Title - Best Friends

Author - Paige

Rating - R

Summary - Buffy and Angel are best friends who grow up next door to each other. When they hit junior high, Buffy gets cool and Angel doesn't. Everything changes when she's called.

Disclaimer - Yeah right.

Distribution - Would make my day. Just ask.

Feedback - Would make the sun shine brighter.

Angel nudged Buffy with his elbow. "Wake up, Buff. You gotta get home before your mom sends out a search party. Or comes looking for you, and you /know/ how much she loves me."

Buffy nodded. "I know." She leaned down and brushed her lips over his. "I missed you."

Angel wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, holding her against him for longer than was strictly necessary. "Missed you too, Buff." He kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself, Slayer."

Buffy smiled and pulled away. "Love you, Angel." She stood and pulled on her jacked.

Angel leaned back on the bed. "Love you, Buff."

She smiled and slipped out the window.

*

Over the next few weeks, Buffy and Angel got wrapped even deeper into Buffy's new life. They learned how to fight. Angel met Merrick and Buffy's new boyfriend, Pike. He didn't like the way Pike went out of his way to touch Buffy when he was around, but he figured Pike was as jealous as he was.

He held her hand when Merrick died, danced with her at the Prom, and helped her burn down the gym. He held her as she cried over her parent's divorce, her expulsion from school, and her move to Sunnydale. Over her breakup with Pike, and the desertion of her so-called friends. She told of her worry that she'd have no friends in Sunnydale, or whether or not she'd keep Slaying.

And, on the night before she left for Sunnydale, they had a long talk.

Before they made love.

*

Angel was laying spread on the bed, head pillowed on his hands. Buffy sat at the foot of the bed, cross-legged. Her long blonde hair was hanging loose around her shoulders. Since it was hot, she was dressed in a blue tank top and white shorts. The polish on her toes was pink.

"I wonder what Sunnydale's like," Buffy said thoughtfully, toying with her hair.

"Small, and the people aren't that nice. I've got family there."

Buffy winced. "Nobody's gonna like me."

Angel shook his head. "Everybody's gonna love you. You'll see."

Buffy sprawled out on the bed next to him. "I'm gonna miss you."

Angel kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna miss you too."

There was silence for a long while. Buffy leaned over impulsively, to kiss his cheek. Since he was turning his head to hers, she missed.

They both froze for a moment, then Angel's hand came up and tangled in her hair, keeping her lips on his. His tongue darted out and traced her lips, easing past them and she parted her lips and moaned.

Angel leaned back against the bed, pulling Buffy on top of him. "Oh, God, Buffy.."

"Angel," she whispered, running her lips along his jaw, down his neck.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, sliding under the fabric of her tank top, skimming over her ribs, over the underside of her breast, gently massaging the sensitive flesh. Buffy moaned against his neck, shifting so that she was straddling his hips.

They undressed together, moved together, joined together, and, in the end, they came together.

TBC.