Chapter 2- So Many Questions
Neither of them really felt like fighting anymore after Buffy closed the door. They still hated each other, but then they had hated each other for centuries, they somehow always managed to deal with it. So they went to Spike's place. It was awkward, and they soon found that they had nothing really to talk about. Angel killed a few minutes updating Spike on some of their mutual demon friends, but the small talk quickly waned.
"Bloody hell, this sucks! And not in the good way either. What the hell are you really doing here Angel? And I know it isn't because Buffy is starting to play with my stake and not hers anymore."
Angel glared at Spike's euphanism but he also knew the truth behind the words. When he had first found out that Spike and Buffy were. something.. well his first instinct had been to rush back to Sunnydale and reclaim his love. But then reason had set in. What right did he have to waltz back into town? He was after all, semi-starting something with Cordelia, one of the Scooby Gang. Could he really demand that Buffy not see someone he had once hung out with? No, Spike wasn't the real reason he had come back, although looking at him now and wondering how far they had actually gone, he had to admit the thought held some pleasure.
"C'mon Mate. I don't feel like sitting around till the sun comes up to hear the answer. Why did you come back? Is there something we need to know?"
Angel stared sullenly at the ground. He absolutely detested being the hero sometimes. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. There is this prophecy. It involves all of us. And I hate it so much I want to be sick. But I need to tell Buffy before I tell you." Having said his piece, Angel stood and stalked out of the place.
Spike stared at the door for several seconds after Angel left. His stomach twisted in knots as he wondered over all the implications of what Angel had said. Could he be about to lose Buffy? True, he did enjoy the fact that him having her made Angel crazy, but he did really love her. She was so damn feisty and strong. She didn't need protection like Dru had. Spike knew that if he needed her, she would be there. Protecting the ones she cared about, that was Buffy's bag.
"Bloody Hell. I can't lose her now. I just got her to stop hating me." Spike growled and profoundly wished he was able to beat the living hell out of something.
Buffy sat on her windowsill staring out into the darkness. She could sense Angel nearby and her heart literally ached as she resisted seeking him out. All of her hopes over the past year or so seemed to be for naught. She was no more over Angel then she was able to get rid of Mr. Gordo. Now she was more confused then ever. She cared about Spike. Had even fancied the idea recently that she might be falling for him. But now.. Now she didn't understand anything. She wanted Angel. and she wanted Spike.
Buffy rose from the windowsill and opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Inside was everything from her relationship with Angel. The drawings from Angelus, books, mementos, and on top, in a little black ring box, her claddagh ring. She picked it up gingerly, playing with it between her fingers. She remembered his face as he slipped it on her hand. She remembered the way it had bit into her as she punched Angelus. She remembered how the sight of it had made her crazy with grief after he walked away at the Ascension. A sob escaped her lips as the pain wracked through her. God, she missed him so much.
"Buffy." She spun around to face him. Angel stood in front of the open window. She had been so lost in her grief that her senses hadn't even noticed him slipping in.
"What are you doing here? How can you even come in. I revoked your invitation a long time ago!" She yelled at him. Her fury was overwhelming and comforting. The fury felt so much better then the anguish that had surrounded her heart only moments before.
"Willow invited me in after you.. well, died. Why were you crying?" Angel kept his voice calm. He knew she wanted a fight. But he also knew it would get them nowhere. He could see the shimmer on her cheeks from the tears. His heart ached as he realized they were proably for him. "It's nothing. I just miss my mom," Buffy lied easily. No way was she admitting her thoughts to him. He had bailed, let him wonder.
"You're lying. Is it because of me?" Angel whispered. Against his will, his fingers reached up and brushed away a stray tear. He gasped as the electricity coursed through him as he touched her. God he missed her. Her skin was so soft, and even from this distance he could smell her. She smelled like warmth, sunlight, and dewy roses. Her scent intoxicated him, and his mind flashed back to how she had felt underneath him on the table in his hotel.
Angel wasn't the only one shocked by the gentle touch. But for Buffy, it was like someone had opened a link between her mind and Angel's. She could see the image in his mind, and it shocked her even as the searing heat traveled from her stomach to start an aching throb between her thighs. The shocking part was that Angel was imagining the scene that had haunted her dreams.
"How can you know that? Those were in my dreams!!" Buffy broke away from him. Her eyes were wide with anxiety and desire. How could he possibly know that? Had they been sharing dreams again?
"Know what?" Angel was shocked out of his memory. He took a long look at Buffy, even after all of this time he could still read her like a book. And he could see the desire, even buried under the anxiety. He realized that she must have seen what he had been remembering. "Buff, did you just see into my mind?"
Buffy nodded. "But how did you know that? I saw that in my dreams for the longest time after I visited you over Thanksgiving. Are we sharing dreams again?"
Angel groaned. He had wanted to tell her for the longest time, but he didn't see any reason to destroy them both. "There is something I need to tell you baby. You might want to sit down for this."
Buffy sat down and looked up at him expectantly. She knew he didn't want to tell her whatever he was about to say. But she also sensed that he felt he needed to.
