Up High
“Buffy please!” Angel pleaded.
“Fuck off, Angel.” Buffy replied hotly, “I don’t want to see or hear something from you ever again.”
“But baby, we can talk about it.”
Buffy raised her eyebrows and replied: “Talk about it? Sure! You’re an asshole, we’re over and if you don’t leave now I’ll make sure you get a restraining order. We talked, now leave.”
Angel looked defeated. He was still standing at her front door. “Sweetie, I di-”
Her eyes grew wide. “You didn’t mean to do it? I’m sorry, but I think that your little whore mentioned that you were doing it for over 2 months.”
He tried to cup her cheek. “Angel, leave,” Buffy nearly begged. Her eyes filled with tears. The anger had died away and was now replaced with intense sadness. “You’ve hurt me, when you promised you’d never do that. I don’t want to see you again. Leave.”
Her voice was soft and filled with pain. He took a step forward. Buffy backed away and threw the door in his face. Tears trickled slowly down her cheeks as she still stood there in front of her door.
Suddenly her phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hey Buffster! Anya made me call you. Do you want to come to our house warming party tonight?” Her friend Xander asked happily at the other side of the line.
“I’m not really in the mood right now.” Buffy said.
“What happened?” The happiness had disappeared out of his voice and was replaced with concern.
“You know how Angel cheated on me?”
“Yes…” Xander didn’t like the way the conversation was going.
“He came to my apartment today, begging me to take him back. It took a long time and now I’m exhausted.” Buffy told him.
“Buffy! I’ll put Anya on the line.”
“No wait!” But Xander wasn’t there anymore. In the background she could hear two people talk. One sounded shocked.
“Hey Buffy!” a feminine voice finally said.
“Hey An.”
“Xander just told me what happened with you and Angel. You should come to my party. Then we can get you drunk and put you to a long sleep. Or trick you into having many orgasms with a stranger.” Anya said with a cheery voice.
Buffy smiled. “If I must, I’ll go with option A, please.”
“So you’ll come?”
She sighted and thought about it for a short minute. “Fine, if you really want that.”
“I really, really want that!”
“See you tonight.”
“Bye sweetie.” Anya replied and then hung up. Buffy stood in the small living room with her phone in her hand. What have I gotten myself into?
*^*^*^*^*
Spike was lying in his bed. His head hurt like hell and he felt like committing suicide. The banging didn’t help.
“Open the door man!” Someone shouted.
He got up slowly and let the person behind it in. It was his friend Gunn.
“Why didn’t you just knock mate?” Spike asked with a sleepy voice.
“I did man! For like half an hour!” His friend replied. Gunn started to open the curtains.
“That was you?” Spike let himself fall on the bed again. With his hands he tried to rub the sleep out of his face.
“You shouldn’t drink so much. Ever since that thing with Dru happened I’ve never seen you sober or without a hangover,” Gunn looked around. The floor was filled with garbage. “And you should clean up here! This place is a pigsty. And it smells funny.”
Spike grunted, “If you came over to act like my mum, please piss off.”
“Actually, I came over because there’s a party at one of my friend’s tonight.”
“You don’t want me drinking, but you do want me to go to a party where I most probably can
get smashed.”
“No, not getting drunk. Meet people. I heard a friend of theirs was coming and from what I hear she’s kind of cute.”
“Is her name coincidentally Harmony?” Spike asked with a low voice.
“No.”
“I guess making an appearance never hurts anyone.” He decided. He got up off the bed and started searching around his closet for decent clothes.
“Hurry up! I’ll be waiting in the car.” Gunn said and left the small apartment.
Spike searched through his drawers to find something suitable to wear. I really should do my laundry again, he thought as he saw how empty his closet was. He looked round and saw most of his clothes spread over the surface of his small apartment. Being depressed sucked.
He dressed himself and made way to the bathroom to comb his hair and take an aspirin against the headache. Spike looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. There you go mate, all dressed up and ready to party!
He studied his reflection closer. This is going to be hell.
*^*^*^
“Hey Buff! You made it!” A voice shrieked through the intercom. Buffy smiled and replied: “Yes, yes, I’m here. Be happy. 30th floor right?”
“Yep, there’s an elevator down the hall. If you can’t find it, ask James the concierge.”
Buffy walked further into the building. It looked pretty luxurious and expensive. She still couldn’t believe her friends were so successful. Actually, she could believe that Anya was successful; she just couldn’t believe that Xander was making good money as well. In high school he’d always been kind of clumsy and mediocre. But now he was in real-estate and apparently he did well.
