady him if he needed. Instead he pulled on a soft white shirt and took my hand and pulled me close to him. Gently hugging me, he whispered, "Thank you," and then sat back down on the bed and continued eating.
I cleared my throat and tried to steady my breathing. "Well, um, since you don't need any help anymore, I'll just, um, be downstairs. Holler if you need anything, k?" I started inching backwards towards the door as I spoke, and had almost reached when he called out.
"Wait." He stood up and went over to me, standing waaaay too close. "Don't leave," he whispered. "I need to talk to you."
As my heart was beating rapidly and my breathing was slightly ragged, I knew I would be unable to speak, so I simply nodded. Angel smiled at me, and, grabbing my hands, lead me back to the bed and sat down with me on it. But instead of talking as he had said, he drew me to him and laid back with me, promptly falling asleep with me clutched too tightly to him to escape while he slept. But something deep inside of me clicked and I knew that I was finally home.
After some heavy spell casting from Ariana, we managed to get Angel out of his prison and into the van. Ariana sped to the Hyperion, the address of which Angel had given to me a while before. In case of an emergency. I sat with my beloved's head in my lap, a towel wrapped around him. I knew that he wouldn't have drowned because he didn't need to breathe, but the blood loss had obviously left him greatly weakened, and, I think, damaged his eyes. Thankfully though, he was still unconscious, so the ride was quiet.
As soon as we got to the hotel, Ariana and I carried Angel up to his room while Dawn tried to explain to Fred and Gunn what had happened and Willow sat and stared. Once Angel was lying down, I sent Ariana down for some blood while I peeled off his destroyed shirt and shoveled him into his bed. What at another time would have been a very intense situation was instead filled with worry and fear.
"Here you go, I brought them all and sent Gunn out for more. Once we start giving him the blood, he'll start to get better. The more blood, the faster he heals." Ariana sat down and started feeding Angel before she was even finished talking.
At a knock on the door, Ariana handed me the blood motioning for me to continue and went to the door. She and the other person muttered to each other for a minute, then Ariana left, shutting the door behind her. As Angel finished the tenth bag, his eyes blinked open at me and he slowly sat up.
Without a word we stared at each other and then his lips slowly curved up into his little half smile. He reached down and helped himself to another bag, still glancing at me every few seconds. I settled down and just watched him, noticing how he had filled out and once again had that air of strength about him. After he finished his bag, he glanced down and noticed he had no shirt on.
I stood up and went around the bed in case he needed any help as he eased out of bed and over to his chest. So I stood there, feeling like an idiot, with one hand in the air to steady him if he needed. Instead he pulled on a soft white shirt and took my hand and pulled me close to him. Gently hugging me, he whispered, "Thank you," and then sat back down on the bed and continued eating.
I cleared my throat and tried to steady my breathing. "Well, um, since you don't need any help anymore, I'll just, um, be downstairs. Holler if you need anything, k?" I started inching backwards towards the door as I spoke, and had almost reached when he called out.
"Wait." He stood up and went over to me, standing waaaay too close. "Don't leave," he whispered. "I need to talk to you."
As my heart was beating rapidly and my breathing was slightly ragged, I knew I would be unable to speak, so I simply nodded. Angel smiled at me, and, grabbing my hands, lead me back to the bed and sat down with me on it. But instead of talking as he had said, he drew me to him and laid back with me, promptly falling asleep with me clutched too tightly to him to escape while he slept. But something deep inside of me clicked and I knew that I was finally home.