Title: Sleep
By TrinityLast
E-mail: trinitylast@wambtac.com
Disclaimer: Um...not mine? At least...not the last time I checked...I think someone would have mentioned it to me...
Distribution: My site (Thedge), Forbidden Dreams, Starkitty...and anyone else with permission already. Otherwise, ask ok?
Rating: Uhm. PG?
Spoilers: Nothing and everything.
Feedback: *nods convulsively* Yeahuh!
Note: Sometime season four, before Walsh tries to kill Buffy. Pretend that she and Riley were sleeping together already. YES! It’s B/A. I promise. Just read it. :-)
Just a short little ficlet, because I’m writing another stand-alone, and I’ve posted looking for ideas for something, and I can’t work on it until then, and so I wrote this...
Really, really fast. So, you’ll like it or you’ll hate it. Either way...hey! It’s all good. :p
OH! And THANK YOU!! To everyone who sent me to "Back In Time" by Mariah. :p It was, by the way, the only one anyone sent. It was good!
I guess there aren’t any where HE comes HERE, is there? *sigh* Oh well. Hadda try.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter One

Buffy stared out the window. This was driving her nuts.

Angel was here, and again, he was lurking.

Riley turned over on the bed behind her and she sighed. Yet another reminder of the fruitless night she’d spent, trying desperately to get some kind of satisfaction. Again.

Third time? *So* not the charm.

Suddenly she sucked in a breath. There he was. He was looking up at the building as if he could see her through the blinds.

Angel.

As usual, he was gorgeous. Black leather pants, red crushed velvet shirt, long black duster...god!

Why couldn’t Riley ever look that good?

That was the problem with Riley...well, one of them. He was too wholesome. To...good. He was polite, and bright, and cheerful...

Oh.

Buffy covered her mouth. She hadn’t even realized she’d been doing it, but she’d managed to go out and get Angel’s exact opposite.

Ok, probably not the healthiest thing she could have done...

Angel was looking right at her and Buffy realized that he probably *could* see her. Vamp vision and all. To test the theory, and because she wanted to so much, she raised her hand and waved.

He waved back.

Buffy bit her lip and glanced behind her at the commando. Still asleep. The guy could sleep through an earthquake. Or, an attack. That was one of the reasons she couldn’t sleep *with* him. She knew he wouldn’t give any kind of warning. So she just couldn’t relax. If they were attacked, not only would she have to fight for herself, she’d probably have to defend *him*.

Angel...now he’d wake up at the sound of a pin falling three stories down. She could count on him. When she slept with him was the only time she’d ever let her guard down. Because she knew he’d be there for her.

She looked back out the window. Angel was motioning for her to come down. Buffy barely gave it a moment’s thought. If he was here it must be important.

Right?

She slid into her jeans and t-shirt and pulled her tennis shoes on sans socks, yanking the laces out so she wouldn’t trip. She closed the door behind her, but didn’t bother to be quiet. If Riley could sleep through her getting dressed, he could sleep through her closing the door.

**

Riley sat up once the door was closed and looked at it. Then he stood and went to the window she’d been looking out. After years of military training, it only took the slightest noise to wake him, but he’d sensed that Buffy needed time to think, so he’d let her be.

On the other hand, he hadn’t counted on her meeting someone in the dead of night.

Riley watched from above as Buffy came out the dorm doors. A tall dark man came forward to meet her. They didn’t seem comfortable with each other...they stood a few feet apart, him with his hands in his pockets, she with hers on her hips. Her head was cocked, and she looked angry.

Riley sighed. It was probably some informant. She’d been working this town for years, it made sense that she’d have some. The guy might even be an HST, which would explain her sneaking out. Riley just wished she’d trust him. Hadn’t he proven that he wouldn’t turn on her by now?

The man stepped forward and Buffy stepped back. Riley narrowed his eyes.

He was *not* prepared for what came next.

Riley watched for a few minutes before backing up. He managed to get to the bed and sit, but he wasn’t sure how. It felt like the world was spinning.

He’d just seen the woman he was in love with kissing another man.

**

Buffy ran downstairs but made herself stop and wait before going outside. When she did she only went a few feet, stopping at the bottom step to the dorm. She crossed her arms and waited.

A few seconds later Angel came up. Buffy bit her lip. Seeing him from the window in those pants and seeing him up close were two different things. She put her hands on her hips to keep from grabbing him.

"So, what brings you to the ‘Dale?"

Angel reminded himself that he couldn’t just grab her. He had to tell her first, and she had a new guy. [She might not even want you anymore.] He put his hands in his pockets to keep them from reaching out for her. Every time he saw her, he was amazed anew at how beautiful she was.

"I have some news. I wanted...I couldn’t not tell you."

Buffy cocked her head. "Yes?"

"My soul’s permanent."

Buffy’s face drained of all color. "What?"

"It was a reward from the Powers That Be. I tried to sacrifice myself for something, but Doyle..." Angel swallowed. "Doyle knocked me down and gave himself. But the Powers...apparently he knew. As long as I offered myself..."

Buffy bit her lip. "I’m sorry."

Angel shook his head. "I’m not. I mean...I miss him. But he knew what he was doing. He wanted me to have this." He stepped towards her and she stepped back. Angel’s eyes closed. "Buffy..."

