Rating: Probably PG
Feedback: Please? Pretty pretty please with Angelus in leather pants on top?
AN: It's a challenge fic, challenge below, issued by Seersha and maybe Spring Fling was held somewhere else, I don't know, but I'm just assuming it's the Bronze.
Timeline: Season 1 of BtVS: directly after "Prophecy Girl"
Pairing/s: Buffy/Angel
Synopsis: At the very end of "Prophecy Girl", the gang were all heading off to the Spring Fling. Write a short fic about the night and include some B/A action (it doesn't have to be kissing or anything; maybe they dance). Of course, being Buffy/Angel, it should be kind of angst-y; and since it's set after S1, Buffy and Angel are *still* trying to convince each other that despite what they feel, they can't be together.
Must have:
- All the gang that were there: Buffy, Angel, Giles, Jenny, Willow, Xander and Cordelia.
- Giles dancing (Jenny somehow convinces him to).
- Buffy telling Angel about how she's going away for the summer.
- Angel and Buffy ALMOST kissing, but pulling back before they do.
- Xander making some snide remark to Angel (maybe he can call him "Dead Boy" for the first time).
- Willow asking Xander to dance, but Xander being too distracted/busy watching Buffy to hear the question; hence Willow is disappointed and sad.

Buffy walked into the Bronze. Spring Fling was kinda pointless what with all the her not having a date and everything, but she came anyway. She could have had a date, with Xander, but he was her friend and she couldn't hurt him like that, use him like that, when she didn't feel the same way, and Angel... well, he was probably just there cause he wanted to protect her or something, not that she knew what he wanted to protect her from. He wasn't there to be with her. She sank down into her chair around a table with Xander and Willow, as Angel slipped into the shadows, Giles and Jenny took their own table, and Cordelia left to get her posse.

Angel looked at her, at her friends, and the nameless faces surrounding them. He sighed. When he'd seen her, lying there, lifeless, her pulse nowhere to be heard... He's never felt that way before. Like all the light was going out of his life. Even when he'd been cursed.

He had lied. Vampires did have breath. They just didn't really need it. If Xander had stopped to think just a little, he would've known that. If there hadn't been air passing his vocal chords, he wouldn't be able to talk. But he'd lied. He'd watched Xander save her life, even while he wanted to be the on, because he knew he wouldn't be able to bear it if he had been the cause of her death. He was a coward. He knew that, and he knew he had to stay away from her. But sadly reason did not always rule his being.

"C'mon, Buffy! What's the matter? We should celebrate!" Xander said. "By dancing?" He added, looking hopeful. "Celebrate? Celebrate what? My death?" Buffy said, looking very down. Despite having defeated the Master and all, she wasn't feeling very happy. She, as always, didn't really know why. These days her feelings were just a big mess that she couldn't figure out at all. The least of them being what she felt for Angel. Buffy sighed. *God, what *DO* I feel for him?* She asked herself. Her mind chose to ignore the answer her heart gave immediately.

Angel watched her from the shadows. She was sad. He couldn't stand her being sad. He wanted to help her. He wanted to make her feel better. And his original plan on how to do that didn't include him walking towards Buffy. But somehow his body was walking towards Buffy.

Buffy watched, almost mesmerized as Angel walked towards her. She hadn't expected him to do that. She'd expected him to check she was ok and disappear, or just stay in the shadows till she went home, or anything *but* come to her. But there he was, and her heart gave a painful, and unbidden, tug. God, he was gorgeous. Buffy unconsciously took a deep breath just before he walked right up to their table. Xander glared at him, not keeping the hostility inside. Willow smiled, always willing to please.

Angel's breath caught in his throat. She was looking up at him, looking a little confused, like she didn't know whether she should smile, or tell him to go away... what to do. He panicked. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't come up to her with a plan. His body had moved, much against his will. So he said the first, idiotic thing that came to his mind. "Dance with me?"

It was Buffy's turn to have trouble breathing. Dance? With Angel? It was what she'd dreamed of ever since she saw him. She still couldn't believe that he'd come to her, and now he asked her to dance... Wow. *OK, breathe, Buffy, remember to breathe. You don't wanna faint in front of Angel.* Buffy thought numbly. "Sure." She heard her voice mumble from far away. She let herself be led out to the dance floor, still half in a daze. But she soon recovered, Angel's soothing breath on her neck, and the music sedating her.

Xander watched jealously, his mind just barely sane. Angel was a vamp! And... evil... and buff! Dammit! Buffy should've liked *him*. Buffy shouldn't have fallen for that goddam guilty broody soulboy act! He was so caught up in thinking up bad things about Angel he didn't feel Willow call him softly.

Willow watched Buffy and Angel go out to the dance floor and felt a surge of hope. Maybe she could muster up the courage to ask Xander to dance now. "Xander?" Willow said, her voice small, but firm. "Xander? Would you like to dance?" No reaction. "Xander?" Xander was watching Buffy and Angel dance fixedly. Willow sighed, retreating back into her chair. Who was she kidding? Xander loved Buffy. There was no way he'd ever love good old best friend Willow.

Angel took Buffy in his arms and started swaying to the music. Having Buffy here, with him... God, he'd forgotten it felt so right. And so wrong. But he chose not to think about the wrong factor right now. He shook out of his daze when he heard Buffy's voice calling him.

