"The One I Waited For"
Author: Michelle
Email: michellabella52478@yahoo.com
Notes: Angel is human. He's not a vampire, trust me on this. AU story.
Buffy Summers stormed into the library, clutching a piece of paper in her hand. She set it down in front of Rupert Giles, who stood behind the counter.
"Why hello, Buffy," he greeted. "How are you doing today?"
"We have a problem. My report card came yesterday. Guess who's grounded until further notice?"
"Good God, Buffy. What's the matter?"
She raised her eyebrows. "I thought I just told you. Mom saw my report card, saw that I failed History and totally flipped out. I'm grounded until my grades improve. That means no dating, no slaying and no late-night research parties."
"There must be some way around it. Surely she understands how vital it is that you slay."
"Mom understands but doesn't really care. Says that my education is more important than fighting demons. You have to talk to her, Giles," she begged. "I can't spend the rest of the school year trapped in my bedroom. Even if it is only two more months."
Her Watcher nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Do it now." Buffy pointed to his office.
"Very well. I shall call her at the gallery." He disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him.
Buffy sat herself at the table, pouting. 'It just isn't fair,' she thought. 'I hope Giles can talk some sense into her.'
The library doors burst open with the sound of laughter. Buffy looked up, seeing her best friend and boyfriend enter.
"Hey," Willow Rosenberg greeted.
Kevin Matthews walked over to Buffy, giving her a kiss. "Morning."
"Morning," she replied half-heartedly.
"What's wrong? Why didn't you call me back last night after patrol? Did something happen?" Kevin asked.
She looked up at her boyfriend of over a year. "Yeah. Mom grounded me because I failed History. No phone, no dating, no slaying."
"Buffy, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do? Help you out with your studying?"
"Kevin, you barely passed History yourself. Besides, Giles is talking some sense into my mom right now."
"I hope he gets through to her."
Buffy smiled slightly, for the first time all day. "Me too."
"Don't worry, Buffy," Willow soothed. "Giles will get your mom to calm down."
"Let's talk about happier things. How did you do, Will? Is your place in National Honor Society still secure?"
Willow nodded. "Yes. Straight As."
"As usual," commented Kevin. "You'd probably go off the deep end if you ever got a B."
"I would not!"
Giles walked out of his office. "Well, Buffy, I have good news. Good morning, Willow, Kevin."
"Hi, Giles," Kevin and Willow said in unison.
"How good?"
He took a seat across the table from her. "Your mother and I discussed the situation and came to a conclusion. She'll allow you to continue slaying at a minimum if you receive extra help with your studies."
"What kind of help?"
"Tutoring."
"I can help Buffy," offered Willow.
"Unfortunately, I brought up that option with Mrs. Summers and she is opposed to it. She doesn't want Buffy to have any distractions, so we have agreed upon outside help. A professional tutor."
Buffy sighed. "Great. Now I feel really stupid."
"You're not stupid," Willow told her.
"Hardly. If Giles and your mother think a professional tutor is a good idea, you should go for it, Buffy. You have nothing to lose."
"Fine. I'll hire a tutor."
"Actually," Giles began, "I have already made arrangements. After I got off the phone with your mother I called someone who can help you. He's going to stop by this afternoon."
"He?" Kevin asked.
"Yes. He comes highly recommended. A graduate of UCLA with a Masters in History." Giles chose only to tell them what they needed to know. "Buffy, you'll be meeting with him every afternoon before your training as well as during your study halls."
"Terrific. I officially have no life." The bell rang, signaling the five minute warning before homeroom. "That's our cue."
Giles followed the three teenagers to the doors. "Please be here on time, Buffy. The fate of the world may very well depend on it."
"Doesn't it always?" she muttered.
The two men sat opposite each other at the table. Giles made eye contact with the young man across from him. "I can't tell you how important this is. Buffy's mother doesn't seem to fully understand how essential Buffy's role is."
"She's the Slayer. It's the most important role there is. I'm willing to help out in any way possible," the young man said.
"Buffy isn't aware of your identity. She does not know about your mother or that you are a Watcher-in-training. All I have told her is that you have a Masters degree in History from UCLA. Bringing you in as her tutor will make it easier for you to understand the training of the Slayer, as well as her everyday routine."
He nodded solemnly. "I remember it."
"Buffy is a unique girl. Take everything you know about Slayers and throw it out the window because she doesn't follow the rules. Have patience with her, she an be difficult at times. But Buffy Summers is a lovely young woman. You'll not find another person like her."
"Like who?" Buffy asked with her eyebrows raised. She'd walked in on the tail end of the conversation.
The two stood up. "Buffy, I didn't hear you come in."
"I'm quiet." She glanced at the other man. She was immediately attracted to his tall, dark and handsome profile. He was the polar opposite of Kevin's blonde, upbeat demeanor. Standing at least six feet tall, the young man had brown eyes so deep Buffy thought she might drown in them. He had to be the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on.
She flashed him a brilliant smile, happy that Kevin wasn't there to get jealous. "Hi. I'm Buffy. Nice to meet you."
He stared into her green eyes. "Same here."
Giles noticed the young man's inability to find words. It concerned him, but he chose to ignore it. "Buffy, this is Angel Reilly. He'll be helping your with your studies."
Angel didn't know what came over him at first. When Buffy entered the library, a rush of heat went through his veins, awakening feelings the twenty-seven year old never thought possible. Standing before him was a small, blonde, beautiful spitfire of a young woman. Something in her emerald eyes captured his heart with a grip that refused to let go. Without even speaking to her, he was in love.
She took the seat to his right, placing her backpack on the table. Having her so close scared Angel. He worried that he would not be able to concentrate. "What -- what are you going over right now?" he stammered.
"The Chilly War or something like that."
Angel chuckled. "The Cold War maybe?"
"Yeah, that one."
"Okay, you know that it's about democracy versus communism taking over the world?" She nodded. "It began shortly after the end of World War II and that the Democratic nations of the world feared a communist takeover. Particularly the U.S.."
"I know all of that. Well, at least now I do. But when it comes time for the test, it's gone."
"Nerves? I used to get nervous at tests, too."
Buffy smiled. "More like performance anxiety. It's like, the minute the paper is in front of me, my mind goes blank.
Sorry, I'm not very scholastic. There are other outside things that require more of my attention than who was the twenty-third President."
"You must lead a very busy life," Angel commented.
"Busy is one way of describing it."
"I guess that's why I'm here. To lessen the load."
"No, you're here because I suck at school. And I am probably wasting your time by talking about this. I hope my mom's paying you well for putting up with me."
Angel cast his eyes to the book between them. "I'd gladly do it for free." 'Just for the chance to be near you.' "Well, you'll definitely be working for your money."
"Why don't we get started on some questions you have about the Cold War."
He reached over to open Buffy's History book, and in doing so, brushed hands with her. Angel felt a bolt of electricity go through his body at her touch. His fingers lingered for a brief moment, exhilarating in the warmth of her skin. All of a sudden, Angel never felt so alive as he did right then.
He moved his hand away, opening the book as the library doors opened. "Hi, guys," Buffy said to the group of teenagers that sauntered in.
Angel looked up at the group of four; two girls and two boys.
One of the boys was tall and lanky with short brown hair while the other was a few inches shorter, had blonde hair and much more muscular. 'An athlete, probably.' The two girls were about the same height, but one had long brown hair and the other had shoulder-length red hair.
