In The Morning

by Saber ShadowKitten
Friendships: Part 5

Part One

The first thing Willow noticed when she woke up was that her whole body hurt.

The second was that she was sprawled on top of a large body.

A large, cold body.

A large, cold, male body.

A large, cold, male body which had a proportionately large, cold male body part pressing against the side of her leg.

*Oh!* Willow thought, her aching body tensing. She listed to the man under her to see if he was awake.

No breathing.

No heartbeat.

No indication of life other than that certain male part that was starting to mess with Willow’s mind.

Ever so slowly, she began to move her leg off of his body. Once accomplished, Willow smothered a sigh of relief and looked up at her companion. Angel was asleep.

*Either that or he’s doing a great impression of a corpse,* Willow thought to herself *Wonderful. I’m starting to sound like Xander.* When mother nature refused to wait another minute, Willow extracted herself from the tangled sheets and left the bed.

Refreshed after washing up, she went back over to the sleeping vampire. Willow sat on the edge of the bed next to Angel and gazed thoughtfully at his peaceful face. With another sigh, Willow reached down to pull the sheet back over her friend. As she did this, she noticed the bandage on his abdomen was soaked with blood.

*Might as well fix him up while he’s asleep,* Willow said to herself as she re-gatherd the First Aid kit from the adventurous night before. Using a trick her mother had taught her, Willow wet the adhesive with warm water to easily remove the bandage.

She quickly and efficiently cleaned the dried blood off the wound, noting it had already started to heal. She taped a fresh bandage over the bullet hole, then looked up. *He’s still dead to the world,* Willow thought. She giggled at her own bad pun.

Willow then turned her attention to his boxer shorts and set her resolve face. *I fixed him last night, I can do it this morning.* Willow grasped the waistband and pulled. Surprisingly, they came down easily for having someone sleeping in them.

Willow moistened the adhesive on Angel’s hip where the bullet had imbedded itself in the bone. Her eyes strayed to the forbidden. *Eep!* she thought, blushing furiously. She turned back to her task, but couldn’t keep her gaze from him.

Giving up, Willow studied Angel’s hard shaft. It was much larger than the pictures she’d seen and pale, matching the rest of him. It lay flat against the dark hair, the underside exposed. Unbidden, Willow’s hand moved forward to touch him.

Willow snatched her hand back when Angel’s cock twitched. Her eyes shot up to his face. He had not moved. Now more curious than ever, her hand went back to its exploration.

"It’s so soft," Willow whispered in awe. She’d always thought it would be rough, like the rest of the body, not velvety. Gently, she ran her fingers from the tip to the base, then along the crease under the mushroom head. A clear bead formed and, daringly, Willow wiped it onto her finger and tasted the pre-cum. *Salty,* she thought scientifically. Then blushed again as she realized what she just had done.

*Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god,* Angel thought as he felt Willow’s gentle hands. He had awoken when she first began to change the dressing on his abdomen. Her fingers touched him lightly and Angel pretended to still be asleep so she would not stop.

When he felt her hands move to the waistband of his boxers, Angel lifted his hips slightly so as they would slide down easily. Willow had doctored him the night before with professionalism, so he was only a bit embarrassed to have a raging hard on caused by the warm body that had been laying on top of him. If he acknowledge that he was awake now, undoubtedly Willow would be mortified.

Angel had felt her remove the second bandage and relaxed. That is, until he felt those same gentle fingers brush his arousal! It jumped, just as any male’s would, and he heard Willow’s sharp intake of breath. Staying absolutely still, he waited to see what would happen next. He didn’t have to wait long.

*Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god,* Angel thought again when Willow’s hands continued to explore the more sensitive portion of the male anatomy. He felt her fingers encircle his cock and move experimentally. Any moment he was going to spontaneously combust into a little pile of ashes from her touch.

His aching shaft jumped again in her hands, and Willow pulled back quickly. Flustered, she grabbed the bandage on his leg, not realizing she hadn’t moistened the adhesive, and yanked. It came off with a patch of skin and hair.

If Angel’s mind wasn’t fully aware before, it was now. His eyes popped open and he stared at Willow. She was holding one hand over her mouth and held the bandage in the other. What she did hadn’t hurt as much as surprised the vampire.

Willow wanted the floor to open up and swallow her like it did during Sadie Hawkins week, when the ghosts of James and Grace haunted the high school. Or for the Hellmouth to open again and reach its tentacles up and snatch her. Instead, Willow did the only thing she was capable of doing. She babbled.

