Disclaimer: All characters pertaining to the show Buffy the Vampire slayer are owned by Joss Whedon, the WB, Mutant Enemy, Fox et. all.  No copyright infringement is intended.  No profit is being made

****

The pounding backbeat of the drums echoed through the
Bronze, getting louder and louder, finally melting
into the knocking on her apartment door.  Willow
stretched and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few
times before throwing back the covers on her bed.

“Coming!” She called out.

Woozily, she made her way to the door and peered
through the peephole.  A funhouse mirror version of
Xander peeked back at her.  Unlocking the door, she
left the chain on and opened it a crack.

“Hey, Xander.”

“Wills! Let me in.  Lunch is served.”  He held up the
take out bags he held in either hand.  “Straight from
Morrie’s to your door.  What more could you ask for?”

Willow eyed Xander as the scent of the food assailed
her nostrils.  Her stomach let out a growl that Xander
could hear in the hall.

“Willow?  Morrie’s?  Eat now?”  He queried.

“Mmmm.  Hold on.”

Willow reached over to the stand by the door and
picked up the small squirt gun that lay on it.
Pointing it at Xander, she squirted his hand.

“Hey! Is that a ‘you need a shower’ hint?”

Willow closed the door, took the chain off and let
Xander in.

“Sorry.  Holy water.  Small precaution that Angel
asked I agree to.” She yawned.  “Plates and stuff are
in the kitchen.  I’m going to wash up a little. Set
the table?”

Xander rummaged around the kitchen while Willow
freshened up.  He looked around the small place,
amazed. Willow had made it her own.  Of course, her
computer and file cabinets were set up, but the little
things, a knick-knack here, a candle there, made
this new place seem comfortingly familiar to him.
He’d helped her move some of her stuff two months ago
and the contrast between that empty apartment and this
cozy one were striking.

Willow wandering back in and the two of them set on
silently demolishing the feast Xander had brought.
Two barbecued chickens and a half a cheesecake later,
the pair were satisfied.

Xander looked at her appreciatively.  “You matched me
bite for bite.  Must be a new record.”

Willow shrugged.  “The day after…you know…I’m just a
little hungrier.”

“Are you still sticking to that high protein diet?”

Willow nodded, a burp escaping her lips. “S’cuse me.”

“What about sleep?  Are you getting enough sleep?”

Willow gave him an incredulous look and then
realization dawned on her face. “You didn’t buy lunch
for us!  Angel did!  And now you’re grilling me!  What
are you up to?”

“I…well…” Xander sputtered.

“Why didn’t he just ask me yesterday?  It’s not like
we don’t talk when we’re together!”  She stood and
began to clear the table, her jerking movements
betraying her agitation.

Xander grabbed her hand. “Sit down.  Let me talk to
you.”

“Exactly!  Why isn’t he talking to me?  What is this?
Is he spying on me?  Doesn’t he "

“Sit.  Please.”

Willow finally complied, but the emotions roiling
through her were clear.   Xander took her other hand
and held both of them in his.

Willow sighed. “Why did he send you over? What does he
think I’m doing.”

Quietly, he answered her question. “He thinks you’re
letting him go.”

Willow sat silently, letting the full impact of what
Xander had said wash over her.  She’d been hurting
Angel and she hadn’t even been aware.  “Oh.  I’m not!
It’s just that I finally…”

Xander cut her off.  “I told him that wasn’t what was
going on, that there had to be something else.  You
don’t need to tell me what it is, though. It’s not
just that he’s not talking to you, you’re not telling
him anything. *You * need to talk to *him *.”

Willow stared at him a minute.  He was absolutely
right.  She needed to talk to Angel and the sooner the
better.  There was one thing that was bugging her
though.

“Why, Xander?  Why is he asking you for favors?  And
why are you agreeing? You two aren’t exactly best
friends… Morrie’s free lunch or not.”

Xander gave her a genuine smile.  “I figured that we
both care about you…and I trust you enough to want to
be on speaking terms with the man you’re in love with.
 That’s all.”

The admission gave Willow a warm, fuzzy feeling.  With
everything that had happened, with the people that
she’d lost, her happiness at his friendship was beyond
measure. She didn’t know whether to cry or hug him
until he begged for mercy.

Xander broke the moment.  “Go talk to him.  Now, okay?
 I don’t want to have him stalking me for a report.”

“Okay.  Walk me half way after I shower?  You can
finish the cheesecake.”

Xander brightened. “Red-headed temptress!  You’ve
slain me with your evil ways.”

His phrasing triggered an immediate response.  “Is
Buffy okay?  Is she…”

“She’s fine, Will.  Oz is fine, too.  And *I * know,
since I had to show Giles how to use an e-mail
account, that you know he’s fine.  I also know that
he’s being sending you info requests and you’ve been
helping Buffy on the sly.  You need to…just give it
some time.”

She nodded and gave him a quick hug.  “Okay.  You eat,
I’ll shower.”

****

A slight nuzzling roused Angel from a deep sleep.  The
fiery mouth enveloping his soft member was like a
half-forgotten dream of sunshine and green fields,
evoking warmth and comfort.  He moaned, rousing
himself completely and looked down at Willow as she
expertly brought him to full erection.  His hand found
its way to her head, caressing a moment, then
reluctantly lifting it.

