Snapshots: The Coat Stand Strikes Again

She was raving mad by the time he answered his door.

"Ugh! Worst day ever. I can't believe this. She is just such a bitch. What the hell is she thinking? I'm the one who's saving her ass, and what thanks do I get?"

He was still trying to comprehend her presence when she stormed in, waving her hands everywhere, nearly yelling with frustration, and generally storming about.

"I can't believe that bitch. I really can't. It's beyond me. I mean, she's making this huge deal out of nothing, storming around the house and creating absolute chaos!"

"Well, hello to you too," Angel said as Buffy took a break for air. He skirted around her, grabbing a shirt and buttoning it up as she continued her revolutions around his small apartment.

I wonder what happened this time, he thought. A fight with Willow? A fear demon or...?

Buffy kept going on with her rant, pacing and storming while Angel calmly leaned against his door, watching her with a raised eyebrow and amused expression. She definitely has a set of lungs on her, he thought. Very useful, that.

He was momentarily distracted by an image of him kissing her, but shook himself out of it when he realized she was addressing him. Wait, what? He looked up at her quickly, hoping there wasn't too much of a confused expression on his face.

"Isn't it absolutely awful?" she repeated, big brown eyes questioning him sweetly.

"Uh—yeah. Very," he breathed, melting a bit inside. Oh, stop it, he thought. You're acting like a hormonal teen again. For God's sake, I'm over 200 years old.

The ranting continued for another moment until Buffy finally tired out, collapsing on the armchair sadly. "I just hate what she's doing to me—making me run to you and rant when you're probably just waking up. I'm so sorry, baby," she said, as she stood up. She walked over to Angel slowly, hands playing nervously as she stopped a few feet away from him.

"It's alright, really," he smiled. And it was—it wasn't too often that Angel got to see a side to Buffy that wasn't the slayer.

Buffy sighed. "I'm glad. I guess I just don't a chance to really let out steam without slaying something, and there's not really too many vampires out tonight," she said. "I do want to make this up to you, though," she added seductively, and began a slow, seductive walk towards him. She shed her jacket, then her cardigan, and now she was merely inches away, almost in his arms-

Until there was a large clatter and Buffy was hopping on one foot, cursing loudly at the world with his coat stand on the floor.

Later, after they had settled on the couch with Buffy's head on the Angel's shoulder and their feet entangled, Angel began to laugh.

"You know, it's not that funny," Buffy pouted.

"I just didn't know that the slayer could be defeated by a coat stand."

"Oh shut up," Buffy said, smacking Angel's shoulder. "It hurt really bad, you know. I could've-"

"Broken a toe?" Angel interrupted. "The coat stand strikes again, I see."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at him, but then they were both cracking up.

"It's really not funny," Buffy protested, gasping for breath and grinning.

"I don't think I've seen you so irate before."

"Ugh, don't remind me," said Buffy, wrinkling her nose.

"I want to know."

"My mom refused to let me buy a new dress because I'd ruined the kitchen fighting some demon. Bitch...I just saved her life and she couldn't just hand over her credit card for a minute?"