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Soul's Seduction -- by Ruby
Rating: R
Description: Angel returns to Sunnydale for a spell and ...Willow.
Disclaimer: Joss owns all.
Angel looked over Buffy's shoulder at the redhead sitting at the table across the room.
"She doesn't see me that way," he said.
Buffy rolled her eyes in mock exasperation, "Angel, every woman who looks at you sees you that way."
"That isn't what I'm talking about," he replied, seemingly oblivious to the compliment.
The slayer smiled and put her hand on his arm, "I know. Listen, I know Willow as well as anyone, and I can tell you, she does see you that way. She just doesn't see you see her that way."
Angel's brow creased in confusion, "Uh, could you put the needle back a couple of grooves. I don't think I got that."
"Needle? Grooves? You really are ancient," she giggled. "Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"
"Because she's--Willow! I can't just blurt that out to her. She'd run like a frightened rabbit!"
"Actually, I was thinking that's just what you should do," Buffy told him. "Go after her, Angel, with so much passion it makes her dizzy. She's never had that with anyone, not even Oz. And she deserves to have someone--you--leave her breathless."
He looked back over at Willow, his eyes sparkling wickedly as he considered the slayer's advice. Buffy laughed softly and nodded, "That's the idea."
His eyes returned to her, and he touched her arm gently, "Thanks, Buffy."
"You order her drink, and tell the bartender to take his time. I'll go prime her for you," she grinned up at him. Buffy plopped down in the chair across from Willow and looked over her shoulder at Angel.
"You know what I think?" she asked. "I think he's definitely interested."
"Hmmm?" Willow responded, distracted by the same vision reflected in the mirror hanging on the wall in front of her.
"Looks like he's not the only one," the slayer grinned.
Willow turned her full attention back to her friend, "Who? What? Oh! Angel? As in Angel and me? You know we're just friends."
"Right, he drove all the way from L.A. to see his 'just friend.'"
"That's just because of the spell we're doing tomorrow. Honestly, Buffy, there's nothing going on--"
"I know," the blonde nodded. "Don't you think there should be?"
"How can you say that? This is Angel we're talking about!"
"Look, you know we've both gotten past that. It was difficult for both of us when he moved to L.A., but it worked out for the best. We spent our entire relationship dealing with one crisis after another. It was impossible for either of us to gain any perspective. I care about him. I always will, but we know we don't belong together."
Willow looked at her in surprise, "You say all that so easily."
"Because it's the truth. You know how much I love Robert," Buffy waggled the finger on which a diamond ring sparkled. "I'm happy now, really happy."
"I know you are," Willow smiled. "I'm glad. You deserve to be."
"So do you. So does he," she nodded in Angel's direction. "So, why not be happy together?"
"Buffy, don't be ridiculous!" the redhead replied.
"What exactly is she being ridiculous about this time?" Angel asked as he put the drink in front of Willow and sat down in the chair next to her.
"About you--and her," Buffy answered, to Willow's blushing embarrassment. "She's got this crazy idea that you're only interested in her as a friend."
Angel arched an eyebrow, "Does she?"
A tall, dark-haired man entered the bar and walked to their table. Buffy raised her head to receive his kiss before turning back to Angel.
"Yup, 'just friends,' she says. I tried to convince her otherwise, but I didn't have much luck," she rose as Robert took her hand to lead her to the dance floor. "Why don't you give it a try?"
Angel turned to Willow, laughter dancing behind his eyes as he looked at her crimson cheeks.
"Maybe I should," he whispered softly as Buffy and Robert left them.
Willow looked up at Angel, her lips parted in surprise. He took advantage of her stunned silence to place a soft kiss on her lips. She gasped as his cold tongue stole between her lips and gently tangled with hers. He pulled away to look into her dazed eyes.
"Take a walk with me," he requested.
Angel perched on top of the low brick wall that ran around the little patio outside Willow's apartment. He took her arm gently, and feeling no resistance, pulled her closer to him.
"Have I thanked you?" he asked.
"Let's see," she held up a hand and pretended to be counting silently on her fingers. "I think that makes 107 thank you's."
He chuckled and laced her outstretched fingers through his. "I mean it," he said. "When Giles told me you'd searched for almost two months to find the spell--"
"Giles talks too much," she commented.
"I can't believe you'd go to all this trouble for me," he continued.
"Well, I thought if I could find a spell to anchor your soul, you and Buffy could be together," she explained.
"Willow, Buffy and I haven't been together in almost eight months. She's engaged to another man."
"Does it hurt too badly?" she asked, her brow wrinkled in concern.
"It doesn't hurt at all. I'm very happy for her," he smiled. "You're cute when you do that."
"Do what?" she asked.
"Get all frumpled up in confusion," he answered.
"Oh," she answered softly, lowering her eyes from his.
"You realize what anchoring my soul means, don't you?"
She nodded, "No more sudden attacks of Angelusitis."
He laughed and brought her eyes back to his, "Yes, but it means more than that."
"It does?" she asked. "What else?"
"It means I can finally chase you down," he said softly.
Her bright green eyes widened in surprise, "Chase--me? You don't want to chase me."
"I don't? Why not?"
"Angel, I'm not doing this spell to put you under any kind of obligation," she said seriously. "You can't think of me that way."
The vampire fought the smile that tugged at his lips, "Is that law written down somewhere? Or is that just a personal dictate?"
"I'm serious! You don't really think of me that way. I mean, I'm just--Willow."
"Mmmm...," he murmured, running his fingers through the moonlit copper of her hair and letting it slip through them. "Just Willow--funny, smart, unassuming, beautiful Willow. Oh, yes, I am going to chase you down."
Willow looked up at him uneasily as he pulled her slightly closer. "I hope this reluctance means you're going to make it difficult for me," he said, grinning wickedly. "It's been a long, long time since I've had the pleasure of seducing a reluctant woman. The chase is half the fun, you know. The other half comes after I've caught you."
"Angel!" Willow squealed.
"Oh, good, you _are_ going to fight me," he smiled and pulled her forward until her breasts met his hard chest.
He placed his hand on the small of her back and drew her mouth to his in a more passionate, lingering version of their earlier kiss.
Angel took Willow's hand as they left Giles' house. Her usual bubbly rambling had been replaced by confusing silence. The vampire squeezed her hand and looked down at her.