She pushed the button of the elevator and waited for it to come. When Buffy wanted to get in she heard to people behind her talking.
“Hey wait up!” One yelled. She turned around and saw two men. One was tall, dark colored and quite handsome. The other one was dressed in black with his bleached blond hair slicked back. He looked like Billy Idol.
“I’m not going to take the elevator.” The black man stated.
The other one shrugged and said: “Whatever you want, mate. But you should know it’s a very long way up.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Okay.”
Captain Peroxide, as Buffy already called him, got in the elevator as well and pushed the same button as she wanted to push.
The doors closed and they started moving. She felt slightly uncomfortable, because the man nearly pressed her into the wall.
“Could you please move over bit?” She asked with a polite voice.
“Why?”
“Because you’re invading my personal space. And that’s annoying.”
The man shifted a bit, giving her more space. Buffy stared at the small display. It told her they were reaching the 7th floor.
She shot a quick glance at the man next to her. He wasn’t as creepy as he seemed at first. He was quite tall and a tad muscular, but not too much and he had gorgeous eyes.
*^*^*^*^
“What’re you looking at?” Spike snapped. The little blonde was annoying the hell out of him. Bitching about personal space.
He studied her from the corner of his eye. She wasn’t bad to look at. The girl had nice curves and lovely pink lips. Her choice of clothing was good too. It was denim skirt and a red tank top and on top that a simple white jacket. But she looked too much of a goody two shoes to him.
She probably had this perfect life, with a perfect boyfriend, who she was going to marry and have a house with a white picket fence and all that.
Suddenly he had an idea. Swiftly Spike moved over to the girl and kept on moving until she was pressed up against the elevator-wall. He had no idea what he was doing, but it was kind of fun to see how she’d react.
“You sure you hate it?” He breathed in her ear.
He saw she was shocked at first and then very angry. No, she was infuriated.
“Yes, I’m sure I hate it,” She said with a cold voice, “Now get of me.”
Spike didn’t move. She did, planting her fist in his face. Now he wasn’t concentrating, she pushed him away. “Don’t try that again!”
Spike was not that happy she hit him in the face, but all he could do was smirk. This was one feisty girl.
Out of the blue there was a screeching sound and the elevator stopped moving. It was stuck between the 17th and 18th floor. He pushed the alarm button on the display, but no one reacted.
*^*^*^*^*^*
Buffy searched in her purse for her mobile phone. She dialled the number of Xander. Suddenly she heard a loud beep. “Of course, now in crucial times you have no reach. This sucks.”
“No shit, pet.”
“Ow, shut up!” She replied and she let herself slide on the floor.
“Careful, love. You don’t want to make yourself all dirty before you meet your boyfriend.” The guy said with a load of sarcasm draped over it.
“Like I care,” she muttered, “Don’t you have some party to trash?”
The bleached man down sat at the opposite from her and said: “That was actually where I was going.”
It was silent for a while. Buffy shifted for a bit and decided to read something. Before she got her book out she said: “I hate you.”
“Right back at you, love.” was the dry reply.
An hour passed. She was reading and the man tried the alarm button a few more times, but there was no reaction. He wanted to try his own cell phone, but came to the conclusion the batteries were empty. He tried her cell phone, but it still had no reach.
“Give up.” Buffy suggested when he started to freak out.
The man sat down at the opposite wall and studied her face. “Aren’t you afraid we’ll die in here?”
“No,” she said and added mumbling, “And I really hope we’re not, because you’re not really on top of my people-I –really-want-to-speak-to-right-before-I-die-list.”
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
“And I really hope we’re not, because you’re not really on top of my people-I –really-want-to-speak-to-right-before-I-die-list.”
Spike was quite shocked. She actually said that! “You’re a bitch, you know that?” He said with a low dark voice, “How would you feel if I said that to you?”
The girl shrugged and said: “Listen, right now at this moment I couldn’t care less if you think I’m a bitch. I had a really crappy day and you calling me a bitch, doesn’t make difference. I’m not those girls who can’t take another thing, because then the bucket will flood. Let me tell you something, bleach boy, I am no bucket!”
“You’re not the only one who’s having a bad day.” He replied
“Couldn’t have been such a bad day, because then you wouldn’t have mad such a big deal out my behaviour.” The chit retorted, without looking up from her book
Spike fell silent and thought about what she said. He realised she was right! Blondie might have been annoying, but she did a have a point.
