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"Are you sure I look okay?" Buffy asked for the tenth time, gazing at herself in the full-length mirror skeptically. She was wearing a strappy red slip-dress that hugged the curves of her body and fell to mid-thigh. Her hair was swept back in a French twist and she had just finished applying her lipstick. Angel came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing feather-light kisses on her jugular.
"You look stunning, baby, as always," he murmured as he continued to suck on her neck. She pushed him away playfully.
"Angel, the last thing I need is a hickey," she laughed as she spun around and slipped into her black platforms. "Besides, we're already late because you wanted to play in the shower before. Let's go before we don't get out of here at all." Angel groaned at her words and sighed, kissing her softly before she pulled away.
"We didn't get to before, and you said you'd make it up to me..." he said, defending himself playfully. Buffy grinned and grabbed her black shawl and bag.
"And I did, didn't I?"
"Oh yeah... Are you absolutely sure you want to go?" he asked for the thousandth time, flopping down on the bed and patting it. "Because we can still stay here..."
"We're going and that's final. We won't be around for the next millennium, so come on!" Buffy cried, grabbing his hand and pulling him off the bed. He swooped down and shared a searing kiss with her.
"Beloved, you do know that the millennium isn't until next year, right?" he asked, nibbling on her ear. She nodded.
"I know, but we're still going out. And now we're even more late, so let's go. You have the address?" she asked. He nodded and offered her his arm. Buffy took it and they left for the party.
"Let's hope Y2K doesn't trap us on the twentieth floor," Buffy joked as they got out of Angel's car and walked into the building. "Doing stairs with these shoes kill me."
Angel slid an arm around her shoulder and grinned. "It's all hype."
"Let's hope so," she said as they stepped into the elevator. "Being in L.A. probably wasn't the brightest idea."
"We'd be fine in the apartment, we can still go back," Angel said, nuzzling her neck. She kissed him softly.
"No. We came to party like it's 1999 and we will. 'Cause it is." She looked confused for a moment but shrugged it off. "Whatever."
"You're so cute when you have no idea what you're talking about," Angel said. Buffy slapped his arm lightly.
"Not very nice..." she pouted. Angel caught her chin in his hand.
"How 'bout I make it up to you?" he grinned, leaning down to kiss her again. The other people in the elevator rolled their eyes and turned away from the display of affection, muttering to each other. Buffy and Angel ignored them.
The loud music assaulted them as soon as the elevator doors opened. Buffy laced her fingers with Angel's and practically pulled him in the direction of the noise. They entered to find people packed in to the space, gyrating to the music that poured from the speakers. They didn't see Cordelia anywhere, but the social butterfly would turn up sooner or later. Buffy wasted no time in leading Angel out onto the dance floor, where she pressed up against him and moved in time with the music.
"See? Isn't this better than sitting at home?" Buffy yelled over the music some time later. They had been dancing for hours, taking breaks only to get something to drink. Angel gave her a look. "Oh come on! You know you're having fun..."
"Yeah, I am. But I'd be having more fun if we were alone..." he said, leaning down to speak into her ear.
Buffy grinned at him. "Oh really...and what would we be doing if we were alone?"
"Making love over and over and over again," Angel said sensuously. "Until you couldn't even open your eyes."
Buffy exhaled sharply and moaned. "You know...I've partied enough. I'm beat. Let's go." Angel laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush up against him. A slow song came on, the first of the evening, and Buffy laid her head on Angel's chest and listened to the steady sound she cherished as his heart beat.
"Sittin' on the beach,
The island king of love,
Deep in Fijian Seas,
Deep in some blissful dream,
Where the goddess finally sleeps
in the lap of her lover
Subdued in all her rage...
And I am aglow with the taste of the demons driven out
And happily replaced with the presence of real love
The only one who saves..."
Angel's eyes grew wide as he listened to the lyrics of the song, the singer's haunting words and deep voice touching him strongly. The song was so very much about them...the demon driven out and all was more true than anyone would ever know. He knew he glowed now, almost as much as Buffy herself did. Real love had conquered all once again, and he could fully experience it without feeling guilt or sorrow or worry about losing his soul. Sure, he was still sorry about what he had done. But to be honest, he didn't think of it as much anymore. Buffy made sure of that...
"Pretty nifty song, isn't it?" Buffy asked, grinning up at him. She tossed her head in the direction of the DJ and Angel followed her gaze to see Cordelia standing with her arms crossed thoughtfully over her chest, smiling at the couple. She winked and then was whisked away onto the dance floor.
"I take it she had something to do with this?" Angel replied. Buffy nodded and smiled.
"We were listening to this the other day and I started crying and so I guess she requested it for us."
"You cried?" Angel asked, gently lifting her chin with his hand. She nodded, eyes suddenly sparkling with unshed tears.
"It's just so beautiful, and so true, and I love you so much..." she whispered, leaning in closer to him. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him softly and Angel responded in kind, wrapping his arms tighter around her. Buffy broke away gently and rested her head on his chest once more.
"I wanna dance with you,
I see a world where people live and die with grace,
the karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace.
I wanna dance with you,
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
and lead us back to a world we would not face.
"The stillness in your eyes
convinces me that I,
I don't know a thing
and I been around the world and I've tasted all the wines,
A half a billion times came sickened to your shores,
You show me what this life is for..."
"Buffy," Angel called softly, causing her to lift her head from where it was tucked perfectly under his chin so she could look at him. "You do. Everyday, you show me what I have to be thankful for...what I live for."
Buffy smiled happily at his revelation. "I know that compared to you I'm new to all this happy relationship stuff. But I'm--"
"Baby, there was no such thing as a happy relationship for me until you came long. You accepted me and you loved me and I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me," he said, leaning down to kiss her softly once more. She clutched him to her, fearful that he would suddenly vanish into thin air.
