September 9, 2008
...
'What the hell is his problem?' Buffy huffed to herself, pissed and annoyed at her husband's harsh words and actions. 'God, he makes it sound like we haven't been intimate in...' She paused and counted the days. 'Oh...we haven't made love in well over a week, wow, I didn't even notice it been so long.'
After she really started to think about, she realized she'd hardly spent any meaningful time at all with her Angel lately, she'd been too busy making room in her life for her father.
A few minutes passed of sitting alone in the large bed, she began to dwell over the last few night and how she'd been pretty much snubbed his every attempt to get close to her. 'Ok, so maybe I've been distracted and have been paying more attention to my dad…but he's my dad.' She defended her actions to herself.
And as she laid there she thought about how many times she'd seen Angel over the past week, which was pretty much for a few minutes in the chaotic morning before work and/or a trip with her father, or at bedtime, which ended with her going right to sleep. 'Ok, so maybe I have been neglecting him a little...or a lot.' She thought as she laid there, biting her lip and repeating his words over in her head. Buffy hadn't noticed at the time, but now she was realizing his demon had been restless while they'd argued, and now her living vampire husband was angry, likely sexually frustrated, feeling unloved, and wandering the streets alone at night. Her eyes widened in alarm as she thought, 'Shit…I better go find him.'
Getting up, Buffy turned on the light and quickly dressed in jeans and a sweater before checking to make sure the kids and her dad were asleep. Satisfied the rest of the household was resting, she slipped out into the night to find her husband, apologize and bring him home safe.
…
Angel kicked the bottle laying in his path hard, sending the plastic container flying across the dark alley and thudding noisily off the brick wall. He barely noticed, he was too busy fuming and replaying Buffy's angry response to his attempts for a little attention from her.
As he passed the bright neon sign of the first bar he'd come across, he paused before pushing the door open and slipping into the smoky one room hole in the wall. He slowly made his way over to the bar before eyeing an empty stool by the far end. Seating himself on it, his dark eyes scanned the bottles lining the back wall, trying to decide which would numb his pain best.
"What'll it be handsome?" A young beautiful blond bartender asked as she sauntered over and ran her dishcloth over the bar in front of him.
He eyed her a moment before nodded his head to the left, "Jameson, neat."
...
Buffy's huffed as she power walked down the sidewalk, trying to figure out where her spouse disappeared to. She knew he wasn't far, both cars were in the driveway and he only had a 10 minute head start.
As she was passing a crappy little bar, she paused, feeling that tingle deep inside she always felt when Angel was near.
She frowned at the thought of him turning to alcohol for a solution, but decided starting an argument with him wasn't the best way to start a meaningful and apologetic conversation, she bit her lip and walked in.
It took under a second for her to locate him, and a few more to make her way past the pool tables loaded with drunkards whistling out cat-calls to her and up to the bar.
"This seat taken?" She asked the dark shadow hunched around a tall glass of something that looked suspiciously like whiskey, his fingers slowly swirling the glass of amber liquid around and around.
"I don't know, maybe you should ask your father." Her husband's voice responded, chocked full of frustration as he started down at his glass.
Holding her tongue, she stepped forwards and slid into the seat beside him, "I'm asking you."
She could see the tension in his clenched jaw and could almost feel it in his shoulders as he slouched on his stool. Unfazed, by her presence, his hand continued to swirl the alcohol in his cup without missing a beat.
She sat there watching him for a full minute longer before she saw the glass pause and click lightly down on the bar top. She could tell her presence alone was already working to calm him, whether he wanted it or not.
Finally he turned his dark hurting eyes at hers, "What do you want Buffy?"
His words felt like knives, but she kept on track, "I want to apologize for pushing you away." She spoke while keeping her eyes locked on his, "I just…I want things to work out with my dad. I guess I've been trying so hard to fit him into my life…I didn't leave much room for you. I took your patients for granted and failed to take your needs into consideration. A marriage should be equal, I've been very unequal lately."
She heard him take a deep breath, the kind he needed more to calm himself then for air. "No, don't apologize, you have every right to spend time with your father. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that." He turned his gaze the the now still liquid in his cup. "I was being a dick"
"That's only half right, yeah you were being a dick." She agreed, "But you being a dick was completely my fault. I can tell when you're frustrated, and I'm glad you come to me when you need to vent, but I totally brushed you off this whole week, repeatedly. I ignored your needs, and gave you no outlet for your frustration. I shouldn't have done that to you, I drove you to this bar."
He turned his eyes to look into hers, easily seeing the sadness and worry in her hazel-green eyes reflected in the dim bar lights. "Can we at least agree to both be sorry?"
A small smile tugged at her lips, knowing he never lets her take all the blame, even if it's deserved. "We can." She agreed, slipping off her stool and trading it for his lap. While looking up at his face, she reached her hand up and ran her thumb along his cheek. She loved how he closed his eyes and leaned into her touch, she could feel the tension evaporating off him quickly now.
Gliding her fingers higher, she looped her hand behind his neck and pulled him down for a long awaited kiss.
It always fascinated her how much control she could wield over his demon, one minute he was at a raging boil, the next all was calm and still.
They could both taste the sparks as their lips and tongues reunited, her mouth invited his in to take back what had been denied. She could feel the love in his caress.