"You feeling okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, fine," she nodded. "A little tired."
"I could take you home and put you to bed," he suggested with a grin.
"Angel--" she spoke, attempting to free her hand from his.
He held on stubbornly, stopping and turning her to face him. "What's wrong, love?" he asked.
"Don't call me that," she said softly. "I'm not your--"
"You will be," he said confidently.
Willow sighed and put her free hand on his arm, "Angel, you don't have to do this. I don't want you to do this."
"You're not supposed to want me to do this," he answered. "It's difficult to seduce someone who's willing to race you to the bedroom."
Willow giggled, despite her discomfort, and looked up at him for the first time since they'd left the watcher's house.
"I'm serious," she said, regaining her composure. "I'm not going to let you do this."
"My beautiful little witch, you cannot stop me," he argued. "If you're convinced I'm only doing this because I think I have to, you're wrong."
"I don't believe you."
"I know you don't, but you will," he promised.
"No, I won't," she insisted. "I want you to go back to L.A., and if you don't, I'll refuse to see you, at all."
"Don't go there Willow," he warned her. "Don't turn this into a battle you can't win."
"Goddess! You're so full of yourself! Look, poor, little, lonely Willow does not need you to try to make her feel special! We're friends, Angel, and that means a lot to me. Don't ruin it by trying to accomplish something neither of us wants."
"You don't know what I want," he said calmly. "Would you like me to tell you?"
"No," she answered.
He grinned at her firm refusal, "I want to see what you look like when you're lying in bed, with the moonlight shining through the window, quiet and dizzy from having me inside you for hours. I want to taste your lips on mine the first thing in the morning. I want to find out what your body feels like when it's wrapped up in mine in a hot, steamy shower."
Willow shivered and scrambled desperately to pull her mind away from his soft words. "You're not listening to me," she said, her voice quivering slightly.
"So stop talking," he suggested and pulled her close to him.
He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her against his chest, and dropped his mouth to hers. His tongue traveled over her lips, and he nibbled at them softly. Willow gasped as his hand moved down to her ass and cupped it gently.
His tongue darted between her teeth and began a slow, soft exploration of her mouth. Willow shifted from thinking to feeling as her lips began to respond to his kiss, and he deepened it, inviting her tongue into his mouth. When he finally released her, she was panting softly, her eyes glazed with want.
She looked up into his eyes as reality began to swim back to the surface of her mind. She pulled back from him suddenly, catching Angel off guard. She slipped from his grasp and took off, running into the enveloping darkness.
The dark vampire watched her sadly, his arms feeling achingly empty, as she turned the corner and vanished from sight. He shook his head and slowly followed the same path on which she had fled.
Willow stood at the window, gazing out at the warm night, and wishing she dared to go out into it. Angel's actions had throughly baffled her.
His words had sounded so sincere, but the little redhead refused to entertain the thought he wanted any more than to repay a debt of gratitude.
Buffy had called three times that afternoon, and Willow had let the answering machine pick up. On the fourth try, Willow had berated herself for being a coward, and lifted the receiver to talk to her friend. The conversation had been of little comfort. Buffy had sounded just as determined as Angel that the witch and the vampire were meant for each other.
Willow sighed and opened the door to the patio. The small yard was empty and quiet, and she stepped out, remaining close enough to the door to get back inside if need be.
"You're not really that frightened of me, are you?" Angel's soft voice asked from the shadow of a tree beyond the patio.
Willow felt a tingle run down her spine as he stepped out into the soft light cascading from the window beside her.
He smiled at her, "What's got you so scared, Willow? Are you feeling things you think you shouldn't be? Was it that kiss last night? Did you dream about me?"
Willow nibbled on her bottom lip, and the vampire's eyes watched hungrily.
"I dreamed about you. I dreamed about that kiss, and about holding you, having you beside me, under me."
"Don't," she whispered. "Angel, please."
He took a tentative step closer to her, "I could, you know. Please you. If you'd let me."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Because I love you, Willow. I want you," he stepped slightly closer.
"You don't," she said. "You loved Buffy. I'm not like her."
"I don't want you to be like her. I did love her, once, in an obsessive kind of way. I still love her, always will. But not like this. Not the way I love you."
Willow tensed as he took another small step toward her. "You can't outrun me, kitten," he said gently. "I told you I'd chase you, and I meant it. Come here."
She shook her head silently.
"Willow, come here," he repeated, reaching an arm out to her.
She stepped back toward the door as he moved to grasp her and quickly entered her apartment. Angel smiled at her from the patio.
"You can't stay in there forever," he told her.
"I can for tonight," she responded, closing the door and pulling the curtain over the window.
She rested her head against the doorcasing and drew in a shaking breath. Angel's sensitive ears caught the sound of Willow's quiet gasp, and he grinned at the closed door before turning and walking away.
"I just don't understand him," Willow confessed as she handed Buffy a cola and sat down next to her on the sofa.
"What's not to understand?" her friend asked. "He's crazy about you."
"He's crazy. Period," the redhead replied. "Has he talked to you about me?"
"You mean as in non-stop, every time he sees me, until I could slap him upside the head and tell him to shut up? Yes, he has," Buffy answered.
"Well, what's his deal? I mean, why is he being so--so--unAngelic?"
Buffy shook her head, "You really don't get it, do you? Willow, the man's in love with you."
"No, he isn't," she denied. "He's in like with me, and he thinks he has to repay me somehow for doing the spell."
"Willow, you performed the spell three days ago. If he just wanted to repay you, he'd send you a note saying the check's in the mail and head back to L.A. From what I can see, he ain't leaving anytime soon."
"Did he tell you that?" Willow asked anxiously.
"He bought the house across the street yesterday," Buffy grinned. "He's already got it curtained and boarded and sunproofed."
The redhead's eyes widened in astonishment, "He's moved in--across the street--from me?"
"Yup, he says he can smell your scent wafting across his yard. Sweet, huh?" the slayer giggled. "You've got to give the vamp points for persistence. Listen, he's got his soul permanently anchored now. Why don't you let him take you for a roll in the--"
"Buffy!" Willow squealed, jumping up from the sofa. "Goddess, what the hell's gotten into you?"
