Chapter 1: ‘First Impressions’

It was another Thursday night when they walked into ‘Little London’. The new bar had opened two weeks before and it had been popular from the beginning. Of course, due to the lack of good bars in Sunnydale, its success was almost a given. Cordelia, Willow and Buffy sat down at a free table and looked around to see if Xander and Tara were already there.

“Should we wait before we order?” asked Buffy when she didn’t see her other friends. “Maybe they got stuck in traffic? I heard there was a pretty big traffic jam.”

“I’m going to get something to drink,” Cordelia said.

Cordelia walked off towards the bar with Buffy and Willow staring behind her. They noticed how she flirted with the bartender to get his attention.

“Looks like Cordelia is on the hunt again,” Buffy said. Willow looked at the bartender. “Oh, that’s Spike, he owns the place. Works as bartender too, I guess. I hear he’s a real player.”

Xander and Tara came into the pub and walked over to their table.

“Hey guys. What’s up? And where’s Cordelia?” Xander asked. Willow pointed at the bar where Cordy was still flirting shamelessly. Xander rolled his eyes. “She never stops, does she?”

“Hey Buffy, how was your day?” Tara asked.

“Normal,” Buffy replied, staring at the blond bartender herself.

“Just normal?, Seriously Buffster, you need to get out more,” replied Xander in a teasing tone.

Willow and Tara both frowned and gave Buffy an apologetic look. But Buffy didn’t hear Xander; she was lost in blue eyes and felt a pang of jealousy when Cordelia placed both of her elbows on the bar to give Spike a better look of her ample chest.

“If only,” Buffy thought. Even over the noise of the patrons, Buffy could hear Cordelia talking to Spike and she was obviously having a good time.

XXXXX

“So, what does California have that England doesn’t?” Cordelia asked Spike.

Spike tilted his head and curved his lips before answering. “Pretty young California girls like yourself.”

Cordelia grinned at the answer. ‘So, he is the player they say he is,’ she thought to herself.

Spike placed the drink in front of her, giving her lower neck a final view he turned around. Cordelia smiled even wider, grabbed her drink and brought them back to the table.

“So, Cordelia, how’d the flirting go? Maybe you should wear something that reveals more of your cleavage; they’re not rolling out yet.” Xander commented.

“You’re just jealous, Xander. Just because you can’t find yourself someone doesn’t mean I can’t…”

“Knock it off you guys. We came here to have a good time, not to rip each other’s throats out,” Willow interjected. She looked up at Buffy who was still staring at the bar, and saw the dreamy look in her eyes.

“Earth to Buffy” said Willow, her lips curled in a sweet smile. “He is a hottie, isn’t he?” They watched Spike serve a beer to the local librarian, Rupert Giles.

Buffy turned her face to Willow, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “Who’s a hottie?”

Willow laughed. “Buffy, no need to pretend. Best friend here. Remember? I noticed you entered the staring competition that’s been going on ever since the bar opened.” The redhead grabbed her soda and added, “It’s okay, you’d have to be blind to not notice him.”

With that, Buffy’s face was covered in an alarming red-purple color. She was ashamed to have been so obvious. “Well, I was watching just in case Cordy needed help with the drinks,” she offered as an explanation, grateful when she heard Cordelia’s whining to Xander, taking the focus off of herself, if only for the moment.

“Look Xander, I’m single and available and obviously I’m a good catch. Why is it that you’re having a problem with the idea of me getting a man?” Her voice was a little bit cold.

“I don’t have a problem with you getting a boyfriend,” Xander said, but his voice had a small degree of bitterness. “I’m just saying that you’re probably not giving a good impression with your body language like that.”

“Well duh!” she said trying to sound like it was obvious. Turning around to face Tara she said, “Tara, tell me if you think that Spike is hot”.

Tara gave Spike a quick look and said, “Not my type, but he is good looking.” Her eyes moved quickly back to her drink, in obvious discomfort.

“See, Xander - nothing wrong with flirting with a nice guy.” Cordy smiled widely.

XXXXX

On the other side of the room, Spike was having a nice conversation with Rupert Giles, who also happened to be British and was currently living in Sunnydale. He and Spike had become good friends in a short period of time. Mother England was their common link and Spike was sad to admit he missed the normal English language.
“Bloody Americans,” was a frequent phrase for Spike.

Giles on the other hand was happy to take the newcomer under his wing. “I noticed that you are quite a success among the women, William. I couldn’t help but notice the pretty brunette that was talking to you earlier,” Giles said.

Spike’s eyes located Cordelia’s table and saw the beautiful woman chatting with a dorky-looking guy and then a red haired girl who was sitting next to a pretty blonde girl. Spike smiled, he was a master of body language and it wasn’t difficult to figure out they were a couple.

It only took a moment, when he noticed a petite blond who was smiling at the couple. Spike was taken aback. He had seen many beautiful women in his life - hell, he’d had them - but not one of them compared to the one he was looking at now. She was unique, he just knew it. His mind forgot instantly about the brunette who was again staring at him.

=====

Ok, that's the first chapter guys. Please give me feedback so I know what you guys thought of this. First fics are always scary, so please be gentle with me! But feedback will give me inspiration to write on!

Chapter 2: There’s more than meets the eye


Buffy walked into her apartment, arms full with bags of groceries. She threw her keys on the kitchen table and sat her bags down. She had gone straight to the supermarket after work since she hadn’t had time earlier. It had been one hell of a week. Lilah, her boss, had been constantly on her case with things that still needed to be done.

Buffy worked at a large law firm and was an assistant to Lilah Morgan, the Vice President of Marketing Strategy. It wasn’t a difficult job, but it brought long hours and heavy headaches. When Buffy was still in high school, her mother had been diagnosed with brain cancer. To help pay off all the medical bills, Buffy had decided to get a job after she had graduated from high school. She didn’t really care about university - she never had ambitions to do anything special in this world. Besides, she wouldn’t have known what to study anyway. Buffy had worked at a small diner in town for a few years and once her mother was declared ‘cancer free’, she had decided to look for something else. That’s how she’d gotten the job as assistant. Buffy had been working at her mother’s gallery while in high school, so she had some knowledge of administration.

After putting everything away, Buffy pressed the play button on her answering machine. As she sat on the couch, she heard Willow’s voice fill her apartment.

“Hi Buffy! I just wanted to remind you of this weekend’s party. Maybe we could go shopping beforehand? I still need a new outfit. Let me know, ok? Talk to you later!”

Beep

“Hi, sweetie, it’s mom. Are you going to help me with the exihibition opening in two weeks? I remember you said you’d help me and I need the help! Call me, honey, I miss you.”

Beep

Buffy looked up when she heard her mothers voice. Joyce Summers lived in Los Angeles, where she owned a small art gallery. Buffy’s parents had gotten divorced when she was only two years old and Buffy had never seen her father again. She didn’t really mind, Joyce was an excellent mom and she never felt like she missed a father figure.

She called her mom back to confirm that she would help with the gallery exhibition. After she hung up, Buffy called Willow to tell her she’d go shopping with her before the party. She also told Willow about the gallery exhibition, as both she and Tara loved Joyce and never missed any of the gallery events.

Buffy rummaged in her handbag to look for the number of Dominos Pizza to order her dinner when she suddenly saw a pack of matches that had “Little London” printed on top. Blue eyes were the first thing that came to mind. Buffy sighed loudly. There was no point in dreaming about someone who wouldn’t give her the time of day.


XXXXX


“This was exactly what I needed,” Buffy sighed over her hot cup of coffee. Willow nodded in agreement.

“I feel like my feet have walked over hot coals and we still have to go to the party tonight.” She said and took a sip of her coffee.

Buffy and Willow had spent the entire Saturday afternoon in the mall looking for a new outfit for Willow, and costumes for the party that night. It turned out to be more difficult then they’d expected it to be. Finding a Halloween costume in May wasn’t the easiest thing to do. But after hours of looking, they found a little boutique that sold fairytale costumes. Willow had gone for a sexy fairy godmother outfit and Buffy had opted for a somewhat more ‘covered’ little Red Riding Hood outfit.

“So, are you going to swoon all over the British hottie tonight?” Willow teased with a smile on her face.

“I do not swoon! And what does it matter, it’s not like he would ever notice me.” Buffy sighed. “I just don’t know how to be around a guy, Will. And I know guys like girls that are confident and not some wallflower who doesn’t even know what a guy likes.”

“You know that’s not true, Buffy. You’re a sweet and caring girl, not to mention that you look great. Guys have been knocking on your door, but you keep brushing them off. Either you have too high standards or there is something blocking you. Try not to think too much. It’s really not that scary, Buffy. You’ll have to take risks to see where things can take you,” Willow explained, looking at Buffy intently. Knowing it was enough to deal with at the moment, she got up from her chair.

“We’d better go now and get ready. The party starts in three hours,” Willow said, checking her watch. They gathered all their bags and walked to the parking lot where Willow had parked her car.


XXXXX


Spike was arranging the bar for tonight’s party. It promised to be a success. The whole town had been talking about it. Everywhere he went, he heard people talking about the party - which made him smile. He couldn’t have hoped for a better start of a new life in this foreign country.

After a bad break up in London, England, he’d left the country to start afresh across the big pond.

Spike walked back to the stage where the band was setting up their gear and doing sound checks.

“Everything going ok down here?” he asked to no one in particular.

“Yeah, everything’s set up. We were just going to head out to get some dinner and we’ll be back here at 7:00 o’clock,” one of the guys replied.

“Right, see you fellas in an hour. If you need anything, just give a shout,” Spike replied.

He went over to the bar and checked the lights. Everything was in place.

“Hey Spikey, how’s my little blondie bear?”

Spike looked up from the bar to see his current ‘nightmare’ walking over to him. After he’d slept with her one night when he’d gotten pissed drunk, which had happened a lot right after his arrival, she hadn’t stopped following him. Spike never had any intention of having a relationship with the girl, and he’d tried to make that clear to her. But somehow it wouldn’t get through her thick head.

“Harmony, how did you get in here? I told you before not to come to the club like this.” Spike looked around and saw the backdoor open. The guys must have left it unlocked.

“But Spikey, aren’t you happy to see me? We could go out to dinner and have some fun later?” Harmony said, seductively pushing herself up against his chest.

Spike looked annoyed and pushed her away from him. “Stop it, Harm, I told you I’m not interested. Why don’t you just go and hit on some other guy? I’m through with it”.

He knew he sounded harsh, but there was no other way to get through to her.

Harmony looked offended. “Well, next time you have an itch to scratch, don’t come crawling back to me for something, because you won’t be getting it from me!” she said and stormed off.

Spike sighed and turned off the lights. It was going to be a long and busy night. He turned around and walked out of the club to get ready.


XXXXX


Willow and Buffy arrived at the club at 9:00 o’clock that evening dressed in their costumes. They saw their friends sitting at a table near the stage, waving them over. Willow grabbed Buffy’s hand and pulled her along with her.

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Xander spoke up first. “We saved you two seats. It’s crazy busy tonight, so we’re lucky to have any at all!”

Buffy gave him a grateful smile. “That was sweet of you Xander. I don’t know if I could survive standing on these heels all night.” She indicated the very pointy high heels that she was wearing.

She sat down next to Tara and Willow with a good view of the stage as well as the rest of the bar. She looked at the bar and saw Spike filling drinks. He was dressed up as a bad ass biker. Buffy drooled at the sight.

Willow gave her a soft kick under the table to get her attention back from the bleached blond.

“You’re staring,” she mouthed Buffy so that the others didn’t notice, except for Tara.

During their coffee break earlier that day, Buffy and Willow had talked about Spike and Buffy’s attraction towards him. But Buffy had made it clear that she didn’t want anyone else to know about it. Too afraid of people’s reactions and what they would do to make her go up to him. She just wanted to watch him from a distance, not believing she had a shot with him anyway.
Buffy smiled at Willow and turned back to the table.

“So, who wants a drink?” Buffy asked her friends. Cordelia pointed at the still-filled glasses at the table indicating that they were still good.

“Willow, you want a beer?” Buffy asked, already knowing the answer. Willow nodded and Buffy grabbed her purse to go to the bar.

Buffy took a deep breath. You can do this, nothing to be afraid of, it’s just a guy you are attracted to. He doesn’t even know you’re there, or would give you the time of day. While giving herself the pep talk, she didn’t notice she was already at the bar. She looked up straight into a pair of bright blue eyes that left her immobile for a moment.

“What can I get you, love?” Spike asked her as he bent over the bar so he could hear her reply.

Buffy was completely shocked. Up close he was even more gorgeous. She heard him ask what she wanted to drink.

“Two beers, please,” was all she could muster.

Spike smiled and went over to the tap to pour her drinks. He handed her the beers, for which Buffy paid, and turned to put the money away. When he turned back, Buffy had already left the bar with her beers.

She got back to the her friends’ table and put one beer in front of Willow and the other one in front of herself.

“Buffy, are you ok? Your face is beet red. Nothing happened, did it?” Willow asked worriedly.

Buffy shook her head quickly, hoping no one else had noticed. Luckily for her, Xander and Cordelia were deep in conversation about something that was not even worth discussing. The only one who had noticed Buffy’s return was Tara. But since she and Willow were a package deal, Tara knew of Buffy’s interest in the blond hottie that owned the bar.

She looked over and saw Spike looking at Buffy. She smiled to herself. Buffy may have thought Spike had no interest in her, but Tara knew better.


XXXXX


Spike had been busy pouring everybody drinks at the bar when he saw the beautiful little blonde coming over to the bar. She was obviously deep in thought and looked surprised to be at the bar the moment she looked him in the eye.

She was wearing the cutest little red cap outfit. It stood out from all the other costumes the other girls in the club were wearing due to the lack of skin revealed. She had everything nicely covered up, only a small amount of her cleavage visible. She looked nervous, and it made her look absolutely adorable.

When she’d turned around to walk back to her table he couldn’t help continue staring after her. It wasn’t until he saw the other blonde at her table looking at him with a knowing smile, that he went back to his waiting customers.

=====

So that's chapter two. I hope you enjoyed that. Please leave a review. It truely inspires me to continue writing. Tell me what you think or how I can improve. Thanks!

Chapter 3: Bad Endings of a Party


The band was coming onto the stage, the lights were dimmed and the crowd got ready for the performance.

Buffy looked around the club and noticed that it was completely packed. All the tables were occupied and people were standing in the back to see the show. She looked over at the bar to see Spike busying himself to get everybody drinks. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. The graceful way he moved, the smiles and smirks he gave his customers to entertain them. When Spike suddenly looked up and met her gaze, she blushed furiously and quickly looked back at the stage.


XXXXX


Spike felt someone was watching him and as he looked up and stared straight at the pretty little blond that had him mesmerized ever since he had looked into those beautiful green eyes. He noticed how she reddened and quickly looked away when he met her gaze. He smirked to himself and thought how adorably cute she looked with a blush on her cheeks.

Shaking himself out of his stare he looked up at the band playing on stage. Everything was going as planned. The night had gone on without any trouble and Spike was very happy with his success.


XXXXX


The band had been playing for almost and hour and announced their break and a DJ took over for the next half hour. Bouncy music filled the bar and more people started dancing.

Buffy and her friends were sitting at their table enjoying their drinks when the DJ’s music started. It was pop/rock sort of music that was excellent for dancing. Willow and Tara got up from their seats to head up to the dance floor.

“Come on Buffy, let’s dance, you know you want to!” Willow winked at her.

Buffy smile at her, got up from her chair, and walked over to the couple. She tentatively started to sway her hips to the music, and soon got a good rhythm, forgetting the world around her. Strangely enough, Buffy had always loved to dance, even though she was never really secure about herself. But when she was on the dance floor, she felt wonderful, as long as no one came near her and made a pass at her.

Cordelia and Xander soon followed. Buffy was completely oblivious to the stares she was getting from the men - one in particular, who was standing behind the bar, admiring her graceful moves.