When they finally broke apart for breath, she looked down at the glass sitting on the bar then back at her husband, "You didn't actually drink any of that did you?"
He watched her a second before shaking is head, "No. Thought about it, but I knew it wouldn't actually help anything."
"Well we shouldn't waste it." Feeling adventurous, she picked up the glass and took a long drought, and almost immediately chocked after swallowing.
"Whoa easy!" Angel took the cup as he patted her back while she coughed, "It's not beer, Buffy, you're supposed to sip whiskey not guzzle it." His wife was not well acquainted with alcohol, especially not the strong kind.
"Now...you tell me." She squeezed out as she coughed, her eyes watering from the sting of the alcohol.
Once he knew she was alight, he suggested, "Let's get you out of here." While slipping her off his lap as he got to his feet, keeping an arm around her waist to keep her steady.
"Yes please." She agreed, sliding her hands over his and giving them a squeeze.
Before leaving the bar, he snatched the partially drank glass and knocked it down in one swallow.
Buffy watched wide eyed, "How come you make it look so easy?" She asked, wondering why he wasn't coughing like she had been.
He smirked as her and pushed her hips, starting her walking towards the door ahead of him, "Trust me when I say modern alcohol can't compare to the potent home-brews of my youth."
Once outside, she pulled at their joined hands and tugged him towards the head of an alley, a moment later she was gliding her tongue along his, coaxing it out to play.
As their kiss got heated, Buffy moved her hand along his side then glided a few fingers into the hem of his pants, fully intending to give him a little attention right then and there. Not that he needed much help, he was already stiffening from their lip war.
Instead, his hand locked around her wrist and slipped it from his pants, holding it tight to keep her from trying again.
At that, she broke the kiss off and questioned him on why he'd stopped her.
"Listen, you said you were tired, I don't want you do something you don't really want to do." He answered, feeling she was only doing this because she felt bad for ignoring him earlier and the alcohol going right to her head, not because she really wanted to.
"Funny enough, I'm suddenly not tired anymore. And since when are you someone I don't really want to do?" She fired back, the alcohol and subsequent coughing fit having woken her up well enough. She moved closer again and pressed against him, liking the way his clothed arousal felt against her belly.
Reading the desire not only in her eyes, but smelling it on her skin and feeling it when she touched him was enough proof for him that she was legitimately interested in being intimate, her body was practically shouting it at him. "Well if the lady insists."
"The lady is very much insisting." She replied, pressing her lips to his again and rubbing against his hardening flesh.
After a few minutes of passionately making out at the head of the alley, Angel pulled back and frowned at his surroundings, "Don't take this the wrong way Buffy, but you're my wife, I don't want to fuck you like some drunk whore against a wall, I want to make love to you in our bed. I want it slow and meaningful, we can't have that in some dirty back alley."
Buffy pouted both at the loss of his lips and at not being granted permission to move to the next step. Her body was getting very hungry for a taste of her Angel. She did agree with him about the alley, but not sure she liked the idea of going home, "I'd like slow and meaningful too, but…my dad is kind of a mood snuffer." She was pretty sure Hank was the dampener on her libido all week, just something about her dad being there sucked all the 'womanly' feelings out of her and she felt like a kid again.
"Ok, so not at home then, so where?" He asked, glad he wasn't getting a 'no' but wanting to decide on a place quickly so things could progress, he was already throbbing for her, it was starting to hurt how much he wanted her.
"Motel?" She questioned, figuring a bed was a bed.
"Did you bring a wallet, because I didn't." He stated bluntly, wishing for a credit card right now. His only money was the twenty he'd left on the bar for his drink.
"Shit, no." She huffed, wishing she'd grabbed her purse on the way out. "How about work?" Figuring at Angel Investigations they each had lockable offices with pull out couches.
"Other side of town." Angel countered, not wanting to walk that far, especially not with an erection. "The cemetery is close."
"No crypts or graves thank you." She denied, her lip pulling up in distaste, "My taste had matured right out of that genera."
Angel grinned as he thought of somewhere, "We could shake-test the tree house."
"Tree house?" She questioned, trying to think of where he meant, "What tree house?"
"The one I've been building in the backyard for the kids." He stated, a little disappointed she hadn't even noticed.
"Really?" She asked, both impressed and curious how she missed it, "When was this?"
"Over the last week, I've had a lot of free time lately." He explained, glad his boredom was going to pay off. He didn't actually think the tree house would be used any time soon, the kids were still a little young to be climbing in a tree.
"I need to see this." She smiled, eager to see what her talented hubby had crafted. She knew she would be impressed if it was anything like the jewelry box he'd made her and their children's toy boxes.
It only took a few minutes to get back home, especially with raging hormones as motive, and when she looked up into the big oak in the backyard she couldn't believe how she'd missed it all week.
"Wow, Angel this is amazing." She said in awe as he jumped up and grabbed the hanging pull strip to open the hatch and bring the ladder down with it.
They quickly ascended, Buffy first, her looking around with a big smile at what he'd built. He was looking up with a smile too, but more for the view of her from behind and how her tight jeans gave a really great outline of her bottom.
The tree house was only around 7 feet or so off the ground, resting between the two big trunks of the tree. It was square, with a little window in the middle of each wall. The only door was the hatch from below, which could be closed and locked from the inside to prevent 'unauthorized' entry. The ceiling was just high enough for Angel to stand without bending, the outside roof was shingled and had a decorative 'chimney' made out of branches.
