Dim light radiated from the candles as wax slowly dripped along their sides. Buffy looked pretty and mysterious with the light illuminating the side of her face.

Angel couldn't help it; he couldn't resist it anymore. He reached across and touched her face gently. It was soft and smooth.

He immediately pulled back.

"I'm sorry…I should go." He said with embarrassment.

"No! Please don't go Angel."

Angel shook his head. "We can't do this."

"Just hold me." She pleaded. She wanted to feel loved; she wanted to matter in someone's life so badly.

He held her, letting her embrace him. He bent his head down and kissed her lips softly, then passionately. She kissed him back as he slowly moved down to her neck.

It was different, this feeling, but wonderful. She was his; she belonged to him and no one else. She fumbled with his tie, then the buttons of his shirt. He slowly slipped off her leather jacket.

"I want you…" He whispered in her ear.

She kissed him again. "Angel, make love to me." She whispered back.

Clothes dotted her bedroom floor and he kept kissing her. He couldn't stop; she wouldn't let him.

Light streamed through the window as the events from last night slowly made their way back to her memory. She was asleep in his arms.

Angel yawned as he woke up and smiled at her. He fingered her curls and pushed them back from her face.

"Good morning." He said smiling.

She sank back into his arms and looked at his face. "That was nice."

"Yeah it was." He said, leaning over to kiss her again.

'Nice' couldn't describe it. It was amazing. It was real and pure and everything in between. He'd never felt so comfortable or happy with someone before.

Then he saw it.

He looked at a picture of Faith and Buffy and felt his heart sink. Faith didn't deserve this, and Buffy didn't deserve to lose her best friend.

It was a mistake, he didn't want it to be, but it was.

"Faith..." he said softly pulling away. "I'm sorry Buffy, I have to go."

Angel got out of bed and quickly threw his clothes on. Buffy wrapped herself in the sheet ran after him down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" She asked him. She felt hurt and shocked at the same time.

"Buffy, I can't do this to Faith!" He screamed back.

"What about last night? It's not gonna go away Angel! No matter what you do it'll never go away!" She screamed at him with tears streaming down her face.

"I know." He said softly. He reached for the door handle.

Buffy ran down the stairs to him. "Please..."

He turned away from her. "This was a mistake Buffy, I'm sorry."

He left without another word, leaving Buffy at the door, wrapped in a sheet, her heart completely torn into pieces.

She heard the truck speed down her street.

And that was that.

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Bittersweet I know, but what do you think?