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Part 10

His entire body was vibrating with the sense of her so close after so long, but he had to wait. There was still a chance that she'd run if she saw him now. He dogged her trail invisibly, in full stealth-mode, until he saw her walk along the side of one of the houses, and when she unlocked the basement door, he was right behind her. "Willow..." he purred, trying to keep his voice from revealing his excitement as he pressed himself fully against her back, propelling her inside. She turned swiftly towards him, and... it was like looking directly into Heaven, to see the look on her face.
 

She'd been terrified when she'd felt the big, hard body pushing her into her apartment, and she'd actually been cursing herself for not paying close enough attention when his voice registered on her mind, and... "Angel..." she whispered, eyes wide as she turned. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, and her palms were suddenly sweaty, but... "I'm *dreaming* again, aren't I?" she said softly, "Or else I'm insane..." She moved swiftly to the small lamp she could barely make out in the dim room, and switched it on.

Angel shook his head slowly, stepping closer as she continued to stare. "You're not crazy," he nearly moaned, just the smell of her driving him nearly mad, "And you're not asleep, Will..." His hands moved determinedly and closed on her hips, pulling her tightly against him. "This is *real*."

All the air in her lungs flew from her in one shaky gasp, and she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. "It can't be," she insisted, "You can't be..."

"Hush," he ordered, covering her lips with his when she would have spoke on. The dreams had been nothing compared to the reality of her in his arms, even fully clothed. He plundered her mouth desperately until she melted against him, and his hands slid down, cupping her ass as he lifted her. "Mine," he whispered against her lips, carrying her swiftly through the open door of the small bedroom.

Her head was spinning, even as he lay her on the bed and lowered himself over her. This couldn't be real; it just *couldn't*! But there he was, and... she gasped when he thrust his pants-covered erection lightly against her, and her legs wrapped around him, as if by instinct. His tongue was sweeping joyously through her mouth, and... she'd been right. She would accept him on whatever terms he wanted, regardless of what he did or didn't feel. "Angel..." she moaned, pulling back from his lips as she slid her hands between their bodies, and "Angel..." again, a sigh this time, as her fingers plucked desperately at the buttons of his shirt.

He'd hoped-- *Gods* how he'd hoped-- that she wouldn't push him away, but it had been only in his most optimistic thoughts that she'd respond this way! But her hands were pulling the cotton back from his shoulders, and her legs were tight around him, and... "Will," he almost sobbed, getting up from the bed.

She thought her heart would break when he stood, but then his hands went to the waist of his pants, and his speed in peeling the remainder of his clothes from his body was only matched by her own, and then... Then he was there with her again, his big cool body tense at her side. Her eyes held his, even as his hands began roaming her skin, and the desire and need she saw there was enough, she told herself. It was more than some couples had, after all. Her eyes slammed closed then, a small whimper flying from her throat as his soft lips closed tenderly over one tightly budded nipple. Her fingers wound themselves in his hair, and she gave herself over to the pure pleasure of his touch.

She was even more amazing than she'd been in his dreams. Of course, he figured that shouldn't surprise him. They'd been *her* dreams, too, after all, and she'd never understood just how wonderful she actually was. But her skin was the softest thing he'd ever known, and she tasted of vanilla and cinnamon, and something purely Willow, and the way she responded to him was just... unbelievable. He licked his way slowly to her other pert breast, moaning low in his throat when her fingers tightened in his hair. He'd been more asleep than not the last time he'd truly made love to her, though, and... as much as his body was screaming out for him to just... *take* her, he was going to make this *last*. His hands slid beneath her ribs when she arched against his mouth, and he held her there, nipping gently at her tense nipple between soft licks.

Gods, he was incredible! That was the only thought that kept racing through her mind. He was incredible, and he was touching her, and if his deep growl-y moans were any indication, he was *enjoying* it! A small part of her knew that it was only because of the bond he'd formed by accident, but... the rest of her chose to ignore that bit of knowledge and just... revel in him. In his touch. "Angel..." she moaned breathlessly when his lips slid smoothly down her torso. She remembered how good he was with his mouth. "No..." she made herself say, her fingers tugging hard at his hair.

