05 - Midnight Whispers
Author: Starla
Email: fuzzylittlepackrat@hotmail.com

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Buffy climbed the stairs quietly, remembering only as she reached her room that her Mom was at Eric's for the night - something she *so* didn't want to think about.

She changed out of her patrol clothes and into one of Angel's old t-shirts and her favourite purple cotton boxers. The shirt fell to her knees, the v-neck sliding around and exposing one shoulder. She stretched, luxuriating in the smell of him surrounding her.

Pulling back the covers, Buffy slid into the bed, staring longingly at the space beside her. It was true that Angel rarely slept over in her bed, but an an empty bed was still an empty bed. She needed him beside her, his cool, strong arms encircling her waist or draping protectively across her shoulders. She wanted to burrow into his chest, away from the harshness of her everyday reality.

She groaned, rolling onto her stomach, burying her face in the pillow. "Quit being such a baby, Buff. You'll see him again in-" She lifted her head to look at the glowing blood red figures of time on her clock radio, "44 hours. It'll fly by in no time."

Uh huh. Right.

She tried to tell herself that when the phone rang, she didn't fly for it as if it was her only lifeline.

Of course, she knew she was lying.

"Hello?" She desperately hoped to hear his deep velvet voice reply to her.

"G'mornin, Beloved."

Her heart soared, recognizing the sound of her love speaking instantly.

She sat back in her bed, leaning against the headboard. "It's not really morning, you know." Buffy pointed out. "I mean, it's AM, but morning is generally when I get up, rather than go to bed."

"Were you sleeping?" He asked, his voice expressing his sorrow upon waking her.

She laughed slightly. "Without hearing from you? Not likely."

"Good. Well, not good that you can't sleep without talking to me, just good that I didn't wake you."

"Angel, I know what you meant. Tis okay, love."

"I miss you."

"Sunnydale is boring without you." Buffy replied. "There's nothing to fight. All the demons are staying in because they know the Slayer is in a crabby mood."

"You are? Why?"

"Angel deprivation, you big ditz!" She laughed.

The sound of her laughter was his music. He closed his eyes and cherished it's melodic tinkle.

"I'm a ditz?" Angel said. "This from a woman who thought that Judaism was a form of martial arts."

Buffy giggled some more. "Yeah well, Judaism, Judo. They're similar."

"Uhuh. Yes Dear." Angel said, humoring her.

"I know you're mocking me, but I'll let it pass. This time. What I *should* do is refuse to talk to you and hang up right now, but that would cause anguish for all concerned, so I won't."

"There was no sarcasm involved, I swear." Angel said with a smile.

"Well, I don't believe you, but it will only hurt me to get mad." Buffy snuggled into the covers. "How is the demon search going?"

"Good. I'll be home on schedule." Angel told her, clearly relieved by the idea. "I'm counting the minutes."

"I'm counting the seconds." Buffy replied.

"There's that competitive streak again." Angel shot back, grinning.

"Hey, it's a flaw. We all have flaws, Cryptic."

"Yeah, but even your imperfections are perfect." Angel said sincerely.

"Aww, that is so sweet. You'll give a girl an even bigger head."

"You'd have a beautiful inflated head."

"Wow, you *are* sappy tonight. Have you been drinking Mountain Dew again?"

Angel laughed. "No, I guess it's just Buffy-deprivation."

"God, we're pathetic," Buffy decided, "You've been gone two days, and look at us! We're barely functioning."

"Speak for yourself." Angel said half-heartedly. "I'm functioning. I'm just not happily functioning."

"Okay. I'll go along with that." Buffy agreed.

"So what are Eric's kids like?"

"Oh, they're great. I was worried taht they were gonna be awful, or boring, or in some other way defective, but they're nice. Clint is going bowling with Oz and Xander on Friday, and Ariel is coming shopping with Willow and I. Oh, and, believe it or not- Cordy- I know, color me stunned. We were shocked too. Anyway, we're going out to that big mall that just opened a few towns over. I'm gonna buy shoes. And a new jacket. My other one was trashed last night by a Trelsor. Damn claws..."

"I know how you feel. My favourite silk sweater is ruined." Angel told her, glancing over at it with a sigh.

"We should really demand some sort of compensation for our clothing fatalities, don't you think?" Buffy grumbled.

"Definitely." Angel said seriously.

"Oh well. Gives me an excuse to go shopping."

Angel laughed. "Trust you to see the bright side of demonic clothing mutilation as being going shopping."

"What would you say would be the bright side of lacking clothing?"

Angel didn't reply, but she could hear the smile in his silence.

"Oh!" She suddenly realized. "You're right. Shopping is definitely *not* the best thing."

Angel changed the subject before it could lead to naughty places. " So you like Ariel?"

"Oh, she's a darling. A genuine sweetheart. And she likes eighties movies, so we had fun with quotes."

"I'm glad."

They continued speaking about Ariel and Clint for a while, Buffy detailing the tour of Sunnydale that she'd given them. Their reaction to the wreckage of the high school had amused Buffy to no end. The real surprise though, had come when Buffy pointed out the Mansion as they drove past.

"Ariel was completely into it. It excited her, for some odd reason. She wants to do architecture or something. I sorta..."

"What?" Angel asked, suspicious of the tone in her voice. "What did you do?"

She spoke all in a rush. "I told her that she could come by and have a look around. I know I should have asked you first, but it just came out, and-"

"Beloved." Angel said calmly. "That's fine. I don't mind, I swear. And never feel you have to ask. It's your home as much as it is mine, really."

"Really?"

"Of course. You're what makes it home to me."

Buffy melted, and felt tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. She lifted her hand, and softly kissed the claddagh that circled her slender finger, as if the kiss would reach him through it.

< I love him so much... .>

"I love you." She whispered.

"I think you know how I feel." Angel replied.

"Tell me anyway." She murmured, rolling onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, one hand resting comfortingly on her stomach.

"I love you, more than anything- real, imagined, unimaginable." He told her softly.

"That makes me happy." Buffy mumbled, her fatigue catching up with her. "Goodnight, Angel...." Her breath puffed against the receiver.

"Goodnight, Beloved." He replied softly, but she was already asleep, the phone still tightly clutched in her hand, next to her ear.

He smiled a little, listening to the soft sounds of Buffy's gently breath as she slept. "Sleep sweet, honey." He murmured before hanging up and attempting to catch himself some sleep.

In Sunnydale, Buffy, in the depths of her sleep, released her grip on the phone. It fell to the floor unnoticed.

She was immersed in sweet dreams of cool hands and a low, velvety voice.

:: Chapter Six ::