"The interior isn't complete yet." Angel explained as he looked around the empty space save for the stump though the core, "I'm planning to build a table and benches to put over against that wall, and I was thinking some carpet would be nice over the wood floor. I started painting this wall blue, but…"
The rest of his explanation was cut off as Buffy grabbed his face and slammed her lips to his. She'd already been horny, but seeing how thoughtful her lover was and now having a private place to be intimate, her desire flared.
He had been taken off guard, but recovered quick enough, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.
Buffy was shrugging off her shirt when she regained coherent thought, "Wait, we can't do this here, not in our kid's tree house. That's just so wrong."
Angel just looked at her with that wolfish grin, his hands still running along her sides and turning her on in the worst way. His lips quickly found her hardening nipples now her shirt was absent.
"Don't you have morals?" She questioned with a note of humor, but that was quickly being lost to the sensations he was causing to her chest.
His grin got wider. "Nope."
When his lips met hers again, protesting was forgotten.
...
'Yup, totally just had sex in a tree house.' Buffy awoke with a corny grin as she lay covering her lover. She could hear his heart beating slowly in his chest under her ear and felt his arms draped protectively across her shoulders and lower back. Every time he exhaled, she could feel his warm breath against the top of her head.
She loved waking up like this, feeling satisfied and warm and loved.
And not being on the floor, she loved that part too.
Angel was stretched out beneath her, still out like a light and snoring softly. 'Guess I wore him out.' she thought with a proud smirk. She lifted her head off him and examined his features in the low light cast from the nearly full moon shinning above. His face was relaxed, all the tension and stress from their fight earlier was gone, even his demon was quiet. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before resting her head down on his shoulder. 'Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure he hadn't been sleeping very well these past few days.' Her frown dissolved as he snored and turned his face into her golden locks, 'But at least I seemed to have cured him of that.'
Figuring she had a few more hours before the sun came up and their little 'midnight escape' would end with the return to reality, she snugged closer and let her eyes slip shut again.
His arms tightened around her and she fell back to sleep with a smile on her lips.
...
When Buffy awoke again, the darkness still blanketed the world, the moon having migrated lower into the sky, or perhaps hiding behind a cloud, she didn't really care. The important fact was it was still before sunrise and thus she had no reasons to get out of bed...or in this case, off her lover which was acting as her bed.
As she fully roused, she became aware of what had woken her. Turning her head, she discovered she couldn't see her lover's eyes in the darkness but judging from his slow and steady breaths, he was still sound asleep.
Thus the length of hard flesh poking her in a very intimate place was purely time related as opposed to him being frisky. 'Well no use letting perfectly good morning wood go to waste.' She grinned to herself as she kissed her lovers neck and slowly and lightly moved her mouth south. She wanted to wake him in a very stimulating manor.
He wasn't fully erect, yet, but she had very detailed plans on how to remedy that. Slowly, she darted out her tongue and explored him, gliding the wet appendage up and down his length, bringing with it a deep groan from his throat.
As he swelled from her ministration, she slipped his tip between her teeth and closed her lips around him to create a suction she knew would drive him wild.
He moaned her name in his sleep, which went right from her ears to her groin. Pleasuring her lover with her mouth worked nearly as well in turning her on as it did him.
Her actions this far had been light and slow, now she took him deeper and began to use her fingers and palm on the rest of his shaft, also taking a few stokes to his testes.
His hips began to rock to her movements along with his rapid breaths.
She knew when he'd woke, his gasp of pleasure was perfectly timed with the explosion of hot salty liquid to the back of her throat.
He was panting as she swallowed his seed and crawled back up beside him, nuzzling against the sheen of sweat on his neck. "Good morning?" She question, a devilish grin on her lips.
He blinked at her a moment, his head still trying to clear the fog between wakefulness and the erotic dream he'd thought to be having.
"Did you fall back to sleep on me?" She asked while lounging against his chest, barely able to see him in the low glow from the porch light.
Suddenly his hands where buried in her hair and his tongue was lapping at the last remnants of salty goodness left in her mouth.
A groan of pleasure escaped her throat as he rolled over on top of her, his flesh already rousing again and nudging at her core.
When he finally released her lips, his mouth moved to the scar on her neck, laving and nipping at the mark, his mark.
Though her panting breaths, "I guess I succeeded in waking you up." She teased.
A growl of agreement rumbled from him as he sucked hard at her throat, bring a mix of pleasurable pain.
She felt his fingers travel down her body, rubbing, pinching and teasing where he knew her most sensitive nerves to be.
"Angel." She sighed out, feeling her body reacting to him and his touch, her core weeping for attention.
As she'd done with him, he slowly moved south, savoring the changes in taste from one patch of skin to another.
Her nipples where taunt already, which made it easy for his lips and tongue and teeth to coax an orgasm from them.
As his wife shivered beneath him, Angel continued lower, her raging heat calling to him.
He felt her fingers tighten in his hair as he blew a breath over her glistening channel, her muscles already tense and waiting for his touch.
He ran a light finger over her golden mound and down between the slick heated flesh, making her hips jump.
