Hey all. I don't know if this story was ever on spuffy realm but i've been looking for it and can't remember the name, only details. Its very old and AU.
In the fic spike ends up moving into buffy's apartment with buffy and baby Dawn. This is a random roommate situation so they do not know eachother. They are both single but buffy has been burned before and is therefore very gun shy.
They meet when she calls 'Will' into the open door of the apartment and he thinks she's talking to him but it turns out she had thought it was willow. She then asks him to help her pick the earrings she wants to wear out that night and they talk about where he would stay were he to rent a room.
At some point in the fic they paint a room yellow and spike flicks some paint onto her nose. She has her hair in pigtails.
At another point they are on the beach and buffy delicately licks a path up spike's neck while they watch Dawn play in the sand.
Spike also gives her a copy of the little engine that could to represent her ability to fight her inner demons. I'm pretty sure this is while she's in the shower. ALSO a shower scene - she's taking a bath and spike pulls back the curtain to hand her a glass of wine which shocks her but he reassures her he's only looking at her eyes.
Spike makes it abundantly clear that he wants her but will not pressure her and therein lies the tension for most of the fic.
the title might have something to do with the word mental or minds. Pretty sure it's two words. | 
