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We'd like to express
Our deep admiration
For your courage under fire
And your willingness to die
Part of the Sam's Army storyline. The Angel referred to is![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
still_brooding the Danny is stillacrime Both are abused with permission
“So tomorrow when you’re watching my back, you think you could keep me from getting banged up too bad?” Buffy asked as she looked over at Angel. He was sitting on the hotel bed next to her running a polishing cloth over a broadsword that was already immaculant.
Angel quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to give context to her request. Bruises, cuts, breaks and wounds came with the job, especially this kind of job. This was a battle; scrapes and bruises were inevitable, in fact they were the best case scenario.
Buffy shrugged, knowing what Angel was waiting on. She also knew he was patient enough to wait her out. “He doesn’t know. Okay? He’s everything you wanted me to have when you left Sunnydale which means…he thinks I’m a normal girl too. I go home bruised and I’m going to have to come up with explanations why.”
Angel’s brow furrowed and he laid the sword next to him on the bed. “So where does he think you are?”
“Here but he thinks I’m doing a teaching certification for Martial Arts,” Buffy answered. She reached over and picked up the takeout box on the nightstand. She poked at it with chopsticks, stalling for time. “He’s good to me and eventually I’m going to tell him. We’re just happy right now and I don’t want to mess that up.”
Angel nodded. Buffy could write a script for his silence but she was afraid to fill in all those words, emotions and thoughts. She’d rather slap the word taciturn on him and be done with it. “I’ll watch your back but you could stay another day. Anything minor would be healed by then.” The word major and its consequences hung in the air and they skirted around it much the way she and Danny ducked the punching bag hanging from the kitchen doorway.
Buffy shook her head and half smiled. “I want to go home.”
Angel nodded. He picked his sword up and started cleaning it again. “Are you ready for this? You know they’re going to look human.” It was a quick subject change but really it was something they’d been not saying all night.
Buffy toyed with the chopsticks as she bit her bottom lip and dragged it through her teeth. “I know. That’s part of why I want to go home.” She wanted normal and safe and far away from the blade of her scythe slicing through all too human skin. She wondered if it would feel like the knife going in Faith’s gut and she wondered if she would care. She looked up at Angel and attempted a smile that failed long before it made it out of the gate.
Angel sighed because he knew that look. He got up, walked over to Buffy and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll keep you safe tomorrow and get you home. Call him. I’m going to patrol.”
Buffy watched as Angel gathered up some stakes and walked out of the hotel room. She sat there for a moment, her back against the headboard, knees pulled up to her chest. She held her cell phone in one hand, staring at Danny’s number for a long while before she pushed the call button. She listened to it ring and the smile that curved her lips when he picked up was genuine. Tomorrow she would be ready. Tomorrow she would be the warrior, the girl that saves the world. Tonight she just wanted to be normal for a little while longer.
Our deep admiration
For your courage under fire
And your willingness to die
Part of the Sam's Army storyline. The Angel referred to is
still_brooding the Danny is stillacrime Both are abused with permission“So tomorrow when you’re watching my back, you think you could keep me from getting banged up too bad?” Buffy asked as she looked over at Angel. He was sitting on the hotel bed next to her running a polishing cloth over a broadsword that was already immaculant.
Angel quirked an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to give context to her request. Bruises, cuts, breaks and wounds came with the job, especially this kind of job. This was a battle; scrapes and bruises were inevitable, in fact they were the best case scenario.
Buffy shrugged, knowing what Angel was waiting on. She also knew he was patient enough to wait her out. “He doesn’t know. Okay? He’s everything you wanted me to have when you left Sunnydale which means…he thinks I’m a normal girl too. I go home bruised and I’m going to have to come up with explanations why.”
Angel’s brow furrowed and he laid the sword next to him on the bed. “So where does he think you are?”
“Here but he thinks I’m doing a teaching certification for Martial Arts,” Buffy answered. She reached over and picked up the takeout box on the nightstand. She poked at it with chopsticks, stalling for time. “He’s good to me and eventually I’m going to tell him. We’re just happy right now and I don’t want to mess that up.”
Angel nodded. Buffy could write a script for his silence but she was afraid to fill in all those words, emotions and thoughts. She’d rather slap the word taciturn on him and be done with it. “I’ll watch your back but you could stay another day. Anything minor would be healed by then.” The word major and its consequences hung in the air and they skirted around it much the way she and Danny ducked the punching bag hanging from the kitchen doorway.
Buffy shook her head and half smiled. “I want to go home.”
Angel nodded. He picked his sword up and started cleaning it again. “Are you ready for this? You know they’re going to look human.” It was a quick subject change but really it was something they’d been not saying all night.
Buffy toyed with the chopsticks as she bit her bottom lip and dragged it through her teeth. “I know. That’s part of why I want to go home.” She wanted normal and safe and far away from the blade of her scythe slicing through all too human skin. She wondered if it would feel like the knife going in Faith’s gut and she wondered if she would care. She looked up at Angel and attempted a smile that failed long before it made it out of the gate.
Angel sighed because he knew that look. He got up, walked over to Buffy and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll keep you safe tomorrow and get you home. Call him. I’m going to patrol.”
Buffy watched as Angel gathered up some stakes and walked out of the hotel room. She sat there for a moment, her back against the headboard, knees pulled up to her chest. She held her cell phone in one hand, staring at Danny’s number for a long while before she pushed the call button. She listened to it ring and the smile that curved her lips when he picked up was genuine. Tomorrow she would be ready. Tomorrow she would be the warrior, the girl that saves the world. Tonight she just wanted to be normal for a little while longer.