"I’m so sorry, Angel. I was re-dressing your wounds and I guess I forgot that I hadn’t loosened the adhesive. I can’t believe I did that. Me, who spent all that time playing doctor with Xander, who knows all the intricacies of the human body and how it works…"

"Willow, it’s ok," Angel interrupted her monologue. "It didn’t hurt."

"It didn’t?" Willow asked in a relieved voice.

"No. I was only startled," Angel replied.

"Good. I don’t mean good in the way that I ripped half your skin off, but good in the fact that it didn’t hurt," Willow ran on. She stopped talking suddenly and blushed. "I’ll just…uh…finish up here."

Angel stopped her when she went to touch his leg again. "It’ll heal," he told her. He sat up and pulled the sheet over his lap so as not to embarrass her or himself any further. Willow looked at him with wide eyes as they sat practically nose to nose.

"I think I’ll…uh…g-get dressed," Willow stammered.

"Willow," Angel whispered. He brought his left hand up and traced the side of her cheek. "Sweet Willow."

Willow closed her eyes as Angel moved his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a kiss. It was a gentle kiss, two lips pressing together for the first time. Both the vampire and the hacker blinked behind shut eyes, awareness shooting through their systems. Angel slowly deepened the kiss, but it was the perpetually shy one who darted her tongue out seeking his.

The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever. Willow loved it. She lifted her own hands up, one on his bare chest while the other ran lightly up and down his left arm. Angel’s fingers threaded into her hair as he shifted to bring his other hand to trace lightly along the pale skin of her collarbone.

Willow arched instinctively as Angel’s fingers whispered down the side of her breast, over the loose material of the T-shirt. Soon, his mouth teased along her jawline, his tongue flicking and darting as he went. The same hand that just skirted her breast continued its descent in a gradual exploration, lightly massaging to heighten her awareness of his touch. His other hand tangled in her hair, holding her to him.

Slowly, Angel licked down Willow’s neck and across the same collarbone he had gently stroked moments before. At the base of her throat, just above her collarbone, he sucked delicately. His face changed and nipped her, his fangs creating a tiny sting.

Willow gasped, her hands moving to sink into his dark hair, holding him closer. A purr of satisfaction rumbled in the back of Angel’s throat. The hand that had traveled down her body now rubbed the length of her thigh and calf. The tips of his fingers slowly stroked up and down her leg in a meandering pattern.

Angel began to kiss down the front of her shirt, then his mouth captured the peak of her breast right through the fabric. Willow felt his damp, burning mouth as if there were no material between them. She hissed in pleasure.

Breaking his ministrations on her breast, Angel tugged the T-shirt quickly over her head. Before Willow could gather her thoughts, his hand cupped her breast, holding the small globe up to his lips. His tongue scraped the swollen tip in a long, slow lick.

She shivered. Taking soft nibbles along the underside of her breast with his fangs, Angel purred contentedly. The erotic vibrations skittered over her like a pulsating waterfall.

Willow’s arms encircled his neck, drawing him closer to her. She stroked the nape of his neck as he continued stoking her passion. Angel murmured huskily at her touch. He slowly moved down her body, alternating between licking, kissing and nipping at her creamy skin. When he reached her navel, he circled the perimeter of it, then teasingly dipped his tongue into the indentation.

It tickled and Willow giggled. Angel chuckled at her response, wondering if she knew that the area was alive with nerve endings perfect for certain stimulation. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her semi-naked form and turned so she lay on the bed next to him, her head on his pillow.

He nudged the material covering her womanhood lower with his chin, then he subtly bit the rounded curve of her lower belly. It was an airy graze, using the combination of teeth and pressure.

Willow shivered again from the erotic sting. Encouraged, Angel moved up on her and covered her mouth in a fiery possession. As he lingered upon her, kissing her senseless, his hands went to her last vestige of clothing.

Soon, Angel rubbed his shaft against the delicate folds of her femininity. Willow moaned in his mouth as a surge of wetness and pleasure flowed between her legs. He rotated his hips against her, the broad head of his shaft pressing heavily against her moist curls.

Whimpering in pleasure, Willow opened her thighs for him. Angel cupped the back of her head with one hand and brought the other down to cup her bottom, bringing her tightly against him. He released her mouth as he slid fast into her. As deep as he could go.

"Angel!" Willow screamed out his name.

He groaned in feral response and bit into her shoulder.

