“Angel.”

 “Willow.”

 Silence.

 “Um…”

 “We shouldn’t’ve…”

 “Last night, it was…”

 “Wrong.”

 “Yeah.”

 “Um…”

 Silence.

 “Angel…?”

 “Yeah?”

 “Kiss me.”

 “Okay.”

***

 Buffy awoke suddenly after falling off her bed. It had taken her hours to fall sleep after writing her diary entry. She had spent at least an hour in the fetal position, hugging her knees close, for a reason she was unable to grasp. And now, at three o’clock in the morning and after fifteen minutes of sleep, she huddled by her bed, wondering what was wrong with her.
 

***

 Two velvet slippered feet gently touched the floor as Angel set Willow down. She took a step back from him, her silk nightgown rustling quietly. Letting her hair fall into her eyes, she tuned away from him and sat down.

 “Willow?” Angel said gently as she placed her head in her hands. “What is it?”

 She sniffled. “It’s…it’s just this feeling that Buffy is never going to forgive me for this. And how could she? I don’t think I could forgive me for this.” She flattened her arms out on the table and turned her face to the side to look at Angel.

 Angel took a step forward towards Willow. “It’s not our fault, Willow. It’s the curse’s,” he tried to explain to her, trying to relieve some of the guilt.

 “Oz,” Willow said in a choked whisper.

 “What?” Angel said, not hearing what Willow had uttered.

 “Oz,” she repeated, louder, “I haven’t told Oz yet. How can he forgive me after Xander and I…we…” She began sobbing again, and Angel bridged the gap between them and took her in his arms, comforting her.

 “Shh…don’t cry, Will, please don’t cry.” He rubbed her back as he spoke. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way…you weren’t supposed to love me…” He trailed off, realizing what he almost said.

 Willow clung tightly to Angel’s muscular arms. “Oh Angel…I can’t help but love you…wait,” she said, pulling her head up to look him in the eye. “You said I wasn’t supposed to love *you*.” She stood up and backed up a step. Angel did the same.

 “Yes, I…I did,” Angel said slowly, realizing that she had picked up on his implication.

 “But you…do you love me, Angel?” she asked firmly.

 “Yes.”

 “Did you love me before the curse, Angel?” she said.

 Angel didn’t reply, merely tensed.

 “Angel?” Willow felt her anger building.

 Angel lowered his eyes.

 “DID YOU?” she nearly shouted.

 “YES!” he replied at the same decibel, “I LOVED YOU WILLOW!” His fists were clenched tight, and he felt the anger and love in him boil to its breaking point.

 Willow looked at him and collapsed on the floor, just inches away from Angel’s feet, and began sobbing again.

 Angel turned away quickly, trying to cover what he knew Willow had seen. He knew she had seen his game face come out; he knew she was scared. And he didn’t know what to do.

 “You don’t mean it!” Willow wailed from the floor of the library, the place they both had been drawn to so late at night. “It’s the curse,” she hiccuped.

 Angel didn’t answer. He couldn’t. He was crying.

***

 Giles opened the door with one hand, a cup of English coffee in the other. Picking a book off the counter, he flipped it open and was completely submerged within seconds. Walking into his office, he set down his coffee, shrugged off his coat, picked up his coffee, and sat down at his desk. He had left right after Willow and Angel had, and as a result, he needed as much coffee as he could get.

 In the library, something stirred. A flash of red slid across the floor as Willow moved her head. A yawn escaped her lips as she sat up drearily, stretching her arms and legs. She blinked once, twice, and an O appeared on her lips as she realized she was in the library.

 A similar movement occurred as Angel awoke. Once he had opened his eyes, he nearly screamed in fear. A wide beam of sunlight fell nearly an inch from his head. Struggling to his feet, he retreated from the light, cowering into the familiar shadows of the bookshelves. As he recognized his surroundings, he was relieved to find himself in the library. But once his eyes fell upon the yawning Willow, he remembered the events that had taken place.

 Angel watched as Willow looked around the library, noticed the sunlight, and stood up quickly. He wanted so badly to run to her and hold her in his arms, to apologize for everything he said, to make everything better again. The ache in his heart almost drove him to run through the beams of light that flitted in the library. He wondered what time it was.

 “Hey G-Man,” a voice ran out, accompanied by the doors to the library swinging shut. Angel’s disgust rose as he saw Xander strut into the library. He also saw Xander’s stride falter and collapse as he saw Willow in the middle of the library.

 Willow yawned. Xander had walked in. She must have gotten to school early today, and then fallen asleep while researching. But then why hadn’t Giles woken her up? She was about to ask Xander when she realized that she was in her nightgown.

 “WILLOW!” Xander cried as he ran to his best friend. The cry snapped Giles’ attention from his book, and he ran to the main library. He noticed Willow right away, being embraced by Xander.

 “Why are you here? It’s six in the morning! Why are you in your nightgown? Did you get a midnight research craving? Willow?” Xander bombarded her with questions, and Willow’s head began to spin.

 “Xander, please let me sit down,” she said dizzily, and he led her to a seat.

 Xander sat in the seat next to her. “I’m here early because my psych report is due today…first period. But why are you?” He stroked Willow’s hair lovingly.

 Willow brushed Xander’s hand away. “Last night…about three…came here to meet Angel. We kissed…we fought, and then he…then he…”

 “He WHAT? Willow, if he hurt you in any way, that vamp will be dust before sundown, I swear my life on it.” Xander banged the table with his fist, then winced in pain and shook his hand out.

 “He didn’t hurt me, Xander,” Willow said, lowering her head. “We just fought…and it got a little intense, and he vamped out. I think I fell asleep while I was crying, that’s all.”

 Xander didn’t buy a word of it. This was Dead-boy they were talking about here. He probably drained her halfway just to spite them. He reached up to her again and brushed away her hair.

 “He didn’t bite me, Xander, I told you he didn’t hurt me.” Willow shrugged away from Xander and stood up. Pushing in her chair, she walked to the door. “I have to change. See you in school.” With that, she left.

 Xander turned to Giles, who was waiting patiently. “I don’t buy a word of it, Giles. Dead-boy can’t be trusted, we all know that. And if she’s hiding it and he hurt her, I’ll kill him.”

 Calmly, Giles took a sip of coffee. “Believe what you wish, Xander, but I believe Willow. But if you want to take it personally, you can always talk to the second party.” He waved his coffee cup at the back of the room.

 Xander’s head flew around to see Angel standing in the stacks. “Dead-boy,” he hissed.

 “I didn’t hurt her,” Angel said calmly, but forcefully. With that, he faded into the stacks.