SPRING FLING (4/?)
 

Willow laughed softly, her face lit with amusement as her hair fell over her
forehead. She rolled her eyes, "You're nuts."
 

Angel just smiled, "Am not."
 

"Are too," she argued.
 

He reached over, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He saw their green depths
widen at the contact and he moved his hand, looking away as his smile faded
slightly. His fingertips burned from the brief contact and he could hear the
change in her heartbeat. Looking at the table, he said, "Am not."
 

Willow cleared her throat, resisting the urge to touch the spot that he had
just touched. Her laughter died as she nodded, "OK. You're not."
 

He glanced at her, his eyes narrowing at her agreement. Usually, she'd
deliberately argue with him, laughing as she did. He saw the pale blush
covering her cheeks and started to smile a slow, sensual smile. She was
affected by him, he realized. All this time he had believed it to be merely
one sided. He had thought that he was the only one that believed there could
be something more than friendship existing between the two of them. He
studied her face, wondering if it was merely physical. He knew that she found
him attractive. He just had no idea if she could ever consider being anything
more than friends. Hell, it had taken him months to earn her friendship. He
didn't want to jeopardize losing it, but he also hated not having her the way
that he wanted her. Not being able to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her
secrets that lovers shared. He shook his head, deciding that the library was
not the place for a serious soul-searching talk with himself. He was about to
challenge her change of opinion when the door opened. He sighed, rolling his
eyes when he saw Cordelia come in with Xander in tow. "Great," he muttered,
pulling the closet book towards him and opening it.
 

Willow smiled slightly at Angel's word, looking at the handsome vampire from
under her lashes. She watched his long fingers flip pages, noticing how
careful he was with the delicate pages of the book. She couldn't keep her
mind from wandering, from imagining those fingers touching her skin. She
wondered if he would be as gentle with her as he was with the book. She
closed her eyes, cursing her inner voices for bringing forward such
tantalizing images in an entirely inappropriate place. "Hey guys."
 

"Willow, Deadboy," Xander greeted as he pulled out a chair and sat down near
the opposite end of the table. He couldn't help smiling as his dark eyes
swept over the two, noticing the flush on Willow's cheeks and the way that
Angel seemed a bit too preoccupied with the book.
 

"Willow, that color looks great on you," Cordelia said sweetly as she sat
down, focusing all of her attention on the redhead.
 

"Huh?" Willow looked down and then looked back at the cheerleader.
 

"It makes your hair radiant," Cordelia said. "Really brings out the redness."
 

"Ok...What do you want?" Willow asked, rolling her eyes.
 

"Me?" Cordelia asked innocently, batting her eyes.
 

"Cordelia," Willow said, her tone warning.
 

"Fine," Cordelia made a face. "I do have a teensy little favor."
 

"Why does that scare me?" Willow muttered, causing Angel to snort as he
turned a page in the book.
 

"Hey guys," Buffy said as she entered the library. She yawned, putting down
her bag as she sat beside Willow. She glanced over the redhead, noticing how
close Angel was sitting and smiled, rolling her hazel eyes. Those two needed
to get a clue.
 

"Buffy, you look lovely today," Cordelia said, smiling sweetly at the slayer.
 

"Oh, great," Willow said, laughing. "She's after something, Buffy. Don't
trust her."
 

"I don't need you to tell me not to trust her," Buffy whispered in a loud
voice before smiling a fake smile at Cordelia, "Cordy, thank you so much. And
here I thought the sweaty, just spent two hours sparring with my watcher
wearing a pair of old ratty sweats look was so last year."
 

"You know, you two could be a bit nicer," Cordelia said, making a face.
 

"She is trying," Xander said softly, hating that Cordelia seemed to have lost
everything just to be with him. He knew that his friends liked Cordelia,
well, tolerated her at least. He just wished sometimes that they could
actually be friends with the brunette. She was actually a much different
person than you might expect when you got to know her.
 

"Sorry, Xan," Willow said, smiling sincerely at Cordelia. "Cordelia, forgive
us. It's been a long day. You mentioned a favor?"
 

"Nevermind," Cordelia said, sighing.
 

"Come on, Cor," Buffy said, exchanging a look with Willow.
 

Cordelia studied her nail for a few minutes before looking at the blonde and
redhead. She leaned forward, saying the words that she had been dreading,
"It's the Spring Fling."

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