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.

He leapt.

Buffy fell beneath him, and let out a scream as his teeth clamped around her arm.

And the sun broke over the horizon.

And Buffy found herself pinned beneath a very naked body that seemed very happy to be there, staring up into familiar, confused brown eyes.

"Buffy, what -" The werewolf saw the deep marks on his lover's arm. "Oh no," He moaned, burying his face in her hair. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

Buffy gently stroked his bare back, remembering the warning she'd been to give Oz about Jory. 'Watch for his teeth.' Suddenly she had a feeling that applied to Angel too.

But she continued to stroke his back, murmuring in his ear that everything would be ok.

"We have to go see Giles," she said gently.

Angel rather pointedly looked at his naked body. "First we need to find you clothes," she amended.

Angel nodded, his eyes on the wound on her arm.

And Buffy suddenly knew that if she was a werewolf now, he'd never forgive himself.

*

Buffy sat on the edge of his bed and watched as Angel dressed in silence. Watching him get home and climb the tree had been fun, but that was only because she was behind him with an unadultered view of his ass.

Good times.

But now he was silent and withdrawn, pointedly ignoring the fact that Buffy was practically drooling over his body.

Buffy rose from the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist as he stood at the closet. She felt a stab of pain when he flinched, but laid her cheek between his shoulder blades and pressed a kiss to his tattoo. "When did you get this?"

Angel sighed shakily. "About six months ago. Kathi dared me."

"It'll be ok, Angel."

"I /bit/ you."

Buffy smiled and pressed another kiss to the smooth skin of his back. "Wouldn't be the first time," she replied, gently biting on the skin.

He growled at her, and the sound surprised Buffy. More in the fact that it turned her on than anything else. She bit back a moan and pressed her face into his back. "I could've ripped your throat out, Buffy."

"But you didn't. It's over now."

Angel sighed and leaned into her touch, caressing the hands at his waist. "I love you, Buffy," he said softly. "I mean it."

Buffy smiled brilliantly. "I love you too."

*

Giles was glaring at Angel as he examined the already healing wound on Buffy's arm. "Dear Lord, Buffy, what are we going to do about this?"

Buffy shrugged and gently pulled her arm away from his. "I don't know, Giles, but stop blaming Angel. It's not his fault."

Giles nodded reluctantly and looked at the boy. /Looks like he's punishing himself enough already/, the Watcher mused. "You say that you think you deliberately sought her out?"

Angel nodded.

Giles echoed the gesture, slow and thoughtful. "Yes, well, the only cases where a werewolf has specifically sought out someone was in the case of a mate.someone they'd." He paused, cleared his throat. "Been. intimate with, in human form." Giles shook his head. "Which is why I don't understand." He looked up in time to catch the quick, startled glance that Buffy and Angel exchanged, and sighed. "Or perhaps I do." He glared at his charge. "Dear Lord, Buffy, you're sixteen!"

Angel started to laugh.

*

Willow, Xander, and Oz entered the room a few minutes later, chatting. Xander glared at Angel immediately, since his jealous wouldn't allow him to see the other boy as anything but competition. Willow smiled brightly at her friends and Oz nodded at his cousin.

Angel nodded back.

Giles was sitting at the edge of the table, head in his hands.

"C'mon, Giles, it's not like thousands of teenagers haven't done it!"

Angel choked.

"Done what?" Xander asked interestedly. "Are we talking about the dating thing again?"

Oz glanced at his cousin, who was leaning his face into his hands. "Somehow, I think we're talking about something a /little/ more serious."

"What's more serious than dating that Giles doesn't think Buffy should do?" Xander asked, absolutely clueless.

Angel groaned and buried his face in his hands. Willow giggled wickedly. Buffy blushed to the roots of her hair. Oz raised a casual eyebrow. Xander looked confused. Then it slowly dawned on him. "You had sex with Angel?"

Angel growled and savagely kicked the leg of Xander's chair. "Will you /shut/ /up/?" he hissed.

Xander glared. "You shouldn't have slept with Buffy! What if she'd gotten pregnant? What good would that be for a Slayer?"

"Shut up!" Buffy yelled. "Xander, this is none of your business!"

"Buffy, need I remind you that those other teenagers you mentioned are not the Slayer!" Giles finally exploded.

Everyone froze and looked at him.

The Watcher continued, as rationally as possible. "Xander actually has a point. What if you had gotten pregnant? How would you have had a child and slayed at the same time?"

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "Of the past, Giles. No kids. Nothing. It's been over a year."

"But -" Giles began, only to be cut off by an impatient sigh from Buffy's lover.

"But nothing. It's none of your business, ok? Sorry, but I refuse to discuss my sex life with a stuffy Brit in tweed." He raked a hand through his dark hair, gave Buffy a quick kiss, and stood, heading for the door. "I've got class." He paused and ran a hand over Buffy's bandaged arm. "Figure this out, huh?" He leaned down and kissed her again. "I love you," he whispered, only for her to hear.

Buffy smiled up at him. "Love you too," she mouthed back.

TBC.