Buffy laughed out loud and reached out to squeeze Willow's arm affectionately. "I love seeing you like this," she admitted. "All flustered by a man who can't get enough of you. It's about time."
"I'm not flustered," Willow's brow furled. "I don't do flustered."
"Wills, you *live* flustered. Give the guy half a chance, would you? He's not giving up. He made that very clear when I talked to him."
Willow's reply was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. "I'll get it," Buffy said. "Sit down and unfluster yourself."
She walked to the door and opened it wide, grinning when she saw Angel leaning against the doorjamb.
"Oops," she spoke, looking back at Willow. "I spoke too soon. No unflustering tonight."
"Angel," Willow swallowed nervously. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking at you," he smiled, his eyes raking over her body.
"Come on inside, Angel," Buffy gestured. "Get a close-up view."
"Buffy, no!" Willow gasped as the slayer pulled the vampire through the doorway.
"Thanks," Angel grinned and gave Buffy a wink.
"Anytime," she smiled back. "Well I'd better run along. Robert's taking me to a movie."
"You two set me up!" Willow hissed.
"Did we? Hmmm...I guess we did," Buffy answered.
She walked out the door and turned back before closing it, "No running over the furniture, kid. Oh, and Willow?"
"What?" she grumbled.
"Don't run too fast. The old man's liable to get winded," she suggested sweetly.
Willow glared at the closed door and jumped when she felt Angel's cold hand close around her arm.
"Hello," he said softly.
"That was a really lousy trick," she said angrily.
"I play to win, kitten," he told her.
"I could uninvite you," she warned him.
"You wouldn't do that," he murmured as he pulled her around to face him and began trailing kisses along her jawline. "Not to a 'friend.'"
"Angel," she whimpered. "Don't."
"Why not?" he asked as his lips moved from her jaw to her throat in feathery kisses.
"Please," she implored.
"You know I'd never hurt you, don't you?" he asked seriously, raising his head to look into her eyes.
"Yes, but--"
"Good," he smiled, pulling her fully against him and taking her lips in a kiss that sent fingers of fire tickling warmly through her body. Willow braced her hands against his arms and pushed away from him.
"Angel, we have to talk," she told him.
"Okay," he agreed and bent to capture her mouth once again.
"No," she mumbled against his lips. " Talk. You, sit."
She pushed him away from her and down onto the sofa. He reached for her hand, and she snatched it quickly out of his grasp, taking a couple of steps backward.
"Okay, talk," he smiled.
"Right," she nodded sitting down in the chair across from him. "Listen, don't think I don't appreciate what you're trying to do--"
"Appreciate?" he echoed, his eyes sparkling back at her. "Not the response I'm looking for."
"I did the spell. Your soul is anchored, and you can't lose it again. I did it because I wanted to. Because you mean a lot to me. Because you're my friend."
"You know," he interrupted again. "If you keep telling yourself that, you just might convince yourself of it--eventually."
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked angrily.
"Willow," he said, his voice low and soft. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't think about me. Tell me you don't imagine yourself in my arms, in my bed, in my heart."
"I--I don't," she stammered.
"Liar," he whispered, moving off the sofa to kneel in front of her.
"You can't even admit to yourself how you feel. But you will."
He leaned forward, placing an arm on either side of her, trapping her securely against the back of the chair.
"I'll make you burn for me, Willow," he murmured. "I'll make you want me, ache for me, until you can't deny me. Has anyone ever made you burn like that?"
He held her eyes to his, and brought his hand to her cheek, caressing the soft skin with his fingers.
"You want me," he whispered, brushing his lips softly against hers.
"You know you want me. Say it, Willow."
"I--" she shook her head softly.
He stilled her with a long, deep kiss that ended in a soft nibbling at her lips as he drew them back to his.
His hand drifted to her leg and caressed her thigh with gentle strokes as he spoke softly, "I love you, Willow. I want you. Don't doubt me, love."
She whimpered as his lips sought hers again, his hand creeping higher to rest on her hip. His lips brushed along her neck and kissed the hollow of her throat as his fingers crept to the top buttons of her shirt and deftly opened them. He heard her soft sigh as his tongue trailed a path down to the rounding flesh of her breasts.
"I love you," he repeated as he drew the strap of her bra slightly off her shoulder and brushed the thin scrap of fabric from her left breast.
Willow shivered as his lips brushed over the warm flesh above her nipple, and her body responded by gently arching into him. Angel smelled the intoxicating scent of her arousal and slid her forward to the edge of the chair.
"Tell me you want me, kitten," he implored softly, lifting his lips back to hers. "Say it, Willow."
"I want you," she spoke in the softest of whispers as her arms moved around his neck.
Her mouth claimed his for the first time and drew his tongue inside. Angel moaned as he slipped his arms around her and lifted her up off the chair.
Angel lowered Willow down, though she never felt her feet hit the floor. Their lips met again as her hand curled around his shoulder, and she kissed him as she pulled him slowly along the short corridor and into her bedroom.
Angel unbuttoned her shirt and slid it off her shoulders. His arms went around her, caressing her back, traveling to the clasp on her bra and unfastening it. He felt her slight tremble as he pulled the tiny garment from her and trailed cold velvet kisses from her throat to her breasts.
"Angel?" she whispered tremulously as his hands unfastened her jeans and pulled them down over her slender thighs.
He pulled her close and curled his fingers through her silken hair. "We have all night, Willow," he said, his soft, low voice soothing her fears. "I love you."
She watched in a mixture of nervousness and rapt attention as he toed off his shoes and unclothed before her, his eyes remaining fixed on her. Angel wrapped his arms around her, drowning in the feeling of her small, warm body against his.
He guided her backward and lowered her onto the bed, his body moving slowly down over her. Bracing his weight on his arms, he brought his lips to hers in the tease of a kiss before moving to the curve of her shoulder.
He grinned at the quickening beat of her heart as he kissed her shoulder, the crook of her elbow, the inside of her wrist. Willow moaned softly as his mouth traveled to the gentle curve of her belly, just above the red curls of her sex. He moved upward, his lips barely grazing her skin, the cool touch of his tongue driving Willow into delicious torment. Angel nipped at the delicate underside of one breast and nuzzled at the small, hardened nipple.
"Angel," she murmured as desire drove away fear.
