CHAPTER TWO
"Directions from Willow." Buffy handed them to Angel. "So they should be perfect. I can't navigate Cleveland to save my soul. Then again I'm a danger behind the wheel."
"I'll keep that in mind." Angel grinned at her, his eyes raking over her perfect 'little black dress.' "Did I mention how incredible you look?"
"Yes, but I like hearing it." She pecked him on the cheek.
"God, do you two ever leave on time?" Connor sauntered into the room, fluffing his cobalt hair. "This was not playing fair, just so you know. The glow-in-the-dark stuff washed out. This blue stuff is permanent."
"If you and Faith hadn't passed out from all those Long Island Ice Teas, you wouldn't have slept through it," Buffy said, with a dismissive roll of her shoulder.
"It was a lot less fun that way," Angel added, wagging a hand at his son. "Though we still need to talk about the drinking."
Connor shrugged. "Fine. I'll just go Goth and made sure I hang out with you two as much as possible."
"Is he demon enough that he'll dust or dissolve into ooze if I stake him?" Buffy looked at Angel.
Angel spread his hands and said in mock seriousness, "Sadly we'll have to kill him to find out but I think he's more human than demon."
"Oh, you two are a laugh riot. Your date's waiting. Go away now," Connor said, shooing them off with his hands.
"Maybe you and Faith might want to pace yourselves," Angel said. "Save some furniture."
"Still amusing as hell. Do you need pushed out the door?" Connor asked, exasperated.
"We're going." Angel took Buffy's hand.
"He is a brat," Buffy said as Angel opened the door for her. They were borrowing Giles' car, something of a wreck he had bought cheap upon returning to the States so the Scoobies could help Angel and Spike.
"Who wasn't at that age?" Angel shut her door.
"Are you saying I was a brat?" She smiled as he went around to the driver's seat.
"Was?" He smirked at her as he got in.
She pinched his side. "You should talk!"
"I think there are many who'll agree that we've both been brats."
As they drove, Angel wished for his old car or any old car with bench seats. There was something to be said for driving with your girl tucked against your side. He loathed the central console of Giles' car. It kept Buffy from him. Her date idea became clear as Willow's directions took them to the river front. Buffy had centered their night in Cleveland's infamous Flats. The reclaimed area was a long strip of dance clubs and bars on either side of the Cuyahoga.
Unbidden, the thought that he'd just have to make the best of this fluttered into his mind. He didn't want to go into the date thinking he'd be disappointed, because that would make it a self-fulfilling prophecy but he couldn't help it. Surely Buffy knew he hated to dance, but then again, how could she? He had never told her. He had been quick to tell Cordelia that in L.A. but with Buffy, he had always conceded and gone to the Bronze with her. Hadn't she ever noticed he had squirmed out of all the fast dances? Never mind, he told himself sternly. This is what Buffy likes. You can try to enjoy it.
Parking was a nightmare and there was an uneasy feel to the alleyways they had to skirt. Angel didn't know if the unease was his own mind trying to sabotage him or because he knew what could be lurking in the alley. Perhaps it was a nagging worry about the somewhat inebriated young people passing back and forth from one club to the next, totally oblivious to how easy a target they were.
"Any club you have in mind?" he asked, trying to get into the spirit.
Buffy shook her head, her golden curls barely moving. Angel didn't want to think on the effort that went into making and maintaining her up do. At least his hair wasn't glowing. He had smeared the remainder of the doctored hair gel all over his unconscious son while Buffy dyed his hair before they propped him outside like a glow-in-the-dark scarecrow. Angel was saving the excesses of alcohol lecture for later.
"Let's just walk around until we find one that looks good," she suggested.
"Okay. You pick the place."
And she did. The place was dark except for the glaring lights that flashed in multi-colors over the revolving dance floor. Angel swallowed nervously. Not only did she expect him to dance, she thought he was capable of it on a moving floor. The only thing he saw in his favor was that the place was so packed that moving was next to impossible. He couldn't possibly embarrass himself too badly, could he? His eyes and nose burned from the concentrated scents of perfume, cologne and sweat and the chest-vibrating music was so loud he was sure his ears were bleeding.
"This is so cool. Look." Buffy pointed to four barely clad people, two men and two women, who were putting on an acrobatic display, not necessarily in time to the music, on a raised platform. What little clothing they wore was silver-chrome to match all the chrome in the club. Angel remembered the word 'techno' in the club title and saw that the wait staff were also somewhat robotic in appearance.
"Want a drink first?" he asked hopefully. Maybe a couple of Long Island Ice Teas and Buffy wouldn't be so eager to dance. It had worked to mellow out Connor but from all evidence he and Faith had consumed a few pitchers worth before dissolving into puddles on the living room floor.
"No, let's dance."
Buffy snared his hand and dragged him none too gently out onto the dance floor. She wormed into the crowd expertly. People moved seeing his mass heading their way. If only they knew how truly dangerous he was. They were about to find out. Angel couldn't even find the horrendous music's pounding techno beat. He needed to introduce Buffy to real music like Manilow.
Angel contented himself with mostly just flexing his knees, bouncing in place a little while Buffy danced her heart out. He tried to emulate the men around him but none of them looked like they had a clue either except for a few who were doing things he couldn't even begin to do. It took two songs before Buffy danced closer to him and whispered, "Angel, what exactly are you doing?"
He gulped. She had noticed his clueless ness. "Uh, dancing?"
"Are you sure?"
He wrinkled his nose. "I don't actually dance, Buffy. I can't. I'm terrible at it. Haven't you ever noticed that I've never danced anything but slow dances with you and that was more just holding you in time to music?"