Completely unaware of her surroundings, Buffy suddenly felt an arm wrap around her waist. She was being pulled backwards towards a hard chest. That’s when the world came crashing down and she immediately froze up. She could feel someone grinding his hips into her back and felt his breathing near her ear.

“Come on baby, you know you want to dance, don’t stop now,” he whispered into her ear.

Buffy had no idea what to do and struggled to get away from the man. He wouldn’t have any of it though, and tightened his grip on her. Buffy frantically looked around her with a pleading look in her eyes.

“Please let me go,” Buffy whimpered and struggled harder. Her friends were too occupied with their own dancing and didn’t see her trouble.

“Oh now baby, don’t be such a tease, you got me all hot and bothered with that little dance you just did there,” the stranger hissed in her ear while grinding his obvious erection against her bottom.

Tears threatened to spill over. She was too panicked to even think of screaming to get someone’s attention, and she didn’t want to make a scene either.

Just then she saw Cordelia looking her way who recognized the situation and stalked over to where Buffy was being held, seeing the fear in the girls face.

“Hey, why don’t you just let her go, isn’t it obvious she doesn’t want to dance with you? Just get your hands off of her and go harass someone else,” Cordelia said, attempting to take Buffy’s arm to lead her away.

The guy had other thoughts and turned his back to Cordelia, taking Buffy with him.

In the meantime the rest of Buffy’s friends realized something was wrong. Xander was just about to take action when he saw the bartender walk up to the stranger who had Buffy in his clenches.

XXXXX


Spike was having a wonderful time. The audience was obviously enjoying themselves and the bar was as busy as ever. His eyes wandered around and he saw people dancing and chatting. His eyes came to a halt when he saw his little blonde fantasy being grabbed by some guy. She had been dancing the night away, swaying her hips to the music and seemed oblivious to her surroundings. He saw her eyes shoot open when she was pulled against the guy’s chest. She was trying to get away, but failed and he could read the fear on her face. Her dark-haired friend was trying to pry her away, but her efforts seemed fruitless. Without thinking twice, Spike walked up to them and tapped the guy on the shoulder.

“I believe the lady made it clear she doesn’t want to dance with you, so why don’t you be a good lad and leave her alone?” The assaulter looked Spike up and down and unconsciously loosened his hold on Buffy.

Buffy disentangled herself from the stranger’s arms and ran over to her friends. Willow enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” the assaulter asked walking towards Spike.

“The name’s Spike, I own this place and therefore am asking you to leave now before I call the police and have you removed from the property.” The guy was already backing up, not wanting to get into trouble.

“Fine, she’s not even worth it anyway.”

Watching the guy walk out of the bar, Spike turned around and walked over to Buffy and her friends.

“I’m really sorry about that, are you ok?” he asked Buffy.

Not really aware of what was happening and only half-comprehending what Spike was saying, she merely nodded. Willow led her back to the table where she sat down and was handed a glass of water that Spike had gotten for her.

“I think it is best we go home” Willow announced and got their stuff together.

Buffy again just nodded and mutely followed Willow’s lead.

Spike watched them go, not in the position to do anything than just stand there. He sighed and walked back to the bar. This was not how this night was supposed to end. A thorn in an otherwise wonderful evening.


XXXXX


The last two weeks had gone by in a blur. Buffy had been swamped with work and had visited her mom a few times to set things up for the exhibition at the gallery on the following night. Invitations had been sent out to all the major buyers and friends of the Summers’ household.

The events of the costume party had been on her mind and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it all. Why had she reacted the way she did? Why hadn’t she been able to tell him off, or stomp on his foot to get loose? And then there was Spike. What must he have thought of her? He’d probably thought she was a sad damsel in distress, who couldn’t even stand up for herself. That had been the main reason why she hadn’t gone back to the bar since, even though Willow tried to persuade her to go, telling her that no one would remember what had happened. Buffy was as stubborn as always, and simply refused to go. Willow had soon given up, knowing that there was no reasoning with her when she was in one of those moods.

Now, Buffy was putting some clothes in her weekend bag, since she was staying the weekend at her mother’s house. The gallery exhibition was going to take up most of the weekend, setting up the last bits and pieces, and of course, cleaning everything when the opening was over.

With a sigh she closed her weekend bag and hauled it down the stairs. She checked the windows and backdoor, grabbed her keys and locked the door behind her.


XXXXX


Rupert Giles walked into Spike’s office. He’d been coming here every day around noon to have lunch with the new young Brit. They’d hit it off right away, even though they had a completely different style of living, what with Giles being the somewhat stuffy librarian of Sunnydale State’s library and Spike being the owner of the bar with his ‘Big Bad’ image.

“Hello, Spike. Fancy a bite to eat?” Giles asked Spike as he sat down in one of the chairs in Spike’s office.

It wasn’t a large office - it only had one desk in it that stood right in the middle. At the back were two closets that held all the paperwork that was needed to run the place. There was a small sofa on the side and a chair, which Giles currently occupied.

Spike ran his hands through his hair.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea. I could use a nice big lunch. This paperwork is giving me a headache. I should really get someone to help me out here. It’s getting too much to do this all on my own,” he wondered out loud.

Giles snickered at that.

“That’s what you get when you have so many things planned for this place. Why not take it easy first? Why expand it right away?”

Spike raised his eyebrow at that.

“Oy, I never said I was going to make changes right away! It just takes a lot of time planning and figuring things out before I can do that. But maybe you’re right, maybe I should take things a bit slower before I dig my own grave with things that I can’t accomplish anyway.”

Spike stood up from his chair and grabbed his coat. “Let’s go mate, lunch is waiting for us.”

They crossed the street to a small bistro where they served excellent lunches.

“Spike, I wanted to invite you to a small gallery exhibition that is being held this weekend. A dear friend of mine owns the gallery and I’ve got two free tickets. And since I know you love art, I was wondering if you were interested?” Giles asked after giving the waitress his order.

“A gallery exhibition? I’d love to go. I miss being able to just walk into the national museum back home to take my mind off things.”

“Great, that’s settled then,” Giles replied with a smile. He knew Spike had let his eyes fall on Joyce’s daughter. He’d noticed the way he would glance at her when she was around. He and Spike had talked about the incident a few times and the tone in Spike’s voice said enough to know he was worried and curious about the girl.

He would be good for Buffy. His bad boy image was just a safety blanket. Giles had seen the real ‘William’ to know he was a warm and worthy man.


=====

Right, that's chapter three. Was it good enough, too drastic or just right? Please tell me so I know what you guys think and how i can improve! Thanks!

Chapter 4: Meetings at the gallery



It was 8:00 o’clock and the gallery was now open for the exhibition. Willow and Tara were at the doors checking tickets and Joyce was standing just behind them to welcome everyone to the gallery. Buffy had taken up the task of serving the drinks and was filling the glasses.

The room was slowly filling with people, so Buffy made her way to the backroom to arrange the food trays and get more wine. She just walked out of the room when Spike and Giles walked into the building, just missing them.

Joyce gave them a warm welcome. “Rupert! It’s so nice that you could make it!” she said, smiling widely at him. Giles shook her hand and smiled back at her. “It’s good to be here, Joyce, you know I always come to your exhibitions when I get the chance. I’d like you to meet a new friend of mine. This is Spike Devine.” Giles motioned to Spike who was standing next to him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Devine,” Joyce said, while shaking his hand.

Spike took it and placed a soft kiss the back. “The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Summers, but please call me Spike. Mr Devine makes me think of my father.”

Joyce blushed at Spike’s gesture and replied, “And you may call me Joyce, Spike. And you’re very welcome to the exhibition. Are you a fan of art?” she questioned.

“Art is one of my passions, drawing as well as writing. It speaks to me in a certain way, and I’m glad I have now found a place where I can go to admire new art.” Spike smiled at her.

Joyce motioned the two men further into the gallery while she welcomed the other guests.

Spike and Giles walked to the table where the drinks were waiting for them and each took a glass. Just then Buffy came out from the backroom with new bottles of wine. Giles was the first to see her and called out to her.

“Hi there, Buffy. How are you feeling today? Still enjoying your work at the company?” Giles asked gently.

Buffy sighed and shook her head. She was just about to reply when she noticed a man standing behind Giles with his back to them. He had platinum blond hair and she only knew one person who had such particular hair colour. Giles noticed the direction her gaze shifted to and smiled to himself.

“Oh dear, how rude of me. Buffy I’d like you to meet Spike Devine, Spike, this is Buffy Summers, daughter of Joyce Summers whom you just met.”

Spike had turned around to them and gazed into the lovely face of the woman he’d been worried about the last two weeks. She looked as beautiful as ever. He extended his hand to her and she took it tentatively.

“Hello love, nice to see you again. I haven’t seen you at the pub since the party.”

Buffy blushed when she thought back of what had happened at the party.

“I’ve been busy,” she mumbled uncomfortably while avoiding his gaze.

Spike frowned at this, thinking that was not the main reason he hadn’t seen her lately.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have to fill more glasses and get the food out,” Buffy said.

“Of course, dear, I will speak to you later,” Giles replied with a smile and watched the girl retreat.

“She’s a sweet girl, although very shy around people she doesn’t know. Once you get to know her, you’ll see that she’s a very lively girl,” Giles said to Spike who was still watching Buffy’s retreating back. Giles knew Spike was determined to find that out for himself.

Spike nodded and promised himself that he would talk to her later that evening to try and lure her out of her shell. He was too intrigued by her to let her passive attitude towards him prevent him from getting to know her.


XXXXX


Spike was walking around the gallery and watching the paintings when he was tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Joyce smiling at him.

“Hello Spike, enjoying the exhibition so far?” she asked while handing him a glass of wine.

“It’s wonderful, really. It’s been a while since I went to a nice art gathering, and this one is just perfect. You’ve got a lovely gallery here, Joyce. I will visit it often, I can assure you,” Spike replied.

He looked around and noticed Buffy standing with Willow and Tara, having an animated conversation. It was wonderful to see her so relaxed, and he could see the liveliness in her gestures that Giles had mentioned earlier that night.

Joyce following his gaze and noticed it was focused on Buffy. She smiled to herself. Knowing that Buffy wasn’t an easy woman when it came to relationships, she hoped things would go differently this time. She liked Spike, even with his big bad image she’d heard about from Giles, amongst other things. She could see he had a kind heart. He would be good for her daughter.

Smiling she took Spike’s arm and said “Come on, Spike. Let’s meet my daughter and her friends. I know you’re dying to get to know them a little better.”

She laughed at the expression he gave her, knowing he’d been caught staring at her daughter.

Joyce walked up to the group with Spike.

“Hi girls, I’d like you to meet Spike. Spike, this is Willow, Tara and my daughter Buffy.”

Spike shook hands and took Buffy’s and gave a little kiss at the back of hers. Willow smiled and looked over at Joyce to see her reaction to the antics of Spike charming her daughter right in front of her. Knowing that Joyce had been urging Buffy to go out more and meet new people, Willow watched as the smile on Joyce’s face grew, which only meant she had faith in what was to come.

“It’s great to meet you again, love. You walked away so quickly before, I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you.”

Buffy blushed, and had no idea how to act. Noticing this, Spike smiled reassuringly at her, not wanting to frighten her off. He turned to Willow and Tara to give Buffy some time to regain her composure.

“How are you ladies finding the exhibition so far? A big success as hoped?” he asked Willow and Tara.

Willow was the first to respond.

“It’s great. The guests have been very positive and it looks like they’re enjoying themselves, which is always a good sign.” She laughed.

“We usually help Joyce out when she has a new exhibition opening. Buffy and I met in high school when she and her mom moved here. Even back then she’d help Joyce with the gallery, and that’s how I got into it,” Willow explained.

Spike looked back at Buffy to see her reaction to the conversation. “So love, are you as much into art as your mother?” he asked her.

Buffy had calmed down a bit while Willow and Spike were having their conversation.

“I like it, but I’m mostly working here to help out my mom,” she replied feeling more at ease with Willow standing next to her.


XXXXX


The conversation went on gradually and Buffy felt more and more at ease. Spike was very nice and gentle, and didn’t make her feel bad or intimidated. He talked about his trip to the U.S.A. and how he started his pub.

It was almost time to close the exhibition, and most guests had already left.

Buffy excused herself from the party to clean up the dishes. When she was about to pick up a tray with dirty glasses, she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around and saw Spike standing there, and to her surprise he seemed somewhat nervous.

“Buffy, I don’t know how to ask this delicately without scaring you away, but I’d really like to get to know you better. I was wondering if you would like to go out for a drink with me tomorrow night?” he asked her.

A little taken aback by this request, Buffy bit her bottom lip contemplating her answer. After the conversation she’s had with him and her friends, she’d felt at ease with his presence. She was surprised by his persona. He’d shown them that he was a very soft and caring person. And she really wanted to get to know him better too. She was intrigued by him.

Turning on her automatic defence mechanism, she answered him.

“I don’t know Spike… I don’t know what your intentions are.” She blushed at her own insecurity.

“Buffy, I’m not asking you for anything. I just want to get to know you better. I’m not going to force you into anything you don’t want. You do what you feel is right. We’ll do this on your terms, ok?”

Sensing her insecurities, and remembering what happened back at the club, he felt this was the best way to approach her without scaring her away too much.

“Ok… I’ll meet you at 8:00 o’clock at Little London.” she replied.

Spike smiled and nodded. “8:00 o’clock it is then, love”

Giving her a last reassuring smile, Spike walked back to the group so Buffy could continue her cleaning and rethink what had just happened.


XXXXX


Later that night, Buffy was on the phone with Willow, reliving the events of that evening. She still couldn’t believe that Spike had showed up and that the evening ended with him asking Buffy out for drinks. When Willow had heard the news, she’d been so happy for Buffy. All the signs of mutual attraction were there, and she knew this could be a wonderful opportunity for Buffy to get over her fears of men. Spike had shown that evening what a gentlemen he was, and that he certainly wasn’t the player type that only thought of getting into her pants.


“Just relax, Buffy. Everything is going to be just fine. You know he’s not going to push you into anything. It’s what he said himself. He just wants to get to know you. And you want to get to know him too. You can’t deny that, missy,” Willow teased her.

Buffy giggled at this.

“You’re right Wills, I do like him.”


=====

Right, so that's chapter 4. They meet, talk and even have a 'date' for drinks. Are you all stil happy with me? Please review to tell me what you think so far. Thanks!

Chapter 5: Just Drinks, Nothing More


Buffy looked out of the window of her apartment. It was a bright sunny day, as if to say she had nothing to worry about. Tonight she had a ‘date’ with Spike. It wasn’t really a date, she made sure of that. She was too afraid to call it a date. She didn’t even know him, and she was still embarrassed by her display at the party, even though he told her there was nothing to worry about, and that she had done nothing anyone else wouldn’t have done.

She rummaged through her drawers looking for something to wear. You would think with the amount of clothes she had, she’d be able to find something that she liked.

She heaved a sigh and decided on a pair of tight, low riding jeans with a black tank top that wouldn’t reveal too much, but still showed some of her chest. Laying the clothes on her bed, she walked over to the bathroom to take a fresh shower and wash her hair.

Half an hour later, she’d done her hair and make-up and was putting on her clothes. She still had another hour before she was to meet him. She felt her belly fill with butterflies. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all, she thought to herself while pacing her apartment.

Not wanting to kill herself with the pressure, she decided she might as well leave, even though it wasn’t time yet to meet up. She took her purse and keys and walked out of her apartment. ‘This is it Buffy, you’re actually going out and having drinks with a guy you like.’


XXXXX


Once she got to the club, Buffy looked around to see if Spike was there. She noticed him standing at the bar talking to someone, who she recognized as one of the bartenders, probably giving instructions for the times he wasn’t going to be there.

Buffy walked over to a table in the back of the bar and sat down. She studied the bar more intently since she had nothing else to do, as well as from pure curiosity at what Spike had created here. Earlier visits had been for fun, and she hadn’t really had a good look around to see all the details of the place.

The bar itself was positioned on the right side of the club. There was a large space in front of it that at this time was filled with tables and chairs for people to sit at, but it could be cleared and used as a dance floor. On the back end was a podium for musicians to perform their music.