Her hands clutched desperately at his back, and he drew one around to him and kissed the tip of each finger. He moulded his hand around hers and guided it down to his thick shaft, hard and aching for the beauty beneath him. Although he was not her first lover, he was by far the more skilled, and Willow's hand trembled in his as he curled it around his shaft. It immediately jumped in response to her delicate fingers, and her eyes flew to his, filled with uncertainly. Angel smiled down at her as his hand taught hers how to stroke him.
"You're wonderful," he murmured, and his cold heart fairly warmed as her uncertain gaze was replaced with sparkling delight.
Angel lowered his hand and parted her soft folds, gently stroking the tiny bundle of nerves that held the power to consume her whole body. Willow's lips parted and she panted softly as he massaged her clit with gentle, knowing fingers. Her legs moved apart as the need to feel him inside her become increasingly unbearable. Angel lifted her knees and drew her mouth to his, kissing her deeply as he entered her burning channel. She responded immediately, needing him so completely, arching her hips into his.
"Do you want me?" he murmured, his eyes glimmering wickedly, softly, lovingly.
"I want you," she whispered. "Please, Angel. I want you."
He moaned at the urgency of her plea and thrust into her, starting a slow rhythm that quickly grew faster and deeper. Willow's eyes closed, her soft lashes fluttering gently against his lips as he placed cool kisses on her eyelids. Her skin glowed with a delicate flush, and her head dropped back as her body arched up to him. Angel gazed down at her, stunned that a vision so lovely would give herself to him so fully.
One hand caressed the soft mound of her breast as the other resumed the exquisite pressure on her clit. His body called to her as he drove deep within her, urging her, begging her to find its release in him. Angel's eyes closed as he heard her sharp gasp. Willow's hips ground against his, and her soft, wet walls embraced the thickness of his shaft. She cried out, his name floating along on the song of her climax, and Angel growled loudly, as he filled her with his seed.
He placed a tender kiss on her reddened lips and pulled her over onto him, soothing her sweaty brow with cool kisses. She moaned in sleepy ecstasy and curled her body around his. Angel's hand brushed gently over her warm, soft back, and he kissed the top of her head and squeezed her closer to him. Willow smiled in reply and snuggled close against him to place a soft, perfect kiss on his chest before she drifted off into contented sleep.
Angel awoke to a drape-darkened bedroom as Willow stepped quietly into the room, wrapped in a bathrobe and smelling faintly of vanilla. He propped his head in his hand and gazed at her admiringly.
"Hmmm...I thought I told you I want to take you in a hot, steamy shower. You should have wakened me, kitten," he admonished her.
"You know the old saying about letting sleeping vampires lie," she answered a little too brightly.
"Willow," he sat up and bent his knees over the side of the bed. "What is it?"
"I just--" she lowered her eyes. "I didn't know if--"
"Oh, love," he whispered. "Don't run back there now."
She turned away from him and sat down on the little stool in front of her bureau to run her brush though her hair. Angel moved off the bed and knelt behind her, capturing her wrist and taking the brush from her. He brought it to her hair in long, slow sweeps. He pulled his gaze away from the shiny sheath of soft hair and looked at her in the mirror.
"You should get dressed," she said softly.
"I don't think so," he responded. "And neither should you."
He reached in front of her and replaced the brush on the bureau, then drew his hand back to the front of her robe and slipped it inside, gently kneading her warm, soft breast. Angel nuzzled her hair away from her neck and kissed it softly.
"Angel," Willow murmured pleadingly.
"Last night was the first of many," he whispered against her ear. "You were so wonderful. You have no idea how much I love you."
The redhead was spared a response by the ringing of the doorbell. She pulled away from him and stood up, turning to face him.
"Stay here. Please?" she asked.
He nodded and caressed her cheek with his fingers, pulling her into a kiss as the doorbell sounded once again.
She stepped out of his embrace and left to answer the door. Angel tugged on his pants and walked noiselessly down to the end of the hallway and stood in the shadows, shielded from the morning sun and the eyes of the visitor.
Willow opened the door, and Angel tensed as he heard her small gasp of surprise.
"Hi, Willow," the dreadfully familiar voice floated across the room.
"Oz!" Willow squealed and threw her arms around him. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"
Oz squeezed her firmly and grinned down at her as he fingered the lapels of her bathrobe, "It's good to see you, too, especially like this."
She peered around his shoulder, "Where's Sandra? Did you bring her with you?"
"No," he answered. "We're divorced, Willow. As of six weeks ago."
"Divorced?" she repeated. "Oh, Oz, I'm sorry. I didn't know."
"It's all right," he shrugged.
"What was it? The tour? Being away for so long?"
"Not really," he said. "Would you believe it was another woman? As in you?"
"What?" she asked breathlessly.
"I should never have walked away from you," he confessed. "I still love you, Willow. I never stopped."
Angel stifled a growl before it rose from his chest and waited anxiously to hear Willow's response.
"Oz, I--I don't know what to say," she stammered.
"I'm not surprised," he grinned and took her hand. "My mind is made up, though. I've moved back to Sunnydale. Willow, I'm going to get you back. No matter what it takes. No matter how long it takes. That's a promise."
Willow closed the door and leaned her head against it, breathing a heavy sigh and wondering what demon she'd riled enough to have thrown her into the middle of such a mess. She turned and headed back to the bedroom on shaking legs
The redhead squealed as a hand reached out and grabbed her as she rounded the corner to the hallway. Angel lifted her up by the waist and placed her back against the wall, pinning her there as he placed the full length of his body against hers.
"I missed you," he said softly, brushing his lips over hers. "Much, much more than he did."
"Oh, Goddess, you heard all that?" she asked.
He nodded his head and grinned, "Every word, kitten. I hope wolfboy doesn't think he's serious competition. You're mine already."
"When did you get so full of yourself?" she asked indignantly.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her away from the wall and against his body, crushing her firm breasts against his hard chest.
"He's your past, Willow. I'm your future," he promised.
"Angel, put me down and listen for a minute," she requested.
He smiled and brought his mouth to hers in a soft kiss.
"Please?" she asked, squirming against him.
He nodded and lowered her to the floor. She moved back and turned to the door of her bedroom. He followed her inside and watched her in silence as she plopped down onto the bed and tangled her hands around each other. Angel knelt beside her and tucked his hand between the folds of her bathrobe to gently caress her warm thigh.
