It took a while some weeks of whiles to make sense out of what was happening. I am not as a rule completely clueless, but I didn’t see it coming. I mean how could I. Buffy
had broken up with Angel, I had befriended him I hadn’t expected to be informed in no uncertain terms that if I was her friend I would not see Angel. I thought she was
kidding, that she was merely upset because she saw my seeing Angel as sort of treason on my part. I really didn’t understand it.

Of course because I had been told to choose neither Buffy nor Xander waited to learn what my choice was, they just assumed that my time was once more theirs to order
about. I think it was the shock of their lives when they found my house empty and I am sure they went to Angel’s to collect their wayward friend only to find that the whole
place looked deserted, and it was.

It was moving day. Angel had bought a new place. Yeah bought, and asked my help. I was positively giddy when he told me that I could pick out laptop so he and I could
talk when things got tight and I couldn’t see him for whatever reason.

I realized that he had given me an out. That he was making it easy for me. Without even saying the words he was telling me he’d understand if I wasn’t going to be seeing
him as much. Only he seemed not to understand that I wanted to see him as much. Talking to him on line might be okay for when I didn’t see him, but never seeing him,
the thought seemed to leave a rather unpleasant tightness in my heart. I had grown extremely attached to the vampire in the time sense that first slightly awkward night.
Not that we still didn’t have awkward moments.

I walked toward the new home of Angel’s and it was more of a home I think then the mansion not so many bad memories there. I wondered what he had planed this
evening. The play had been a few weeks ago and I admit to a certain reluctance to leave anymore. Maybe I should be worried, I mean my time is divided between friends
that don’t know I hang out with Angel school and Angel. That can’t be good for a girl. I should get a hobby, something anything.

As I walked up to the front door of Angel’s new home, I found myself hesitant to knock on the door. I let my hand fall to my side and sighed, goddess what’s the matter with
you Rosenberg this is Angel for goddess sake. I started to fidget as I knocked on the door, it was opened and I found the ready smile on my face died when I caught sight
of Angel’s paler then normal face, and the blood still oozing from an open wound on his chest.

"What happened?" I demanded before I had even gotten through the door. He turned his back to me for a moment then faced me, I could see the long gash that rang along
his chest starting just beneath his heart to the other side, he’d certainly made someone angry.

"I sort of got on the wrong side of sharp object, "He said, and though his voice was light I knew how close he had come to not being here.

"Does it hurt a lot should I get you anything, are you okay?" I babbled out as I watched him, he stared at me for a moment before nodding stiffly.

"Actually I could use a hand." He admitted, I knew well that if he could have done it without my help he would have, Angel has issues with me touching him of getting his
blood on my hands. Once I might have as well, I used to shriek at the sight of blood, now however I merely figure out how to stop its flow.

I walked into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit that took up much of the first shelf. I walked back toward him having already
opened the kit and was going through it looking for bandages. When I got back into the living room, he was sitting on the couch facing me. I grimaced inwardly. I wasn’t a
nurse and for the first time in along time the sight of blood was turning my stomach. "Angel, come in here I think it might be easier to clean you up." I went back into the
bathroom and turned around; feeling slightly cowered when Angel walked into the large room with me. It was ridicules but when Angel walked into a room it would suddenly
seem to get smaller. I had him sit on the toilet and I dipped a wash cloth I had gotten from the linen closet into a stream of warm water. Turning back to Angel I began to
slowly and clean the traces of blood from his pale skin. I worked till the red water ran pale pink before being satisfied that I had cleaned the wound well enough. I dried it
carefully and caught Angel’s gaze. He had that strange far away look in his eyes, as though he was seeing something other then me.

"Angel," I said his name softly worriedly. His eyes seemed to refocus and again I knew it was me he was looking at."Should I just use butterflies?" I asked, already knowing
the answer yet needing something to say. He nodded his eye on my face. I offered him a small smile and leaned down to do my work. As I slowly bandaged the long gash I
tried not to notice that Angel’s fingers were absently playing with strands of hair that fell near them, I tried not to notice till I had finished, and those hands slid to the nap of
my neck and began to knead gently. I made a little gasping sound as he slowly turned me away from him. "Angel?" I squeaked out, only to be shushed gently by the
vampire. He slid of the seat and stood behind me, leaning over, so that his words brushed air against my skin, "Thank you." I turned to face him a little uncertainly, did I
mention that the room gets very small when Angel looks at you. His eyes staring into mine. I drew back a little on certainly and his eyes softened instantly, he slid closer to
my, reaching to hug me, which I quickly pulled away from. I saw the hurt expression cross his face before it was hidden by a mask it had taken weeks to get him to quit
wearing.

"Angel, your cut." I reminded him. He looked down to where my hand had made contact with his cool flesh, just above the beginning of the cut. Catching my hand in his
own he held it, and drew me into a slight hug. "Have I told you lately how glad I am that you’re here?" He asked into my hair, making me smile. I drew back to look in his
eyes. I smiled, "Me too Angel." I said. I wanted to hug him tightly at the moment but the certainty that I would end up opening that wound kept me where I was.

He grinned at me suddenly reminding me that under that somber vampire was a mischievous heart. He caught my hand in his and smiling though I some how knew he was
still in great pain. He dragged me down toward the sitting room and settled me on the couch. I chuckled as he grabbed the shirt that set on the back of the couch and tried
to slide it over his head.

"A Angel I think you’re not going to be able to do that. Why don’t you wait here?" I said. I knew that some of his cloths where still packed so I headed over to one of the
boxes that set in the hallway and pulled open the lid, and proceeded too turn every shade of red imaginable, because the box I had opened answered that all important
question. Boxers or briefs. I started to giggle softly as I closed the box and opened the correct one. I pulled on a black button down shirt and headed back to the sitting
room.

Angel looked up when I entered the room and I had to force myself not to blush. He smiled at me and stood. It took a few moments but we managed to get the shirt on and
buttoned. He grinned again.

"What is so funny?" I demanded at last.

"Well, I don’t know why I bothered to do this can you imagine how hard this is going to be to get this off later." Angel said grinning roguishly. It took me a moment to realize
he was flirting with me and suddenly I knew what the next line was going to be. He didn’t disappoint.

"Of course if you where here to help...." he let the words trail off seductively and I blushed at last.

"Angel," I said with mock severity. He grinned at me. I laughed and leaning over, impulsively pressed a kiss to his cheek.