by Cynamin 

Aurhor's Note: This story is a bit of an experiment, so it’s rather different.  It takes place at the beginning of “Hush.”

Buffy was still disoriented by her dream when Riley approached her after class.  She’d been dreading this.  She had not spoken to him since the incident with Willow’s spell, when she had told him she was engaged to Spike.  And then there was that dream with Angel . . . part of her wished she hadn’t woken up.  Or at least that the dream hadn’t progressed to a nightmare.  Still . . .

“Hey,” she said, acknowledging his presence.  “Sorry about . . . falling asleep back there.  You think Professor Walsh noticed?”

Riley shook his head.  “It looked like you needed it, anyway.”

Buffy smiled slightly.  “Thanks.”

Willow looked at both of them, then gazed at Buffy seriously.  “I’ll leave you two alone,” she said, and walked away.

That left Buffy and Riley to walk alone down the hall.  There was an uncomfortable silence between them.  “So . . .” Buffy began.  “Riley . . .”

“Buffy,” Riley interrupted.  “We-"

“-Need to talk,” Angel said.  He was walking with Kate on her break.  He didn’t know how he was going to say this, but he didn’t want any misunderstandings between them.

“So talk,” Kate replied calmly.

Angel sighed.  “I’m not sure how to say this,” he explained.  He took a moment to look down the sunlit street while he collected his thoughts.  “I’m involved with someone,” he said finally.

“Spike,” Riley acknowledged.

Buffy laughed.  “Goodness, no!”

Now Riley was confused.  “You’re not engaged to Spike?”

“No.”

“But you are involved with someone?”

“Yes,” Angel replied.

“I see,” Kate replied, still calm.  “But, I thought . . . I mean, we met at a singles’ bar.”

Angel nodded.  “Things changed,” he explained.

“Alright.  So what’s the lucky woman’s name?”

Buffy smiled.  “His name is Angel.”

Riley nodded briefly.  “But you’re not engaged.”

“Right.”

For a long moment Riley said nothing.  Then he said, “What happened?  I mean, I thought we were going somewhere with . . . us, and now we’re obviously not.  Who is this guy that he’s so suddenly . . . swept you off you feet, or whatever?”

“Buffy,” Angel replied with a grin.

Kate laughed slightly at that.  “What kind of a name is Buffy?”  At Angel’s glare, she shrugged.  “Never mind.  I mean, after all, what kind of a name is Angel?”  She paused for a moment.  “Where did you meet her?”

“Actually, we met several years ago.  Right after I moved to Sunnydale.  We kind of had an on-again, off-again relationship nearly the whole time.  We really loved – love each other, but there was always something standing in the way,” Buffy said.

“And now there isn’t,” Riley said slowly.

“Right.  I ran into him again Thanksgiving weekend, and things just fell into place.”

“But who is he?  What’s he like?  Sorry about being curious, but I’m wondering what I lost the competition to.”

Buffy smiled.  “It’s alright.  I don’t mind talking about him.  He’s . . . well, he’s Angel.  He defines tall, dark, and handsome.  He can be mysterious, and he can be incredibly sweet.  We look out for each other, understand each other like no one else does or possibly could.  I-"

“-Love her,” Angel explained.  “And she loves me, which is the most incredible part.  There could never be anyone else like her.”

Kate was silent for a moment.  “Well,” she said, “That was rather impassioned.”

“I’m sorry,” Angel said gently.  “I just thought you should know.”

Kate nodded.  “And I thank you for that,” she said.  “It’s one less secret.  Not that I’m not a little upset, but only a little.  There was nothing between us, really, not yet.  In time, there could have been . . ..”

“ . . .. But now we’ll never know,” Riley whispered, long after Buffy had dwindled from sight.  It was over before it had really begun.

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