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Ch. 8: Beautiful Words

When Buffy emerged from her room, she was a different person. Pride had usurped her Libido's power, who was now cowering in the corner, sucking its thumb for comfort. The walls had been erected; Buffy was determined not to be played by Spike, not to be a toy to him. In her fantasies it had always been about genuine attraction--love, even. She wasn't going to flirt around and be some kind of physical thing. That was for ho-bags like Faith. She had dressed for battle, putting on her lucky lace red thong, her favorite low-rise jeans, and a tee that showed off her toned body without looking slutty. Oh, she was ready. Nothing was going to make her fall into another situation where she wasn't in control. She walked down the stairs with purpose.

Spike looked up when he heard Buffy come out of her room and then quickly looked down again. She looked great, her outfit casual but so fitting, both to her body and her personality. She was never about clothes making the person, and he had always liked that.

As Buffy walked down the stairs, Spike didn't even make eye contact with her. His dismissal only lengthened Pride's term of power, and she walked even more purposefully. Her decision had been made--no more playing.

"Spike, do you mind if we postpone our little meeting after the study group? The project's not due for a while, and I kind of have plans. That's okay, right?" Buffy said nonchalantly. She would have to call Angel back and make those plans, but she was willing to take the chance.

Spike paused, taken aback by her change in attitude. Truthfully, he had been looking forward to meeting with her, just to hang out and not necessarily have a charged encounter. He, of course, had to play the indifferent one. "Fine by me, pet. Got people I can see."

There was an awkward silence, and Buffy's resolve began to falter--until Spike took out his cell phone and began making a call. She was about to say something snide when the doorbell rang.

Both silently sighed gratefully while Buffy went to open the door.

"Hey, guys. Ready for some studying?"

***

Later on in the night while everyone else was taking a break, Buffy ran up to her room to call Angel.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Angel. It's Buffy." She tried to sound eager and excited to talk to him.

"Hey, Buffy. Thought you had plans tonight?" His surprise seemed to give way to pleasure, and that made Buffy happy.

"Yeah, it turns out I don't. Are you still up for doing something?"

"Definitely. I'd love to see you. When should I come pick you up?'

"How about 7:30?"

"Sounds great! I'll see you then."

Buffy hung up the phone and reviewed her plans. If she timed things right, Angel would be arriving right as everyone else would be leaving, giving Spike a full view of Angel and her un-toyness. She knew it wasn't a word, but that's what she wanted. She wanted Spike to see her as a girl who wasn't just a toy, someone who was worth spending real time with, worth dating. She was tired of making small moments into something bigger, tired of convincing herself that that was enough. Angel was nice, and he saw her as someone valuable. That was what she wanted.

She smiled and let her heart focus on how happy Angel had sounded when he had recognized her voice. Keeping that thought close to her, she carefully picked out a mini skirt--part of the Anya shopping collection from last weekend--and a snug top. Her new outfit on, she soothed her legs with lotion and then bounded downstairs.

"Whoa, Buff. What's with the change in clothes?" Xander said, stopping in the middle of shoveling chips down his throat. Anya, disgusted, took the chips out of his hand while he stared at Buffy.

She blushed, playing with her skirt's pocket. "Oh, I'm going out after the study group."

"Hey, I thought you and Spike had to do that book project," Willow said, surprised by Buffy's change in clothes and plans.

"Yeah, well, guess I’m just not important enough for her," Spike said, feigning intense hurt. "I'll go find myself a girl to comfort me." He dodged Willow's punch and smiled broadly. "I did get a call earlier today--"

"From Faith? The new girl?" Xander interrupted. "She's pretty hot-ty. She's pretty haughty," he hastily mended when he caught Anya's look. "I mean, she's just so snobby. God, I hate girls like that." Xander looked over at Spike and slyly gave him a thumbs up when he thought no one was looking.

"Xander Harris, you better not be looking at that particularly ho-ish skank if you want any more orgasms for the rest of the week. And you know how good I am at giving--"

"You're the only one for me, An," Xander butted in, desperately trying to keep Anya from talking about their sex life. He felt he should be used to her blunt comments, but he just couldn't with Willow and Buffy around. Had it been only Spike or even Oz, he would've been fine, but there was something about having his sexcapades discussed in front of his friends from elementary school that seemed to embarrass him thoroughly.

