RATING: A strong PG-15 for situations, maybe even stronger... (Does that scare ya? *g*)
DISCLAIMER: Characters not mine. Simple enough?
CLASSIFICATION: B/A Fluff Stuff.
DISCLAIMER: I highly doubt you'd want this on any site, because I have *never* written fluff before. I'm an angst writer. So if this is not fluff, I apologize. But if you *have* to have it, go ahead. I give content warnings, though...
TIMELINE: We'll say sophomore year of UCSunnydale. Oh, and Angel is human.
SPOILERS: I don't think there are any... Nah, I don't know much about the rest of this season or next season, so... no.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was written in response to Felicity's stress call. I included everything in her challenge except for the Claddagh ring, I think. Felicity, I hope you did well, but if you didn't, don't stress! Oh, and sorry if I didn't get into the chains thing enough. I'll try better next time.
MORE AUTHOR'S NOTES: And I just want to say for the record that I am usually not a big R-rated type writer. I just got caught up in the whole start with the chains... But don't go expecting NC-17 fic from me any time soon!
WARNINGS: If you don't like it, I agree with you! Also, um, if you're young, hide your eyes!

"I'm never gonna get this!" Buffy Summers moaned to herself as she studied the textbook in front of her on the desk. The numbers and words in front of her were recognizable, but that wasn't the trouble. The trouble was that they were nothing more than words and numbers. They didn't actually form ideas, the way math stuff should. Who made this stuff up, anyway?! "I am *never* gonna get Calculus!"

She shot a look at Willow. Or where Willow should have been. But Willow had switched dorm rooms this year. Right. It was weird seeing her place vacant. Sigh. Now who was gonna be there to help tutor her in just about every subject and listen to her cries of frustration when nothing made sense? Who was gonna listen to her complain about the tests they gave or all the homework she had to do? No one. Just the emptiness of her room.

As if almost on cue, there came a soft tapping from the door. Buffy, ecstatically grateful for an excuse to stop groaning over math for a minute, stood up and went to answer that. Her breath caught in her throat, but only for a quick second. Had she not gotten used to the fact that these meetings were normal?

Angel half-grinned at her over a freshly-picked bundle of wildflowers, a carton of Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Fudge Mint Chip ice cream, and two plastic sporks. He noticed her flustered expression, her wild eyes, and her lazily tied-back hair. He was right. She was overdoing the bookwork. "Can I come in?"

"You can do more than that," Buffy replied with a smile, pulling him by his open shirt collar towards her. She had barely closed the door behind him when his arms closed around her lower back, pulling her towards his lips. Their mouths met in an explosion of passion, but only briefly. Buffy had too much on her mind to get lost in romance. It would all be better once the test was over. Actually, it would be better if the school just burnt to the ground, and she didn't have to take the test at all, but one couldn't ask for miracles, now could they?

Angel picked up the flowers from where he'd placed them on Willow's old desk. "I brought you these," he explained, gently holding them out to her.

Her hand brushed his as she took the flowers, and she felt the electricity shoot through her veins. It was funny that he could still have such an effect on her, even though things had been this way between them for almost a year now. How could she keep forgetting Angel was human? It was so weird… he was human. He was alive. He could breathe, he could walk in sunlight… and he could keep his soul after making love with her. But she didn't have time for that. Not tonight. She accepted the flowers gratefully, taking a large whiff of their scents. "Why *did* you come, anyway?"

"I knew you had finals tomorrow and that you would be studying too hard," he declared, picking up the Ben and Jerry's and the two sporks. "I thought I'd help you relax before you get too stressed out."

"Thanks, but…" Buffy started. But it was no use. Angel was already opening the carton of ice cream and handing her a spork. Hey, there was no need to protest ice cream! Especially if someone had traveled *all those blocks* just to bring their loved one ice cream… Buffy held up her spork skeptically. "A spork? I'm supposed to eat the best ice cream in the world with a plastic utensil from Kentucky Fried Chicken?"

"It was a last minute thing," Angel answered defensively. "I couldn't find any spoons." He held forth the carton for her to make the first scoop.