On the right side of the club, there was an entrance to a hallway. The hallway led to the restrooms. At the front of the club where the entrance was, there was a flight of stairs that led to a balcony and Spike’s office. You could see the windows of his office, so that he could keep a look on the bar when he was working there during operating hours.

The overall appearance of the club was a warm reddish glow with dark walls. The walls were decorated with lamps and paintings, and the ceiling had several mirrors.

Buffy looked up at the bar to see that Spike had finished talking to his bartender and was now walking towards the entrance, obviously with the intention of going up to his office. Somehow feeling that he was being watched, he looked her way and got a surprised look on his face when he saw her. Checking his watch, Buffy giggled to herself, thinking he might have thought he was late.

He walked up to her and gave her a charming smile.

“You’re early, love, I didn’t know you were already here. I have a few things to finish up upstairs. You can come along if you wish. I want to show you the entire place anyway.”

Buffy fidgeted nervously at the idea of being completely alone with Spike in a room, but shook it off and agreed to his invitation.

Walking into his office he sat down at his desk and motioned to Buffy that she could take a seat on the sofa. Sitting down, Buffy didn’t really know what to do, so she just sat there.

“So, love, how was your day?” Spike inquired while organizing his papers.

“It was your regular Monday. Work has been piling up all weekend, which goes along with the constant hammering of my boss. She causes daily headaches. But other then that, it was just super,” she replied with a bit too much sarcasm.

Spike looked up in surprise, not expecting that kind of answer, and saw her turn crimson when she realized what she’d said.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to let it come out like that. It’s just been a bit stressful at work lately,” she stammered quickly, not being able to look into Spike’s eyes.

Spike smiled at that.

“It’s ok, love, it’s an honest answer to my question. And I’d like to you to be open with me. Rant all you want, if it makes you feel better,” he said smiling at her.

“So, I’m guessing you’re not really enjoying your work then?” he inquired.

“Not really,” Buffy sighed. “It started out nice when I got the job. Lilah, my boss, was really friendly and easy going, but as time went on she got more demanding and right now it’s so busy and stressful that she won’t even speak to me anymore if it’s not work related.” Buffy sighed again.

“I know it’s a hard job she’s doing, but it’s just not something for me. But at least I have something to pay the rent and my bills. I shouldn’t complain, there are people much worse off than me,” she finally said.

Spike tilted his head, having studied her during her rant. She was absolutely gorgeous when she was ranting.

“You can always look for something else, pet. You’re still so young, and there’s lots of opportunities that will come your way,” Spike replied.

Buffy smiled up at him, and started to feel more relaxed. There was no use to be sitting there like a stiff and frigid virgin.

“So what have you been up to? You look really busy. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to have this drink?” Buffy asked.

Spike looked up at her and gave her another warm smile.

“You’re not getting out of it that easy. I have bigger plans for this place and that’s what all these papers are for.”

This got Buffy’s interest.

“What kind of plans? You’ve only just opened and you’re already thinking of changing things?” she asked in awe.

“I’m just writing down some ideas for expanding. Maybe have some themes, or a VIP section? I’m not sure yet. There are all sorts of ideas flowing around in my head.” Spike grinned. “But let’s not talk about that now. We got together to learn more about each other, not to discuss business.”

“It is part of who you are, you know,” Buffy replied teasingly. She was feeling a lot more at ease. Spike did not pressure her into anything and something about him was drawing her in, and making her feel very relaxed.

Spike smirked. “You’re right about that, but I want to know more about Buffy Summers, so I can figure out what it is that has me so intrigued,” Spike replied.

Buffy blushed at that.

“There’s not much to know really. I grew up in L.A. where I lived with my mom until we moved to Sunnydale when I was fifteen. I went to high school here, met Willow who you met at the gallery, and we became instant friends. In high school my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and I tried to help her out as much as I could. As soon as I graduated high school I found a job to help her pay for all the medical bills. I never really was that ambitious, so I didn’t mind not being able to go to college. I missed not being around my friends anymore and hated having to work 40 hours a week in a stinky diner, but I didn’t have that much of a choice at that time. After my mom got declared cancer free, I went to look for a new job, and that’s how I got the job I’m doing now, which I already told you about, and I’m talking too much, aren’t I?” Buffy said feeling embarrassed that she just told her life story to a complete stranger without thinking twice.

Spike smiled softly at her.

“No, you’re not. I like it that you feel comfortable enough to tell me all this. Means you like me.” He winked at her, which earned him a bright blush.

“So, what about you, mister? You make me tell my life story, but what about you? What is the mystery that is Spike, and don’t tell me that’s your real name!” Buffy said teasingly.

Spike snickered at that.

“As if Buffy is such a good name,” he replied

“Hey! My mother gave me that name,” Buffy replied mockingly.

“Alright, pet, my real name is William Devine, born and raised in London, England. I studied English literature there. I love Shakespeare and poetry, and don’t ever dare tell people I told you that! I have to think of my image,” he said while moving his hand over his upper body which made Buffy swallow hard.

“My mother passed away when I was seven and my father is an English teacher at Oxford University. I have a sister, Drusilla. I moved to America only a few months ago after a bad break up with my ex. And that’s it, really,” Spike ended.

Buffy smiled at him. Hearing him talk about his losing his mother made her think of how close she had been to losing her own mother. She was thankful that she was still alive. She had no idea what she would do without her mother.

“Sounds like mister big bad has a soft side in him,” she said while sticking her tongue out at him, but sobered up quickly when she said, “I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”

“It’s ok, love, I was only seven. It was hard, but it’s a long time ago, and I’ve moved on. I know she’ll always be with me in my heart. Now let’s go downstairs for that drink, shall we?”

Spike walked over to the door while Buffy stood up from her chair. He guided her down the stairs and rested his hand lightly on her lower back. Strangely enough, Buffy didn’t feel uncomfortable with this gesture, but rather savoured the feeling.

They walked up to the bar to get their drinks, and walked over to the back of the bar to get a table with a little bit more privacy. They both sat down and were silent for a moment, both not really knowing how to pick up the conversation, but enjoying the comfortable silence they were in.

“Do you have any siblings?” Spike broke the silence.

Buffy looked up at him, and gave him a small smile.

“Mom wasn’t able to have any more children after I was born. The doctors said it was too dangerous and that she might not survive another birth. So I’ve been an only child. I always wanted a brother or sister though,” she answered while staring into space.

Spike felt there was more to this subject, but pressuring her into telling him wasn’t going to work.

They chatted some more about their lives and the things that they loved, neither one noticing that half the bar was already empty. They’d been talking for hours and neither had noticed. They felt so comfortable together.

“I better get going, another tough day tomorrow,” Buffy said with a soft smile.

Spike regretted that she had to go; he felt so comfortable talking to her, something he hadn’t had before with a woman. He knew she was special.

“Let me get your coat and see you out,” Spike replied softly.

When they were standing outside, there was an awkward silence. “Well, I’ll call you and will see you at the bar on Thursday?” Spike asked to which Buffy nodded.

He slowly walked over to her, and Buffy felt her heart speed up. She wasn’t sure what he was going to do, or if she was ready for this step. But before she could do anything she felt his soft lips brush lightly on the corner of her mouth.

Spike straightened up to note Buffy’s reaction to the kiss, and noticed she had a faraway look in her eye and he smirked to himself.

“I’ll see you on Thursday, pet,” Spike said which brought Buffy back to the present.

She smiled and walked off to her car, still not believing that she just got kissed, and didn’t mind it at all. She actually liked it quite a lot. She could still feel his lips on the side of her mouth as she drove away.


=====

Ok, that's it, the first physical contact as well. What do you guys think. Good?

Chapter 6: First Times


It had been three days since their first ‘it’s not quite a date’ and tonight Buffy was going to ‘Little London’ with Willow. Spike had called her on Tuesday, one day after their meeting, to ask her how things were going. There was no pressure and the call had been pleasant and casual. They’d talked about work and normal everyday life.

Buffy was still amazed at how at ease she felt talking to Spike. He made sure to let her know there was no pressure from his side. And even though they hadn’t truly talked about the feelings they had towards each other yet, she knew they both thought it was more than just a friendship. Buffy just didn’t know how deep and true Spike’s feelings were towards her. Was she just a fling? A nice girl for a few dates? Or was he interested in a more serious relationship? Buffy had heard stories about him. She’d heard girls talk about his latest conquests and how he would woo a girl, and then after a few weeks, ditch her.

Part of her told her not to believe those stories. She couldn’t believe Spike would do those things, especially after the time she had spent with him. The way he’d acted at the gallery exhibition was only another example of how those rumours couldn’t be true. But another part, the more insecure part, was telling her that he might not be completely interested in her that way.

The doorbell shook her out of her thoughts.

“Hey, Buffy, ready to go meet that gorgeous guy of yours again?” Willow said in a cheery voice.

Buffy blushed and said, “He’s not my guy, Will. We’ve only gone out for drinks once. And besides, I don’t even know how he feels about me or if he’s interested in a relationship. We could be just friends.”

Willow looked at her as if she’d lost her mind.

“Buffy, you must have noticed the way he looks at you. Now come on, it’ll be closed if we don’t get our butts in gear!” Willow said, dragging Buffy out of her apartment.


XXXXX


As they entered ‘Little London’ Buffy’s eyes immediately went to the bar to see if Spike was there. At first, she didn’t see him and felt a rush of disappointment go through her. He said he’d be there tonight so they could have another drink.

She followed Willow to a table near the bar and sat down.

“What do you want to drink?” she asked while getting out her wallet.

“A beer would be fine,” Buffy replied. As Willow turned, Buffy looked back at the bar wondering where Spike might be.

“Where did your mind wonder off too, love”? A familiar voice said behind her.

She whirled around and saw Spike standing there with two beers in his hand. She looked at the bar to see Willow watching them while chatting with someone Buffy didn’t know. Willow gave Buffy a wink and went back to talking to the stranger.

Buffy laughed to herself. ‘So much for subtlety, that’s Will.’

“Mind if I sit with you, pet?” Spike asked when she looked back at him.

“Please do, I was actually wondering where you were. I didn’t see you when we came in.”

“So, keeping track of me already, huh? Before I know it, I’ll have a bell on my neck so you know where I am at all times,” Spike joked.

Buffy looked down at the table feeling slightly embarrassed by the situation.

“I‘m only kidding, Buffy. How are you today? You look good,” Spike said, while taking a sip of his beer.

Buffy smiled back at him. “I’ve been good. Today wasn’t so bad. Lilah wasn’t as hard as she usually is, so I can say, I’ve had a good day.” She laughed.

“How about your day?” she asked.

“My day was ok. I had some people inspecting the place, but everything turned out fine. These people are always trying to find something that they can use against you,” he said while rubbing his eyes.

Buffy noticed how tired Spike looked and put her hand over the one lying on the table. He looked up at her, surprised by her initiative.

“Are you getting enough sleep? You look absolutely exhausted,” Buffy asked.

“Well, thanks pet. Tell a bloke he looks like shit, why don’t ya?” he said with a grin on his face. “I’ve just been really busy lately with new plans, investigations, and a girl that I’ve been trying to seduce,” he said looking straight into Buffy’s eyes.

Buffy blushed at that and averted her eyes from his intense gaze.

Spike put his finger under her chin to look into her eyes.

“I mean it, Buffy. I don’t want to scare you off, and I told you we’d take this at your pace. But I want you to know that I do have feelings for you, and want to explore them further.”

Buffy didn’t know what to say. She was a bit shocked by his admission and she felt her automatic defence mechanism slide gently back into place, but she was determined to take a risk and not back away and hide her feelings. Buffy said softly, “I have feelings for you, too.” Buffy looked into Spike’s azure blue eyes and saw the awe written in them, which made her smile. She let out a giggle and Spike looked at her amused.

“We’re quite the couple aren’t we?” he said grinning. “Talking about our feelings like two high school kids. But love, I have to go up and finish some work before the night is over. I will come down later for a proper goodbye, alright?” He winked at her, and Buffy could only smile softly while she felt a blush creep up to her cheeks.

Spike leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and then walked away.

Buffy looked around to see if she could see Willow and noticed her chatting with Cordelia and Xander, who were sitting at the bar. She took her beer and walked over to them.

“Hey guys. I didn’t know you were going to be here. I though you had a dinner with your parents?” Buffy addressed Cordelia.

“Yeah, I was supposed to go there, but they cancelled it at the last minute due to some renovation on the house that obviously needed to be done first.” She rolled her eyes.

Cordelia’s parents were from the richer part of town and were always trying to look the best they could. They drove in the most expensive cars, wore top-notch clothing and had a mansion the size of a small football field.

At high school, Cordelia had been a number one upper class bitch who thought she was so much better than everyone else. But in their last year something had changed. She’d fallen for Xander Harris, the poorest guy in town whose parents were usually drunk. Ever since then, Cordelia had been taken into their small group of friends, and she’d dropped her rich girl act and started to realise there was much more to life than money.

“So, Buffy, I noticed you talking to Mr. Bartender there. Anything we need to know about?” Cordelia asked, a knowing smile on her face.

Buffy knew Cordelia would see right through her if she lied, so she did the only thing she could do, and tell the truth. “We’ve only been out once, so don’t get any ideas in your head, Cordy. We like each other, but we’re taking things slow,” Buffy said.

Cordelia’s only response was an arched eyebrow.

As the end of the evening approached, Buffy looked at her watch and then glanced around to see if she could find Spike somewhere. He’d said he was going to say goodnight to her before she went home. Deciding to go look for him, she excused herself from her friends and walked around. Not seeing him anywhere, she decided to have a look upstairs in his office. ‘It would be rude to leave without saying anything, right?’

She walked up the stairs and knocked softly on his door. Not hearing anything she slowly opened the door and entered the small office. What she saw there made her face go into a soft, tender smile. Spike was lying with his head on his hands, facing the desk, obviously asleep. Papers were scattered everywhere around him.

Buffy cautiously walked over to his desk, contemplating what she was going to do. His hair was a mess of curls where he had run his hands through his hair repeatedly. Buffy slowly reached out to run her hand through his curls. They felt very soft as she slipped her fingers through them.

The sensation of her hand must have woken Spike up as he stirred from his slumber.

Buffy noticed his reaction and drew back her hand as Spike tilted his head to look at who was intruding his sleep.

“Hey, I wanted to say goodbye before I went home. But I couldn’t find you downstairs. So, I came up here to see if you were working and I found you asleep. I’m sorry if I intruded. I had no idea you’d be sleeping and…” she saw Spike’s face go into a wide smile which confused her a bit.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re rambling, love. And it’s ok. I’m glad you woke me up. I wanted to say goodnight to you before you went home. So thank you for coming up here.”

Spike slowly rose up from his chair and walked over to Buffy who was biting her lower lip nervously.

“Well, I guess it’s time to say goodbye then,” she stated.

Spike smiled at her and put his arms around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

“Yes, this is the time for goodbyes” he said softly, angling his face to the side to have a good look at her.

Before Buffy could react, Spike was ghosting his lips over hers in a gentle caress. When she didn’t pull away he dared to press his lips with a little more force onto hers, opening his mouth and running his tongue over her bottom lip.

Buffy didn’t know what was happening, but it felt too good to let it go. She opened her mouth to welcome his tongue with her own.

The moment her tongue touched his, Spike moaned into her mouth and lost part of his control. He plundered her mouth and held her tight against his body. When oxygen became an issue they separated, their foreheads touching.

“Wow…” Buffy said breathing hard.

Spike chuckled at that. “Definitely wow, pet,” Spike said, nuzzling her nose with his own.

Buffy slowly pulled back, looking into Spike’s sparkling blue eyes. They were mesmerizing. She slowly lifted up and planted a soft kiss on his lips, surprising him and herself by the gesture. She stepped back again and gave him a shy smile.

“I better go… see you soon,” Buffy said and turned around, leaving a stunned Spike behind.


=====


So that's it. Their first kiss! Was it ok? Am I building thos story up well enough? Let me know what you think!

