by Cynamin
Part Eight
Silence was so thick in the bedroom you could reach out and touch it. After making their startling pronouncement, Jade and Willow had left the room. In theory, it was to let them think. Everyone was in agreement that this needed some time.
"But not too much time," Willow had said hesitantly. "This spell...it's kind of reliant on a certain... timing."
So Buffy and Angel were left alone, stunned speechless.
Angel cleared his throat after another long moment had gone by. "Um... marriage?" he managed.
The nervous tension made Buffy chuckle. "Is that a proposal?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, it's...well, I guess it could be a proposal, but... there is more to consider here." Apparently her weak attempt at a joke hadn't worked, because he was decidedly flustered.
"I know there is," Buffy said calmly, gently placing a hand on his. "But it's a place to start. Do you...want to marry me?" She cringed inside at the uncertainty that managed to creep into her voice.
"Of course I do," Angel replied. "But it's not that simple. What about the next life, and the next? Do you really want to be bound to me for possibly eternity?"
"How could you even doubt that?"
Angel smiled gently, but his eyes were still serious. "Think about it, Buffy. You're talking about never ending the battle. Never resting. Coming back, life after life to fight side by side again. You have no idea whether you'll be willing to do this in another life. We won't always be the same people. Things change. You could hate me next time around."
Buffy just looked at him for a second. "And, assuming that we manage to close the Hellmouth, you could end up dealing with a lot of different 'me's. You could hate me just as easily."
"I could never hate you, Buffy," he protested.
She gave him a pointed look; the kind she gave one of her students when they answered their own question.
He chuckled. "Point taken." His face was still pensive though.
"What?"
There was another long, silent moment.
"Can we really do this?" he asked at last. "I mean, not just inthis life, but every life thereafter?"
Buffy smiled. "I never doubted it. Isn't that part of what soulmates is about, anyway? Two souls, destined to be together in every life? Not to make things overly romantic here...no, wait, overly romantic is just fine." She turned slightly to fully face him. "Marriage is about forever. 'Till death do us part. We already knew that would be way longer than usual, but I like that."
He looked at her closely. "You've given this a lot of thought."
Buffy looked down, embarrassed. "So, I daydream."
"So do I," Angel said softly, but his face had still not lost it's troubled look.
"Okay, what else is bothering you?"
Angel gave her a weak smile. "I just...am wondering if we'd be doing the right thing. If I'd be ignoring my duty..."
"You've got to be kidding," Buffy snapped.
"Buffy..."
"I mean, just look at you! Even ignoring the fact that you're injured - which I won't - you're worn out! Exhausted, too thin... Your duty is wearing you to a thread." She took a deep breath before she continued in a softer tone. "I've never really trusted Jade, except for the fact that your existence is her whole life. So I *do* trust her when she says this is not how it's supposed to be. You're *too* driven, and she wants to fix that."
Angel was nodding by the end of her argument, and when she was done he looked at her with an uncertain smile.
"Well?" Buffy asked expectantly.
"Well what?"
Buffy playfully shoved his shoulder. "You're *supposed* to propose now."
Angel laughed. Then, with his heart in his eyes, he took her hands. "I'd get down on my knees and propose if you wouldn't hurt me for getting out of bed-"
"Damn right!"
"-But will you marry me?"
Her response, while not vocal, was definitely a yes.
To be continued...
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