The first thing Buffy saw when she stepped into the dark club was Angel
serving someone a beer. In that second he lifted his head and their eyes
met. He smiled vaguley and then walked to serve some other customer.
Buffy sighed. She wanted to re-live their first meeting. It had all been so perfect. She wondered what would've happened if she would've let him kiss her. He'd probably been even more disappointed when she'd told him about Riley. This made her feel even more guilty. She didn't want to see Riley but she went to see Angel.
It didn't matter what she tried to tell herself. She hadn't come to dance and bicker with her friends. She was here because she wanted to see him and she knew it.
She walked with Willow and Xander to table and they started to chit chat until Buffy said she was going to get something to drink.
"You guys want anything?" She asked her friends but they both declined and she walked up to the bar with nervous steps and felt her mouth go dry.
Angel came up to her looking friendly. "Hi Buffy, what can I get you?"
She forced a smile. "Eh, a mountain dew." She stuttered and he nodded. When she paid him their fingers touched and she looked scared into his eyes. He just had that calm look on his face still and she pulled her hand away.
"Thanks." She said quickly and took the drink back to her table. Willow looked at her with questioning eyes so Buffy avoided her eyes and turned to Xander.
"So how are things going with you and Anya?" She asked and something tired swept over his face.
"I declare myself the knower of nothing about women." He said and she laughed.
"Come on it can't be that bad."
He nodded. "Oh yes it is. I can never do anything right ... I just... I'm clueless."
Both Willow and Buffy laughed. "Poor Xander." Buffy said with sympathy. Anya was a complex girl but that she was in love with Xander was obvious.
She sighed and glanced in Angel's direction. He was so handsome. During one of her phone calls to Willow these weeks they'd spent one hour talking about only him once. Angel - unsual name but heavenly beautiful.
Willow saw her looks and gave her a little push with the elbow.
"Go talk to him." She urged and Xander looked confused.
"Talk to who?" He asked but Buffy shook her head.
"No one." She assured him and glared at Willow. But her friend wouldn't budge on this one.
"Come on, I see that you want to. There's no harm in talking." She said smiling and Buffy felt that she was melting to her friends words.
"That's true ... he's kind of a friend I'd say."
Willow nodded and Xander looked even more confused.
"Hello planning to let me in on the secret or what?"
Buffy was getting of her chair and Willow patted him on his hand.
"I'll fill you in." She promised before nodding at Buffy again. "Go on. It's not like he'll mind. As you said ... he seemed to really like you."
Buffy nodded, swallowed hard and gathered curage before going up to the bar and slipping on to a chair with a friendly smile on her face.
It took a while before Angel came to her. "Hi again." He said smiling with amusment in his eyes and Buffy wanted to run away directly. He must think she was some swoony school girl haning around him.
"Hi." She said a bit gloomy. "Another..."
"Coke?" He filled in and she nodded. Why would he be interested in her? He was a bartender serving beautiful, older girls, real drinks every day. He was gorgeous and ...she sighed. There was no point in pondering.
He came back with her glass and leaned a little closer over the counter with a friendly smile. "Remember that girl from that night?" He asked in confidence and she nodded. "She's been here every night since then, with different dates everyday."
Buffy laughed. "You're kidding. But she and her guy seemed so serious, they were talking about marriage. Don't you remember? They even showed us their rings!"
Angel nodded. "I know, guess it didn't work out."
"Sad." Buffy said and he nodded again.
"So where have you been these two weeks? Haven't seen you once."
She shrugged a little. "Well, I'm having a family crisis, not much time to party then." She explained and Angel looked concerned.
"I'm sorry. If you want to talk I'm here."
That made her smile. He did like her, at least in a friendship capacity and that was enough for her right now.
"Are you sure? It could take a while."
Angel gestured around them. "Where am I going?" He asked and she smiled.
"Okay, well it's my sister ..."
****************
Buffy stayed until closing time this day again. Willow and Xander left hours before her but she didn't even notice them leaving. She was having too much fun with Angel. She loved his smile, heck she loved everything about him. She found out that he was 26 so he was quite a lot older then her but she didn't mind that either. He didn't seem to mind her age so who was she to make an issue of it?