Willow and Buffy shared a look of disgust at the mention of Faith. The new girl had definitely made a mark, and not a good one. She had come on to Oz and Xander, briefly, and had definitely marked out Spike for her conquest. Their active conversation and pool time at the Bronze had more than distracted Buffy, even while she had danced and chatted with Angel. Faith had pressed up her body to Spike's while they had shot pool, and though Spike had never responded, he'd never pulled away either. That night, after the Angel talk, the girls had all decided to hate Faith with a vengeance, Anya being especially possessive over her man.

While Xander was busy pacifying Anya, the doorbell rang. Spike noted how quickly Buffy bounded to get the door. He sighed, thinking about how he'd probably end up shooting pool at the Bronze or just browsing the bookstore tonight, since he had finished all his work in anticipation of having his evening filled. He busied himself with packing his bag and getting ready to leave to avoid seeing Buffy's face when she saw Angel.

"Buffy, you look fabulous." Angel smiled and caressed her cheek. He knew there were other people watching, and he didn't want to get rejected from a kiss with all these observers. He noted her blush with pleasure and smiled again.

"Hey. Come on in and meet my friends. Then we can get going." Buffy ushered him into the living room. "Guys, this is Angel. You remember, from the Bronze? This is Willow, Anya, Xander, Spike, and Oz."

Angel nodded, smiled graciously at the ladies and briefly at the men, especially Spike. Ever since they had passed each other outside Buffy's house, he hadn't liked him, and the feeling seemed mutual.

"Okay, let's get going so Buffy can go," Willow said, taking on the responsibility of leading everyone out. "Call me later if it's not too late?" she whispered to Buffy as she passed.

"Sure thing," Buffy said, squeezing her friend's arm. They hadn't had much time to chat recently, with Buffy's suddenly active dating life. She hoped to have quality time with her soon enough.

Quickly everyone left, and Buffy and Angel were left standing in the foyer.

"Let me just grab my purse and say bye to my mom," Buffy said, hopping up the stairs.

"Sure. I'll wait right here," Angel said, appreciating the way Buffy moved. Her outfit clearly showed off her supple body, and he was ready and waiting to draw closer and have a taste. "Ready?" he asked as she came down the stairs again. He offered her arm.

She smiled at his gesture and took his arm. "Yup. Let's go."

As they walked out to his car, she asked, "So what are the plans for tonight? You said you'd think of something?"

Angel waited for her to get in and then came around to get inside the driver's side. As he started the engine, he answered, "Actually, I was hoping we could go for a drive. It's supposed to be a really clear night, and there's a pretty spot where you can see the whole town."

Buffy tensed slightly, thinking about a night of just, well, sitting in a car. She knew Angel wasn't the best conversationalist, though there were moments, and she knew he wasn't thinking about the conversation. "But you decided you wanted this. You want to move on, experience something. You're not going to have sex with him or anything. Just a little something," Buffy reassured herself. "That sounds nice." She smiled at him and then watched the houses flash by.

When they reached the scenic site, the sun was just dropping over the horizon, creating a beautiful fusion of oranges and purples splashed across the sky. Buffy stared in awe and quickly got out of the car to see it without the glare of the windshield. Angel smiled as he saw her eagerness and pleasure. He grabbed a blanket and a basket from the backseat and followed her out.

"This is so incredible. I mean, I've always loved watching the sunset, but this is just overwhelming. I'm just…" Buffy's voice trailed off as she succumbed to the beauty instead of struggling for words. She stiffened slightly when Angel's arms came around her, but eventually his slow caressing of her arms calmed her, and she felt comfortable, almost at peace in the midst of such splendor and the ease of his large, protective body. They stood quietly for a while until Angel spoke.

"I have a blanket and some munchies. Do you want to sit?" He motioned to the setup he had put on the ground.

"Oh, that looks great." She kicked off her sandals and made herself comfortable on the ground. Angel quickly joined her, pulling the basket close. "Ooh!" she squealed as she saw the basket.

"Now, don't get excited. The basket is a little deceiving. It's just a few cookies and some hot chocolate in a thermos," Angel said, acknowledging the paucity of their meal.

"Oh, cookies and hot chocolate are absolutely perfect. I missed dinner today, and I'm actually getting hungry. Does the hot chocolate have marshmallows?"

