"We're technically enemies again," Buffy said. "Without the, you know, actually wanting each other dead thing."
"Really?" Angel asked, not sure where he fell between annoyed and amused.
"Really." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Giles wanted me to come spy on you or something, to find out what Wolfram and Hart is planning."
"You're not being very subtle."
"I prefer a more blunt method"
Angel nodded. "We're still settling in right now. The murder sprees come later."
Buffy snorted, before her expression turned serious. "Why did you join Wolfram and Hart?"
Angel said nothing.
She shrugged. "Guess I'm sticking around, then."
†
"I know… me and Spike have been arguing a lot," Angel said, looking about as uncomfortable as he felt. "But if you do, you know… want to be with him. I won't… I won't be angry or passive aggressive or anything."
"Just judging me silently in the back of your mind?" Buffy quipped.
"Buffy."
"Yeah, yeah, want me to be happy and all that."
They were silent for a moment.
"It's…It's not going to happen," she said. "Me and him. There was never gonna be something serious."
"Oh… Okay. That's…"
"You're allowed to be happy about that."
He just snorted.
†
Buffy had been arguing on the phone for an hour.
"It's fine, Giles, how many times do I have to say it?"
Her hand gripped the phone tightly.
"He's not evil. None of them are evil."
"No, I don't know why yet, but that doesn't change anything."
"You're not listening! It'd be like if they said they didn't trust us because we're working for the Watcher's Council."
"Giles, just– stop talking. We're not giving a rogue Slayer to Andrew, when we can handle it better ourselves."
She hung up with a huff.
"We?" Angel ventured.
Buffy shrugged, and said nothing.
†
Life was a pendulum.
Cordelia woke up, and snarked about Wolfram and Hart with Buffy.
She died at the end of the day.
Angel transformed into a puppet (which, while annoying for him, was hilarious to everyone else).
Fred was infected by an ancient sarcophagus.
Wesley and Fred had apparently getten together.
She died in his arms and had her body taken over by an Old One.
Illyria's army wasn't there, and now Angel was just waiting for the next swing.
Buffy squeezed his hand.
"We'll figure it out. It has to get better sometime."
He just squeezed back silently.
†
"Who's Connor?" Buffy asked.
Angel shrugged, ignoring the rolling tidal wave in his stomach. "What do you mean?"
Buffy stared at him flatly. "I can read you like a book, Angel. He means something to you."
Angel was silent for a moment. "He's the reason I joined Wolfram and Hart."
She waited patiently.
"His life… He was out of control. Suicidal. So I signed on, and they gave him a new life. Good memories." A pause. "A good father."
Her eyes widened. "When?"
"2001."
"Did… did I know?"
"I don't know."
Her face betrayed nothing.
"...I need time to think."
†
Connor had been gone for hours when Buffy showed up again.
"Hi. Um… Hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
Angel immediately shoved his paperwork to the side. "Never."
She gave a quick smile, before sitting down across from him. "How'd everything go with Connor?"
"...Complicated. Wesley remembers."
"Ah."
They were silent for a moment.
"I can't really be mad at you for this," she finally said. "Just make sure you tell me next time, 'kay?"
"Next time I have a kid, you'll be the first one to know," he smirked.
"Shut up!" she laughed. "You know what I mean."
"I promise."
†
Buffy's reaction to his deception was… unexpected.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "I spent all year saying you're not evil, I totally would have known if that changed."
"Yeah, yeah," Spike said. "You can tell your soulmate's not evil, great job. Explanation first, gloating later, kay?"
Buffy rolled her eyes, but waved Angel on.
He explained it quickly enough, before they voted.
Buffy's hand was the first in the air (with Spike's following surprisingly quickly), and he tried to stay rational as their eyes locked.
It was dangerous, but he wouldn't want to do this without her by his side.
†
"Do you think we'll survive?" Buffy asked quietly. He could barely hear her over the rain and the approaching army.
"I don't know," he replied.
She looked up at him, and suddenly they were locked in one last, desperate kiss.
"I lov–"
She shushed him. "That's good-bye. We're not saying good-bye."
He nodded once, embracing her.
"I'll say it after."
"Try not to die," she whispered, their foreheads touching.
"You either."
And then the army grew closer, they brandished their weapons, and nothing more was said as the blood poured as strongly as rain.
Their glances said everything they needed.
†
They were soaked in blood, sweat and rain. Pieces of demon were lying all over.
He had never been more tired in his life.
But it was over. Really, truly over.
"How were lawyers a worse fight than literal primordial evil," Buffy complained, squeezing something out of her hair.
"Maybe sacrificing Spike would have made the lawyers easier."
She grinned, before her smile turned innocent.
"So… I believe there's something you wanted to tell me?"
Angel returned the smile, and leaned down, gently placing his lips on hers. They stayed that way for a moment, quietly content.
"I love you."