(Untitled)

[nobler_things]

It always comes back to this. To a woman. Always about a girl. It doesn’t matter, he could justify himself six ways to Sunday, and it would always come back to a girl. Everything he’s ever done, everything he is, could all be traced back to one of those bloody women. They’ll be the death of him, one of these days. Had been the death of him, more

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[todoright]

Day Three of Angel's new life as a human. It was taking longer than he'd originally thought to adjust - his sleep patterns were still very much nocturnal, this breathing thing was new and...there was Buffy. The girl who complicated things and yet simplified them at the same time

[chose]

"There's a serious chocolate shortage on the island," Buffy warns Angel, dipping one chunk of said chocolate into a small tub of peanut-butter, "so you're kinda just gonna have to savor this amazingness and engrave the taste in your mind for future reference. It's not Godiva but chocolate is chocolate."

She took herself for a hand-feed-your-boyfriend kind of girl, but she's holding her hand out to Angel's mouth now and it just feels right. Maybe that's expected, when said boyfriend used to be un-feedable due to a strict diet of animal blood. By this time, Buffy is aware that she's referred to Angel as her boyfriend twice in her mind already, and she should really tame her thoughts. They aren't dating. Are they? God, this is confusing.

A madman interrupting their quiet afternoon, however, is more than enough to distract Buffy from the question at hand. Angel leaping up and attacking at once even more so. That's when she finally gets a clear view of just who Angel has by the collar.

"Spike?!This is too much. No one on the island gets

[nobler_things]

It happened so fast, he didn't have time to process. He didn't have time to think, even if he'd bothered with it... which, knowing him, wasn't likely. He acted, which meant that as soon as his head snapped back with the force of that meaty fist, he was throwing his own, aimed right at that big, self-righteous mug.

"Hot pokers? Are you out of your mind?"

But then there was Buffy, beautiful and shining in the sun, and you couldn't really blame a bloke for taking a moment or two to stare. This was, after all, the closest he'd been to her in months.

It would have been glorious if it weren't for Angel blathering on about who the hell cares.

"Wait, I know what this is," he said, his eyes narrowing in his grandsire's direction, "You thought you could distract me and then swoop in and be the big hero while I wasn't looking. Make me look like a fool with your fancy, Wolfram and Hart mojo. Well, it's not going to work."

[todoright]

No. Oh no. Spike does not get to stare at Buffy like that. Spike, who thought she was 'cute when she's hurting' and was probably just trying to come up with another way to torment her. Despite having to step back once he was punched, Angel took the moment or two that Spike was distracted to retaliate.

He had still felt pain as a vampire, but as a human it was more...real, somehow. Sharper. But that would hardly stop him from beating Spike to a pulp, if that was how he wanted to play it.

"Cute, Spike. But don't play games with me, because I don't know what the hell you're talking about. You, on the other hand probably just forgot about the Gem of Amara. That's likely."

[chose]

This was bad, and quickly getting worse. She had no idea when Angel had last seen Spike but she could gather that it hadn't been a pleasant reunion. Likewise, it seemed that Spike had some memories of Angel that he seriously wasn't remembering. Nor was she, for that matter. Time paradox: 1, Buffy & co.: -50.

"Hey!" She shouted, quickly rushing her way in between the two v - former vampires. All that unnecessary excitement aside, it was a great thought to entertain. Angel and Spike, both human. And both currently at each other's throats. "Angel, back off," she demanded, shooting a stern look his way. It was the same she then turned on Spike. "And you, what the hell are you talking about?"

[nobler_things]

"What am I talking about? What's he talking about?" Spike shouted, though he backed down considerably with her wedged there between them.

"You're ranting about things that happened four bloody years ago, you lunatic," he sneered, then at the sound of Buffy's voice, he visibly softened, turning a sheepish wince in her direction. "You know. Rome. The Immortal. We came to rescue you. Both of us, and if this git thinks he can take all the bloody credit, he's got another thing coming."

[todoright]

Angel is just about to shoot back an appropriately sarcastic response when the mention of an old enemy cuts him off abruptly. The Immortal. And Buffy. This couldn't possiby end well. And what was worse was that there was nothing he could do about that situation at the moment, stuck permanently in time here. Not to mention the fact that Spike was there. And that Buffy was currently defending him, of all things.

Four years couldn't have changed him that much. Vampires were slow to do things like that - and why not? It's not like they were going to run out of time.

"What did the Immortal want with Buffy?" the distaste in his voice for Spike is at least momentarily switched out and directed elsewhere. Granted, he'd been evil when he met the Immortal, but he was still a real threat.

[chose]

"Well, this isn't messy and confusing at all," Buffy remarked, her voice bleeding sarcasm at them both. "Let's just keep shouting and insulting each other, 'cause god knows that's the best possible way to get answers."

She rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide the gesture from either of them. But when she turned around to address Spike, it was with an apologetic glance in his direction. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I've never been to Rome. That I can remember, anyway. Also, when have I ever needed you to rescue me?" She had her back half-turned to Spike, almost facing Angel now, before she twisted around and added, "Don't answer that."

To Angel she directed the following: "What's with this immortal guy? Demon, thing, whatever."

[nobler_things]

"He was using her to get to you and me, just like he's always done," Spike said, turning to Angel, for a moment forgetting that they'd just been trading blows less than thirty seconds ago. That was the way with them, had been, always would be.

His focus back on the girl in question, he continued, "Andrew tried to tell us there was cuddling involved, but I never believed it for a minute. Buffy's too smart to fall for a thing like him, I said." He might have been rambling, it was hard to say.

[todoright]

"The Immortal... is an old enemy of mine. And Spike's." The more he heard, the more confused he became. Buffy and the Immortal? Cuddling? Buffy would never fall in love with a ...

Well.

"What would she even see in him?"

[chose]

"Okay, first of all? I'm standing right here. How about swapping some of those she's for you's and addressing me like I'm part of the conversation." All this speculation did nothing to help her confusion, and Buffy didn't see the need to ask rhetoricals when she was presently available to answer the question.

Caught up in the heat of the argument, she went on. "Anyway, I feel pretty confident that the only immortal anythings I've ever cuddled with also happen to be standing right..." Oh, shit. "...here."

[nobler_things]

Spike puffed up visibly, turning to Angel with a smug smirk, because any chance of rubbing that in the great sop of a man's face was a good time, in Spike's not so humble opinion.

It wouldn't get him any points with The Slayer, of course, but in that moment, he'd much rather have a bit of fun at his grandsire's expense.