"No, sorry. I've never really cared for those. But maybe next time?" Angel said, moving slightly closer and implying their continual dating.

Buffy blushed. "Yeah. Next time." She reached for a cookie while Angel poured hot chocolate. Feeling herself loosen up a little bit, she ventured to delve into the college boy sitting next to her.

"So what are you majoring in?" she asked as she took the cup of hot cocoa.

"Forensics. Like detective stuff. It's always interested me, and I think I'm pretty good at it. People tell me I have a hero complex or something, but I don't care. I just like doing good." Angel smiled, his face brightening in talking about his major. "Plus, chicks dig that. You know, Dick Tracy and Sam Spade and all."

Buffy smiled politely. She had noticed his excitement about his studies, but she tried not to think about his chicks comment. Something about the way he said it seemed too close to the truth, even if he had said it in jest.

"What about you? Where do you think you want to go to school, you young thing," Angel teased.

Buffy frowned briefly--her age had always been a sore spot for her; she was already young for her grade, causing all sorts of problems with driving and being the point of teasing for many, namely Spike. She brushed it off, knowing that Angel couldn't possibly have known. "I'm not sure where I want to go. I've always wanted to leave California, maybe go to New York or at least the East Coast. But now that time is going by, I'm not sure anymore. I guess we'll see."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't really matter where you go. College is great all over. Parties, hangouts, meeting new people--"

"And that whole learning thing," Buffy interjected. "Knowledge is a pretty important thing, too."

"You're so different. I've never met anyone like you." Angel moved to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face. "I really like that about you."

"I think that's a compliment?" Buffy questioned, unsure about the source of her "difference." Was it because she liked to learn? Because she brought up a different part of college? Her thoughts were swirling around, and she didn't realize Angel was moving towards her until right before his lips touched hers.

And then he kissed her. Gently, softly, tentatively. Buffy felt him holding back, waiting for her to react, and she appreciated the movement. She let the warmth of his lips spread through her, the sensation new and enticing. She felt his hands cup her face, and she let herself fall into him, her body starting to tingle all over. She paused to lick her lips, and Angel took the opportunity to taste her, to tangle his own with hers. The movement was electric, and Buffy gasped slightly in response. Gaining confidence, she moved to run her fingers through his hair, but found it a bit hard from styling. She played with his earlobe instead, squeezing it and rubbing his neck. Angel moaned softly in response, and it thrilled Buffy to be the cause of his pleasure. She leaned into the kiss more, becoming more adventurous with her tongue, though it still seemed awkward, and her hands, though she wasn't sure where to go.

"God, Buffy," Angel moaned as he broke their kiss for air. He pulled her body closer and began kissing her ear and neck.

"Oh," Buffy gasped, the skin extremely sensitive to this new touch. She felt herself getting wet and squirmed to move closer. Angel responded by pulling her onto his lap. The position made Buffy aware of his arousal, and this knowledge empowered her, gave her more confidence in her actions. As Angel continued to kiss her neck, she began to suck on his earlobe. Her ministrations brought about more groaning and faster breathing, until she felt one hand brushing her breast and another brushing her thigh. She stopped, not wanting to go much farther. Angel noticed her movements and paused.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to stop?" Angel breathed, slowly kissing her neck again.

"Um, yeah. Actually, I just realized how late it was, and I don't want to get grounded," Buffy said, hoping she didn't sound too young.

Angel smoothed her hair and kissed her tenderly. "You're right. And I don't want you to be grounded, because then I wouldn't be able to see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, there's this great bistro that has an amazing lunch buffet. It's only on Tuesdays. I was hoping to try it out with you," he said as he played with her hair.

"But I have school. Remember?" Buffy said, moving to put the cookies back into the basket.

"You can't miss it just once?" Angel asked, looking deeply at her with his dark brown eyes.

"No, silly. But I can meet you in the afternoon if you want."

"Okay. I guess I'll have to settle for that. Buffy--" He paused, trying to sort out his words. "I really like you. Being out here, chatting with you, seeing how beautiful you are and how eagerly you look at the world--I really like that. Makes me feel new, fresh, carefree. You are, you know," he said, staring into her hazel eyes as he cupped her chin. "Beautiful," he whispered.

She looked into his eyes and believed him.





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