"So, my mum's going away on Friday, and I need to look after her, but I was going to come up to see you for three days."
"Just bring dawn with you, babe. She wont get in the way, and I think she's actually made a few friends in LA over the summer."
"Oh, my mum makes me so angry sometimes! She's always going away for business, and I know she has to, or she won't get paid, but still – it's a great big suck-fest. Only not literally, because she doesn't want to know about vampires at all, and is still hoping that I can put this whole 'slayer thing' as she calls it, behind me. She just doesn't get that it's a part of who I am … just like you are."
"She's your mother – she's allowed to worry. You wouldn't like it if she didn't care, would you?"
"No." Buffy pouted at him – he always knew just what to say to make her feel like a little girl again, thoroughly chastised. He rose to the bait, and kissed her gently on her pouting lips. Angel never could resist that pout, so naturally, she used it on him all she could. It never made him give in, but if you were getting kissed by an Angel every time you pouted … well lets just say she spent a great deal of time pouting.
"But she doesn't like you, either. She doesn't think I'm safe when I'm with you – I'm only ever safe when I'm with you, Angel! She just doesn't get it."
"Well, babe, I don't like her all that much myself, and she does have good reason to think you aren't safe around me. I spent months stalking you, remember?"
"That wasn't you, Angel! You know that – we've talking about the difference between you two so much that I lost count after the first few hundred. You aren't him, and you never will be."
"Buffy –"
"No! Repeat after me: I am not angelus – the evil soulless bastard –, I am Angel – the nicest cradle-robbing-creature-of-the-night-boyfriend there ever was and ever will be, except when I get too noble and decide that I don't deserve to be loved. Got it?"
"I am not angelus – the evil soulless bastard –, I am Angel – the nicest cradle-robbing-creature-of-the-night-boyfriend there ever was and ever will be, except when I get too noble and decide that I don't deserve to be loved. But Buffy, that change the fact that I – angelus – stalked you and your mother doesn't feel the same way you do about me!"
"I should hope not, because otherwise, we would have an even bigger problem." She paused for a moment. "Besides, she's too young for you anyway."
Angel chuckled, and reached over to her side of the bed, draping one arm around her spooned body. He knew this wasn't actually perfect happiness, but it sure came close to it. This was the reason he left her, and thought again about why he stayed, when he knew he shouldn't.
Because she had asked him to.