They were alone in the house, Buffy's mother not slated to return until the next day. It was something Angel had longed for now for months. Now that it was here, now that she was kneeling above him holding his face in her hands and planting sweet and seductive kisses laced with the innocence that only Buffy could exude Angel was not so sure what to do with their time.

But before they did anything with their time that might be construed as inappropriate to some and inadvisable to most who knew them, Angel first had to get a few things clear.

"Buffy," he whispered in between her kisses.

"Hmm," she murmured unwilling to stop kissing him just yet.

"Buffy," he said as he took hold of her arms and pulled her away. He was gentle but forceful just the same.

"Angel, we have the whole house to ourselves for the night. I thought you'd want to," she shrugged and extended her lower lip in an uncertain pout. "Well, I don't know, but do something."

"I do, Buff, but," he pulled her further away from him wondering how he could tactfully remove her from his lap without insulting her further. He loved her sitting like this, loved the feel of her warmth against him, but he wanted to talk to her and her warmth and scent were distracting to him.

"But what?"

"Why did you think I would like you better like that?"

"I don't know, Darla, Drusilla, and lord only knows who else. Those were the type of women you went for back then."

"Darla was a vampire when I met her, Buffy, she offered me something I longed for."

"What?" Buffy asked even though Angel could tell she was afraid of what the answer might be.

"The chance to get out of Galaway, to travel, to see places."

"What would you have done if she hadn't turned you?"

Angel shrugged. He had tried not to think about what his life would have been had he not come across Darla in the alley outside the pub. "I would have inherited my father's lands eventually but I would have been miserable. I would have supported my sisters in the event they didn't find suitable husbands and I would have married and had children of my own."

"And you didn't want that?"

"No, I wanted to drink, gamble my inheritance away, chase women, and in general be as far removed from what my father expected me to be as I could."

"So you really didn't like women of status?"

"Hardly, they were boring and they were sheep. All they wanted was to land a proper husband who would keep them in the life they were accustomed. Some wanted love, sure, and you were expected to love your spouse once you had married him or her, but it was all so forced and impersonal."

"Unlike us," she whispered.

"Unlike us," he could not help but agree. There was nothing impersonal or forced about them. "You looked nice like that, don't get me wrong, but you don't have to change the way you are, Buffy. I'm happy with you this way, the real Buffy."

"Well, this is the only Buffy you'll get from now on, so I wouldn't worry about me going through any more sudden changes."

"Good," he said with a nod as she leaned in to kiss him again.

"You sure?"

"I'm quite sure," he whispered as her lips hovered just out of his reach.

"Me, too," she said, finally granting him the kiss. She drew away after a moment. "You are staying, right?"

"Staying?"

"Here, tonight? You know, no mom, no slaying, just me and you and some kissage."

He smirked, shook his head as if he was going to say no but said, "I suppose I can stay."

"You sure it's not too much trouble?"

"Quite sure," he said, unable to deny looking forward to a night alone with Buffy even if kissing was all she had on her mind to do.

~The End~

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com