Romancing Red

Title: Romancing Red
Author: claudia6913
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: W/S W/A W/S/A
Summary: Angel comes to Sunnydale to help Buffy, but finds a certain red-head won’t stay out of his thoughts. Spike is jealous of Angel’s new found appreciation for the Witch. He decides to give him a run for his money. From Angel and Spike’s POV. Set during ‘Pangs’.
Disclaimer: I own nothing and seek nothing other then pure enjoyment from these fics, Joss and Co. owns all
Distribution: NHA and everyone else I post to, all others just ask.
Authors Notes: This was supposed to be collaboration between myself and stephy_cats, however, I can not get a hold of her so I am finishing it.
Feedback: ghoztstarz@yahoo.com I love feedback like candy. =0)

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(Angel’s POV)

Some might say I’ve become obsessed, what with my constant thoughts of Willow. Thoughts of how to talk to her, how to touch her. I’m not obsessed, just curious. She’s just so…well Willow. I should have left for LA after I talked to her. Should have packed what little I brought and gone back to my life, away from the Scooby’s, but I couldn’t leave her. Maybe I can ask her to come to LA with me. Tell her I need some computer work done or something. No, that would require me to actually have a computer system for her to work on. As it is, we only have the one Cordelia works off of. Desperate? Me? Never.

I forgot how long it took to get dark here. It seems like the sun has been setting for hours. Which technically it has, but…never mind. I need to get out. Probably should turn on the electric and phone too. That is, if I’m staying. Am I staying? *sigh* Yes I’m staying.

“Thank God,” I say as I feel the last of the sun’s ray’s dip beyond the horizon.

I walk to the door, and stop with my hand on the knob. Where am I going? Well, I was going to go look for Willow, but chances are good that she’s within close proximity to Buffy. Not somewhere I want to be. Close to Buffy that is. I’d love to be close to Willow. That is a given now.

Oh, yeah, turn on the electric and phone. I walk out of the dark apartment to go find a phone. I remember there being one just a block from here. I walk purposefully towards the phone. Don’t really need to hide my presence here. Buffy never patrolled this area. I pretty much kept control. But, I’m not here anymore, at least as far as she knows. Damn, this is hard. Shadow hopping I go then.

I make it to the phone and realize I don’t have any quarters. Can I be just a little more unprepared? Probably, but I’m not going to press my luck. I could probably just break the phone to get some quarters, but I’m the good guy, and this isn’t a dire circumstance, so off to the corner market I go.

I walk in the door with a *ding* that let’s the attendant know someone has come in. The guy at the counter is young, a kid really. He looks bored reading a comic. I walk up to the counter and place a five dollar bill on the counter.

“I need four quarters,” I say.

“You need to buy something,” the kid says without looking up. What the hell? Buy something? I don’t eat, don’t drink…well except for blood and last I knew they didn’t sell pigs blood in convenient stores. I look around. Nothing I want. Well, cigarettes maybe. Not like I have to worry about my health.

“Give me a pack of cigarettes,” I say. The kid finally looks up at me.

“I.D. please.”

“What?”

“Your I.D., so I can check your age,” he says exasperated. Check my age? I can’t believe it. I’ve been carded…well doesn’t that just top all. I’m 246 years old!

“Look, I just need some change to make a few phone calls. You told me I need to buy something. Trust me when I say I’m old enough for a pack of cigarettes, or just give me the change.” This is just ridiculous.

“Oi, he’s plenty old enough,” a voice says from behind me. I groan. This is not my day. Just not my century to be honest.

“Isn’t that right Peaches?”

“Spike,” I say turning around to face him.

“Here, I’ll get that pack and get one for me if you would,” Spike says stepping around me up to the counter. The kid rings up the purchase.

“That’s six twenty five,” the clerk says. Spike grabs one pack and motions to the clerk.

“You heard the good man. Pay up.”

“What? I am not paying for you. Besides, what are you doing out. Last I heard you where a little tied up,” I say. Pay up my ass. The clerk was just standing there waiting for his payment. I sighed and pulled another five out of my pocket and placed it on the counter. The clerk took the money, giving me my change and the four quarters I’d originally asked for. I grabbed the cigarettes and walked out of the store pulling a cig out. Shit. No lighter. A light flared to life off to my side. Looks like Spike had followed me out. I gave him a questioning look and he just shrugged. I light the cig and give a nod. What the hell is Sunnydale coming to?

“So, what do you want?” I ask. Everything with Spike comes at a price. I taught him that, or rather Angelus did. Even that little offer of a light will cost something. It’s been a while since I’ve had a cig, well since Angelus’ last appearance. I’m kind of not used to forcing myself to breath.

“Same thing every bloke wants. Blood, a good shag, nice spot of violence,” he says walking next to me, but out of arms reach. He may be arrogant as hell, but he’s not stupid.

“If you were just looking for an ass kicking, all you have to do is ask,” I say. What does he want? “But, I’ve got a few phone calls to make, so if you’ll excuse me…”

“Right, just wanted to tell you to stay away from my Red. Got that Peaches?” he said and is gone in a puff of smoke.

I’m floored. Did he say ‘stay away from his Red’? His Red? When did this happen? She didn’t smell like him when I saw her yesterday. Did I mention this just isn’t my century?