"That was always so nice," she said, a far away look in her eye then her brow beetled. "You know, you're right. I've never seen you fast dance until tonight."
"And now you know why." He sighed.
Buffy pouted, straining to hear him. Angel had the advantage with his augmented senses. "I picked a really bad date, didn't I?"
"Well, yes and no. You like dancing and I guess you had to learn some time that I'm no good at it," he said gently, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "I'm trying, right?"
"That counts for a lot," she said loudly, trying to compete with the music. She smiled at him but looked like she might want to be someplace else at this point. "Maybe if we found a less crowded club and you could move a little more-"
"No!" Angel grabbed both her shoulders. "Oh no, that will just make it worse. Here I can't hurt anyone."
She pulled him down to her and kissed him. "Fine. I never thought I'd see the day when a big bad vampire was afraid of a dance club."
"It's scary," he said with mock solemnity.
Buffy laughed. "Okay let's see, why don't you try a few different moves."
Angel tried it, trying to put his hips into it. He thought maybe he was close to doing what he saw some other men doing.
"Angel, stop that! Stop that now!" she ordered, a horrified look on her face. "Go back to bouncing."
"Okay," he said, a hang-dog look on his face. This was turning out worse than he imagined. He returned to shuffling around, praying for a slow song. He was just about to ask if she wanted to go for a drink when he heard a familiar mocking laugh.
"Did Willow give you magical jock itch or are you trying to dance?"
Angel twisted to see Connor and Faith heading their way across the revolving dance floor. "Actually I thought I might be developing a boil on my butt and sure enough here you are."
Connor smirked as Faith pushed into the dance space making room for herself.
"Why are you two here?" Buffy moaned, displeasure etched into ever plane of her face.
"Sorry, B. Jess's contacts said this club is gonna be the scene of a vampire party tonight," Faith pointed to the upper level. "Jess and Kennedy are topside. Me and the kid have the dance floor. Willow and Xander are manning the bar."
"Vampires? Good," Angel said with a little too much enthusiasm for the idea of abandoning the date for a fight.
Buffy's glare told him she noticed. "Fine. We'll be on the look out."
"Hope you don't mind if we dance here with you. I'm not sure we can move back through the dance floor," Connor said, a vicious grin on his face.
"We're trying to have a date here. It's hard enough to dance in here without your interference," Angel said.
Connor snorted. "Oh, is that your excuse?"
"Like you could dance better," Angel said.
"Just watch me," Connor said, taking Faith in his arms.
Angel watched in astonishment as the pair bumped and ground in time to the music. "That is not dancing."
"Yes, it is," Buffy said.
"That's sex with clothes still on." Angel looked at her. "Is that what I'm supposed to be doing?"
"I'm afraid to see what will happen if you try." She grinned and he pouted.
"That is not dancing," Angel reiterated. "How'd he learn to dance?"
"Did you reprogram him to dance?"
"Yes, but I meant real dancing, you know ballet, waltzes," Angel said exasperated.
"Hello, twenty-first century calling Angel? Are you there?" Buffy smiled at him.
"Well, if you can do those complex dances you can do...that." Angel waved a hand at Connor and Faith. "That's almost obscene."
"Yes, well, it's Faith," Buffy said as if it explained everything. "And your son is no innocent."
"He is so...okay so you can't tell by that...oh hell, don't do that in public!" Angel flinched as Faith ground her leather-clad butt against Connor's groin.
"It would probably look better if Connor had some meat on his bones." Buffy looked at them as the younger couple performed another erotic dance move. "Are you sure you can't do that?"
"I could try," Angel said and gave it a shot.
"Do that again and I'm leaving you here." She rolled her eyes. "How can you move so well in battle and be so..." She shuddered. "On the dance floor."
"I just am." Angel sighed then pointed to the elevated dance stage with the performers. "Vampires!" He was actually relieved. He and Buffy both leapt to the stage, catching the bars and flipping over the edge almost in concert.
He and she dusted the two vampires threatening the acrobats. He could see Connor and Faith moving off toward the DJ's set-up. People were screaming and trampling each other trying to flee the demons. He and Buffy leapt back down into the fray. He thought he saw Willow's flaming hair in the crowd but he couldn't see the rest of their back up. Angel could hear them though, the sounds of grunts, groans and vampires dusting echoed around the club. His date dissolved into so much vampire dust and all he could feel was grateful for the break from the disastrous date.
When it was all over he and the Scoobies gathered on the outside deck of the club. He stared out over the Cuyahoga River. Buffy leaned against him, beating vampire dust out of her up-do, looking thoroughly disheveled and all the sexier for it.
"You still look beautiful," he whispered to her and her tiny hand curled in his.
"That was fun," Faith said enthusiastically. "Any other places we need to check out while we're here, Jess?"
The curly-haired, Cleveland-Born Slayer shrugged. "Might as well patrol while we're here."
"Shall we join them?" Buffy looked resigned.
Angel shrugged. "Probably."
He and she hesitated as the others moved off. Angel looked back out over the Cuyahoga. "I remember with this river caught fire. It was a sight, all that filthy water in flames."
"What brought that up? Buffy asked.
"I don't know." Angel thought maybe he did. Maybe tonight was a sign. He felt thin and worn. He felt like the connection between him and Buffy had been burnt to ash. Had the years changed them so much? Or was tonight just a bad, off night. He wished he knew. He said nothing, just put an arm around her and steered her towards the others so they could organize the patrol.