There was no getting around the fact that he was a vampire. Wild, intense, untamable.

But he could also be very loving.

Angel moved his lips along her jawline; then he let his mouth brush tantalizingly across the tips of her eyelashes. A low moan of gratification came from him.

He began to move carefully within her, using long, slow thrusts. The rocking motion built and built until Willow thought she would die from it.

"Wrap your legs around my hips, Willow," he instructed her with a soft voice. Willow did as asked and Angel truly came into her. Powerfully. Completely. He thrust into her with a steady rhythm that made her tremble all over.

A wild pressure built between Willow’s thighs and she started to mew against his neck. Angel’s hand cupping her bottom helped to him to thrust into her fully, over and over. A low growl deep from within Angel came unbidden and he sunk his fangs into her jugular.

Willow reared up as rapid explosions vibrated through her. The sensations radiated from the place where they joined, intensifying moment by moment. Again, she called his name and Angel sank into his own release.

Part Two

Willow slowly became aware of Angel licking her neck, his tongue swirling in the blood that pooled from the twin holes. They were still joined, and she could feel him purring against her. She sighed in pleasure, one hand stroking lightly up and down his arm.

She never wanted to move again.

But her own body decided that move she must. "Angel?"

"Hmm?" Angel continued to purr at her throat.

"I need to get up," Willow told her new lover.

"Do you have to?" Angel asked with a small whine.

Willow chuckled. "Yes, I do."

Angel pushed up on his forearms which had moved to each side of Willow’s body. He gazed into her eyes, unknowingly still in game face.

Willow looked into Angel’s true face. For some reason, the sight of him like this encouraged her. It meant that he was truly impassioned by their tryst. She smiled a soft, knowing, womanly smile.

Angel kissed her lips gently, then moved off of her body. Willow left the bed and went into the bathroom. Content, he lay back on the bed with his arms behind his head and smiled at the ceiling.

"You do realize that your boxers are still around your knees?" Willow asked as she headed to the refrigerator for a drink.

"What?" Angel said, looking down. "Oh," he grinned at her sheepishly, which was a funny sight with his fangs.

Willow laughed, a melodious twinkle filling the small apartment. She went back over to him, not embarrassed by her nudity, and sat on the bed. "What would you like to do all day?" she asked, her eyes alight with mischief as she took a sip of soda.

"I’m sure we can think of something," Angel said with a low, seductive voice.

Willow’s comment was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yikes!" She jumped up, splashing her soda and bolted for the bathroom.

Angel growled at the intrusion and stood, pulling the boxers up into place. He stomped over to the door and flung it open. "What?"

Buffy and Xander jumped back away from the vampire standing in the doorway wearing nothing but his game face and a pair of silk boxers.

"Um…hi?" Buffy said tentatively.

"Oh, it’s you guys," Angel said. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

"We…uh, came to check on you two," Buffy answered. "And I brought some clothes for Willow." She held up a bag in defense. "See?"

Angel sighed and ran a hand through his tussled hair. He gestured for them to enter and took the bag from Buffy.

Xander and Buffy exchanged puzzled glances as Angel went to the bathroom door and knocked. "Red, Buffy brought you some clothing."

Willow cracked open the door, glad she couldn’t see around the corner to where her two best friends were waiting. "Thanks," she whispered, snatching the bag and shutting the door in his face. Angel growled again in annoyance.

"Uh, Angel?" Xander asked carefully. "What’s with all the growling?"

Angel turned to his guests and glared at them, his demonic visage making them cringe. "Because I want to," Angel replied in a low tone.

"O-k," Buffy drawled out. "I take it we interrupted something."

Angel went over to the refrigerator and opened it. He stared into its crowded depths as if it had the answers. He sighed again. "No. I’m sorry. Bad night."

Willow emerged from the bathroom fully clothed, a towel draped over her neck. She smiled overly bright at Buffy and Xander. "Hey, guys!"

"Will! How you holding up?" Buffy asked, hugging her friend.

"I’m fine," Willow told the Slayer. "Just a little sore."

"What’s with the towel?" Xander asked. He looked questioningly at her dry head.

"The what?" Willow said. "Oh, the towel. Heh, heh. I was just…um…washing my face and I uh…draped it over my shoulders unthinkingly" She turned and looked at Angel and noticed he was still in game face. She started to blush. Heavily.

Xander and Buffy exchanged a glance, then stared at Willow’s red face. They both looked over to the messed up bed, the T-shirt and black underwear on the floor, the vampire in game face, the blushing girl, the towel around her neck, then back at each other.

