Angel sat a short distance away from Buffy on his bed, his fingers entwined in hers. Looking into her eyes, it suddenly struck Angel… he couldn't let her live her life worrying about him and not her own life. It just wasn't safe.

"Buffy, I think we need to talk. About… us." Angel watched her face, splotchy in the aftermath of her tears. She just looked at him, bare and vulnerable.

"I want to tell you what the demon made me see, and then I have to say some stuff you're not going to want to hear, but promise me, you'll listen to what I have to say."

"I-I promise."

"I saw… you. I saw you… die."

Buffy stayed true to her word, and didn't say anything, but squeezed his hand tighter.

"And I, I couldn't help you. I was stuck, I couldn't…"

Buffy saw the pain in his eyes, the hurt, and she couldn't stop herself.

"Angel, you're always there when I need you, always."

Angel suddenly got up, and walked two steps away from her, his back to her. Turning around suddenly, he spoke, his words tainted with the worry he held for her, the love.

"I'm not, Buffy! I can't always be there for you. I can't take you out into the sunlight, I can't protect you in the day, I can't be with you at school, I can't..."

Buffy stood, but was silent.

"Angel, I'm a Slayer, I can handle myself."

"I won't let you do it alone, Buffy."

"That's kind of in the job description, Angel. I'm the only one!"

"And I want to help you! I can't bare the idea of you getting hurt!"

Angel was silent, and then he spoke, and his words couldn't hide the pain that was surging through him as he spoke them.

"You need to be with someone who can protect you all the time."

"You do, Angel! You're there any time you can afford to be!"

"It's not enough. Look what happened with the Master, if Xander…" No, he couldn't think about it, it still made him angry, Xander being Buffy's hero.

"Angel! Listen to me! I don't want anyone else!"

"Neither do I." His voice had become husky, desperate.

"Then don't do this! Don't try and do the noble thing!" Buffy yelled at him. By now she was crying.

"Buffy -"

"No!"

They stood in silence for a minute before Angel spoke again.

"And what about your demon nightmare, huh? You're more worried about me than you! I'm worthless, Buffy, just another vampire. You're the Slayer; you can't just let someone else take priority in your life!"

"That's kind of the point in a relationship!" Buffy shot back.

"Buffy, I won't let you be distracted by me!"

"So, let me get this straight, you're leaving me because I'm worried about you, because I care about you… because I love you?"

Angel didn't say anything. Buffy continued.

"And who are you to talk? You were worried about me!"

"Well one of us has to!" Angel paused, deciding whether he was going to tell her about Angelus' role in his nightmare.

"There's more than you think, Buffy. My demon nightmare, there's more."

"It won't change anything."

"Yes, it will."

Buffy looked at him. Angel was silent a little while, and he broke eye contact, and moved away from her. Turning to face her again, he spoke; his voice guttural and deep.

"It-it was me. I killed you."

Silence. Then Buffy spoke.

"But you -"

Suddenly she understood.

"It was Angelus, wasn't it? Angel, that wasn't you! That's not who you are anymore!"

"It's inside me all the time Buffy, it never leaves. It was this body, these hands… I can't ever let that happen, Buffy…"

"It won't, Angel!"

"Look what happened before. We couldn't stop, if it wasn't for that demon, Buffy…"

"Who cares about some demon and his wacky mind games? What does it matter?"

"It matters, Buffy. I see you, and I want to be with you so badly it hurts. And I know I can never have you, I can never give you what you need…"
"You want to give me what I need? I need you to be my boyfriend, Angel! Just be mine."

"I'm always yours, Buffy, and nothing will ever change that. Not even me leaving town."

She couldn't suppress her sobs anymore, so instead, she turned away from him. Buffy started heading for the door, if he was going to leave her, then she had to make it quick, clean…

A hand closed on her arm.

He hesitated only a second longer, before he spun her around and pushed her against the door, the hard, cool surface making Buffy gasp in surprise.

"Angel -"

He interrupted her with a deep kiss, and his hands sought out the small of her back, one snaking up to cradle her head…