Rating: PG-13 (kissing and gambling)
Disclaimer: All characters (except for the game announcer) belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, the WB, etc.
Distribution: Anyone who has my other stories can just slap this one up too. Anyone else, just send me a note with the addy so I can force friends to visit.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Author’s Notes: Well, guess who spent the better part of last
week gambling at the local street fair? The game mentioned in the story
is known locally as “the pills.” I don’t know if it’s just a western PA
thing, or if it’s played in other places, too. Hopefully, I did a decent
job of explaining the basic concept for those of you who have never heard
of it before. Big thanks go to Joy, my beta, who agreed that Xander would
be a slave to the cake stand; also a thank-you to Kate, who always makes
sure to give great feedback.
Finally, to Emma: Hope this cheers you up a little!
This is a sequel to Stargazing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The Sunnydale street fair was in full swing around Willow as she stood at the pill table. The scents of french fries, green peppers, and cotton candy hung in the air, but Willow didn't notice. She was too focused on the game in front of her. She watched the small rubber ball bounce off the far wall of the table, then roll toward the numbered board in front of her. It wobbled for a moment before finally settling in the depression numbered "15." Willow let out a cry of victory, thrusting into the air the small round bead she held.
"And Willow wins again! You're hot tonight, Red!" The game announcer gave her a quick smile as he gathered the pills the losing patrons had tossed back to the table. Willow grabbed the heap of dollar bills thrust toward her, quickly pulling out two for the next round. The rest she shoved into her already stuffed jeans pocket to be sorted later. She accepted the next pill the announcer rolled to her, then stood quietly, listening as the man tried to sell off the last remaining pill.
"One left, folks. Who wants it? C'mon, someone to beat Red this time!"
"I'll take it." A voice spoke over her left shoulder, and a pale hand passed money to the announcer. Willow stiffened, then glanced back to visually confirm what her ears had already told her.
Noting her change in posture, Angel gave her a slightly wicked grin, and leaned over to speak softly into her ear. "Who knows, I may get lucky." He let his gaze travel over her form, amazed by how sexy she could make a plain white tank top and a pair of blue jeans look.
Willow, meanwhile, was trying unsuccessfully to focus on the game instead of the handsome vampire at her shoulder. The memory of Angel's kiss the night before was still confusing to her. She hadn't really had time to analyze the what had happened between them, having spent the rest of the night and the greater part of the day with Buffy.
"Ace!" Willows thoughts were broken by the announcer's shout, as the ball settled into the depression marked "1."
"Right here." Angel's hand brushed against Willow's arm as he reached to collect his winnings. She tried to step aside to give him some room, but the crowd gathered around the table allowed her little movement. Angel used that advantage to press himself more firmly against Willow, resting one hand on her shoulder. He continued to go through the motions of playing the game, but his mind was far more focused on the girl standing in front of him. He knew he was making her nervous, and the darker side of him enjoyed it. The sound of her increased heartbeat was almost hypnotic, as was the sight of the lights from various games and rides reflecting off her hair every time she moved her head to watch the progress of the small rolling ball.
Several rounds later, Willow's nerves were stretched to the breaking point. The feel of Angel's cool hand on her warm skin was giving her goose bumps, and the way he kept gently rubbing his thumb across the spot where her shoulder met her neck was driving her crazy. Thankfully, her sudden run of bad luck gave her the excuse she was looking for to leave the table. "So much for my winning steak," she said ruefully to the game announcer as she gathered what was left of her winnings and prepared to leave the table.
"Well, you know what they say..." The announcer smiled and glanced knowingly between the hacker and the vampire. "Unlucky at pills, lucky at love!"
Willow felt her face warm as a flush spread over her features. "Um, I think that's only with cards," she mumbled, sneaking a quick glance at Angel. He was grinning openly at the man's words, his gaze focused on the blushing red-head. Feeling even more embarrassed, she shrugged his hand off and began walking away, threading her way as quickly as possible through the slow moving crowd.
Angel caught up with her just as she reached the outskirts of the fair. "Willow, wait. Where are you going?" When she continued to move away, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Willow?" The scent of tears hit him strongly, and though she kept her head bowed, he knew she was crying. Concern rose in him, and he gently reached down to cup her delicate face in his large, strong hands. "Baby, what is it?"
When she replied, it was only his enhanced vampire senses that allowed him to hear her words. "You were laughing at me."
