Buffy was crying, as she had done so many times before, on Willow’s shoulder.
“When will I ever find love, Willow? When will that one guy come along?” Buffy looked up at her best friend, who looked down at her with sad eyes.
“You’ll find him Buffy.” And then when Buffy looked doubtful, “You will.”
“I just want my white night. My night in shining armor to come rescue me, to save me from the world.” Buffy broke into fresh tears.
“Buffy…” Willow hesitated. “Buffy, love isn’t a fairytale. It’s hard and it needs work…” she trailed off when she saw her friend’s thoughtful expression. “Buffy?”
Buffy, meanwhile, was thinking over Willow’s words… Love isn’t a fairytale… Where had she heard that before? This is not a fairytale… No, that wasn’t it… This isn’t some fairytale… Yes, that was it! Three, no, four years ago now! In the graveyard, someone held her by her shoulders… who was it? Angel. Of course, Angel, the one she loved and the one who had hurt her so much. He had said: “This isn’t some fairytale. When I kiss you, you don’t wake up from a deep sleep and live happily ever after.” Now, all these years later, practically the same words. Buffy slapped her forehead.
“Buffy, what?” Willow asked, concerned. Slowly, from the back of Buffy’s throat, a laugh bubbled up. She let it out. And then another. Soon she was in hysterics.
“Oh my God!” Buffy laughed out. She went over to the chair and grabbed her coat. “Oh my God!”
“Buffy, are you okay?” Willow asked. Buffy looked at her grinning, and then leaned down and kissed her friend on the forehead.
“You know what, Will?” Buffy asked, heading for the door. “I think I finally am.” Buffy turned the doorknob and was out of the room. Before Willow had any time to react, she was watching Buffy out of her window, watching her walk down the driveway, whispering to herself. Willow waved her hand and the spell worked quickly. “This isn’t some fairytale. Jesus. This isn’t some fairytale.” Willow heard Buffy’s voice repeated over and over in her mind, until she waved her hand again, and shut the hearing spell off. Willow turned away from the window as Buffy disappeared out of sight. She reached for the phone and dialed Xander’s number. She wondered if he had any idea what was up with the vampire slayer.
* * * * * * * * * *
Buffy burst through the doors of the Hyperion Hotel, in Los Angeles, California.
“Angel!” she called. “Ang—”
“Buffy! Calm down.” Cordelia’s voice rang out from behind the desk.
“Where’s Angel?” Buffy asked, smiling, out of breath.
“He’s in his room. Buffy, there’s something we should tell you…” But Buffy was already running upstairs, skipping steps three at a time.
Buffy flung open the doors of Angel’s room. He turned around in vampire visage, and immediately turned back when he saw her standing there. Angel was naked from the waist up, and still wet from a shower. He squinted at her, confused. “Buffy… wha—” But he didn’t get to finish his question. She leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Angel, I get it now. I finally get it.” She was smiling at him like he would understand what she was talking about.
“What do you get, Buffy?” He carried her over to the bed and sat down. He gently untangled her from around his body.
“Love isn’t a fairytale. It was never supposed to be.” She got up and walked around the room quickly. He still shook his head at her, having no idea what she was getting at. “We’ve been so stupid! Jesus, we’ve been stupid.”
“Buffy. Help me. Lay it out for me. What are you saying?”
“Angel, you left me, because you wanted me to have a normal life, but let’s be honest, I’m never going to have a normal life. What I do: it’s bigger than who I am. Sorry. It is who I am. I live my life in the dark. At night.” She finally stopped pacing to stare at him in his eyes. He felt a shiver go up and down his spine. “And I’m alone. I don’t have anyone to back me up.” Angel began to protest. “I know,” Buffy said. “Willow and Xander and Anya. I know. But they don’t truly comprehend the darkness. They don’t get it. But you do.” Buffy let her last phrase sink in before she continued. “Angel, when you turned around and you left me… I wanted to die. I wanted to curl up in a ball and let the world just go on without me. And then I was angry. I wanted you to suffer. I was mad that you made me hurt that much.”
“I know, Buffy. I…”
“No, wait. The point is, I felt like hell for months after you left, but… I didn’t try to stop you. I could have easily run over to you and looked at you and kissed you… and you would have stayed. No question, you would have stayed.” Angel nodded at these last words. “But I didn’t. I let you go. Because a part of me wanted something different. Someone who could take me into the sunlight. Someone who could have sex with me, because, let’s face it, sex is a big plus.” Angel smiled, and then looked sad that he couldn’t give her what she wanted. “But, Angel, I’ve been waiting for those things. Waiting and waiting for the whole package. For my fairytale. But I’ve been killing myself with the waiting. I’ve been trying to settle for someone who could make love to me and take me into the sunlight, over love. Because all along, I’ve loved you. I’ve never loved anyone but you.” He looked down into her eyes, opening his mouth to say something but not being able to form any words. “So, my point is. I should have you. Because love isn’t a fairytale. But we’re a lot luckier than most. Because at least we have love. And maybe I’ll never have the whole package. But I have you. Maybe you’ll never be human, and that’s okay. I mean, hey, once a month or whatever if we wanted to have sex I’m sure Willow could just wait outside and do the curse after we’re done… I mean, she’s gotten so good now she could probably just blink and do it…” Angel smiled and leaned down as if to kiss Buffy, before a voice broke their trance.
“Actually, he will turn human.” Cordelia leaned against the doorframe, her arms crossed in front of her. “Tonight. Midnight, to be exact.” Cordelia smiled, but not warmly.
Buffy turned to Angel, her brow furrowed, something was off. She reached up and stroked his face. “Angel, why didn’t you…”
Cordelia cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Angel. “Angel, sweet heart, why don’t you put a shirt on?”
It was then that Buffy noticed the diamond engagement ring that glittered so menacingly on Cordelia’s finger. Buffy’s gasp caught in her throat.
|
|
|
|
Rave
Barbie Girl (Becca)
biscuit07
Filmtheory (Jim)
Malice (Jess)
MebbtheScribe (MichaelB)
Reset (Allie)
Shay (Marrisa)
somnambulist29 (Shea)
Stephanie Loss
Wendyness (Wendy)
Questions?Contact Us
|
|
All stories on this site have been archived with the authors' consent. Do not copy these stories for your own uses without the express consent of the author themselves. Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM and Angel TM are © UPN, WB, Fox and its related entities. All photos on the site are © UPN, Fox, Warner Bros, and/or their respective owners. No profits are being made by use of these images.
Powered with the assitance of eFiction.
|
|
|