Chapter 7: Act of Jealousy

“Thanks Wills, I’ll see you tomorrow evening at the club,” Buffy spoke into the phone.

Her and Willow had made plans to go to Little London the next evening. Buffy hadn’t seen Spike since the kiss. They’d spoken on the phone once since, and that had been a short conversation because Spike had been very busy with work. He’d sounded tired as well and Buffy wondered if he got enough sleep.

She could hardly wait to see him again. Buffy was still amazed at how at ease she felt with him. She’d never been able to feel so comfortable and relaxed around men, and she loved it.

Buffy was just about to run a batch when she heard a soft knock on her front door. Running to it, and opening it, she was surprised that all she found was a huge bouquet of flowers. She didn’t need to wonder long to see who had sent it. She found a small red card that said: ‘I’m sorry for not giving you the attention that you deserve. Please forgive me. Spike’

Buffy had to smile at this. She put the card aside and smelled the flowers. ‘He sure knows how to get to a girl’s heart’ she thought to herself.

Deciding she wanted to surprise him as well, she went up to run her bath for a nice soak. She would go to the club tonight for a short visit to say thanks for the bouquet.

Two hours later Buffy was ready to go. She checked her make up for the last time in the hall way mirror and headed out of the door.

‘Little London’ was relatively busy, it being a Friday night, and most people that were there had gone straight from work for a few drinks.

Buffy looked at the bar to see if Spike was tending today, but she didn’t see him there. Not wanting to barge into his office right away she decided on having a drink first and wait a little while. Maybe he would show himself in a little while. Buffy ordered her drink and sat at a table near the back of the pub, so she had a nice view of everything.

After about fifteen minutes went by there was still no sign of Spike. Just when Buffy decided it might be a good idea to check upstairs she saw a flash of bleached hair in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Spike in the arms of another woman. It was clear that it was a willing embrace from both sides and the huge smile on Spike’s face indicated his happiness of the situation. Buffy watched with a dazed look in her eyes how he flung the other woman in his arms which made the woman go in a mad fit of giggles.

Buffy had no idea how to respond to this situation. She really thought Spike had been different. He’s been so honest with her; giving her all the time she needed by letting her set the pace. She had truly believed his intentions were true and that he had feelings for her. But seeing the display in front of her, she realised she’d been played.

How could she have been so naïve? Buffy felt hot tears developing in her eyes. Not wanting to draw attention to herself she quickly got up from her chair, grabbed her coat and headed for the exit. When she was outside she let the cool evening air calm her features. Drawing up the collar of her coat Buffy made her way through the parking lot and got into her car and drove off towards her home.

When Buffy entered her home, the tears that she had held at bay came to the surface, and there was nothing she could do to stop them. She slumped down on the couch and curled up holding a pillow to her chest. The tears came down like a river.

Buffy woke up the next morning still lying on the couch. She hadn’t bothered getting up last night, and her crying had tired her out. Buffy had fallen asleep on the couch with her cheeks still wet from her tears.

The ringing of her phone made Buffy get up from where she was. She checked the caller ID and when she saw it was Spike she walked away from the telephone, to let the machine answer it. She went up to the bathroom to get a shower, convinced that it would make her feel better.

When she returned she saw Spike had called her 3 more times and left a voice message. Not wanting to hear what he had to say, she ignored the message and grabbed her bag to go out. She needed to talk to Willow, her trusted friend that always knew how to make her feel better.

“Buffy?! What are you doing here?” Willow asked bewildered when she found her best friend standing on her doorstep.

“Can I come in Will? I need to talk to you” Buffy said softly. And only then Willow saw that her eyes were still somewhat red eyes from crying.

“Of course Buffy, come in, tell me what’s wrong.” She gestured for Buffy to come in and walked to the kitchen to get something to drink. “Do you want some tea?” she asked Buffy.

Buffy nodded and sat down on the couch.

Willow came back with two cups of hot tea and sat down next to Buffy.

“Now tell me what has got you so sad. You were so happy when I spoke to you on the phone yesterday.”

Buffy look at Willow with new tears in her eyes.

“I went to see Spike yesterday, as a surprise,” she whispered. “And when I got there, I saw him with another woman.” A single tear fell down her cheek.

Willow looked at her with a disbelieving face. This was not what she had expected from Spike.

“He was with another woman?” she asked with a frown. “Are you sure he was there with her, maybe she was a good friend?” Willow said trying to make it better.

“It looked more than a friend Will. He was smiling and giving her big hugs. That’s not just friendly behaviour.” Buffy sniffed. “Why does this always happen to me, what’s wrong with me?”

“Oh Buffy darling, nothing is wrong with you. You’re the sweetest person I know. Come on, let’s rent a movie and have some Ben & Jerry’s. We’ll worry about men another night, ok?”

Buffy gave Willow a weak smile and agreed to an all girls movie night.

Neither heard Buffy’s mobile going off several times that night.


XXXXX

Spike had no idea why Buffy hadn’t been answering his calls. It had been two days since he’d spoken to her, and she hadn’t made any attempt to get back to him. It was getting on his nerves and he wondered what could be wrong.

He was sitting at his desk in his small office staring at the phone. First, she hadn’t answered any of his calls the day before and then Buffy hadn’t shown up for her usual Thursday visit to the club, which showed all the signs that something was obviously not right.

Spike got up from his desk, grabbed his jacket from the chair and walked out of the door. Getting into his car, he drove off to Buffy’s apartment.

Knowing that she couldn’t be home from work yet he sat down on her doorstep waiting for her to arrive.


XXXXX


Buffy had had the worst day ever. After her movie night with Willow, she’d gone home and straight to bed. She’d seen the messages Spike had left on her mobile again but never bothered to check them. Every time she thought of him she felt tears come to her eyes. She’d honestly thought he was interested in her. ‘Guess I was wrong,’ she thought to herself bitterly.

When she pulled up to her house she saw Spike sitting on her front porch. Great, just what she needed. She had no idea how she was going to face him. Pulling herself together she got out of her car, and walked up to her front door.

“Spike”, she said, walking past him to open her front door.

“Buffy, I’ve been trying to call you for two days now. Why didn’t you get back to me? Are you ok? Did something happen?” Spike asked, taking a hold of her arm before she could open the door.

Buffy turned around with fire in her eyes. “Yes, actually, something did happen. You know Spike; I really don’t think this is going to work. Maybe we shouldn’t see each other anymore. I’m sure you won’t have any problem finding someone else.” Buffy amazed herself by successfully stunning Spike. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, walked into her apartment and shut the door in his face.

Buffy walked to her bedroom still dazed from her own outburst. But as soon as she deposited her bag and looked into the mirror, seeing her face aflame and her watery eyes, she crumbled to the floor, letting the tears fall once again.


XXXXX


Spike had no idea what had just happened. He stared blankly at the closed door. Buffy had sounded so cold. Distant. So unlike her. Shaking himself out of his daze he knocked on the door, determined to find out what was wrong.

“Buffy, open the door. Obviously something’s happened that has got you upset,” Spike shouted through the door. He waited a few seconds before he knocked again. “Buffy, pet. Please let me in.” Spike knew he was starting to sound desperate at this point, but he didn’t care. Just when he’d found the one girl he thought he could have a long term relationship with, something happened to screw it all up. And he had no idea what it was.

Having stood in front of the closed door for over ten minutes without getting any answer from Buffy, Spike walked back to his car, and with one last backward glance, he drove off.


XXXXX


“Rupert, I need your help.”

Spike stepped into the small office in the library as Giles looked up from his book. “William, how can I help you? Is something the matter? You seem upset.” Giles got up from his chair.

“It’s Buffy”, Spike said, dropping down into another chair.

Spike had kept Giles in the loop of his progressive relationship with Buffy, knowing how much Spike cared about the girl and also knowing that if he would do anything to hurt her, Giles would hunt him down and give him a slow and painful death. At least, those were the words Giles had spoken to him when he’d told him he was seeing Buffy.

“What did you do?

“I didn’t do anything, as far as I’m aware of. I send her a bouquet of flowers and after that I didn’t see or hear from her. When I went over to her apartment just now, she gave me the brush off and told me we shouldn’t be together anymore.” Spike informed Giles.

“Something’s not right, Rupert. What can I do?”

“There is someone you could ask,” Giles said.

=====
Well, i hope you liked that. Not my best piece of writing i think. Tell me what you thinkg please!

Chapter 8: Things to talk about


Spike walked up and down the hallway of the Summers’ home. When Giles had gotten off the phone with Mrs. Summers, it became clear what was bothering Buffy. Knowing that he had to tell Buffy the truth, he’d arranged with Mrs. Summers for a ‘surprise’ meeting at her home.

He heard a car pull up on the driveway and knew it was Buffy. He went into the sitting room and sat down on the couch. The front door opened and closed.

“Mom?” Buffy called from the doorway. Walking into the living room, she froze when she saw Spike. “What are you doing here” she demanded.

“Hello, Buffy,” Spike said with a soft smile.

“What do you want, Spike” Buffy asked in a cold tone, but she could hear her voice slightly quiver, and she was sure Spike could hear it too.

“I think we need to talk, luv. About us and what’s been bothering you. You closed the door in my face without even giving me an explanation of what was going on. I had to go through quite a few people to find out what the hell was going on.”

Spike noticed the alarmed look on her face.

“Yes, Buffy. I know what you’ve been thinking. That you think I’ve been cheating on you with someone else. I just wonder, do you, or did you, ever feel threatened in any way that I would cheat on you with another woman? Have I not made it clear to you that I’m very much interested in you, and that I would let you set the pace. Believe me, Buffy. I wouldn’t have bothered with that if I wasn’t convinced you could be the one for me. When I make a commitment to someone, I take it to heart. I’ve been cheated on and I know what it’s like, so to think you would believe me capable or that…” Spike’s voice wavered as he looked her square in the face.

Buffy had tears streaming down her cheeks. “Spike, I went to see you the day you sent me the flowers. I saw you with another woman. What did you expect me to think when you were all over her?” Buffy asked softly.

Spike walked over to Buffy and grabbed her hands.

“Buffy, I need to know if this is worth it. I’ve been through a lot with my last relationship, and I’m not sure if I can go through something like that again. I believe I have strong feelings for you, the loving kind. I need to know if you feel the same way too.”

Buffy grabbed his neck and pushed her lips against his in a fierce kiss.

Spike could only grab hold of her and kiss her back just as passionately. This was a new step, for both of them. And he knew Buffy had never been in this position, but he was glad she took the jump.

Pulling away from him she buried her face in his chest. “I’m so sorry,” she said.

“Shh, luv. It’s ok. We need to work out a few bumps in the road, but we’ll make it, right?” Spike said, gently stroking her tear stained cheek.

“But first, I’d like you to meet someone.” Turning her around, Buffy was faced with the woman she’d seen Spike with in the club.

“Buffy, I’d like you to meet my sister, Drusilla.”

Buffy looked at the woman who she’d seen Spike with in his pub. The woman she thought Spike was cheating on her with. Who turns out to be his own sister? Buffy was stunned to say the least, and it was clearly written on her face.

Spike gave her a reassuring squeeze in her shoulder.

“So you’re the woman who’s stolen my brother’s heart,” Drusilla said smiling at Buffy.

Buffy blushed to this comment and looked shyly at Spike, who gave her a soft smile.

“I trust you to take good care of him. He may look like the big bad on the outside, but he wears his heart on his sleeve. And he really is a big softy on the inside” Dru teased Spike, which earned her a scowl.

Buffy felt more guilt wash over her. She’d drawn her own conclusions and had not trusted Spike. She felt miserable and just wanted to run up to her room and cry her eyes out.

Spike saw the different emotions playing on her face and drew her closer to him.

“We’ll talk some more later ok? Right now there’s some food waiting for us in the dining room.” Spike spoke softly in her ear.

Buffy looked at him with a watery smile.

Taking her hand he let her to the dining room where they all sat down for some dinner. Drusilla was happily chatting with her mom and trying to involve Buffy in the conversation. But Buffy was still lost in her thoughts and wasn’t really paying attention to what was going on around her.

When dinner was over, Joyce and Drusilla offered to clear the table and do the dishes, so Buffy and Spike could get a chance to talk.

Steering her into the living room, Spike sat down on the couch and pulled Buffy down with him.

“I guess we have to talk some more about what happened.” Spike started the conversation.

Buffy fumbled with the hem of her shirt and kept her eyes downward. She was feeling very conscious of the situation and still felt extremely guilty for not trusting Spike.

“I’m really sorry Spike, for not trusting you. It’s just that, the moment I saw you in your sister’s arms… I just didn’t know what to think.” She whispered.

Spike tried to give Buffy a comforting smile. She looked so small and fragile, with her head down like she wanted to vanish from the living room, which she probably did in this uncomfortable situation.

“Tell me what happened Buffy. What made you think I was cheating on you? Something must have caused you to think ill of me when you saw me hugging another woman.” Spike said calmly.

Buffy looked up at him and saw the love in his eyes. She wasn’t sure what had caused her to react the way she had. Apart from the fact that every time she’d been interested in a boy in high school they’d laughed in her face. It had crushed her when Angel, her high school crush had asked her to the prom and made a complete fool of her at the dance, leaving deep scars in Buffy’s heart.

Buffy took a deep breath and started talking.

“When I saw you with Drusilla, I thought you didn’t want me anymore, like any man doesn’t want me.” Buffy turned towards him. “Is there something wrong with me? Am I really that repulsive?” Buffy had tears streaming down her face again.

“Buffy pet, what ever makes you think that? If that were true, do you really think I would be with you right now?” Spike asked with a frown.

“Is just that, every man I’ve ever loved always left me…”

And there it was, the reason why she didn’t trust him, or men in general. All the bad experiences in her life had caused her to believe that men didn’t find her interesting enough to stick around.

Spike knew her father had left when she’d been a little girl, he didn’t know about her other experiences with men though which made him slightly jealous.

“Buffy, you have to listen to me carefully.” Spike started slowly. “I promise you, I’m not leaving and am certainly not letting you go. I’m here for the long run.”

Spike gave her a gentle smile and before he knew it, he had his arms full of Buffy.

Buffy buried her face in his neck and let the tears fall. When she had calmed down Spike pulled back and wiped the tears of her face.

“You’re an amazing woman, Buffy” Spike said before he lowered his head and pressed his lips to Buffy’s.

When Drusilla and Joyce walked into the living room they found Spike and Buffy kissing each other rather passionately. When Joyce cleared her throat, they quickly broke apart and Buffy looked down at her feet rather embarrassed to have her mother find her like this.

Spike smiled at Joyce and gave Buffy a quick peck on the lips before he stood up from the couch and made his way over to Drusilla.

“Thanks Joyce, for having us” Spike turned to Joyce who gave him a hug in return.

Spike turned to Buffy and gave her a wink, knowing he’d see her again tomorrow.


=====

So there we have it, what do you guys think? Feel better?

Chapter 9: Someone To Talk To


When the door had closed behind Spike and Drusilla, Buffy looked up at her mother to see her smiling at her.

“What?” Buffy asked becoming a little bit uncomfortable by her mother’s gaze.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Joyce asked, walking into the living room. She sat down next to Buffy.

“I do,” Buffy whispered softly.

Joyce got more comfortable on the couch, which Buffy knew was a sign they were going to have a serious chat.

“So tell me, baby. What happened? When Spike called me, I was surprised to hear from him. You never mentioned the seriousness of your relationship before. All I knew was that he was interested in you.”

Buffy knew she had to tell her what was bothering her.

“Spike and I have been seeing each other for the last week. It’s all going so fast, it’s scaring me,” Buffy said in a quiet voice.

“So you are afraid things are going too quickly and you have no time to adjust to this new adventure?” her mother asked.

Buffy nodded. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone mom, and it scares me. I feel so vulnerable,” she said as a lone tear slowly made its way down her cheek.

