savemandy | College AU

"You actually get the books you read. Much rarer case." And then he said that and it was confusing and infuriating and utterly disarming, leading to her just staring at him for a couple heartbeats - not actually that long, but her heart was beating really fast - and then finally just gesturing at him vaguely.

"You look, you know. Er. Nice arms." She was so eloquent. Buffy bit her lower lip to somehow keep from saying something even dumber. "Thanks."

"Oh..."

Angel felt vaguely like he should be... covering his arms up or something, which only led to a slight increase of his habitual hunching.

"You too. Thanks, I mean. God, I'm really bad at this."

"Talking? Yeah, we both struggle with that." Especially around each other. Which was really something she would hope would have gotten better after breaking up, but no such luck so far.

"I don't even know anyone here but you. Well. Riley's friend Forrest is here, but he's not my biggest fan." To say the least.

Angel frowned, as if the concept of someone not liking Buffy just didn't compute.

"Why not?"

"Because he pretty much hates my guts. I guess he wakes up cranky." Buffy shrugged, mostly endeared by Angel's bewilderment. "Apparently my boyfriend's friends will just never like me. No matter who I'm dating."

"Dru and Wes don't have a problem with you, it's just Spike. Wouldn't necessarily call him a friend."

He reached out and brushed a hair out of her eyes, mostly because he just couldn't resist touching her.

"And what this really shows is how little of a social life I have."

"You do have a bleeding tragic social life."

Spike came over and, very casually, he threw his arm around Angel. He didn't care, he was determined to make a mess and make this awkward. He lived to ruin lives. Any life.

"And of course we're not friends, I'm his date."

He was here with Dru but hey, funsies.

Buffy liked to think that she would have stepped back from Angel touching her either way, but Spike's sudden and always unwelcome presence definitely ensured that she did just that, stepping back and turning her head so she could glare at Spike instead. "Shame. He could do so much better than you."

Not the first time she had told Spike that, but hey. Hitting him would be more satisfying, but also have a higher risk of getting her into trouble.

Angel shoved Spike away from him, though on some level almost grateful for the interruption because he had definitely been on the verge of making some stupid moves.

"He's not my date."

It was probably obvious already, but he wanted to make sure that was really clear.

"That hurts, peaches. That hurts." Spike made a sad face before pulling away and lifting up his beer bottle, taking a long swig and waggling his eyebrows at Angel. "That's not what he said when he took me here. Honestly, some men."

Turning to Buffy, he smirked somewhat. "Am I right?"

"No, I've never had that problem. Must be something you did." Or something he was, more likely. Buffy rolled her eyes, determined not to let the creep get under her skin for once. She turned her head to look back at Angel again, her expression softening instantly. It was hard not to let that happen while looking at him. "I should probably leave you to explain to him how you're not on a date. Let me know if you need a hand with it. He's a bit slow."

For a moment, there was something pleading in his eyes, as if he was silently begging her not to leave him alone with Spike. Then he just bowed his head in a combination of a nod and a breaking of eye-contact.

"Flee while you still can."

"Oi, we're all friends here."

They were not. Spike moved from Angel and happily leaned against the wall between them, the awkward unmoving space filler that just got in their way. As always. "Well, friends is going too far. You both hate my guts and you're bitter exes pretending not to want each other so it's hardly some big ol' buddy-buddy gathering."

Just thought he'd point that out. "At least the drinks are good."

"Angel and I are friends. Good friends." Buffy was defensive, while mostly still feeling concerned over the look that Angel had given her before averting his eyes. She wanted to do something to help him, but there was a limit to how often she could kick Spike's ass. Especially since it never really seemed to help anyway.

"Where is your girlfriend, Spike? Go keep her company."

"Yeah, she actually wants you for a date."

He would ask himself "why me", but he already knew the answer so there really wasn't much of a point, and while it was perhaps not the mos gentlemanly approach, he was quite happy to let Buffy take the lead here.

Things with Spike these days tended to just get... really weird if he did too much talking.

"Christ, you two aren't exactly warm in your welcomes, are you? Bunch of bleeding Debbie downers." Yes, they were the problem, not Spike. Rolling his eyes, Spike looked over at where Drusilla was dancing and just decided that maybe he should retreat. For now. "You two can continue pretending not to want to fuck, I'll be over there getting all horny with the missus."

And with that charming sentence, he swaggered off. For now.

"...oh boy." Buffy looked at Spike and Drusilla and, well. He certainly hadn't exaggerated about what they were going to be doing. Dancing was really not the right term for it, she was just glad there were clothes in their way. "He doesn't do false advertising, does he?"

Still a better thing to focus on then how much she wanted Angel to touch her again.

"Never. One of his few strong points."

Angel looked over at the dancing couple, trying not to think about what it would be like to be doing something similar with Buffy.

Preferably in a more private settings.

"Have you..." Buffy aborted the question, both not sure what exactly she wanted to ask and also not sure if she'd want to know the potential answers. Instead she finally cleared her throat and looked away before she could be a hundred percent sure where all of Drusilla's and Spike's hands currently were. They put on a good show, but not one she needed to witness. She cleared her throat and smiled at Angel. "More intense party than I expected."

Angel laughed a little, quite happy to look at Buffy instead of the two lovers, even if it was not at all less charged.

"Me too. Cordy said I should... get back on the party horse again and this would be a good way to dip my toe in. I kind of feel like I'm in over my head already."

"Oh, Cordelia." Buffy couldn't help the little sigh, feeling that mix of emotion she always felt regarding her, only now mixed with an extra helping of possessive jealousy over Angel. Oh, great. "Perhaps she's not the best person to be giving you advice. Boy like you alone at a party, you could get hit on by all kinds of people."

A lot less so while talking to her though, so there was that. Selfish, but effective.

"I'm starting to think that might have been her plan."

Said with a fond smile, though his eyes immediately widened in alarm when he realised what that might have sounded like.

"Not to hit on me. Just... to have other people do it."

Probably not better. Then again he wasn't the one who was already dating someone new.

Not that he was bitter or anything.

"Oh, I'm sure." Buffy smiled a little, more wistful than she'd want to admit to herself. "I'm sure you will have candidates for that lining up in no time. Just let me know if you ever need help with-- Riley!"

Why did she feel guilty, as if her boyfriend had walked in on something she wasn't supposed to be doing, when all she was doing was talking to Angel? Best not to analyse that. She quickly walked up to Riley, who was already straightening up to look taller and glaring at Angel, hoping that a kiss would help. "Hey, you. There you are, I've been waiting."

"I bet Angel made the wait easy on you."

Angel wished that straightening up would help any, but there was no denying it, Riley was definitely bigger than him.

Fuck that guy.

"Buffy was just helping me get rid of someone who was bothering me."

"Oh yeah. I bet you needed help defending your virtue." Riley hated Angel at least as much as vice versa and he had no qualms about showing it. Although maybe a few of them, after Buffy sent him a look over her shoulder.

"Hey. Get along, you two." Buffy didn't think it would happen, but it was worth a try.

Riley just huffed. Huffed and really wished he could dance, so he'd have a convenient way of getting Buffy away from Angel.

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