She did so with no hesitation, gently licking the cool delight off the plasticware to savor the flavor. It wasn't every day that she had cookie dough fudge mint chip *and* no boy problems. "But you had a couple of sporks just lying around?" Buffy teased, taking another scoop and watching Angel lick the ice cream off his. He looked so cute when he did that. After becoming human, Angel had begun to savor *everything.*

Angel grinned back at her, even though she hadn't even realized she was smiling. Funny, she couldn't feel *any* of her actions when she was with Angel. No, she felt light-headed and giddy the entire time. Taking another spoonful, he narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "Still worried about that test, huh?"

She nodded, although his words had only zapped her back to thinking about it. Buffy had been lost somewhere in the thought of their last "adventure" together, the test completely forgotten. But now that she remembered… a throaty groan escaped her. "Calculus is evil."

"You just need to relax," Angel observed, stuffing another mouthful of the sticky goo in his mouth.

"Any suggestions?"

At this, Angel flashed her one of his teasing, sexy half-smiles and raised his eyebrows. "A few." He handed her the carton of ice cream to hold onto, which she happily accepted. Reaching into his black leather duster to remove… chains.

At this, Buffy forgot the ice cream, setting it down on the desk to reach for the chains. "So… chains… I can think of a lot of fun things to do with these," she tempted, grinning slyly.

"Show me," he replied, excited. His voice was coming out in a husky whisper.

She twirled the chains around for a minute, in a preoccupied sort of way. Thinking… thinking… Buffy knew she was driving Angel crazy with impatience. Her smile broadened as she opened the cuffs to chain Angel's wrists together. Her face was only inches away from his as she did so, her eyes tracing his smile on his face. When the chains were tightened, and she had made sure they were firm, Buffy grabbed her textbook from the desk, grabbed one end of the chains, and gave them a gentle tug. "Follow me," she said slowly, so that her mouth moved with every syllable.

Angel once again grinned at this, following her with great curiosity. Sure, things could get kinky between them. Things could get out of hand with them, and they often did, but that was them. They had lived without those things for so long, and now… they could finally enjoy each other to the fullest.

They reached the parking lot, after getting a few disbelieving glances from other college kids. Buffy found Angel's convertible in no time and searched him for his keys. He had his leather pants on… and my, they were tight! Not that she minded… She found the keys in his back pocket, smiling smugly at him, and giving Angel a gentle push into the passenger's seat. She herself climbed into the driver seat.

A little bit of Angel's smile was lost. "Uh… Buffy? What was your grade in driver ed?"

"The first or second time?" she questioned, sliding the keys into the ignition absentmindedly.

Angel rested his head against the seat cushion, and mumbling a prayer under his voice, managed to say, "Never mind."

Buffy was too busy talking herself through the starting process. She had managed to start the car, so that was good. What now? Oh, yeah, adjust the mirrors. Release the parking brake. No, wait, don't forget to buckle up! She stepped on the gas, and the tires made a loud squeaking sound on the pavement, but the car went nowhere.

"It'd probably help if you put the car in drive," Angel coached nervously from the seat next to her.

Buffy looked from him to the dash. "Oh, right," she replied sheepishly. She shifted the car into drive and pulled out, muttering sarcastically under her breath, "Cause *driving* relieves my stress."

It wasn't long before Buffy pulled into the driveway leading to Angel's mansion on the outskirts of Sunnydale. It was a secluded spot. Buffy managed to park the car with only minor damage. ("Who in the right mind would plant a tree near the driveway?!") She gently tugged on his chains, leading him into the mansion. He sat down on the couch once they were inside. "So now what?"

She took off the chains. Maybe she'd save those for another night. A night when she was more in the mood to get down and dirty. "So now you find a way for me to relieve my pent-up stress," she explained, sitting across his lap and wrapping one arm around him. Her fingernail began to gently tickle the back of his neck. She smiled, grabbed his chin, and began to move it towards her own mouth, but he stopped her.