The blonde boy came up and embraced Buffy, kissing her softly.
Angel was hurt and more than slightly jealous. 'Her boyfriend, no doubt,' he thought. 'Who am I to kid myself, thinking someone as special as Buffy would be without a man in her life.'
"So, Buff, is this the new tutor?" the brown-haired boy asked.
"Yep. Guys, this is Angel Reilly. Angel, this is Xander Harris," the brown-haired boy, "Cordelia Chase," the brunette girl, "Willow Rosenberg," the redhead, "and Kevin Matthews. My boyfriend."
He stood up. "Nice to meet all of you."
"What a hottie," Cordelia whispered to Willow. "I'm beginning to wish I'd failed History, too."
Buffy turned around to glare at the girl. "What are you doing here?"
Xander shrugged. "Nothing better to do."
"Buffy, maybe we should do this some other time," suggested Angel.
She pulled herself out of Kevin's embrace. "You don't have to go. They were just leaving."
"Yeah. We just stopped by to see how everything was going," Willow told her.
"And because Kevin wanted to check this guy out," Cordelia muttered under her breath.
Angel shook his head. "I really didn't come prepared anyway. I just came to meet Buffy. Tomorrow I'll bring some notes and questions for you to answer." He grabbed his black duster from his chair.
"It was nice to meet you, Angel," Willow said.
He smiled and nodded. Taking a last look at Buffy, he walked out of the room.
"Why did you guys really come here?" demanded Buffy.
"I wanted to meet your tutor," Kevin explained.
Buffy narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact you heard Giles say he is a graduate of UCLA. You were jealous, weren't you, Kevin?"
"I just wanted to meet him."
"And now you've seen that Angel is really good-looking," 'Gorgeous is more like it.' "does that mean you'll be here every afternoon when I'm studying with him?"
"Don't be that way, Buffy."
"He's a nice guy, he doesn't deserve this."
"You hardly know him."
Buffy was fuming by this point. "First impressions." She felt the need to pound something, and her boyfriend's face would not be considered socially acceptable. "I need to train with Giles now."
Xander, Cordelia and Willow said their good-byes and left.
Kevin lingered for a few minutes, but left when Giles and Buffy finished setting up for her training.
"So, what did you think of Angel?" Giles asked.
She swung the sword, only to have her swing blocked. "Seems nice. He didn't stay long."
"Why not?"
"Kevin showed up. I think he scared Angel away."
Giles was well-aware of Kevin Matthews' jealousy in regards to Buffy. He immediately felt sorry for Angel. "Will he be returning tomorrow?"
"As far as I now, he said he would be." Buffy wanted him to come back, wanted to see her young, handsome History tutor. "How long have you know him for?"
Giles dodged her swings. "For many years. His father was a friend of mine. Angel's very...introverted, if you will. But a very nice young man."
"Is he married?" Buffy knew she was pushing, but she wanted -- no, needed -- to know more about him. Something unidentifiable passed through her when they touched. It unnerved her.
"Angel? No. He's very dedicated to his studies, and now to his work. I don't believe he has the time."
"Family?"
"You should be asking him these questions. Not me, Buffy."
Buffy took one last swing with her sword, knocking her Watcher to the ground. "I think I will."
"Buffy, I am sorry for acting the way I did today," Kevin apologized that night at the Expresso Pump. He'd found her during patrol and convinced her to get a cup of coffee with him. "It was totally uncalled for. I know that now."
"I'm glad. But, Kevin, you don't have to be so jealous and protective whenever you see me with another guy. Angel is just my History tutor."
Kevin grasped her hand across the table. "I guess I'm afraid you're going to leave me."
"Angel's probably pushing thirty. I highly doubt he'd be interested in a high school senior. You have nothing to worry about." Buffy took a sip of her coffee, emptying the contents of the cup. "I gotta head out. Mom wants me in by ten."
She groaned. "I hate having a curfew."
"Can I drive you home" he offered.
"Thanks, but I don't mind walking. Might be able to stake a few vamps on the way." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Just get yourself home in one piece."
Kevin grinned. "Will do, Chief." He walked out of the cafe with her. "Buffy, we're still going to the Prom together, right?"
"If I live that long, we are," she answered.
"Well, I have a surprise for you."
Buffy was immediately suspicious. "What kind of surprise?"
"A very good one. Everything's not all worked out yet, but I will tell you this. I am planning on making Prom the most wonderful night of our lives."
"How intriguing. But I wouldn't be making too many plans for the future. We are living on the Hellmouth, you know," Buffy reminded him.
"You have to think about the future sometime, Buffy."
She frowned. "I try not to, since I may not have one."
He sighed heavily. "Stop talking like you're going to die tomorrow."
"I could. Kevin, I'm the Slayer. My life expectancy isn't exactly the same as yours. Look, it's getting late and I don't feel like arguing with you. Good night." Without waiting for a reply, Buffy turned down the street toward her house.
"How was patrol?" Mrs. Summers asked when Buffy walked the door at 9:55.
"Boring. Only three vamps tonight."
"And school? Did you meet your tutor yet?"
Buffy took a seat on the reclining chair that faced her mother. "Yes, I did. We didn't do any studying, it was more like a meeting."
"What's he like? Or she?"
"He. His name is Angel. So far, so good. Nice, normal guy. Giles says he has a degree in History from UCLA."
Mrs. Summers raised her eyebrows. "It's a great school. This Angel must be quite intelligent."
"Like I said, we haven't done any studying yet."
"How old is he? What does he look like?" pried Buffy's mother.
She laughed. "Aren't we Miss Twenty Questions tonight. I'm not sure how old he is. If I had to guess, I would say twenty-eight or so. He's tall, spikey brown hair, brown eyes, nice build."
Mrs. Summers took note of the look in Buffy's eyes and the expression on her face. 'Looks like she's got a crush.' "He's good-looking, I take it."
Buffy nodded her head. "He looks like one of those guys you'd see on the cover of GQ. He rates pretty high on the John Cusack scale of gorgeousness."
"I can't wait to meet him."
"Uh-huh. I'm going to my room to do some homework. Night, Mom."
"Night, Buffy," Mrs. Summers said as Buffy walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
Her dream from the night before was still fresh in her mind during Buffy's tutoring session with Angel the next day. She found that she had a hard time concentrating on what he was teaching her; all she could think about was the dream. How real, how vivid was had been.
It began with her crying over something. Buffy couldn't remember what, but Angel held her in his arms and simply let her cry. He gave her soothing words, telling her everything would be okay. His arms felt safe, so comforting, so like home to her. And she believed his words.
The next part of her dream showed them lying in bed, but on opposite sides. Buffy shivered, despite the three blankets covering her. Noticing her uncomfortableness, Angel asked if she was cold. She said yes, and he in turn asked her if she wanted him to move over, so his body heat would warm her. Buffy nodded, but never expected him, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts above all the blankets, to climb underneath them and put his arms around her. Buffy felt warm right away.
The last image in her dream stuck out the most in her mind. She and Angel stood facing each other, staring into each others eyes. He asked if she was sure, and she replied by saying that she was ready now. Angel leaned down, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss the likes of which she'd never experienced.
"Buffy?" Angel asked.
She shook her head, tearing herself away from her reverie. Glancing up at him, Buffy saw the questions in his eyes. In looking at him, she couldn't help but remember the image of his bare chest in her dreams. The chiseled muscles, the pure perfection of it. 'I wonder if that's what he really looks like,' she mused. 'No, stop it. I shouldn't be thinking about this.'
