Last week she had handed in her art project, well, Willow did, she handed it over to her and hid in the carpark, not wanting anyone to see her. Being back on campus was nerve wracking, although no one had spotted her, she still felt unease being there.

Now that it was officially handed in, a quick call to Snyder confirmed that she was done. Done with it all, no more classes, no more assignments, no more high school. It should have been liberating but with the upcoming court case looming over her, she still felt like it was painful to breathe.

She had made one last pit stop to Jenny in the city to talk over more about what happened and had slowly cracked the shell of fear that was suffocating her, now? She was getting the hell away from her feelings, away from her thoughts and away from Sunnydale.

Angel wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest as they waited in line at the airport "You, okay?" He looked down at her tense frame and stroked her stomach softly "If it's too much, we can always turn back…"

Buffy shook her head and whispered "No" when the tannoy announced their flight she nodded and shuffled forward, pulling out her passport from her pocket.

He watched as she didn't say anything else, only standing ramrod straight in amongst the chaotic queue that had formed. Angel slung his bag over his shoulder and sighed, although she was adamant that she wanted to come with him, she had been more on edge.

They made their way onto the plane and took their seats, although they remained in silence, Buffy slipped her hand into his and gripped tight as they began the ascent to the sky. Angel leaned his head against hers and squeezed her hand back, letting her know that he was there for her.

Once they finally made their way back to his apartment near campus, Buffy sighed in relief, for the first time in a long time she felt less crushed. She took a deep breath and looked out the window down to the cute little courtyard outside and smiled.

Angel crept up behind her and rubbed her arm gently, he kissed the top of her head then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against him. They didn't say anything to each other, she only snuggled against him and closed her eyes, feeling almost at peace.

Oooooooooooooooo

When Angel said that he would be busy catching up on assignments and studying, he wasn't kidding. Each night he crammed at the small dining table, only taking a break to make them something to eat. When he was on campus he would call and ask if she wanted something brought home.

Most days he would call for little things, call again just to check up on her, or call for no reason at all, and it was beginning to grate on her. Although Buffy did appreciate all that he done for her, he was beginning to smother her and she hated the feeling of being even a tiny bit mad at him over it.

On a positive note, the days went on, by having video calls with Willow and with Jenny, she felt herself begin to comprehend everything that she went through. Rather than remain closed off, she now done tasks around the apartment and had even ventured outside by herself.

Happening upon a small ice cream shop, she took the time to study the flavours and decide what to purchase. She had a plan in mind; to repay his kindness, she was going to make dinner from scratch and wanted the ultimate yum for dessert. It was the least she could do for him.

When she felt the eyes of the lady behind the counter on her she felt her pulse begin to speed up. The old woman smiled kindly at her, her eyes lingering over the scar before looking at her "Hello young lady, what can I do you for?"

Buffy shrugged lightly before clearing her throat "I, uh, want to pick out something nice… something a bit different" vanilla wouldn't do, chocolate could be sickly and to be honest, she couldn't remember if Angel had even mentioned a favourite flavour.

The woman pointed to the far end "Ahh, this one… cookie dough fudge mint chip, would you like to try some?" When Buffy nodded, she scooped a little into a tub and handed it to her. She watched as Buffy's eyes lit up and made a yum sound, before hiding behind her hand. "Oh, don't be hiding that pretty face, such a beautiful smile".

Buffy crushed down the impending panic and wiped at her lips before looking back at the older woman. It was only a look, but it meant the world to her, not to have a stranger ogle the scar and ask questions "Can I have a large tub of this one please?"

The older woman nodded and began filling it up "Hope you and your honey enjoy this" when Buffy gave her a look, she smiled kindly "You have that face, the one that is in love and is proud of that…" she shrugged "I can just tell".

Buffy thanked her and paid for the tub before making her way back to the apartment. Giving the place one last tidy, she made a start on dinner once Angel text to let her know that he'd be home soon. She took a seat and the table and tapped her hand on the wood, trying to keep calm.

Angel ran his hand over the back of his neck and sighed, it had been a long day, he had been up and out early and had been studying all day. He unlocked the door and paused as he took in the candles flickering around the room, the smell of something delicious for dinner… and the sight of Buffy. She was wearing a simple little black dress, and she looked amazing.

"Hey…" as he came closer, she shifted away from the kitchen nervously "Whats all this?"

Buffy licked her bottom lip and cleared her throat "I thought we could have a nice dinner" she shrugged lightly and trailed her hand down the side of the dress "I've made your favourite, go get washed up and it'll be ready in five".

She leaned up to press her lips softly to his before turning back to the kitchen, Angel blinked for a moment then headed for the bedroom. He jumped in and out of the shower within record speeds compared to usual, he wondered where this sudden confidence came from but wasn't going to complain.

As he came out from the bedroom, she was dishing up the pasta and had cracked open a bottle of wine "Hope you don't mind, I swiped it from your cabinet, cause y'know" she smirked at him then handed him his glass.

Angel took a mouthful then sat down at the table; he watched as she busied herself around the kitchen then sat down herself. She nodded at his plate then smiled. He took a bite and closed his eyes, it truly was his favourite and she had nailed it "Buffy, this is delicious".

