I Need You to Use Your Own Words Tonight
By Samantha Gold

Series: Buffy Summers’ Boys

Spoilers: Other stories, mild season four.
Feedback: I live for it, please send it my way.
Dedication: The whole series is still dedicated to my sister, for all the reasons already said, however this one also goes out to the Backstreet Boys for lending me their songs (and not suing me! *Cough*)

Buffy sighed as she heard a knock at the door. It was they, she knew, and she wasn’t all that sure that she wanted to answer it. But, against her better judgment, she went ahead and opened the door.

Sure enough, the sight of Angel and Riley greeted her.

With a roll of her eyes, she moved out of the way and muttered, "Come on in."

They both complied. She closed the door behind them, then sat down on her bed and waited to hear them out.

"Look, Buffy," Riley started. "I know that you and Angel have a lot of history, but don’t forget that he left you. I’ve been here when he hasn’t and I’ve never left you. I meant what I sang the other night, Buffy. I’ll never break your heart. I want to be with you. I love you. And I’m not going to hurt you…I don’t know what else I can say."

A few moments passed in silence. Buffy contemplated what Riley had said, then looked up at Angel.

Angel spoke. "I know that I hurt you and I realize that I was wrong in leaving – " He started.

"Stop, Angel," she interrupted.

They both looked up at her in surprise.

"Look, you guys have both been talking and talking and I want to say something too," she informed them. "Riley, I know that you care for me a lot and I cared for you, but it’s over now. It has to be. I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I think it’s best that you leave."

Dazed, Riley slowly left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Buffy turned back to Angel. "And Angel, I want to say my two bits. You know what? You did hurt me when you left. And you were wrong in leaving. So what? How has anything changed?" She cried.

"There isn’t a clause anymore…" He tried quietly.

"So what?" Buffy exploded. "Are you saying that all you cared about was the sex? That if you couldn’t have that, then you didn’t want the relationship at all?"

"That’s not how it is, Buffy," he whispered.

"It’s not?" She questioned. He shook his head. "Then explain to me how it is."

"There were a few reasons why I left before," Angel started. "I told you that it was because of all the things that I couldn’t give you and that’s true, but it was only part of the truth. The biggest reason was the thing that I could give you – a dangerous adversary. Buffy, we only knew of one way for me to lose my soul. That didn’t mean that there weren’t others and I was afraid that, if something were to set it off and I was around you, that I would hurt you again. Maybe even worse than I had before."

"You left because of Angelus," she stated.

Angel nodded ruefully. "Yeah, I did," he whispered. "I’m sorry that I left, but maybe it was for the best…all I know is that I’m back now and I love you."

"I love you too," Buffy murmured. "If I take you back, you have to make me a promise and you have to swear on your life to keep it."

"Name it and I’ll swear it," Angel declared.

"All right," Buffy agreed. "Promise me that you’ll never leave me again and the next time you say ‘forever’ that you’ll actually mean it."

"I swear on my life," Angel told her seriously.

Buffy smiled for the first time in a while. "Good."

She walked over to the radio and flipped it on. The opening notes to "I Need You Tonight" filled the small dorm room as she returned to Angel.

"Dance with me?" Angel questioned softly.

She nodded and he took her in his arms.

Open up your heart to me

And say what’s on your mind

I know that we have been through so much pain

But I still need you in my life, this time…

"I’m glad we could hash this out," Buffy murmured.

"If the clause wasn’t gone, I’d be in danger of losing my soul again," Angel told her with a smile. "Because I really do need you in my life."

"I’ve always needed you, Angel."

And I need you tonight

I need you right now

I know deep within my heart

Doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right

I really need you tonight

"You know, even though you and Riley completely humiliated me at the Bronze for three nights straight, I’m glad you came back," Buffy told him.

"And even though I embarrassed you – which I am incredibly sorry for – I’m glad I came back too," Angel replied. "This is right, what we have, you know."

"I know," she whispered. "I’ve always known. What’s important is that now you know too."

I figured out what to say to you

Sometimes the words, they, they come out so wrong

And I know in time you will understand

That what we have is so right, this time

"I love you," Angel murmured.

"I love you too, Angel," Buffy returned. "Did you still want to give me your grand speech?"

"I’d rather not," he said. "We’re back together now; I think that’s all that matters."

I need you tonight

I need you right now

I know deep within my heart

Doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right

"Okay, I understand," Buffy told him gently.

"Good," Angel responded. "Because you’re the most valuable thing in the world to me."

All those endless times we tried to make it last forever more

And baby I know

I need you

I know deep within my heart

It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right

I really need you, oh…

"I love this song," Buffy whispered.

"I thought you hated the Backstreet Boys," Angel commented.

"Only when people use them to fight over me…or when they butcher them because they can’t sing the songs properly," she replied.

"Oh."

I need you tonight – I need you, oh I need you baby

I need you right now – It’s gotta be this, it’s gotta be this

I know deep within my heart

No, doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or if it’s right

All I know is baby

I really need you tonight

"I really needed you tonight though," Buffy admitted.

"I did too," Angel said. "I missed you."

"Will you need me forever?"

Angel smiled. "Always."

THE END…FOR REAL!

See? See? I was good, I gave a B/A ending. So feedback! Please! I live off of feedback if I don’t get any I will go insane!!!