Nothing I can do about it now, not until I talk to Red, I mean Willow. God knows when I’ll get that chance again. I walk to the phone and make my calls. With a little bribery my electric and phone will be on in an hour. Needing blood I head to the butcher shop to stock up for a few days.

Walking up to my apartment I notice someone standing in the shadows at the door. I inhale and find its Willow, but something else hits me as well. Spike. Not the leather and smoke smell, but the blood, the scent unique to him. I growl softly. What the hell has he done now!? Willow apparently heard the growl because she let out a small gasp and her heart rate sped up. Great, just scare the poor girl. God only knows what Spike did to her.

“Willow?” I ask coming out from the shadows. She let’s out a sigh of relief and turns to me smiling. I love that smile. Not many people let it reach their eyes the way she does. It’s a mark of innocence and utterly beautiful, the way it lights up her whole face.

“Angel! Hi. Uh, I was just, well wondering if you were still here. You are. So, why are you? Not that I mind, though,” she said blushing slightly.

“Yeah, still here,” I say lamely. Does she want me to stay? Or, what?

“So, do you want to come in? I had the electric turned on,” I say opening the door. Our arms brushed lightly, a small shiver running through her and into me. I’m in so much trouble with this one. If only she knew what my dreams consisted of. I stand out side motioning that she should go in first. She does smiling again and dipping her head to hide the blush.

“So, why are you still here Angel?”

“Water?” I ask. She nods. “Well, nothing much going on in LA. I kind of wanted to see some old sites, pick up some things I left.”

“Oh,” she says slightly disappointed. “Are you going to see Buffy?”

“I actually hadn’t planned on it. Why?”

“Well, Buffy thinks you might have left. She called you and Cordelia told her you weren’t back yet. So, I don’t know if she’s keeping an eye out for you or not.”

“Right, I’ll keep that in mind,” I say handing her a glass of water.

“Thanks.”

"Can you hold on a second? I have to go make a call." She nods and I go to the phone next to the fridge. Not exactly private, but it will have to do. I call the office.

"Angel Investigations, we help your...I mean--"

"Doyle, don't worry. It's me," I say cutting him off.

"Oh Angel. Hey! So, how'd the thing go with the Blondie? And why aren’t you back yet? Cordy says if you come back as your alter-ego she’s gonna stake you, mate. I think she means it too." he says.

“I’m not Angelus,” I say sighing. “I actually stayed away from Buffy this trip.”

“So, why aren’t you back yet?”

“I still have…some things to take care of,” I say looking over at Willow. She is pretending not to pay attention to the phone conversation. It’s a little hard to do in a one room apartment but I appreciate the effort. She looks up at me, staring straight into my eyes. Her looking at me like that almost makes me think she can see straight into my soul. Doyle still talking on the other line makes me look away, “I’ll call you later ok?”

“Yeah, but Angel-“ I cut him off when I hang up the phone.

I walk back over to Willow. “Sorry about that. I had to call the office.”

“Oh, it’s uh, it’s ok. So,” she says nervously tucking a strand of that fiery copper hair behind her ear, “what do you still have to do? Not that it’s any of my business. I was just curious. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

I smile. Ok, so I grin stupidly. Happy? Yeah, I know. I’m falling for her. Hard. I can’t help it. She’s just so dammed beautiful, and sweet, and sexy. I’m still staring at her and she’s waiting for an answer. Great, just scare her. Though, that isn’t fear I smell.

“Well, I wanted to check on Spike,” I say. “Ran into him down the street. It seems he got away.”

If it was possible her eyes would have popped out of her head. So, something is up. I knew it. Now I just need to find out what.

“Umm, well, see I kind of, well Ikindoflethimgo,” she says in a rush. “He didn’t like, hurt you or anything did he?”

Hurt me? Let him go? I’m amazed that after everything I’ve been through this little slip of a girl can still throw me for a loop. She’s absolutely full of surprises. Willow’s calling my name. My mind is still trying to wrap around what Spike said earlier and what she just said. Something’s clicking.

“How did he get you to let him go?”

“Oh, see, I didn’t think he should have been chained up like that. It really wasn’t necessary. He couldn’t even cut me himself for the oath; I had to do it myself. There was the oath, and he said that it was like a Vampire’s word of honor or something…,” she said. Oath huh? I listen to her as she tells me exactly what happened, and then tells me the wording. One word sticks out and brings a growl from my throat, bonded. He fucking bonded her to him! That’s why she smells like him. I smell her fear; think the growl was a little too loud.

“Willow,” I say and take a deep breath to calm down. It’s not her fault. She didn’t know. “You do know what ‘bonded’ means right?”

“Yeah, I thought that was a little odd, but I thought that meant that he like sealed the oath, not…oh, you, you mean…,” she asks finally catching on.

“Spike said you were his and told me to stay away from you.”

“No. Oh, Angel. I…I didn’t mean, that’s not what I wanted.”

I go to her and pull her into a hug. She’s shaking, fear rolling like fog from her. Poor Willow. Spike will pay for this.

“Willow, look at me.” I tilt her head to look up at me, tears are rimming her eyes. “I’ll take care of this. Ok?”

She nods and hugs me again. Soft and warm, God how I’ve missed human warmth. I lean down to capture her mouth in a soft kiss. Lightly brushing our lips together, she sighs.