With the wolfish grin back of his lips, he took a deep breath of her pungent aroma and run his tongue along her most sensitive skin.
She gasped as he nipped and buried his pink appendage into her depths, sucking at the honey her body was make just for him.
"Angel." She moaned as he worked one then two fingers into her as his mouth moved to tease her clit.
His reward was her walls clenching his fingers as she erupted beneath him.
'Fuck, if I don't bury myself in her soon I'm going to lose it right here.' He though as his own painful arousal throbbed for a dip in her hot pool.
"Angel." She moaned again, "Please."
Not one to make his wife beg, he obliged immediately, sinking into her still shivering body.
'God in heaven.' He thought as he slid between her searing flesh, her quivering was driving him wild.
It took everything he had to not blow his load right then and there.
He whispered as he kissed her ear, "Easy my love, relax."
'Relax?' She thought, 'I'm going to explode!'
She raised her hips and tried to coax him into moving, but he rested his weight atop her and spoke again against her ear, "Wait, I just...give me a minute. You're killin me."
Buffy felt pride well in her belly, along with desire. She loved how badly her lover wanted her.
To give him the time he needed to compose himself, she ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his lips her hers, savoring her own flavor on them.
For a few long minutes, they lay joined but still, just explored one another's mouths as the pressure built slowly.
He felt her lower lips began to squeeze him, trying to coax him into action.
"Getting impatient are we?" He grinned against her ear, feeling her body screaming for friction.
"Yes." She shamelessly admitted, her insides were twisting into knots.
Without a word, he pulled completely out of her before slamming fully back in.
She cried out in shock and pleasure as he docked with her, then lifted her hips to meet him as he began to move, at first slow but quickly building speed.
"Angel." She moaned out, wrapping her legs tightly around his waist and pulling him deeper.
She heard his curse in Gaelic at her actions, the pressure in her body getting almost too intense to stand.
Feeling her near desperate need, he slipped a fingers down between their clashing bodies and circled his thumb against her nub.
She screamed his name as her body climaxed hard. The tightening of her core became too much for him, he slammed himself into her heat twice more before he rolled over the edge with her, her name breathless from his lips.
Buffy shuttered as his last two thrusts caused her to implode again, her nerves on fire as pleasure overwhelmed every other sense.
They both disappeared over the edge into the heavenly darkness.
...
Angel lay on his back, running his finger's lightly down his wife's spine as he waited her her to recover her senses.
For the first time in a long while, a real smile washed over his face, he absolutely loved pushed her over the edge.
He kissed her golden crown and replayed the kaleidoscope of emotions that his wife's face experience during an orgasm.
He could watch it on repeat all day.
A few minutes later she stirred, snuggling further against him. "Wow." She breathed into his shoulder.
His smile grew, "About sums it up." He agreed.
"I can't believe we've gone all week without that." Buffy mumbled from her Angel pillow, too comfy and sated to even think of moving.
Angel nodded but said nothing, he didn't want to ruin the moment with an 'I told you so.' He might have a demon sharing his mind, but he wasn't stupid...usually.
She turned her gaze up at him, studying his expression. "I know what you're thinking, your eyes hide nothing from me."
A furrow creased his brow, he was worried he was about to be punished for something he didn't even say.
Instead of punishment, she leaned up and ran her lips over his, coaxing a gentle kiss from his mouth.
"Thank you for not saying it." She told him as she pulled back, resting her head back on his shoulder.
He pulled her tighter, kissed her crown and kept his silence; there were no words he needed to say. His wife was happy and laying on him, they were both sated and he was feeling pretty damn loved for the first time all week.
Life was good.
At least until Buffy noticed how bright it had gotten in the tree house. "Shit! Angel the sun's up!"
He was pulled back abruptly from his near doze by her panicked voice, realizing the kids would be awake by now.
"Relax babe, we're right outside." He pointed out as he calmly collected his clothing, he was smirking at her as she was rushing to dress as if they were on the other side of the continent.
She looked at him a moment, noticing how he was silently grinning at her. "Are you laughing at me?"
"Never." He denied, pulling her in and kissing her forehead.
"Liar." She muttered, snatching her offered shirt from his hand.
After a moment she let her own grin poke out, her humor catching up with her.
Angel was opening the hatch and rolling up the ladder when she looked accusingly at him, "Where are my panties and bra?"
With as much innocent as he could muster, he shrugged, "I don't know, where do you leave them?"
"Asshole." she muttered, knowing full well he must have stashed them in one of his pockets.
His devil eyes were better confirmation than words would have been.
"Hurry up babe, the kids are probably awake by now." As soon as he spoke, he winked and stepped out into open space, disappearing though the hatch in the floor.
"Asshole." She muttered again before swallowing her own smile and going to stand at the edge of the door. 'My sexy as hell asshole.' She thought bemused.
He was standing below, wiggling his fingers for her to jump.
Rolling her eyes, but stepped out into nothing and was quickly caught by her grinning husband. "Hi, have a pleasant flight?"
"It was, until the airline lost some of my luggage." She countered, slipping from his grip and giving him an accusing look.
Ignoring it, he jumped up and pulled the rope on the hatch, closing the trap door and engaging the mechanism that would drop the ladder for when the door next opened.
"Shall we?" He asked with a sparkle in his eyes as he held out his hand for her.