"I wanna dance with you,
I see a world where people live and die with grace,
the karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace.
I wanna dance with you,
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
and lead us back to a world we would not face.
"In this altered state,
Full of so much pain and rage,
You know we got to find a way to let it go...
"Sittin' on the beach,
The island kind of love
Deep in Fijian Seas
Deep in the heart of it all...
Where the goddess finally sleeps
After eons of war and lifetimes,
she smilin' and free, nothin' left
but a cracking voice and a song, oh lord...
"I wanna dance with you,
I see a world where people live and die with grace,
the karmic ocean dried up and leave no trace.
I wanna dance with you,
I see a sky full of the stars that change our minds
and lead us back to a world we would not face...
We would not face...
We would not face...
We would not face...
We would not face...
We would not face..."
"A minute until the new millennium!" someone in the crowd shouted. Cries of happiness and excitement rose through the people, but Buffy and Angel were oblivious to it all. The world melted away, leaving them alone in their own special place, lit by the love that both felt coursing through their veins so strongly. They were staring, past the love, into the depths of each other's souls, searching out secrets and chasing away any darkness that lingered. They redeemed, they forgave, they fell in love all over again. The turn of the century signified the dawn of their new relationship, bringing with it the hope and happiness that a new year always brings.
"Ten! Nine! Eight!"
"I love you, Angel," Buffy whispered, "and there isn't anyone else I'd rather be with."
"Seven! Six! Five!"
"I love you too, Buffy. For the first time I'm sharing something incredibly special not just with you, but with people all over the world. I really feel like I belong again."
"Four! Three! Two!"
"You always have belonged," she said, bringing a hand up to cradle his cheek. "You just never realized it until now."
"One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
Their lips met in a frenzy of passion and love and desire. Hands clutched, needing to feel more contact, more skin... All around them, confetti rained down and those annoying little horns were blown, but Buffy and Angel were oblivious. They broke apart only when they were jostled by some drunken couple who pushed past them and began dancing crazily to the music.
"Sure, go and spoil my fun..." Buffy pouted, casting a nasty look at the couple. "Looks like a lot of people are starting to get a little tipsy." All around them, the drinks kept coming and people were getting loud and obnoxious.
"You think anyone would notice us sneaking off into a bedroom for an hour?" he asked, grinning wickedly. She matched his smile.
"Who the hell cares? Let's go ring in the New Year the right way."
"And then we can go home and do it properly," Angel said as he led her through the crowd. "With candles, and music--"
"And whipped cream!" Buffy cried. Angel laughed and stopped, kissing her suddenly.
"Oh yeah, can't forget desert," he said huskily. Buffy moaned and pulled him to her again.
"You hungry?" she teased.
"You offering?" he replied, pressing her against the wall. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what he meant, her cheeks growing a rosy pink.
"You know it," she whispered in a throaty voice. Angel groaned and closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to hers in an attempt to gain some control back. She was so mean... "I say we go home. Now. We can take the stairs," she said, breaking away from him with a sly grin and weaving through the people. Cordelia suddenly barged into their path, a drink in her hand and a gorgeous guy on her arm.
"Buffy! Angel! Happy New Year!" she cried, pulling both of them into a hug. Surprised, they hugged back.
"Happy New Year, Cordy," Buffy replied, eyeing the guy on her arm.
"Oh, this is Josh. He just did a Nike commercial," she said proudly. They exchanged smiles. "Are you two leaving?" she asked, suddenly suspicious. Buffy looked away and tugged at the hem of her skirt.
"Um...yeah, Angel...wants to go home. He has...a headache," Buffy said, knowing her friend was gonna make some comment.
Cordelia didn't disappoint. "A headache? I don't think so. I'm thinking something along the lines of that problem you two have, where you both turned into nymphos..."
"Well, it's either stay here and freak dance like so many of the drunks out there or go home and not annoy anyone with our PDA," Buffy said with a grin. Cordelia sighed.
"Well, I got you out of the house for a while, I guess you can go now."
"Thanks for your blessing," Angel snapped. Cordy grinned. "Oh, and take tomorrow off. I know I am."
Buffy looked up at him with a mischievous gleam in her eye. He slipped his arm around her thin shoulders. Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"Try to keep the foreplay down to a minimum in the elevator!" she called out at their backs. Buffy looked over her shoulder and winked at Cordelia, who quirked her eyebrow.
"When we go home, I'm thinking stairs," she said to Josh. He nodded and pulled her to him.
"She was kinda cute," he teased. Cordelia wrinkled her nose.
"Yeah, if you're into that blond, rather ditzy type. Besides, you don't stand a chance. You saw those two together."
"Are they always like that?" he asked with a laugh.
"No. They're usually a LOT worse."
Buffy and Angel thankfully had the elevator to themselves, and they took full advantage of it. A couple stood on the other side of the doors and exchanged glances as the two stepped out and adjusted their clothing.
"Wasn't that fun?" Buffy said as they got into Angel's car, her boyfriend holding the door open for her before climbing into his side. Angel smiled.
"Yeah...but it's nothing compared to the fun we'll have at home..." he replied with a smirk.
They arrived at Angel's apartment in a matter of moments, the drive only taking a few minutes. Miraculously, there was hardly any traffic and so they reached home safely. They were stripped before they even got down the stairs and ran to the bed, desire burning deep between them. No other words were spoken as clothes were littered on the stairs and in a tell-tale trail leading to their bed.
L.A. continued partying late into the night, but the Slayer and her ex-vampire didn't notice. They were too busy ringing in the New Year the way they had always wanted to.
Together.
With candle and soft music.
And whipped cream.
Life was good.