"I'm here."
"You looked like you were a million miles away," Angel told her with a small smile.
"Something like that. What were you saying again?"
He pointed to a group of questions he had written down on a piece of notebook paper. "I'd like you to answer these questions by tomorrow's session." 'That's right, Angel. Stay professional. Don't let her see how you really feel.'
"No prob. I've got something I have to do first, but it'll get done."
"I guess that's it for today." Angel didn't want to leave, though. He wanted to stay with her as long as possible.
"Buffy, Giles tells me you have some questions. About me."
Buffy felt embarrassed. "Figures he'd tell you. I just asked him a few questions. No big."
"I'd be happy to answer them, if you want to ask me."
"Don't I feel totally embarrassed now. You must think I'm some kind of loser."
"Quite the opposite," he said, honestly.
Buffy put her books and papers away. "I only asked Giles if you were married and if you have a family."
"No, I'm not married. Haven't found the right girl yet." 'Yes you have!' his heart screamed at him. 'She's sitting across from you!'
"Do you think she's out there?" she wanted to know.
"I know she is."
"What about your family?"
Angel had a faraway look on his face, which did not go unnoticed by Buffy. "My mom died when I was six. I barely remember her. I never knew my father."
"Giles said he knew your father."
"He knew the man who raised me. Not my biological father."
Buffy placed a hand on his upper arm. "I'm so sorry for prying. Or to bring up bad memories."
He shifted his gaze to her hand, still touching his arm. "Don't be. I'm glad I never knew him. Some people should never be parents."
"I know what you mean."
"I'm sorry?"
"My dad. Don't get me wrong, I love him, but I wonder where I rate in his life. I haven't seen him in months, he never called me on my birthday. How hard is it to pick up the phone and say 'Happy Birthday, Buffy. How does it feel to be eighteen?'? Or even send a card? Don't I mean anything to him?"
"Of course you do. You're his daughter. How could you not?" Angel's heart soared that Buffy confided this in him so soon.
"I don't know."
Angel saw Giles motioning to him. "Why don't we end for today? There's a few things I need to do this afternoon."
Buffy smiled and nodded, but felt disappointed that they had to part ways. But she looked forward to seeing him during her study hall tomorrow. 'Who would have thought I'd actually look forward to History? Now if only Mr. Miller looked like Angel...' "Sure. I'll see you tomorrow."
He entered Giles' office. "How are things working out?" asked the Watcher.
"Much better than I expected.
"I am glad. So you believe this situation will work out?"
"Without a doubt." Angel took a deep breath. "I want to tell her, Giles."
"Tell her?"
"Who I am. What I'm really doing here. I don't want to keep any secrets from Buffy. She should know the truth."
Giles shuffled the papers on his desk. "That is up to you, Angel. Part of being a good Watcher is knowing the right time to say something and finding the right words to say it. Telling Buffy this early in the relationship is a good idea. But I wanted it to be your decision."
"I'll tell her the next time we meet." He turned to leave.
"Angel? May I ask you a question?" Angel simply nodded. "Do you care for Buffy?"
He felt the need to be honest. "Very much."
Giles didn't need to hear the reply. He had known from the look in Angel's eyes, the expression on his face, and the way color filled his cheeks whenever the Slayer entered the room. "I thought so. Be careful with her."
"I plan to."
Angel needed to get out of his apartment to clear his head. The night was warm, so he decided to go for a walk. He kept a stake concealed in the pocket of his duster in case he should happen upon a vampire during his walk.
For twenty-four hours, he had been unable to get Buffy out of his mind. She plagued his mind constantly, and no matter what he did, the image of the Slayer wouldn't leave. He could picture her face in his books, his cereal bowl, on his television screen, even in his dreams. Buffy Summers was everywhere.
Angel wanted to tell her how he felt, how much he wanted to be there for her-- with her. He'd never experienced love before, and it overwhelmed him. In one brief instant, his world had changed. Angel had gone from Watcher-in-training to man in love the moment he laid eyes on the Slayer.
But he could not tell her how he felt; too many obstacles were in the way. First and foremost was Buffy's boyfriend. She was obviously happy with Kevin, and Angel didn't want to ruin her happiness with his own selfishness.
She, and her happiness, meant the world to him, despite how much it hurt him in the process. The second obstacle was the Watcher's Council. They strictly believed that a Watcher be emotionally detached from the Slayer. It was an issue of safety, and attachments could prove deadly to both parties. Angel would surely lose his chance at being a Watcher if the Council discovered his true feelings. It would be better for everyone if he kept his love for Buffy a secret.
That didn't mean he would keep his identity a secret from her. It was something Angel didn't want to hide from Buffy anymore; if he couldn't be one hundred percent honest with her, he would tell her as much as he could. The question remained, how would he say it.
'I just can't say "Buffy, I'm a Watcher." It's too forward. I don't want to dance around the subject, but I don't want to scare her either. Dammit. I'm usually good with words. Why is it when it comes to Buffy I can hardly form a coherent sentence?'
He heard sounds of a struggle in the alley up ahead. Ripping the stake out of his pocket, Angel ran to the scene. He stopped in time to avoid being hit with a garbage can. A man wearing a retro-type shirt from the Eighties slammed into the wall, taking a young woman with him. Fearing for the girl's safety, Angel quickly made his way over, raising his stake in striking position. Before he had a chance to attack the vampire, it exploded into dust.
Surprised, Angel didn't see the girl stand up and wipe the dust from her clothes. She looked up at him, her eyes widening. "Angel? What are you doing here?"
His heart pounded at the sight of Buffy standing in front of him in a t-shirt and black leggings. "B--Buffy. I didn't know it was you."
"I can explain," she said.
"There's no need." Angel decided it was the perfect time to tell her.
"Yeah there is. What you just saw..." Buffy stopped when she saw the stake he held in his right hand. "Why are you holding a stake?"
"Why are you?"
It was meant as a rhetorical question, but Buffy answered anyway. "Protection. You never know who you might run into out here at night."
Angel put his weapon back in his pocket. He had to say it. "Buffy, you don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on."
Buffy doubt it. "Do you?"
"Maybe we better sit down someplace."
"I don't need to sit down. Tell me what it is you think you know."
"That vampires and demons exist. And that you are the Slayer. The one girl in her generation chosen to fight them."
She took a step back. 'How does he know this? Angel's my History tutor, he's not supposed to now what goes on in Sunnydale after dark.' "Where did you hear that? Did someone take out a bulletin in the paper? 'Cause I don't remember telling you."
"It's time you know the truth."
"Truth?"
Angel looked around, making sure nobody else was around. "I didn't want to keep it from you, but Giles wanted to keep it a secret and let me decide the right time to tell you."
Buffy was perplexed. "Tell me what?"
He inhaled deeply before beginning. "I'm a Watcher, Buffy."
"You're kidding." She couldn't believe it.
"It's true."
She let it sink in for a minute before saying anything to him. "I thought in order to be a Watcher you had to be a stuffy, know-it-all English guy, not young and totally hot." Realizing that she had spoken without thinking, Buffy blushed. "Just forget I said that last part."
Her comment wasn't likely to be forgotten anytime soon. "Technically, I'm not a Watcher. I've been training to be one for the past three years."
Buffy nodded. "Then why are you here and not in England?"
