“Come on, pleeeease.” Buffy said leaning against his door. The bracelets on her arms jangled as she shifted awkwardly in the hallway. She’d spent the whole evening at work thinking about this clubbing thing, and in the end she’d come to the conclusion it wouldn’t be that bad. It might actually be really, really good. It would give them time together, away from the flat, and they’d be in public where they couldn’t go all weird on each other.
“No chance, pet.” Spike said from inside. He was comfortably laid down with a book, listening to the Ramones, and nothing was going to entice him away, especially the prospect of going to a club with his underage little sister and her friend. It did not sound like the funniest evening.
“You said you would last night!” she whined through the door.
He sighed, he did, but only because he didn’t bloody think about what he was agreeing to. He put down his book, got up and yanked open the door, startling Buffy a bit.
“Okay, kitten, just this once.” he said reluctantly, although a moment later a little part of him actually wanted to go after seeing how happy it made her.
A big grin had spread across her face and she had to force herself not to jump up and down. She was so excited, but she didn’t know why. Maybe because she wanted to spend time with him, and everything else they’d done so far made her feel young. She hated that she wasn’t 21 yet. She thought maybe seeing her at club would make him see that she wasn’t a little girl anymore. Well seeing her at a club that he wasn’t working at at least.
“I swear to you it won’t be lame.” she said staring up at him.
He didn’t say anything for a while. He doubted he’d have a good time, and he couldn’t lie to her and say he was looking forward to it, but at the same time he didn’t want to let her down, and like it or not he had promised. “So where we going then?”
“Not the Bronze, I promise.”
“Okay, so where?”
“It’s just another club; me and Faith go there a lot.” she beamed.
“Can’t be that good then, if it lets underage girls in.” Spike chuckled not realising the reaction he would get. He saw Buffy’s face suddenly fall. “Okay,” he said, “Shutting up now.”
“Forget it.” She smiled again, it seemed nothing he could say would dispel her good mood for too long. “You ready to go now?”
“Yeah, let’s go.” get this over with, he thought.
Buffy had agreed to meet Faith round the corner from the club, but when they got there there was no sign of her.
“She’s always a little late.” Buffy said to Spike briefly.
She seemed nervous about something; she was leant against the wall fidgeting and looking anywhere but at him.
“You okay, kitten?” he asked looking down at her.
“Yeah,” she replied, “I just don’t like waiting for her, but at least you’re here.” She smiled at him and he couldn’t help but smile back.
As her eyes left his to stare at the floor he continued to watch her closely. She shivered when the wind picked up slightly and pulled her arms up to hug herself.
“Cold?”
She shook her head, but shivered again.
“Do you want my jacket?” he offered.
She shook her head again.
“Come here, pet.” he said as he stood away from the wall and reached an arm behind her to pull her away from it too. He took off his leather coat and placed it around her shoulders.
Buffy held the jacket together in front of her chest and grinned. “Thanks.”
Spike smiled back at her, not saying anything. There was something nice about seeing her in his clothes, but he didn’t like to think what it was. He’d liked it when Dru wore his coat, or his shirt, but he didn’t like how easily he’d made the comparison to what he liked on someone who used to be his girlfriend, and what he liked on his sister.
“B!” A shout from across the road caught both Buffy and Spike’s attention. When they turned they saw Faith running up to where they were. Buffy immediately started to walk towards her, but Spike hung back. He watched as they hugged.
“Nice jacket.” Faith drawled, her eyes moving over Buffy appreciatively.
Buffy laughed quietly and mumbled that it was Spike’s.
“Ah…blondie. Nice to see you again.” Faith said in Spike’s direction.
“You too.” Spike offered politely stepping closer to the two girls.
Faith winked at him, but he could tell it was friendly and nothing more.
Faith and Buffy began to walk, and Spike followed close behind them and watched Faith. She was quite an interesting girl from what he could tell. She behaved a lot like some of his college friends did. He could imagine liking her if he was her age, but even though she seemed nice he couldn’t imagine how her and Buffy had become friends.
When they got a little bit closer Buffy slowed until Spike had caught her up and was at her side.
“We’ll go in first, just in case they don’t let us in. Okay?”
That’s when Spike’s pessimistic thoughts began again. He remembered he was out with underage girls. I can’t believe I’m actually here.
“Spike, you okay?” Buffy asked when he didn’t reply.
“I’m fine.” he said, though he couldn’t keep the sulk out of his voice. It was obvious he wasn’t up for this anymore.
