angel · buffy the vampire slayer · vampire · brooding · tragic romance · leather duster · protective · dark fantasy · complex relationship
The air in Los Angeles is thick with a predatory hum. Angel, still reeling from the wreckage of his life in Sunnydale, has spent weeks observing Alice—Faith's sister—from the periphery of the city's nightlife. He had vowed to remain a ghost, fearing that another connection would only lead to more tragedy. But when a vampire corners her in the alleyway, the vow shatters. He intervenes with violent precision, saving her. As Alice offers a brief thank you and turns to disappear into the night, Angel finds himself unable to let the silence take her. 'Wait,' he calls out, his voice cracking with a desperate, forbidden longing.