"I guess the easiest way to say it is that I'm training under Giles. Gaining information about the Slayer's everyday routine." He laughed. "God, that sounded so formal."
"Apparently if you hang around with the stuffy English guys long enough you start to sound like them." 'But lucky for him, not look like them. Ugh. Stop acting like a swoony school girl. Remember Kevin.'
"You're taking this better than I thought."
"I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of girl. But I have to know something. Is the whole History tutor thing a lie?"
"No. I have a degree in History, I didn't lie about that. I haven't lied about anything."
"Okay. So, do you always do this? Go walking around Sunnydale at eight-thirty and save damsels in distress?"
He glanced at the ground. "Not usually. I had some thinking to do and couldn't do it in my apartment."
"Girl troubles?" Buffy joked.
"Something like that."
She grinned. "Let me guess. It's the age-old story where you like her but she doesn't know you exist. Or thinks of you only as a friend."
"I don't know what she thinks of me."
Deciding by the tone of his voice that it was probably a good idea to change the subject, Buffy did so. "Are you busy for the next hour or so?"
"Not unless you count thinking up questions for tomorrow's study session."
"I don't. Wanna sweep the cemeteries with me? You know, as part of your training."
"I'd love to."
"What made you want to be a Watcher?" Buffy asked, plopping herself onto a headstone.
Angel sat next to her. "It's a long, complicated story. I really don't want to talk about it."
"Sure. Whenever you're ready, I'd like to hear it."
He was touched that she was interested in learning about him. Her concern and kindness only made him love her more, if it were possible. "Do you do this a lot? Sit on top of headstones and carry on a conversation?"
"Yeah. Except for the conversation part. I usually slay alone. But half of slaying is waiting. It's a boring job, but someone's got to do it."
"And you are the lucky one?"
She laughed shortly. "Lucky isn't quite the word I'd use."
"Being the Slayer is the most important job a girl can have. You are very lucky, Buffy."
"You make it sound like you know what it's like to be a Slayer."
"Maybe I do."
"Sure you do. Everyone seems to know what my life is like, but they don't. I'm really sick of it."
Angel hopped off. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I don't presume to know you, but I would like to."
"I'd like to know you too. Considering we'll be working together it's probably a good idea."
"You are right." He checked his watch for the time. "What time does patrol end?"
"Nine-thirty. Mom gave me a ten o'clock curfew."
He raised his eyebrows. "Well, it's almost nine-thirty now. Would you mind terribly if I walked you home?"
"I wouldn't mind at all." He took her hand, helping Buffy off the gravestone. Angel smiled to himself. 'Maybe there's a chance after all.'
No sooner was Buffy in the house when she ran into her bedroom to call Willow. "Hello?" Willow answered.
"Will, you'll never guess what happened during patrol tonight."
The redhead giggled. "You killed the last demon on earth, thus ensuring the safety of humanity," she guessed.
"Not quite. I was fighting a vamp in an alley and dusted him. Angel saw me."
"As in cute History tutor Angel?"
"One in the same. At first I didn't know what to think. I had to think up an excuse for what was going on. But he knew. Turns out he's a Watcher."
Willow cleared her throat. "He's a Watcher? Aren't all Watchers old, wrinkly British guys? Well, except Giles, and Angel's pretty cute."
Buffy laughed. "You know, I said almost the exact same thing to him."
"You did?" Willow said incredulously.
"Yep. You missed seeing Buffy turn a bright shade of red."
"Are you okay with it?"
"Turning red and being utterly embarrassed? Is anybody ever okay with that?"
Her best friend sighed. "No. About Angel being a Watcher."
"It's not like I can change who he is. You are what you are. But yeah, I'm cool with it."
"That's good. Think you'll be training with him?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"If you do, he might get all hot and sweaty."
Buffy couldn't believe what her friend said. "Willow!"
"Sorry. Couldn't help the mental images."
And she couldn't either. She saw herself and Angel fighting, quarterstaffs in hand. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his white t-shirt clung to his chiseled chest. Buffy shook off the image. "Stop it. I so can't be having these thoughts." She heard her mother walking up the stairs. "Mom's coming, I gotta go. I'll see you first thing in the morning. Bye." She hung up only ten seconds before her mother knocked on the door.
"Yeah?" Buffy asked.
Mrs. Summers opened the door, poking her head through. "Just me. How was school today?"
"Educational, as it always is. Nothing exciting."
"And patrol?"
Buffy wasn't ready to tell her mother about Angel. "The same. Dusted some vamps and came home."
"Well, that's good. I have some bad news, Buffy."
"What is it?"
"I have to go out of town for a few days, a week tops. There's an art buying seminar and collection being shown in Chicago. Some rare pieces are up for auction that would be great for the gallery," she explained.
Buffy smiled. "Sounds artsy. When do you leave?"
"First thing in the morning. My flight leaves at seven. Buffy, I am so sorry for having to leave like this, but I have to go."
"It's fine, Mom. You do your art thing and have fun. I can handle things by myself for a few days."
Mrs. Summers hugged her daughter. "You've gotten so mature. Who are you and what have you done to my baby girl?"
"It's called growing up."
The next morning at school, Buffy found Kevin standing in front of her locker. "Hey, you," she said with a grin.
"Good morning. You're awful cheerful today," he commented.
"I had a good night."
"You should have more nights like it."
'If patrolling with Angel puts me in this good of a mood, I might make it an everyday occurrence. Not that I wouldn't mind anyway.' "I'll do my best."
"I hope I'm about to make it better. All the Prom preparations are done, finished, taken care of. We are good to go," Kevin told her.
"Does that mean I get to find out what my surprise is?"
Kevin shook his head. "Not until later. Tell you what, after your training session with Giles, I'll meet you out front. Then I will tell you."
She groaned. "I hate surprises, you know that."
"Yes, I do. But you'll love this one. I guarantee it."
"All right. I promised Willow I'd see her before homeroom. I'll see you later, Kevin." They kissed good-bye and Buffy headed in the direction of Willow's locker.
Giles sat behind his desk, with Angel sitting on the other side of his office. "Tell me again how it happened."
"I was out for a walk when I heard what I thought was a fight in an alley. I was all ready to stake the vampire when it got staked. Buffy stood up, obviously shocked to see me holding a stake. She started to make an excuse for what had happened when I told her I knew; told her that I am a Watcher."
"And how did she react?"
Angel shrugged. "I think it surprised her. Overall, though, she took it really well."
"That's good. She understands why you are here and why you didn't tell her right away?"
"I guess so. Buffy wasn't upset by it. If anything, she was relieved and happy about it. She even invited me to finish up patrolling with her, and we swept the cemetery together."
Giles thought for a few moments. "If it were agreed upon by Buffy, would you mind patrolling with her nightly?"
Angel didn't need to think about it. 'Patrol with her every night? Can I possibly keep my feelings a secret?' "Of course. I want to learn as much as I can."
The older Watcher stood. "There she is now," he said, pointing to the table where Buffy threw her backpack.
"Perhaps now would be a good time to ask her."
It was quarter to three, and time for her second tutoring lesson of the day. Buffy was beginning to enjoy these lessons, if not for the knowledge then for the company. "Hi again," she said to Angel.
"Hi. Can Giles and I ask you something?"
Buffy glanced from one to the other. "Shoot."
"How would you feel if Angel were to patrol with you from now on? He needs to see how the Slayer operates on the battlefield," Giles said."