"Want me to walk you home?" Angel asked when he'd gotten his leather jacket and was ready to leave. First then Buffy nodded that it was closing time and they were the only ones left except for a few other employees.
She nodded. "That'd be great. Didn't realise it was so late."
They walked out in silence.
"Tell me about your boyfriend." Angel said suddenly and Buffy felt like she wanted the world to eat her up again. She didn't want to talk about Riley. She felt so guilty - like if she was cheating on him. And in her mind she was. She didn't want Angel to think she was perfectly happy with Riley.
Her inside was a mess. "Eh well, his name's Riley." She started avoiding to look at Angel. "We've been together for a while however ..." She got quiet and Angel looked concerned again.
"Is something wrong? You don't want to talk about this do you?"
She shook her head. "Not really no, it's just. It's not the same anymore" Then she added in a lower voice. "I'm not happy."
She wasn't sure Angel had heard her because he didn't say anything. She wanted him to but she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear. They kept walking in silence and got closer and closer to Buffy's house.
"My mom's probably frantic by now." She tried to ease the mood but it didn't work. Angel forced a smile but it wasn't real. Buffy looked down on her feet.
She stopped walking. "Angel..." She said and looked up at him. He was much taller then her. He leaned down and they kissed. They kissed softly for a long while and then Angel pulled away.
"I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me. You have a boyfriend and all..."
Buffy shook her head. "It was my fault ... I ..." She shook her head again. "I should probably go now." She fought to keep the tears away and when Angel nodded thoughtful she turned around and walked to her house. She felt his eyes on her back the whole time and the whole time she wanted to turn around and run into his arms again.
She knew that she had to break up with Riley. It wasn't fair to drag him along when she was in love with someone else. She sighed. But how was she going to do it? She wished Faith was there to give her advise and comfort.
When she walked in through the door and closed it she turned around and looked out the window. Angel waved somber and then turned and walked in another direction. Buffy sighed and watched him disappear.
She missed him already. She stood by the door and stared out until she realised how tired she was and walked upstairs to get to bed.
Buffy sighed. She wanted to re-live their first meeting. It had all been so perfect. She wondered what would've happened if she would've let him kiss her. He'd probably been even more disappointed when she'd told him about Riley. This made her feel even more guilty. She didn't want to see Riley but she went to see Angel.
It didn't matter what she tried to tell herself. She hadn't come to dance and bicker with her friends. She was here because she wanted to see him and she knew it.
She walked with Willow and Xander to table and they started to chit chat until Buffy said she was going to get something to drink.
"You guys want anything?" She asked her friends but they both declined and she walked up to the bar with nervous steps and felt her mouth go dry.
Angel came up to her looking friendly. "Hi Buffy, what can I get you?"
She forced a smile. "Eh, a mountain dew." She stuttered and he nodded. When she paid him their fingers touched and she looked scared into his eyes. He just had that calm look on his face still and she pulled her hand away.
"Thanks." She said quickly and took the drink back to her table. Willow looked at her with questioning eyes so Buffy avoided her eyes and turned to Xander.
"So how are things going with you and Anya?" She asked and something tired swept over his face.
"I declare myself the knower of nothing about women." He said and she laughed.
"Come on it can't be that bad."
He nodded. "Oh yes it is. I can never do anything right ... I just... I'm clueless."
Both Willow and Buffy laughed. "Poor Xander." Buffy said with sympathy. Anya was a complex girl but that she was in love with Xander was obvious.
She sighed and glanced in Angel's direction. He was so handsome. During one of her phone calls to Willow these weeks they'd spent one hour talking about only him once. Angel - unsual name but heavenly beautiful.
Willow saw her looks and gave her a little push with the elbow.
"Go talk to him." She urged and Xander looked confused.
"Talk to who?" He asked but Buffy shook her head.
"No one." She assured him and glared at Willow. But her friend wouldn't budge on this one.
"Come on, I see that you want to. There's no harm in talking." She said smiling and Buffy felt that she was melting to her friends words.
"That's true ... he's kind of a friend I'd say."