*No*? He shook his head, convinced he hadn't heard her right. "Will...?" he said, stunned, even as her hands drew him away from her skin. There was no way he could stop now, and she should *know* that! A growl built quickly in his throat, his demon demanding that he just... ignore her words and have at her. He forced it back, though, and accepted its thanks and apology when his witch pushed him gently onto his back.

He'd stopped her, she remembered, in the dream that had started all this drama. She'd wanted to take him in her mouth, and he'd *stopped* *her*! But she'd be damned if she wasn't going to taste him *now*. "Hush," she said softly, deliberately echoing his earlier command, "Let me do this." She pulled her eyes from his without waiting for any reply, and let her fingers skim lightly over his ribs. A sly grin crossed her lips when his skin twitched, and she swiftly lowered her mouth to one small, tight male nipple. He tasted of cloves, she thought, just faintly... a slight spicy flavour that made her curious as to how much of his body tasted that way. Of course, she reminded herself, she was going to find out! Her lips traveled slowly across his chest, pausing to toy with the other nipple, and she giggled silently at his groan when she slid farther down his cool, tight flesh. She could feel the small tremblings in his muscles, hear the soft, grunting moans slipping from his lips, and... when she finally took the thick, seeping head of his beautiful cock between her lips...? A deep shiver began in the pit of her stomach.

His hands were clutching desperately at the sheets beside him, and his eyes were both golden and rolled back. He'd never dared to imagine this moment; not even in the dreams they'd shared, and now he knew why. Her soft, tender lips were beyond perfect around him. Her hands on his skin, even as she took him deep into her hot throat, were gentle and fierce all at once, and it was everything he could do to hold back. To not arch into her sweet, hot mouth until he choked her with his need. "Willow!" he squeaked, as she pulled back, then engulfed him fully again, "Will...!"

Every part of her was thrumming wildly to the tune of her desire; every inch of her skin was tingling with delight. He was so hard, and so thick and long in her mouth, and that flavour she'd loved so much was more intense here, and Gods!, she wondered if she could even *bear* any more! One hand crept swiftly between his legs, and her fingers danced gently against his lightly-haired sac, and... Suddenly her mouth was empty, and she was staring down into his wide golden eyes.

"No." he said intently, "Not like that. Not right now." His fingers slid from her hair and down her back until finally coming to rest on her softly rounded hips. "I need to be..." His words died a swift death as she slid back on him, and he groaned deep and loud while she positioned herself above him. "Willow..." he sighed, the word hissing its way past his fangs as she slowly... fully... impaled herself on his hungry, aching shaft.

Her own eyes grew wider and wider as she slowly took each throbbing inch of him into her tight, wet core, and she moaned deeply when he was finally within her to the hilt. His fingers were tight on her skin, and his chest was hard and cool beneath her hands, and she couldn't for the life of her remember why she'd run away from him. "Gods... Angel..." she murmured, even as he began moving beneath her. She tensed her legs, rising from him, and gloried in his deep growl as she slid back down. Her green-eyed gaze locked on his face, and she watched the impulses chasing each other across his too-revealing expression as she continued her motions. "Angel..." she moaned again, the earlier shiver in her womb growing into full-blown tremors. Her fingers dug hard into his heaving chest, and she gasped out the first of many cries as his coarse, thick curls ground hard against her pulsing nub.

He'd never known this sort of bliss before in his entire existence, and when he felt her tightening even more around him, he knew. It would have been like this with her even *without* the claiming. It would have taken them a lot longer to get to this point, but they *would* have, eventually, and... He growled softly, his hips arching from the bed as he strove to drive himself even further into the perfect sheath of his witch. He stared up into her eyes for a moment as she continued to ride him, and when he felt her explode again, he pulled her down hard against his chest, his fingers dancing in the hair at the nape of her neck. "Trust me...?" he said, a good bit of begging thrown into his demanding tone.

