disclaimer: all characters you recognize were created by Joss Whedon for the series BtVS, and do not belong to me.
distribution: if you have permission for the first series or either of the previous Dark Coffee's, then yes. Otherwise please ask first.
notes: AU season 2. Soul is gone, the scoobies don't know this. thank you to Gabrielle for the once-over and the title.
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Angelus sipped at his coffee, smiling at something Willow had said. It was Wednesday, time for their weekly coffee and chatting. Or at least, the time that she had been meeting Angel for coffee and chatting. She still didn't know that he wasn't the same Angel that he'd been when she'd first met him. That omission nagged at him far more than he'd thought it would, and he wasn't quite certain why.
"So, have you... have you tried to talk to them?" She sounded as if she wasn't quite certain that she should be asking. Willow glanced away as she asked, her eyes staring at the ripples on her coffee.
The question startled him, and for a moment, he couldn't quite figure out who she could mean by 'them'. But then her half guilty expression caught up, and it clicked - Spike and Dru. With a small smile, he nodded, and told her just a bit. "A little. Things.... A lot of things have changed, for me and them. You were definitely right about that."
"Does that mean that you.... umm, that you aren't being all angry and fighting with each other anymore, like you were when they first got here?" Willow sipped at her coffee, one hand toying with the pile of sugar wrappers. Willow didn't want to mention certain things in the middle of the Espresso Pump, and it made perfect sense why she wouldn't. "You... things were. not good between all of you then."
"No, no they weren't good at all." He considered that, thinking of how much better everything was with his children now that he wasn't delusionally in love with Buffy, or watching as people tried very unsuccessfully to kill them. "Spike's changed a lot over the years. Dru... really hasn't. But it's better now."
"I'm glad things are a bit better there." She offered a little smile, trying to cheer him up. Her hand tucked her hair back, and she blushed a bit as the next words slipped out. "You've just seemed... a bit unsettled, I guess, since you and Buffy... well, since you aren't together anymore."
Angelus winced, not happy that she'd noticed. At least she was blaming it on the end of things between... ugggh. That had to be one of the definite improvements of things now - no more dating the Slayer. He'd been noticing a few other differences as well. "Things... have been different since that night."
For several long moments, there was quiet at their table, broken only by the sipping of coffee and the gentle beating of Willow's heart. It was an oddly peaceful moment, the sort that he might have expected with his family, years ago, before the whole soul mess. But Willow wasn't family... right?
Willow glanced at her watch and sighed. "I suppose I'm going to have to go soon."
One eyebrow raised as he realized that, despite her words, she had made no move to get up from her seat. Raising his cup, he asked, "You have plans? Maybe something with that guitarist? Or have I lured you away from your homework?"
Willow blushed again, and glanced at her fingers. "Nothing so nice. Buffy asked me and Xander to join her on her umm, walk tonight."
"Willow?" He caught her attention, but then he wasn't quite certain what to say. Let Buffy die? Tempting, but it would definitely not sound like Angel. After sorting through a few options, he settled for a weak sounding "Be careful out there."
Willow moved, and gave him a quick hug as she whispered, "I'll try, thanks."
Angelus sat there for a while after that, feeling oddly warm and baffled. She'd hugged him. It was... weird, and he sort of liked it. Was this what it meant to have a friend?
As he slowly finished the coffee, not enjoying it nearly as much with Willow gone, he realized that he didn't want her patrolling out there with just Buffy and Xander to watch out for her. Willow was smart, and brave, but not really a good fighter. And Xander was too fixated on Buffy to watch out for Willow properly. He'd just have to follow and make certain that she was safe. He could be stealthy, and Buffy had always been terrible at sensing him, what could go wrong?
As he followed Willow to the cemetery, he absently wondered if Buffy ever changed her patrol patterns. It was a bit predictable, and made it very easy to find them. If he'd wanted to, he could have jumped out, snapped Xander's neck, grabbed Willow, and be departing before Buffy could notice that he was following them... But somehow, he didn't think Willow would be amused. There they were, and he really wasn't surprised. Willow was trailing in the rear, glancing from side to side. Buffy was talking, something about a guy in math class, with Xander hanging attentively on her every word.
Was the Slayer even paying attention for vampires or demons? She looked like she was just some teenage girl out for an evening stroll, having stupidly chosen a shortcut through a cemetery. He shook his head, and then caught sight of a pair of vampires trying to sneak up on Willow, the straggler of the group.