She blushed at the compliment then shrugged, she was okay at cooking and getting better recently. It still wasn't her favourite thing but if she put her mind to it, then she would do well. Seeing him dig into his dinner, looking all sorts of satisfied, it made her feel even better about her plan. Although no small talk was made, the meal was so content, it felt so natural.

Once they had finished, Angel picked up the dishes and placed them into the dishwasher, he could feel her eyes watching his every movement. It wasn't before long that he felt her press up against his back and her arms circled his waist, holding him tight.

Buffy closed her eyes and laid her head against him and whispered "I love you" she felt him try to turn but she shook her head and hugged him closer. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, she had been through this conversation with Willow, which had spurred her on, but it brought up all sorts of emotions to the surface.

"…Jenny had asked me to do something outside my comfort zone, to try and begin to get the old me back" she heard his almost silent breath indicating that he was listening, so she continued "I think I'm getting there… today I didn't feel that, that, uh, panicked way?"

She squeezed him tight and pressed a kiss to his back "What do you think… about, say, us accepting Willows invitation to ride in their Limo to prom?" She was adamant up until a week ago that she wasn't going to go, that she didn't want to be seen and be the laughingstock of her year.

It wasn't like Willow was pushing her into it, quite the opposite, she had expressed that it was okay for her to miss it but had said that she would miss her being there. Although the thought of prom wasn't ideal, all of Willows excited rambles about it actually made her long to go, even with how fragile she was right now.

Angel managed to turn in her embrace, he tucked some loose hair behind her ear and smiled "Sounds great, only if you're ready to?" He didn't want to be a downer, but she had snapped at him recently when he brought the subject up.

Buffy closed her eyes and nodded "We could go just for a little while? Would that be okay" her lip started trembling, she wanted to believe that it would be one of the best nights ever, but she would take it for being whatever it would turn out as. She wanted to heal, get on with her life and her not wanting to address these issues was hampering it.

Angel kissed her nose, then her cheek before settling over her mouth and bringing her into a toe-curling kiss. When they broke apart, she bit her lip and blushed, he ran his hands up and down her back, before settling on the hem of her dress "Anything you want to do, I'll be there with you".

Buffy opened her eyes and gripped onto his shirt, pulling him back down into another kiss. He spun them around so that her back was pressed against the fridge then assisted her in lifting her up, so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She let out a strangled moan as he bit onto her ear and trailed open mouthed kisses down to her pulse point in her neck.

Without another word said, he stumbled over to the table and laid her on top, careful not to crush her but climbed on top, covering her. Buffy dug her fingers into his hips as he rubbed against her, she broke out of the kiss and murmured "There's still ice cream".

Angel smirked against her neck "We can have ice cream later…" His mouth settled on hers again as her pushed her dress up and over her hips. She lifted up enough so that her panties could be pulled down and kicked off. When he felt her tremble beneath him, he tried to dampen down his lust for her. As much as he did not want this to stop this, this was the first-time post-event, and he didn't want to rush anything.

Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him expectantly, when she saw him pause and sigh, she shook her head and slid her hand round to his buckle and began to pull it loose. He let her slip her hand inside and grasp him, pulling him free from his slacks. She grinned wickedly as he began to stroke him, causing him to grit his teeth.

He managed to shimmy his slacks down off his hips until they pooled on the floor, just in time for Buffy to slide to the edge of the table before he thrust deep inside. They both groaned deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him back in for another kiss.

Her heart was racing, the things he was making her feel, what he was doing, she felt wild and at peace, all at once. He had always made her feel her best and right now, he made her feel so powerful for the first time in a long time. The harder he thrust into her, the more the table scuffed off the floor but they paid to notice to it.

It wasn't long before he snaked his hand to where they were joined and applied just the right amount of pressure that sent her over the edge. As she came, he let himself come too and felt his legs become weak. Angel smiled lovingly down to her and leaned in for a kiss, before he got there the leg of the table beneath them snapped, causing the table to tilt.

Buffy yelped as she slid but Angel caught her and began to laugh. When she felt safe enough to do so, she let out a laugh as well and stood firmly back on the ground. She covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to giggle, she looked up at him and blushed.

Angel stepped out of his slacks and pulled Buffys dress back down "Guess we'll be eating dessert in bed then" when she giggled again, he scooped her up and stalked through to the bedroom and dumped her playfully on the bed, before joining her. He loomed over her, smiling at her, happy that she was acting carefree again "Prom?"

Buffy nodded "Prom" he kissed her neck, nipping and teasing her lightly. When he leaned back, she pulled at his shirt, pulling him into another kiss "What about ice cream?" He gave her a look then pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it on the bed.

She watched as he walked bare ass naked out the room and reappeared a few moments later, holding the tub and a spoon. She grinned and got settled against the headboard, feeling her dress become uncomfortable, she slipped it off and switched it for Angel's shirt.

Angel smirked at her and sat beside her, pulling the covers over his lap. He scooped out some of the treat and fed it to her, she made this cute noise as she savoured it. He was too busy watching her that after he took his own spoonful, that he didn't notice the drip that splatted his chest "Uh, poor coordination…".

Buffy shook her head "Nuh, perfect…" she leaned down and licked at the ice cream, making him almost purr deep in his throat. He shook his head and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close as he chuckled. He fed her another spoonful then kissed her forehead, feeling content.