"Mmmm," Buffy sighed, resting her head on Angel's chest. "I love that sound. Tha-thump. Tha-thump. It's like music. I could listen to it all night."
"I love you," he told her, dropping a kiss on her forehead.
"Love you too," she mumbled against his skin. "Always have, always will." Then she yawned and snuggled a little closer to him.
"What? Sleepy already?"
"Well, what can I say? You tired me out." Angel grinned, a sight she had rarely seen before he became human, but had quickly come to love.
"Get some rest then. We have the rest of our lives together, we can spare a few hours sleep."
"The rest of our lives...I like the sound of that." Buffy closed her eyes and contentedly let sleep take her.
/I can't believe that it's coming back to haunt me./
The next thing she was aware of was waking in an achingly empty bed. She rolled over almost expecting Angel to be sitting in the armchair by the window, watching her sleep. But the chair was empty. Feeling awful, she climbed out of bed and slipped into her robe and slippers. She padded into the kitchen to find Giles having a cup of tea.
"Morning." Buffy gave him a half hearted wave; she didn't talk before her morning coffee. She noticed Giles had already made the coffee for her and smiled. She poured some into the Northwestern mug Dawn had given her and added some milk and sugar. She sat at the table and stole a section of the newspaper from in front of Giles. She sipped her coffee slowly, trying to shake the feeling that her dream had given her. She had dreamt of Angel bring human thousands of times. Why had this time seemed so different? It had seemed so real. Even over five minutes after she had woken up, she still felt all tingly as if he had just touched her.
"Buffy!" Giles said loudly.
"Huh, what?" she said, startled out of her thoughts.
"I was asking what your plans were today since you don't have to be at the store until 4, but you seemed to be fascinated the sports section."
"Oh sorry, I just kinda spaced."
"What's on your mind?"
"It's nothing. I just had this dream last night that kind of got to me."
"About what?" Buffy took a long sip of her coffee, then took a deep breath.
"Angel." Giles looked at her intently. "He was human and we were together."
"Buffy," her Watcher began gently, "I'm sure you've had that dream many times before, why are you so disturbed?"
"It felt so real. Like the prophetic dreams I used to have."
"Buffy, not every dream you have comes true. I mean, what else did you dream last night? Can you remember?"
"No I..." Buffy stopped mid sentence as she got an overwhelming sense of deja vu.
"Um... I-I had this... dream that Drusilla was alive." She had rushed over to his apartment scared out of mind for his safety, but now that she was here, she felt kind of silly. Then she was distracted by his naked chest. Angel noticed her distraction and pulled on a shirt.
"What happened?"
"She killed you. Right in front of me," Buffy explained, her thoughts pulled back to her horrible dream.
"It was just a dream. It wasn't real," he told her soothingly.
"But it felt so real."
"It wasn't. I'm right here." He brought his hand to her cheek and she leaned into him, craving contact. She felt so lost and need him, his touch, to anchor her. He WAS right here. But oh God, what if he wasn't tomorrow? Even though her dream hadn't come true yet, it didn't mean it wouldn't.
"Angel, th-this happened before. The dreams that I had about the Master, they came true."
"Still, not every dream you have comes true," he said reassurringly. "I mean, what else did you dream last night? Can you remember?" She looked down at her feet, wracking her brain.
"I dreamt... I dreamt that Giles and I opened an office supply warehouse in Vegas."
"See my point?"
Buffy felt like laughing and crying at the same. She had dreamt the life she was living now over 6 years ago. For some reason, that struck her as hysterical. She always thought that ending up in Nevada was the most random thing that could happen. She should have learned years ago that nothing occurred randomly. She felt like crying because what happened after her memory flash, an intense makeout sensation with Angel, was one of the last times she had been truly happy. But also because there was now a spark of hope. Her dreams at that time had come true, maybe her dream from last night would too. But she couldn't let her hope take her too far away, in case it lead to disappointment. Giles' voice jarred her out of her thoughts.
"Buffy!"
"Oh sorry Giles. I just...I'm fine. I'm being silly about this dream. Just forget about it. I'm gonna go take a shower."
/I've got the strength to move but why should I/
Buffy lounged on the couch, watching sitcom reruns on Nick at Nite and absentmindedly stroking Leia's fur. She was starting to doze off when the phone rang, jolting her awake. She reached over her head and grab the cordless, clicking it on.
"'Lo?"
"Hey, Buffy!"
"Hey Wil! What's up?"
"Not much, school is hectic but it's the weekend now so it's all good. What are you doing home on a Friday night?"
"Nothing much. Just watching some tv."
"Oh."
"Oh what?"
"It's nothing."
"Nuh-uh Wil, we may be miles apart but I'm still your best friend and I know your something-oh from your nothing-oh and that was a something-oh."
"It's just Giles mentioned something awhile ago about how you don't really go out that much and how you weren't making that many friends. And now you're sitting home alone on a Friday night."
"I'm not alone. Leia's here!"
"And that in no way convinces me that you won't become the crazy cat lady in the neighborhood."
"What are you saying?"
"Well, I wouldn't exactly use the word antisocial..."
"I'm not antisocial," Buffy said indignantly, "I just don't like people."
"Buffy," Willow scolded gently.
"Oh come on Willow, I'm the Slayer. I'm not supposed to have friends in the first place. I was lucky enough to find you guys, what are the chances that I'll find another group of friends who are understanding about it? And it's too much work to try and hide it. Besides, it's not like I'm unhappy." Completely she added in her head.
"Fine, we just worry about you sometimes."
"Wil, I'm okay. Really. So what's up with you?"
"Nothing really, I was just calling to talk to Giles for some spell advice. Is he there?"
"No actually, he's not. Ya wanna know something? I think he's got a girlfriend. He's been out almost every night for the past two weeks."
"Really?"
"I know, it's kind of sweet, but ya know kinda creepy cause he's like my dad."
"I know, let's not discuss."
"Ok, I'll let you go. Say hi to Tara for me."
"Ok. Tell Giles I called and I'll call back tomorrow."
"Bye." Buffy hung up the phone. Antisocial, my ass. I'm just as social as the next person. She curled back down on the couch, enjoying the company of the television and her cat. When Giles came home a few hours later, he found her asleep. Quietly, he pulled the afghan over her and kissing her forehead before going to his own room.