"Sure. I don't have a problem with it. Wanna meet me here at sunset? That's what time I usually start patrol."
"I'll be here," Angel agreed.
Giles clasped his hands behind his back. "Now that that's settled, I'll let you two get down to business."
At four-thirty, Buffy left the library. Her training session with Giles ended and she was supposed to meet Kevin in front of the school. She felt worn and ragged from the grueling training she'd endured. Giles decided to show off her skill to Angel, who'd watched with interest. It was a bit disconcerting at first, having him watch her every move. But knowing that it was necessary for his own training, Buffy began to feel more at ease.
She trudged her way through the halls on her way to the front entrance. Kevin waiting just outside the doors, standing in the sunlight. Buffy tapped him on the shoulder, causing the boy to jump. He sighed with relief upon seeing his girlfriend. "Hi. How was training?"
Buffy frowned. "Tiring. I think I could sleep for a week."
"Why don't we sit at one of the benches. Rest for your weary bones."
"My bones thank you."
They moved to a stone bench in the shade. Kevin placed his hand on Buffy's knee.
"So, tell me about this surprise for Prom. I'm dying to know."
Kevin grinned. "Well, it begins when the limo picks us up at four o'clock for dinner at Giorgio's."
"Sounds nice so far. What else?"
"After dinner we go to the school for the Prom. We do the dancing and mingling thing for a few hours, the limo takes us to L.A. where I booked us a room at the Marriot."
Buffy wasn't sure if she was hearing right. "What?"
"I checked it out already. It's a beautiful room. Amazing view of the city, king-sized bed, Jacuzzi, everything you could possibly imagine."
"Kevin, I don't understand. Why did you do that?"
He stared into her eyes. "Because I think it's time. We've been pretty serious for over a year now, Buffy. I really care about you, and we need to take our relationship to the next level. And Prom is the perfect time; it'll only add to the most romantic night of our lives."
Buffy bit her lip. "You mean..."
Kevin nodded, never breaking eye contact. "Yes. I'm ready."
She sat there, taking several breaths. She knew in her mind that she wasn't ready to take things that far with Kevin. And in her heart, she knew that he wasn't the one she wanted her first time to be with. It wasn't that she didn't care about him, but she didn't love him. Buffy always imagined making love for the first time with the man she loved. Kevin Matthews certainly was not him.
"I'm not."
"Not?" he repeated. "Buffy, this is such an important step. I want it to be with you."
Her lower lip quivered. "I don't."
"What do you mean you don't? Is there someone else?" he demanded, his anger near the boiling point.
"No. I just -- just don't love you. Not enough to make love to you. And I'm not ready. Not for that or for a commitment I might not be able to fulfill."
He slammed his fist on the stone bench. "That is such bullshit. You have to live for the moment and look toward the future. You're so stuck in the now that you can't see the future lying in front of you."
"Future!?" she cried. "I'm sorry that all I can see of my future is a foot-long stake and demons and vampires! And I'm really sorry if you cannot accept it." Buffy felt the tears stinging her eyes.
"I care about you so much, Buffy. And I want to be with you in every way possible."
"Do you love me?" Kevin didn't answer. "I didn't think so. Kevin, I care about you, too, but I don't love you. When I'm ready to make love to someone, I'm going to know it without having to think twice about it. It's gong to be with someone I love totally and completely, and who loves me the same way. You're not him."
He stared at her in rage. "You are a dreamer, Buffy. You think you're going to accomplish all that? Most people never do. But I wish you the best of luck in your hunt for your true love." Kevin got to his feet and began to walk of the school grounds. Twenty feet from where Buffy remained sitting, he turned to her. "If you die a virgin, like you probably will, the way you think, just remember that I wanted to, but you said no. And don't come crying to me when you change your mind. I won't be there. Good-bye, Buffy."
Angel waited for forty-five minutes in front of the school, and still Buffy hadn't shown up. He'd only known her for three days, but she seemed very punctual, not someone to flake out on a promise or a responsibility. Especially one as important as this one. "I'll give it ten minutes, then I'm going to go look for her. God, I hope nothing happened.'
The ten minutes passed slowly for him. He kept thinking of things that might have held Buffy up, but his thoughts kept wandering to the thought of her being hurt. It frightened him to think about it. "I better go look for her. I'm sure she just forgot.'
He took off, heading to the nearest cemetery. By the time he'd searched his third, Buffy was nowhere to be found. Giving up, Angel walked to his apartment.
On his way home, Angel passed Restfield Cemetery and saw two figures in the distance. Out of curiosity, he hopped the fence and checked to see what was going on. Seeing that it was Buffy, he stayed away, not wanting to catch her attention.
Buffy pounded mercilessly on the vampire, venting all of her anger and frustration onto it. She thought she had the upper hand until the vampire wielded a roundhouse kick that caught her off-guard.
"You're going to die tonight, Slayer," the vampire hissed.
*Die a virgin*
'No,' she thought. 'I am not going to die tonight.' The vampire kicked her again, this time successfully knocking her to the ground.
He laughed wickedly as he pounced down on her. Buffy started crying. Not from the fear of her death, but from Kevin's harsh words, and the fact that they might become a reality. The vampire laughed again. "Poor little Slayer's in tears. Any last wishes or requests?"
Buffy never saw Angel move behind her attacker. She fell unconscious when the vampire punched her. "Leave Buffy alone." Angel plunged the stake he carried into the vampire's back, piercing its heart. When the dust settled, he checked to see if Buffy was okay. She was still breathing, and her pulse was normal. Angel wrapped his duster around her and swept her up into his arms, carrying her the four blocks to his apartment.
Buffy groaned and began to stir twenty minutes after they arrived at his apartment. When she opened her eyes and surveyed her surroundings, she tensed up. Nothing looked familiar. 'What happened? Where am I?' She saw chairs, a television set and a desk but no people. 'Oh god...'
Angel walked out of the kitchen and found Buffy looking around nervously. "How are you feeling?"
She sighed in relief, knowing that she was safe if Angel was with her. "I've been better. Where are we?"
He placed a steaming cup of tea on the table in front of her. "My apartment. You were knocked unconscious by a vampire and I brought you here."
"You saved my life. He was going to kill me."
"He's dust now, don't worry about it. Buffy, you're safe here."
For seemingly no reason at all, Buffy burst into tears. Angel let her cry and handed her a napkin from the pile he'd brought into the room with him. She wiped her eyes with it. "I'm sorry. I'm having the worst day of my life."
He sat next to her on the couch. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Do you think I am so horrible and ugly that nobody can ever love me?" she asked.
"Of course not. You're absolutely beautiful and I guarantee that someone loves you very much." It was the closest he could come to admitting his true feelings for her. "What would make you think that?"
Buffy sniffled. "Kevin. He...we...he broke up with me."
"Why would he do that? Doesn't he know how lucky he is?"
"It's personal."
"Oh." Angel didn't want to pry into her personal life. "I am really sorry. I wish I knew what to say."
Buffy wiped her eyes again. "Do you want to know what he did?" She didn't wait for a reply. "He rented a hotel room for us after the Prom. Kevin just expected me to sleep with him." She didn't know what it was about him, but Buffy felt like she could tell Angel anything.
"And you didn't want to?"
"I'm not ready; I don't love him. And I want to be in love when I make love to a man. It has to be right, it has to be with someone who loves me as much as I love him. Kevin isn't the one, and I told him that. Then he broke up with me."
