(no subject)
Angel walked into his office, his head still spinning from his encounter with Buffy. Things had gotten pretty difficult recently, no one seemed to be around him anymore. There was no more banter between him and the gang, no more snide remarks with Spike. It seemed to him they'd all moved on, no one really needed him anymore. He was old news.
He let his huge frame fall into the waiting leather seat, as he noticed the screen of his answering machine flashing with '1 Message'. He moved over and pushed the play button.
"Angel. It's Buffy.
There's something you need to know, before you do this spell. If you're doing it because it'll help you fight, then do it. I just... I want to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons. And if you're just doing it for me, you need to know that -- there's someone else. A man. I -- I think I'm in love with him. We've been involved for a few months now. Since February.
Every time I've seen you, I've tried to tell you. But when I went to LA, and you told me Angelus was back -- it was moot, anyway, so I didn't want to make it worse for you. And last week...
I didn't lie. I do love you. I'm always gonna love you. But that doesn't mean it's a good idea for us to... you chose Harmony before you chose me, Angel. Harmony. I'd say that says a lot about how different we've gotten. I'm not the girl I was in high school anymore. And she -- I -- will always love you, but right now... I can't.
You left before I could tell you. I just -- I love you. I do. I always will. But...
I'm sorry."
Angel clasped his hands together, leaning his head on them. His eyes closed, as they quivered in a fight against tears. This was it, the day he knew would come, but he dreaded never to see. The day Buffy finally told him it was over. He could hardly believe it, he didn't want to, he wasn't going to. How could she not love him, after all they'd been through, all he'd fought to get her. She was the one thing keeping him going in this dismal world and now even she had deserted him.
He stood up quickly, and paced the room, trying to make sense of her message. He listened to it once more ... twice more ... even a third time, but still he couldn't make sense of it. Why had she led him into thinking she loved him and that they would be together? Why had she watched as his feelings had sored higher and higher with every thought of her and him finally being together? His whole body lent on the large window, his arms steadying him, as his head hung toward the floor.