Shaking her head but indulging him anyways, she smiled despite herself and took it. "Lead the way."
It was a short trip, only from the back of the yard to the back door, but Buffy found herself laughing along with her spouse as they entered into the kitchen. She felt like a teenager again, sneaking back into the house after being out all night.
The feeling was enhanced by her father's disappointed frown as he glowered at them from the kitchen table. "Never mind Dawnie." He sighed into the phone cradled against his shoulder while his hands were busy pouring cereal. "She just walked in." After a pause to hear the other line his frown deepened, "Yeah, he's with her too." Again he listened to Dawn on the other end before cutting in, "Ok honey, she's home now, sorry I woke you, I'll talk to you later."
"And just where in the hell were you this morning young lady? I woke up to my granddaughter telling me you were gone." Hank asked in his most fatherly tone, eyeing his daughter's tussled hair and flushed cheeks. He knew exactly what she'd been doing and immediately disproved, especially seeing her companion.
"Language." Angel warned from behind her, noticing their children were sitting at the table, their eyes red from tears.
Both toddlers vacated their chairs and came rushing over to their parents, Katie reaching up for her daddy, "Grampa was yelling, I don't like him yelling."
Angel's eyes narrowed towards the angry man standing across from him, "I'm sure he didn't mean to baby, he was just worried about mommy." He said to his daughter while planning to have a 'talk' with Hank about upsetting his children in the immediate future.
Ignoring the threatening eyes from Angel, Hank kept looking as his child, "You haven't answered me yet young lady."
Buffy felt like a kid again, even hanging her head, "Sorry daddy, I umm...I mean, we uhh...had a thing...to do..." And her brain stalled out on what to say to her father. 'We snuck off to have sex because I can't get horny with you sleeping across the hall' didn't seen appropriate.
"Is it really your business?" Angel cut in.
She turned to look at him, surprised how quickly his sex-high evaporated into a wall of hostility.
"Not my business? Buffy's my daughter, that makes her my business! And which one of us three where here when your children woke? I'll give you a hint, it wasn't you two."
Buffy flinched. Angel was as ridged as steel.
Hank's jaw tightened, "You're not a teenager anymore Buffy, you're an adult and a mother, going out all night, especially without telling anyone and leaving your phone behind, is not acceptable behavior for a woman." Turning his stormy blue eyes to Angel, "And you, you're setting a poor example for your children to follow. Maybe my daughter should think twice about her choice of partner."
Angel's demon roused further at the accusation and Buffy turned angry hazel-green eyes to her father. "Angel, can you please take the kids into the living room." She wanted her spouse's demon away from her father and she didn't want the kids to hear what she was about to say.
He almost growled, but Angel took his son and daughter with him and plastered a happy smile on his face, "Do you guys want to play horsie?"
The two worried faces turned to him, neither liking hearing the adult talking loud and angry. At his words, they grinned and cheered, always ready to climb on their father's back and ride like cowboys.
Their happy faces soothed his demon just enough to keep him from turning back around and slamming his fist into his father-in-law's nose.
Once her family was out of earshot, she turned to her father, hands balled into fists at her side, "Don't you dare ever question Angel's worth as my husband again, he is the best part of my life. I could not ask for a more loving and loyal man and he is an amazing father for our kids. The truth is, we got into a fight last night over how much time I was spending with you, he never accused me of anything and only left the house so the fight wouldn't escalate. I realized he was hurting and followed after him. We went to a bar, shared a drink and talked over our issues."
Out of that Hank only heard what he wanted to hear, his eyes noticing something he'd missed a moment ago, "Just talked huh?" Hank bit out, knowing full well what a tussled woman looked like after the fact. "So where did the hickey come from then?"
"What?" Buffy gasped, feeling heat in her cheeks as she ran her hand over the sensitive stop on her neck. 'I'm going to kill my husband.'
"I'm disappointed in you Buffy." Hank said while shaking his head.
Buffy's eyes narrowed, "As you pointed out Dad, I'm an adult, a married woman in fact and will not be made to feel guilt for being with my husband."
Father and daughter stood staring at one another for a long minute, both unwilling to buckle.
Angel broke the standstill as he poked his head in from the living room, "Sorry to interrupt, but the kids are getting anxious for breakfast."
"Want to continue this upstairs?" Buffy asked, her eyes flashing.
Hank read the unspoken words loud and clear, she wan't changing her mind on the subject. "No, I get the message, no need to beat a dead horse." He looked around uncomfortable, "I should go grab a shower anyways." He looked to Buffy one last time, "I'm just glad you're home safe."
Her stony expression softened, "I'm sorry I made you worry. Breakfast will be waiting if you want any."
He nodded and turned, unhappy about having to walk past Angel to get to the stairs.
There were a hundred things Angel wanted to say to the jerk, but clamped his teeth down over his tongue before he opened his mouth and Angelus came surging out.
Hank completely ignored him on the way past, which suited Angel just fine.
Two toddlers ran into the kitchen, chanting for breakfast. They helped lower the tension that hung heavily in the room.
Buffy smiled and handed them the small bowl of dry cereal from the table to hold them over a few more minutes.
"Are you alright?" Angel asked as he came to stand by his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist and studying the frown in her eyes.
She looked up at him and felt her internal smile returning, "Yeah, it's just...I've never spoken to my dad like that before."
