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Chapter 3



Buffy was so anxious the next day. She was tempted to skip her tutoring
session with Mr. Bradley and go home, but there was no good news waiting for
her at home. Her father had informed Buffy the night before that he would
be leaving her mother. Buffy hadn’t been shocked by the announcement, but
she did feel almost abandoned when she saw him carry a suitcase out to his
car and pull out of the driveway without turning back. She went through the
standard feelings. The first on the list was feeling responsible for his
departure. If she had been a better daughter, would he have stayed? She
had so many combined feelings regarding him and her mother that she didn’t
know how to deal with the swirling emotions that were coursing through her.

On top of everything, the added stress of having to spend the afternoon with
a man whom she was attracted to but could never have was enough to almost
drive her over the edge. She just knew it was stupid for her to have any
type of feeling regarding her history teacher, but she couldn’t stop the
nervous sensations she got whenever he was in close proximity.

Since school started earlier in the week, Buffy had assumed she would look
forward to Mr. Bradley’s class, but today, she wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t
skip the class or they would call her mother, and that would equal the
lecture of the century and assumptions that Buffy was becoming depressed as
a result of the inevitable divorce or whatever her book of the month told
her about raising a teenaged daughter.

On the other hand, if she wanted to give a legitimate reason for missing the
tutoring session, she couldn’t very well do that after staring at him for an
entire hour. No one in their right mind would pass up the opportunity for
some one-on-one time with the sexy Brit.

With a deep breath, Buffy decided to bite the bullet and go to class.
Anything was better than going home and getting a pep talk from her mom.
Mr. Bradley had been very generous in offering her help, and she would be
petty not to take it.

Buffy zoned out through most of her history class, never noticing Spike
glancing at her, almost worriedly, as she stared at her hands. When the
final bell rang, Buffy said good-bye to Willow as her red haired friend left
the room. Buffy stayed in her seat as the rest of the class filed out,
never hearing when the door clicked shut.

Spike looked up and saw her biting her bottom lip in the most distracting
way. His mind went to a place that it shouldn’t go but had been going
there repeatedly since Monday morning.

‘Bloody hell,’ Spike thought. ‘You’re twenty seven years old, you pillock! Don’t lust after a teenager.’

Anytime he got in the vicinity of the little blonde, all he wanted to do was take her in his arms. Of course,
today, he wanted to find out what was keeping that worried look on her face.

“You okay, luv?” Spike asked softly, sitting in the desk to her right, not
wanting to be intimidating to her by standing.

Buffy’s eyes snapped up to his as she swallowed hard, almost trying to
swallow away her nervousness. “I’m fine,” she answered too quickly.

“I’m not buying it,” Spike said softly as she looked up at him, their eyes
locking as blue and hazel seemed to clash.

Buffy bit her lip again, turning away as she pulled her history book out of
her bag for the first time that day. “Sorry, I’ve been a space cadet today,”
Buffy said, turning back to him as she put her book on the desk.

“Anything you need to talk about?” he asked in a gentle, soothing tone that
made her want to throw herself in his arms and let him take all of her
worries away…not that she didn’t want that to begin with, but this time it
was for a different reason.

“No,” Buffy said quietly, shaking her head. “Thank you, though.”

Spike gave her another concerned look before picking up her book and
walking to the corner of the room where his desk was located. Buffy stayed
where she was until Spike beckoned her toward him.

“We can sit here, luv,” he said, gesturing to his desk. “Easier to study if
you have more space.”

Buffy nodded as she walked toward him, smiling when he offered her his
comfortable swivel chair as he dragged a plastic one toward the desk for
himself.

Both slowly relaxed as the hour flew by, becoming more comfortable in the
presence of the other. Spike was still worried by how withdrawn she seemed
to be.

“Do you need a ride home, luv?” he asked as he began to straighten his desk.

“No, I’ll walk…thanks.”

Spike watched as she slowly packed up her backpack, making a move to stand but was stopped when she felt the pressure of the chair turn back to face Spike as he turned her around. He looked at her for a moment, almost trying to see a secret that might be told just by watching her.

“Buffy…if you need to talk…”

Spike let the comment hang in the air as she stared at him.

Buffy hesitated for a minute before responding. “My father moved out last
night,” she said softly.

Spike’s already sympathetic expression turned even softer as he listened.
“I’m sorry, luv,” he whispered, looking her in the eyes. “Did he give you
any warning?”

Buffy shrugged, swallowing the lump in her throat as she looked at the floor,
blinking back tears. “They fought a lot…he and my mom,” she said softly.
“I guess it’s better this way, I just wonder…”

“Wonder…what?”

“If it was because of me,” she whispered, feeling a few tears stream down
her cheeks as she frantically wiped them away.

“Buffy, don’t think that,” Spike said in a soothing voice. “Adults have
fights in their relationships…sometimes things get worked out, sometimes
they don’t, but it’s not your fault. Do you believe me?”

Buffy shrugged, sniffling slightly as her tears began to subside. “I could
have been better last year. Maybe if I had been, things would be
different.”

“What happened last year?” he asked in a gentle tone.

“I put a lot of stress on them. Staying out late, never telling them where
I was at night, letting my grades fall…consequently leading to tutoring. I
just…if I had just done what they asked…maybe things would have worked out.”

Spike leaned forward slightly, staring into her eyes as he spoke. “You’re
not to blame, Buffy,” he whispered, letting his hand brush across hers
almost accidentally as he offered comfort.

Both felt the charge that ran through them as their eyes never broke
contact. Before either of them could think of what was happening, they met
in a tender kiss. Their lips seemed to melt together, completing each other
in an almost perfect way.

Neither one knew who had initiated the kiss, and neither cared as Spike’s
hands came up to gently cup her face, letting his fingers wind through her
hair as they continued their soft caresses. His tongue ran across her
bottom lip, begging entrance as Buffy gasped, allowing their tongues to meet
and stroke together.

Buffy felt lightheaded as she clutched at his strong arms, feeling almost
dizzy as they slowly broke away. She stared at him for a moment before
realizing what she had just done. Her hand came up to cover her mouth. “Oh
my God,” she murmured, averting her eyes.

“Buffy-“

“No, I-I’m sorry, Mr. Bradley.”

Spike watched, feeling helpless as Buffy bolted from her seat, grabbing her
bag as she practically ran out the door.

Spike could still see stars dancing in front of his eyes from the emotions
that she had evoked.

Spike let his head fall into his hands, shaking it back and forth slowly.
“Bloody hell.”





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