SPRING FLING (6/?)
 

Angel looked at the redhead, a small frown marring his handsome face. It had
been three days since the night in the library where Willow had agreed to
help with the dance. The night before, she hadn't come over at all. She had
called, telling him that she was going to Cordy's to discuss decorations.
Decorations! She had decided that she wanted to sit around and discuss
streamers and balloons rather than be with him. He knew he was being stupid.
Hell, he was acting like a child. Jealous of balloons. Yet, it was there. He
had missed her being with him and that had just been one missed night. He
hadn't realized until he faced his empty apartment just how much her visits
meant to him. Sure, he knew he cared about her, wanted her, cherished her,
loved her. But, surprisingly, even his demon had seemed lonely, cagey,
restless without her. For the first time in many, many years, he and his
demon both agreed on something. They both wanted Willow.
 

"And I can't believe I said yes," Willow finished as she continued doing her
math homework. When only silence greeted her, she looked up with a puzzled
expression. She froze when she saw Angel watching her, his dark eyes staring
at her with an intensity that surprised her. His dark eyes were, as usual,
impossible to read. Just once she wished she'd look into them and clearly see
what he was thinking. "Angel?"
 

Angel jerked slightly at her use of his name, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry,
Willow. My mind was elsewhere."
 

"Oh," she said, feeling stupid suddenly. She had been talking to him for who
knew how long yet he hadn't heard a word she had been saying. She looked back
at her homework, wondering if she was bothering him by being around all the
time. Maybe he was tired of her visits after school. She had just assumed he
enjoyed their time together as much as she did since he had never said
anything to the contrary. Now, she had to wonder how much was him enjoying
and how much was him just not wanting to hurt her feelings.
 

"Willow, stop," he ordered softly, knowing what she was thinking even if she
wasn't looking at him.
 

"Stop what? Doing my homework? I can't cause it's pretty important to my
grade," she babbled, hating him for knowing her so well but loving him for
understanding her at the same time.
 

"I missed you yesterday," he said quietly, watching her look up sharply. He
smiled softly as he read the disbelief in her green eyes. "That's what I was
thinking about. I didn't mean to ignore you. I was just caught up in my
thoughts and didn't realize that you'd started talking."
 

"You were thinking about me?" she whispered, feeling a small shockwave of
awareness move over her body. That burning intensity had been caused by
thoughts of her? She didn't believe him. But, Angel had never really lied to
her. "You missed me?"
 

He nodded, "Yes. It was quiet."
 

She smiled slightly, "I thought you liked the quiet."
 

He had to smile as she reminded him of his words the first few times that she
had come over to visit. He had believed she had only come over because she
felt sorry for him so he'd insisted that he was fine, that he liked the quiet
and being by himself. At the time, he had meant those words. "I do, just not
without you to share it with."
 

Her breath caught at his softly spoken words. What was he trying to say? Was
he trying to say anything or was she merely suffering from too much talk
about decorations and dances? Maybe she was really asleep right now and
imagining that all this was happening. "I missed being here."
 

"Good," he smiled slightly, not pushing it. She was clearly confused, her
face puzzled. He settled back in his chair, asking, "Did you girls get
anything decided last night?"
 

She sighed, rolling her eyes, "I got to listen to Buffy and Cordelia argue
over everything from colors to materials to food. Not a lot of fun. That's
what I was telling you about earlier....I wish I'd never told Cordy yes."
 

"Maybe it won't be so bad," he said.
 

"It just seems so silly, really. I mean, I'm not even going. Why should I
spend so much time working on it?" she asked, laughing. "I'm a sucker for a
friend in need, I guess."
 

Angel watched her go back to her homework, a scowl crossing his lips. He
hated to admit it, but he was mad. Mad that she hadn't asked him to go to the
dance with her. It was so silly. Just a stupid high school dance. But, they
were friends. Did that mean she'd rather miss the dance rather than ask him
and be seen with him? He closed his eyes, understanding that she was shy. It
probably didn't mean anything that she wasn't asking him. She wouldn't ask
anyone. His eyes opened and narrowed as he felt a rush of possessiveness pass
over him at the thought of her asking some pimply faced teenager. She was
his, damn it. Why the hell couldn't she see it? And why couldn't he find the
words or actions to let her know how he felt? Why did he feel so scared when
faced with the choice of remaining silent or risking losing her to confess
this growing need he had for her?
 

"All done," she said, shutting her book and smiling at him. She saw his look
and got up, moving into the kitchen for something cool to drink. She was
thirsty, plus he didn't look like he was having pleasant thoughts. She didn't
understand him. True, that one of the things that intrigued her about him,
but it was also downright annoying as hell sometimes. He drops the bombshell
that he missed her, doesn't enjoy even the silence without her only to get
drawn back into his mind with a scowl and angry looking eyes. She knew that
he didn't mean for his words to sound like they did. He had meant them to be
merely friendly, affection between friends. He had no idea that her mind
would make them into some quite decleration of feelings that he could never
possibly have for her. She really needed to forget that particular dream and
get back in touch with reality.
 

She was still standing by his refridgerator when she heard the sound of a
chair moving against the tile. She turned, startled to find that he had snuck
in on her and was sitting there watching her with an amused look on his
handsome face. No man deserved to be that good looking, she decided crossly.
"What?"
 

He shrugged, smiling, "I noticed you were gone. I did it again, didn't I?"
 

"I didn't notice," she lied, not wanting him to know that she had just now
been caught thinking about him. "I was thirsty."
 

"Hence the reason you now have a soda," he said dryly, his smile making the
words less than serious.
 

"Quite the little joker, aren't we?" she said, rolling her eyes.
 

"How many nights does that committee thing meet?" he asked, wanting to know
how many nights he'd wake to an empty apartment.
 

"I don't know," she said honestly. "I figured that I'd help at lunch or
before school anyway. I have important things after school. Much more
important than decorations for some silly dance."
 

He smiled, pleased by her words. "I wasn't aware that school dances were
silly. I've always heard such good things about them, though I've never been
to one before."
 

"You aren't missing anything," she said, making a face. "I went to one my
freshman year with Jesse and Xander and it was horrible. I sat alone all
night and no one except for those two even spoke to me. Well, except for
Cordelia who had something really nasty to say. I don't even remember what,
so I guess it wasn't really all that hurtful."
 

"Let's go get something to eat," he said abrubtly as he stood. He had given
her every indication that he wanted to go to the dance with her. Did she
acknowledge that with an invitation? Noooo...he sighed, knowing that he
really did want to go to the dance with her to not only make up for that
horrid experience she had told him about, but also to let people know that
she was his, that they could look but not touch or else. His eyes narrowed as
his demon snarled. Hell, he didn't even want them looking. He considered just
asking her, but it was a Sadie Hawkins. That meant she had to ask him. Well,
he a bit more than a week to work on her. He smiled, a determined look
entering his eyes as they left his apartment. He would figure out some way to
get her to ask him. He could be charming and convincing. He'd think of
something. He loved her, and damn it, he was going to attend the Spring Fling
with the beautiful redhead in his arms.
 

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