"What is it, Willow?" he asked. "I thought you wanted me last night. I know you did."
"I did," she smiled shyly. "Last night was...incredible. It's just, I need--"
She sighed in frustration and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Tell me what you need, Willow," he said, placing a hand on her cheek.
"I need for you to give me some space. Angel, when I look at you, and you're looking at me like--that--I can't think. I need to think. Thinking is what I do."
"Thinking isn't the only thing you do," he grinned.
She shook her head and forced herself to meet his eyes. "You're not taking me seriously."
"Of course I am. Thinking isn't what this is about. I've thought about you for months," he told her. "Walking the street of L.A., every time I caught a glimpse of red hair, I thought of you. Hoped by some crazy miracle that woman would be you. She never was. I'm tired of thinking, kitten. I want to feel. I want to feel you. I want to feel you here--"
He took her hand and curled her fingers through his thick hair. "And here--"
He moved her hand to his chest, where his silent heart rested. "And here--"
He moved her hand lower, her fingers brushing ever so lightly over the fabric covering his penis. It stirred slightly at the delicate flutter of her hand, and she quickly withdrew it from his grasp. "There's nothing else to think about," he continued. "Willow, stop thinking and just be with me."
She scooted back away from him and climbed around him to stand beside the bed.
"You got what you wanted," she told him, a slight hint of anger in her voice. "You seduced me. You win. Can't you be satisfied with that?"
"Oh, Willow," the sadness in his voice drifted down to her. "You can't mean that. You can't think that's all I was after. I want your body because I want you. All of you. I thought we'd taken a step beyond all this last night."
"Goddess, Angel," her voice rose in a mixture of confusion and rage.
"Give me a chance to breath! I realize you don't have to, but I'm mortal, remember? I can't take much more of this! Please!"
She choked on her plea as tears began to seep from her eyes. He reached out to hold her, but she backed away quickly and walked to her closet. "I'm going to get dressed, and then I'm going to go out. I won't be back until this evening, and I want you out of here by then. Understood?" All this was spoken with her back to him, her body straight and stiff with pent-up anger.
"Understood," he replied simply. "But Willow--"
She turned back to him, her eyes meeting his only briefly before turning away again.
"I'm not going to give you that space. I'm not going to let you breath. I'm going to keep after you until you can't see, or hear, or think about anyone else. I'm going to be everything you think about, talk about, dream about. I seduced your body last night. Now, I'm going after your mind."
She grabbed her clothes from the closet and her bureau and quickly left the room to dress in the bathroom. Angel sank down on the bed and listened until he heard the front door open and close as she left.
Oz looked across the restaurant table at Willow and reached out for her hand lying on the table. He placed his hand over hers and curled his fingers around it, squeezing gently. She looked over at him with a smile.
"I'm glad you agreed to meet me here. I wasn't sure you would," he admitted.
"It's been a long time," she answered.
"Too long," he pulled her hand across to him and brushed his lips over it. "I'm sorry I neglected you for so long."
"Well," she grinned. "There was the little matter of a wife."
"Not anymore," he replied, holding her eyes to his. "I want to make up for all the time we lost, if you'll let me."
"Oz, I don't know if--"
"I know. I wasn't really expecting you to fall back into my arms," he said. "Although I have to admit, I kind of hoped. Can't we try to find those feelings again? We were good together, once."
"That was a long time ago, and we've both grown up since then," she pointed out.
"You certainly have," he agreed his eyes traveling over her appreciatively.
He chuckled at the blush that stole across her cheeks. From across the room, Angel entered and spoke quietly to the maitre d'. The man nodded and led the vampire to a table across the room from Oz and Willow's. From his vantage point, he could see Willow clearly, and Oz's back would be to him. Angel watched as the werewolf ran his fingers over Willow's hand and suppressed the urge to go over to Oz and rip his head off his shoulders.
Willow pulled her hand away from Oz and lifted her glass of wine to her lips. Her eyes caught Angel, and he grinned at her wickedly as he twirled a single, blood red rose in his fingers. She swallowed with a little cough at the unexpected sight.
"Oz, I'd really love to take a walk," she suggested. He looked at her, confused by the sudden request.
"It's a beautiful night," she added. "And this isn't the most private of places to talk."
He nodded with a smile and gestured for the waiter to bring the bill. The young man approached the table and pulled back Willow's chair. "The check has been paid," he informed Oz.
"What? By whom?" he asked.
The waiter shrugged, "A friend of the lady's. That's all he said."
"He?" Oz asked Willow.
"Let's just go," she asked, shooting a brief, venomous glare at the vampire chuckling from across the room.
"Is there something I should know?" Oz asked as they exited the restaurant and began walking down the sidewalk.
"Like what?" she asked evasively.
"Who is this 'he' who paid for dinner?"
"Oh, him? He's just a--just a--"
"Willow," Angel's voice called happily from behind them. They turned in unison as he walked up to them.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed softly.
"Looking for you, love," he grinned. "Nice to see you again, Oz."
Oz stepped back as Angel swept Willow into a hard embrace and planted an equally hard kiss on her lips.
"Enjoy your dinner?" he inquired, his eyes dancing down at hers.
"Yes," she answered curtly.
"Good. So, what's it to be tonight, sweetheart?" he asked and handed her the rose. "Your bed or mine?"
"Oz!" she called out as the man turned and walked hastily away from them.
"Did I say something wrong?" Angel asked innocently.
Willow growled and pushed him away from her. She threw the rose at him before stepping around him and walking angrily away. Angel chuckled and admired her swaying hips before running to catch up with her.
Angel took Willow's hand and refused to let her pull it away. "You know what we were doing last night at this time," he said. He grinned at her hot blush and pulled her closer as they continued to walk.
"We could be doing that again tonight," he suggested.
"Fine," she said angrily. "We'll go back to my place and screw until morning. Does that suit you?"
"You go ahead and call it that if it makes you feel better," he replied. "But we both know that isn't what it was."
"Do we?" she asked, her voice growing small. "I don't know anything anymore, except that you're scaring me."
"Scaring--" he halted her and stepped around to face her. "Scaring you? Willow, that's the last thing I want. I'd never do anything to hurt you."
"No?" she said, a slight trace of her anger returning. "What do you call what just happened back there with Oz?"
