How it's Done

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the show "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

In the center of the Bronze's dance floor Buffy and Xander were doing their best to meld their bodies together. At least that's what it looked like from Willow's vantage point.

"How could she?" Willow thought angrily, Buffy was one of her two best friends and she knew how Willow felt about Xander. As Willow's thoughts turned to her other best friend, her anger dissolved into misery. Why couldn't Xander see she loved him?

"Because his head is denser than the average slab of concrete," Willow answered her own question disparagingly. Maybe she should have taken Buffy's advice and spoken up when she still had the chance.

"I bet she's glad I didn't take that bit of advice tonight," Willow thought with an uncharacteristic twinge of bitterness.

"Have you ever heard the phrase `Turn about's fair play'?" a deep voice beside her asked.

Startled Willow dragged her attention from the dance floor to find Angel standing beside her. The darkly gorgeous vampire was glaring at the same couple that had captivated Willow's hurt and angry attention.

"What?" Willow squeaked.

Angel turned to her smiling grimly. "Would you care to dance?" He asked, offering her his hand.

Willow blushed furiously as she realized what he was suggesting.

"I'd be willing to bet we could put a stop to that," Angel offered enticingly, jerking his head to indicate Buffy and Xander's activities.

"They're my friends," Willow stammered, "I should be happy for them."

Angel's eyes saddened, "It's her right to date who ever she likes. Xander's probably better for her anyway," he said. "Still, they don't have to rub it in our faces, neither of us deserve this little show.

Willow look back at the dance floor, at Buffy slowly grinding her body into Xander's. Almost against her will she found herself nodding in agreement with Angel.

Angel offered her his hand again, this time Willow actually considered it. Slowly Willow's eyes strayed from Angel's proffered hand to his hansom features and expressive eyes, to his muscular body. Willow felt flames rising in her cheeks, what was she thinking, this was Angel, Buffy's Angel. It's not like she wants him a naughty section of her mind whispered, or like he wants anything more than to make Buffy jealous. And what's so bad about that?

"I… I couldn't," Willow sputtered, "I'd just get all nervous and stiff and have to run away. It wouldn't work at all."

Angel smiled, "It's hardly necessary to be as gauche as those two… not if a person has any skill."

Curiosity lit Willow's eyes, as she peered up at Angel.

"Just relax, and let me lead. It's easier if you lean in against me, but if you're not comfortable we'll managed with just a normal social dance frame."

Angel's smile promised mischief and Willow had to admit she would like to disrupt Buffy and Xander. Hesitantly she placed her hand in Angel's.

Angel raised their joined hands to about mid-chest level and escorted her to the dance floor as if it were still the eighteenth century.

Once on the floor he guided her swing in front of him, shyly her hand came to rest on his shoulder, his free hand settled gently in the center of her back.

"Lean toward me," Angel whispered. Blushing, eyes fixed on the collar of his shirt Willow did as he asked.

For a few beats Angel remained at the edge of the dance floor, rocking from one foot to the other, letting Willow feel the beat. Then with a dark grin he stepped forward, without thinking Willow fell back. He squeezed her hand reassuringly as he led her through the basic step a few times, Willow's brow furrowed with concentration. Gradually the tension left her body as she picked up on the pattern. As Willow relaxed the distance between herself and Angel disappeared.

Willow was so concentrated on the dance the other couples on the floor faded into the background and she forgot to be embarrassed, forgot even her pain and anger at Buffy and Xander's betrayal.

Angel led her to step past him then abruptly swiveled her back. Willow glanced up at his face grinning fiercely as she realized what he wanted. Step forward, swivel, step forward again… Maybe if she drug her following toe a little? Angel smiled back at her… Yes, that was what he wanted.

Back face-to-face, Willow realized that she was leaning up against Angel, chest to chest. Mentally she shrugged, it was easier to figure out what he wanted this way.

"When I nudge you foot, flick it around my leg," Angel whispered.

Willow nodded.

As the dance progressed Angel began adding the little kicks more frequently. Leading Willow to kick delicately around and between his legs.

"You're doing great," he whispered. With that Angel stepped forward decisively on his next step he spun both of them around in a half circle. Willow clung to him tightly as he repeated the maneuver several more times.