“Willow…”

Willow crawled over his body and silenced him with a
kiss, slipping his cool hardness into her welcoming
heat with practiced ease.  Her movements were deft and
were quickly bringing him to orgasm.  Sliding an
expert hand between them, he found her clit and
stroked it with his thumb.

Angel could tell she was resisting her own pleasure,
but his skill wouldn’t be denied.  As the pressure in
his sac intensified, his assault on her increased and
both of them came with gut-wrenching gratification.

Angel winced as she pulled herself away. Panting,
Willow rolled off him and curled next to his side.  He
petted her back for a moment, waiting for her to
recover.

“That was supposed to be just for you.” Willow
whispered, still catching her breath.

“You should know by now, little girl, that it’s never
going to be good for me if it’s * just* for me.”

He felt her stiffen slightly at his usual term of
endearment for her and pulled away, lifting her chin
so she was forced to look in his eyes.

“Are we going to do this now?”

There was a tinge of sorrow in his voice and Willow
mentally kicked herself for causing him pain.

“Yes.  Now.”

She sat up, pulling him with her so that they faced
each other on the bed, legs crossed in front of them,
holding hands. She took a deep breath and began.

“Just let me say this, don’t interrupt until I’m done.
Okay?”

Angel’s voice hitched slightly. “Okay.”

“Good.  First, stop worrying.  I love you and I’m
always going to love you and I’m not going anywhere.
We’re together and that’s it.  Got it?”  Her question
was answered with silence and she prompted him. “It’s
okay to answer if I ask a question, you know.”

Relief already had flooded his features. “Okay. I got
it.  I love you, too.”

She smiled at him. “I know.  And I want it to stay
that way.  The reason…the reason I have my own place
is pretty simple.  You know how you call me little
girl?” He nodded. “Sometimes I feel like a little
girl.”

She paused, trying to find the words. “Angel, I went
straight from the bed that I used to read
Winnie-the-Pooh in to your bed.  I was under my
parent’s care… and I went straight to your care.  I’ve
never had a chance to find out that I’m adult. I’ve
never had the chance to see if I can stand on my
own…to really grow up. I need to do that.  I need to
take care of myself, just to know I can do it. Not
because I don’t trust you to do it, I just have to
know I can. Because I’m never going to be the person
you’re going to want in the future if I don’t.”

“I could never not want you.” Angel interrupted.

Willow nudged him gently with her foot. “Shhh. You
don’t talk yet.”

He grinned at her and nodded again.

“I know you want me now, but what is it going to be
like twenty years from now when I don’t know how to…
to… change a fuse, or where the shut-off is on the
toilet…or… I don’t know!  Just everything.  I need to
do this.  I have my own apartment. I’m paying the
rent, I’m buying my own groceries, making my own food,
deciding that I’m not going to make my bed if I don’t
feel like it and not brushing my teeth if I don’t want
to.”

Angel grimaced.

“Okay, I’m brushing my teeth, but you get the point.
I’m being independent and I like it.  I’m doing
on-line research for a law firm and they’re paying me
pretty well and I got the job without any help from
anybody. I can do it, see?”  She waited.

“What about school? Are you going to keep up with
school?”  Angel asked.

“Of course! I’m going to do it all. By myself, for
myself… and for you, too. Because I can.  You
understand, don’t you?”

“Willow… yes. If it makes you happy I’m all for it… I
think.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“It’s not about Buffy, about how she feels about us?”

Willow patted his cheek lovingly. “No. It’s not always
about Buffy.  It’s about me…and us.  What’s going to
make us work now and always.”

Angel scooted around and rested his back against the
headboard and pulled her into his embrace, her back
flush with his chest.

“So, how does * this* work? Do we only date on
weekends? Are you going to sneak out of my bed and go
back to your place at four in the morning?”  Angel’s
tone was light, but Willow knew he was really
concerned about the prospect. She leaned back into
him, snuggling into his arms even tighter.

“No, no sneaking anywhere.  I figure we’ll see each
other about as much as always.  Except sometimes
you’ll sleep over at my place and sometimes I’ll be
here. Just like any normal relationship.”

“You said once that you didn’t expect a normal
relationship with me, Willow. Are you changing your
mind?”

She shook her head. “No. But there’s no reason it
needs to be completely abnormal. We’ll play it by ear.
 Sometimes here, sometimes at my place.  Except for
once a month… I’m not sure how thin the walls in my
apartment are… we don’t want to scare Mrs. Groudman in
3b.”

Angel chuckled. “No, that wouldn’t do.” He paused.
“Does this mean I can’t call you ‘little girl’
anymore?”

“You can call me whatever and whenever you want… I
love you… and I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s okay.  Just talk to me next time, okay?”

“Okay.” Willow agreed.

“So, do you want to go over to your place and have a
nice normal date that consists of renting a nice
normal movie and then have nice normal sex?” Angel
asked.

Willow rose from the bed and started to dress. “Yes!
Except… I was thinking instead of nice normal sex we
could play naughty hygienist and the timid dentist.”
Willow half-giggled, her relief apparent in her
teasing.

Angel’s eyes flashed with amusement as a number of
bawdy comebacks danced through his head. Instead, he
answered in mock indignation. “I am shocked young
lady! Willow, are you sure you’re doing research for a
law firm?”

end