Joyce took her hands and squeezed them lightly. “Buffy,” she said and then sighed. “Not all men are like your father. Don’t let his leaving us affect your judgement in men. I believe Spike is a good man, and it’s obvious he cares a lot about you. Maybe you should talk to Tara about this?”

Buffy looked at her mother with wide eyes. “You think I need a shrink?” she asked incredulously.

“Buffy, Tara’s not a shrink and you know it. She’s a counsellor and I’m convinced she can help you. You feel comfortable talking to her, don’t you? I think this is a good way of sharing your emotions and dealing with your insecurities.” Her mother told her gently, still holding Buffy’s hand.

Her eyes left her mother’s face, slightly in a daze, but knowing her mother was right. She needed to deal with her insecurities. They were getting in the way if she wanted to start a serious relationship with Spike.

Taking a deep breath she answered her mom. “If you really think it will help me, I will give her a call tomorrow.”

Joyce stood up from the couch, giving her hand one last squeeze.

“I think you’re doing the right thing. And don’t be afraid to take risks, honey. It will be worth it.”

XXXXX


When Buffy arrived home, she picked up the phone and dialled Spike’s number.

“’ello?”

“Hi,” Buffy whispered softly, still feeling shy and silly for what had happened.

“Buffy love. Is that you?”

“I just wanted to call you and say hi.”

“Oh baby, you can call me any time you want.”

“Did Dru have a nice time? I’m sorry if I spoilt your plans with her. I feel so stupid.” She sighed into the phone.

“No Buffy, you didn’t spoil any plans. I wanted you two to meet, even if this was in a little different setting than I first had anticipated. She loved meeting you, and your mom. She had a wonderful time, believe me,” Spike said in a soothing tone.

“I’m going to make an appointment with Tara. I told you about her right? She’s a counsellor. Mom says it will help me with my insecurities.”

Spike was quiet for a few seconds. “I think that might be a good idea. Talking to someone you trust can be very liberating. But you know you can talk to me about anything right?”

“I know… but some things are easier to discuss with an outsider, since some of these talks will revolve around you,” she said.

He chuckled at that. “I guess you’re right, pet. What do you say we go out on a date next Sunday? Something simple, I know we should take things easy, get to know each other, and not jump into anything we’re not ready for.”

Buffy smiled. “Yes, I would like that, Spike”.

“Good. I will pick you up at noon. We’ll make a day out of it,” he said.

After saying goodbye she hung up the phone, knowing she already felt a lot better.


XXXXX


Spike hung up the phone, smiling to himself. He knew Buffy needed time to think about things, but he also knew she was most definitely interested in him. It was true that they would have to take things easy. They’d really only known each other for a week, even though it felt like it was an eternity, and they were acting around each other like they’d been together for months.

When he turned, he saw Drusilla sitting on the coach with a knowing smile on her face. She knew her brother like no other, and he knew that about her. She knew that when he fell for a girl, he fell hard, and fast. And that was obviously what had happened with Buffy. And knowing him, he would pursue her till she wouldn’t be able to say no.

Sitting down he turned to Dru, already knowing she wanted inside scoop. He smirked at her.

“Stop smirking at me, Spike. Tell me more about you and Buffy. You drag me up to her house, telling me nothing but that you have to go there, and you want me with you. So tell me everything before I go crazy, huh.” She teased him.

“Alright Dru, you know me well enough to have figured out that Buffy means something to me. I will tell you the whole story now, but I will do that over a nice glass of wine.”

He got up and walked to his liquor cabinet. Grabbing some glasses and a bottle of wine, he mentally prepared himself for a long night full of stories about Buffy and interrogations from Drusilla.


XXXXX


When Buffy woke up the next morning she was feeling better than she had in a long time. Thinking back to the day before, and the events of that evening, she couldn’t help but get a smile on her face.

Getting up from her bed she walked into the kitchen to make herself some coffee. She had a busy day ahead. Lilah had been on her case as usual about stuff that needed to be done, and it was literally driving her insane. She was seriously thinking of finding another job. Though she knew it would be difficult, since she had no college degree. She would just have to wait and see how things progressed.

She picked up the phone and called Tara. She was ready for a good heart-to-heart. Tara had an open slot later that afternoon because a client had called in sick. It was as if it was meant to happen that way.

She got ready for work and left the house in a cheerful mood


XXXXX


Buffy walked into Tara’s practice and sat on the couch, waiting to be called in. Just as she picked up a magazine to read, the door to the office opened and Tara stuck her head out.

“Come in Buffy, I’m just going to get us some tea and we can get started.” She smiled at Buffy waving her in.

Buffy made her way into the office and had a good look around. She’d never actually been in Tara’s office before on a counselling appointment. Only when Tara had opened her practice 2 years earlier, but the rooms had been filled with balloons and decorations and it looked completely different now.

It had a nice and warm feeling that made her feel at ease. As if the room was having a soothing effect on the people that came in to talk about their problems. The walls were dark red and white, and there were two leather sofas in the room. Tara’s desk was on the opposite side of the room, only to be used for administrative uses and first time consults with her clients.

Buffy sat down on one of the leather sofas as Tara came in with their tea.

“So, Buffy, what is it you want to talk about exactly?” she said as she sat down, handing Buffy her tea.

“Well, I should probably tell you about a few things that happened yesterday, when I went to my mom’s house.”

Tara sat quietly listening and then asked, “So, your mom thinks it’s wise for you to talk to me about your insecurities when it comes to men? But what do you think yourself Buffy. It won’t work if you’re not open to my suggestions,” Tara told her.

“Of course, I’m open to whatever you have to say. I realised yesterday that this is not the way I can continue living. If I would like to start a relationship with Spike, I will have to trust him, and be able to open myself up and give myself to him.”

Tara smiled at that. “Buffy, have you any idea how wise that just sounded? I think you’re going in the right direction with your thoughts. But don’t throw yourself in the deep end right away. Dare to take risks yes, but take things slow. You’ve known Spike only for a short period of time. Get to know him, go have fun with him, and see where it leads you. The most important thing is that you earn each other’s trust.”

Buffy gave Tara a brilliant smile. “He asked me out on a date this Sunday. I’m really scared, but am looking forward to it at the same time.”

“Ok Buffy, this is your assignment for this week. Yes, I’m giving you homework! Go out with Spike, try to let loose a little bit and get to know him. You can tell me how things went when we see each other again for our next appointment.” Tara winked at her. “Go get your man, girl!” she said laughing.


=====

Ok, another chapter! What do you guys think? Going fast enough for you? ;-)

Chapter 10: First Date


When Buffy woke up on Sunday morning her alarm read 7 AM. Way to early to wake up on a Sunday! But there was an obvious reason why she had awoken so early. Today was her date with Spike. Well, her ‘first’ real date with him anyway. They’d met up at the bar before, but they were going to make day out of it now.

When she’d called him to ask what sort of plan he had, he’d been extremely secretive and told her to wear whatever she felt comfortable in. He’d laughed at her when said she needed to know if she would have to pretty herself up for something special. ‘You are a goddess by just being yourself pet, there is no need for you to go out of the way to get all the other guys attention.’ She’d had blushed profusely at his comment and hadn’t known what to say.

He’d chuckled on the phone, and told her he wished he could have been there to see her blush, since he was sure that’s what she had been doing at the time.

Buffy got up from the bed, knowing she couldn’t get back to sleep anyway, and walked over to her closet. Spike may have said she didn’t have to worry about how she was dressed, she still wanted to look nice!

Opening her drawers, she took out several pieces of clothing and laid them on the bed. After about half an hour it was full of clothes, from skirts, jeans, tank tops and blouses.

“Argh, why couldn’t he just tell me what were going to do. Now I’m never going to get ready,” she murmured to herself.

Just as she was reaching into her closet again for another piece of clothing her phone rang. Wondering if it would be Spike to fill her in on the day, she picked up the phone.

“Buffy here!” she practically beamed into the phone.

“Hi, Buffy. It’s Tara. I just wanted to wish you good luck with your day out. Willow said you might want some support with picking out clothes?” Tara said.

Buffy sighed. “She knows me too well.” She pouted.

“Buffy, I actually called you to give you the heads up that Willow is actually on her way over to you now, to help you out. I tried stopping her, but you know how she is. She even gave me her resolve face,” she said.

Buffy couldn’t help but laugh at that.

“It’s ok, Tara. I could actually use some help. I can’t decide what to wear and I’ve almost completely emptied my closet.” She listened for a moment. “And I think she’s already here, if the constant knocking on my door is any sign. Thanks, Tara, I’ll hang up now to let her in. I’ll talk to you tomorrow!” Buffy said before hanging up.

Opening the door to let her best friend in, she was almost shoved aside by a energetic Willow who pretty much rushed straight into her bedroom.

“Oh, I knew it!” she twirled around to look at Buffy, who was embarassed but was smiling anyway.

“Are you going to help me?” Buffy asked hesitantly seeing the stern look on her friend’s face.

Willow’s face melted into a huge smile and started laughing like mad. “You should have seen the look on your face just now, that was priceless” she hiccuped.

Buffy looked at her with her eyebrow raised. “Fine, be that way. If you’re going to make fun of me, you can just leave.”

Before Buffy could walk out of the room Willow had pulled her into a big hug.

“Don’t be silly, of course I’m going to help you. Now, let’s get this show on the road before Spike ends up standing on your doorstep with you still dressed in your nightgown. Though I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind seeing you in that little number” she winked at Buffy.


XXXXX


Spike woke up on Sunday morning with a smile on his face. Today was the day he was going to take his girl out. He’d planned a nice day at the beach with a small picnic. He didn’t want her to eat too much because he had booked a table for two at a lovely little restaurant at the seaside that he had found when he had been cruising around the area in his car.

Getting out of the shower, and after he gotten ready, he did a final check on the picnic basket and then headed out to pick her up.

Getting in the car he put the key in the ignition, but before he turned it, he took a deep breath. He was actually nervous. He felt like a teenage highschool kid who was picking up a girl he fancied for their first date.

Kicking himself for his stupidity of the situation he was putting himself in, he started the car and drove off. He was going to make it a special day, one they both would never forget.


XXXXX


After Willow had picked out an outfit for Buffy, a nice knee high skirt with a white blouse, Buffy had put on her make up and done her hair. She'd kept it light and natural looking. When the doorbell rang she checked her make up for the last time and went to open the door.

Spike was looking like a gift sent from heaven. He was wearing a pair of 'very' nice fitting blue jeans and a blue shirt that really brought out those gorgeous blue eyes. When her gaze traveled up to his face, she saw him staring at her intently.

"Hi," was all she could manage to say.

"Hi, luv. Can I just say right now how absolutely gorgeous you look?" he said with a gentle smile on his face.

She blushed at his comment and looked away smiling.

"Do you want to come in, or do you want to leave right away?" she asked quickly to get out of the awkward situation.

"I'm ready if you are, pet. I've got everything I need in the car."

"Ok. Let me just go grab my purse and we can go," she said, turning around to do just that.

When she got back to the front door Spike was still standing there, waiting patiently for her.

"Ok. I'm all set," she said, giving him a brilliant smile.

Spike took her hand and escorted her to his car.

"So, are you going to tell me where we are going?" Buffy asked him.

"You'll just have to wait and see," he said in a secretive tone.

Buffy gave him a pout for good measure. She couldn't stand it when people were keeping secrets from her. She wanted to keep control of things herself, and not be dependent upon others.

"You can't stand it, can you?" she heard Spike ask, shaking her from her thoughts.

When she looked at him, he was smirking at her. Without even thinking, she swatted his arm and immediately noticed the muscle she encountered. "It's not funny." She had tried to sound serious, but she failed misearbly and she burst into laughter instead.


XXXXX


Spike was enjoying the ride. She was so adorable sitting there, pouting like a little girl.

When she had opened the door, he had been blown away by her beauty. He couldn't have moved if his life had depended on it. Luckily, he'd noticed she was having the same problem, so he had some time to get himself together.

Oh yeah, this was going to be a great day, he thought grinning to himself.


XXXXX


When they pulled into the parking lot near the beach, Buffy's face beamed like a beacon in the night. She turned around to look at Spike and she found that he was grinning back at her.

"I hope you don't mind sand in between your toes," he said, winking.

She opened her door and walked to the edge of the parking lot watching out over the ocean. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes enjoying the tranquil environment.

She felt movement. Spike was standing next to her with a picnic basket and a blanket.

"You ready pet?" he asked indicating the small trail that lead to the beach.

She nodded to him and they walked off.

After Spike had arranged the blanket and the contents of the basket he pulled her down into his lap and nuzzled her face with his nose.

"I've wanted to do that since the moment you opened the door at you house," he whispered.

Buffy looked into his eyes and gave him a soft kiss on his mouth. When she pulled back she saw the surprise on his face. Looking from his eyes to his mouth and back to his eyes, she slowly leaned in for another kiss.

She softly pressed her lips to his, and opened her mouth slightly to run her tongue over his bottom lip. She heard him groan, and he responded by opening his mouth and meeting her tongue with his own.

Buffy had no idea what was coming over her. She normally wouldn’t do something like this, but something about Spike made her act this way. She felt so at ease with him, and not scared at all to kiss him.

When she pulled back she knew her face was flushed.

Spike pressed his forehead to hers as they both tried to get their breathing back to normal.

“I think it’s better if you move over to the other side of the blanket now,” he whispered. “Before I forget all about my manners and have my wicked way with you. And it would be a waste of all this good food,” he said grinning at her.

Buffy giggled at that and moved off of his lap and sat down on the blanket, leaving the food in between them.

They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the food and the gentle sound of the waves hitting the shore.

“So, I guess this is the right time to get to know each other better” Spike said, breaking the silence.

“Hmm, yeah, I suppose you’re right about that. We could take turns asking each other questions?” she asked, popping a grape into her mouth.

“Good idea. We can ask anything. Even if it’s rather embarrassing,” he replied with a wink.


XXXXX


They’de been chatting for almost 3 hours when they decided that taking a walk on the beach would be nice. Spike packed up the gear and they both took off their shoes. He held out his hand for her to take and they strolled off.

They’d gotten to know each other a lot better. How Spike dealt with the loss of his mother. How he was a stuffy geeky student, always with his nose in the books. She’d told him she didn’t believe it for one second that he was ever a geek, but he’d been dead serious and told her he didn’t always look like he did now. Spike had told her about his transition into the man he is now, and why he kept using pet names for people instead of their real names, which turned out was because, when he was little, he used to have trouble remembering people’s names and would disguise that fact with using the pet names, which Buffy thought was quite funnny.

“Are you enjoying yourself so far, pet?” Spike asked, looking at her while they walked hand in hand.

“I am. I’ve always loved the beach. You did a wonderful job with the picnic too.” She squeezed his hand a little.

“Well, it’s not over yet. I’ve booked a table for two at a nice little restaurant not too far from here. We should probably head that way now.” He looked at his watch.

Not even waiting for a reply, since she didn’t have much of a choice anyway, he guided her back up the trail to the parking lot. He gave her a towel to get rid of all the sand in between her toes that he had put the basket back in the car.

“Let’s go, luv. It’s time for a romantic dinner for two.”

=====

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Was it romantic enough? Thanks for reading!

Chapter 11: Reflecting


Buffy and Spike had just finished their main course and they were waiting for their dessert to arrive. The whole day had been perfect in Buffy’s eyes. It had been a long time since she’d felt this way. Well, considering she’d never had a boyfriend to experience this with, you could say she’d never felt this way before in her life, ever.

They sat in silence, enjoying the music that was playing, and the fantastic view over the ocean. When they’d come into the restaurant, they were lead to a table for two in the back that overlooked the sea. It was obviously the best table in the restaurant, and Buffy had known Spike had arranged it specially for them.

“This is really wonderful, Spike,” she said, sighing contently.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself kitten.” He smiled back at her.

The waitress came over with their dessert and placed it in front of them. She had ordered the tiramisu and he had opted for an espresso. Picking up the spoon that came with his espresso, he dipped it in the tiramisu and took a large bite. Her eyes went huge and stared at him accusingly.

“You could have gotten your own you know! You said you didn’t want anything!” she replied in mock anger.