“Don’t worry, blondie. We always get in here.” Faith said as if that would make him feel better.
Spike rolled his eyes at how cocky she was, but when she caught his eye it seemed like a challenge and he realised she was being protective, and trying to subtly tell him to stop moping for Buffy’s sake. She knew why he was acting the way he was, but she was giving him an easy out; an opportunity to not let Buffy see.
He thought it was a very different situation to the first night he’d met her, when Buffy had had to take care of her. To be honest at the time he had wondered if Faith was the type of person who used their friends, but it seemed like she did genuinely care for Buffy as much as Buffy did for her.
Briefly Spike thought back to that night; the night he reunited with Buffy. Everything seemed so different now, they talked more, they got on well, but here they were in a similar situation. He’d upset Buffy that first night by treating her like a child and not appreciating that underage or not she was old enough to be an adult. He was judging her on her age and not seeing the real her, and he was doing it again.
After all the time they’d spent together, and how much he’d got to know and respect her in the past few weeks, he had to give her a chance. He had to stop being so protective and judgemental. In short he had to lighten up.
They got in just like Faith said they would, and Spike almost actually sighed in relief. He followed them inside a few minutes later and found them at the bar buying drinks.
Buffy was handing over some money, but Spike came up behind her and laid his hand on top of hers.
“Let me get them, luv.” he said smoothly.
Buffy froze slightly, and then she blushed and pulled her hand away. “We’re going to go get that table over there.” she said, and Spike nodded saying he’d come over with the drinks.
They sat at the table for about 20minutes chatting. At first Spike had kept quiet as the girls caught up with each other, not really knowing what to say, but eventually Faith pulled him into the conversation and started asking him questions. After a while the 3 of them were getting on and Spike silently thanked God for Faith. If she hadn’t been here it might have been truly awkward, but it was all going quite well.
That was until the girls finished their drinks.
“Me and Faith are gonna go dance, you want to?” Buffy asked him eagerly.
“I’m not the dancing type, luv.” he replied trying to sound regretful as he took a drink of his whiskey.
“Suit yourself.” she said almost laughing. The next thing she knew Faith was dragging her onto the centre of the dance floor by her wrist.
Truth was Spike would have loved to have gone and danced with her. But the only dancing Spike did would not have been appropriate.
At first he thought the best thing to do would be not to look at her, but after a while curiosity got the best of him.
Curiosity killed the cat. No truer words were ever spoken, he thought as he glanced up and caught the sight of Buffy’s hair as she ran her fingers through it. He’d give anything to be up there doing that for her. Bad thoughts.
They were both dancing, swinging their hips and moving their young, slender bodies, but all of Spike’s focus was on Buffy for now. Her blonde hair shook with every movement she made, and her hands rested on her hips as she swung them from side to side in time with the music. As the beat got stronger her movement became more confident. It was the first time he really saw her as she was, as the woman she’d become.
A part of him became very enraged at the thought that she did this all the time, in public, around boys who weren’t good enough to even look at her. She probably didn’t even know the effect she had on people. The other part of him could do nothing else but watch her, as her hypnotic dancing moved him into madness. He didn’t think he could take much more.
Holy fuck, she should be illegal.
Then Faith came closer to her and slid her hands onto Buffy’s hips, as if they belonged there. Spike’s breath caught as he saw Faith directing Buffy’s hips to move even more. He almost felt panic when Buffy pulled away; he just didn’t want this to stop. But to his surprise Buffy had moved so she could turn round, the minute her back was to Faith she stepped closer again, moulding herself to Faith’s body and becoming an equal in their dance.
Every now and again Buffy slid down Faith’s body, or Faith grabbed Buffy’s hips. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away even though he tried.
They continued to grind provocatively against each, one song blurring into the next. It seemed like hours that he sat there watching them; the sweat beading on their faces and chests. Buffy’s bust, which was straining underneath her top glowed with the moisture, and all he wanted to do, right or wrong, was lick it off.
By the time she got back to the table he knew he was still staring at her, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop thinking about the way she had moved. She still looked beautiful even though her hair was all over the place and she was out of breath, and obviously flushed. He’d never been so attracted to someone in his whole life.
Buffy was smoothing down her dress again when she looked up and found Spike staring at her. She was confused, wondering if she’d done something. “Spike, you okay?”
“Yeah, pet.” He gulped, and then tried his best to relax and smile at her. “I’m fine.”