And therefore my heart will bow, when dew
Is dropping sleep, until God burn time,
Before the unlabouring stars and you.
-- William Yeats, "He Tells of the Perfect Beauty"
The music was loud. The human crowd was even louder,
but even Angel had to admit he was having fun. So far
the Prom wasn't a total waste, except that he seemed
to have misplaced his mate somewhere in the crowd.
"They'll be back," Oz appeased, not looking the least
bit worried that Faith was also nowhere to be found.
"They could have been attacked," Angel reasoned,
looking out over the dance floor.
"They went to the bathroom," Oz replied, smiling
slightly. Angel growled under his breath and stood up
roughly.
"I'm going to find them!" he stated, turning around
and preparing to search the dance floor only to find
himself face to face with Buffy.
"Angel," she purred. "You came." She intertwined her
fingers with his. "I knew you would."
"Um, Buffy?" Oz called out as the blonde led the
vampire out onto the dance floor. She ignored him and
faced Angel as the seductive beat of the song began.
Oz sighed heavily and looked out over the crowd to
catch the eye of a very angry Willow.
** If I was your girl
Oh the things I'd do to you
I'd make you call out my name
I'd ask who it belongs to
If I was your woman
The things I'd do to you
But I'm not, so I can't
Then I won't, but,
If I was your girl **
"Buffy," Angel growled in warning, trying very hard
not to let his demon take control and beat her into a
pulp. "You know I don't want you."
"But you do, Angel," she replied with a seductive grin
as she ground her hips against him.
"No, Buff, I don't," he smirked, "You're confusing
yourself with Willow again." Her eyes grew cold.
"Do you think she can compete with me?" she hissed.
"She doesn't have to," Angel replied, bending his head
down to whisper in her ear. "She's already won me."
"Bastard," Buffy ground out.
"Why, Buff?" he asked with complete innocence.
"Because you're delusional? Because you don't
understand that I love Willow?"
"If you love Willow so much, why aren't you with her
instead of out here with me?" she smirked.
"Because you didn't give me much of a chance to
escape," he replied, returning her smirk. Buffy caught
a faint flash of movement heading for the gym doors.
"Well, as fun as this conversation was, it's moot.
Your whore just ran out the doors," Buffy grinned.
Angel's head snapped around to see the gym doors
slamming shut.
"If she gets hurt...." Angel trailed off letting the
threat hang in the air as he turned and ran out the
doors.
"You know, B," Faith commented, walking up to stand
beside Buffy. "You can be a real bitch."
"I'm just claiming what's mine," Buffy replied,
staring at the doors.
"Really?" Faith shrugged. "Ever occur to you that Fang
was never yours?" With that, the brunette walked over
to Oz and pulled the boy out onto the dance floor.
******
Angel after Willow as fast as he could, and he finally
caught up with her in the park.
"Willow!" he called out, trying to get her to stop
running; she didn't acknowledge him. "WILLOW!" he
screamed stopping in the middle of the path. She
halted her flight and turned to face him. His heart
broke at the sight of her tears. "Willow," he
whispered, covering the distance between them and
reaching a hand out to her. She took a step back from
him.
"Don't touch me," she ordered softly, meeting his
eyes. "Don't ever touch me again."
"Willow--" he began, preparing to explain.
"Why aren't you with her?" she snapped. "Why aren't
you fucking her brains out?" His eyes widened at her
language, but her only reaction was to break into
sobs.
"You know why," he replied.
"Because you love me?" she replied; he nodded. "What
if I don't believe that?" She turned her back to him.
"You were using me to make her jealous." Angel grolwed
softly and grabbed her arms, pulling her roughly back
agaisnt him. "What are you doing?" she whispered. His
only reply was a low snarl.
Angel spun her around quickly and pushed her back from
him; she tripped on her heels and landed on her butt.
"Angel?" Willow as looking up at him, a bolt of fear
lacing through her. He looked down at her with the
eyes of an animal. "Oh, God," she whimpered. He
suddenly dropped to the ground and pinned her down,
holding her wrists away as she brought her hands up to
fight him. Angel stared down into her eyes, and she
watched as the beast in his eyes dissolved leaving only
Angel.
"If I was using you," he stated calmly, "I would have
left you long ago." He released her wrists and traced
the scars on her neck. "You are my mate. *You*."
Willow relaxed slightly, and Angel relaxed his grip on
her other wrist. They stared at each other for a
moment then Willow arched an eyebrow and Angel
narrowed his eyes in suspiscion just as Willow's fist
clocked him on the side of the face. He rolled off of
her.
"What was that for?" he rowled, shifting into vampire
face. "Pinning you to the ground? Because I deserved
it."
"No," she replied, crawling over to him. She kissed
him gently. "That was for pinning me down. The punch
was for dancing with Buffy."
"Ah," Angel nodded, stroking his check where her fist
had impacted.
"I'm sorry," she smiled, touching the red mark.
"No, you aren't," he replied, grinning and pulling her
into his lap. "My mate?" he whispered, touching the
bite mark.
"Your mate," she replied, reacing up and pulling his
head down even with hers. "Mine?" she purred.
"All yours," he smiled, kissing her lightly. Willow
pulled away and pillowed her head on his chest. She
looked around at the park then set upright. Angel
looked down curiously.
"Do you realize where we are?" she asked. He glanmced
around then realization dawned. "The place where you
marked me." She smiled faintly. "Our first time."
Angel pulled her back against his chest, and they set
in silence.
"Wanna re-christen it?" Angel smirked, breaking the
silence.
"Is that all you think about?" Willow grinned, rolling
her eyes.
"Yes," he replied, nodding his head.
*FIN*