"Before we get into anything, there's probably something I should tell you." Angel looked serious. Great. She needed peace, and he wanted to play cryptic, angsty man. That made her life *so* much easier.

Buffy sighed. "So what are we talking here? Is this something like… I can't see you anymore or I have to be in to work early tomorrow morning?"

"It's nothing like that," he stated.

"Then what's the problem?" she teased, this time their lips making contact with each other. She felt herself sink into his touch as they both struggled for more. These were the moments between them that were unique from every other guy she had been with. See, these were the moments when both of them wanted each other so much that they almost couldn't handle it. They both kissed each other hungrily.

"Oh, great, it's that Slayer girl and her poof-of-the-night boyfriend," a voice with a heavy British accent dripping with sarcasm suddenly announced from behind them.

"Spike?!" Buffy exclaimed, pushing Angel away for a moment. She looked from the blonde vampire to her now-human boyfriend and back to the blonde vampire.

"That would be the something I needed to tell you," Angel said.

"Oh, don't mind me," Spike declared, his voice several notches louder than it needed to be, considering they were only feet away from each other. "I'm Brood Boy's new roommate. Rented a room out to me. Surprised I could find California rent so low. Now I know why. Have to sit through sappy lip smacking every night."

"Spike, could you please be anywhere but here?" Angel half-grunted, not even bothering to turn around and look at Spike. He was obviously agitated at being interrupted.

Spike smiled smugly between Angel and Buffy. "I'll let you two get back to business," he declared tauntingly, his eyes flashing wildly. As he walked out of the room, he made one last comment: "Although it wouldn't hurt you two to take a night off every now and then."

Buffy waited until she was sure Spike wasn't just standing outside the door to catch more action. She turned to Angel, rubbing his shoulders. He looked upset. She kissed his frown… his chin… his neck. Angel didn't react. Buffy once again rubbed his shoulders soothingly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied with a sigh, his eyes making the first movement in the past few still minutes. When their eyes met, he grinned slightly. "Spike just knows how to kill the mood, doesn't he?"

"Ah, don't let him get to you." Buffy stopped massaging Angel's shoulders, this time to trace a pattern on his chest with her fingers. "See, because I have a huge test tomorrow, and I'm *really* stressed out. I need to relax…" She made a puppy face.

Angel took the hint. Within mere moments, they were once again wrapped up in each other. Her hands were lost in her tangles of blonde hair. Her hands were furiously grabbing at the back of his neck. It seemed as if they couldn't get close enough. No, they both needed the connection. Angel felt his blood boil inside his veins as they desperately grabbed for each other, as if their lives depended on each other. These were the moments that nothing could compare to. Nothing.

******

"Relaxed yet?" Angel presumed as he stroked Buffy's hair away from her face. Somehow, the two of them had managed to fit next to each other on the narrow couch, covered in a thin blanket.

Buffy's eyes bulged. She sat up at attention. "I completely forgot about the test!"

"That was kind of the point," Angel replied gently.

"No, but Angel, I *have* to study. I can't *not* study for such a big test." Buffy grabbed the book from the coffee table, flipped on a light, and began flipping through it. She sat on the corner of her couch, hunched over with frustration.

His arm slid around her waist then, pulling her back against his chest. He kissed the back of her head. Angel felt her muscles relax as she rested her head against his chest. "I am *so* tired…" she whispered, half to herself, half to Angel.

"Then sleep," he suggested.

"But I have to study," she protested weakly in a whisper, her eyes starting to close.

Angel gently took the book from her hands and closed it, setting it aside. Then, pulling her close against him, they fell asleep to the sound of his heart.

*****

Angel didn't see Buffy until the following afternoon, and in his mind, that was too long of a time to be apart. But she entered his mansion as soon as her calculus class was over.

"And?" he asked.

"I got an A!" she exclaimed, standing on her tip-toes to wrap her arms around him. He kissed her in praise, and she whispered, "Thank you," in his ear, hugging him even tighter.

"See, all you needed was to relax…" Angel started.

"Because I did a lot of studying last night," Buffy declared sarcastically.

They both just grinned at each other.

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