"What!" Angel was completely baffled by the statement.
"You and the game announcer. You both were laughing at me. At the idea that a man like you would want a girl like me." When he started to protest, she shook her head, cutting him off in a voice thick with tears. "It's okay. I mean, I sort of understand. I know how the world works. I know that the Angels of the world go for the Buffy and the Cordelia types. You know, the ones who are really special, or really pretty, or both. The plain, boring Willows of the world never even register. I mean, sometimes they're okay for a little diversion, like last night, but they can never be anything more than that. I've understood it for a long time. It's just hard to actually accept sometimes." She shrugged sadly, refusing to meet his gaze.
As she explained, Angel's expression became more and more incredulous. "You really believe this?" He shook his head in disbelief. "First off, you are neither plain, nor boring. You are so incredibly beautiful. I wish I could make you believe that." He smiled wistfully as he tucked a strand of copper hair behind her ear, ignoring the way she disbelievingly rolled her eyes. "And you're so smart, sometimes it frightens me." He paused for a moment, then chuckled softly. "Well, except for your theory on the kind of women that men like me fall for. That's completely off the mark." He grew more serious as he explained. "Usually, the "Buffys" and the "Cordelias" are the distractions. They are too self-absorbed to be in a real relationship. On the surface, things may look fine, but that's all that exists. A false surface." At her slight look of confusion, he elaborated. "Take my relationship with Buffy. She was in love with the "souled Angel." The man who had no trace of "Angelus" in him. But that's not who I am. You said so yourself, last night. I have a very dark side to me. I try to suppress it, but there are times I can't. Buffy couldn't accept that. She wouldn't even admit it existed. She even went so far as to ignore my being a vampire to an extent. I can't tell you the number of times she carelessly opened curtains or a door during the day. I got singed quite a few times. But you, on the other hand, have always accepted what I am. It was never a big deal to you. And you didn't feel the need to go out of your way to prove that my vampirism didn't bother you. You just took me for what I am, no more, no less. I never told you how much that means to me." He smiled softly at her, gently tracing her cheekbone with the flat of his thumb.
Willow stood quietly for a moment, allowing herself to enjoy his soft touch. Then she pulled back slightly, finally raising her eyes to meet his. There was still one thing she didn't understand. "What were you laughing at, then?"
The same grin he wore at the pill table graced Angel's face once again. "Well, Tiger, I was laughing because you're just so damn cute when you blush like that!" At his words, Willow’s face again flushed, and Angel's smile became even wider. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was talking about." Unable to resist, be bent his head to brush her lips with his.
Willow jerked back immediately. "Angel! Public place, where Buffy, and Xander, and goddess knows who could be watching!"
He rolled his eyes at her violent reaction. “Willow, you know as well as I do that vampires see all public after-dark gatherings as an all-you-can-eat buffet. Buffy’s would be too busy patrolling to even notice us if she did pass by. And knowing Xander, he’s probably completely enthralled with the cake stand right now.” He leaned down and gave her a very slow, very deliberate kiss, then whispered softly, ”As for everyone else, well, let them watch.” He paused to study her for a moment, his lips turning up in a playful smile. "Although, you could be right. Maybe we should continue this somewhere more private." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
Willow groaned. "Two hundred and forty years old, and you're still such a guy sometimes. Come on, you can walk me home. But you are only going to see me to the door, like the gentleman you are." They began walking away from the bright lights of the street fair, toward Willow's quiet neighborhood. After a few moments of silence, Willow hesitantly began to speak. "Angel, I don't want to seem like I'm trying to rush things, or anything, but... What is going on here? Between you and me, I mean?"
Angel took her hand in his and squeezed it gently. "I don't really know, Will. All I know is that I feel really comfortable with you-- comfortable enough to be completely myself. And I would hope you feel the same way around me. After all, we've already established the fact that I have a good idea of what the real you is like, my little Tiger," he said referring to the conversation they'd shared under the stars. "So I guess we just ride it out, see where it takes us. Is that all right with you?"
Willow thought about it for a minute before replying. "Yes, for now it is. It seems like I spend so much time planning out my life, it feels good to just let things go where fate takes them." She contentedly leaned her head against his broad shoulder as they continued walking to her home. There were still a lot of emotions she had to sort out over this relationship. But that could wait until the next day. Until then, she just wanted to enjoy the peaceful moment for as long as it would last.
The End