“Because it's a waste of time. Come on, someone has to agree with me. Spike?”
He felt the overwhelming urge to grin when she said that.
Buffy had been bitching about Andrews’s new hobby to videotape everything that was going on around the house for days. And although the incident of a few nights ago still bugged him, he was all to happy that the little wimp finally got something to do, instead of hopping after him all day long.
But although Buffy was sincerely pissed that not one person seemed to agree with her, he knew she didn’t just ask him to have someone to back her up. Her voice, her look, and the tiny red spots that started to appear on her cheeks; she was thinking about their little meeting as well.
Her question made him wonder if she also regretted the way their evening had ended, because the Buffy he knew always seemed to be more then happy to walk out on him after something like this happened, and then forced herself not to think about it anymore. Forced herself to believe it never happened. But the signals she was given him now…..Had she just changed overnight? Or was it because he had?
That morning they had bummed into each other at the bottom of the staircase by accident. But it hadn’t really been an awkward moment, like he had expected. She had just smiled a little shy at him, and they had talked about the weather and whatnot. But there had definitely been some sort of ‘heat’ between them, even if he was only room temperature. No, something had changed.
Of course, when they had arrived in the kitchen, which looked like a damn girls' dorm, she had painted on her cranky slayer face and attacked Andrew and his camera. And now she was asking his opinion.
His first reflex was to agree with her, just because...well, that was what he had always done since…you know. But then, he realized the time was right for him to not be her lap dog anymore. If she was going to take this serious, she had to deal with the real Spike. And soul or no soul…he was no.bloody.lapdog.
“Long as you're not pointing that thing at me, seems like a fine way to keep the boy busy.”
Ok, she hadn’t seen that one coming.
Seeing him looking at her like that, disagreeing with her…God. He made her feel like he was right there, but she couldn’t have him. ‘You will crave me’, He had said to her after there first night together, and she realized he was right.
It made her feel exactly the same as a couple weeks ago, when they had been training with the potentials together, and had a….well a...a moment. It made her feel confused, defeated, and…extremely turned on.
But, standing in a kitchen full of her friends, her sister and potentials, she could not even consider acting on her feelings. So before it became obvious she turned from him. And felt the need for a serious speech to let out her frustrations.
“This isn't about keeping busy. This is about war. I'm sorry to jump all over you guys, but...”
Spike, who never stayed around during these lectures, walked away with a smirk. Yep, he still had it.
************************************************************
This was not happening!
Buffy had came down the basement stairs to see him. To talk to him.
He must have seen how she had stood up for him, when Giles and Wood tried to kill him for the man he had once been. She had even turned her back on Giles for him, and he was her Watcher, and one of her best’s friends.
It had hurt her, but by trying to hurt Spike, he had broken her trust. He knew how much she leaned on Spike for emotional support, which she needed more than ever at this point. And still he had tried to do him in.
Spike had been hurt, but grateful for her support, and she felt they were bonding in a different way, a lighter way. Even though they hadn’t talked much since. There had been something there, when they shared looks and patrolled together. There had been understanding in a way they had never had before.
And now, since she was finally left alone, and not working, she had came down his basement to….be with him. To tell him all the things she hadn’t been able too tell him these few days. He must feel crushed after everything that happened to him these last few weeks. Having a soul, the First screwing with his brain, her little outburst, and now Giles and Wood. The poor thing.
She needed to give him some emotional support, just like he had given to her that night in this very basement. She had been halfway down the stairs when she had heard an awful familiar and annoying voice.
“Wow. Everybody's just full of surprises.”
‘No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Not Her! Please not her!’
But these thoughts didn’t help, because Faith was still sitting on Spike’s bed, smoking a cigarette.
“Hey, B.”
Buffy didn’t even find the time to be bothered by that nickname.
She had reached the bottom of the staircase, and her eyes widened at the little display she saw in front of her. As disturbing it was to see Spike and Faith together on his bed, talking like they were some kind of talking buddy’s, it was nothing compared to the single white sheet that covered nothing more than Spike his private parts.
She felt a jolt of jealousy going trough her, when she saw Faith having something she had wanted for quite some times now: A casual moment with Spike. She didn’t have to explain her feelings to everyone about him; she didn’t need to push to see how far he would go. She could just sit there, make some small talk, make some jokes and relax. Without any doubts, fears and hopes.
She wanted to give Faith a good punch in the face for that. To send her ass back upstairs and take her place on the bed. Right next to her sheet-covered vampire with the adorable tousled hair.
But standing where she was right now, all she could force herself to say was:
“Well, it's nice to see you two getting along so well.”
Ok, that was so lame, and very untruth. But the sarcasm in the undertone of her voice made it sound a little better. Like she was only slightly annoyed by the fact that the woman she didn’t particularly like, was sitting on a bed with her naked…..whatever he was to her. She didn’t even know yet.
“Yeah. Uh, you just know all the cool vampires.”
That idea about the punch suddenly started to sound more appealing.
“Yeah.”
Not that it wasn’t true though.
“Hey, aren't you usually at work 'bout now?”
Did that mean he didn’t want her to be home? Or was he just trying to drawl attentions from his little tête-à-tête with that little slut. Not that she was jealous, by the way, because….she was so not.
“I kind of decided to cut back on my hours.”
She tried to give him a look, but her sister’s voice calling for her from upstairs ruined her plan.
“Buffy? Is that you?”
She had a hard time trying to not roll her eyes. What was it this time?
“Down here.”
She needed to get out of there, because seeing them together like that…It was just too much. But, not because she was jealous or something. Of course not.
“Figured I'd be better off focusing on what's going on around here.”
That’s right, he knew what she mend. She could see the colour of his eyes darken as she said that.
Dawn’s appeared around the corner with some news that forced her to go upstairs, and with a sweep of her hair she followed her younger sister, and left the two of them behind in the basement. Glad there was offered a little distraction. But, not that she was jealous…No way.