That wouldn't do at all. Carefully, he crept up behind them. Angelus shook his head as one minion stepped on a dried bunch of flowers, the stems crackling a little. The noise was enough to make Willow speed up, moving a bit closer to Buffy and Xander, and offer a nervous sounding, "Guys? Are you sure that there's no, you know, nothing out there following us?"
"Relax, Buffy's here, nothing's going to eat us." Xander shrugged, smiling at the Slayer.
Angelus gritted his teeth, and refrained from saying anything as he grabbed one minion, his hand over the idiot's mouth so that he couldn't yell. The stake pierced his heart with a soft popping, and the ashes fell almost silently to the ground, dusting over his shoes. With a small shake of one foot and a frown, he grabbed for the second minion. There was no way that he intended to stand by and watch some minion eat Willow. The second one might have been a bit smarter, or more cautious, because he tried to struggle as he was dragged back, and managed to kick over a dry floral wreath, which rattled against an urn of silk flowers.
"Did you hear that?" Xander jumped closer to Buffy.
"Yeah." Buffy had produced a stake from her jacket, and was looking around the cemetery.
Crouching on the ground, Angelus staked the minion, smirking at the way his eyes bulged in fear at the sight of the stake. No ashes got on his shoes this time. He could see the three between the tombstones, and he watched as Buffy scanned the area, visibly relaxing within seconds.
"It was probably just a raccoon or something. I'm not getting any vibes." The stake returned to her jacket, and she looped an arm through Xander and Willow's, towing them off with her. "So, there's supposed to be a new band at the Bronze on Friday..."
That was the Slayer. Damn if he'd trust her to watch out for Willow.
Angelus had no idea how Willow managed to keep smiling as Buffy chatted on about classes, and having heard that there would be a discount on the drinks on Friday in honor of the band, and listening to Buffy ramble on about Scott Hope, the guy from math class. It was obvious that Xander was trying to make Buffy notice him, and just as obvious that Willow didn't like watching Xander's efforts fail. It wasn't even as if Buffy was shooting Xander's attempted flirtations down, more as if she didn't even notice them. It was almost funny, actually.
He felt very relieved when Willow stopped outside the fifth cemetery, calling out a soft "I'm going to head home - there's that history paper for Friday..."
Buffy just gave a small wave at Willow's excuse, barely looking as if it mattered. "Right, I'll see you tomorrow at the library."
He was feeling much better as she made her way back towards her house. Away from Buffy, who he had no trouble sensing even if she apparently couldn't find him unless she was staring at his face. Willow pulled her jacket a bit closer around her body, and started to walk, her steps quick and light, as if she was afraid that she was being followed.
It turned out that she was closer than she knew. Not just because he was following her, which Angelus wasn't considering as a threat, but because about three blocks from the cemetery, someone else started to follow her. He looked like he should be close to her age, and had a heartbeat, as well as smelling like beer had been spilled over him. Angelus didn't like this - he couldn't see how this boy could have any sort of good intentions. Scowling, he moved closer.
"Stuck up little bitch... she just needs a real man to show her how to relax and have a little fun. Too much books in her life..." The mutters were full of anger and anticipation.
This wouldn't do at all. He could connect the dots and figure out the boy's plan, and it made him furious. This bratling child would not be touching and hurting Willow. With a low growl, Angelus grabbed the boy, one hand over his mouth as he pulled him back. No screams to bring unwanted attention - he couldn't afford that to happen here. His teeth ripped into the boy's throat, drinking deeply. Listening to Buffy and Xander had left him feeling hungry and annoyed anyhow, and blood was always good for soothing that.
He felt much better as the blood flowed, the flavor spiced with pain, fear, and alcohol. A tiny part of him noticed something - a small noise, like a squeak. As he let the body fall, he looked up, and his eyes met Willow's.
Her jaw had dropped, and her wide eyes made it clear that while it was dark, she could see enough to know what had happened. To know that he'd been feeding on the boy, maybe enough to know that the boy was dead.
He felt a cold tension forming in the pit of his stomach. He felt nervous, worried. And it all came down to how would this change things with Willow? It was an unwelcome feeling and an awkward question.
"Angel?" Her voice was high and nervous, and she swayed a bit before collapsing in a cold faint.
This was an unexpected complication.
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