As Buffy sipped her café latté, a song that she was unfamiliar with came on. As she listened, the words seemed to reflect that night she shared with Angel, less that six months ago...
So much had happened since then... So much had happened since last night. Buffy had saved the world from doom, not to mention her friends lives and her own from the person she loved most. Her ex-guardian, Angel.
She lied to her friends when she said she was ready to kill him. The pain of watching him turn to dust before her was just too much to bear. So she let him go numerous times, until last night...
But you know baby
You know baby does it right
And you know baby does it right
Universe inside of your heart
You gotta let me know so you can be free baby
You wanted it so much and now that it’s over
You don’t know what you want
Angel stared across the room thinking practically the same things. Why did she let me get away with the things I did? Why didn’t she kill me?
Now that the demon was gone, he had even more guilt to bear. He had hurt the one thing he had ever loved, that loved him and accepted him, the dark side, as well as the light. He had destroyed her, piece by piece, until she was groveling at his feet, begging him to kill her. What have I done to her? was the first question he asked himself after his soul got restored. Why? was the immediate second.
She had cured him, finally, after months of torture for herself. Now he wondered if she wanted him back.
"Dance?" Angel said as he sneaked up behind Buffy, so as not to let her get away. "We *need* to talk."
"Yeah," was Buffy’s only answer.
Angel noticed she looked exhausted, and asked her about it. Instead of a witty quip, as he was expecting for a response, about how if you save the world you’re entitled to look sleepy, he received another nod.
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked. "Because I will, if you’re uncomfortable with me and all. You *were* trying to kill me 24 hours ago..." He continued as he thought ‘Great, I’m babbling. I have never babbled in my life. Boy I must sound like an idiot.’
Buffy had never seen him like this, rambling like a nervous 13 year-old asking out a girl for the first time. "If you want to go, I’ll understand," he finally finished.
"Angel, for the past six months this is all I’ve wanted to do. I’m in so much shock that my brain is telling me to hold you and kiss you and make sure you aren’t an illusion. The part of me that normally says "Angel’s bad, kill him." is still malfunctioning, so please, before I regain my senses, let’s have this one dance."
Angel replied by pulling her closer "I’m just so sorry..."
~~~
As the couple danced, Xander looked on disgustedly. "Well look at them," he whispered to Cordelia. "Could they get *any* closer?!?"
"Or happier? Come on Xander, you know this is what Buffy wants...anyway they’re not much closer than we are."
"Yeah, but I wasn’t a blood thirsty demon 24 hours ago."
"Xander, you’re being unfair, and you know it. You know how much she loves him," and as they looked over they saw them. As close as possible, fitting perfectly.
~~~
"Wow," commented Oz. "You all knew Angel as a good guy first, so it must look normal, or something...that they’re dancing, I mean. For me, it’s like ‘whoa, Buffy’s double crossing us?’ ‘cuz the second time I saw him, he was already messing with Buffy’s mind."
"Well, it’s weird for me too. Last night his fangs were practically in my neck. That kinda changes how you look at a person."
~~~
"I wish I was sure that the curse was irreversible. Maybe, after tonight, I should leave town...that way if the curse *was* broken, I couldn’t hurt you..."
Buffy could have sworn she saw a tear roll down his cheek. "Angel, it’s okay. I’m fine. You didn’t drive me totally insane like Dru and you only killed Ms. Calender. I admit it was a terrible thing, but it wasn’t *you* doing it. If you were around to see how I was treating her for not telling me...us... about the restrictions of the curse, you would have been *so* disappointed..."
"I could never be disappointed in you, Buffy. You defeated what some watchers and slayers called the worst vampire in history...me. If I could take back everything I did to you, but then I’d have to die and live in hell, just knowing that you didn’t have *any* hard feelings for me would make it worth while. I’d do it, Buffy, because...I love you...with all my heart and soul, and..."
"Shh..." Buffy whispered, while tears stained her face. Before he started talking again she went up and kissed him, for the first time in ages. Once the kiss was over she leaned over and murmured in his ear, "I love you too." She pulled him down as Angel pulled her up and kissed him again.
"You not kissing me. Damnit, *that’s* what isn’t smart," she murmured again.
"But..."
"Angel, do you want me to go slayer on you? My ‘angry’ emotion has gotten a whole lot more vivid since the last time you saw it."
"Well then, I suppose I don’t."
"So I suppose you should kiss me now."
"I suppose I should..."
As the song ended they stood in an embrace knowing there was a universe of love in both their hearts.