"He needed to know who you belong with," he told her.
"And who makes that decision? Obviously not me," she hissed. "What if I want _him_, Angel? What if he's the one I want to be with, not you?"
"I don't accept that," he shook his head.
"See? That's just what I'm talking about! I don't get to think for myself as far as you're concerned."
"Not if you refuse to listen to your thoughts," he replied.
"Goddess! How could you possibly know what they are? You're a vampire, not an omniscient!"
"I don't have to be. I see what you want every time I look in your eyes. I felt it in every kiss, every touch, every whimper you shared with me last night. Why are you denying this?" he asked her. "Why will you not let yourself have what you really want?"
She turned away from him and crossed the street, knowing he was right at her heels. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Nope," he answered, following her into the park. "So you may as well stop running and talk to me."
She continued on, ignoring his request, and he took her arm gently and turned her around to him. He pulled her across the cool, green grass and pushed her down with a firm hand onto a bench.
"Talk to me, Willow," he demanded.
"You don't want to talk. You want to tell me what to say," she argued.
"I want to listen," he told her. "Look, we're in the middle of a public park. It's not like I'm going to jump you here, is it?"
"I wouldn't put money on it," she answered, her lips curling into a soft grin.
"Okay," he laughed. "I deserved that."
He sat down close to her and took her hand, folding it in both of his and placing it in his lap. She looked up at him hesitantly. "I want to listen. Whatever you need to say, I'll hear it," he promised. "Just tell me what it is that keeps driving you away from me."
Willow breathed a heavy sigh and shook her head, "That's just it. It doesn't drive me away; it pulls me towards you."
"And that's a bad thing?" he asked in confusion.
"Yes," she said firmly.
"Why?"
"Angel, all my life I've been somebody's second choice. I was Xander's second choice, after Cordy. I'm Oz's second choice, after his wife. And you want me to be your second choice, after Buffy."
"You're not--"
"You said you'd listen," she reminded him sharply. He bit back his protest and nodded his head.
"I'm never going to be anyone's first choice. I've come to terms with that. I can live with that."
Willow's words, delivered with such unemotional and accepting certainty, sent a shiver down the vampire's back. He swallowed hard and resisted the need to pull her into his arms.
"Which means I have to choose whose 'seconds' I'm going to be, which means--if I decide to choose anyone--it'll be Oz."
"Willow, no!" he spoke.
"You said listen," she reminded him once more. "I figure he's the best choice, since technically I was his first. He broke up with me when he went on tour before he met Sandra. So I guess that means I was his first choice before he found someone better who he couldn't make it work with so he's back to the original model."
Angel's eyes traveled over the redhead's face as his mind raced to untangle whatever it was she'd just said.
"Anyway," she continued. "Who says I'll choose anyone at all? Maybe I'll just stay single and raise cats for company."
"That isn't funny," Angel told her.
"What isn't? Staying single or raising cats?" she quipped. Angel found the fact that she could discuss this with such complete resignation to be utterly disturbing.
"Can I talk now?" he asked quietly.
"Okay," she answered. "But it won't make any difference."
"First of all, you are _nobody's_ seconds. There's no one else like you in the world, Willow."
"That's not the same--"
He put his fingers to her lips, "Your turn to listen." She nodded, and he drew his hand away to place it back around hers.
"You are not a second choice. You're a _better_ choice. And this has nothing to do with obligations or gratitude. I loved you before I returned from L.A, before we even knew the spell to anchor my soul existed. I know I've been chasing you hard, kitten. I know I've been behind you every time you turn around, but I can hardly bear the thought of not having you beside me. The idea that I might have to go back to being alone, without you, is more than I can stand. If I honestly thought, for even a second, that you don't want me, I'd walk away. I'd deal with the pain because what I want most of all is for you to be happy."
Willow lowered her eyes, not daring to believe him. He drew a hand to her cheek and turned her back to him.
"If I thought Oz was who you really wanted, I'd let you go to him without a fight. But I don't think that's what you want. If you look inside yourself, deep inside, where no one else can ever see, that little part inside your mind where only you can go, who is it you see there? Who is it you want to be with, even though it scares you like hell to admit it, even to yourself?"
She looked at him reluctantly, and he saw the look in her eyes that signaled an inner withdrawal. He cupped her face in his hands and drew her to him in a soft whisper of a kiss.
"Don't do that, kitten," he pleaded. "Don't shut down on me. Answer me. Who is it that you want, that you crave, that you desire with an intensity that burns right through to your soul? Who is he, Willow?"
"You," she whispered softly, her body trembling in an emotion close to panic.
"You're not a second choice," he repeated. "You're the only choice. I love you, Willow. Everyone else fades away when I look in your eyes, when I hold you in my arms."
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you," she confessed as a tear slid from her eye. "That I won't be enough. That you'll wake up one day and discover it wasn't me you wanted at all."
He moaned and brought his mouth to her cheek to catch the salty tear on his lips.
"It could never be anyone else," he whispered. "I've always thought that the night I was turned was the worst thing that ever happened to me. But it wasn't. It was the best."
She looked at him, completely baffled by his statement. "Everything that happened from that night to this was leading me to you--becoming immortal, having my soul restored, losing that soul so you could hand it back to me, giving my soul the gift of an anchor--all of it lead me straight to you. If I'd never been turned, I would never have known you, and that would have been my greatest loss. Don't ever think you could disappoint me, Willow. You're the greatest pleasure of my unending life."
Angel felt Willow's arms creeping around his shoulders, and he pulled her to him, stroking her back, and kissing her shoulder, her neck, her jaw, her mouth.
"If you truly can't love me, tell me that now," he whispered close to her hear. "I'll walk away, Willow. I'll stay out of your life."
Her tiny hands clutched at his firm shoulders as she shook her head and sniffed away her tears.
"I do love you, Angel," she said. "I love you so much, it terrifies me."
"Then, let me take that away," he asked. "Let me show you there will never be anyone else I could love. I can be infinitely patient, kitten."
"Don't I know it," she said, giggling through her tears. He grinned down at her, "I suppose you do."
"But Oz--he says he still loves me, and--"
"Tell Oz to go howl at the moon, and you and I will make love in the backyard while he serenades us."
Willow laughed out loud, a sound that sent a ripple of joy washing over the vampire.