He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead, "You did nothing wrong beloved, he had no right to scold you like a child."
"I'm am his child." She said softly as she looked into Angel dark gaze, "I never understood before, but now that I have my own kids, I'll always see them as mine, even when they're old and gray, they'll forever be my babies."
He nodded, he felt the same way. "Still, his words were inappropriate."
"Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but I still love him."
"As you should." Angel agreed, "And he still loves you deeply."
"I shouldn't have said what I did to him, that was between us." She admitted, feeling foolish for throwing their personal life in his face.
He kissed the tip of her head, "He overstepped his boundaries, all you did was point them out." After a second he added, "Besides, If you hadn't confronted him, I would have. Believe me when I say my words would have been far more x-rated."
Looking up at him she could clearly see his demon behind his eyes, she cringed to herself knowing exactly what the Angelus fueled mouth would have unleashed had she given it the chance. Still feeling the tension in his arms and wanting to defuse him, she gave his mouth a better outlet. Her lips brushed his and he leaned down to make the kiss easier.
When his demon was sufficiently settled, she slowly slipped out of his embrace, feeling lighter already. Except for one thing in the back of her mind.
She punched him hard in the arm.
"Ow! What the f..." He stopped and looked down at the kids who turned to look up at him when he yelped.
"Daddy get an ouch?" Katie asked, looking between her parents.
"No, I um...hit my toe on the table leg." He covered, trying hard not to rub his throbbing arm.
Katie leaned down and kissed his socked foot, "All better." Then reached for another handful of cereal.
When the kid's attention was diverted to the food, he looked to his smirking wife. Whispering with a frown, "What was that for?"
All she did was turn her head and let him see the hickey. "My dad asked me about this."
He shut right up, but inside, his demon was thrilled. 'Take that Hank, see with your own eyes, Buffy's mine.'
She caught the joy in her lover's eyes despite his neutral face, knowing his demon was the one dancing about it. 'He can such a lovable asshole.'
Buffy felt her stomach groan in protest of all the activity and no nourishment, "Will you make me waffles?"
A smile slipped over his lips at being let off the hook, "If waffles is what my girl wants, waffles is what she'll get."
"Waffles!" Katie chimed in upon hearing the word, "I want waffles!"
Liam's eyes brightened as he lost interest in the cereal, "Choc waff!"
"Ooo, baby boy read my mind." Buffy grinned, "You heard our little man, Daddy, Chocolate waffles."
"Yay!" Katie cheered, jumping up and down, spilling cheerios on the floor.
Angel laughed as the sight and nodded as he pulled the ingredients from the cabinet, "A heaping batch of chocolate waffles coming right up."
...
The day progressed comfortably enough, Hank joined them for breakfast after his shower, but declined the waffles Angel made for a small bowl of cereal. The tension between Angel and Hank wasn't oppressive, but it was still lurking under the surface.
Buffy did her best to keep conversation light and civil, it helped that Angel was too.
She knew and loved him for not wanting to fight with her father, but she could also see his demon really wanted to. It worried her that Angel's demon was far more reactive to her father's presence that it was to most people. When she had an opening, she decided she'd ask him about it.
...
Later that day.
Angel had finished classes a few minutes ago, his shoulders were sore and his body was still full of adrenaline.
It made reading and signing paperwork a real bitch.
He looked up when his office door opened and his wife slipped in, closing the door behind her.
What peaked his interest was her engaging the lock.
"I thought you had a 10am class?" He asked, noting it was ten past the hour now.
"I did." She spoke as she moved towards him, a little bit of sway to her hips, "I volunteered Faith to substitute."
Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "And why would you do that?"
He got a pleasant surprise as she slipped a leg over his and sat herself down in his lap, a frisky smile played across her face as she leaned forwards and ran a hand through his hair. "Because I knew you'd be alone in your office for the next hour."
"What did you have in mind?" He asked, his own flirtatious smile coming out to play.
Her fingers lowered and gently unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, she was a little disappointed to see the white tank underneath as opposed to the skin of his naked chest. She could feel the heat of his skin even though the layers, his hair was still slick from the sweat of training combat with the slayers in his class. She liked that slight flush he still had in his cheeks, the smell of exertion on his body. She was going to bring it back in a few moments.
"You." She whispered into his ear as she leaning in closer, "I had you on my mind."
He didn't know how me missed it before, but she could smell her arousal already, it was starting to settle over him like a thick blanket, bringing out all the warm and fuzzy feelings that went with it.
He felt his temperature being to rise.
"Did you now?" He asked, a seductive grin tugging at his lips, "Well I guess I'll have to do something about that."
She kissed his ear and ran her tongue over the shell, "Please do, I've been waiting all morning."
He didn't need much more motivation.
...
Buffy's back was on his desk, her hands tightly wound around his, which were clamped on her hips.
Angel was still standing bare from the waist down between her thighs with her legs wrapped tightly around his middle.
Both were breathing heavy in the wake of their very recent passion.
He leaned forward and laid his head over her heart, listening to the roar of it in his ears.
Loosening her fingers from his, she wrapped her arms around his head and kissed the top, letting her digits stroke the dark wet locks. "Are you alright?" She asked, worried about how tired he felt resting his full weight against her. 'Is he still standing?' She wondered, unable to see his legs below the desk, but thinking he must be.