Angel forced her to look into his eyes. "That's his loss then."
"He called me a dreamer and said I'd never find my true love; said I'd die a virgin."
Angel fought back the overwhelming urge to find Kevin Matthews and commit justifiable homicide. "He doesn't understand, apparently."
Buffy began crying, a fresh stream of tears falling out of her eyes. "He doesn't understand. He doesn't understand that I could die tomorrow. Kevin has his whole future planned out for the next fifty years. I don't know if I'm going to be alive in two weeks."
"You're the Slayer. Kevin obviously has no clue what it's like for you."
She buried her face in Angel's chest. "He doesn't understand. Nobody does."
Through her sobs, Buffy could have sworn she heard Angel whisper "I would understand."
The blankets covered Buffy up to her chin and when she woke up the next morning she felt safe and warm. But it wasn't her bed. Buffy sat up quickly, the blankets falling to her waist. Within seconds she remembered what had happened the night before. Angel had saved her from being killed, brought her to his apartment and listened to her cry about Kevin breaking up with her. 'How did I end up in his bed?'
She climbed out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. 'At least I still have my clothes on.' Opening the bedroom door, Buffy padded her way to the kitchen, following the smell of cooking bacon. Once she found the kitchen, she saw Angel standing in front of the stove. Smiling, she said, "Smells good."
Angel turned around. "Morning. How did you sleep?"
Buffy noticed for the first time that the man standing before her wore only a pair of black jeans. She smiled appreciatively, thinking about how accurate her dream the other night had been. 'He really does have a nice body. My dreams are getting wicked accurate.' His perfectly coifed hair adorned his head in wet spikes. Droplets of water trickled from them. She needed to swallow. It wasn't until right then that Buffy realized just how handsome Angel truly was.
"I slept alright, considering. How did I get into your bed? Did we...?" Buffy was suddenly fearful, afraid that something happened and she had been too out of it to remember.
He shook his head. "No, I would never have let something like that happen with you being so upset like you were. I'm not one to take advantage of someone else's pain. Buffy, you fell asleep and I carried you to my room. I slept on the couch all night."
"Oh boy. Don't I feel embarrassed now," she admitted.
"Don't be. You jumped to an honest conclusion. Anyone could have done it. Would you like some breakfast?"
"Actually, would you mind if I took a shower first? I feel kind of gross in these clothes."
Angel saw the dried mud on her blouse from her fight with the vampire. "Feel free. You take a shower and I'll leave some clean clothes and towels in the bathroom for you. I can wash your dirty ones."
"Thank you. Now, which way is the bathroom?"
"Down the hall on the right."
Buffy left the room and closed the bathroom door behind her. Angel turned off the stove, went into his bedroom and proceeded to find suitable clothing for Buffy to wear for a few hours. He pulled out a white t-shirt and a pair of black boxer shorts. They might be a little big on her, but at least she'd be warm. On his way to the bathroom he grabbed two large towels. He waited in the hallway until he heard the shower run. Knocking on the door, he called, "Buffy?"
"Yeah?" she shouted.
"Can I come in? I have the towels and clothes for you."
"Sure, it's safe."
He slowly opened the door and stepped inside. Steam from the shower attacked him, and he coughed from the lack of oxygen.
"Are you okay?" Buffy asked from the shower.
"Sure. It's really hot in here."
"Sorry."
"I'll leave the stuff on the towel rack." Angel put the clean clothes down and picked up Buffy's dirty ones. "Buffy, I am leaving now."
"Okay." She heard the door shut. "What a gentleman," she said softly. "Why can't there be more men like him out there?"
Buffy washed herself, trying her best to forget everything Kevin said to her. His words were too harsh, though. 'I will find my true love. He's out there somewhere, I know it.'
Five minutes later, she stepped out of the shower. She grabbed one of the fluffy white towels Angel left and wrapped her blonde hair in it. She dried herself off with the other one, then put on the t-shirt and boxers Angel chose for her. The t-shirt was long, falling mid-thigh and she had to hold the boxers to prevent them from falling down. Buffy towel-dried her hair and brushed it out with a comb that lay on the counter.
"Is your offer of breakfast still available?" she wanted to know when she returned to the kitchen. Angel sat at the table sipping a cup of coffee. Buffy was disappointed to see that he had put a shirt on.
"What would you like? I made pancakes, bacon and eggs. If you don't like any of it, I can make something else."
"No, it's fine."
Angel got up and fixed her a plate. "Um, maybe you should call your mother and let her know where you are."
Buffy put a forkful of food in her mouth. "She's in Chicago. I don't know when she'll be back."
He didn't want to bring up Kevin again, not wanting to hurt Buffy. "Did you have any plans for today?"
"I was supposed to go Prom dress shopping with Willow. Don't think that's going to happen."
"Why do you say that?"
Buffy frowned. "I'm probably not going to Prom anymore. Without a date, I can't."
"Of course you can. And besides, I am sure there are plenty of guys who'd love to escort you." 'Including me.'
"Yeah right. I won't be able to get a date in time. Prom is less than three weeks away. Everyone will have a date already."
"You're a bright, beautiful girl, Buffy. You'll find a date. If not, go alone."
"Did you go to your Prom alone?" she asked. 'Probably not. He had girls lining up to be his date, I bet.'
Angel took a sip of coffee. "I didn't go to my Prom."
"Why not?"
He shrugged. "I didn't understand the whole concept of it. Getting dressed up to go to a dance with the same people I'd seen every day for the past four years just didn't appeal to me."
"Do you ever regret not going?"
"Sometimes. But you can't miss out on this opportunity. Don't let what Kevin said and did to you stop you from having a good time."
The two of them sat in silence for several minutes. Neither could think of anything to say. Buffy polished off her breakfast while Angel slowly drank his coffee. He stared into his cup, seeing her image in his dark liquid.
"Do you think I'll find my true love before I die?" Buffy wanted Angel's opinion.
"If it's meant to be, it will happen," he answered truthfully. "You might already know him."
"I don't know. I always imagined knowing right away. Like I'd see him and it would be love at first sight. Do you believe in that?"
"Whole-heartedly. I know from experience."
Buffy doubted if it would ever happen to her. "Is that what happened when you saw that girl?"
"Yes. I took one look at her and know she was the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Love is the most amazing feeling in the world, even when it's unrequited. She's my entire universe and she doesn't even know it."
"She's very lucky to have you love her like that. Are you going to tell her?"
"When the time is right. It would only hurt her now. She's going through a difficult time right now and I want to be there for her as a friend. I don't think she'd understand the depth of my feelings." He wondered if Buffy had any clue that it was she he spoke of.
She laughed. "I swear, you are like the perfect man."
"I'm hardly perfect," he told her.
"Nobody is. God knows I'm not. But you come pretty close. At least you didn't almost get yourself killed last night."
Angel put his cup and Buffy's plate in the dishwasher. "You were upset. It could have happened to anyone."
"It's not supposed to happen to the Slayer. Look, I want to apologize for being a complete basket case."
"You don't need to apologize. You had every reason in the world to cry. What he said to you was mean and totally unjustified. I'm not one to begrudge you from shedding a few tears over him."
"Thank you." She paused and took a deep breath. "Um...I feel kind of weird asking you this, and I know it's forward of me, so feel free to say no."
"You can ask me anything, Buffy."