"Can I ask you something--a favor, kind of?" she asked.
"Anything," he nodded.
"Can we just go slower, for awhile, please?"
He looked at her dubiously, "You're not asking me to keep my hands off you, are you?"
She grinned, "Somehow, I think that request would go unheeded. I just want time to be with you, to get to know this feeling you give me."
"Ah," he answered knowlingly, a familiar glimmer of playfulness shining in his deep eyes. "You want romancing, do you? I'm even better at romance than I am at seduction."
"That isn't possible," she teased.
"Okay, they're neck and neck, then. And yes, I'd love to romance you. You deserve it, and I'd enjoy it--immensely."
She stood and pulled him up off the park bench, relaxing comfortably in his arm as they recommenced their walk.
"I still have Oz to deal with. I don't know how he'll react to his," she told him.
"Tell you what. I'll deal with Oz," he offered.
"No!" she refused. "You'll do something totally unromantic, like ripping his head off his shoulders."
"The thought had occurred," he grinned. "How about rapiers at midnight? That romantic enough for you?"
"There will be no head-ripping, no rapiers, and no bloodshed--whatsoever. Got that?" she asked.
"Got it, kitten," he chuckled. "You're beautiful when you unsheathe those claws. How about coming back to my place and seeing what else we can unsheathe?"
Willow blessed the darkness that concealed her scarlet blush, never stopping to think that the vampire could see it easily.
"Goddess, you're impossible. What am I going to do with you?" she asked.
"Anything you want," he answered, pulling her up off the ground and crushing his lips against hers.
"Angel," Willow spoke, a slight quiver of fear in her voice. He raised his head from the neck he'd been nibbling on and looked at her, concern clearly marking his features.
"What's wrong, love?" he asked.
"I thought we agreed to slow down," she reminded him.
"So we did," he nodded. "Too fast?"
"It's just--I'm not sure I want--"
"Tell you what," he smiled. "As soon as I do something you don't like, or if you want me to stop for any reason, you just tell me. And I will. No pressure."
"Okay," she agreed uneasily.
"Good," he whispered.
He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her, his tongue seeking hers, tasting it briefly before withdrawing as he pulled slightly away. "Did you like that?" he murmured.
"Uh huh," she answered.
He moved to the graceful curve of her throat and placed a kiss there as his fingers crept to the side of her neck, caressing it with soft, slow strokes.
"Like that?" he repeated.
"Yeah," she whispered.
He moved to the hollow of her throat and heard her breath in softly as he placed his mouth against it and kissed it tenderly.
"That?" he asked.
"That's good," she sighed.
His hands moved to the buttons on her shirt and slowly undid them to spread the fabric apart. She shivered as his mouth placed soft kisses along the rounded tops of her breasts.
"How about that?" he purred.
"Yes," her voice grew smaller.
Drawing her shirt away from her body, he nuzzled the satin covered curves of her breasts and grazed a nipple with blunt teeth before slowly unclasping the garment and tossing it aside.
"Still okay?" he asked.
"Okay," she answered.
His tongue teased the darkened flesh around her nipple before drawing the nub into his mouth. and brushing against it in slow, delicious strokes.
"More?" he uttered, his mouth still grazing her breast.
"Please," she nodded as she arched toward him. He unfastened her pants, and she lifted herself slightly to allow him to draw them, along with her panties, down her legs to drop them onto the floor.
His tongue trailed down to the gentle slope of her belly and he kissed his way to the top of her mound of red curls.
"Stop?" he asked.
"No," she moaned, placing her hands on his head and curling them into his hair.
He parted her folds with his cold tongue, and Willow whimpered and rocked against him as he lapped at the warm nectar seeping from her sex.
"Just tell me, Willow," he whispered, so close that his lips brushed against her. "If you need me to--"
"Angel, please," she begged as her hands clawed at his shirt, pulling it away, heedless of the buttons scattering to the floor around them. He concentrated on the tender nub of her clitoris, teasing it with his tongue, and Willow whimpered pitifully as he stopped long enough to remove the rest of his clothes. His arms returned to encircle her waist and slide her gently down to the floor. He moved over her and showered her lips with soft, slow kisses as he slid the length of his shaft inside her. He lay still, only his mouth moving against hers, until he felt her thrust against him, seeking the rhythm he had thus far denied her.
"I love you," he murmured as his body answered her request.
"I love you," she echoed, as she lost herself in his eyes.
Angel felt her arms go around him and drift lightly along his back, then clutch at him more firmly as the heat of her orgasm began to burn through her. He continued to thrust into her as his name faded on her lips, and she pulled his mouth down to hers. Her tongue slid between his teeth and ravished his mouth with passionate abandon. He brought his hands to her cheeks and returned the kiss with equal intensity as he came inside her.
He picked her up in his arms to carry her to the bedroom, placing kisses on her lips along the way.
"Angel?" she murmured.
"What is it, sweetheart?" he asked.
"You know that thing I said--about agreeing to slow down?"
"Yes," he nodded.
"Would you mind terribly if I decided to disagree?" He laughed as he entered the bedroom and lowered her down onto the bed.
"Well, if I agree to disagree, too, we'd be in agreement again," he said as he settled down beside her and put his arms around her.
"That sounded frighteningly like me," she told him with a grin.
"And you understood every word," he said.
"Yup, I did," she nodded. "Scared yet?"
"Enchanted," he replied. "But never scared."
Buffy sat down on the sofa next to Oz and looked at him with concern.
"Are they really together?" he asked her. "I know I've been away for a long time, but I can't believe--"
"Believe," she told him. "They are together."
"Then how can you be so calm about it? I mean, you know what could happen."
"Angelus? No, not now. Willow found a spell to anchor Angel's soul. She's in no danger," she assured him.
"No danger--from a guy who sucks blood for a living," he argued.
"Come on, Oz. You know he isn't like that. That isn't what bothers you about this. What bothers you is that she got over you and moved on," Buffy said.
"Yes, it does," he admitted. "It took me one miserable marriage and one equally as miserable divorce to make me see what I'd lost. But I do see it. I see her. Buffy, I really want her back."
The slayer put her hand on his arm, "Of course you do. Why wouldn't you? But you have to consider what Willow wants, too. Angel is good for her. He's the one person who's never let her down. All that rejection--from Xander, and then you. I know we were all younger then, and she's gained the maturity and distance to put all that in perspective, but it marked her, Oz. It scarred her."