She felt him smile against her skin, "Perfect." He answered, turning his head so his chin rested between her breasts and he could look her in the eyes.
Those dark endless pools told her far more than his mouth ever could. What she'd mistaken for exhaustion was actually perfect tranquility.
They laid in silence a few more moments, just enjoying the last wisps of orgasmic bliss rolling along their minds and bodies.
Finally Angel sat up, pulling his weight off his lovers torso as she unwrapped her legs from his waist.
"That was nice." She blushed, not believing they just had sex on his desk in the middle of the day. She felt like a newly wed.
He flashed her that sexy smile, "I'd call that a lot more than nice."
"Mmm, hmm." She agreed, looking down at his now exposed manhood.
He caught her gaze and shook his head, "Stop looking at me like that of I'll miss my 11 o'clock." He scolded lightly, barely keeping his hands off her naked body, splayed so very sexily across his desk. He could easily lose himself between his wife's thighs for the rest of the day.
Seeing the conflict swirling behind those chocolate pools, she sat up and folded her arms and legs over her exposed skin. "Better?"
"No." He admitted, "But it will get me out the door better than a moment ago."
She grinned at him, "Go, before you're late."
He forgot his pants were around his ankles and almost tripped over them, blushing, he paused to pull up his pants and quickly tucked his shirt back in.
With mirth in her eyes she shook her head, "How graceful of you."
"Totally your fault." He accused, "Popping in here and getting me all distracted."
"Guilty." She teased.
"I won't be pressing charges." He grinned, leaned back in to kiss her.
After a moment she pushed him off, "Class. Go. Now."
"Yes dear." Came him snark reply after she gave him a whack on the ass to get him moving.
Angel stopped a few feet from the door then turned around to look at her.
"What?" Buffy asked, getting all self-conscious, "Do I have sex hair?"
A second later he was back beside her, in intense look in his eyes.
"Angel?" She asked, but failed to get anymore words out on account him mouth fell over hers.
This kiss was different then the others, it was deeper and gentler and so very full of love.
It took her breath away.
When he finally released her lips, he nuzzled against them, "I love you."
"I love you." She breathed out against the tingles in her mouth, her brain releasing more happy chemicals.
With her eyes closed she didn't see the flash of Angelus behind his eyes, "Don't forget to wipe my desk off, I don't want the wood to stain."
Her eyes snapped open but he was already out of reach.
"Asshole!" She was about to throw a stapler at him, but he already ducked behind the closing door.
Breathing out a breath, she shook her head and looked down between her legs. He was right, the edge of his desk was soaked.
A part of her wanted to be furious at him, but she found she couldn't be. His more demonic side loved to push her buttons, and secretly she was amused by it. His taunts were usually in good taste and never hurtful, and she knew he was just toying with her, he like to get a rise out of her.
She didn't mind giving it to him.
Scooting off the desk, she found her legs a little wobbly still, but worked it out quickly enough. It was a good ache in her core.
Biting back a smile, she got a washcloth from his bathroom and cleaned herself up first before tackling the mess on his desk. Knowing she was washing up a result of their lovemaking made the job a pleasant one.
By the time she finished, she had just enough time to grab a bite before her next class. 'Note to self, next time I sneak into Angel office for a little sexy-time, make sure we don't have a class afterwards.' A quickie was always great, but needing to spend an hour performing high kicks afterwards was not-so-great.
...
Hank watched Angel closely as he worked with his students, trying to find an inappropriate move or glance or touch.
The whole 'Slayer' thing still baffled him and why his eldest daughter seemed to think she was one and needed to help others train at being one too. She and Dawn had explained to him during dinner on one of his first night's back about her being chosen...the conversation left a bad taste in his mouth but he'd nodded and listened. It hadn't helped that Giles was revealed to be her 'watcher' whatever that had meant.
He hated to admit that it would explain some of her behavior when she turned 15 and started going out at night and getting into fights.
However, he was still convince there had been a boy she'd been seeing, none of this mystical crap.
As he watched Angel interacting with the group of young ladies, he'd been hoping to find something sinister about his motives, maybe see something that would give Buffy reason to divorce him, like evidence of him cheating.
Unfortunately Hank saw nothing even close. The dark haired man was obviously attractive enough to get pretty much any one of the young hormone bombs around him, probably several at once if he asked, but his actions towards them betrayed nothing beyond friendly professional.
'There is something dark about the guy, I know he's hiding a vise somewhere. I'll uncover it eventually.'
Hank was pulled from his thoughts as Dawn came up behind him, "Hey dad, there you are. Ready to see the demon library?"
'Demon.' The word crossed his mind as he took one last look at Angel, "Yes honey, I would."
...
A few weeks flowed by as Hank adjusted to the routine Buffy and Angel lived by. He was gradually exposed to more and more of the demon books Dawn and Giles had stored in the library, even spent a good many hours having discussions about the creatures to one or both of them.
Hank was surprised that he liked Rupert Giles, especially knowing than man had walked his daughter down the isle in his absence. A part of him thought perhaps that like was based on knowing Rupert had taken on the fatherly role he could not have at the time due to his near enslavement by Melissa. 'I'm glad the bitch is dead.'