He playfully stuck his tongue out at her before replying, “You won’t be able to finish that anyway, there’s no way that whole thing will fit into that gorgeous little body of yours.”

She grinned at him cheekily and started eating. When she had put the last of the tiramisu in her mouth she saw him looking at her with something that resembled awe.

“As you can see, it fit perfectly.”

He laughed. “You really know how to amaze me, Buffy. You’re one hell of a woman.”

She blushed slightly and smiled sweetly at him.

“Shall we ask for the cheque and head out, luv? We still have a bit of a drive to do before we get home.”

She nodded and excused herself to go to the ladies room.

When she got back he was already waiting for her with his jacket on and he was holding hers out for her. After helping her put it on, he thanked the host for a lovely dinner.

“So kitten, I hope you had a good day, and that your tummy is satiated.” He said in a teasing voice.

She giggled and linked her arm with his as they made their way to the car. When he opened the passenger’s door for her, she gave him a quick peck on the lips and then got into the car.

She giggled a little louder when she saw him make his way over to the other side of the car with a goofy grin on his face.


XXXXX

When they arrived at Buffy’s house, Spike was ever the gentleman, he opened the door for her and escorted her to her doorstep. Once there he turned her around and looked her straight in the eyes. When she didn’t shy away from him, he smiled.

Keeping his eyes focused on her he brought his right hand up to her cheek and slowly caressed it. Letting his eyes travel to her mouth, so she knew what his next step was going to be, he slowly leaned in and kissed her.

His lips met her softer ones as they danced lightly over each other, feeling like whispers in the wind. Clearly not satisfied, he felt her press her lips more fully against his own and he opened his mouth slightly to suck her lower lip into his mouth. He heard her moan at the notion and couldn’t help but smile against her lips.

As the kiss deepend, he held her tighter around the waist and let his hands trail over her back. Ever so slowly he lifted her jacket and blouse so he could slip his hand underneath to stroke the soft skin of her back. He could feel her shiver under his touch.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. He was still slowly caressing her back with his hand as they stood there for a few moments.

“I better be going luv, as we want to take things easy. And if I continue standing here, with you in my arms... I’m not sure if I can stay the gentleman I would like to be,” he said in a soft voice. He pulled fully away and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll talk to you soon, luv.”

He walked back to his car, and turned when he opened his door. He gave a last wave and got into his car. Collecting himself for a minute he put the keys in the ignition. Looking down at himself he sighed. Definitely time for a cold shower.


XXXXX


Buffy picked up her phone and dialed Willow’s number. She heard Willow answer the phone using her best secretary voice.

“Hello? This is Willow speaking. How may I help you?”

“Hello. Willow is it? I am looking for my once best friend who lives at the address attached to this phonenumber. Do you know if she’s available?” Buffy asked in the same tone of voice.

Willow laughed. “Hey Buffy. I was wondering when you would call. How did things go?”

“Oh Willow,” Buffy began and proceeded to fill her best friend in on her date.

“Oh, that sounds great, Buffy. Now skip all that and tell me about the smoochies,” she said in a serious but teasing voice.

“Willow! Is that all you care about? Me getting smoochies?” Buffy acted as if hurt deeply.

“Hee, best friend here. I want you to be happy and to get lots of smoochies. Amongst other things...” Willow said suggestively.

Deciding to ignore the last comment Buffy couldn’t help but grin from ear-to-ear before replying. “He’s the best kisser in the world, Willow. He makes my toes curls, the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and all I can do to stay standing is grab onto to his wonderful arms.”

She paused and took a deep breath before continuing.

“I don’t know what’s happening with me, Willow, but I feel like I’ve known him for ages, and that I’m drowning in him. He’s got this power over me that I can’t describe. And honestly, it’s scaring me a little.”

“Buffy, you know this will take time. But it sounds to me like you’re really falling for him. Being scared is only a normal reaction. It would be abnormal if you weren’t. So don’t worry about it ok? Just enjoy the feeling for now, and you know Spike won’t force you into doing anything.”

“I better get going now though, Tara is calling for me.”

“Alright Willow, tell Tara I’ll see her tomorrow afternoon. Have a good night.”


XXXXX


Spike was sitting at his desk, once again surrounded by papers when Giles walked in.

"Spike, what are you doing?" he asked his friend looking around the small office.

"Honestly, how can you work like this? This place is a mess!" Giles said gesturing to the piles of paper all over the place.

"Leave me alone if you have nothing nice to say..." Spike grumbled.

Chuckling softly Giles sat down in the chair in front of Spike's desk, which was miraculously not piled with papers. Studying the man in front of him, Giles shook his head, and started reading some of the papers within reach.

They were all plans, and financial figures for expanding the place. New ideas were scribbled down with numbers behind them, and even small drawings of what his ideas would look like.

"Spike, wouldn't it be wise to get someone to help you out with this place? It looks like you're working yourself to death here," he told his seriously.

He looked up from his work and ran his hands through his hair, which was already a mess.
"I suppose…" He sighed. "I just have some great ideas for this place, but it leaves me with too little time to actually do the administration for the actual business. And I really don't have time to interview people."

"Well, I may know someone who could take over the administration for the pub, so you can focus on your new ideas," he said smiling.

"Oh yeah? And who might that be?” Spike asked raising his eyebrow and lifting a bottle of water to his mouth.

"Buffy," Giles said simply.

Spike almost spew out his sip of water as he heard Giles' answer.

"Don't look at me like that. You know she's not happy with her current job, and I know for a fact that she wants to find something else. Now why not take the chance to get her to work here with you. Don't tell me you don't think the idea is tempting," He said, grinning.

"I almost feel like I'm being set up here," Spike grumbled again. "Besides, Buffy and I decided to take things slow. I don't want to pressure her more than necessary."

"Spike, in all fairness, I think this would be a great idea. You're both adults, and very serious when it comes to work. And it's not like you'll see each other every minute of the day looking at what you've got planned here. You'll be out most of the time, or even too busy to get distracted by your girl."

Spike looked at him thoughtfully.

"I don't know what it is about you Rupert Giles. But you're a man to my heart. Now let’s go get something to drink. I definitely need it after all this serious talk."


=====

Well, thats it. I hope you guys enjoyed this!

Chapter 12: Propositions


Walking into Tara’s office, Buffy had a huge smile on her face.

“Well, don’t you look like you just won the lucky million,” Tara said, meeting Buffy’s smile with her own.

“I can’t help but it, Tara. It’s all I’ve been doing since I got home yesterday.”

“It was that good, huh?”

“Oh, it was wonderful. But I’m sure you’ve talked to Willow about it.”

“She did mention something, but we’re here to talk about you, so you better start telling it all again.” Tara winked.

Buffy sat back on the couch; she wasn’t sure where to start so she just started talking. “Have you ever felt so overwhelmed about something because all you can feel is the comfort and safety of a person and you don’t understand how that is possible?” she asked Tara frowning a little.

“Yes, it’s what happened when I met Willow. Especially since it was my first lesbian relationship, and I hadn’t anticipated that it would happen.”

“It’s scaring me,” Buffy said truthfully. “But at the same time all I want to do is be near him. Does that make sense at all?”

Tara laughed. “Oh Buffy, that is perfectly normal. I know you spoke to Willow yesterday as well about this, and she told you it’s only normal to be afraid, especially since you’re in a situation you’ve never been in before. Though I think you’re doing great. The only advice I can give you is, let it all happen.”

Buffy smiled at her and knew she had to do just that.

“There’s only one thing I’ve been wondering about,” Tara said quietly which made Buffy look up alarmed.

“How old is Spike?”

Buffy couldn’t help but laugh at that. She’d expected a serious and important question, which turned out to be just Tara’s curiosity about her boyfriend. Oh, she liked the sound of that. Boyfriend.

“He’s 32.”

“Wow, definitely looking good for his age.”

“I know,” said Buffy grinning.


XXXXX


It had been a week since their date. They’d spoken on the phone every day, but had been too busy to see each other. Buffy couldn’t wait to go to the pub, and was tapping her foot anxiously and was waiting for Tara and Willow to pick her up since they all had decided to go together.

Hearing a car pull into the driveway, she grabbed her purse from the hallway table and was already halfway down the path to the car when Willow opened the door.

“Someone’s eager,” Willow said teasingly.

Buffy stuck her tongue out at her friend and got into the car without saying a word.

They walked into the pub 15 minutes later. It didn’t take long for them to spot Xander and Cordelia who were meeting them there. They were sitting at a table nurturing their drinks.

“Hey guys! How are you doing tonight?” Buffy asked.

“Hey Buffster, give us a hug. It’s been way too long,” Xander said, standing up.

Buffy smiled and went over to him, hugging him tightly. After letting him go, she took off her jacket and hung it over a barstool.

“I’ll be right back,” she said and walked off towards the bar.

“I was wondering when she would tear off. I’m surprised she even stopped to say ‘hello’ to you guys,” Willow said, grinning.

Xander looked at her questioningly.

“What am I missing?”

“Oh, just Buffy and her new boyfriend,” Willow said, almost bursting out laughing seeing the incredulous look on Xander’s face.

Cordelia didn’t look all that surprised. “It’s about time that girl got it on.” Xander gawked at her as if she’d gone crazy.

XXXXX


Spike’s attention had been only partially focused on serving drinks. The majority of it was aimed at the door, willing Buffy to walk through it. He knew she’d come tonight, and he couldn’t wait to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. He’d become addicted to her kisses. They were so sweet and soft. He knew she was there before he saw her and he had to restrain himself not to run up to her and do just that.

He lost her in the crowd as she made her way over to her friends. Berating himself for being such a git he went back to work, knowing she’d come looking for him when she was ready.

And not five minutes later she was standing in front of him.

“Hi,” she said, smiling brightly at him.

He did the only thing he could do. He smashed his lips to hers in a searing kiss. When he heard several catcalls aimed in their directions, he pulled back and saw that Buffy was blushing furiously.

“I’m sorry, luv. I couldn’t help myself. The moment I saw you walk into the pub, that’s all I wanted to do.”

“It’s ok,” she murmured. “You better get back to your customers, they’re getting impatient.”

“They can wait. You’re way more important to me than they are at the moment,” he said loud enough for those around them to hear.

A few ‘Hey!’s were thrown his way, and he smirked down at her.

Giving her a quick peck on the lips he pulled back and said softly, “I’ll talk to you later.”

He watched her walk away for as long as he could before, and then turning, he went back to work.

XXXXX


She could tell by the expression on her friends’ faces that they had seen the not so secret kiss she and Spike had just shared. Trying to be nonchalant, she walked back to the table and sat down on her chair. Unfortunately, the act wasn’t really working. The gazes she got, the one from Xander in particular, started making her feel very self-conscious.

“Is there something we should know Buffy?” he asked in a tone that suggested he was clearly beyond surprised.

“What would there be to know?”

“Well, how about you just kissed a guy in public? A bartender!” He was on the verge of shouting at her.

Buffy noticed that the people around them were beginning to stare. Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Thanks Xander, for being such a great friend and supporting me.” She stood up abruptly and ran to the ladies room.

Taking a few deep breaths, and trying to suppress the tears that were threatening to spill she dampened her face with some cold water.

“Buffy, are you ok?”

Buffy turned around and saw Willow standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry about Xander, Buffy. It was unfair of him to react the way he did. And believe me he’s getting the riot act from Cordelia right now and you know how that will end,” Willow said softly.

Buffy gave her a weak smile. “I just can’t believe he said that, Willow. That really hurt. Like he can’t be happy that I’ve finally found someone that I like and want to be with.”

“He’s just jealous,” Willow said.

Buffy gave her a funny look.

“Honestly Buffy, you know how he’s always had a crush on you. He just can’t stand it that some other guy got through to you.”

“But that was years ago. He’s been in relationship since then. Why would he still be jealous?”

“I don’t think he ever really got over your dismissal. Just ignore him for now. He’s obviously being an ass. Now let’s go, we came here to have some fun, and that’s what we’re going to do.” She took Buffy’s hand and guided her out of the restroom.

When back at their table, they found a sulking and embarrassed looking Xander sitting with his head down. Buffy sat in her chair and took a sip from her drink. When she felt Xander looking at her, she looked up at him.

“I’m sorry for what I said. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt your feelings,” he said quietly.

“It’s fine, Xander. Just forget it,” she told him.

Her gaze went beyond Xander and that’s when saw Spike looking at her with a concerned look on his face. She gave him a small smile and he cocked his head in question. Nodding her head slightly that things were ok, she went back to her drink. They would talk later.


XXXXX


The night continued without any other embarrassing events. Buffy and Cordelia had some fun on the dance floor, and the rest had watched from afar.

When it was time to go, Buffy made her way over to Spike to let him know she was leaving. He was talking to some customers and after seeing her, he quickly said his goodbyes to them as he took her hand and led her up the stairs.

“Are you ok? You looked pretty distressed earlier tonight,” he asked stroking her arm.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I had a bit of a disagreement with Xander.” Seeing the questioning look on his face she sighed and knew she better tell him. “He just made a big scene about our kiss, is all.”

“What business is it of his?” he asked angrily. “If he ever does something like this again, I want you to tell me. Because I will have a serious chat with him. I don’t want him making you uncomfortable because he can’t keep his mouth shut.”

“It’s ok, Spike. He said he was sorry. It doesn’t mean I forgive him for what he said, but we’re ok for now so don’t worry about it.”

Spike sighed and pulled her to him.

“I’m sorry. I won’t make it harder on you. And I suppose it’s time for you to go home. I will talk to you tomorrow and we can go for a drink ok?” he asked nuzzling her face.

She gave him a smile and pressed her lips softly to his. The kiss started out gentle, but soon turned into a more passionate kiss where tongues glided against each other and soft moans were escaping from both of them.

He pulled back and gave her one last peck on the nose and escorted her out of the club.

Buffy didn’t know that it wasn’t the kiss Spike was now thinking about. It was the fact that he was going to keep a lookout for Xander. If that boy was trouble, he would take care of it. He didn’t want to deal with any kind of competition.

=====

So, i hope you guys liked this. Next chapter will be very interesting too... ;-)

Chapter 13: Discover my body


Spike walked around in his house making sure everything looked ok. After having spoken to Buffy earlier, they’d decided to rent a video and have a night in. Well, it had actually been a smooth way to get her into his apartment to so she could have a look around. They’d never been to each other’s houses, all their meetings had been on neutral ground.

Taking some wine glasses out of the cabinet, he sat them down on the lounge table and went to get the wine. He was in the kitchen opening the bottle when the doorbell rang. Walking to the door with the bottle in his hand, he opened the door and was greeted by a nervous looking Buffy.

“Hi,” she said not quite meeting his eyes.

“Hi luv, come on in. Let me put this bottle away so I can take your coat,” he replied with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

Coming back into the hallway a moment later, he found her standing in the same spot he left her in. The only thing that had changed was her jacket was now draped over her arm. He took it from her and hung it up in the wardrobe.

Once that was taken care of, he took her hand and drew her to him. He could sense her anxiousness. Being in someone’s home was a lot different than being in a pub. There was no escape here. Not that there was any reason for her to escape.

Draping his arms around her waist, he held her to him for a moment. “I’m glad you’re here, kitten. I’ve got everything ready for a movie, but I would really like to show you the rest of my apartment.”

When she looked into his eyes, he couldn’t help but lean forward and brush his lips against hers. Before taking her hand and guiding her further into the apartment, he kissed her sweetly and then ran his nose over hers, giving her one last peck.

He showed her the main rooms in the house starting with the kitchen. He gave her the grand tour. He purposely avoided his bedroom, not wanting to scare her off. He guided her back into the living room and pulled her down beside him on the couch. He filled their glasses with wine and handed one to her.

“To a nice evening for just the two of us,” he toasted and she agreed.

He had picked out several movies they could watch, starting off with a romantic comedy he knew she would like. Being as prepared as possible he’d even gotten a box of tissues in case they were needed.

