Disclaimer: The Buffyverse and all its characters belong to Joss Whedon. The songs quoted are 'Unfinished Sympathy' by Massive Attack, and 'You showed me' by Salt 'N' Pepa. While I profited immensely from writing this, it was spiritual. No money was involved, so don't sue.
I'm giving this the Australian rating of M15+ (Recommended for people 15 years and over) for adult themes and language. There is swearing in this, but nothing you couldn't hear in the average high school (or at least what you could have heard in mine) when a teacher isn't around. This takes place during the wrote it, between 'BBB' and 'Passion'.< This indicates thoughts >, while ** indicates song lyrics **
Buffy swirled her straw in her drink, only half listening to Cordelia talk. Willow and Xander were dancing together, well on the way to mending their friendship after the Valentine's Day fiasco, and Cordelia was rambling on about her latest shopping expedition.
"Hello? Anyone home?"
Buffy lifted her head, and blinked. "I'm sorry Cordelia, what did you say?"
"That James Spader just walked through the door naked. You didn't react, so I assume that you were thinking about a certain absent-in-body boyfriend."
"Yeah" Buffy admitted glumly. "I can go for a whole four minutes without thinking about him now, but when I do think about him, it hits me all over again. I would ask when it starts to hurt less, but I don't think it ever will-"
Cordelia looked at Buffy in alarm as she sat ramrod straight and started to scan the room.
"He's here" Buffy said flatly.
"Who?"
"Angelus"
"Where?" asked Cordelia, looking towards the bar.
"Right here" Angelus said, appearing beside Buffy from out of nowhere. As usual, he looked gorgeous all in black, without a jacket. Buffy turned to look at him coolly, trying not to show how much it hurt to look at Angel and know it was Angelus.
"What do you want?" she asked.
Angelus gave her a venomous grin and told her "I'll give you two options. Either you can dance with me-"
"I don't think so" Buffy told him, repulsion in her voice.
"Or you can try to stop me from feeding on everyone here. I think I'll be able to kill at least ten people-including your Shakespearian friend here."
"What did you just call me, creep?" Cordelia asked indignantly.
"Never mind, Cordelia" Buffy told her hurriedly. She turned back to face Angelus-she'd kept her eyes on him the entire time-and asked, "How long do I have to dance with you for?"
"Until I get tired of you. So it shouldn't be too long," Angelus told her, his grin spreading as Buffy turned just a shade paler.
He held out a hand to her, but Buffy ignored it as she slid off the stool. She looked at Angelus' outstretched hand, then looked directly into his eyes in challenge as she took it.
Cordelia nodded almost imperceptibly in approval, as Angelus walked Buffy to the dance floor like a noblewoman of old. As the queen of her classes' in-crowd, she knew all about not showing weakness. Xander and Willow came back to the table smiling, as a song by Massive Attack started and Angelus and Buffy started to dance.
"Buffy didn't go already, did she?" Xander asked. He was concerned about Buffy, they all were. Since she had lost Angel, she had never truly smiled. Her depression sometimes lightened, but never really lifted. He followed Cordelia's gaze to the dance floor and his mouth dropped open.
"What's going on?" Willow asked. Cordelia kept her eyes on Buffy, who was keeping her body a careful distance from Angelus as they danced to the sensuous techno-dance song.
"Angelus made her an offer she couldn't refuse. Dance with him, or he starts feeding."
"So Buffy chose dancing-what's he doing?" Xander asked, as Angelus pulled Buffy into his arms.
"Upping the stakes" Cordelia answered grimly.
"Giles and I have been reading any mention of Angelus that we can find in the Watcher Journals" Willow told the other two Slayerettes in a hushed voice as they watched. "He's quick to prey on any hint of vulnerability."
"She's already passed his first challenge, but I don't know how she'll cope with this" Cordelia said.
"This?" Xander was so confused he actually dragged his eyes away from Buffy and Angelus to look at Cordelia. Cordelia was the only one who recognized the way Angelus' hands were sliding down Buffy's back. Xander and Willow were both so sexually inexperienced, they didn't pick up on the vibes Angelus was purposely sending to Buffy.
"That bastard" Cordelia muttered. Xander and Willow both looked at her astonished, so Cordelia was the only one who caught the pleading look Buffy sent, turning her face so that Angelus couldn't see it.
Cordelia swung around on her stool, telling the other two "Turn around. Buffy doesn't need us to distract her during this." Puzzled, Xander and Willow obeyed.
On the dance floor, Buffy stiffened as Angelus pulled her against him, his body moving in slow, perfect rhythm to the music, brushing against her sensuously. She had loved this when Angel did it, but now it made her skin crawl. She saw the glee in his eyes, and relaxed slightly, enough so that Angelus wouldn't see and capitalize on her lapse of control, but keeping enough stiffness in her body to make sure he didn't think she was giving in to him.
**How can you have a day without a night? You're the book that I have
opened**
Angelus slid his hands slowly down her back, and Buffy involuntarily shivered, because his touch had altered. It had become gentle, almost worshipful, and Buffy recognized it in horror.
< The SOB is using Angel's memories to try and make me want him > Buffy thought in dismay. Angelus slid his hands back up her spine between her top and her jacket, and he pressed his body intimately against hers. He bent his knees and dipped, taking Buffy with him, then lifted her leaden arms around his neck with one hand.
**The curiousness of your potential years, it's got my mind and body aching**
Even though her mind realized what Angelus was trying to do, her body responded to the much-loved touch. Not as completely as it would have for Angel-her body knew his too well to be fooled totally-but enough to make Angelus' eyes gleam. Buffy shut her eyes, focusing on the music to sharpen her concentration.
**Like a soul without a mind, in a body without a heart. I'm missing every
part. Like a soul without a mind, in a body without a heart. I'm missing every
part.**
< That just about sums it up > Buffy thought, her heart raging in protest at Angelus' scheme. < I miss Angel, but I miss his body too, even without his soul in it, and Angelus knows it >
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