"I didn't know you dance." Buffy commented softly. He smiled, shrugging. "I don't." At Buffy's look he explained. "Well, not usually. And I can only dance to slow songs. Getting out on the floor and showing my stuff... well, don't expect it from me." He smiled at her. Buffy smiled back, and rested her head on his chest, feeling safe and content. For the first time in a long, long while.

Giles looked at Jenny, surprised. "Ms. Calendar." He said, genuine terror in his voice. "Oh, c'mon! It won't kill you." Jenny dragged him out to the dance floor. Giles had not danced for a very long time. Only back in his younger days, and that was ages ago. Jenny took his hand and took the lead. Giles found the song was a soothing slow one. That calmed him down a little. He smiled at Jenny. "You are quite evil." Jenny just grinned. "I know."

"I'm going to LA this summer." Buffy said suddenly, her head never leaving its place on his chest. Angel looked down at her, surprised. "What?" He asked, hoping he'd heard wrong. "I'm going to LA this summer. My *dad* wants to spend *time* with me." Buffy said, not able to keep a bitter edge out of her voice. Her dad. The dad that never had any *time* to call, or write a little note, or to visit her for her birthday... She sighed, inwardly.

Angel felt his chest contract painfully, but he didn't understand why. *Of course you understand WHY, you idiot! You're gonna miss her!!* A little voice in the back of his head told him, but Angel tried to ignore it. "I... uh... I'm gonna miss you." He said helpfully to Buffy, secretly wondering why he'd voiced his thoughts. Whether that was a wise idea.

Buffy looked up to him, slightly surprised that he would say that, no matter what he thought. He'd never really been king of share. "You are?" She asked, smiling. He shrugged. "Yeah, sure. And the vampires are gonna have a party while you're gone." He wanted to ask her to stay, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do that, so he just left it at pleading to her conscience. She sighed. "Yeah... I guess. But Dad doesn't know that, so Giles and you're gonna have to take the run of the mill for me this summer." "OK." Angel said, sad, but accepting it. Hell, it wasn't even like they were together.

"I'll miss you too." Buffy whispered, after a short silence. Angel looked at her. She felt the same way? He knew that she like him, but... he... God, she was so close and... Angel pulled her closer, slowly inching closer to her lips.

*Oh God, he's gonna kiss me* Buffy thought wildly. Not that she didn't want to kiss him, but the pain afterwards... But he was already right in front of her, not even an inch from her face. She angled her face up to him, almost unconsciously, wanting the kiss so much.

Angel turned away. At the last moment, he denied himself the pleasure it would bring. She was disappointed, he could tell. He was as disappointed as she was. But he couldn't do it. Not when it would only hurt them even more.

Xander watched them. OK, that was it. They were gonna kiss. He got up, ignoring Willow's questioning "Xander?". He went out to the dance floor, found the nearest girl who wasn't dancing with a guy that didn't know him, and danced with her. That happened to be Cordelia. "What? Dance with you? I think not." Cordelia was back to her usual bitchy self. Xander just pulled her into his arms. "Cordelia. Shut up for once."

Willow watched him. So he'd dance with their arch nemesis, but he wouldn't dance with her. Fine. That was just fine. She didn't care. She downed her drink.

The song ended and Buffy and Angel reluctantly pulled away. "So... I'll... see you around?" Buffy said, for lack of better things to say. Everything she wanted to say, she couldn't, because it wasn't allowed. "Yeah." Angel answered, his plight not much better than hers. He *wanted* to tell her so many things, that he loved her so much, not to leave Sunnydale, but he had to settle for a lame "Yeah." Buffy turned and slowly walked away, the irrational part of her wishing he'd stop her. He only watched her, and slowly returned to the shadows himself.

Buffy sighed. Xander had left two minutes ago. But not before going to Angel and showing his hate. "Hey, Dead-Boy, you know, the hard to get act? It's getting old really fast. You're the one seducing her, you might as well make the move soon." He'd sneered, his alliance with the vampire earlier that evening long forgotten. Angel had just looked sadly at the boy, as Xander made his way out. Giles and Jenny were at their table, deeply engrossed in their talk, probably about some demon or so. She'd seen them dancing. It was "eww.." worthy, Giles being... well, old. But at least they seemed happy at this dance. She looked at Willow, who was stirring her drink listlessly, slouched in her chair. She looked at Angel, who was watching her from the shadows, the same sad expression he'd had on ever since leaving the dance floor still there. And herself. She was pretty much the same as Angel, only she was sitting in the light. She sighed, pulling herself up. "C'mon, Will. Let's go home." Willow nodded mopily and hauled herself up with effort as well.

The two left the Bronze, and Buffy felt Angel follow them out, finally moving from his spot in the shadows. He followed them to Willow's house as Buffy walked Willow home, in case of vampires, and then to Buffy's house. Buffy went up to the front door, then turned around. He was no where in sight. "Good night, Angel." Buffy said sadly, knowing he'd hear her. He didn't answer her. Buffy sighed and entered the house, closing the door behind her. *Some things just aren't meant to be* She thought to herself as she trudged up to her room. Only when he saw the light in her room, did Angel whisper back. "Good night."

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