Willow nodded and Xander looked even more confused.
"Hello planning to let me in on the secret or what?"
Buffy was getting of her chair and Willow patted him on his hand.
"I'll fill you in." She promised before nodding at Buffy again. "Go on. It's not like he'll mind. As you said ... he seemed to really like you."
Buffy nodded, swallowed hard and gathered curage before going up to the bar and slipping on to a chair with a friendly smile on her face.
It took a while before Angel came to her. "Hi again." He said smiling with amusment in his eyes and Buffy wanted to run away directly. He must think she was some swoony school girl haning around him.
"Hi." She said a bit gloomy. "Another..."
"Coke?" He filled in and she nodded. Why would he be interested in her? He was a bartender serving beautiful, older girls, real drinks every day. He was gorgeous and ...she sighed. There was no point in pondering.
He came back with her glass and leaned a little closer over the counter with a friendly smile. "Remember that girl from that night?" He asked in confidence and she nodded. "She's been here every night since then, with different dates everyday."
Buffy laughed. "You're kidding. But she and her guy seemed so serious, they were talking about marriage. Don't you remember? They even showed us their rings!"
Angel nodded. "I know, guess it didn't work out."
"Sad." Buffy said and he nodded again.
"So where have you been these two weeks? Haven't seen you once."
She shrugged a little. "Well, I'm having a family crisis, not much time to party then." She explained and Angel looked concerned.
"I'm sorry. If you want to talk I'm here."
That made her smile. He did like her, at least in a friendship capacity and that was enough for her right now.
"Are you sure? It could take a while."
Angel gestured around them. "Where am I going?" He asked and she smiled.
"Okay, well it's my sister ..."
****************
Buffy stayed until closing time this day again. Willow and Xander left hours before her but she didn't even notice them leaving. She was having too much fun with Angel. She loved his smile, heck she loved everything about him. She found out that he was 26 so he was quite a lot older then her but she didn't mind that either. He didn't seem to mind her age so who was she to make an issue of it?
"Want me to walk you home?" Angel asked when he'd gotten his leather jacket and was ready to leave. First then Buffy nodded that it was closing time and they were the only ones left except for a few other employees.
She nodded. "That'd be great. Didn't realise it was so late."
They walked out in silence.
"Tell me about your boyfriend." Angel said suddenly and Buffy felt like she wanted the world to eat her up again. She didn't want to talk about Riley. She felt so guilty - like if she was cheating on him. And in her mind she was. She didn't want Angel to think she was perfectly happy with Riley.
Her inside was a mess. "Eh well, his name's Riley." She started avoiding to look at Angel. "We've been together for a while however ..." She got quiet and Angel looked concerned again.
"Is something wrong? You don't want to talk about this do you?"
She shook her head. "Not really no, it's just. It's not the same anymore" Then she added in a lower voice. "I'm not happy."
She wasn't sure Angel had heard her because he didn't say anything. She wanted him to but she wasn't sure what she wanted to hear. They kept walking in silence and got closer and closer to Buffy's house.
"My mom's probably frantic by now." She tried to ease the mood but it didn't work. Angel forced a smile but it wasn't real. Buffy looked down on her feet.
She stopped walking. "Angel..." She said and looked up at him. He was much taller then her. He leaned down and they kissed. They kissed softly for a long while and then Angel pulled away.
"I'm sorry, that wasn't fair of me. You have a boyfriend and all..."
Buffy shook her head. "It was my fault ... I ..." She shook her head again. "I should probably go now." She fought to keep the tears away and when Angel nodded thoughtful she turned around and walked to her house. She felt his eyes on her back the whole time and the whole time she wanted to turn around and run into his arms again.
She knew that she had to break up with Riley. It wasn't fair to drag him along when she was in love with someone else. She sighed. But how was she going to do it? She wished Faith was there to give her advise and comfort.
When she walked in through the door and closed it she turned around and looked out the window. Angel waved somber and then turned and walked in another direction. Buffy sighed and watched him disappear.
She missed him already. She stood by the door and stared out until she realised how tired she was and walked upstairs to get to bed.