"I’m going to kill you," Xander said dangerously. He was staring furiously at the vampire, hands clenched at his sides.

Angel looked up from the open refrigerator to Xander in surprise. "What?"

"General," Willow said. Angel moved his gaze and Willow rubbed her forehead above her nose. He brought one of his hands up and felt the ridges. Quickly, he slid the human mask back into place.

"Don’t think that’s going to help you," Xander said, taking a step forward. Buffy grabbed his arm. "Buffy, let go."

"No, Xander. We’re leaving," Buffy said.

Xander shook her grip off and marched over to Angel. Without saying another word, he brought his fist back and rammed it into the vampire’s face.

Stunned, Angel stumbled back, hitting the open door. Xander took the advantage and hit Angel again, this time in the gut.

Angel yelled out in pain as the ring the teen had taken to wearing hit the not quite healed bullet wound. He put one hand over it protectively and grabbed Xander with the other, shoving him back forcefully.

Willow came out of her stupor and ran over to Angel. "Xander! What the hell was that for?"

"He touched you," Xander said with venom. He snaked his hand up and snatched the towel from around Willow’s neck. The vampire bite marks were visible on her neck. "He bit you." "Xander, it’s none of your business what I do," Willow ground out. "Or who I choose to do it with. Now, if you can’t apologize, leave."

Xander glared at both of them for a moment, then spun on his heel and stormed out the door. "C’mon, Buffy."

Buffy’s face echoed the hurt she felt at the knowledge that Willow and Angel had… She turned and ran out behind Xander. The outer door clanged shut with finality.

Part Three

"Sometimes, I just don’t understand him," Willow told Angel. They were both snuggled together on the couch, reveling in their new found closeness.

Willow had to re-bandage Angel after Xander’s punch had caused him to start bleeding again. They had a quick bite to eat, then moved to the couch after a very enterprising shower.

"You’re his oldest and closest friend, Red," Angel replied. "He doesn’t want anything to hurt to you."

"But you didn’t hurt me," Willow said.

"I know," Angel sighed. "But he’s afraid I would, seeing as how I did in the past."

"Angel, don’t go there," Willow warned. "We’ve been over this before…"

"Ok," Angel answered. "I won’t." He kissed the top of her head, then leaned his chin on it.

The phone rang and Willow answered, depressing the talk button on the portable which sat on the couch next to the couple. "Hello?"

"Hello? Willow?" Giles voice said on the other end of the line.

"Hi, Giles," Willow greeted cheerfully. "How are things at school?"

"Pretty good, considering the, uh, damages," Giles told her. "How are you a-and Angel?"

"Great!" Willow replied.

"That’s, um…g-good," Giles stammered.

"Buffy and Xander told you, huh?"

"Er…yes," Giles answered. "I take it he’s still…Angel."

"Yes, Giles, he’s still Angel," Willow said.

Angel winced as she said those words. He hugged her closer to him, trying to send away the chill that infused his body.

"I gather then I’ll, er, see you tonight at your house," Giles said.

"Right. As soon as the sun sets," Willow responded. Willow hung up after good-byes were exchanged. She set the phone back on the couch. "Are you ok?"

Angel shook his head against Willow’s hair. "Yeah. I’m ok."

"Liar."

It took Willow the remainder of the day to get Angel out of his somber mood. But eventually, he was once again purring contentedly at her side.

Willow giggled.

"What are you laughing at, Red?" Angel asked, snuggling closer to the petite red head.

"You," Willow answered. "You’re purring."

"Am I? I hadn’t noticed," Angel told her. He frowned, then brought one hand up and rubbed his forehead. The ridges were back. *Strange. I didn’t realize…*

"Hey, don’t you think we better get going soon?" Willow interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah," Angel said. He shifted back to his human features and kissed Willow. "I guess we’d better."

"You don’t sound too excited," Willow commented. She stood and began to gather up her things.

"Don’t worry about me," Angel said. "I’m fine."

Willow gave him a look that clearly said she didn’t believe a word out of his undead mouth. To disprove her, Angel grabbed her and began to tickle unmercifully.

The walk to Willow’s house was uneventful. Buffy, Xander, Cordelia and Giles were all out front, sitting on Giles’ car, waiting.

"Hey, guys," Willow greeted. Angel nodded at the group.

Willow unlocked the front door. "General, will you do a quick search around the house, then come to the French doors at my room?"