"Always," she moaned, unable to lie. Her heart tripped in triple-time while he rolled them, his hard cock driving even deeper within her tender core. "Always," she said again, meeting his eyes.

One hand slowly rose to the base of his neck, and he sliced quickly at his skin, shivering slightly at the bare edge of pain. "Be my Mate, Will," he demanded softly, smiling slightly at the surprise in her face. He watched her expression start to close down, and almost cursed himself when he remembered the things she'd said in their dreams. "I *do* love you," he said desperately, praying to whatever Gods could hear that she'd listen. "Not the way I loved Buffy, but that was doomed from the start. No, I love you like I love *you*... I think I always have." He could see how much she wanted to believe him; see the brightness just waiting to shine in her eyes, and... there was no way he could stop now. "I love everything about you. Your smile. Your wit. Your sometimes frightening intelligence. Your sweet, tight little body. The way you look at me. The way you challenge me. *All* of it, Willow!" A small grin spread across his lips, and he pressed himself harder into her too-perfect heat. "And I *love*," he continued, emphasizing his words with another swift, deep thrust of his hips, "The way you love me. With no reservations. With every part of you-- body, mind, heart, and soul. I love you that way, too. The man, the demon, and everything in between... *All* of me loves you. I just didn't know it at first." He swallowed hard and re-opened the wound on his neck. "Be my Mate," he said again, his heart melting when she nodded.

She would have said yes anyway, she knew, but... Gods, to hear him say that! She wished she could find it in herself to believe him completely, but... she *almost* did, and that was enough-- for the moment. Her hand slid around his neck, and she pulled him closer, her eyes closing as she fastened her lips around the slightly seeping wound. Whole new vistas opened in her mind with her first taste of him, and suddenly... she could *feel* it! That love he'd spoken of was right there in front of her, and she couldn't help but grab on to it with every fibre of her being. Tears formed in her eyes, and she sobbed happily against his skin as she continued to drink him in. Finally, though, the wound sealed itself, and she found herself licking slowly at his skin while he rocked within her, purring. Her eyes opened, and she pulled back slightly, staring deep into his quietly hot golden eyes. "Angel..." she sighed, pulling his sharp-toothed mouth to the still-unhealed mark he'd given her, and she moaned softly as he slid his fangs home.

He loved the taste of her, almost as much as he loved the *rest* of her, but she was weak from the time they'd been apart, and he didn't want to make her any more so. He pulled away slowly, after a scant sip or two, his body reminding him of the release he hadn't yet found in her. "Love you, Will," he said again, letting his human face re-emerge as he began moving within her once more. His eyes closed, and he focused on the sensation of really being with her, his deep thrusts coming faster and harder when her fingers found their way to his flexing ass. "Love you," he groaned, the tension gathering at the base of his spine, and when she arched hard against him, crying out her final fulfillment, he roared himself, spilling his cool, viscous seed deep within her tender womb. He collapsed on her for a few minutes, breathing hard against her neck, and when he had finally recovered, he raised his head. His arms slid beneath her still-trembling body, and he rolled carefully onto his back, pulling her over him. "Come home with me, Willow," he pleaded, "Please. Come home."

She could barely even think, much less talk, but somehow she managed to nod against his chest. There was no other choice; not really. Somehow, regardless of how it had come about, she was right where she was supposed to be... in Angel's arms. As his Mate. She nodded again, grinning at the relieved sigh he released, and slowly... gently... moved from him, his moan of disappointment at slipping from her center echoed by her own. But she pressed herself tightly to his side, smiling when his arm wrapped around her and pulled her even closer. Her hand rested gently on his ribs, and the smile remained as she drifted off into a deep and restful healing sleep.

They'd still have to deal with the fallout in Sunnydale, Angel knew, and he needed to find out why the Powers hadn't wanted him to have his witch yet. But that was something to think about later. After they were home. He smiled then, almost unable to believe that Willow was his, but... she was. And that was the thought that kept him smiling as he followed her into slumber.

End-- pt. 10

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