Chapter 9
Angel blinked twice before focusing on the goddess beside him. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her face was still slightly flushed from their antics the previous night. He sighed, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her peaceful face.
Smiling lightly, Buffy opened her eyes and stretched languidly.
"I love this," she murmured. "Waking up with you. It's so calm, like I can just be me and not worry about the rest of the world's problems."
"I know, beloved," Angel responded. Placing a light kiss on her lips. "And you know you never have to be anything you aren't. Not for anyone." With that, he rolled away and got out if the bed. Without pausing to dress, he wandered through to the next room and disappeared from Buffy's sight.
Moments later, Angel returned carrying a small photo album.
"I hope you don't mind. I never had many pictures of you, so, when I. I kinda took a few. You can have them back, if you want them," he explained, holding the album out to Buffy. "I just wanted something solid to remember you by."
Buffy simply smiled, pulling Angel down beside her as she took the album. Gingerly, she opened it.
"I'm guessing you never quite understood some of the pictures, huh?" she murmured.
"You could say that," Angel agreed.
"Well, seeing as you managed to get hold of some of the most embarrassing ones, I'm not surprised. See, that girl there? That's Celia, the cousin I was telling you about before the Willow did the spell for you soul. And I apparently would have loved this Slayer gig when I was 6, because this particular pic. shows me rescuing her from a cave-in of pillows."
At her blunt description, Angel laughed. Something about Buffy's tone told him she'd be mad if she knew it was her mum who'd given him the photographs - not that he could blame her - and that she was letting him off lightly only because she was in a good mood. And because he hadn't yet reminded her that it was her birthday.
Angel smiled as Buffy hastily tried to cover up an image of her 11-month- old self being washed, and stilled her hand on the page. Touching her was all it took for his resolve not to remind her what day it was to shatter.
"Happy Birthday, love." He wasn't even aware he'd said it until her eyes widened and she pulled away from him slightly. "Hey," he protested, pulled her back into his embrace and placing a loving kiss on her hair. "We'll make this one good, I promise."
Angel blinked twice before focusing on the goddess beside him. Her lips were swollen from his kisses and her face was still slightly flushed from their antics the previous night. He sighed, brushing a strand of blonde hair from her peaceful face.
Smiling lightly, Buffy opened her eyes and stretched languidly.
"I love this," she murmured. "Waking up with you. It's so calm, like I can just be me and not worry about the rest of the world's problems."
"I know, beloved," Angel responded. Placing a light kiss on her lips. "And you know you never have to be anything you aren't. Not for anyone." With that, he rolled away and got out if the bed. Without pausing to dress, he wandered through to the next room and disappeared from Buffy's sight.
Moments later, Angel returned carrying a small photo album.
"I hope you don't mind. I never had many pictures of you, so, when I. I kinda took a few. You can have them back, if you want them," he explained, holding the album out to Buffy. "I just wanted something solid to remember you by."
Buffy simply smiled, pulling Angel down beside her as she took the album. Gingerly, she opened it.
"I'm guessing you never quite understood some of the pictures, huh?" she murmured.
"You could say that," Angel agreed.
"Well, seeing as you managed to get hold of some of the most embarrassing ones, I'm not surprised. See, that girl there? That's Celia, the cousin I was telling you about before the Willow did the spell for you soul. And I apparently would have loved this Slayer gig when I was 6, because this particular pic. shows me rescuing her from a cave-in of pillows."
At her blunt description, Angel laughed. Something about Buffy's tone told him she'd be mad if she knew it was her mum who'd given him the photographs - not that he could blame her - and that she was letting him off lightly only because she was in a good mood. And because he hadn't yet reminded her that it was her birthday.
Angel smiled as Buffy hastily tried to cover up an image of her 11-month- old self being washed, and stilled her hand on the page. Touching her was all it took for his resolve not to remind her what day it was to shatter.
"Happy Birthday, love." He wasn't even aware he'd said it until her eyes widened and she pulled away from him slightly. "Hey," he protested, pulled her back into his embrace and placing a loving kiss on her hair. "We'll make this one good, I promise."