"Promise me."

He focused on her immediately. "What?"

"Promise me that this time, you won’t leave. I can’t go through that again, Angel. I can’t. It almost killed me the first time. I can’t do it again, I won’t make it."

Angel’s voice was a whisper, but her Slayer ears heard him.

"I promise."

Less than a second later, she was in his arms.

* * * * * * * *

Chapter Two

Five minutes later they were still kissing. Buffy refused to let go, and Angel had no real reason to make her.

It was amazing how worked up just a few kissed from him could get her. More than she had been all night with Riley.

Riley.

Well, that did it.

Buffy let go of Angel and pulled back, breathing hard. So was he, if for no other reason than to gain control over himself.

"I can’t...I mean. I’m here with...I have too..." Buffy closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. Sentence fragments were not good, if she had to go back up and face Riley.

Angel closed his eyes for a different reason. "I get it. You’re with someone. I shouldn’t have...I should go." He turned and started to leave.

"Get your ass back here this minute."

The vampire froze. After a second, he turned around and frowned at her.

"I am *not* going to stay with Riley...at least, not really. But I have to make him think I am. I can’t dump him."

If possible, Angel found himself even more confused. "Because...?"

"He’s part of this para-military thing. They go around, capturing and experimenting on demons. They’re gonna get themselves hurt, or someone else, and I don’t have any other way in."

Angel’s eyes cleared. "Oh." His eyebrows furrowed. "Experimenting?"

"Yeah. It’s a whole big thing. They put some kind of computer chip in Spike’s head, and now he can’t hurt anyone without getting this big headache. Well, anything human."

Angel nodded. "Ok. I can see how you’d wanna keep an eye on that." He looked up at the building. "I can’t move back. At least, not really. Cordy and Wes and I..."

"Wes? As in, my ex-watcher, Wesley?"

"Yeah. We’re gonna set up an office here and split the time in both places. He’s...pretty good."

Buffy shrugged. "He always had the potential. The council’s fault he was so terrible before."

Angel sighed and glanced back up at the window she’d been in before. "You have to go back up, don’t you?"

Buffy nodded and looked down, playing with her shirt.

"How is he?"

The blonde’s head shot up. "How is he, what?"

"In bed." Angel took a step closer. "How is he?" He didn’t really have to ask the question. He could smell it. She was aroused, and unsatisfied. The way she’d been those last months before he’d left. It was as if she hadn’t had sex at all, though he knew she had. He could smell the other man on her.

That particular smell, however, he made a point to ignore. If he focused on it, there was no telling what he’d do to the guy.

The guy who’d slept with his mate. Who’d been inside *his mate*.

A growl escaped, and Angel took a deep breath to calm down. He focused on Buffy, who was just standing there, contemplating her shoes as though they held the combination for the door to the White House.

"Buffy?"

She just shook her head, and Angel realized that she was crying. Two steps forward and he was holding her, rubbing his hand over her back in a soothing motion.

"Shh..."

"He’s...god, Angel, when I’m with him I just feel dirty, and he doesn’t even..."

"Ok. It’s ok. I’m sorry I asked. Shh..."

Buffy cried into his chest for a few more minutes before she managed to calm herself. She stepped back and took a few hitching breaths, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Another tear leaked out and Angel reach forward, catching it with his thumb.

"You should go back up."

She sniffled. "I know."

"I’m not leaving. Not tonight. I won’t be leaving for a few days. Cordy’s gonna come up and we’re going to look for a place to set up shop. We’ll probably have to hire this guy I know in LA to watch that office. I don’t know how we’ll manage with just two up here, but..."

"Xander needs a job, and he’s good. You know that. I know you two don’t get along..."

Angel shook his head. "No. He’s good. That’s a good idea. He’s got good experience on the Hellmouth, fighting next to a Slayer. That’s perfect, actually." He chuckled. "I just said that Xander Harris was perfect. There’s something wrong with this picture."

Buffy giggled. "Well, if there’s anything he’s good at, it’s kicking undead ass." She sniffled again and wiped her eyes. "I have to get back."

"I know." He smiled and nodded at the doors. "Go. I’m not going anywhere."

Buffy bit her lip and looked back at the dorm doors. "We’re back together, right? I didn’t miss that part?"

"I was hoping we were, yeah."

She turned back to him. "So, I can count on you again?"

Angel nodded, not really seeing what she was getting at.

He was more than a little surprised when she broke down into tears again.

"Buffy?"

"You were gone. I was trying to move on. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

"Oh." Angel tightened his hold on her. [The guy who played her.] "Buffy, that wasn’t your fault."

"He’ll sleep through anything. I didn’t even notice when I got up tonight."

The vampire frowned but didn’t let go. He started smoothing her hair away from her face. "We’re talking about Riley now, aren’t we?" She nodded. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in, reveling in the faint vanilla scent still clinging to her so late at night. It was mingled with Riley’s after shave, but Angel ignored that, focusing instead on the warm bundle in his arms.

"I couldn’t sleep." She was starting to calm down, and her words were punctuated by sniffles. "I couldn’t relax. I can’t sleep anymore. I can’t ever sleep..."

"Shhh...shh, beloved. You can sleep now. It’s ok. You can sleep."

END

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