“I’m sorry,” she suddenly said, “I’m acting like a bitch. I had a really hard day and I actually wanted to have a good time, but I guess the gods wouldn’t let me.”
He looked at her. Her eyes were sad and the corners of her mouth were pointing down. He felt for her. A bit. “Yeah…well…I’m not the most easygoing person to hang out with.”
The girl smiled and held out her hand, “Since we’re going to be stuck here for another while. I’m Buffy.”
Spike took her hand and shook it. “Spike.”
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Another hour passed. Buffy was lying on her back. Spike sat next to her feet, with his back against the elevator wall, drawing something on a small piece of paper.
“What time is it?” She asked.
He checked his watch. “23.45”
“Let’s tell three things about our selves, of which one is a lie. And then the other one has to guess which of the three things is not true.” Buffy suggested.
Spike put a way then pen and paper and said: “Alright…you start.”
“Okay…I’ve been through a phase in which I was a punk-chick; I can not cook and my original hair colour is brown.”
He thought his answer through. She can not have been a punk! She looks like a natural blonde. She sooo can cook. She says such an obvious thing like being punk to distract me from something false…
She snapped her fingers. Spike looked up.
“Tick tack,” she grinned, “You’re time’s up.”
“Alright, the second thing is not true.” He finally answered.
Buffy started to grin. “Ah…you didn’t fell for my trap. Impressive. But your answer is wrong. I’m a natural blonde.”
He smiled and said: “You’re good! Okay, me. I used to dye my hair black until I was 21; I write poetry; I normally wear glasses.”
She studied his face closely. It could all possibly be true. But if he wears glasses then he should look really funny right now. Maybe he has contacts. And the poetry thing would be bad for his image.
“Beep! Answer.”
Buffy sighted. “Alright…I’d say the glasses-thing is a lie.”
His hands shot up. “You caught me red-handed. Very good,” There was a small silence, “So, punk huh? Explain.”
“I had a weird youth. I was born here, in L.A and I stayed there until I was 15. My dad got a new job and we all moved with him to New York. At my old school I had been cheerleader and I think the move changed me.
At my new school I wasn’t a cheerleader and I got picked on, because I was new. It made me angry and I started to dress up in black and all that. The punks at my school thought I was cool and I became friends with them. They were really nice and they actually liked me. I was introduced to the punk-scene. I even became an inner-circle person.
Anyways, when I was in junior year my dad started to cheat on my mom and at the end of that year my mom and I moved to Sunnydale. Over the summer I changed again. I left my punk look behind and I became Buffy. Not happy popular cheerleader-Buffy or angry uncontrollable punk-Buffy, but just me. It worked. But I can’t say I regretted being a cheerleader or a punk. They’re part of my development and with them I wouldn’t be me.”
She sighted as she thought back of those years. Sometimes she still misses the friends she had in New York and then they call each other and get together. Except for one or two, most of them weren’t punks anymore, just like Buffy.
“So what about you? The poetry?”
Spike sighted and wished he hadn’t told her. “When I lived in England, that was until I was 18, I was this shy boy. I was really romantic and all that, but girls scared me shitless. Anyways, with my romantic heart I used to write poetry. I changed when I moved to America. I suddenly had no past and I had the opportunity to change. So I changed.”
“Was it good?” She asked with a soft voice.
“What?”
“Your poetry. Was it good?”
Spike shrugged. “My classmates didn’t think so. I was called William the Bloody. ‘Bloody’ was short for ‘Bloody Awful Poet’.”
Buffy had to suppress a grin. “I think it could be wonderful.”
Time passed and there was still no word from the outer world. It was getting quite cold, so Buffy and Spike were sitting very close together.
“How can it be that nothing is happening?” She asked him.
“Maybe a lot is happening, but we just don’t notice it.” He replied.
Buffy shivered. It was cold in the elevator. Spike noticed and wrapped an arm around him. She leaned against his shoulder and whispered: “I’m glad you took the elevator.”
“Me too, pet, me too.”
She looked up and said in a normal voice: “I still can’t believe I kind of like you now. You were such acting like such a jackass earlier.”
He smirked, “Yeah, well… that’s me. I wasn’t in a good mood and then I do weird things.”
“Why?”