Neither of them really felt like fighting anymore after Buffy closed the door. They still hated each other, but then they had hated each other for centuries, they somehow always managed to deal with it. So they went to Spike's place. It was awkward, and they soon found that they had nothing really to talk about. Angel killed a few minutes updating Spike on some of their mutual demon friends, but the small talk quickly waned.
"Bloody hell, this sucks! And not in the good way either. What the hell are you really doing here Angel? And I know it isn't because Buffy is starting to play with my stake and not hers anymore."
Angel glared at Spike's euphanism but he also knew the truth behind the words. When he had first found out that Spike and Buffy were. something.. well his first instinct had been to rush back to Sunnydale and reclaim his love. But then reason had set in. What right did he have to waltz back into town? He was after all, semi-starting something with Cordelia, one of the Scooby Gang. Could he really demand that Buffy not see someone he had once hung out with? No, Spike wasn't the real reason he had come back, although looking at him now and wondering how far they had actually gone, he had to admit the thought held some pleasure.
"C'mon Mate. I don't feel like sitting around till the sun comes up to hear the answer. Why did you come back? Is there something we need to know?"
Angel stared sullenly at the ground. He absolutely detested being the hero sometimes. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. There is this prophecy. It involves all of us. And I hate it so much I want to be sick. But I need to tell Buffy before I tell you." Having said his piece, Angel stood and stalked out of the place.
Spike stared at the door for several seconds after Angel left. His stomach twisted in knots as he wondered over all the implications of what Angel had said. Could he be about to lose Buffy? True, he did enjoy the fact that him having her made Angel crazy, but he did really love her. She was so damn feisty and strong. She didn't need protection like Dru had. Spike knew that if he needed her, she would be there. Protecting the ones she cared about, that was Buffy's bag.
"Bloody Hell. I can't lose her now. I just got her to stop hating me." Spike growled and profoundly wished he was able to beat the living hell out of something.
Buffy sat on her windowsill staring out into the darkness. She could sense Angel nearby and her heart literally ached as she resisted seeking him out. All of her hopes over the past year or so seemed to be for naught. She was no more over Angel then she was able to get rid of Mr. Gordo. Now she was more confused then ever. She cared about Spike. Had even fancied the idea recently that she might be falling for him. But now.. Now she didn't understand anything. She wanted Angel. and she wanted Spike.
Buffy rose from the windowsill and opened the bottom drawer of her dresser. Inside was everything from her relationship with Angel. The drawings from Angelus, books, mementos, and on top, in a little black ring box, her claddagh ring. She picked it up gingerly, playing with it between her fingers. She remembered his face as he slipped it on her hand. She remembered the way it had bit into her as she punched Angelus. She remembered how the sight of it had made her crazy with grief after he walked away at the Ascension. A sob escaped her lips as the pain wracked through her. God, she missed him so much.
"Buffy." She spun around to face him. Angel stood in front of the open window. She had been so lost in her grief that her senses hadn't even noticed him slipping in.
"What are you doing here? How can you even come in. I revoked your invitation a long time ago!" She yelled at him. Her fury was overwhelming and comforting. The fury felt so much better then the anguish that had surrounded her heart only moments before.
"Willow invited me in after you.. well, died. Why were you crying?" Angel kept his voice calm. He knew she wanted a fight. But he also knew it would get them nowhere. He could see the shimmer on her cheeks from the tears. His heart ached as he realized they were proably for him. "It's nothing. I just miss my mom," Buffy lied easily. No way was she admitting her thoughts to him. He had bailed, let him wonder.
"You're lying. Is it because of me?" Angel whispered. Against his will, his fingers reached up and brushed away a stray tear. He gasped as the electricity coursed through him as he touched her. God he missed her. Her skin was so soft, and even from this distance he could smell her. She smelled like warmth, sunlight, and dewy roses. Her scent intoxicated him, and his mind flashed back to how she had felt underneath him on the table in his hotel.
Angel wasn't the only one shocked by the gentle touch. But for Buffy, it was like someone had opened a link between her mind and Angel's. She could see the image in his mind, and it shocked her even as the searing heat traveled from her stomach to start an aching throb between her thighs. The shocking part was that Angel was imagining the scene that had haunted her dreams.
"How can you know that? Those were in my dreams!!" Buffy broke away from him. Her eyes were wide with anxiety and desire. How could he possibly know that? Had they been sharing dreams again?
"Know what?" Angel was shocked out of his memory. He took a long look at Buffy, even after all of this time he could still read her like a book. And he could see the desire, even buried under the anxiety. He realized that she must have seen what he had been remembering. "Buff, did you just see into my mind?"
Buffy nodded. "But how did you know that? I saw that in my dreams for the longest time after I visited you over Thanksgiving. Are we sharing dreams again?"
Angel groaned. He had wanted to tell her for the longest time, but he didn't see any reason to destroy them both. "There is something I need to tell you baby. You might want to sit down for this."
Buffy sat down and looked up at him expectantly. She knew he didn't want to tell her whatever he was about to say. But she also sensed that he felt he needed to.