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thanks for all the reviews! Many thanks to my beta!! Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 28: New

“Come on, Summers. I bloody beat your arse,” Spike insisted loudly as they lay panting on the dewy grass.

“Even if you did, it was by a billionth of a second,” Buffy retorted and added a final, “if!”

Spike scoffed, stretching his arms. Buffy found herself watching in fascination as his muscles rippled slightly and his ivory skin, pulling taut. Her gaze slowly lifted to his eyes, which glittered with amusement.

Spike inched closer, tugging on Buffy’s t-shirt, pulling her forward, and captured her lips. Her hands automatically curled around his neck, closing the gap between them despite the sweatiness.

Unlike their other kisses, this one was soft and sweet, just the slightest pressure of his lips tasting hers. Kissing Spike was…electrifying. She felt it everywhere-her toes, her skin, her stomach, her…

“Mmm…” a soft sigh escaped from her mouth and Spike held her closer, deepening their kiss, his hands resting tamely on her waist.

After a moment, Buffy pulled back and cleared her throat, trying to catch her much-needed breath. Spike glanced at his watch and groaned out loud.

Frowning, Buffy turned his wrist so she could read the time. A curse exploded from her lips, “shit!” She scrambled to her feet, “shower, need shower.”

Spike smirked at her flustered appearance. “You’re cute when you’re running late.”

“Shut up,” she responded with a roll of her eyes. She yanked his hand, pulling him along as they walked a block to their house. As they came up the driveway, Buffy unceremoniously dropped Spike’s hand, racing inside with him at her heels.

Joyce and Giles were standing at the bottom of the steps holding a steaming cup of coffee, when Buffy burst in. “My, you two are up early,” Joyce commented as Spike followed.

“Yep,” Buffy said raggedly. “Dibs on shower,” she announced and sprinted up the stairs.

Spike stood there panting slightly. “Blood hell,” he grumbled and jogged up the stairs. He pounded on the door and said loudly, “Don’t take to soddin’ long, you bint!”

He heard the shower turn on as Buffy yelled back, “Shut up, Spike!”

Spike dragged his sore body into his room and flopped back on his bed covered in a black comforter. True to his gender, he then immediately started fantasizing about wet, soapy, naked Buffy.

*************

“Willow!”

The redhead turned around, spotting Buffy running up to her. She paused, waiting for the blonde to catch up. “Did you just get here?” Willow asked as they headed to the English wing.

“Yeah,” Buffy answered with a roll of her eyes. “Spike made us late.”

Willow laughed. “I bet he’d say the same thing about you.”

A scowl formed on the blonde’s features as she grumbled, “He’s stupid.” She hoisted her backpack further up her shoulder, straightening her shirt.

“So…did you and Oz talk?” Buffy asked conversationally, trying to sound offhand.

Automatically, Willow adopted a nervous look and bit her lip. “Maybe…not.”

Buffy stopped her friend. “What are you waiting for? Who was the one who was all “Go instincts!” Friday?”

“Hey!” Willow said defensively. “I will, I’m just not sure how to…well, talk. About it.”

“What is ‘it’?” Buffy asked, crossing her arms.

Willow fidgeted. “I can’t tell you right now. Not with, you know, people around.”

With a sigh, Buffy hauled Willow down the hallway and into a supply closet. She shut the door quickly and turned the light on. It weakly illuminated Willow’s anxious face and Buffy’s stern one. “Okay, spill.”

“Ican’tfigureoutmyfeelingsforhim,” Willow spewed in a rush.

It took Buffy a minute to discern Willow’s garbled words. “Okay…” she began slowly. “Well, do you like him?”

“Yes.”

“And he likes you,” Buffy added. Her brow creased slightly. “I don’t get it. I mean you like him…why the avoiding?”

“It’s complicated,” Willow muttered, looking down at the dirty cement floor.

“How?” Buffy demanded, feeling exasperated.

“It’s complicated…” Willow sighed. “Because of Tara.”

Oh. It was all coming together now for Buffy. “You mean Tara likes Oz too,” she said with a nod of understanding.

“No…” Willow trailed off, picking at her nails.

“Oz likes Tara?” Buffy questioned more than stated.

Willow looked up at Buffy, and in that moment, Buffy’s jaw dropped as she made the real connection. “You and…Tara?”

“No, I don’t know…maybe.” Willow exhaled and watched Buffy face carefully. “You’re freaking.”

“No! I’m not, honest.” And it was true, Buffy realized. She wasn’t really freaked, a little surprised. Then she realized that it was the same way Fred and Tara had reacted to her own news.

“Um…Wills there’s something I should tell you. Remember I told you there was a guy, but I couldn’t tell you who?”

Willow nodded, seemingly over her fear of Buffy’s rejection or freak out.

“Well…it’s Spike.”

There was a long moment where Willow wore a confused and blank expression. Then it morphed into extreme surprise. “Goddess! You and Spike are…”

“Officially an unofficial…thing,” Buffy answered. “It’s kinda…iffy.” She then reversed the topic back to Tara. “So what happened with you and Tara?”

Willow paused before answering reluctantly. “The weekend you and Spike were at the beach house…wait was that where…?”

Buffy nodded quickly and then urged for Willow to go on with her story. “Anyway, she came over for our movie/ice cream night, and she was showing me how to really center yourself, you know, she’s Wiccan and has been teaching me, and then we…kissed.”

“Then…?” Buffy prompted. She pushed past her surprise at hearing they’d kissed to let Willow finish her story.

“Then…I might’ve gotten a little freaked out. I mean, I just never realized… so she left,” Willow finished feeling a little ashamed.

“And you haven’t talked since?”

