She tried to put on a happy face as she sat down at the kitchen table just as Spike wheeled to get the pizza. As she sat down, Spike carefully stood up from the wheelchair and sat down in the normal chair next to Buffy. She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder thankful he could do that much and started munching on the pizza. It was different this time, having pineapple and ham on it. She looked at him curiously, “What kind of pizza is this?”
Spike chuckled, “Hawaiian. You like?”
Buffy nodded and felt braver as she asked, “Why does it only take 10 minutes or so to deliver?”
Spike laughed, “I ordered from demons. Flaming demons in fact. They have a highly efficient oven and they can produce flame, which helps it to cook faster. They were from New Orleans originally but as their clan got bigger, they moved around the US. This family settled here in Sunnyhell, CA and they are really popular in the demon world. These are normal pizzas but they do exotic pizzas.”
Buffy’s eyes got big, “What kind of exotic pizza?”
Spike chuckled as he chewed the bite of pizza, “Rare meat, pickled feet, blood instead of tomato sauce, yak urine instead of tomato sauce, bull testicles and other things I won’t even mention. I don’t fancy listening to how I gave you nightmares and wonder where they got the ingredients from.”
Buffy shuddered as she ate more of her pizza. The pizza tasted delicious. It was perfectly cooked and very good. Buffy decided then, “I don’t want to know nor meet them.”
Spike laughed as he shook his head, “Buffy luv, you eat their pizza, you have to meet them eventually. Someday I’ll take you to see them. They are nice people as long as you don’t make them mad enough to throw flames at you.”
Buffy’s heart soared at Spike’s words, ‘Someday I’ll take you…’ Did that mean he was planning to stick around or did he say that, as some people do who never plan to really take that action but like to pretend they would. She was too afraid to ask so instead just busied herself with the pizza thinking that she could eat the whole thing herself. She glanced at him watching as he enjoyed the pizza just as much. She chewed her bite then spoke up softly, “Spike?”
He glanced towards her, “Yes pet?”
Buffy felt bad asking but she was so damn curious, “Why do you eat pizza?”
Spike chuckled, “It tastes good. Angel said I didn’t get turned exactly right. He said there was something just not right about me and that’s because Drusilla started the process but Angel finished it. He thought the time frame of when she dragged me to their place and the time death actually completed, caused me to not be fully vamp. I don’t know about that though. I still have a demon roaring inside of me willing to work its will at all hours of the day and night. I still need blood to live, still can’t do the sunlight thing, crosses or holy water. As you saw, I still need an invitation so I’m a vampire just the same as Angel was but I fight against my demon. I refuse to let it control me and instead live side by side with him. Angel just gives him full control so he no longer is a vampire, but more so a pure demon. Me? I’m William and Spike all nicely bundled in one hot and sexy package.”
He grinned at Buffy who blushed. Buffy whispered, “I think you’re one of a kind.”
Spike looked a little embarrassed as he replied, “I think you’re the only one. Eat up luv, it’s early still, only 9:30 pm and we can probably squeeze in a movie after dinner and still have time for a midnight snack.” He wagged his eyebrows at her and she blushed even redder as she focused on eating her pizza.
30 minutes later: 10 pm. Friday
The couple was sitting on Buffy’s couch after Spike had managed to walk from the kitchen table to the living room a few times with Buffy greatly helping. Buffy didn’t mind and was glad for her slayer strength as she was able to help him move around without making it too obvious that it was hard work.
When they had finished, Spike had chosen Star Wars, the first movie having already seen the series and Buffy having admitted she had never managed to sit through any of them. He had his feet resting on the couch as he was spread out and Buffy was lying behind him with her head resting on his quiet chest watching the movie. She was actually enjoying the movie and when she was lost, she had an expert to ask a question or two about it. She felt like a normal human on a normal date. As long as she could get past the concept of her normal date was a vampire, it was true.
Buffy enjoyed the fact he never complained when she pulled a blanket over them because the temperature never bothered him. She enjoyed the way he looked at her sometimes when he thought she wasn’t paying attention, as though she were something to eat. It gave her a slight thrill knowing she could very well become something to eat. She wouldn’t ever admit that to anyone because she was sure that was a big no no to get that sort of thrill from a vampire.
Another thing she loved was how the last few days, since they were becoming really close and snuggling sometimes, he would constantly be touching her. Such as right now, they were laying down with her resting on his chest and her arm fling around his waist. His arm was brought up around her resting on her upper arm and the other resting on top of the hand on his chest. The one on her arm was tracing circles against her skin without him even realizing he was doing it. Last night when he was offering her comfort, she had felt his hand rubbing her back in a gentle pattern without even him noticing it. Whenever he touched, he kept their contact tender and constant. It made her feel loved and for a few moments at a time, she could pretend she was. That was enough for now.
30 minutes later: 10:30 pm. Friday
Spike lay on the couch under Buffy who was resting her head on his chest. He looked down at her noticing her eyes were taking in the Princess and Luke’s interactions like they were her life support. He felt so relaxed for the first time in his life. He had no worries in the world and he was able to rest with his demon not fighting him. He found that part a little strange. It appeared that around Buffy, even though she was the slayer, the one he should most fear, he was able to relax and just be himself. There was no risk of uncontrollable urges to rip out her throat and drink deep. There were no urges to pin her to a bed and have heavy and loaded sex with her all night. The demon almost purred and he realized then he was purring softly as Buffy placed a kiss on his lips whispering, “Keep your purring down Spike so I can see Luke and the Princess hook up.”
Spike laughed resisting the urge to ruin the movie but decided not to say a word and instead tried to relax his demon so it wasn’t purring quite so loudly. He decided instead to think to keep it busy. Here he was a master vampire and healing up nicely and instead of running off to drain the first bloke he found in order to get stronger, he was snuggled up with the vampire slayer meant to kill him. He felt no urge though to fight her although fighting her had been hot. He mused, ‘Perhaps we can spar together and get the same effect once I’m up to pare.’
Spike paused as he realized what he was thinking and remembered their original agreement. Remembering that, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. Part of him wanted to say, ‘Go back to your world Buffy and I’ll go to mine. You’re free, I’m free and Dru needs me.’ But another part of him wanted to claim her as his and never let her go as long as he existed. Was it fair for him to want such a thing of a human slayer who has a short life span already? How had it gotten to this point?
He glanced down at the beauty against his chest that was burning up and so stunning and wondered how his life took this amazing turn. About two weeks ago, he was in a bleeding wheelchair, looking forward to fucking his glorious dark beauty and making her scream with delight so she would never leave him. Now he was imagining sparring, making love and spending his life with a vampire slayer, and not just any vampire slayer but the best he had ever seen, his Buffy. He wondered if she felt the same but didn’t want to ask. He figured they had a while still together as he wasn’t up to a fight yet. He could barely stand for more than a few minutes at a time much less throw a kick or two. This was all thanks to her. She had put him in a wheelchair and then had help heal him giving him the most precious gift any human could give a vampire, their blood willingly. Buffy was a vampire slayer and her blood was sacred and the healer of all vampires.
Spike felt himself hold her a little closer and tighter and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as a way of thanking her for being so good to him. If nothing else, when she wanted him to walk away, he would do so with dignity knowing he had beaten his sire, freed Buffy, and had been able to love and have a fraction of it returned for once in his un-life