"Do you think I can stay here this weekend? I don't think I can handle being alone right now, and Willow wouldn't understand."
He smiled softly. "Of course you can. For as long as you want. Now may I ask you a question with the same stipulations?"
"Go ahead."
"Unless you have other plans, would you like to go out for dinner? Just to get your mind off of things." Buffy grinned. "I'd love to." Dinner with Angel was exactly what she needed to get her mind off Kevin.
Willow gaped at Buffy when she heard what Kevin did. "I cannot believe he did that. What a jerk."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
"He always seemed so nice and normal. That's really scary."
"I know. Kevin never, not in the year we dated, pushed farther than I was ready to go. Then out of the blue he goes and does this. It's like he did a total one-eighty from the guy I knew."
Willow groaned. "I'm gonna kill him when I pass him in the hall on Monday. He's going to wish he never did that."
Buffy shook her head in response. "Don't, Will. I've decided it's not worth it."
"But, Buffy, that's a best friend's job. I want to do my job. Let me do my job."
"Don't bother. Really. Truth is, I'm not even that upset about the breakup itself. I think it had been coming for a while. What really bothers me is what he said. About me dying before I find my true love. I will find him, Will," swore Buffy.
"I know you will. How come you didn't tell me about this last night?" the redhead wanted to know.
Buffy bit her lip. "After it happened, I needed to vent. So I patrolled. What a big mistake that was. The patrolling, not what happened afterward."
Willow's eyes widened. "What happened after?"
"Do you promise not to tell? I don't want Giles finding out unless I tell him." Willow nodded, promising to keep her silence. "I had a run-in with a vampire and I almost died."
"Buffy! Were you hurt badly?"
"No. I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, though, I thought I had been kidnapped. I didn't know where I was, nothing looked familiar."
"Where were you?"
"After I was knocked out, I guess Angel staked the vamp. He must have seen the fight. So he killed the vampire and took me back to his apartment. I woke up on the couch. I cried on his shoulder for hours probably and he let me sleep there."
"With him?"
Buffy sighed. "Not like that. I slept in his bedroom and he slept on the couch."
"Wow. What a gentleman," commented Willow.
"I know. Willow, he's so much more mature than any of the guys we go to school with. Angel actually listened to me cry about Kevin for I don't know how long. He made me feel so much better about this whole situation. I feel like his words have given me some confidence again. Hell, he even convinced me to go to Prom, if only by myself."
"You should go. Prove to Kevin that he didn't break your spirit. You'll have a great time. I know, ask Angel to be your date."
Buffy laughed. "Why would he want to go to the Prom with me? He told me this morning he doesn't understand why it's such a big deal, seeing the same people you see every day."
"But he doesn't see them every day. You do."
"I couldn't do that. Besides, he's probably sick of seeing me by now."
"Doubtful. I bet he'd look way cute in a tux."
"Stop giving me these mental pictures. I have to go out with him tonight, I cannot be imagining him in a tux," Buffy said.
Willow's jaw dropped. "You're going out with him tonight? This is getting serious."
"He's just taking pathetic little Buffy out for dinner. He feels bad. It's nothing to get all worked up about."
"I'm sure he doesn't think of you as pathetic. Maybe he likes you."
"Yeah right. Angel is intelligent and good-looking. What would he see in me?"
Willow saw Buffy's cheeks turn a pinkish-red. "That's it!"
"What's it?" Buffy had no idea what her best friend was talking about.
"You have a crush on him, don't you? That's why you weren't upset about breaking up with Kevin. Because you've got a crush on Angel."
"That is so absurd. He's my Watcher."
"No, he's *a* Watcher, not yours. Come on, admit it."
Buffy shook her head, smiling. "Okay, so maybe I do. Not like it makes a difference. He's still a Watcher, and besides, he's kind of attached."
"Kind of?" Willow repeated with a raised eyebrow.
"Not really attached, but he does like someone. More than like, actually. Said it was love at first sight, but she doesn't know it."
"Like that's gonna last. If Angel's so in love with her, how can this girl be so oblivious?"
"I don't know. She's lucky, whoever she is. He's a great guy and I know he'll make some girl happy," mused Buffy.
"And you wish it were you," added Willow.
"Isn't it a hope that every girl has at one point in her life? To have a man love you at first sight?" The Slayer had a faraway look on her face. "Maybe I do wish it were me. It's not, but I can wish, can't I?"
"Yeah, I guess. Come on, let's go Prom dress shopping." Willow and Buffy got up from the table in the middle of the food court and went off in the direction of the dress stores.
"You should get this dress for your date tonight," Cordelia said to Buffy, holding up a midnight blue sundress.
The two girls ran into Cordelia at one of the dress shops. The three of them then decided to look for their dresses together.
"It's not a date, Cordy. He's just taking me to dinner," Buffy told the brunette.
"Hot date tonight, Buffy? You certainly don't waste any time," someone said from behind them.
They all turned around, seeing Kevin standing a few feet away. "What business is it of yours? You dumped me, remember?" Buffy spat, bitterly.
"What are you doing here, Kevin? Shopping for dresses for your blow-up doll?" joked Cordelia, with a straight face.
"Who is he? Does he know ahead of time what's he's getting himself into?"
"Kevin, go away," warned Willow.
Buffy stood there, trying to keep her cool. Cordelia on the other hand, knowing exactly what he had done and being pissed off about it, didn't hold back. "None of your business. But I will say that he's higher up on the food chain than you. Rats are pretty close to the bottom."
"Like you're one to talk, Miss I'm-Dating-Xander-Harris." Kevin turned his attention back to his ex-girlfriend. "I figured you'd be at home whittling stakes or something. Not dress shopping."
"I'm not crying over you, Kevin. You're not worth it."
Cordelia couldn't resist one more jab at him. "Will your blow-up doll be accompanying you to Prom, Kevin? Or do you need to hire someone?"
"At least I can get a date. Buffy here is going alone I bet. If she goes at all," he laughed.
"What makes you think I'm going alone?" Now Buffy was getting mad.
"Without a date, why would you go?"
"She has a date!" Willow shouted.
Kevin looked at her. "Yeah right."
"I do," said Buffy.
"Who is it? Oh, and relatives don't count."
"I guess you'll just have to wait a couple of weeks and find out."
"This ought to be interesting," Kevin said before leaving.
They watched as he left. "Way to go, Buffy. You really stood up for yourself," Cordelia complimented.
"Yeah. But I have a bigger problem."
"What's that?" asked Willow.
"Finding a Prom date."
Buffy twirled around in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom. Cordelia convinced her to buy the sundress and a matching pair of shoes, and Buffy had to admit that she looked good. The dress fell two inches above her knees with spaghetti straps and a conservative neckline. Wherever Angel was taking her, she was ready.
She fixed her hair so that it was curled slightly to her shoulders. For some reason, whenever she saw her reflection, she giggled like a schoolgirl on her first date.
'But this isn't a date. Angel just feels bad for me and is doing this to make me feel better,' she told herself.
As she put on the final touches of her make-up, the doorbell rang. It was six o'clock and Angel was right on time. Quickly giving herself the once-over, Buffy walked downstairs to open the door. What she found was not what she expected. Angel stood on the front porch in a pair of black trousers, black shoes and a dark blue shirt. In his hand he held a single red rose.
"Hi. Come on in," Buffy invited.
Angel gazed at the blonde beauty in front of him. He had never seen a true angel until he saw Buffy. She literally took his breath away. "You look wonderful" was all he could say.