Willow shook her head negative. “I’ve been too nervous. And it made me doubt things with Oz. I mean, I kissed Tara! In case you haven’t noticed, she’s a girl! I can’t figure it out. I like Oz, but I think I like Tara too.”

Buffy fiddled with a can of paint sitting on a shelf. “You need to talk to Tara,” she announced. “She’s confused too. And when I asked her what was going on, she just said it wasn’t her place to tell.”

“You talked to her?” Willow asked, hopefulness seeping into her voice.

“Yeah. She’s not mad, at least I don’t think so,” Buffy told the redhead.

Willow once again nibbled on her lower lip. “What if she is?”

“You don’t know until you ask,” Buffy said with a shrug as the bell rang.

Willow’s eyes widened comically and she nearly ran out of the closet. “Goddess, I’m going to be late!”

*********

After finally confessing to Willow about her not-so-platonic feelings for Spike, Buffy felt much better. Plus, Willow had handled it better than she thought she would have, probably because of her own dilemma with Tara.

Buffy wandered out of her class towards the lunch room. She spotted Xander and Wes already sitting there, talking and eating.

She plopped her tray down across from Xander. “Hey, what’s up?”

Wes and Xander exchanged glances. “Nothin’! What’s new with you, Buffster?” His jittery movements immediately got Buffy’s attention.

“Okay,” she began slowly, pulling out her lunch. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Xander repeated and then added, “Well…have you seen Anya?”

Buffy gave him a shake of her head and a sympathetic smile. “No, not yet, but I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” A slight white lie, but Buffy didn’t feeling like rehashing the Xander/Anya issue. She nibbled on her sandwich, feeling guilty at Xander’s dejected look.

“Maybe,” the blonde ventured, “you could talk to her, you know, figure things out.”

“What out?” Xander looked like a confused little puppy.

“Aren’t you guys…fighting?” Buffy asked hesitantly, glancing at Wesley for confirmation.

Xander’s eyes widened and he slammed his fist on the table. “Dammit! That’s why she’s avoiding me!”

Buffy chose not to say anything as Xander angrily jabbed his mystery meat. “Why does she automatically expect me to know these things?” He asked rhetorically.

Wesley and Buffy once again exchanged looks. She was about to say something, anything to diffuse the silence, when Fred sat down next to her. The brunette’s tray was piled high with fries and a burger.

Her face reddened at Buffy’s surprised look. “I’m hungry,” she said defensively and whipped out her notebook. She kissed Wesley on the cheek and grinned at him sweetly. The gesture made Buffy feel a little, well, lonely.

Seconds later, Willow slid in next to Xander, her face glum. Her bagged lunch sat on the table, untouched and she stared off pensively.

“Wills.” Xander waved a hand in front of his best friend’s face without any response. “Wills!”

This time Willow’s head jerked up and she blinked. “Huh?”

“Have you seen Anya?” Xander asked anxiously.

Willow’s posture relaxed slightly and she surveyed the lunchroom. “No, I haven’t seen her since third…” the redhead trailed off, her jaw dropping.

Everyone turned to see what Willow was gaping at and spotted Anya standing a few tables down, smiling and laughing with one of the guy’s from the football team. It was crystal clear that they were flirting, especially when Anya reached out to touch his shoulder.

“Ryan James?” Fred’s nose crinkled. “I can’t believe…” she halted, sparing a glance at a dumbstruck Xander. “Sorry,” she whispered.

Buffy and Willow watched Xander carefully as his jaw clenched tightly. He stood up, rattling the table before walking towards off into the opposite direction. Willow quickly jumped up, grabbed her backpack and chased after him.

“Well,” Wes said warily. “That was slightly awkward.”

That doesn’t even begin to cover it, Buffy thought, feeling sorry for Xander. She went back to her lunch, eating quietly. Wesley and Fred, after a few minutes, started talking about some scientific journal, leaving Buffy deep in thought.

Why were relationships so sucky anyway? She wondered, toying with her carrots. And what the hell was she doing with Spike?

“’ello, Summers.”

Speak of the devil. Buffy’s head shot up, her eyes round as saucers. “Uh…what are you doing here, Spike?” She asked pointedly.

Fred and Wesley’s conversation came to a stop as they watched the conversation in front of them.

“Mind if I eat lunch with you today, ducks?”

“Uh…” Buffy was literally speechless.

“Thanks, luv.” He shot her a quick, tingling grin.

“Right, sure.” Her voice sounded far away to her ears.

Spike chewed on his chicken wings and fries, coating them in ketchup. He held up a limp fry and offered it to Buffy. “Want one?”

“Sure,” Buffy managed and reached out to take it when Spike leaned in to feed it to her. To avoid looking like a total spaz, Buffy opened her mouth quickly, chomping it viciously. She sent a death glare his way, but Spike easily deflected it, smirking back at her.

Meanwhile, Wesley and Fred were gaping at their interactions. “Uh…” Fred cleared her throat. “Wes and I are gonna go…do something.”

Fred stood up, Wes following with their trays.

“Later, mate,” Spike called out as the walked down Science wing. He turned to Buffy with a wicked grin, and promptly received a kick under the table.

“What’s the matter with you?” She hissed.

Spike’s eyes rolled like triple cherries. “Relax, goldilocks. They don’t suspect anything.”

Buffy just pouted. It didn’t matter, Fred already knew about the lusty feelings and no doubt she’d tell Wes, who’d tell Gunn or Xander, and somehow it’d get to Anya, then Cordelia…and then they were screwed.

The bell rang, startling Buffy. She moved to grab her lunch bag when Spike, with a glance around them, shot forward, kissing her swift and memorably on the lips.

“Later, goldilocks.”





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