"Ok," Angel said. He turned and disappeared into the darkness.

"C’mon, you four," Willow said. She ushered the small group into her home and to her bedroom. Giles seemed a tad uncomfortable, but he knew there was no choice. At least Willow’s parents weren’t home.

There was a tapping at the French doors and Willow opened them. Angel stood on the other side of an invisible barrier - the last reminder of Angelus’ reign.

"Put on your game face,’ Willow told him.

Angel gave her a startled look. "What?"

"Put on your game face. You know, ‘grr,’" Willow repeated.

Angel looked at the young woman in front of him, then at the others in the bedroom. Xander’s face held an expression of repressed anger. Buffy’s was a contradiction of hurt and happiness. Cordelia looked bored and Giles, confused.

With a sigh, he did as requested. Willow held her hands out to him over the threshold. "Angel, this is part of who you are and I want everyone present here to know that I trust you." Willow smiled sweetly. "Will you please come in?"

Angel blinked in surprise, then allowed her to pull the vampire into the room. He quickly returned the human mask that normally adorned his features. "Thank you," he whispered.

Willow nodded then purposely moved to her computer. "I now call this meeting of the Sunnydale crime club to order." She grinned.

"Ok. What do we know?" Buffy said, getting into Slayer mode.

"We know that someone wanted Willow," Angel said.

"We know that whoever it is that wished to take Willow is using non-human allies," Giles added.

"We know the body of two men, two humans, were found at school. The one on the second floor had a broken neck and the one in the library was completely drained of blood," Xander said. He shot Angel a look. "I wonder how that happened?"

"We also know that the sewer stench will never come out of my clothes," Cordelia put her two cents in. They all rolled their eyes at her.

"Why don’t you see what the-the police and, uh, coroner’s reports have to-to say in that dreadful machine," Giles suggested. "Not that I condone anything illegal."

Willow had already begun pulling up the bookmarked sites. She hit the print icon, then read some of the information off the screen. "It says here two John Doe’s were brought in this morning from Sunnydale High School. No one has claimed the bodies and they have no fingerprints on record. They’re ruling the deaths as gang related."

"Just another typical day in Sunnydale," Buffy said. "Death by gangs."

She left that site and opened the information from her search last night. "On the government conspiracy side, a sub-section of the FBI were the perps," Willow said.

"Great, now we’re being hunted by the X-Files," Xander said.

"Are they going to try again?" Angel asked from the corner of the room. He had blended into the shadows and the others jumped at his voice, forgetting the vampire was present.

"Don’t do that!" Xander snapped.

"Sorry," Angel apologized. He reached under his shirt and pulled out the cord with the four colored bells. They jingled as he let them fall on his chest. "Better?"

Xander tried to scowl, but couldn’t. Instead, a wide grin took its place. "Do the Snoopy Dance and maybe I’ll forgive you."

The corners of Angel’s mouth tilted in a small smile. "Would you like to come with me while I make another sweep around the house?"

"Lead on, Jingle Bells," Xander said, gesturing to the French doors. The two proprietary males went out into the night.

The printer stopped and Willow handed the police and coroner’s reports to Giles. She began printing up the information from the FBI

"Do you know hwy they wanted you, Will?" Buffy asked.

"Not yet," Willow answered.

"Don’t you think you’d better make sure they’re not coming back?" Cordelia said. "I don’t want to hang around if they’re going to."

"Good idea," Buffy said. "And it wasn’t entirely selfish, either."

Willow’s fingers flew over the keyboard and she effectively put a ‘case terminated’ stamp on the file. "That should do it. I hope." She picked up some of the papers coming from the printer and divided them between Buffy and Cordelia. "Here. Buffy, you get the ‘Rosenberg’ file. Cordy, you get the research on the sub-section members."

Willow kept scanning the computer and printing up all the information she could find on herself, the perpetrators, her friends and Sunnydale in general. Xander and Angel returned, both a little bruised and sore, and accepted the work Willow gave them.

"What happened to you guys?" Cordelia said, surveying her boyfriend.

"Just making sure Jingle Bells took care of my Willow," Xander said, laying on the bed next to her. Buffy was sprawled across the bottom and Giles had taken a seat in an extra chair.

Willow raised her face to Angel as he peered over her shoulder. She arched one delicate eyebrow in question. He shook his head, indicating things were going to be fine between the men. She smiled and he took a seat on the floor next to her, resting his back against the desk drawers.

Silently, the six worked well into the night.

End