"Then shouldn't I have the chance to make it right?" he asked her.
"For whose sake? Hers or yours? I suspect yours."
"This isn't about assuaging a guilt trip. I do still love her," he stated.
"I'm not saying you don't," she smiled. "I'm just saying there's no need to make it 'right' anymore."
"Because of him," he said stiffly.
"Because of him," she nodded. "He helped her move past all that, Oz.
Every time she tried to hide behind that blanket of insecurity she's dragged around with her for years, he pulled it away. He got in her face and told her how wonderful she is until she finally let go of it. She's happy, really happy."
"So, you're saying I should give it up."
"I'm not trying to tell you what you should do, but if you insist on trying to win her back, watch them while you do. Watch how she is when she's with him. Watch how she's changed. They're _good_ changes."
She turned to face him and took his hand in both of hers before continuing.
"I admit I'm less than objective when it comes to Willow. She's more like a sister than a friend. But that woman deserves to have the world, and he's handed it to her. Don't ask her to give it up in the hopes you can hand her a different one."
"I don't know," he sighed. "I've spent so much time dreaming of getting her back. I don't know if I can let go of her."
"I think it's more a matter of her letting go of you," she told him.
"Just watch her. Watch them. That's all I'm asking."
He nodded and squeezed her hand, "All right. I'll watch."
"You know, he really needs to work on his technique," Angel said as he glared across the room at Oz. "He's about as subtle as a board over the head. He may be here with Buffy, but he'd rather be with you."
"You know what?" Willow responded, trailing her hand from his shoulder, down his arm to his hand, which she clasped in hers. "I don't really care. We don't have to prove anything to him. Let's just be together, okay?"
"Okay," he smiled, raising her hand to his lips. "Dance with me?"
She nodded, and he led her out onto the floor. Oz watched from Buffy's side as the tall vampire wrapped the tiny redhead comfortably in his arms. Willow raised her lips to receive his soft kiss before lowering her head back to rest against his chest.
"They fit," Oz murmured sadly. "Perfectly."
Buffy nodded and took his hand in a gentle squeeze. "Yes," she agreed. "They do. You've seen them together for almost two weeks now. They're happy, Oz. They deserve to be happy. I know how much she means to you, and I don't want to hurt you, but she's never been like this--not even with you."
"I know," he replied. "I waited too long, didn't I? I lost her a long time ago."
"She had to move on, and she did. She's such a strong person, but she's been too alone for too long. He's what she needs. They're what they both need. You don't really want to see her lose that, do you?" she asked him, glancing back across the room as Angel's hand caressed Willow's shimmering hair.
"No, I don't," he answered, pushing his chair back to stand. "I've seen enough. I'll go."
"Where?" Buffy asked in surprise. "You're not leaving Sunnydale again?"
"What's to stay for? I couldn't come between those two, even if I wanted to. And I don't think I want to anymore," he told her. She stood quickly and followed him out onto the sidewalk.
"But Oz, you've only been here a few weeks. You can't leave already," she argued.
"Give me one good reason to stay," he challenged her. An unfamiliar gleam sparkled behind her clear eyes as she stepped closer to him.
"Okay, one good reason," she said and drew her arm around his head, pulling his mouth to hers.
For a moment, the abrupt intensity of the kiss, her tongue reaching out for his, the taste of her breath on his lips, chased everything else from the man's mind. He pulled away suddenly as the reality of what they were doing came crashing through his senses.
"Buffy," he said a bit breathlessly. "What the hell was that?"
"A kiss," she answered with a mischievous smile. "Want another one?"
"You're engaged!" he reminded her, all but jumping out of her reach.
"Am not," she replied, waggling her unadorned finger in front of his eyes.
"What? Why?" he asked.
"Because I thought Robert was my future, until the past drove back into Sunnydale. You know, I'm not convinced you aren't over your feelings for Willow. I mean, I know you'll always care for her. You should. She's a wonderful person. But I think you really wanted your past back. Well, I'm your past, too. I may be a different part of it, but I can be just as good, better, even."
He was staring at her in utter amazement, "I think you've lost your mind."
Buffy laughed, "Maybe, but I don't care. We've spent a lot of time together, sharing memories, laughing, just being together. You've changed as much as Willow has, do you know that? The longer I was with you, the more Robert faded. If that's losing my mind, I like it. Give me half a chance, and I'll help you lose your mind, too."
"You're serious," he said as he felt her hand slip into his.
"I'm serious. But you're not sure, and that's okay. I didn't expect you to be. I've learned some of the finer points of seduction from observing a master of the art. Ever been seduced, Oz?"
A smile tugged at his lips in spite of his shocked silence, and she stepped into him and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Just don't run too fast, okay? I'm a novice at this," she whispered.
Angel and Willow emerged from the building as Buffy stepped away from Oz. They watched as she turned at his side, and his arm slid around her waist as they walked away together.
"What the hell?" Willow gasped.
"Looks like wolfboy won't be trailing us around anymore," Angel replied with a grin.
"You think that's she's--that they're--"
"Uh huh. At least, he doesn't appear to be running in the opposite direction," he said as Buffy and Oz crossed the street and vanished amongst the shadows.
"You don't think he will, do you--run, I mean?" she asked.
He put his arm around her as they began to walk across town to his house.
"He'd have to be a fool, which he isn't. He loved you, after all, didn't he?"
"You know, you've got to teach me this romance stuff. It's wonderful," she sighed contentedly.
"You're doing just fine, sweetheart," he told her. "I'd only make one little change."
"What's that?" she asked, her voice etched with worry.
"You really have to move out of that stuffy little apartment. My house is so much more comfortable. All it needs is you, and it'd be home." She stopped walking, and he turned as she threw her arms around him and planted a hard kiss on his lips.
He chuckled as she pulled away, "Can I take that as a yes?"
"Yes!" she smiled up at him. "Yes, that's a yes!"
"Good," he said as she turned her in his arm to continue their walk.
"I've got a whole bed of roses in the back yard. You can show them how to bloom."
"Damn, you're good," she giggled. "I love you, Angel."
"I love you, too, Willow," he answered softly. "Let's go home."
The End
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