"Hook you foot around my leg," Angel instructed. Willow complied quickly, this type of dancing was much more to her liking than the stuff everyone usually did.

Willow felt a smile tugging at her lips, she was doing this right! As her confidence increased she began seeing where she could add the little flicks of her feet and the leg rubs without Angel's verbal leads.

Angel increased the complexity of the steps to match Willow's growing confidence, never giving her the opportunity for nervousness.

He smiled secretively, Willow was so focused on the dance that she hadn't noticed anything going on around them. He and the shy hacker had cleared the dance floor, every eye in the Bronze was on them. If Willow had been aware of the possession she was in she would have been petrified. Fortunately, she was blissfully unaware of the attention, caught up in the movements of the dance gracefully following where he led.

Angel spared a moment to lock eyes with Buffy. Her gaze was overflowing with shocked annoyance. Angel offered her a smug half smile. It was only fair that Buffy receive some of her own medicine, and he and Willow were doing it with a great deal more class than Buffy and Xander had displayed.

Beside Buffy, Xander looked ready to faint, Angel wondered if it was from the shock of seeing Willow as the center of attention or from fear, seeing Willow in his arms. Either way Angel enjoyed his discomfort. He had never liked Buffy's loud-mouthed friend and Xander had never made the slightest effort to disguise how he felt about Angel in return. Angel was certain that the boy would welcome any excuse to stake him. Soul or not, in Xander's eyes Angel would always be one of the monsters, or at least an unwelcome rival for Buffy's affection.

Angel glanced down at the slender redhead leaning trustingly against him and his irritation with Xander grew into genuine hostility. Willow deserved much better than to waste her affection on such as oblivious fool.

To Angel's immense disappointment he realized that the song was coming to an end.

"Trust me?" He asked Willow softly.

She smiled gently up at him, "Completely," she replied.

Angel spun her out away from him then indicated that she should spin back in. As she did he silently requested her hands. Willow found herself standing face to face with Angel, her crossed wrists held firmly about her head.

"Going down?" Angel suggested. Willow frowned, confused. "Let me dip you," Angel clarified.

Willow smiled, understanding what to do, slowly she leaned back trusting that Angel wouldn't let her fall. Willow's eyes widened as she continued down, deeper and deeper, Angel grinned his eyes sparkling.

When he finally brought her to a stop Willow was certain that her hair was brushing the floor. Angel held her there for a moment then lifted her smoothly to her feet. Willow found herself being spun once more then she was in Angel's arms, being lowered toward the floor once more. This time Angel followed her down, gracefully dropping to one knee as he leaned over her.

Around them the room exploded into applause. Angel lifted Willow back to her feet as the shy redhead's expression metamorphed into one of started amazement. Angel gently tucked her arm into his and lead the wide eyed girl back to her table and disgruntled friends.

By the time they reached the table Willow's face was a brilliant shade of red and she'd canted her head forward allowing hr long hair to form a protective screen between herself and the room.

"You never told me you could dance like that," Xander said accusingly as Willow retook her seat.

"I… I can't," Willow stammered. "It was Angel."

Angel captured her hand, raising it delicately to his lips, "You danced beautifully," he said firmly, winning a shy smile from the brilliantly blushing girl.

"You never mentioned dancing like that either," Buffy accused irritably.

"You never asked," Angel replied coldly.

"Well now's a funny time to get all show-and-telly isn't it?" Buffy demanded.

"I though you and Xander needed a demonstration in the difference between dancing and mating," Angel replied with a smirk.

Buffy's expression flickered from outrage to satisfaction to anger as she searched for a comeback.

"Angel…" Willow said hesitantly, "That was fun… Thank you."

Angel smiled warmly at her. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," he said preparing to fade into the night. "We'll have to do it again sometime."

With a pleased expression Angel pulled his disappearing trick. Leaving behind the happily smiling red-haired hacker and her two thoroughly put out best friends.

Willow smiled brightly at the other two, thinking, "Angel was right, turn about is much, much better than moping. And I have to find out what other kinds of dancing he knows."

The End

Home

Next

Please Send Feedback