"I bet you say that to all the broken-hearted girls you take out to dinner," she joked.
"No, just you."
"You're a great liar."
"I never lie." He handed her the rose. "A rose for the lady."
Buffy took it, bringing it to her nose. It smelled fragrant and sweet. "That's so thoughtful. Thank you. Would you like to have a seat while I finish getting ready?"
Angel sat down on the couch, looking at the framed photographs that adorned the end table. One was a family photo of Buffy and her parents when she was ten, another of Buffy, Xander and Willow standing in front of a tree at the park, and one of Buffy and Kevin at a school dance.
"All ready," Buffy informed him when she returned to the living room. "Hope you don't mind, I grabbed my pajamas and a change of clothes."
"Why would I mind?"
"Thought I'd at least let you know." The two of them walked out of the house, Buffy locking up while Angel carried her overnight bag. "Where are we going?"
Angel held the car door open for her. "I saw this little Italian place just outside of town. Would you like to go there?"
"Mmm...Italian is my favorite."
Twenty minutes later they were seated in a secluded booth in the restaurant, looking over the menu. Several waitresses passed their booth, all taking a look at Angel as they walked by. Buffy felt a wave of jealousy pass through her. She wanted to rip their eyes from their sockets and tell them that he was her date. 'My date. Is that what this is? Cordy and Willow think so, but I don't know. Maybe. But Angel probably doesn't. Just doing his good deed for the day.'
A waitress, tall and brunette, stopped at their booth. She smiled at them, mostly at Angel, which did not go unnoticed by Buffy. "Hi, I'm Shannon and I will be your waitress. What can I bring you to drink?"
"Water, please," Buffy answered quickly.
"Make that two," Angel replied.
Shannon left to get the waters. "Everything looks good," commented Angel. "I'm having a hard time deciding. How about you?"
"Pasta Alfredo with chicken. Heart attack on a plate. If I'm going to die, I'm gonna go happy."
"Buffy, you're not going anywhere."
"Sure. Whatever." 'Way to go, Buffy. Go into full brooding mode. What a way to make him think you're a total loser.'
Luckily, Shannon returned with the drinks. "Have you decided?" she asked.
"Buffy, you go first."
She sighed. "Pasta Alfredo with chicken and a caesar salad. Extra dressing."
"Great." Shannon wrote it down in her pad. "How about you, sir?"
Angel glanced over the menu swiftly. "I'll have the chicken parmesan and a cup of vegetable soup."
The waitress took the menus from them. "Thank you very much," she said, addressing it more to Angel than to Buffy.
"Are you aware that every girl walking by is checking you out?" Buffy asked.
He shrugged. "I haven't noticed anyone."
"Then you must be blind, because at least five girls have done it. Including our waitress."
"She's just friendly."
"Please. She didn't look at me once," Buffy informed him. "She's obviously single and on the prowl."
"Let her look all she wants." He was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the conversation. "Did you find a Prom dress yet?"
"Yeah. All three of us did. Willow and I ran into Cordelia at the mall." She neglected to mention their run-in with Kevin.
"I am sure you are going to look beautiful. The belle of the ball, etc."
'Should I ask him? But what if he says no? Then I'll be utterly humiliated in the middle of the restaurant. No, not now. Maybe later.' "Okay, you are obviously seeing something I don't."
Their soup and salad were delivered, and the two of them began eating.
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Buffy asked between bites.
"Depends on the question. But sure."
"How old are you? I have a guess, but I'm curious."
"Twenty-seven last August. Was your guess right?"
"Pretty close."
They ate in silence until the main courses arrived. Buffy glared at Shannon for flirting with Angel. "Wow," Angel said, commenting on the portions. Once again, he didn't notice the waitress staring at him.
"I know. They're going to have to wheel me out of here."
During dinner, Angel asked about Buffy's friends. How they had met, what they do for fun and whether they knew about her being the Slayer. She told him all about Xander, Cordelia and Willow. Buffy dominated the conversation, telling Angel about her life in L.A. as a child and what it was like for her after she was called. "Anyone I considered a friend turned on me. It's made me see how true my friendship with Willow, Xander and Cordelia really is. They don't judge me."
When they finished dinner and exited the restaurant, Angel asked, "What would you like to do now? It's still early, maybe a sweep through the park.?"
Buffy shook her head. "No way. Saturday is my day off, Giles knows this. Do you mind if we just go back to your apartment? I'd kind of like to veg out."
"Sure. We can watch a movie or something."
"I can't believe you have HBO," Buffy said for the third time that night.
It was almost eleven and the two of them had just finished watching 'Say Anything.' "Just because I'm a Watcher doesn't mean I'm ready for the nursing home yet. I'm still young."
'Don't I know it.' "That was such a sweet movie. I swear, if some guy ever stood in my yard with a boombox blasting 'In Your Eyes' I'd be his forever. Lloyd was so romantic."
Angel agreed. "That he was."
Buffy stood up to stretch. A photograph on a nearby table caught her eye, so she picked it up. "Is this you?" she wanted to know, sitting down once again.
"Yes."
"You were such a cute kid. Who's this with you? Your older sister?"
"No, my mother," he replied with a hint of sadness in his voice.
She took a long look at the young woman in the picture. "She's beautiful, Angel. She looks young."
"She was. When the picture was taken I was five and she was twenty."
"Oh my god. You mean she had you when she was fifteen?" This shocked Buffy.
He nodded. "And she died when I was six."
"What happened?"
"It's not a very pretty story, Buffy."
"I think I can handle it. If you want to tell me."
He took a deep breath. "It was a demon. A particularly strong demon. He found her patrolling and killed her. Ripped out her inner organs and outlined her body with them."
She was horrified. "I'm so sorry." She paused. "Did you say patrol?"
"My mother was a Slayer."
"I didn't know."
"I didn't want to tell you right away. I've never told anyone. Her Watcher raised me, and from as far back as I can remember, it's all I wanted to do. Be a Watcher."
This intrigued Buffy. "Do you remember much about her?"
A solitary tear fell down Angel's cheek. He never spoke of his mother; it hurt too much. But he wanted to share his memories with Buffy. "I must have been four or five. She took me to this park and it had an old-fashioned carousel. My mother sat me on this white horse and watched me with the most amazing smile. I'll never forget it."
Buffy wiped the tears away with her fingers. Unconsciously, she moved her face closer to his, gently kissing his lips. They were warm and salty from the tears. Her right hand cupped the side of his face.
Her kiss surprised Angel. He did not know how to react, for it had been so unexpected. Her kisses were like heaven to him, and he never wanted to return to earth. Unsure at first, Angel soon gave in to his urges, responding to Buffy. His hands wound to her back, slowly moving up and down. He could feel her heart beating rapidly through her shirt. This kiss awakened feelings and desires Angel had never experienced.
When she felt his hands on her neck and in her hair, Buffy panicked. 'What am I doing? What if he wants more?' She broke away from him, flushed and panting. It was the most intense moment of her life and it scared her. She looked into Angel's tear-filled brown eyes, not seeing the love that radiated from them. "I can't. I..." She jumped up and ran into his bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Buffy threw herself on the bed, crying into his pillow. It smelled of a combination of his shampoo and aftershave. She inhaled it, but it only made her cry harder. 'Why am I feeling like this?' A voice inside of her answered. 'Because you love him.'