Neither Dawn nor Giles had questioned Hank's sudden interest in demons, due to being used by one for a decade of his life. Neither knew he was really looking for something about Angel. As far as Hank knew, Angel was human, but there was something completely off about him. The guy seemed too fast and strong at times while training the slayers, a cut on his arm had healed far too rapidly and he'd sworn he'd heard him growl.
'There is something inhuman about that creep, and when I find it, Buffy will know the truth.' Hank thought as he browsed through another book, 'I won't let her get trapped in a slave relationship like I did, I'll die first.'
...
That night, Hank went to a more seedy part of town, parking Buffy's SUV in front of the address he'd gotten over the phone. He got out, his nervousness twitching in the lid of his left eye. With grim purpose, he entered into the dark building hiding in shadows across from him.
As he climbed the stairs, he had second thoughts about this. 'Maybe this is too much.'
Figuring he was here, he might as well go have a look at the goods, he could leave empty handed if he didn't find what he wanted.
After a rap on the door, it swung inward and he entered a smoky, dim lit apartment.
"You a cop?" A voice rasped out, one that had smoked a park a day for 20 too many years.
"No." Hank shook his head. "Just a man looking to protect himself."
A middle aged man with dirty blond hair walked out from behind the door, the dirty blond actually unwashed as opposed to naturally dark. A cigarette hung loose from his lip, his face far more aged than his years should show. "What'd you have in mind?"
Hank looked down the barrel of the large revolver the man was pointing at him and grinned.
"I think you're holding it."
...
With his new purchase tucked into his pants and hiding under his shirt, Hank felt far more confident walking into the bar than he normally would have. His dark blue eyes scanned the tables until they landed on a small group of demons playing pool in the corner.
Swallowing hard, he made his way over to them. "Gentleman, I'd like a word with you, if you can spare a moment from your game." His words were polite, but in reality he wanted to try his new revolver on these heartless bastards, they weren't human, they shouldn't even be allowed to live.
One of them stepped forwards, presumably their leader, and looked over the small human demanding their attention. "What the fuck you want?"
"Information, I was told you fine men could help me."
"Why should we?" The spike headed creature asked.
Hank pulled a photo from his shirt and held it up to them, "Because I have reason to believe you're not all too friendly with this guy."
He'd already spend a good deal of his nights over the past week asking around, this was his best lead so far and prayed it would pay off.
The leaders eyes narrow at the photograph, "Angelus." He hissed out, hate clearly visible in his four purple eyes.
Feeling like he'd won the lottery, Hank pulled a wad of bills from his coat and laid it on the table, "Please Sir, tell me more about this Angelus."
The creature eyed the cash before snatching it up and shoving it into his pocket. "He's a dead vampire if I ever cross his path again..."
Hank listen intently, trying to not let his jaw hit the floor as he learned about the demon's past. 'My God, this thing touches my daughter!' He set his resolve into overdrive, knowing tomorrow he'd take the steps he needed to break the thrall on Buffy and get her out the demon's clutches. He couldn't leave her to suffer one day longer.
...
"Angel!" Buffy yelled in ecstasy as her world exploded into heaven.
Her lover came crashing down beside her, his own throat horse from yelling her name.
She had no idea what had gotten into them these past few weeks, but even since the tree house, she'd been insatiable for her husband's touch.
At work, in the GTX as it sat in the garage, two different motels, the bathroom at the mall, three more times in the tree house. 'Holy shit, take the bedroom out of the equation and suddenly anywhere looks like a great place for a quickie. I feel like a teenage again.'
For the first time in over a week, they were finally making love in their own bed thanks to Hank spending the weekend checking out possible apartments. She had offered to let him stay with them, but thankfully he'd been insistent of getting his own place. As thrilling as it was to explore sex in other places, Buffy was truly happiest in her own bed...and maybe the GTX...and the tree house. Anyplace that had the stamp 'ours' on it.
Plus when Thanksgiving rolled around, Connor would need his room back.
"I love you." Angel whispered to his wife as he pulled her close, wrapping around her like an octopus.
She smiled and repeated the endearment to him, sealing it with a kiss.
They lay in comfortable silence for a while before she spoke, "Can we bring the kids to the park tomorrow?"
"Anything you want, Beloved." He mumbled into his Buffy pillow.
A wicked thought crossed her brain, "What if I want to move to Guam?" She tried her hand at tease him.
"I've live anyplace you are." He answered without even opening his eyes.
She smiled at that, loving him that much more. "What if I want to stop bathing and only eat broccoli?"
"I'll wear a clothes pin on my nose." He muttered, still not moving.
She liked this game so far, continuing, "What if I decide to become a nun and be celibate for the rest of my life?"
She didn't get the rise she'd been hoping for, just a mono-toned, "Not happening."
"You wouldn't respect my wishes if that's what I really wanted?" She asked, running her hand down the back of his neck.
He snuggled deeper into her, "Nope."
"Why not?" She countered, a pout on her lips.
Finally he looked up at her, a twinkle in his eyes, "Because the moment you put the outfit on I'd be unable to stop making love to you."
"Really now?" She questioned, saving that little tidbit of information for later.
"Oh yeah." He smirked, getting frisky again. "In fact, the image in my head is about to cause me to do wicked things to you right now."
"Angel!" She laughed as he rolled back on top of her.
...
TBC...