The movie started and he pulled her closer to him, putting his arm around her shoulder. He felt her tense up a little bit at first, but it wasn’t long before she relaxed and even put her hand on his leg.

After watching the first movie and drinking two glasses of wine, he went into the kitchen to get more snacks. After putting on the second movie, he sat down again and this time it was Buffy who took the initiative to snuggle closer to him. She was clearly getting more relaxed as the night wore on. He suspected the wine had something to do with it.

“Are you comfortable kitten?” he asked her gently.

“Hmm, very much so. You’re a good snuggle bunny,” she replied lazily, laying her head on his shoulder.

He smiled and gave her a kiss on her forehead before pressing the play button.

It was halfway through the movie when he noticed she had fallen asleep on him. He couldn’t help but feel his heart swell with love. This girl had crept in so quickly; he couldn’t imagine? a life without her. He was grateful that she was starting to warm up to him. She wasn’t as anxious anymore, she felt comfortable enough to let him touch her, kiss her and hold her like he did now.

Not really enjoying the movie anyway he shut down the TV and manoeuvred them so they were both lying on the couch. Him on his back, and Buffy on her side, one arm sprawled around his chest. She unconsciously snuggled closer to him in her sleep and buried her face in his neck.

With a content sigh, Spike let sleep wash over him, never having felt this kind of peace with a woman before.


XXXXX


She must have fallen asleep during the movie; because when she opened her eyes everything was dark. Confusion washed over her, because she thought Spike would have at least woken her up, or put her in his guestroom.

It wasn’t until then that she realized she wasn’t sleeping on the couch alone, and felt herself blushing. She was practically lying in top of him, her leg over his and her hand holding on to his t-shirt.

Looking up she saw that he was still sleeping, a content smile on his face. He looked beautiful. Not being able to stop herself she raised her hand and softly stroked his cheek. His eyelids started to flutter and she was greeted with a pair of crystal blue eyes a few moments later.

She saw a look of confusion run over his face, but confusion was quickly replaced with a tender smile. She put her hand on his cheek again, this time guiding his face closer towards her, so she could brush her lips against his soft ones. Giving him open mouth kisses, but not yet letting her tongue come out to play, she toyed with his lips. When she felt the need to feel more of him, she slowly pushed her tongue against his lips, and was granted access when he opened his mouth and met her tongue with his own.

The kiss was gentle, unhurried and relaxed.

When she felt his hand settle on her waist just below her shirt, her heart began to beat faster. Butterflies were swirling around in her stomach. His touch was starting to drive her a little wild.

Her own hand travelled to the back of his neck to play with the curls there. She pulled his mouth a little closer to hers and deepened the kiss.

He was making slow patterns on her back, his fingertips hovering over her soft skin. She felt his fingers travel up and down until his hand made its way towards her stomach which he softly caressed again.

She was getting lost in the sensations that he was creating in her. She grew bolder by his actions as well. Though still hesitant, she put her hand on his chest and started moving it around in little circles, her fingertips putting on a little more pressure.

They were both panting heavily when they drew from the kiss, putting their foreheads together.

His hand travelled further upwards and he slowly caressed the underside of her breast which made her gasp. No one had done that before and she wasn’t expecting it.

“Spike…” she whispered softly looking into his eyes.

“Shh kitten, it’s ok. Tell me if you want me to stop,” he said softly.

“No, it’s okay.”

He cupped her breast, trailing his thumb over her nipple, which instantly grew hard.

She moaned and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. He claimed her mouth again as he continued kneading her breast. She was amazed at how hypersensitive her body had become. So much so, she barely noticed that his hand had gone behind her back and had expertly unclasped her bra.

He unbuttoned her blouse and removed her bra strap from one arm which granted him easier access. He began to explore even more which elicited more uncontrollable moans from her.

In the mean time she had undone some of his buttons and was moving her hand over his chest, every now and then, she grazed a nipple with her fingernail. She could hear him moan into her mouth every time she did that and feminine pride washed over her. She was happy she could make him feel good too.

“Oh God, Spike!” she moaned suddenly, finally able to find words. He had taken her breast into his mouth and suckled softly on her nipple. She felt the sensations go straight to her stomach and she had to clasp her legs together.

As he lifted his head again to look into her eyes, she reclaimed his lips with her own.

She was surprised when he suddenly pulled away.

“Let me take you to the guest bedroom ok? We better get some sleep,” he said, getting up from the couch.

She gave him a shy smile, knowing her face was flushed. She might have been inexperienced, but she thought she knew why he stopped and part of her was grateful that he had.

She took his outstretched hand and he led her to ‘her’ room where he left her with a kiss on the lips and told her goodnight.

She laid down on the bed, and was asleep within minutes, a beautiful smile graced her face.


=====

Hope you guys liked that. It's my first even physical scene to write, so it was a bit weird. Hope it's well written!

Chapter 14: Unintended Surprises


Buffy walked into the Sunnydale café for a cup of coffee. She was on her break, and even though she could get coffee at work, she needed to get out of that building. Lilah had been going on and on about work, and all the things Buffy still needed to do. She had almost screamed at Lilah to just shove it up her ass, which was indication enough that she needed to get out of there, soon.

Getting her coffee, she looked for a free table, sat down and then sighed. This was getting ridiculous really. One more day like this and she would run out of that building screaming.

So lost in thought, she didn’t see the man that sat down in front of her. Not until he spoke to her in his familiar British accent.

“Hello, Buffy. You seem to be lost in thought,” Giles asked.

“Hey, Giles. Sorry I didn’t see you there. Shouldn’t you be at the school? It’s the middle of the day.” She was glad to see a friendly face.

“I’m on a break. The kids got sent home because the basement got flooded and the fire department had the building evacuated.”

She giggled to this.

“It’s your lucky day then! In a matter-of-speaking kind of way. That’s more than I can say.” She sighed.

“What’s wrong? Your mom’s ok, isn’t she?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

“No! Mom’s fine. I’m just thinking of changing jobs.”

He smiled at her bad news. “Spike asked you then?”

“Spike asked me what?”

“To work for him at the pub?”

“Giles, what are you talking about?” she asked, getting more confused by the moment.

“I’m sorry, Buffy. I thought he asked you, and you just weren’t sure it was such a good idea.” He sighed heavily. “Spike wants you to work for him at the pub, so he can continue working on his plans for expansion.”

Her jaw just about hit the table. She wasn’t sure she was hearing correctly. Spike wanted her to work for him? He’d talked about it with other people. Involving her in his plans? Not asking her? Did he just assume she would do it?

“Buffy, maybe you should go talk to him. I didn’t mean to tell you, I just assumed you knew since you told me you are thinking of changing jobs.”

She picked up her bag and her coffee. “Thanks Giles, I think I will do that right now.”

XXXXX


Spike was standing behind the bar, ensuring that everything was in order for tonight, when he heard the backdoor opening.

“Were you even going to ask me yourself?” Buffy asked him straight on.

“Buffy? What are you talking about? Are you ok?” He was confused and a bit concerned by her tone.

“I ran into Giles at the coffee shop and he tells me that you have decided that I should work for you so you can plan out your dreams for your little pub. Were you even going to ask me, or did you just assume I would do it? ‘Buffy’ll do it, I finally got to let her go a bit, she won’t mind’. Well guess what Spike, I do mind. No one tells me what to do.”

By the end of her speech she was red in the face from anger and breathing heavily.

Spike walked up to her cautiously, not wanting to upset her more. “Buffy no, I didn’t just assume you would do it. It was Giles’s idea to ask you if you might want the job. I didn’t even want to find someone in the first place because it would take too much time to find the right person. He said he knew someone suitable for the job and gave me your name. I just hadn’t figured out yet how to ask you.”

He saw Buffy’s face change from anger to shame for her outburst.

“Oh…” was all she could come up with.

Spike chuckled at that. “You are one hell of a woman, you know that? It’s good to find out that you’re as headstrong as me. You don’t take it too easily when people decide for you. Come here baby,” he said and opened his arms for her.

She walked into his embrace and buried her head in his chest. He held her there for a few moments before pulling back and giving her a soft kiss on her lips.

“So will you?” he asked.

“Will I what? Oh! That. What would the job entail? And won’t it be awkward if I came to work for you, when we’re in a relationship?” she asked, blushing as she said relationship.

“I don’t think it would be a problem, unless you think you can’t keep your hands off of my tight hot body.” He wiggled his eyebrows which made her giggle.

“And I won’t be around too much once I get to work on the plans for expansion. You will be in full charge of the pub, the administration and hiring of new people. I will still be the one to decide on things in the end. For now at least.” He explained her. “So will you?” he asked again.

She reached up and planted another kiss on his lips. “When do I start?” she asked laughing.

He swirled her around hearing her answer. “As soon as you can, baby.” He told her grinning madly.

“Well, I better get back to work now, before all hell breaks loose. I will see you later,” she said.

And with one last kiss she left him standing in the middle of his pub with a huge smile on his face.


XXXXX


“Willow, are you in here?” Buffy was practically shouting through the Magic Shop.

Willow worked in the Sunnydale Magic Shop as a sales person. At least that had been the job title when she’d applied for it. After having worked there for two 2 years, while going to college and studying business management, and two years full time after college, the owner of the shop had decided to move back to his homeland and left Willow in charge.

“Buffy hi, what are you doing here?” Willow asked her friend as she came out of the backroom.

Not giving Willow a chance to say anything more she ran over to her friend and enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Buffy, help, oxygen becoming an issue,” Willow squeaked out.

“Oh, I’m sorry Will. I’m just so excited! I’ve got a new job!” she squealed.

She looked up at her surprised. “When did that happen? I’m so excited for you!”

Buffy told her what had happened, leaving out the part where she and Spike had argued just a little bit.

“Have you told Lilah yet?” Willow asked.

Buffy wrinkled up her nose by the thought alone. “No, I suppose I better do it officially. Write out my resignation and hand it to her.” Her eyes grew wide. “Come to think of it, I better do it right now. I just had to tell you before I went back to work. I was too excited to go back to the stressful situation there.”

They said their goodbyes, agreeing they’d call each other later that day.

When Buffy got back to her desk, new piles of papers were stacked there to be organised. She heaved a sigh and put the papers on the ground so she’d have some desk space to work on. Deciding it would be better to first write her letter and get it over with; she sat down behind her PC.

Printing her letter 15 minutes later, having re-read it several times, she was about to walk to Lilah’s office when she bumped right into said woman.

“Oh Buffy, it’s good that I see you, I’ve got some extra work for you,” Lilah started talking right away.

“Lilah, I actually wanted to talk to you.” Buffy tried getting in a word or two in but was blatantly unsuccessful because Lilah continued without even noticing Buffy had spoken.

“I put papers on your desk that need immediate attention, as well as some other things that need to be typed out by the end of the week.”

“Lilah…” Buffy tried again.

“Ok, that’s it, now get to work,” Lilah said, turning around to walk away.

“Lilah!” she almost screamed exasperated.

She turned toward Buffy again with a raised eyebrow in question.

Buffy sighed. “I’ve got my letter of resignation here. I’m quitting.”

Lilah took the paper that Buffy presented to her and then looked back up at Buffy with an astounded look on her face.

Buffy felt herself get uncomfortable under Lilah’s stare, feeling the need to say something. “It’s not that I don’t like it here.” She lied. “But I’ve been offered a different job which I couldn’t refuse. I’m sorry. I’ll leave be leaving within a week if that’s possible.”

“It’s fine Buffy, I didn’t expect you to stay here forever. I accept your notice,” she said with a slight smile.

Buffy thanked her, and went back to work.

When she’d finished off her paper work she called Spike to tell him Lilah had accepted her leaving. Buffy would come to the pub later that night to have a drink to celebrate her new job.

She couldn’t wait to see him again.

======

That's it, hope you guys enjoyed that. I'm writing more soon and things will get more and more interesting...

Chapter 15: Body Talking


Buffy headed up the stairs to Spike’s office slowly, she didn’t want to alert him of her arrival. She walked into the office without making a sound. He was so focussed on his work that he didn’t hear her until she was two steps away from his desk. He looked up with a slightly confused look. When he saw it was her, he smiled and that told her enough to know he was extremely happy to see her.

She closed the rest of the distance between them and Spike pulled her into his lap not wasting any time and gave her a passionate kiss.

“Hello there, kitten. I didn’t hear you come in,” he said after breaking the kiss.

“I noticed you didn’t. You are always too busy with work to notice me,” she said with a teasing pout.

He growled at her and pulled her lips into his mouth. “You little minx, I always have time for you.”

She looked at the papers on the desk. “Anything I would need to look at?” she asked with a grin.

Spike chuckled at that and gave her a squeeze swirling his chair towards the desk. “You haven’t even started and you’re already talking business. Now who’s the one busy with work huh!” he teased tickling her in the sides.

Buffy squirmed in his lap trying to get away, but Spike held her tight.

She stilled her motions as he stopped tickling her, noticing the change in her demeanour as she blushed slightly. She assumed the bulge she was now feeling had something to do with it.

She couldn’t help but shift a little bit to try and get more comfortable in his lap, and felt the bulge grow even bigger, as she heard Spike gasp. She stilled again and didn’t know what to do. She was too comfortable sitting on his lap, but she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable for her sake. She tried to get up, but he held her tighter to him, stopping her actions.

“Don’t, Buffy.”

“But...”

“Don’t worry about it sweetheart. It happens, automatically really. It’s what you do to me. But please don’t be afraid.”

Spike looked at her, and she could see the slight concern in his eyes. The thing was, she wasn’t scared. She was intrigued that she could do this to him. And quite frankly, she was really curious about it too.

“I’m not… afraid,” she said looking down, blushing profusely when she saw the full form of his crotch.

She looked back into his eyes and knew he had seen her looking there.

“Does it hurt?” she asked nervously, feeling stupid for asking and looked away again.

“No baby, it feels good,” Spike told her gently putting his finger on her chin as he turned her face towards him.

“But isn’t it uncomfortable?” she asked curiously.

Spike couldn’t help but chuckle. “That is it a bit. But it’s not important. We’re taking our time, Buffy. Now give us another kiss. You can see that as your payment,” he told her grinning.

Buffy giggled at that, feeling herself relax again and complied with his wishes.


XXXXX

Buffy and Cordy were dancing like there was no tomorrow. Tonight was a night to celebrate.

Buffy had called her friends and told them to meet her at the pub because she had something important to tell them. Afterwards, she’d called her mother, with whom she’d been on the phone for over an hour. Joyce had been almost as excited as Buffy when she was told the news.

Going back at their table after a few dances Buffy sat down and grabbed her drink.

“So guys, I have something important to tell you,” she said, smiling at her group of friends who were looking at her expectantly. She stayed silent for a few moments and saw the agitation on some of the faces.

“Come on Buffy, spill,” Cordelia said at last.

“I got a new job!” she almost squealed.

Everyone was thrilled to hear the news. Hugs were exchanged and congratulations were said.

“So what’s the new job?” Xander asked curiously.

“Well, you’re standing there, right now, actually,” she said with a brilliant smile. “I’ll be responsible for ‘Little London’, doing administrative work and hiring new people. And probably some other stuff once I’ve got the hang of things. Spike’s got plans for expanding and he asked me to work for him so he can focus on further development of this place.”

She could tell everyone was excited for her. But when she looked at Xander, she saw the same look on his face he’d had before, when he’d called her off for kissing Spike in front of everybody.

“I hope you can be happy for me, Xander,” she said, softly so no one else would hear. She really didn’t want another scene. This was her celebration and she would be damned to let Xander’s jealousy get in the way. “And if you can’t make yourself do so, I will have to ask you to leave now, because really Xander, I want this job. This is something that can make me happy, that is already making me happy. And if you can’t get past the fact that Spike and I are together, and that I’ll be working for him, I’m really sorry. But I won’t let you get in my way to happiness.”

She knew she was being harsh. But damn, he could be such an ass sometimes. And she just wanted to make sure that he knew what she thought.

“Now, let’s celebrate.” she told everyone, avoiding his glare.