Spike had been trying to avoid that question ever since he was stuck in that elevator. But it wasn’t meant to be avoided.
“Because…Well, about 3 weeks ago I caught my girlfriend cheating on me. They were having all the sex, in our bed.”
Buffy pulled a painful face. “That hurts.”
“Tell me about it,” He sighted, “Anyways, I was devastated and I started drinking a lot. And yesterday was kind of my bottom line and today I didn’t ever want to get up. Until my friend Gunn came and get me. He wanted me to go to a party.”
“What party?”
“Some friends of his were throwing a housewarming party. And he wanted me to meet some chit who was going to be there. She sounded kind of fun, but ah bad luck for her, right? Why were you in such a bad mood?”
Buffy also had been dreading this question. “Same thing, except then with two girls in one bed with my boyfriend. And today he came by, nearly begging me to take him back. It took a lot of energy, because, you know… But I did it anyway. And then a friend called to ask me for a party and here I am, stuck in an elevator.”
He pulled her into an embrace. “Yes, elevators. They suck. But at least I have good company.”
She grinned and hugged him back. “Yes, company is everything.”
They let go of each other. There was a moment of eye contact. And almost directly they turned away.
With a shock Buffy woke up. The surface she was lying on was hard, but two strong arms were wrapped around her waist. First she didn’t know where she was, but when she looked around she remembered. She was still in the elevator, with Spike next to her.
Spike felt something move in his arms. His eyes shot open and saw it was still Buffy.
“Hey,” He said groggily.
“Hey yourself.” She mumbled, “What time is it?”
He looked at his watch. “8.15”
“You think they’d come and rescue is soon?”
“Maybe.”
Buffy snuggled onto his chest. “What’re you going to do when you get out of this thing?”
“Shower. I feel gross. And you?” He answered.
“Eat chocolate. I feel like chocolate.”
“Ah, the fuel on which women run.” Spike commented with a smirk. She gave him a playful slap. “Hey!” he objected and he started to tickle her sides.
“Spike! Stop it!” She shrieked. They wrestled around a bit, until he was on top. They looked at each other and then he pressed his lips on her mouth.
Suddenly there were a lot of shocks and noises. Spike fell off Buffy, who quickly grabbed his hands. She looked really scared. He wasn’t very comfortable either.
The elevator safely reached the ground. In the hall were an engineer and a medical team.
“Sorry for the inconvenience.” The engineer mumbled.
If it had been 12 hours before, Buffy wanted to slit his throat. But now she was tired and she just wanted to go home.
The medical team gave the two a check up and then they were ready to go. Outside were some reporters. They answered the questions and soon they were just standing together on the street.
Buffy called Anya and Xander.
“Buffy!” Anya said relieved, “We heard. So sorry you missed the party.”
She just smiled and said: “That’s okay.”
“Hey, was there also a guy in elevator with you?”
“Yes, Spike Pratt.” Buffy answered, already regretting it. She expected questions about orgasms.”
“We were actually going to set you up with him.”
She shot a glance at the man standing next to her, unaware of everything.
“No!”
“Yes!”
“Funny. I’ll call you later.” Buffy said.
“Okay. I’ll tell his friend you both are okay.” Anya replied. They both hung up and Buffy turned to Spike. “Say…Do you know the names of the friends of your friends?”
“Yes, they’re called Xander and Anya. Why?” Spike asked with a puzzled face. What was she playing at?
“Because I was going to the same party. And guess what, I was the ‘unlucky chit’.”
His eyes grew wide. “You were my blind date?”
Buffy nodded slowly. “Yep. And I didn’t even know they were setting me up with some one.”
Spike grinned. “I’d say, mission accomplished.”
“Why?”
“We spend half the night talking and then we kissed.”
“No we didn’t. We just let out lips touch.”
“In my dictionary it’s still a kiss, love.”
“We’re out of the elevator and you’re an asshole.” Buffy declared as she started to walk away in a firm pace. Spike laughed and ran after her. “Wanna go for a coffee then?”
She paused and said: "Okay, on one condition."
"And that is?"
"You let me read your poetry."
"Deal."
"Deal." She grabbed his hand and they took off.
FIN
A/N: I know, there's not a lot of spuffy, but that just didn't feel right for this fic. Maybe I'm gonna write a sequal which will be more spuffy ^_^
Author's Chapter Notes:
It's not a literary masterpiece, but it was fun to write. I had the idea in my head for a while and I decided to write it down.