XXXXX


Later that evening, Buffy and her friends were once again on the dance floor, Spike watched as Xander made his way over to the bar.

“I hope you can be happy for her,” Spike addressed him without a smile.

“Like I have any say in this anyway. She seems to think it’s a good decision, even if I think she’s making the biggest mistake of her life,” he replied evenly.

Spike couldn’t believe this guy. He was supposed to be Buffy’s friend but all he could do was be negative about her choices.

“You better start acting like a friend and stop this stupid jealousy of yours. She’s not going to let you treat her like that. If you want to stay her friend, you better get yourself together and make peace with her,” he said getting angrier by the minute. “And if you do anything to hurt her, to even make her rethink her decisions; you’ll have me to deal with. And trust me, you don’t want that,” he threatened and then walked away.

Before he had taken two steps, he heard Xander call his name and turned around.

XXXXX


Buffy heard a loud commotion and looked up to see what it all was about. That’s when she saw Spike behind the bar, covered in beer. She saw Xander standing next to him, with an empty beer glass, both looked extremely pissed off.

She stormed towards the bar, fuming because of Xander’s behavior. "What the hell do you think you're doing huh?" she shouted.

Xander's face was one of disgust. "I can't believe you, Buffy. How could you lower yourself to this? You have so much more potential than to be with someone like him."

Buffy couldn't believe her ears. "What did you say?" she asked indigently.

Xander just shrugged.

"What the hell gives you the right to say that? You don't even KNOW him, let alone are you able to judge my decision. I don't know what's wrong with you, but I just found out that I don't know you at all," She said, beyond angry.

"I think you better go now, and don't come near me for a while," she said, turning her back on him and looking at Spike.

His shirt was completely soaked through with beer, and it was sticking to his chest like a second skin. If the situation hadn’t been different she’d have thought that he looked damn hot.

“Are you ok?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll be fine, luv. I’m just going to dry myself off and get changed,” he said, motioning to one of the other bartenders that he would be back soon.

He walked up the stairs to his office with Buffy behind him.

“I’m really sorry, Spike,” she whispered, feeling humiliated by her ‘former’ friend.

“It’s ok, luv. This isn’t your fault. I should be the one who’s saying sorry, you just lost a friend,” he replied gently while taking off his shirt.

Buffy looked at his perfectly shaped upper body, slightly glistering from the beer. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She realized that this was the first time she’d seen him without his shirt and he looked damn good.

“Buffy?”

She looked up at him and saw him smiling at her with a glint in his eye. He’d seen her watching him and he was smirking at her. “Like something you see baby?” he asked her teasingly.

She blushed and swatted him playfully on his arm. “You better clean up before you catch a cold.”

As he was cleaning himself up, she thought about the evening. It had started off well, everyone was happy for her, and Xander had kept his mouth shut for awhile. But apparently when he’d gone to the bar and encountered Spike he couldn’t help but open it.

Spike must have seen the sad look on her face as she was pulled against his hard body. “It’ll be ok baby. Let’s go down stairs and have another drink. This was a night to celebrate, right? So let this not spoil the evening.” He kissed her on the lips lightly and took her hand in his own, walking her down stairs towards her friends.

=====

Right, I hope you guys enjoyed this! As you can see i'm building things up slowly. Please give me feedback on how to improve, thanks!

Chapter 16: Curiosity


“I think I’m ready Tara.” Buffy said softly, feeling slightly nervous.

“Ready for what exactly?” Tara asked.

Buffy gave her a pointed look, to say ‘don’t play dumb with me’ but realised it was just a way to goad her into saying it out loud. It was so safe to keep it vague, and talk around it, instead of getting straight to the point.

“I’m ready to take the next step in my relationship.”

She saw Tara looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

“You mean, you think you are ready to be physical with Spike? Tara asked her gently.

Buffy blushed as she remembered the night she’d spent at Spike’s apartment and nodded her head.

“Buffy, only you can decide if you’re ready or not. From what you’ve told me, Spike has never forced you into anything. Don’t feel obligated to do something because you’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks.”

Buffy looked at Tara with thoughtful eyes. She didn’t feel pushed in any way, it’s something she wanted herself.

“I would like to talk to you about something else.” Tara said to get away from the current subject knowing she’d ask more about it later, which made Buffy look up at her with a questioning gaze.

“I would like to talk about your father.” Tara said gently.

The moment Tara said it, Buffy’s back went rigid. She’d hardly known her father at all, what was there to talk about? He’d left her mom with the weight of raising a child of her own. He wasn’t worth spending words on.

“Buffy, it’s ok to feel sadness or anger towards him. He may not have been in your life much, but a father is an important part of a girl’s life, and you never experienced anything but desertion from your father.”

“He’s not worth talking about. He left my mom to raise me on her own, not even giving her child support. He’s a useless bastard.” Buffy said without any emotion in her voice.

Tara nodded her head.

“But I do think this has had an important impact on you, and would be the main reason why you don’t trust the men in your life. Think back on the way you reacted towards Xander when he told you what he thought of your relationship. You were furious and reacted quickly.” Tara said, and seeing the look on her face quickly continued. “I’m not saying what he did was right Buffy. Xander had no right to judge you, it’s none of his business.”

Buffy took a big breath. She’d never really thought her father would be the reason why she didn’t trust men easily. But it all made sense to her.

“I’m sorry Tara. It’s just that when I think of my father I can only think of how he left my mom and me, and never looked back. I think I would like to talk about him some more if that’s ok?” Buffy said with a slightly quivering voice.

“Of course Buffy. But we won’t talk about him anymore this session. I do want to come back to our subject about Spike though.”

Tara saw Buffy’s cheeks flush a little and had to smile to herself. Something obviously must have already happened. Buffy wasn’t the girl to just jump in bed with someone.

“I have a feeling there’s more to it than you’re telling me. But that’s ok, and you don’t have to tell me. All I can say, Buffy, is that only you can feel if you’re ready for the next step. So maybe it’s a good idea if you invite him to your own home, so you’re on familiar grounds.”

Buffy looked completely flushed now.

“You must think I’m a loser.” She whispered softly.

“What? Buffy no, I admire you for who you are, and that you haven’t given yourself to just anybody. And trust me, men are lucky to have you. And I know for certain that Spike feels exactly the same way.”

“Now you can tell me all the juicy details during your next appointment.” Tara winked at her.


XXXXX


It was the first day of her new job. Her job at ‘Little London’ to be exact. Spike had told her to come over at 9 so they could start going over the details of the business. She was actually a little nervous about it. She knew Spike wasn’t going to be there a lot once she was completely settled with the job, but in the beginning he was going to be around quite a bit.

After her session with Tara a few days before, she’d been thinking a lot about her decision to want to take the relationship a step further. She was scared of course, but her curiosity was getting stronger by the minute. She wanted to know what it was like to be touched, and to touch someone else. She wanted to embrace that feminine power she could have over Spike.

Yeah, she was nervous about going to work alright. But she had to go, and now she was standing in front of her front door with a beating heart, gathering the courage to get on with it and see ‘her’ man about her job. Taking a deep breath she reached out, opened the door and walked through, over to her car.

Fifteen minutes later she got out of her car and walked over to the back entrance of the pub. Nervously readjusting her coat she opened the door and walked into the pub towards the stairs to go to her new office.

Spike was busy sorting out some papers when she walked in.

“Hi” she said softly to get his attention.

He looked up from his work and gave her a brilliant smile.

“Hi luv, come on in, this is your office now” he said with a wink.

Buffy giggled quietly and put her coat on a vacant chair as she walked further into the room.

“So, where do we start?” she asked walking over to the desk.

“Well, I think it’s best we start with the administrative work, and then go over the planning of work schedules for the staff and lastly we’ll go over the payments.” He said while looking at the desk and the task before him.

“But first, I think it’s time for a good morning kiss.” He said smirking while pulling her down onto his lap which made Buffy giggle.

Pressing her mouth against his in a soft kiss, she let her lips trail over his, nipping at his soft lips before opening her mouth to deepen the kiss. The kissed for a few moments when they pulled back, panting for air.

“Wow, that was one hell of a good morning kiss.” Buffy breathed.

“That it was luv,” pressing another kiss to her mouth.

“Maybe we should get started though” she said getting off of his lap. It felt too good to be in his arms, but she knew if she would stay there she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on her work. And it would already be hard enough as it was.

“Ok luv, grab another chair and we’ll go through all the papers.” He said with a sigh.

--

Hours later they’d gone through all the paperwork of the pub and Buffy knew exactly how the place was run, and what she had to do to keep it that way.

Buffy was growing nervous when the work was done.

“Spike?” she asked softly.

“Yeah pet?”

“Do you maybe want to come over to my house tomorrow night?” she asked, her nervousness showing in her voice.

Spike looked up at her, slightly surprised by her request.

“I would love to Buffy.”

“Cool” she said with a smile, glad that he accepted.

She saw Spike getting up, ready to leave the office, leaving her to work.

“Will I see you before I go home?” she asked.

“Count on it, pet” he replied giving her a wink, and walking out of ‘her’ office.

Buffy sat back with a smile on her face. She already loved her new job, and the tasks she had to do. And she’d dared to ask Spike to come over to her house. She felt great and it showed by the smile on her face.

=====

First day for her huh, and she invited him over? What will that be you ask? Well, you'll have to wait and see!! ;-) Did you guys like it?

Chapter 17: Tonight, the first Night.


The next day Buffy cleaned her entire apartment. She wanted everything to look perfect for Spike when he came over. Who was she kidding? She was so nervous the only thing she could do to not lose her mind was clean until she dropped.

Now, she was sitting down on the sofa with a glass of wine trying to settle her nerves. She glanced down and shuddered. Her old cleaning clothes full of stains. Spike was supposed to be there in an hour and she still had to get ready.

Putting her glass down, she rushed up the stairs to jump into the shower. Luckily, she knew exactly what she wanted to wear. Willow had taken her out shopping on the previous Saturday and Willow had picked out a pretty blue spaghetti strapped dress that ended just above Buffy’s knee.

She let the hot water massage her tense shoulders and she immediately felt part of the tension drain away. She could do this after all. There was nothing to be afraid of. Spike liked her, and he’d always been the perfect gentleman. Nothing to worry bout. Hell, she wanted this for herself.

She felt herself shudder when the thought of how his body felt against her when they kissed. His hard muscles pressed against her breasts, and the feeling of the obvious erection against her butt.

Once she finished her shower and dried off, she put on her matching light blue thong and then her dress. She’d be braless that evening since the style of the dress didn’t take wearing one into account, but that was okay, it made her feel sexy and more confident about herself. After applying her make up and styling her hair, she headed back downstairs to finish the last preparations for dinner.

She was cutting the peppers when the doorbell rang. When she opened the door her heart caught in her throat when she saw Spike standing there, with one single red rose in his hand. He looked gorgeous as always, though this time he’d gelled his hair in loose curls on top of his head.

“Hi cutie”

Buffy blushed a soft tint of pink at his seductive tone. “Hi, come in,” she said, softly stepping aside to let him in.

She took the rose he offered her and walked back to the kitchen with him trailing behind her. She put the rose in a small vase with some water.

“It’s really beautiful,” she told him.

“A beautiful rose for a beautiful girl,” he whispered in her ear while he took her in his arms and kissed her softly on her lips. As with all their kisses, it started out slow and soft, but soon turned passionate and they were moaning into each other’s mouths.

Pulling back to get some oxygen into her system she buried her face into his chest trying to control her hormones. Tonight was the night, she knew, but she first had a dinner planned and she wasn’t going to let that get ruined.

She pulled out of his embrace and went to the counter to continue making the dinner.

“I’m glad Paul could take over tonight,” She said, trying to make conversation.

“He’s a good lad, and knows exactly how to keep things running smoothly when I’m not there. I’m not worried anything will go wrong,” he said, sitting down at the kitchen counter.

“That’s good to know,” she said smiling. She’d met Paul a few times before she’d come to work at the pub, and again on her first day. He’d been very supportive and had offered his help if she’d ever need it. She’d instantly taken a liking to him, and had assured him she’d ask for his help if ever needed.

“So, how have your first two days been so far?” Spike asked while she was chopping the rest of the vegetables. She could feel his eyes fixed on her as if burning her. She knew her dress clung to her body and all her curves. That had been one of the main reasons why she’d bought it. She was sure though by the look in his eyes that he could see he wasn’t wearing a bra.

“… so I think it’s been going well so far,” Buffy replied

“Huh?”

She looked up at him and saw the confused and slightly embarrassed look on his face.

“Spike, did you listen at all to what I was saying?”

“I’m sorry pet, I got a bit distracted. Do you have any idea how sexy you look in that dress?”

Buffy looked at him, face as red as a tomato.

“I’m sorry luv, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Forget I ever said that.”

He got up from his seat and walked out of the kitchen into the living room while running his hands through his hair.

Buffy walked after him and put her hand on his arm.

“Spike, it’s ok.”

“No Buffy, it wasn’t. I know you’re not ready for this yet, and I’m bollixing it all up. I’m sorry pet.”

Putting her hand on his cheek, she turned his face towards her and softly brushed her lips against his.

“I wanted to tell you something tonight, after dinner…” she started. Even though she had felt the sudden courage to take charge of this situation, she was still nervous as hell.

“What is it pet?” her asked her with a curious look.

“I wanted to tell you that I think I’m ready, for the next step. I wanted tonight to be the first time.”

Spike looked at her in awe, speech obviously having abandoned him.

The silence was getting too much and Buffy was already feeling extremely stupid for saying this. “I’m sorry, forget it. I’m stupid, I”

Before she could finish her sentence though, she was being hauled up against Spike’s body and felt his lips crush to hers. Taken completely by surprise she felt herself being pushed against a wall. Spike’s legs pushed in between hers, and she automatically brought her legs up around his waist.

Buffy gasped for breath while Spike pampered kisses all the way from her jaw line to her neck. Trying to get her brain to function again she softly whispered his name in his ear. She felt one hand knead her bottom while the other one was cupping her breast through her dress. This was not the way she wanted it to go. It was supposed to be soft and exploring, and in a bed for one thing. Not up against a wall.

When he didn’t respond to his name she tugged at his hair a bit to get his attention. Breaking away from her, she saw the lust filled look in his eyes, mixed with a look of confusion.

“Spike, we have to stop this. I don’t want this to happen against a wall, please,” she said quietly, not wanting to give him the idea she was brushing him off.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he said, pulling away from her completely. “I just couldn’t help it when I heard you say that.”

Buffy stood there, clothes in disarray and hair slightly dishevelled. When she looked him in the eye she could still see the awe written in them and a small sign of lust that was still there.

She took his hand and guided him back to the kitchen. “Maybe we should eat something first and then take things slow? Maybe this sounds really stupid and virginal, but I’d like my first time to be in a bed with time to explore.”

“It’s not stupid luv. And you are right, we should take this slow, and make it memorable. I want to map out your body and know everything single spot that is you.”

Buffy blushed at his comment and slowly walked back to the kitchen counter to continue making dinner.

XXXXX

After a nice and quiet dinner they sat back and enjoyed their wine. After the somewhat heated encounter earlier that evening Spike had made sure not to make any comments that would make her feel uncomfortable. The knowledge of what was going to happen was out in the open, and it had made the atmosphere more tense than relaxed.

Spike had reassured her that everything would go the way it was supposed to. She would set the pace and decide how far things would go. She’d smiled gratefully at him.

Right now they’d finished their dinner and had done the dishes. They were sitting on the sofa in a comfortable silence.


Buffy looked his way and saw Spike was already staring at her. She blushed slightly and looked away. Setting her glass down she moved closer to where he was. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to him.

Putting her hands on his chest she made slow patterns over his shirt and leant up for a kiss a few moments later. When Spike pulled back, she looked him with a frown marring her face.

“Are you absolutely sure about this Buffy?” he asked in a whisper.

She looked him in his eyes and saw the love and adoration in them.

“Take me to bed Spike”


=====
hehe, so you'll have to wait to read how it will all happen for our lovely couple. I hope you enjoyed that!>/i>